A 95-year-old woman from Salford who had a suspected cancerous growth on her eyelid is urging others not to avoid the warning signs.
Joan Knowles, who lives in Swinton, was troubled for weeks by a lump on her eyelid and she eventually went to see her optician.
And after the optician appointment, he urged Joan to have it removed and tested to discover what it was.
She was referred to the Newmedica Manchester eye clinic, where she underwent a quick and painless oculoplastic operation to remove the lump.
Following the removal of the lump, it was then sent away to be tested – and it was fortunately found to be a non-cancerous lump.
Joan, who describes herself as “determined and independent”, is now urging others not to put off having such growths examined, because the sooner potentially dangerous conditions are discovered, the better the outcomes.
She said: “I wasn’t nervous before the surgery. I know some people are frightened to death of having operations, but I’m not like that.
“If anyone’s thinking of having this surgery, I’d tell them to go and have it done straightaway. Have it done and get better, because it can be dangerous to put these things off.”
And with some people having concerns and fears of surgery, Joan shared that she was made to feel comfortable throughout the whole experience.
Joan continued: “I have scoliosis, which is where the spine twists, so I can’t walk far.
“I depend on taxis and friends to give me a lift, which is why I was so grateful to the clinic for providing the taxis for me. That really was going above and beyond.
“Mr James Young, who performed my surgery, was wonderful. He couldn’t have been kinder. I felt like I’d received very special treatment.”
And following the successful removal, and positive outcome from the surgery James Young continued to urge people to not avoid further worries of suspected cancerous growths.
He said: “We are very pleased that Mrs Knowles has had such a positive outcome, and her story does serve as a good example of why people have no need to worry about this sort of surgery or delay their treatment.
“The surgery is quick, painless and can be life-changing, enabling people to maintain their independence for years to come.”
James added: “Mrs Knowles is right when she says that early intervention in such cases can be very important. I know she was concerned about the lesion, so delays would have led to ongoing worry for her.
“If it had been an eyelid cancer and was left untreated, it would have continued to grow and have invaded the eyelid, so the sooner such conditions are examined, the better it is for the patient.”
Salford residents that are worried or concerned can find more information on signs and symptoms through the NHS website here.
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