Melanoma

[Joe4]

I have been searching around, and I found a good web site with info and lots of pictures:

http://www.derm.ubc.ca/molemelanoma/watch.html

I don't think any of the moles in questions meet the criteria described, but I will be sure to keep an eye on them!

 

[Greg Truby]

Joe,

That is the $64,000 question! As I've gotten older, more moles or age spots or freckles seem to turn up with each passing year. You are the umpteenth person to ask me "how did you know to ask about that one?" The answer is that I didn't entirely. Over the past few years, I had already asked my doctor about a couple of other things that had popped up and he'd say "no, that's a _______." Or "a ________". (Like a dipstick I didn't pay super-close attention to the exact words, I keyed on the "that's not cancer" part of the sentence.) Then if I'd see something similar I wouldn't get terribly concerned - but I'd make a note to ask about it on my next visit if I still thought it was unique enough to warrant mention. So this wasn't the first time I'd had him to look at something and tell me if it was skin cancer. I had my guard up already; though this was the first time we'd gone ahead and taken anything off.

As for this specific incident? This particular mole just "looked different". It was darker than what is "normal" for me. It wasn't terribly big. It was smooth and didn't stick up from the skin. It didn't look horribly ugly. And yet, somehow I just never liked the looks of that one. Other than its color I can't put a finger on anything other than a "gut feeling". My own doctor didn't think there was anything to this one until I pushed the issue six months or so after my initially having brought it to his attention. And even after he agreed to do the excision and biopsy he (and therefore I) thought it was going to turn out to be nothing.

Long story short? Ya can't really tell 'bout a lot of them (not very reassuring, is it)? Have your doctor tell you that it's nothing to worry about; don't guess. And if you still feel uneasy? Get a second opinion. Yes, it's a pain in the **** to seek out another doctor - boo hoo.

The second point to glean from my narrative is that had I meekly accepted my doctor's initial assessment -- I might have driven right off the cliff. This was a large component of my initial "fence sitting" about whether to post anything at all about this in the lounge. I don't want to cause paranoia/panic and have a bunch of people go to the doctor over "nothings" and then get complacent again. Would I do more harm than good? But in the end I decided that to say nothing would make me guilty of a "sin of omission". How would I feel, if, nine months from now, one of my MrExcel friends were to put up a post in the lounge saying he'd just learned he had stage III melanoma? I'd have to learn to shave and comb my hair without mirrors, for I'd not be able to look myself in the eyes knowing I'd had a chance to say something and hadn't.

OK - I was just about to post this when I saw Norie's post and then your subseqent post. My advise is as above: Have your doctor tell you that it's nothing to worry about; don't guess. (You said that you've already showed them to your physician and he's said not to worry, so good.) I too scored this out on the "A|B|C|D" (assymetry|borders|color variation|diameter) system. Only hit on two out of four (assymetry & color) which initially made me consider not making a doctor's appointment. But I also used Google's image search to look up pictures of different kinds of skin cancer. Which - frankly - was what then led me full circle back to having my doctor look at it. After looking at all those pictures I came to the conclusion that there were just too many things that looked horrid but were benign and too many that looked harmless but were malignent for me to feel comfortable trying to "self diagnose". What I plan on doing going forward is to keep better records. I plan on using my digital camera and a ruler to created date-stamped records of sizes of moles/anomolies so that I have more than just a "gut feeling" to go by in the future. But I will still listen to that little voice, saved my butt once.

 

[Joe4]

Greg,

Thanks for the follow-up post. You have made many good points.

Due to the fact that my doctor said not to worry about it, and due to the fact that I don't think they meet any of the criteria, I feel OK. However, I will keep a close eye on them, since as the site says, moles that have been normal for 40 years can suddenly change and become malignant. I will also press my doc for a few more details next time I am in. Just as your doc said, he had some scientific explanation and name for these things that meant nothing to me (I just focused on the "not cancer" stuff too).

If nothing else, you have made me (any many others) more aware and educated on a subject that we were pretty ignorant on. It may not help us today, or even tomorrow, but someday it could mean the difference between life and death!

Thank you!
Joe

 

[DougStroud]

Greg and to all the members of the MrExcel Forum,
My 2 cents,
Joining this forum has been great. Initially I kept thinking to myself, wow this is awesome, I am getting all kinds of help and support for free. And the vast majority of the time it is instantaneous; no one has ever been in the slightest way condescending with their reply posts to me or anyone else's posts. In the time we live in now, it is so easy to spread negative feelings or attitude which appears to have become a normal behavior.
But not here on MrExcel. Here people really aid other people unselfishly.
Then one day my experience grew richer. One member took exceptional time to offer some direct assistance, I will not name this person- to protect the innocent :wink: , and I would say a friendship had been kindled and a respect too.
So, time moves on, I am learning more, still banging the board and our members for help and I stumble onto the lounge and read some posts that members had submitted, just general things, stuff for beginners, where to get more help and examples, that sort of thing. Then I saw one that showed where the members live with a little people icon, and I added my own. I always look to see where people are from by their little country flag avatar. It always just hits me a little when I see all the different people coming together from different parts of the world, and how a little bit of them and where they are from are in my workbooks now.... pretty cool huh?.
So now, I am looking all over the board just to see what is going on in different areas and I read your post, Greg, on Melanoma. And as I am reading it, so many thoughts pass through my mind; wow, and I hope he is ok, and thanks for sharing this exeperience because some un-suspecting character may have just gotten the best free advice they could ever hope for, that character could be me, and the best thought of all we are all on this earth for a limited period of time, the people here on this forum are really great people and I am so fortunate to have found this place and these people. Today is my lucky day, I am rollin' 7s.

Thanks to the creators of this board and all the members for their support and kindness and best wishes to you Greg.

Doug S.

 

[shades]

I have had pre-cancerous spots on my arms for several years. Whenever I had my annual physical I made sure the doctor checked them (when you're over 50 annual physicals are a good thing).

In the last couple of years I have had the spots and moles (I have several that grow) checked every six months. Last Thursday I had my latest check up - no sign of melanoma!!!

Looks like I might make to really old codger!

And I am very thankful for the negative report.

 

[Smitty]

Thanks to the creators of this board and all the members for their support and kindness and best wishes to you Greg.

The creator would be Bill Jelen (aka: Mr.Excel); and that's about the best testament to the site and its participants I've ever seen! Thanks! (It made me feel good anyway).

And as for you:

Looks like I might make to really old codger !

I don't think there's any chance of getting rid of you anytime soon my friend!

And I am very thankful for the negative report.

I'll try to remember that when Campbell brings home her first school report...

Take care!

Smitty

 

[Mr_Stability]

Not just melanoma

My wife's father had a mouth cancer spotted by his dentist.
the dentist found Leucoplakia(hope the spelling's OK) - small white lesions on the underside of his tongue. He was referred to the local hospital, and the consultant took a biopsy whick came back positive for cancer. he then removed about 1/5 of john's tongue (a strip on the left hand side).
That stopped John from smoking, which he'd been doung for over 60 years.
That was over 2 years ago. He's OK now - a grumpy 78, with check ups every 2 months.

So, if you hafe small round or oval white bits in you rmouth, and the won't go away GET THEM CHECKED!

 

[Greg Truby]

Well, it's late on a Friday and I've been meaning to do this for quite some time. But generally I remember when I'm shaving in the morning and I see the scar and then I forget again.

I've been to the dermatoligist four times in the past year and each time

*NOTHING TO REPORT*

Which is what you want to hear from the nice doctor lady. I am only posting on this thread to bump it back to the top of the heap in the lounge for a short while in the hopes that it might catch the eye of any newbies that have started visiting MrExcel in the past year and -- if their situation warrants -- it could prompt someone into taking action weeks, months or years sooner than they otherwise might.

...over and out...

 

[Oorang]

That's awesome Greg, I'm glad we will have to put up with your thread-hijacking ways a bit longer

*starts looking at skin very closely*

 

[Zack Barresse]

Good news Rich, David & Greg.

This type of stuff (IMO) is great to talk about. It seems very taboo at times and when it's thrust in peoples faces they're forced to make the choice to think about it or not. It's not something to be ashamed of or hide in anyway, and it certainly doesn't make you less of a man/woman.

I'm very glad for everyone's good news!