To some, tan skin might look healthy, but too much time in the sun can be life-threatening. Australian writer Natalie Fornasier found that out the hard way at a young age.
When she was 20 years old, Fornasier woke up one day and discovered bruises all over her body. She also noticed that a mole that had been on her toe since birth had suddenly changed shape. She was on vacation at the time, but when she returned home, she went to the doctor. The diagnosis was not what she wanted to hear.
She was diagnosed with a type of skin cancer called melanoma. She ended up having her toe amputated, but the melanoma didn’t go away.
At the age of 28, Fornasier told her Instagram followers that she now had terminal melanoma. She only had weeks to live.
Fornaiser’s final post on Instagram was on December 20, 2022. She shared a picture of flowers, but her message wasn’t as pretty. It was full of her real feelings about knowing she was going to die soon. She wrote, “Today marks four weeks in palliative care. It’s absurd it’s been that long – time is so fluid, it feels like none has gone by but the calendar says otherwise.”
She shared that she missed being home, but she knew “these yellow tinged walls with creaky old doors is the best place for me to be – it’s safe (and fully stocked with all the meds I need!).”
She explained, “I can no longer walk without aids, my legs are filled with fluid, my whole body aches 24/7 and the tumour burden is intense. My pain is increasing slowly, day by day I can feel my body slow just that little bit more which is such a bizarre thing to witness – especially when you can physically feel it too.”
She was grateful for having the care of doctors and nurses to give her husband, Alexander, a break. She wrote, “People often misunderstand palliative care and what it means – but basically the weight of medical care is lifted off Alexander’s shoulders and looked after by nurses and doctors who want nothing but you to be pain free. And boy am I thankful for a place that does that because Alexander has been my carer for five years and needs a bit of a break.”
Fornaiser shared her sorrow at her situation but was still grateful for every moment she was still alive. She wrote, “It’s one minute at a time for me right now – and I’m so thankful that, that is still a possibility. If my time here has taught me anything – it’s that time moves like a river. You’re unable to see the beginning or the end but you can feel it – so you better make the most of it.”
