Hi! I'm Sarah. I had what we thought was a basal cell carcinoma removed from my arm just before Christmas. Now the histology shows it's a superficial spreading melanoma in vertical growth phase (initial staging 2b).

I first noticed the growth around 3 years ago(!) but it's taken a while to persuade a GP to refer me to a dermatologist. Now I feel a little like Spike Milligan, whose epitaph reads, "I told you I was ill."

I'm (ahem) 53, single with three adult children and a 17 year old. I'm a qualified nurse (although haven't been in practice since 1999), now working as a self-employed event administrator. And I'm a little bit scared.

I'd rather not be here, but since I am: Hello!