Now that 2013 is over, can I take a nap?

When I was a kid, I spent every New Year's Eve reading through old diary entries. Now that I'm a grown up, I have a blog to scroll through when I'm feeling nostalgic. Without even having to look through a year of entries, I can tell you that 2013 has been one of the busiest, most exciting years of my life. Stressful at times, but for the most part, quite rewarding. Here's a brief look back at the past year.

In Spring 2013, I testified for the Oregon State House of Representatives and Senate in support of a bill to ban minors under age 18 from using indoor tanning beds.

Testifying for the Oregon State House Health Care Committee.

Ultimately, the bill passed, and I was invited to the signing ceremony with Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber. The new law goes into effect in January 2014, so I'll be following closely to see how tanning salons handle compliance with the new restrictions.

Oregon teen tanning ban bill signing ceremony.

Meanwhile, I was also pretty busy planning the 2nd Annual Portland Melanoma Walk, which took place in May 2013. The event raised nearly $40,000, which was more than double our original goal!

Portland Melanoma Walk 2013.

More Portland Melanoma Walk.

Throughout the year, I got to travel to some pretty exciting places, including New Orleans, the Dominican Republic, Washington DC, Boston, and Sonoma Valley.

New Orleans in Spring 2013.

My best friend's bachelorette party in Sonoma.

Jessica's wedding week in Punta Cana.

Chelsea's bachelorette at the Oregon Coast.

Wine tasting with Tim and his family in Napa.

Several very important people in my life got married in 2013, including my friends Jessica, Chelsea, and Liz, my cousin Jameson, and my brother Andrew.

The bride and her MOH.

 

My brother's wedding in August 2013.

Me and Tim at Chelsea's wedding.

And let's not forget: I survived a three-mile run while being pelted with paint.

Me and Debbie at the Color Run in Fall 2013.

Earlier this month, as 2013 began to wind down, I started wondering whether it would be possible to "outdo" myself in 2014. How could I possibly schedule more than 10 trips or beat my fundraising goal again? While there are never any guarantees, I have a feeling that 2014 has some pretty exciting things in store for me. My philosophy on life these days can be summed up by a short quote from Louis Pasteur: "Chance favors the prepared mind." After years of preparation, I'm definitely ready to make my mark on the world.

With that, I wish you all a happy, healthy, and safe New Year. 

Cheers,
Katie

My trip to the Oregon House Health Care Committee

Me testifying at the Oregon House committee hearing. Photo: Jeremy Rush.

Let me begin with a spoiler: On Wednesday afternoon, Oregon House Bill 2896 passed unanimously through the Oregon House Committee on Health Care! That means we're one step closer to banning minors under 18 from using UV tanning beds in Oregon.

Now, let me rewind a bit. Earlier this week, I got to drive down to Salem and tell my story about tanning beds and skin cancer to the committee. I was one of three patients who testified (special shout out to my friend Mark Williams, who gave a fantastic testimony). Three experts also spoke in favor of the bill, including world-renowned cancer researcher Brian Druker.

Me and Brian Druker, M.D. Photo: Jeremy Rush.

Several friends have asked me if I was nervous at the hearing. Of course I was nervous! I'd never been to a hearing like this before and I had no idea how the representatives would react to my testimony. Plus, I've been following how similar bills have been proposed in other states. Learning about Chelsea's recent experience in Virginia was also a bit disheartening.

Fortunately, as I told my story about using tanning beds and my subsequent melanoma diagnosis, members of the committee seemed engaged and many nodded their heads when I shared how I begged my mom to let me go tanning in 10th grade. Some of the key concerns I expressed in my testimony are:

• That teenagers are unaware how serious skin cancer can be.
• Even if they know tanning is dangerous, they may engage in risky behavior because of influence by peers.
• A large number of high school students use indoor tanning beds, especially before prom and senior portraits. Even smart, high-achieving students are worried about their appearance.
• Tanning beds use is very poorly regulated. Most tanning salons I visited let me tan for the maximum time and did not take into consideration my naturally fair complexion or that I might burn.
• Parents are often unaware of the risks of indoor tanning, so they are unable to adequately protect their children. For example, many parents believe it's smart to get a "pre-vacation" tan or that you need to tan to produce enough vitamin D. Medical research suggests that neither of these myths are true.
• Melanoma rates in young tanning bed users are skyrocketing.

I also gave a detailed description of my melanoma diagnosis, treatment, and the anxiety I deal with knowing I may develop a second melanoma.

Talking with one of the committee members after the hearing. Photo: Jeremy Rush.

Of course, we had to hear from the opposition, which included both a local tanning industry representative and a national lobbyist who flew in from Colorado. It was frustrating to hear them speak, especially when they said things that contradicted what I had said just minutes earlier. Their arguments were predictable: that tanning beds don't actually cause melanoma, that parents should be able to monitor their own children, and that the tanning bed industry strives to encourage "smart" and healthy tanning behavior. Interestingly, the lobbyist's testimony was very argumentative. At one point, everyone in the room held their breath while he sparred back and forth with the committee chair, refusing to directly answer his question about the safety of UV tanning equipment. Ultimately, his testimony persuaded one of the more conservative committee members to vote in support of the bill.

The bill is now headed to the full Oregon House for a vote, so it's not over yet! But I do feel very lucky, not just to be alive to share my story, but also to have been chosen to speak on behalf of so many other people impacted by melanoma in our state. This is all a tremendous learning experience for me, and I hope it becomes another vehicle to raise awareness about melanoma--not just in Oregon--but across the U.S.

My own "Dear 16-year-old me"

There's a good chance you're one of the 5.4 million people who has viewed the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund's "Dear 16-year-old Me" video on YouTube. If you haven't watched it yet, you should. Every time I see this video, it makes me a little teary eyed, and trust me, I'm not the type of girl to get a little teary eyed. Like the survivors in the video, I have a scar too, and of course I have pangs or regret about tanning (indoors and out) as a teenager and young adult.

A month or so ago, a friend of mine introduced me to a woman who's compiling an anthology of short stories about prom. I jumped at the opportunity to share my story about tanning before prom. Prom was, after all, the breaking point at which my mom finally caved and let me use tanning beds for the first time. While I have no doubt that prom has changed since 2002, I'm sure that tanning is still part of the pre-prom ritual for many.

The million dollar question: How on earth do I tell a 16 year old to not use a tanning bed without sounding like my mother? Touching as this video is, especially now that I've had a run-in with skin cancer, would the 16-year-old Katie have paid attention to the things they say in the video? More importantly: would it have even impacted my behavior? Regretfully, the skeptic inside me says no. On the flip side, these days there are initiatives like the Melanoma Foundation of New England's "No Tanning Pledge Contest" (thank you for sharing Rachael!) By promising not to tan before prom, high school students from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, etc. can wish cash and an assortment of other prizes. Again, would this sort of a campaign have appealed to me when I was 16? It's hard to say.

I suppose all I can do is share my story and cross my fingers that it will resonate with someone. Would I have tanned if I knew I was going to develop melanoma at age 23? Probably not. In the meantime, let's hope that more states continue to follow California's lead and pass legislation to prevent tanning for minors. If you have any suggestions on how you'd speak to a 16-year-old about tanning, I'd love to hear it. Leave a comment below.