WARNING - Skin Cancer checks - Go often

[Caveoftreasures]

I wanted to share something with everyone who goes out in the hot sun and sometimes gets a little burnt.

Today I went for a check up at the skin cancer clinic, and came off alot worse than I had hoped, and I never go in the sun and get burnt !

Apx 5 yrs ago, I had a lump caused by skin cancer cut from my forehead, just near my right eye, another cut from the back of my neck. Both looked small on the surface but ran very deep. It is scary how these little things can turn very nasty, very quickly. I was cut open, carcinoma removed, stitched up etc, and was given the green light after numerous check ups.

I have been back every 12 months for a check up, and today was my 12 month check up again. Well, I had another large skin cancer cut from my left shoulder area, another from my right shoulder area, and have quite alot of stitches, and quite a nasty area that had to be cut out. The DR said both needed urgent removal. Then it gets worse, I have to go back again next week for a tiny one on the right side of my nose (where the sun hits when I am driving in the car alot) and another one cut out of the back of my neck, which has come back from before, now 3 times larger and nastier. AND I dont even go in the sun without a hat or sunscreen etc.

The lesson here, is if u have a little sore that keeps coming back in a area where the sun hits, or a blemish or anything remotely close to anything that u think might be caused from the sun, get it checked out IMMEDIATELY, cause geting it caught early, might just save your life.

I wont post any gruesome photos,lol   but get ya self checked guys. Summer is coming, and so is the nasty melanoma which can kill u very easily. One small spot can turn into a massive cancerous piece of meat, very quickly.
Most skincare checks are covered by Medicare with no, or little out of pocket expenses, and u get almost everything back if u have to pay something to get checked out or operated on. Hope it helps. !

[andtan]

Good advice Cavey,

I had a darkish coloured mole removed a number of years ago, only because I was concerned about its dark colour. It was smaller than your little finger nail and was a bluey black colour. A couple of stiches and I was on my way.

Luckily for me the Dr decided to send it away and have it tested, and two days later I received a phone call from his receptionist advising me that the mole actually was a melanoma, and I needed to come back as soon as possible. Whilst I walked away with a 10cm scar down the side of my neck and a heap of stiches, at least I can live to tell the tale.

Always get dark moles checked by a skin specialist, especially if they change colour, get itchy, or suddenly start to get bigger.

[Caveoftreasures]

Thanks for your response, bloody scary isnt it !

The DR was telling me about people who didnt come back when he advised them too, and they finally came back many months or even a few years later only to find out it had spread, now requiring a much bigger operation, and in some cases radio therapy/chemo etc. Some people even die he tells me 3 or 6 months later cause it has spread into the lymph system.

One guy, had one on his forehead, and one on his neck. It had spread into his brain and he was dead 4 months later at age 40 etc. He tells me it happens far too often. (mine is on my friggin neck, very high up - great ! NOT)

Regular skincare checks can save lives !

[swinks]

Thanks for the warning, my hair dresser noticed one on my neck near the hair line getting bigger - you have kicked me into gear. I hope that's it for you Cavey.

[Caveoftreasures]

Thanks for the warning, my hair dresser noticed one on my neck near the hair line getting bigger - you have kicked me into gear. I hope that's it for you Cavey.

At age 42 I am falling apart.lol   Never been crook in my life, but the last 12 months has been testing to say the least.

Swinksy, get yours checked, safest option 4 sure.

[Freiherr]

Jees that is serious business. Good health is important so regular checks are a must. Thanks for the good advice.

Funny you post health related news as it was only yesterday that I was soldering under a playfield and noticed on the back of the solder spool the following health and safety information:

"This product contains lead. After handling wash hands with soap and water before eating, drinking or smoking. Fumes from soldering flux may be irritating to the nose, throat and lungs and excessive inhalation should be avoided. Use only in a well ventilated area."

[Caveoftreasures]

Lead products are nearing extinction in most countries thankfully.

Every dad wants to be around for when the kids grow up ofcourse, and your health is so very important.

I am told playing lots of pinball can extend your life by many years, well thats my excuse to buy them anyway when the wife asks. 

[goodolddays]

Yes, great advice re the skin checkups Brett . (In fact I am due again myself, have had 2 cut out in the past few years )

Unfortunately in most cases, the sun damage happened when we were kids  and is only now becoming apparent through skin cancers

[philtech]

 Yes it sure is a worry getting skin cancer.
I had a nasty one on the side of my face, but having a fear of needles and going under the knife I fixed it a different way.
Someone put me onto "black salve" and after 1 applications it completely disappeared.
Its amazing stuff and you can put it anywhere on the skin and it will destroy only the cancer cells.
An Ausie doctor invented another cream made from egg plant extract, but the govt banned it here. Apparently you can get it from overseas.
If you want to get the black salve, I would be quick because they are trying to ban this as well.
Do a lot of research yourself first if you want to try something like this, but I am living proof it kills skin cancer and removes any cancerous moles. For me it took 4 days and it fell off my face and completely healed up in 8 days.

[Caveoftreasures]

Wow. glad it worked out because scars or scarring on the face is the last thing anyone wants. Be careful but, its what u cant see under the skin which kills you. The carcinoma can run very deep etc.
I have a 15 centimetre scar/cut on my left shoulder/back area from last week, and am due to go back again in 3 days. The next one to get cut out is twice as big as the last one, so the scar for this one, on the back of my lower neck/high up between my shoulder blades is going to be very large.

It might even require a plastic surgeon cause what he has to cut out, meat/tissue wise is going to be too much not to replace it with something he says. More friggin expenses eating into the pinball monies.lol  if I dont need the plastic surgeon bit, I will save thousands. I would rather put the money to a X Men Pro than to some already filthy rich surgeon from the Gold Coast. I will know soon enough. Thanks for the info on that product.

[philtech]

I know exactly what your saying mate.
But once under the knife always under the knife.

 As a pinball mate maybe give the black salve or what you are ok with a go before you go under the knife again.
It will remove everything cancerous from under the skin also so dont worry about that.
The next thing you need to do is stop drinking coke and any other product that is acidic as this intake causes cancer of any kind to flourish in your body. Sadly that includes alcohol but,,, you can neutralize this.
Not preaching mate,,, as I struggle meself to give up these good things in life.
Anyways, go alkaline in your diet and you will be surprised how your body changes for the better.

 No cancer internal or external can grow in an alkaline environment. Cancer can only grow in an acidic environment.
That is a scientific fact, and I did years of research before I solved my own issues.

Regards... 

[Caveoftreasures]

Its funny you say that because a few weeks ago my doctor put me on a very strict diet, and coke/softdrink/lollies,chips, basically anything with high sugar/certain fat content has been banned from my diet. Apparently, these are the worse things for you and are a leading cause of bowel cancer and are also responsible for most health issues. I guess I will be losing weight and hopefully living alot longer. Anything to extend my pinball playing years.lol

[ktm450]

If you want to get the black salve, I would be quick because they are trying to ban this as well.

I though black slaves were outlawed years ago?

  I think I may have read that wrong    



Sorry couldn't help myself, back on topic....

[Caveoftreasures]

Went back to the Doctor today and had to get a skin cancer on my nose CUT out.... dam, the needles in my nose for the anesthetic hurt.

Then my pride was hurt because the small procedure has probably changed the shape of my nose/nostral size on one size, and it may be a considerable change. I wont really know til the swelling goes down, but it aint looking good with a pretty dramatic change in shape etc. I know its sounds stupid but you tend to get used to your nose the way its been for 42 years and even the slightest of changes, or a signifigant one makes a big difference when u look in the mirror. My wife says who cares, who will know, but the point is that I will know.

The bottom line is money fixes anything (not that I am rich at the moment) and it will be off to a plastic sugeon shld I not be happy with the outcome when the nose heals properly. More wasted money I could spend on something more important like a pinball.lol  Just kidding re the pinball, your health is everything.  Still got to go back next tuesday for the last op for the back of my neck/shoulder area. Friggin skin cancers. Give you the shits for sure. And the worse part is, its due to many hundreds of hours driving in sunny QLD with the sun booming in the drivers window which hits your right side (face n neck area) even though the window is dark tinted and the window was always shut.

Get checked guys cause these skin cancers get bigger n bigger and they only get worse and do not go away unless a scalpal is introduced.
Definately a major friggin pain but what can you do.
 

[Caveoftreasures]

UPDATE

Been back to the skin clinic/doctor today to have the last n largest operation done on the back of my neck/shoulder area.

Wow, 35 stitches later, and a piece of meat bigger than a 50 cent piece, and about 3 x 50 cent pieces thick/deep removed and the procedure took abot 2 hours to complete. Ended up unfortunately with a scar a good 20 cms plus long in a large Z shape. In friggin pain, just dropped some pain killers as the anesthetic is wearing off etc. He had to use a laser machine to burn the tissue to stop the bleeding, the smell was yuk times 10, and the noise was bad. I will pay for that tonight me thinks.

All the needles to start off with to numb the large area was nasty, nothing like being a pin cushion 20 times, arggghhhhh.
Anyway, what can u do except suck it up. Sleeping for the next week wont be easy as I usually lay on my back, and everything u do, going to the fridge, picking something up, even playing the pinnys involves moving your neck and back/top shoulder area etc, so I am already thinking this is going to pe a real pain in the neck(no pun intended ! boom boom).

Anyway, over now hopefully. Better off cut into than having something that can kill you.
P.S - talked my skin Doctor into looking at buying a pinny, and serviced his alarm system whilst I was there, its a crazy world !    

Will now try to get sympathy from the wife when she comes home, and get her to mow the lawn   and even cook the BBQ instead of me doing it. Dont like my chances but will pretend I am extra dying and see if goes for it.lol