got a call from a doc about a mole they looked at a few weeks ago and i'm being fast tracked to a dermatologist for a biopsy. cue panic attack and being completely useless for two days whilst my brain fills in the blanks with the worst result possible

this is only my worst nightmare and now i have to go to work like i'm not crumbling inside

  • FourteenEyes [he/him]
    ·
    17 days ago

    I don't know if this will help to put your mind at ease, but if it is melanoma, that is one of the most treatable types of cancer with the highest survival rates as long as it's called early

    • shath [comrade/them]
      hexagon
      ·
      17 days ago

      i know all this but having had health neuroses as far back as i can remember it's just the thought hits me right in my weak spot mentally

      thanks for the thought though

      • FourteenEyes [he/him]
        ·
        edit-2
        17 days ago

        My grandpa died from it but that's because he ignored everybody who told him to get it looked at until it was swollen and spontaneously bleeding

        That was 33 years ago and I think we're better at treating cancer now. You should be okay. Hang in there. Don't let despair eat away at you

      • SchillMenaker [he/him]
        ·
        17 days ago

        The much more common form of skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma, it's way more prevalent than melanomas. It's also the slowest growing and most easily removed.

  • ClimateChangeAnxiety [he/him, they/them]
    ·
    17 days ago

    Thankfully skin cancer is very easy to treat if caught early. Most likely is they numb the area, cut off the mole, and that’s it. I had something removed once like that and it literally took like 30 seconds.

    • shath [comrade/them]
      hexagon
      ·
      17 days ago

      can you yell that into my ear directly maybe my brain will listen????

      • D61 [any]
        ·
        17 days ago

        clark-kent-stare "Rates for under 45 is very, very low"

  • Are_Euclidding_Me [e/em/eir]
    ·
    17 days ago

    My mom has had two melanomas and various other less cancerous skin growths removed and she's doing fine, she just has pretty frequent dermatologist appointments. My grandpa had quite a few patches of skin cancer removed over his life, he died at like 87 from something completely unrelated to the skin cancer, I think it was a liver thing? My aunt and dad have both had a cancerous skin growth removed each, my dad is totally fine, my aunt was an alcoholic, so unfortunately the alcohol killed her, but that didn't happen until years and years after she got the cancer removed from her nose.

    Skin cancer will very likely not kill you, especially since you went and got your dodgy looking mole checked out rather than ignoring it and hoping it goes away. If they have to remove it they will and you'll have a bit of a scar but you'll be fine.

    I know just telling you you'll be ok won't actually necessarily help with the anxiety, but really and truly, you'll be ok. Take it from someone who has family history of skin cancer, it's easily survivable if caught early, as you have done. Also, it could very well be benign. My mom has something biopsied like once a year, and it doesn't always get removed afterwards.

    Regardless, good luck with surviving the next two days, and I hope the biopsy goes smoothly!

    meow-hug

  • EllenKelly [comrade/them]
    ·
    16 days ago

    I had three moles cut out of my back that looked really scary (apparently, i couldnt see them lol), they sent them for a biopsy, and they were inert (or whatever)

    I hope this gives you a lil hope. I'm in auatralia so most people in my family have had melanoma scares, its one of the most treatable cancers (and youre still probably fine! My family are all old codgers)

    Try to stay a little positive, make some time to do something you have control over, play a game, draw something. Its good for your brain and your body

    :)