Mela-No-More Facebook Page for Skin Cancer
A woman has set up a Facebook page to raise awareness of skin cancer, after ignoring an ugly facial mole for 10 years.
Since national coverage of her story including the Mirror and ITV News, the page has gathered nearly 4,000 followers, who can see updates on her treatment.
The Facebook page www.facebook.com/melan.nomore was set up by Gemma Cottam to document her battle with melanoma.
Gemma explains:
“At the age of 15, a pimple appeared on the side of my face, soon turning into a mole. After having it checked by a dermatologist, I was told it was okay but could have it removed if I wanted too, being scared of how she said she would remove it, I quickly declined and forgot about it.”
In 2015 Gemma took the decision to have the mole removed after it had grown larger and was catching on clothing.
6 weeks later after routine testing, she was told that she had stage 2 melanoma, which since developed to stage 3. Treatment so far has involved 90 stitches thanks to two operations to get rid of the cancerous area and also remove lymph nodes in her neck, which has also left nerve damage and limited sensation in the neck and left arm.
As she is still waiting for more test results, in her Facebook page description, Gemma says:
“These next few weeks are going to be emotional and hard but I’m not giving up, I know I’ll beat cancer!
My advice to anyone worried is just simple, GO AND GET IT CHECKED, I’ve heard so many people say oh it’s nothing there busy… No! It’s there job and it’s your body..
Looking back I knew something wasn’t right, I wasn’t well.. I was always fatigued, fatigued not tired. There’s a difference, when I got home from work all I did was sleep because I had no energy. There’s little bits that now I’ve thought about, made sense..
I don’t want to scare anyone that’s not my point but this is cancer. I’m a lucky one.. I found mine early, Left any longer, had i not of chosen to get it removed, it doesn’t bear thinking of..
As I said, this page is to help spread awareness, I’m 25, Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common form of cancer for young people 15-29 years old.
Mole Checks
Gemma’s message is if in doubt, check it out.
Dr Ross Perry is one of the UK’s top mole removal doctors and says:
If you have any moles which are causing concern, then see a GP as soon as possible for a diagnosis and referral if necessary for the mole to be removed and tested. Don’t worry about bothering the GP, it is important to rule out any cause for concern and to treat suspicious moles as early as possible.
Even a mole that has previously been dismissed as ‘normal’ can become suspicious, so don’t be afraid to book another appointment if you’re not sure.
MOLE REMOVAL TREATMENT
Mole removal is offered by Cosmedics Skin Clinics’ doctors using a local anaesthetic and surgical techniques. Smaller moles tend to be removed using laser to leave minimum scarring.
Cosmedics Skin Clinics has mole clinics with locations in London and Bristol. All moles are sent away for testing as a precaution and results are relayed quickly back to the client for peace of mind.
More information about moles is available on this website.
For more information or to book a consultation, please complete the form on this web page or call 020 7386 0464.
