For all of the teens (and adults) out there who take tanning bed selfies and selfies laying out. Look what your future may hold if you continue with those behaviors. You may finally have your day in the spotlight.

You will LOVE this!

Every 3 months or so, you get to be the center of attention. People take photos of you and everything.

Feel like a model yet?

Then these same people all crowd around you and focus on every square inch of your body.

Feel sexy yet apotheke-zag.de?

Instead of getting you primped up for your photo shoot with hair and makeup, you get needles and scalpels. Yikes!!

So… here is the result of your day in the spotlight after tanning for years and being diagnosed with melanoma. AND you get this day in the spotlight every 3 or so months.

Now the fun begins. You get to wait 1-2 weeks to see if they want to see you again to start this all over again. See how fun your day in the spotlight is??

Are you ready for all of this? I doubt it!

Think twice before taking those tanning bed selfies, laying in a tanning bed, taking selfies laying out without sunscreen and without using sun protection. You think being pale is horrible…wait until you have 50+ scars on your entire body from biopsies and excisions. You will then agree that being pale is not so bad.

Cherish your body. It is the only one you will every have.

Thank you to Dr. James DeBloom and all of your fabulous nursing and office staff. http://southcarolinaskincancercenter.com/

For some reason today, I feel like I have won the lottery.

Finally, Skin Cancer/Melanoma in the spotlight with a focus on prevention, sun protection, education, and research.

The five specific goals are:

Goal 1:  Increase Opportunities for Sun Protection in Outdoor Settings

Goal 2:  Provide Individuals with the Information They Need to Make Informed, Healthy Choices About UV Exposure

Goal 3:  Promote Policies that Advance the National Goal of Preventing Skin Cancer

Goal 4:  Reduce Harms from Indoor Tanning

Goal 5:  Strengthen Research, Surveillance, Monitoring, and Evaluation Related to Skin Cancer Prevention

For detailed information, please read http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/prevent-skin-cancer/call-to-action-prevent-skin-cancer.pdf apotekerendk.com/.

I am truly overwhelmed by the response today in the news and on social media. Are people really getting it now? Why just now? Who cares…better late than never!!

STOP TANNING AND SAVE YOUR SKIN!!

More great resources:

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/prevent-skin-cancer/index.html

As I was wondering around our small little town today, I happened into a local business and to my surprise it ended up being very, very rewarding.

I had the pleasure of meeting two beautiful ladies and educating them on the importance of sun protection and the dangers of melanoma.

Here’s how it started…

As I walked into the business, the young girl behind the counter was super tanned with a very, very red face. She said, “I’m burnt, huh?” I said, “Yes, you are.” She offered up more information without my asking and said that she had recently went to the tanning bed for the first time and got “totally burned up”. She even explained that she had white spots on her back. I didn’t comment or pry until she asked…”Have you ever been to a tanning bed?” That opened up our conversation.

I simply told her Yes, that is why I am now dealing with the long-time struggle of living with melanoma. Her eyes got wide while I was telling her about my diagnosis, my multiple surgeries, and showing her my visible scars. I was going on and on until she stopped me and said, “I’m sorry…what is melanoma?” That stopped me in my tracks. I then started telling her what melanoma was and started giving some statistics and by this time another girl in the business had started listening in on our conversation.

I gave them my website information and told them to take a look and pass this information onto their friends and family.  I also told them they could contact me any time if they had questions or wanted more information. I knew I had taken up enough of their time, so I finished up my business in their store. As I was leaving,  both of them stopped me and said that they would look on the website tonight when they got home and they thanked me for coming in with this information.

Of course, the pleasure was all mine.

I am shocked that Patsy’s Sun Room would let this first time customer stay in a bed so long that she was “totally burned up”.  I am equally concerned that they did not educate this customer on the dangers of skin cancer. It seemed apparent that this young girl had NEVER been to a tanning bed before or was likely a new-comer to tanning in a tanning bed. I shouldn’t have been the first one that told this girl what melanoma was. It is completely negligent to own a tanning bed nowadays without providing the essential education regarding the risks of using a tanning bed as it relates to skin cancer/melanoma. My hope is that this young girl’s current wounds will heal and she will not live the life that so many of my warrior friends and I live.

Shame on you Patsy’s Sun Room!!

Patsy’s Sun Room, 119 N Main St, Simpsonville, SC 29681,(864) 963-9190

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Patsys-Sunroom/357344637730717?rf=188042191215758

Hopefully, the girls I met today will read this post. My final words to you both are…Love The Skin You Are In. I wish I had someone to tell me this kind of stuff when I was your age. If so, I probably wouldn’t be living my life with melanoma. I would love to invite you both to join me in my mission to raise awareness of melanoma. Contact me!!

Here are some quick skin cancer/melanoma FACTS that will open your eyes!

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.
• One person dies of melanoma every hour (every 57 minutes).
• About 76,100 new melanomas will be diagnosed (about 43,890 in men and 32,210 in women).
• About 9,710 people are expected to die of melanoma (about 6,470 men and 3,240 women).
• It is one of the most common cancers in young adults (especially young women).
• Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common form of cancer for young people 15-29 years old.
• Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
• A person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns.
• One or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence more than double a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life.
• Regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by 40 percent and the risk of developing melanoma by 50 percent.
• Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a proven human carcinogen.
• The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an affiliate of the World Health Organization, includes ultraviolet (UV) tanning devices in its Group 1, a list of the most dangerous cancer-causing substances. Group 1 also includes agents such as plutonium, cigarettes, and solar UV radiation.
• As of September 2, 2014, ultraviolet (UV) tanning devices will be reclassified by the FDA from class I (low to moderate risk) to class II (moderate to high risk) devices.
• Just one indoor tanning session increases users’ chances of developing melanoma by 20 percent, and each additional session during the same year boosts the risk almost another two percent.
• Of melanoma cases among 18-to-29-year-olds who had tanned indoors, 76 percent were attributable to tanning bed use.
• People who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma by 75 percent.²⁹
  

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http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts

http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm186687.htm

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/skincancer-melanoma/detailedguide/melanoma-skin-cancer-key-statistics

I have been thinking about posting this for a while and I saw this post on Facebook this morning and knew it was time.

Time after time when speaking about my melanoma diagnosis what I hear over and over is…”Oh, you HAD melanoma”. Well, it is hard to explain. People think that melanoma is only skin cancer, you cut it out, you are cured and ready to go. So, So Wrong! I also get the question, “You have melanoma or you had A melanoma”? Well, both.

Yes, melanoma is a tumor of the skin, but can invade other organs and also can initially be detected on other organs.  For instance, if you have been diagnosed with melanoma and they cut it out, you are at an increased risk of recurrence and this recurrence could show up next on your skin or in vital organs.

So, this is the problem I have with the terms HAD melanoma and A melanoma. Please read the FB post and understand how most of us Melanoma Warriors live and why we are so passionate about advocacy, education and awareness. Melanoma is still so misunderstood. Melanoma, in my opinion, is one of the most disregarded cancers and one of the most deadly.

My next statement is not meant to downplay any other cancer types, but to merely use these cancers as an example. The best way I can explain this post and to help people understand this issue is to use breast cancer and lung cancer as an example. Lung cancer means you have tumors initially diagnosed in your lungs with the DNA mutations and characteristics of “lung” cancer…same with breast cancer. Would you speak to a lung or breast cancer warrior and say, “Oh, you HAD A breast tumor or Oh you HAD a lung tumor”? No, most people understand the severity and seriousness of these cancers and do things to prevent these cancers (i.e., quit smoking, limit estrogen causing foods/supplements, etc.). So WHY do people still use tanning beds and lay out in the sun and BURN?

OH…I know WHY…because it is JUST SKIN CANCER, right sildentadal.com?!?!  NO!!

Please educate yourself and know the dangers and seriousness of Melanoma. Promote education, advocacy, awareness and early detection.

Thank you Danielle Bosser Dahm for posting this and speaking to and for me and most Cancer Warriors!

WOW…I never knew how good it felt to share my story and actually make a difference. Nothing can describe how good it feels to actually inspire people to make a change…be aware…care about themselves and their health. It is, of course, no surprise that I have used my social media connections to spread my message of Melanoma Awareness. Most of the time I will get a few likes and maybe a few comments from my fellow Melanoma Warriors, but sometimes I get comments that shock me and make me smile. Smile really BIG!

For instance…

It feels just as good to know people support you and believe the story of your journey is helpful and may change lives.

Never underestimate yourself and your ability to make a difference in someone’s life. Every little bit of awareness counts. Reach out, share your story, MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Hope you all are having a great May and supporting Melanoma Awareness Month. Please continue to spread the word about the dangers of Melanoma.

THANK YOU Miles Against Melanoma – North Carolina for sharing my story.

Check out my story on the Warrior Wall. I am so honored to share my story and hope it will support awareness and make others think twice before visiting the tanning bed and laying out in the sun without sunscreen.

http://milesagainstmelanoma.com/blog/2014/05/07/samantha-carter/

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April 26, 2014 was my first time supporting Miles Against Melanoma, but it certainly will not be my last.

My family and I supported the North Carolina Chapter of Miles Against Melanoma in Charlotte by participating in the 1 mile/5K/Fun Run. The show of support at this event was tremendous. Visit http://milesagainstmelanoma.com/north-carolina/ and see how you can support this cause next year in April. If you are not in NC…here is the link to support Miles Against Melanoma in your area. http://milesagainstmelanoma.com

Here are a few photos of me and my family during this event.

Me and Jessi before the run

Me and Jessi after the run

Scott & McKinnon

Scott, McKinnon & Michael

Ben, Jessi, Breanna, Jordan & Kalyn

Super Proud to Wear This

Once again, Thank You to Scott, McKinnon, Jessi, Ben, Michael, Breanna, Jordan and Kalyn for always supporting me!

See you next year MAM_NC!

OK…Here we go… Tomorrow is the beginning of Melanoma Awareness Month.

Here are a few ways to show your support and promote awareness:

Melanoma Research Alliance and L’oreal have partnered to support Melanoma Awareness in the month of May. Visit https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/8920-it-s-that-worth-it?locale=en and make a difference.

IT’S THAT WORTH IT™

Melanoma Research Foundation has a campaign called #GETNAKED to support Melanoma Awareness in the month of May. Visit http://www.melanoma.org/get-involved/advocacy-initiatives/get-naked to show your support via Facebook or Twitter.

“IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE”

Reach out and educate someone about melanoma/skin cancer prevention and early detection. You never know who might listen.

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!