Courtney Whithorn thumb amputated after biting nails of intimidation

A psychology student, Courtney Whithorn is forced to have her thumb amputated after developing rare skin cancer after years of biting her nails after constant harassment.

A student who developed a rare form of skin cancer after constantly biting her nails as a result of constant harassment had to have her thumb amputated.

Courtney Whithorn, now 20 years old, started what she described as a "Nervous habit" after having been nervous at school, which led to nail biting in 2014. Despite & # 39; panic & # 39; When her thumb began to darken, the embarrassed, then the teenage girl, hid her from her family and friends by keeping her hands in a fist and wearing fake nails for four years.

Whithorn's attempts to keep his state of deterioration secret The psychology student wreaked havoc in her nail bed, which led her to become a rare type of cancer called acral lentiginous subgingival melanoma.

The development according to the girl from the UKS Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham, who moved to The coast of gold, Australia, nine years ago left it "Breeze".

Whithorn explained via Mercury Press and Media, "When I discovered that biting my nail was the cause of cancer, that's what broke me.

"In my head, I thought, 'I did this to myself,' but obviously I knew I did not have to have that mentality. I could not believe it.

A 20-year-old woman has had a thumb amputation after taking the habit of biting her nails (causes cancer) https://t.co/Xpc8YUjkWC pic.twitter.com/9Xj6jBZu42

– The sun (@TheSun) September 6, 2018

Courtney Whithorn receives a "shocking" diagnosis.

Since her diagnosis in July, Courtney has had four surgeries. Despite attempts to save her thumb, Courtney's fourth operation last week completely removed her.

Told Courtney, "When you think about it, how many children are biting their nails, that's crazy. "I was a little scared when my skin started to turn black, so I showed them for the first time this year."

She added: "I can not even explain how much I was aware of myself. When the nail came out, it was like paper. "

She went to the doctor for aesthetic reasons and was referred to a doctor. plastic surgeon who suggested removing the nail bed to get rid of the black.

But before the first surgery, the doctor could say that something was wrong and take a biopsy.

Courtney offered. "They did more testing and when these results came back, I was told it was a malignant melanoma that was very rare, especially for someone of my age and size. "I'm obviously very shocked at not believing it at all. My mother broke down in tears. "

A woman issues an urgent warning to teeth buffs after being forced to amputate her thumb https://t.co/cyncWNsrrj pic.twitter.com/oc9Jf4WLbp

– Fabulous (@Fabulousmag) September 6, 2018

Courtney Whithorn's only remaining option was amputation:

After Courtney's second surgery to remove her nail bed, she underwent a PET scan to produce a detailed 3D image of the inside of her thumb and no other cancer cells were detected. But panic appeared when, only a week after she thought she had understood everything, Sydney's specialists told Courtney's surgeon that the protocol for her melanoma form was amputation.

The surgeon first decided to perform a third surgery, creating a larger incision in Courtney's thumb to remove all the malignant cells, but this only confirmed the need to amputate above of the join.

Courtney, who is still recovering from her amputation, said: "The plastic surgeon has sent me a text message saying that the protocol for this melanoma, because it is so rare, is an amputation. "I had a panic attack at work, I read the word" amputation "and I ran out – I could not breathe. "My mother had to come to my job, my boss tied my hair and my shirt. I panicked – we had never even talked about amputation.

Add, "Since he had started traveling, the only remaining option was amputation, but this time I was much more prepared for this news. "I was not afraid of being operated on – I was more nervous because I'm not a big fan of needles and stuff."

The experiment led the student to postpone her studies to Griffiths University put it back. Courtney is still waiting for the results of her operation and the surgeon will monitor him for the next five years with regular exams.

Continued Courtney, "There is not enough research to know what the survival rate is or how likely it is to come back because we do not know. I just cried every time he was mentioned. "

According to Courtney, her condition stems from her use of nail biting, at the age of 16 she became the victim of school bullying – and counts with stress and anxiety.

Explained Courtney, "I've been a highlight of my life, but in 2014, I was in high school and I was a victim of chronic intimidation."

"Rumors started about me and if I stayed with people at noon, they would ignore me completely, as if I had not existed. Biting the nails has become a coping mechanism for me. I did not even realize that I bit my whole thumb until I saw how much blood was on my hand. "

After classmate Tyson DonnellyNow 20 years old, stuck for her during intense harassment, he and Courtney have become more than just friends – and have been dating for four years together.

Courtney now wants to share her story to raise awareness: "If I could say something, it would just be defending itself – absolutely, no matter what, you have to defend yourself."

Add, "Some people asked me who was my biggest hero or the greatest influencer and now I say" me ". Be your own person and be what you need to be. "