Dr. Vegas’ Monthly Blog:
Dermatology Notes from Dr. H.L. Greenberg

As a beach boy in Hawaii, Ron spent countless hours in the warm, magnificent sun walking along the beach.  With Ron’s normally fair complexion hidden by an impressive deep dark tan nearly year-round for more than 20 years, Ron was a fixture on the beaches of Waikiki.  It wasn’t uncommon for Ron to receive a letter addressed to “Ron on the Beach at Waikiki,” as he was always at the beach, and still remains, a lover of adventure and the outdoors.  Sadly, Ron is now paying for his years of sun worshipping, having had no less than 7 skin cancers over the 4 years we have known one another.

One of the first times I treated Ron, I was very excited about a new surgical light that I had just purchased to see better during surgery.  Ron asked, “So Doc, have I had enough surgeries now to pay for that fancy new exam light of yours?”  I responded that he had.  “Would you like for me to name the light after you?” I asked.  “Why yes, I would,” Ron said, as I inquired about what we should call the light.  “How’s about ‘Ron’s Light’?” Ron replied.  I agreed that it sounded great.

rons

Ron will be the first one to tell you that sunscreen and sun protection can help prevent skin cancer–something he wishes he had taken more seriously with his countless hours spent in the Hawaiian sun. With May being Skin Cancer Awareness month, just knowing that the sun can cause skin cancer is part of the battle; safe sun practices are another piece of that puzzle.  Applying sunscreen prior to going out into the sun (2 ounces to the entire body), and reapplying every couple of hours is crucial.  Skin examinations help to tie it all together and give you peace of mind, so if you have a suspicious lesion, call our office to schedule an appointment.

Before he left our last visit, Ron asked, “Hey Doc, do you need any other furniture?”  I replied, “Not yet, Ron, but I’m keeping my eyes on you for the move into our new Summerlin medical office space in July.”