A GRAN who thought she was suffering from hay fever ended up losing her eye and now has a permanent orange-sized hole in her face.
Melanie Wellings, 63, was plagued by “classic” allergy symptoms such as a runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing.
Melanie Wellings, 63, assumed she was suffering from hay fever when she started getting a runny nose and eyes[/caption]
She’s been left with a hole in her face the size of a small orange after treatment for sinonasal mucosal melanoma[/caption]
Little did she know they were a sign of a cancer so rare it affects fewer than one in a million people.
Mel first started experiencing the symptoms during the Covid-19 pandemic, putting them down to hay fever despite never suffering from the condition before.
When she got a nosebleed months later, the career-woman decided to get her streaming eyes and nose checked out by a doctor.
After being referred to a consultant, Mel was diagnosed sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNMM).
The 63-year-old, from Stonehouse in Gloucestershire, was told by doctors in 2021 that she was the only person in the UK currently living with the rare and aggressive cancer.
Mel underwent a number of operations, removing skin from the side of her nose to her mouth and eventually her eye, after it was revealed that the cancer had invaded it.
She now lives with a permanent hole in her face, the size of a small orange.
Despite her gruelling treatment, Mel’s cancer kept returning and she was told by doctors in 2023 that there was nothing more they could do.
The grandma-of-one says she’s giving herself to science so that people diagnosed with SNMM in the future will have better treatment options.
She’s also backing a call from Cancer Research UK (CRUK) for people to to help beat cancer for generations to come by leaving a gift to the charity in their will.
Melanie said: “It came as such a shock to be told I had cancer let alone one so rare.
“I’d had no pain, just runny eyes, runny nose, sneezing and eventually a nosebleed.
“Unfortunately, I know my time is limited but my doctors are learning from me every day and research has given me more time with my family.
“I will try anything and everything to stay alive. I want to be able to help others like me in the future and hope others will too by leaving a gift in their will.”
Mel after an operation to remove cancerous tissue[/caption]
The gran after an operation to remove her eye and receiving skin grafts[/caption]
Mel first noticed hay fever-like symptoms in 2020 and grew concerned when they lingered for months on end.
She said: “I’d had all the classic signs like a runny nose, runny eyes and sneezing and when I was still experiencing them in September, my friend urged me to get checked.
“Shortly afterwards I was woken in the middle of the night by a nosebleed so booked in to see the doctor.
“Despite it being lockdown, the GP called me in and when they looked up my nose, they immediately referred me to a consultant who saw me within a fortnight.”
The consultant “didn’t like what he saw” and booked Mel in for surgery at Gloucester Hospital to remove polyps and “concerning” tissue on her face, which was sent off to be analysed.
The only way we could eradicate and control my disease was to lose my eye, but I was willing to do that just to live
Melanie Wellings
Mel said: “I knew it must be serious because he said how much he disliked delivering bad news and then apologised for having to tell me that I had cancer.
“I looked at my son, Tom, and I wasn’t upset at first. We were both more shocked as I just never expected it to be cancer.
“I was then referred to an ENT specialist who wanted to perform more surgery to ensure all the cancer was removed.
“I had a big operation, cutting down the side of my nose to my mouth, and they removed all of the cancer.
“I had 100 stitches and it took three days to remove them all.
“It was soon confirmed that I had a very rare cancer called SNMM and they believed I was the only case of its kind in the UK.
“Due to its rarity and aggressive nature, treatment options are limited.”
‘Not ready to give up’
Sadly, this wasn’t the end of the road for Mel, as it was later revealed the cancer had spread to her eye.
She said: “The surgery meant I was cancer free for around 15-months, but a follow-up MRI scan revealed that the cancer had returned, attaching my eye to the surrounding bone.
“I tried immunotherapy, a treatment that supercharges the immune system to kill cancer cells, but it wasn’t suitable for me.
“The only way we could eradicate and control my disease was to lose my eye, but I was willing to do that just to live.
“The operation took 11 hours for the surgeons to remove as much cancer as they safely could, taking several skin grafts and veins from my arm to rebuild my face. I was in intensive care for around three days.
Signs of sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNMM)
Mucosal melanoma is a rare and aggressive type of cancer that starts in mucosa, soft tissue that lines organs and other areas throughout your body.
You can develop mucosal melanoma anywhere you have mucosa, but the condition typically affects:
- The head and neck region, particularly your nose, lips and mouth.
- The anus and rectum
- The vagina and vulva
The cancer typically affects people aged 70 or older.
By the time it’s diagnosed, most mucosal melanoma already has spread to other parts of the body.
Symptoms of SNMM, which affects the nose and sinuses, include:
- Repeated nosebleeds from one nostril
- Feeling as if something is stuck in your nose
- Continuous runny nose.
- Facial pain
Source: Cleveland Clinic
“Unfortunately, the cancer returned again which meant further surgery and this time the skin grafts didn’t take.
“I now have a permanent hole in my face where my eye socket is. I’ve tried a prosthetic to keep it covered but find it more comfortable to wear a soft gauze.
“It’s been difficult getting used to my new appearance, especially as I’ve always really taken care of how I look.
“I have lost my taste and smell so the enjoyment of food has gone away but I’m not ready to give up.”
Helping others
Having undergone six surgeries and tried immunotherapy, Mel was told by doctors in 2023 that “there was nothing more that could be done”.
With “no options left”, Mel – who’s mum to Tom, 30, grandma to Amelia, three and has another granddaughter due in March – turned to radiotherapy.
She said: “When doctors discovered the cancer was active again, we introduced radiotherapy to try to stop it in its tracks.
“I had treatment five days a week for six weeks and it’s bought me an extra 14 months so far to make memories with my family and to hopefully see my new granddaughter arrive this spring.”
The nan received some much needed good news after her most recent scans showed her cancer hasn’t grown since August.
Mel with granddaughter Amelia – she has another granddaughter due in March[/caption]
“I’m grateful for some good news and the extra time I’ve been given,” she said.
“I’ve also put myself forward for any clinical trials that I could be suitable for that may give me more time but ultimately, I want to help anyone else who may find themselves in my shoes.”
Now she’s calling for other to donate to CRUK in their wills, which will help the charity invest in pioneering trials and long-term research projects that could find new ways to outsmart cancer and save lives across the UK.
Mel stressed: “Advances in research mean people are being diagnosed earlier, have access to kinder and more effective treatments and some cancers are prevented completely.”
CRUK spokesperson for the South West, Elisa Mitchell, said: “We’re grateful to Melanie for helping to raise awareness.
“Our scientists have played a role in around half of the world’s essential cancer drugs, led the development of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and paved the way for targeted treatments.
“This all adds up to more precious moments for people affected by cancer and their loved ones. But we must go further and faster.
“Nearly one in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. All of us can support the research that will beat it.
“We’re working towards a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer and gifts in wills are vital to making this a reality.”
