Melanoma

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

My experience is purely anecdotal and not part of any scientific study, and my four years without a skin cancer may be purely coincidental. Like the man said, this is life, nobody gets out alive. Did I happen to mention that my first skin cancer showed up 2 years after I started taking the Omepazole? Coincidence, maybe.

Nonetheless, Captain B., it's a pretty well-structured anecdote that suggests we may not understand how various medicines (and sunscreen is a form of medicine, in the broad sense) interact.

I'm the "ruddy brunette" type (well, for a couple more years until the grey hits 50%, anyway!) but I have a lot of moles. My mother and grandmother both "took sun" and had to have minor surgeries for minor growths. So I wear brimmed hats and/or headscarves and opt for sunscreen on face, arms, legs and...here's one I don't see too often...the tops of my feet as I tend to wear Topsider sandals with the grippy soles while sailing. I know a number of sailors who've had chunks removed...it's getting so that you can tell a sailor by their level of pinkness, not their level of tan, because those who've had a cancer scare get near-religious with the sunscreen.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Richard5

I was fortunate to have a piece of metal lodged in my eye. Let me explain.

While grinding mild steel fixtures a small speck of metal ricocheted into my eye even though I was wearing safety glasses. Steel being ferrous began to rust. In less than 20 hours both my eyes had teared up so heavily that I could not see except I could detect a reddish tint in the injured eye.

By this time the metal speck had disintegrated into several parts. While the Dr was able to remove all the metal he was great concerned about the rust. It took about one week to remove all the rust. A follow up check revealed the growth. I feel thankful I got the metal in my eye which is a weird thing to say.

I'm not concerned of death, it's the debilitation prior to the event that concerns me. I rather like keeping my parts intact and functional.

That's a hell of a stroke of luck. I had a grinder wheel explode and bits of it lodge in my leg this spring...all I found out was the price of a new pair of pants!

[Tea House]

Most Sunscreen hurts eyes SO bad!! A Navy SEAL taught me to use this stuff: Waterman's Sunscreen. It stays on in water or sweat, doesn't sting, is invisible, doesn't stink.

It just needs a little dab like toothpaste size to cover face.

I freeze off little new sun growths with that Wartner cryogenic stuff.

If it comes back, then I go to Doc.

And I cover up in hoodies and sunglasses!!