Mole - help!!

[spacebunnyx]

Hi,

Haven't been on here for quite a while, I hope that everyone is doing ok.

Today I went to a mole clinic to get them checked out (not furry, underground moles :D !). Anyway, the nurse spotted a dodgy looking one and took lots of photos that she sent to a professor. Within 4 hours he'd contacted her saying that I needed a biopsy.

I AM SO SCARED!! I am trying not to get all irrational about this, but it does really really scare me. I was in a similar situation 2 years ago with precancerous cervical cells that I had to have removed. My anxiety went sky-high then for about 3 months and I was a complete nightmare. I don't want that again. can anyone help?

many thanks,

Jess xxx

[chief]

its probably nothing they just have to biopsy it to be sure i had one of those and it wasnt anything...

[lonely]

ive been silly with one of mine on my bottom, i know i shouldn't but cut it off with nail cutters prob come back though

[Wee-Mee]

^^ you cut your own mole?!! Girl! *shock face*

But yeah I have a big fear of moles etc..well..skin cancer..any cancer really so yeah..I have an app to get a mole checked on my leg 26th june..Keep looking to see if it has changed any all the time. I know if I was in your boat I would be freaking out to the heavens aswell but I guess all I can say and if it happens to me too is that it is good that they are checking everything out instead of just leaving it xxxxxxxxxx

[freelancejy]

Just remember that doctors have to check out every little thing just to be sure. A vast majority of the time these things turn out to be nothing.

[phil75]

Hiya,
hope everything is normal for you whhen you have your op, i'm sure it will,
but if its not, its not the end of the world is it...
I think you have normal anxiety about this like any normal person would...
thier is a point where worrie, becomes anxiety problem, but i dont know the border lin sorry,

Regards,
P.

[spacebunnyx]

hi, thank you so much for your replies.

I went to my GP to get a referral - he took a look at the mole and said it looked fine. Refused to refer me.. i'm not sure he even believed that I had been for a mole-check. This has happened several times in the past where my GP has thought its just been anxiety (I was refused a smear test - turned out I had severe precancer, I was bleeding from an ectopic pregnancy and was sent away and told to take some ASPIRIN and lie down!).

I'm feeling quite confused as the dermatologist (a professor in malignant melanoma) said it looked dodgy and I need it biopsied. I'm not overly worried about the mole - it is still small... but to be honest I trust the opinion of an expert over my GP. I really don't know what to do.

I am considering going private - but its so expensive!

[lonely]

can you not see another gp withing your surgery, you have every right to a second opinion

[rosepetal]

Speak to another dr at your practice. And/or get the clinic to write a letter to your GPs.
My mum had some moles removed that were dodgy, when I was a child. That's over 30 years ago now and she's fine, never had further problems.

[jack00]

Hi, I'm in a similar position - have been referred to a dermatologist and will see one this week (probably).

I did go to a mole clinic separately to try and reassure myself and they recommended that the mole I went about should be removed - and for a week or so I was really scared and upset. I have suffered from terrible HA over the past couple of years - and I think this was the worst.

BUT although it is right to treat the threat of melanoma with respect, it is good to remember that it is relatively rare. Statistically, in the UK your GP will see one every three or four years; or if you are part of a group of 20 people then you will have to wait 300 years for someone in that group to get one. And then bear in mind that 3 out of 4 are removed without any further complication at all, so the statistics are definitely on your side.

And also bear in mind that mole clinics will recommend removal if there is any doubt because they can't afford to make a mistake. Think how damaging it would be if even one mole in a hundred was misdiagnosed as harmless - they would be out of business in a day. A mole clinic has to make a one-off yes/no decision about a mole, whereas a good GP will see you again in a month or whenever and see whether it has changed etc. My GP referred me straight away because she knows I suffer from HA and felt it was better for me to get on and get it out of the way.

Hope you are feeling ok - HA is so nasty. I had never even thought about moles until a month ago or so, so now I have a whole new set of worries..... At least I am learning to distrust my thoughts because I know that on health issues they haven't been terribly reliable. (Even though part of me thinks that next week I'll be introducing myself to fellow sufferers on a melanoma forum...)

[spacebunnyx]

Hi,

thank you all so much for your replies - particularly Jack. That really helps - I didn't realise it was so rare! The way the media bang on about melanoma I thought it was much more common.

Good luck with your appointment Jack - I have one at a private clinic on wednesday - I hope I come out of it mole-less!

Jess xxx

[Tink]

Hi Jess

I went to docs a few months ago as noticed a mole on my back had changed in size. My doc took one quick glance and said nothing wrong! However he referred me anyway to dermatologist. So few weeks later get to hospital, dermatoligst looks at it says got irregular pigmentation and needed removing. Had a punch biopsy too and had to wait for 6 weeks for results. Got them back last wk and said was normal.
Basically I am just trying to say not to worry as I spent last 6 weeks worrying about it.
However now I am 'obsessing' over another mole even though these were checked too!!!