Aspirin

I'm 27 years old and I'm on an aspirin regimen.

Say what? Isn't an aspirin regimen only for older folks who are at risk for a heart attack? Nope, not anymore.

An observation study of older women found that those who took aspirin lowered their risk of melanoma by up to 30%. That's huge. The problem is that this was just an observational study, not a cause-effect study. Still, the numbers are so high that women who are at high risk for melanoma, i.e. people who have already had skin cancer like me, are being told to go ahead and start taking aspirin daily.

My dermatologist first recommended this to me at my late April biopsy/check-up. So why did I wait to start until this past Monday? Because aspirin is a medicine and it can affect people in unexpected ways. I knew I was due for a physical, which entails blood work, so I wanted to talk to my regular doctor and see if there was any reason why I shouldn't take it. I had that physical in June, and now here we are.

So. I'm 27 and I'm on an aspirin regimen that I will probably be on for the rest of my life. It's a bit of a pain, but if it gives me more years, then I'm all for it.

More research needs to be done to help solve and cure cancer, but for now I'll follow the doctor's orders and embrace this new, possibly extended, lease on life.