Amanda Eilian asked her doctor about a concerning mole on her wrist more than once, but he reportedly told her not to worry about it. Though her doctor was dismissive, she told Today.com, a comment her toddler made in 2010 pushed her to advocate for herself and have the mole removed.
At the time, she was 33 years old. When speaking to Today.com, she described the moment that motivated to speak to her doctor about the mole again: "My 2-year-old pointed to the spot on my wrist, which she had never mentioned before, and said, ‘Chocolate, you have chocolate, Mommy.’”
Amanda, who is a cofounder of Able Partners, was later diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma.
When she went back to see her doctor after her daughter made the comment, her doctor still told her that the mole was not a concern. But she continued to push and asked him to remove it.
He agreed. Then she found out she had cancer.
Now, her daughter is 15 years old. “She saved my life," Amanda told Today.com.
She wants to remind others about the importance of advocating for themselves. “It was a great lesson — not the way you want to learn the lesson — of learning the importance of self-advocacy and taking a proactive role in your own health," she told the outlet.
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“Be persistent and be confident in yourself and your own observations," she advised.
Often, the first sign of melanoma will be an unusual mole, notes Mayo Clinic. This could be a mole with a strange shape, changes in color, changes in size, or unusual mole borders. Though melanomas typically appear in areas that are exposed to the sun, they can also occur in unexpected places that have little or no exposure to the sun, according to Mayo Clinic.
*Disclaimer: The advice on LittleThings.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
