Hours in the Sun

by Christine
(Cape Cod, MA, USA)

My father is a fisherman. For hours a day in the summer time, he can be found outside, perched by the water with his fishing pole, just waiting to catch the biggest striped bass he’s ever caught.

He’s been a fisherman for all of my life, and most of his. This hobby requires him to be outside for hours at a time in the hot summer sun, waiting for fish to bite.

Being from an older generation, my father doesn’t know much about sun protection. At least, he didn’t.

Now, he knows the importance of sunscreen and shielding yourself from the damaging UV rays the sun gives off.

A few years back, my mother noticed an odd looking mole on my father’s ear. My father, who hates doctors, brushed it off as something he’s always had and wasn’t going to worry about.

My mother, being as persistent as she is, pushed him to get it checked. So he did.

It was a good thing he did too, because what the doctor discovered after a biopsy was that my father had Malignant Melanoma on his ear.

Hours in the sun with no shade, sun hat or protection had taken its toll on his skin.

Luckily, my father caught it early enough and was able to have a portion of his ear removed and the Skin Cancer has been gone ever since.

I hate to think what would have happened if he hadn’t gone to the dermatologist and gotten that mole checked.

It was a scary lesson for him to learn, but now my entire family is educated on the dangerous effects of the sun and the importance of sun protection.

Melanoma Skin Cancer

Malignant Melanoma Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer Melanoma

Skin Cancer Moles