Skin Cancer Awareness month

My apology for such a long post. Tonight I will be sharing my Spring English writing project. It's a narrative of my experience with skin cancer. We had to include a source from our class text titled Generation Me just so you understand why I included the sources.

From Blonde and Bronzed to Pale and Proud

There’s a common misconception that as human beings we are invincible. We see bugs splattered on the front windshield of our cars and occasionally someone’s defenseless pet displayed as road kill along the highway, neither of which would ever happen to a human. If only these poor creatures had been warned, their fate may have been different. The warning labels for humans to observe are regularly ignored. During the 1980’s, cigarettes were smoked frequently in movies and TV shows in a smooth fashion that gave the viewer the impression that cigarettes are sexy. Although the rates of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases have increased, smokers still continue to ignore the warning from the surgeon general regarding their health. Likewise, tanning beds have also been declared a cancer-causing device. Because the stars can smoke cigarettes and sport a tan to increase their attractiveness without photo aging or wrinkles, so should we. No one ever anticipates tragedy, but collectively as a generation we are actively engaging in destructive behavior because we assume we are invincible. Whatever the warning label states, we think that will never happen to me.

Reality television targets a standing nothing short of perfection for the self-image of a woman. This idea of perfection was drilled into the reflection of young women from the very beginning when Barbies and Disney Princesses were shoved into the toy chest. As we get older this idea becomes even more personal, with the constant influence of celebrities, weight loss, and the flawless genetics of our peers. In Jean M. Twenge’s book titled Generation Me, self-esteem is highlighted as a common attribute of the millenials. “Do whatever it takes to feel better about yourself, because that’s the most important thing in the world,” is the attitude shared by most members of this generation (96). But how far is too far? Tools to attain perfection, such as diet pills, teeth whiteners, and tanning salons are blanketed across commercials that are already sandwiched between our 2 favorite reality shows targeted towards altering our image; opening up possibilities to modify our appearance so we have the resources to become the Barbies we once played with as a child. Like the celebrities, we want to be beautiful and are disillusioned that we are invincible.

As I grew into a blossoming pre-teen, the pursuit of perfection was just a natural step toward maturation. I was twelve years old and a sub-par member of an All-Star cheerleading squad that was one step away from winning a national championship. The older team members were much more athletic than I was, therefore they were much better gymnasts. Not only were they more athletic, but according to the magazines and movies, they were also more beautiful. They had petite figures, with skinny bronzed legs, bleached teeth, and glowing blonde hair that flowed to the middle of their backs. I was the girl who had just been fitted for the cosmetic travesty of braces and was awkwardly tall and pale. I wasn’t nearly as athletic as the other girls, and because of my appearance I felt like I stood out, and not in a good way. In my mind, these perfect plastics had it all together. On the outside, because they could compare to the girls in magazines, they must be perfect on the inside also. These girls had fallen for the tricks of the celebrities and they looked good. Soon I would talk my mom into letting me fall for it also.

Shortly before Nationals in 2003, I started tanning in my best friend’s mom’s tanning bed. I went to her house everyday after school before the grueling practices. She assured me that since I wouldn’t stay in the entire time and it wasn’t a very powerful bed, my mom wouldn’t even notice the difference. My friend was right but only for a couple of days. Then before my mom noticed, I begged her into getting my hair highlighted. As my appearance slowly changed, I started to become addicted to being someone I wasn’t. I also became more confident in the tanning bed and decided that it was time to lay in it for the full twenty minutes. I wish I knew then what I know now because my body isn’t made to be tan as my natural skin tone is only a shade or two darker than the color of this paper. When the timer went off, I opened the bed and my body was the color of our red pom-pom’s. I had been sun burnt plenty of times before but this is the first time it had happened in January and there’s no way I could hide this from my mom. After a very painful practice, my mom picked me up and right away noticed the permanent rouge of my skin. Surprisingly, she wasn’t even mad. Her only response was, “Well if I knew ya wanted to tan ya coulda just asked me!” Apparently, tanning packages at salons are cheaper as a family. She had spent so much time with the other moms that allowed their daughters to tan daily that she suggested that I start going to a salon.

As expected, we won Nationals but I got tired of tanning. So I didn’t bronze again until high school when I noticed that I really missed looking like the other girls and was reminded that pale isn’t perfect. Once again, by comparing myself to my teammates on the cheer team, I realized I wasn’t happy with my appearance. The nearest tanning salon at the time was twenty minutes and one town away so every evening, my mom would come home from work and then drive me back to town so I could achieve the ideal look I was going for. Somehow, whatever I was doing to my body wasn’t good enough though.

Although I was only 16 years old and had the bleach blonde hair and bronzed body of a junior playmate, I still couldn’t meet satisfaction with my image. At this time, I was permanently tan, but not too tan because, well, I’m still pale on the inside and UV lights could only do so much. Nonetheless, being tan had become part of my identity. I no longer looked up to the older girls on the cheer team because I had moved on to bigger role models. I finally had my driver’s license and I was going somewhere, to the tanning salon to be exact. All of my friends were tan and my mom had started tanning again as well so we eventually decided to buy a tanning bed for our home. Our plan was simple, the monthly payments for the bed would be cheaper than buying a tanning package at the salon. My friends would be allowed to come over and use it and they could donate to the tanning fund if they wanted to.

I’ll never forget the day it arrived on the UPS truck. As the driver pulled up the back door, I saw a box laying in the back of the carrier the size of a casket. It was in probably ten pieces and took six people to carry up to the third-floor of our tri-level home. I spent the entire afternoon assembling it because this was almost as good as Christmas and I wanted to play with my new toy as soon as possible. When it was finally finished in all of its glory, it was dynamic, so shiny and black. I dusted the outer shell and was so impressed with this new gadget that now rested in our spared bedroom! So I closed the lid and stood back to marvel at this new machine. I stared at if for several minutes then with much disappointment, as the black lid closed, the shiny shell made it resemble a casket from the future.

In the coming months, I continued to tan but lost focus on achieving perfection when I finally achieved desire. For the first time ever, I had a boyfriend. While that lasted, I was satisfied. Irony triumphed a year and a half later when we broke up and I was diagnosed with Malignant Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. All of the years of tanning to achieve perfection and desire slapped me in the face within the span of a month. Playing god with my body finally got old and the Real God finally intervened. Being unsatisfied with my body was a hypothetical slap in the face for the Creator of the Universe. It was like I had been saying that all of the hard work he put into making me unique wasn’t good enough.

I’ll never forget the day I received the news of the dreaded c-word. Just 2 weeks earlier I had been referred to my dermatologist “just to be on the safe side.” As a seventeen year old, I wasn’t concerned. The doctor removed one inch of flesh and told me it was routine for the sample to be tested so “no need to worry.” After he reaffirmed my lack of concern, I ignored any possibility of a bad outcome. Then on the first Saturday of my senior year spring break, I walked through the door of my home to be confronted by a somber look on my dad’s face. He told me we needed to talk so I should sit down. Immediately I panicked, “Is grandma sick? Are mom and dad getting a divorce? Did someone die?” were my only thoughts. When I sat down, my parents composed themselves, then my dad finally ruptured, “Katie, You have Malignant Melanoma. You have Skin Cancer.” I sat in an emotional silence for what could’ve been hours but was merely a few minutes. Then with a melancholy reaction, I finally whispered, “Am I going to die?” I’m certain my dad wasn’t prepared for that question but he replied with hope including how blessed I was that it had been detected early. I’m blessed that it was detected at all. It wasn’t my choice to get the lesion examined. So the next step included one surgery by a specialist to determine what stage the cancer had progressed to. As my dad had told me out of a blind-sided response, we were very fortunate with a diagnosis of stage-1. My parents were embarrassed and remorseful for allowing me to do that to my body for so many years but I never placed the blame on them. This is my body and it was damaged by me, not my parents.

Like many others my age, I thought I was invincible. I played with fire and was burnt, literally. I stopped using tanning beds immediately after my body told me to quit. Each check-up at both doctors is a constant reminder of who I was and who I’ve become after a shocking cancer scare. I risked my life to achieve a “healthy” glow that wasn’t really healthy at all. I would never say that the years I sun-bathed were worth the terrifying news of cancer but I know I wouldn’t be confident in my natural skin without that experience. I would still be a sun-worshipper that ignored the warning label because that could never happen to me. Striving for perfection would still seem like a realistic goal but in all reality, no one is perfect.

Media has encouraged women to fit the description of supermodel for generations but until my generation others didn’t take this example quite so painstakingly serious. Individuals my age are willing to risk their lives to improve their image. Magazines, posters, and reality TV display false images of what it takes to achieve power. All display failure as a minor blemish on one’s skin or a couple of added inches to a waistline, never emphasizing self-satisfaction. This false advertisement eludes that success is found in perfection. These images were implanted into my selfish, invincible teenage heart and pushed me to nearly wreck my life. I was driven to my limit to achieve the self-esteem my peers hope to accomplish. Instead, my body responded and helped me realize that perfection is unrealistic and isn’t worth trading my life.

Twenge, Jean M. Generation Me. New York: Free Press, 2006. Print.

Skin Cancer: It's not just for our grandparents

In respect for Skin Cancer Awareness Month and the beginning of what appears to be a very hot and sun-filled summer, here are several Skin Cancer facts I was unaware of before I started my research almost 2 years ago. All of this information plus more can be found on the Skin Cancer Foundation's website:

GENERAL

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed annually.
• Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
• One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
• Over the past 31 years, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined.

• Nearly 800,000 Americans are living with a history of melanoma and 13 million are living with a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer, typically diagnosed as basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma.

• Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer; an estimated 2.8 million are diagnosed annually in the US.8 BCCs are rarely fatal, but can be highly disfiguring if allowed to grow.

• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer.9 An estimated 700,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the US,10 resulting in approximately 2,500 deaths.
• Between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have either skin cancer at least once.

• About 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
• Treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers increased by nearly 77 percent between 1992 and 2006.

MELANOMA

• One person dies of melanoma every hour (every 62 minutes).
• One in 55 people will be diagnosed with melanoma during their lifetime.

• 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.
• The survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early, before the tumor has penetrated the skin, is about 99 percent.16 The survival rate falls to 15 percent for those with advanced disease.
• The vast majority of mutations found in melanoma are caused by ultraviolet radiation.
• The incidence of many common cancers is falling, but the incidence of melanoma continues to rise at a rate faster than that of any of the seven most common cancers.17 Between 1992 and 2004, melanoma incidence increased 45 percent, or 3.1 percent annually.
• An estimated 114,900 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the US in 2010 — 46,770 noninvasive (in situ) and 68,l30 invasive, with nearly 8,700 resulting in death.

• Melanoma accounts for less than five percent of skin cancer cases,20 but it causes more than 75 percent of skin cancer deaths.
• Survival with melanoma increased from 49 percent (1950 – 1954) to 92 percent (1996 – 2003).
• Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer for males and sixth most common for females.

• Women aged 39 and under have a higher probability of developing melanoma than any other cancer except breast cancer.
• About 65 percent of melanoma cases can be attributed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
• One or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence more than double a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life.
• A person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns at any age.

• Survivors of melanoma are about nine times as likely as the general population to develop a new melanoma.

MEN/WOMEN

• The majority of people diagnosed with melanoma are white men over age 50.
• One in 39 Caucasian men and one in 58 Caucasian women will develop melanoma in their lifetimes.
• Approximately 39,000 new cases of melanoma occur in men each year in the US, and 29,000 in women.

• Approximately 5,700 deaths from melanoma occur in men each year in the US, and 3,000 in women.
• Five percent of all cancers in men are melanomas; four percent of all cancers in women are melanomas.
• Adults over age 40, especially men, have the highest annual exposure to UV.
• Melanoma is one of only three cancers with an increasing mortality rate for men, along with liver cancer and esophageal cancer.
• Caucasian men over age 65 have had an 8.8 percent annual increase in melanoma incidence since 2003, the highest annual increase of any gender or age group.

• Between 1980 and 2004, the annual incidence of melanoma among young women increased by 50 percent, from 9.4 cases to 13.9 cases per 100,000 women.

• The number of women under age 40 diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma has more than doubled in the last 30 years; the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma among women under age 40 has increased almost 700 percent.
• Until age 39, women are almost twice as likely to develop melanoma as men. Starting at age 40, melanoma incidence in men exceeds incidence in women, and this trend becomes more pronounced with each decade.

INDOOR TANNING

• Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a proven human carcinogen. Currently tanning beds are regulated by the FDA as Class I medical devices, the same designation given elastic bandages and tongue depressors.
• 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.35 Group 1 also includes agents such as plutonium, cigarettes, and solar UV radiation.
• Frequent tanners using new high-pressure sunlamps may receive as much as 12 times the annual UVA dose compared to the dose they receive from sun exposure.
• Ten minutes in a sunbed matches the cancer-causing effects of 10 minutes in the Mediterranean summer sun.
• Nearly 30 million people tan indoors in the U.S. every year39; 2.3 million of them are teens.
• On an average day, more than one million Americans use tanning salons.
• Seventy-one percent of tanning salon patrons are girls and women aged 16-29.

• Indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanners are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors.
• People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma.
• The indoor tanning industry has an annual estimated revenue of $5 billion.

PEDIATRICS

• Melanoma accounts for up to three percent of all pediatric cancers.

• Between 1973 and 2001, melanoma incidence in those under age 20 rose 2.9 percent.

• Melanoma is seven times more common between the ages of 10 and 20 than it is between birth and 10 years.
• Diagnoses — and treatment — are delayed in 40 percent of childhood melanoma cases.
• Ninety percent of pediatric melanoma cases occur in girls aged 10-19.

ETHNICITY

• Asian American and African American melanoma patients have a greater tendency than Caucasians to present with advanced disease at time of diagnosis.
• Skin cancer comprises one to two percent of all cancers in African Americans and Asian Indians.
• While melanoma is uncommon in African Americans, Latinos, and Asians, it is frequently fatal for these populations.
• As few as 48 percent of melanomas in African Americans are diagnosed at an early stage, compared to 74 percent in Hispanics and 84 percent in Caucasians.
• The overall melanoma survival rate for African Americans is only 77 percent, versus 91 percent for Caucasians.
• Melanomas in African Americans, Asians, Filipinos, Indonesians, and native Hawaiians most often occur on non-exposed skin with less pigment, with up to 60-75 percent of tumors arising on the palms, soles, mucous membranes and nail regions.
• Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer in Caucasians, Hispanics, Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian populations.
• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common skin cancer among African Americans and Asian Indians.
• Squamous cell carcinomas in African Americans tend to be more aggressive and are associated with a 20-40 percent risk of metastasis (spreading).
• Skin cancer represents approximately 2-4 percent of all cancers in Asians.

• Among non-Caucasians, melanoma is a higher risk for children than adults: 6.5 percent of pediatric melanomas occur in non-Caucasians.

AGING/SUN DAMAGE

• Up to 90 percent of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun.
• Contrary to popular belief, 80 percent of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is not acquired before age 18; only about 23 percent of lifetime exposure to sun happens before age 18.


TREATMENT COSTS

• In 2004, the total direct cost associated with the treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer was $1.5 billion.

• The number of nonmelanoma skin cancers in the Medicare population went up an average of 4.2 percent every year between 1992 and 2006.
• In adults 65 or older, melanoma treatment costs total about $249 million annually. About 40 percent of the annual cost for melanoma goes to treating stage IV (advanced) cancers, though they account for only three percent of melanomas.

Source: Skin Cancer Foundation; Skincancer.org

Home!

After living in Indianapolis for 10 months and studying at IUPUI, I'm finally home for the summer. I still haven't made the adjustment from the loud city to the quiet country, but it's peaceful and I'll get used to it soon.

Before leaving Indianapolis though, my friend Kathryn and I participated in the Indy 500 festival One America Mini Marathon. Although I began training in January, I hit a couple of setbacks after being stuck inside because of an ice-storm and donating blood for the first time, I restarted training twice. Anywho, I hadn't trained properly the past few weeks because of final exams but after running the first mile of the race with my Outrun the Sun technical shirt on, adrenaline set-in and I decided I wasn't ready to stop until the finish line. Running through mile 6 and 7 at the speedway was an amazing rush and I honestly got chills when I crossed the bricks, despite being overheated from the run. For many, the last 2 miles was the worst, but I was lucky because this portion of the race was home for me. These 2 miles were part of my daily routine. At mile 12 I could hear the cheers of some friends in the 500 festival princess program and then I hit a full-on sprint for victory mile! As I crossed over the New York St. bridge, I could see my apartment on the left and I hit a wave emotion as I saw thousands of people lining the street to cheer on friends and family. This was a moment I never thought I would see, it felt like the last mile of this training season would never come. Over the loud speakers, Indy 500 race commentating from throughout the years could be heard above the cheers and I could see the finish line within yards. With only a 1/4 mile left, I started sobbing tears of joy (which made everything much more challenging, considering an important part of running is breathing and I lost control of that ability with my emotions). But I couldn't believe I actually conquered something I never thought I was capable of doing. I was the girl on the track team who tagged along because it was a social event but this past weekend I completed my very first mini-marathon in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Being home with my friends and family for the summer is absolutely a blessing and I can't wait to see what God has in store for me as I seek His will the next 2 months. Maybe another mini-marathon? ;)

Joyfully,

Katie D.

Finals Week

Although I've had a pretty hectic week studying for finals, I took a break Tuesday evening to hang out at Radio Disney for a while with the local kid-casters. Each year Radio Disney invites Outrun the Sun to share about Skin Cancer Awareness month and the purpose of OTS. Anita, the executive director and co-founder of Outrun the Sun, invited me along to tell my personal story about melanoma. When I walked in the studio, I was immediately distracted by the colorful walls covered with autographed posters of Disney stars. I'm a huge Disney nerd anyway so upon this sight, I was in euphoria! During the radio interview, Anita and I were asked some tough but important questions by the 14 year-old interviewers. I could relate to their curiosity being that a little over 2 years ago, I knew almost nothing about melanoma or any other form of skin cancer.

Following the interview, Anita and I moved on to Indy Air-Tan's Safe+Sexy Skin Cancer Awareness benefit at the Jazz Kitchen in Broad Ripple. All of the funds raised from this event were donated to Outrun the Sun and the American Cancer Society. Air-Tan is a spray-tan only boutique in Broad Ripple 2 doors down from the Vogue. Their mission is to provide the public with the truth about the damage caused by tanning beds. I've sprayed at Air-tan twice and have decided I won't go anywhere else because of their friendly staff and commitment to promoting healthy sun habits.

Check them out:

http://www.air-tan.com/

My last final for the semester is tomorrow then onto a busy but exciting summer! This weekend I'll be running in the Indy 500 festival One America mini-marathon (13.1 miles.. eek!!) then I'll be moving back to my parent's house on Sunday for a summer down south. As excited as I am to go home and be with my family, I'll miss Indianapolis and will be ready to come back in August.

Until next time: Confront every moment with Joy,

KD

Kick-off

It's that time again! Miss Indiana kick-off took place in Zionsville yesterday. In less than 2 months, a new Miss Indiana will be crowned and representing the greatest state of the United 52 (Including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands). Although yesterday was quite an important day including participating in the lottery to choose our contestant order, reuniting with other contestants, and raising money for the Children's Miracle Network, all of this excitement barely measured up to the headlines of the weekend. While the hot top topic on most of our lips was the royal wedding, it wasn't William and Kate we were most interested in. Certainly the recently named "Most Eligible Bachelor" of England, Prince Harry, could score a beautiful wife among the Miss Indiana contestants because we are all very interested. :)

As you know, I was crowned Miss Wabash Valley only a few weeks ago but it has already been the cliche of a "whirlwind." With only 2 months to prepare for "pageant camp," lot's of planning is already taking place on top of final exams and waiting on a final decision from IU nursing school. During the week following the sweeps pageant, I had the privilege of participating in IUPUI's health fair with Outrun the Sun, a melanoma research foundation in Indianapolis. Dermatology students from IU med school joined our group in performing free skin cancer screenings for students and professors. Fortunately, all screenings went well and because of the literature we passed out, several students signed the pledge to ban the bed. I'm so blessed to work with such a wonderful group of people in Outrun the Sun. Recently I was asked to be the Kid's Zone coordinator for the June race at Fort Benjamin Harrison. This race is OTS's main fundraising event and consists of a 5-mile, 5k, 2-mile, and 1-mile race and a .5 mile kid's race during the Sunset Festival. Last year I ran the 5-mile race and was absolutely blown away by the community support. During the entire 5-miles, I was cheered on by other runners who spotted my blue survivor t-shirt. Crossing the finish-line was an emotional moment as a team participating in memory of loved one finished at the same time. This, of course, was another surreal moment that reminded me of how lucky I am and why I continue to fight for a cure. Tomorrow I'll be joining the coordinator on Radio Disney to promote the race and answer questions from local youth about Skin Cancer.

As you know, the month of May is an important month for Indianapolis because of the most-exciting racing event in the world, the Indianapolis 500!! But did you know that May is also Skin Cancer Awareness month?! Although we haven't seen the sun in a few days because of this dreary spring weather, don't forget to wear your sunscreen to fight off those invisible UVA radiation that can still penetrate the clouds. I would also like to challenge you to ditch the bed this month in honor of the 3.5 million cases of skin cancer that will be diagnosed this year.

With much thanks and Joy,

Katie D.

Miss WV '10