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Hey everyone! It’s almost the weekend, can you feel it?!? I’m really excited about this weekend, but starting to feel anxious about getting everything done that I need to do. On Friday I’m off to South Carolina for my friend’s wedding! I absolutely cannot wait to see her and all my other friends and join in the celebration!

Lucky for me, this weekend also happens to be the beginning of my Spring Break! I love that I’m a 24 year-old who still has a spring break, one of the perks of being in law school! After the wedding, on Sunday, I’ll be headed to Colorado Springs for some quality time with my parents! Haha, not exactly like the Spring Breaks I had in college:

  

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(The bride is the second from the left! Love you, Mary Frances!)

But it will still be plenty relaxing! And you know what? I miss my parents. Yep. I actually kind of like hanging out with them. Plus I LOVE Colorado Springs. I was just there in January with my mom and we had a good time!

 

Speaking of Spring Break, I know that many of you readers are still in school and have spring break coming up as well! And even those who aren’t, I’m guessing you’re dying for some sunshine to come your way, am I right?

We all LOVE the sun! It’s good for us (vitamin D) and it just makes you feel better! Whenever I’m standing in the sun I can’t help but enjoy it and have a smile on my face (especially here in Chicago). However, I’m now going to be popping your bubble and talking about some of the negative aspects of the sun.

(Me, in San Diego, probably 2? How cute am I…)

Growing up, I’ve always been fair-skinned and I burn CRAZY easily. Just ask… ANYONE that I know. I almost always had some sort of sunburn and my nose was permanently pink from April through September. Whether I was vacationing somewhere warm, or going skiing, I always ended up with a sunburn. Let’s take a look at the same picture from above:

See the triangle of red that continues over onto my chest? Horrible sunburn. But to me, it was normal. Since I’ve been burnt so many times, I’ve tried to play off the possibility of skin cancer by downplaying the disease. I’ve been known to say things like, well I know I’ll get it at some point in my life! It’s coming, too many burns!

But you know what? Skin cancer is not funny. Not at all.

Here are some skin cancer facts from The Skin Cancer Foundation:

– Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States; over 2 million people are diagnosed annually.

– One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.

– About 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to UV radiation from the sun.

Another important fact about skin cancer is that it is also the EASIEST TO CURE, but only when diagnosed and treated early! So be sure to keep an eye on any spots you may have and schedule an appointment for a head to toe exam with a dermatologist. To learn more about skin cancer, here are some Melanoma Warning Signs and Images (no, I didn’t want to post images of moles on my blog…).

 

The reason I am bringing this up with all of you is that skin cancer has been a big thing on my mind lately. Someone very close to me recently was diagnosed with skin cancer, and it gave me the final push I needed to see a dermatologist. That and the fact that I’d developed several new spots in the past 6 months, which had me a bit worried.

I went to the dermatologist a few weeks ago and she found some concerning moles. I had to go back and have them “scooped” out. YES. SCOOPED. I won’t get detailed, but let’s just say that for someone who has never had surgery, stitches or a broken bone it was quite a traumatic event. I’m still totally freaked out by these holes in my body. Not fun. Reason # 365 to wear sunscreen.

Although none of them turned out to be skin cancer, one was moderately atypical, which apparently is bad? Well, bad for me because now my doctor has to take out more skin on my chest. Reason # 789 to wear sunscreen. And from now on I have to go in for a check up every six months. Reason #265 to wear sunscreen.

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Are you catching my drift? WEAR SUNSCREEN. All the time, not just at the beach! Wear a hat, don’t lay out for too long, and DO NOT use a tanning bed! Pale skin is beautiful, there’s no need to be tan if it means you could have holes and scars and skin cancer. It’s just not worth it. Plus, I have super pale skin and I mean, come on, I look good, right?

 

Have you, or anyone you know, been affected by skin cancer?

What was your best spring break vacation ever?