The Sunburn that Gave Me Skin Cancer.
Once upon a time, my dear, wonderful extended family on my dear sweet daddy's side
Okay, I'm done saying dear sweet now.
Anyway, those reunions were the best! I looked forward to them always. Who wouldn't look forward to 5 hot summer days filled with boating, tubing, wakeboarding, BBQing, walking around in swimsuits, staying up late, eating those little mini boxes of cereal for breakfast every morning, and soaking up delicious rays of sun? Please don't answer that question, I do not want to know if you wouldn't look forward to that.
So this particular year we convened the reunion at Grand Lake in Oklahoma. I was about 10 years old. Me, my cousins and my sisters were this giggly, girly, stupidiously silly pack of girls who thought it was fun to do dumb things. The dumb thing we came up with this year was: Do NOT wear sunscreen the entire lake trip.
So this particular year we convened the reunion at Grand Lake in Oklahoma. I was about 10 years old. Me, my cousins and my sisters were this giggly, girly, stupidiously silly pack of girls who thought it was fun to do dumb things. The dumb thing we came up with this year was: Do NOT wear sunscreen the entire lake trip.
(this wasn't so dumb for my cousins and sister who inherited the coveted darker skin of the family.)
Well, things went great. For about the first 3 days. Then suddenly one morning I woke up with a sunburn. The worst sunburn I've ever had in my entire life. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to apply aloe vera. It hurt to wear a tank top. It hurt to wear anything except the swimsuit I wore when the sun burned me. About this time, I realized that not wearing sunscreen was a really. dumb. idea.
Later that night, as I lay in my bed listening to Groundhog Day in the other room, my body began to uncontrollably shiver. Minutes later it felt like an egg beingcooked burnt on the sidewalk. Then back to an ice cube. Then a cooking burning egg. Misery.
"Mom...?" I called to the other room..."can you hurry and come here please?"
She came, not too quick but not too slow.
"Yes dear?"
"Mom, I think I have skin cancer."
Needless to say, I did not have skin cancer. And please remember, I was 10. If I remember correctly, I think she tried really really hard to take me seriously and not bust up laughing. She's a good mom.
On a more serious note, I have several people who are very close to me that have experienced real skin cancer. It's not something you want to mess with. And my skin is prone to it. So I have made a recent decision to never enter a tanning bed again and to always (or try to) apply sunscreen when spending time in the sun.
Later that night, as I lay in my bed listening to Groundhog Day in the other room, my body began to uncontrollably shiver. Minutes later it felt like an egg being
(Now enter my hypochondriac stage of life).
"Mom...?" I called to the other room..."can you hurry and come here please?"
She came, not too quick but not too slow.
"Yes dear?"
"Mom, I think I have skin cancer."
Needless to say, I did not have skin cancer. And please remember, I was 10. If I remember correctly, I think she tried really really hard to take me seriously and not bust up laughing. She's a good mom.
On a more serious note, I have several people who are very close to me that have experienced real skin cancer. It's not something you want to mess with. And my skin is prone to it. So I have made a recent decision to never enter a tanning bed again and to always (or try to) apply sunscreen when spending time in the sun.
HAPPY SUMMER!!!!!
This makes me remember the summer I went to the beach with a friend, and we fried ourselves so bad on the first day that we spent the rest of the vacation lying on cold sheets in our underwear because we couldn't move! it was the most horrible thing ever. if i ever get skin cancer it will probably be because of that ;)
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ReplyDeleteI remember that day. : ) You were so scared! I'm glad we can both laugh about that now.
ReplyDeleteAfter being a mom for a while, I realized that I spent very little time in a bathing suit. When I did have a suit on, I HATED my ugly farmer-tanned arms and neck because they stood out so much with my lily-white shoulders and legs. So I decided to embrace my inner white chick and now I'm a sunscreen nazi. I'd rather be white all over than have dorky tan lines.
ReplyDeleteI also have strong feelings about maintaining my gorgeous peaches and cream complexion, and excess aging and wrinkles from sun exposure are oh so last century. ;)
I burn if I am even in the sun for 15 minutes without sunscreen. I was hoping beyond hope that my kids would all end up with Jim's nice, dark, tan skin- but so far, Tysen is winning that race. Aspen takes a close second, but she is more of a sunscreen nazi than I am, after experiencing a very mild (but traumatic for a 4-year old) sunburn on her arm. Madi has absolutely no hope... she is as white as me, maybe even more. So, we go through a lot of sunscreen around here, but it is worth the effort!
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