› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Am I right to want this checked or am I being too nervous?
- This topic has 6 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 11 months ago by
jennunicorn.
- Post
-
- January 26, 2016 at 3:16 am
Hi, this is my first post on here so I'm sorry if this isn't the right place for this, I'm just starting to get very nervous and my regular dermatologist doesn't have an appointment for almost a year.
Anyway, I have a family history of melanoma (my uncle passed away a few years ago shortly after being diagnosed with aggressive melanoma and both my mother and sister have had "precancerous" moles removed) and have very light skin and despite always wearing sunscreen burn very easily and have suffered several sunburns severe enough to make my skin blister. I used to be regularly checked by a dermatologist for an unrelated skin condition and she remarked I should keep an eye on a mole I have on my elbow but I honestly forgot and haven't been for several years now. A year or so ago I started noticing new moles but they were small and I didn't think too much of them. Then about 6 months ago one very small one got very itchy and started bleeding periodically for a week or two, but the itchiness has since dissipated. Then the other day I noticed yet another new but normal looking mole (small symmetrical distinct edges etc.) so I started checking the rest of them and see that the one on my elbow is about 5mm, asymmetrical and has blurry edges, but I honestly don't remember how it looked the last time my derm saw it or if it changed. None of my other moles seem to have changed including the one that was itchy and bleeding. I called my derm but she doesn't have an appointment for almost a year and my insurance won't let me see someone else. I asked my pcp about it but they said there was no point checking it out because it isn't raised or changing dramatically.
I guess my question is do I need to be worried and if so, enough that I should pay out of pocket to see a different derm, or is it safe to wait the year and just keep an eye on it? I'm just really nervous because my uncle put of getting his mole checked and by the time they caught it there was cancer all throughout his system…
- Replies
-
-
- January 26, 2016 at 4:56 am
Take pictures of the mole NOW. Check your mole against it monthly. If you can see visible change, then call your pcp or derm and see if they will take you in because you have documented the lesion is changing. I know that I have looked at a couple of moles thinking I'm pretty sure this has changed. But I go back to my photos and see it was only my imagination. That's why I like pictures so much, they take imagination out of the equation and are an independent eye. Obviously if you are very worried, you can pay out of pocket to have a biopsy. But if you are willing to monitor, then the pictures are the way to go. Take pictures in lighting you can duplicate and check in the same light – you want to eliminate lighting differences when looking for change. Check again in a month. If you don't see change, wait another month. It seems slow, but this is a realistic way to proceed if you really aren't sure and are willing to verify change first. If not, call your doc.
-
- January 26, 2016 at 4:56 am
Take pictures of the mole NOW. Check your mole against it monthly. If you can see visible change, then call your pcp or derm and see if they will take you in because you have documented the lesion is changing. I know that I have looked at a couple of moles thinking I'm pretty sure this has changed. But I go back to my photos and see it was only my imagination. That's why I like pictures so much, they take imagination out of the equation and are an independent eye. Obviously if you are very worried, you can pay out of pocket to have a biopsy. But if you are willing to monitor, then the pictures are the way to go. Take pictures in lighting you can duplicate and check in the same light – you want to eliminate lighting differences when looking for change. Check again in a month. If you don't see change, wait another month. It seems slow, but this is a realistic way to proceed if you really aren't sure and are willing to verify change first. If not, call your doc.
-
- January 26, 2016 at 4:56 am
Take pictures of the mole NOW. Check your mole against it monthly. If you can see visible change, then call your pcp or derm and see if they will take you in because you have documented the lesion is changing. I know that I have looked at a couple of moles thinking I'm pretty sure this has changed. But I go back to my photos and see it was only my imagination. That's why I like pictures so much, they take imagination out of the equation and are an independent eye. Obviously if you are very worried, you can pay out of pocket to have a biopsy. But if you are willing to monitor, then the pictures are the way to go. Take pictures in lighting you can duplicate and check in the same light – you want to eliminate lighting differences when looking for change. Check again in a month. If you don't see change, wait another month. It seems slow, but this is a realistic way to proceed if you really aren't sure and are willing to verify change first. If not, call your doc.
-
- January 26, 2016 at 5:02 am
I'm not sure where you live, but it doesn't seem right that your dermatologist doesn't have any appointments available for a year.. and you can't see anyone else? The biggest thing to look for is change… checking once a month on existing moles to see if they've changed, taking pictures and comparing. Honestly, it really depends on how worrisome you feel the new moles are. If your gut is telling you that you should get a skin check, then maybe you should find a derm and pay out of pocket if that's your only option. Most likely none of your moles are anything to worry about, but, I would feel a little discouraged if my derm wasn't available to see me for a year.
All the best,
Jenn
-
- January 26, 2016 at 5:02 am
I'm not sure where you live, but it doesn't seem right that your dermatologist doesn't have any appointments available for a year.. and you can't see anyone else? The biggest thing to look for is change… checking once a month on existing moles to see if they've changed, taking pictures and comparing. Honestly, it really depends on how worrisome you feel the new moles are. If your gut is telling you that you should get a skin check, then maybe you should find a derm and pay out of pocket if that's your only option. Most likely none of your moles are anything to worry about, but, I would feel a little discouraged if my derm wasn't available to see me for a year.
All the best,
Jenn
-
- January 26, 2016 at 5:02 am
I'm not sure where you live, but it doesn't seem right that your dermatologist doesn't have any appointments available for a year.. and you can't see anyone else? The biggest thing to look for is change… checking once a month on existing moles to see if they've changed, taking pictures and comparing. Honestly, it really depends on how worrisome you feel the new moles are. If your gut is telling you that you should get a skin check, then maybe you should find a derm and pay out of pocket if that's your only option. Most likely none of your moles are anything to worry about, but, I would feel a little discouraged if my derm wasn't available to see me for a year.
All the best,
Jenn
-
Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.