We take Monday as our day off because the weekends are work for us.
Tuesday, the imports form the states arrived. This is a once a year occasion and the word is sent around via text messaging to all the ex-pats. We were able to get American candies for Christmas, marshmallows, and cheddar cheese ! It was a BIG deal. We ran into about 5 other Americans in the store while there.
On Wednesday my husband gave his second seminar to the Air Force officers. This class was on Authority. They presented him with a very nice certificate for his help in teaching. I had two doctor's appointments and spent 6 and a half hours there.
Thursday was Thanksgiving and we hosted the meal with my daughter's family and another American family. It was fun but very hot, over 100* F. I think all the children had a good time and made good use of the pool.
Friday, the girls and I spent the morning cleaning up and then they went Christmas shopping with friends.
Saturday was not so good for me as I started having quite a bit of sciatica in my back and leg. I missed youth group because of it and went to bed! BORING!!!
Sunday morning my husband preached on the Lord's Supper and a young Paraguayan soldier accepted Christ as his Savior. We continue to have several air force men visit every Sunday, which is great!
And today I head back to the dermatologist. She will do my yearly sun damage removal. I am very fair skinned and have lived in the tropics for 25 years. Six years ago I had my first skin lesion removed. I have had a total of 18 so far, some are just basal cellular, but I have had 5 carcinomas removed and had to have a bit of plastic surgery as one was on my nose and very near to my tear duct.
On Wednesday she found at least 5 new lesions, which I had already discovered but was pretending they did not exist. I think she will be able to burn them off and not need to cut! I hope so! One is rather large and under my right eye. I hate to get work done on my face as it causes a lot of bruising. My husband wont let me go out much as he says it looks like he beat me!
Beautiful isn't it?
UPDATE: The good news is that she was able to treat all of the lesions by burning and no cutting! Yea! The bad news is that there are 10 on my face, 7 on my right arm, 1 on my left hand, 2 on my right leg...sigh... my total is now 38!!!!!
33 comments:
Bless your heart! I hope all goes well.
JM, this may be a stupid question, but: don't you use special sun protector from the North? I think we can find here much better protection creams than what people can buy in, say, Venezuela (where people mostly want to tan themselves and tend to be anyway darker than you).
I know from some very pale friends that they ask for stuff in drugstores and the level of protection is better than what one finds in general stores.
This from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunscreen#Star_rating_system
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_protective_clothing
Kepler
Wishing you well, Jungle Mom!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful stories, and the best of health to you and your family.
Yeowch! I hope you don't have to have anything so extensive done this time, Rita.
Thanks for sharing your Thanksksgiving story!
Ohhhh! Oh, poor you! I hope you are feeling well and they've given you something for the pain! Will show the post to Patrick, who has already (at 15) had moles taken off three times surgically. I'll remind him again that the sun is NOT his friend!
Wow.
Hats! Sunscreen by the buckets! We white-as-a-sheet folks weren't meant for the sun! LOL!
YIKES!!!
I'm glad your hubby made it back OK!
Kepler, Yes, I use prescription sunscreen, 100 SPF. The best stuff here comes from Australia. I am not supposed to go out side between 10-4. I think I need to move to Afghanistan and wear a burqua.The doctor here says I should wear long sleeves, a hat and even gloves!!!! Unfortunately, in my childhood, which was spent mostly in California and Florida, no on ever used sunscreen and I was burnt often!
Thanks for your concern. Trust all is well with you.
Rita dear, as Kepler says, do protect yourself a little more!!
Hats (cachuchas..) and umbrellas are part of my daily wardrobe in Caracas and the sunscreen of course!
Take care of that back and rest... si? Un abrazo!
There are wide huts that can be fine and actually look great on women. Then there are some dresses, a bit like what Guajiras use, but trendier if you want, where your hands come out only when you raise them, not getting sun directly when walking, say, on a street. Some of those clothes are actually cool in sunny climates. And then there must be also clothing the Australians (as they are particularly affected) have developed. As you can see from the second Wikilink, the US clothes should have some kind of certificate you should take a look at. Those things might be a wee bit more expensive, but they are worth it, it is about one's health.
Kepler
Oh Rita...I am so sorry for you, but happy that all is going well.
Living in NM, I understand a bit...and I do not tan only burn(well not for many years-as I cover from head to toe...which is ScaRy in itself...lol)
Nice to read you had a good Thanksgiving!!!
Have a great day from the Double Nickel family!!!
JM, did they put you out for the procedure? Any anesthesia?
Sad to say, but from all I've read, if you were in the sun alot when you were younger, the damage is already done. I'm fair skinned too, and did my share of burning and tanning. I had a friend who would go out sunbathing with her bathing suit and baby oil, that's it!
(((JM))) feel better soon!
K, No, it hurts while they do it, but then stings. My husband lets me squeeze his hand! I am not having to take any meds. It looks worse than it is. Just can't be out in the sun for a few days.
Sounds like you have been busy. That is great news about the soldier being saved!!! :)
I'm glad you had a great Thanksgiving. I hope everything goes well with your skin.
Christopher Hamilton
The Right Opinion, for the Right Wing
I'm sorry to hear about your skin problems. Thanks for telling me that it looks worse than it really is... you're a lot braver than I am!
That looks like it hurts! Anyway, I think you emailed me wanting to be a contributor to my new blog "Recipes for Life" but I need you email in order to do that. If you didn't contact me before (maybe it was your sister), then just ignore this comment...and you don't have to post this comment.
I hope you will heal well and get better. Remember a wide brim hat does wonders to prevent sun damage (used one for years in Israel for I too am fair-skinned). Also I used Zinc Oxide for a sun screen, it is the main ingredient in the commercial products.
Glad to see your work is going well.
Jungle Mom, We know all about the sun lesions and carcimnoma here. The doctors say it's from hubby being burnt so much as a child. Of course now he lathers up with sunscreen when the moon shines too bright. lol But anyway, I'm sorry you have to go through all of that. And I thought your picture was QUITE lovely!
;)
~Kristi
Boy oh boy! So glad to hear that you are OK and that it looks worse than it is. I hope your prescription sunscreen does the trick. Man, what an experience you had at the other hospital and luckily your husband was with you again. May I ask if you think there will be any American imports left next week at the store that sold them? We will be there then and I'd love to go and have a look to see what I can find! Have another great week this week and be careful of the sun!
Kath, I saw some today. I could pick some stuff up for you if you like. If you will leave me your email ill write you. I wont post your address here.
Ouch! Hope you're soon back to your 'normal' self. And buy a hat!!!!!
Bless your heart, JMom, I had no idea you suffered like that.
Do you see your specialist about every three or six months or so?
Thanks also for the update on how your Thanksgiving went; sounds like you had a picnic maybe, poolside!
Well, I was expecting to see photos of, oh, let's say, Turkey and stuff!
So are you burned in all those places you mentioned?
your stitches are gorgeous!! great approximation and a lovely straight line! probably won't be much if any scar at all!
my hubby too has been told to stay away from sun. he has a squamous cell patch on his ear that will come off 12/29. darned Irish blood!...well skin, but you know!....
I actually had wondered about the sanity of a redhead living in a rainforest for 20 years...but decided not to say anything....till now!
;-)
I strongly recommend No-Ad sunblock for babies. It's excellent, has high SPF, and is very inexpensive. Maybe someone could send you a care package.
Take care of yourself.
lMC, yes, I am normally under a doctors care every 3 months. I did not see a doctor last year while stateside because of the cost and all our travel.
MM. yes, I am anything but sane! Lol! Most of the damage was done in my childhood but canoe trips and long waits on airstrips were probably not a good idea. I did use sunscreen, hats and such while there, but as I said, in my childhood I was just one big burn most summers!
Ouch!! I hope you continue to heal well.
I also grew up with very fair skin in an era where no one had ever heard of sunscreen and got burned often. Thankfully I haven't had any trouble yet and hope I don't, but I wouldn't be surprised to have some trouble at some point.
That was neat about the soldier coming to Christ!
So sorry to hear about your skin problems! I totally understand why it was not possible to meet now.
But we should make a plan for my next visit. The commenter on this post, called Kath, wants to meet you, Brenda and me when we come on the 20th.
I´m so glad to hear about the soldier that accepted the Lord as his savior! PTL!
Hope you feel better soon!!
Fun, fun face! Sorry... :(
I guess you did us all a favor by showing us what you have been through. Now maybe we will use sunscreen...and get checked. Hope you get it all taken care.
Ouch !!
Hope it heals quickly and totally.
Good grief, sorry to hear JM. Hope you are hanging in there eh. Hope you're better soon and can dodge these things.
"My husband wont let me go out much as he says it looks like he beat me!"
You gotta see it from his point JM, you'd be surprised at the amount of dirty looks one can get when suspected of such things. In a way it's good that people still feel revulsion at such things, but not if it's not the case. ;)
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