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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.
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.
The mole on Courtney Mangan's shoulder developed into a stage four melanoma (Instagram/@courtneymangan)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.
She underwent intensive therapy, and is now cancer-free (Instagram/@courtneymangan)"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.
Woman Diagnosed With Stage 4 Skin Cancer Issues Warning For Symptoms She Didn't Notice Until It Was Too Late
A woman has shared a stark warning after receiving a shock skin cancer diagnosis at the age of 29.
Courtney Mangan was given just an 18 percent chance of survival when she received the devastating news that she had stage 4 skin cancer.
At the time, Courtney, who hails from Australia's Gold Coast, had been to her doctors on two separate occasions about a mole that she was concerned about.
But her worries were dismissed, and it wasn't until she sought out medical advise from a skincare specialist that Courtney was given the bad news that it was already 'too late'.
Courtney Mangan was first diagnosed with cancer at the age of 29 (courtneymangan/Instagram)"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," she recalled.
"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."
Courtney continued to tell Daily Mail Australia that she quickly received the call she didn't want to get from her doctor, who confirmed that her mole had come back as level four melanoma and that she needed to see another specialist in Brisbane.
Courtney's had to go through many tests and surgeries since her diagnosis (courtneymangan/Instagram)"I immediately went numb - my uncle had died from melanoma just a few years prior," Courtney, now 38, said of the moment she was told the news.
"My whole world changed in that moment. I couldn't think of it as anything other than a death sentence."
But at this point, she hadn't received her stage 4 diagnosis.
It wasn't until Courtney began to experience more symptoms that she was told her cancer was stage 4.
A year after doctors removed the mole on her shoulder that was cancerous, Courtney developed a lump in her arm.
She thought that one of her symptoms was her IBS at first (courtneymangan/Instagram)Then she started to experience pain while she ate - something she initially believed was because of her irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
But an endoscopy then confirmed that she had a mass in her bowel and, after operating on her, Courtney was told her cancer had spread to her internal organs and was now stage four.
Another mass was later found in her thigh, but doctors were unable to remove it.
Fortunately, Courtney has now been cancer free for three years, but she says you can 'never really shake' the fear of her illness coming back.
"There's a dark cloud hanging over you all the time," she added.
If you've been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
I Was 29 When A Doctors Dismissed My Deadly Symptom That Led To A Stage 4 Melanoma Diagnosis With A Low Chance Of Survival. Here's My Warning
Courtney Mangan 29 when she was given a deadly stage four cancer diagnosis and an 18 per cent chance of survival.
The business owner, from the Gold Coast, had been to the GP twice about a 'concerning' mole on her back, but they insisted she was fine. It wasn't until she went to a skin specialist that the worrying truth was revealed.
'I had my first skin check at 29, which was already too late,' Courtney, now 38, told FEMAIL.
'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.'
Courtney recalled the doctor asking her to call back on Monday and said the receptionist would give her the all clear - but alarm bells went off when she received an urgent call from her doctor on Friday morning.
'I was at work at my family business with my father and brother mere metres away from me. My doctor said that unfortunately, my mole had come back as level four melanoma and that he had to refer me to a specialist in Brisbane,' she said.
'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.'
Courtney Mangan was given a deadly stage 4 cancer diagnosis with an 18 per cent chance of survival - but the young Gold Coast woman has beat cancer four times in the past decade
'I had my first skin check at 29, which was already too late,' the now-38-year-old told FEMAIL
She hadn't been given a stage four diagnosis at this point. 'Level four' refers to the depth of the melanoma's invasion in the skin. There are five levels. The 'stage' is whether the melanoma has advanced beyond the skin.
Courtney felt isolated in the wake of her diagnosis.
'All my friends were looking for spare bedrooms for their children when they buy houses, or they had to-go bags in case they went into labour at night,' she said.
'But I had a hospital bag in case my body started to shut down from my cancer treatment. I was looking at apartments with extra rooms in case my mum had to come stay with me.
'We had very different realities.'
Courtney went for check ups every three months after doctors removed the mole from her shoulder.
One day over a year later, she suddenly felt a lump on her arm and suspected it was a boil yet to come to the surface.
Courtney also suddenly experienced pain when she ate - and described the feeling as an 'uncomfortable blockage' in her gut.
'I also have irritable bowel syndrome so I wasn't sure if that was it,' she said.
Courtney relied on her loved ones for support
Courtney went for check ups every three months after doctors removed the mole from her shoulder
A PET scan revealed suspicious activity in her bowel - but a colonoscopy came back all clear.
Doctors then performed an endoscopy where they found a concerning mass.
'I woke up after surgery and saw a huge scar down my abdomen,' she recalled.
'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.'
The exited left soon after informing Courtney about her diagnosis and was left alone with her thoughts.
'It was pretty scary to be in your mid-thirties and hear that. I knew I'd have to undergo more surgeries, more invasive treatments, and the survival rate is not high,' she said.
The fourth time, doctors found a mass on Courtney's thigh and decided they couldn't cut it out.
'I had to get treatment for it because they wanted to know if it was actually working. If they just cut it out, the cancer could've popped up somewhere else three months later,' she said.
Courtney's mental health has suffered greatly because of her diagnosis - but she always tries to look on the bright side
Courtney said having to get scans every three months made her feel like she was living on borrowed time
'It was so weird to know that I was just going about my day but there was cancer in my thigh, festering and spreading.'
Courtney's mental health has suffered greatly because of her diagnosis - but she always tries to look on the bright side.
'I've been living with cancer for nine years now and it's been difficult. I've read a lot of books on the subject and tried yoga and meditation. I wanted to keep myself in a positive head space.
'Nobody coddles you, there's no sugarcoating cancer. The doctors just give you the facts.'
She shared that having to get scans every three months made her feel like she was living on borrowed time.
'It was just an endless cycle of going to the doctor and waiting to go to the doctor the next time.
'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.
'Then, there's this horrible pit in your stomach while you're waiting for the results to come back.
Courtney said she overthought every ache and pain while she was going through treatment
Courtney felt a 'pit' in her stomach while waiting for her results
'I've never been to the emergency room as often as I have when I was in treatment because you never know how the cancer will present itself.
'If there's some inflammation, you get a biopsy. Then a PET scan. Then an ultrasound. And then there are so many other follow up tests.'
She said that she felt like she could 'only breathe for three months at a time'.
'I was never happy or free of it. Melanoma is so aggressive - it can just keep coming back.'
Courtney relied a lot on her loved ones for support.
'As a single woman, having a close relationship with my friends and family was so important. They really helped me through my darkest days.'
Her oncologist spoke to her about her fertility options and they decided to freeze her eggs before she underwent treatment.
'I was about to start something that would hopefully save my life - but I had to put it on hold to protect my fertility. I was single at the time and not really thinking about kids. I was just thinking about how to stay alive.
Courtney's oncologist spoke to her about her fertility options and they decided to freeze her eggs before she underwent treatment
'I wasn't even sure if I wanted to delay the process of immunotherapy to freeze my eggs.'
Despite being cancer-free for three years now, Courtney still feels the weight of her health journey on her shoulders.
'You can never really shake it, there's a dark cloud hanging over you all the time.'
According to Cancer Council Australia, melanoma risk increases with exposure to UV radiation from the sun or other sources such as solariums, particularly with episodes of sunburn (especially during childhood).
Melanoma risk is increased for people who have:
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