It has likely happened to most of us to receive a call for one of the regular check-ups available, and dismiss that letter or message or forget about booking an appointment.

However, taking the time to book and attend the visit out of our busy schedules can, potentially, be lifesaving.

This was the case for one Black Isle resident who was successfully treated after an early diagnosis of eye cancer back in January 2024 – after booking in for a control visit at her local Specsavers branch.

“Because I had been living abroad for many years, that was my first checkup in around two decades,” explained artist and photographer Liz Peck (65), who is a former Nairnshire resident.

“The optician at Specsavers in Nairn wasn't very happy with what he was looking at when I went in for my appointment, and asked if he could refer me to the ophthalmic department at Raigmore.

“Two days later, I had a phone call to say ‘come in, we want to see you’, which was a bit scary. I went in, had all the checks at the Highland Treatment Centre, and that’s when they told me that I had a melanoma and that I would have to go to Glasgow for treatment, which was really shocking,” she recalls.

Although at first she thought the staff were overreacting, not really believing that she had cancer – pinning it down to a “lazy eye” that, throughout her life “had never worked properly” – but then the reality kicked in.

Even after the diagnosis, it wasn’t cancer that caused the most panic, but how she could deal with this whilst caring for her 92-year-old mother Helena, who suffers from dementia and was living with Liz and her husband, Andy (69).

“I was faced with having to organise all these things for my mum, which I couldn't do through social services at the time, as there was nobody available. That overrode any fear,” she said.

With Liz having to be in isolation – with restricted visits allowed – for a week at Gartnavel during radioactive plaque treatment, they decided that Andy would look after her mum. It was March 2024.

“A very tearful husband put me on the coach to Glasgow on the day of the surgery, and stayed home to look after my mum. It broke his heart, but I had to go through that on my own,” she said.

“I was caught up in the wheel of surgery and everything, so it really didn't affect me because I was thinking about that.

“Andy was marvellous. He looked after my mum. They had a great time. He took her out and about. We had video calls every day.”

Dementia meant that Helena didn't understand where Liz had gone, thinking she had gone somewhere to paint.

Although this first round of treatment looked promising, cancer is an unpredictable disease, and adding that to the responsibility of a full-time carer made for an extremely challenging position to be in.

“I never knew when I would have to go back in or if I would have to go somewhere else or if the cancer would have spread to my liver, which would have meant more hospital treatment,” said Liz.

“After the treatment, the dementia link worker was on a regular visit to my mum. I asked for more help, simply because I didn't know then whether I was going to have to go back into hospital, whether I would have more treatment, whether it had worked. If it didn't work, I was going to have to go to Liverpool. There, she just asked me if I'd considered care. And I said no. Not unless a place came up at Eilean Dubh, on the Black Isle, purely because I'd seen this wonderful building being built, thinking it was a five-star hotel. But because of costs and knowing how long the waiting list was, I thought this would never be an option.

“Then, lo and behold, just a couple of weeks later, the link worker called to say: ‘There is a huge waiting list, but your mum is in. There's a place there now.’”

Helena moved into the new care home in September 2024. It wasn’t easy for her and Liz, who moved to Dingwall to be close to her. But what felt like a massive change was the start of a new chapter of their lives, and Liz became the ‘resident artist’ at Eilean Dubh.

“Mum going into care coincided with my first ever solo exhibition at Logie Steading – I decided to donate the proceeds of one of my paintings for the care home’s comfort fund (which is used to provide extra activities and comforts). In the end, I ended up selling two paintings and raising £1,000.”

Then Liz was asked to paint one of the heart statues as part of the HeArt Project, in which the care home was taking part. That eventually became the catalyst for another collaboration, when she was asked to design a tartan for Parklands care homes, which was also painted on the heart, and which has become a warm community around her.

“I've never experienced love from relative strangers like that,” she said, recalling the support she had after Andy was hospitalised for a heart attack (from which he has well recovered).

Now Liz, who is preparing for the launch of a solo exhibit at Logie Steading (which will be on from November 4) and was recently in Shetland for an artistic residency, has made good progress in recovery, and the future is looking bright.

She praised the efficiency with which staff at Specsavers and then at the ophthalmic department dealt with her case.

“By pure coincidence, Specsavers in Inverness also decided to sponsor the Colours of Care heart. It feels like we've come full circle.”

Marc Carmichael, the optometrist at the Nairn branch who first detected issues in Liz’s eye said: "An eye examination isn't just about checking your vision - it's also an important health check.

“During a routine eye exam, optometrists can spot early signs of wider health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and even some types of cancer, often before any symptoms appear.

“Catching these changes early means people can get the right care quickly, which can make a real difference. It's a simple, straightforward way to look after both your eyesight and your overall health.

“All of us here at Specsavers Nairn are delighted with the outcome for Mrs Peck and it just highlights the importance of regular check-ups”

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