Thank you for reviewing this loaded monthly newsletter for our merry month of May.
Doesn’t this GenX couple look merry on a rustic trail hike?
Our 5th month in the Julian calendar is replete with National This and That days.
For example: a. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, b. Mental Health Awareness Month, c. Military Appreciation Month, and d. Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Key designated national days – two of which came and went already – Star Wars Day (Was the Fourth with you?) and Cinco de Mayo. Then, we’ll celebrate Sunday’s Day for Moms, and Memorial Day on Monday, May 25th.
I’ll highlight two that are up close and personal to me. Well, Military Appreciation is near-sacred. Yet I’ll save that for Memorial Day 2026, in honor of our fallen…
- Skin Cancer Awareness Month
- Mental Health Awareness Month
#SkinCancerisSerious
I have lost count of the scalpel wars that I have had with Dermatologists.
For my public service announcement – here are recent Frosty cases of:
- Actinic Keratoses on my Left Shoulder region (pre-cancerous)
Dermatologists may “freeze” a region with liquid nitrogen, or prescribe “5FU” – Fluouracil – as minor chemotherapy to interfere with and stop keratoses or cancel cell development. I call 5FU “fire water”, as my skin can get quite uncomfortable for a few weeks of the regimen. That said, the inflammation, redness and crusting that I experience are still worth it.
- One of every 5 American adults have these pre-cancerous problems.
2. A Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) site on my Right Temple after MOHS removal (A SCC can become malignant),
3. A non-invasive Melanoma (malignant)
The face, ears, and neck are high-risk areas for Melanomas across genders, reflecting a “head-to-toe” gradient of UV damage.
So, this notable MOHs excision on the helix of my right ear is not too unusual. Luckily, it was an early stage, non-invasive lesion on a spot that is prone to them.[Non-invasive denotes that we addressed the lesion early before it could spread to the Dermis, or metastasize further.]
My wound site healed fairly well without skin-grafting. But…lymph glands in my jaw and neck slowly rebelled in their roles as drainage sumps, and sent me to the Emergency Department when I had trouble swallowing. My wound triggered lymphedema which calmed down slowly. 1% to 20% of melanoma patients can experience such lymphedema…Oy!
Over 8,000 Americans died from Melanomas in 2025 – assuredly a sad statistics.
A key point here is that I found that SCC on my temple and an earlier Melanoma lesion on my Left Calf in self -examinations! Check yourself out regularly – por favor.
Yes, I have also had numerous Basal Cell Carcinomas (non-malignant). Those lesions can still grow, yet are not deadly. Removal techniques for BCCs that can be prescribed are: Liquid Nitrogen “cryotherapy“, Electrodessication and Curettage (ED&C), and full excisions or MOHS micrography procedures…
This NIH image summarizes a MOHS excision and “optics”:
Notes: a. Dermatologist may situationally use cryotherapy or ED&C for SCCs and AKs. It truly depends..
b. Doctors may also prescibe a special ultraviolet light “Photodynamic” therapy to destroy pre-cancerous growths, some basal cell lesions, and stage 0 squamous lesions on the skin.
So, now you know of one medical Kryptonite that I deal with. My northern European complexion, and a genetic predisposition for skin cancer put me on a tight schedule with the Dermatologists and Mohs surgical teams.
- Skin cancers are the most prevalent type of cancers reported in America. By far! Don’t become part of that damaged majority, please.
If one chooses to make lemonade from this type of lesioned lemon, as I do, exploit the reality that almost all skin cancers are visible, and are treatable when caught early! For Melanoma, the American Cancer Society reports a 5-year survival rate of ~99%. That celebrated, if one gets melanoma, the chances for a second case of melanoma are quite high… Sadly, I’ll be back.
Yes, you can help as a layman with your Skin Cancer 101 acumen. Duispel myths and promote best practices for keeping your skin free of cancers – at least for as long as possible.
Mental Health?!
If you “are seeing GREEN” when out and about this month,; it is because Buildings may be lit in Green Light for May…
#4Mind4Body
You can view Quick Facts about Mental Health in America here.
Two eye-openers in those Facts for me were:
“1. Nearly 1 in 5 American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year.
2. 46 percent of Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their life.”
Did you know that Anxiety Disorder is the leading Mental Health problem in America today?
A fact of particular consternation:
54.7% of adults with mental illness did not receive any mental health treatment. This statistics represents 20 Million untreated countrymen! Not Good!
Another disturbing fact stems from the disparity of mental health issues in American men vis-a-vis women. I quote the National Institute of Health,
“American men … show a lower overall prevalence of reported mental health problems (roughly 19.7% for males vs. 26.4% for females). However, they face a silent crisis due to lower rates of seeking help, resulting in underdiagnosis, [400%] higher rates of suicide, and greater risks from substance abuse.”
Hombres – You are not Alone!
I quote this long passage from an Indian health care system for effect:
“mental health conditions are among the most common health issues women face, and motherhood intensifies many of them.
Postpartum depression affects approximately one in five new mothers — not just in the weeks immediately following birth, but sometimes months later. It does not always look like sadness. It can look like numbness, rage, obsessive worry, or a frightening disconnection from the baby. Many mothers suffer through it in silence, convinced something is wrong with them rather than recognising it as a medical condition that responds well to treatment.
For mothers further along in their journey, caregiver burnout is equally real. The constant emotional labour of managing a household, a career, and the needs of children and ageing parents simultaneously takes a measurable toll on the nervous system. Anxiety disorders, sleep disruption, and low-grade depression are not personality traits — they are symptoms.
And for mothers in perimenopause and menopause, hormonal shifts can trigger or worsen anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, and a disorienting loss of the identity they have built over decades.
Reaching out is not weakness. It is the kind of courage that actually takes more strength than enduring in silence.”
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Mamma Mias
Ladies and Gents – did you realize this?
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women worldwide, ahead of all cancers combined. Yet heart disease is still widely perceived as a “man’s problem.”
The reason women get diagnosed later and fare worse after a cardiac event is not biology alone. It is that women’s heart attack symptoms are genuinely different, and they get missed. While men classically experience crushing chest pain, women are more likely to feel:
- Unexplained, persistent fatigue (not the tired-after-a-long-day kind — a bone-deep exhaustion)
- Nausea or indigestion that does not respond to antacids
- Jaw, neck, or upper back pain
- Shortness of breath, even at rest
- Dizziness and lightheadedness
Artemis Hospitals beat me to this Q&A message:
“The Best Mother’s Day Gift? Her Health
Flowers fade. Chocolates are gone by Tuesday. But a health checkup? That is a gift that protects her for the entire year ahead, and beyond.”
It is not too late to gift that Mom in your life with that type of life assurance!
Creatine Monohydrate
When you follow and validate nutritional buzz as I do, you can get a sense of what goes around will come around… Creatine is coming around in my circles for more than skeletal muscle recovery ergogenics!
This linked webpost from UCLA Health asks, Why is Everyone talking about Creatine?
“Studies are now exploring potential roles in brain health, mood and aging, in addition to strength and performance,” so stay tuned. My list of cautionary advice starts with these 3 matters for all supplements:
a. The supplement market is largely un-regulated
b. Individual responses may be very different, and
c. What did your primary Medical say when asked about the layman’s ergogenic?
Don’t Get Comfortable
I close May’s newsletter with the thoughts of Moshe Bar, who wrote a Review Column for a recent Wall Street Journal weekend edition.
“Humans thrive when they grow…”
Doesn’t the paradoxical thought that “vitality is improved by challenging avoidance, stasis, and soothing habits” pique your interest? If it didn’t before you read this newsletter – it should now. Quite plainly, actions that “move me forward” are more vital than actions or inactions based on the question, “does it feel good now?”
Please challenge that laid-back “feel good” assumption.
- Get Vital as you stay well past forty.
/s/Koach Dave.
ps – please join our mailing list, and become part of the big KAHUNA movement to Keep America’s Healthspan UNAbated!
