the magazine that saved my life.

I started writing this post almost six months ago--back when I started blogging. While sitting on one of the most gorgeous beaches in the world {in Turks & Caicos}, I flipped through that month's Glamour magazine. It was a perfect day in paradise in May 2008...until I turned to page 129. 
On that page, I found the two-minute cancer test. It caught my attention on the cover, but I never thought it would apply to me. It was their perennial article on skin cancer and how to spot it. The pictures weren't pretty. Moles of all shapes, sizes, and colors that just looked wrong. Then, I spotted something which made my heart drop. One of the moles looked distinctly like a mole I first noticed in the spring of 2005, my sophomore year of college.

When I showed the mole to my doctor during the summer of 2005, she simply told me to keep an eye on it. At that point, it was the size of a pin prick. Extremely tiny--and by most accounts, pretty harmless. Three years later, it was the size of a pencil eraser and it was dark and almost black. The Glamour article scared me enough to find a dermatologist that first Monday I was back in DC. I booked the first available appointment they had, two months down the line.

For the two months I waited, I had this lingering suspicion something just wasn't right. It still wasn't enough to stop me from my once {or twice} weekly tanning trips. Returning from Turks & Caicos, I was so dark I would get asked daily where I'd been on vacation. I could easily say that May and June 2008 were two of my "tannest" months on record. I have plenty of pictures to prove it.

I will never forget the day I first walked in my dermatologist's office. It was July 1, 2008, a steamy DC day with a hazy sun hanging in the sky. I sat in the full-to-the-brim waiting room for almost an hour before they finally called my name. They had me change in a hospital gown, so the doctor could examine me from head to toe. The minute I opened my gown, she spotted the mole in question and immediately said it "had to go." 

My heart sank and an overwhelming sense of worry surged to the surface. As she took a small sliver of skin from the mole for a biopsy, I received my first-ever "non-scheduled" stitch. {The only others I had up to that point were for my wisdom teeth. Ick.} I remember walking back out into that hazy sun feeling angry. I left the appointment that day and told only a small handful of people about what had happened. I was ashamed. Though I didn't have a diagnosis, the reaction the doctor had to my mole was enough to foreshadow the news I received the next week.

A week later, while driving across the Key Bridge into Georgetown, a blocked number called my phone at 11:30am. I answered quickly--hearing a timid voice on the other end of the line asking if I had a moment to talk about my biopsy results. My heart pounded as he told me that the news wasn't good. I pulled into a parking garage right as he confirmed my worst fears. It was melanoma.

I walked a few steps into a Subway on K Street, with tears unabashedly streaming down my face. I bought a chocolate chip cookie and a Diet Coke. I called my parents and {cv} in disbelief. Everything was a blur. For the next week, I went for blood tests, x-rays, and doctor's appointments. I felt completely powerless. Even when I went shopping to numb the pain {never a good idea!}, the saleswoman said the turquoise top looked "so wonderful with my tan." Her comment kept me crying in the fitting room for nearly five minutes.

Thankfully, {cv} was able to come down up from Charlotte for the surgery on July 24, 2008. {kj}, one of my best friends, came to sit with him in the waiting room. {She even brought me chocolate chip pancakes from The Original Pancake House to take my mind off things!} My dermatologist was able to remove the entire mole during the thirty-minute procedure. That night, {cv} treated me to dinner at 1789 and I forgot about the pain for a few hours. 

In a strange way, I mourned my bronzed glow. I resented the fact everyone around me was still perfecting their tan, while I was watching mine disappear. I struggled to tell my friends, for fear they would somehow judge me--though I needed their support more than ever. Those I told assured me I shouldn't feel that way, but for some reason, I couldn't shake it.

My diagnosis was the wake-up call of all wake-up calls. I'll never forget walking into the tanning salon and revoking my "membership." When their cancellation form inquired about my reason for leaving, I wrote skin cancer. When the saleswoman saw my answer, she asked a few too many questions--and I left in tears. I also left knowing I would never, ever step in a tanning bed again. I also decided I would encourage everyone I knew to stay away from them too.

Since my surgery, I have been in a bathing suit less than five times. I didn't put on a bathing suit at all in 2009--and it took a lot of courage to put one on again last summer. It was a huge step in accepting the fact I could be in the sun, I just had to be smart about it. I bought a cute sun hat and a few extra cover-ups, but I'm still making peace with the fact I will never be as tan as I used to be. My post on one piece bathing suits was really my first step at admitting bikinis are no longer my schtick. Since my melanoma was on my chest, there is no sense in tempting the sun since statistics say I'm nine times more like to have another melanoma in the future.

I'll admit: I was one of those girls in high school and college who was tan all year round, even in the doldrums of winter. The irony is that I wrote a paper in eighth grade about the dangers of tanning, but two years later, I joined in the throngs of girls who filled the tanning beds in my hometown. My German skin never burned, so I thought I was invincible. I decided nothing would ever happen to me. Little did I know, I would become a part of a rapidly growing statistic. Any time I fill out paperwork for a doctor's office, I have to check the box marked cancer. It always gets a few looks when I return it to a receptionist. It will never be a badge of honor, but it will certainly always be a part of me.
After writing this post, I realize it could all sound frightening or maybe even too personal. I'm okay with that because skin cancer is scary and melanoma is more than just an ugly word. The sister of a friend from my hometown died of skin cancer when she was in her early 20s, so I knew I should go with my gut when I read that Glamour article. I am so grateful for each day {and each year} that passes because I shudder at what could have happened had I waited even a little longer to visit a dermatologist.

Please learn from my experience or from someone else you know who may have suffered a different outcome: Being tan isn't everything. Being healthy {and alive} is.

Apologies for this especially heavy post for a random Tuesday, but sharing my story with you today is my another step in my journey at helping other see that they aren't automatically immune from skin cancer. It's real. Very real. I certainly won't judge you if you're tan, I just want to make sure you're safe!
Thank you for reading--and wear your sunscreen. xoxo {av}

P.S. If you are at all questioning whether you should have something checked out, 
find an answer and book an appointment with a dermatologist today.
{source: glamour cover}

95 comments:

  1. Thank you for this post, you are very courageous. You're beautiful with or without a tan!

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  2. I think it's really courageous of you to share your personal tale, especially at this time of year when people (myself included) are obsessed about getting sun and being tan. This puts things into perspective big time. Thank you for sharing. And I agree with Mary, you are definitely beautiful with and without a tan! :)
    Jenn @ Going the Distance

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  3. Thanks for sharing. That had to be so scary. I have an appointment with my derm next week just for a check up. I am now known around here as the "Sunscreen Queen", and I like my new title.
    Cheers to being healthy!!

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  4. You are an amazing woman!! And truly gorgeous! I am so glad you posted this. It's such an important issue. Ever since reading an article a few years ago about how tanning was equivalent to smoking in terms of cancer risk I stopped tanning at the tanning salon. You are so brave! Thank you for sharing! :)))

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  5. Pale is the new tan! I promise- everyone just doesn't know it yet ;). Thank you for sharing your story!

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  6. This is awesome! I will be doing a post soon and referring back to this. I am ANAL about sunscreen. I NEVER leave my house without it on my face. and I will never set foot in another tanning bed again. I haven't been in one since like senior year of high school and I went all of like 8 times then, ha. Thank you for posting this... I think more people need to agree and feel than tanning beds are awwwful. Well they know they are bad, but they still do it. I don't get how skin cancer doesn't scare people.. I mean your sister's friend was in her early 20"s...that is just crazy. I will be ordering a sun hat soon! It's been on my to-do list, but I'm def doing it now. Really thanks for sharing this. I am going to do a sunscreen post and I will link back to this :-) anddd I think you look pretty not so tan, I mean that's what blush is for right??

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  7. this is a great post! i am half italian so i have never really burned and ever since i was younger i have barely used sunscreen higher than 15 (and 15 was only for the beginning of the summer.) i wouldn't tan all year round but i would tan for "occasions" during the winter - my birthday, a wedding, gala, etc. two summers ago something clicked and i realized that it wasn't healthy. in jamaica i wore 30 the entire time and made the Hubs do the same.

    wrinkles are not fun and skin cancer is no laughing matter. i would rather be pale.

    oh and i am signing up for a free skin screening that our work is having! thanks for the encouragement.

    http://lachapstickfanatique.blogspot.com

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  8. you are gorgeous with or without tan.

    I was shocked by the fact that a magazine article saved your life. This post is truly inspiring. Scratch that, you're inspiring.

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  9. i am SO SO SO proud of you for writing this post. you are a gorgeous person (withOUT the tan!). and i love you lots. making my appointment for the derm this week.
    much love, xoxo jillian

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  10. Almost in tears at work!! I can't believe your story! I tanned before my wedding and felt super guilty about it every time I was in there...ugh, so glad I cancelled it, and I'm never going back! I don't *think* I have anything suspicious, but I always wonder about my Florida born-and-raised husband... you make me want to get us both in the derm's office, just to check! I didn't comment yesterday on your one piece post, but I meant to tell you that I LOVE THEM. And hats! Seriously! Thanks for sharing, and glad you're ok! xox

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  11. this was so great of you to share with the world. you are so courageous and i'm so glad you're ok! you did the right thing by getting it checked right away, too. i bet i would have totally been in denial about it.
    i always wear sunscreen - even in the winter - and i hope if you have readers who go tanning they think twice!
    huge hugs,
    marissa

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  12. thank you for sharing...i was just saying to my sister last night "maybe i'll go tanning tomorrow!"...not anymore!

    i'm glad you're healthy...safe to say that i will be making an appointment at my dermatologist ASAP!

    xx sharon/lemonontherocks

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  13. That was an incredible post! I now need to make an appointment at the dermatologist. I'm proud of you for being so honest and sharing that story with us. I'm sure you'll help others in more ways than one! Thank you for sharing!

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  14. What a brave and amazing post! Thank you soo much for sharing.

    <3
    aj

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  15. You are gorgeous no matter your skin color! Thank you for sharing your story and being so honest about everything. You're my motivation to see the dermatologist. Thank you!

    xoxo

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  16. This is just another reminder that I need to book my next appointment! Thank you for the wonderful post!

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  17. Glad you are safe and sound - and I think you look hot without a tan!!! Glad you shared this bc you might have saved someone's life today!

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  18. This is such a great and touching post! Such a reminder of the importance of skin cancer checks! I'm actually going next week because I have lots of irregualar moles that I like to get checked frequently. Thanks for sharing :) XOXO

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  19. This is such a powerful post! I'm so glad I kept an eye out for it after you mentioned it on Twitter last night. It is very brave of you to even bring up such a personal topic, but it is definitely something that needs to be discussed. This is a terrific post! Everything happens for a reason.

    Jennifer
    JenniferLDuncan.blogspot.com

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  20. I am very glad you wrote this. I am always very careful about my skin (wearing sunscreen, covering up) but it is definitely time for me to go back in to the dermatologist to get checked again.

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  21. Thank you for sharing such a powerful story. My Mother had skin cancer two years ago and it was a very scary time in our lives. Her's was on her thigh. She was a lifeguard in her teens and throughout college and never wore "serious" sunscreen. She was also an avid fan of the tanning bed. My Father and I finally convinced her to see a dermatologist the Summer of 2008 after noticing that the mole had turned black and grown in size. I have always embraced my Irish paleness but now I feel like we have banned together as a family to encourage others to protect their skin and to say no to tanning beds. I teach at a high school. It's prom season, and I always make sure to tell my girls that it's not worth it to use tanning beds. Thank you again for sharing you story!
    ~Bevin
    http://bevinalamode.blogspot.com

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  22. I just posted about this 2 months ago. Over my Spring Break I went to the derm to get "Checked"...I've had moles removed before, but none of them came back cancerous.

    When I went 2 months ago, the derm told me that I had broken blood vessels on my face from tanning. I was crushed. I was EXACTLY LIKE YOU i tanned year round, nothing crazy...like once a week...I have given up tanning now for over 3 months. I am not allowed to be out in the sun without SPF 55 on my face. AZ sun's rays are very potent compared to the sun say in the east or mid west! :(

    It's been hard, but I am adjusting. THat's what bronzer and make up is for!! :) I use a lot of tanning lotions like Jergens that help keep me from being completely white. Most people have no idea that I maintain my "tan" this way ie without the sun! I Totally feel you girl! Thanks so much for sharing you aren't alone!!!!!

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  23. Thank you for sharing this! I feel like all women struggle with always wanting to be tan.. it's one of those things about being a woman, I think. But, your decision to be smart about your sun exposure is really a selfless decision. Staying healthy is keeping your with your future family for longer!

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  24. Thanks for sharing. We should really be careful with the sun it can be very dangerous...

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  25. Thank you for this post. I will forward to my friends.

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  26. It's so BRAVE of you to share this story, dear! Thank you so much for writing this. Sunscreen always!!!
    I'm SO glad you figured things out!!! Happy to see you're ok - tanned or not!

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  27. What a wonderful post and for sharing your story! You are so brave and you look so beautiful without the tan. You are an inspiration to others! :)

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  28. Thank you for sharing this story! You're very brave and I can't imagine the amount of courage it took you to share this.

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  29. Thank you for being brave and putting something so personal out here for us to read and heed. Knowing that someone that is close to my age has gone through this has definitely put some perspective on it. Hand me the SPF50 please xo

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  30. I'm so glad to hear that you had everything successfully removed and are doing okay. My father has melanoma and the likelyhood of one of my sisters or myslef having it is extremely high as well. I went to my first dermatologist appointment about a month ago and was informed everything looked okay but I still needed to be careful. It's scary how the sun can hurt you so easily.

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  31. You are amazing. Thank you for posting this...it may save someone's life!

    My wake up call came recently, courtesy of my Dad, who last summer had his third skin cancer spot removed (this time requiring a skin graft on his nose).

    Like you, because I tan easily, I sometimes felt in invincible from it's damaging effects. After seeing what my Dad has been through, I made a conscious decision not to sunbathe anymore...artificially or naturally. I won't lie...it's hard being the pale one when we live in a time that glorifies tans. But this will be my 2nd summer of no sun worshipping...I find I'm adjusting to my new healthy way of life just fine.

    p.s. I think you look even more beautiful without a tan. :)

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  32. I'm so glad you shared this story! you are not only an inspiration to so many others, but you could have just helped save a life today :) xoxo

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  33. Thank you so much for sharing your story! I can't imagine how scary that must have been to go through, but it's something that is all too common in women our age. I really do think that this will help other young women think about what they are doing to their bodies.

    And I'm so happy you've finally realized that what makes you beautiful is being healthy! Because you really are beautiful, and I know that we are all so thankful that you're healthy now!

    Thanks again dear. You're so brave.

    xoxoxo,
    Joelle

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  34. That is just so scary! I am prone to moles and have several on my body...I remember seeing that article in Glamour and even though it's scary to face, it's just so important. Your story is an important reminder to be aware and take care of ourselves! I know I've since had some moles removed and probably will always have to keep an eye on them as a result.

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  35. i don't know if you know this, but my dad's been getting skin cancer spots removed as long as i can remember. i was stupid in high school (as most of us are), but i've been using my SPF 70 since college.

    thanks so much for sharing your story, and i think (hope) pale is the new tan. ;)

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  36. This was an amazing post. I don't even know what to say, I'm speechless. You are so blessed..

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  37. You're amazing! I am so glad that you survived and that you wrote this post! It is amazing!! I honestly always worry about skin cancer all the time! Sunscreen Up! :D

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  38. I'm so glad you posted this. And I'm so glad you're healthy. I've been trying to get my boyfriend to have something checked out for almost 2 years and he won't do it because unfortunately, pilots don't get health insurance. I'm hoping that by showing him this post, it will get him to think differently.

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  39. This is a beyond amazing post. I am so glad you wrote this post. I was one of those girls who tanned way way way too much especially in high school. In the last year I have started to realize how stupid it is. It is still hard for me because I know how easy it is to hop in a tanning bed, but I have bought spray on tan, and decided the tanning bed and going outside without sunscreen is not for me! Thank you being an inspiration for me! This seals the deal! :) I am so glad you are ok! :) Sunscreen!

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  40. wow, thank you for having the courage to share this! i'm sure it will prompt more than a few girls to rethink how safe they're being in the sun. after moving to chicago, i lamented my year-round pasty skin, but hearing stories like this just puts it all in perspective.

    xo.ashley

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  41. DARLING! Thank you for such a wonderful and courageous post. You are beautiful, tan or fair. And fair is in, don't you know?? ;)

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  42. Thanks for sharing your story {av}! Sometimes it takes someone like you to be brave enough to share their story, to make someone else realize they need to make a change in their life. I know a few people that had melanoma - and it's a very scary thing. It can happen to anyone that spends time under the sun.

    When I was younger I was always envious of girls that had tanned skin, as I am am very, very fair & only burn, never tan. Everyone always told me that I would be thankful for my fair skin the older I got - & although I thought everyone was crazy, it turns out they were right! :)

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  43. Thanks for posting this. I think it is SO IMPORTANT for this message to be heard - and I only wish it didn't take skin cancer for too many girls to take it seriously. I've never been one for the sun. I don't tan. I burn & I peel & I'm back to white. I'm never understood why a girl from Northeast Ohio, where it's sunny approximately never, is expected to be tan year-round. I tried tanning a couple of times & felt like I was doing something terrible & unnatural to myself. I haven't tried it since then.

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  44. thank you so much for being brave enough to share this with all of us! i have my own issues with cancer, even though i have never had it, most of my family has. i feel like it is always there lurking in the distance and that one day it will actually affect me personally. thank you for stepping up and revealing this, it is truly inspiring.

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  45. Thanks for sharing your story. I lost my father to melanoma in 2005 and have feared the sun and begged my friends and family to stay out of the tanning beds since. We all need to learn to accept fair, healthy skin for the beautiful thing that it is.

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  46. what a great post! I am very fair skinned and go to great lengths to protect my skin because it burns so easily and i have a family history of skin cancer. I actually moved to DC last June and have been meaning to find a dermatologist since I moved here. I would love to know if you recommend your dermatologist if you would be willing to share that. It can be very hard to find a good one.

    it took a lot of courage to share something so private and i am really glad you did- I think this is a reminder that a lot of us need. your skin in your "after" picture looks beautiful!

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  47. I'm sorry- I should've left my email too. it is theeclectictraditionalist @ gmail.com (without the spaces). If you get time to respond to my comment, that would be awesome, but if not, I completely understand!

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  48. This story was definitely provoking emotion out of me. Most of my reasoning for not going outside to tan is for this! I've never had any kind of scare, but being the pale girl that I am, I don't want to take chances. Thank you for sharing this story! I can tell it took a lot of courage. And just so you know, I think you look absolutely gorgeous now.

    x

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  49. Thank you for sharing your story! It's definitely an issue we forget about from time to time. I've always tried been careful about the sun due to growing up in Hawaii and due to my mom's battles with skin cancer. Although I have to admit that I haven't been as careful as I should be.

    It's a shame that most people in our society associate being beautiful with being tan. When I was 13, I was interviewed by the news at a local surf competition. The interviewer made fun of my "lack of color" (ON TV) by saying "Soo..do you wear a lot of sunscreen? haha!" Being made fun of in front of my friends was MORTIFYING (at the time), but I just replied, "Yeah. I do."
    Now that memory just makes me mad. The interviewer was making fun of me for a very healthy practice. I suppose he didn't realize how vulnerable a 13 yr old can be, and how quickly self-confidence can be shattered. After that, I was more worried about being tan at the beach than just embracing who I am.

    So proud that you have the strength to be who you are! You're beautiful with or without a tan! :)

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  50. Thank you for sharing your story. This is a very moving post. This is definitely making me schedule an appointment to get a mole checked out that I have had for a long time. I spent every summer in the sun since I was on a swim team and I would get extremely tan. Now that I work and am inside all the time I'm not as tan as a used to be but I still like to have my color and will "forget" to put sunscreen on. After reading this I won't forget anymore. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. I'm glad to hear that you're a survivor.

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  51. I am so glad that you caught it in time and that you are ok now!! Thank you for sharing your story! I am sure it was not easy! I will def think twice before heading into a tanning bed.....thank you for that!

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  52. Excellent post! Good for you for changing your ways. My Dad is a skin cancer researcher so he scares the crap outta me constantly. I love using the gradual sunless tanner that you can buy from several companies in the drugstore.

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  53. Thanks for posting this... I'm so glad you did because it's such an easy topic to just be in denial about. Who know's maybe in a couple of year you will come across another post saying "the blog post that saved my life" (referring to this post of course) :)

    Thanks av!

    xoxo
    Jenna

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  54. You're so brave to share this! I'm glad you caught it at an early enough stage to prevent it from spreading, and I'm glad you've learned from it. Skin cancer runs in my [German] family, and my mom and uncle are just a couple of the people who have had pieces of skin removed because of it. Still, my older sister insists on going tanning a couple of times a week - all in the name of vanity. I'm going to pass this post along to her...hopefully she'll take something from it.

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  55. Oh my gosh, this gave me chills! I can relate on so many levels... I actually have a place on my leg that I have been dreading getting checked out and this made me realize I. have. to. go. soon. Also, I used to be obsessed with being tan and I have since realized that being healthy is more important. Thank you for sharing this!

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  56. Thank you for sharing! I'm sure that was a difficult, but therapeutic post to write. I have no doubt that someone else will benefit from learning about your experience.

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  57. Thank you for your honesty and braveness on this post! It may be the wake up call that I need! Both my Dad and my Grandfather have skin cancer..my dad goes atleast once a month to get some "cut off." Yet, I still make it a point to be tan come summer time - although I haven't been to a tanning bed in years! I don't have too many moles, thankfully, but am still going to make an appointment for a check up! Thanks av!

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  58. You are amazing!! Thanks for sharing your powerful story.

    xo

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  59. Thank you so much for sharing this! This post will be eye opening for so many, I'm sure! I work at a tanning salon and made the decision earlier this year that I would stop tanning. The dangers just aren't worth that bronze glow. I'm going to the beach soon and you better believe I have my sunscreen and big floppy hat ready! Having that tan that I loved when I was in high school isn't worth the risk!

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  60. I'm glad you told your story. I can't imagine how hard it was. I've been laying out at the beach a lot more than I ever have the past 8 months and notice 'freckles' on my chest and going down my stomach. I eye them all the time because I know they weren't there before, yet I'll keep going out in the sun.

    Such a stupid thing, us wanting to be tan. Any way, I'm glad you caught it and they removed it before it had a chance to go any deeper.

    OH, Arbonne's self tanner is awesome! If you ever get it, the key with the perfect tan is wearing latex gloves to rub it all in.

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  61. you are beautiful, just as you are.

    thank you for sharing something so personal because i have no doubt it'll open a lot of people's eyes.

    man oh man av, i wish i had met you in NYC! :(

    xo

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  62. Oh my gosh! I'm so happy you are ok!!! I really started to think about things this year and I'm trying to only go with sunless tanning lotions. I just hope I don't turn orange!

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  63. Sweetheart, thank you for sharing this with all of us-such a brave, wonderful post. I'm so glad that you're ok, and that you came out on the other side of this a survivor, in part because my mom was diagnosed with melanoma when I was in high school.

    My naturally milk skin never, ever tanned, but when I was in high school I was desperate to look like everyone else. After my mom's diagnosis, I got smart, realized that I'd never have mahogany colored skin and found a new luxury obsession in imported French sunscreen!

    Hopefully everyone else who reads this will also get smart about their exposure to the sun-you can't protect yourself from everything, but there's no sense tempting fate.

    xoxoxox, Lena

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  64. Oh my goodness, girl! Powerful stuff! Thank you for sharing your journey and spreading the awareness. What a brave little rockstar you are! xoxo

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  65. wow. you are encouragement. and courage!

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  66. Thank you for sharing even though it is wasn't easy! This is such an important issue that needs to be brought into the light!

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  67. Thanks for sharing this! I have quite a few moles and freckles that I want to have checked out. I'm not concerned about them, but I've just never been checked by a dermatologist before. Now that I'm living in California and have year-round sun, I think it's time. Thanks for giving me the little push that I needed. :)

    PS - You totally rock the fair-skinned look! Gorgeous. :)

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  68. this gave me chills! this is such an important issue! thanks for sharing your story! :)

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  69. I went to the dermatologist after reading this issue too! It's so hard to live in a culture where people will literally do anything they can to look better -- including hurt themselves.
    You are absolutely gorgeous in the skin you're in.
    Thanks so much for sharing the story -- I will most definitely think of you as I apply my sunscreen and stay FAR FAR away from tanning beds.
    So grateful that you're safe and cancer-free, too!
    <3 leigh

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  70. What a great post. And I hope your post inspires everyone to go to the doctor!

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  71. Thank you so much for sharing this post. With a grandmother and two aunts who have had melanomas after years of sun worship, the dangers have hit close to home for me. Thank you for allowing so many more to feel that much closer. I also think you look gorgeous post tanning. Your natural skin color is perfect. ;)

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  72. wow, this was a phenomenal post. i am SO glad you wrote this. just the kick i need to make the derm appt i've been putting off. thank you :)

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  73. What an amazing story. You are very lucky! Thank the "Glamour Gods" for watching over you. That is seriously very scary, and I am glad that you are OK.

    I just had a mole removed on my neck last week and am awaiting biospy results myself. I get stitches out on Fri...hopefully it's good news.

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  74. Thank you so much for this brave, brave post AV. You are such a strong, amazing woman! And you'll be happy to know that after about 4 years of zero-tanning beds, I had been considering going again recently. This post made me remember exactly why I stepped away in the first place and I will 100% not be going. That's all you, girl!

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  75. {av}!

    thanks so much for posting this. i think it is courageous of you. i oftentimes want to share more 'personal' things on lamb loves and i hesitate. i truly appreciate that you are able to share these types of things with us all! more importantly, i just want to say that i am so happy hear that you are so responsible about it. i feel like a lot of people wouldn't take it as seriously as you! i think it is something that is fairly easy to avoid or not take precautions often enough. i go to the dermatologist once a year, and i am so happy you go as well :)

    looking forward to more inspiring posts!

    xoxoxo

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  76. Thank you for sharing your story in this post. Though there are lots of publications, etc urging women to check for skin and breast cancer, we seem to ignore them, thinking they only happen to older people but that isn't really the case anymore. Real life stories like yours are an important reminder that we should do self-examinations and look out for signs regardless of age and background. Thanks for that and I'm glad you are okay.

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  77. So proud of you for sharing this story! You are one of the lucky ones who listened and checked yourself out. So many people don't understand the importance of checking themselves! Keep on being brave and sharing your story....You have no clue how many people you will help! :)

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  78. Thanks for sharing this. I've had about 20 moles biopsied over the past 10 years and will have to see a dermatologist twice a year for the rest of my life. It changes your outlook on summer, for sure, and it took me a while to accept my paleness too.

    You're far from alone, lady, and kudos for bravely sharing this with people who need to read it and stop buying into our culture that suggests that it's ok to burn your skin for the sake of "beauty".

    xx Haley @ Cardigan Junkie

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  79. Amazing, amazing post!
    My dad and my sister-in-law both have had skin cancer and we are all advocates for being pale. My sister-in-law has scars all over her legs from the cancer and while I know how terrifying it can be for her to step out and let the world see her scars, it's a chance to help spread the word about the importance of taking care of your skin and your self. Thanks for sharing your story.

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  80. this is SUCH a wonderful post, as a former tanorexic i worry all the time about possible damage i did to my skin.
    thank you so much for sharing - i'm so sorry that you've had to go through that and HAPPY that you caught it when you did. i have 2 friends who have been through similar scares - anyone who thinks that they don't have to worry about skin cancer in their 20s is soooooo wrong.

    have a great weekend & thanks again for sharing.

    xo

    (p.s. found you through cornflake dreams)

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  81. thank you for this awesome and inspiring post! you are incredible and so brave. several of my family members have been diagnosed with melanoma and it's one of those things where you think "it will never happen to me". but it happens every day and it is so scary. i'm a florida girl, born and raised, and i LOVE being tanned and glowy during the spring and summer. my go-to product for that is NOT tanning beds..it is St. Tropez bronzing mousse!! it has saved me from wanting to be in the sun all summer long :)
    xoxo

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  82. oh {av}, isn't that something! it's like the universe put that in your hand and pointed your eyes in the direction of that very article. wow, what a story and lesson to all. so well written, i can see why you took the time and said it just so. well done and inspiring to me. thank you for this candid share, you are quite something lades.

    intuition really needs to be addressed and not squashed, good for you on paying attention to your internal alarm bell. yes and more yes to the tanning salon embargo, those places are BAD, so bad. i used to work in a laser/cosmetic surgery center and learned of the havoc they wreak 1st hand, not pretty indeed. kudos to you lovely, i am wishing you many blessings from afar. ♥

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  83. Wow. Wow. Wow. First off, thank you SO MUCH for sharing this post with me. Would it be ok if I linked to it on my blog? I'd really like to if that's alright. I read every. single. word. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this. while my "scare" is nothing compared to this, I feel that it was a first sign that I should share for the same reason you should absolutely share your story. I am certain that you have convinced people to get moles checked and hopefully to stay out of the sun.

    From one girl who stays out of the sun to another...thank you! Embrace the pastiness :) It's a sign of healthy skin. I've never been tan. Unless it was a spray tan. And that's a whole other messy story :)

    xo

    D

    breakfast at toast.

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  84. After I read this I had a derm. appt already scheduled a week later for a different reason, but I've had a small mole on my back forever that I got really scared about, so I had my Dr. look at. So, thanks for sharing so I would remind myself to get it checked! As I nurse, I should know, but seem to overlook my own things sometimes! Glad you're doing well!

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  85. I found your blog through Breakfast at Toast's series on taking care of your skin. I had been thinking the past few days that I need to write a post about sun protection, but like you I was a tanning junkie for years. I feel just flat ugly if I didn't go to the tanning bed for more than 3 or 4 days and NEVER did I even dare to venture into double digit sunscreen! I live about 25 minutes from the beach so I would AND go to the beach AND use Jergens Daily Glow. Long story short: I had a heart transplant in Oct '09 and was ordered to NEVER EVER get any sun on my skin again. I was devastated, since I have super-fair skin with freckles. I do get the airbrush tans done at a local salon to prevent myself from looking dead. Living near the coast you get major stares when you are stark white in June. My husband was diagnosed with melanoma when he was 22. They removed three lymph nodes and a chunk of skin and muscle about the size of a baseball from his back. He has never had any further complications and it is so wonderful to hear that you haven't either. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing.

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  86. I appreciate your realistic, honest, heartfelt thoughts. A post like this might really end up helping others have a similar wake-up call. It always takes courage to open your heart on a blog post for the world to see. Thanks for your honesty.

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  87. Such a brave post and thank you for raising awareness among young women. One of my closest friends died aged 29 of malignant melanoma 3 weeks ago. Like most young women she'd been on the sunbed to 'top up her tan' before she went on holiday and then sunbathed like pretty much all women. Telling your story, even if it just gets to a handful of people will save lives. I'm very proud of you x

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  88. this entire story gave me goosebumps & tears. my family tried to get me to stop tanning for about a year and i finally listened - my skin is incredibly unhealthy from it. i am so glad you stopped - you look AMAZING with your healthy white skin. thanks for sharing your story xo

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  89. Just wanted to let you know that after reading this, I finally made an appointment to get a suspicious mole looked at. Thank you so much for being so honest! It was just the push I needed to take this seriously!

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  90. I just signed the pledge but i have been practicing safe sun since 2005, when i was told I had melanoma 3 days before my wedding. My fiance had noticed the mole a year earlier and when i went to the dermatologist he told me it was fine. I went back the year of my wedding and BEGGED him to take it off...he really didnt want to because he said it seemed ok and didnt want me to have a scar. You can imagine my surprise then when he called a week later to tell me the news. I was DEVASTATED.

    Melanoma is a SCARY thing and it saddens and surprises me how many people still think skin cancer is a some little nuisance you have to cut off your face when your older...Nope. Melanoma spreads, and rather quickly. If not caught it can be fatal and the statistics are getting higher and higher.

    Thanks for sharing your story, and I hope we can all learn from these experiences and help and inform eachother..which is exactly why I'm so impressed by your sun savVy blog. Keep up the great work!

    Many Layers Monday

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  91. thank you for this post...you are so courageous! i wanted to tell you that for the past couple of days, i have been debating on getting a tanning package to the salon. now that it's spring and summer is nearing...i feel the need to be tan, like all of the others around me. i have tanned for one month out of my life: last spring, during my senior year in high school. i am trying to make it the one and only.
    although it gets hard to resist it....i will remember your story and all of the magazine articles i've read.
    thank you again, for keeping me out of that salon!!
    healthy skin + life >>>>> fake tan.

    xoxo

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  92. I read this post a while ago and I just read it again with a new look at what you went through. Three weeks ago I went to see my doctor because of a mole on my chest and while she didn't think it was anything to worry about, she wanted to take it off just in case. It came back as Basal-cell carcinoma and a much larger chunk needed to be taken out to get the rest of the cancer. It is not nearly as scary as Melanoma but it was still a wake up call. I am a naturally fair person and I don't really tan, only burn, so I have always been religious about my use of sunscreen but I guess this goes to show that it can still happen to anyone.

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  93. I recently found Sun Savvy and had to come check out your story. I'm also a melanoma survivor, stage 3b. Thank you so much for bringing awareness to this. I've only recently found the courage to tell me story in blogland ;) So far i'm enjoying it and hope to show others the importance of taking care of your skin--but should something like melanoma happen, life can go on!
    :)

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  94. I just happened upon this post and it brought back so many memories of my own experience. Though I did not have cancer I was in the "pre-cancer" stage and had to go through four procedures before they could remove the mole that was suspect. It was so disappointing at the time because I felt like my summer rituals of basking in the sun were no longer in the cards for me. It took time to realize that being tan isn't a priority! xo

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  95. I just came across your post and I am so glad you're alright. Early detection really is key and I'm happy you didn't wait to see a dermatologist. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in July 2011 and had the surgery to remove the right side of my thyroid in August 2012. I made an appointment with my doc about a month after the symptoms started and I'm so happy I didn't wait. The surgery saved my life. Thanks so much for sharing your story!

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