"If you're gonna get cancer, skin cancer's the one to get"
I was actually told this by a friend, a week after being diagnosed stage 3 malignant melanoma. My 13 year old son had spotted a mole on my ear and I was misdiagnosed by a pharmacist who told me it was an infected spot, “if it gets hot, go to a doctor”. 3 months later my mum spotted “Fred” behind my ear and sent me straight to the doctor. I was told on a scale of 1-10 I was a 9 for cancer and fast tracked. I had my first operation September to remove the initial mole, October I had wide local incision with reconstruction of my ear and a couple of nodes removed. They showed positive for cancer so on Friday 13th January I had the lymph nodes and my parotid salivary gland removed. After testing they all showed microscopic traces of cancer so I had intensive radiotherapy. I’m now waiting to see if I have to have immunotherapy. Limbo is hard. On the positive note, I have no mortgage now, my 14 year old has taught himself to play the guitar as a form of therapy and it turns out he has a natural talent, I’m a hope ambassador for Cancer Support Yorkshire and I have a new outlook on life. I don’t sweat the small stuff and have truly learnt who my friends are. Unfortunately I lost my so called best friend who lied about having cancer!!! Who lies about that!!! But I’m better off knowing that the people I have in my life are real.
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