Help! Please!

[defmunel]

I can't get over this fear of skin cancer! My friend was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma. I'd already had a fear previous to his diagnosis. He's only 30!

I can't get over the thought of, "if it happened to him, it could happen to me!" I think I've found new spots that weren't there earlier, or are growing. I'm so scared! I can't think of anything else. I'm usually pretty good about dissolving these intrusive thoughts, but I let this one get me.

Of course I did the one thing I shouldn't do! Google metastatic melanoma. Sadly, there aren't many symptoms until you're in stage 4! I'm just so fearful. I'm 29. I don't sunbathe, but used to when I was a teen. I've gotten burnt at the beach a few times during the summer, and I've never been good about sunscreen. Now I'm afraid I've done the damage.

Ugh! I think I have to stay away from social media now. I learned about his diagnosis from Facebook. I hate this!!!!!!

[laurandisorder]

Duuuuude!

Book yourself in for a mole scan/check.
It takes half an hour and will set your mind at ease. Then IF you have to have something cut out, you can legitimately start to worry.

Had a suspect mole cut out of my foot this year - it get like he'll and I couldn't walk, plus I was nervous because it had ALL of the bad mole characteristics for years. Who puts sunscreen on their feet? Noone!!

It was nothing to worry about, my big blotchy foot mole could have stayed on my foot!

[defmunel]

Thanks. His diagnosis really sent me over the edge. I was looked at last year, but it's been too long. I'll call on Monday. In the meantime, I'm trying to stay cool and positive. It's not easy. My anxiety attacks usually come on the weekends and they last for days!!!

[albgirl82]

We could have all kind of cancers or other diseases that exist out there...just because your friend has it, doesn't mean u will too. Go get tested and convince yourself that the chances that u will get it, are not even 0.0001%!!

[dooges]

My whole health anxiety got kick started when I was diagnosed with skin cancer. I cried and worried and googled for months because I thought my skin cancer had spread all through my body. Even after the doctor said it hadn't.. That was 5 years ago..

What it did lead to was a full lawn health anxiety issue. Because I got stressed out over the initial cancer my body started reacting to the stress. Instead of realising what was happening I associated these stress/anxiety symptoms as being associated with other fatal diseases.. I had started on a train that no one told me not to board.

So I'm telling you now. Stay off the train... Don't google and go to you're doctor to get your skin checked. After he gives you his diagnoses make another appointment in 6 months time to get rechecked... This time frame is safe to catch anything that might be developing on your skin without it becoming a threat. Trust me I get checked every 6 months to keep my vulnerabilities to skin cancer in check.

I can now see so many people in this and other threads that are headings down the same path I did. I got off the train after 2-3 hell years without using meds.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Dooges

[defmunel]

Thanks dooges. I still can't shake it though. I'm just so frightened. I see a spot that I've had for over 5 years. Same size as it was then, but the color is not uniform. Now I feel this burning sensation in my left forearm. My thoughts are that the skin cancer has spread. I will make an appt with my doc. I'm so fearful and panicked right now. There's also a possibility I'm pregnant. What if the cancer spread and now it's either me or the baby? Oh my gosh. I'm so scared!!!!!

[defmunel]

I can't get in to see my doc until tomorrow. I'm frightened. I can't stop thinking about it. My stomach is in knots, heart racing. I jus feel sick from worry. Oh, I'm so scared.

[trinidiva]

Don't worry....this is a fear of mine also. I've been watching a mole on my arm for a while now....I honestly cannot remember if it has always been there or not. I've even tried going to old pictures of myself to see if I can see it.
Anyway, I asked my doc about it a while back, and she told me that you only really worry about it once it is the size of a pencil eraser, the length of the perimeter around, and if it also has uneven edges, etc. Please do not allow this to ruin your day, I'm sure you are completely fine.

[defmunel]

Trin, same here. I've been looking at old pictures too. One mole has been there 6+ years. Another has been there. 3+ years. Another is on my back, so I don't know. No pics to see. I'm trying to keep my cool. Trying so hard. I know that just because it happened to him doesnt mean it'll happen to me. It's just that I'm such a superstitious person. I think everything is a "sign". Even a speaker at church talked about his battle with skin cancer. He thought it was just a harmless mole. Ugh. Just another sign.

[majored]

Hi, i suffer with health anxiety and even though i have a few major worries about my health at the moment skin cancer has been in the back of my mind. As a child i just went out and played, we didnt use sun cream. At times my parents worked outside in the sun and i went with them. My father would get burnt to a crisp and his skin would start to shed within a couple of days. Then as a teen i got quite spotty, like on my back, arms and chest then speading down to my legs. A man that lived along the road told me the sun was the best thing to get rid of them and gave me a sunbed. I use to use it alot and my spots just cleared up. It made me feel better and i looked healthy. It wasnt until my late teens the danger of sun beds started to come out. In my 20's the spots started to come back i tried medication , creams and nothing cleared them up. So i would use the sun bed on/ off and once again they cleared up. Then when i was in my 30's i noticed a lump on the side of my leg about the size of a pea. I thought it was an in growing hair and i left it, it never went away nor did it get any worse. I have had this about 6 years now. As i suffer with health anxiety i had to ask the doc about it just to get another worry off my mind. She took one look at it and told me it was ok and then said to take a pic next to a rule to measure the size of it. Its a round mole no crusty bits, not raised ,doesnt bleed nor itch. However i can feel a lump in it.

About an hour ago, i watched a program about a man who had skin cancer, i started to worry about my mole/ lump on my leg . The man got over it , the program said over 80% of people completely get over skin cancer.

If i think too much about it.....i know i will start to feel sensations around the mole area. Then i will start to panic and my body will be telling me its spreading. Just like a friend of mine has told me his father has a brain tumor and they can not operate oh him. Now ive been getting headaches for the last week and in time i will be worrying that i have the same thing, just because i have a headache and then i will get other symptoms.

Defmunel, the chances are you will be fine. Everything is heightened because of your friends problem . Try not to worry about it too much and express your worries to your doc.

Take care