Mole Worry

[pandaloverx]

Hi everyone,

I was referred last year to the dermatologist because the mole in the first photo looks a little different and have been waiting a year to see someone. I finally got my appointment for 3 weeks time. It’s a two year wait but I went to see my local doctor two weeks ago who said they would contact dermatology. One of the receptionists said I was referred because something looks sinister so now of course I’m panicking. The doctor though, had told me they both looked benign but this urgent referral has sent me spiralling. I didn’t even know it was marked as urgent, only found out yesterday when I called to change my appointment due to work but have kept it instead after that. I just can’t understand why it’s urgent after having seen the doctor a few weeks ago and thinking it wasn’t that bad, now I’m thinking the worst.

I now cannot eat, I cannot sleep I am constantly googling. I’m so scared. I’m crying. I know I need help for this, I can’t go on this way, my life and joy have been sucked out the last year over the waiting time for these moles, I hope someone can reassure me even a little.
Has anyone ever had any like this? https://ibb.co/99P1mCb
https://ibb.co/yfRspSm (https://ibb.co/yfRspSm)
First one is the one I’ve had for a year. Second is the one I’ve had maybe three years?

[Mocadona]

Hi Panda, sorry to hear you are going through this. I'm a small bit confused about the timing - did you visit your doctor 2 weeks ago in the hope of getting bumped up the 2 year waiting list that you were already on?

One thing to remember is we don't know the medical lingo or the inner workings of the system, marking something as urgent could have been a way to get you up the list as the doctor knew you were anxious, or they might even just mark everything urgent! In my experience they generally don't tell you something looks OK if they think it's not. I've had doctors remove suspicious moles there and then in the surgery which turned out to be fine. I haven't looked at the photos as I'm in no way qualified to say whether or not they look good or bad, but a doctor did tell me before the vast majority of melanomas come from a new 'mole' not a pre existing one. I hope that's of some help.

[pandaloverx]

Hello, thank you for replying! I visited two weeks ago because I hadn’t heard back from the dermatologist and was so worried about the waiting time, so phoned my local GP and they said a locum could see me in the mean time. I hope it’s just because I was worried and not because they think it’s anything bad :(

Thank you so much, I hope it will be okay. I’m a mess! I worry so much & this kinda thing makes me awful!!

[Mocadona]

Ah OK, I'd imagine that's why it was marked urgent as the GP is trying to get you seen sooner because you phoned again! When did the GP last look at the moles?

[pandaloverx]

Ah OK, I'd imagine that's why it was marked urgent as the GP is trying to get you seen sooner because you phoned again! When did the GP last look at the moles?

Like two weeks ago, so back then they said they look benign and that some moles are just darker than others. Then this urgent referral comes in it’s really confused me! I hope all will be okay.