A mother-of-three has revealed how a tiny, harmless-looking spot on her back turned out to be the first signs of an aggressive, stage 4 cancer.
Gemma Allen, 42, was juggling full-time work, family life, and raising three children when one appointment last October led to the discovery of nine tumours in her brain, including one the size of a golf ball.
The ordeal began just days after a weekend away with her best friend, when her husband noticed a small mark on her back. They dismissed it as a spot. But then came a strange sensation.
I woke up and thought, ‘who’s touching my arm?’ But it was my own hand — I just couldn’t feel it,’ she told MailOnline.
The odd pins-and-needles feeling escalated quickly. She struggled to type at work, her fingers tangled trying to put her hair up, and her sister — also her colleague — urged her to get checked.
Gemma called NHS 111 after being unable to get a GP appointment for weeks and was told to go straight to A&E.
At hospital, she underwent basic checks and was nearly sent home. But at the last minute, a doctor suggested a head scan ‘just to rule anything sinister out.’
Within five days, a scan revealed the largest tumour had grown again – 10mm in less than a week – and she faced immediate surgery or permanent loss of mobility
‘I was literally in the waiting room on the phone when they came out and said, ‘You might want to put your call on hold.’ Then they told me: ‘We’ve found a mass on your brain.’ Right there in the waiting room.
‘My whole world was just instantly flipped upside down, I could breathe or think for a moment. Everything just stopped.’
Doctors initially suspected lung cancer after spotting nodules on her lungs, but when they biopsied the mark on her back — the spot her husband had first noticed — they deduced it was melanoma, a form of skin cancer, that had spread aggressively into her brain and lungs.
‘They confirmed I had nine brain tumours. The largest was 35mm – the rest were small, but they were there.’
Because of the tumour’s location in her brain’s right hemisphere – which controls the left side of the body – her neurological symptoms made sense.
She began treatment immediately, starting with a targeted tablet therapy designed for her cancer mutation.
The treatment worked quickly – within weeks, her sensation returned and she could type normally again. But the success was short-lived.
In April, just five months later, Gemma began to experience intense headaches and vision disturbances.
Within five days, a scan revealed the largest tumour had grown again – 10mm in less than a week – and she faced immediate surgery or permanent loss of mobility.
‘They told me if they didn’t operate now, I’d lose the use of my left side forever. But even the surgery was risky – it was wedged between movement and sensation parts of my brain.’
In total, doctors found eight smaller brain tumours alongside the large one – bringing the total to nine.
During surgery, an electrode was placed in her brain and sensors on her limbs to try and preserve movement.
‘When I woke up, I looked at my hand and couldn’t move it. I was terrified I’d be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.’
She’s since made progress, though slowly – her leg recovered more quickly than her arm. She now walks with a frame and must concentrate hard on every step.
‘I used to run around after my kids. Now, I have to focus just to walk from one room to another.’
Gemma was told her cancer is not curable, but it may be manageable – with new immunotherapy treatments offering hope to extend her life.
‘The stats say 55 percent of people live for six years on the new treatments, maybe longer. But it’s early days – no one really knows.’
Her friends have set up a GoFundMe to help create a garden for Gemma during this difficult time.
Now, as she rebuilds her strength, she’s determined to live in the moment and raise awareness that a ‘little spot’ might be something much more serious.
‘You never think it’ll be you. I didn’t. I was just a busy mum, going about life and then suddenly, I had nine brain tumours.’