...this is temporary... Right?

My face. Everyone says I look great... I feel like a freak. It's hard not to feel like that when you can't move the right half of your face. We've gotten some good laughs out of it though. Lucky for me, I've always been better at laughing at myself than anyone else. So it has been the source of some late night laugh fests for sure.

There are times it does bother me though. Sometimes I wish my scar was on some place I could hide from people. I just feel like I'm always on display and it's always up for discussion. And there are times when I don't want to be the "girl with cancer". I just want to be Brittany.

There is a silver lining though. I have the opportunity to show everyone how serious skin cancer is. I never took skin cancer seriously. Never even went in for a skin check in my entire life. I thought I was safe because I didn't use tanning beds and didn't lay out. I am full of freckles and burn easily, so I kind of avoid the sun. But melanoma didn't care. It doesn't discriminate and it can happen to anyone. It is serious. It is deadly.

One person dies every hour from melanoma. More people die every year from melanoma than all the other cancers combined. Is it sinking in yet? It should be. I can't express just how important it is to wear sun screen, stop tanning and get skin checks. You think being pale isn't pretty? That you look better with a tan? Try having a scar on your face like mine. Having your right eye being paralyzed and droopy. Sit through a doctors appointment where they tell you your survival rates. Face chemo and lose all your hair. Be incredibly sick. Then being tan won't seem that pretty. I guarantee it.

I was not a faithful sunscreen wearer. If I could go back I would have rubbed it from head to toe daily. I will step off my soap box now but please.. I beg you, take skin cancer seriously. It isn't talked about. People don't realize how deadly it is. We have to change this. Pale is pretty. So much prettier than cancer.