Ringo's March 04, 2010 blog

Ringo drowning in my sleep.

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Thursday blog

MARCH 4, 2010 @ 12:54 PM

In october i was diagnosed with melignant melanoma. It was on my left calf and it was a growth and not one of me pre existing moles. I am only 21 years old and i think it is extreamly importanat to get the word out. Although i grew up in a beach city and baked in baby oil all day when i was a young teen i was no worse than my friends. In fact i have never been sunburnt a day in my life (we at least the obvious lobster looking kind). I am italian and have olive skin so i would just get darker. I have many friends who would have to literally 'burn off' their pale skin to get their tan, we called this shedding. Anyways my point is i think it is important to share that skin cancer is a very real thing and extreamly dangerous. You should get checked at least once a year and make sure the Dermatologist checks your scalp and uner your feet. Its never being paranoid to check on somthing that looks weird. I didnt have health insurance and my growth had been there for 8 months. It was a small bump almost wart looking, but it was skin colored. Many people think for it tobe cancer it has to be oozing and black/pink/red. Because i waited so long the grown became a stage 4 melanoma and most doctors agree stage 5 is terminal. They had to go into my lymph nodes to make sure the cancer had not spread there and suprisingly all they found was tattoo ink. Yes thats right they opened my lymph near my groin, na dmy surgon had to remove 4 black lymps he though was cancer to find that they were covered in ink. For a surgon who had already been giving me shit for my tattoos (lovingly) you can imagine my suprise when the first thing i saw/ heard when i woke up from surgery was, "You see this is why you dont get tattoos." But there is a happy ending. All of the cancer is out and i am doing really great!!

Pictures. The scar is about 5 inches long and mis shapes my calf now.

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

But thankfully i have amazing friends! And never have been better!!

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And in case you didnt know... i really like to dance...

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methodology

United Kingdom

September 2007

MAR 04, 2010 12:59 PM

Glad that its worked out all Ok for you

LOOSECANNON

Chicago, IL

May 2005

MAR 04, 2010 01:01 PM

You make the best faces in your pictures and always seem to be a good spirit.
All that cancer business is scary but i'm glad it's (mostly) behind you.
Scars tell a story...you should tell people you took a shotgun blast to the calf saving the President.

Trauma

Downey, CA

April 2005

MAR 04, 2010 01:02 PM

*big hug* You are indeed special. Stay strong

Bladen

USA

February 2007

MAR 04, 2010 01:11 PM

That is crazy! I'm glad you're ok now.

And thank you for the warning.

Alicee

SUICIDEGIRL

Nevada, USA

MAR 04, 2010 01:11 PM

glad everything worked out!

Sash

SUICIDEGIRL

California, USA

MAR 04, 2010 01:17 PM

miss you, the scars are hot

elplaguita

Haines City, FL

April 2007

MAR 04, 2010 01:30 PM

Im soooooo glad youre OK... I wish you the best and i hope you feel great!!!

Videre

United Kingdom

August 2008

MAR 04, 2010 02:38 PM

You are beautiful and you are alive so that is a great result, the scars will heal and are a small price to pay for a life.

Glad it turned out well.

talamia

South Africa

July 2008

MAR 04, 2010 03:21 PM

I'm so glad you are well after that ordeal, wishing you a speedy recovery dear! And I agree, it is important to make sure that people are aware of stuff like this, we take so much for granted and are flippant about these kinds of real dangers, thank you for sharing this *hug*

PHB

Chicago, IL

May 2007

MAR 04, 2010 03:57 PM

*Big Hugs and High Five*

Congrats on conquering what life threw at you. We all look forward to having you here for a long time! Send our thanks to your friends who got you through the most trying times in this ordeal.

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

mephist0

San Francisco, CA

May 2003

MAR 05, 2010 12:41 AM

Wow, scary stuff. Happy to hear you are all right and taking this opportunity to warn others. The is really f'ing awesome of you

Hedy

SUICIDEGIRL

Illinois, USA

MAR 05, 2010 10:07 AM

i am so, so glad that everything worked out!

i had bone cancer when i was little, and i know quite a few peoples who had various kinds of cancer in their 20's, and it blows. kudos for getting yer story out, especially since i know there are tons of people on this site who go tanning and such!

also, my friend matthew runs this organization out of new york for young adult cancer patients and survivors, he's really rad and so is his organization, if you wanna check it out: i'm too young for this!

also, suri and me were talking about an sg cancer survivors multi shoot...you should join us!

mrglass1976

Slidell, LA

December 2008

MAR 05, 2010 10:09 AM

Glad to hear that everything went ok for you. My mom was diagnosed with malignant melinoma in her brain in Oct 08 and died in June 09, so about 8 months....apparently it started from her eye and spread to her brain, it was not cool watching her die everyday but like i said glad for you that it worked out and props to you for gettin the word out!

Drusylla

Mesa, AZ

May 2005

MAR 05, 2010 10:27 AM

Everybody should read this imo. People always think "This could never happen to me" until its almost too late. I am so glad that everything worked out for you

Adroitbeing

I'm lost

September 2003

MAR 05, 2010 10:32 AM

I am very, very happy for you and this outcome. Thank you for sharing. We can all take away something from your bravery.

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