Hi Marie,

The normal way to respond is exactly the way you are responding. You were only diagnosed a few days ago so you are still in a state of shock. This makes people react differently - some go numb and don't know how to feel, some get very upset and fear the future & some appear to get on with it, stoically, but suppress their emotions. There is no right or wrong way to respond and until it happens to you, no one knows how they would deal with it.

Yes, you are right that a Stage 1a diagnosis is the best diagnosis as it means it's been caught early and has a 98% chance of successful treatment with surgery. That said, you have every right to feel upset so don't feel you shouldn't. Your brain needs to do that to be able to process the information and, in time, your thoughts and emotions will settle down and eventually a new 'normal' will start - a new normal in that you will be more aware of your skin, practice safe sun protection and immediately seek medical attention for any mole or lesion you may worry about in the future.

If you feel the need to chat, send me a friend request & we can chat by private message. Meanwhile, be kind to yourself and take everything one step at a time. If you are worried about work, speak to your immediate boss or HR (if you have one) just to discuss what's happened so that they know if you need to take further time off. 

You've got this

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)