After having my son in 2005, I noticed a light freckle forming on my forehead. I kept a close eye on it for the next couple of years and noticed it changed from a freckle to a mole. I was starting to get nervous because it was growing darker and the shape seemed to change. I decided to see a dermatologist to have it checked out.

I kept a close eye for the next couple years and noticed it changed from a freckle to a mole.

He was concerned but because it was on my face, he did not want to scrape and test it because it would leave a scar. We decided to wait and monitor it closely. Again, after some time, we finally decided to remove the mole. I had plastic surgery to remove the mole and have it tested. Sure enough, it came back as melanoma, stage II. I went back for a second surgery to ensure clean margins. They thought they were going to need to do a skin graft, but fortunately they were able to perform the surgery without the graft. All seems to be well now and I visit the doctor regularly for full-body checks. This is a picture of me saying, "Goodbye, skin cancer!"