June 26, 2009

Those who know me, know that I don't ever shut up about sunscreen. And, I talk a lot about skin cancer. But, I do have a good reason. We found out four years ago that SirHoney had melanoma.

He went in to have an area on his temple looked at so I asked him to have the Dr. look at a new spot on his neck. They did biopsy it but the doctor didn't seem to be too concerned.

We received the phone call from the dermatologists' office on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which also happened to be the day of Meems' wedding. SirHoney didn't answer the phone. I think he knew that it was bad news if the office was calling on a holiday. He went in for surgery immediately after we got back in town.

It was the scariest thing that has happened to us in 18 years of marriage.  After chest x-rays, a PET scan, and a visit to the oncologist, we were told that it had not spread to any other part of his body. Now, he just sees his dermatologist once every six months for a full body check up.

He's also had six or seven surgeries to remove basal cell skin cancer. Basal cell can be VERY invasive and can leave some pretty intense scars, but it doesn't metastasize to other organs.

Melanoma does metastasize and if not caught early, it is extremely hard to treat and can be fatal.

Studies show that most common signs of melanoma are in the ABCDE rule. And the ABCDE rule is as follows:

• Asymmetrical – this refers to the shape; if one half of the mole does not match the other half in size, shape, color, or thickness;
• Borders – it may be ragged or otherwise irregular; the edges are scalloped, blurred, or poorly defined;
• Color – it may be uneven, with shades of black and brown; the color of the mole is not the same throughout or it has shades of tan, brown, black, red, white, or blue;
• Diameter – it may change in size; melanomas are usually greater than 6mm in diameter, but they can be smaller; if the diameter of a mole is larger than the eraser of a pencil
• Elevation – a portion of the mole appears elevated, or raised from the skin.

These few rules can be very helpful in determining the difference between just a regular freckle or mole and a possible melanoma.

A few weeks ago when we went to the desert for a Father/Son golf tournament, my friend and I hung out by the pool while the guys golfed. I noticed a mole on my friend's back that I thought looked a little suspicious so I asked her if she had ever had it looked at. She said no. She didn't seem very concerned and I didn't want to be overly pushy but I did tell her that it looked very similar to the one SirHoney had on his neck and asked her to please get it checked. She went the dermatologist the following week and they did biopsy it. She since found out that it was melanoma. Luckily, it was in a very early stage and she will be fine.

SirHoney has a family history of melanoma but we didn't know it. If your mother, father, siblings, or children (first-degree relatives) have had a melanoma, you are part of a melanoma-prone family. Each person with a first-degree relative diagnosed with melanoma has a 50 percent greater chance of developing the disease than members of the general public who do not have a family history of the disease.

My friend didn't have anyone in her family that has had the disease.  I know it's very controversial, but her doctor did tell her that she probably got the skin cancer from years of using the tanning beds. She was told to stop going to the tanning salon and to start using a good sunscreen.

I'm bringing this up because now that it's Summer, more people will be out in the sun that aren't normally exposed.  We're in the sun just about every day for some period of time. When we lived in Texas, I would use sunscreen if out by the pool for the day but now that we live in California, we use sunscreen every single day! Every. Single. Day.

SirHoney still hates the fact that he has to cover himself in sunscreen, especially when golfing. We have done a lot of experimenting with different sunscreens to find one that doesn't run and get into his eyes when he sweats. We've found the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch with 70 SPF to be the very best.

It goes on easily and doesn't leave any unwanted residue. Even though this one doesn't state that it is specifically ‘sweatproof', it doesn't run and sting his eyes. I've started using this one myself.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch 70 SPF

Now that we know SirHoney's family is melanoma-prone, I'm very adamant about making sure that HayHay uses sunscreen every day. And I'm always on the lookout for a good long lasting sunscreen for him to use when he surfs.  Right now, on his face, he's using the  Neutrogena Sport Face. It also doesn't leave a residue and seems to stay on longer than some of the others.

Neutrogena Sport Face 70 SPF

I don't have the same skin type as the guys so I don't always use a 70 SPF. I'll use the 70 SPF on my face, but my absolute favorite is the Neutrogena Cooling Mist SPF 45 . This spray is not only refreshing, but it stays on for several hours, even at the beach. I always have a can of this with me.

Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist 45 SPF

Can you tell we like Neutrogena?  I don't care for the smell of Coppertone for some reason, but HayHay does like this Coppertone Sport Continuous Spray. So, since he likes it, I still buy this one for him. He sprays this one all over his body before surfing and it does seem to work well.

Coppertone Sport Continuous Spray 50 SPF

There's one more spray that I really like because I LOVE the smell of Hawaiian Tropic. It reminds me of being out by the pool with friends as a teenager. Of course, we used the original brown label oil, but I was so happy when I found this Hawaiian Tropic Dry Tanning Oil Spray.

Since this is only a 12 SPF, I only use it on my legs and do reapply more often than I would if it were a higher SPF. I just can't resist the scent. I can close my eyes and pretend that I'm in Hawaii!

Hawaiian Tropic Tanning Dry Oil 12 SPF

We've tested a lot of sunscreens over the past several years and have found these to work the best.

Lastly, please find out if you have a family history of melanoma. Use sunscreen and visit your dermatologist every year. It could save your life.

~LilSis

May 26, 2009

We keep talking about how fast time flies, but it's true, isn't it? It seems like the school year just started yesterday and it's going to be June in just a few days! Seriously?

Now that Memorial Day has come and gone, there is no doubt that Summer is right around the corner. The first day of Summer actually begins at 1:45 a.m. on June 21st and technically, Summer begins on June 20th at 10:45 p.m. in California. Yikes!

Depending on where you live, it may already feel like Summer. It does here in Southern California. Summer is my favorite season, but I'm just not ready for it yet! There's so much to do within the house and I'm already dreading the search to find professionals for various maintenance issues, especially with regards to the AC systems. One of my friends suggested that No Problem Heating and Cooling / AC Repair in Dardenne Prairie or other places might be a good choice as you can find all the details online. I'm still thinking if I should consult someone online or go in search of one.

I've been putting off the dreaded trip to the mall to look for a new swimsuit. I've been wearing suits that are old, faded, and stretched out just because I am NOT in the right frame of mind to go swimsuit shopping. I had hoped to have five pounds fall off of me first. It just hasn't quite worked out that way.

I told SirHoney that Memorial Day was our “last hoorah” and after that, it's time to get serious about trimming down a little for Summer. A friend of ours just told me over the weekend that she lost ten pounds in a week on the Cabbage Soup diet! Do I dare go down that path? Nope. Don't think so. First of all, it doesn't even seem possible to me to lose that much in a week, but even if you do, I'm sure you put it back on right when you start eating normal again.

Starting today, there are going to be some changes in our meal planning. Nothing too drastic and definitely ‘doable'. SirHoney had a doctor's appointment last week and due to slightly high blood pressure, his Dr. has advised him to go on the Dash Diet Eating Plan to see if he can lose five pounds in a month. I'm going to buy the Dash Diet Action Plan book from Amazon to make sure that I'm planning our meals accordingly. The Eating Plan has been proven to lower blood pressure in 14 days.

From the little I've read so far, the Eating Plan seems to be a lot like the Mediterranean Diet. Basically, it's whole grains, at least four servings of fruits and vegetables a day, nuts, low fat dairy and lean meat. This is how I try to plan most of my meals anyway, but the fact that his doctor has advised him to follow the plan, maybe he won't be inclined to cheat with a big fat Reuben sandwich or gigantic Porterhouse steak. He'll definitely have to try harder to get in the fruits and the veggies each day, but it's certainly worth the effort to avoid having to take medication.

Of course, at least 30 minutes of exercise a day would help him shed the pounds even quicker, but I've not been too successful in convincing him of that. I'm hoping to be back to my walking regime very soon so, hopefully, we'll both lose a few pounds and I can feel better about that swimsuit shopping trip.

~LilSis

May 11, 2009

This week is National Women's Health Week, and Monday May 11 is National Women's Checkup Day. If you want to know more about this important day, check it out at women'shealth.gov.  We know how critical early detection can be when it comes to all kinds of health conditions: cancer, diabetes, heart disease and lots of other conditions.

We all need a reminder every once in a while right?  So consider this a reminder.  Or consider it a kick in the pants, if that's what it takes to get you into action.  Call your doctor today and make that appointment you've been putting off.  Better yet, do it right now before you forget! And then get yourself a treat for being a big girl and doing what you need to for your health!

~BigSis

May 2, 2009

May 1st was going to be Day One in my 30 Day Shred.

Yes, I was mentally prepared to jump on the Jillian bandwagon and start shredding some pounds. I was so ready to kick it up a notch! Notice, I said ‘was.'

Instead of kicking it up a notch, it seems I have to take it down to first gear! Yesterday, I was informed that I have a stress fracture and I got this lovely thing put on my foot.

Very fashionable, wouldn't you say?

How does that saying go?

The best laid plans, blabbedy, blabbedy, blah…

I'm really, really bummed! But, the good news is that I went to the podiatrist early enough before the stress fracture got worse. The Dr. informed me that if I had waited, I would have ended up in a big boot or cast for 6 to 8 weeks. So, I guess I should be grateful that it's only for two weeks.

Oh, I almost forgot…The icing on the cake is that when I see him next week, he wants to go over the x-rays and discuss bunion removal surgery for sometime in the near future! LOL!

~LilSis

January 31, 2009

I wish I had known about this fundraising opportunity before today.  It's a little bit late to tell you about it, but I don't want to assume that none of you will be able to integrate this idea into the parties you already have planned.  Check this out if you'd like to make your Super Bowl Party more than just a party; if you'd like to make it a chance for your guests to donate to an important charity.

Alzheimer's Disease has been selected as the official 2009 charity for the College Bowl Championship Series on FOX Sports.  In conjunction with that effort, there are Tackle Alzheimer's Parties and Tailgates going on all over the country on Super Bowl Sunday.  You can download a poster for your party, download donation forms, or encourage your guests to donate online.  You can find all of the details online that you need for your own Tackle Alzheimer's Party.

Any contributions at all that you are able to collect or make yourself are important.  This disease runs rampant in our family…our dad had it, and so did his mother, his sister and his grandmother.  The genetic link probably goes back farther than that, but people didn't identify it as Alzheimer's back then;  it was just dementia or senility.  If it isn't in your family, chances are you know someone whose life has been touched by this disease.  Thanks from all of the impacted families for your support of this cause!

~BigSis

November 5, 2008

Sunday, November 2, 2008 was the big day for the San Diego Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  We all met at 6:00 a.m. at my house and headed down to Balboa Park in San Diego. Our team raised almost $4000.00! I was very happy with our results considering we only had 15 members this year versus 21 members last year. Sundays' race had a record attendance of almost 13,000 and a record of almost $1.4 million dollars raised for Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

It was a very fun, successful day! And of course, we had to stop in Old Town for Mexican Food on the way home to celebrate our team's success.

Also, I promised the “Cure” Ty Beanie Bear to one lucky reader who commented on the post.  Guess what, SisMama?  Expect to receive her in your mailbox shortly! You were the only comment on the post for “Cure”, so you can't be ineligible!

~LilSis

November 3, 2008

It's been a month now since the Nasty Virus hopped on me, and 3 weeks since I got out of the hospital.  You'd think I'd be back to my usual workout schedule, but it hasn't happened that way.

• I was shocked to realize that after about 11 days with no physical activity whatsoever, I had not only lost weight – which I expected – but I had lost a lot of muscle.  I don't understand how it can take months of regular focused exercise to build muscle and muscle tone, but only 11 days to lose a huge percentage of it!?  Somebody needs to splain that to me!
• It was really jarring to me to realize how weak and puny I had become, when I had gone into this illness as a very strong and healthy person.  To walk up the stairs to my condo almost winded me, and to stand up after kneeling was a huge challenge for my quadriceps.
• And stamina?  Forget about it!  After sleeping 10 to 11 hours a night, I still woke up exhausted and struggled to work even half a day.

Those are the facts of the situation.  So what to do about that situation?  I NEEDED to get back to working out; both physically and mentally.  But how well should you feel before resuming exercise?  Should you start when you still feel crummy and build up super-gradually, or do you wait until you feel better to begin at all?  Meanwhile, how much more fitness would be lost?  I haven't really known the right thing to do, but I do know that my body is saying “I NEED EXERCISE!”

So off I went to the internet to do a little research about resuming exercise after an illness. Melanie at Healthy Eating Coach talks about the struggle of getting started again, and she reinforced my thoughts to walk first and then gradually add back in weights with more strenuous workouts much later.

There is a great article on TheBody.com which addresses the importance of listening to your body, resting without necessarily sleeping, getting back to your work routine before adding exercise back in, and eating well even if you don't feel like it.  Excellent advice!

The Denver Post also provides some excellent guidelines to follow when you're getting back to an exercise regimen.  I thought it was a great tip to work out at the gym during less crowded times, since your resistance to germs could still be diminished.

And lastly, I found that according to the National Institute of Health, exercise boosts the immune system. They say that:

• exercise flushes bacteria from the lungs
• exercise may flush out carcinogens (cancer-causing cells) by increasing output of waste
• exercise sends antibodies and white blood cells through the body at a faster rate
• bacterial growth may be reduced by the rise in body temperature when you exercise
• stress-related hormones that increase the risk of illness are reduced with exercise

I didn't know all of these things, did you?  These are all great reasons to get back on track!

After reading all this information and thinking it through, I decided that moderation and patience were the keys, as well as common sense.  This past weekend was gorgeous weather, and I couldn't stay indoors resting on the sofa one more day.  So my modified workout plan resumed.  Here's what I did:

• One hour walks outdoors last Saturday and Sunday at a slow pace
• Three trips to the gym during the week for walks on the treadmill at a medium pace
• One hour walks outdoors this Saturday and Sunday at a medium pace
• Plans for this week include stepping up the treadmill pace a bit and adding a few minutes to the workout, and adding a couple of light weight workouts.
• I also want to add back in my yoga and pilates workouts, but I'm trying not to overdo it so that may be placed on the agenda for next week if I'm up to it.  I feel like the first order of business should be to do the light cardio and build from there.

So far, it's feeling fantastic to be active again, even at a reduced level.  I can feel my muscles beginning to wake up a little, and they're very happy about it!  Hopefully this process will continue to go smoothly.  It's been an exercise in patience, if nothing else!  How about you?  Have you had this experience, and how did you handle it?

~BigSis

October 27, 2008

Do Something Good for the Cure!

Order yourself one of these cute insulated designer lunch bags from Lean Cuisine. Quantities are limited, so order now! $5.00 from the sale of each bag is going to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Lean Cuisine has already raised over $404,000 in donations!

Adorable Insulated Lunch Bags!

I ordered one with the Floral Swirl pattern and one with the Zebra pattern.  I'll give one to a friend!

~LilSis

October 27, 2008

I love “Cure”.  She's a very, very cute pink Ty Beanie Bear wearing a pink ribbon to support breast cancer. 100% of Ty's profit from the sale of “Cure” will be donated to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I was surprised to find “Cure” at a local retail store because she is “officially” retired.  Now, I wish that I had purchased more than one.  I'm happy to announce that I will be doing our first “giveaway” and “Cure” will go to one lucky person that leaves a comment on this post. That's all you have to do to enter; just leave a comment on this post.  It will be a totally random drawing.  Let's make it more fun and say that your name will be entered into the “hat” for each comment you leave on this post.

Cure

Her tag reads:

To those we've lost and those we love

Our promise is to rise above

We know we'll beat this, that's for sure

Support this cause, help find a cure!

The majority of women know at least one person who has battled this disease and most of us know more than one.  It's time to find a cure!

I'll do the drawing on November 2, 2008.  That's the day of my San Diego Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, so it seems like a good date to do the drawing. It won't be Breast Cancer Awareness Month any more but we need to keep talking about this throughout the year!

~LilSis

October 25, 2008

In Part 1 of Nasty Virus, I talked about how I knew there were lessons to be learned from this experience, and some of them are clear to me.

• Be ready to be diverted. Clearly, we should live with goals and plans, rather than aimlessly drifting through life.  But we have to realize that God may detour us.  It could be a temporary derailment, or it could be a permanent redirection.  I had lots of plans for the last few weeks, but I went off on this little detour for a reason and I have to pay attention to it.  If I don't get anything out of it, then it was just a wasted few weeks of illness and recuperation and not a learning experience.
• You have to let people help you. I'm pretty independent, but the main reason I don't like for people to help me is I feel it's inconvenient or an imposition, not that I'm too proud to accept help from people.  I had to have some help during this illness, and I realized it wasn't right to block people from blessing me.  So thank you to the people who drove me here and there, who brought me groceries, who brought me things from home, who took care of my cats, who sent me flowers, who visited me and kept me company.  You were a blessing!
• I can do a better job of taking care of myself. I usually live pretty healthfully: I eat well with no meat at all, I don't consume caffeine, I don't smoke, I drink a ton of water, I take the supplements that I think are important, I exercise regularly, and I try to get adequate sleep.  I have a strong immune system and I'm generally strong.  But I can do better, and I'm inspired to do so.  There are those nights when I have a handful of almonds for dinner (single people: you know you do this too).  Or even worse, how about cheese and crackers or cheetos for a meal?  I have my salty snack weakness and when I'm stressed or tired it takes over.  I want to eat more intentionally, wash my hands even more, faithfully use the germ wipes on grocery carts, and do more yoga to handle stress better.  Doing these things won't prevent an illness like this from happening again…I know I'm not bulletproof.  But I want to do better.  If I hadn't been strong and healthy going into this illness, it would have taken a greater toll on my health than it did.  Out of gratitude for that blessing, I want to take even better care of myself.
• God is in control. This isn't something I just learned, but it's a reminder that I can always benefit from.  I was reminded that I can be put into a frightening situation that has an unknown outcome, and God will bring me through it with peace.  I had never been in the hospital until this, and had never been seriously ill.  Surprisingly, or not surprisingly, I wasn't freaking out.  And I know it was and is because the peace of God was with me, and He is in control.

There will probably be more lessons to learn from the Nasty Virus experience, but these are the ones I see already.  In Part 3 of Nasty Virus, I'll talk about the challenges of getting back to exercise.

~BigSis