Sweety Mama for Sex in Pretoria

Huh??? I am not a Sweety Mama ... definitely not a Sexy Mama ... and I don't even know where Pretoria is. However, I did Google it and found that it is the capital of South Africa ... so now I know! And now you know that geography was not my best subject!

But back to my story -- this is a keyword phrase that someone used to find my blog. Now I have no clue about the connection between this search and my blog, other than my blog title Melanoma Mama, but I am very grateful for every single reader that I get, even if they stumble across my blog by accident!

But just to be very clear ... there is nothing sexy about melanoma. Unless, of course, you think the scars it leaves, both inside and out, are sexy. Or unless you think puking your guts out or that nonstop itchy rash or painful mouth sores or maybe severe diarrhea following treatments has sex appeal. Or perhaps the thought that waking up each morning of your life filled with the fear that this monster disease could end it whenever it likes turns you on. Somehow, I think not. I'm pretty sure that we can all agree that sexy and melanoma do not belong in the same sentence ... and certainly not in the same blog!

Something else that is not sexy is unread blogs! Since jumping into the blogosphere 5 months ago, I do often wonder, especially when my latest blog is published and I can count the readers without even using my toes, "Why DO I blog?"

Some melanoma bloggers are medical professionals and researchers who are experts in their fields and are sharing medical data or concerns. Some bloggers are melanoma patients who blog from diagnosis to their current treatment, to chronicle their journey and perhaps to keep friends and loved ones aware of what and how they are doing. Some blog for the healing quality of putting thoughts and fears into written form, releasing all that heavy emotion from their minds and hearts and onto the blog page.

I fall into none of these categories. I am not even close to being an expert in the field of medicine, although after 16 years in the melanoma community, I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about melanoma along the way. My daughter Jaime was my cancer survivor, but no longer. Now her story is of the harsh reality of melanoma, so sadly I have no need to keep family and friends updated on her status. And as I tell Jaime's story of tanning bed use and the resulting melanoma, I honestly find it more painful than healing.

So why do I blog? I blog for the same reason that I post daily on Facebook and flood Twitter with thousands of tweets ... because I am obsessed with melanoma awareness. I see blogging as one more way to spread the message about the dangers of tanning and the threat of melanoma. It is an expansion to patient advocacy. My blogs might share sun safety or melanoma information, or I might share stories about Jaime, or I might discuss a controversial issue. Whatever the topic, my hope is that people will take a minute to read and think ... and perhaps take action so that their lives or the lives of their loved ones will travel a different path than mine has.

I don't blog to hear myself; I don't blog for my benefit. I don't blog for fame or notoriety; I don't blog for financial gain. I don't blog to attract new clients/customers/business; I don't blog because my job requires it. I don't blog to advance a political agenda; I don't blog to spread any religious ideology. I don't blog as a patient or caregiver; I don't blog for therapy. I don't blog because I have to; I don't blog because I need to. Simply ... I blog for you!

In order for this blogging endeavor to work, however, I need your help. I ask

(beg??) that you actually read my blogs and, if you find value in them, share with your friends. You can even subscribe on my blog page so you will receive notice as each new blog is published. I can fill blogs with my thoughts, information, and stories, but if no one reads it, it is worthless and a huge waste of my time. That said, your comments would also be appreciated so I know that I have touched you, educated you, enlightened you ... or even bored you. I would also love to hear any suggestions for topics you would be interested in reading about.

So, why do I blog? I blog for a reason ... and that reason is you! But I still can't help but wonder if the person using that search term ever found that sweety mama for sex in Pretoria???


 Melanoma Mama (Jaime's mom, Donna)

Twitter: @melanoma_mama
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/donna.h.regen
http://www.facebook.com/jaime.regen.rea (Remember Jaime)

http://www.facebook.com/BanTheBeds (Pull the Plug on Tanning Beds)
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetpea321 (Jjem Creations)
Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/Sweetpea321 (Jjem Creations)

Sunscreen Complements Every Outfit!

Summer has officially arrived, and we all enjoy being outside for fun in the sun ... swimming and sports, picnics and BBQs, gardening, etc. No question about it: the sun's rays make us feel good. Recent studies have even shown that we can become addicted to UV radiation. 

But too much of a good thing is ... well, never a good thing. It is important to understand sun safety and how to protect your skin and possibly save your life or that of a loved one. I know, I know ... we all think we know the rules. We've heard them before. But they are constantly changing, and as I was researching the facts for this blog, I even learned some new things. So pay attention, just for a minute -- there will be a quiz (not really, but pay attention anyway)!

What Is UV Radiation?

The main source of ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) is the sun, but it can also come from man-made sources like tanning beds.

According to the Amercian Cancer Society, scientists divide UV radiation into three wavelength ranges:

• UVA rays are the weakest of the UV rays. They can cause skin cells to age and can cause some indirect damage to cells’ DNA. UVA rays are mainly linked to long-term skin damage such as wrinkles but are also thought to play a role in some skin cancers.

• UVB rays are slightly stronger. They are mainly responsible for direct damage to the DNA and are the rays that cause sunburns. They are also thought to cause most skin cancers.

• UVC rays are the strongest UV rays. Fortunately, they react with ozone high in our atmosphere and do not reach the ground. Therefore UVC rays are not present in sunlight and are not normally a risk factor for skin cancer. But they can be found in some man-made sources, such as arc welding torches and mercury lamps. In the past, sunbeds were also a source of UVC rays.

Why Should This Be Important to You?

More than 3.5 million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year. It is the most common form of cancer in the US. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more than 90% of all non-melanoma skin cancers and 65% of melanomas are a direct result of exposure to UV radiation and could have been prevented. (See my blog Every Day Should Be Melanoma Awareness Day for more information about melanoma, the deadly form of skin cancer that took my daughter Jaime's life when she was only 29.) 


Besides skin cancer, UV exposure can cause wrinkles, sagging, and premature aging of the skin; skin discoloration; dilation of small blood vessels under the skin; benign tumors; immune system suppression; cataracts and other eye problems impairing vision; rash or allergic reaction; and even infections and reactivation of herpes. 

What Can You Do to Protect Your Skin?

• Avoid excessive sun exposure, especially between the hours of 10am - 2pm. Remember that water, snow, cement, and sand reflect damaging UV rays to increase your chances of sunburn. UV rays can also go through windows and clothing and reach below the water's surface.

• Seek shade when your shadow is shorter than you are. "Watch your shadow -- Short shadow, seek shade."

Use Sunscreen  

• Apply sunscreen with a broad-spectrum (with both UVA and UVB protection) sun-protective factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. No sunscreen blocks out all the UV rays, but they do protect you from them. There has been much controversy over the past few years about toxic chemicals in sunscreen. Weigh the pros and cons of the various brands ... but pick one you are comfortable with and USE it.  

• Apply 1 oz (a shotglass full) sunscreen 15-30 minutes before going out. Do not apply to palms and rub together but instead squeeze a line of sunscreen on an area of your body and rub it in ... and then repeat. It is best to apply before putting on your bathing suit to protect the skin underneath and to avoid missing the areas around the edges of the suit. Also apply sunscreen before insect repellant or makeup. Reapply every 2 hours, even if it's cloudy (UV rays travel through clouds), or more often after swimming or sweating. The biggest problem with sunscreen is not applying enough ... so use a heavy hand!
  

• Do not consider sunscreen to be waterproof or sweatproof, but it can be water resistant, meaning it will stay on longer when you are in the water or sweating. It still must be reapplied when you towel off.

• Check the expiration date on your sunscreen. It is usually effective for 2-3 years, less if exposed to high temperatures. Be sure to shake it up good to remix the ingredients. And if it has expired and no longer effective as a sunscreen, Real Simple Magazine suggests using the leftovers as shave cream!

• Don't neglect high-risk areas of your body: eyelids, back of neck, tops of feet, ears, calves, back, and scalp are areas most missed with sunscreen. Lip protectors with a minimum of SPF15 should also be applied.

• Spray sunscreen is not recommended because of breathing in the mist and poor coverage. It can also be flammable.


• Keep babies under 6 months old out of the sun, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. When they are older than 6 months, you can use sunscreen on them but pay particular attention to tender young skin exposed to the sun. Sunburns in children put them in the high risk bracket for melanoma.

Other Forms of Sun Protection

• Clothes do not block out all UV rays. If you can see light through the fabric, then UV rays are getting through it. Dark colored, tight weave fabrics are best. Special sun protective clothing is also available.

• Sunglasses should be labeled to block 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays, and most sold in the US meet these standards. Large-framed or wraparound types are best because they keep protect the eyes from light coming from different directions. UV-blocking contact lenses are not sufficient to protect the entire eye from UV rays. Toy sunglasses for children are a NO-NO; they need smaller versions of the protective adult kind. 

• Hats should have a minimum 2-3 inch brim all the way around. Baseball caps only protect the front and top of the head so are not effective for sun protection. Straw hats are also not protective because of their loose weave.

• Beach umbrellas do not block all UV rays, usually only providing a protection factor of 30.

• Check the UV Index (http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index). Special care needs to be taken when the UV Index predicts exposure levels above moderate.
  


• Examine your skin often and take note of any changing or new moles.


• NEVER, never, never use indoor tanning beds or sunlamps. According to the World Health Organization, ultraviolet radiation is a proven human carcinogen. First exposure to tanning beds before age 30 increases melanoma risk by 75%. Of the 28 million people using tanning beds in US each year, 2.3 million are teens. 

Bottom line: Remember to Slip! Slop! Slap! Wrap!: Slip on clothing, slop on sunscreen, slap on a wide-brimmed hat, and wrap on sunglasses. Protect your skin and that of your loved ones ... and enjoy this summer and many more to come! Matter of fact, don't just follow these rules in the summer. Continue to practice sun safety all year around!


 Melanoma Mama (Jaime's mom, Donna)

Twitter: @melanoma_mama
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/donna.h.regen
http://www.facebook.com/jaime.regen.rea (Remember Jaime)

http://www.facebook.com/BanTheBeds (Pull the Plug on Tanning Beds)
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetpea321 (Jjem Creations)
Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/Sweetpea321 (Jjem Creations)

Schools & Their Sunscreen Rules

Every year around the end of the school year, the topic of school rules about sunscreen becomes popular. News reports are full of stories about kids who come home blistered and red as lobsters because of being out in the blazing sun all day for Field Day, without any sun protection. 

Sometimes this occurs because the schools don't allow students to have sunscreen; sometimes it is because teachers and/or school nurses are not permitted to apply it. But whatever the reason is, it should not happen!

We know the statistics ... one severe sunburn in youth can more than double the odds of getting melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. And melanoma is NOT something you ever want to have!

Sunscreen/sun protection restrictions in our schools are common. Some may permit sunscreen with a note from the parents; others may permit it with a note from your doctor. (Use the Skin Cancer Foundation's note from your doctor.) Some will not permit it, period. These policies can be changed ... but that will not happen without some help from you.


You will hear lots of different reasons why they have the policies in place that they do. 

• Gang affiliated hats -- BUT schools can approve a style or color, or they could sell or supply sun-safety hats. It could be part of their "spirit" wear to get more kids to want to wear them.
• Inappropriate touching -- BUT teachers can demonstrate to the children the proper way to apply sunscreen (their "screen saver") or teach them how to apply to each other.
• "Zero tolerance" drug policy -- AND many school districts consider sunscreen as an over-the-counter drug like aspirin. These policies need to be amended to exempt sunscreen.
• Allergic reactions -- BUT reactions to sunscreens are very uncommon, and if a reaction does occur, it is minor.

 "Even one severe sunburn in a child can more than double their odds of getting melanoma"

  





Some ideas of what you can do:

•  First find out what your school's policy is on the use of sunscreen and the wearing of hats for sun safety during recess. Is it an individual school policy, the local school board policy, or a state policy? This will tell you what your next steps might be.

• If sunscreen policies are determined by your individual school, talk with your principal about the importance of sun safety. Approach your PTA about forming, if there is not already one, a sun safety committee. This committee could not only suggest a change in school policy regarding the safety of children in the sun, they could also do fundraising for shade projects at the playgrounds.

• If the sun safety policies are determined by your district school board, write a letter to your school board and school district superintendent explaining the importance of the children using sunscreen and wearing hats when outside for recess. Ask to be put on the agenda for a school board meeting to educate them and distribute sun safety materials. Take along a dermatologist or pediatrician to speak as well. Draw up a petition and ask parents, neighbors, and those in the medical community to sign it.

• If sunscreen policies are being made on the state level, contact your state senators and representatives. Educate them on the need to protect your children from the rising rates of melanoma.

• And contact your local chapter of the American Cancer Society or state dermatological society. They may be working on this already and would appreciate your help. Or they may be able to suggest other things you can do to get the word out and changes made.

Schools and school boards MUST revisit their restrictions on sunscreen and sun safety hats. As one who has been through the process of changing a school district policy, not for sunscreen use but many years ago to change dress code policy, I can tell you that change can happen, but it takes work and time. 

YOU need to take action ... and you need to start NOW!!!

[March 2017 addition: Also see the program developed by Cancer Research UK for more ideas to promote sun safety in schools, including preschools and high schools.]


 Melanoma Mama (Jaime's mom, Donna)

http://www.facebook.com/donna.h.regen
http://www.facebook.com/jaime.regen.rea (Remember Jaime)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetpea321 (Jjem Creations)
http://stores.ebay.com/Sweetpea321 (Jjem Creations)

Every Day Should Be Melanoma Awareness Day!

The first Monday in May is Melanoma Monday. It is a designated day to create melanoma awareness and to honor those fighting this evil disease and remember those angels whose fight is over. It is a day to wear black, the color for melanoma awareness (and don't let anyone tell you it is a different color, like orange, because they are wrong!). But melanoma awareness doesn't need to just be -- and shouldn't be -- confined to just one day.


As you probably know, my daughter Jaime was diagnosed with melanoma when she was 20 years old. We had never heard of it before the doctor said those three words that started our nightmare ... "Jaime has melanoma." It took her life ... and along with it, most of mine ... 9 years later. Since her death, I have been obsessed with trying to keep other families from the pain that ours has been through. So please bear with me ... I'm going to throw a lot of facts at you, but these facts could save your life or that of someone special to you.

Your best chance of beating melanoma is not getting it in the first place

As horrific as melanoma is, it can, in many cases, be prevented.

• Be sun smart. 


• Avoid excessive sun exposure, especially between the hours of 10am - 2pm. Remember that water, snow, and sand reflect damaging UV rays to increase your chances of sunburn.


• Apply sunscreen with a broad-spectrum (with both UVA and UVB protection) sun-protective factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Apply 1 oz (a shotglass full) 30 minutes before going out. Reapply every 2 hours, even if it's cloudy (UV rays travel through clouds), or after swimming or sweating.


• Keep newborns out of the sun. When they are older than 6 months, you can use sunscreen on them. 


• Seek shade when your shadow is shorter than you are.


• Slip! Slop! Slap! Wrap!: Slip on clothing, slop on sunscreen, slap on a wide-brimmed hat, and wrap on sunglasses.


• Examine your skin often and take note of any changing or new moles.


• NEVER, never, never use indoor tanning beds or sunlamps. According to the World Health Organization, ultraviolet radiation is a proven human carcinogen. First exposure to tanning beds before age 35 increases melanoma risk by 75%. Of the 28 million people using tanning beds in US each year, 2.3 million are teens.

 

Early detection could save your life

 

And if not prevented, it can be caught early, which means it is easier to treat and hopefully stop in its tracks. Know the ABCDEs of melanoma. Unlike all other cancers, melanoma is visible on the skin, making it easier to detect in the early stages. Warning signs of melanoma include changes in size, shape, or color of a mole or appearance of a new growth on the skin. Any mole that itches or bleeds warrants a trip to your physician ASAP. However also be aware that these are only guidelines and melanoma can appear entirely different from the ABCDEs, particularly pediatric melanoma. See your doctor with any skin lesion that concerns you. Monthly skin self-exams and annual skin checks by your doctor are important as well.

 

 

 

 Melanoma facts you should know

• Melanoma is the most deadly type of cancer of the skin; it's not "JUST" skin cancer.
  


• Melanoma is the 5th most common type of new cancer diagnosis in men and the 7th most common in women.


• Every hour someone in the US dies from melanoma. Jaime’s hour was 1pm, Friday, March 16, 2007. 


• Although the incidence of most cancers is declining, melanoma diagnoses continue to rise significantly, at a rate faster than that of any of the 7 most common cancers.


• The incidence rate for invasive melanoma is highest in Caucasians, who are almost 30 times more likely to develop melanoma than African Americans. However, melanoma can affect anyone, no matter their age, sex, race, religion, or political beliefs. It is an equal opportunity cancer! Although melanoma is uncommon in people of color, when it is diagnosed it is frequently fatal for these populations because the melanoma is more advanced at time of diagnosis.


• Melanoma is most common in men older than 50, more common than colon, prostate, and lung cancer. Men aged 65 and older are more than twice as likely to develop melanoma as women in the same age group.


• Women younger than 39 have a higher probability of developing melanoma than any other cancer except breast cancer and are twice as likely to develop melanoma as men.


• Melanoma is now the most common cancer in the 25-29 age group and second most common for 15-29 year olds.


• Melanoma accounts for about 3% of all pediatric cancers; 90% of pediatric melanoma cases occur in girls 10-19.


• 76,100 new cases of invasive melanoma and 63,770 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) melanoma will be diagnosed in the United States in 2014; about 200,000 new cases are diagnosed worldwide each year. According to the World Health Organization Report, about 46,000 melanoma-related deaths occur worldwide each year; 9,710 US deaths are expected from melanoma in 2014.


• 1 in 52 men and women will be diagnosed with melanoma of the skin during their lifetime; 1 in 5 will develop skin cancer.


• Melanoma can develop on any skin surface, even where “the sun don't shine” and in the eyes, nails, and soles of the feet.


• Excessive exposure to UV radiation from the sun or tanning beds increases your risk for melanoma as well as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. About 86% of melanomas can be attributed to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.


• The survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early is about 99%; the survival falls to 15% for those with advanced disease.


• According to the National Cancer Institute, the estimated total direct cost associated with the treatment of melanoma in 2010 was $2.36 billion in the United States

Risk factors you need to think about

• Just one severe, blistering sunburn can double a person's chance of developing melanoma later in life.
  

• Workplace exposure to coal tar, pitch, creosote, arsenic compounds, or radium increases your risk.
  

• Exposure to tanning beds before age 35 increases a person's risk of developing melanoma by 75%.

• People with fair skin that freckles easily, blond or red hair, and blue or green eyes are at greater risk for all three types of skin cancer.

• Anyone who has more than 50 moles or large or unusual moles is at greater risk for melanoma.


• Anyone who has a blood relative who has had a history of melanoma is at  increased risk. 

• Previous melanoma or the more common types of skin cancers as well as cancers like breast or thyroid can increase your risk.

Don't be blind-sided by melanoma like our family was. Become educated and prevent it from entering your lives!

For more comprehensive information on melanoma, see www.AIMatMelanoma.org


Melanoma Mama (Jaime's mom, Donna)

  @melanoma_mama (Twitter)
http://www.facebook.com/donna.h.regen
http://www.facebook.com/jaime.regen.rea (Remember Jaime)
http://www.facebook.com/BanTheBeds (Pull the Plug on Tanning Beds)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetpea321 (Jjem Creations)
http://stores.ebay.com/Sweetpea321 (Jjem Creations)

Spring: The Teen Tanning Season

Spring. The season for growth and new beginnings. A time to turn our backs to a dark, cold winter and look ahead to the warmth and light of summer. Many of us celebrate the season by planting our gardens, spring cleaning, planning summer activities, or digging our light and airy clothes out of storage and replacing them with our winter wear. But for many teenagers across the country, in spring their thoughts turn to the wonders of Spring Break and Prom ... and with their preparation for these important events comes increased use of tanning beds. 

Vanity trumps everything for teens, and they must, at all costs, have a certain darker skin tone to go with their prom gown or their shorts and bikinis. What they are unaware of (or just don't care about) is that each use of tanning beds puts them closer to the pain and fear of melanoma, the deadly kind of skin cancer. So by putting out the welcome mat for this disease and other skin cancers, they are quite possibly shattering all the wonderful memories of these annual teen rituals.

I know one such young lady who frequently used tanning beds to darken her very pale skin ... after all, "everyone" was doing it. It was just the thing to do among teens in the mid-1990s, and sadly that has not changed. The particular teen I am talking about is my daughter Jaime ... and this is one of her prom pictures. Notice the tan? Well, then you can also see what killed her a few years later!

Read more of Jaime's story on my blogs Blowing Out Birthday Candles and With This Ring.

Melanoma facts

Melanoma is the number 1 cause of cancer death in young women between 25 and 29 years of age (Jaime was 29 when she died from melanoma) and number 2 in young adults 15 to 29 years old ... and it can be prevented in many cases by avoiding tanning beds and practicing sun safety. Tanning bed use has been linked with an increased risk of melanoma, especially if it's started before age of 30. According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma is projected to kill 9,710 US citizens in 2014, about one person every hour of every day.

Tanning myths

 

Back when Jaime was tanning, the indoor tanning industry was spreading misinformation (aka lies) about the "benefits" of using tanning beds. And sadly, nothing has changed!

• Myth: Tanning beds will give you a "base tan," so you won't get burned by the sun when you hit the slopes or beach for Spring Break.   ***   WRONG!! A "base tan" from tanning beds is a great base for skin cancer and melanoma but doesn't protect your skin. The CDC says, "A tan is the body's response to injury from UV [ultraviolet] rays, showing that damage has been done. A "base tan" only provides a sun protection factor (SPF) of about 3 or less, which does little to protect you from future UV exposure." It's a deadly myth! 


• Myth: I have to get tan to look good.  ***  WRONG!! Embrace your natural skin color. It was given to you for a reason. A "golden glow" has been made socially popular through magazines and reality TV, but in the real world, that tan can kill you, just like it killed my Jaime. And if you do survive, your skin will pay the price if you torture it in a tanning bed, by gifting you with fine lines and wrinkles, sagging skin, and brown spots ... not to mention the possibility of any or all of the three kinds of skin cancer. Your eyes can also be abused by tanning beds because the UV rays can penetrate through your closed eyelids, possibly putting cataracts or cancer of the eye in your not too distant future. And don't forget the other things you can get from a tanning bed besides a tan ... genital or skin warts, rashes, and infections ... all for the same price!


• Myth: I don't need to worry about sun protection on cloudy or rainy days.  ***  WRONG!! UV rays, not temperature, do the damage to your skin. Clouds do not block the rays, they only filter them slightly.


• Myth: Tanning indoors is safer than in sun.  ***  WRONG!! Even though tanning beds operate on a timer, your exposure to the UV rays varies based on age and type of bulbs. Some tanning beds give you up to 12 times the intensity of the noonday sun. But that doesn't mean you can safely lay in the sun for hours without protection. Be sun smart too!


• Myth: Using tanning beds just for Spring Break or Prom isn't enough radiation to hurt you. ***  WRONG!! Just one indoor tanning session increases your chances of developing melanoma by 20%, and each additional session during same year increases your risk by almost another 2%. Also consider that the UV radiation our body absorbs is cumulative ... and we have no pop-up timer to tell us when we have had more than our lifetime limit. That one time tanning bed session might be just the one to push you over your allotment, so if you enjoy playing Russian roulette with your life, go for it!


• Myth: The vitamin D you get from using tanning beds will make you healthier and protect you from cancer and other diseases.   ***  WRONG!! According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, vitamin D is received through exposure to UVB rays, and the bulbs used in tanning beds mainly emit UVA rays. There are better ways to get vitamin D (10 minutes of sunlight, diet, or supplements) than frying in a tanning bed and putting yourself in danger.


• Myth: Tanned skin is healthy skin.   ***  WRONG!! The FDA says, “Although some people think that a tan gives them a ‘healthy’ glow, any tan is a sign of skin damage.”
  
  
  The science is clear; there are no health benefits from tanning beds that can't be obtained more safely and without risk of skin cancer.

The Tanning Truth

Truth: There is no good reason to use tanning beds, but there are lots of reasons not to!

If my little prom princess Jaime were alive, she would tell you that no tan is worth dying for! Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It protects you, and you should protect it in return. Stay out tanning beds ... and practice safe sun by wearing sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses or by seeking shade. Don't be the dead girl with a tan! It's just not that cool!!





 Melanoma Mama (Jaime's mom, Donna)


Twitter: @melanoma_mama
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/donna.h.regen
http://www.facebook.com/jaime.regen.rea (Remember Jaime)

http://www.facebook.com/BanTheBeds (Pull the Plug on Tanning Beds)
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetpea321 (Jjem Creations)
Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/Sweetpea321 (Jjem Creations)