Patient Stories

This all happened during the beginning of Covid, our home was rented out, we could not travel in our little motor home and I could not wash myself, prepare meals and most other things we take for granted.

I had a mole on my leg that had actually been bothering me for years, and a couple of colleagues had had a look at it and thought not to worry.

In 2012 I had a melanoma removed from my right cheek.  I was assured that it had been removed successfully.  In 2017 I experienced pains in my side and had weight loss and bed sweats. 

I was 31 when one day I noticed a mole on my stomach which had a new black dot on it. My mum was visiting so I showed her and she had this look on her face like she knew it wasn’t good.

A skin check by a dermatologist in August 2014 confirmed a suspicious mole on my back left flank that had changed and ulcerated (bled) to be positive to a Stage 2c melanoma.

I knew about the first two, but I had no idea I had anything at all on the back of my left thigh. I was quite surprised, but took a photo. When I checked it a couple of months later, I noticed that it had changed a little bit.

After a number of Dr visits, pushing for an MRI which led to a PET scan and then being sent to the emergency department, tumours were found in my skull and my left tibia.  My primary was never found.

I had my first infusion on 11 Sep and the second one on 2 Oct. On the 19th Nov I received the results from the first scans taken following the infusions. Miraculously there was no active cancer.

I woke on the morning of February 17th this year with the right side of my face drooping and slurred speech.

I first noticed a pimple on my left cheek which I cut shaving back in June 2013.

The tumour was successfully removed and it was only then it was confirmed it was a secondary melanoma – primary unknown!

In 2017, as I was reading in bed, I discovered a suspicious lump under my right arm.