She Went To The Doctor With A “Numb Leg”, And Now She Has A Dire Warning For All Of Us…

A mother of two speaks out about the dangers of tanning beds after she was diagnosed with skin cancer for using the beds to top up her tan ahead of girls’ holidays.

Shannon Masterton, 29, from Derry, Northern Ireland, said she used the beds twice a week to get a better tan but was diagnosed with melanoma in January 2020 and now says they’re not worth it risking her life for it.

But eventually, this unhealthy habit would catch up with her. She eventually developed a spot on her skin that looked like a freckle and began to feel itchy while she was on a trip that she had tanned for.

A year later, she returned to the tanning beds before another trip and noticed the same feeling on her leg which developed into a burning sensation and eventually caused that area of her leg to go numb. A friend realized that Masterson had still not had her leg looked at by a professional in December 2019 and urged her to see a doctor.

Masterson was finally diagnosed with melanoma in January 2020. From there, she underwent surgery to remove the cancer and surrounding tissue in her leg as well as some of her nerves. A part of her leg is completely numb as a result.

“I never imagined in a million years that this would be happening to me,” she said. “I’m so lucky that I caught it early enough and went to the doctors when my friend forced me to.”

Today, she is cancer free but still has regular check ups. Masterson also says she is “so much more cautious” than she once was when it comes to skin protection and knows tanning is simply not worth it.

“I am always covered up and so are my kids,” she said. “It’s just not worth the risk.”

Masterson’s realization:

“I’m so lucky that I caught it early enough and went to the doctors when my friend forced me to. It could have been a very different story. I am so much more cautious now. I am always covered up, and so are my kids. It’s just not worth the risk. I’m in the all-clear at the minute, and I am grateful to the NHS for the regular check-ups I still have to this day. I’m also grateful to my friend, Aine, and everything she did for me. Life could have been very different if I didn’t have an earth angel as a friend.”

Source: AWM