View Full Version : skin cancer or hypochondria
this is my first post on this forum.
some background info: ive had a few hypochondria episodes since i was 17, im now 21. my reoccurring fear is skin cancer. this is the 5th time i think i have it. although i cant say im necessarily as anxious, if at all, as the times before, i feel the need to talk about this. this is probably for my own sake of putting my thoughts out there but itd also be nice to hear some reassurance. i have a mole on my stomach which i noticed about 2 years ago. it wasnt too small nor too big, but its now 6mm. i take it this is normal. i dont remember what colour or shape or texture it was before, but now it is an irregular shape, with irregular borders, quite dark although not black, and is slightly raised. my concern now is that it became slightly more raised a few days ago, like there is a bump on it, but not all over. so this made me put all my attention on it & ive been analysing it. although ive been inspecting it for at least 2 months, even more, i dont know if it recently became irregular and dark and how long ago it became raised or if it had always been raised, in addition to it becoming slightly more raised. i had laser hair removal 2 months ago which made the mole initially swell up, then darken & shrivel up becoming like a scab, creating a dent, then eventually it came back to normal. hair removal lasers dont cause skin cancer so im not worried about that, but i am hoping that maybe it just caused some disruption on the mole and maybe thats why its doing this, not for a fatal reason. ive read all the posts & forums relating to skin cancer health anxiety & a lot of ppl have said that even when moles change & show the characteristics of skin cancer, it is very rare that it turns out to actually be skin cancer. so that was good to hear. but of course, it doesnt settle my thought process. the mole doesnt itch or sting or have a different sensation when i touch it, i wldnt say it has drastically changed in a short period of time, although i really dont know if it was lighter a few months ago; it doesnt scab or bleed; i think it has 2 shades of brown although not very distinct from one another so i am not sure if it counts as a symptom, but it also seems to have discoloration on one side, again, i cant tell if this is even proper judgement of the colour or if im just picking up normal characteristics or if its even significant enough to be a symptom; although im not emotionally reacting to my thoughts, my thoughts are still being delusional to an extent & my brain is telling me that every dull pain i feel on my body is an enlarged lymph node which indicates that the cancer has spread. my only consolation is that the last time i was 99% convinced i had skin cancer, and also had a few symptoms - the mole is bigger than an eraser, it is white in the middle, it seemed to have spots grow on or around it which were itchy, & the border isnt defined; i had that same mole checked about 2 years ago, and it looked different, which means it had changed over the 2 years, yet it wasnt cancerous. and it does look weird. also, i have another mole which seems to have turned bumpy, but im not worried about it because i know it isnt cancer, so maybe im just being biased. i get many bumps so why should i treat this any differently just because its on a mole. could be a hair follicle. although im still not convinced, as it just looks too dark and weird to me. maybe im just not making a distinction between the meaning of characteristics and symptoms. i have a dermatology appointment in 2 days but time is moving slow. thank you for reading.
1hopefulme
09-06-16, 02:01
Hi! Let me tell you a little story that happened to me that might make you feel better. :)
A couple of years ago I lived in Texas for about a year. I have a pretty decent sized raised mole on my back that has scared me off and on for years. I had it checked once years ago and the doc said it was perfectly fine. Well one evening (after a day outside) I took a shower and all the sudden when the water hit my mole it HURT. It hurt bad. I thought, "Oh, my GOD. That should not hurt! I'd better look at it and see what's happening." Well, maneuvering myself in front of the mirror to try and see what was wrong with it, I noticed it was both red and WHITE. WHITE! Of course I go and Google it and everything I read says it's cancer.
At this point I really start to freak out, it hurts and it's red, white, and its normal shade of brown. Three colors and pain? Yeah, I'm thinking, I've got the cancer trifecta. The next day (after a mostly sleepless night spent thinking about how my 3-year-old was about to be motherless) I realize it's itching. NOT GOOD. Itching, 3 colors, and pain? I was convinced I was done for.
Moving on to the next day, I realize it's peeling the top layer of skin off. It's basically at this point I realize my sunscreen must have worn off and I got a sun burn on it. I just have to laugh at this point but then it wasn't funny at all. I knew (KNEW!) I had cancer, except I didn't.
Something else that might make you feel better - I read that moles can get pimples and clogged pores and all that stuff just like any other part of your skin so if you get a weird bump, it's best to assume that's what it is and watch it for a few days and see what happens.
Hi! Let me tell you a little story that happened to me that might make you feel better. :)
A couple of years ago I lived in Texas for about a year. I have a pretty decent sized raised mole on my back that has scared me off and on for years. I had it checked once years ago and the doc said it was perfectly fine. Well one evening (after a day outside) I took a shower and all the sudden when the water hit my mole it HURT. It hurt bad. I thought, "Oh, my GOD. That should not hurt! I'd better look at it and see what's happening." Well, maneuvering myself in front of the mirror to try and see what was wrong with it, I noticed it was both red and WHITE. WHITE! Of course I go and Google it and everything I read says it's cancer.
At this point I really start to freak out, it hurts and it's red, white, and its normal shade of brown. Three colors and pain? Yeah, I'm thinking, I've got the cancer trifecta. The next day (after a mostly sleepless night spent thinking about how my 3-year-old was about to be motherless) I realize it's itching. NOT GOOD. Itching, 3 colors, and pain? I was convinced I was done for.
Moving on to the next day, I realize it's peeling the top layer of skin off. It's basically at this point I realize my sunscreen must have worn off and I got a sun burn on it. I just have to laugh at this point but then it wasn't funny at all. I knew (KNEW!) I had cancer, except I didn't.
Something else that might make you feel better - I read that moles can get pimples and clogged pores and all that stuff just like any other part of your skin so if you get a weird bump, it's best to assume that's what it is and watch it for a few days and see what happens.
aah, thank you for replying!!
the fact that i dont feel anxious kinda makes it worse, in a way it means this time im using logic to judge it rather than fear. or maybe from past experience, and extensive reading of people's skin cancer scares, i just know its unlikely. at this point im just debating with myself. im really just being biased, because i had & have bumps on other moles, but this one is giving too many other signs, even though i dont think it has changed drastically in a short period of time, & if it is changing now, then surely its in the early stages anyway; then again i know hypochondria can warp perception of time & cause confusion; this is just annoying, its one of those diseases u cant fully rationalize yourself out of, because you still have to get it checked out ANYWAY just IN CASE. lame.
Hi,
It's reassuring to hear from people who have been through similar experiences- I'm waiting for an appointment with the derm to check a new, perfectly symmetrical but dark mole. I don't know how I will get through the next 2 weeks, I'm finding it hard to think about anything else :(
generalblue.162
09-06-16, 15:02
Skin cancer is not the end of the world. I have an Uncle that is a melanoma survivor (even though he doesn't like be called that) and it wasn't all that bad for him. It only took one appointment to take it all out and check ups every three months. Dr. Google likes to give you a death sentence right away when usually if skin cancer is caught early and most of the time it is, you have nothing to worry about. I noticed a mole a while back that had two different colors, I looked online and Dr. Google diagnosed me with skin cancer. I went to the doctor and the doctor was able to look at it with 5 seconds telling me I was fine. Then about a year later I had a mole that itched, went to the doctor. The doctor said it was melanoma and got it biopsied and it turned out it was pre-cancer. I was scared stiff when she said I had melanoma, but she said if it was melanoma to not even worry and that she'll take care of it with ease.
Lifelonganxiety!
09-06-16, 17:12
Have you had it looked at by a Dr?
The way you're describing it, you may as well get it checked to put your mind at ease.
sarita94, if it's new & youre getting it checked out then i dont think theres anything to worry about. as even in the small chance that it is cancerous, itd be in the early stages; its normal to be anxious about it, you can still feel the anxiety and fear, as emotions are to be felt, just know that in objectivity, there is virtually nothing to worry about
---------- Post added at 18:00 ---------- Previous post was at 17:55 ----------
Skin cancer is not the end of the world. I have an Uncle that is a melanoma survivor (even though he doesn't like be called that) and it wasn't all that bad for him. It only took one appointment to take it all out and check ups every three months. Dr. Google likes to give you a death sentence right away when usually if skin cancer is caught early and most of the time it is, you have nothing to worry about. I noticed a mole a while back that had two different colors, I looked online and Dr. Google diagnosed me with skin cancer. I went to the doctor and the doctor was able to look at it with 5 seconds telling me I was fine. Then about a year later I had a mole that itched, went to the doctor. The doctor said it was melanoma and got it biopsied and it turned out it was pre-cancer. I was scared stiff when she said I had melanoma, but she said if it was melanoma to not even worry and that she'll take care of it with ease.
even though im aware of the statistics, its just not nice to hear you have CANCER, & im scared that ive left it for too long and now it might be too late; the worst part is how preventable it is & it would be my own fault
---------- Post added at 18:02 ---------- Previous post was at 18:00 ----------
Have you had it looked at by a Dr?
The way you're describing it, you may as well get it checked to put your mind at ease.
i have an appointment this saturday; im always quick to book the appointment when it comes to this
generalblue.162
09-06-16, 20:04
even though im aware of the statistics, its just not nice to hear you have CANCER, & im scared that ive left it for too long and now it might be too late; the worst part is how preventable it is & it would be my own fault
There is not doubt that it is scary. I thought my Uncle was late because he was scratching a little part of his arm raw for almost a whole year before he got it checked. The Doctors that worked on him told him that they were glad that he caught it early even though he had it for over a year. The melanoma was pretty deep in his arm, but it never reached into his lymph nodes and he was fine after they pulled it out.
If you are worried and don't want to wait for an appointment, I would recommend to go to a urgent care center and they can do a biopsy and help put your mind at ease.
Thank you for the reassurance- it was Melanoma awareness month in May and my grandmother (88) has just been diagnosed with melanoma after first being told she was all clear! I feel doomed to this disease and can't seen to escape it at the moment. I've booked to have the mole privately examined on Monday because I can't bear the waiting. Hopefully our HA is just skewing everything and we'll get positive outcomes :)
There is not doubt that it is scary. I thought my Uncle was late because he was scratching a little part of his arm raw for almost a whole year before he got it checked. The Doctors that worked on him told him that they were glad that he caught it early even though he had it for over a year. The melanoma was pretty deep in his arm, but it never reached into his lymph nodes and he was fine after they pulled it out.
If you are worried and don't want to wait for an appointment, I would recommend to go to a urgent care center and they can do a biopsy and help put your mind at ease.
what other symptoms did he have? i feel like no amount of success stories will rly put my mind at ease; im starting to feel like i have lymph node pain. ive definitely already thought of doing that, although it seems a bit crazy, but if the dermatologist on saturday says i need a biopsy theres no way im waiting weeks for one
---------- Post added at 23:07 ---------- Previous post was at 22:57 ----------
Thank you for the reassurance- it was Melanoma awareness month in May and my grandmother (88) has just been diagnosed with melanoma after first being told she was all clear! I feel doomed to this disease and can't seen to escape it at the moment. I've booked to have the mole privately examined on Monday because I can't bear the waiting. Hopefully our HA is just skewing everything and we'll get positive outcomes :)
sorry to hear that; im going private too, i feel like its the best option in this case. i feel like im starting to get anxious now.
generalblue.162
10-06-16, 19:11
what other symptoms did he have? i feel like no amount of success stories will rly put my mind at ease; im starting to feel like i have lymph node pain. ive definitely already thought of doing that, although it seems a bit crazy, but if the dermatologist on saturday says i need a biopsy theres no way im waiting weeks for one
.
It was just itching and bleeding, but when his cuts from scratching were pretty deep and didn't heal. Those were his only sypmtoms. He didn't run a fever or anything. Now if reached on of his lymphnodes he would of experienced fever and swellness.
UPDATE: its not cancerous but its damaged so has to be removed due to risk of becoming cancerous
*drops mic*
I'm really happy for you that they found it so early though- just think, you can have it removed and never worry about it again!
I paid privately to have my mole checked, the nurse said it looked fine to her (which made me feel a lot better) but when the derm reviewed the image he said he wants to see me back in 3 months to see if it's changed- so far he diagnosed 'moderately atypical'. I see the NHS dermatologist on Tuesday, so i'm going to see if they'll remove it- just to be safe.
It's so stressful- my boyfriend said that if it was anything really suspicious then they wouldn't be waiting another 3 months, he thinks they just want to cover their backs and earn another easy £35..
I regret all the time spent sunbathing now, and those trips to the tanning beds! I'm only 21 but I feel like i'm constantly waiting on a death sentence :(
I'm really happy for you that they found it so early though- just think, you can have it removed and never worry about it again!
I paid privately to have my mole checked, the nurse said it looked fine to her (which made me feel a lot better) but when the derm reviewed the image he said he wants to see me back in 3 months to see if it's changed- so far he diagnosed 'moderately atypical'. I see the NHS dermatologist on Tuesday, so i'm going to see if they'll remove it- just to be safe.
It's so stressful- my boyfriend said that if it was anything really suspicious then they wouldn't be waiting another 3 months, he thinks they just want to cover their backs and earn another easy £35..
I regret all the time spent sunbathing now, and those trips to the tanning beds! I'm only 21 but I feel like i'm constantly waiting on a death sentence :(
i got a referral from my GP yesterday, as the dermatologist i went to said to get it removed within 2 weeks, even though she doesnt think its cancerous & neither does my GP, but i hope they just remove it so i dont have to observe it constantly; this is the 2nd time ive gone to a private consultation, times like these i really cant wait for GP appointments, so i dont really mind paying for peace of mind; youre essentially scared of the label ''cancer'', because you know that even if you had it now, its virtually harmless as its at such an early stage; & yes, the worst part is when you start blaming yourself & feeling sorry for yourself because youre so young & havent even experienced life properly yet; i always have this thought at the back of my mind that im probably developing some type of cancer, because you just dont know until its been growing for a while & you start getting symptoms
jenniferluke1001
03-07-18, 08:13
I would suggest all the cancer patients and their loved ones to take Abudo online course on skin cancer, to better understand this disease and learn how to manage it.
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