Lynn Rosenberg lost her husband after a six-year battle with melanoma. Her tragic loss inspired her to raise skin cancer awareness in order to save others from what she and her husband endured. Today, she encourages sun protection via her company, Soleil Chic, and manages a UV Sun Protection Blog. Lynn’s article, “When skin cancer hits home”, was featured in the Los Angeles Times on September 28th, 2009:
Many people who don’t protect themselves from the sun may never get skin cancer. And certainly, you can roll the dice if you wish. But there are things I now do regularly to protect myself from it. I don’t have to remember to do them; they’re automatic. I was never this careful before my husband died of the disease. That tragedy was my motivator. But maybe I could be your motivator — if you know a little bit about what my husband, Jerry, went through and what I went through as his wife.
From the moment he was diagnosed to the day he died six years later, I had my heart in my mouth. I was in a quiet panic — sometimes not so quiet. I did everything I could for him, researching doctors and hospitals and treatments and calling anyone I knew who had experience with skin cancer for advice. I was even careful that we didn’t socialize with people who had a cold, which could have compromised his immune system.
“The diagnosis was dire from the start. He had ignored what he had seen on his arm; I discovered it one day at a picnic. I knew that in the not-too-distant future, it would take his life. Everything he had to go through was hell for him — and a different kind of http://dermhub.com/wp-admin/admin.php?page=events-manager/events-manager.phphell for me. That included the false hope — a new drug, in trials. Could that save him? He tried it. He tried everything.
“But he died. And for what? Skin cancer — a disease that can be prevented and, if not prevented, can be arrested if caught early.
“I hope you check yourself once a month after reading this. I hope that, if you see a mole or something that doesn’t look quite right, you’ll make an appointment with your dermatologist and not let it wait. I hope you take the opportunity my husband didn’t take — to use sunscreen, reapplying it every two hours if you swim or sweat, and to wear a wide-brimmed hat. I hope you don’t bake in the sun or at a tanning salon (he never saw the inside of a tanning salon but 3 million people a year do).
“In short, I hope you choose to save yourself. Only you can do it.
Lynn’s moving words and laudable actions after the death of her husband are truly inspirational. After hearing her story, we had a few questions for Lynn:
What is your message to people who, despite knowing the risks of sun exposure, continue to shun sunscreen, shade, and UV protective clothing?
It is actually painful to me to see people paying no attention to the warnings about the dangers of the sun. It’s so easy to be arrogant while you’re healthy. Like I said in the article, there are people who bake in the sun who will never get skin cancer, but the odds are not great. If you catch it early, you can still be scarred, and even if you never get skin cancer, the sun ages you prematurely. I met a man who was more concerned about aging from the sun than getting cancer from it. But still, he wouldn’t give up his sun.
What is your skin care regimen?
My daily regimen is to use sunscreen on exposed skin. I use one sunscreen for my face and another (Neutrogena) for my body. Regarding seeing the dermatologist, I am so hyper-tuned in that I go to the dermatologist approximately once a year. Checking the scalp is very difficult to do yourself, so once-a-year is a good plan.
Where do you see Soleil Chic in 10 years?
In 10 years, I hope Soleil Chic is all over the world. I do get orders from various parts of the world but I hope to expand the amount of product being exported.
Please support Lynn’s efforts by practicing the habits of sun protection, visiting Soleil Chic, and tuning into her blog. If you would like to contact Lynn, you can do so at lynn@soleilchic.com.