› Forums › General Melanoma Community › I likely have melanoma. Dermatology appointment soon and financially vulnerable. What should I do to prepare?
- This topic has 9 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 7 months ago by
Janner.
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- July 8, 2013 at 6:52 pm
Hello all,I am not formally diagnosed with melanoma yet. Have my first dermatologist appointment coming up on July 18. Put off some odd spots for several months in denial and ignorance. Now that I know better, many spots look dysplatic, many larger than the width of an eraser. Worst I feel a lump near my groin around where the lymph nodes should be.I only technically have health insurance. A cheap kind which covers basically nothing beyond visits with a GP. 24, and living with mother and sister. Live in Massachusetts which has a public health program that gets a lot of praise, but from what I see is unavailable if you work and your employer offers insurance (which they're all required to now).Extremely disoriented. What can/should I do at the moment?My Head feels like it's in several places right now. Part's still adrift in disbelief. Another part's telling me I should rush to get some plans into place so at least some options are available.Another is trying to rationalize feelings of guilt. I actually used tanning beds. Heard murmurs of the risks instead payed attention to people downplaying them. I ignored some signs for several months in denial and in doing so just incubated the problem. Feel if I suffer it's justifiable. But this is going to place a burden on my already vulnerable family they did nothing to deserve. Haven't told anyone anything yet.
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- July 8, 2013 at 7:08 pm
Have any of your current spots CHANGED? It's possible to have atypical looking lesions that are NOT melanoma even if they have some of the ABCDs of melanoma. But if any of those lesions has shown change, those are the ones most likely to need a biopsy. Don't jump to conclusions here — you are looking for the ugly duckling. ONE lesion that is different from all others. If you have several spots that look similar, they're probably not melanoma.
It's good to see a dermatologist and good to learn that tanning beds aren't your friend. But don't jump to conclusions that you have melanoma. Take one step at a time. Monitor your body for CHANGE! And be sun smart!!!!
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- July 8, 2013 at 7:08 pm
Have any of your current spots CHANGED? It's possible to have atypical looking lesions that are NOT melanoma even if they have some of the ABCDs of melanoma. But if any of those lesions has shown change, those are the ones most likely to need a biopsy. Don't jump to conclusions here — you are looking for the ugly duckling. ONE lesion that is different from all others. If you have several spots that look similar, they're probably not melanoma.
It's good to see a dermatologist and good to learn that tanning beds aren't your friend. But don't jump to conclusions that you have melanoma. Take one step at a time. Monitor your body for CHANGE! And be sun smart!!!!
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- July 8, 2013 at 7:08 pm
Have any of your current spots CHANGED? It's possible to have atypical looking lesions that are NOT melanoma even if they have some of the ABCDs of melanoma. But if any of those lesions has shown change, those are the ones most likely to need a biopsy. Don't jump to conclusions here — you are looking for the ugly duckling. ONE lesion that is different from all others. If you have several spots that look similar, they're probably not melanoma.
It's good to see a dermatologist and good to learn that tanning beds aren't your friend. But don't jump to conclusions that you have melanoma. Take one step at a time. Monitor your body for CHANGE! And be sun smart!!!!
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- July 8, 2013 at 7:34 pm
They appeared after tanning. Kept my head in the sand for so long I didn't measure their progress till maybe 5 weeks back. Hard to tell if they've changed, But I read they grow gradually over months. Learned my grandfather also had melanoma and that there's some genetic predisposition to the disease. Think one area has started to itch.
Sorry if this sounds paranoid. It's just that for a long time I really knew Nothing about cancers. Thought nothing could be wrong till I felt pain.
I won't say I must have it. I just don't know what state I'll be in if I get bad news, so I thought it cannot hurt to be prepare for the worst. Have some plan to fall back on.
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- July 8, 2013 at 7:51 pm
Most melanoma is not considered genetic, so just because your grandfather had it doesn't mean you will. Yes, you might have the same skin types which give you a higher likelihood of sun damage, but don't jump to conclusions about genetics.
Take pictures of all your lesions that bother you. Then you have a baseline. Talk to the derm, but continue to monitor yourself. Check monthly. If you are noticing changes from the photos, it's time for a biopsy. Take the pictures in lighting you can duplicate and check your moles in that same lighting. Makes things a little easier to compare. I'd also put a ruler or some "scale" next to the mole when you take the photograph. Photographs take the imagination out of the equation and can help you decide between something truly suspicious and something that has been around a long time. I've had times I was certain something had changed. Pulled out my photographs and voila, the thing has always looked like that. Imagination can play with our minds, so the photographs help keep that in check.
Hang in there. Remember, you don't have melanoma until it has been diagnosed. And just because you have some moles you think are suspicious, it doesn't mean one of them has to be melanoma. It is good to see a derm. It is good to monitor your moles for change. It is good to practice sun safety. But pre-worry about a diagnosis you don't have never helped anyone! It's enough for the moment that you have an appointment schedule. Go from there and don't spend too much time researching anything else right now.
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- July 8, 2013 at 7:34 pm
They appeared after tanning. Kept my head in the sand for so long I didn't measure their progress till maybe 5 weeks back. Hard to tell if they've changed, But I read they grow gradually over months. Learned my grandfather also had melanoma and that there's some genetic predisposition to the disease. Think one area has started to itch.
Sorry if this sounds paranoid. It's just that for a long time I really knew Nothing about cancers. Thought nothing could be wrong till I felt pain.
I won't say I must have it. I just don't know what state I'll be in if I get bad news, so I thought it cannot hurt to be prepare for the worst. Have some plan to fall back on.
-
- July 8, 2013 at 7:34 pm
They appeared after tanning. Kept my head in the sand for so long I didn't measure their progress till maybe 5 weeks back. Hard to tell if they've changed, But I read they grow gradually over months. Learned my grandfather also had melanoma and that there's some genetic predisposition to the disease. Think one area has started to itch.
Sorry if this sounds paranoid. It's just that for a long time I really knew Nothing about cancers. Thought nothing could be wrong till I felt pain.
I won't say I must have it. I just don't know what state I'll be in if I get bad news, so I thought it cannot hurt to be prepare for the worst. Have some plan to fall back on.
-
- July 8, 2013 at 7:51 pm
Most melanoma is not considered genetic, so just because your grandfather had it doesn't mean you will. Yes, you might have the same skin types which give you a higher likelihood of sun damage, but don't jump to conclusions about genetics.
Take pictures of all your lesions that bother you. Then you have a baseline. Talk to the derm, but continue to monitor yourself. Check monthly. If you are noticing changes from the photos, it's time for a biopsy. Take the pictures in lighting you can duplicate and check your moles in that same lighting. Makes things a little easier to compare. I'd also put a ruler or some "scale" next to the mole when you take the photograph. Photographs take the imagination out of the equation and can help you decide between something truly suspicious and something that has been around a long time. I've had times I was certain something had changed. Pulled out my photographs and voila, the thing has always looked like that. Imagination can play with our minds, so the photographs help keep that in check.
Hang in there. Remember, you don't have melanoma until it has been diagnosed. And just because you have some moles you think are suspicious, it doesn't mean one of them has to be melanoma. It is good to see a derm. It is good to monitor your moles for change. It is good to practice sun safety. But pre-worry about a diagnosis you don't have never helped anyone! It's enough for the moment that you have an appointment schedule. Go from there and don't spend too much time researching anything else right now.
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- July 8, 2013 at 7:51 pm
Most melanoma is not considered genetic, so just because your grandfather had it doesn't mean you will. Yes, you might have the same skin types which give you a higher likelihood of sun damage, but don't jump to conclusions about genetics.
Take pictures of all your lesions that bother you. Then you have a baseline. Talk to the derm, but continue to monitor yourself. Check monthly. If you are noticing changes from the photos, it's time for a biopsy. Take the pictures in lighting you can duplicate and check your moles in that same lighting. Makes things a little easier to compare. I'd also put a ruler or some "scale" next to the mole when you take the photograph. Photographs take the imagination out of the equation and can help you decide between something truly suspicious and something that has been around a long time. I've had times I was certain something had changed. Pulled out my photographs and voila, the thing has always looked like that. Imagination can play with our minds, so the photographs help keep that in check.
Hang in there. Remember, you don't have melanoma until it has been diagnosed. And just because you have some moles you think are suspicious, it doesn't mean one of them has to be melanoma. It is good to see a derm. It is good to monitor your moles for change. It is good to practice sun safety. But pre-worry about a diagnosis you don't have never helped anyone! It's enough for the moment that you have an appointment schedule. Go from there and don't spend too much time researching anything else right now.
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