Hi Lou,

I'm sorry you are going through this worrying time and I hope I can help calm your worries a little. 

It's good that your GP has referred you because the dermatologist is the expert, no matter what the GP thinks. 75% of people referred are given a clean bill of health, either after examination at the referral appointment or after an excision biopsy. Of the 25% that don't, some will be diagnosed with a dysplastic (atypical) mole. These are benign moles that look dodgy but if left in situ they can turn cancerous so they need removing. So, as you can see, an urgent referral doesn't always mean it turns out to be cancer.

Don't beat yourself up about not noticing it before - with a young family to deal with and the fact it's faded and returned would make it difficult to keep track of. The good thing is that you had it checked out once before and it was fine then. Pregnancy and the hormonal changes can cause new moles or changes to existing ones so it might be that your mole is now dysplastic. 

Whatever the outcome, treatment is much better these days so don't think it's a fine deal. Also, going private at the moment may not be as speedy at the moment. During Covid they haven't been operating as the NHS have been using their facilities and they still aren't back up to full operation but certainly make enquiries if you feel it will help.

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

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient)