Patient Stories

Two weeks before taking my 90-year-old father to China in October 2019, I felt a lump in my neck and mentioned it to my doctor when I went to get my certificate of medication to take with me on my holiday.

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!