After the harrowing but triumphant conclusion of her six-year-old Finley’s chemotherapy treatment, 45-yer-old AJ Brown though that her family finally was done with cancer.
But not five months later, the associate business director from California received an earthshattering news: she was afflicted with melanoma, one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer.
In a Today story, she said that she felt at once mad and scared and upset at the diagnosis.
After a couple of days, however, she came to the heartbreaking but satisfying realization that it was fine that she had cancer—as long as it was neither of her children.
“You can’t spend every day for months when your daughter is sick, praying to God, please let it be me, please let it be me, and then be pissed when it’s you and not her,” AJ said.
“So I let go of the being mad part and realized, it’s me, that’s fine. As long as I don’t have to watch my kids go through this.”
A Daily Mail report said that AJ found out about her condition when she spotted a poster at her dermatologist’s office about potentially harmful moles.
So she had the mole on her right thigh removed and tested. A few days later her dermatologist called her.
“Oh, honey, are you sitting down?” her dermatologist said. “I hate to tell you this because I know what you just went through with your little girl, but it’s melanoma and we’re going to have to have you in for surgery.”
Thankfully, her doctors successfully removed the offending skin. It left her with a “battle scar,” but she said that she is “totally cool with that. I match Finley now.”
In her Facebook post about her and her family’s ordeal, AJ wrote:
“I wouldn’t choose it, of course, but oh my gosh, it’s so much easier to go through it myself than to have to watch one of my children go through it.”
“I have so much to be grateful for that I’m oddly even grateful for the physical pain. Had we not caught the cancer when we did, that might not be the case.”
AJ added: “Melanoma spreads fast. I suppose I could have lost the leg. Or my life, for that matter. But, we did, and I didn’t, so yay, I have a leg that is healing.”
What causes melanoma?
Although everyone is at risk for melanoma, other factors contribute to its development, such as sun exposure, moles, skin types, personal history, and weakened immune system.
In order to avoid increased risk, follow these important tips:
Seek the shade when you’re outside, especially between ten in the morning and four in the afternoon; avoid excessive tanning and using UV tanning beds; cover up with clothing, broad-brimmed hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses; use sunscreen; examine moles with the help of your doctors.
READ: 15 Cancer signs in children that you might be ignoring
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