Worried about melanoma at the moment

[WiseMonkey]

Just get a complete body mole check without the mole map, then it will be half the price. They keep a record of their findings so you could go back there in a couple of years time.
My complete body check follow-up was only $113 NZ/57 UK and that's from The Skin Institute which is private.

[utrocket09]

Well, it says it's a good idea for people with certain risk factors - such as pale skin, lots of moles, and a history of sunburn. And that's me.

I did also find out why lots of moles are bad. It shows that your skin cells are over-productive, and that can lead to cancer.

You can also get internal melanomas.

This is huge waste of money! My husband has over 100 moles, and has had over 20 removed so far. We live in the US, and have never spent money on mole mapping ever. I would just see about seeing a skin doc or your regular doc. But if you want to waste time and money that is your choice.

[O_O]

Wise, I couldn't find anything cheaper unfortunately :/

utrocket, if he's had so many removed, presumably they were pretty suspicious looking? It's good his regular doctor is able to do this - in the UK unfortunately there's no way my doctor would be able to look at all my moles, and I doubt she'd know which ones were bad either! Sadly, I think I'll have to pay.

[Fishmanpa]

Sadly, I see this has taken the same path as previous fears At least to me, the pattern is obvious and repeating itself. Same pattern, different fear and being taken to the extreme.

What's most sad is that despite what you've gone through previously, there have been times I've seen you on the boards when you've worked on your mental health and your posts are like night and day. I've read your advice to others and its apparent you possess the rationality to help you through this. I'm just saying, based on following your threads, I believe you have it in your power to rationalize this. You really don't have to go down this rabbit hole.

Frankly, its not a bad idea for those that may be in a higher risk group to get a yearly exam with a dermatologist, but its certainly not some urgent situation IMO. Again, IMO, the mapping and such will just feed OCD sweet treats to the dragon and he's just going to keep on finding ways to get that treat.

As before, despite sound advice, you're going to ride the wave until it dissipates on the shore. Or are you?

Positive thoughts

[utrocket09]

Wise, I couldn't find anything cheaper unfortunately :/

utrocket, if he's had so many removed, presumably they were pretty suspicious looking? It's good his regular doctor is able to do this - in the UK unfortunately there's no way my doctor would be able to look at all my moles, and I doubt she'd know which ones were bad either! Sadly, I think I'll have to pay.

His doctor monitors odd looking ones and removes if they look really bad. I just think mole mapping is such a waste of money. My husbands doc just
measures, looks and then moves on. No mole mapping.

[Violet Blue]

Hi Jen

For my tuppence worth, as a fifty year old very fair, freckly and moley lady, I would ignore the advice about staying out of the sun completely. Topping up your vitamin D is vital for a range of serious illnesses, not least covid, apparently. Twenty minutes per day is enough to get your Vit D up but not burn. Even on hot days I will walk around in the sun, keeping to the shade where I can. I never ever sunbathe and am always the total bore who can't sit in the sun when out with friends. Always wear a hat though, when it's very hot, and I stick with SPF50 on my face, pretty much all year round.

I agree with the above - don't do your usual thing of throwing hundreds of pounds into a health thing, just because you can. If you see a suspicious mole, simply go to your GP. They will do you a two week wait to see a dermatologist if they think it's serious. That's what they are there for. By my age (and I've never been a sun worshipper) I have several sun damage marks on my arms and legs which you just grow to accept. I haven't ever had anything worrying, but that doesn't mean I'm complacent.

When you were a child people were more aware of sun safety, so I am sure your mother wouldn't have let you burn. Unfortunately from the 1980s and earlier, kids would be left to burn, and people would use oil to get browner, it was the fashion. Be grateful you've been spared that (which is what I am sure WM is referring to, being unwittingly exposed to very strong and damaging UV rays at a very young age).

Hope this helps. Enjoy your youth and good health.

[O_O]

The thing is Fish, with other people it's really obvious to me when they're being irrational and have nothing to worry about. But with my things, to me, it just seems like I DO have something to worry about?? Idk I just feel like I'm high risk for melanoma, and honestly at least one and probably more of these moles would be classed as atypical even if they aren't cancer. And like with the lymph node thing my doc literally wrote 'lymphoma?' on the referral form. I think they were expecting lymphoma more than they were expecting toxoplasmosis!

I do also get that 'feeling', which I know isn't necessarily real because I've had it before and nothing (too) bad has happened (although sometimes it has happened...), but it just feels so much like it means something in the moment. I think to my detriment I have a very very strong imagination, so that something sometimes might as well for happening for real rather than just in my head. I really don't know how to tell the difference.

I try to rationalise, but if I rationalise this all I can think is that I have a tonne of risk factors and therefore I need to get all my moles checked. I can't really check the ones on my back by myself.

I hate that I'm so scared of being ill still. After some of the big life events I've experienced, I'd hope I'd be more mature. One day I will get ill and die, perhaps with no family around me, and I hate to think I'll be frightened. That's not a great end. I just want to be able to find acceptance in there somewhere.

Violet, you're right, my mum kept me out of the sun as a child fortunately. I definitely had some burns in my teens and 20s though. And I'm sure I have moles now I didn't have then. Some very much on the larger and splotchier side. It's hard for me to check the ones on my back properly, but I know I have a minimum of 20 on my back alone.

[utrocket09]

The thing is Fish, with other people it's really obvious to me when they're being irrational and have nothing to worry about. But with my things, to me, it just seems like I DO have something to worry about?? Idk I just feel like I'm high risk for melanoma, and honestly at least one and probably more of these moles would be classed as atypical even if they aren't cancer. And like with the lymph node thing my doc literally wrote 'lymphoma?' on the referral form. I think they were expecting lymphoma more than they were expecting toxoplasmosis!

I try to rationalise, but if I rationalise this all I can think is that I have a tonne of risk factors and therefore I need to get all my moles checked. I can't really check the ones on my back by myself.

So what? Tons of people are high risk of melanoma and never get it. My husband is high risk and has had numerous atypical moles nonw of which are cancer. In fact he is getting another removed next week. If its a weird mole, just have it checked by a GP or a derm, and it gets removed, end of story.

[O_O]

I think some of the marks on my skin might be lentigines / age spots too. It is so hard to tell the difference between freckles, lentigines and moles sometimes! It really, really bothers me when I can't work something out.

I guess all the raised ones are moles for sure, but some of the flat ones... I just don't know. Some might be moles, some might not.

It's driving me nuts!

It's definitely getting bad because I've started counting the moles on other people that I meet. Love it when they have quite a lot. They probably think I'm super weird, staring at their arms and stuff.

[Fishmanpa]

I think to my detriment I have a very very strong imagination

"Worry is the misuse of imagination"

Unknown

Positive thoughts