Worrywart528
02-12-15, 15:44
My latest HA started in July of this year when I went to a private practice dermatologist. According to her my risk of skin cancer was obscene and I needed check ups every 6 months. I believed her and sunk into a depression. I checked my moles endlessly and noticed every spot that appeared.
In August a small bump on my nose appeared. I quickly went into her and she diagnosed it as a pre cancer actinic keratosis. She said my sun damage caught up with me and wanted to freeze it off. Some reason I declined and made a second appointment for a second opinion.
1 month ago the second dermatologist looked at the spot and diagnosed it as a fibrous papule. When asked about pre cancer he looked three more times and said nope... fibrous papule. I still worried... I did not know who was right and with my OCD my mind raced. I will have thousands of these actinic keratosis's... I will need surgery after surgery and spots frozen off non stop.
Today was my third opinion. I actually was so nervous I almost backed out. This doctor asked me why i was there. I said one doc told me I have pre cancer the other said fibrous papule. He brought out the spray bottle and grabbed his magnifying lense. He looked at the spot and said " well I have to agree with the fibrous papule" You do not have a pre cancer. He then asked about any other spots. I showed him two more and he said you know what. You need to stop looking so close. It is good that you are observant but trust me you will know when something is wrong. He then asked if I wanted a full body scan. I told him I had one in July and he said well you wont need one for another 2 years. I pointed out that the first dermatologist told me my moles were atypical and I was at a very high risk for melanoma. He asked the degree of atypia and I said the lowest. He said no.... you are good.. trust me.
I am dissapointed in myself that I wasted 6 months of my life in an extreme panic. I am also dissapointed that I had faith in the first doctor and it appears I fell victim to scare tactics. I now need to trust the other two doctor's diagnosis ( which can be hard with us) and move past this ! Today is the first day in months I feel good !!!
In August a small bump on my nose appeared. I quickly went into her and she diagnosed it as a pre cancer actinic keratosis. She said my sun damage caught up with me and wanted to freeze it off. Some reason I declined and made a second appointment for a second opinion.
1 month ago the second dermatologist looked at the spot and diagnosed it as a fibrous papule. When asked about pre cancer he looked three more times and said nope... fibrous papule. I still worried... I did not know who was right and with my OCD my mind raced. I will have thousands of these actinic keratosis's... I will need surgery after surgery and spots frozen off non stop.
Today was my third opinion. I actually was so nervous I almost backed out. This doctor asked me why i was there. I said one doc told me I have pre cancer the other said fibrous papule. He brought out the spray bottle and grabbed his magnifying lense. He looked at the spot and said " well I have to agree with the fibrous papule" You do not have a pre cancer. He then asked about any other spots. I showed him two more and he said you know what. You need to stop looking so close. It is good that you are observant but trust me you will know when something is wrong. He then asked if I wanted a full body scan. I told him I had one in July and he said well you wont need one for another 2 years. I pointed out that the first dermatologist told me my moles were atypical and I was at a very high risk for melanoma. He asked the degree of atypia and I said the lowest. He said no.... you are good.. trust me.
I am dissapointed in myself that I wasted 6 months of my life in an extreme panic. I am also dissapointed that I had faith in the first doctor and it appears I fell victim to scare tactics. I now need to trust the other two doctor's diagnosis ( which can be hard with us) and move past this ! Today is the first day in months I feel good !!!