Skin cancer puts stop to exercise program

Need another reason to stay out of the sun? Here' s one: it might prevent you from exercising. This may be good news for those looking for any reason to avoid physical activity (note: this is an extremely unhealthy reason). But for those committed to huffing and puffing, sun bathing should be stricken from your to-do list.

My sister is about to have a second basal cell skin cancer surgically removed from her chest. The first came off a few weeks ago. The whole process was painful, uncomfortable, and a little scary too. The discomfort went away, though, and she is feeling fine. What troubles her now is the fact that she can't exercise. It would cause too much trauma to the surgery site and could compromise the effectiveness of her stitches. Sweat is not such a good thing for healing wounds either.

It's been a few weeks since the first surgery, and now my sister is headed for more. Had her cancer appeared in only one spot, she'd be just about set to hit the treadmill and pump some iron. But skin cancer doesn't allow for such tidy plans. It's unpredictable and unforgiving. And it's a sure exercise stopper. Need I say more?