Dermatology Visit Skin Cancer Anxiety

[Worrywart528]

Well I have posted before about my skin cancer anxiety. Since July I have been obsessed with my skin and skin cancer. If you recall in my last post I was worried about a spot on my nose. I noticed it at the end of August and picked it twice. It is pretty much a tiny piece of hard skin. I went to the dermatologist today and she diagnosed it as a Actinic Keratosis. She explained it was from sun damage and said it was not cancer. The way she said this was like she expected me to be excited. I am now more worried than ever. I go back on Monday and will have this spot froze off. I now feel completely like I am completely doomed to get skin cancer.

[Fishmanpa]

I've had a half a dozen of those frozen off my body. Totally benign. A minute percentage can cause an issue if left untreated. You're getting it treated so get that )*@&%#^ out of your head!

Positive thoughts

[Worrywart528]

Thank you Fisherman, My mind will be the death of me. I sat in the parking lot of the dermatology office for a half hour. My exact thoughts were this is the beginning of the end. My DNA is so damaged that at 35 I have developed this AK on my nose, my body is breaking down. I then read internet stories about people with multiple AK"s all over they body that will not respond to treatment and that is where my mind goes.

I asked the dermatologist if there is anything I can do to fix this and her response is no... all your doing now is attempting to prevent further damage. That this AK came from sun damage 15-20 years prior.

Is it possible that she misdiagnosed this ? It looks nothing like the AK I see on the internet ? It is a pinhead size white hard bump in between two pores. At 35 years old health anxiety has pretty much defeated me. I have had it as long as I can remember and enjoyed very little in my life because of it.

[Worrywart528]

Fisherman or anyone that has ever had these things. Is it worth getting a second opinion ? I have been looking online at these lesions and mine looks nothing like the ones online. I have a white piece of skin between two pores that is slightly larger than a pin head. Most normal people would not have even noticed it but with Health Anxiety I notice everything.

I guess most people would just have the thing froze off and be done with it and no harm no foul if it was not actinic keratosis.

My issue is I would like to make sure that is what this thing is. Because of health anxiety. I am already losing sleep over having one of these things. I am looking online at people who look like their faces have melted off because of the numbers of these things popping up. The spot does not peel, scab, itch or hurt.

[Fishmanpa]

I guess most people would just have the thing froze off and be done with it and no harm no foul if it was not actinic keratosis.

Exactly... just be done with it or you'll be "what iffing" yourself to no end.

Positive thoughts