A Co Down man has opened up on the massive shock of a skin cancer diagnosis at the age of 25.
Finnian Garbutt, who is from Bangor but currently lives in Whitehead with his fianceé Louise, spotted a lump behind his ear at the end of 2020 but thought it was just an ingrown hair.
However, when lockdown eased and he was able to return to his barber shop for a haircut, he became concerned when his barber noticed the lump had grown "quite substantially."
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Finnian said his skin cancer diagnosis was a huge shock, as he had "never been one for sunbathing, sunbeds or sunworshipping." In fact, he added: "On a bright sunny warm day, you'd be more likely to find me seeking shade indoors than soaking up the rays."
Speaking about his diagnosis, Finnian continued: "On shaving the right side of my head my barber noticed that the lump had grown quite substantially since the last time I had seen him.
"Because of its position behind my right ear, I couldn’t get a good look at it but following my new haircut my mum and Louise were definitely worried and alarmed about what they could see. It looked like a mole that had grown abnormally.
"Following a series of assessments, I then received the words that no one ever wants to hear, “you have cancer”. At this stage the doctors said it was a malignant melanoma but they were unsure at what stage I was at.
"My world came crashing down around me. I was 25 years old; I had my whole life and career ahead of me. I just kept thinking that I was going to die.
"Further assessments including an ultrasound and a fine needle biopsy determined that the cancer was at Stage 3, it had spread into my neck. I then had to have a PET scan and full body CT scan to see if the cancer had spread into my organs.
"If so, I would have been dealing with a Stage 4 diagnosis. Thankfully the cancer had not reached that stage of development but Stage 3 melanoma would require intensive surgery and treatment."
In February 2022, Finnian underwent 12 hours of surgery where 75 lymph nodes were removed from his neck and face. The tumour behind his ear was also removed, with skin from his thigh used to patch his skull.
When he received his diagnosis, Finnian said he felt fit and healthy, as if nothing was wrong with him. "It was almost as if they accidently had diagnosed me with cancer and were treating me by mistake," he added.
"I was told I could die; my plastic surgeons had warned me about how ill I could be following surgery. It kept being communicated to me that I was really sick, that I was one step away from being a terminal patient," Finnian explained.
"I was just waiting to hear that I had tumours elsewhere throughout my body. I had already come to terms with the fact that I was going to die young. My defence mechanism was to expect the worst. I thought it was only going to be a matter of time."
In dealing with this shocking news, Finnian said he found it hard to open up to share his worries and fears with family and friends. He began to bottle up his emotions and "became a bit of a recluse as I didn't want to burden anyone."
Finnian shared this with his health care team, who put him in touch with Action Cancer for support, and he began using their Peer Mentoring service.
He was linked up with Connor, who in recent years had undergone surgery and treatment for a malignant melanoma. Finnian said the mentoring service has been "life-changing."
"Connor was a complete stranger but during the first conversation we had he didn’t feel like one. Speaking to him helped me realise that there’s a chance I might not die from this disease and that I might just have a future to look forward to. Just then I decided, I’m not going to give up hope," he said.
"From speaking to Connor, I realised that I can still do things in my life. I can still achieve. Having another patient talk to you is much more impactful than having an oncologist say those same things.
"I have found the Peer Mentoring service to be life-changing and it has completely altered my perspective. It’s not that I no longer fear death but it has made me want to enjoy life and be less afraid of the future.
"I feel confident moving forward. I’ve got scars but I’m not ashamed of them, in fact I’m starting to embrace them. It sucks to be in this position but bad things happen. Cancer doesn’t care, it impacts people of all ages."
Finnian said this new outlook has helped him plan for the future, instead of focusing on the negatives.
He added: "I recently proposed to my girlfriend Louise, and we’re enjoying being engaged and starting to make plans for our wedding. I’m getting back out again, going for auditions and continuing with my voiceover work, and pursuing my acting ambitions. Life is for living.
"I want to use this opportunity to encourage people, no matter what your attitude is to the sun, or what age you are, to check your skin regularly and don’t be afraid to seek help if you need it. Early detection saves lives.
"My message to men affected by cancer is this. Don’t bury your head in the sand. There are people out there who will help you and guide you. It’s good to talk."
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