Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Good Better Best

Good: Steve recorded Rock Docs: Foo Fighters for me. (I http://www.lifechoicesonline.org/beating-heart.gif Dave Grohl).

Better: I finally got to watch it last night.
Best: My kids http://www.lifechoicesonline.org/beating-heart.gifDave Grohl, too. Watch Jack rock out below...



Good: All the mail I've been getting lately.
Better: It's mostly donations to Team in Training!!!!
Best: The handwritten notes that arrive with those donations...
 ...even if they are heartbreaking...


Good: I saw a spot on my nose in a picture from The Cherry of a Ride Weekend that didn't look quite right.
Better: I actually made an appointment ASAP to see the dermatologist.
Best: We caught it early. She froze it off yesterday.
The Bad: I will likely have a piece of black dying flesh on my face at The Bloggy Meet-Up at Mazzi's on Saturday before the Eugene Marathon/Half Marathon.

BUT...I won't have a scar on my nose like this one on my leg.

I'm actually pleased with how this scar has healed, but one of my fears since finding this skin cancer and having it removed is that since that time, I've had to have two other precancerous areas frozen off. If I'm not diligent with all my moles and lesions, I could miss one and it will go from pre to actual skin cancer. I do NOT want a scar like this on my face!

  • Do you like the Foo Fighters?
  • Have you ever raced to raise money for a charity before? Did you do any crazy fundraising parties or events? 
  • Did you ever think - I'll pour a bunch of baby oil all over my body, fry myself in the sun for 4 hours a day every summer and believe your skin was invincible?

27 comments:

Dawn said...

1st one....I'm not sure:000)
2nd....sadly, no. I feel very unadventurous right about now.
3rd...ummm, this is the only one I can say Yes to:(
Oh dear.

Unknown said...

Thank you for this post. You've just got me reconsidering my current "skin is invincible" attitude. I don't use baby oil and intentionally sun tan, but I'm lazy with sunscreen because I don't burn much. Good timing, considering sunscreen season has just begun.

Unknown said...

Whew, I was wondering how I was going to pick you out of the crowd on Saturday! Now I know.

Can't. wait. to meet you!

Kevin said...

1) I never got into them. I prefer either country or heavy metal

2) I've done a few charity races and rised money. I have never done anything crazy to race the money although it would have been fun.

3) I am a guy. That would be a little strange. :-)

KovasP said...

I prefer Nirvana over Foo Fighters but they have some great songs as well!

I'M Tri-ing said...

I "heart" the Foo Fighters too! It's probably the band I listen to the most while running. "All My Life" is my theme song. I have t admit, I have a man crush on Dave Grohl.
I raised money once for the spinal cord injury foundation in chicago for the Chicago Marathon. If I reached my goal I had to wear a "Chicago Cop" style mustache. Let's just say I don't look good with handlebars.

Anonymous said...

I used to tan all of the time. Then I took some Anatomy/biology classes. I learned exactly what UV rays do to skin cells. Never again. I do spend time in the sun but I slather myself in some serious SPF. PLUS who wants to look old?!

Jen said...

I think you are amazing to raise money for a charity that you believe in and have such deep connections with. It makes for a powerful thing to think about during your race. You are my hero!
Way to go being proactive and taking care of your "spots". And yeah, we never used to think about all this stuff back in the day!

Nikki Kendall said...

Not a fan of Foo Fighters..but totally a fan of your son!
I am a TNT-er....and probably will be for life :)
I totally did the babyoil thing. Now that I am in my 30s...I regret it :(

Raina said...

I don't care a BIT that you might have a piece of black flesh falling off at a bloggy meet-up. I am just glad you caught it!

I used to tan, before i got all wrinkly and stuff. What was I thinking????

Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun said...

I used to be a big "baker in the sun" too. And always thought it would do nothing to me. I have had to have quite a few moles removed and even though they never were anything serious like what you faced it definitely makes me cautious. Now I don't do the tan thing. I hate being pale but I like being healthy more.

Big Daddy Diesel said...

I have a charity event I am fundraising for, I have no clue how I am gonna do it.

Julie D. said...

good for you for being so diligent. It is so scary. I have the same fears...sadly, as a teenager I did think my skin was invincible. Not anymore.

Penny said...

I like some of foo Fighters music. I hate to say this but I do tan. Lord know I get enough sun when I am mowing my lawn.

Stephanie said...

Love Dave Grohl. From back in the Nirvana days and Love love love Foo.

I'm glad you found it!

ajh said...

I have a scar on my face from the same issue! I am the one who caught it and it was pre but it took some digging to get it. A plastic surgeon did it but I still have a scar. I have an appt. with someone to fix it but it is in about 2 years! This time insurance won't cover. It isn't hideous but I don't like it. Keep watching those moles. I assume you go on a regular basis to dermatologists.

Pam @ herbieontherun.com said...

While I can't afford a financial contribution right now, I did just send off for my kit to join the bone marrow donor registry...

I've got an appointment with a dermatologist in May. I'm a sun worshipper, and I just want to have a head-to-toe exam, plus I want to see if he can do anything with this damn acne. I'm 31 for Pete's sake...

Jim ... 50after40 said...

Love Foo Fighters - two of their songs are in my go to mix for races. I need to raise money for charity for a race sometime!

Ransick said...

Good for you keeping up on your skin. I've had one cut off my arm and another on my face. They sent me to a plastic surgeon for one on my face. You can't even tell I had something removed.

Abby said...

I did two races through Team in Training, but mostly relied on email blasts for donations. My sister and I did hold one actual event, though - a "mardi gras" night (for the mardi gras marathon) at a local diner, where the diner gave a percentage of the night's profit's to LLS. It was great!

Really scary about the skin stuff... I'm diligent(-ish) about sunblock in the summer, but terrible the rest of the year. I definitely have to work on that.

Rose @ Eat, Drink, and Be Meiri said...

It sounds like you're being good about catching stuff. My grandpa would get able 20 spots removed a year when he was older. He was a bricklayer who spent a lot of time in the sun.

My mom tanned as a kid (we're super fair skinned, so MAN), so she gets a few spots frozen off every year, too.

Thankfully, she slathered us with sun screen every summer. But, I still keep a paranoid eye out on ever weird spot and mole and freckle.

Kate Geisen said...

I was never too big of a sun worshipper as a kid, and I'm a sunscreen Nazi with my kids now. Even so, I've been thinking that I really ought to have a dermatologist look at one of my moles. Thanks for the incentive to actually make an appt.

Emz said...

I used to lay out
on
my
roof

with
crisco
slathered on me.

oh man, why did my mom let me do this?!

Finallyfit2011 said...

Oooh I really like your blog!!! Thx for following me :) I can't wait to read more of your posts! Skin cancer is super scary - I'm glad ur ok!!!

Molly said...

wow, I didn't know you've been dealing with skin cancer. I wasn't the best about sun screen when I was younger, but I'm good now at keeping an eye on my freckles.

I just started fundraising for The Children's Tumor Foundation, I'm putting together a giveaway right now to help raise funds. I'm excited about the whole experience.

Shellyrm ~ just a country runner said...

I have a great dematologist! Her office keeps calling me to set up another appointment. I'm happy that they do or else I would be likely to say I was too busy with other things.

Unknown said...

I am guilty of baking all day in the sun with baby oil. I even used one of those reflective fold out cardboard pieces (you used them to tan your face when you were at a ski lodge).

I've had 2nd degree burns and caused a lot of dammage. My dermatologist showed me actually how much dammage I had done with a special camera... It was bad.

I am sorry to hear about your skin cancer :(