Worried about an existing mole. May or may not be trauma.

Male 38yo

I have a 5mm raised common mole just above my left foot which has been there at least a decade. Last month when I got out of the shower I noticed it was bleeding. My skin around the area was extremely dry and tight and both feet had been itching profusely (I suspect because I'd been wearing socks in bed and they got really dry).  I had been scratching my foot to the point I caused some lesions that had previously been bleeding. 

Armed with this background info and a photo, my GP said it's probably just trauma but he'll book me a face to face appointment and if it looks normal before then, just cancel the appointment. This took 7 days but finally looked normal the day before my appointment so I cancelled (hopefully not something that will cost me my life), and breathed a sigh of relief. 
 

a few days later (about 3 weeks ago) I noticed on glancing at it that my mole looked somewhat redder and darker than before. If I press on it, it blanches (looks normal colour) then I release and a few seconds later it goes darker/redder again, indicating vascularity (some Googling on this makes me concerned it's blood vessels feeding something nasty).   Furthermore, in about the same time as it bled maybe a week or two earlier I started noticing a weird discomfort in my left groin or testicle area, I can't quite tell which. I can't feel any bumps where the lymph nodes are but it just feels odd, like a very dull ache - gentlemen, sort of like if an hour ago someone punched you down there and the pain has almost gone away, or say if you kind of squashed one of them.  Stupidly I didn't mention this at the time. Testicle itself feels fine.  This has me terrified that it's a melanoma that has already spread to my lymph nodes. 

Today I used an app called SkinVision and it says it's high risk and their faq says 1/3 true positive rate. And now I'm absolutely terrified!  Made another phone appointment but it's not until the 16th of April.  

Also the skin surface on the mole is very shiny/smooth/reflective. I don't know if just because it's newish skin, or another sign. 
 

what are the chances that it is still trauma and just still healing even after a month?  Is it normal for a mole to blanch like, ever, if it's not cancer?

 

Reading that a pop star my age is terminal didn't do my anxiety any favours. 
 

also how do you deal with the wait?  I'm thinking about it constantly, feeling depressed over it, trying not to get too close to people I may otherwise have an interest in as I don't want them to get attached to me only for me to die, etc. 

  • Thanks as always for your valued input!

    for what it's worth the feeling has returned, I felt a little stinging accompanied by a tiny bit of fresh blood under the dressing (oops - probably disturbed it slightly getting out of bed) so yeah the numbness has gone at least and I must just have longer reactions to local anaesthetic.

    Sat here at work (office job) with my leg on a spare chair ready to explain to management why I'm sat with my feet up lol.  Hopefully that helps as I'm supposed to take the dressing off after 48 hours to let it breathe.

     

  • Still awaiting results (meanwhile had an infection in the incision where it was removed but this is clearing up now with penicillin.  It looks like it dehisced a fair bit.)

    Worryingly I just received a letter saying the NHS is under great strain due to COVID-19 and that an Outpatient appointment I'm waiting for (wait, what?!) doesn't have a date yet and all appointments are experiencing a 6 month delay etc... it does say "Some patients have now received their appointment so if you have received yours, please disregard this letter" - but I'm confused as I wasn't aware I was awaiting an appointment and surely they wouldn't send this letter for an appointment I already had over a month ago!

    Maybe it's for an unrelated ultrasound I was referred for by my GP in Feb 2020 that never materialised... (I was worried by a discomfort above my waist but frankly at this point I think it was just a phenomenon known as "getting fat" so I didn't chase it up and figured it was probably cancelled)

    Or maybe it's because they want to discuss my biopsy results (not a good thing, as I was told they'd only do that if there are concerns, otherwise I'd just receive a letter) and I've received this automatic letter before they've had a chance to book it with me :/

    Doesn't do my anxiety much good seeing a letter like this when the phone lines closed at 16:30 so I can't phone them to clarify what the appointment was actually for...

  • It sounds like a standard letter that their central booking department are sending out to everyone who is at some point awaiting an outpatient appointment (whether it be face to face or by telephone). 

    As you are 5 weeks post op I would ring the consultant's secretary today, ask if the results are back yet & are they connected to the confusing letter you have received? Hopefully they will give you some indication of how & when you will hear from them with the results.Crossing fingers for you,

    Angie

  • The results are finally in!

    Benign compound mole with no sign of any worrisome change.  Phew!! 
     

    Also the incision finally healed after 9 weeks.  Mostly cleared up after antibiotics but was still struggling to heal in the middle where it had dehisced a fair bit.  Applied an inadine dressing I sourced myself and it was healed in 2 days :)

    No idea what the other letter was but it said you might have had your appointment already so *shrug*

  • So glad to hear it was a benign mole. You've gone through a lot and have the scar to prove it but you can now breathe that sigh of relief and get on with normal life xx

  • Thanks for all your support, helped keep me sane during the (lengthy due to Covid) wait!