In early June, I attended a conference in Denver, then took off in a rental car to Yellowstone National Park. I saw my first moose, four bears — three of them grizzlies, and one black bear that shot across the road in front of the car. (Please pay attention to all the signs that warn you to slow down because of wildlife on the roads.) There also were tons of bison and elk.
One day I took a hike. It was spontaneous and seemed like a good idea, as the weather was quite cool and overcast. Sunburn was the last thing on my mind.
However, about an hour into the hike, the sun came out and it warmed up considerably, and when I got back I realized that I had gotten severely sunburned on my face, the back of my neck and ears. The intensity of the sun at 9,000 feet in the mountains really did me in.
Oh well, I thought, I've been sunburned before, no big deal. But as the burning really set in, I began to worry that I may have overdone it, well beyond simple discomfort. When I got home, the first thing I did was increase my limited knowledge of sunburn.
A part of my concern was my age. Are older folks more vulnerable to skin damage from the sun? The answer is yes. Oops!
Next question was how important is history, as I had worked as a lifeguard through college and getting burned by the sun early in the season was typical. The burn then turned to a deep, rich tan and I was fine for the rest of the season (or so I assumed).
However, there were times when the burn was so severe that it blistered, and that has me concerned. Indeed, it should as I found a source that told me ... “One blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life.” Melanoma is dangerous skin cancer that can be lethal. Oops again!
Clearly, I was careless and foolish, and believe me, I'm keeping a close eye on the sunburned areas for any signs of skin cancer.
Basal cell carcinoma
There are different forms of skin cancer varying in severity. The most common is basal cell carcinoma, and it affects approximately 2 million folks a year.
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