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Urgent referral to dermatologist - really worried

SophieM256
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Hi everyone, 

I’ve just found this forum and I was hoping for some helpful, reassuring words. 

I am 25 years old and have had a suspicious mole on my shoulder change quite significantly over the last 4 months. Fast forward to this week and my GP examined it under a dermatoscope after it had changed again. These pictures were then sent to the dermatologist and within 24 hours my GP called me to say the dermatologist wanted to see me under an urgent, 2 week referral.

This has made me really worried as the dermatologist has already seen the pictures from the dermatoscope and, from what I understand, it is these pictures which have warranted an urgent referral. 

Can anyone who has experienced this process before please let me know what to expect at my appointment? It’s in 6 days. 

Thankyou,

Sophie xx

  • Offline in reply to AngieT

    Thank you for taking to the time to write that Angie! I will do for sure.

  • Offline in reply to SophieM256

    So pleased you got the result you were after Sophie.

    Im currently going through the same situation,had a mole checked and had an urgent appointment with a dermatologist. She checked it under a Dermoscope,said nothing to worry about.

    Still it's been 5 days,I've got to wait 2 weeks for my results and I'm already climbjng the walls with stress and anxiety. Google doesn't do me no good either!!!

  • Offline in reply to FlyingCatfish

    I'm in the same boat Flyingcatfish.

    Had mine removed on the 21st. I feel like waiting for the results are all I think about at the minute! x

  • Offline in reply to Say2021

    It's the worst isn't it! Think I feel worse now than at any point I went to rhe doctor's.  Should have just left them on and forgott about them  

    Hope you get your results soon. Counting down the days.

  • Offline in reply to SophieM256

    Hi Sophie, 

     

    Thank you for sharing your story, my daughter is 9 and I have found a mole that has changed in size and colour. I sent a photo to gp who then asked us to go down a day later and now he's made a referral. Just like you I have spent days over thinking it all and in a constant battle trying to reassure myself. But I read your posts feeling just like this and am so happy to read all is benign x

  • Offline in reply to Jh1990

    Hi I'm going through same thing with my nearly 3 year old girl.. With dodgy mole on her scalp that is two different colours, not symmetrical, blurred borders. Sent pic into gp and phoned for me to come in. Took pics sent off to dermatology. They requested to see my little girl. We saw dermatologist who was look at it, then phoned another dermatologist to come look at it. Mentioned had white streaks in it? They took pics and measurements for now, but to keep on on it till next a in few months. As apparently will leave scarring. But said any changes to ring straight away. Took pic obviously when I sent to gp, took today. Definitely see big change in mole. Dark bit grown into the tan area of the mole.. So worrying. Ringing dermatologist tomorrow. Tammy xx

  • Offline in reply to SophieM256

    I went to the chiropodist 30 July for the usual foot care  and he asked if I knew about the lesion under my foot between my toes and the ball of my foot and advised me to se my GP, Which I did and got a appointment to go for photos the 11 Aug at the Hospital. The photographer struggled to take a picture because of where the lesion is  but did take several after help from her manager and now I've been sent a appointment to go to the hospital on the 8 Sept and allow up to 3 hours for the appointment.. I was wondering if anyone else had a lesion there it seems most people have a mole which I haven't. Any advice would be very welcome 

    Nug68

  • Offline in reply to Nug68

    Hi,

    It's good that your chiropodist pointed this out - more & more in the beauty/care industry are being trained to look for unusual lesions so well done to them.

    Any lesion or mole on the sole of the foot is treated as suspicious as it's an unusual place for one to appear. I think they may be going to remove it (if told to allow 3 hours for your appointment) because melanoma doesn't always present as a pigmented lesion (mole) so they are acting on the safe side. I've had moles & lesions (small, red or flesh coloured lumps on the skin) removed from different parts of my body, including the sole of my foot. Only the first, a mole on my shin, was malignant. So hopefully this is a precautionary procedure and yours will turn out to be benign. 

    If your appointment letter doesn't say if surgery is involved I would give them a ring and check. An excision on the sole of the foot means you have to rest up for at least 48 hours, keep off your feet & keep it elevated, so you may need to plan your week around it.

    Good luck and please let us know how you get on,

    Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)

  • Offline in reply to AngieT

    Hi AngieT

    Thank you for your advice . My partner doesn't want to talk about it and says stop worrying but that's easy said . I am struggling to get to sleep since I had a letter saying they want me to go to the main hospital and allow up to 3 hrs for my appointment , which makes me thing they are pretty certain it's bad news . My son died 2018 at the same hospital of Sepsis after a operation and all the pain of losing my son has returned .I will try and keep busy and try not to think the worst 2 weeks today  before I have to go.Thank you for sharing your story and knowledge with me . I will let you know how I get on ️

  • Offline in reply to Nug68

    I'm sorry for the loss of your son and that you can't talk to your partner about your worry. It's a lot to deal with. But please know that the 3 hours quoted is probably because they are going to remove it and until they do, they won't definitely know if it's malignant. So it's not until the biopsy results come back in a few weeks that you will know for sure. There is still a good chance that it will come back benign so try not to focus on it at the moment. xx

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