View Full Version : Mole concern
I have resisted posting but really need some help. I am a moley person, lots of brown flat, slightly raised moles, a couple of sink coloured more raised ones. I am familiar with them and over the years check them once a year or so. I had two removed when I was in my teens as they rubbed on my waistband and have a large ankle birthmark mole.
Anyway, in the last year my skin has changed generally, I am 45 and noticed it is drier and almost paler (hormones I think) and there seem to be a few more pinprick size freckles appear and some light brown 'age spots' - in general my skin seems a little more pigmented.
I have two flatish round moles on one foot and have had for years, one darker than the other, have looked like large freckles. Very recently one of them seems darker at the edge and more raised, more moley! I've never really inspected it very close up and can't tell if it was always slightley domed.
Yesterday I started to freak out, and latch onto the idea that the darker skin = melanoma and tried to get a doctors appt, there were none. The system is that you have to ring for appts on the day, so I rang today and it was engaged, when I got through all appts had gone.
So, I have been OK and thought, well, I will go Monday. Here I will say that I am terrified of Dr's, I am also prone to expecting sudden bad news (a form of trauma from two sudden bereavments in my family) and basically I don't cope well with even going to the doctor and hate the unknown.
Just now I tried to stay measured, the mole is the same size, no itching, even though there are now two distinct shades in the mole, they are uniform of a kind, the raised bit is paler and I do know that moles get lighter with age and maybe this is what is happening (I really hope so). The mole is similar to others I have, that have a slightly darker area they 'sit' on on the skin - like a fried egg, but not with such a clear difference in colour.
Anyone know how a mole loses its colour with age - I have read they can grow more dome like and then fade in colour, the moley part is definately more raised, even in colour and more pink than it was. Maybe this is what is making the skin level skin look darker. Anyhow the whole mole has taken on a sinister appearence in my head, as you can imagine.
I will go to GP asap and hope they know what they are looking at - my other fear is the 'we will just take it off anyway' approach, which also fills me with dread.
This anxiety is horrible :( I don't expect or want any diagnosis, but anyone that has had ageing mole changes and can share would be great.
Anxiety through the roof - does anyone know if a pharmacist will check moles?
Is there any way to see a dermatologist?
Keep an eye on it but no need to panic yet. A GP should also be able to help you - my GP once looked at a mole he had a concern about with a magnifying eye glass and said it was nothing.
I have some anxiety about skin cancer as I have moles and my grandma had a melanoma. I live in California and get a lot of sun. Because of all that I make sure I see a dermatologist once a year. If you have lots of moles it might be a good idea - it will soothe your worries and it helps to know that you're being proactive about keeping your skin checked out.
---------- Post added at 21:09 ---------- Previous post was at 21:09 ----------
You could also take pics of it every day to monitor for changes
Thank you coastgirl. I phoned a private hospital today - I am in the UK and we have to see a general doctor first usually. The private hospital said it was best to see the general doctor for free and if they want to refer I can then get the name of the dermatologist and go direct to speed things up.
I have had fear before about health, lots of it, but this is obviously different and I'm not imagining it but I am definately imagining it is cancer when clearly I do not know that. I have got it into my head that all changes in colour are cancer.
Thank you for replying - I have taken photos of it. I do that every year with my other moles, this one I just thought was a flat large freckle type mole and never bothered with it. Others are a little unusual in shape and drs have looked at those and I have photos.
I hate anxiety :(
Don't panic Sally. I'm 40 blonde, blue eyed, freckles all over and lots of moles. I had a skin cancer anxiety a few years ago. I'm a practice nurse and was freaked out that much one day that I literally stripped off to one of the GPs! He said they were all fine and many of mine are irregular, slightly raised and bumpy. However, melanoma is the second cancer most treatable if caught early. I had years of subbed use and you wouldn't believe how much I regret it now and how it has made my anxiety worse. See your Dr, I'm sure all will be fine x
Don't panic Sally. I'm 40 blonde, blue eyed, freckles all over and lots of moles. I had a skin cancer anxiety a few years ago. I'm a practice nurse and was freaked out that much one day that I literally stripped off to one of the GPs! He said they were all fine and many of mine are irregular, slightly raised and bumpy. However, melanoma is the second cancer most treatable if caught early. I had years of subbed use and you wouldn't believe how much I regret it now and how it has made my anxiety worse. See your Dr, I'm sure all will be fine x
Thank you for sharing your own anxiety - honestly I do know it has changed, definate darker tone around the edge of it - it has always been two tone, but not this much! Lots of my anxiety is imagined, the change isn't but that doesnt mean it's bad - isn't it awful how the panic sets in? I think if I were near a GP, I might be inclined to do what you did - just tell me and get it over!
I have never had a serious fear about skin cancer, I've been checking moles for years and never anything weird, not really. I don't even go out in the sun but reading google (bad idea) has changed my understanding, I thought existing moles were low risk, as was no sun exposure but if you are moley you are at risk - I am moley. Fair, blue eyed and all sorts of little moles and different types - nightmare. Mid 40's and hormones making skin everywhere different :o
I will try my best to chill out until Monday am when I will call to get a GP appointment.
I had a couple mole scares in my life. One truly sent me into a panic. Turned out to be nothing! And just yesterday I thought one of them had changed but I'm just monitoring it.
The good thing is you saw it pretty quick! And skin cancer is highly treatable if caught early.
And even if they do decide to cut it out, that's still a good thing because you don't have to worry about it at all.
I too have lots of irregular moles. I just keep an eye on them.
Of course this is life - I could just do without the idea of 'caught early' or any funny looking mole that might be doing something under the surface (can you tell my mind is in overdrive)
I think if they cut it out I would have to work very hard to stop anxiety spiralling from then on - really, I haven't been thinking of skin cancer until now. So easy to trigger health anxiety in the past two years, I had it a bit as a child - now I get triggered easily plus I fear doctors and hospitals.
Thank you for your positivity - I am trying to take it on board.
Oh I totally know how you feel!!! I'm currently having a lot of anxiety about a stupid little skin infection that I got.
Ever consider doing therapy? I had a bit of cognitive behavioral therapy and it helped a lot in terms of controlling those thoughts that go into overdrive.
I recommend a book called "Feeling Good" by David Burns. He deals specifically with health anxiety and ways you can train your brain to relax about it.
I'm far from perfect as I still have flareups due to a current episode of depression and a lifetime of background anxiety. But that stuff has helped me. Also, the Panic Away system REALLY helped me with my skipped heart beat anxiety, and anxiety in general.
Thank you for the mention of the book :) I have had CBT and it lead me to the current therapy I am having which is dealing with trauma from two sudden deaths of my parents, one when I was young and one a few years ago - I see clearly the connection to health anxiety whenever I think something is going to come up and 'surprise' me.
The CBT does work but not when I am in blind panic wanting to KNOW right now and fix it :)
I am sorry you are worrying about your skin too - the key CBT thing I remember is that worry doesn't change things, you can worry and take action and then you have to let it go - we think it will change things, it doesn't. Wouldn't it be great if it did - like magic ha
Sorry to hear about your parents, Sallyg. I can see how it would make you struggle with health anxiety for sure.
Yeah I'm not perfect by any means! I still get anxiety flare ups and mild panic attacks although I've learned to somewhat control them. Usually I know I have anxiety and that's what's causing peripheral symptoms (shortness of breath, phantom pains, etc). But sometimes it doesn't work!
I got bit by a spider (I had the spider there as proof) and instantly had a full blown panic attack and went to the Emergency room. I'm terrified of insect bites/stings as someone from back home died of a wasp sting (he was highly allergic though). That cost me almost $700! For being in the ER for 5 minutes. LOL.
I've suffered with extreme anxiety over skipped heart beats, and even was convinced I had ALS after my thumb was twitching for a few days.
Thankfully my little skin infection seems to be subsiding, but it's been stressing me out for 2 weeks and I was so worried I had MRSA and it was going to turn into a massive infection. I know someone that had MRSA from surfing (that's how I think I got this little infection) and he thought it was just a pimple at first until he almost lost his leg! Ugh.
Yeah Health Anxiety is the worst!!
It really is the worst - I am glad your current anxiety is lessening a bit. I have distracted myself today and ready to just take things as they come - I would rather avoid or confront straight away, taking things step by step is hard.
Controlling the fear is difficult but really there is nothing to fear right now - my mole does look different for sure and I need to go and talk about it with my doctor. It will either be a cause for concern or it won't be and nothing I can do can change the outcome or the fact it has changed. This is what I am telling myself today :)
I know that I will have to be aware of my moles long term and in a way I need to be proactive, but that's hard too. Maybe once I do and this mole is given the all clear (I am praying for that) the fear won't be so bad. It was just that it seemed a sudden change and has freaked me out - I am sure changes are not all bad.
I had a mole that was melanoma. It was not black, pale, or dome shaped. It stuck out like a sore thumb though. The best thing you can do (and I did!) was go see a doctor and have them check you from head to toe. I have been scared to death of doctors all my life but something made me go and my life was saved. What could have killed me was cut out before it had a chance to spread.
I doubt seriously your mole is melanoma - a very few percentage are - but you are best to check it out. Those of us with HA are in a way lucky because we are so hyper aware of changes on or in our body. Good luck, and keep us posted!
---------- Post added at 20:24 ---------- Previous post was at 20:21 ----------
One other thing I should mention as I have come to know melanoma quite well - if your mole is sitting up on the skin, it probably is not melanoma. Mine was flat and looked almost like a bruise. It is going to look very different than any other mole you have on your skin if its melanoma. It's so scary when you are going through this, I hope I can ease your mind some. Let me know if you have any questions I am freaking out over some weird thing this week and just happened to fall on this forum after 5 or so years of being away, and I know how it feels to worry about our health.
Thank you blondie, I appreciate your response and am glad that you had a good outcome to your 'ugly' mole :flowers:
Today I realise I fear the doctor and procedures more than illness as such, I just hate going. I am very introverted about my feelings and get in a right state when I am not in control of them! I presume Dr's dont care about the anxiety part of things or emotions (which to some extent they don't) and that's the problem I think. My mind gets muddled when anxious and I cant think straight.
Thank you for the comment about melanoma being flat in general, I am almost certain that I am overly worrying and if this mole is suspicious in anyway they will tell me and we can remove it. There is nothing 'bad' looking about it in a big way, but it has changed for sure. Today it actually looks like the dome part, the slightly raised part is paler and more like other moles I have, which are almost skin coloured. It's the pigment around the edge that now stands out, but I think the whole mole was that colour in the past.
I am guessing (probably to ease my worry) that this is a natural age change, that it could be related to hormonal changes, I say that because my skin has reacted a lot to premenopause shifts in the last year. I have age spots and skin tone is lighter, so definately pigment changes in general. I had noticed and wondered about it but accepted it as natural, now I can ask the dr a bit more when I see them about this mole. I large birthmark mole on my ankle has changed considerably over the years and is much much lighter than it was and at some point I guess that would have shown higher contrast in colour as it changed too.
Still, changing moles need to be looked at and I am going tomorrow - hopefully I will get an appointment when I ring in the morning (you can't pre book on the day ones)
If there is an explanation for this mole change that isn't cause for concern, I will write back and let others know.
Wanted to update. I went to my GP this morning and although she has not seen the mole before and cannot comment on the change I have seen, she says the mole looks normal. She did offer to send me to a dermatologist if I would like but they would likely advise it was normal and suggest monitoring the mole.
I do this already with other moles but hadn't ever done it with this one and as it has had a slight change in colour I said I was happy to just monitor it along with the rest which I check every six months or so. She then said she had a low threshold with regard to referral for any concerning moles, so I am 'happy' that I chose to just monitor with the rest of my moles.
Of course anxiety is still rumbling away wondering if it is going to continue to change or whether it was a natural change that will stabilise. Or whether I should have said yes to dermatologist or even ask for removal to stop worry but really I thought this might fuel my anxiety even more.
Honestly, moles are a challenging for anxiety sufferers because in reality they can change anytime :(
Thanks for all that responded to my concerns x
I'm so glad you went and had it checked out. When in doubt, that is the wisest decision you could make. It literally saved my life.
Also, as a freckled fair skin person, I have had so many things taken off my body and sent for biopsy. The ugliest scariest looking ones are never even cancer, which is weird. I learned to never look at melanoma on the Internet, because my one melanoma looked nothing like the black/oozy things they show on the internet. However, it did look different than everything else I had on my body which is why I knew I needed to get to a doctor who could tell me what it was. I was so incredibly lucky because the melanoma had not had a chance to spread and was caught in stage 0. When they say melanoma is the "ugly duckling" they aren't kidding - this spot stood out like a sore thumb. I knew it was bad when my partner told me to go get it looked at - he is used to my HA and typically poo poo's my worries, but for this mole he too knew it wasn't normal.
Since then, of course whenever I see ANYTHING on my body, I am in to see the oncologist in seconds flat. I do not mess around. And each and every time I am freaked out that it's back again, but I've never even had anything be pre-cancerous. The older we get, the more weird moles we get, unfortunately. Most times it's nothing to worry about. So glad yours turned out to be the same. And good for you in going and being sensible about it. I know how difficult it is, and I'm proud of you for being brave and facing it head on. I'm sure it's a relief to know it's nothing to worry about!
---------- Post added at 14:13 ---------- Previous post was at 14:07 ----------
Also, for anyone worried about melanoma or skin cancer - especially if you are fair skinned/blonde/blue eyes - the best thing you can do for yourself is go to a dermatologist and get a "baseline" reading. My dermatologist in the US offers "mole mapping" - they take a picture of anything that looks like it might have even the slightest chance of turning into something more sinister, so they have it for reference. When I go every 6 months for a check up, if there is any doubt something on my body has changed, they have a picture to compare it to. I am so scared of doctors, hate going for those appointments, but I know I owe my life to them and without their knowledge I would not be alive to write this post. So if you feel that it's a recurring worry, don't be afraid to ask your dermatologist or even GP about mole mapping. Best thing I've done for myself. I really rarely worry about melanoma anymore, because I know my doctors are on top of any progression. Wish I could say the same about the rest of my body and major organs - I still worry about the rest of me, plenty. But knowing that my skin is something that is always being watched gives me some relief from worry.
Hi Blondie - thanks for your message, I really agree about the proactive preventative approach when you have lots of moles. We do have mole mapping clinics here in the UK, they are quite new I think and private clinics. I may do this in the future, for now I have photos of the moles I 'watch' and added this latest one to the album. My general doctor said this is sensible too, also to take a photo with a ruler.
I am very glad that you caught your skin issue quickly and I also agree that looking on the internet at photos can give you an idea but everyone is different, the term 'ugly duckling' is a great one - this mole stuck out to me as different but in reality it wasn't distinctively different from other moles I have, just darker in some ways. It always has the potential to change though and although I completely freaked out at the weekend, because I worried I had missed something, I am glad I went to have it checked.
wishing you well x
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