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Advice gratefully received

Bettysmum1
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Hi folks,

 

I found this forum whilst looking for some advice. I had a small mark appear under my toenail a couple of months ago. Coincidently i had some new walking boots & while they didn't pinch at all i assumed it may be due to this. It wasn't painful so i've ignored it(!) Then the pandemic hit and i was redeployed to help manage this, very scary times. I then tested positive for Covid myself and was really quite ill (managed to stay at home) but needed 4 weeks off work & i'm still getting a few side effects. Then hubby was getting symptoms and had to have an urgent colonoscopy so we had the 2 week wait for that, all is well thank goodness. Then i noticed the toe again, the darkness has now spread across a third of the toe, still no pain at all. I spoke to the GP last week and after sending in a photo she called me back saying she is referring me for a 2 week wait as she is concerned its a melanoma. I'm not sure what the appropriate response to this is but my brain won't let me rest at all. I have moments of calm but as soon as there is the slightest gap in my thoughts i'm worrying about this...a lot! I feel sick with nerves, i ache, i can't sleep so am truly exhausted. I feel the past few months have depleted my resilience and i don't know that i now have the energy to manage this anxiety effectively. My team lead is fantastic and supportive but i don't know how i can work at the moment, but recently having the time off sick with Covid i don't feel i can take that time. I'm having huge difficulty in stopping my brain skipping 6 steps ahead to the worst case scenario, my brain feels like one of the old fashioned telephone exhchanges and the poor operators and frantically trying to make sense of the chaos of the messages with little success. I have just set up a sewing room at home so will have that to escape to but at the moment this anxiety is all encompassing and omnipresent. Any tips on coping with the anxiety whilst waiting for a date (& what i can only assume to be a very painful biopsy!) would be so very appreciated.

 

Many thanks in advance

Mel

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    Hi Mel,

    Welcome to our forum. 

    I understand your anxiety, but you are way ahead of yourself. I am not a doctor, but this could be simple bruising under the nail, so all your stress could hopefully be for nothing.  Try to keep busy whilst you are waiting for an appointment, as this will help to pass the time. Your new sewing room sounds like a good place for a project.

    We all seem to jump to the worst case scenario at this stage. Fortunately this seldom comes to pass.

    All of the other emotions you mention are perfectly normal when you are in this situation and should settle when you know what you are dealing with. I would expect whoever is doing your biopsy to give you a local anaesthetic first, so your biopsy should not hurt.

    Try to deal with things day by day at the moment. Don't look too far ahead or at the bigger picture, until you know whether or not this is the case.

    I sincerely hope that nothing untoward is found.

    Do please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

    Kind regards,

    Jolamine xx

  • Offline in reply to Jolamine

    Hi Jolamine,

     

    Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I know you're absolutely right in that the likelihood is that it's benign. I think it's more than a bruise, it's only getting darker in colour and has been there for quite some weeks. It hasn't grown out with the nail and is spreading slowly. I hope it is though! The relief would be utterly joyous! I was so pleased to recover from Covid and now this. Perhaps 2020 will be my 'Year of The Near Miss' thank you again x

  • Offline in reply to Bettysmum1

     

    Hi Mel,

     I'm delighted to hear that you've recovered from Covid. A bruised nail can get darker in colour with time and can take up to about 2 months to grow out. If it is bruising, this will grown out with the nail, but in this sort of time scale.

    I'm still hoping and praying that this will be your diagnosis.

    Kind regards,

    Jolamine xx

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