Saskia spotted an ulcer in her mouth that 'never went away'. After months of pain, she found out it was a symptom of something far worse

Saskia Rogers never thought the ulcer in her mouth was anything to worry about.

The then 16-year-old school girl, from Hobart, Tasmania , could feel a tiny bump on the roof of her mouth with her tongue, which eventually grew to the size of a pea.

During an appointment with a GP for an unrelated issue, she mentioned the 'unusual' ulcer that 'never went away'.

She was advised by the doctor to keep an eye on it because the lump didn't raise any 'immediate concerns' for her.

A year later, Saskia noticed the lump had 'quadrupled in size', becoming hard and painful, with a 'bright purple appearance'.

When she returned to the doctors, she was told the lump was 'likely nothing' - with a GP ruling out cancer and the need for removal.

But after months of pain, she elected to have surgery to remove the lump - leading her to discover her condition was something far worse.

The persistent mouth ulcer turned out to be oral cancer.

Before her diagnosis, Saskia was like another other 'normal' teenager.

She was a 'fit and healthy' Year 11 student who enjoyed exercising every week and loved outdoor activities, including long walks, snorkelling and regular trips away with family and friends.

'I was studying hard and focusing on school with the dream of heading into medicine,' Saskia, now 20, said.

'I had lots of friends, and was a part of the Tasmanian youth orchestra, playing the cello on the weekend. I felt normal. I was normal.'

While she felt 'strong' and was the 'fittest' she'd ever been, she often got sick with common viruses and would spend an 'abnormal' amount of time feeling ill.

'I would get fatigued earlier than my peers - signs that my immune system was preoccupied,' she said.

'Naturally, in the height of Year 11 and in my busy schedule it was nothing that seemed particularly remarkable, rather just something that happened to me.'

Shortly after her 16th birthday in June 2020, Saskia was bored at school one day so she began running her tongue around her mouth when she felt a 'lesion' on the roof of her mouth.

'It started as a raw area of skin in the mouth, with the surrounding skin seeming to blister,' she said.

When the ulcer became painful to touch, she went to see a GP.

'My GP agreed it was unusual, stating it was likely nothing but decided to refer us to a specialist surgeon just in case,' she said.

'At the specialist's direction, we followed up with CT scans where I was told it was a benign lump with no malignant properties.'

Saskia said she felt 'naturally relieved' when she was told the lump wasn't cancerous.

'I mean, at 16, no one is expecting anything like cancer to show up. It'll never happen to you,' she explained.

'It was unexpected to hear that the lump did not need to be removed, and I remember being taken off guard when I was given the option for an elective surgery.

'My parents are incredibly supportive, and they said they would back me through the surgery if it was affecting my day-to-day life - a choice that may well have saved my life.'

The lump, measuring approximately 2cm in length and 1.5cm in width, was protruding from the centre of her hard palate.

After undergoing three major surgeries, including a mouth reconstruction, which left a hole in her mouth, Saskia was diagnosed with oral cancer.

'It's an almost impossible task to fully articulate what it's like to be told you have cancer,' she said.

'For me, it's almost like the world stopped. Life automatically becomes pre-cancer and post-cancer.

'It feels like you are sitting still and the immediate space around you is lifeless, while everything beyond is tilting on its axis in a whirlwind and the world feels a little blurry at the edges.

'Of course, nothing is happening but that's how it feels. You are stuck on those words, 'It's cancer'.'

As she struggled to process the news, Saskia said she couldn't help but wonder if she was 'going to die' and what her future will look like.

One of the hardest things during her cancer journey was losing most of her friends.

'I realised my peers didn't understand what I was going through,' she said.

'My friends and peers didn't know what to say. There was nothing they could say that would make it easier or help get rid of the horrible emotions I was feeling. And so, friendships became hard.

'I was weird for being unable to talk, 'disgusting' for bleeding in class. Many of my peers only saw my experiences at school and failed to take the time to empathise with my situation.

'It was confronting to watch, but more so when you are living it.'

She also struggled with the changes to her body and hearing about the medical procedures was 'difficult' for her.

Fortunately, she was able to avoid chemotherapy, but she had to undergo two major reconstructive surgeries, which resulted in her losing the ability to talk.

'I had no roof to my mouth, there was nothing there to use to make my sounds,' she said.

'I lost weight, because I couldn't eat or drink without excruciating pain. It was brutal.

'I think the worst thing was I felt I couldn't communicate with anyone. Even my parents struggled to understand me. I had to sit alone with my thoughts in pain for weeks, which is easily the hardest thing I have ever done.'

Eventually, she fell behind in school and she thought her dream of studying medicine was 'crumbling' at her fingertips.

'I was battling fatigue, medication, headaches and post-surgery symptoms that attending school was hard and catching up felt impossible,' she said.

When Saskia was at her lowest point, her mum suggested she should join the youth cancer charity Canteen.

'No one understood what I had gone through... But in Canteen, I met people that for the first time understood,' she said.

'I didn't have to talk about it, but if I wanted to, and if I couldn't find the right words, people would listen and understand. It was genuine connection, and for the first time since diagnosis I was normal. I wouldn't be where I am without Canteen.'

She attended one of Canteen's weekend retreats in Queensland and is now a youth ambassador.

Saskia spent more than a year re-learning to talk again via speech therapy as the nerves never fully recovered.

As a result, her voice changed, and she must constantly concentrate on her speech pattern due to the lack of feeling in her mouth.

Things started to look up after she completed her certificate of education and came out with a high ATAR.

'I was lucky to have supportive teachers,' she said.

After receiving the all-clear, she enrolled in a year of a bachelor of biomedicine at university, which serves as a pathway to medicine.

During her studies, she realised that helping others like her was more important so she's currently waiting to start nursing in February 2025.

Despite being told she's now cancer-free, she is required to attend biannual check-up appointments as a precaution.

'As always with cancer survivors, they say to monitor and investigate anything abnormal,' she said.

She urges everyone, including teenagers, to be mindful of what is considered 'normal' and 'abnormal' on their bodies.

'Always advocate for yourself and get anything you are worried about, checked,' Saskia said.

'Monitor anything unusual. Lumps are always worth getting looked at. Expressing concerns to busy doctors can feel silly or at times a little embarrassing, but at the end of the day that is their job, and they are there to help you.

'Asking about a concern is always the best course of action, even if it is just to put your mind at ease.'

'You are not alone' She hopes by sharing her story, she can help other cancer patients 'feel less alone' and encourage family and friends to show support.

'I hope to remind people about the importance of compassion, kindness and love. Cancer is so incredibly hard to deal with,' she said.

'Please, if you are struggling to understand what someone is going through... take a moment to imagine how they feel or what they are going through. Talk to them, ask questions. 30 seconds of consideration can save someone a lifetime of hurt.

'When you are dealing with cancer, words and inaction can cut deeper than most people can realise. When you are sick, you realise all the little things you took for granted - so please go for that run, get outside, attend that concert.

'Hug your loved ones a little tighter, love a little louder, express yourself and live.'