116
SUMMER
2016
Having lived on various bodies of Ontariowater
over the
courseof my life, I am no stranger tooutdoor enthusiasm. Swimming,
water-skiing, canoeing,biking,hiking–blackfliesandsun tans ruledmy
childhood summer days. I fondly remember theweekly cuttingof the
vast lawn on ourMuskokaproperty: mow two rows then jump in the
lake to cool off. Inandout all day long, hair streakedblonde from re-
peateddips in the sunnywater, skinbrown fromabsenceof SPF.
SPFstands forSunProtectionFactor,and refers to the theoreticalamount
of timeonecan stay in the sunwithoutgetting sunburned. Forexample,
anSPFof4wouldsuggestsyoucouldstay in thesun4 times longer than
youcouldwithout protection.
Inmy youth I remember there beingavailable only SPF 4, unlesswe
skipped thataltogether in favourofbabyoil tohelpachieve thebronze
“glow” that was synonymous with outdoor living. We weren’t con-
cernedwith sunprotection;wewere just playing.
Abroad-spectrumSPFof45 iswhat Inowuse,onanyskinnotprotected
byclothing,hator sunglasses,and that’s IF Iplan tobe in thesunlightat
all. Iavoid sunexposurebetween thehoursof11a.m.and4p.m.,and
onhighUV-indexdays I stay in the shade. Everyminuteof theday Iam
consciousof thecareless risks I took inmy sun-drenchedyouth.
See…at age37 Iwasdiagnosedwith stage3bnodularmelanoma.
Amole I hadhadonmyhip sincechildhoodchangedover thecourse
ofabout sixmonths, intoablackish-blue irregular shaped lump thatwas
scaly-looking and ugly. It didn’t itch or bleed, but it grew. Little did I
know, itwasa tumour,askincancer thatwasspreading tomy lymphatic
systemand sendingmelanomacells inanydirection.
That is oneof the unsettling things about melanoma, it is the cancer in
whichapatient canactuallySEE their tumour. Ididnot know thatat the
time, and I neglected it asanybusymother of twinsmight do. I felt fine
otherwise,working full-speed inmy retail management role, traveling,
hiking, gettingmy1998Gary Fisher updatedwith newKendaDred
Treads for the trail-biking season.
OnaclearApril2014daywhile inour familyphysician’soffice formy
daughter’s sore throat, oneof mywise11-year olds said “Mom, why
don’t youhaveDr. lookat yourmole?”Puton thespot, Ihadnochoice,
and the look of horror onmydoctor’s face toldme that I should have
shown it toher sooner.
I have since learned thatwith skincancer, earlydetection is key.
ESCARPMENT
®
well being
applying
to your
summer plans
Words|NatalieRichardson
