Simple warning for racers
 

All need to begin a religious use of sun blockers. I raced for 36 years and jokingly spoke of my "burn Sunday, peal Thursday" weekly sunburn issues. Had a lot of small skin cancers frozen off and finally was prescribed 5FU anticancer cream for my arms and small areas. Well my skin on my arms looked like hamburger after two doses. Seems so much damage was the cause.
Then a dermatologist was freezing a forehead area and we found a nodule above my right eye. Thought it was a benign neuroma. Wrong. Plastic surgeon found not only the skin lesion but the tender nodule was Squamous cell CA. A one hour first surgery became 4 and a half hour, with resulting skin graft.
Well 5 surgeries with two grafts later I had a lesion in the orbit which is now gone but lost upward gaze of the eye. Now 25 Radiation treatments later after surgical all clear statement.
Please note this is not a" poor me statement" but an honest warning to all who spend our massive time in the sun at the races. Good Luck to all and be careful for your children too. Dick Butler GT/AA retired.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

I suggest you listen to Dick!

I did not take sunburn seriously either and had lots of
lesions burned or cut off.

Still no big deal.......Until I got Melanoma which can well be
deadly when it spreads through your body like weeds.

Lost a big chunk of my arm and sustained a 12 Hour
surgery on my kidney....... Where I died on the table several
times.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

I Ref Soccer...Know this well !
Can be out 6 - 7 hours a day, be it Snow, Rain or Shine.
Use Suntan lotion on the arms and legs and always wear a Hat.
We have a Collared Uniform so the collar offers some neck protection.
Sometimes wear one of those new cooling scarfs.

Clouds do not stop the radiation though reduces heat.

D

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

I had a flap surgery done on my nose. One of the worst things I ever had done. Looked so bad the dog wouldn't even get near me.Remember to put sunblock on the inside of your ears also, it's often forgotten.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

I'm not a hat person, but a baseball cap and a hand towel tucked under the back to cover my neck is part of my race attire. Sun tan lotion stays in my travel bag. A higher SPF rating helps more.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

Squamous Cell on my arm last year. Skin graft to replace the area removed.


Ain't it purdy? :)

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

Stay out of the sun, period, and stay covered as much as possible. You will get enough sun light doing normal activity out of doors.

The best way to get vitamin D is through sunlight but you'll get that in about ten minutes per day.

Be really careful with the use of sun blockers. Most provide very little protection and might even be hazardous. Your dermatologist can recommend which ones are safe.

As many of you have already noticed. Watch your nose.

Sunbathing, covered in oil is a very bad idea, especially at high altitudes.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

We're all different, a yearly checkup at the dermatologist and follow the advice the doctors advise.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

I'm partial to fishing gear at the track. Long sleeve vented shirts and broad brim hats with wind strings to keep them on. We are on the Pacific Coast and the wind can be persistent late in the day so skin moisturizer or something like that helps, too. Wind burn is harder to avoid than sunburn but not as dangerous (correct me).

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

While staying out of the sun is a great idea and using sun screen 50 or above covering up really helps too. People always look at me weird when its 105 outside and I have on a black long sleeve shirt and black large brim hat.
Also watch what kind of shirt your wearing as a tee shirt material my only protect you with a SPF of 5 so put on some sun screen before you get dressed for the day. Also reapply as label calls for.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

I have been covering up with long sleeve shirts and large hats since 2009 when I got my first diagnosis ( pre-cancer)

Just wished I had known in my early years how much damage I was doing to my skin thru all the exposure over the years.

I had to get a chunk of my fore head removed last year ( quarter size) due to putting it off for so long ( Basal Cell removal)

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

It's the real deal.
SPF 50 and not just one app but most recommend every 1-1 1/2 reapply.
And it doesn't have a "forever" shelf life.
For some it's a bad nasty thing.
Good luck to those that are affected and to those that think they have escaped this problem........see a dermatologist and get yourself checked out.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

I had a discussion with a friend a few years ago at the track ( who was wearing a tank top, short pants and no hat) about me wearing long sleeve shirts and long pants.

He said: "aren't you hot with all that on ? "

I said yes, initially, but my body has gotten used to it.

I went on to explain to him that my skin temperature will maintain a more consistent temp due to the fact that the sun is not beating down on it making the skin hot.
My shirt will get wet from sweating, but a wet shirt keeps the skin cooler.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

If you have a concern about any old or new spot on your skin, get it checked. The places I thought were a problem were not. The dermatologist found the real problems that I thought were nothing. I have had several removed. GET CHECKED !

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

yea I go in every 90 days ive had about 15 procedures half my face removed nose twice thank god for good plastic surgens blond and blue growing up in so cal lots of beach paying price know use your sun screen even when you don't think ya need it

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

Thank you for this warning. I've been ignoring a spot on my nose. I went to my doctor today and he did a biopsy. He's concerned I have an issue. I am now nervously awaiting the results and keeping my fingers crossed.

The highest SPF I can find in my area is 70. We were in Maui last week and I was able to buy 100. I bought extra!

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

I had a white spot on my cheek, didn't think nothing of it. Turned out to be a non pigmented melanoma. doctors cut it out, ten years later it went into both lungs. Now I got PET scans every few months looking at brain, bone, lung, and liver as possible new spots. doctor told me had a few patients who had it in their eyes.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

Exactly! GET CHECKED!

I just lost a friend who had skin cancer. She had had a spot on her leg for some time before she had it checked by the doctor, when she finally had it checked out, it was too late. The cancer had spread to her lungs and liver.

If you have an skin issue, have it checked immediately!

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

My late father drove this point home with me.

I just about always have a boonie hat when I go out in the sun. I use sunblock at work, including inside my ears. I wear a T-shirt at the beach. I seek shade where I can. And I watch for spots that could turn into something.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

I have had three surgeries to remove skin cancer. Dick is right! Wear sun block and a hat. Stay out of the sun as much as you can.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

IIRC sunscreen isn't rated for UVA rays which burn deep. I've read that SPF 30 blocks about 97% of the UVB rays, SPF 50 about 98% of the UVB and SPF 100 UVB about 99% and that we use less of it than the testors slop on to achieve those numbers.

So is UVA what causes cancer, UVB burns and tans? Not that either is good.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

Walgreens and CVS both sell SPF 100% you might have to look around for a store that stocks it ---about $10 --$13 per 6 ounce bottle

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

The right hat is important, a buddy of mine is losing the tops of his ears one procedure at a time. He was a cable lineman and always worked with a ball cap or the occasional hard hat.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

I like ball caps, but I realize that the boonie hat provides better protection.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

5 surgeries over rt eye and in behind rt eyeball. 25 Radiation treatments to the area and my MRI yesterday is clear. Very Thankful. 3 month follow up next. Glad to see many are becoming aware and active on their own protection. Especially remember to keep the kids covered too.

Re: Simple warning for racers
 

Yes it pays to check/be checked. My first bout was 35 plus years ago in my back and the cancer had spread into my spine. Would have been fatal if it was not caught at that time. Doctor figured 3 more months and that would have been it. It was a fluke it was even found, was in having a operation for Chrones and surgeon noticed a funny looking mole on my back. Did a biopsey right away. It had spread to my lmphnodes etc. Have had many more surgies and radiation treatments since. But I keep on ticking along.