Benek
16-09-17, 09:13
A while back, I was scrubbing my legs in the shower and ended up damaging a small mole below my knee. I've had the mole for years and never really looked that closely at it, but after traumatizing it to the point that it scabbed over, I started to pay more attention to it and worry about melanoma kicked in.
Flash forward to a few weeks later and the mole grew back looking a little funny. Being proactive, I scheduled an appointment with the dermatologist immediately.
The dermatologist was very helpful and, after looking at the mole, told me that in her opinion, the mole did not look suspicious, though she could tell that it had been traumatized by my actions. She said that while the only way to be "absolutely certain" was a biopsy, her suggestion was to check it each month for any change in size, shape or color (she's a big believer in monthly skin checks for all moles) and if I notice any changes to make an appointment to see her.
I took her advice and went home. That was 17 days ago and since then, I've been checking the mole each week, measuring it and taking a photo for comparison. So far, it's stayed the same exact size (2mm), with no changes in color or shape.
Now, I'd like to state for the record that I am 27 and have no personal or family history of melanoma. However, in the interest of full disclosure, I do have a history of health anxiety and OCD. It's much better now, as I'm medicated, have seen a therapist in the past and rarely have issues today, but obviously my tendencies in that area are at play here as well.
Should I be worrying so much about this? Or is it probably fine, given that she said it didn't look suspicious in her opinion and there's been no observable change in the 17 days since my appointment? I imagine that if my dermatologist was worried about it, she would have insisted on a biopsy then and there, right?
Help is greatly appreciated.
Flash forward to a few weeks later and the mole grew back looking a little funny. Being proactive, I scheduled an appointment with the dermatologist immediately.
The dermatologist was very helpful and, after looking at the mole, told me that in her opinion, the mole did not look suspicious, though she could tell that it had been traumatized by my actions. She said that while the only way to be "absolutely certain" was a biopsy, her suggestion was to check it each month for any change in size, shape or color (she's a big believer in monthly skin checks for all moles) and if I notice any changes to make an appointment to see her.
I took her advice and went home. That was 17 days ago and since then, I've been checking the mole each week, measuring it and taking a photo for comparison. So far, it's stayed the same exact size (2mm), with no changes in color or shape.
Now, I'd like to state for the record that I am 27 and have no personal or family history of melanoma. However, in the interest of full disclosure, I do have a history of health anxiety and OCD. It's much better now, as I'm medicated, have seen a therapist in the past and rarely have issues today, but obviously my tendencies in that area are at play here as well.
Should I be worrying so much about this? Or is it probably fine, given that she said it didn't look suspicious in her opinion and there's been no observable change in the 17 days since my appointment? I imagine that if my dermatologist was worried about it, she would have insisted on a biopsy then and there, right?
Help is greatly appreciated.