Letter to the Editor: Protect the skin that you are in

May is Skin Cancer Month, and may my story inspire you to health.

I lost a friend to undiagnosed skin cancer and that event saved me. I started going to the dermatologist and in May 1990 I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma that needed immediate care. I had surgery in June that found that the skin cancer had grown down to my heart.

Unable to know if all the cancer was removed, I took an early retirement. 27 years later I am still around thanks to my early detection.

There are things you should know about skin cancer:

-Skin cancer is on the rise for many reasons, but is largely preventable with care. A single sunburn can cause the body to be on the road to cancer.

-Skin cancer starts on the skin and grows into your body. Healthy skin is skin protected from the sun. Don’t risk burns as sunblock and common sense are relatively cheap.

-Stay out of the sun when it is directly over head and your shadow is short. Protect your whole body, not just spots, especially your ears and nose.

This should be easy to do, but we just don’t. So “protect the skin you are in.”

Gerald W. Ray

Spokane