Her Forecast is Sunny, Thanks to Family’s Precautions

By Rachel D’Ambrosio

My name is Rachel D’Ambrosio. In March, I was diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

I am only 11. This is my story.

I live in a beach community in Narragansett. I have grown up on the water. My parents have a boat and all summer we water ski, kneeboard and tube. We also have a pool where I swim all day, even at night, too.

I always wear sunscreen 30+ because I have light skin and red hair, putting me at risk for skin cancer. I was always told that the sun could cause skin cancer because of harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. But until now, I never truly understood exactly what that meant.

I remember my mom always checking my skin for freckles or spots called moles. My mom has blond hair, blue eyes and very light skin. She has been having spots removed from her body for a long time, all due to the sun. So I guess that’s why she always checks me even though it is very annoying.

My mom noticed this spot on my back that she said seemed to be "changing." She told my dad when I went to the doctor to have them measure it. The doctor said it appeared to be fine but gave us the name of a pediatric dermatologist. A dermatologist is a doctor of the skin. An appointment was made and off we went.

I have to tell you, I was very nervous going to the dermatologist. I didn’t want someone to check my skin from head to toe the way my mother does. It was kind of embarrassing.

The doctor began at my scalp. Did you know you could get skin cancer up there, too? She looked at my face, neck, ears, body, arms, legs even fingers and toes. When she checked my spot on my back, she said, "My gut feeling says it’s fine, I am 99.9 percent sure it is nothing to worry about. … We can monitor it." But my mom wanted it gone and I am glad she did. Although, at the time, I was not happy with her.

They brought in a tray of all sorts of things including needles, which I hate the most! The needles were used to numb the skin so they could cut out the spot and stitch the skin back together. Once they give you the needle, you really don’t feel a thing. They send the skin to another doctor who looks at the tissue under a microscope. They are looking for typical (normal) cells, atypical (changing) cells or cancer.

My dad got the phone call on a Wednesday night a week and a half later. The doctor said I was diagnosed with melanoma in-situ, which means the cancer was on the epidermis, the upper layer of my skin. She also said I had to go in for surgery to remove more tissue to make sure they got all the cancer.

My surgery was scheduled for Good Friday at 8:30 in the morning. The surgery was done by a plastic surgeon because of the large cuts and amount of tissue they have to take. These doctors are trained in making the best scars. Although my mom, dad and I told him we didn’t care about how big or large the scar was, because all we cared about was that the cancer was gone.

This surgery was different because now I had five needles poking me in the back to numb the area. And it took longer. But it wasn’t too bad.

My mom and dad told me they cut a lot and deep. They also said there were so many stitches they couldn’t count and that they would eventually dissolve. They sent this tissue back to Boston where they could biopsy it. A few days later, we got the phone call again. This time the tissue was cancer free!

Now I’m just waiting for the stitches to dissolve. I also have to go to the doctor every three months, but that is OK compared to how it could have been. If my melanoma was not caught in time, it could have spread to the rest of my body. I might have had to get chemotherapy or radiation; instead I am cancer-free. My mom pretty much saved my life!

My new saying is, "Make a positive out of a negative by teaching others."

Rachel D’Ambrosio will give a presentation on skin cancer and self-examination at South Kingstown Senior Services, 25 St. Dominic Rd., South Kingstown, June 4 from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.

For more information on skin cancer, go to Rachel’s Web site, http://sunsafekids.tripod.com/.

Here is what you need to know to save your life but still enjoy being outside, too.

– When possible, avoid outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are the strongest.

– Always wear sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection, with a Sun Protection Factor of 15 or higher.

– Always reapply sunscreen, especially after swimming or drying off with a towel.

– Wear a hat to protect areas such as neck, ears, eyes, forehead, nose and scalp.

– Tightly woven fabric and long sleeves protect your skin from exposure to the sun.

– Protect your eyes from sun damage; wear sunglasses that have UVA and UVB protection.

– Swimmers should remember to regularly reapply sunscreen. Ultraviolet rays reflect off the water, making sun protection especially important.

– Some medications such as antibiotics can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun, which can make you burn. In that case, avoid the sun.

– Children need extra protection from the sun. Play in a shaded area when in the 10 a.m.-4 p.m. sun. Or, if in the sun, keep reapplying sunscreen.

*Source: American Cancer Society

Narragansett

Rachel D’Ambrosio of Narragansett says she lives by these words: "Make a positive out of a negative by teaching others." The Providence Journal / Gretchen Ertl

Originally published by Rachel D’Ambrosio, Special to The Journal.

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