Melanoma Monday: Survivor shares warning as Oklahoma doctors urge early skin checks

Melanoma Monday is on May 5, and one skin cancer survivor is sharing her story to raise awareness about the deadliest form of skin cancer, especially in sun-prone states like Oklahoma.

Heather Rhatigan says she once loved soaking up the sun—until multiple cancer diagnoses changed her outlook.

"As a teenager, lying out in my friend's backyard with a pool, um, I think we would use baby oil," said Heather Rhatigan, a melanoma patient.

"It was just sunburn after sunburn. And peeling..."

The now 51-year-old says that repeated sun exposure led to multiple forms of skin cancer, first a basal cell carcinoma and then melanoma.

"I just said, you know, this, it looks like a sunspot, but it never is, um, going away," Rhatigan said. "So is that something we should be concerned about, and sure enough... When she came back with that diagnosis, I was definitely surprised."

Dr. Hooman Khorasani, a dermatological and cosmetic surgeon, removed the melanoma. He says the key to survival is early detection.

"Luckily, Heather’s melanoma was early stage..." said Dr. Hooman Khorasani.

"When found early, melanoma has a 99-percent survival rate."

Now, Rhatigan goes in for skin checks every three months and encourages others to do monthly self-checks from head to toe.

Doctors recommend watching for the ABCDEs of melanoma:

1. Asymmetry
2. Border irregularity
3. Color variation
4. Diameter
5. Evolving shape or size

Image Provided By: CBS News

Even people with darker skin need to check, though melanoma may appear in different locations.

"They typically happen, uh, with the digits. So toes and fingers, those are really important," Khorasani said. "They can also have skin cancer in areas that sun doesn't shine."

Rhatigan says her relationship with the sun has changed dramatically.

"I really don't enjoy the sun anymore // I used to love it," she said.

These days, she wears protective clothing and re-applies sunscreen daily.

"Every day. Even in the winter...on a cloudy day..."

Suggested tip:

Doctors recommend reapplying sunscreen every two hours, or every 30 minutes if you’re swimming or sweating.