Survivor Stories

Leslie Thabes, Stage II

Diagnosed  04/23/2013

I was in Paris, France and spent more time with my closest friend and her beloved husband in August 2010, we went on a field trip to the castle for the rest of the day. We had a great time to spend together. I was very tired on the way home to the suburb of Paris. Three years later, I was a full time student at University of Phoenix. It was my senior year. I studied and focused on my reading assignment. I just crashed and slept on my desk. There was something wrong with me. So I decided to go to the doctor. I transferred to skin cancer specialist. He told me that was cancer. But he made a vroom running out of his office and grabbed a cancer specialist immediately. Finally, both doctors and nurses came right into the office and greeted me. A cancer specialist took a look at my mole on my left arm. He told me that it was Melanoma cancer. I said, “Oh great!! it is not again!!” So I had two operations (two surgeries) one on May 9th and May 23rd, 2013. It was malignant Melanoma cancer,stage two. It was positive for superficial spreading Melanoma. It was 0.8 cm and 0.56mm. It  spread down to my left arm and spread up to the left side of my left neck. There was no treatment required. I said, “Ok”. Three years later, there is a slight Melanoma coming back on my forehead. Not again. I went to the doctor to have a look at my forehead. It is not serious this time. I hope it doesn’t spread to my brain and eyes. My arms and legs are getting tired. Right now, I have cherry angioma all over my body from skin cancer. I thought it would be a leukemia that relates with skin cancer. But a doctor said, “No, it is not that one”. I said, “Okay”. Whatever she said that. She is a family medicine doctor, but she is not skin cancer doctor. There are quite numerous bleeding spots all over my body except my legs and stomach. So I have to wait and see about any developments, then I will go and see a skin cancer specialist, but not the family medicine doctor. It is my love to play outdoor sports. This is my snow ski life. I have very fair skin coming from my ancestors of Scotland. That makes me more likely to get skin cancer. It is not easy for me. After two operations, I went back to college online and tried to finish my degree. Yes, I sure did!!! Finally, I made it to the end. I graduated from college in May 3. 2014. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Accounting. But I still have no job. Hopefully I will get a job soon. I will keep you posted when I  find out in near future. Stay out of sun it is a killer for fair skin!! Leslie 🙂