Hello everyone! I hope it’s okay that I’m posting on here when I haven’t actually been diagnosed. I had a biopsy done on Tuesday and I’m trying to not worry until the results come back. But I can’t talk to anyone in my life about what’s going on, and who knows more about this than you guys? I’d like to run this by you all and see what you think if that’s okay. I appreciate any input!
Quick backstory: I’ve been sick my entire life. Diagnosed at 17 with 3 autoimmune diseases (arthritis, crohns, uveitis). Disabled and diagnosed with my 4th autoimmune disease (pyoderma gangrenosum) in 2021 at 27. I’m 29 now and still healing. I’ve been on biologic immunosuppressants since I was 18. I’ve had swollen lymph nodes on the right side of my neck since early October, and have been saying “something is wrong” for months. Every time I feel that way I’m right, which is kind of compounding my concern.
I went to my dermatologist for some spots I was worried about. She decided to do a full skin check. Turns out the spots were nothing of concern, but she found a mole on my back she didn’t like. I’m very pale, light hair and eyes, and I have a lot of moles. This one was in a spot I could never see. She called it an “ugly duckling” immediately. I thought it was just a cute term she used. It was 12 mm and had ABCD, maybe E too but with its placement I really don’t know. She biopsied it despite the risk of the procedure causing a pyoderma gangrenosum flare. When I asked her about whether she thought it was cancerous (I realize the question is silly and that’s what the biopsy is for, but my fear took over for a minute) she hesitated a bit and then said something about how sometimes the ones she’s sure are melanoma turn out benign, and ones she’s not too concerned about turn out to be cancerous, so there’s no way to tell until we get the results. I didn’t realize at the time how big of an indicator an ugly duckling mole is.
I’ve tried to put it out of my mind, but I’ve always done best by confronting my fear head-on when it comes to medical issues. Google is only so helpful, but you all are the experts. I’d really like to know your opinions. More than that, do you have any tips for dealing with the wait? I’ve had a cancer scare before, but I was hospitalized at the time and knew pretty quickly that I was in the clear. I really appreciate your time, and I hope you all are having the best day possible.
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