I enjoy the fake bake. I like the look of being tan and currently joke with my roommates that tan fat is cuter than pale fat. Although I am not a "tanaholic," I was still shaken to find that the reference to "cancer in a box," came true for a friend; an accomplished young woman and Otterbein Alumna. Heather Reichle, a former Otterbein student, Tan & Cardinal editor in chief and president of Tau Epsilon Mu sorority sent a group e mail to family and friends on March 28, 2008 that she had been diagnosed with melanoma. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and Heather was quite concerned with the question "Am I going to die?" She went through a series of surgeries and procedures to remove the cancerous part of her tumor and continued to make follow up checks with her doctor and plastic surgeon over the month of April. In an effort to make sure that the cancer had not spread throughout her body, she underwent a surgery in which she was put under anesthetics and had lymph nodes extracted to be tested. The follow up note that was sent to those on her e mail list demonstrated a strong will and a sense of humor that undoubtedly kept her spirits light as she joked about looking like Joan Rivers since her face was so tight after surgery. That e mail was sent on April 9, and by 12:17 p.m. on April 10, Heather was writing to inform that she was "ecstatic" and that the cancer was gone. Heather is truly a cancer survivor. As she is now back to work and doing much better, she has been instructed to attend quarterly check ups with her doctor. As a former T&C; reporter, Heather knew that there was story potential in what she had overcome. After reading the e mails sent to family and friends and holding conversations with her about the importance of her feat, the most notable thing that was discussed was the importance in understanding how to prevent your self from becoming a victim of melanoma. Some things that have been brought to my attention are: -Melanoma is a form of cancer that, if recognized and treated early, is nearly 100% curable. -Although this is not the most common form of skin cancer, it is responsible for the most deaths. -The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007 nearly 60,000 people contracted melanoma. -Everyone is at risk. There are several factors that contribute to melanoma including, skin type, family history, moles, personal history, weakened immune system and sun exposure. -Tanning beds increase the risk of melanoma due to increased exposure to UV rays which can damage skin. Also, skin burning as a result of heightened sun exposure or tanning beds can be combated with the use of sunscreens and other skin protectors. Heather now says that she is a "sunscreen junkie," and believes in "tan in a can." She has not given up on that summer glow, but now realizes that there are safer ways to achieve it. After discussing it with her surgeon she now applies sunscreen as a ritual as common as brushing her teeth. For a further look into melanoma, the warning signs, preventative measures and research developments, visit http://melanoma.com or http://www.skincancer.org/melanoma. t&c;
Skin cancer scare enlightens ritual tanner
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