We always hear about someone getting cancer, a friend of a friend. A parent or child of a colleague and we say quietly to ourselves, thank heavens it’s not me or my loved ones!

Well, this time it was me! I am now one of the many statistics out there. I am one of the lucky ones though, it was ‘just’ skin cancer – melanoma in-situ. A small freckle or mole on my back. When the surgeon removed it, he admitted he was concerned – so then the dreaded wait for the results. The results came back and yes there was cancerous cells. In that one minute, it became more difficult for me to get additional life cover, more specifically dread disease cover! They had to remove a bigger piece of skin to ensure everything has been cut out. A bit of ‘skin grafting’ was done to cover up the gaping hole.

Now you might wonder, why am I telling you this gory story. The reason is simple, it could be YOU. It could happen to YOU. Cancer has no preference in which age group, which sex or even which ethnicity you are. The Big C is a few cells that just ‘wake up one day and decide to NOT be like all the other cells’.

And in that moment, cancer starts building in your body.

Have your check-ups. Ask your partner, friend, child to check your back to see if any funny ‘freckle’ is spreading. Be aware and please ensure you have the right AND adequate cover, should this story be yours to tell, or possibly a spouse or child’s story.