Always with the moles [Archive]

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nicole97

01-11-17, 18:23

Here i go again. Thought I was in the clear until my next skin check in January (have to go every 3 months due to some coming up as severely atypical/early evolving melanoma). I had actually relaxed and stopped being so anxious, it was wonderful! But then, I saw a mole had changed. My heart dropped. I just have it shaved off today for biopsy, so now the wait...the panicky wait.

snowflake293

01-11-17, 18:35

You have my full sympathy. I have never had any moles off, but I have LOTS of moles and lots of what I thought were dodgy looking ones (saw my GP who put my mind at ease)

The mole that is concerning you is off now. I know you will worry, regardless what anyone on here could possible tell you. That is how our anxiety works. But I hope you get the reassurance you need soon. How long do you have to wait?

I have found in the past when my health anxiety is getting bad, I look back at my previous posts on here (there are literally hundreds!) and think about all the things I worried about that turned into nothing.

Wishing you all the very best and here is hoping your mole is harmless and you can move on :)

megsi99

01-11-17, 22:58

Similar to you, I’ve had plenty of dysplastic moles and am very much ALWAYS on edge about moles. I hope you get good news from your derm soon, but hopefully it helps to know you did the right thing by getting it by getting it checked and you go so frequently, anything bad would be caught early on. That’s what I tell myself whenever I notice changes or new weird spots. Take it easy on yourself the next few days. Hope you feel better.

palspals

01-11-17, 23:20

Sigh...being a health anxious person with lots of moles seems extra cruel, doesn't it!? I am in the same boat. Just got a mole map done and the report shows that I need to go back in 3 months as one mile is potentially quite concerning and needs an eye kept on it. I'm just going to ask them to cut the thing out. I can't offer much in the way of advice but I can fully empathise. What I will say is that you are doing all you can and being super proactive. Even with lots of moles, the chances of getting melanoma are low- so if you are being really diligent on top of that, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Also, many changes in moles mean nothing- I've had plenty of mine change and all tested clear. If it were really nasty, it would have been picked up on by now by ur docs.

dee_gril

02-11-17, 03:54

I am currently waiting for results on a mole (if it is even that) .. just posted and I'm a bit of a wreck. Keep thinking it's going to come back the worst kind of of melanoma the nodular kind .... :( I know how it feels.

nicole97

02-11-17, 09:51

Thanks all! And Pals, you are right. Having health anxiety combined with lots of moles really does seem cruel. There is always something right there, staring you in the face to scrutinize and worry about. Ever since the one came back as borderline for melanoma, I feel like that’s all I do. I think my biggest worry is the borderline one was one that had been there forever and had never changed. It just kept catching my eye for some reason so I had them remove it. Ugh. I should know within a few days, week tops. But Pals, if they said there is one that is very concerning that should have an eye kept on it, they really should just take it off!

Dee, let us know how yours turns out. I had one like that that I was sure was nodular. Turned out to just be inflamed.

Meg’s, after the last full skin check, I had relaxed thinking yes, I see them so often this is no problem! Then this... ugh!!!!

Snow, thank you. I do have several previous posts since I have many moles removed. Most of the time they are mild and need very little follow up, but there was that one.... :-(. Stupid moles!

snowflake293

02-11-17, 09:58

Big hugs xxx moles are the most annoying bit of having health anxiety. On a lighter note, I had one on my backside once that I was CONVINCED was melanoma. I was in a such a state when I went to see the doctor she was more concerned about my mental health than the mole, and she was right! The mole was fine she didn't even think it needed testing :)

It is so tough, and so tiring. I think having health anxiety is like having a washing machine for a brain, constantly churning over and over again!

I tend to symptom-hop a lot, sometimes multiple times in a day. A few years ago moles were my 'thing' though and I was obsessed. I ever found myself checking over my poor husband as well, and family members!

nicole97

02-11-17, 13:59

snowflake293

02-11-17, 14:14

Me too! I try to be subtle about it, but I do check whatever skin I can see on my husband and kids, lol.

I'm curious though, what was it about the mole on your back that you were so sure that it was melanoma but it didn't even warrant testing to the doctor?

This stupid wait is the worst part. If I hadn't had the one come up borderline, I don't think I would be as freaked, but I kind of feel like, if you have one, more are bound to show up. I'm really trying to keep from hyperventilating here.

It was irregular shaped and dark. It was small though, teeny! my health anxiety got the better of me and I convinced myself it was bad. The dr literally took one look at it and said it was fine, but if it changes at all to come back. I keep an eye on all my moles as I am pale and have loads of moles but its not a huge fear for me anymore xx

---------- Post added at 14:14 ---------- Previous post was at 14:14 ----------

also I should add when I say backside I mean butt! It was actually between my butt cheeks. I can look back now and laugh a bit but at the time I was terrified. Thinking of you, I know how horrible the wait is xx

nicole97

02-11-17, 19:08

THis one I'm pretty sure changed. And it was already big to begin with. I'd had it forever, but i started noticing some subtle changes. I hadn't looked at it in like a month and then I did and there were definite changes. Ugh...i hate this!

---------- Post added at 14:08 ---------- Previous post was at 12:15 ----------

Grrr! Things come up to distract me, and then my mind says "everytime you panic, it's really been nothing - don't relax now or it will be something" and I panic again. What is that?!?

palspals

02-11-17, 23:09

I'm curious what they mean by 'borderline melanoma'? I was under the impression that it either was or it wasn't. Did they mean that it was likely to become melanoma? Also, just so you know, my dermatologist told me that there is a 1/200,000 chance of any particular mole becoming cancerous. More often than not a change in a mole is nothing but of course, like all things it's better to get it checked. Imagine how many people with lots of moles go through their lives not even noticing any changes and not having any issues. It's important to remember that you rarely hear about the stories where nothing really happens. In Aus, 1/8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime but I don't look at my boobs and freak out all the time and see them as the inevitable cause of my eventual doom. I try to remind myself of this, when my moles start getting me down. We are both evidently hyper aware of them and that's okay but please try not to stress too much. As I said, I have a worrying mole on my arm that I'm going to have taken off but I'm not letting it ruin my days...been there, done that. I wish you well.

nicole97

06-11-17, 20:30

I'm saying borderline just to make it faster I guess. I had one that came back 'severly atypical - cannot rule out early evolving melanoma'. Rather than say that in every post, I just put borderline. The statistic definitely does help and I do try to keep that in mind, but at the same time, I'm fair skinned, tons of sun damage, and since one came up like that, I feel like it makes me more likely to have more, plus my mother had a melanoma come up once as well. Some days I am very calm about it and others, not so much. I try to reconcile both of those parts together, but it doesn't work out so well. :(