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Melanoma UK is a small charity, that do not receive any government funding, they rely solely on fundraisers to keep them going.  It would mean the world to me for any donations for this charity.  

MISSION, VISION, VALUES

At Melanoma UK it is their challenge and desire to give support for patients, carers, family, and friends.  It is at the heart of their work.  They provide social, emotional, and practical support throughout the cancer journey. 

I was diagnosed with a Nodular Malignant Melanoma , on my right knee in 2020 .  This mole had always been there and I’d had it checked years before, It changed though, very quickly.  Within 6 months I would say.  It grew wider, higher, got darker and itched.  I really thought nothing of it.  Now I know it is not “JUST SKIN CANCER”

With it being at the start of Covid, it made the journey even more terrifying, especially when dealing with appointments and operations. Not having loved ones with you in hospital to support and listen to dermatologists/surgeons/oncologists was extremely difficult.  These were life changing decisions,  All this information goes around your head, you forget, don’t ask the right questions and doubt your decisions.   I really left it in the specialists hands.  What I did know was I needed to be able to function everyday.  I didn’t want a complete lymph node excision (advised) and I didn’t want to go into the hospital every three weeks for intravenous treatment.  

The oncologist and plastic surgeon said they could work with my decisions as long as I was BRAF positive,  BRAF positive is a change in the BRAF gene, it allows melanoma to spread quicker around your body.  But also gives you other treatment choices. 

Between February and May 2020 I had 3 operations on my knee to gain clear margins and 1 on my groin to remove lymph nodes affected.. This made me immobile.  For anyone that knows me.  Knows that at that time of diagnosis I needed to be out running.  My mental health really was at a low.   By August I was offered  a fairly new treatment of immunotherapy called Targeted Therapy.   Being BRAF positive meant I had this option. It was in tablet form. Taking 2 in the morning on a empty stomach, no food for 2 hours after and 5 at night 2 hours before eating.  It started well but tiredness hit as did the fevers, ear ache, muscle pain and body aches. I could deal with all of that apart from the fevers. To help with this I was advised to stop my treatment for a few days then start again.  Eventually they reduced my dose as these symptoms would hit me every 3 weeks. By summer of 2021 I’d completed my treatment.  That first CT scan after I’d finished was terrifying.  The waiting horrendous.  The call however was the best news “Mrs Stokes there is no evidence of disease”  whoop whooop!!!

I still undergo skin checks, I still have CT scans and that wait still is horrendous “scan anxiety”  this will continue until 2025.  When I hope I can say I am cancer free.

My advise - CHECK YOUR MOLES! 

WEAR SUNSCREEN! Which  provides UVA and UVB protection, and an SPF rating of at least 30.

Thank you so much for reading my story..  

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