One day, after a baseball tournament, i noticed that i had white spots on my face and my hands. At the time i thought that it might just be sun spots because it was really sunny that particular weekend, but after several weeks it did not go away. In fact, the spots started spreading and becoming more and more noticeable so i saw a dermatologist and he diagnosed me with vitiligo. Vitiligo is a condition in which the pigment is lost from areas of the skin, causing white patches. It has no definite cure, i can wake up one morning with my body being one big white spot and it could completely go away. The dermatologist told me that i should stay away from the sun as much as possible because vitiligo makes me more susceptible to solar rays meaning i have higher chances of getting skin cancer. When i heard the word cancer being associated with me, i was scared. I immediately thought the worst. I kept thinking, why me? why now? everything I had planned for …show more content…
I thought, “Should i be embarrassed for having white spots on my face?” I answered my thought with no i should not be embarrassed because this is who i am now so i should just become accustomed to it. Next i thought again “Why me?” I answered that with my not me? if i know i can take it and not be embarrassed to go out in public like that then it is better that i have it than someone who has social issues and can’t handle it have to go through the struggle. My next thought was “am i going to continue to keep playing baseball even with the possibilities of skin cancer weighing down on me?” My answer was a definite yes. I was not going to let this get in the way of my everyday activities. My belief was that if anything serious was to happen to me, it will happen doing what i loved. i had been playing baseball, and loving it for too long for my dreams to just roll over and die. I was going to keep playing even if the risks were very
In the essays How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzaldúa and How It Feels to be Colored Me by Zora Neale Hurston, both writers are discussing their experiences when they discovered how people viewed them. Views which were seen through eyesight, as well as views of judgement on how someone speaks. They both use their experiences as lessons and remain true to their identity. With using their experiences, these ladies overcome negativity and focus on embracing who they are.
When people are exposed to UV light, from the sun or, for example, in a tanning booth, the melanocyte cells make more melanin and pack together tighter, resulting in darker skin tones. If the skin is receiving too much ultraviolet light, the melanocytes may begin to grow abnormally and become melanoma during this process.
"I got the most perplexed when my dermatologist told me to stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen at all times," said Rice. It was as if being tan was more of a priority than his health. Following his initial surgery, Rice had to pay a trip to his skin doctor every six months. Upon his first visit back to the doctor, Rice was diagnosed with two cancerous growths - one pre-cancerous and one cancerous. Another surgery would have to take place immediately. Suddenly, Rice looked back on his frequent tanning salon habits and his "darkness" competitions with fellow lifeguards over the summers in utter regret.
Would feeling uncomfortable in your own skin be upsetting? Well if you read the book “Between The World and Me” it will show that some people have it hard just because of the color of their skin. As the author of this book writes about his fifteen year old son who had to grow up and learn how to live an American life with different skin. The author, Ta-Nehisi Coates, learns the way of the neighborhood he grew up in, how to survive a hard life, and how do what has to be done.
Over all, skin cancer is known to be a very common and dangerous cancer among the U.S.. Although there is no superior or particular cause known for it, it can be reduced by reducing radiation exposure from the sun and also tanning booths and beds. If not attempting to prevent it by staying out of the sun, and seeking not seeking shade and so forth, protection such as longer clothing garments that better cover the body as well as hats and sunglasses can help to eliminate direct exposure and reduce some of the damages that may occur. Certain amounts of sun light are healthy for the body as it provides vitamin- D which the body needs to maintain a healthy life style, though it is crucial not be over exposed as reverse side affects may occur, causing more harm than good.
The first paragraph of “How it Feels to Be Colored Me” serves to characterize Hurston’s self-identity—it establishes her individualism and highlights the fact that she fully accepts her blackness. Unlike many other black Americans, Hurston believes that her blackness does not bring shame to her—she claims that she is the only black person in the US to not have tried to mitigate her blackness by claiming to be related to an Indian chief. The first paragraph prefaces Hurston’s attitude toward the subject matter of the essay; the frank and unapologetic tone she utilizes in the first paragraph establishes that she does not pity herself for being colored. The first paragraph captures my attention because Hurston’s claim that she is unlike other black people makes me want to read more. To me, her candid tone makes her appear more trustworthy and her essay worth reading.
Basal and squamous cell skin cancer are the most common forms of skin cancer. Multiple studies have shown that these cancers are almost always connected to large amounts of sun exposure. This can come from things like outdoor sports, performing something outdoors with little coverage from clothing, and getting multiple severe sunburns. You can see signs of skin cancer inside and outside of your body. Rough, thick, dry skin patches are common symptoms, but things
Imagine that you are sixteen. You are overjoyed because you have just received your license and can finally drive whenever and wherever you please. A lot of people have been talking about the new tanning salon that has recently opened up in town. You decide to go and check it out, and discover that tanning is something you really enjoy. Tanning becomes an every-other-day occurrence, but after a year, you notice a mole on your leg that you never noticed before. The mole is cancerous, and it is melanoma. You have cancer, and you are only a teenager.
Sitting in my living room, I was overcome with pain and anxiety. I had just returned home from the hospital after having knee surgery. This surgery was going to take three or four months to recover and it could not have come at a worse point in my life. The summer going into senior year of high school was the “now or never” time for getting recruited for college baseball, and I was injured. I could not stop thinking that my future was ruined and that I would never be able to play baseball again. I came very close to making the rash decision to quit baseball right then, instead I focused on my rehab and came back stronger my senior year. This was what my general intelligence told me, however, my emotional intelligence almost caused me to
Isn’t it overwhelming to consider the fact that approximately one in eight deaths in the world are due to cancer? To make this more comprehensible, the number of deaths caused by cancer is greater than caused by AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Along with the idea that this disease does not have a definite cure is a mind-staggering concept to grasp. If not caught in time, cancer means guaranteed death. These types of thoughts were floating around my head when my mother had told me that my father had mouth cancer.
Just as Zora Neale Hurston explained in her article, “How it Feels to be Colored Me,” I never thought much about race until I was about thirteen years old during my junior high school years. As Zora stated, “I remember the very day that I became colored” (30). I, too, recall the day I realized that I was white and that it meant something more than just a Crayola color. No longer was white just a color; it was the race I belonged to with its own rules and regulations.
Most parents remembered hearing about the importance of protecting their children from the sun, yet children are still playing in the sun without sunscreen or protective clothing. Many people these days are not taking skin cancer seriously after knowing its significance. Skin cancer has been a growing problem in the United States and millions of people have suffered from it every year. The three most common skin cancers are Melanoma, Basal cell, and Squamous cell, which can cause bumps, sores, growths, etc. Skin cancer is a deadly disease with many causes, but the advantage is that it can be prevented.
As a kid growing up I sparkled at the chance to shine in any sport. I particularly loved playing baseball and being known for making a great play of getting a big hit that turns the tides of the game. Every chance I would get to do something spectacular I would jump at the opportunity. I wanted so badly to be the one who was up to bat with two outs at the bottom of the last inning with winning runners on base. I seen those as golden opportunities and found them to be the most defining points of my baseball career growing up. I would have to say I didn’t like the outcome if it did not go in my favor. On one day during the prime of my baseball years I did what I had always wanted too, and that was to hit a walk off to win the game.
The major environmental risk factor for melanoma is overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. People who have fair skin that burns or freckles easily need to be especially careful in the sun as protecting yourself against UV overexposure is an important way you can help reduce your risk of developing melanoma.
confirm many beliefs and views that I had toward myself, my interactions with others, and what