A SUNBED addict who used them routinely from the age of 14 has warned others of their devastating impact after being left with a horrible reaction.
Fionnghuala Maguire, 35, was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2020, following “thousands” of sunbed sessions.
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The Belfast mum said bronzing her skin gave her “more confidence” on nights out and on holiday.
She used to top up her tan almost daily.
“It was an addiction, there’s no doubt about that,” the receptionist explained.
Even Fionnghuala’s mum, who was diagnosed with skin cancer herself years earlier, couldn’t put her daughter off the tanning salon.
“She used to tell me to stop using the sunbeds, but you don’t listen; you think you’re invincible,” she said.
But in 2020, Fionnghuala’s dangerous obsession took a nasty turn and left her with a nasty-looking mole on her leg, which she quickly got removed.
Tests on the mole revealed the mum was suffering from stage-one melanoma, a type of skin cancer typically caused by sun exposure.
But Fionnghuala’s nightmare didn’t stop there.
Three months later, she discovered another growth on her leg, which was also confirmed as cancer.
Even after the cancerous growths were removed, several more spots popped up on her body.
Doctors decided to put Fionnghuala on a course of immunotherapy to prevent her cancer from returning.
But tragically, the lifesaving cancer treatment left the mum with a potentially fatal disorder known as Addison’s disease, which is where the body does not have enough cortisol.
In December 2021, Fionnghuala was rushed to hospital after she suffered an adrenal crisis, a side effect of the hormone disease.
This can happen when the levels of cortisol in your body fall significantly.
“I felt like I was going to die,” she explained.
“My sister took me to hospital and just had to drop me off because it was Covid. I didn’t know if I was going to see her again.”
“A doctor told me that if there’d been another day or two of my cortisol levels being that low, I would’ve gone into a coma and passed away,” she added.
The treatment also left the mum’s face covered in red blotches, which she now has to treat with laser surgery sessions every eight weeks.
In May 2022, after two more immunotherapy sessions in May 2022, the mum developed leaky capillary leak syndrome.
The rare condition sees blood leak from tiny vessels into muscles and body cavities.
It can result in a sudden drop in blood pressure and, if left untreated, can cause organ failure.
In the last two years, Fionnghuala has spotted five more suspicious moles removed from her breast, arm, leg and back.
She now lives in constant “fear” that another mole will emerge.
Looking back on her health battle, Fionnghuala said a “tan is not worth” it and wishes she could give her younger self “a slap” for using sunbeds.
“I feel so angry at myself,” she said.
“Twice I’ve been on my deathbed, and my son could’ve been left without a mummy.”
She added: “Having a tan is not worth what could potentially happen.
“You are taking your life into your own hands. I’m still scared that wanting a tan might kill me eventually.”
The signs of melonoma
Melanoma, the most serious skin cancer, is diagnosed 16,000 times a year.
The deadly cancer takes the lives of 2,340 people per year, according to Cancer Research UK.
It develops on skin that gets too much sun.
The most common sign of melanoma is the appearance of a new mole or a change in an existing mole.
- Mole with a mix of colours
- Large mole
- Mole that changes over time
- Swollen mole
- Bleeding mole
- Itchy mole
- Crusty mole
- Mole in the shape of a line under a nail
Source: NHS
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