Newly diagnosed and paranoid

[Alliecat3]

Hi, my name is allie and I'm 23 years old. I was diagnosed with melanoma about a year ago on my upper shin, stage 1a. I had it removed with surgery and everything came back clear but it's still all that I think about. I have a lot of moles on my body and have had around 10 biopsies throughout the past year during skin checks since my diagnosis with more than half of them coming back to some degree abnormal. My oncologist said he thinks I may have dysplastic Nevis syndrome because of the amount of abnormal moles I have. I'm mostly just worried about not knowing if there is another melanoma on my body that my doctors could be missing or the thought of 10 years down the line from now finding out I have another one at a much later stage this time. I don't want to live my life in fear but I just want to be as proactive as I possibly can to be able to find another if it should occur. I really don't even know what my chances are of developing another one or how worried I should be. I do know that I want to live a very long life and this diagnosis at such a young age has made me really scared for my future. Any advice at all or words to put me at ease would be really appreciated!

[Haleyjean22]

Hey Allie!!! My name is Haley and I had my first melanoma at age 29, last year, and it was the earliest staging. It was removed off my should and got clear margins. I also have had many biopsies this past year to remove ‘odd’ looking moles. Out of the 20ish removed, over 15 have been severely dysplastic. I took pictures of everything on my body and did follow up pictures every month or so. In October I saw one on my forehead that looked a little different, but not bad. In December I decided I wanted it off. My dermatologist cut it off and sure enough it was another early melanoma. I had a PET scan this Monday that came back with good results. My blood work is a little off, but going to visit the oncologist tomorrow about that, but I understand your fear. All I can tell you is to stay on top of it. It is your life. Do testing and push for things if you feel it is necessary. Take pictures and look for changes so you can catch things early. And cut out sugar, that was the main thing my oncologist told me. If you do happen to get melanoma, cancer attaches to sugar and that’s how it grows and spreads. Less sugar means slower growth. Good luck and prayers for comfort for you. Let me know if you need anything or have any questions!!!

[dbforever]

Hey Allie! You know, I’m in your same boat. Have over 100 moles, and of the ones that have been biopsied most have at least slightly dysplastic. As I’ve now had two melanoma in situs and just turned 30, I had a genetic panel done to see if I have a gene mutation, and I don’t, so I know it’s largely environmental. My advice to you, and what has helped me immensely, is to make sure your dermatologist is ACTUALLY thorough, doesn’t just scan over things quickly. Another thing that has been impactful is a few years back I had mole mapping done, where a dermatologist photographer took photos of my whole body, and I bring the photos to every appointment to compare my skin now to my skin in 2014 when the photos were taken. If you have this many moles you should absolutely do it! I also totally stopped going to a dermatologist that does anything cosmetic, I go to the University of Washington which is purely medical dermatology. Also, don’t be shy about keeping a high frequency of appointments. Last time I went she said “you’ve been stable a while do you want to start coming every six months?” I said, no because I feel comfortable being checked every four. Putting all of these steps in place is as diligent as you can be, so I think it’ll make you feel a lot better, but I know the anxiety and I’m so sorry. Oh! But do make sure you find a cosmetic derm to laser your scars. Helps the self esteem