A mum-of-two from Carlisle, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer in November last year, brushed off her condition as “nothing to worry about”.
Cristina Turner was at a family barbeque last summer when her mum spotted an unusual mole on her back. The 35-year-old initially brushed it off as nothing to worry about, but after a conversation with another family member, she decided to contact her doctor.
Cristina, who had previously used sunbeds in her late teens and twenties, was shocked to be diagnosed with malignant melanoma and told she would need urgent treatment.
She said: “Looking back at photographs I could see that the mole had changed shape. It went from being flat and circular to more of a teardrop shape, as though part of it had started spreading upwards.
“But because it was on my back, it wasn’t a part of my body I’d normally look at. Within the mole itself, there were also different colours including a black spot which seemed to have got bigger too.”
Cristina was initially referred to the Cumberland Infirmary, but COVID-19 meant that her appointment with a specialist was moved to a clinic at Hilltop Heights in Carlisle.
She said: “I was told I’d receive the results of my first biopsy in the post, so when I got a call asking to go into the clinic the next morning, I went into the appointment already thinking the worst.
“I somehow managed to keep it together when the nurse confirmed what I already suspected – that I had cancer. It wasn’t until afterwards when the nurse asked me if I had children that I then burst into tears and the full reality really hit me.
“If I’m honest, I’d probably been a bit ignorant about how serious melanoma can be and the fact that it can be life-threatening. I thought it was simply a case of once the mole was gone, that was it. But a stage two melanoma was more serious than I was expecting.
“The nurse reassured me that there were lots of treatments available now and that I needed to try and focus on the road ahead.”
Cristina received surgery to biopsy lymph nodes and remove a wider margin of surrounding tissue in January this year and has recently been told that she is now cancer-free.
She is now enjoying life with her husband and two daughters Sophia, 10, and Sadie, 7.
“A cancer diagnosis is always tough, but lockdown has made that even tougher,” Christina said.
“One of the hardest parts of going through treatment in lockdown has been making sure the girls didn’t see me upset or worrying while I was at home with them waiting for test results.
“Cancer has definitely taught me a lot about appreciating the simple things in life. One little mole turned my life upside down, and it’s only when you have that threat hanging over you that you realise how important it is to seize every moment and every opportunity you get.”
Cristina, who works as a primary school teacher, is determined to share her story to help others and is now urging everyone to run, walk or jog 5K for Cancer Research.
She said: “My experience shows that cancer can happen to anyone. I’m half Italian and have an olive skin tone that never burns in the sun, so I was completely shocked to be told I had skin cancer.
“Never did I think that my choices over a decade ago could have the possibility to affect me at this stage of my life. In my late teens and early twenties, I did use sunbeds and loved to sunbathe on holiday.
“At the time I thought I was safe as I tan easily and never burn, which fooled me into believing that I was safe to stay in the sun. But now I know this wasn’t necessarily true.
“Although we will never know exactly what caused this to happen to me, I would probably have done a few things differently had I had any idea of the risks this cancer brings. It’s really important that people realise sun safety applies to everyone, regardless of skin tone or where you live”
Cristina added: “At the end of the day nobody knows your body like you do, so it’s really important that people go to their GP with any signs of symptoms. When skin cancer is found early it can be easier to treat and increase your chance of survival.
“Without early identification and treatment, my story could’ve been a lot worse, and that’s why I want to do everything I can to support people going through cancer right now.”
Sign up to Race for Life at Home this April and visit raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.
