noelm Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 Something we males are not good at, getting "things" checked....now I don't mean to scare anyone (or maybe I do) but a week or so ago, I was trying on a shirt, my wife said "what's that?" I asked what? She said I had a "spot" on my back....no idea I said, it's on my back, I cant see it! Anyway, she insisted I get it checked, even though I whinged and said it was just a "spot" Fast forward to just over a week, I have a "fillet" the size of a decent Flathead cut out of my back......turns out it was the very early stage of Melanoma, another 6-12 months and it might have been real trouble! So, the moral of the story, get things checked, especially for us fisherfolk who spend a lot of time outdoors, doesn't matter how small things might seem, the longer you leave it, the more intense things become, just like the Tropical Ulcer on my ear recently, caught early, it was a good outcome....so far. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackfish Posted May 27, 2023 Share Posted May 27, 2023 Great advice Noelm, I get checked yearly and have been very lucky, only the sunspots that get frozen off so far. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 Good catch @noelm. Certainly pays to err on the side of caution and listen to what the doctor says, especially for skin checkups as you say for us anglers/boaters. I've noticed a lot of my former colleagues of the 50-70 age group coming back from the dermatologist with skin missing, in the past decade or so 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted May 28, 2023 Author Share Posted May 28, 2023 Yep, that's my age group, I guess it's just a carry over from the "good old days" fishing with no shirt on, surfing and so on, no one wore a hat, sunscreen or stuff like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 As they say a yearly check is the go. Make sure you have a blood test. Blood tests can show a lot of problems. Prostate is one of them. Cheers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted May 28, 2023 Author Share Posted May 28, 2023 Yep, going back in a week or so for the full "results" plus a top to toe "inspection" and blood test. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 34 minutes ago, noelm said: Yep, that's my age group, I guess it's just a carry over from the "good old days" fishing with no shirt on, surfing and so on, no one wore a hat, sunscreen or stuff like that. Yep, if I understand correctly, that was the pre 'slip slap slop' era. Hopefully the incidence goes down for subsequent generations. It's now 'slip, slop, slap, seek (shade) and slide (on sunglasses)'! More complicated, but I guess if we can wrap our heads around it, it will go far to keep us safer: Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide | Cancer Council. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted May 28, 2023 Author Share Posted May 28, 2023 Just thinking back, in the old days of fishing "the Banks" we would drive out, straight into the sun, sit all day in the open, then drive back to shore into the afternoon sun, rarely wore a hat, sunglasses, never used sunscreen in case it tainted your bait....I guess I/we are paying for it now! That said, except for some minor, benign things, I have been very lucky.......so far. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 (edited) Considering I’ve worked and played almost my entire life outdoors, I’m lucky to have dodged anything serious so far, just a few benign burn offs on the back of my hands and legs, though still check myself and get checked by a professional regularly. Religiously wearing a hat, shirt/wetsuit and sunglasses long before “slip, slop, slap” became popular has no doubt gone a long way to help me there. Not only for skin cancer, but cataracts as well. @noelmglad to hear you caught yours in time. Edited May 28, 2023 by Green Hornet 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 Very good topic @noelm Swordie took his mother to the dermatologist many moons ago. He was 24 yrs old and the dr looked at him and said. “don’t worry about Mum, that lesion on your right temple needs immediate removal and biopsy” Swordie has had many many lesions removed from his face , excisions and suturing and freezing, BCC and SCC’s He has been fishing since he was born and his skin has suffered on his face, hands and arms. ALL RAIDERS PLEASE GET YOUR HEALTH CHECKS DONE WITH YOUR GP. Here is a link to read all the things men need to discuss with their GP’s. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/health-checks-for-men 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted May 28, 2023 Author Share Posted May 28, 2023 Yeah, it's amazing how small and innocuous this spot was, even if I could see it I would probably just leave it, I guess we imagine a Melanoma would be a big, ugly "thing" growing? I am kind of worried/concerned about the checkup, don't know why. My wife coming from a long medical back ground, and my daughter being a Nurse they kind of push me to get things looked at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaitDropper Posted May 28, 2023 Share Posted May 28, 2023 My advice now, would be to find a really really good dermatologist, once you get diagnosed with one of these, the risk factor seems to go up. I had one test positive about 10 years back, fortunately after the second " carving" it came up clear, but was referred to a dermatologist who wanted 6 monthly visits which continued for about 6-7 years afterwards. I've probably had 3-4 really suspect ones in that time that turned out to be all good, after excising them, but I couldn't tell you how many I've had removed now for testing or the lesser ones burnt off. I go in annually now and will continue to do so, definitely not something to muck around with. Realty on this matter kicked home about 2 years ago, where a good friend was suffering from terrible headaches, he was of our elk and had had the odd burning and spot removed, but his headaches turned out to be advanced melanoma, which had spread to the brain, we buried him not more than 5 months after his headaches first appeared. While it can be concerning Noel, and believe me I've been there, being proactive now is definitely the right action to take, It's concerning and even a little frightening, but it seems your wife has spotted it and got you motivated to get in and sort it. My dermatologist, basically told me that all of my skin damage was done probably 40-50 years ago, which was an era where there was no real concern, we were pushed outside as kids, no sun screen, we didn't want to wear hats, that was un cool, but the effects of that era come back and kick us in later life.. Good luck with your check up with your results etc, it does sound like you've caught it in time, but very serious about doing annuals with a specialist dermatologist, regular GP's don't necessarily have the expertise to diagnose correctly.. Good luck with it anyhow's... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted May 29, 2023 Share Posted May 29, 2023 Just found out from my Mate's wife. My Mate went to the Doctor last week for his usual yearly checkup. The Doctor said to him you better have a blood test ,you haven't had one for a while. Result. First stages of prostate cancer. They say he will be ok with treatment . You never, never know. Get checked. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted May 29, 2023 Share Posted May 29, 2023 You need to find a dermatologist. These are specialist medical practitioners (see below). They are not GP's who have an interest in skin disorders or cosmetic surgeons. Here is a link to find an accredited dermatologist near you https://www.dermcoll.edu.au/find-a-derm/ "Dermatologists are specialist medical doctors who are the experts in conditions of the skin, hair, nails and skin cancer. With skills and expertise spanning medical, surgical and procedural dermatology, specialist dermatologists are at the forefront of skin health research and innovation. To become a dermatologist in Australia, applicants must be a registered medical practitioner and be accepted onto the Australasian College of Dermatologists’ specialist training program where they will complete at least four years of specialist dermatology training. This involves working alongside and under the supervision of experience dermatologists to complete thousands of hours treating patients, and passing final exams. The College also assesses medical practitioners with dermatology qualifications about obtained outside Australia (International Medical Graduates) who may wish to practice dermatology in Australia." 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 (edited) I just want add to this. Prostrate problems. I was advised by a Specialist, once you hit forty, go & get a blood test every year onwards. Blood tests show up all sorts of things so I was advised. One Sunday night about two years a go i was having a couple of beers & i found I couldn't urinate. Thought nothing of it until the pain set in. Straight to the Hospital,where the Doctor put a tube in me & drained out 700ml of fluid. The Doctor then put anther tube in & attached a bag to my leg & said go & see your Gp tomorrow. Saw the GP, straight to a Specialst on the Wednesday. Admitted to hospital on the Friday where they operated on an oversize Prostate. I was home the following Tuesday all done. No bag. Told to rest up for a week. No Cancer. I was lucky. Get a blood test at least once a year. It could save your life. Cheers. Edited June 2, 2023 by Rebel 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 9 hours ago, Rebel said: I just want add to this. Prostrate problems. I was advised by a Specialist, once you hit forty, go & get a blood test every year onwards. Blood tests show up all sorts of things so I was advised. One Sunday night about two years a go i was having a couple of beers & i found I couldn't unirate. Thought nothing of it until the pain set in. Straight to the Hospital,where the Doctor put a tube in me & drained out 700ml of fluid. The Doctor then put anther tube in & attached a bag to my leg & said go & see your Gp tomorrow. Saw the GP, straight to a Specialst on the Wednesday. Admitted to hospital on the Friday where they operated on an oversize Prostate. I was home the following Tuesday all done. No bag. Told to rest up for a week. No Cancer. I was lucky. Get a blood test at least once a year. It could save your life. Cheers. Thanks for sharing your experience @Rebel very important message there. It’s called BPH - benign prostatic hypertrophy. I nursed in a Urology Ward and it is common. The screening blood test should be checked by GP when routine annual bloods are done Common symptoms of BPH include: Frequent or urgent need to pee, also called urination. Peeing more often at night. Trouble starting to pee. Weak urine stream, or a stream that stops and starts. Dribbling at the end of urination. Not being able to fully empty the bladder. https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/causes-and-prevention/early-detection-and-screening/early-detection-of-prostate-cancer 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 This is a very worthwhile thread. As mentioned most males are VERY reluctant to get that particular part of their anatomy examined and often that can lead to serious problems presenting, sometimes when it is too late to impact with treatment. Cancer is an indiscriminate, insidious disease that can creep up on you with little indication. Not many of us would be able to say that we don't know of anybody who has been impacted by its many forms. It is the scourge of humanity, and will likely remain that way. I can only reiterate what has been said previously. Have regular checks...no guarantees, but they can definitely help survival rates. bn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffb5.8 Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 On 5/28/2023 at 9:11 PM, BaitDropper said: My advice now, would be to find a really really good dermatologist, once you get diagnosed with one of these, the risk factor seems to go up. This don't trust a normal GP, i did and it nearly cost me dearly. I had a BCC to the 2nd derma, lucky all sorted now 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 On 5/28/2023 at 6:29 PM, noelm said: Yeah, it's amazing how small and innocuous this spot was, even if I could see it I would probably just leave it, I guess we imagine a Melanoma would be a big, ugly "thing" growing? I am kind of worried/concerned about the checkup, don't know why. My wife coming from a long medical back ground, and my daughter being a Nurse they kind of push me to get things looked at. Nothing to worry about with a check-up, just keep getting checked. A fact of life, blood tests every year, same for skin checks. Also remember, melanomas can pop up on areas than rarely, or never, get exposed to the sun - soles of feet, eyes, under arms, and for the blokes, the old fella, which usually means a lot of it is chopped off. As I have said before, I am up to 10 BCC's, 8 SCC's and 2 melanomas, plus many sun spots frozen off. Small scars on different places, better scars than being worm food. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted June 7, 2023 Author Share Posted June 7, 2023 Just to kind of finish this, I got my results back yesterday, Melanoma completely removed, clear margins all 'round. The specialist kind of hinted that even a few more months "might" have resulted in a different outcome! As it stands, for me, it's full "inspection" every 3 months for a year, then just yearly checks, so......the moral of the story, GO TO THE DOCTORS to get "things" checked early! Just to add, while checking he also found a BCC that he will remove later, it's not a big deal thing like Melanoma. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Great to see your ok. As you say a yearly check & a blood test can save your life. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 He hasn't mentioned a blood test, maybe I might see my GP and get a complete blood test just for kicks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/health-checks-for-men All male raiders READ THE INFO ON THE LINK ABOVE. It gives you all the info about what health checks you need as a male. Discuss with your GP. We are the drivers of our health and not passengers. Here is all the information on My Health Record and the national pathway for Digital Health for all Australians https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/ If anyone wants a hand with My Health Record or digital health queries I can help. Send me a pm or ask here. Thanks @noelm for this very important thread. This one and the NRL one are leading posts! mrsswordie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 Even if it prompts one person to see a doctor about a spot, suspicious lump, pain or a "plumbing" problem, then it's been well worth it! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now