In this episode, I’m sharing why melanoma awareness has become so important to me. Between recently losing an old family friend to melanoma, having my own skin cancer scare when a spot on my leg thankfully turned out to be benign, and my mom’s history with melanoma, it was a real wake-up call. Those experiences made me realize how important it is to have this conversation and remind everyone that early detection saves lives. I hope this episode encourages you to protect your skin, schedule regular skin checks, and never ignore changes you notice, because it truly could make all the difference.

I’m joined by Leah Adams, a melanoma survivor, long-distance runner, and mental health advocate from Cleveland, who shares her incredible story of being diagnosed with stage 1A malignant melanoma at just 26 years old. Leah opens up about years of tanning bed use, skipping sunscreen, and the surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy that ultimately confirmed her cancer had not spread. Together, we discuss the dangers of tanning culture, the alarming rise in melanoma among younger adults, the trend of "tan maxxing," and the misinformation circulating online about UV exposure and sunscreen.

Leah also shares her family's ongoing journey after her father was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma that had spread to his brain and lungs, and how advances in treatment have helped keep his disease stable. We talk about practical sun safety, including choosing broad-spectrum sunscreen, understanding SPF, the differences between mineral and chemical sunscreens, the limitations of SPF in makeup, wearing UPF clothing, and protecting yourself while staying active outdoors. This is an important conversation about prevention, awareness, hope, and why regular skin checks could save your life—or the life of someone you love.

Learn more here: https://www.curemelanoma.org/blog/from-melanoma-patient-to-caregiver

I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations.

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor MelanomaAwareness #SkinCancerAwareness #Melanoma #SkinCancer #SPF #BroadSpectrumSPF #MineralSunscreen #SkinHealth #HealthAwareness #CancerAwareness #LeahAdams #MelanomaSurvivor #CancerSurvivor #Stage4Melanoma #PublicHealth #HealthEducation #RunningCommunity #RunnerLife #OutdoorSafety #BeProactive #EarlyDetection #HealthTips #SelfCare

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