suspicious mole now awaiting referral

[twolinesplease]

Just wondering if anybody else has had any experience at dermatology for a skin mole? I've got to admit I'm bricking it
It's been there for as long as I can remember but in the past couple of months it's gotten darker, raised, hard and occasionally itchy. GP said referral wasn't urgent which pacified me momentarily now I wish it was and I could hurry up and get it sorted.
Heeeellpp!! Hand holding required please.

Mum I am in your shoes now. Got a fast growing mole on my chest that itches like crazy and changed colour.
I am being fast tracked as both my parents have had skin cancer and my Aunt died of malignant melanoma aged 27 so I will be seen in 2 weeks.
Looking online last night I actually think mine is Seborrheic Keratoses and is probably nothing but it's better to get it checked out.
Please don't worry. I know it's hard not to but the overwhelming majority of moles turn out to be absolutely nothing.

Hi, thanks for your reply. Hopefully you get seen quick but i imagine you wont have to wait too long given you family history Its the waiting around thats making me miserable its already been a week of worry just waiting to see my gp, hopefully i get an appointment soon.... This is affecting my mental health and also my kids are now picking up on my anxiousness xxx

Mumto2boys1984 I said this upthread but it's worth saying again:

• Most moles aren't skin cancer.
• Even if it is a type of skin cancer, most skin cancer isn't melanoma. Non-melanoma cancers rarely spread or become in any way life threatening.
• Most melanoma is caught at an early stage meaning that surgery is the only necessary treatment and outcomes are good.

Please try not to worry. It's easy to leap ahead and convince yourself that you're in the tiny minority of people with suspicious moles that have advanced melanoma - but it really is very, very unlikely (but still worth getting checked out obviously). Even if the worst did happen and it's melanoma, your foot is just about the best place to get it because it's so far from any lymph nodes that the chance of it having spread are greatly reduced.

Thanks mackerel for taking the time to reply and to ease my worry - really appreciated! I'm so far today, ok and trying to be rashional and keep busy thanks for your posts xx

Well i'm back again! Its been a week since my referral which was supposed to be urgent and still not even a letter with my appointment. Ive been doing fine last few days, actually forgot about it as my hubby bought us a puppy so we've been busy but the last day or so ive started to get really anxious again. Im literally convinced ive had this mole for 8 years while i was last pregnant and i just cant remember if it was like this! I cant remember - also downloaded this skin vision app, which is supposed to be like the dermascope. Shows high risk and shows chaotic growth. Im just sooo down about this. Xx

Boots offer a mole scanning service if you want to get it checked quickly. They have some sort of scope device that scans the mole for abnormalities. It's all on the Boots website ,look under Book an Appointment, Boots Pharmacy.

Unfortunately this isnt available in scotland.

Well i'm back!! Has been fair few weeks and still no appointment! I phoned referral management to see if i've been given an appointment yet or if one has been sent out. Was told that there is currently a 12 week waiting list for dermatology! But i was urgent, wasnt i!? Was told no. So i waited another week, 2 weeks who's counting?? Phoned referal management again. Ive been put on the routine waiting list! At gp's request. Tottally shocked at this. He saud he'll get me an yrgent appointment. Anyway i've booked another appointment for thursday to see my regular gp - hopefully he can clarify or fast track to give me piece of mind. Going crazy waiting!!

Hi again.... well i seen the nurse not the doctor back at my gps office. She arranged for me to get the lesion photographed the next day because i was pretty anxious. That was on the 9th of september. Got my letter yesterday for my appointment on the 16th November!! Ive been on the waiting list for 16 weeks by the time i actually get seen! Its a nervous 9 days wait....

Well here iam again!! Waiting on my biopsy results which im told will be around 6 weeks time - great! Just in time for christmas too☹️️ Well im full of confidence as first derm i seen was very reassuring and said she saw notjing sinister/nasty through the dermascope but best to remove it as its quite different to anything else on my body. Went yesterday to have it removed and the other doc seemed a bit worried about it when i adked although she volunteered nothing. Its been 5 months to get to the stage and probably 6 by the time i get my results.... sooo fed up!!