Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to go to the GP about this mole? (Pic warning). DM seems to think so...

38 replies

TheOrchardKeeper · 15/06/2015 08:59

Drew a line through it to look at symetry etc.

I feel like i've been a bit crap about it as I've had the mole for years but thought the reason it wasn't neat/round anymore and the colour had spread/'bled' outwards and gone patchy was because I'd gotten pregnant and it's on my lower left abdomen.

Then I saw some thing in passing on TV about checking moles, especially with family history/lots of moles/fair skin (I have all three, lucky me Grin Hmm ).

Would it be stupid to bother the GP if I have no other symptoms. I always think better safe than sorry but I don't want to waste anyone's time or be told off either!

to go to the GP about this mole? (Pic warning). DM seems to think so...
OP posts:
yougotafastcar · 15/06/2015 09:01

Ooh I have one similar next to my belly button and have been wondering the same thing but I can't remember what it looked like before I got pregnant/gave birth!

Sorry that's no help for you though!

BarbarianMum · 15/06/2015 09:03

No, it is never stupid to check. It takes a GP a few seconds to look and say 'no that's fine'.

Moles do change through life so it's unlikely to be anything sinister. Nevertheless, there is no harm in being sure.

LadyNym · 15/06/2015 09:04

Get it checked. I went to get one checked once at DH's insistence, even though I didn't think it had changed. It was fine (in fact the GP said it wasn't a mole but something else and having read some article a year or so ago I wonder if it's actually a very small third nipple) but the GP said I was right to go if I was worried.

kslatts · 15/06/2015 09:04

It's probably nothing to worry about, but YANBU getting it checked.

Strawberryshakes · 15/06/2015 09:05

Not stupid just go. You wouldn't get told off at all but I would still rather be told off than miss something important I'm a hypochondriac. Looks okay to me though? (Not a medical professional whatsoever!)

Original poster
TheOrchardKeeper · 15/06/2015 09:07

Thanks. Yeah I'm sure it's just an age/skin changing thing but it was very neat, dark and small before (but I was neat and small too Grin ) and that's the only thing I wasn't sure about, plus my Gran had melenoma on her legs. (Which I actually totally forgot about as it was years ago/I was very young and it was caught very early etc).

OP posts:
museumum · 15/06/2015 09:07

No. All changes should be checked. My mum had. Melanoma removed when I was young. It looked a bit like yours but bigger. Melanoma is one of the easiest treated cancers - my mum had a small op but no other treatment. So best catch anything early.

PurpleDaisies · 15/06/2015 09:07

Pregnancy can make your moles change. It is usually nothing sinister about but get it checked if you are worried. The GP won't mind-that's their job!

Ignore your DM. You don't have to tell her you're going to go to the doctor.

Jackiebrambles · 15/06/2015 09:08

It's never stupid/time wasting to check.

I had one on my back under my bra strap and it seemed to get a bit bigger when I was pregnant so I went to gp. She was great and v kind, told me it was good I came.

She referred me to a dermatologist doc (there's probably a more technical word!) and she checked it very thoroughly and again said i was right to come. It was nothing to be concerned about and just an age thing :-/

Original poster
TheOrchardKeeper · 15/06/2015 09:10

I'm pretty young if that makes a difference. Mid 20s.

Yeah I only told her in passing and she went on a rant about how stretched the NHS is etc. It's not like i'm going to A&E for it!! Family... Hmm

OP posts:
NobodyLivesHere · 15/06/2015 09:11

It's never ever stupid to get any kind of mole/lump/change in bowel movement checked.

NobodyLivesHere · 15/06/2015 09:12

I had a friend who died of melanoma when she was 17. It's unusual but it happens. Ateotd a quick check up costs less than cancer treatment.

Jackiebrambles · 15/06/2015 09:15

It will be 10 mins of your gps time, well worth it for piece of mind.

Original poster
TheOrchardKeeper · 15/06/2015 09:16

It used to look like this but a bit smaller.

Thanks for the replies. I don't feel like i'm being daft now at least.

to go to the GP about this mole? (Pic warning). DM seems to think so...
OP posts:
magimedi · 15/06/2015 09:19

I had a mole checked by my GP last week - it's actually a wart!!! (on my back so hard to see properly). He said that he checks loads of moles that are OK every week & is more than happy to do so.

Off you go, OP.

PsychologicalSaline · 15/06/2015 09:21

Definitely get it checked. I had two moles that changed and turned asymmetrical with blurring at the edges but it took me awhile to make the decision to see my GP about it as I thought I would be time-wasting too. GP referred me to dermatology and I had them both removed by excision quite swiftly. Lab results showed early signs of abnormal cell growth. If the mole turn out not to be of concern at the moment that is great but I would take a photo and check it regularly.

Original poster
TheOrchardKeeper · 15/06/2015 09:24

Sorry to hear that but it's good they sorted it.

I will do. It's promted me to keep an eye out on other ones (I'm covered) which is never a bad thing I guess.

OP posts:
SnotQueen · 15/06/2015 09:25

Go get it checked. I went with a concern about one mole and they said it was fine but lobbed off the one next to it! That was fine too but I'm glad I went.
Round here (new place to me) you get referred to dermatology where you can only have that one mole examined and no other. Seems a bit daft.

iHAVEtogetoutofhere · 15/06/2015 09:31

Get it checked.
I have a good friend who had malignant melanoma last year, despite never going in the sun and leading a super healthy quiet life.
It can happen.

I went with a mole last year. It had got big and crusty (yum!).
They lopped it off. It was benign but the GP thought it needed checking.
Your skin is the biggest organ of your body. It needs taking care of.

Original poster
TheOrchardKeeper · 15/06/2015 09:34

Oo that sounds painful iHave.

I've made an appnt but it won't be til next week. That's quick for my surgery too.

OP posts:
Skiptonlass · 15/06/2015 09:37

It's never, ever wasteful or frivolous to check a mole. Please go and get it looked at.

ValancyJane · 15/06/2015 09:37

Get it checked - I had one that looked like a textbook dodgy mole (jagged edged, different pigmentation etc) and stupidly put off going to the doctors for longer than I should have. GP referred me immediately to get it taken off - I was lucky that the tests came back absolutely fine, I should have gone much sooner than I did.

(My point here is, that sometimes it's nothing to worry about, but still worth getting it looked at!)

Original poster
TheOrchardKeeper · 15/06/2015 09:53

I'll stick to the appnt Smile

I'm sure it's just a stretchy-skin issue but like everyone says, better to be safe than sorry!

OP posts:
Cherryblossomsinspring · 15/06/2015 10:30

Definitely, go to the GP and ask them to do a full check of all your moles. Its always good to have them looked at and many tend to be on backs and locations you wouldn't notice or can't see well so just get them all checked every few years. Your DP is unreasonable not to want you to get them checked!

BlackeyedSusan · 15/06/2015 10:34

definitely get it checked. better safe than sorry.