Melanoma Fear

[Scared99]

I am new to the forum and currently have had a pretty intense anxiety over Melanoma. In April of this year I discovered a slightly raised purplish/pinkish mole above my knee. I kept an eye on it and the thing created a ton of anxiety for me.

I made an appointment for a Dermatologist in July of this year. She did a check of all my moles. Took a quick look at the one on my knee and said that is normal. She biopsied one on my lower back and it came back a very low grade of atypical.


I sort of forgot about that mole until December. I was working out and the light hit the mole again and I started to focus on it. It looked slightly more redish and my ocd kicked in. I began feeling the mole and rubbing it... within a few days a piece of skin came off the mole. I began to freak out and made another derm appointment. Two weeks ago I went to another dermatologist and he did a body scan. I showed him the mole and he examined it for awhile. He asked me if it had changed since I first noticed it and I said I do not know. I said at times it looks bigger and badder when my anxiety is high and at other times it looks harmless. He asked if it itches or is painful and I said no. He looked at it through a magnifying glass with a light and told is assistant it was a benign nevus. He measured it and took a picture of it for the next appointment. He said he wants to see me in a year.

Since then ( I do not know if it is my mind playing tricks on me) But I feel a sting and some itching every so often in the area. I started googling online and found stories of people who's melanoma's were not diagnosed at first and by the time they were it was too late. I am now freaking out again and getting sick over the thought of having melanoma.

I made a third appointment with another derm next week and am telling him to remove it and test it. I have myself convinced this is melanoma and that this was missed in July and my appointment two weeks ago.

My concern stems from the fact that this is the only raised mole on my body. My other moles are dark dark brown and flat. This mole is also perfectly round and is a different color from the other moles. Plus the skin came off this mole at one time. I am hoping someone can chime in and let me know if they have ever had something similar.

[tan235]

All my moles are raised!! I'd trust a dermatologist.
Though to be fair I just got all mine tested and they were fine yet I'm still paranoid!!!

[hheavenlyangel]

My mother in law has had two melanomas removed now and tbe description you give is nothing like she had. That was 6 years ago now.... she is fine. As are you.

[snowflake293]

I am sorry you have all this worry. It is horrible *hugs*

I had HUGE melanoma fears/obsessions last year. I still find myself prodding and checking my moles now!

Honestly, I can relate to you so much - I have tonnes of raised moles, some more than one colour, some big, some small, some light/dark etc. I am pale and I have had bad sunburn a few times so I know to be vigilant - but I am much more relaxed then I used to be.

Loads of people have strange moles. Remember as well if you keep looking at them constantly sometimes you can imagine they are changing! I have one on my arm and I was convinced it had grown, but then I saw a photo from 5 years ago and it was exactly the same.

Hope you feel better soon xx

[Scared99]

Thank you everyone for the response.

I wonder if this will ever go away. I was an idiot when I was in my early 20's and alot of this anxiety comes from that. I have italian, german and irish in me and growing up I never wore sunscreen. I can remember getting about 5 sun burns when I was younger these would sting and then flake away. These usually came at the start of the spring or when my parents took me to the beach. After that first burn I was able to stay outside all day without any sunscreen on and would never burn. When I was 21 I discovered tanning beds and would start using them in February in an effort to get tan for spring break. I used them pretty regularly until I was about 24 years old. I also used tanning oil in my early 20's. I did not know any better growing up. My entire family grew up in the sun. My dad worked construction and from the time he was 18 until he was mid 30's he spent all his summers from sunrise to sunset out in the sun. He never wore sunscreen and in his 60's he has had a few basal cell carcinoma's. My mom spent every moment she could in the sun and also used tanning beds and never had a skin cancer.


I am now 35 and every morning think this will catch up with me in the form of Melanoma. I have about one hundred small dark moles on my body the size of a pencil tip. I have about 10 moles that are slightly larger. My anxiety will calm down about one mole... and I will jump to another mole. I have limited my sun exposure for the last 5 years. I feel like I started too late.