so so scared

Good afternoon all.

First time here, sorry this is so long winded.

I have had a mole of some sort up on the middle / top of my inner thigh and it was not at the back but near the back, so i did not know it was there, it could have been there years and i would not have known about it.

Doing the math's and looking at our past abroad holidays and taking into account when we were not allowed out of the country due to covid by my reckoning it has been there between 3 to 5 years.

In the end when i did see it i thought my god what is that.

I don't work outside and i don't use sunbeds, no family history of Melanoma as I know of either, I do wear shorts a lot but this mark what ever it is would have been under my shorts nearly all the time.

It was a flattish mark to start off with and in the end i went to my GP and he said it is nothing to worry about, a few weeks later i had to go to the GPs again about something else and i asked a different doctor to take a look and he also said it was nothing to worry about.

Moving forward approx a couple more years and the this mole thing had got bigger like a dome shape and it was now crusty on the top.

When i showed it my doctor again he said it looked like a Seborrheic Keratosis or something along those lines, but he put me on a referral for a dermatology test which he said would be about 2 weeks.

In those 2 weeks whilst waiting for my appointment i was on holiday in Lanzarote with my family, we had a lovely time, my appetite was good, (in fact too good). i was so happy and all was right with the world.

I got a call from the hospital whilst we were away asking me to come in for my appointment on the 12th September 2023.

We arrived home on the 9th September and i was still in a good buoyant mood even though we had to come home.

I went for my appointment on the 12th September and the dermatologist said she was concerned, but said it could be a funny mole still and did the biopsy that day, so now i am waiting for my results back (i could tell by her face she knew what it was)

After me thinking it was just going to be a normal Seborrheic Keratosis as my doctor said it looked like, but now looks like it will be defiantly Melanoma my world has fallen apart and especially having it for so long, i fear the end is very very near.

So from coming off our holidays on the 9th September and having a lovely wonderful time, then going to the dermatologist on the 12th September it now feels like i am literally staring death in the face.

My appetite is all over the show, my sleep is all over the show, I feel unwell all the time, and i read all the things on the internet which tells me it is defiantly defiantly Melanoma.

I keep feeling my lymph nodes all the time as well which I am sure have swollen since having my appointment.

Also i can not believe that this is the end and all I think about is dying and leaving my family. I don't look forward to the anything anymore as i am sure that i wont be here to see the things me and my family have planned.

It is now 2 weeks since I had my biopsy and still waiting for the bad news to come to me at anytime. 

Thank you for letting me get this off my chest as I cant bring myself to talk to my wife about the way i feel as i know I wont be around very soon and I will only get upset.

I am so so scared.

Thank you.

Simon

Parents
  • Hi Simon,

    I know how anxious you will be but please take a breath and try & slow down your thoughts for a moment. 

    Just because the GP thought it was one thing and now the dermatologist showed some concern does not 100% mean it is melanoma or, if it is, that you are staring death in the face.

    When the dermatologist said it may be just a funny mole she means it could be dysplastic (precancerous). 75% of patients that are referred to a dermatologist are found to have benign or dysplastic moles, so the odds yours is one of these 'ugly ducklings' are high. If it is melanoma, most are found at an early stage and therefore easily treated with surgery & monitoring for a period of time. There are now drug treatments for those with a higher stage of melanoma and these treatments are showing great success, so things aren't as desperate as they were years ago. 

    Whilst waiting for your results stop looking at Google and distract yourself - talk to your wife as it helps enormously to share your worries with the person closest to you. Go for long walks - fresh air & exercise will help your appetite & you will sleep better. In the words of my dermatologist when I was diagnosed, 'It's not the end of the world' - it really isn't, with the help of your hospital team. Oh, and stop prodding those lymph nodes because they don't like it & they WILL swell if they're continually prodded. Good luck and please let us know how you get on,

    Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)

  • Hi AngieT

    You should become one of the cancer helpers /  representatives as you seem to be quite clued up on things.

    I noticed on one of your replies on another post to another person about a dermatoscope being used.

    I went 3 times to my GP and on the first 2 occasions they both just looked at it with the naked eye without a dermatoscope and said its nothing to worry about.

    But on the third occasion the first GP I had seen said it looks like a Seborrheic Keratosis, and he still did not use a dermatoscope he took a photo of it with his phone and booked me an urgent referral.

    At the hospital the dermatologist did use a dermatoscope and then said it looked concerning, and made an off the cuff remark that it could still be a funny mole, I had the biopsy that same morning.

    That's why I know it is melanoma as the dermatologist looked at it with a dermatoscope so she must have been able to see it was melanoma, by using the dermatoscope than just using a naked eye.

    And like I said this on my post this morning, her face seemed to say it all.

    Thank you AngieT

    Simon.

  • Good morning smilinglady.

    I made a mistake.

    My appointment with the plastic surgeon is not until 9th November.

    No idea what IPU is ?

    I still can't touch where I had my first biopsy, bit sill really.

    I really hope everything goes well for you.

    Please keep me updated.

    Take care.

    Simon x

  • Hi

     ive looked it up and IPU it’s just a place where different treatments are carried out.  
    I can’t touch my wound coz it’s still an open hole after 9 weeks! Was waiting for it to heal but after Wed it’s going to be CM wider all round.  I don’t think I’ll even look at it.  I’ve got to go every day inc weekends to have it repacked till after Xmas !! Yuk!! 

  • Hi 

    Thank you for the info.

    Really really hope everything will be ok in the end for you.

    I keep hearing about new treatments and it's not as much as death sentence as it used to be for a melanoma diagnosis, I am just hoping that this is all true for us all.

    Thank you.

    Take care 

    Simon x

  • Where’s Angie disappeared to?  Was hoping to talk with her 

  • Her elderly father unfortunately had a fall, so she is looking after him at the moment.

  • Well I’m back in the land of the living.  Hope you’re ok

  • Hi Smilinglady.

    Glad you are ok.

    Not doing too bad, still scared stiff though.

    My SCNS got in touch on Friday and I asked a few questions.

    She was a lovely lady, told me it wasn't ulserated, and I am sure she said not reached the nerves, not sure if any of those things.are good things to be honest.

    Also said it had been full excised, but will still have to have a WLE and maybe lymph nodes which I knew anyway, and then take it from there, but it all depends on what the plastic surgeon consultant says on 9th November.

    It's all scary stuff, and still think this is the end of me.

    Enough about my problems, how are you.

    Thank you.

    Simon x

  • I won’t pretend.  First 2 days were hell.  Nerves disturbed big time.  I have a huge hole in my shin and because of where it is, it can’t be stitched so it’s just a hold that now has to heal from bottom up.  Will take till Jan  judging from how long initial hole took.  Pain after 2 days is bearable but varies.  Oromorph is wonderful. You will have a sewn up hole and it will be healed in a week to ten days.  
    you must be more positive and think how lucky you are that they found it and are treating it.  Maybe you need expert counselling to help your anxiety 

    All  the best

    keep in touch

Reply
  • I won’t pretend.  First 2 days were hell.  Nerves disturbed big time.  I have a huge hole in my shin and because of where it is, it can’t be stitched so it’s just a hold that now has to heal from bottom up.  Will take till Jan  judging from how long initial hole took.  Pain after 2 days is bearable but varies.  Oromorph is wonderful. You will have a sewn up hole and it will be healed in a week to ten days.  
    you must be more positive and think how lucky you are that they found it and are treating it.  Maybe you need expert counselling to help your anxiety 

    All  the best

    keep in touch

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