Strip, Search and Save spokesperson and former surfer girl Kathy Lette shared a story of how her melanoma came to be named Bruce in the Village Voice
It's Time to get Naked feature as part of an effort to raise skin cancer awareness.
A self-confessed slathered in baby oil bake in the sun tanner, Lette told the reporter, "I would say my boyfriend used to get me to cut his name out of paper and sticky-tape it to my stomach so that I would get a tan tattoo in his name. The joke was, if I ever get cancer I'll have a melanoma called Bruce.''
It was a not-so-funny joke when Lette had skin cancer surgically removed from her neck earlier this year. It was then that she remembered, in a bit of irony, the suntan tattoo joke she had told years ago.
As a skin cancer survivor, Lette has joined the Cancer Council's Strip, Search and Save campaign. The premise of the campaign is that couples sans clothing and visually check each other's body for unusual changes. With a nudge and a wink, Lette said, "Not only is it important that they do it, but it could be fun," suggesting that this exam might add spice to the couple's sex lives.
Who said cancer awareness and prevention cannot be fun? Lette certainly is not taking the stodgy position that the attitude and approach need be dreary.
In addition to the Strip, Search and Save campaign,
Puberty Blues author Lette's latest novel is called
How To Kill Your Husband – and other handy household hints. Of course, as she says, if you are still fond of your spouse (and I would say most of us are quite fond of our spouse) have him join you in scanning each other's skin. "The peeling is mutual," states Lette. To learn more about skin cancer and how to prevent and detect melanoma, visit Lette's
Strip, Search and Save section at the Cancer Council of Australia.
Here's an opportunity for you to share your personal breast cancer experiences, and help further research too.
