So, I have had this thing on my forehead and I have been watching it grow for the past few months. Today I went to the doctor and she said here are the warning signs this is could be a problem…
-Change in color
-Change in texture
-Irregular outline
-Bigger than the size of an eraser
-Appears after the age of 21
-A spot that itches, crusts or bleeds
-Sore that does not heal within 3 weeks
But, dermatology says, we can not see you until May 16th. So, I am sitting here thinking I may have some kind of cancer growing on my face and no one can even look for 2 months. Here is where I need help. You people are brilliant and I know someone somewhere must have had something similar, so please tell me that on the chance it is some kind of skin cancer, 2 months is not gonna matter…
It’s not all that scary looking although it is a little darker red in real life. It used to be a flat, small, brown spot that didn’t itch or scab over.
Have I mentioned how much I dislike being over 40???
I would just advise you to go to the doctor. Someone could have had something similar but your issue could be totally different.
RabidAlien has always gotten these lesions on his arms since being in the Navy. they stay around for a while they scar his arms even there is no rhyme or reason to it but they always come back in different places on his warms.
I went to the doctor. Today! My doctor said she was concerned because it fit all of the problem warning signs, but the specialist can not see me for 2 months…thus my question…
WOW! Is there another doctor around there that you could see? if not maybe you can drive to a bigger city? If your doctor is concerned I would sit on it for very long.
**Wouldn’t** haha oops
GET ANOTHER DOCTOR! I know you’re probably TriCare…but you still have choices within your network, right?
Do not let this set for 2 months!!! Speaking from experience, the fear you will feel until you know for sure that it’s not cancer (it’s not…you’re too tough for cancer….and if it is, I’ll send you my red “kicking cancer’s ass” cowgirl boots) will be debilitating. You’ll go thru days on autopilot. Later, after the diagnosis is made, you’ll find that the fear robbed you of your memory.
You’re not a scaredy cat. You’re tough. Get on the phone and raise some hell until you get a sooner appointment. (Fear robbed me of possibly the best 2 months I could have had with a grandson….and I already had the diagnosis of breast cancer. It was the fear of waiting for the surgeries and chemo and radiation and “let’s get this fight started” that paralyzed me. Don’t be like me. GET ON IT!
Ok, I will. That’s my plan is to try to move it along faster.
Oh my, that is scary and I know how you feel. Mr. Groundhog did have a spot of skin cancer on his ear a few years ago and had to wait forever to see the dermatologist. Then once they decided that yes it was cancer he had to wait again to have the surgery. It is a pain to wait but if they thought it was very serious, you would have been seeing them this afternoon. Prayers and good thoughts for you.
Thank you. That is what I was hoping to hear!! Wanted some kind of light that I am not gonna die between now and May 16th:)
Give Tam over at View from the Porch (e-mail address in the right side bar) a shout. She’s been dealing with skin cancer for a bit and just had it removed. I’d guess she can answer most of your questions.
Oh my, I do not think I could bother Tam. She must have thousands of people a day trying to get at her:)
I bugged her on your behalf. 🙂 Hopefully she’ll drop by.
Ahh, you are so kind to me. Thank you!!!
Stop by sometime next week, there’s nothing I can’t fix with my Leatherman or with a tool or two out in the barn…
Actually, ask for another referral and tell them why… i your doctor isn’t worried about it taking two months to get in, them maybe you shouldn’t either…. or maybe your doctor will refer you to someone else who can get you in sooner…
When they found the lump last fall in my gal’s breast… her doctor personally called the specialist, they had the detailed mammogram scan done and had us into the specialist within two weeks since her primary care doctor was concerned about it…
The gals and I will keep that in prayer for ya!
Dann in Ohio
Thanks Dann!!!!!!!!!
+1 on SteveG. They did not seem to be in a hurry in Tam’s case either.
First, let me say that I’d see if there’s any way they can look at it sooner. At the very least, you don’t need that hanging over your head for that long.
That said, I had a spot on my back that made me nervous. It was irregularly shaped, bigger than an eraser, had grown, appeared after 21, it itched, etc. I waited forever to get it looked at, which was stupid because I worried about it. Finally did, and I can’t remember the name of it but apparently it was most likely caused by a bug bite that was irritated by a bra strap and turned into that whatever-it-is spot instead of healing normally. They checked it anyway and it was fine. And it’s still there, and still itches and annoys me, but at least I know it’s not about to kill me. I don’t remember how long I waited for my appointment once I called, but it sure wasn’t two months. I just called a dermatologist and made an appointment, nothing fancy.
Thank you Robyn!!!! My “spot” has been there for as long as I can remember. It was like a freckle maybe and then one day it just scabbed over and I have been dealing with it on and off for about the past 4 or 5 months. When I started noticing it growing I got concerned and made an appointment, but knowing that it could be nothing makes me feel a lot better!!!
That seems worrying.
I dunno, maybe try a referall. I’m at a bit out of my depth here.
As noted, they weren’t in too much of a hurry with Tam either…
🙂
Maybe for your mind relief you could ask the dermatology office if you could be given a cancelled appt. Of course, you need to be able to go at a moments notice.
Kristine, Yes and actually the receptionist was so very nice and she actually said she would check everyday and call me if there was a cancellation.
If it is basal cell carcinoma, it’s really barely even cancer. Mine was there for literally years and I didn’t think it was anything serious because it was on the site of a scar from an actinic keratosis, so I thought it was just the scar tissue that was cracked and bleeding.
I first saw a plastic surgeon in October, who referred me to a dermatologist who biopsied me in November and scheduled me for a consult with the Mohs surgeon in January, who then cut the thing out last Wednesday.
If it looked like the scary kind of skin cancer (melanoma, which looks completely different) I don’t think they’d be so casual with your timetable.
While it’s not a weekend at the beach, it wasn’t that bad, all things considered. If you want to commiserate, drop me an email. I’ll be keeping you in my thoughts! 🙂
Thank you for replying, Tam. You Are Awesome!
Yes thank you Tam! Feeling better! I very much appreciate your time!!
One thing I know about Tam is she always has time for a fellow gunnie. Then again I think that pretty much applies to the whole darn community!
Yes, on both!!!!!!
Three different thoughts:
If it is a skin cancer they are typically very slow growing. If you had a truly agressive one, suspect we would have sent flowers by now.
See if you can get a referal to another Dermatologist. No sense stewing about it if you can have it looked at earlier . . . .
Sadly, I am WAY over 40, have these little crusty things pop up near my hairline all the time. Look,sound,feel kinda like what you are chatting about. My doc is kinda on the other side of concern, eventually they seem to flake away.
Will keep you in our thoughts here!
Slow growing…like the sound of that!!!!!!!
Um…. I think I’d comb the YP’s for another dermatologist and give them a call. Explain the situation and see if they aren’t a little more cooperative.
Probably nothing but I’d want it checked out anyway.
Fortunately I am only 29, so I don’t have to deal with these sorts of things. (ahem.) 🙂
lol, true. you are a young pup:)
Call another dermatologist. I don’t want to alarm you and it is most likely nothing to be concerned about, but it is better to know than to wonder.
I had a lesion froze off my nose last year. It was “pre-cancerous” cells, and I had to go back after 6 months. That checkup was clear, so now I only need to go back yearly.
I had to wait a week to see the dermatologist and that was the longest week, so please try and find another dermatologist.
HUGS
Thank you Molly. I am gonna try!!!
PS: One thing that might get you seen faster is seeing if you have any teaching hospitals in the immediate area and see if your doc can refer to them? I tried private dermatology practices and they were all two to three month waits just to be seen. The teaching hospital was biopsying me in a couple weeks
OK, thank you very much. I will look into that. I am not overly concerned but just having my doctor been a little uneasy and then the wait, is disconcerting I guess. Thank you again!
Better to get an answer than deal with the stress of waiting. It’s probably nothing. And if it is something, it’s probably not a big deal.
Personally, I hate probably’s.
Mrs B had the same thing on her jawline a few years ago. She had to wait a few months to get it looked at as well. Not a big deal.
She’s fair-skinned and covered in freckles already. I call her “Mrs Melanoma” all the time. Bugs the crap out of her.
They scraped that sucker right off of there, nothing to it.
Eight years in Okinawa pays you back when you get over 40.
lol, got to love life in the military. Thanks MSgt B
Find another dermatologist. There are plenty of them out there, and many will be able to get you in sooner.
will do
Oh girlfriend, I would do two things. I would find a babysitter and go to an ER (could take hours to get seen by a doc) for a biopsy NOW and I would fire the dermatologist. It could just be a wart or some kind of fungus! I stayed out of the sun too long, my vitamin D level tanked – got down to 9 – and I got all sorts of skin crap as a result of a vitamin D deficiency. Warts on my back, inflamed capillaries on my face, and fungus on my left elbow, so, not only should you get a skin biopsy NOW, get your vitamin D level checked. DCB
Thank you for the info. Very helpful!!
I do know this much from family experience: regardless of whether it tests positive, it will be easy to deal with. That’s minor as lesions go.
Awesome to hear.
I would be so upset at that long wait. Tell anyone how upset you are and anxious. They have appointments for emergencies, so this feel like an emergency to you. Maybe with that reasoning, they will “find” you an appointment.
Yeah. I am feeling better that if I have to wait I’m probably fine, but I am going to do some checking around today. Thanks.
I’m no doctor but I did have something that looked very similar on the top of my head. It was basal cell carcinoma. If there is a cancer you want… basal cell carcinoma is what you want.
They carved it off with an electric knife type thing…. tested it,,, and thats what it was.
Not something to ignore but the best of of the worst.
Its fairly common on hands too because when you drive your hands are often getting sun while the rest of you is shaded.
Good luck… see a DR… wear sun screen and hats… wide brimmed hats.
Thank you, thank you!! Glad your well!!
I had one that looked just like that, turned out to be nothing, hope yours turns out nothing as well. Most skin cancers are not too aggressive so the docs don’t get in too much of a hurry so I wouldn’t sweat that part too much. If you don’t like over 40 just wait for over 60! HAHA!
Until yesterday I really liked 40…lol
I went on The High Road and asked if there was a doctor in the house who could look at your picture and give you some advice and before the (expletive deleted) monitors shut down my thread, somebody posted this reply: This needs a punch biopsy which could be done in the office with local anesthesia. Not super worrisome but needs to be done. It is impossible to tell anymore with a photo especially that level of resolution. An alternative would be to find a friendly surgeon, family practice doc or plastic surgeon to do this. Any of them should be able to do this.
Good luck, girl!
Holy moly, thank you!! I appreciate you doing that!
From the picture, it doesn’t look that bad at all. As we all get younger (we wish) these things come and go and generally aren’t a problem. A month or two wait doesn’t seem out of line, but looking for another Dr. or a cancellation would be a good plan just in case. (IANADr or L, by the way!)
+1 on the vitamin D supplement. Staying out of the sun at our age is good, but thats how we get our vitamin D normally and it helps us in a variety of ways. You can get it at any pharmacy store.
Thanks TC. Happy to hear your perspective !
Good luck. My doc also told me today that I should see a dermatologist. I replied “Why? I’m 98% malignant as it is.”
Got a chuckle, at least. Hope you can look back on this and laugh some day.
Wow. I’m just now catching up on my reading. Sorry to read what you are going through. I know it is a worry. I wish I could offer more than prayers and best wishes.
Thank you!!
I have had five skin cancers; one basal and four squamous cell. The bad one of course is melanoma which that spot looks nothing like to me.Of course no doctor here, just a retired navy corpsman very familiar with dermatologists since they are always freezing here or cutting there . Look smore like actinic keratosis to me which is a pre cancer easily treated also. Basal and squamous are easily treated also and almost always superficial. Worry is not a good thing so I would not worry to much until the skin doc tells you different. Ben
Ben, thank you for stopping by and sharing your opinion and experiences with me. I am glad to hear that you don’t think it is anything to worry about. I am going on Monday to get it checked out, so hopefully, I will get the official word that it is not a big deal. Thanks again!!
First time here. You are linked to one of my favorite bloggers and I just browsed and saw the thread. I may have said more then I should by looking at a computer pic but I live in the Texas panhandle where ulv is intense and the sun is usually there if the dust is not blocking it as it often does. I have had several hundred spots over the years which look similar to the picture frozen due to current or past sun exposure. All family practice docs seem to have a can of liquid nitrogen in their pocket or close by. On the other hand you live on the east coast and sun damage may not be so common to be seen that often. I certaintly hope it is minor.
Btw your blog is great and your Chinese girl, wal I would call her awesome but that seems insufficient. I will be interested to see the outcome of your derm appointment next week. Best wishes to you.