Take care of the skin you're in - my experience with skin cancer. PT 2

So, this is the follow up to my previous post regarding malignant melanoma. I had the original problem mole excised and was referred to the specialist Dermatologist after the melanoma diagnosis.

Dr Ikramullah Al Nasir at the Dermacare Skin Centre, would be taking care of me from now on. He explained, that because of the diagnosis, he needed to excise more tissue for biopsy to see if the cancerous cells had spread away from the mole. Malignant melanoma is one of the fastest spreading, most aggressive kind of cancers there is, so you really can't afford to mess about with it and early detection and treatment is key. The Dr said that in his experience, of over 20 years, the stage we'd caught it at was very early and so the prognosis looked good.

I wasn't quite prepared for how much extra tissue was required to be taken out. I made the mistake of taking a peak during the procedure and I really wish I hadn't. In the end the incision was just shy of 4 inches long and quite deep into the layers of the dermis, meaning that I needed internal as well as external stitches.

The picture looks quite horrific, when you consider the size of the original mole and how much tissue has now been removed.

The next step is to wait for the biopsy results. I would ask that everyone who has moles, get them checked every year without fail. It's so important and could save your life.

Take care of the skin you're in - my experience with skin cancer. PT 1

I debated whether I should share my experience on this topic or not, but then I thought, if it encourages just one person to go and get themselves checked, that would be brilliant.

Our skin is the largest organ in, or in fact ON our body. It's an organ that takes the brunt of daily wear and tear and abuse, and we really need to take care of it.

I'm the typical fair skinned, freckly person, who burns in the sun, never tans and is covered from head to toe in moles. Yup, I'm moley, moley, MOLEY. I've always tried to take care in the sun, using high factor sunscreens, but like everyone, can be lax at times.

I've always been aware of the fact that I could be more prone to skin issues and problems with my moles, so over the years I've had check ups, especially on the large dark moles and had others taken off. This check up was no different, I went to see the Dermatologist at GMC, Jumeirah and had three sticky outy (that's the only term I have for them) moles taken off. I also had a few larger, darker moles checked, close up exams and photos taken of them. The doctor however, was not happy with one in particular. This particular mole on my thigh, which I have to say has always looked ragged and irregular, he decided had to come off for a biopsy. Now when I say 'come off' it's actually 'cut out'. Being flat and flush on the skin means it needs to be excised. The excision area was approximately 2cm in size, as you can see below.

The mole was sent off for a biopsy and I didn't think anything of it, as it's not the first time. Then I got a call a week later - could I come into the clinic? Sadly I was snowed with work, so the doctor called me back and I NEVER expected to hear him say 'It's a malignant melanoma'. To say that my knees nearly buckled underneath me is an understatement. Malignant Melanoma - that's skin cancer right? That's all that went through my head for the rest of the day.

So, for the next step I was referred to Dr IkramullahAl Nasir at the Dermacare Skin Centre. He went through the biopsy report and told me that we now need to excise a larger area, to determine whether that was it, or whether the melanoma has spread further outward and or downward into the tissue. When he drew out the area he would like to cut out of my thigh, I wanted to cry. Three to four centimetres might not seem a lot, but when it's drawn in a big eye shape on your leg, it certainly seems a lot. 

Ok, that step decided on, the Dr also told me that because I have so many moles and already have one melanoma, that I can't take any chances and really need to be 'mole mapped'. This basically involves digital photography to track any subtle changes in moles as you go for check ups. Given how moley I am, this could take hours.

That is the stage I'm at now. I will have the next excision and mole mapping done within the next week and wait for those results to come back.

Living in a country like the UAE, where the sun beats down pretty much 365 days a year, it's important to be aware of how to take care of your skin, use good skin protection when out and about - I wear factor 100 every day on my face and hands. Have good sun sense and if you have moles, make sure that you check them regularly and be aware of any changes in size, texture, and colour.

I'm happy that I took precautions, had regular check-ups and by the looks of it, caught this one early when something can be done about it. Sadly, other people are not so lucky and it is crucial to be vigilant. Malignant Melanoma can be one of the most aggressive forms of cancer that there is, so early diagnosis and treatment is imperative.

I am now well aware, that because I have one, the chances of me developing more are high, so this is now a life-long issue for me. Please PLEASE, have regular check ups and prevention is better than having to deal with something once it has developed.

Coffee - kicking fat to the curb! COFFEEKIX Review Pt 2

So it's been a couple of weeks now since I started drinking CoffeeKIX, the new slimming green coffee, which is now available in the UAE. Have I seen some results? The answer is a resounding YES. I'm probably down just over 2kgs now since I started drinking it - although some days I will have only one sachet instead of two. I've also started putting a splash of milk in it, just to sweeten up the slightly bitter flavour.

I've found that the coffee curbs my appetite quite a bit as well as having the detox effects - which I will say, if you weren't a regular loo user before, you will be now!!! (to put it politely). One major thing to note, is that you absolutely MUST drink lots of water, because of the afore  mentioned detox effects, you need to replenish the hydration that you could be losing. Also worth noting is that if you suffer from any gastric issues, the effects could be a bit worse for you.

Overall though, so far so good. I still have a few weeks supply to go through, so will update on the end results once I've finished my month. Happy coffee drinking :-)

For more information check out: https://www.facebook.com/coffeekix

Coffee - kicking fat to the curb! COFFEEKIX Review Pt 1

Anyone who's ever been told to lose a few pounds, will know that they start looking around for that miracle fat loss product. Well could coffee be it? I've recently been told to lose 10% of my body weight - around 6 kgs, to be healthier. So, I jumped at the chance when offered the opportunity to try out the latest product on the market in the Middle East.

COFFEEKIX slimming green coffee, promises to shed 10% of your body weight in a month, simply by drinking two sachets a day, one 20 mins before breakfast and lunch.

You might already be aware of this product, which has been featured on the Dr Oz Show, and he's all about the best ways to stay healthy and has hailed COFFEEKIX as the 'miracle bean'.

How does it work? Here comes the science bit :-)

Chlorogenic Acid commonly known as green coffee extract is completely natural and found in unroasted coffee beans. It works in 2 very simple ways, It burns glucose, sugar and fat. It also slows the release of sugar into the blood stream, preventing sugar build up in the blood. This combination Burns, Blocks and Stops Fat! 

Having my first cup, what is my first impression? Well many diet and weight loss products taste, quite frankly awful and I've been given the option of adding a splash of low fat milk and /or sweetner to taste, but actually COFFEEKIX tastes good on its own. I'd liken it to an Arabic coffee with a slight licorice flavour - both of which I happen to like, so no issues there. 

COFFEEKIX promises safe and healthy weight loss, with no side effects, so I have high hopes for this all natural product.

COFFEEKIX is available in the UAE from Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdales, Health Food Stores and 5* Hotel Spa. The recommended retail price is 220 Dhs.

For more information, check out the facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/coffeekix

Too hot to trot - take extra care of your dog in the summer months

Summer time in the UAE can be tough on all of us, but it's also tough on our furry friends. Year after year many people seem to forget, while blissfully walking their dogs, how hot the pavements, roads and sand can get. You won't walk around barefoot on it, so don't expect your dog too either. Walkies timings become super early mornings and late evenings, but sometimes they just have to go out in the day time and with many places lacking in greenery close by, concrete and sand are the only options.

Already vets have reported several cases of dogs being brought in with burnt paws. Animals that have been left out in the heat - a BIG no no or walked on surfaces too hot for them and this sadly is the result:

Horrific isn't it?! Imagine how painful that is?!

So, what can we do to help our dogs go for a walk and avoid this horrible outcome. Well a few people have suggested using baby socks with the non-slip bottoms, fastened with elastic bands. You could have lots of fun with different colours and patterns and I'm sure your fur baby would lvoe you for it or not as the case may be :-)

But there are specialised solutions. I got some Ruffwear dog boots for my boy Toby. They're hard wearing with grip pads on the bottom and fasten with a simple velcro strap. I was amazed that he didn't try to chew them off in about ten seconds, instead standing and staring at me as if to say 'What the hell are these things now?'. Watching Toby walk in them for the first time was pretty hysterical, as he over exaggerated the movements, but once outside all was forgotten in about thirty seconds and he went about his walk as usual.

I got these booties from City Vet on Al Wasl road, Dubai and they have some great advice for all dog owners.

So, please take care of your dog during the summer months. If it's too hot for you outside, it's too hot for them. If you need to wear shoes to walk on the ground, so do they.

A response blog - we go to the cinema to WATCH THE MOVIE!

Now, it's not very often that I feel the need to write a response to something, but in this case I think I will. It is a response to a recent blog article in a local newspaper about going to the cinema.

http://blogs.thenational.ae/others/hey-habibti/hate-people-chatting-at-the-movies-then-watch-at-home-alone

Now let me start with this comment from Haneen 'The whole point of a public cinema is to have fun with your friends while watching the movie of your choice.' er no Haneen, the whole point of going to the cinema, is to watch the movie!!! I haven't just paid my hard earned cash, to listen to you have a conversation with your friends or chatter away on your phone - bring back mobile blockers in cinemas I say. You should absolutely, 100% treat going to the movies, like being in a library and KEEP QUIET.

Sadly, it would seem that people like Haneen, do not know what is and what is not socially acceptable. If you want to socialise with your friends, then you go to a coffee shop, or a bar, or a shisha cafe, where it is acceptable to talk and have a conversation - arrange to go to one of your friends houses, stick on a DVD and have your fun there.

Now, for many people going to watch a film on the big screen is a personal experience, it's a couple of hours of escapism, a chance to get away from the grind of daily life and have a flight of fantasy for a while - which is why, where I come from, people have no issues with going to the movies alone, because everyone is there for the same reason, again TO WATCH THE FILM.

Whether this article is indeed tongue in cheek, it certainly doesn't come across like that to me, or to many other people. Sadly what it has done, has backfire rather spectacularly. What Haneen also fails to realise, is that her 'freedom of speech' ends when her actions affect other people. It also rather tragically, reflects certain nationalities in a bad light and only goes to reinforce the stereotype that some people live in a fantasy world of false self importance and superiority over others, where making others lives miserable is of great enjoyment to them. All this before stating the obvious, in that if you are writing in a publication, then you have a social responsibility of someone in the media to not cause upset, antagonize or cause division.

Haneen also fails to grasp that her and her friends attitudes and behaviour has an impact on the local economy - bet she never thought of that did she? Why might this be? Well it's rather obvious, certain peoples behaviour and failure to behave in a socially acceptable manner is a deterrent to many actually going to the movies to start with, because they know it's going to be an event filled with grief and aggravation, rather than an enjoyable experience. So, therefore lower audience figures = higher prices for those who attempt to go and watch a film.

If people acted this way where I come from, you'd be booted out the cinema in an instant and have a whole lot of public humiliation to go with it!

So, here is my suggestion to Haneen and her friends. Cinemas have mums and toddlers showings, why don't you pop along to those, where you can behave like the children you are, be as disruptive and as noisy as you like, and leave the rest of us, who actually go to the cinema to watch a film, do so in peace.

To those of you who actually do know how to behave at the movies, carry on and enjoy :-)

Wedding planning - nightmare? Or piece of cake?

Planning your big day can be as simple or as complicated as you choose to make it. Having basically planned my wedding myself, I discovered very quickly that one of the most useful and helpful things, is getting recommendations from friends and other couples on where to go for various things.

Wedding planning is both exciting and stressful at the same time. Without going into huge details, I will give a basic run down of everyone I used, in the hope others might find the information useful.

The Church - We got married at Christ Church, Jebel Ali in Dubai. The entire staff are extremely helpful and gave us untold contacts and assistance and generally made life very easy. It really is worth paying the extra, to get them to have your marriage certificate attested and legalised. The Chaplain, Steven Wright was brilliant and really personalised the ceremony to us.

http://christchurchjebelali.com/

My dress. Trying bridal dresses on, has to be one of the most exciting and hilarious experiences for any bride (just a shame we couldn't have Champers at the same time!). I had an idea of the sort of dress I wanted, but ideas and the reality can be very different. What you think might suit you, might not and vice versa. It's definitely better to go with an open mind. I think you know when you have the right dress, when you virtually burst into tears and it's so beautiful. When you're standing there on the podium, in dress, heels, veil and it all just looks perfect.

I'd thought about ordering a dress online, or having one made from scratch, but I really didn't want to take the risk, so when I found my perfect dress, I ordered the correct size then had it altered. I tried dresses and bought mine from The Wedding Shop in Dubai. The staff were more than attentive and the alterations were made free of charge.

My husband also hired his tuxedo from the Wedding Shop, which was very cost effective. 250 Dhs and you pick it up the day before and drop it back the day after.

http://www.theweddingshop.ae/

I'm a big fan of personalised engagement and wedding rings and that's something that jewelers do very well in Dubai. My go to jewellery experts are in Duba's Gold & Diamond Park - Cara's. Their staff are always very professional and really spend the time, to help people get exactly what they want. The bonus is, if you want something made, they do it very well and very quickly. A friend who bought an engagement ring there, actually went to the workshop to see it being made.

www.carajewellers.com

Flowers can really be a headache and extremely pricey to boot! Many flourists/hotels will want to charge 500/600 Dhs upwards just for the bridal bouquet! Luckily for me, this is where a fantastic friend recommendation came in. I knew what colours I had in mind and I couldn't originally decide whether to go for fresh or artificial flowers, but in the end I decided on fresh.

I was recommended a little flourist in Dubai, Garden Gate Flowers, which I went and visited and they were so helpful, they had exactly the colours and flowers I was looking for - even if they didn't, they could probably get them ones you wanted. In the end my bouquet, a bridesmaids bouquet and 4 button holes came to just shy of 500 Dhs. The flowers were beautiful and exactly what I was looking for.

www.ggflora.com

There's definitely something to be said for shopping around and even looking online! My mother pointed me in the direction of a fantastic online store - Light in the Box -  from which I ended up buying my wedding invitations, veil, shoes and garter from. It's worth noting that because these items mostly come from China, with things like shoe sizing, it's worth ordering a size up, otherwise they can be a bit of the small size - luckily I did this and they fitted perfectly. I loved my wedding shoes so much, I bought the same ones in various other colours - a girl has to shop (sometimes).

www.lightinthebox.com

When it comes to your wedding photography, you really want someone who is experienced and knows exactly what they're doing. I spoke to and researched many photographers in Dubai, but I didn't really feel comfortable, until I came across Helen Shippey. I'd researched her work, she came highly recommended and was just a lovely person, who understood what I wanted and put me completely at ease. She also went out of her way to get permission for us to take photographs at the Madinat as well - we photo-bombed the Dubai International Film Festival red carpet :-) Everyone has commented on how wonderful our wedding photos are and I can't wait to have some of them made into canvases.

http://shippeyphotography.com/

https://www.facebook.com/shippeyphotography

Deciding where to have your wedding reception is such a personal thing, but I think we really did come across one of the most lovely venues in Dubai - The Empire Room at the H Hotel. It's a good sized space, not too big, not too small with very elegant and classy decor. The staff at the H organised our reception for us aswell. I couldn't fault Nina, who listened to exactly what we wanted and she and her staff came through in spectacular style. We had a personalised buffet dinner, British vs German courses, wonderful wines, personalised welcome drinks and the biggest red velvet cake as a wedding cake that I've ever seen! Not to leave out the gorgeous flower arrangements. They truly made our evening special. What's more, included in their wedding package was a suite for the night for us - which was outstanding! It was so wonderful after a manic, exciting and special day to head to your room and find the giant bath filled with hot bubbly water and scattered rose petals, truly a personal touch. Definitely a venue worth considering.

www.h-hotel.com

I have a go-to company for Limo hire in Dubai.  Dubai Exotic Limo. I've used them on many occasions now and they've never let me down. They're good on price, have a great range of vehicles and their drivers are simply fantastic.

www.dubaiexoticlimo.com

For the entertainment factor of the night, I made the guests do some work with karaoke - always goes down well after people have had a bevvy or six. I roped in work mate Nick Robinson (Radio 1 UAE), to do the honours in hosting the karaoke and to do some DJing, which he did brilliantly as always. There were a few extra bits of equipment that I needed to hire, so I turned to Media Kraft for those.

www.mekraft.com

Annnnnd I think that's just about it! I thoroughly enjoyed planning our big day, but of course there are many good wedding planners out there who can assist and do pretty much everything for you. But whatever you decide to do, enjoy it, as it all goes by so fast on the actual day :-)