I’ve always had a small mole on the top of the fourth toe of my left foot. It’s been there since forever. I’ve also got quite a moley back and tummy, but nothing, I thought, of any major concern. My husband and I check our bodies regularly.

(Back when I was about 11 years old, I had a mole removed from the right side of my jaw. This was carried out in Singapore, at the British Medical Hospital. I think I stayed in for a couple nights, and came out with about nine stitches. The scar is barely visible now.)

Anyway, playing in the garden last Autumn, next door’s dog nicked my toe with its claw, and just caught the side of the mole, causing it to bleed a bit.It seemed fine all through the Winter, I was wearing tights and shoes to school, no problem. Then in the New Year it began to get bigger, it would weep a bit, and I took to wearing a plaster over it. Soon I could no longer wear proper shoes, and took to wearing FitFlops to school. It was then I made an appointment to see my GP.

Things moved very quickly after that.

My first appointment at the Dermatology Department was on Tuesday 16th April 2013. Photographs were taken, but the consultant there thought the alien blob was too big and too serious to be removed then and there. I would be referred to a specialist plastic surgeon as soon as possible.

However, on further inspection of my body, I pointed out a very dark mole on the lower right of my back. Well, that can come off right away! Arghhhh! We went away for a coffee, coming back an hour later to have the procedure carried out under local anaesthetic. Whoa! Too many injections of anaesthetic and adrenaline later, my back was being stitched up, with deep, disolvable ones, and then a line of surface stitches. The offending item would be sent away for biopsy.

I had that day off school, plus the following one, as I was still somewhat sore. Back to school on Thursday and Friday.