Hi Amber,

I'm sorry you are having this worry & have had to chase up your excision appointment. It doesn't help when you are already under stress.

Before I say anything else I must say - don't Google. The information isn't up to date & it focuses on worst scenarios. Nowhere does it tell you that 75% of patients referred to dermatology are given a clean bill of health, which means that many people have mole excision biopsies that come back clear.

I can't comment on the blue-white dots as I have no personal experience of this - my mole just turned black. However, don't worry to much about the dryness & the elevated level of the mole - these features aren't as important as the the size, colour & shape. 

It could well be that your mole is dysplastic - these moles look particularly dodgy but are benign. However, left in situ they have the ability to turn cancerous in the future so, either way, it's good that your mole is being removed.

As for the location of your mole - until they start to make the excision around the mole they won't know how deep they need to go. The size of the mole on the skin doesn't always equate to the depth of the mole under the skin (a bit like a tree - you don't know how deep the roots go). They need to ensure that they remove tissue a little deeper than the roots of the mole & a little wider around it's circumference so sometimes the wound may be a little larger than first expected. 

I had my mole removed from the front of my shin where there is very little flesh & mainly bone. They thought I may need a skin graft because of this but they managed to do it without in the end. If they thought that the area of your mole was problematic they would have mentioned the possibility of a skin graft - not mentioning this means they are happy they can do a normal excision. Mine didn't cause me anymore pain than the other 6 excisions I've had over the years - another on the shin, the back of my leg, the sole of my foot, between my shoulder blades, my shoulder and on my breast. The sole of the foot was the most painful & that was the local needle rather than the actual excision! You will be given a local which will wear off a few hours later. You will be told to take painkillers (paracetamol & ibufofen) if needed and to rest with your leg elevated, at least for the first 24 hours. It really won't be too painful.

Good luck. I hope you get your appointment & results through quickly. Please let us know how you get on,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient) 

Hi Amber,

I'm sorry you are having this worry & have had to chase up your excision appointment. It doesn't help when you are already under stress.

Before I say anything else I must say - don't Google. The information isn't up to date & it focuses on worst scenarios. Nowhere does it tell you that 75% of patients referred to dermatology are given a clean bill of health, which means that many people have mole excision biopsies that come back clear.

I can't comment on the blue-white dots as I have no personal experience of this - my mole just turned black. However, don't worry to much about the dryness & the elevated level of the mole - these features aren't as important as the the size, colour & shape. 

It could well be that your mole is dysplastic - these moles look particularly dodgy but are benign. However, left in situ they have the ability to turn cancerous in the future so, either way, it's good that your mole is being removed.

As for the location of your mole - until they start to make the excision around the mole they won't know how deep they need to go. The size of the mole on the skin doesn't always equate to the depth of the mole under the skin (a bit like a tree - you don't know how deep the roots go). They need to ensure that they remove tissue a little deeper than the roots of the mole & a little wider around it's circumference so sometimes the wound may be a little larger than first expected. 

I had my mole removed from the front of my shin where there is very little flesh & mainly bone. They thought I may need a skin graft because of this but they managed to do it without in the end. If they thought that the area of your mole was problematic they would have mentioned the possibility of a skin graft - not mentioning this means they are happy they can do a normal excision. Mine didn't cause me anymore pain than the other 6 excisions I've had over the years - another on the shin, the back of my leg, the sole of my foot, between my shoulder blades, my shoulder and on my breast. The sole of the foot was the most painful & that was the local needle rather than the actual excision! You will be given a local which will wear off a few hours later. You will be told to take painkillers (paracetamol & ibufofen) if needed and to rest with your leg elevated, at least for the first 24 hours. It really won't be too painful.

Good luck. I hope you get your appointment & results through quickly. Please let us know how you get on,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient) 

Hi Angie, 

Hope you're well. Thank you for your speedy reply! 

Im sorry that you have experienced all of this, but am very grateful that you have shared this with me, it has made me feel much less anxious about the location of my mole and upcoming excision! 

The lady on the phone yesterday said that they are trying to get a surgeon to do another theatre list and I am at the top of the waiting list, so hopefully I will know sooner rather than later! I will update this thread at each stage that I know anything. I know googling is unhealthy, however I know how easy it is to find yourself hours deep into google without even realising. And so hopefully when people do google, this thread may be of assistance, whatever the outcome! 

Best Wishes,

Amber 

Hi, a quick update for anyone in a similar position. I had my excision today and truly it was one of the most least painful experiences of my life. A slight nip when they injected the anesthetic and that was the only minor discomfort! I felt a fair bruised feeling an hour or so later and so took some paracetamol and following this i have felt a few occasions of very slight discomfort but thats all. 

Foolishly I did not ask when or how I should hear about the results, so now its just a waiting game. I was fairly nervous about the procedure, especially the fact that I had to attend alone so didnt have anyone to take my mind of it, but truly the staff were great and the procedure was quick and almost painless! 

Ill post about my results when I hear, either way! 

Best wishes to all,

Amber

Hi Amber,

I'm glad to hear it was a fairly painless experience and that you are now recovering. I would suggest that, if you haven't had a phone call or a letter in 3 weeks time that you contact the consultant's secretary & ask if they can give you an idea when & how you will receive your results. Most hospitals at the moment are averaging a 4 week wait to give results so hopefully you won't be waiting too long.

Good luck & I look forward to hearing from you with your results,

Angie