re: Damn......Eric Berry Has Lymphoma

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How did she know/what was the sign that tipped her off? I have a family history of skin cancer/melanoma and I've been terrified of it. I'm really bad about not wearing sunscreen too. I had a full check by a dermatologist 2 years ago and had a spot cut out just precautionary, but I'm 21 now so your story got me thinking again.

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My mom is very aware of stuff like that because she's always worked in the medical field. But she saw a mole on my back when I was changing shirts, which was odd because being away at college the odds of that happening were slim anyway (I don't really get moles so that was likely part of it but she is super-cautious when it comes to her kids' health). I thought she was being paranoid for making me go and even the doc didn't think it would turn out to be melanoma because it was atypical/non-textbook. It was large enough and dark but it didn't have the odd shapes or thickness they look for - very thin and perfectly round and normal looking instead of jaggy. But to be safe they did the biopsy.

My advice, especially since it runs in your family, is to be super cautious any time you see anything that looks new and don't be afraid to push given your family history.

AND have someone else check where you can't see. It's worth it because melanoma is the most untreatable and most deadly cancer if it isn't caught in time. It's a horrible way to die so shyness isn't an option with your history, imo. But you have a great cure rate if caught early.

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How did she know/what was the sign that tipped her off? I have a family history of skin cancer/melanoma and I've been terrified of it.

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Had a friend die of melanoma and it was horrifying. Can't think of many worse ways to go.