My skin cancer journey

Hi there!

Today's feature has been written to coincide with Skin Cancer Awareness Month 2020 which runs from the 1st to 31st of May. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the dangers of unprotected sun exposure and educate the public about the ways to help prevent skin cancer. UV exposure from the sun is one of the main causes of skin cancer and also one of the most preventable. This campaign hopes to reduce instances of skin cancer and increase the likelihood of early detection through education. 

During the month, people who have been affected by skin cancer are encouraged to get involved by sharing their stories on all forms of social media using the hashtag #MySkinCancerJourney, and everyone is invited to share information about sun safety, skin cancer prevention and early detection with friends and family. 

These photos are taken from my trip to Cape Town in January 2019 when I was oblivious of the dangers of skin cancer. I'm an every day sea swimmer and have always thought that my half hour in the ocean would be helping me to not only keep fit, but also get my daily dose of vitamin D. Oh what a healthy bunny I thought I was!

Fast forward 6 months and I had been referred to a skin specialist as a result of some patches which I thought were eczema. The itchy, flaky sores had been quietly growing and spreading across an area of my upper back for what may have been months if not years. I was questioned about my sun exposure, in particular about sun bathing, which I rarely do. On further questioning it turned out that my daily swim affording me of my dose of vitamin D was in fact far too much for my fair skin. Ten minutes maximum is all I ought to subject myself to and even then, just showing my forearms for that length of time would be perfectly adequate. Instead, the sun's rays hitting my skin through the water were effectively intensifying the sun damage. The diagnosis was Basal Cell Carcinoma, the least dangerous form of skin cancer, but it can still be disfiguring if left untreated. In November I travelled to the mainland to have the two deeper lesions cut out.

By December the wounds had already started to heal nicely and 6 weeks after the surgery the stiches were removed. The other patches were being treated at home with a chemical cream.

Another month down the line and both kinds of treatment were looking similar and healing well. I had been banned from the sea after surgery and missed almost 16 weeks of swimming thereafter. Staying out of the water ensured that I didn't pick up any bacteria in these open wounds. During that time I resorted to lunchtime beachside walks to get my daily dose of ozone.

Another month later and the wounds had healed and the skin was settling down again.

And now this is how the area has mended. The excision has left me with little mounds of skin that are prone to itching, but I can only think that's still part of the healing journey.

This was my pre-cancer norm as far as swimwear was concerned. A swimsuit and not a jot of suncream. Pah, half an hour in the early morning sun was no risk at all - oh what a fool I was!

And now for me, cover-up is the name of the game. I've invested in some swimwear to protect the vulnerable areas where I've had treatment. I use factor 30 suncream on my legs, but I'm not confident that I could reach all of my back and get full sun protection. If you're a regular sea swimmer or any other outdoor swimmer, then do think about your own skin type and if you're doing enough to keep yourself sun-safe. The past six months have made me reconsider if it's more important to wear a natty little cossie or to guard my skin from further damage.

What I hope you may take away from this is that even in the UK we can get skin cancer. My daily sun exposure is what accelerated my own condition, but I would advise anyone who exercises outdoors to take note of any moles or skin blemishes that become a permanent feature. Take photos so that you can monitor any changes in size, shape or condition of the area and if you notice anything different I would urge you to visit your GP. I know of two friends who had moles on their legs that turned out to be melanomas. One of them had surgery and has fully recovered and the other is still undergoing treatment two years after diagnosis. 

The other thing I've learnt through the Sun Awareness website is the danger of using sunbeds as they too can cause skin cancer. If you want to sunbathe, then do so safely using at least a factor 30 and reapply after swimming. Avoid the midday sun and don't allow yourself to get burnt. And follow the advice of Slip, slap, slop for young children - slip on a tee shirt, slap on a hat and slop on some sun cream. Our recent Stay Safe advice must surely extend to our sun awareness too, now that we're on the brink of summer. Last of all, please check out The Big See website to find out how you can protect yourself from this form of cancer which kills two people every hour.

One final link worth looking at is from the Skin Cancer Foundation. It dispels the myth of the healthy tan - it's a must read.

Thanks so much for joining me!

Anna x

Yay! Another Dress Up Friday

Happy Friday!

Hello and happy Friday to you all. And yes, Friday now means Dress Up Friday which surely has to be the highlight of my week currently. I do miss dressing up for work so this is the next best thing. What about you? Do you have a day when you bring out your glad rags? Sunday maybe when you Zoom the family? Do let me know what merits some dressing up in your life.

I bought this fabulously colourful jumpsuit in the autumn of 2018 when I was in Manchester filming an advert for JD Williams. The all-in-one was from H&M in collaboration with GP & Baker fabric which I picked it up in their end of summer sale. See my styling of it then, but mainly to check out my sharp haircut of the day - oh how I'm missing getting to the hairdressers!

I chose neutral sandals (Bertie) and belt (pre-loved) for today's outfit along with my lovebirds handbag (also pre-loved) to tie in with the pink and blue of the flowers. 

Orange is my accent colour for rings and bangle - all of these are charity shop finds.

Today's sunglasses are by Guess. The tonal beaded necklace was from a market in Cape Town.

Thanks for joining me again today. As the lock-down restrictions are gradually being eased in England, I can say I'm delighted to report that sea swimming outdoors is now legal again as are water sports. Wednesday saw a flurry of boats being launched in the harbour at New Grimsby. Apart from that we're not seeing much different here on the island currently. Plans are afoot to gradually restart the business within the next month or so which has galvanised me into action again. I'd determined to achieve as much of my spring cleaning as possible before I have to return to work. 

The view from my kitchen window looks as quiet and calm as ever.

Anna x

A seaside stroll in the sunshine

Hello from sunny Tresco!

Today is all about the beautiful island of Tresco and specifically this beach, called Appletree Bay. Steve and I took ourselves out for an early morning stroll along the shoreline to capture some pretty outdoors shots away from the village. This beach is only a five minute cycle or a 20 minute walk from home. On a very big spring tide, this beach dries out completely, joining up with a central sandbar which stretches all the way to the island of Bryher behind me. This is where the Low Tide event is staged - see my post from last year about this here.

My weekend outfit is a mix of pre-loved and newish pieces. My sister Dianne kindly sent me these cropped trousers last year and this is the first time I've worn them. I have posh shoes and a smart jacket that would also look great together, but opted for this relaxed look instead. When I get back to work I'll feature the other option.

The sheer striped top was a second hand buy (brand is M&S) and underneath is a vest top from Topshop (again pre-loved). My mind wandered off then, to consider my preference for pre-loved clothes which supports my passion for recycling and reducing waste. I wonder if UK clothes retailers will rein in their production over the forthcoming months? Or will the hunger for all things new still be present in our consumers? Will these long weeks at home have shaped the consumerism of the future? The big question of "Do I really need this?" might be easier to answer now that we've managed without so much recently. 

My wedge sandals are by Guess and came from TK Maxx last year. Both of my rings are pre-loved. 

The sunglasses of the day are my old faithfuls by Quay Australia.

The turquoise and silver anklet was from Accessorize last year.

A sense of peace is probably the most obvious thing we locals have all noticed over the past weeks of lock-down. With no vapour trails overhead and scarcely a boat to break the silence, we have all been gifted this time to bask in the idyll of island life. We've been blessed with beautiful weather too, enabling us to make the most of our surroundings without seeing a soul. We seem far removed from the reality of Covid-19 and yet we know how fragile and vulnerable our island communities are to the very real threat of the invisible warrior. Social distancing is practiced here as everywhere and our shop operates as those on the mainland do with ours only allowing 4 shoppers at a time. Once freedom of movement resumes we're all aware that our stress levels will rise as we have visitors and workers return from the mainland and we too will experience the kind of anxieties that have become the norm elsewhere. For the moment we are savouring the calm before the storm.

I'll be back on Friday with my latest feature of Dress Up Friday - do pop by if you've got a minute!

                                                                           Anna x

VE Day and Dress Up Friday

Happy VE day to you all!

Hello and welcome to this Dress Up Friday feature which gives the slightest of nods to VE Day. My washing line is currently sporting everything of mine that is red, white and blue leaving me with only this tiny purse by Lulu Guiness to tie in with the celebrations. Street parties acorss the country have been cancelled (like ours) or scaled down due to restrictions, but coverage on TV and the radio is comprehensive and is an insight for us into a war where the enemy was visible and impacted massively on the world at that time too.

You may enjoy the irony of the fact that I hung everything out dry this morning and since then it's rained long and hard! The forecast is for an improvement for later so it may all be dry again by dinner time.

I embraced the two tone nature of this stylish M&S dress by adding one pink and one red sock boot (H&M) for a quirky touch today.

The round sunglasses (Radley) and long chain add a 60's vibe to the outfit. Bangle and red ring are pre-loved, the pink ring was a gift.

The mesh tights are a good soloution to the changeling period between spring and summer when legs may still be a rather whiter shade of pale.

Sorry to dash, but I've got some baking to do for our little family get together later. A rich chocolate cake is in the oven currently and I'll be making a tray bake of roast new potatoes, chicken pieces, chorizo, onions and peppers for dinner. We'll be toasting the celebrations with some Prosecco and finishing with cheese and crackers. I hope you're managing to hook up with family even if it's only virtually!

Until next time, take care!

Anna x