SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival 2013 - Melanoma Awareness

Madison attends the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA. Each year the school hosts The Sidewalk Arts Festival at Forsyth Park in Savannah. This event coincides with Parent's Weekend and is a lot of fun. The event is free and attracts thousands!

This year we decided to get a square and promote Melanoma Awareness. We were shocked when Madison was diagnosed with Melanoma, and we want everyone to know this IS a young person's cancer. It is on the rise in young adults everywhere, and it is very deadly if not caught early.

Ocean Potion was kind enough to donate 200 sample tubes of sunscreen to share with festival goers. If you haven't tried Ocean Potion you are missing out! They are located right here in Brevard County, FL and their sunscreen smells so good! They use proven ingredients and even add vitamin D3 to their products!!  We love them!

We also LOVE the Melanoma Research Foundation. They shipped us literature to help us educate festival goers on this very deadly cancer, and they did it even though I requested it at the last minute! It got here just in time, and I can't thank them enough! I hope my donation will show my appreciation. Please check out their very informative website! and donate if you can. They have several different ways to make a donation - even via texting! Check out the donation info here: Donate to Melanoma Research Foundation - Every little bit helps!

On the day of the event, Don did his part and arranged the sunscreen samples nicely...

We handed out all 200 samples in just an hour! With each sample, we provided literature on Melanoma and answered a lot of questions. I was disappointed to find SO very many people came out without sunscreen at all, but I was happy to be able to hook them up and educate them on the importance of protecting themselves from this deadly cancer!

At 11am it was time to start drawing...

Madison did a lot of blending and her fingers paid the price-next year we'll bring brushes and gloves!

Before she added the 'SPF 30' everyone thought her polar bear was enjoying a cocktail!

 Lots of folks stopped to photograph her work...

Her artwork got lots of attention and put a smile on everyone's face!

Many people stopped for literature from the Melanoma Research Foundation...

Some more artwork from the very talented students and alum...

1st place individual

I believe this was 2nd place individual

Best in Show

This was a wonderful event, and I am so proud of Madison for sharing her story with so many people. I look forward to doing this again next year. It was a great day in the park!

Me and the hubs :)

After the event, we treated ourselves to my favorite restaurant in the area - The Sundae Cafe on Tybee... It wouldn't be right if I didn't share pictures of our meal - this is a food blog afterall :)

My two favorite people :)

Georgia Peaches anyone?? Biscuits and Peach Marmalade for starters...

I had the New York Strip with a delicious House made Worcestershire Sauce, Applewood Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Mashed Potatoes, Fresh Veges, and those delicious Crispy Fried Onions - mmmm mmmm good! It was a huge plate - I only ate 1/2, but Madison took it home and enjoyed the leftovers!

Madison had the Lobster Mac & Cheese with Pan Seared Sea Scallops! She loved it even more than her (old) favorite meal of Jambalaya! Don enjoyed the Jambalaya, but we didn't get a picture :(

Related posts: 

Melanoma??

Melanoma and Vitamin D Deficiency - is there a link?

SCAD Parent's Weekend 2013

Savannah - History, Art, and Beauty on Every Corner

Vitamin D Deficiency and Melanoma - is there a link?

There are several resources online that suggest we have a worldwide epidemic of vitamin D deficiency which could be the cause of several health concerns. According to an article published in the International Journal of Health Sciences in 2010, "Vitamin D3 deficiency can result in obesity, diabetes, hypertension, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoporosis and neuro-degenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin D deficiency may even contribute to the development of cancers, especially breast, prostate, and colon cancers. Current research indicates vitamin D deficiency plays a role in causing seventeen varieties of different cancers as well as heart disease, stroke, autoimmune diseases, birth defects, and periodontal disease. Vitamin D3 is believed to play a role in controlling the immune system (possibly reducing one’s risk of cancers and autoimmune diseases), increasing neuromuscular function and improving mood, protecting the brain against toxic chemicals, and potentially reducing pain."

Livestrong.com
In 2011, the "Journal of Clinical Oncology" published the first comprehensive examination of vitamin D supplementation and melanoma. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers Jean Tang and colleagues reviewed data from the Women's Health initiative a study that tracked 36,000 women for an average of seven years. All of the women in the study were between the ages of 50 and 70. The data revealed that women who previously had non-melanoma skin cancers and took a low-dose vitamin D and calcium supplement developed 57 percent fewer melanomas than women with similar cancer histories who did not take vitamin D.

NIH - Melanoma and Vitamin D
"The possible results of high vitamin D levels on the immune system remain unclear however and a source of some concern, but the data support the view that serum levels in the range 70-100 nmol/L might be a reasonable target for melanoma patients as much as for other members of the population."

Washington Post Article from 2004! - very good read

Many experts who believe vitamin D deficiencies play an important role in a range of diseases say people can get enough safely by taking vitamin D supplements, sidestepping the contentious sunlight debate.

"There's a lot of emotion in this fight, which is unfortunate," said Hector F. DeLuca, who studies vitamin D at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. "This is a very important issue. We really need to address two important questions: Are we getting enough vitamin D? I believe we are not. The other one is: What's the best way to get it? That's a matter of debate."

The above links are from just a few of the sites I visited in my research. I don't know if there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and melanoma, but there is enough evidence suggesting a link, in my opinion, to warrant testing Madison's vitamin D levels. We had this done while she was home for spring break, and sure enough she came back with insufficient levels at 21.7 ng/ml.  I can't say that I'm surprised. A body's best source of vitamin D is when the skin is exposed to UV rays from the sun. Madison has always been good about wearing sunscreen, but since she was diagnosed with melanoma, she has been diligent about wearing a broad spectrum sunscreen which blocks UVA and UVB radiation. As a result, vitamin D synthesis cannot take place. Additionally, the National Institute of Health  points out that "obtaining sufficient vitamin D from natural food sources alone is difficult", because very few foods contain vitamin D naturally.

Now that we know Madison is deficient, how do we get that level up and what is the optimum number for vitamin D sufficiency?  I've read way too much on this subject, and my head is spinning, but from what I understand it is not easy to raise your vitamin D level. Additionally, optimal levels have not been established and would most likely vary by age and health status. We are not willing to expose her skin to the sun to increase her vitamin D. That is not going to happen, and I would never encourage anyone to do this. There isn't enough evidence to warrant putting your skin through that kind of damage on a daily basis and risk getting melanoma as a result. Please do not intentionally expose your skin to UV rays from the sun or any other source.  It's not worth it.

According to the lab, a normal level of vitamin D is between 30 and 100 ng/ml.  WHAT? That is a wide range in my opinion, but common sense tells me you'd want to fall somewhere in the middle of that, which would be 65 ng/ml.  A medical professional I spoke with even suggests 80 ng/ml to be a more optimum level, in his opinion. 

From what I understand the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of Vitamin D3 is a maintenance level and will not assist in raising your level if you are deficient.  Furthermore, there is research to suggest that the RDA for someone Madison's age, at 600 iu, is too low. Many would suggest you need at least 1000 iu daily to maintain a healthy level of vitamin D3. 

It is going to take a lot to bring Madison's level up to an acceptable number, so I am starting her on a supplement of 5000 iu Vitamin D3 twice a day and we will check her level again in 3 months time. 10,000 iu per day is a lot, but after researching and discussing this with healthcare professionals, I have determined this to be a safe dosage that will give us good results.  Once we raise her vitamin D3 to at least 65 (preferably 80), she will then be able to cut that dosage in 1/2 and hopefully maintain a sufficient level of vitamin D3 in her system.  We will monitor her level closely to find the optimum dosage for her to maintain sufficient vitamin D, as vitamin D toxicity has been associated with kidney stones and other health concerns, we don't want her level to get too high. I will keep you posted on the results...

related posts: SideWalk Arts Festival - Melanoma Awareness
Melanoma??

With vitamin D being associated with so many health problems for so long, why don't dr's do the blood test in your annual exam? If, as a parent, I ensured my daughter was not deficient in vitamin D, would she have gotten melanoma? Obviously, I'll never know the answer to that, but it bothers me to learn of this problem and to think it might have been prevented with the use of a supplement. As individuals we can't know everything, and we rely on health care professionals to have the knowledge to keep us healthy, so why has no doctor EVER tested my blood, my daughter's, or my husband's blood for a vitamin D deficiency??  I am curious if you have had your vitamin D level checked and, if so, were you deficient? If deficient,  how did you bring your level up? Do you take a supplement, and if so, how much?

Vitamin D3 is fat soluble, so it needs fat to absorb. A supplement that uses organic flax seed oil was suggested to me by a professional in the supplement industry

Please understand I am NO expert on this subject. I am just a mom trying to understand my daughter's diagnosis. I have done my own research and spoken with medical professionals to make a determination that works for MY family and one with which we are comfortable. I urge everyone to have your vitamin D level tested and, if you are deficient, to discuss the results with your doctor as well as do your own research to make an informed decision about your health and how to proceed in raising your vitamin D for optimum health. 

Melanoma??

If you follow the blog on Facebook , you know that 2013 has already been a challenging one for our family. I withheld the details until we knew with what we were dealing...

Melanoma... it sounds scary, right?
I have to be honest, I never realized how scary it is until now...

I know this is a long post, but please take the time to read it to the end. Armed with information on Melanoma, you just might save your life or someone else's!

This beautiful 20 year old young woman has Melanoma. Thankfully, it appears we caught it early, but she will always be at risk for recurrence and must be vigilant with skin protection and watching for signs and/or symptoms of recurrence. If you thought melanoma only affected older people, you are mistaken! It is on the rise in young adults..our daughter is living proof

Madison is an equestrian and has always spent a lot of time outdoors. Additionally, she would tan periodically prior to special events. We have always pushed the use of sunscreen, but I wish we had been more adamant, and I wish I never signed the release for her to use a tanning bed. In the horse world, everyone spends much of their time outdoors. I'd like there to be more awareness targeted at equestrians on how to best protect themselves and lower their risk of skin cancer. Professionals in this industry are exposed to the sun's rays several hours every single day. Anyone with that much exposure should take extreme caution when it comes to protecting themselves from skin cancer. And no one should ever use a tanning bed!

 On January 3rd, our beautiful daughter, Madison, went to the dermatologist to have a mole checked. She first showed me the mole in May of last year, and it didn't look like anything other than a mole. When she came home from college in mid November for winter break, I noticed the mole looked bigger. Upon closer inspection, I noticed it had funny looking borders and wasn't symmetrical anymore. Now it looked scary! I called the derm's office right away, but they couldn't get her in until January!! We went about the holidays not thinking much more of it, and then on the day of the appt the doctor alarmed us!

The dr did not like the looks of this mole at all, and scheduled surgery within the hour! She removed the entire mole and a good amount of tissue surrounding it and sent it off  "stat" to be examined for skin cancer. 

We left the office dazed, and Madison's leg bandaged, scarred, and sore. We didn't understand the big deal. It's skin cancer - you remove it and it's gone... right? WRONG!  So we waited, and waited, and waited for the results. Madison went back to GA for the winter quarter just a couple days after surgery, and we waited some more! Finally, after 2 weeks from the actual surgery date, Madison called the office for the results...

On the afternoon of January 17th, my beautiful baby girl called home to explain she has melanoma and has to drop everything to come home for surgery. WAIT! WHAT?? Why did it take so long to get bad news? I always thought bad news traveled quickly! Not necessarily when you are dealing with melanoma...

Because of Madison's young age, the original pathologist wanted to be sure of his findings. He sent her tissue to Cornell for verification, which is why it took so long.  Armed with the pathology report, the doctor explained the cancer extended down 1.58mm, which is considered an intermediate depth and cause for concern because it could have entered the blood stream and traveled to other parts of her body. Therefore, they needed to take more tissue from her leg (the site of the mole) and do a sentinel lymph node biopsy to see if the cancer has spread. The consult with the surgeon was already set for Tuesday and our heads were spinning!

Let me tell you, we have been through a lot (read more here if you like), but this was the most difficult call I have ever taken in my life. My beautiful, sweet girl is just 20 years old and 5 hours away. She had to hear she has cancer...and I'm not there to give her a hug. It was torture! We cried on the phone, and I told her it would all be just fine. She would come home, have the surgery, and then go back to school and move on. It couldn't possibly have spread to any other parts of her body already! It's skin cancer! They remove it and that's it...Little did I know about melanoma....

I decided right away we were driving to Savannah to pick her up. So, I called Don at work and gave him the news and told him we were leaving in the morning. Then I called the college and explained the situation. The school was wonderful and said they'd like to meet with us to arrange some accommodations with Madison's professors. They fit us in for the next day while we were in town to pick up Madison.

After meeting with the school, and ensuring Madison would have a 14 day extension on all of her missed assignments and tests or quizzes, we had some lunch and got on the road for home. This was on a Friday. Madison didn't have an appt until Monday. She was scheduled to have a skin check with the dermatologist to look for more suspicious spots (If you've never had a skin check, please schedule one now if at all possible - it might save your life).  In the meantime, I made it my mission to learn more about this cancer. I started googling....

Google is a wonderful tool I use every day, but as most doctors will agree, it is not necessarily a good thing when you have a medical concern.  After reading many horror stories about melanoma and learning how quickly it can spread, I was worn out, crying, and had a very bad feeling about what we were facing. I changed my approach and started googling melanoma survivor stories. This is where I should have started. Just knowing that people do survive, even the late stage (albeit rare), was the hope I needed.  Of course, we wouldn't know Madison's stage until after surgery, but I needed to know the what ifs... If this thing had spread to her lymph nodes I needed to be armed with information to support Madison and make her feel comfortable with what she was facing.

I learned that melanoma is something to which everyone needs to be more aware! I am 45 years old (shhhhh don't tell anyone! let's just keep that between us, k? k) and knew of melanoma before this, but I didn't know what I didn't know about this horrible cancer. And what I didn't know is just how deadly this cancer is! Like many cancers, it is best to catch it early before it spreads.  When melanoma spreads (and it can spread quickly) it is very difficult to treat. As a matter of fact, the normal chemo and radiation doesn't work all that great on melanoma. If the surgery revealed cancer cells in Madison's lymph nodes they would have to do yet another surgery to remove the rest of the lymph nodes in the area, which is typical of most cancers, but after the not so nice recovery from that surgery, the patient is then treated with an immunotherapy drug that basically gives a boost to the immune system to help it in fighting the cancer. It is very toxic to the body and makes most people very sick, not unlike chemo. Unlike chemo, it does not kill the cancer cells. It hopefully helps your body do that. It is administered 5 days a week for the 1st month and then you give yourself several injections for 11 months after that. It can be so debilitating that many people never complete the treatment, and the treatment has very little affect on recurrence. I was also surprised to learn that radiation has not proved effective on melanoma either, as Melanoma is mostly radiation resistant.

Madison's surgery was scheduled for Friday, January 25th at 10am. She had to be at nuclear medicine at 8am to have a radioactive dye injected into and around the site where the cancer was found. This dye would then travel through her to the lymphatic system. The first lymph node it reached is identified as the sentinel node. During surgery the doctor uses a Geiger counter to locate the radioactive material and remove the sentinel node. After removing the sentinel node they would send that off to be tested to see if there are any cancer cells present. The dr also needed to remove more tissue from Madison's leg at the site of the mole. Although the margins of the first surgery were cancer free suggesting they got it all from that area, there were still portions of the mole at the margins. Seeing as this mole has already proved to be unfriendly, the dr wanted to remove more tissue in hopes of getting the rest of it out of her. We were able to take her home that day. She had a ginormous scar on her leg just above her knee and she was very sore, but she was eager to get back to school and left on Sunday, just 2 days after the surgery, to make it to class on Monday.

While she was home, I worked hard to keep everything together and not think the worst, but once she was gone I had a hard time doing that. I cried a LOT. I tried to stay positive and am so thankful to always have many many good people surrounding me with positivity, but any little thing would bring on the tears. It was a stressful few days waiting for the results, and we didn't expect the results until the first of February! A full week after the procedure!  So I was thankful when it came sooner....

The best call I've had in a long time came the morning of January 29th when the surgeon called to give me the good news. They did not find any cancer cells in the sentinel node! As far as they can tell, Madison is cancer free! She will need to be monitored by an oncologist and have her skin checked every 3 months at the derm's office, but other than that she can continue as normal! Praise God! My beautiful girl has been through so much in her young life, I just couldn't imagine her having to endure any more. She is such a strong person as a result of everything she has had to overcome; she amazes me everyday.

This experience has been an eye opener and very scary. I knew this was serious because of the urgent way the doctor was handling it (thank goodness!), but I had no idea how scary until I started my research. Why is that? Why didn't I know this about melanoma?? Melanoma is a skin cancer to which we are all susceptible! Shouldn't we all be armed with information to better protect ourselves??

YES WE SHOULD!!! Which is precisely why I'm writing this post!

I want to caution that I am NO EXPERT on Melanoma - not by any stretch of the imagination. I have just begun learning about this disease, and I know I have a lot more to learn.  Please do your own research and learn more about Melanoma so you can protect yourself and your loved ones - specifically your children.  Protection from this horrible cancer starts young. We need to protect our skin AND our children's skin from the sun at all times to prevent melanoma. NEVER tan in a tanning bed/booth AND NEVER give your consent for your child to tan in a tanning bed/booth. Always protect your scalp with a wide brimmed canvas type hat, and ALWAYS slather you AND your children with sunscreen. No matter where you live... if it's cloudy or rainy... sunscreen should always be applied generously all over, even under clothing, EVERYDAY before you or your children go outside.
No exceptions!

Check out EWG's 2013 guide to safe sunscreens to choose one that is right for you. It is important to have a broad spectrum sunscreen so it protects from both uva and uvb rays. The higher spf does not provide better protection - it provides longer protection.  Be sure to use at least a 30 spf suncreen. To calculate how long the SPF will protect, you need to determine how long it takes you to burn and  multiply that by the spf. For example, if it takes you 15 mins to burn and your are using an SPF 15 then you will be protected for 225 minutes - which is 3 hours and 45 mins. Keep in mind reflective surfaces such as water and sand will decrease the SPF effectiveness by 40%! So be sure to figure that into your calculations.  Additionally, reapplying the same SPF will not protect you! If you've been out in the sun for 3 hours and 45 mins wearing an SPF 15, you will need to now apply an SPF 30 to extend your time by another 3 1/2 hours.  Also, if you are sweating or are in the water you will need to reapply often. This, in addition to shade, and a hat, should keep you well protected. Go to melanoma.org for more information about Melanoma prevention and sun safety

If you have been diagnosed with Melanoma or you are out in the sun daily, you might want to invest in UPF clothing to add an extra layer of protection.

Or NOW you can wash sun protection into your clothing with this product!! How great is that?!!

 Melanoma is now the most common form of cancer for young adults. Like many types of cancers, if caught early, Melanoma is curable. The prognosis worsens significantly as it grows deeper into your body and affects your vital organs. Your best defense is knowledge and skin protection. Get your skin checked by a dermatologist on a regular basis. Wear sunscreen everyday! Be sure to get a sunscreen that protects against uva AND uvb rays. The higher the spf the longer it will protect you from the radiation, but reapply often if you are out in the sun for a long period of time. Pay attention to your moles and have them checked if you notice any changes! Melanoma can occur anywhere on the body, including places sight unseen. It usually appears on the trunk, neck, limbs, fingers, and toes (so check between your toes folks!), but it can form in your eyes, scalp, belly button, private areas, muscles...anywhere!  People with fair skin are especially at risk, but anyone can get it. Be aware and protect yourself from this deadly cancer.

Something else of which you must be aware is your family history. Heredity does put you at a higher risk. Get familiar with your family's medical history. I am not close with my father's side of the family and had no idea a cousin of mine passed away from Melanoma over 20 years ago at a very young age. I'm so disappointed in myself for not inquiring about our family's medical history. As a parent it is my duty to know these things, and I will be asking many more questions as a result of this. I encourage you to do the same.

Related post: Vitamin D Deficiency and Melanoma - is there a link?
Sidewalk Arts Festival - Melanoma Awareness

This info bears repeating: DO NOT, under any circumstances, use an indoor tanning bed/booth. You are subjected to high doses of uv radiation which has proven to cause melanoma. It's not worth it folks! 

Please share this post with everyone you know. Pin it on Pinterest , share it on Facebook, Tweet it, however you choose to pass it on doesn't matter, just please pass it on so we can educate folks on this very scary cancer that just might be lurking inside you or someone you know! Save a life!


Learn more about Melanoma at www.melanoma.org