I first spoke to my doctors about a mole that was suspicious so myself and my family in the first lock down, now that was at at time where you couldn't physically see a doctor so I was asked to send a photo and the sent out some cream. The cream helped the itching I was getting but where the mole was I couldn't reach it so was hard to keep an eye on it (thankfully I have a fully invested partner). At the begining of April it has bled and itched so much I went back to the doctors (now also face to face) and within 2 weeks was sent to dermatology team in a local hospital. About 3 weeks after that I had this mole removed and was sent for biopsy being told that my results would be 8 to 10 weeks. Week 10 comes and I've not heard so I ring and it's been sent for a second opinion. Week 12 same thing and week 14 I spoke to the pals team. I did this purely because I have anxiety and depression and awaiting was eating away at me. Within 2 weeks ( 16 weeks from removal) I heard back from hospital and they invited me in to have a chat about everything and explain why its taken this long. I went in 18 weeks to the day from having it removed and partner and sister came with me. We waited almost an hour until the dermatologist was ready but she apologised and didn't even realise I was sat waiting and getting more anxious by the minute. She said that I have melanoma and that the reason it took to long was that it had been sent to 4 different hospitals because they couldn't determine the stage. Another 2 weeks go by and I finally get the result that it's a borderline stage 3 and I was offered surgery to remove more skin surrounding it and to go into lymph nodes to see where and if its spread. I opted to have the surgery, and it's in a different hospital about an hour away from home. I had a consultation in October with the surgeon, and my notes hadn't been sent over. The surgeon didn't even know whether it was completely removed or anything. The letters I had didn't say exactly either. Now, I have a lot of other conditions going on so there was questions about wether if it has spread if I'd even be able to have the treatment for it ( oncologist said I could). They told me at the consultation that I wouldn't be in until maybe January or February for the surgery. The begining of November appears ( because life doesn't stop for all this chaos!) And I have a call about getting a surgery booked. I work as a hairstylist and am self employed so I don't always get to my phone in time. I called them back to be told that they had a surgery date 3 weeks from the call so it made it the 29th November. The week before was a pre op, I went to that after running around to reschedule my busiest time of year and 8 week recovery time. I arrived for the operation on the 29th November and I saw all the staff, the surgeon came in drew on my back and the anesthesiologist came in a few times and a junior doctor. The hospital had lost my blood from the week prior at my pre op so that had to be done again-they had everything else. My alloted time I didn't have a bed ready for me so they couldn't take me down to nuclear medicine so they said they'd take another person who does have a bed and come back for  me at around 12, I had been there since 7am at this point .  I had nurses coming in telling me I shouldn't be drinking water but I'd spoken to the anesthesiologist about other conditions and he had okayed it. And then at about 12:45 I decided to ask a passing nurse when I was due to go down and like I said I have other medical conditions and sitting in the same position isn't great for me. By 1:15 I had a junior doctor telling me they had run out of time to do the surgery and had to go home. The nurses were amazing with my tired, hungry crying and ram around to cater to any need I had. I live about an hour away so I had to wait for my partner to come back to get me. Both angry and upset that there was  no other date and not now knowing for work what I needed to do I spoke to the booking team the next day. They rearranged it for 20th December, so I had a week off for essentially no reason and luckily I was able to get some work between that period. The Thursday prior to my new scheduled op, I had a call and it was that the doctors were striking the week before and the week after Christmas so they were going to cancel it again and reschedule again. My new date now is the 30th January. Luckily I have been able to get some work between this time too after having a few days off but it has taken a substantial hit on income and savings etc. I feel like I've had trouble right from the begining with my issues but I just wanted to share to see if anyone has any advice about anything.