Woman who was diagnosed with stage 4 skin cancer issues warning about unexpected symptoms she experienced
A woman was given the devastating diagnosis of stage four skin cancer when she was just 29, changing her outlook on life for good.
Australian business owner Courtney Mangan was given an 18 percent chance of survival after the 'concerning' mole on her back was looked at by a GP twice and dismissed as nothing concerning.
Everything changed when she saw a skin specialist as they highlighted the severity of the mole.
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Mangan said that it was 'already too late' when she went for her first skin check aged 29.
Speaking to Femail, she explained: "I had a mole on my back that I never really saw - but my family told me it started to change and urged me to see a doctor.
"The specialist checked my whole body and said everything looked normal but I expressed my concern about the mole on my back so he took a cutting and sent it to pathology."
After the check, she expected a call from the doctor the following Monday but instead got one on Friday morning, with the health expert detailing that her mole was actually a level four melanoma and that she was being referred to a specialist.
Mangan recalled: "I immediately went numb - my uncle had died from melanoma just a few years prior. My whole world changed in that moment. I couldn't think of it as anything other than a death sentence."
It would get worse though, as it hadn't reached stage four yet, with the 'stages' indicating the severity of its invasion of the skin.
The business owner would go for quarterly checkups as doctors removed the mole from her shoulder.
As well as the mole, Mangan experienced some other symptoms, such as feeling a lump on her arm over a year later, thinking that it was a boil coming to the surface.
She also had pain when eating, saying that there was an 'uncomfortable blockage' in her gut, though she said this could have been due to her irritable bowel syndrome.
When the 38-year-old underwent a PET scan, odd activity was spotted in her bowel, as an endoscopy found a concerning mass, as she recalled that they found a 'huge scar' down her abdomen.
"I was alone, all night, in my hospital room, and then at 5:30 the next morning the doctor came in and told me the cancer had spread to my internal organs and was now at a stage four," Mangan remembered.
Describing it as 'pretty scary', she was aware of all the surgeries and treatments ahead, with survival chances quite low.
Doctors later found a mass on Mangan's thigh, deciding not to cut it out and chose to treat it instead as it would affect a different part of the body if removed.
"It was so weird to know that I was just going about my day but there was cancer in my thigh, festering and spreading," she admitted.
Having lived with cancer for nine years, she said that the regular doctor visits felt like 'an endless cycle', adding: "I overthought every ache and pain I had, I was so hyper-aware of every symptom I had. I was so aware of my body and thinking about it constantly."
As well as the paranoia over results, Mangan also said that she had never been to the emergency room that much in her life.
The stresses of the condition left her feeling like she could 'only breathe for three months at a time', revealing that she was never really free from it.
"Melanoma is so aggressive - it can just keep coming back," the Australian said, crediting her friends and family with getting her through the tough times.
She emotionally explained: "As a single woman, having a close relationship with my friends and family was so important. They really helped me through my darkest days."
Mangan decided to freeze her eggs before treatment after discussions with her oncologist, admitting: "I wasn't even sure if I wanted to delay the process of immunotherapy to freeze my eggs."
She added that she didn't think about her fertility at first, but ultimately decided on this course of action.
Mangan has now been cancer-free for three years, but said of her health journey: "You can never really shake it, there's a dark cloud hanging over you all the time."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Joshua Nair