Meet July Ambassador, Mariena!
Today our July Ambassador, Mariena Browning, is taking over the Sun Safety blog to share her skin cancer story and words of encouragement and advice. Below is taken from from our Instagram live Q&A with Mariena that took place earlier this month.
Mariena is based in Idaho where she works full-time for an insurance company and owns Browning Bakery, a yummy home bakery specializing in gourmet cupcakes. (Fun fact: her favorite cupcake is the Biscoff cupcake!)
Mariena’s Skin Cancer Story
Mariena was diagnosed at age 22 with metastatic melanoma. Although she didn’t have a history of excessive sun exposure or family history of melanoma prior to her diagnosis, she noticed a lump in her left groin that continued to grow over time. Because Mariena actively worked out, she figured it was a muscle injury and nothing as serious as skin cancer.
Thankfully, she was an advocate for her health and went to her doctor for an ultrasound and biopsy a few weeks later. The biopsy showed it was metastatic melanoma. After a full body exam and scans at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Utah, they determined Mariena had metastatic melanoma with no primary source. This means that she didn’t have any moles or sunspots where the melanoma originated. After multiple treatment plans, Mariena’s scans have now been clear for a while and she is set to hopefully finish treatment in November.
Mariena’s Myth to Debunk
In terms of myths Mariena wants to debunk, she said that she wants people to know that a base tan from a tanning bed is “just getting a head start on destroying your skin.”
“There are so many great self tanners out there if you want to get a tan. Getting a base tan from a tanning bed is just getting a head start on destroying your skin.”
Mariena’s Tip for Sun Safety
Mariena has an alarm on her phone that serves as a reminder while she’s spending time outdoors to reapply sunscreen. Although she tries to stay out of the sun, she wears SPF every day and wears UPF clothing for the beach or lake for additional protection.