There’s going to be a fundraising walk for the AIM at Melanoma Foundation on November 17 in Charlotte, North Carolina. I’ve been conspiring with some fellow bloggers and others in the melanoma community to make this event something more than a morning walk in the park, and perhaps a sort of mole mate Woodstock gathering. Plans are sketchy at this point, but we can pretty much guarantee there’ll be a rousing after-party, which will likely include some loud music and table dancing. If the Mayan calendar is right, this could be one of your last chances to teach the pink world that we at the Hotel Melanoma are younger and cooler and really know how to party. So save the date. Details to follow.
To get you into the spirit, here’s a new version of ZZ Top’s La Grange…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vppbdf-qtGU
Rumour spreadin' a-'round in this cyber town
'bout this walk outside in Charlotte
and you’ll know what I'm talkin' about.
Just let me know if you wanna go
to this walk that’s all the rage.
There’ll be lotta nice folks ah.
Have mercy.
A haw, haw, haw, haw, a haw.
A haw, haw, haw.
Well, come wear your sign if you got the time
and the black to put yourself in.
A hmm, hmm.
And we’ll party right, most ev'ry night,
but now I might be mistaken.
hmm, hmm, hmm.
Ah have mercy.
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Hi... Just read your diagnosis and treatment history and am so glad to know that there is hope for some people, since most accidentally discover too late that their unsuspected lesion could turn out to be their worst nightmare. I too had it 16 years ago and knew to go immediately to check out the tiny new spot on my back because I had worked at the University of Miami Med School Dermatology Dept. Had I not had that experience, I too would have thought the new "smeared discoloration" was nothing, and I would probably not be here today.As a result of quickly paying attention to it, the lesion was cut off , I had a wide excision only because the size was small enough not to warrant sentinel node evaluation.So far so good, although you never know. Most of the melanoma blogs I have read are descriptions from people who can see their "mole" , but think nothing of it until it is too late.They sit there and watch it grow or change in front of their eyes. I find this very sad and regrettable. For some reason, the word is not getting out that everyone should add skin evaluations to their doctor check ups list and primary care physicians should be aware of what to look for. There are free screenings available for people with out health insurance. I don't know how to convey this, but your poetic talents may be able to emphasize getting skin checkups. In regards to health insurance a revamp of the individual State restrictions and regulations would be superior to Government health insurance. Since the melanoma blogs I read cover Canada, Australia and Britain, I can really compare the courses of treatment in their government health insurance to ours. It is astounding that on top of the horrific diagnosis they also have to endure the inferior system which denies them of cutting edge treatments. Currently there is a call to arms to lobby the British Parliament to allow for the use of yervoy because NICE has rejected it as being unworthy of spending the money on.Those patients are aware of the new drugs available here, but they can't get them because there is a cost benefit/analysis required for approval and use. Since only a few people benefit from these treatments, the governments won't offer them to their citizens. Their inability to receive timely appointments and consistent medical care also leads to poor prognosis.Our health system needs improvement , but the government is not the answer. As an attorney you know about tort reform and the advantages that would bring to our health care cost reduction. We need to work on these reforms and help people know how to evaluate their skin for early diagnosis of melanoma. It is the only cancer you can see, a great advantage for avoiding the worst. We also need a health insurance "pool" to offset catastrophic health diagnoses through private health insurance like we pay for with our homeowners insurance to help pay for natural disasters.Thanks for helping spread the word and keep up the interesting melodies.......Namaste.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time and effort to comment. It's a blogger's lifeblood! I wish I knew how to spread the melanoma awareness and prevention message to folks who've yet to check into this Hotel; just about everybody who reads this blog already has melanoma. I'm not a proponent of a government-sponsored health insurance system either. One of my mole mates from the U.K. describes it as a third-world country in terms of melanoma treatment. I'm glad you're doing well!
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