Morning All, 

I just wanted to come on here to post for anyone who is waiting or has recently been to the doctors about an abnormal mark on their skin.

I have very recently been through this and as Google is the first go to I wanted to put a reassuring post out there because I so desperately needed to see one when I was looking as I was stressed out. 

I am 38 years old and had a mark on my head that just wouldn't go, it was there for months and I kept thinking I need to go get that checked. Due to covid I felt that it could wait but in the end I went to the doctors on the 20th October. I suffer with huge health anxiety and when she said she would refer me I freaked out, she felt like I was on the edge of it being SCC or BCC but they would refer me.

When I got the letter from the hospital it said suspected SCC and that was it. I had to wait 9 days for my appointment.. I did not sleep, I did not eat, I went to some dark places on Google and I was convinced that I was dying. I stalked forums for days on end and ended up in a and e with a rash all over me. I was convinced that it was the end for me. I think this was actually a stress and exhaustion rash. 

I finally got to the day of my appointment and when in there I completely broke down, the consultant was lovely and was truly shocked about how bad my fears had become. He assed my mark and diagnosed it as Basal Cell, he also checked my skin and found 2 more on my body. I was shocked but relieved to finally know what it was. He is a leading consultant in his field and he told me in his entire career he was in his 50's he only had lost 3 patients to BCC and this was because the patients had left them for more than 15 years. My mark on my head was 6mm. He told me that they never used to call them a cancer either and although they have to be dealt with they are more of a nuisance.

He then called in the surgeon, he wanted her to diagnose it without him saying anything to try and reassure me. She came in with a student and within seconds confirmed what the consultant had said. She said to me.. Dont worry you will not lose one day of your life over this type of cancer.  They told me they would remove under local anesthetic and the wait could be up to 6 months!!! That in itself was reassuring. If they have seen it and they felt that it could be left I was finally reassured. 

I was very fortunate that I got a call back to go to my appointment on the 9th which was only around 9 days later. They removed it Monday just gone. The one on my head and my back. I have to go back for the one on my arm after Christmas.

It was uncomfortable but painless, it is 3 days later now and I am feeling sore and a little bruised. I will have a scar but I can manage with that. I will always have to be monitored now but please please focus on a positive as this is not dangerous cancer. 

I wanted to write this because my best friend told me that you only see the bad stuff online and people that have these things and move on don't very often write about their experiences. If I had seen stuff like this post I am writing I may not have got into such a state. In hindsight it is mind over matter. You have got this and it will be dealt with. 

If one person reads this and is reassured then this post would have done its job.