Skin Cancer Chronicles

Yesterday I had my surgery to get my skin cancer removed.

There was more cancer than my doctor originally thought, but he got it all after a couple tries & had to go deeper than we wanted just to be sure. 

I took this photo a few hours after my surgery.

Pardon my red rimmed eyes, I had a lot of tears post surgery yesterday afternoon. 

Not from the pain but because they gave me a mirror before they bandaged me up. 

I was not emotionally prepared to see that. 

IT.WAS.AWFUL. 

Like, part of my nose is gone. 

He says it will take awhile to heal....4-6 weeks of being bandaged up & hopefully I won’t need a skin graph& plastic surgery. I really, really, really don't want that.

 I have gotten questions about how I knew it was skin cancer.
I go every year for a skin check & I am very aware of my skin.
It was small, like if someone took a marker and put a dot on my nose.
It was just a dry patch that size on my nose that wouldn’t go away.
My dermatologist froze it off last year (we thought it was pre cancerous) and it came back a few months later so I had a feeling it was a basal cell so my dr biopsied it when I had my skin check 2 weeks ago. Came back as basal cell.
The section that they had to remove was SO MUCH WIDER and DEEPER than I could have imagined based on the small spot that was on my nose.

I have had 2 basal cell skin cancers removed from my back & shoulder, but this was SO MUCH WORSE.

The method they use for skin cancer on your face is called the MOHS surgery.
You are awake & they numbed my nose.
They take off layers of your skin, where the skin cancer is, but them under the microscope to see if there is cancer, cauterized my nose to stop the bleeding (so that was fun to smell my burning flesh. BARF) You have to wait an hour each time for them to check the cells and then Repeat the process until there is no more cancer showing up. It leaves you with a wide open gaping hole on your face that takes 4-6 weeks to heal. NOT FUN.

Sorry to share all this, but if I can help someone avoid this by sharing my story, then I've done my part.
I try to keep it positive & upbeat here, but I also want to keep it real.
This is my reality right now and it is not sunshine & roses, but I want to educate others so you (or your kids) don't have to go through what I did.
My doctor also said it's not just people who are fair skinned who get skin cancer.
He has done this surgery on African Americas, Asians, Hispanics, Caucasians, Mixed Races....all ethnicities!

In case you need another reminder: GET YOUR SKIN CHECKED & WEAR SUNSCREEN.

Love,
Mel the White Nosed Reindeer

What's Up Wednesday :: June 2018

It's the last Wednesday of the month, that means it's time for our What's Up Wednesday Link Up!

Link up with  me, Sheaffer & Shay the LAST Wednesday of each month so we can read about What's Up with YOU!
Shay is on vacation & Sheaffer is doing her Bachelorette Recap, so join me this month! 

Here we go!

What We’re Eating this week.....

 Monday: Out to Dinner in Tahoe
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday
Wednesday: Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Sliders

Thursday: Chicken Apple Sausages & Caprese Orzo Salad

Friday: Friday Night Pizza Night!

I picked some zucchini from our garden, I am making my Chocolate Chop Zucchini Muffins.

 I also made a big batch of zucchini and squash zoodles with my Veggie Spiralizer.

What I'm Reminiscing about.....

Last week we took a Road Trip to Oregon for a Larson Family Reunion.
It was SO much fun. We had a blast.

The reunion was at the Oregon Coast & was beautiful. We drove all over Oregon.

 Road Trip Recap coming soon!

 What I'm loving.....

23 and Me!
I got a kit months ago and finally did it.
Prior to doing the kit, I thought I was English, Irish, Scottish & Danish.
Oh, and I was told I was 1/16 Native American.
Wrong and Wrong.
I got my results and I am barely Danish...only 3.8%!!! We thought that would be 25%.
And, apparently I am am 11% German?!?!

 This was a SHOCK to our entire family. We had no idea we were German...much less 11%
So now, my entire family wants to do 23 and Me.
It's fascinating! Order your kit HERE.

What We've been up to.....

The kids and I have been in Tahoe the past few days.

Tahoe is my happy place.


What I'm Dreading.....

Surgery tomorrow :(
If you saw my post on Monday, I posted this selfie with my biospy and talked about how I am having surgery to get basal cell skin cancer removed from my nose.

 Seriously dreading it. UGH.
Wish I wore sunscreen in my teens & 20's!

What I'm Working On.....

Yep...still working on my 40 Bags in 40 Days!


 We are in town next week, so my goal is to get my closet, dresser, nightstand, master bathroom and the Guest Room taken care of. Then in a couple weeks when the kids have a camp, I am going to work on their rooms.


What I'm Excited About.....

My RF Sunscreen Sale! Many of you are excited about this deal & I am too!
To distract myself from my surgery tomorrow & because I am so passionate about making sure you wear sunscreen (I didn’t do this regularly until I was in my 30s and now I’m paying for it, I am have a sunscreen sale this week.

For every regimen you buy, I will give you the sunscreen portion of your regimen for FREE!
Yes, that's right....FREE! This is up to a $60 savings depending on what regimen you need.


 
Maybe you aren't interested in a regimen, but you are interested in some of our other products like Lash Boost, Active Hydration Serum or our eye cream. You can get TWO FREE Essentials items of your choice (SPF 30 Body sunscreen, 2 pack SPF 25 Lip shield, body moisturizer or Sunless tanner) 

This is over $50 in savings.
It's not too late to start taking care of your skin!
Consider this your PSA to get your skin checked and to also wear sunscreen, especially on your face...DAILY!
 
This deal is good for new or current customers.
I am also happy to answer any questions you have & figure out what products are best for your skin.

We have products for all skin types.

Take THIS quick 5 question survey to find out what products are best for your skin type.
(Ignore the prices you see on my website, those are retail prices & I can get you discounted Preferred Customer pricing!)

Email me to place an order.

This deal is good for new or current customers.
I am also happy to answer any questions you have! 

melissa_larson17@yahoo.com

What I'm Watching........

 Bachelorette! It's the only thing I am actually watching this summer since all shows are on repeat.

What I'm Reading.....

I've read 5 books so far this month

17th Suspect

 

4.5 out of 5 stars.
 This is the 17th book in the Women's Murder Club Series by James Patterson

In 2016,  I  started book 1 the first week of summer. 

By the end of the summer, I had read ALL 15 books in the series.

I'm slightly embarrassed by that.

But, they are SO good.

You must read them in numerical order.

And, they are based in San Francisco & the Bay Area, so that is fun.

Sunburn 

 3 out of 5 stars. This was a slow read for me. It was just okay.

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

4.5 out of 5 stars
Someone recommended this author to me & I LOVED this book! Such a sweet story.
I loved it so much, I read another one by her right after: 
The Simplicity of Cider

4 out of 5 stars. Also, a very sweet story. Going to read more by her for sure!

Good as Gone

3.5 out of 5 stars
This was suspenseful book & the ending was not what I thought.

I think I'm going to start this book today:
Love Walked In

 


What I'm Listening to.....

On my runs, I am listening to Pandora's Top Hits.
Loving Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line Meant to Be.

 Great Summer song!

What I'm Wearing.....

Summer is when I am lazy with my clothes since I don't have to teach.
 I am most likely wearing a bathing suit & a swim suit cover up & these flip flops.

This dress might be the perfect summer dress.

 I have it in black and gray. I LOVE it. It comes in 10 colors.
Perfect to wear with flip flops and a jean jacket if you need a layer.

I am also wearing these flip flops:

During the summer, you will also see me wearing a hat. Any day that I don't have to do my hair is a good day :) I am seriously lazy in the summer. Ha! Plus, hats give me good sun protection.
 Here are 2 hats I wear on repeat.
I have the black one:

And the aqua one:

They come in 6 colors.
You can get them HERE.

What I’m doing this weekend.....

Family Reunion on my Dad's side of the family.
We are hosting it at our house. Can't wait!

What I'm Looking Forward to next month.....

4th of July
Santa Barbara
Lake Tahoe

What else is new.....

Rodan + Fields just announced a NEW deal if you become a NEW consultant!
You can get a FREE Redefine Regimen for joining!
This is an incredible deal.

If you are interested in partnering with the Number 1 Skin Care Brand in North America & if you want to capitalize on Dermatologist Developed Products that are INSANELY high in demand, we need to talk. Our products are literally flying off the shelves!
The time is NOW!

I want to help you get to where you want to be, with side income,  it truly is all possible with R+F.

  I had NO experience in Direct Sales (I even had a horrible perception of direct sales and said I would NEVER do it)
What I did know was that Drs. Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields were the worlds leading Dermatologists, they built a multi-billion dollar business with Proactiv and they doing it again in the aging market! I thought, if I don't try it, I will regret it..so I jumped in head first and didn't look back. I NEVER saw myself where I am today, earning free trips and LONG TERM RESIDUAL INCOME! 

 However, the best part for me is helping women who see the incredible opportunity we are sitting on, and helping them do the same! I am now a part of an inspiring team of entrepreneurs.
Maybe this business isn't a right fit for you personally, but you never know until you hear the facts! This business truly is a gift, and for those who take it and run ANYTHING is possible...I have seen it first hand.

For information regarding earnings under the R+F Compensation Plan, see the Income Disclosure Statement {HERE}

Email me to learn more:
melissa_larson17@yahoo.com

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If you are new to my blog, thanks for stopping by!

Feel free to follow along! 

You can find me on Bloglovin, Facebook & Instagram

Can't wait to read about What's up with all of YOU!

PSA: Wear Sunscreen & Get your Skin Checked

A little over a week ago, I had my annual skin check at my dermatologist. 

I go every year for skin checks because this Irish/Scottish/English girl spent too much time in the sun in my teen years & 20's. 
I wasn't the best about sunscreen back then. All those years in the California (and Colorado) sun playing soccer without sunscreen was a bad idea.

Because of this, I have had a few basal cell skin cancer spots removed on my shoulder & back. 

I've had several pre-cancerous spots removed on my face. 

At my appointment a week ago I had a spot on my nose removed for biopsy & I got the news a few days ago that it was a Basal Cell Skin Cancer.  I have to have surgery at the end of this week to get it fully removed next week. I'm praying they don't have to go too deep.

If you see me the next 6 weeks, I will have a bandage on my nose because the surgeon told me I have to keep it covered for that long in order for it to heal & not get infected.
Consider this my PSA to go get annual skin checks, wear sunscreen EVERYDAY and make sure you put sunscreen on your kids. I wish I was better about this when I was younger. 

I posted this photo last week on FB and IG as on RFGoNaked Day.

Every year, Rodan + Fields challenges people to take a make up free selfie.

For every make up free selfie that was posted that day, RF donated $1 to Build On, which provides afterschool programs to keep underprivileged kids off the streets. 

I am happy to announce that last week over ONE MILLION people posted a make up free selfie, so RF is donating $100 MILLION dollars to Build On. I love that RF partners with this organization!

 I am so proud to be a part RF Go Naked Make Up Free Selfie Day every year. 

I'm not going to lie...it was not as easy for me to post this today or to post it on RFGoNaked Selfie Day because of the wound on my nose that I have from my skin cancer biopsy, but I want to keep it real and this is my reality right now.

 
At least the rest of my skin & my lashes look good thanks to using RF products for the past 4 years :)
My dermatologist commented on how good my skin has done since I started using RF & taking care of it the past several years. 

I wish I would have taken better care of my skin when I was in my teens & 20s.
It's not too late to start taking care of your skin!

Consider this your PSA to get your skin checked and to also wear sunscreen, especially on your face...DAILY!

Because I am so passionate about this, I am have a sunscreen sale now this week.

For every regimen you buy, I will give you the sunscreen portion of your regimen for FREE!

Yes, that's right....FREE! This is up to a $60 savings depending on what regimen you need.

I want YOU to start taking care of your skin! 

Like all our products, this offer comes with a 60 day, empty bottle, 100% money back guarantee. You have nothing to lose!
What's your biggest skin concern? I am here to help!

We have products for all skin types.

Take THIS quick 5 question survey to find out what products are best for your skin type.
(Ignore the prices you see on my website, those are retail prices & I can get you discounted Preferred Customer pricing!)

Email me to place an order.

This deal is good for new or current customers.
I am also happy to answer any questions you have! 

melissa_larson17@yahoo.com

Maybe you aren't interested in a regimen, but you are interested in some of our other products like Lash Boost, Active Hydration Serum or our eye cream. For all new preferred customers who don't buy a regimen you will get $20 cash back and TWO FREE Essentials items of your choice. This is over $50 in savings!

 
Our Essentials items are essential to protecting your skin.

The essentials items to choose from are:
-SPF 30 Body Sunscreen
-Body Moisturizer
-2 pack of our SPF 25 Lip Shield

- Foaming Sunless Tanner

*All Rodan + Fields sunscreen products meet the FDA’s criteria to be labeled broad spectrum. This means they offer proportionate UVA and UVB protection and may be labeled for protection against early skin aging and skin cancer.

*All Rodan +Fields Sunscreens are OXYBENZONE FREE!

*All Rodan + Fields sunscreens have been awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation. This designation is only granted to sun protection products that meet stringent criteria and provide scientific data to demonstrate that the product sufficiently and safely aids in the prevention of sun-induced damage to the skin.

Please, please, please make sure you lather up yourself & your kids this summer.

And, make sure your daily moisturizer has SPF in it.  It needs to be an SPF greater than 15.

You would be surprised how much sun damage adds up from being outside just a few minutes at a time through out the day.

Protect your skin from those harmful rays!

Instant Pot Shredded BBQ Chicken

Summer is officially here, which means it's grilling & BBQ weather. 

In the summer, I rarely turn on my oven or stove...it's just too hot out and when I use the oven it heats up my house. Last Summer, we grilled or I used my Instant Pot. No oven or no stove.

I am really excited to share this recipe with you because it's easy, healthy & delicious!

 Here is what you need:

- Instant Pot
- One (2.5 lb) bag of frozen chicken tenderloins
- 1T Paprika
- 1 T Garlic Powder
- 2 T Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- BBQ Sauce

Directions:
Add 1/4 cup of water to your Instant Pot  & then place entire 2.5 lb bag of frozen chicken tenderloins in your Instant Pot. Sprinkle with garlic powder & paprika:

Add 1/4 cup brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce & 1 cup of BBQ sauce:

Don't stir!   Then put the lid on your Instant Pot turn the knob to SEALING:

You are going to cook this on manual high pressure for 10 minutes.

Let it naturally release the pressure....this can take 10-15 minutes. Turn Instant Pot off. Your chicken will look like this when you take off the lid.

Now, you are going to take a hand mixer and shred the chicken right there in the Instant Pot.

The chicken will be falling apart, so don't shred it too much or it will be mushy.

If you don't want to use a hand mixer, you can use forks to shred.

Then, you are going to put a strainer in the sink and pour the chicken into the strainer. Chicken is watery, so after you cook there is tons of water, so it's important to strain it. I let it sit in the sink for a cup minutes like this:

Then I put the chicken back into the Instant Pot liner and add more BBQ sauce! You can add as much BBQ sauce as you want, whatever you prefer.

Mix it together & now it is ready to serve!

When I make this Shredded Chicken I like serving it as sliders on Hawaiian Rolls (yum!!) or you can serve it on hamburger buns...whatever you prefer :)

If you don't have an Instant Pot (you need to get one!!!) you can make this in the Slow Cooker. Follow instructions & cook on slow for 6-8 hours.

I also like to serve it with coleslaw, it give a nice crunch. You are getting 2 recipes on this post. One for the chicken & one for the coleslaw.

Here is what you need for the coleslaw:

- Shredded cabbage (I like the one from Trader Joe's)

- Shredded carrots

- Jar of Coleslaw dressing

-BBQ sauce

-Lemon Juice

I'm not giving exact measurements on this because it just depends on how much coleslaw you are making. The shredded BBQ Chicken recipe serves a ton, so it is a couple meals for our family of 5. I make the coleslaw fresh each night because soggy coleslaw is gross!

I add some of the shredded cabbage & shredded carrots to a bowl:

For the dressing, in a separate bowl, I do equal parts of the jared coleslaw & BBQ sauce. I add a squirt of lemon juice.

Whisk together.

Pour onto the cabbage & carrots.

Mix together & viola! Sometimes instead of mild BBQ sauce, I will add Hot/spicy BBQ sauce to the coleslaw to give it a kick!

You can serve the coleslaw on the side, or on the sandwiches. We prefer the coleslaw on the sliders:

This is a perfect summer meal!

If you need a meal to feed a crowd....this is it!

It's a nice alternative to pulled pork.

I hope you like these as much as we do...they are a summer staple for us.

I prefer them on Hawaiian rolls (they give a nice sweetness) but you can use your favorite type of Hamburger bun.

Enjoy!