Michael Flatley, the Irish dancer most well-known for Riverdance, was diagnosed in 2003 with malignant melanoma. He states in an article in the Irish Mirror that his diagnosis prompted him to take a hard look at his life and reevaluate his priorities. Wealth and material things were no longer as important as his family, friends, and his art.
Getting a diagnosis of skin cancer, even one as serious as malignant melanoma, can have the upside of giving you a reality check that so many of us need. Often, we humans take the everyday miracles for granted. We don’t have our eyes open to what is really important until it is too late, some times. Some times, it takes a diagnosis of a serious disease to put things into perspective. I know for me, it really changed the framework of what I thought was a good life. Instead of the really nice car, I would prefer to have really nice experiences, memories I can treasure. I take the extra time to pet the cat and appreciate her when she snuggles close to me. I drink in the ocean air and spend a few extra moments watching the waves crash against the shore. And despite the very tough struggles I’m going through with my husband, I try to reflect on all the good things he’s done in our time together, especially when there is so much bad right now.
If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably affected by skin cancer in some form or another. You might even be at the beginning of your journey dealing with amelanotic nodular melanoma skin cancer. Just know this, as scary as the first few weeks are – when you’re trying to educate yourself on what the future holds, know that the future also holds a chance to figure out what’s really important to you and act on being more loving, more generous, more full of whatever makes you uniquely you. And despite the worry you will experience about the future, you’ll also know that you will forever be changed in a way that is for the better as well.