Ryan Channells was diagnosed with stage four melanoma cancer in November 2019. This came as a shock to him and his partner, who had just welcomed their second child into their family.
Ryan has been a volunteer firefighter in different fire departments since he was 16. While fighting fires, he started to notice himself getting physically tired and needing to sleep more. That's when he noticed a small lump on his groin which led to him going to the doctor to get tested.
His first doctor told him he was fine after conducting some blood tests. Ryan had a melanoma in a similar place in the past, so he wasn't sure if he should trust this doctor. "I was pretty iffy about the diagnosis, so my wife, Carlie, suggested I should get a second opinion," says Ryan.
Ryan's second doctor did a full body scan and biopsy to find the melanoma was in stage four.
One year to live
After the diagnosis, Ryan was told by his oncologist and surgeon that the cancer was too big to operate on. However, without the operation he would be dead before Christmas of 2020.
This was horrifying for Ryan who immediately thought about missing all of the milestones of his kids growing up, including his daughter Skye who was just three months old at the time.
"It was like looking at a big blackness, trying to think about their future and just wondering how our kids were going to grow up and everything," says Ryan.
But there was some hope for Ryan.
Following countless trips to Sydney each week, Ryan found out he was a good candidate for a clinical trial because of a gene mutation.
Despite the financial burden caused by travelling back and forth, Ryan was relieved to finally hear some great news.
Finding help in a stressful time
For Ryan, there was still a lot of stress around his finances and finding time to work.
He remembers how he didn't have holiday or sick leave because he had been working casually. He felt supported by his coworkers who worked to raise money for his treatment, but the stress was always lingering.
Ryan recalls, "The financial stress was worse than the stress about dying. I just thought, I can't afford to die right now."
During Ryan's first appointment, the clinical trial nurses put him in contact with Cancer Council services, including the 13 11 20 Information and Support line. These resources taught him about the terminology around cancer and helped him understand what questions he should be asking to fully understand his treatment.
Ryan was also directed to Cancer Council's financial assistance services.
During the trial, Ryan had to travel to Sydney at least once a week for a month. The cost of this travel, including petrol for his car and his accommodations only added to his stress.
Cancer Council was able to give some financial assistance to help pay for these expenses which Ryan says, "allowed me to focus on more important costs, like food for my family."
Hope for the future
After taking cancer shrinking drugs for six weeks and experiencing bad but manageable side effects, Ryan was able to have an operation that removed 30 lymph nodes, three of which were cancerous.
On 1 June 2020, Ryan's scans came back clear of cancer.
Ryan remembers calling his family and friends, and feeling stress free, saying "it was amazing, just that feeling of closure. I've been very lucky."
Looking back, Ryan recalls that his friends and family got their skin checked and were able to catch it early.
Since being given one year to live, Ryan is doing a lot better and wants people to know the importance of getting their skin checked.
"It can happen to anyone – it can happen to you", adds Ryan.
Learn more about skin cancer, including how to best protect yourself from the sun's UV and what to look for when checking your skin.
If you or anyone you know has any questions about cancer, call Cancer Council on 13 11 20 or visit www.cancercouncil.com.au/get-support.
