DI MORRISSEY WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY CANCER SCARE!

How the bestselling author found out, and her new mission to spread awareness

- Jenny Brown

Treating herself to a facial saved bestselling author Di Morrissey's life, when a small mark on her right cheekbone turned out to be a deadly melanoma.

Glamorous Di had disguised the small “stain with makeup for years before she noticed a pinhead-sized speck last year.

The popular novelist, newspaper publisher, environmental activist and former Good Morning Australia presenter might never have noticed the sinister change, but for a keen-eyed beauty therapist.

She asked if I had ever had the mark checked explains powerhouse Di, founder of the crusading Manning Community News. “I told her, 'Oh yes, it's been there for years. I had it lasered off 10 years ago but it's slowly come back. I was told it's fine.'”

SECOND THOUGHTS

The beautician frowned, but let the matter rest.

The next morning, however, at home in rural mid-north NSW, Di took more notice while washing her face and saw a small black pore. Two weeks later, the black pinhead speck was still there.

Slightly concerned, the evergreen personality visited her GP and was referred to a dermatologist, who did a biopsy. Shockingly, that little black spot turned out to be a dangerous lentigo maligna type melanoma.

SURGERY