› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Amelanotic melanoma?
- This topic has 4 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 5 months ago by
wildpoppy.
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- November 17, 2017 at 12:52 pm
Hello all
I feel very much like a fraud posting, since I don't have a diagnosis… But I am undergoing severe anxiety at the moment with regards to a lesion that has sprung up very quickly on my forearm. Never noticed it before 1 month ago.
It is pink/skin colour and currently 4x5mm in diametre… half way down forearm on lateral edge so have to twist arm to see it…. slightly raised by about 1-1.5mm… resembling a noduar amelanotic or basal cell …I have spent HOURS researching 🙁 and have found many pictures that look like it either of these.
I went to my dctors 10 days ago, as it looked dodgey and had white flaky skin over it…they told me it was probably a bite… 🙁
10 days later, it is still here possible gotten bigger (my paranoia, I don't know? but I do think it is)…
Ok, so I know I need it seen, and have booked a private dermotologist, so going next Friday. My anxiety is through the roof however, as I am sure everyone on here understands. I can't focus at work, can hardly eat or sleep. I have a 10 year old son, am lone parent, we are very close, and just can't bear the thought of my boy being alone.
Is there any advice anyone can give? Anyone else diagnosed, may I ask what your amelanotics where like before diagnosis?
I have been in the sun extensively in the past, without protection, and this is currently haunting me…
How do you get through the waiting?? I am trying to keep busy but can even string a sentence together, and spontaneously burst into tears… If anyone has any words of wisdom, I would gratefully receive them.
Thank you for any help x
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- November 17, 2017 at 2:38 pm
You have done well making appt. with derm and it is most likely not mel, but if it is, you have caught early and it will be ok. Now get busy with other things and stay off internet.
(My amelanotic nodular mel was on arm for 2+ years, thought it was bug bite, then primary said it was benign fibroma so I ignored it. Pink bump, none of the ABCD, but it did get bigger. Finally decided to remove for cosmetic reasons, and got quite a surprise when path report came back. It had not spread to lymph nodes 7/16, and still no recurrence or spread, if/when it does I am lucky that there are now treatments available, and more in the pipeline.)
Worrying is bad for immune system, so do what you can to stop. Instead do some healthy things, exercise, eat well, meditate, listen to great music, do fun things. You can handle this and this board will be here to help you if you need it…but you probably won’t.
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- November 17, 2017 at 4:31 pm
Joycem, I can't tell you how grateful I am for your answer, thank you SO much for replying…
I know I'm an idiot, but I'm just sitting in floods of tears… I have had so many health problems in ast 5 years, that it feels like one thing after another (celiac, graves disease, brain fistula)… so I'm just a bit worn down and wonky.
So mine also looks like a flesh coloured bump, I left it a while (week/or two) before troubling the docs as I also thought it was a bug bite. And then he told me that it was… It isn't, I'm literally 100% sure its not a bug bite as its grown a little, become rounder, the skin has flaked off to reveal this 'bump'…
I am very pleased to hear you had no spread, thank goodness… I wish you continued health…How long have you been clear? Omg, thank God you decided to remove it for cosmetic reasons? When you say there are treatments available do you mean immunotherapy? Wondered what the 'more' in the pipeline is??
Thank you, I know worrying is bad for the immune system, I will try… Its just I have looked at the differential diagnosis for this little lump, and NONE of them fit in the slightest 🙁 If it is Amelanotic Mel, then would 5mm be considered an averge size at diagnosis? Or large? Or does it even matter, as these are considered so aggresive?
Ugh, I am aware of my ramblings, I am sorry… I just have no one to talk to, or have support me. My parents are very elderly and I would not want to worry them…
Again, sincerely, thank you
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- November 17, 2017 at 9:04 pm
No one can diagnose from a description, and yours could be anything. I had a squamous cell be a small skin colored lump on my forehead. Size on top of the skin matters not at all and researching treatment options at this time is totally inappropriate. You need to stay off the internet and take this one step at a time. Right now, you have to do the biopsy. Nothing more. There will be plenty of time to research things IF, and that's a big IF, there is anything to research. It makes no sense to research now. Wait until you have a pathology report when research can be meaningful. ONE STEP AT A TIME. For now, focus on anything else because you've done everything under your control at this time. Things you can't control, you just need to let go.
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- November 17, 2017 at 10:26 pm
Thank you, I know you are right. I feel myself frozen in fear, unable to move, breath, focus… I appreciate that this sounds completely ridiculous, given what some lovely persons are going through on this forum. I guess its from so many health scares, diagnosis in last coiuple of years. I am in panic mode.
I have just cuddled my son, which has given me some comfort. I think I will go to bed in the hope of resetting my thoughts for tomorrow… I appreciate the time and effort taken for responses <3 Thank you sincerely
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