http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s2011387.htm http://forums.vogue.com.au/showthread.php?t=264472 CLARE Oliver knows skin cancer will claim her life in the coming weeks, if not days. It has already robbed her of her dream to become a journalist, but the determined 25-year-old still has the courage to write for the Herald Sun from her bed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre to warn others of the dangers of tanning salons. But any action will be too late to save Clare Oliver, who now just wants to live long enough to enjoy her 26th birthday on Saturday. Written by Clare: "I AM at peace. But if I could go back and talk to myself when I was 19 I would tell that girl not to use a solarium -- that melanoma is not a small cancer that you just have cut out and you will be fine. I may pass in another week or it could be two. If I really fight it out, I may even have six weeks left. It's scary, because I feel myself getting more tired, and each time I feel sleepy it worries me that I might not wake up. So far I have lived 25 years. If I am lucky I will reach 26 because my birthday is on Saturday. It is a short life, but I have lived it. Subconsciously I did know that cancer was involved with solariums because I was aware of UV A and UV B rays. But when I was 19, I saw a cheap offer of "buy 10 sessions and get 20". The girl working at the tanning salon told me the fastest way to get a tan was to come in every second day and use speed cream. My mum told me it was abnormal to get in a box and fry myself, but I told her it was cool and everyone was doing it. After the 10th session I was starting to burn and it hurt, so I stopped. But I guess I stopped too late. It would be irresponsible of me to blame it just on solariums, because I grew up in St Kilda and went to the beach a lot. But you can't tell me the Government doesn't realise the dangers of solariums. Young girls need to go out and educate themselves about solariums before they make any decisions. Obviously my decision has been made, and I think they should be banned. But now that you know my story and the resulting risks involved, hopefully you will realise it is not worth having a golden tan. I am angry at myself mostly, but I can't believe how much the industry is booming. A lot of friends tell me I still have a lot of life left in me, but I just live every day as though it is my last. I was 22 when diagnosed. I had just finished a Bachelor of Media and Communication and a Master of Cinema at the University of Melbourne and started work as a sports journalist at SBS. I was on top of the world. But I only got to work for three weeks and then I found out about my cancer. I will never get to climb the so-called ladder, and even now I complain about not being able to run the rat race with everyone else. I know I would be good at it -- I think I would be great at it. I wanted to go to the top, but now feel I have so much potential that will be unused. It was 2004 when they found a tumour under my left armpit, which they treated with immunotherapy. In July 2005, it came back and this time they treated me with radiotherapy. I was cancer-free for a year and seven months, and then in April I found a lump in my neck. I thought they could just cut it out, but it turns out there were seven tumours in my chest and one in my lung. Now they have stopped counting how many there are. I had all these ideas and in the end I was ready to accept that two years would be more than enough time left. But I have accepted it, especially now that I am nearing the end and I am at peace. When you are someone like me you realise that life is everything and you grab it with both hands and embrace it. If there is something that you feel needs to be done, go and do it, and do it wholeheartedly because life is short. People ask me how I can still be so happy with all this on my plate. But I have lived my life as a spark. I don't want to live a life where I am living until I am 100 and just flat boring. I have always lived my life with compassion and passion. I have never been one to keep my silence about anything I have felt passionate about. Melanoma is no joke. And I will keep championing this cause till the day I take my last breath. "
i think i read something like that from Cosmo... saw the pics too... she was pretty... i dun get y ppl still go to solariums... UVA n UVB causes premature aging to the skin n SKIN CANCER!! lots of ppl still seem to think it's a myth n go to solariums or sun bathing without ANY protection... sad...
its ok if u go once in a while i reckon, but personally natural tanning is the cheapest and best way lol.
I wouldn't say ban, but make people conscious about the negative consequences of the use of solarium. And if anyone still choose to use it and get some skin cancer or anything related, they shouldn't be allowed to free health care because they brought it upon themselves. :/
ye they should make ppl aware of the effects it causes. i wonder if u need to sign for consent when having one of these. hmm... but ye best way is not to waste money. i wouldn't go to extent of denying them free health care, that is crude and how would u know if it was solarium which caused the skin cancer as a doctor.
Even if it wasn't only the solarium, it surely didn't help it. I don't think denying them of free health care for skin cancer is crude at all. As in Canada, there's already a huge shortage and long waiting list. If people (smokers too!!!!) wouldn't deliberately make themselves prone to illness and cancer, it wouldn't be as bad. Think of all those people taxes have to save while that money could go to better education, better road structure, etc. that can benefit not only one person and its family, but a whole community. Well, maybe let's say, if you've spent more than 10 hours, you don't get free health care for skin damages? lol Tracking would be a difficulty. In the best world, there would be some kind of commune health database, but with hackers and all that mess with personal infos, not sure if that would be feasible. I think as a skin specialist, the dermatologist should know if someone has been using solarium or not. There must be abnormal signs or something.
In this case, banning would be better than letting them have a choice. Why give them a choice that will result in harm when you can avoid it? Denying health care is cruel even if they chose it themselves.
I dont think that they should ban it....., dont we all know the side-effects of a solarium...... I guess they didn't pay much attention in biology..... -nono It's just like using a rubber -_-2
uhm... see that there is the key... police radars, cell phones, x-rays... all cause cancer... should we ban these too? People gotta stop blaming others and take responsibility FOR THEMSELVES...
its not a solarium.. its a tanning salon a solarium is a 'sunroom'; a glass enclosed terrace which people sometimes add on to their homes.
Denying them free health care revokes the fundamental health care policy of accessibility, equality, and such. A big lawsuit will ensue for sure if they do that.
exactly wat i thought and as a doctor u are non-judgemental so u shouldn't rele deny them free healthcare.
lol can tanning is the spray can one lol u spray on ur skin then leave it there?, whats with people and wanting to be darker?
sorry buddy the only part i understood is "u spray on ur skin then leave it ther?" personally i dun like tanning... i like to b as white as i can b... but i get tanned easily n it never goes away... but some guys n caucasian girls do look good with a tan...
