Jacqui Patterson reveals shock cancer diagnosis after finding a lump on her head
Survivor star Jacqui Patterson, 52, says she’s “pissed off” after receiving a new cancer diagnosis — two years after she beat stage four melanoma.
Confidential
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Only two years after beating skin cancer, Survivor star Jacqui Patterson, 52, has been diagnosed with a tumour in her head.
The Byron Bay marriage celebrant told Confidential that she has a three millimetre deep melanoma between her scalp and skull and will undergo surgery to have it removed.
“I’m really pi**ed off but what can you do about it? Just got to roll with the punches don’t you, not just cry about it?” she said.
Patterson said the tumour was discovered by accident after a second opinion.
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“I was doing my hair one morning and I thought ‘oh, I’ve got this lump on my head. It was around early February,” she said.
“I went to the doctor who said it was just a cyst and that it was fine and not to worry about it. Then I went to my skin doctor in Byron and he did a biopsy then two days later he said ‘you’ve got a malignant tumour’.
“So I was straight in for a CT scan and then I went to a specialist who said ‘I’m not going to touch you until you’ve had a pet scan’, which I had last Friday.
“The result of that is that it hasn’t spread which is great. Their concern now is whether it’s a primary, or secondary — they’re going to operate ASAP.”
Patterson, who beat stage four melanoma on her back in 2017, said she was in disbelief when her doctor called with bad news.
“I thought ‘you’ve got the wrong number’. I think you’re just taken aback by it all and a bit gobsmacked and it’s not until you’re sitting in the specialist’s office and they’re showing you pictures of what they’re going to do, you sort of think ‘oh my God this is real’,” she said.
The bodybuilder said she hopes sharing her story will serve as a warning to others not to ignore any issues relating to health.
“When I was on Survivor I wore two necklaces around my neck. One said ‘this too shall pass’, the other said ‘find the silver lining’,” she said.
“So whether that makes me a voice for other people that are going through the same thing … and it helps someone. Go and check yourself. Don’t wait, I often say ‘if in doubt check it out’.”
Patterson’s family have been a strong source of support throughout her ordeal.
“I’m one of six kids and we’re all really close and mum and dad are still with us,” she said.
“So one day at a time. We’ve got the family chat going so there’s always positive messages and constant phone calls and all that.
“My sister battled a horrific breast cancer last year and I was supporting her and now this is happening to me it’s like ‘oh my God what’s going on’?”
Despite it being a painful time for Patterson, she hasn’t lost her sense of humour.
When asked how she stays strong, she replied: “Well I go to the bar at the gym, I don’t go to the bar where the whiskey is.”
The reality star has no plans of slowing down and hopes to proceed with a bodybuilding competition after surgery.
“I’m thinking if I can get this operation done this week, I’ll have a week off then go straight back into training,” she said.
“I was up by 4am this morning and at the gym by 4.30am and half the day is over for me by 6am. You’ve got to stay active and feed your body good food, stay nourished and hydrated and think clearly and get on with it.
“I’m not going to do that. I think positivity is the only way to go because you don’t want to be feeding negative energy.”