Major big surf at Sponge Bay today. I was an old try hard....paddled out ....caught a few. The "whopper warrior" was a bit of a wimp. Didn't even try and paddle out .....just sat on the fence like the rest of the wannabes :)

Crap winds today so decided to go inland toLysterfield Lake, always meant to go but never did until today!

No where, and no where for at least the next two weeks.
Had a sun related thing cut off my left calf.
Not meant to strain the wound, or get it wet.

I've worked outside for 35 years, mainly in shorts. About 10 years ago they stopped us wearing shorts, I was outraged.
Since when did anyone get skin cancer on their lower legs from wearing shorts?
Never.
Been supping 4, maybe 5 years, usually in shorts and I never put sunscreen on my lower legs.
Never put sunscreen anywhere actually.
Don't know if this thing has grown recently, or been there forever, but I didn't remember it.
Doctor worried enough about it to cut it off at first opportunity.
I'm wearing long sleeves paddling now (mostly) and have bought myself a Kook hat.
The lower legs I can see as being an on going problem.
Except that since I'm in Melbourne, a long wetsuit would be possible most of the year.

Phillip Island today.

Nozza said..
No where, and no where for at least the next two weeks.
Had a sun related thing cut off my left calf.
Not meant to strain the wound, or get it wet.

I've worked outside for 35 years, mainly in shorts. About 10 years ago they stopped us wearing shorts, I was outraged.
Since when did anyone get skin cancer on their lower legs from wearing shorts?
Never.
Been supping 4, maybe 5 years, usually in shorts and I never put sunscreen on my lower legs.
Never put sunscreen anywhere actually.
Don't know if this thing has grown recently, or been there forever, but I didn't remember it.
Doctor worried enough about it to cut it off at first opportunity.
I'm wearing long sleeves paddling now (mostly) and have bought myself a Kook hat.
The lower legs I can see as being an on going problem.
Except that since I'm in Melbourne, a long wetsuit would be possible most of the year.

They recently found something similar on the back of my left calf. They wanted to cut it out, but then they told me I would be out of the water for a long time - lower leg "injuries" take longer to heal. I pushed the point with them and they told me about a different (more expensive) treatment, which I took.

You go into their surgery and they put a cream on the affected spot. They let it dry and add more. Repeat four times. Then you return in three hours and they shine a really bright light on it for eight minutes (I think it was). It is supposed to burn it out. It hurt, but not as much as they said it might. You have to keep it dry for a couple of days and that's it.

But then you have to go back one week later and they repeat the process. It hurts more the second time because it has already been burned. It hurt for a little while later, but it was not that bad. But apparently it hurts some people so much they can't get through the 8 minutes, and/or they need pain medication for a few days afterwards.

Anyway, in theory it is all gone now and I have been surfing a lot of times (but not as much as I would like...).

Nozza said..

cantSUPenough said..

Nozza said..
No where, and no where for at least the next two weeks.
Had a sun related thing cut off my left calf.
Not meant to strain the wound, or get it wet.

I've worked outside for 35 years, mainly in shorts. About 10 years ago they stopped us wearing shorts, I was outraged.
Since when did anyone get skin cancer on their lower legs from wearing shorts?
Never.
Been supping 4, maybe 5 years, usually in shorts and I never put sunscreen on my lower legs.
Never put sunscreen anywhere actually.
Don't know if this thing has grown recently, or been there forever, but I didn't remember it.
Doctor worried enough about it to cut it off at first opportunity.
I'm wearing long sleeves paddling now (mostly) and have bought myself a Kook hat.
The lower legs I can see as being an on going problem.
Except that since I'm in Melbourne, a long wetsuit would be possible most of the year.

They recently found something similar on the back of my left calf. They wanted to cut it out, but then they told me I would be out of the water for a long time - lower leg "injuries" take longer to heal. I pushed the point with them and they told me about a different (more expensive) treatment, which I took.

You go into their surgery and they put a cream on the affected spot. They let it dry and add more. Repeat four times. Then you return in three hours and they shine a really bright light on it for eight minutes (I think it was). It is supposed to burn it out. It hurt, but not as much as they said it might. You have to keep it dry for a couple of days and that's it.

But then you have to go back one week later and they repeat the process. It hurts more the second time because it has already been burned. It hurt for a little while later, but it was not that bad. But apparently it hurts some people so much they can't get through the 8 minutes, and/or they need pain medication for a few days afterwards.

Anyway, in theory it is all gone now and I have been surfing a lot of times (but not as much as I would like...).

Nothing for 7 days, 7 days to go.
Got called to go see the doctor yesterday.
Not scheduled to for another week, guessed they got the pathology results back.
Gave me something to worry about overnight.
The "thing" was an insitu melanoma, meaning it was cancerous but they got it early and it had not spread. It was lucky I noticed it, and bothered to do something about it.
But I have to have follow up surgery, more of my leg cut away to make sure it is all gone.
"Dodged a bullet" according to the doctor.
Bit of a shock, and the follow up stuff is going to mean more time out of the water.

Melanoma - that is scary... Glad to hear you have the all-clear!

Do you store or transport things in that Hilly mate nice work

cantSUPenough said..

Nozza said..

cantSUPenough said..

Nozza said..
No where, and no where for at least the next two weeks.
Had a sun related thing cut off my left calf.
Not meant to strain the wound, or get it wet.

I've worked outside for 35 years, mainly in shorts. About 10 years ago they stopped us wearing shorts, I was outraged.
Since when did anyone get skin cancer on their lower legs from wearing shorts?
Never.
Been supping 4, maybe 5 years, usually in shorts and I never put sunscreen on my lower legs.
Never put sunscreen anywhere actually.
Don't know if this thing has grown recently, or been there forever, but I didn't remember it.
Doctor worried enough about it to cut it off at first opportunity.
I'm wearing long sleeves paddling now (mostly) and have bought myself a Kook hat.
The lower legs I can see as being an on going problem.
Except that since I'm in Melbourne, a long wetsuit would be possible most of the year.

They recently found something similar on the back of my left calf. They wanted to cut it out, but then they told me I would be out of the water for a long time - lower leg "injuries" take longer to heal. I pushed the point with them and they told me about a different (more expensive) treatment, which I took.

You go into their surgery and they put a cream on the affected spot. They let it dry and add more. Repeat four times. Then you return in three hours and they shine a really bright light on it for eight minutes (I think it was). It is supposed to burn it out. It hurt, but not as much as they said it might. You have to keep it dry for a couple of days and that's it.

But then you have to go back one week later and they repeat the process. It hurts more the second time because it has already been burned. It hurt for a little while later, but it was not that bad. But apparently it hurts some people so much they can't get through the 8 minutes, and/or they need pain medication for a few days afterwards.

Anyway, in theory it is all gone now and I have been surfing a lot of times (but not as much as I would like...).

Nothing for 7 days, 7 days to go.
Got called to go see the doctor yesterday.
Not scheduled to for another week, guessed they got the pathology results back.
Gave me something to worry about overnight.
The "thing" was an insitu melanoma, meaning it was cancerous but they got it early and it had not spread. It was lucky I noticed it, and bothered to do something about it.
But I have to have follow up surgery, more of my leg cut away to make sure it is all gone.
"Dodged a bullet" according to the doctor.
Bit of a shock, and the follow up stuff is going to mean more time out of the water.

Melanoma - that is scary... Glad to hear you have the all-clear!

Scares the hell out of me, just ordered a pair of thin UV50 adrenalin pants to paddle in. Under $30.

Gboots said..

Great post!!

Well that is a worry Nozza for most of us. I am of Mediterranean decent and we seem to have less of these problems but that can sometimes be a false sense of security

Nozza said..

Gboots said..
Well that is a worry Nozza for most of us. I am of Mediterranean decent and we seem to have less of these problems but that can sometimes be a false sense of security

Worry for all of us.
Cheerful news was that now I've had one, likely for more to appear.
And the damage was done 45 or more years ago, not recently.

Well, the good new is - the incredible team at the Melanoma Institute Australia have made some amazing and "Game changing" break throughs in the treatment of melanoma recently. But, keep the sunscreen on (and hats and sunnies).................and be sun aware.

"The Rock" at Sponge Bay this morning......bit of experimentation with still go pro pics

Early start at Invy Surf Beach today . No sign of the Inverloch sup riders though.
Still in bed drunk

Manly was fun this morning, but this weeks huge swell is declining fast.
These new C-Drive fins are just the ducks nuts.