5 years and Cancer Free

Today I drove down to the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the U of U.  I have been going for about 5 years every 6 months.  And today I was diagnosed as Cancer Free! And no signs of 'new sites' were found.  I haven't had another incidence of Melanoma since my first two initial sites in 2005.  Why did I get this type of Cancer (the worst type of skin cancer to have) at such young age?  Well first (and probably)  foremost...I was a sun- worship- er.  I loved laying out and had the mind frame of; summer =tan skin.  When I spent a year in Hawaii, I again thought; tropical weather = tan skin.  How lame was I!?  I got MULTIPLE sunburns.  Some bad enough I would blister and peel and ache.  I  also have melanoma in my family.  Not an immediate relation but my grandpa (on my dad's side) had it (found in a mole on his back) when he was in his 40's.   Additionally, I have all the right body defaults that make me more prone to getting it. 



BLUE EYES





(not necessarily blonde), but...LIGHT HAIR




and LIGHT SKIN WITH FRECKLES    
(An estimated 40% to 50% of fair-skinned people who live to be 65 will develop at least one skin cancer.)




Here are my two scars from surgery (to remove the Melanoma Moles)-one on my abdomen...



...and one hideous one on my back...about right- dab in the middle...definitely visible with a swim suit.  BTW, the procedures were NOT fun or comfortable.  Healing time was painful and long- lived...but it could have been ALOT worse. (I'm definitely not complaining)

Obviously I am not sharing this because I am proud of my scars or my past...but to reveal the consequences of sun damage (apart from wrinkly, dry, leathery skin).  I have learned my own personal lesson and have a couple friends who have gone thru the same thing as I have.  I also know someone that died at a young age (with young children) from Melanoma.  Both of my 'sites' were considered  'insitu' meaning the outermost layer (hallelujah).  So I have an 80% chance of NOT getting a third mole involvement.  Fingers crossed. 

I know this is kind of nasty to look at...but some moles can get this bad...mine did NOT look this obvious and I wouldn't have picked them out myself (until they got to this point). I only went in for an overall check (because my mom made me); and the Dermatologist found a few that looked suspicious - two of those ended up being Melanoma.  The smart thing to do...(esp. as spring and summer beckon)...go see a DERMATOLOGIST, (not just a regular doctor) if you have ANY abnormal areas or have  a history of 'loving the sun'.   A great referring website from WebMD...go here

Info from my dermatologist himself...Most products contain sunscreens...they prevent sunburn and may protect against both UVA and UVB, but they are short lasting.  More effective products also contain sunblocks (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) which reflect UV rays and are longer lasting.  He recommends products that contain either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Some examples...Blue Lizard, Vanicream Sensitive Skin SPF 30, Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50 or Sun Protective Swimwear (http://www.sunprecautions.com/).

If anyone has any advice, stories or personal experiences with anything related to this topic. Please share.  Kuddos. Be safe and smart this summer! 

count the little fingers...

That's right... 6...Ruby is the big zero six! and what a day it was.

For breakfast in bed she had the usual (well the same as last year, which is becoming the 'norm')...monkey bread, (recipe here) grapefruit, yogurt and chocolate milk! (talk about sugar overload) After overload she opened and played with presents from Gpa's and Gma's (can't wait to show off the skirt Grandma Di made) then we went to a book store, out to lunch and a baby shower!  phew! I'm tired?  Yet there is more.

 Don't judge me by this cake, it certainly wasn't my best.  Sometimes, somethings gotta give.  How come red food gel dye does NOT dye your food red.  Only PINK , I added the whole flippin tube and this is the color I got.! H-E-L-L-O. 

 LAST minute we decided to do a 'little' get together with a few of Ruby's school friends for cake and ice cream...well this shin-dig turned BIG (bigger than we'd planned) in just a few hours....so Marty and I scrambled to get some games planned and put some make-shift things together to make it seem party-ish. ahhh...crazy couple of hours prior.

In all we had THIRTEEN kiddos at our house!  Have you SEEN our house.  Not to mention it was freezing outside and we had to stay in our 4x4 living room.  I think they had a good time though.  We kept it to ONE long hour.  I had Ruby and Liam watching a movie while everyone got here then I brought them upstairs and they yelled 'SURPRISE!'  and threw  balloons at her.  It was a keepsake moment....she had no idea we had this planned and she kept begging for a party, but we told her no.

 Marty was a good sport and played as our stand-in cat in the hat.  'Pin the bow tie on Marty'  (thank goodness it was tape not pins.)

 Then a round of relay race balloon popping... 

This is most the kids after we played 'pass the present' where each kid unwraps a layer of wrapping till the music stops then they pass it.  This was what was inside at the end...new faces.

 Finally after some more silly time-wasting games...we had cake and ice cream! yeah. 

 Most the kids didn't even want cake (sniff) just ice cream, and if they did have some on their plate they were too full of treats to eat it!  boo.  poor little cat in the hat- he was ugly and distasteful.  (notice Ruby having the time of her life) (does that tell me the party was worth it?) yes indeed.  One short hour from us. A night full of memories for her.

Her presents from her family (how'd she have energy to open ALL 3. ha)... LOVE YOU SQUIRT -HAPPIEST DAY TO YOU.

Buttermilk Pound Cake.  Worth the cal's.
 (yes I had to taste-test first)(should have made this for the party)
Ingredients
1 cup shortening (i added 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup applesauce instead)
2 cups white sugar (scant cups)
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour (i added 1 cup of ww flour and 2 white)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
(i added 1 tsp of almond extract too)(makes the cake!)
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan.
2.Combine shortening, white sugar, eggs, buttermilk, sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, and lemon extract and beat with an electric mixer for 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3.Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for one hour. Remove cake from pan after it has cooled.
  Serve with whipping cream and some sort of fruit syrup. (I had coconut syrup to drizzle-yumm!)



My sister's new baby!...(a must see)



Welcome to the world...Webster D. Gilson!  My sister had her baby yesterday, her 6th boy!  9.4 lbs!



...love baby feet!



his other brothers are so named...Dexter T. Gilson, Everett James Gilson, Isaac Howard Gilson, Lincoln Timothy Gilson, Owen Henry Gilson ... they will all be senators, presidents; or at least great missionaries!



Love him!  New babies are so special and sweet.  I love to be a part of it, it's such an amazing thing to me.




sweet little finger grasp...

 

Check out those cheeks!

I love my beautiful sister and her more than adorable new addition! 

you can leave a comment for them here if you like...



Spring Checklist...

So I'm really quite sick of looking at this type of weather...although Frosty is sort of cute...scary lookin -but cute because my kids designed him.  So I was thinking of some must do's for spring -hoping that might egg it on to come!



#1.  Something springy for the kitchen.  This is for my Mom's birthday (Jami if your viewing this-DON'T let her see).  This was such fun-easy pattern, and I DO NOT DO PATTERNS.  I like tutorials online that give pictures w/step by step instructions!



This is the pattern-at Walmart.

#2.  A new and improved haircut.  Ruby has thin, wispy hair that seems to get a lot of static in the winter.  I haven't wanted to cut it since it grows at the rate of a snail race.  But we went out on a 'girls night' and decided to DO IT;  The stylist at Great Clips (which btw is having a 6.99$ haircut deal for anyone...think it ended today though) told me to make sure she is taking her multi-vitamin-to help it grow better/faster. 

She was SO excited for the end result AND a little scared it would be too short like a boys' ...ewww cooties!

TA -DA!  She has a little natural curl and cutting it in a stacked A-line, like this, really brought it out and makes it MUCH more manageable and fun.

So go out yourself and TRY it.  Something new, something vibrant.

#3.  This stuff is the bomb.  My Mom bought it for me 3 years ago for my birthday, since I'd become an anti-sun fanatic (except for the healthy Vit-D amount of course)(because of my two melanoma moles I had surgically removed- I need to do a post on just that whole ordeal and show..... The Scars).  I LOVE it.  I use it on my face and arms most days(even in the winter)...it only takes a LITTLE bit.  And in the summer it gets caked on my legs too.  I don't know if its because of my freckles or what but it seems to blend in really well.  LOVE IT.

#4.  Babies!  So many babies -showers, births, gifts, making babies, etc.  We are throwin' a shower for my friend in a month.  I need some cute favor ideas...anyone?  I've seen some WAY cute decorating ideas and food ideas on some other fellow bloggers.  In this pic MY baby is taking is very first step(at my grandma's house)...yep, hasn't done it again since but he took it, I saw him.

#5. PLEASE...like spring can be spring w/out....da ta ta ta......MINI EGGS.  Marty has always had an incessant NEED for these guys and I've figured out why....they are to die for.  Not literally , but close.

#6.  And last but not least....toddler boy tie shirts...tutorial HERE. (this blog site has amazing FREE tutorials)  

complete with some linen trousers and a scally hat ...

I was going to make one for Liam in this matching fabric but I am thinking polka dots are a little too baby-ish for my
3 & 1/2  year old...ya think?  totally.

oh yeah.  gotta love that- biting tongue with those 4 tiny teeth-action.

keep pray'in for that sunshine!