This Real Housewife's story is why you do not ever put off getting suspicious moles checked because you're scared of what they might find. Melanoma is cheap and easy to treat if caught early, and if not, all the money in the world won't make it less a nightmare. people.com/teddi-mellen... - ThreadSky

kebrightbill.bsky.social • 1 day ago

This Real Housewife's story is why you do not ever put off getting suspicious moles checked because you're scared of what they might find. Melanoma is cheap and easy to treat if caught early, and if not, all the money in the world won't make it less a nightmare.

https://people.com/teddi-mellencamp-cancer-journey-timeline-brain-tumor-11679438

Comments

chacha1847.bsky.social•1 day ago

Thank you for reminding me I'm overdue for a mole check

potrzebiesystem.bsky.social•23 hours ago

I get a skin cancer screening once a year. It takes 5 min at the dermatologist. Do it, folks!

potrzebiesystem.bsky.social•23 hours ago

Even if you have to get some little spots removed bc they may seem a bit wonky to the dermatologist but are often nothing, those are quick & easy procedures done right then by the dermatologist and doing so prevents them from possibly becoming something one day. Get your screening!

kebrightbill.bsky.social•23 hours ago

I've had so many biopsies over the years that I'm practically covered in little circular scars now.

potrzebiesystem.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Glad you get checked!

kebrightbill.bsky.social•1 day ago

The sum total of my cancer journey was a copay at my dermatologist's office and a scar on my arm that I covered with silicone scar strips for a few months, and getting my dermatologist appointments schedule shortened to every three months for a year. If melanoma isn't caught early it's way worse.

kebrightbill.bsky.social•1 day ago

You can learn more about skin cancer by checking out the educational material from @skincancerorg.bsky.social, and talk with your doctor about seeing a dermatologist for regular screenings. Early detection can take what could be a life altering diagnosis and turn it into a mild annoyance.

kebrightbill.bsky.social•1 day ago

Also, don't assume you're safe from melanoma risk if you've got darker skin, because reduced risk is not the same as no risk, and not all melanoma is caused by sun damage in the first place. The kind of melanoma that doesn't come from sun damage is what killed Bob Marley.

kebrightbill.bsky.social•1 day ago

Oh, and tell your gen Z and alpha kids that TikTok is lying to them and tanning doesn't help prevent skin cancer, and sunscreen doesn't cause it. Also, homemade sunscreen doesn't work and chemical sunscreens are safe. Follow @labmuffin.com for more about sunscreens.

thelasttheorist.bsky.social•1 day ago

I never wanted to use sunscreen because it's gross, but after I had melanoma I got over it. Five years later, my skin is in much better shape - especially on my face.

kebrightbill.bsky.social•1 day ago

I've been pretty religious with sunscreen and covering, but I had a few really bad sunburns as a kid, mostly because of bad supervision at church events, so I was doomed. I half wish we were the kind of Baptists who make kids swim in T-shirts for modesty, because I wouldn't have ended up blistered.

aiddonvalentine.bsky.social•1 day ago

Also little advice: light can absolutely reflect from the ground so don't assume shade can completely protect you

kebrightbill.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yeah, and hats help, but they still don't provide full protection

thelasttheorist.bsky.social•1 day ago

It also spreads *really* fast, so the difference between okay and terrible outcomes can be just a couple months of putting it off.

kebrightbill.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yeah, that too. My dermatologist was going to be out of town, so she scheduled me with the physician assistant to get mine removed rather than waiting around a few more weeks until she got back.

thelasttheorist.bsky.social•1 day ago

In a pinch, a lot of primary care doctors can also do the scan. Mine even did the first biopsy.

kebrightbill.bsky.social•1 day ago

I've got a ton of weird looking but normal moles, and a family history of melanoma, so I'd been established with a dermatologist for years before one of my moles turned into cancer.

thelasttheorist.bsky.social•1 day ago

I was lucky. One of my high school friends got it. Then a couple months later I had a mole that was getting creative and joined the club. Now I check myself & see the dermatologist 2-3x a year. I was also lucky with the ACA. Othewise I would have waited until it got bad.

kebrightbill.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yeah, and if the ACA goes, I don't know what I'll do because of the preexisting conditions

spools.bsky.social•1 day ago

If your suspicious mole never sees the sun, is that still suspicious

kebrightbill.bsky.social•1 day ago

It could be, not all melanoma is caused by sun damage

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