The heart-wrenching story of a tradie who only has six months to live after his hairdresser spotted a potentially deadly mole
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We here at the Seniors Discount Club are always preaching about the importance of taking care of your health, and this story is a perfect example of why that's so important.
You might not think that something as simple as going to get your haircut could potentially lead to you finding out about a life-threatening condition, but for one Queensland man, that's exactly what happened…
Nicholas Smithson, a 38-year-old boilermaker from Rockhampton, Queensland, was diagnosed with terminal cancer after his hairdresser noticed a suspicious-looking mole on his neck during a routine appointment.
The hairdresser urged Nicholas to get the mole checked out by a doctor or skin specialist, but when he did, he was twice dismissed and told there was nothing to worry about.
Thankfully, Nicholas listened to his gut instinct and went to see a third doctor who immediately ordered a biopsy.
The tradie was initially turned down by two doctors who shrugged off the risks of his cancerous mole. Credit: Daily Mail.
The results showed that the growth was indeed cancerous – specifically, nodular melanoma – and had already spread beyond the blackened mole to his lymph nodes.
Doctors explained the 'worst case scenario' after finding out about his condition.
He shared: 'I remember I looked at my partner and said, "I'm going to f-ing die, this is going to kill me."'
'We went to my house and just stared at the blank wall and cried.'
Nicholas has since been raced to Brisbane for surgery in an attempt to remove all of the cancerous cells before they spread any further.
He underwent a 10-hour, bilateral neck dissection procedure to have his neck's lymph nodes removed.
However, he discovered a new growth behind his ear eleven days later.
His cancer, unfortunately, spread and he was given a prognosis of 6 months by the doctors. Credit: Daily Mail.
It was only after going through a PET scan that he learned that his cancer had spread throughout his body and he could no longer hope for a cure.
Doctors gave him six months to live in August.
He remarked: 'It's like in the movies when people are given bad news, they just disconnect.'
He said that he had made sporadic calls to friends in search of solace and had even enquired of the local funeral director about evidence of an afterlife.
To support Nicholas in fulfilling his lifelong dream of travel, his friends have established a GoFundMe page.
After establishing a goal of $5000, they raised $17,000 to assist the boilermaker to 'tick off some items on his bucket list'.
Health experts confirmed that nodular melanomas can spread to major organs within three months after they first develop.
The story is a reminder of how important it is to take care of your health and get regular checkups, even if you feel perfectly healthy. Cancer, after all, is often asymptomatic in its early stages, so it's important to be vigilant about any changes in your body.
If you notice any suspicious lumps, bumps, or moles, be sure to see a doctor right away. It could very well be nothing, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.
You might not think that something as simple as going to get your haircut could potentially lead to you finding out about a life-threatening condition, but for one Queensland man, that's exactly what happened…
Nicholas Smithson, a 38-year-old boilermaker from Rockhampton, Queensland, was diagnosed with terminal cancer after his hairdresser noticed a suspicious-looking mole on his neck during a routine appointment.
The hairdresser urged Nicholas to get the mole checked out by a doctor or skin specialist, but when he did, he was twice dismissed and told there was nothing to worry about.
Thankfully, Nicholas listened to his gut instinct and went to see a third doctor who immediately ordered a biopsy.
The tradie was initially turned down by two doctors who shrugged off the risks of his cancerous mole. Credit: Daily Mail.
The results showed that the growth was indeed cancerous – specifically, nodular melanoma – and had already spread beyond the blackened mole to his lymph nodes.
Doctors explained the 'worst case scenario' after finding out about his condition.
He shared: 'I remember I looked at my partner and said, "I'm going to f-ing die, this is going to kill me."'
'We went to my house and just stared at the blank wall and cried.'
Nicholas has since been raced to Brisbane for surgery in an attempt to remove all of the cancerous cells before they spread any further.
He underwent a 10-hour, bilateral neck dissection procedure to have his neck's lymph nodes removed.
However, he discovered a new growth behind his ear eleven days later.
His cancer, unfortunately, spread and he was given a prognosis of 6 months by the doctors. Credit: Daily Mail.
It was only after going through a PET scan that he learned that his cancer had spread throughout his body and he could no longer hope for a cure.
Doctors gave him six months to live in August.
He remarked: 'It's like in the movies when people are given bad news, they just disconnect.'
He said that he had made sporadic calls to friends in search of solace and had even enquired of the local funeral director about evidence of an afterlife.
To support Nicholas in fulfilling his lifelong dream of travel, his friends have established a GoFundMe page.
After establishing a goal of $5000, they raised $17,000 to assist the boilermaker to 'tick off some items on his bucket list'.
Health experts confirmed that nodular melanomas can spread to major organs within three months after they first develop.
The story is a reminder of how important it is to take care of your health and get regular checkups, even if you feel perfectly healthy. Cancer, after all, is often asymptomatic in its early stages, so it's important to be vigilant about any changes in your body.
If you notice any suspicious lumps, bumps, or moles, be sure to see a doctor right away. It could very well be nothing, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.
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