Linda’s Story

Linda almost reached the important 5-year milestone – to the day. 

Linda from Temoa had a bleeding mole on her back in 2016 which tested as malignant, but a surgeon removed it. Linda was left with a small scar and instructions to have ultrasounds on different areas of her body every 3 months for 5 years. 

Then almost 5 years later, Linda’s husband found a lump on the scar tissue. Linda was diagnosed with stage 3 morbid malignant melanoma. Now she has a very big scar from the 90 odd stitches on her back, from the surgery to remove the cancer.  

Linda had many tests (CAT scans, PET scans, MRIs, ultrasounds) and a Port-a-Cath put in because her veins kept collapsing. Considering her other health conditions (a pacemaker and being an insulin-dependent diabetic), her treatment was immunotherapy for 13 months. Linda would need to have a CAT scan and a blood test (one visit to Wagga) prior to the immunotherapy appointment (another visit to Wagga).  

Linda is now in remission “Immunotherapy has done wonderful things for people with melanomas”. She still must travel to Wagga for the tests and visits to her specialist each 6 months (so far, she has travelled 6,000kms).  

But Linda is so grateful for the advancements in melanoma treatment, as she lost her son to melanoma in 1999, when Bradd was only 24 years old. Bradd died within 8 months of diagnosis. 

Linda is also grateful to Can Assist who assisted her with travel assistance and staying at Lilier Lodge “which saved a lot of travel and made such a difference – reduced the worry.”