You will find this week’s outdoor column a bit differently from what I normally share with you. I will give a bit of advice about protecting yourself from the sun’s harmful rays but I promise not to dwell on the subject long, just enough to cause you to this keeping yourself safe while outdoors. Then, I promise we will jump right into some current outdoor adventures!
Skin cancer is extremely common among those of us that spend a lot of time in the outdoors. People with fair completions are more apt to develop skin cancer that those with darker skin but everyone should know how to stay safe when exposed to the sun. I was prompted to share this with you after having a couple of Basic Cell Carcinomas removed through the years. These skin cancers usually present little problem when detected early and are easily removed. A yearly check up by a dermatologist is very important and is key to detecting skin cancer early. I considered myself too busy a few years ago and missed my yearly checkups for 3 year. Then I noticed a small brown blotch on my forehead. Passing it off as an ‘age spot’, I kept on hunting and fishing, wearing only a ball cap and no sunscreen. Then at a regular doctor’s check up, the doc inquired if I had been making my yearly appointments at the dermatologist. He pointed out that that little spot needed to be seen by my skin doctor. Even to her trained eye, it only looked slightly suspicious but she ordered a lab test and it was diagnosed as a melanoma, the kind of skin cancer that spreads more rapidly and can cause some very serious problems. She scheduled me with a surgeon and another lab test rated the spot as possibly the very early stage of melanoma. Without removal it could spread and turn into full blown cancer. After about thirty minutes on the surgeon’s table, it was removed and the skin was all stitched up. A day later, I had a shiner around my eye as big as a silver dollar, I looked like I had lost a skirmish with a wild boar but the spot, along with the risk of of serious skin cancer was gone.
So, here’s what I want you to give some serious consideration to doing when you are outdoors for an extended period of time: Wear a wide brimmed hat and long sleeves shirts made to block RV rays and always wear a good sun blocker of at least SPF 50. If you see me out on the lake, I’ll be the old guy with the funky white wide brimmed hat with the flap that covers the ears and a cool looking long sleeve shirt made of very lightweight material.
