Hello, 

I'm sorry to hear your going through this, I know how worrying it is. I've just been referred to a dermatologist within two weeks to get one of my childhood moles looked at, and this weekend I've been a mess thinking all sorts. 
I can't tell you what to feel or will happen but what I've learnt from reading other posts is that dermatologists are extremely good at noticing suspicious moles and remove dodgy ones quickly and will remove them swiftly. If I was in your situation I would maybe speak to your doctor and explain your worries to them seems a long time to wait but perhaps they think it's okay for now and just want to keep an eye on it for any changes in future, I'm not sure. I'm sure someone with more experience will post. 
If you do want to chat let me know, the worry is awful isn't it but try keep your mind occupied 
 

Claire x 

Thankyou so much for your reply claire i really appreciate it. Ive been having anxiety since i had it checked the waiting around has been terrible. Im sorry to hear you are experiencing the same as me :( has your mole changed since childhood? Feel free to inbox ke any questions or for a chit chat xxx

Hi Kayleigh , 

I know how you feel it's awful :-( would be good to talk with someone going through similar experience. 
if I'm honest- I don't think so, but I wear glasses now, but when I come out shower and put creams and things on I check over moles and it's always looked the same, it's always been dark anyway the other day I read a news article about moles on the news so I glanced at mine and then one on leg and cause I had glasses on I thought oh that isn't a perfect circle is it?! So I panicked and then decided to call docs about it and one on my shoulder got taken in and the gp asked if it had changed and I said I honestly couldn't tell you so she referred me :-( when I look at it with no glasses it looks the same and if it has changed I think might be very small. I'm so careful in the sun. Sorry think I just need to vent 

are you doing thing to keep your mind off and staying away from dr google? ( I'm struggling with that part and keep reaching for my phone!!) 

Im completely the same didnt really no if it had changed within the few months or whatever so they sent me straight to dermo ane they checked with the microscope and said he wanted to monitor the mole to see if it changed over the next few months i then asked does it look bad and would it need to be removed he said no but i wohld ike to monitor it and he put on my hospital papers it was an aytipical mole which is benine but looks funny. When is your appointment? And ive been trying to stau away from dr google but ive been finding it so hard honestly i keep googling and druvibg myself more crazy :( xx

Hi - sorry you are finding the waiting so hard.

If concerned because you think your mole is continuing to change a lot you can see your GP in the interim. But make sure it really is changing a lot with photos. October doesn't sound very far away. I'm seeing my GP again for monitoring around then too. Recently had some excisions but one growing back - and they biopsied so know it is atypical but said not high dysplasia for that one (positive margin) so wait and see before re-op. Might not be necessary. Policy is not to remove mildly atypical moles.

I've had quite a few moles be monitored - mostly they say do self-monitoring. But first time I got followed up for two years.

My biggest irregular, multi-coloured mole from childhood - at least 5cm (yes cm not mm) in diameter turned out to be benign despite growth and changes.

Another 4 excised were dysplastic. In the case of at least two of these I was initially told they were benign (not even atypical - mild atypical usually watch and see) but then they changed a lot more so I went back to GP (with clear photographic proof) and since they were so clearly changing and had become itchy plus significantly increased in size with greater colour change they were then taken out). Highly dysplastic but got in time.

Nothing that the hospital said to wait and monitor turned out to be melanoma.

I have a family history of melanoma.

I had everything from mild, moderate, severe dsyplasia - and the really big one that was changing from childhood was benign (the only benign one).

I know how you feel, but doctors should have had good look at with dermascope and decided changes did not merit biopsy now.

If you are really unhappy there is likely a private option - I did consider that option four years ago feeling as you do now - but it is expensive.

In the end I had one of the moles taken out four years later by NHS. Other one that I was especially worried about still there being monitored by GP!! Apparently what I think is worst mole is not what GPs/Consultants think is worst mole. I have lots of moles so really hard to monitor I find. 

Try not to worry.

Love Sunny xx

I'm still waiting to hear about my appointment, I seen the doctors on Wednesday & got referred, I'm hoping it's this week!! did you get a phone call or letter? .How big is your mole?

its very hard and I find anything on google points to worst cases majority of the time!! Doesn't help because I'm a natural worrier about absolutely everything so when things like this happen I go in to melt down xx

Hi Kayleigh,

Please try not to worry (I know it's easier said than done). Sadly, Covid is delaying post referral check ups - only 2 week referrals & biopsy/results appointments are sticking, mainly, to the usual waiting times.

Do you have an appointment for October? I know it seems a long way off but it's only a few weeks away. Perhaps ring the hospital and tell them that you are happy to take a last minute cancellation appointment if any come up (last minute can sometimes mean getting a phone call that morning to come in later on that day - it's happened twice to me). Otherwise, as Claire suggests, perhaps see your GP and say the stress is causing you great anxiety - they may be able to contact Dermatology and ask for an earlier appointment for you.

Atypical moles will be removed quickly if they look very dysplastic - the consultant obviously thinks yours is moderately dysplastic and there is no urgency to remove it unless it looks worse. As they have many patients awaiting suspected melanomas to be removed, it's their way of triaging patients so they can get the more 'obvious' cancerous moles removed quickly and then the moderate atypical moles will be removed. Not much consolation for you whilst worrying but that, and Covid, are the reasons for the delay. Perhaps try & look at it this way - patients with acute appendicitis get operated on first whilst those with a grumbling appendix are operated on months or years down the line when the appendix starts grumbling on a much more frequent basis! I hope that helps. Meanwhile, these few months wait won't make things worse with the mole, especially if you haven't noticed any change over that time. My niece has had several atypical moles removed in the past. One on her tummy, when she was pregnant, was monitored throughout her pregnancy & removed when her baby was 3 months old. It was benign.

Good luck, I hope you manage to get an earlier appointment. Please let us know how you get on,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient)

Hi Sunny, 

sorry to jump in here- just want to say it's nice to hear your journey thanks for sharing it does help put mind at ease hearing these types of stories cause everywhere else it seems to be so negative and scary. 
 

could I just ask, how fast did your changes come on? Was it very noticeable? the mole is getting checked has always been naturally dark and I'm not sure if it's changed I don't think it has but I couldn't tell doctor if it had and when she said I done the right thing by getting it checked and referred I went in to a bit of panic!! 
 

c 
 

You sound just like me im always going into meltdown mode abd thinking the absolute worst case scenario and yes google can be misleading but at the same time i cant stop worrying :( i got a letter and a phone call and was referred literally 2 days after showing the doctor my mole mine is a quite big mole is yours big or small? Xx 

I had a lot happening in my life.Forgot to do my regular checks for a year.

Felt sick when I realised they had changed a lot.Not a little. A lot.

But got in time. Hospital took out on the day then.  I do know how you feel. I felt sick waiting for results after I forgot to do the checks.

I don't know what changed when. I have too many moles to monitor easily. On the back can't see well.

So it's hard. I just try not to worry now. Got another one I hate. Definitely changed. But hospital and GP say not worrying change. It isn't just changing. It's what they see under dermascope. My GP is buying a new dermascope.

Lucky me!

Love Sunny xx