When Cera Byrum noticed a barely visible ‘pimple’ on her forehead in December 2023, skin cancer was the last thing on her mind.
But just four months later, she received the grim diagnosis in the middle of her teaching shift.
The young mother, 31, from Dallas, was in the classroom when she received a phone call from a nurse who told her the small lump was cancerous.
“I remember it vividly. It was already a terrible day and they told me I had to give up my only break during the school day to cover for another teacher,” Cera told FEMAIL.
‘My phone rang and I knew it was the doctor’s office. I remember telling my friend, “Well, at least I have good news today. I bet they’re telling me my biopsy was clear.” I answered and the nurse on the other end of the line told me it was skin cancer.’
Mom Cera Byrum (pictured with her daughter) was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, last month.
He saw a small lump on his forehead that a biopsy confirmed was cancerous (pictured).
As a child, Cera played in the sun for hours. She admitted that she also used tanning beds during her teenage years because she was embarrassed by her pale skin.
He also has a family history of skin cancer, as his parents and brother were previously diagnosed.
Cera was first diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma in late 2021 after spotting a 1.5cm “scaly patch of skin” under her bra strap on her shoulder.
They took it off and gave him two layers of stitches.
‘I wasn’t allowed to lift my baby for three weeks. “I don’t think I understood how something so small could have such a big effect on my daily life,” she stated.
After that diagnosis, she was diligent with skin checks and wore sunscreen every day. However, This didn’t erase the damage he did when he was younger.
“If I had never had my first skin cancer and had annual visits, I would never have had it checked,” she said.
‘As the months passed, the fleshy lump took on a translucent pearly sheen. I assumed there was a pimple forming,’ he said. ‘Unfortunately I was never able to pop the ‘pimple’ and it stayed. Then he went to a dermatologist.
Cera was first diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma in late 2021 after spotting a 1.5cm “scaly patch of skin” under her bra strap on her shoulder. They removed it and put two layers of stitches (the scar is shown on the shoulder)
A dermatologist performed a biopsy and two weeks later, Cera was diagnosed while teaching a class full of students (pictured with her husband and daughter).
Cera spent the years after surgery trying to “love and embrace” her pale skin and avoided sun exposure or tanning. She also began researching skin care and opted for a daily dose of tretinoin and sunscreen.
In December, he noticed a small lump on his forehead above his eyebrow and thought it would go away.
‘As the months passed, the fleshy lump took on a translucent pearly sheen. I figured there was a pimple forming,” he said.
‘Unfortunately I was never able to pop the “pimple” and it stayed. “I hated the way this bump stood out even more under my luminous makeup.”
In April she decided to see a dermatologist and assumed the bump was due to clogged pores and would just need a cream to get rid of it.
The expert took a light and lens to examine the site closely before performing a biopsy.
“He said the pearly sheen was a telltale sign of basal cell carcinoma.” He couldn’t believe it,’ Cera recalled.
The dermatologist said it would take up to two weeks for the results to appear, but it took a little longer and she thought she was “in the clear.”
As a child, Cera played in the sun for hours and during her adolescence she used tanning beds because she was ashamed of her pale skin.
Then came the dreaded day when she was told the cancer had returned and she needed surgery.
Upon hearing the news, Cera left the room and cried.
‘I went back to the classroom and told my colleague and my best friend. The children knew I had been crying and were very sweet to me. “I never told them this until I came back to school with a dotted line on my forehead,” he added.
‘I had no idea that years of ultraviolet radiation from my time lying in the sun or going to tanning beds were stored inside waiting to be released. “I felt guilty because I did this to myself,” she said.
“It was a consequence of my own stupid decisions from my youth and early adolescence.”
The young mother also felt guilty and sorry for herself.
‘If it’s “just skin cancer”, it’s easily treatable, then why in the world was I so sad about it?’ she remembered.
“I guess I just assumed that since the first round of carcinoma, I had followed all the rules and done everything I was supposed to do to avoid this.”
Cera underwent two surgeries: one to remove the lump and another to remove additional surrounding tissue that had not been removed before.
“Skin cancer is like an iceberg: What appears on the skin above the surface is usually much deeper and wider below,” he said.
“Skin cancer is like an iceberg: What appears on the skin above the surface is usually much deeper and wider below,” he said (pictured recently).
Now Cera wishes he could go back in time and tell his younger self what he knows now.
Cera wishes she could go back in time and tell her younger self what she knows now.
‘I wish I could go back in time and really warn myself about the effects of the sun. I used to go to tanning beds in my youth knowing the risks. I know, I’m so embarrassed right now,” she said.
“They used to make fun of me for having such pale skin, even now there are still grown women making comments about how I need a tan or how they can see my veins through my skin.
‘But despite my insecurities, I know my pale skin is beautiful. I will not bully my body into some superficial beauty standard.
Back then, Cera assumed that if he got skin cancer, it would be an “easy fix” and that he would catch it right away. Although he had no idea how the ultraviolet rays touching his skin were slowly causing cancer.
‘I had no idea that once I had skin cancer it could appear at any time and anywhere else on my body. When you go in for a skin exam, your doctor will check you EVERYWHERE,’ he said.
‘If there is skin there, they are checking it. Every crevice of my body is thoroughly examined. My doctor once told me that he found melanoma in someone’s mouth!
“I think there is a misconception that skin cancer can only appear on parts of the body that are frequently exposed to the sun.”
Cera shared her story on a popular Facebook group to urge others to be diligent about skin checks and sunscreen.
‘Education is key. Prevention is key. Access to an expert dermatologist is key. “I may not be able to change several of those factors, but I hope my story can help educate others and raise awareness about skin cancer,” she stated.