Air hostess convinced extreme fatigue was caused by ‘jet lag and break-up’ given shock cancer diagnosis
An air hostess who thought her extreme fatigue was caused by jet lag discovered she had cancer.
Chloe Broad, 24, had been in the middle of a busy work schedule - as well as navigating a break-up last year - when she started to feel exhausted.
Feeling as though she needed a well-earned break, Chloe booked a three week-long holiday - but she became concerned when she noticed a suspicious looking mole on her right arm.
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Chloe - who describes herself as a 'sunbed addict' - was left in shock when she visited her GP and found out she had melanoma, which is a type of skin cancer.
"I was exhausted all of the time. Obviously being cabin crew, I just put that down to jet lag or fatigue. I'd just finished a busy summer schedule," said Chloe.
"I'd taken three weeks off work because I was so fatigued. It's really common in cabin crew to have jet lag, it's one of those things.
"In August, my boyfriend and I split up, which was a big shock that I wasn't expecting at all.
"That was a stressful time. I just didn't expect to come out of that relationship and was feeling a bit sorry for myself.
"I thought that could be having an impact on my energy levels, I was just moping around."
After doctors discovered the melanoma, they were able to remove the cancerous cells and Chloe has since ditched her sunbed habit for good.
"I've always loved being super tanned. I always tanned really well. As soon as I was 18 I started using the sunbeds," she said.
"When I moved away from the family home at 19, that's when I really started tanning.
"I was getting sunbeds every single day. Once I started getting darker I would do the maximum, which was 24 minutes, I was doing that for six months.
"I loved the way I looked with a tan. I used creams from the start then started using nasal sprays around a year-and-a-half into it.
"... I had abused sunbeds. Very rarely would I put a high SPF on, so I knew I was at risk of skin cancer. You just never think it's going to happen to you.
"People always say you won't die of it. It was only when I went to the specialist that they told me melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer."
Chloe is now in remission and is having checks twice a year for the next five years.
She now uses fake tan out of the bottle, explaining: "Now I just use spray tans. I still love a tan, it's just not worth risking your health.
"It's so much quicker, easier, cheaper and safer to do spray tans. I regret ever going on the beds.
"I would much rather not have the scars it's left and have saved the money."
Lucy Devine