get your annual skin cancer screening!

Weekly Therapy: 40 + 1

- Mel

the week:
I’ve experienced all kinds of weather in Iowa, but this week’s crazy severe storms and tornado warnings had me legit freaking out. I don’t ever want to be in my car during a 70-mph wind storm ever again! I saw a trampoline in a tree, so I’m pretty sure that’s like Iowa Bingo right there.

four seasons of weather in iowa

All that said, what was 94 and humid at the beginning of the week is now 45 degrees and depressingly gloomy.
-_-

weekend:
It’s a weekend of brunches! After my Saturday morning run, our group is having brunch at Louie’s Wine Dive to celebrate our race reason. On Sunday, the hubs and I are going to see “Curious Incident…” at Des Moines Performing Arts Center and having brunch beforehand at Bubba | Southern Comfort (I need those buckwheat waffles).

seven things, seven days:
1. A coworker gave me two heirloom tomato plants. I’m so excited to take care of these guys and tend to fruit! I miss our little urban plot that we had in Pittsburgh, and want to make a plan to have a small vegetable garden in place by next year.
2. Did you see the FitSpi shorts that will be in next month’s Runner Crate? Got me to subscribe. [affiliate link] 3. I found the cats have been taking turns napping on my workout bag that I leave on the bench in our garage entry. One of them is snoring over there right at this moment. ?
4. That Demi Lovato collection at Fabletics is ?.
5. Lucky Charms is hosting a contest to win a MARSHMALLOW ONLY box of cereal. Gimme.
6. A story too close to the skin for me: Vitamin D deficiency vs. Skin cancer {via HealthLine}
7. I no longer feel guilt over wasting time (though I am also much, much better at managing my time) {via Quartz}

Weekly Therapy: The light at the end of the tunnel is not an illusion. The tunnel is.

- Mel

Oh man, the statement in the title of this post from my yoga instructor hit me right where I needed it at practice this week.

the week:
This week, I discovered that May Day is a thing. Did you celebrate May Day when you were a kid? My coworkers were telling me all about the “random and anonymous acts of kindness” associated with this holiday when they were kids in Iowa, and it sounds very nice! (We got free candy at work because of it.)

weekend:
Since my birthday is on a Monday (boo!), we’ll be out getting the b-day shenanigans on over the weekend. Boyfriend tells me that I have a WEEKS WORTH of surprises that start on Saturday. In all honesty, I really don’t like surprises, but in this case: GIVE IT TO ME.

This weekend, the weekly Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market opens; Des Moines Social Club is hosting a Food Truck Throw Down; and it’s also Tulip Time in Pella!

Wow, what great Iowan folks to schedule three wonderful events around my birthday celebrations! 😉

seven things, seven days:
1. We got a Roomba, and the reception of it on behalf of the cats is mixed (I don’t think there are any youtube videos in our future). Though *I* am thoroughly impressed by this thing.
2. My bottom front teeth were SUPER sensitive last week, and I never listen to my body cues when I know it’s getting sick (spoiler alert: I’m getting sick). But I’m completely serious about the teeth sensitivity thing; happens every single time.
3. I seriously worked for 40 minutes straightening a drawstring in a pair of my casual pants BECAUSE IT’S THE ABSOLUTE WORST. And when I got *almost* to the end, I realized that it’s sewn in twisted, and I can’t fix it! Gah.
4. A follow-up Trunk Club shipment came, and I have a new stylist (already), and it was worse than the first one.
5. I spent a few hours reading my old, dead blog. I feel like I used to be a much better writer (and a helluva lot funnier), and I wish I could harness some of that again.
6. Putting work in its place — don’t fall for the anecdotal fallacies! Also, it’s OK to not have a “calling” or to be passionate about work and it’s OK to choose the paycheck, k? WE ALL WORK FOR MONEY. {a great piece via The Manual}
7. May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, so PLEASE make sure to read up on warning signs and symptoms, and schedule your annual screening! This is very near-and-dear to me, considering that I had skin cancer in my 30s (and my future odds at being cancer-free are not good) and one of my closest friends just passed away in March at age 40 from melanoma.

The past is passed… but it still haunts us.

- Mel

I’m going to deviate a bit from today’s Blogger, May I? prompt of “This Time Last Year…” since there was something truly life-changing that happened to me two years ago this week.

I had MOHs surgery to remove skin cancer from my face.

Recently, a friend shared a story via Facebook about another girl who posted pictures of her skin cancer treatments online to promote “healthier” tanning habits in young women. I’m here to do the same thing. I actively blogged about this two years ago because it was traumatic. Two years ago, not only did I find out a flat, colorless, shiny spot on my face was skin cancer, but lost my two grandparents within three months of one another. A Basal Cell Carcinoma diagnosis happened in the middle of that. I endured another year of deep depression, only finding my way back to happiness a few months ago.

I was only 36-years-old then. Still, my dermatologist EVERY SINGLE VISIT tells me that I’m too young. It remains extremely difficult to hear that and know, for the most part, IT WAS PREVENTABLE. Every year around my birthday now I have to do a screening. Last week I had another biopsy, which thankfully was benign. But those old feelings still creep up. I still have the scars, both emotionally and physically. While my dermatologist compliments the surgeons for how well they stitched my face back up, I still have to look at it every day and be reminded of my ignorance.

You can't see it, but I can.
You can’t see it, but I can.

I’d be remiss to not mention its impact financially. While my screening appointments are covered, insurance does not pay for biopsies — each year I have at least one and each costs me about $250. The MOHs surgery cost SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. All of which had to be paid up-front, out-of-pocket. I was horribly and visibly bruised for several days, which meant not being able to go to work either (and meant unpaid personal days). And because I am admittedly vain about my face, I will also (soon) pay a couple hundred dollars to remove broken blood vessels that resulted from the surgery. Some people pay more for plastic surgery, so, yes, I know that I am “lucky” in that regard.

In any event, I will pontificate and remind you that getting an annual skin cancer screening — especially if you are fair skinned, sunburn easily or often, have a lot of moles or freckles — IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. That link, by the way, will take you to the Skin Cancer Foundation’s website, which has a lot of helpful information about the different types of skin cancer, how to detect and/or the warning signs, and how or where to get screened.

And don’t forget the sunscreen.

Weekly Therapy: back and better (educated) than ever!

- Mel

the week:
Hey there, missed you. I’ll catch you up in another long-winded post, but for now… Riding high off a big derby win last weekend.
Life is not parallel though with wins-and-losses. And I can no longer find comfort in my favorite comfort foods.

hammock relaxation
All the relaxation.

weekend:
Went to the hockey game last night (boo!), and I had to work all Easter (whatever, double pay — woo!). Going home to lots of homework and hrutka.

seven things, seven days:
1. No biopsies at my yearly skin cancer screening! What a relief. I got an ugly mole removed just for shits-and-giggles…
2. Received my first Blue Apron shipment, and I’m so excited about the service — especially when the boyfriend is traveling!
3. Two weeks left to go in my first semester back to school. LET’S DO THIS.
4. Disappointingly, I couldn’t have the gluten-free meatball at the new Meatball restaurant. I was *so* looking forward to its open. SIGH.
5. Random LOFT sale: 50% off everything?! I love spring shopping.
6. The Crossroads of Should and Must really spoke to me. On that note I’m really enjoying finding heartfelt essays like this on medium.
7. The irrationality of irrationality: The paradox of popular psychology. Ooooh, where was this article when I was doing an assignment a couple weeks ago???

Weekly Therapy: buh-bye skin cancer

- Mel

the week:
Had my MOHs surgery this week, so this post will be short-and-sweet. I have to wait 7-10 days to do any kind of physical activity, so I’m also on derby break. I’ll know more next Thursday when I get my bandages removed (for further healing time). I have no idea how long my stitches will be in my face, which is weird — especially if they’re going to be exposed.

weekend:
Neighborhood yard sale (also, first time in public since the surgery). Power game on Saturday, and then the Pirates game with my dad on Sunday. But lots of rest and learning how to cover up a black eye with makeup.

52 books in 52 weeks:
I got 17% through a new book about Ted Bundy, but it was boring, so I cut my losses and started reading something else.

seven things, seven days:
1. I won a $100 restaurant gift card from Dawg’s Dish. SO AWESOME! And we have a new restaurant to try when we return to Cleveland.
2. Yoga. Needed.
3. Purchased a CC cream (finally) and was disappointed to learn it didn’t contain sunscreen. Plus, the product itself sucks. Meh.
4. We booked a trip to Costa Rica!
5. Now I need to renew my passport though… holy expensive — especially for expedited processing!
6. Homemade strawberry milkshakes: for those days when you cannot drink alcohol. Sober Therapy.
7. Does trying to be happy make us unhappy?

Every 30-something needs… a skin cancer screening.

- Mel

Listen to me. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.

I am a 30-something, fair-skinned, mole- and freckle-covered, former tan-addict, once-a-year accidental sunburner, beach and sun-loving woman… who just discovered she has skin cancer.

The biopsy done on my face last month: basal cell carcinoma.

Thankfully, it’s the most common and treatable type of skin cancer. I will be having MOHs surgery later this month to remove everything, with hopefully minimal scarring or disfiguring or concern for the cancer spreading. The sobering news has been a HUGE wake-up call to me. Naturally, I’ve been feeling a lot of emotions over finding out — most of which, stupidity that I could have done more when I was younger to help prevent this. Last year, I had a semi-scare, with my doctor removing two flat little freckles (not cancerous, but concerning enough to be biopsied). One of which was underneath my butt cheek. For real. My face, for whatever reason, feels REALLY personal. I have to see it every day. Underneath my rear end, it’s easy to forget the warnings.

scf-logo-gradient-205x100

Serious time. Listen to the advice of the experts: USE SUNSCREEN. Don’t just rely on makeup SPF. STOP TANNING. No really, not even the one before your wedding or vacation or whatever dumb excuse of an event to be tan. Get your annual screening.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness month, and I need to emphasize how important it is to regularly see a dermatologist and raise your awareness of skin cancer warning signs. Rite Aid and the Skin Cancer Foundation are hosting the Road to Healthy Skin Tour (in its sixth year!), which be making its way across the country throughout the summer. Full-body skin exams are conducted on a first come, first served basis available to the public. Check the Tour Schedule for locations in your area.

Check out skincancer.org for everything you need to know about the signs of skin cancer, early detection and prevention, treatments and references for dermatologists in your community.

While you’re at it, take this Skin Quiz to inform you of your risk.

Weekly Therapy: April!!!!!!

- Mel

the week:
This week, I started my April 30 Challenge to “do something new every day.” The opportunity is there to do some amazing things… but a few things will be kind of ridiculous. And by ridiculous, I mean, I NEED IDEAS! Won’t you leave some in the comments?

Also this week was my annual skin cancer screening. I had to have a biopsy ON MY FACE. Thankfully, it was tiny, so I didn’t need stitches. BUT STILL: ON MY FACE. For the record, it wasn’t a mole either, which makes it all the more scary. Ladies, if you haven’t stopped with the tanning beds and vacations full of sun exposure, I feel it’s my purpose to tell you STOP. NOW.

skin cancer screening
Don’t look at my blackheads! Also, don’t look at my balding eyebrows.

And don’t forget the sunscreen.

weekend:
I’m taking yet another road trip to Ohio this weekend. We have a game on Saturday, so I’m making a mini-vacay out of it: dinner (and carb load) with an old friend on Friday; hockey game on Sunday. Plus, we’re seemingly out of the season of 800 layers (woo).

If you’re looking for something to do in Pittsburgh, check out this Awesome Events post from I Heart PGH.

seven things, seven days:
1. One of my reviews made it into the Weekly Yelp!
2. Speaking of Yelp, we went to a performance at the new Arcade Comedy Theater on Monday courtesy of the social network. So much funny.
3. BASEBALL!!! (you’re going to get a lot of that from me this time of year)
4. Second year in a row that I won some cash from the scratch-off lottery ticket in my Easter Basket. BINGO!
5. I don’t know how I got subscribed to The Red Bulletin magazine (from Red Bull), but it’s my absolute favorite right now for its stories of travel and wonderful articles on adventure-seekers.
6. I applied for a job at google… kinda blew my mind hitting “send” on my resume. Why not, right?
7. Can you believe that more than HALF of Americans shop in order to feel better? {StyleCaster article} Ahem. I am one of you.