A teacher who decided to have a suspected spider bite checked out after a black bump on his knee did not go away has been shocked to find out he has melanoma.
Matt Kean, 47, noticed a slight abnormality on his thigh while doing garden work one weekend and thought it was an insect bite.
Matt expected the sore to go away over time as there were no other signs. But when he decided to see a doctor more than a month later, he received the devastating news that the ‘bite’ was actually cancer.
During his first ultrasound, the oncologist revealed that Matt’s cancer had already spread to the lymph nodes in his groin.
“I really thought it was just a bug bite – and that’s one of my big regrets that I didn’t go to the doctor right away,” Matt told FEMAIL.
“I try not to dwell on it, but it’s always in the back of my mind: what difference could a month have made?”
A teacher who decided to have a suspected spider bite checked out after the blackhead lingered for weeks was shocked to find out he had melanoma
“A few days after going to the doctor for the first time in October 2016, I had a lump removed from my right thigh and then the lymph nodes in my groin were removed,” Matt recalled.
Matt said he fell victim to the common male trait of thinking ‘everything will be fine’.
“There was a huge black lump on my knee, and I expected it to disappear without doing anything.”
The teacher revealed what happened after the shock diagnosis.
“A few days after my first visit to the doctor in October 2016, I had a lump removed from my right thigh and then the lymph nodes in my groin were removed,” he recalls.
“Within weeks I was diagnosed with stage 3 metastatic melanoma.
“Unfortunately, a routine PET (positron emission tomography) scan in November 2017 indicated that the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes inside my right hip, with progression to a diagnosis of stage 4 metastatic melanoma. “
Matt Kean, 47, noticed a slight abnormality on his thigh while doing garden work one weekend and identified it as an insect bite from his lawn.
Matt revealed that his initial prognosis was extremely grim.
“They only gave me between eight and ten more years to live,” he said.
“It was so hard being a man who had just turned 40 and being told that I might not make it to 50.”
The husband and father of two also said that cancer does not just affect one person, but also the whole family.
“My cancer is something that happened to my whole family,” he said.
“It was devastating to think about not being able to watch my daughters grow up or be there for my wife because I was careless with my sunscreen application.
“I can never take back the impact I had on them – and I regret it every day.”
Seven years after Matt’s initial diagnosis, his family has yet to shake the fear they received.
“My eldest daughter has started looking into colleges now, but she told me she was afraid to leave the state in case I got sick again,” Matt said.
“They shouldn’t have to think about their dad’s health while chasing their dreams.”
The father revealed he remembered feeling ‘rushed’ after his diagnosis and did his best to be practical.
“I was aiming to beat my cancer – there was no point in being flippant and cautious living as if every day was the last,” he said.
“The most important thing for me was making memories with my wife and kids and being positive about the situation.”
Seven years after Matt’s initial diagnosis, his family has yet to shake the fear they received
Matt has now been cancer-free since 2019, but continues to have scans every four months to ensure the disease stays at bay.
After his ordeal, Matt is now on a mission to encourage everyone to be diligent about skin control and sun protection.
“As a teacher and educator, I need people to know that skin cancer can kill you,” he said.
“I wasn’t careful enough and didn’t take care of myself.
“I’m a fair-skinned redhead, never worried about getting a sunburn. Melanoma never even crossed my mind.
Now Matt watches the UV Index every day and diligently applies sunscreen.
“Please protect yourself when you go out,” he said.
“If you notice anything on your skin changing color, shape or size, run to the doctor.”