Referred about mole - terrified [Archive]

Londonlady

06-07-18, 15:21

Hello everyone this is my first post after reading the forums for years, it always helped with my HA which I have suffered with since I can remember.

I’m 26 and expecting my second baby, my HA has been pretty well managed these past couple years, until now.

I have lots of moles and skin cancer has always been the main trigger for my HA, I noticed one of my back felt raised so confidently booked a GP appointment expecting to be told all was fine and my anxiety to calm down again. Well I was wrong, she referred me via the 2 week wait nhs programme and now since coming home my anxiety is through the roof I can’t concerntrate and feel like I’m losing myself.

I think the worst part is I for once expected it to be fine and it wasn’t. Please help I need all the positive stories I can get.

---------- Post added at 14:21 ---------- Previous post was at 14:17 ----------

I tried to post an image of the mole but can’t until my post count is up.

ankietyjoe

06-07-18, 15:53

That doesn't mean there's anything to worry about at all. NHS doesn't consider moles (even angry ones) to be urgent.

A couple of years ago I had a mole grow rapidly, get crusty and eventually start bleeding. I called for a GP appointment and they offered me one in a week. I, of course protested. They didn't budge. I eventually paid for a private appointment, to be told the mole was fine. A week later it dropped off and disappeared.

Your GP is just playing it safe, and if she was worried about anything it wouldn't be a 2 week wait.

Londonlady

06-07-18, 16:36

Thank you for responding, I’m trying to tell myself that I just think because skin cancer is my biggest fear I can’t seem to think rationally, plus being pregnant!

Just hope I get my letter soon.

ankietyjoe

06-07-18, 16:41

I'm sure you'll be fine.

It's possible that you're being referred because you're pregnant as a 'just in case' type of thing.

The vast majority of 'dodgy' moles aren't cancerous anyway.

Londonlady

06-07-18, 19:54

Thanks again, the waiting for the letter then the appointment day is really going to drive me insane, it’s only been half a day since my appointment and I’m already driving myself mad.

Londonlady

07-07-18, 19:18

Another rough day today, seem to be holding my son extra tight preparing myself for bad news. Just so fed up of feeling this way :(

pulisa

07-07-18, 19:32

Time goes incredibly slowly when you are terribly frightened and agitated.
I hope you get your appointment date really soon so that you will know what is going on, if anything. These fast track appointments are there to protect us and the GPs and I'm sure your GP is doing this referral under the 14 day fast track system because you are pregnant and naturally very anxious and she wants you to be reassured asap as opposed to waiting months for an appointment.

Keep posting on here if it helps. It's horrible not knowing but the worst thing you can do is Google and self-diagnose.

nomorepanic

07-07-18, 19:32

Think positively instead.

There is no reason to believe it is cancer and it may even be removed for you.

You can't carry on worrying like this over nothing so far.

Londonlady

07-07-18, 19:52

Thank you both. I’m worrying about worrying at this point because I feel like it has an effect on the baby, the waiting is the worst part then I think even after my apt if they remove it I’ll be waiting even more for the results :weep:

Kris b

07-07-18, 21:31

Being pregnant can het moles become more active. It is likely due to hormones. My GP also jus referred me to a dermatologist for a check of a mole she thinks is too different to other moles I have. It triggered my HA after 7 years without any fears. Being a parent also brings stress because you do not only want to stay alive for yourself but also for your child(ren). I hope the dermatologist can het you reassured it is all fine.

Londonlady

07-07-18, 22:21

lofwyr

08-07-18, 05:33

I have loads and loads of moles, and seem to get more all the time. For the most part I avoid worrying about them and have an annual skin check. But while currently on vacation I developed a brand new one, it is very dodgy looking, but that said, it is tiny and flat. But it does look off.

When I first found it a few days ago, I lost my mind. I even posted about it here with a picture. Since then, I have cleared my mind of it. No googling, no dwelling on it, and for he most part I am doing pretty good with it. A few things to re,ember for us mole people.

1. Most bad moles aren't cancer. They are atypical, which could mean pre cancer or just weird. Even pre cancerous moles take months and months to turn into cancer.
2. Melanomas caught early have a 94% cure rate, and that is assuming it is melanoma, which it probably isn't.
3. If it was a preexisting mole, they have only a 1 in 300,000 chance of even becoming cancerous.

Try to remember most moles are just atypical, so try not to worry and enjoy the impending baby plans!

Londonlady

08-07-18, 09:08

That statistic helps a lot I’m pretty sure I’ve always had it but it’s just suddenly become raised.

Really appreciate these replies it’s helping me a lot.

Londonlady

09-07-18, 08:14

I seem to have now come across many articles saying pregnancy can cause melanoma to grow fast :(

pulisa

09-07-18, 08:19

I seem to have now come across many articles saying pregnancy can cause melanoma to grow fast :(

"Come across" or "Googled"?

It's the worst thing you can do when waiting to be assessed.

Kingdawson

09-07-18, 08:32

I seem to have now come across many articles saying pregnancy can cause melanoma to grow fast :(

What??

Londonlady

09-07-18, 08:54

Googled mole changes in pregnancy because I was starting to feel better and heard it was common for that to happen then saw those articles :(

pulisa

09-07-18, 13:38

There will always be articles on Google which will give you the Worst Case Scenario presentation.

You need to concentrate on your own mole and the assessment you will get shortly as opposed to tormenting yourself with Dr Google's "offerings".

Kris b

09-07-18, 15:52

Are you sure it did not mention melanistic nevus instead? I know nevus can grow faster while being pregnant. If it indeed said melanoma, try to find out if the article is scientific, is published in a journal. Even if it is, in those journals they write more often than not about real special occasions to get referrals. The majority of the most common cases is never mentioned in a scientific article.
I read an article with a mole that looked atypical to me but it said it was melanoma. It did not said if it was in situ, or new grown, etc. I also came to picture of a, in my opinion normal mole, but it mentioned melanoma with exclamation marks in the title in the google images tab. That link was pure clickbait and gave me an infected site.
Try googling about cyberchondria instead. Although google does not likely those high in ranking because the more clicks google gets, the more income they have.
I 'm talking you into doing what I am most likely even not good at myself. I must admit. I got bruises on my trunk right now because of the self-examination. Triggering even more attention to the region. :meh:
If you google try reading an article as the last article that also highlights the possible good outcome. I read an article this morning telling me the doc that has written the article, dermatologist with a practice of more than 30 years, he is amazed by the small number of actual found melanoma in preventive checks. Of the 500 patiënts who went to a preventional checkup (probably people with lots of weird moles) 69 biopsies where taken and only 1 tested positive. I do not want to say it is not a good idea to get a checkup but that the chances for bad news are not what a lot of websites tell you.

Londonlady

09-07-18, 15:58

Thanks kris, funny how we both know what we are doing is irrational but still doesn’t stop us does it? Just wish my letter would come through I need to get it over with!

pulisa

09-07-18, 17:27

You should get a phone call from the appointments secretary if it's fast track to arrange an appointment asap.

claire92

09-07-18, 18:12

I just had a very raised mole biopsied. The dermatologist wasn't worried at all about it, but she said if I was going to worry to get it removed. Turns out it was a tumor, but completely benign! Raised doesn't necessarily mean bad. Your doctor probably referred you to the dermatologist because of your pregnancy and he doesn't want any undue stress on your part. Some doctors do just tend to refer anyone who is concerned about a mole anyway, just to be on the safe side. It sounds like you check your moles enough, so don't worry - even if it is anything dodgy it'll be sorted quickly and easily. :)

---------- Post added at 17:12 ---------- Previous post was at 17:10 ----------

PS. I'm the same as you. Lots of moles, always worried about skin cancer... It's a horrible feeling and I can't even imagine it while you're pregnant :( just know you're doing all you can.

Londonlady

09-07-18, 18:19

Just got a call from my GP to pick up my letter, cue the nerves!

Thanks for your message Claire, it’s awful isn’t it? My HA gets worse when I’m pregnant anyway but this mole and actually being referred has made everything 200x worse. I’m expecting the derm to to look at all my (many!!) moles and find at least one bad one! I did find a photo of my wedding last June and the mole was there (same size) but not sure if it was raised back then. Good sign is isn’t larger though right?

claire92

09-07-18, 21:58

If it makes you feel any better, any derm who has ever looked at my moles has never been really concerned - and I have a lot that to me all look a bit funny. I had one which was well over 6mm, it was brown red and black and completely irregular shaped and two derms and two doctors looked at it with no concerns!
Eventually the fourth doctor offered to remove it as she'd seen how many times I'd got it checked. It was nothing! That one was slightly raised as well. Definitely a good sign that it hasn't grown :):) I hope you get seen soon!

Londonlady

09-07-18, 22:34

That’s extremely reassuring Claire, so glad it turned out to be nothing for you hope I can have a similar experience!

Londonlady

10-07-18, 10:10

Got my appointment through 20th July, bit of a wait but at least I know now.

Kris b

10-07-18, 15:50

Got my appointment through 20th July, bit of a wait but at least I know now.
Good that you don't have to wait too long. My frist appointment that was available was end of august... I"m trying to find another dermatologist.

It is indeed good it has not grown. It is probably irritated by some way. Hot weather, hormones, rubbed in a way asleep or something like that.

Londonlady

10-07-18, 19:10

It’s good but also worrying because I was referred urgently, but hoping it’s just precaution, I dread how I’ll be feeling on the day!

Londonlady

11-07-18, 15:45

I seem to have gotten worse since my letter, I’m pretty sure I’ve had this mole all my life but don’t know how long it’s looked the way it has, I’m feeling so low :(

Londonlady

15-07-18, 15:42

How quickly would a bad mole change? I found a photo from my wedding last year and can see it was the same size but can’t see if it was raised/2 colours?

claire92

16-07-18, 02:00

Hey Londonlady, sorry I only just checked this thread again. Is there a way to get notifications from threads I've commented on?

Ok, so I've done a lot of research into moles recently and I'm actually feeling in quite a good place about mine at the moment (I'm having another HA scare about something completely different thought, it's such a struggle!).

I think bad moles change very quickly - actually, I think you'd be able to see it changing. It's very positive that the mole hasn't changed size. Also lots of moles can be 2 colours and be absolutely fine! From all I've read and researched, bad moles are ones you notice changing very quickly. I know how scary it is - I've been there so many times - but just think, you're doing something about it.

Late stage skin cancer is only really detected when people ignore very dodgy looking moles. And you're not doing that - you're getting it looked at. Plus, you're 26 (I'm only a year younger!) and rates are very low then BUT benign changes are very normal for under 30s.

I'm confident that you'll be fine. And if it is anything dodgy, you'll have nipped it in the bud. :) While you're there, get the derm to check all of your moles and ask if you can do another check in 6 months. Then you don't have to worry about any others in the interim. I've decided I'm going to get a full skin check every 6 months now and I'm not letting myself think about them in the meantime.

Are you having any treatment for your HA? I've just started a CBT course and I think it is really going to help.

Let me know how the appointment goes!

Londonlady

16-07-18, 07:30

Thank you, Claire that’s helps so much!

I actually have had a good few years without any HA problems (it was bliss) it just seems this instance of being referred unexpectedly urgently for this mole has set everything off x100 which really frustrates me after such a long time finally feeling at peace.

I’m glad you are feeling better about your moles, I miss that feeling and hope I can go back to that soon.

claire92

16-07-18, 20:39

I'm glad it does :) Aw ok, well hopefully the HA will diminish again after this mole is checked. If it does continue, I definitely recommend CBT.

I'm sure you will! Make sure you let me know how it goes and if you need any more reassurance just comment here, I'll make sure I keep checking the thread. :)

Londonlady

16-07-18, 21:33

Claire you are an angel! Sometimes I wish I had a fellow HA sufferer as a friend in real life (not that I wish HA on anyone) I haven’t even told any of my friends about the appointment because I just fear the worst.

The mole in question is quite dark in the middle and lighter around the edges but it’s still smaller than a pencil eraser and I’d still call it circle. Trying to look at the positives!

Londonlady

19-07-18, 07:47

So it’s the day before my appointment and although I’ve coped pretty well these past few days today it’s hit me again! :(

Londonlady

20-07-18, 09:43

Just wanted to update as I find it useful when others do, my moles are fine he took one look and said they are nothing! Just to take a pic and check again in 6 months.

Even if you get referred urgently it can be nothing!

sammiej123

20-07-18, 14:38

I had the America’s and I was so scared however the procedure was so painless and straightforward and it wasn’t cancerous. Wishing you all the best

lucymarie

20-07-18, 16:38

SO glad to hear everything was fine. I’m really struggling with the mole anxiety. Its the worst I’ve ever been with my HA. My derm said a mark on my foot Ive had for a few years was benign and Ive paid loads of online derms who have all agreed but I am shit scared they have missed something. I’ve read such terrible things online and now I’m fighting begging for another referral and then pleading with them to biopsy it for me 😭😭 I just don’t know how to live with the fear. As per the nature of the beast her reassurance helped for a while but now the terror is back with a vengeance. Everyone thinks Im mad for wanting a chunk cut out of me when the doctor says its fine but Im utterly convinced she has got it wrong 😔 I HATE MOLES!!!

Londonlady

20-07-18, 18:34

I hate them too, always have!

But I’m happy to say the derms reassurance has literally hit my HA on the head (for now) and I can finally enjoy my pregnancy :)

MRS STRESS ED

20-07-18, 18:47

Londonlady that is good good news so pleased for you :yesyes:

Kris b

22-07-18, 16:20

That is realy good news! Enjoy being pregnant now!
I'm am still waiting for a response of my therapist. And I only want an appointment to check the moles afterwards. But I am not worrying that much now. I feel better after a few days passiflora herbs the anxiety was much better. I am enjoying a vacation now.
Good luck and stop worrying now. Just check now and then. I'll try to do the same. :-)

claire92

24-07-18, 04:12

So happy to hear it Londonlady! Now you don't have to worry :) Enjoy your pregnancy and giving birth to a wonderful healthy baby!

WhereIsMyMind

24-07-18, 11:50

Hi Londonlady,

Thanks for sharing this! Very glad to see it turned out fine, hopefully a weight has been lifted.

I'm in a similar boat. There is a mole that I've had for many years and not paid much attention to, but the other day I noticed its irregular border and more than one colour (it's about 1cm in diameter, but round rather than asymmetrical, plus I've had it for a long time). I spent the whole night in a panic, but have since mostly calmed myself down with logic. It doesn't stop the occasional "what if's" popping into my head though, especially as I don't know how long it's been like this or even if it always has.

I've got a GP appointment tomorrow for something unrelated (well timed), so will ask the doctor to have a look then. I'm mentally prepared for a referral but realise that doesn't mean much since most moles that are biopsied are benign, they just look weird! Plus, I'm 30 and the opposite of a sun worshipper, so it's unlikely to be anything dodgy.

At least that's what I keep telling myself :blush: