Hello! My name is Taversia (pronounced like “tə-vû(r)-zhə” if you can work that one out), and I am a geeky redhead. I’ve always been that way, since as far back as I can remember. As a child, I moved around a lot because my father was in the Navy. I didn’t have too many opportunities to connect with other children my age, so I would keep myself company by retreating into a world of fantasy, often alongside second-spawned sibling—not pictured in this lifelike portrait below:

I was good at keeping second-spawned sibling, and myself, entertained. I would reenact the perilous adventures of 90’s Rapunzel Barbie® where she would get captured by dinosaurs for some reason and they’d take her back to their dinosaur kingdom and tie her up with shoestring. They’d sometimes dunk her in glasses of water to be stored in the freezer overnight, or bury her in the sandbox out back. How they managed this with their tiny dinosaur arms is beyond me.

That’s okay though, because GI Joe would always rescue her. He would nuke all the dinosaurs with his little plastic gun and dig her out with his disproportionately large plastic hands and pull her up out of the sand pit. Then they’d run away together. Well, that is to say, he would carry her, because Barbie’s legs didn’t bend too well at the knees in the 90’s. But I digress.

The public school system was a confusing time for me. I found the native tongue of my fellow peers, as well as their accompanying antics to be both shocking and troublesome. I mean, I told this girl ‘Maggie’ to go to hell once when I attended a private Catholic school prior. I remember that being a really big deal. I remember being told that this was the worst thing anyone could ever say to someone. Going to public school really put that into perspective for me.

Here is a short list of things I remember being called in the midst of my own personal hell. I’m sure you’ll notice a common theme here:

• Fire crotch
• Pizza face
• Tampon head
• Day walker
• Matchstick
• Bozo (the clown)
• A clown, just in general
• Annie/Pippi/Raggedy-Ann
• ugly.
• Carrot top

…Oh yeah?! Carrot tops are green, dumbass! So, JOKE’S ON YOU! >8)

HAHAHAHAHAhahaha…ahaha… 8(

“Day walker” never made any sense to me, either. It was usually said to me… while walking around in broad daylight. By people who were doing the exact same thing. What?

In any case, as the years went by, the name-calling got worse. I was very thoroughly bullied growing up. I felt the pressures to fit in, but I simply didn’t know how. The velociraptors were freezing me in place and burying me alive every day, and there was nothing I could do about it. I felt powerless. I often caught myself wistfully longing, “where’s my GI Joe who can come nuke everybody and take me away…?”

…Just straight-up nuke the hell out of everybody. Yeahhh. Those were frequent daydreams. Usually while I was taking spitballs to the back of the head. I still shudder. So gross.

It didn’t matter what school I went to; I was always the odd one out. I was decently athletic, but I was routinely picked last in P.E. for sports. I was smart, but made to feel stupid; whatever I said would be used against me in some way, so it simply wasn’t worth speaking my mind. My life was steadily spiraling down into a never-ending abyss of crippling despair. And all this, over what…? Hair?

In my mind, there was only one thing left to do:

I chopped off all my hair and dyed it black. Like my soul. Y’know, because I actually do have one. It’s just hard to see through all the darkness. So, that means I get to sit with all the angsty goth kids at lunchtime now, right? No more sitting alone, because I now fit in with all the other kids who didn’t fit in, together. We could just judge everyone who judges us. All I had to do to fit in was listen to all the same music they did and loiter around Hot Topic. Neat.

I know; sounds pretty dumb, right? I don’t like to negatively judge people. I never did. It felt good for a little while, because I was able to just be angry instead of sad for a long time. Eventually I caught on to how pointless that was, though. How I was only hurting myself, by bottling my feelings and being really antisocial. Anyone who would approach me who didn’t look like me, I would simply assume was out to get me. If they were nice to me, it was a trick. I seem to recall one instance where an otherwise fairly attractive boy came up to talk to me while I was reading a book.

“What’cha reading?” he asked.

“A book,” I replied.

…The conversation ended there. Man, I sucked. I had to get them before they got me, though.

It was much safer to just build an impenetrable wall around myself; to ignore not only the crude remarks hurled at me down the halls of my school, but what I perceived to be cruel jokes at my expense, too. Like the time I got asked to prom. I won’t get into that nuclear meltdown, though.

Then some stuff happened in my life that really rocked me. Some stuff that made me see just how completely trivial everything was. I wonder how many times on average, over the span of a person’s life, do they ever need to dial 911? Because, I certainly wasn’t prepared for it as a teenager. I was too wrapped up in myself; my problems at school, and my self-imposed loneliness.

When my mom died, I started asking myself a lot of questions. It no longer had anything to do with “where’s my GI Joe,” or “how do I get this spitball untangled from my hair goddamnit”… I was faced now with my own mortality, and the realization that this time I truly was alone. Second-spawned sibling and I were no longer as close as we used to be when we were kids, and my father and I never really saw eye to eye. I always had my mom, though. I let my hair grow back out; I didn’t care to redye it, because nothing mattered anymore.

I did a lot of soul-searching in that time. I had to repeat half a grade, and nearly dropped out. I am grateful that I was able to transfer to an alternative school for “troubled teens” to get my diploma, because otherwise I don’t think I’d have ever graduated. My self-esteem was at an all time low. I remember spending a lot of time in bed, because I slept so little. I wasn’t eating very much, either. I eventually did get my life on track, sort of, but it took a good couple of years to climb out of the hole I had dug for myself. No dinosaurs put me in this one.

Once stabilized, I moved on with my life, deciding not to go to college just yet. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with myself. I really liked comic books. I liked to draw and tell stories. When I gave up my toys as a child, drawing and storytelling is what replaced that for me. I was always doodling throughout each of my classes. It was just another means of escapism for me; another way to hide from everyone else.

…So you can imagine my extreme hesitance when my good friend, “@BoobsMcbalrog” decided I should be a model.

Who would be interested in me? I was a strange-looking, awkward ginger girl with hermiting tendencies. The very idea was somewhat unfathomable to me. I had a mild interest in photography, and I loved it as an art form. But this would mean that someone would have to think I was pretty—beautiful, even. I just couldn’t take it seriously. I let my faithful friend fill out a profile for me which got me on the track I never thought I’d be on.

The offers poured in. Photographer after photographer, all of them wanting to work with me; wanting to use me in each of their artistic pieces. It was an incredible rush. I got to see myself through the eyes of those around me, these people, in watching their creations come to life with me as their muse. For the first time in my life, I began to feel like it was okay for me to be “seen.” That maybe I could open up more, and just be comfortable with myself.

I started to have a lot of fun with it.

Do I think it’s my calling in life…? No.

I like to tell stories with my art. For now and for a time, my art is modeling. There is so much that can be said in a single picture. But I want to write.

For the past year and a half, I had been working on a novel called “Viscountess” and it is finally published. Perhaps modeling is what gave me the courage I needed to see it to completion. I did model for my own cover, after all…

I learned to embrace my differences. I learned that it’s okay not to fit in. In the end, life is what you make it. This is how I am making mine.

It’s nice to meet you guys. <3

—Taversia

http://facebook.com/taversia.net
http://twitter.com/taversia

(Photography by Shannon Zahnle)

Well some interesting bit of news for you this morning, Merida, our favorite redhead from Disney’s Brave movie, is not getting a new makeover afterall thanks to over 200,000 signatures on the petition to stop such an act.  The Mouse House has bowed to the public backlash and pulled the revamped young lady from its Disney Princesses website and replaced it with the original version from the Pixar movie.

Red-headed teenage tomboy Merida had been given a makeover in advance of her induction into the Disney Princess collection, rendering the character slimmer, older and somewhat sexualised in comparison with her appearance in 2012’s Oscar-winning animation. More than 200,000 people signed a Change.org petition calling on the studio to return the character to her more realistic origins and the redesign was also criticised by Merida’s Oscar-winning creator Brenda Chapman.

While Disney has not officially announced a U-turn, the creator of the Change.org petition says “glam” Merida has gone missing from the Disney Princesses website after being officially inducted at Disney World last weekend.

“Numerous supporters have written to us to share the news that the new makeover version of Merida is no longer appearing on Disney.com,” wrote Carolyn Danckaert of the website A Mighty Girl.

Chapman, who was replaced by Mark Andrews halfway through the production of Brave but maintained a co-director’s credit, described the new Merida as “atrocious” in an interview with her local newspaper, the Marin Independent Journal.

“When little girls say they like it because it’s more sparkly, that’s all fine and good but, subconsciously, they are soaking in the sexy ‘come-hither’ look and the skinny aspect of the new version,” Chapman said. “It’s horrible. Merida was created to break that mould,” she added. “To give young girls a better, stronger role model, a more attainable role model; something of substance, not just a pretty face that waits around for romance.”

Disney bought Pixar, the makers of the Toy Story films, in 2006 with the smaller firm’s John Lasseter taking over as creative head of both studios. The Pixar influence was immediately seen in a new wave of Disney CGI features such as 2008’s Bolt and this year’s Wreck-It Ralph, which abandoned the musical style for a fresher approach. However, the Merida furore suggests there remains a disconnect between the two studios that makes integration of Pixar characters into the Disney universe a troublesome proposition.

Well done everyone!

Did you know it was Melanoma Awareness Month?  I certainly didn’t, so first I would like to send a thank you to Jaime Putman for letting me know. 

Melanoma has a HUGE affect on redheads, because we all know our fair skin is far more sensitive than the average.  Still pale but don’t have red hair?  This affects you too!

I think the first important steps is protecting yourself.  How do you know what sunscreen is best or what spf to use?  I don’t know about anyone else, but when I put on spf 30…it does absolutely nothing.  I still get scorched.  I get scorched out in the sun with no protection in literally 2 minutes.  Well not scorched…but burned yes.  With SPF 30 I can last 10 minutes before my skin starts to turn red.  I have to use SPF 100 if I am even going to bother with the sunscreen.  However different skin types can stand different levels, so it is up to you which you choose to use.

Lip Sunscreen is also highly important, and it is something many people forget.  Moisturizing your lips is not going to be enough if they get baked in the sun soon after.  Try to choose a moisturizer with a sunscreen in it also.

So how do you pick a sunscreen? The best sunscreen is a hat and a shirt. No chemicals for the skin to absorb, no questions about whether the product works, no bogus claims like “sunblock.” (No conventional product blocks out all rays. That’s why the FDA is trying to ban the term.)  Many sunscreens have some pretty harsh chemicals in them that are doing more harm than good. 

These are the top sunscreens we would recommend:

1. Alba Botanica, Mineral Sunscreen Fragrance Free: This product is a Redhead’s dream. It is made of mostly organic ingredients and the texture of the lotions is smooth and light weight. The Mineral Sunscreen Fragrance Free is marketed for kids, but it is sure to be a hit with adults too. It applies beautifully and protects skin without harsh chemicals or the stink of other sunscreen odors. The best part is that it can be applied on the face without the cause of breakouts!

2. Beyond Coastal, Natural Clear Sunscreen: This sunscreen applies flawlessly and protects skin all day long-especially if going to the beach. The texture is a bit heavy for everyday use, but it’s still a fantastic choice.

3. Kabana Skin Care, Green Screen: Marketed as “Green Screen” because of its natural origins; and most of the ingredients are edible! The feel and smell is perfect for everyday use.

4. ThinkSport: If you’re an athlete, this is the best sunscreen! It never comes off and it applies easily. $14-16.00

Comment below if you have a favorite sunscreen!

Lip sunscreens are also very important. For lip sunscreens we recommend Fallene Lipcotz, SPF 45. 

Okay now, those sunscreens are nice if your skin doesnt burn insanely easily, because most of them are around the SPF 30 level.  But what do you do if you are like me and need an SPF 100?  First off, you must be aware of something when working with an SPF level.  The reason why we say find one right for you is because we do not want you to get too comfortable with an SPF 100.  Just because you wear a higher level of sunscreen does NOT mean you are better protected from cancers.  So if you are used to wearing an SPF 30 for 2 hours and being fine, don’t go out and get an SPF 100 with the intent of staying outside for 8 hours and thinking you are fine too.  You are still getting more exposure to the sun.  No SPF or sunblocks block out the sun 100%.  So you are getting UVA and UVB rays which contribute to the risk of skin cancer, and now you are getting them, ALL DAY.  SPF 100 should only be used for us extremists who will burn after being outside for 2 minutes.  We need to wear an SPF 100…but even still our sensitive asses should not be out in the sun for longer than 2 hours.  Seriously folks, I can’t express that enough.  We may have been blessed with beauty but our skin curses us in the sun, and you should NEVER forget this.

That being said, a good SPF sunscreen to use would be Neutrogena Ultra Sheer-Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 100, which you can get from your local store, or if it isn’t there, go to amazon.com and get it here.  For additional skin enhancing traits, you can also try Neutrogena Sunblock Lotion SPF 110 with Helioplex, which also is an age shield.  You can get that here.  But remember, an SPF 100 is not a license to stay out in the sun all day!

Now, what if you already HAVE melanoma?  How do you know if you have it?  It is good to know the symptoms and stages so you can get to a doctor right away if you think you are at risk.

In Stage 0 Melanoma, the malignant tumor is still confined to the upper layers of the skin (epidermis). This means that the cancer cells are only in the outer layer of the skin and have not grown any deeper. The term for this is in situ, which means “in place” in Latin. In Stage 0 melanoma there is no evidence the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or to distant sites (metastasis). 

 

Stage 0 is defined as TisN0M0: 

 

• Tis (Tumor in situ): cancer cells are found only in the outer layer of skin (epidermis) and have not grown into any other layers. The cancer cells have not shown signs of spreading
• NO: means no evidence of cancer spread to the lymph nodes
• MO: means melanoma has not spread to distant sites (metastasized)

Risk: Patients with Stage 0 melanoma are considered at very low risk for local recurrence or for regional and distant metastases. Keep in mind that the statistics shown for survival are averages; everyone’s cancer and survival rate is based on many factors and determined on an individual basis.

Stage I melanoma is defined as a melanoma that is up to 2 mm thick. A Stage I melanoma may or may not have ulceration. There is no evidence the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or distant sites (metastasis). There are two subclasses of Stage I melanoma: 1A, 1B.

Stage I Melanomas Are Defined by 3 Primary Characteristics: 

• Tumor thickness (Breslow Depth): how deeply the tumor has penetrated the skin. Thickness is measured in millimeters (mm). For example:

  • 1 mm = .04 inch, or less than 1/16 inch (about equal to the edge of a penny)

  • 2 mm = between 1/16 and 1/8 inch (about equal to the edge of a nickel)

  • 4 mm = between 1/8 and 1/4 inch (about equal to the edges of two nickels)

• Ulceration: when the epidermis (or top layer of skin)  that covers a portion of the primary melanoma is not intact. Ulceration can only be seen under a microscope, not by the naked eye.

• Mitotic Count (Rate): is a secondary characteristic that describes how quickly the tumor cells are dividing. Mitotic count is calculated by a pathologist who counts the average number of actively dividing cells in the biopsy sample.

There are two subclasses of Stage 1 Melanoma

Risk: Patients with Stage I Melanoma are considered low risk for local recurrence or for regional and distant metastases. Keep in mind that the statistics shown for survival are averages; everyone’s cancer and survival rate is based on many factors and determined on an individual basis.

Stage II Melanoma is defined by tumor thickness and ulceration. There is no evidence the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or to distant sites (metastasis).

Stage II Melanomas are Defined by 2 Primary Characteristics: 

• Tumor thickness (Breslow Depth): how deeply the tumor has penetrated the skin. Thickness is measured in millimeters (mm). For example:

  • 1 mm = .04 inch, or less than 1/16 inch (about equal to the edge of a penny)

  • 2 mm = between 1/16 and 1/8 inch (about equal to the edge of a nickel)

  • 4 mm = between 1/8 and 1/4 inch (about equal to the edges of two nickels)

• Ulceration: when the epidermis (or top layer of skin) that covers a portion of the primary melanoma is not intact. Ulceration can only be seen under a microscope, not by the naked eye.

There Are 3 Subclasses of Stage II Melanoma:

T2b:  tumor is 1.01 - 2.0 mm thick, with ulceration

T3a:  tumor is 2.01 - 4.0 mm thick, with no ulceration

N0: No spread to nearby lymph nodes

M0: No evidence of metastasis to distant sites

T3b: tumor is 2.01 - 4.0 mm thick, with ulceration

T4a: tumor is greater than 4.0 mm thick, with no ulceration

N0: No spread to nearby lymph nodes

M0: No evidence of metastasis to distant sites

 

T4b: tumor is greater than 4.0 mm thick, with ulceration

N0: No spread to nearby lymph nodes

M0: No evidence of metastasis to distant sites

Risk: With treatment, Stage II Melanoma is considered intermediate to high risk for local recurrence or distant metastasis. Keep in mind that the statistics shown for survival are only averages; everyone’s cancer and survival rates is based on many factors and determined on an individual basis.

Stage III Melanomas are tumors that have spread to regional lymph nodes (there may also be in-transit or satellite involvement).  In Stage III Melanoma, the depth of the melanoma no longer matters.There is no evidence of distant metastasis.

 

Stage III Melanomas Are Defined By 3 Primary Characteristics:

•  Number of lymph nodes to which the tumor has spread

•  Whether the tumor spread to the lymph node is microscopic or macroscopic.

  • Micrometastases are tiny tumors not visible to the naked eye. They can be detected only by microscopic evaluation after sentinel lymph node biopsy or elective lymph node dissection.

  • Macrometastases can be felt during physical examination or seen with the naked eye when inspected by a surgeon or pathologist. Their presence is confirmed by lymph node dissection or when the tumor is seen to extend beyond the lymph node capsule.

• Ulceration: when the epidermis (or top layer of skin)  that covers a portion of the primary melanoma is not intact. Ulceration can only be seen under a microscope, not by the naked eye.

 

There Are 3 Subclasses of Stage III Melanoma

Stage III Melanoma

 

 

Stage III Melanomas are tumors that have spread to regional lymph nodes (there may also be in-transit or satellite involvement).  In Stage III Melanoma, the depth of the melanoma no longer matters.There is no evidence of distant metastasis.

 

Stage III Melanomas Are Defined By 3 Primary Characteristics:

•  Number of lymph nodes to which the tumor has spread

•  Whether the tumor spread to the lymph node is microscopic or macroscopic.

  • Micrometastases are tiny tumors not visible to the naked eye. They can be detected only by microscopic evaluation after sentinel lymph node biopsy or elective lymph node dissection.

  • Macrometastases can be felt during physical examination or seen with the naked eye when inspected by a surgeon or pathologist. Their presence is confirmed by lymph node dissection or when the tumor is seen to extend beyond the lymph node capsule.

• Ulceration: when the epidermis (or top layer of skin)  that covers a portion of the primary melanoma is not intact. Ulceration can only be seen under a microscope, not by the naked eye.

 

There Are 3 Subclasses of Stage III Melanoma

Risk:With treatment, Stage III disease has an intermediate to high risk for local recurrence or distant metastasis. Even within Stage III, the earlier the melanoma is found and treated, the better the outcome. Keep in mind that the statistics shown for survival are averages; everyone’s cancer and survival rate is based on many factors and determined on an individual basis.

Stage IV Melanoma

In Stage IV, the melanoma has traveled beyond the regional lymph nodes to more distant areas of the body. The most common sites of metastasis are to vital organs (lungs, abdominal organs, brain, and bone) and soft tissues (skin, subcutaneous tissues, and distant lymph nodes (lymph nodes beyond the primary tumor region).

Stage IV Melanoma Primary Characteristics Include:

• Location of distant metastases

• Number and size of tumors

• Serum LDH level. LDH (serum lactate dehydrogenase), is an enzyme found in the blood and many body tissues. Elevated LDH levels usually indicate that the tumor has spread to internal organs.

There Are 3 Subclasses of Stage IV Melanoma: 

The subclasses are based on where the metastases are located and the level of serum LDH. It does not include any T or N classification.

• M1a: the tumor has metastasized to distant skin, the subcutaneous layer or to distant lymph nodes. Serum LDH is normal.

• M1b: the tumor has metastasized to the lungs. Serum LDH is normal.

• M1c:

  • The tumor has metastasized to organs other than the lungs, and serum LDH is normal, OR

  • There are any distant metastases with elevated LDH

Risk: Unfortunately, long-term survival is poor, with 1-year survival rates ranging from 41% to 59%. (1)

The survival rate of patients with Stage IV melanoma has significantly improved since 1997 compared with patients diagnosed before that year. (2)

Having a normal appetite, absence of nausea, vomiting, or fever, the ability to conduct daily activities unimpaired, and being female all give you a more favorable patient profile.

Why the Location of Metastases Is Important

Large-scale studies indicate that the respective 1-, 2-, and 5 year survival rates for Stage IV melanoma are: (1)

Distant skin, soft tissue, and/or lymph nodes - 54%, 36%, 19%

Lung -       53%, 31%,  15%,

Visceral - 35%, 18%,    9%

Why Brain Metastases Are Different

While brain metastases are part of Stage IV, the risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment, are different than other types of metastases.

Why LDH Levels Are Important

Compared with the survival of patients with normal LDH levels, patients with abnormal LDH levels have significantly worse overall survival. The respective 1-, 2-, and 5 year survival rates were: (2)

Abnormal LDH - 33%, 18%, 10%

Normal LDH -      61%, 33%, 18%

This is just a reference guide, please consult your doctor for more information immediately if you display any of these symptoms.  Melanoma is the worst type of skin cancer you can get, but it is 100-percent curable if it’s caught early. Detection is key, and that’s why we suggest full skin exams at least yearly.  Sorry the article is so lengthy, there is actually a lot more advice than this, make sure you look things up and stay informed!