A young model has posted about her experience getting the devastating news that a tiny mark on her leg was actually skin cancer.
Oceana Strachan, 25, had always been out in the sun with tanning lotion on and had never paid attention to those who warned her about the risks of being too exposed.
So when she was told a small bump on her leg was actually a form of spreadable melanoma, she said "I couldn't take it in".
The model from New South Wales described how the mark first appeared in 2019 but she thought it was just a freckle or a pimple.
She got it checked out by a doctor but was told it was of no concern, the Daily Star reports.
Oceana interrupted her check-ups during the Covid-19 pandemic but when the mole started changing in colour and getting darker, she pushed for a different doctor to do a biopsy.
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Devastatingly, her worst fears came true as she was told she had stage two melanoma, which is life-threatening if it reaches the lymph nodes.
Oceana told the Daily Mail : "I have naturally olive skin so I tan really easily and spent most summer days from the age of about 16 to 20 in the sun.
“So when the doctor told me it was a spreadable melanoma, I couldn't take it in.”
Thankfully, she was able to have surgery to get the 0.3mm mole removed and the cancer hadn’t spread to other areas of her body.
She said: “It sounds tiny, but it's still dangerous.
“The doctor told me I was really lucky because it didn't look like a regular melanoma.”
Oceana took to Instagram to share a post about her scary experience and raise awareness of the risks of suntanning with no protection the way she did.
“I never want to scare anyone from being in the sun or doing outdoor activities I purely just want you guys to be more aware.
“I’ve never been the perfect example myself, I’ve had so many people countlessly tell me ‘there’s nothing healthy about a tan’.
“And I cringe when I think back to my responses.”
She said she was left "swimming in feelings of guilt" for what occurred to her, as she always used to dismiss comments about skin with jokes like “you have to die of something”.
“I can’t believe those words came out of my mouth," she said.
“I’m 25 and I don’t want to die this young.”
The model urged her followers to do regular checks of the skin for any signs of cancer.
She added: “Being aware and having self initiative is what saved me and thankfully I was able to be one of the lucky ones to catch it early enough.
Oceana’s post has been viewed more than 18,500 and many have praised her for speaking so openly about her battle with skin cancer.
One commenter said: “This is such a powerful testimony from a brave young woman. Thank you for raising awareness.”
And another wrote: “Brave. Glad you did it, hopefully it helps others check and take action!”
