In my hemisphere, summer is upon us and that means lots of sunshine and outdoor fun. It also means exposure to the damaging rays of the sun.

I had skin cancer (malignant melanoma) back in 1999, and they theorize it could have been a result of the many sunburns I received when I was young. I was successfully treated, but in the process I learned a lot about skin cancer and I want to share some of that so you don't have to experience it first hand.

One of the disconcerting things I learned was just how fast skin cancer can kill you. Consider this from the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR):

Malignant melanoma can be one of the most dangerous types of cancer. They all spread into nearby tissues, but some grow faster and spread further than others. If diagnosed late, treatment is not usually able to cure the cancer.

The good news is that the earlier you detect skin cancer, the better the prognosis for survival. The other good news is that you can greatly decrease your risk by taking a few, straight-forward precautions.

With that in mind, please check out my posts from last year on how to recognize skin cancer and some of the precautions you can take to protect your skin:

• Rub it in (or you could die) (6/16/2005)
• Will you know it when you see it? (6/17/2005)

There is also an excellent collection of articles about this in the latest print edition of Reader's Digest, complete with pictures of various types of skin cancers to help you identify them when you see them. Check out the online version here:

• Burned by the Sun (and take a look at their "Related Articles" links, too)

And use your sunscreen. Please.

• Technorati: Health, Cancer
• Del.icio.us: Health, Cancer

I've had a few inquiries about how things are going with regard to my vision since my LASIK procedure back in June, so here is a quick update:

I just went in for my "final" checkup on my surgery, and my vision tested to 20/10 - much better than the 20/20 I was hoping for.

I am quite happy I went through the LASIK process, and would do it again without any hesitation. I have also received some oral and email questions in the past couple of months so I thought I'd share them here, along with my responses:

• How's your night vision?
  • I've never had any issues with night vision either before or after the surgery.
• Do you need reading glasses now?
  • No, I don't. They tell me I will, eventually, as part of the normal aging process but I can deal with that. There is no evading the march of time, I suppose.
• Do you see halos or haze when you look at bright lights?
  • I did see a bit of haze for the first 45 days or so (most noticeable first thing in the morning and late at night), but it gradually faded. After that, I saw a bit of haze if I went too long without using my artificial tears (eye drops). I don't see any halos or haze any more.
• What's your advice if I'm considering this?
  • Check out the doctor ahead of time. Ask for references, visit the office, and even ask to observe a surgery if you want to. If anything doesn't pass your sniff test, look elsewhere.
  • See if your insurance plan has any discounts available. Mine did - and I saved 20% by going to a doctor on the plan. I also used my company's medical "Flex" plan to make this a pre-tax expense (ask your benefits plan representative if this is an option for you).
  • After the surgery, do everything the doctors tell you to do for follow-up care. This is especially true of the regimen for keeping your eyes moist with artificial tears - that helps your eyes heal properly, and is one of the most important things you can do. I used a watch with a countdown timer on it to remind me to put the drops in on time.
• Does this mean I have to put drops in for the rest of my life?
  • No, your tear production returns to "normal" levels over time. I still carry the drops, but I only really use them first thing in the morning now and when my eyes get tired from late nights.
• Where did you have your LASIK done?
  • Teplick Vision, and I'd use them again. You can find them at www.oregonlaser.com, if you're so inclined.
  • In the interest of full disclosure, I don't (and haven't) received compensation for any of the stuff I've written about them on this blog. However, if you tell them I sent you and you get the surgery done there, apparently I'll get some kind of thank you gift from them. I'll gladly accept such a gift, should I receive one.