Mum found out she had skin cancer - five years after first raising concerns with doctor

'They said it was nothing to worry about and I felt silly' – says Julie as she urges others to 'get themselves checked out'

- Thomas Cooper

A MUM found out she had cancer - five years after being told 'not to worry' following repeated visits to her GP about a patch of dry, flaky skin.

Julie Pye says she was made to 'feel silly' after first raising her concerns. Now the 48-year-old has shared her ordeal for Skin Cancer Awareness month and hopes it will inspire others to get any changes checked.

It all began when she noticed a dry, flaky patch of skin just below her neck. What started as a mild irritation soon spiralled into a real cause for concern.

Julie, of the Westlands, said: "It would come and go.

"I got it looked at and the doctor said it was nothing and sent me away. A year later, just after I'd had my little girl, I went to the doctors for a second time because the patch had grown.

"I was starting to get some pain, feeling like someone had just randomly stuck in a pin in the back of my neck. But they completely dismissed my concerns and just said it was a fungal infection.