February 8, 2012

Ignorance is bliss, or at least it used to be.  I grew up on the water; beach, sun and fishing were my passions.  I have spent the last 59 years in ignorant bliss.  So what happened?

My friend and mentor, Dr. Edward Lack, recently did my yearly skin survey and proclaimed, “Stewart, the question is not if you are going to develop skin cancer, it’s when you are going to develop cancer and what type it is going to be.”

You see, I have ignored Dr. Lack’s warning in the past.  I have ignored my knowledge of the risks of sun damage to the skin.  I love a good sunburn and the resultant tan.  Dr. Lack’s proclamation ruined by ignorant bliss and yanked me into the here and now.  Luckily, Dr. Lack is an extraordinarily cutting edge dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon and had some preventative measures he could employ.

On my last visit, my friend told me my skin looked much healthier.  He asked me about my planned trip to Mexico and what measures I was going to take to prevent further sun damage.  I replied that I would bathe in sunscreen.  He reminded me that a hat and shirt, along with sunscreen, was the protection I needed.

I love the sun and a good deep tan but I love life more.  By writing this article, I have cornered myself.  Either I come back from Mexico looking the way I left (minimal tan acceptable) or I come back looking like a hypocrite!  I’ll be sorry I published this but be lucky if I dodge the bullet I have been asking for over my lifetime campaign of burn and tan.

I have ended many of my articles with, “The life you save may be your own.”  May the life I save be my own!