Natalie Sue dismissed her persistent cough as a mere nuisance, attributing it to the lingering effects of a recent cold. However, her perception shifted dramatically when she coughed up something resembling a scene from a horror movie.
Ms. Sue, an esthetician hailing from St. Petersburg, Florida, recounted on her podcast the unforgettable moment when she expelled a blood clot the size of a thumb on Friday the 13th in May 2022.
The next day, the mother-of-one drove herself to the emergency room.
Subsequent tests would reveal the family’s worst nightmare: she had four cancerous tumors ravaging her lungs.
But puzzlingly, it wasn’t lung cancer. In fact, the disease could be traced back to a potentially deadly mole, which she had removed five years prior.
On her podcast, Natalie Sue described the moment her heart sank as the doctor delivered the diagnosis of stage 4 melanoma.
The esthetician and proprietor of a beauty spa expressed that she battled cancer for the sake of her son and husband (pictured on the left).
Ms. Sue underwent numerous cycles of immunotherapy, faced hospitalization due to potential liver failure, and endured six months of intensive steroid treatment.
In 2017, she sought advice from a dermatologist regarding a suspicious mole on her neck, which was later diagnosed as melanoma, the most severe form of skin cancer affecting approximately 100,600 Americans annually.
Following further examinations, it was determined that the cancer had not metastasized, and after the mole’s removal, she received a clean bill of health. Natalie moved forward, welcoming her son and expanding her business without dwelling on the past.
However, the disease returned with a vengeance. She vividly remembers the concerned expression on the radiologist’s face as he examined her lung scans, signaling that something was amiss.
A subsequent biopsy confirmed the cancer had progressed to stage four, with doctors estimating her chances of surviving beyond five years at roughly 30 percent.
Ms. Sue recalled, “My heart sank. The first question I asked my doctor was, ‘Am I going to die?’ and he replied, ‘I don’t know.’ It felt like my entire world had crumbled.”
When she informed her family of the diagnosis, they advised canceling an upcoming trip to Mexico, initially planned as the ultimate family getaway. Yet, determined not to let cancer dictate her life, she insisted on proceeding with the trip, viewing it as a potential last hurrah.
“I thought, we’re going to Mexico. I refuse to regret missing out on this dream vacation we’ve been planning for over a year,” she declared. “We’ll make the most of it, cherishing every moment, because I have no idea what lies ahead in my future.”
In 2017, Ms. Sue underwent a surgical procedure to extract lymph nodes from her neck for cancer testing, prompted by a dermatologist’s discovery of a suspicious mole on her body.
In May 2022, Ms. Sue sought urgent medical attention at the emergency room due to recurrent episodes of coughing up blood clots.
The mother of one expressed that the intensity of her cancer treatment rendered her too ill to even hold her son (depicted in the image).
Upon returning from their trip, she endured eight months of grueling treatments, including multiple rounds of immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
Ms. Sue described her treatment as excruciating, leaving her in constant pain and reliant on pain relief just to function. “It was brutal,” she recalled. “I experienced so many aches and pains that I found myself unable to move from the couch without a dose of ibuprofen every four hours.”
Following her final rounds of immunotherapy and chemotherapy, Ms. Sue developed jaundice, characterized by yellowing of the skin and eyes, and suffered from liver failure. She was promptly put on high-dose steroid therapy, which she continued for several months.
Melanoma, although less common than other forms of skin cancer, is more perilous, with three percent of cases having an unknown primary source.
Commencing her treatment regimen, she underwent four rounds of immunotherapy and chemotherapy, enduring persistent pain that necessitated continual pain relief for her to carry out even basic functions.
When she felt prepared to discuss her diagnosis openly, she chose to share her story on Instagram, seeking both support and guidance from her followers.
In 2024, the American Cancer Society projects that approximately 100,600 individuals will receive a diagnosis of this cancer, comprising five percent of all new cancer cases, with 8,300 individuals succumbing to it, constituting 1.4 percent of cancer-related deaths.
The lifetime risk of developing this cancer stands at about three percent, translating to one in 33 individuals.
Incidence rates for new melanomas exhibit variability—among those under 50, rates have remained steady in women and have decreased by roughly one percent annually in men since the early 2000s.
While the five-year survival rate stands at 94 percent, it plunges to 35 percent for melanomas that have metastasized.
Ms. Sue shared that she was met with an overwhelming wave of support following her disclosure of her stage four melanoma diagnosis on Instagram.
Ms. Sue, hailing from St. Petersburg, Florida, is an esthetician and proprietor of a beauty spa.
Earlier this month, Ms. Sue underwent scans to thoroughly examine her body for any signs of cancer, and the results came back completely clear.
Ms. Sue’s bout with what seemed like a cold began in 2022, characterized initially by symptoms such as a strained voice and a persistent cough. She found herself frequently reaching for water to quench an unyielding thirst. Although she initially attributed the fevers and sniffles to her son’s exposure to new germs at school, one cold and cough proved to be particularly stubborn, lingering for two months.
The intensity of her coughing fits became so severe that she had to excuse herself from attending to clients during spa treatments, tears streaming down her face from the force of the coughing spells. Then came the alarming incident of coughing up the blood clot.
Ms. Sue made the decision to wait nearly two months before confiding in her loved ones about her diagnosis, hoping to seek both support and guidance while also offering hope to others facing similar challenges. She eventually shared the news on Instagram, where she received an overwhelming outpouring of support.
Remarkably, in February 2023, Ms. Sue received the news she had never dared to expect. After enduring 276 days of relentless battle, including four rounds of immunotherapy, a hospitalization due to signs of liver failure, and six months of high-dose steroids, she was declared cancer-free.
“I did it! I beat stage 4 cancer,” she joyfully announced on Instagram.
Reflecting on her journey on her podcast, she expressed, “I have no words. It’s just pure excitement to know that I faced such a formidable foe and emerged victorious. With my odds so bleak, not knowing if I would survive, and to be sitting here today, declaring that I am now NED [no evidence of disease] from cancer… it’s an indescribable feeling.”
