Nodular Melanoma (because it's always the worst kind right?)

[janejetson]

So it's been a while. I had not been to the doctor for anything in almost a year when I had to see him for an upper respiratory infection. He put me on prednisone (which I find always makes me a little mentally uneasy perhaps) and last night I started paying close attention to a mark on my upper arm that I just noticed a few weeks ago. I get cystic acne sometimes thanks to hormones and for some reason I kept thinking I remembered having a bug bite or acne there but I went back to look at pictures and it's been there since March. It's a mostly flat spot that may have a slightly brownish tinge now (I actually became brave enough to spend some summer time in the sun this year but always with sunscreen) it feels deep like there is something in it or perhaps it's raised and I can't tell. I've had issues with convincing myself I've had melanoma years ago, and it was a long dark road I refuse to travel again. Of course I had to find this on a Friday, so I'm planning to call my dermatologist first thing Monday. I googled images of nodular melanoma and that can pretty much look like anything so I had to cover it with a bandaid because my poking and prodding was making it red and irritated. I need to keep my sanity this weekend, I'm trying hard to not escape into my awful thoughts. I hate that this is how my brain works, but I suppose knowing that I need to save myself from the deep end is progress right? I don't want to drive my husband crazy with questions all weekend that we have to spend together. Anyone else here deal with worst case scenario skin issues often? Even if not, Any comments would be lovely, it has always helped to post here among people who understand this awful feeling.

[Captain irrational]

Anyone else here deal with worst case scenario skin issues often?

I get small, red and very itchy patches of seborrhoeic eczema flare up on my chest from time to time, been getting it for years (always worst in Winter for me). It's a pretty common, very annoying, but ultimately harmless skin complaint. However, thanks to Dr Google, I managed to convince myself that it was actually an extremely rare skin cancer called mycosis fungoides. A few problems with this self diagnosis, as I already mentioned, it is incredibly rare, less than a dozen people are diagnosed with it each year in the UK, it is also practically unheard of in people my age and on top of that, it is also far rarer in people of white ethnicity such as myself. So realistically, the chances of me having it were basically zero. But of course facts like that don't stop us HA folk from jumping straight to most illogical and unlikely scenarios. :doh:

So bear that in mind. There are many, many more likely and benign explainations for this spot on your arm. Could be an ingrown hair, an infected follicle, a cyst, a blocked sweat gland, the list goes on. I had a weird little bump on my finger for several months, turns out it was a splinter that got stuck deep under the skin.

I think you are right to get it looked at, but I'm sure it will turn out to be nothing serious.

[Weasley123]

Last year at this time I was terrified I gas nodular melanoma. It was NOTHING. I completely irritated a mole had a needles biopsy etc. Now I'm worried about little red dots on my torso and chest that are probably cherry angioma but I'm scared there spider nevi and a sign of liver disease the irony is I'm sure some of them were there last year end the derm saw them but he never mentioned them and I didn't point them out because they weren't part of it fear at the moment. My point is it's a vicious cycle. You will get through this

[janejetson]

Thanks for the replies, this forum helps a lot. I saw two dermatologists this week (I just see two for different things) but I asked both about this bump. Both said it was a dermatofibroma which is pretty much nothing. The good one even examined it under a magnifying instrument and she isn't worried. I still have that urge to google times it was something and doctors said it was nothing, but I at least know I can't do that. I'm going to try to be good with this for now. The thing can't be shaved off it has to be cored out which sounds painful.

[Leah88]

Nodular melanomas are super rare in people under 60. I have seen melanoma in real life and it grows very rapidly. So if it hasn't changed to the visible eye much in a week or 2 it's very unlikely to be a modular melanoma.