As a nurse working in a regional hospital, I’ve always valued good health and wellbeing and stayed on top of routine cancer screenings. Living in a coastal town in East Gippsland, I lead an active life filled with bush and beach walks, paddling the lakes, and camping. I was fit, healthy, and had no reason to suspect anything was wrong.

In March 2025, what should have been a joyful celebration of our 30th wedding anniversary changed everything. After a routine optometry appointment, my husband and I were sent more than four hours away to The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. That day, I was diagnosed with a rare cancer I’d never heard of, ocular melanoma. I had no symptoms, and the diagnosis felt surreal.

Within a week, my tumour was measured and preparations began for radiotherapy. Eight weeks later, a radioactive plaque was surgically sutured onto my eyeball. I spent five days in isolation while the treatment did its work. Thankfully, early follow up appointments showed healing and vision progressing as expected. My next review will guide future management once biopsy results are available.

Emotionally, the initial shock was the hardest. I left hospital with very little information and struggled to find reliable resources about such a rare cancer. Wanting to speak to someone who understood, I eventually found peer support through online groups and personal connections.

In my first week after diagnosis, I contacted Melanoma Patients Australia. That support was invaluable. Through regular phone calls, emails and telehealth sessions, the MPA nurses provided clear, trustworthy resources and educational information, which was an ongoing reassurance. One nurse’s expertise in ocular melanoma made a profound difference for both my husband and me.

I’m sharing my story to raise awareness and encourage people to ask for thorough eye checks. My mantra has become simple: focus on what you can control. I’m happiest with my family and in nature and deeply grateful for the support I’ve received.