This Newlywed's Muscle Pain Turned Out to Be Something Much Worse
When 29-year-old Clare Daly started feeling some pain in her shoulder, doctors assured her it was just a muscle injury. Little did she know, she was actually suffering from a deadly skin cancer.
Clare's first cause of concern occurred about three years ago, when she had a suspicious mole removed from her left shoulder. While tests revealed it was malignant melanoma, it was thought to have been caught early enough to be out of her system.
However, last May, Clare began to complain of aches in the area near where the mole had been removed. The Liverpool, England-based newlywed was told the lump was a muscle injury. She had no visible moles or markings on her skin.
Then in September, she received a shocking diagnosis: She had malignant melanoma and it had already spread to her lymph nodes and lungs. The tumor was unable to be completely removed.
"Melanoma is a horrible and vicious disease if it spreads. Clare's cancer was particularly aggressive," wrote Clare's family on the Clare Daly Foundation website. "However, during the whole period, no matter how bad things got, Clare was always polite and dignified. She would greet doctors and nurses who came to see her with a beaming smile."
Clare passed away on December 7, 2015, just three months after her diagnosis, and a year and a half after her wedding. Her family is now hoping to spread awareness to honor her memory.
Dr. Julie Karen, a New York-based dermatologist, told TODAY that while Clare's story is scary, it's rare for melanoma to show up as muscle pain. Most cases appear with visible lesions on the skin. If you ever have a mole removed, you should should look out for any noticeable changes or bumps near the scar, and bring them to your doctor's attention.
"When these lesions are caught early, melanoma is entirely curable. But when ignored, they can be deadly and devastating," Dr. Karen told TODAY.
Learn more at the Clare Daly Foundation.
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(h/t TODAY)
