Skin cancer scare

[newmummie]

I'm having a panic attack as I type this. I developed a mole about 12 weeks ago (when I was 34 weeks pregnant) the pic I have of the mole when I first noticed it to now is a completely different looking mole. It's changed so much. I have an appt with the doctor tomorrow, I am so scared. I'm only 20. The change is quite frightening, I'm preparing myself for bad news, because I highly doubt this will have a positive outcome. There's red flags all around. I've seen some people say it's normal to develop moles or them changing during pregnancy, I'm hoping this is the case. I'm scared. Has anyone had a scare like this before? And it be nothing?

It can certainly be hormonal. I had one on my finger that grew out into a massive lump when I was pregnant. It had to be cut off as was protruding into my hand too much. Try not to worry and fingers crossed for you!

Thanks for letting me know you had a similar experience! Hopefully mines is just hormones. I'm trying not to worry but it's hard, I'm thinking the worst :(

Not a pregnancy mole, but I had a new one show up in my early 30's. A few months ago noticed it was a bit red and angry looking, told myself I'd had it forever and checked a couple of pics to confirm, but it turned out to not have been there the whole time and had in fact had shown up 3 years ago and grown and changed since then.

So it was new, changing, not at all uniform in colour/shape and red which all sound like big red flags. Had it biopsied and it was all fine. I know what's it's like, I was a totally fucking mess, but try and be calm. It's normal to have new moles appear in your 20s, especially with pregnancy

I'm so glad yours turned out to be nothing! It is quite scary. I seen the dr this morning, and I showed her the pic from when I first noticed it to now, and she said that yes it's changed a lot and quite fast too. She has referred me to a dermatologist to get it looked at but she did say 'deep in my heart, I don't think it's melanoma' so I'm HOPING. I'm trying to remain positive but it's hard. If the DR was more concerned would she of sent me straight to the hospital? I'm really scared

First port of call is 100% a dermatologist, they won't send you to the hospital for it (though the derm may be operating out of a hospital clinic).

Did she say how long you can expect to wait for an appointment?

When you see the derm they'll examine it with a special scope that magnifies the mole. They know what they're looking for so will either tell you to watch and wait and come back for another review, or will schedule for it to be removed and biopsied.

It's important to remember that a large percentage of biopsied moles come back as totally benign. It's also important to remember that even if you do have skin cancer, it is very very curable when caught in the early stages (and as you've been very vigilant anything will very likely have been caught early). I read stories about people with 50p sized cancers who had left them untreated for like, 5 years and they had a good prognosis.