Moles and Regrets

[Sarita94]

Hi,

I'm 22yr old female and my current fear is melanoma. I have quite a few moles and some are pretty funky looking. I'very had a few checked by 2 GPS before but have made another appointment as a couple more have sprung up.

I think what is making this current fear worse is the fact I know that I could have caused the melanoma myself- back when I was 18 I used sunbeds regularly for about 6-8 months. Stupid I know. This obsession has taken over my life, I couldn't study, concentrate or sleep and I just fuel everything with the hatred of my ignorant/vain/stupid previous self.

Melanoma is one of the most probable cancers for a woman my age and yet so often preventable. My GP can't fit me in until a week Tuesday, so now it's just 10 days of panic and bugging my family/bf/anyone who will listen for an opinion on my moles.

[Gary A]

Don't beat yourself up too much, we all do things we really shouldn't at some point in our lives. The fact you used sunbeds for a relatively short period of time is quite reassuring, and you must remember that it is far more likely that you'd have gotten melanoma whilst using sunbeds, not 4 years after quitting.

Getting new or changing moles checked out is very sensible, so stop being angry with yourself and just take comfort from the fact that you are now doing the right thing.

I can't tell you that you don't have melanoma, that would be impossible, but what I can tell you is that the reason it is so common is because people don't protect their skin as they should, and often use sunbeds for years at a time.

You are at comparatively low risk of developing melanoma. The trick is to draw the line between observant and obsessive.

[Sarita94]

Thanks for the reply. I think a lot of my anxiety problems stem from not being able to live in the present- I either seem to be dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. As for my moles, I've seen people with a lot worse that turn out to be completely benign.. Then again there's the ones that seem harmless and end up being deadly.
I'm really going to make an effort between now and my appointment to concentrate on something else!