REAL LIFE STORIES

Angela's Story

Loving the sun and my beautiful tan,
Soaking up the rays whenever I can,
Coming back to haunt me as the years go by,
The moles and blemishes that age can’t defy.

Then a new mole appears very dark and strange,
Watching it closely it begins to change,
A review by the doctor confirms the news,
It’s malignant, it’s cancer, I have so much to lose.

With amazing speed, surgery takes place,
Waiting for results is so hard to face,
Trying to smile, reassure those who care,
Constantly thinking that life isn’t fair.

But I’m lucky they caught it and nothing has spread,
Yet I still feel so anxious and full of dread,
The scars look like shark bites, so ugly and wide,
A lasting reminder of my vanity and pride.

And the checks keep on happening, more surgery will follow,
My desire for a tan now feels so hollow,
I keep covered up and now try to share,
How quickly life changes and to be more aware.

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If you have a mole, then you need to know all about the ABCDE rule and watch out for the following:

Finally, if you are concerned, please get your mole checked out by an expert.

Thanks to Angie for sharing her story. Angie is keen to share her story of skin cancer as she believes that by being more aware of our moles and blemishes, particularly as we get older and regularly checking our bodies, we can take early action if we need to and ensure that malignant melanoma in particular is treated before it spreads to other parts of the body.