Before the medical profession wakes up and stops writing prescriptions for people to use tanning beds to kill them?
Before legislation, around the world, gets rid of ALL tanning beds in home, businesses, online, everywhere?
Before people, of all ages and skin tones, start paying attention to all changes on the surface of their bodies and get them checked immediately?
Before people, of all skin tones, get sun-smart?
Before people, of all skin tones, decide to love the skin they're in and RUN away from tanning beds, as fast as they can and not listen to lies from the tanning industry?
Before the tanning industry decides lives are more important than dollars?
Before doctors in the medical profession, who ARE NOT melanoma specialists, start referring ALL patients diagnosed with melanoma TO the nearest melanoma specialist?
Before ALL doctors stop telling patients to "let's watch that place and see what it does" instead of removing it and pathing it?
Before ALL people who work in a doctor's office and schedule patients understand when someone calls and says a mole is changing, they need to be seen asap and not put off a few months?
Before ALL doctors, melanoma and non-melanoma specialists alike, start getting ALL people with a new melanoma diagnosis SCANNED, regardless of their initial stage?
Before the insurance industry INSISTS on all their clients with a melanoma diagnosis GET SCANNED, regardless of stage?
Before people realize melanoma isn't just skin cancer, doesn't need skin to get started in, isn't anything to mess around with, can't be cut out and all is well, and can kill you?
Before some in the medical profession realize that?
Before some in the medical profession decide our lives are more important than their pride?
Before ALL in the medical profession understand this is NOT their life, fight, and possibly death, but OURS?
Before ALL in the medical profession are willing to fight as hard for us as we are?
How many more have to die deaths that many of which could have been prevented?
Too many.
charis
do medical professionals really prescribe tanning in tanning beds??
ReplyDeleteRead it and weep Steph http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43302984/ns/health-skin_and_beauty/t/some-docs-still-prescribe-tanning-despite-risks/#.UNDZvnfhfGY
DeleteAs a matter of fact, the tanning industry brags about this.
Also, I've added your blog to me They Dare To Care List: http://letsgivethanks.blogspot.com/2012/01/they-dare-to-care.html
DeleteThey told me to use light therapy for my psoriasis , thank god I didnt listen! As my younger brother has melanoma now. He was in the sun alot my mom said. I never have been a sun worshipper. I burn too easy
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your brother! Please let him know he can connect with the melanoma community on Facebook if he hasn't already. And you are all invited to connect with me at Melanoma Prayer Center on FB...here is good also. I'm glad you didn't listen to your doctor also! That smart move saved your life.
DeleteOne reason I am glad to be in the medical profession. I don't allow anything urgent to slip by me. If someone is waiting for results, I get them. Thank you for writing about this. I am grateful that the doctor I work for has no problem telling patients to wear their SPF. She also will tell patients to go see a dermatologist and about the dangers of melanoma. She is a smart cookie! ;)
ReplyDeleteShe has you working for her. She IS smart!
DeleteI've been reading this all week and decided that these points above are the ones that mean the most to me because of Bill's struggle: #'s 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16. Although not a tanner and his melanoma was genetic (fair skin, moles), it didn't make Bill any less of a warrior. He did everything the doctors told him back in 2002 when it was diagnosed (in-situ, surgically removed with clean margins, follow-ups with derms every 6-12 months with no sense of urgency) and it still didn't make a difference. He wanted to enroll in a clinical trial shortly after his stage IV diagnosis in 2011 but his local oncologist told him to start chemo NOW. 6 months later, when nothing else was helping, the Mayo Clinic got him on that same clinical trial drug because now, it had been approved by the FDA. And then he never had another twinge of pain because of it. Why couldn't he'd been allowed to be part of that study earlier? Although a biology major, the medical profession and I are not getting along nor will we for a very long time. :(
ReplyDeleteUnderstood. I'm so sorry his onc didn't help him nor refer him to a specialist. I'd love to literally butt heads with ALL oncs and GPs who do this.
DeleteI can only hope for karma. :(
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