When I meet Lone for this interview, she tells me she is relieved. Today she is having her stitches taken out after an operation around her eye. “Today is like a new chapter. I know that the cancer is gone in that area, and I can breathe a sigh of relief,” says Lone Høberg.
Lone had previously received treatment for sun damage. She explains that her skin is very delicate and that many years ago she noticed some small changes in her skin. The changes were treated by freezing, and for many years now she has been frozen once a year, typically in eight different places on her face.
“I felt in safe hands, and I didn't think about the possibility of cancer. I felt calm and confident about being frozen. Other times, I had to apply a special cream to my skin. However, the cream was unpleasant, as I had to stay indoors after it was applied, and afterwards I got large sores where the cream had been.”
But one day, Lone began to suspect that it wasn't just sun damage. She had sores on her face that wouldn't really heal. This led her to look into what could be causing them.
“When my sores wouldn't heal, I searched the internet, and that's when I started to suspect skin cancer. So I contacted Skin Cancer Clinic, which was able to give me a very quick appointment.”
Skin cancer detection and treatment
Lone was examined at the clinic, and a biopsy was taken immediately to find out whether it was skin cancer. She received the answer four days later, and unfortunately, it turned out that her suspicions were correct.
“It was a bit of a wake-up call when the doctor told me it was skin cancer. I was actually scared and researched all the treatment options myself, and I had no doubt that Mohs surgery would be right for me. I wanted to get rid of the skin cancer once and for all, preferably as soon as possible. Fortunately, there was an appointment at Skin Cancer Clinic the very next week.”
During Mohs surgery, the tissue is examined in the laboratory while the operation is under way. This way, the doctor only closes the wound once it is certain that everything has been removed, and at the same time as little healthy tissue as possible is removed.
“It turned out that there was quite a large area of skin cancer around the eye, and the operation took a total of seven hours. Of course, you can relax in the waiting room during the operation while waiting for the results of the tests. I'm extremely happy with the certainty I have and that it's now completely gone. So even though it was a long operation, it was a really good experience to leave here.”
Lone wanted to meet for this interview because she thinks it's important to share her story and knowledge. As she says: “I've learned that if you have even the slightest doubt, you shouldn't wait – you should do something about it quickly. I hope those who read my story will learn from it, so they know it's important to act quickly. And here I can only recommend Skin Cancer Clinic, with their quick appointments and friendly staff.”
