Why I created this site...

In a nutshell, to promote awareness of skin cancer and how dangerous it can be.

Jason Thomas Me!

Hi. My name is Jason Thomas, I was born in April 1971, and live in England, in the county of Essex. I work in London as an Analyst Programmer. Yes, that's me on the right, no emails telling me what a horrible picture it is, I know! Now, on with my story...

As far back as I can remember, I had a cyst, (or 'nodule', as my doctor called it), under my

..I had a cyst under my eye..

right eye. Not wanting it to get bigger (as it was, slowly but surely), I went to get it removed, along with a lump on my head. The operation was fairly normal, in and out in a day, the cyst on my head with a few stitches in it, and the one under my eye was removed, using a "flap" fold to cover the area that was cut out. The scar it left under my eye looked pretty ugly for a while, but it's not going to last forever, in fact it's pretty well healed up already. Anyway, my girlfriend said it gives me a macho look!

Well that was the last I thought about it until a month or so later when I went back for a

.."Basal Cell" cancer..

follow up appointment. The doctor called me in, and told me the cyst under my eye was "basal cell" cancer, otherwise known as a "rodent ulcer". I know what you're thinking - only basal cell - could have been worse - but to me all I could think of was the word cancer. The Doctor didn't really explain it very well, just said it was rare in somebody as young as me, told me not to worry (which is difficult when you don't understand the problem in the first place!), and also that the cancer should not re-occur in the same place, as they had cut a large lump of skin out, but it may re-occur in other areas of my body.

The first thing I did once I got home was to get on the Internet and find out as much about it as possible. Most of the information I found is spread out, or overly technical, and it took me a long time to find out all I needed to know. When I did, however, it eased my mind a lot, and made me feel a great deal happier.

So my aim with this web site is to collect information on skin cancer, keep it short but

..dangers of skin cancer..

informative, and to educate people on the dangers of skin cancer, especially burning in the sun. I generally do not like sitting in the sun, I find it uncomfortable if I get too hot. However, I do go on holidays once a year, usually to hot countries, and used to try and come back home with a tan, which usually involves burning somewhere along the line! I usually tan well, I have dark hair, but I also have blue eyes, lots of moles and my skin is not used to the sun, which are all bad points.

I am very cautious in the sun now, I doubt I will be getting a tan again, however my doctor said that as long as you are safe about being in the sun, you can still develop a tan, but safely is the keyword (See 'how to protect yourself'). I think we really need to change our outlook that 'brown is beautiful' and being pale means you're ill. I think too many people take the attitude that 'it won't happen to me'. Remember, it's your life and you only live once. Don't waste it.