Dark mole appeared on sole of foot - anyone else had this!

[bookworm1982]

Hello, just noticed it today. I don't know when it appeared but was definitely not there a year ago. Has anyone had this happen and it turn out to be normal? I've booked in to see doc tomorrow but I'm so sick with worry I could actually vomit. Could send a pic if it helps?

Looking for reassurance!! Thank you!

I have had two mole like lesions appear over the last year. They grew huge. I got both checked. One was a Seborrheic keratoses, which was benign and I got it removed privately and the second one, the GP thinks is also a benign Dermatofibroma, but I have an appointment with a dermatologist later this month.

Try not to worry ( I know easier said than done). Its great that you are getting it checked. Insist on seeing a dermatologist. Don't do anything to it until you have a diagnosis.

@mommydragonn

I have had two mole like lesions appear over the last year. They grew huge. I got both checked. One was a Seborrheic keratoses, which was benign and I got it removed privately and the second one, the GP thinks is also a benign Dermatofibroma, but I have an appointment with a dermatologist later this month.

I have a seborrheic keratosis under my boob which I got checked out once. It was benign. But it's seriously ugly!!

@mommydragonn

Try not to worry ( I know easier said than done). Its great that you are getting it checked. Insist on seeing a dermatologist. Don't do anything to it until you have a diagnosis.

Thank you. I'm slowing starting to get a grip

Hi @bookworm1982 just checking in to see how you are, have you had your appointment through yet? Xx

Hello. So I had call from the hospital today which I was absolutely gutted to miss, but they left me a voicemail saying an appointment had been made for me to see a dermatologist on the 17th Jan!!! That's so far away, it'll be six weeks since I found the mole by then. Anyone else experienced this even though they were on the two week cancer referral? I don't get it - I mean, if it is a melanoma then don't they develop really quickly? I'm so gutted that I have to wait this long. (I know it isn't exactly 'long' but it is when I expected to be seen in two weeks). Xxxx

@WiltedDaffs

Hi OP. Mind if I join you? I noticed a little brown dot on the end of my toe earlier this year. Then at the weekend I realised it’s got bigger and isn’t symmetrical anymore…sort of looks like someone’s drawn a line through it!

Sent pictures to the GP through their online consultation thing yesterday. They called me up and booked me in for a face to face appt first thing this morning.

However, whilst the doc looked, he couldn’t really tell me anything I didn’t already know (it’s new, bigger and not symmetrical). I’ve been referred to dermatology under the two week cancer pathway so I’m just waiting like you now.

I’m trying not to worry until a doctor tells me I have something to worry about! Easier said than done, though I have had practice at this as I’ve had a dodgy looking mole before. That one had everything wrong looking about it…non-symmetrical, different heights, different colours, large size, was hard to tell due to location but I thought it’d got bigger over time too. Had it checked a couple times by dermatologists and they always said it was fine despite it looking so strange, an atypical mole but benign. Used to freak me out though so I had it removed privately and they sent it for testing and it really was benign. So you can get odd looking ones and they turn out to be totally fine. Still right to get it checked though, the dermatologist will be able to tell you more.

Have you heard anything yet? Xxx

Do you have healthcare, and if so could you go private to been seen faster?

@Randommother

Do you have healthcare, and if so could you go private to been seen faster?

I do have private healthcare and I was covered for this, but the wait to see a dermatologist privately was end of Jan! They told me it was quicker to go via the NHS for the two week cancer referral.

I’d be begging to be seen quicker. That’s such a long wait.

And not because it’s likely to be cancer, but because as you acknowledge, you have extreme anxiety over this.

@DillDanding

I’d be begging to be seen quicker. That’s such a long wait.

And not because it’s likely to be cancer, but because as you acknowledge, you have extreme anxiety over this.

I agree. I'll be calling them on Monday xxx

@islamann

Thank you. Have you seen ones like mine that haven't turned out to be skin cancer? Or am I looking at bad news? If it is skin cancer, does it look like it's at an early stage? Xx Yes I have seen plenty which are not cancerous that look the same as yours. Equally though I've seen many that look innocent but aren't. There's no way of being absolutely certain without examination under microscope however hence my advice of getting it removed.

Hello again, I just wondered,as a skin cancer nurse, what your thoughts are on me having to wait until 17th Jan for my appointment? Is that too long? If I do have skin cancer would waiting this long cause more harm or not make too much difference? Thank you so much for helping me xxxx

The hospital called me the day after I saw my GP; asked if I knew I had an appointment on the 7th. I said no, no one had told me anything and they said that an appointment was made then cancelled, I may get a letter about it and to ignore it if I do.

I got the letter the next day but I’m supposed to ignore it because they said that appointment was with dermatology but they’re passing me onto the plastics dept. Apparently they’re the ones who deal with things in tricky places. I think she said something like “they just take them off” and, given that and them passing me onto plastics, I think they might be planning to remove it.

Anyway, she said I’d get another appointment letter sent to me. That was last Wednesday and I’ve not received anything yet. I keep checking my NHS app, hoping I’d see an appointment in there, but that just says I don’t have any outstanding referrals! Wondering if I should phone up but don’t know who to call.

@bookworm1982 I thought I’d pop back in to suggest a couple of things you can do in the meantime. One would be to try and get your eyes checked and make sure when you do that they check your eye pressures and scan the inside of your retinas. See if you can get a copy. You can give that to your derm.
Also, a few days prior to your appointment, try and ensure that you have no nail polish or fake nails on any digits. They should inspect your nails and nail beds thoroughly. (And between toes. Hope you’re not too ticklish!!!) Easy to remove shoes and socks also advisable.
Take a hairbrush and bobbles, etc to re-do hair. You’re going to feel picked over as they should check your scalp.
Compile a list of all meds and dosages on your phone (including supplements.) take with.
Same with skincare.

[quote Justilou1]@bookworm1982 I thought I’d pop back in to suggest a couple of things you can do in the meantime. One would be to try and get your eyes checked and make sure when you do that they check your eye pressures and scan the inside of your retinas. See if you can get a copy. You can give that to your derm.
Also, a few days prior to your appointment, try and ensure that you have no nail polish or fake nails on any digits. They should inspect your nails and nail beds thoroughly. (And between toes. Hope you’re not too ticklish!!!) Easy to remove shoes and socks also advisable.
Take a hairbrush and bobbles, etc to re-do hair. You’re going to feel picked over as they should check your scalp.
Compile a list of all meds and dosages on your phone (including supplements.) take with.
Same with skincare.[/quote]
Thank you for these suggestions. By appointment is tomorrow. Can I ask what the reason for the eye test is though? Xx

@WiltedDaffs

The hospital called me the day after I saw my GP; asked if I knew I had an appointment on the 7th. I said no, no one had told me anything and they said that an appointment was made then cancelled, I may get a letter about it and to ignore it if I do.

I got the letter the next day but I’m supposed to ignore it because they said that appointment was with dermatology but they’re passing me onto the plastics dept. Apparently they’re the ones who deal with things in tricky places. I think she said something like “they just take them off” and, given that and them passing me onto plastics, I think they might be planning to remove it.

Anyway, she said I’d get another appointment letter sent to me. That was last Wednesday and I’ve not received anything yet. I keep checking my NHS app, hoping I’d see an appointment in there, but that just says I don’t have any outstanding referrals! Wondering if I should phone up but don’t know who to call.

I can't get in with NHS anytime before 17th jan so I'm now seeing a private dermatologist in London tomorrow. I'm so fucking nervous! X

Wow, that’s such a long wait. Good you got a private appointment though. I had one removed privately; they looked at it in first appointment, removed it a week later and got test results two weeks after that. Super quick.

Hospital called me again and I’ve now got an appointment for Sunday. It’s with plastics. I’ve no idea if they’ll be able to look at it and tell if it’s ok or not like the dermatologists seem to be able to do. I wonder if dermatology saw the photos I sent to GP, decided it might be dodgy and sent me straight to the people who can remove it.

@bookworm1982 - if your mole does turn out to be a melanoma (v. Highly unlikely), often the ones on feet, and under fingernails and toenails in particular, are related to ocular melanoma. (Melanoma of the eyeball.) It’s a sneaky one because it often begins on the retina.
In Aus, when we have very thorough eye screening as well as the skin checks. If a melanoma is found, it is often suggested that people get their eyes checked to rule that out as a primary cause.

@WiltedDaffs

Wow, that’s such a long wait. Good you got a private appointment though. I had one removed privately; they looked at it in first appointment, removed it a week later and got test results two weeks after that. Super quick.

Hospital called me again and I’ve now got an appointment for Sunday. It’s with plastics. I’ve no idea if they’ll be able to look at it and tell if it’s ok or not like the dermatologists seem to be able to do. I wonder if dermatology saw the photos I sent to GP, decided it might be dodgy and sent me straight to the people who can remove it.

I've just been seen by literally the nicest doctor I've even met! I actually wanted to cuddle her before I left So it's a blood blister but there is something underneath the blood which she can't see under the microscope so it definitely needs to come out. She said it doesn't scream melonoma at her, but still unsure at this stage. So whatever the little fucker is, it's got to go Biopsy booked for next Thursday xxx

[quote Justilou1]@bookworm1982 - if your mole does turn out to be a melanoma (v. Highly unlikely), often the ones on feet, and under fingernails and toenails in particular, are related to ocular melanoma. (Melanoma of the eyeball.) It’s a sneaky one because it often begins on the retina.
In Aus, when we have very thorough eye screening as well as the skin checks. If a melanoma is found, it is often suggested that people get their eyes checked to rule that out as a primary cause.[/quote]
Thank you. That I didn't know any of that xx

Seriously think you’re putting the cart before the horse anyway… I’m assuming you live in the uk and haven’t spent your life lying face down on the sand with your feet facing up.

*Saw your blood blister news. Let’s hope it’s something innocuous like a splinter that’s been rubbing.

@Justilou1

Seriously think you’re putting the cart before the horse anyway… I’m assuming you live in the uk and haven’t spent your life lying face down on the sand with your feet facing up.

No but I went on a lot of sun beds in my twenties. A lot

Rightio… there you go now! Sunbeds are pretty evil. I used to work with a lot of really young women who used them. They all had crepey decolletés & necks and I knew that it would never be for me!

@Justilou1

Rightio… there you go now! Sunbeds are pretty evil. I used to work with a lot of really young women who used them. They all had crepey decolletés & necks and I knew that it would never be for me!

They are the worst. But this was almost twenty years ago and I had no idea how bad they were ☹️