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A 20-year-old woman in Australia found herself without an inch after claiming that a biting habit – formed as a mechanism of coping with intimidation – had led to a rare form of cancer .
Courtney Whithorn, who said her habit was so bad that she bit her thumb completely in 2014, noticed that her thumb had begun to darken over the past four years, reported The Sun.
Whithorn is said to have been diagnosed with subgingival melanoma (ALM), which appears on the palms, soles or under the fingernails. According to the Love the Melanoma Foundation, it can be difficult to recognize ALM because it can be confused with a blemish or bruise and can occur on seemingly healthy skin.
Most cases of AML on the nails occur either on the big toe or on the thumb. ALM can occur in anyone and does not seem to be related to sun exposure.
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Many patients report trauma or injury to the affected area where the diagnosis of ALM is diagnosed, but the link remains unclear. Whithorn said she was shocked when she discovered that her habit could be related to her diagnosis.
"When I discovered that biting my nail was the cause of cancer, it broke me," she told the Sun. "My hand was right in the fist because I did not want someone to see it – not even my parents. I was a bit scared when my skin started to darken so I showed them for the first time this year. I can not even explain how much I was aware of myself. I've always had fake nails to hide it because it was so black. It was like paper every time he pushed back.
Whithorn stated that she had initially consulted a doctor for aesthetic reasons and that she had been referred to two plastic surgeons who had suggested a skin graft but had recommended a biopsy before starting.
She was then sent to a specialist for further testing when the results came back uncertain, reported The Sun.
"They did more tests and when those results came back, it was said that it was a malignant melanoma, which was very rare, especially for someone of my age and this age. size, "she told the Sun. "I was obviously very shocked at not being able to believe everything. My mother just burst into tears.
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Whithorn has since undergone four surgeries, the last having resulted in the amputation of her thumb. Whithorn said that she had gone into surgery without knowing if she would wake up without an inch.
She said that she would now be under surveillance for five years to see if the cancer would come back.
"Without my boyfriend or family, honestly, I do not know how I could have overcome all this," she told the Sun, adding that she wanted others to think about twice before harassing their peers.
"I just wish I was as confident and as forthright as I am now," she told the Sun.
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