You never know when a moment could change your life. Just ask Melissa Bates.
At 43, Melissa was rundown and exhausted, focused solely on caring for her sick daughter. But during a routine GP visit, the doctor noticed something unusual – not in her child, but in Melissa.
“You don’t sound too great either – mind if I listen to your chest?” the GP asked. What followed was a chance discovery of a suspicious spot on her back and a suggestion she never expected: get it checked.
Melissa admits she didn’t rush. “It took me six months to get a biopsy and it turned out to be melanoma.”
That was just the beginning. Over the next seven years, Melissa had nine melanomas removed – from her back, left leg and left arm. But here’s the surprising part: Melissa had always played it safe in the sun.
“I don’t tan. I don’t lie in the sun. I’ve never touched a solarium in my life. I’ve always worn sunscreen and hats.” Growing up with a GP stepdad who drilled in sun safety, Melissa followed all the rules. “Don’t go out between 11 and 2,” he’d say.
Even so, her fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes made her high-risk. “I played sports outdoors constantly as a kid – tennis, surfing, little athletics, horse riding. Even with all the caution, my skin’s always been high-risk.”
The good news? Melissa’s melanomas were all caught early. “I feel very fortunate they were melanoma in situ, and I only had to have 9 biopsies and 10 operations without chemotherapy or radiation because they were detected early.”
Today, at 49, Melissa lives on 130 acres with 20 head of cattle, raising two teenage daughters – and she’s passionate about encouraging others to stay vigilant. “I have a mission to help others catch skin cancers early.”
Leading dermatologist Moshy‘s Dr Ludi Ge agrees that year-round protection is key. She warns that even in winter, UV levels can reach 3 or higher – high enough to damage skin. And while most people remember sunscreen in summer, winter is just as important.
Making a skin check part of your yearly routine might just save your life – just like it did for Melissa.
Images: Supplied
