Melanoma fears??

[.Poppy.]

I've been doing so good with my HA, so of course this fear has to pop up. :weep:

I have a spot on my left leg, about 6 inches below my hip. It's fairly small - no bigger than half an inch - pink, and bumpy.

When I first saw it, I assumed it was a spider bite or ringworm, as it kind of looked like some episodes of ringworm I had in the past. Of course, back then we had a cat with ringworm and now we don't, and it was summer but now it's winter so I don't know where it would be coming from.

It's been a couple of weeks and I looked at it again in the shower. There's no change to it, but I'm concerned that it's still there. After hearing of someone dying recently of melanoma and a family friend saying "yeah, that disease takes you quick" the thought crossed my mind and I panicked.

So, trying to be level headed, I Google searched (BIG mistake) thinking the images that came up would just be of dark mole-looking things and I'd feel better. Of course, images of little pink, scaly circles came up as well -- so now I'm terrified!!!!!

I'm 23 years old, female. I'm fairly pale but I honestly don't spend too much time in the sun without sunscreen. I've had a few episodes of burning in the past and learned my lesson. In general, I rarely burn. I don't go to tanning salons or anything like that, and I know my parents and other family members have had moles removed, but not when they were my age.

What do I do? Give in and go to the doctor? Is it silly that I'm panicking like this? Also - I'm super nervous about a doctor visit because of the spot's location - it's cold so I can't just wear shorts, meaning I have to wear pants and pull them down (I have a male doctor, am I right in thinking that this is awkward)?

[Light_Bringer777]

How long as it been there? If it worries you I'd probably try to talk to a doctor or nurse about it if it's been there for a while, my doc generally told me 1-2 weeks without improvement (not regarding melanomas, just in general). If it stays there for a while I'd probably end up having it checked since it's relatively big from your description.

Also, I don,t think melanomas "take you quick". They take from 8+ months to 15 years to develop from the first visible signs of change on a mole, so it's not like it happens overnight. Like anything, it's when it's noticed at a very late stage that things can go fast, but since you're on a HA forum I'm guessing you're pretty much aware of any change happening to your body, aren't you :winks:

But as you said yourself, melanomas are irregular, uneven, multi-colored dark rough patches, not pink bumps, so you've got your answer right there about melanoma.

[.Poppy.]

Thanks for your response. I can't remember how long it has been there - maybe a few weeks? It's stayed pretty much the same, if anything it has gotten a little lighter.

It is somewhat big, but at the same time it's too small to really tell what it is. Still, when I got those ringworm "spots" a few years ago they were about this size.

The only thing is, again, I don't know how I would have been exposed to ringworm (though I live on a farm so it's always a possibility) and it's not itchy or painful or anything. If I hadn't noticed it in the shower, I wouldn't have paid any attention to it.

So, I may get it checked out even though I'm nervous about it. Yuck. It's a situation where I'm worried that the doctor will tell me that it's harmless or to keep an eye on it, and in the back of my mind my HA will have grasped me and I'll wonder if they missed something or if it's going to get worse, etc.

I suppose I'll see. I think I'll show it to my mother and see what she thinks and go from there. It's not discolored or oddly shaped, so it's probably not at a serious stage no matter what it is.

---------- Post added at 02:29 ---------- Previous post was at 01:59 ----------

I just looked at it again and it does appear to have gotten lighter, though it is kind of rough in texture.

I'm pretty bad with sizing - I'd say that it's maybe 1/4 inch, not much more than that. So it is pretty small. It's light pink now, rough, not itchy or painful, and round.

Just curious: if it were something like melanoma, would it disappear? For example, if it were to disappear completely in a couple of days, can I chalk it up to being normal or should I be concerned that I just can't see it physically yet it's still harming my body??

^^ Just wondering if anyone knows or has experience there, it would save me from Google panic. Of course if it's still there in a couple of days I'll have the doc check it out to be sure, but if it disappears I don't want to be worrying that I can't see it, but can still be harmed from it, if that makes sense.


Ahh....the joys of HA.

[KayeS]

Melanoma or any sort of skin cancer certainly would not disappear. If it disappears, it's absolutely nothing to worry about.

[.Poppy.]

Melanoma or any sort of skin cancer certainly would not disappear. If it disappears, it's absolutely nothing to worry about.

Thank you - that's a huge relief.

I showed it to my father, and his first remark was, "that's ringworm". I told him it didn't itch and I didn't know where I got it- but his answer was the same.

I treated it with some antifungal and it already looks lighter today. I'll wait a week and see how it looks and go from there.

Thanks again to both of you - I feel much better today :)

[MyNameIsTerry]

Thats good Poppy.

If you ever have to Google, something like this is going to pull up loads of those mole shape/colour change diagrams and scare you. You thought it looked similiar to ringworm so it would have be safer to Google an image of that if you had to but asking your dad was the right thing to do because he hasn't got the nagging issues in his mind like you havce, you've got to learn how to restore that side of yourself in your recovery.

If I see a lump or a bump, my reaction is "oh, I've got a lump or a bump, oh well its probably nothing and will be gone in a few days", "its probably a knot or bruise of some kind, it will heal". The fact like I have GAD & OCD means I have Cognitive Distortions too but I view health issues in the same way as I did prior to my anxiety disorders and I've noticed my reactions are the same as other family members who have no anxiety issues which tells me I don't have any HA worries. I get all the symptoms and I will foxus on them and make myself worse, as we do, but I always know its just anxiety. I Google for things to help my recovery and I Google to separate issues like my asthma from my anxiety, but my thinking processes are rational. If I typed in some symptoms and it pullls up everything from a cold to cancer, I discount the big stuff and start at the bottom.

With time and support, you will get back to that point too. But it can be very helpful to have someone who can judge these situations as long as you stay away from the reassurance trap.