I am worried for you.

[Rachiegarlo]

Reading your responses and comments across various threads about the sun and getting sunburnt I urge you all to treat the sun here with great respect.

 

My brother died early this morning from multiple cancers secondary to a melanoma that was removed a couple of years ago. He was clear until he felt unwell a couple of weeks ago. Scans showed multiple cancers.

 

This diagnosis was 6 weeks ago. My brother was 49.

 

Just take heed of the sun's strength here even on cloudy days.

 

Rachel

(PS. I am fine and feeling very calm because he no longer suffers)

[Guest tooeasy]

sorry to hear about your brother

I always use factor 30 bananna boat as recomended by one of my friends and a hat not been burnt yet and dont want too

[Moosh]

OMG that is shocking! I am so sorry to hear that Rachie. My best wishes to you at this difficult time.

 

I also agree about the sun thing. I don't even go out in the sun but often see people sunburnt - even Aussies. At work I tell them off for being so stupid!

[Guest graandjac]

:sad:sorry for your news Rachael, on a serious note every time we go to the beach there are new arrivals......little cream....no hats....kids with no rachies on:shocked:........for the new arrivals and yet to arrive THE SUN IS VERY HOT.

 

You cannot believe how quick you can burn, put factor 30 on every time you head out the door........dont let the kids go bare back at the beach, or with out a hat.......

[Guest Roo1]

Rachel, I'm so sorry to read about your brother. My thoughts are with you. xxxx

 

Knowing lots a newly arrived Brits in my job, I've talked to so many families where their kids have got burnt in the first few days of being here.

 

One teenager lay out in the back garden ( just days after arriving here) after their parents had warned him to put on a high factor and not to lie out in it.

 

He received burns from the sun and had to go to hospital. His skinned peeled and shed something shocking..........(I know, I had to clean the rental after they'd left).

 

The teenager learned the hard way and I'm sure will be sun safe from now on.

 

J x

[Guest Guest75]

My sincere condolences to you and your family Rachel.

 

We must all be guilty of having a nonchalant attitude towards the sun here at times.

[Guest tooeasy]

even if its overcast i still slap on the factor 30 its hot out there still get burnt throo the clouds

[Anne B]

I am really sorry to hear your sad news.

 

I know many Australians (my husband and Mother in Law included) who have had skin cancers removed, so I never used to sunbathe when I lived in Australia. My sister-in-laws father is an old man in his 80's who used to shoot kangaroos for a living when he was young (honest! - for their fur I think). His hands and the top of his head are covered in holes where skin cancers have been cut out. He never wore a hat and they didn't have sunscreen in those days. Likewise a friend of my husband's had to have a huge skin cancer cut out of his shoulder when he was in his 30's. He has a massive scar. He used to work on sheep stations and always wore a singlet.

 

That's why the beaches in Australia are relatively empty (in comparison to Spain).

[Guest Weez]

sorry to hear you sad news, and thanks for taking the time to raise awarenss, i am quite fair and have had a couple of moles removed in the uk luckily they were fine, but my dr could not stress enough about the sun when he found out we were moving here,i worry alot about my OH brickie who is out in the sun all day and sweats off very quickly sun crean and the cement dusts gets stuck in over greasy creams so although i know he applies some he is not consistent with it!!

[Guest weesp]

I am so sorry to hear about your brother, we have been here for 6 months, my idiot son who's 15 sat in the garden for 45 mins without cream on, the temp was cool, when he came in he was bright red then, when the night came he was sooooo red, I screamed at him till my face went as red as his chest. It has taken a week for it to go back to normal, he's peeled, but he has most certainly learnt to put on sun cream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest donna T]

Oh Rach - I am so sorry to hear your sad news - thinking of you x

[Guest smit]

To put this into perspective!...............There is a UV sun index scale, which gives you an indication of how strong the sun can,will be. In Uk, all be it 3 yrs ago, the highest I ever saw was index 9. Here in the summer, i.e now, it is routinely 12/13, and have known it to go to 14! My son got burnt once( older teen:arghh:) , and its not like Uk burns.......its far deeper. It took 5 days for the redness to go!

 

So beware..............and we havent got the high 30s / 40s days yet..........My teens still wont wear hats though!!!!!!

[Guest katsmajic]

Aww my thoughts are with you Rach, xxx

[ozzieclare2be]

so so sorry for your loss Rachel. I totally agree with you, people can be so blase about these things. As a nurse ive seen so many patients in past 5 months who have had melanomas removed, especially men on top of head!! People really need to drill this into their kids from a young age, pale is healthy, tan is sun damaged skin, no which id prefer to be!!

 

Aside from that who wants to look like the old lady out of benedorm? Pale and interesting is the way to go, not brown and sundamaged. :yesxmas:

[Guest tooeasy]

too right clare i am pale and proud I used to wish i was all tanned but after watching a program on it I am happy to be pale and healthy

always slap on the factor 30 wear a hat even if its cloudy and i hate wearing hats :arghhxmas:

[Guest Trakki]

I am sorry for your loss Rachel but as you said at least he is out of pain now. It always drove me mad in england when I saw babies and children without hats on, and young boys with no tops. Jack always moaned as I wouldn't let him have his top off. I don't think there is any excuse for a young child getting sunburnt, (obviously once they get to their teens it is harder) you get them used to cream, they will put it on without a fuss, even Joe who is only 16 months tries to rub his own cream in and Niamh is ace at doing her legs (also the floor, sofa, walls!!!) I am obsessed with creaming the kids and them wearing hats, I have even bought one as my parting in my hair gets burnt so I thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

 

Hope you are ok

 

Take care

[Guest Libby1971]

I am thinking of you Rachel at this sad time. Big hugs

 

As for the other...well I know I got sunburnt last year more than once and it was so quick! I work with a number of people who have had surgery for skin cancer.

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

(( HUG )) Rach.....xx

[Guest Alipally]

I'm sorry for you loss Rach Our thoughts are with you at this sad time. xxx

[Guest graandjac]

:tonguexmas:eh there's nothing wrong with being brown, i put on factor 30 5 times a day and iam now starting to look foreignish (politically correct)....and the summers only just started:arghhxmas:

[Guest Nick11]

So sorry sweetie.

Another big thing out here is wind burn as well. Had a couple of kids with it this week.Apparently the ozzies often get caught out by it.

[Guest ems]

So sorry to hear your news Rachel. Our thoughts are with you and your family at this terrible time.xxx

[Guest sarahsmartiepants]

Sorry to hear your news Rachie.

I see old ladies all the time with the very dry patches on their faces where they are constantly having melanomas removed.

I was a real sunworshipper up till about 5 yrs ago. I would lay in it all day in the UK, until I saw that doco with the camera that shows the sundamage on peoples skin, i used suncream after that.

I dont really sit in the sun here, it is far to hot. I do in early spring or late autumn as the sun is a little cooler, but no way like the amount I used to.

In the summer i sit under the covered thingy that has something like uv80 protection I am as brown as i used to be after weeks in it in the UK.

You do get caught out though I was at the weekend, I was painting the fence with long sleeves, felt a bit warm so took off the top top, the next thing I knew the sun was out, I was nearly finished so the cream didnt go on:noxmas:

[Guest HALT]

So Sorry for your loss. Teach your kids as part of their routine in the morning and they will soon remind you if you forget.

[minkyme29]

Hi Rachie

 

I'm very sorry to hear your brother passed away...

 

You are so right about the sun here, it takes no time at all to get very badly burnt. The biggest challenge for us is keeping a hat on our 2 year old but she always wears sunscreen and preferably long sleeves if it's not too hot.

 

Thanks for sharing your news and advice with other PIA members, it's so important to remind us that we all need to take proper care out here in Oz and your experience perfectly illustrates that.