A mum was forced to have her finger amputated after a tiny warning sign on her fingernail.
Elizabeth Misselbrook first noticed the suspicious dark brown line running down her left, middle finger in September 2019 and immediately made an appointment with her GP.
The 40-year-old was referred to a dermatologist who, in March 2020, removed the nail to perform a biopsy where the entire nail bed was taken down to the bone and a skin graft placed on top.
The biopsy came back inconclusive, but as the nail started to grow back, Elizabeth noticed another line appear, which was diagnosed as a skin cancer known as acral lentiginous subungual melanoma, stage 1A in May 2021.
The mum was then diagnosed with another stage 1a melanoma after noticing a third mark, prompting medics to make the decision in July last year to amputate the finger down to the first joint.
As a flute player, Elizabeth is awaiting a prosthetic finger so that she can continue to play the instrument she loves and is speaking out to warn others to be vigilant for marks that do not grow out with their nails.
Elizabeth, from Bracknell, Berkshire, said: "Because I'd had two melanomas which had been fully removed, they wanted to make sure it didn't reoccur so they amputated it before the first joint.
"I was upset when they said they had to amputate but I was really worried that I'd had two melanomas so I kind of wanted them to make sure it didn't come back.
"I was resigned to it. I hadn't felt unwell at any point and I hadn't had drug treatment so I felt grateful. I didn't want to get ill.
"I was worried about the long-term consequences like handwriting and playing the flute. I wanted to pay the flute but I want to live more."
The self-employed marketing manager says she decided not to wait to call the GP as she'd heard from a doctor friend that a line on the finger nail could be a sign of something sinister.
Her dermatologist had originally reassured her that the line wasn't of concern and asked Elizabeth to return after three months, but it began to grow and they decided to remove the nail to perform a biopsy.
After medics performed the procedure, Elizabeth noticed another lesion which was also diagnosed as melanoma leaving doctors forced to make the decision to amputate.
Elizabeth said: "I was worried because I have a doctor friend and she put something on Facebook about a line on your nail being a sign of something.
"I wasn't overly worried but enough to make a GP appointment. I didn't wait. It didn't itch, it was just a faint, light brown line.
"It takes time because it's not a quick 'whip that off and have a look' and nails do get funny marks but it was changing and I did have a feeling.
"In December 2020, the nail grew back and I noticed another line so I went back to the GP and kept an eye on it again. It was changing a lot.
"The dermatologist said it was suspicious and it'd need to be biopsied again. It was much wider and darker and I was getting worried.
"It had pigment that had gone onto skin at base of nail so I was a lot more concerned because it had more sinister features.
"So, in May 2021 they said it's melanoma, stage 1A meaning it's invasive but not hugely."
The second melanoma was also successfully removed and Elizabeth is now cancer free.
Elizabeth said: "When they told me it was melanoma, I wasn't surprised but it was a shock.
"It was on my left hand and I'm left-handed and play the flute.
"The whole way along I never felt I was going to die because the surgeon was very reassuring that it was cancer but it was very treatable as it was diagnosed early.
"I was trying to stay calm and thinking it is what it is, I've got to deal with it and it's not nice. A lot of people struggle a lot more than I have and they find it really hard."
Elizabeth has had hand therapy and is waiting for a prosthetic finger so she can continue playing the flute.
She is speaking out to raise awareness and urge others to keep an eye on their nails and get any suspicious marks checked as soon as possible.
Elizabeth said: "Check your nails for anything suspicious that doesn't grow out, a bruise will grow out."
