This is a photo of me back in 1977. It may be a black and white pic but you can tell I'm quite dark. Just compare me to the guy's neck in the foreground or my clothing.
Now to the Public Service Announcement. That skin abuse does come back to haunt us; maybe not right away, but eventually. I saw a spot show up on my arm and waited a couple days to see if it turned into one of those unproblematic age spots. But it didn't.
So Monday I went to my dermatologist to show her that spot on my arm and a tiny one on the other arm. She said they were pre-cancer spots and froze them off.
At the end of September I'll have my annual visit where she checks the entire body for things I may have missed. Of course now I use sunscreen during the summer and Solbar Zinc on my face even during the winter months. That is an over the counter item which she and other dermatologists recommend for daily use even during the winter.
That photo was taken 1978 and we moved to Northern California 1979. Gary died 1981 and I moved myself and son back to Delaware not long after. Fast forward a couple years when my son and I went to Assateague Island to visit Charlie at his camp site during the summer.
BTW, believe it or not Charlie was a special ed teacher in the Baltimore school district who lived on Assateague Island in a tent during the summer months. Gary and I only knew him because of the Assateague connection. Okay, FF...
So when I and Greg visited Charlie he asked me if I remembered Bruce Slagle. Who? Didn't remember meeting him (but just saw him in the picture). Charlie said he thought he and I should meet and thought we'd get along well.
Call me SHOCKED when I see that photo and immediately see Bruce, my ex. He is the guy in the black hat. Seems I recall in cowboy movies it was the good guys who wore white hats and the bad boys wore black. Funny as I think about that now.
Sorry this is such a long and boring post. This is my thermostat today and tomorrow will be hotter. But Sunday might burn up the thermostat with the heat numbers. Weatherman said it might reach 108 - 110 on Sunday here. My lake disappeared and now it's crispy grass and leaves.
Buy that sunscreen and put it on in this sun.
Saundra
Funny that the two are clinking...I went to the dermo Tuesday and have two bandaids and about 6 frozen spots. Yes we pay. My complexion is basically see through.
ReplyDeleteI remember being jealous of my cousin who lived about 1/4 mile away. She'd lay out in the sun in a swim suit for hours every day, while I had to help out around the farm or in the house. I don't think I was jealous of her tan so much (other than it not being a farmer tan!) as it was that *she* was allowed to lie about in the sun all day.
ReplyDeleteIn her class's group photos for the yearbooks, she looked at least as dark as you do in the photo above but in much brighter lighting. I don't recall ever hearing about adding iodine to the oil until this post.
I bet it was a surprise (shock?) to see the ex in that photo. It's funny how we see those old photos now and think "if only I knew then what I know now". In my case it was seeing photos of Mom, and noticing she had a small shadow on her cheek many years before it turned into cancer.
Quite dark is an understatement!!! I tried, but never got nearly that dark. Good thing you are having spots checked and taken care of. I have had a few precancerous spots frozen.
ReplyDeleteToo funny about the late husband and ex-husband in the same photo. I bet that was a shocker ;-)
I think we all did the baby oil thing in those days. Strange that you should find that picture now.
ReplyDeleteCathy
I could never get very tan....my fair Irish skin....but I would try so hard to get as dark as I could ....I have had a few spots frozen off too & use the sun screen too.
ReplyDeleteIt has been Freaking HOT here since Tuesday , it has been high 90's & has hit 100 and the humidity has been awful .....will still be warm all next week too ....
I haven't been walking the past few mornings and miss my routine .
Absolutely NOT a boring post...I loved the photos and the stories and connections behind them. Guess you had a "thing" for guys in hats LOL. Nope, I never got that dark. When I was at my "darkest," my olive-colored sister would put her arm next to mine and I looked pale. I have my mother's side's pale, porcelain, skin...but I tried. And, yup, paid for it later with melanoma. Just did my derm scan this past week and have, once again, been referred to general surgery to remove some "suspicious" cysts. She doesn't think the melanoma has returned but, given my history, I get cut into more often than anyone should. You were (and still are) a beauty my friend. Glad you took care of the spots and they were just "pre" cancerous. Believe it or not, I'm tempted to turn on the heat here...we haven't gotten out of the 60's and are under a flood watch. Guess global warming hasn't reached the Cold, Cold (and Wet) Land of Nod yet. ~Robin~ (PS...we have the same exact thermostat!)
ReplyDeleteI loved getting tan but not that dark. Youzers. So glad you took care of that spot before it got worse. Very interesting read about the island and the photos and your past husbands. I knew you moved from California back to Delaware, but did you have family in Delaware when you moved back? I dont know if I know that story. Janice
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting life you had🏵🏵
ReplyDeleteVery Dark! My mum was so tanned,,,I used to burn,,,then get brown,,,Yikes,,oil is right,,,,
WOW, you had a dark tan. I never bothered to use sun tan lotion on my skin when I was young as I tan easily but I didn't like the Coppertone tan people sported. It looked unnatural to me. Good thing you got those spots checked.
ReplyDeleteI love your personal story.I would say, "Beware of men who wears hats. lol.
Take care, hugs.
Julia