This Morning star, Lynsey Crombie, also known as the Queen of Clean on the ITV daytime show, has opened up about her skin cancer diagnosis which was a "real wake up call". The TV star was diagnosed with invasive melanoma last year after noticing a change on her knee - but it wasn't the mole she was initially worried about.
"I just kept looking at my knee and thinking to myself, my mole looks different from what it did last year", Lynsey exclusively shared with OK! She sent a photo to her local GP surgery and was told it was "nothing to worry about", but the results didn't sit right with Lynsey and she felt in her gut that something greater was wrong.
Taking matters into her own hands Lynsey, who lives in Peterborough with her husband Rob, son Jake and twins Molly and Olivia, visited a private mole clinic and was told to get an "urgent referral". She returned to the doctors, but was told there was a 14-month waiting list - Lynsey went on holiday but said the concerns about her mole were on her mind "24 hours a day".
In the end, the cleaning guru returned to the private mole clinic and had two moles removed, as suggested by the doctor. Two weeks later in September, while Lynse was working in America she was told the news that she had invasive melanoma.
Recalling the moment she received news of her diagnosis, Lynsey shared: "I put the phone down on the doctor, I was in shock.
"When you hear the word cancer, I literally fell to the floor - I didn't even give the doctor time to explain the type of cancer or how bad it was". Lynsey told her husband, who works in the medical industry, and he called back the doctor on her behalf.
Lynsey added: "It wasn't the mole I was concerned about, it was the one that had been there for years - I would never have gone about that other one, I didn't see it as a problem." For treatment, she had a wide local excision around the mole on her knee to ensure there were no other cancer cells in the area.
"I'm so active, I go to the gym and I walk a lot, but I was crawling around the house for six weeks, it was very frustrating and a constant reminder", Lynsey said after receiving the treatment. Following this, Lynsey thankfully, didn't require any further treatment and now has regular skin checks through the NHS.
But, under a year since her cancer diagnosis, Lynsey went on to explain how her life has dramatically changed. "Every four months for the next five years I have a skin check, I want to get to the five years, but I don't want to wish my life away - I know that life is so precious and it's a real wake up call", she explained.
Lynsey continued: "For me, I'm still getting those constant reminders because my body has little cuts and bits on it, so it's still in my head.
"I think when those bits heal, I might be able to start focusing on other things, but I've started to turn the TV off in the mornings because you put it on and it's cancer, cancer, cancer, every single day. And I know it's great people are talking about it, but when you're going through it, it's quite difficult to listen to."
Speaking about the effects of her mental health, Lynsey added: "I look at myself now and you sort of don't like yourself, you hate yourself - it's a really weird feeling and I'm just not right.
"I've not done live TV for a few weeks because I feel like I just can't do it, I've got a block in front of me and I've got to get back to it because I need to, but I feel like I'm not very good around people at the moment."
She continued: "My anxiety was at an all-time high when I went on holiday last month as it was the first time since my diagnosis - I felt guilty for being on holiday and it was a completely different holiday." Lynsey said she applied suncream every "10 minutes" but knew "it was over the top", but added, "That's what anxiety does to you."
The Queen of Clean also kept covered up in long maxi dresses and a large hat. "It’s a different way of living now, I wear factor 50 when I walk the dogs, I cover up and I avoid sitting in the sun."
While she hopes her anxiety will settle down, Lynsey added that she is "educating" herself and "learning a new way of living". Sharing advice to others on the dangers of skin cancer, Lynsey shared: "I think if you feel like you're a bit more moly than your best friend, then you should be taking a few more precautions.
"But I think the biggest thing we need to do is to get everybody checking their skin every six months. Do a skin check, take photographs, and check yourself, because you don't know when they're going to appear - use sun cream and stay away from sunbeds. Or they could create some more warning signs in sunbed stores to make people more aware."
Lynsey is the UK's renowned home expert and best-selling author, while also regularly presenting on This Morning and GMB. Lynsey provides regular updates and important information about her ongoing skin health and Melanoma on her Instagram account 'Queen of Clean'.
