Hi everyone,

I’m really struggling with health anxiety at the moment and could really use some reassurance.

I’ve had two moles on my leg for as long as I can remember. I’m 40 now, and after having a baby three years ago my skin seemed to change quite a bit. I had one mole removed privately from my calf, and the results came back completely normal.
More recently, I had another mole removed from the other side of my leg. It’s also been there for a very long time, but it had developed a small cluster of pigment in a straight line coming from it, which understandably worried me. I found a vague photo from 2020 and you can see the outline, though, it’s not the clearest of photographs - it looks really similar. It kinda looks like a tiny agminated nevus (after trawling Google). For context, the largest dots are 2mm x 2mm. I’m unsure if the tiny bottom dot was there five years ago. That measures 1mm. It’s flat and brown and looks similar to the other moles. I’m worried it’s a satellite lesion - I’ve obviously been diagnosing myself on Google.

My private dermatologist examined it with a dermoscope and told me it was atypical but not malignant melanoma. Despite this reassurance, my anxiety didn’t settle. The mole was then removed on the NHS on December 1st. The consultant there also examined it and said it was not malignant melanoma, just atypical, and that it should be removed. When I told her how anxious I was, she reassured me by saying there was “nothing to lose sleep over.” I wish I’d asked more questions.

Even so, I’m now waiting for the biopsy results, which won’t be back for another three weeks, and my anxiety is through the roof. The wait for the results is between 4-6 weeks. I keep catastrophising and convincing myself something terrible has been missed.

I guess what I’m asking is: should I trust what the consultant said and try to relax? If there had been a real concern that this was cancer, would she have had a duty to tell me? I know biopsies are the gold standard, but both dermatologists were experienced and examined the mole thoroughly with a dermoscope.

I’m really not coping well with the waiting and would appreciate any reassurance or kind words. Please be gentle as I’m genuinely struggling.