Page 3 - The Freckled Eye - Book

INTRODUCTION

I found out in the middle of 2016, at the age of 46, that I had freckles (moles)
inside both my eyes. WHY was it important to know? Because those moles can turn
cancerous. Just like moles on your skin, you can get skin cancer inside your eyes, even
melanoma. Who knew? All I could think of, was why was I just hearing this for the first
time. Then in August of 2016, I was diagnosed with Choroidal Melanoma in my right
eye.

I cringe when I think back to being a kid in the 70’s. My poor fair skin. I’d
lather up the baby oil to get that perfect tan. Who was I kidding, a perfect
sunburn is what I got! Now I realize... I subjected my eyes to that too… Oy
vey!

Would I have done something different had I known, I don't know. Is that why I
developed the melanoma? I don't know that either. But what I do know, is that maybe I
would have made better choices to protecting my eyes. I could have and should have
worn UV protected sunglasses, which is like wearing sunscreen to protect your skin.

Apparently, this type of eye cancer (Choroidal Eye Melanoma) is rare. Only 6
in 1 million people get it and it's more common in fair skinned people. It
usually goes undetected until late in the process, but luckily, I had a
noticeable symptom. The mole in my right eye started leaking fluid onto the
retina, causing a noticeable shadow in my vision.

What I wish for this blog is to bring awareness to Choroidal Eye Melanoma. I
also want parents of young children, teenagers and adults, to get their eyes
checked by an Opthamologist. Tell them you want to know if you have freckles/moles
inside your eyes. That way you can monitor them going forward. The odds of them
turning cancerous is low, but should things change you'll have a base line and can
quickly initiate treatment, which could potentially save your life. As they say with other
cancers, early detection is key, especially with this one. There are usually no symptoms
with eye melanoma until it’s gotten big, and at that point, odds of metastases become
greater.

So, please, please, please… get your eyeballs checked, get your children checked and
spread the word to friends and family. Also, include an eye health exam to your
physical every year, by and Opthamologist. I had two Optometrists miss it.

In August 2016, I was diagnosed with choroidal melanoma in my right
eye. This is my journey through the darkness of Choroidal Eye Melanoma, a journey
through cancer, and a journey through life.