Lacey Adams as told to Charlotte Hilton Andersen

Surely it was nothing. It was so tiny! But I had just had a baby and didnt want to take any chances with my health, no matter how silly it seemed at the time. So I asked her about it, and she told me it was probably nothing. But to be safe, she removed it.

It wasnt nothing. It was skin cancer. And not just skin cancer, but melanoma-one of . I was shocked.

<h1> I shouldnt have been so surprised, honestly. </h1>

I was a pale blond who wanted a golden tan throughout my teens and 20s, and I would lay out in the sun for hours. At 14 years old, I started using indoor tanning beds regularly-my friend even had one in her house that we both used at least once a week. Now, I know that tanning beds are one of the biggest risks for , including melanoma. But back then, it was just something all of my friends did. We all wanted a healthy glow, a phrase that, in hindsight, makes me want to scream.

My diagnosis that May was shocking but not terrifying. Wed caught it early, and all I needed was a minor surgery to remove surrounding tissue near where the mole had been. I had the surgery a couple of weeks later. When I tested clear for cancer in my scans over the next year, I was told to visit the dermatologist once a year to monitor my skin health but not to worry about it anymore. Crisis avertedright?

For the next decade, I focused all my energy on raising my children and supporting my husband, Jerome Adams, as his career reached new heights. In September 2017, he was sworn in to the demanding position of . Hed been an MD for years, but as the nations doctor and head of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, he would now be the spokesperson for all matters of public health in the United States.

I was so proud of him and excited for him, even though it would mean a huge change for our family. We were living in our home state of Indiana (and Ill always be a Midwest girl at heart); but in January 2018 we packed up the kids, the dog, and the house, and moved to Washington D.C.

Lacey and Jerome Adams with their children on the Speakers Balcony of the United States Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

Moving halfway across the country with kids is a huge endeavor, even if your husband has a more typical day job. Add in the extra red tape that comes with working for the government, and my husband's schedule was intense. Getting my kids settled and our new home established became my full-time job.

<h1> That's why cancer was nowhere on my radar when I felt some weird lumps in my groin while shaving my bikini line. </h1>

I mentioned it to my husband in passing-he is a doctor, after all-but while dealing with all the hecticness in our lives we both forgot about it.

A few months later, the lumps were still there, so I mentioned them to a friend who also happens to be a doctor. Her face went from bubbly to serious in seconds.

Are they on the same side as your mole was? I remember my friend asking me.

You need to go to the doctor today. Now.

She was right to be concerned. Fortunately, I was able to get in right away to see a primary care doctor, who ordered blood work and PET and CAT scans.

Before I could even wrap my mind around what was happening I had my answer: melanoma, again.

<h1> This time, the cancer was much worse. </h1>

I got the news sitting in the carpool line, waiting to pick up my kids from school. My whole body went numb. Jerome was out of town and my friends and family were more than 10 hours away. I was utterly wrecked and had never felt so alone.

We made an appointment for the next day at the cancer center at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. After undergoing a half-dozen different tests, we learned that those lumps Id felt were lymph nodes where the cancer had spread. It had metastasized to a small area of tissue, meaning . For some perspective, stage 4 melanoma has a survival rate of about 24 percent, according to the , and even at a 3, my diagnosis was possibly fatal.

Cancer was nowhere on my radar when I felt weird lumps in my groin while shaving my bikini line.

As my doctors and my husband debated my treatment plan, I floated on in a strange sense of denial. I felt totally fine-nothing hurt and I was the picture of good health from the outside-yet a cancer was growing inside me that could potentially kill me. Whats more, I had no idea when exactly it had come back over the last 10 years, nor did my doctors. Or, it was possible that it had been there all along. We still dont know.

What would I tell my kids, who were 13, 12, and 8 and very much still needed their mother? I was only 41, how was this even real?

<h1> Time was of the essence and I needed to start treatment immediately. </h1>

I didnt have time to wrap my head around everything. At the end of March 2018, I had surgery to remove 12 cancerous lymph nodes and their surrounding tissue. Then I started , a newer type of cancer treatment that uses parts of your bodys own immune system to destroy cancer cells. I got immunotherapy drug infusions regularly for a year.

Lacey after her lymph node removal surgery.

Immunotherapy replaced chemotherapy for me (although some people may receive multiple types of treatment), and I didnt suffer from many of the <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19939983/what-is-chemotherapy-like/" id="d2b79974-310d-3a79-aafa-17186f9efb41"> common side effects you might associate with cancer treatment </a> . I didnt lose my hair, my weight stayed stable, and I didnt throw up constantly. My side effects seemed mild: I got an acne-like rash on my torso, dry mouth, and was very fatigued.

Perhaps the most annoying side effect was the extreme swelling in my left leg (which my doctors thought was probably a consequence of having my lymph nodes removed rather than from the immunotherapy). Im still dealing with that, but otherwise, I have been able to carry on with my normal daily life-I even put on a fancy dress and heels to attend a formal State dinner just one month after my surgery-something people with cancer even 10 years ago couldnt even imagine.

I got my last immunotherapy treatment on May 9, 2019. I feel pretty great, physically. All my scans and blood work are cancer-free.

<h1> Emotionally, however, its been a tougher recovery. </h1>

Ive always <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19838967/anxiety-vs-depression/" id="e2b8546e-5724-35b7-aac0-91cca9b7e267"> struggled with depression and anxiety </a> , and this experience took a serious toll on my mental health, which has affected my recovery. I started <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a23281512/panic-attack-vs-anxiety-attack/" id="ab5756e1-822b-3f41-ac68-79d34bfa24f8"> having panic attacks </a> , crying sessions in the shower, and I started waking up in the middle night feeling wrecked. It's just not fair, damn it, I thought. I would break down privately but then put on my makeup and try to present a happy face in public.

I want people to know that while I am doing better now, it has taken hours of therapy, medication adjustments, and a lot of patience from my family to get through this year. We often think cancer survivors are supposed to be happy and just grateful to be alive. The reality is, we're not Instagram quotes-we're people, and people are allowed to feel upset, angry, and even seriously depressed.

Ive also had a lot of survivor guilt. If wed caught my cancer even a few weeks later, I might not be here to share my story. I am grateful I had access to quick and high-quality health care and I feel strongly that everyone should have this available to them. I keep thinking of a woman I knew back in Indiana who had had a similar melanoma to mine; she was not diagnosed as quickly and she died. I know I am blessed, that God has a purpose for this, and I am grateful to be alive and with my family.

But I also know that, because Ive been given so much, I have a responsibility to help others. Now Im on a mission to increase awareness of skin cancers, particularly in young women, and to help women with melanoma get diagnosed sooner and have access to cutting-edge treatments like I had.

<h1> As women, we often prioritize everyone elses needs above our own. </h1>

I want other women to remember that its so important to take care of their health too. Dont downplay your symptoms, trust your intuition if you feel something is wrong, and get medical attention right away. Dont worry about inconveniencing people, or about making your spouse worry or having to put off your kids activities. You are important, and what they want and need most is for you to be happy, healthy, and in their lives for a very long time.

Lacey and her family on vacation last year.

I was reminded of this the other day when my daughter, Millie, looked up at me with her big, dark eyes and asked, Arent you done with this cancer thing yet?! Ah, the blunt honesty of kids.

Im almost done with my cancer treatments, I told her. But Ill never be completely done with cancer.

And thats a good thing: It means Ill always be fighting for better cancer care for women everywhere.

<h1> How can you help protect yourself? By remembering these melanoma facts... </h1>

...straight from the US Surgeon General. My husband, Jerome, shared the following facts and rules to live by that are crucial for lowering your risk of developing skin cancer:

<ul><li> Melanoma is the leading cause of cancer death in women 25 to 30 years old, but its almost entirely preventable with good sun safety habits. </li><li> Melanoma has doubled in the U.S. over the past 30 years, with young women showing the largest increases. </li><li> Remember: Tan skin is damaged skin! Theres no such thing as a healthy glow, and using a tanning bed makes you eight times more likely to get melanoma. </li><li> Hats should be one of your favorite fashion accessories. Wearing a hat outdoors is a great way to protect yourself from sun damage. </li><li> Know your ABCDEs: Any mole that shows A symmetry, an irregular B order, uneven or changing C olor, has a D iameter bigger than a pencil eraser, or is E volving (changing) needs to get checked out by a dermatologist right away. </li></ul>

Its worth pointing out that there are risk factors that may put you at a higher risk that may be out of your control (family history, for example), though that doesnt mean you will get melanoma. But knowing these facts can hopefully help remind you just how important sun protection is, and potentially even save your life.

To read more about Laceys experience, <a href="https://laceyadams99.wixsite.com/website" id="bbd64e58-0eff-39af-a5a6-264ba6a3e6c0"> check out her blog </a> .

As a mom of a newborn and two very active toddler boys, cancer was the absolute last thing on my mind when I went in for my <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a26239050/postpartum-guide/" id="1fef969c-1859-3d8b-a475-ad9b204e6ef2"> postpartum checkup </a> that day in 2009. In fact, it was so far out of the realm of possibility that, even though I had noticed the <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/beauty/skin/a708161/moles/" id="c0560a5f-6ca8-34f7-aa90-71b998bc5680"> new...

I Had Melanoma Twice—Here’s What It Taught Me About Making My Health A Priority

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Lacey Adams as told to Charlotte Hilton Andersen

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I Had Melanoma Twice—Here’s What It Taught Me About Making My Health A Priority