worried about melanoma

[happycarrot]

I have a mole on my lower abdomen in a spot that's awkward for me to check by myself. I read a story about someone who had melanoma that spread to his brain and now I'm convinced that this mole is cancerous. Of course I googled melanoma which was a mistake. The mole is smaller than the end of a pencil, raised, brown, and it seems like the area around it might be a little red, but maybe that's just me poking at it. I don't think it's changed noticeably in the past month but it's in a spot that's hard for me to see without a mirror. Maybe it changed and I just can't tell. I also don't have a lot of moles at all, but I am very pale and I've had lots of sunburns. I keep twisting around with a mirror trying to see if the mole looks any different. Then when I'm focused on it of course it starts itching. I have to go to the doctor soon for my pap smear and I plan to ask her to look at it then, but I keep thinking that I have melanoma and that it's spreading through my body and I'm going to die of it.

[dibber]

Please relax. My Father had Malignant Melanoma around 5 years ago. It is particularly fast moving and you would know if you had it. You could almost see the Melanoma changing on a day by day basis. He first noticed it changing because it bled. Of course, monitor it, but don't obsess. Get it checked at your next appt.

PS. My father is still with us and going strong. All traces of Melanoma gone.

[happycarrot]

My husband just had a mole removed from his back and the biopsy came back "mild pre-cancerous", but they said they removed all of it and he didn't need any further treatment. Of course that makes me all worried again. The doctor checked all of his moles and said none of the rest of them looked bad, but it reminded me of my mole that I was worried about. His mole didn't look like the one I have (it was definitely bigger than a pencil eraser) but now I'm thinking about skin cancer again. Thankfully I have a doctor's appointment next week.