Ok so, after much flip flopping about if I should post this in a more public place, here we are. If me telling people what I’ve experienced can save just one person from going through the same, that’s got to be worth it.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="⚠️" title="Warning sign" aria-label="Emoji: Warning sign">trigger warning - the following thread has post surgery photos https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="⚠️" title="Warning sign" aria-label="Emoji: Warning sign">

Thank you to @sophkean @ScottsDoDisney and @DLP2WDWrunner who have been such a support during this, and too many other of you to mention https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥰" title="Smiling face with 3 hearts" aria-label="Emoji: Smiling face with 3 hearts">

So, let’s roll back the clock to probably September 2019, I noticed a small skin coloured mole or skin tag had appeared under my left eye, it was tiny, didn’t hurt, wasn’t red etc so I thought nothing of it.

By January it had grown in size and developed a scab that didn’t heal

January 2020 I went to my GP to put my mind at rest, what actually happened was the opposite, the Dr explained that skin wasn’t her strongest knowledge area, but she was worried it could be something, I had an urgent referral to a dermatologist to check for skin cancer.

One week later I was at the hospital (thank you NHS!!) and got the news no one wants, I was the 1 in 10, and what I thought was a skin tag was a suspected Basal Cell Carcinoma or BCC, a form of skin cancer.

Lucky for me (how weird is that) it’s extremely treatable

Due to its position being so close to my eye I had to see another specialist at the end of February, and then yesterday I had surgery to remove “boris” the bump, who will now be tested.

So what causes BCCs? Sun damage.

Anyone who knows me knows I have pale skin and red hair, I’m always careful in the sun, use high factor sun cream, try to avoid hot holidays. But I wasn’t careful enough. I’ll never know for sure how or when I got it, but I know it’s likely to return.

Please, take the sun seriously, wear sun cream with a high SPF and a high star rating daily, even when it’s cloudy outside! Replace it every 12 months and re apply every few hours. Check your skin and get any new moles/bumps checked.

I am so grateful I got “boris” checked, grateful that our nhs meant I was seen quickly and free at the point of treatment. Surgery went well and I’m home recovering, it’s sore but it’s a small price to pay https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤷🏼‍♀️" title="Woman shrugging (medium light skin tone)" aria-label="Emoji: Woman shrugging (medium light skin tone)">