Below Deck Down Under star Jason Chamber is opening up about his health after being diagnosed with melanoma. The captain, 52, took to social media on Monday, Dec. 16 to encourage people to be safe in the sun and keep an eye on any changing spots on their skin.
“For someone that spent their life in the sun, as a child playing sport to working on the ocean, I thought I was resistant to the damaging effects of the sun,” he wrote on Instagram. “I love the sun and its health benefits are evident, but be wise and like everything in life, it’s all about balance, choose your battles. With a diagnosed melanoma biopsy, I now have an anxious wait and what I thought was a skin spot turned in just 6 months, early detection is the key.”
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In a video accompanying his post, Chambers shared the results of a recent biopsy he had done in Bali, which came back positive for the most serious type of skin cancer. Once he returned to his native Australia to seek more information from Australian doctors, Chambers revealed the next steps. “The Australian doctors, which are fantastic in Australia, they weren’t happy with what the indications told them to go to,” Chambers said in the video. “The stage two, which would be to cut out a bigger section and test the glands.”
The Bravo star explained that he is currently waiting for the biopsy specimen to be sent from Bali to Australia for further testing, revealing that he may have to wait until after the holidays to get more information about the extent of the melanoma.
“It’s a bit of a wait, fingers crossed,” Chambers said while crossing his fingers. “Look Australia, two out of three people suffer from melanoma. It’s a big thing.”
The TV personality admitted he “never” used to wear sunscreen when he was out on the water, saying, “I used to put zinc on my nose, the reason being the chemicals. But there’s so many products out there that are chemical-free now, which is great.”
He encouraged his followers to be careful in the sun and use protection to avoid a similar health scare. “Make sure you throw on some sunscreen, get some shade and cover yourself up and enjoy your day out in the sun,” he said.
