More Fun in the Sun!

I have mentioned several times on here that being out in the sun is rather expensive for us. I cheap out on a lot of things, but health related expenses is NEVER one of them! You only get one body, and replacement parts are difficult if not impossible to come by!! I have already shown you pictures of the swimsuits I have bought for Jessica and myself. These swimsuits are Stingrays, an Australian brand, and block over 97.5% of the sun's rays. I particularly like them because they give the trunk very good coverage. Although women are more likely to develop melanoma on their legs and men on their backs, mine have always been on my back, and I have found that it can be difficult to get sunblock in all of the crevices that exist on the trunk as opposed to the arms and legs.


Recently, I ordered new sunblock. Since Jessica was born, I have been ordering Lavera Neutral Sunscreen Spray. Every sunscreen I have tried makes my skin (my face especially) sting until I scrub it off! Actually, it feels like my face is burning! I do have pretty sensitive skin; however, I think Jessica's may be even more sensitive than mine. Because this is the only sunscreen I can wear on my face without it stinging, it is the only sunscreen I will use on the kids until they can tell me whether or not a particular sunscreen makes their skin sting. I have actually been using it on Jessica since before she was 6 months old. It was the only sunscreen my mom and I were able to track down that we felt would be gentle enough for her skin, and we have never had a problem! The other awesome thing about it is that it works instantly....no 30 minute waiting period!!

It is also a very "green" sunscreen for those of you interested in that. At this point I just want something that won't sting my skin and will protect me from UV rays! I tend to use my skin's sensitivity as a test to how safe or organic a product might be. This year, Lavera had to reformulate all of their sunscreens to match the new, stricter guidelines put out by the EU. The goal was to raise the amount of UVA rays blocked by sunscreen. Typically only the amount of UVB rays blocked are reported. I ended up buying the original version (from a store in Canada because no one else would ship to the USA) because Lavera has not had time to finish reformulating all of their sunscreen products, and I am quite partial to the Lavera Neutral Sunscreen Spray! Lavera has also done an excellent job of trying to block high levels of UVA, UVB, and UVC rays even before the new standards were released, so I feel completely comfortable using their products on myself and my children!

Just Ordered....

I just ordered Jessica's Stingray Swimsuit tonight! Isn't it just too darn cute???


It also covers everything but her face, lower arms, and lower legs, providing her entire trunk with protection from 97.5% of UVA/UVB rays!!! I've said it once, twice, three times, etc, and I will continue saying it, "Protecting our kids from UVA/UVB rays is a HUGE priority for me!" I find my paranoia completely understandable considering that I am a melanoma survivor! However, I have also made an effort to make sure that our children do not end up looking like complete dorks. I go to great lengths to find cute, well cut swimsuits that still offer great protection from the sun! Hence why I actually ordered this swimsuit from Australia... Just so you know....I did get a good deal: free shipping made this suit about the same price as the one offered in the United States that was not nearly as cute!! I am hopeful that this suit will last 2 years....cross your fingers for me!!!

Let's Celebrate!

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of this blog. It is hard to believe I have been recording our projects, our activities, and indeed our lives for an entire year! Also, today I found out that while I do not have melanoma again, I do have something that could very well turn into melanoma. Next week I will have a little office procedure where they will punch a small piece out of my skin and stitch me up. The longest part of it is stitching me up because they always make sure to do a good job of it since I have a busy toddler to keep up with!!! I was very pleased with that bit of news. David also took his first visit to the dermatologist today. They were very pleased with what they saw; however, suggested that it would be good for him to use sunblock and a hat whenever going out and to come back once a year just to make sure any changes are caught early.

Sunday is Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day can sometimes seem like a bit of an exclusive holiday, especially if you aren't married or dating anyone at the time. With that exclusiveness often comes certain expectations of how Valentine's Day "should" be celebrated, and sometimes those expectations can also ring up big dollar signs. A few years ago, we decided to start a tradition of having a special meal at home for Valentine's Day as a family. We typically have cheese fondue with bread and such, wine or sparkling grape juice (that's more for me), Dove chocolates (that's more for David), and some type of grilled meat and veggies. It is nice because it gives the entire family something to look forward to, and while we spend a little extra on our special dinner, we don't break the bank like we would if we got a babysitter, went out to eat, etc. This year we are being joined by some friends down the street! Nothing could be better: good food and good company!

Finally, it also looks like in a couple weeks, Jessica and I (and baby John) will be flying to Memphis. I have not gotten to see my parents in 6 months, and they will not be able to travel here until who knows when because of Mom's migraine, neck, head issues (I really don't know what else to call it). I am excited at the prospect of getting to see them! David will have to remain at home as he is in the middle of switching companies, and we are not sure how his acquired off time will be handled. Once we know more we will have to also look into whether or not he will be able to take off time after the baby is born. He plans to be at the hospital the entire time; however, past that is a little up in the air at the moment.

Overall, things seem to be moving along just fine....well except for my thumb. It seems to be getting worse. Unfortunately, all of the doctor's I have seen have pretty much said, "It sucks to be you." They can't do an x-ray because I am pregnant. I can only take tylenol, and that is about it. I find it amazing how much I use my left thumb for! Now off to tidy the house and crochet....those I can do with 1 working thumb!!

Skin Check

Today, I had my bi-yearly skin check with the dermatologist. As many of you know, I am a melanoma survivor (hence the skin checks every 6 months). I enjoyed having some friends along with us for the ride today 1) to watch Jessica and 2) to distract me. I still get a little nervous when I go for skin checks. I have vivid memories of when I got the call telling me I had melanoma and I just sunk to the floor, staring at my 9 month old daughter, wondering if I would live to watch her grow-up. Thankfully, I had a wonderful outcome, and my doctors watch me very closely now. Today they biopsied two moles. One of them was on my back, which is where the melanoma was. Absolutely worst likely scenario is that I have an early stage of melanoma again that would require a visit to the plastic surgeon for another several inch gash that could be done under local anesthesia while pregnant and possibly not be able to pick anything up for 6 weeks. More likely, it will prove normal or pre-cancerous and require only a second visit to the dermatologist to remove edges. Overall, I feel good about the visit; however, it would have been nice to get a clean skin check instead!

That being said, skin protection is very important to me. Although I like to shoot for a frugal/self-sufficient lifestyle, skin care is not something I mess around with!! We currently use Lavera sunscreen. It is 100% mineral based and organic sunscreen. Of course that was not nearly as important to me as the fact that it doesn't make my skin sting like most sunblocks and it is safe for use on infants! I really like their company a lot!!! It is expensive and does not last long in the water with out reapplying it, but it works instantly and is very gentle on the skin! I am also beginning to look into "sun friendly water apparel" aka UVA/UVB protective fabric for a water baby wrap and UVA/UVB protective swimsuits. We spend a lot of our summers outdoors, and we have moved progressively closer to the equator. Expensive Sensitive Skin Sunscreen = $$, UVA/UVB protective swimwear = $$$, Being there to watch your children grow up = Priceless!!!!!

Front Porch Friday: Thankful

This time last year, my pediatrician and internist was sending me to the dermatologist just as a precaution after delivering a healthy baby girl 9 months prior. I went in, and the dermatologist decided to biopsy two of them that they thought were questionable. Mind you, none of us were terribly nervous about this because they had only changed when my hormones changed, they looked nothing like the pictures you see online, and I did not have a family history. However, I got a phone call the day before Thanksgiving that forever changed my life.

My precious baby girl

I answered the phone, and the physician's assistant was on the phone. She said, "I am so glad you came in when you did. One of the moles we biopsied is a malignant melanoma." She didn't have to say anything else. I knew what malignant meant, and I knew what melanoma was. I had been to a visitation for my friend's aunt who died of melanoma. The rest of what she said was a blur. I fell to my knees and just stared at my baby girl sitting on the floor, wondering if she would grow up without a mother. The rest of the conversation was a blur. I think I managed to ask some good questions, but I am not really sure. The only thing I was sure of was that I would have to wait until after the holiday weekend to know how bad it was and what the prognosis was.

My neighbor Liza who always makes us feel like family.

The hours and days that followed were torturous. I called my husband and told him first, but we couldn't talk long because he was finishing some things up at work so he could go ahead and come home for a long weekend. Next I called my mother. I told her, "Mom, you can NOT get upset. I feel like I am going to throw up. The doctor's office called and said I have melanoma." My mom was also very familiar with what melanoma is. She had been to that same visitation and had watched her quick decline before her death. To her credit, my mom remained calm and got as much information out of me as possible before telling me to call Liza, my neighbor across the street that has a son my age. Liza came over, prayed with me, and took me and Jessica back to her house where her mother-in-law and sister-in-law were very kind and encouraging to me to until David got home.

My awesome Dad, who flew down for less than 24 hours to talk with me and do dishes, drinking "coffee" with Jessica at Christmas.

My mom got busy and called my aunt who explained that what I had been told on the phone actually sounded like it was probably a good prognosis. A friend whose dad has had melanoma multiple times called, and we spent Thanksgiving with them. Friends from church called as well, including a melanoma survivor. Up until Thanksgiving Day I had not known anyone who had survived melanoma. Now I know tons! When I still was unable to get out of my cycle of panic attacks, my dad flew down, and David took me to the ER. The hospital gave me some pills for the panic attacks. I took one, and it knocked me out cold for 6 hours. By that time, my dad was there - doing dishes, because that was the last thing on our minds at that point. I was rested. The chemicals in my brain had been reset, and I was ready, with the help of my dad and David, to start dealing with what we had been dealt.

Mom pushing Jessica around the hospital during the surgery.

As it turned out, I was in one of the earliest stages so I needed surgery asap, but I would not require any radiation or chemotherapy. They performed the surgery in office under local anesthesia. They took out both of them to make me happy. (I didn't want them accidentally taking out the wrong one! I am a little paranoid that way, but the doctor said if you can make a little paranoia work for you so that you are cautious but not controlled by it, then great!) The scars were about 4 inches long but not deep. However, I was not allowed to lift anything for 6 weeks after the surgery, and they told me to be very careful about bending my back. We did not want the stitches coming undone. My mother came down and stayed with us for a week until my sister and her boyfriend could drive down to get all of us and take us back to Memphis.

A picture of one of my scars 6 weeks after the surgery. Apparently, I am somewhat allergic to adhesive so we had a difficult time keeping me bandaged the entire 6 weeks.

This part was difficult for me. Although I enjoyed having all of the quality time with my family, it was Jessica's first Thanksgiving and first Christmas, and it was not how I had wanted it to be. My husband had to stay home and work most of that time, and he has become a very important part of my support network. It was also so hard not being able to pick up my baby girl; however, I must admit she is now a very independent little girl and she figured out ways she could comfortably nurse even though I was rather limited in my range of motion. I was also difficult to care for because I was having a very difficult time emotionally and was in no condition to be solely responsible for a child. My mother was trying to let me be as independent as possible but realized towards the end of the 6 weeks that I needed someone to tell me what to do because my head just wasn't there. She probably bore the brunt of it, placing her life on hold to care for me and Jessica, both of which were quite a handful).

The other side.

At the same time, I also felt very blessed. First of all, I was going to be a melanoma survivor! Secondly though, I'd had yet another life experience, which taught me more about the world and the Creator who put it into motion. I try to remember to thank God for the "good" things and the "bad" things because we learn something from all of them. I now go to the doctor every 6 months for a full body skin check. At my first re-check which was only a couple months after I healed from the surgery, they found a precancerous spot that needed to be taken care of in the office. However, at my last skin check, I was clean! My doctors are wonderful, and I have so much to be thankful for this year: my health, supportive family and friends, and getting spend each new day with my sweet baby girl and amazingly supportive husband.

What more can you ask for? (Besides more children!)