Meredith’s diagnosis

I am a Northern Irish woman living in England since my teens when I trained as a nurse, and I am approaching 76 years old. I am fair-skinned and have never liked heat, I used to get big blisters on my arms in childhood. My scalp is, I think, my weak spot. I used to get alopecia as a child, and illness or stress always showed on my head or in my hair.

My cancer journey started in 2022. A melanoma appeared and I was fast-tracked to Dermatology which included examination, photos, and at my second appointment, a biopsy. I was then referred to a surgeon for removal by local anaesthetic and a skin graft. This all went very well – the skin graft, as they warned me, was the most troublesome to heal! I was also warned that the tissue had shown malignant cells at a deeper level.

Later in the year another melanoma appeared. I had a full procedure with a second surgeon under full anaesthetic which is a risky business because I have damaged lungs through COPD and have had pneumonia three times. The procedure included removal of lymph cells in the neck showing activity and part of the muscle. It was a palliative operation of 2 1/2hrs because I would not have come through the indicated procedure of 6-8hrs.

“While there’s life, there’s life…”

No skin graft the second time, so the scalp and partly open wound in the neck to drain were very messy and took some time to heal. I didn’t have the indicated immunotherapy follow-up because there would be serious conflict with my Rheumatoid Arthritis. My treatment, which consists of close monitoring only at present, is officially palliative – but hey ho! Two PET scans have been clear, while there’s life, there’s life… I am hoping to take the opportunity of a holiday, which deteriorating mobility may mean is my last.

I am very pragmatic in taking the steps on this journey as they come, but I live alone and did become a bit frightened when I thought it might be in my brain, though this proved to be not the case. However, at this point, I did ask my cancer nurses for some support if possible. This is very great, deeply appreciated comfort.

I was very disappointed when I was diagnosed, but I tried not to brood on it. I had so many appointments due to other conditions which helped!

What may not be known about cancer is that very most often something can be done. Also, that it is possible to still live a good life through managing cancer. And with that thanks to charities like Penny Brohn UK, there is deep comfort out there to help us along the way.