Derm-it Trotter! Don't Swear About Skincare.
Feeling frustrated or overwhelmed with everything skin? Does the skinformation overload make you want to swear about skincare? Join Dr. Shannon C. Trotter, board certified dermatologist, as she talks with fellow dermatologists and colleagues in skincare to help separate fact from fiction and simplify the world of skin. After listening, you won’t swear about skincare anymore!
Derm-it Trotter! Don't Swear About Skincare.
Beyond the Diagnosis: A Melanoma Warrior's Voice
What happens when you're 26 years old and suddenly hear the words "you have melanoma"? Leah Adams never expected to face a cancer diagnosis in her twenties, especially not after years of tanning beds and sun exposure that had become an addiction.
Leah shares her raw, unfiltered journey from diagnosis to recovery. After her mother spotted a suspicious mole on her chest, just weeks after finding melanoma on Leah's father's back, she reluctantly scheduled her first-ever skin check. The shocking diagnosis that followed turned her world "from color to black and white," as she describes it. What many dismiss as "just skin cancer" quickly became an eight-hour surgery, weeks of physical restrictions, and an emotional rollercoaster of fear, anger, and shame.
Leah's story goes beyond medical details, diving deep into the psychological impact of a melanoma diagnosis on a young person. She speaks candidly about feeling responsible for her cancer, the isolation during recovery, and how finding a community of fellow survivors online helped her feel less alone. With remarkable honesty, she explains how she's learned to continue her passion for outdoor running without living in fear of the sun, and how therapy helped her process both her diagnosis and the underlying issues that fueled her tanning behavior.
Whether you've faced melanoma yourself, know someone who has, or simply want to understand the human side of skin cancer, Leah's journey from patient to advocate offers valuable perspective on turning pain into purpose. Her message reminds us that while time doesn't erase all fears, it does provide space to heal and transform difficult experiences into opportunities for growth and connection.
Follow Leah on Instagram @theleahalexis to learn more about her continuing journey and advocacy work.
And so when my mom pointed that mole out on my chest, I knew it was a mole that I had for quite some time. Do you wear sunscreen? No. Have you used tanning beds? Yes. Have you had many sunburns? Yes. And then they looked at me head to toe and the only mole that they were concerned about was that one on my chest, the one that my mom pointed out. She said you know, unfortunately your came back and the mole we removed was stage 1A, bordering stage 1B melanoma. I went online on social media and I started searching like hashtag melanoma hashtag. You know, skin cancer.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Dermot Trotter Don't swear about skincare when host Dr Shannon C Trotter, a board-certified dermatologist, sits down with fellow dermatologists and skincare experts to separate fact from fiction and simplify skincare.
Speaker 3:Let's get started, welcome to the Dermot Trotter Don't Swear About Skin Care podcast. Today we're going to take a little different step on how we've really talked about everything skin. So far, as you know, we've included experts on everything skin to bring you new information about what's going on. But now we want to talk and shift gears about, maybe, what's happening with patients, because I think that's something that gets neglected or not really thought about. So I've got a special guest here with us today to really talk about the patient perspective and her struggle, in particular, with melanoma. I have Leah Adams on the show with us today to really talk about the patient perspective and her struggle, in particular, with melanoma.
Speaker 3:I have Leah Adams on the show with us here today. She is a melanoma survivor, an avid runner and the daughter of a melanoma warrior. She's come with us today to really share her perspective and remind us of the human side, of what it means to actually have a skin condition, in particular, skin cancer or melanoma, which is timely for this month and then also for those of you out there to let you know you're not alone. There are others that have experienced maybe what you're going through another family member. So, leah, I'd like to welcome you to the podcast. Thanks so much for coming on today.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, Dr Trotter, for having me. I'm so excited to have this conversation with you today.
Speaker 3:Well, it's really nice you to come out and share your story. I know it's not your first time, you know, doing this. You've really made this your work's life and passion, which I want to thank you for, because not everyone feels comfortable, you know, opening up their personal life to the public, and so I thank you for coming on and talking with our listeners today. And what I wanted to start, obviously, at the beginning Do you mind kind of telling us about how you were diagnosed with melanoma and kind of just a little bit about your story?
Speaker 1:Absolutely. So. This really takes us back to 2019, probably in the late summer, early fall, my mom pointed out a suspicious mole that was on my chest and she noticed it because she was accustomed to what funky moles looked like, because my mom actually found my dad's melanoma on his upper back a month before she found my mole on my chest Go mom, go mom.
Speaker 1:Exactly right, thank God for moms. And so she realized, you know, after experiencing that with my dad, she knew what to look for as far as irregular, abnormal looking moles, and while my mole was different than my dad's, my mole on my chest did not look right. It was multicolored, had uneven borders and edges, and my mom also knew at the time I was actively using tanning beds and laying out in the sun and that really kind of was my life for quite some time prior to 2019. I live in Ohio, where we don't always see the sun all the time all year round, and, let's be honest, we really take advantage of the sun while it's out in this state, and I know you can understand that, dr Trotter, being in the wonderful state of Ohio. Yeah, so you know, I think my first session in a tanning bed, I was gosh. I think I was 17 years old. My mom had to sign off for me and then when I went to college, it was kind of like a free for all. I did whatever I wanted to do. I was 18. And I use tanning beds in college, use them in grad school, use them after grad school, and something that I wasn't really super aware of was the cumulative damage I was doing to my skin time after time. And another thing I didn't really realize were my risk factors for skin cancer and melanoma. My dad's dad had a handful of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma. My dad, you know, had a melanoma. So another thing too, was in order for me to get tan, I really had to burn first, um, and then I would kind of achieve that tan, and that was like every single summer for as long as I can remember.
Speaker 1:And the tanning that I was doing prior to my melanoma diagnosis, it truly became an addiction. Um, I was doing it at one point in time almost every day, and I did it because I liked how it felt, I liked the warmth on my skin, I liked how I looked, I thought I looked more attractive or beautiful while I was tan. And what was nice about tanning beds is you had the option of, you know, not tanning with anything on and you didn't have tan lines and you didn't have to worry about the spray tan, you know, being sticky or smelly or anything like that. So just to kind of give you a background of kind of where my head was at and why I behaved the way I did when it came to sun safety, which was not safe at all prior to melanoma. And so when my mom pointed that mole out on my chest, I knew it was a mole that I had for quite some time I don't remember how long, but it was a while and she said you know, you just saw what happened with your dad. You should probably go get that checked out at a dermatologist.
Speaker 1:And you know, back then I was 26. And you know, I was still in the process of moving out of my parents house after grad school and kind of still having that like 20 year old mentality of like yeah, yeah, it's fine, it's, it's no big deal, but it never got out of my head. So I went down the Google rabbit hole which nobody ever should and I was Googling photos of skin cancer and melanoma and, you know, trying to convince myself that, you know, what I had was fine and, if anything, it was just precancerous. And so I just came to a point where I was like you know what, I'll just make an appointment. So I did and I went in for my first skin check ever at the end of September of 2019. And it was a very interesting experience.
Speaker 1:You know, I don't think you're always prepared for what a full body skin check is, and even you know, before they even did the exam, they were asking me questions that I was answering them in a way that they were, I think, not a fan of you know. Do you wear sunscreen? No. Have you used tanning beds? Yes. Have you had many sunburns? Yes. And then they looked at me head to toe and the only mold that they were concerned about was that one on my chest, the one that my mom pointed out, and they biopsied it. They wanted to send it off and they said I'd get the results in. I think they said three to five business days.
Speaker 1:So after that appointment I wasn't too concerned because again, I just was convincing myself oh, it'll be nothing, I'm too young to have skin cancer, melanoma, this is not going to happen. Talked to some girlfriends about it afterwards and they said oh yeah, I've had pre-cancerous stuff. You just kind of freeze it off and move on. And then we were past the five days and we were going on seven business days. And then I started getting worried and I called my dermatologist office and they said um, you know, we had to do some additional testing on your mole because it was so atypical looking that we had to do some additional staining. And I was like that doesn't sound good. But okay, we'll keep waiting. And it was on the 14th business day.
Speaker 1:I finally got the call and I knew the second. I heard my dermatologist voice. It wasn't going to be good news and she said you know, unfortunately your results came back and the mole we removed was stage one a, bordering stage one B melanoma, and the very first thought was oh my gosh, this is worse than what my dad's melanoma was a month before, because he had stage zero in situ. And because of my bordering stages, my dermatologist had like immediate upcoming, like next steps that she wanted me to do. So the first priority was getting me in for surgery to get the melanoma removed off my chest. Then she wanted to do a sentinel lymph node biopsy to see if the melanoma spread to my local organs or lymph nodes, knowing my risk factors for skin cancer. And this was all just a lot to take in in less than a 10-minute phone call and they got me in for surgery about two weeks later. And again, that was another thing I wasn't prepared for. Um, you know, they called it an outpatient procedure but I was put under. I was put under anesthesia. I was basically in that hospital for like eight hours, um, from prep all the way till, you know, I was cleared to go.
Speaker 1:And you know it's so funny, there's that stigma around you can just get, you know, skin cancer cut out and moved on. And one of the questions I woke up, or that I asked when I woke up from surgery, was when can I run again? Because, as you mentioned in my bio, I'm a runner and you know my mentality was like, okay, like let's get back to regular scheduled programming. You got what you needed, now I need to get back to kind of my life. And they were telling me I wasn't going to be able to run for a while because I was at risk of lymphedema, with the lymph nodes being removed, popping a stitch, infections, and they showed me what my chest and what my underarm looked like with the central lymph node biopsy. And, man, they take a lot more than you think they take.
Speaker 1:And you know, I think that's kind of when the reality set in and healing afterwards and knowing that I was still waiting on results after surgery because I didn't get the results from the sentinel lymph node biopsy right away and so I kind of was in a mode of, you know, depression after that. Honestly, it just was a lot to grapple with. You know I felt anger and fear and, you know, confusion and sadness and embarrassment because I felt, dr Trotter, I gave myself cancer because of everything that I was doing up until that moment. And you know, luckily I was. I think it was like two and a half three weeks after surgery I got the results from my central lymph node biopsy that it did not spread to my organs, the melanoma or my lymph nodes, and you know I was really considered one of the lucky ones because I know that that's not everybody's story when it comes to melanoma, because, as I found out going through this experience, melanoma is the fastest spreading, deadliest type of skin cancer and you know I felt extremely grateful for that and it's still looking back almost six years later.
Speaker 1:It didn't hit me in that moment, but I started to really understand it like as the days were going on, and so once I kind of got that clear, I felt like called to kind of share my story. One, because I didn't tell anybody this was going on. The only people that knew was my boyfriend at the time, now fiance, my parents and maybe a couple of friends and my colleagues, because I had to be out for some appointments. But I truly was scared to tell people. Because I had to be out for some appointments, but I truly was scared to tell people because I had this kind of imposter syndrome like, oh, if I tell people that I had melanoma, they're gonna say, well, you should have known. You know using tanning beds, like you did that to yourself, like really getting in my head about it.
Speaker 1:And I went online on social media and I started searching like hashtag melanoma hashtag, you know skin cancer and you know, before I did that, I felt like I was the only 26 year old in the world that would understand what melanoma was and what skin cancer was. And then, you know, searching that online boy, like was I wrong? Then, you know, searching that online boy, like was I wrong? There were hundreds and thousands of women my age or even younger or a little bit older, sharing their story and I was just really like inspired by that because it made me feel less alone. And that's what I was looking for Because, you know, the last you know, couple weeks of healing from melanoma.
Speaker 1:I felt very isolated. You know, running, which was a therapy and still is for me, you know, was taken away from me. I had a lot of restrictions of what I couldn't do and I couldn't even lift, I think, more than like 10 pounds because of you know, my incisions. And so when I saw that on social media, I kind of drafted up a caption, I had a picture of my you know incision and then I posted about it on social media and at the time my account was private, so only my family and friends or current followers saw it.
Speaker 1:And I was nervous. I like remember posting it and I like threw my phone like on my bed. I was like like I don't, I don't know what's going to happen, singing, and I like threw my phone like on my bed. I was like like I don't, I don't know what's going to happen. And I was very pleasantly surprised that, you know I received a lot of love and support and people thanking me, you know for for sharing my story, and I even found out some people in my circle had melanoma that I had no idea and I think that was really the start of, you know, from now on now, or from then until now kind of where my journey has taken me and really how I felt inspired and empowered to share. Something that was really hard for me to go through was an opportunity for me to teach others and share with others my story. So nobody, hopefully, would have to go through what I went through when it comes to melanoma.
Speaker 3:So take me back like when you get diagnosed. You're 26 years old and you hear, you know literally, that you have cancer. You know, I can't imagine you know anyone ever dealing with a diagnosis. But when you're 26, like you said, graduate, you have the world ahead of you. What goes through your head? I mean, did you really think like oh my gosh, I could die, like this is serious, and like what goes through your head at the moment? I know you talked about being a little overwhelmed with that, but what really goes through your head? And and how would you tell somebody that might be getting a similar diagnosis, like how to process that and I know that can be different for everyone, but how would you try to give them a little bit of insider advice on that as well?
Speaker 1:I never thought that at 26, I would hear those words, that I had stage one cancer of any type, that I had stage one cancer of any type. Like I mentioned, there were a lot of mixed emotions and feelings and one of the most vivid things that I remember and I've said this before when people ask me about my story is kind of felt like my world went from color to black and white. Or one of those scenes in a movie where something happens to the main character and they're moving in slow motion, or the people around them are moving in slow motion and you're the only one moving like at normal speed, or you know vice versa. It's like a surreal feeling and you know it's for somebody that um, may be newly diagnosed or in those shoes that's listening, you know. Just know that, no matter what happens like you just got to take a day, one day at a time and always advocate for yourself too. And it's okay to feel all the emotions all at once and leave some space to feel those emotions because, especially when it comes to melanoma, especially for women I know a lot of women because I've had conversations with them that were diagnosed around my age of their 20s there is that a shame, or feeling shame and embarrassed, because they do feel like they kind of contributed to their cancer and over time I had to kind of work on that and reframe that way of thinking, because that type of thinking is not going to help you heal through your journey.
Speaker 1:But what can help you is knowing in the past I made these mistakes and made these choices that really weren't setting me up for success and protecting my largest organ, and unfortunately I had to learn the hard way.
Speaker 1:But now, knowing what I know now and knowing what I've been through, I'm able to be here alive and have a second chance and take care of my largest organ. And if people feel comfortable to do so, they have an opportunity to share their story too. That's the thing I tell people you know. A lot of people say kind of, what you shared with me is like you know, yes, I do really put a lot of what's happened to me online and on social media, but I do it because I'm trying to hopefully contribute to changing the statistics around melanoma and skin cancer for the better, because more and more people are getting diagnosed, more and more people are really not understanding the seriousness of it, and so if I can do my part and share my story and share kind of where I was and where I am now, that hopefully will inspire somebody. And so it takes time to process all of this and to really take your pain and turn it into purpose, but it is possible.
Speaker 3:That's beautiful. Because I do think people do get overwhelmed. You know, to imagine, you know, just getting a diagnosis of cancer, like you said, sort of how people simplified skin cancer and made it all it just all is cut out and all is well. And obviously you know all too well that's not the truth and we know that too. You know, in dermatology, which is what we're trying to bring to the table for patients to understand the seriousness of it. But at the same point, like you said, not really beat yourself up, like I tell my patients I went tanning and they're like what? You went tanning and I said, oh yeah, that was the thing in college, it was the social event. Unfortunately I didn't tan very well, so over time I kind of didn't do it. But you went because that was sort of the group outing and we went to lunch after and it was a fun thing, but the risk really wasn't on our radar. You know the things we all make, those choices, or we shouldn't have eaten that Sunday last night.
Speaker 3:But at this point you know, I tell you you have to kind of accept what is right and then to move forward. I think what you said is really poignant, you know, really important for people to understand that you have to turn that you know pain into purpose or process. That and you're right, dwelling on it is not going to help you move forward. In fact it'll probably help keep you in the past, which you don't want to be. But I think after you get that diagnosis, you've gone through the treatment.
Speaker 3:I think what I wanted to have kind of your thoughts on how do you deal with some of the emotion, or maybe even the anxiety that comes with the diagnosis and then trying to live your life, like trying to have, you know, a life that you feel like is normal, like you like to run, you're going to be outside, right, like how did you cope with just adjusting your life to go back to your sense of norm and dealing with the sun and not fearing it, because I do have some patients and some of you out there might feel this way too They've given up vacations with their because they feel like they can't be out in the sun, or they've given up a hobby, like you have, because they feel like they have to live indoors. So how do you, you know, think about that in terms of how you've dealt with this and really learn to live your life in a different way since your diagnosis.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think one of my biggest ways of moving forward after melanoma was not having melanoma dictate my future and I really didn't want to sacrifice something like running. That was such a big part of my life and I really just had to learn, like we do for anything that happens in our life. You know, change isn't always easy and you know, if I wanted to continue to run outside, which is my preferred method of running I don't love running on treadmills, I know everybody has their preference, but I always love to run outside I knew I was going to have to make some different choices when it came to making sure I was wearing sunscreen, wearing enough sunscreen, wearing protective clothing, watching the peak UV ray hours, you know, and maybe finding different routes for running. That wasn't, you know, totally always in the sun. And yes, was it challenging in the beginning? Yeah, because it was. You know, back then, a couple years into or after my diagnosis, it was more like, oh, I have to do this or oh, this is frustrating, but at the end of the day, I tried to. Again, it goes back to reframing your mind around it and I'm not taking credit for this, but I've heard this on a podcast once. It's not. You know I have to do this, I get to do this and you know there are so many people that have had melanoma that are no longer here, that were my age, that had a very similar situation. It was just a matter of when they caught that melanoma and the fact that I'm still here and I'm able to run. It's not that I have to run this way, it's I get to run this way and that's a blessing and that's a gift. And did I think that the morning after my melanoma surgery? Absolutely not. I mean that took me years. There are still moments when I get frustrated because at the end of the day, dr Trotter, we're human, right, I mean we things easily can frustrate us, but I think at the end of the day, when we take a step back and we look at what has happened to us, how we're able to reframe any situation into, you know, something positive from it, we're able to move forward.
Speaker 1:And so to your question around anxiety. Anxiety is something I've dealt with even before melanoma. I am a big advocate for mental health and making sure that you know we feel supported mental health and emotional health. I've been in therapy and you know I highly recommend it for everybody. But that is something that actually really helped me after my melanoma and moving forward and kind of talking through you know, even as far as like why even went to tanning beds and what that was connected to being a woman falling into societal beauty standards, not having a great self image I mean, that's a whole nother podcast episode. But it was important for me to kind of start at the root of that and then work my way forward.
Speaker 1:And you know that helped a lot with anxiety, especially, you know, post diagnosis and going into skin checks after melanoma, which also would bring back the fear again of is this going to happen again?
Speaker 1:Am I going to have happen again?
Speaker 1:Am I going to have another mole, am I going to have another surgery?
Speaker 1:And the first couple of years was not easy. I mean because, as you know, dr Trotter, as a dermatologist, once you have melanoma you're watched a little bit more differently than another individual that's never had it. So any atypical mole you know my derm was on it and biopsied it and you know all that stuff but every biopsy it was like reliving that fear again and reliving that fear again. But I think I got to a point, dr Trotter, where I'd say I was at the probably two, two and a half year mark where I had biopsies and they came back okay. That was kind of like the incentive of like, okay, so I can have something removed and things could be okay after that. And again, learning that you know, just because you have a biopsy doesn't mean it's going to be melanoma every time. That again has allowed me to heal and move forward and kind of you know it's it's cliche, but time truly does heal, especially when it comes with the cancer diagnosis. No, the fear never completely 100% goes away.
Speaker 3:But again, like anything in life, as time goes on and you're able to manage those feelings and thoughts and reframe them, there is a way, there's a path to move forward them there is a way, there's a path to move forward and it's a great message, I think, for patients to take, because when you get any type of you know diagnosis, that's just, you know, devastating, for lack of a better word. It's how do you go forward? And I know people hate that old saying of you know, time heals wounds or heals all wounds, and I think I hate to say it, but there's some truth to that. I think most people would argue that that have been through a tough time and not that it's the perfect solution, because it's part of the process and the journey and how you work through those feelings and emotions, that time comes with that and that's how you kind of move to the next level.
Speaker 3:But you know, we definitely have to applaud you for turning something that could be so negative in your life into something so positive and a story that you've been able to share with so many people. And I know listeners out there have definitely felt what you felt or they know somebody that has. So I appreciate you sharing that story. We're definitely going to have Leah on for a few more episodes here because we're going to get perspectives on the experience she's had with her dad prevention. So be sure to stay tuned for those. But Leah for our listeners out there if they want to try to find you online social media.
Speaker 1:Do you mind sharing where they can locate you? Absolutely the best place to find me is on Instagram. I'm at the Leah Alexis all lowercase, and you can find out more about my journey there. Follow along with all of my content about my story, my running journey and also my dad's melanoma story.
Speaker 3:Great. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast today. I really hope you guys enjoyed sort of this perspective we're trying to bring about, you know, for the healthcare providers out there to help you remember what it's like to take care of patients. That side we sometimes forget because we do this every day. And for those of you out there that have had melanoma been personally touched by it, I hope you've been inspired by Leah, like so many others have been. So thanks again, Leah, for coming on the podcast. I really appreciate it. Thanks so much for having me. Dr Trotter Sounds great and stay tuned for the next episode of Dermot Trotter, Don't Swear About Skin Care.
Speaker 2:Thanks for listening to Dermot Trotter. For more about skincare, visit DermotTrottercom. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast with anyone who needs a little skincare sanity. Until next time, stay skin smart.
