› Forums › General Melanoma Community › OPINIONS NEEDED – do you agree with my derm?
- This topic has 24 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 1 month ago by
tommy90.
- Post
-
- July 22, 2014 at 3:14 am
Hello all,
I went to see my dermatologist today. showed him the mole in question (here is high res picture: http://oi58.tinypic.com/25i0jmo.jpg
He took a look and said "it's so small" and I insisted it had changed. it has…
– gotten darker
– gotten bigger
– the edges you can see are blurry and DEFINITELY GROWING/CHANGING
– had hair growing through it, does not anymore
– gotten "thicker"/more raised
He said "change happens" and I was like 'WTF change does not just happen over the course of 6 months, and if it does, it is concerning!" and he said he would cut it out for me but it would be a voluntary procedure and would charge me $175. I agreed. He said if ANYTHING is atypical, he will refund my money 100% and we will do more testing.
I now have stitches! Yay 🙂 so, it's out. do you agree with my derm, or is he being negligent? I have read loads of stories where people have betted their derms that this IS concerning, and won those bets. And I know lots of you post stories on melanoma.org about how your tiny mole turned out to be mel, so seriously… I can't believe he just said he didn't even wanna cut it out.It changed!! A lot!!!
I find the results out August 6th.
- Replies
-
-
- July 22, 2014 at 3:48 am
I cannot say it is or isn't melanoma. I also have a problem in believing the Derm can be 100% positive, especially withour using a Dermalert type device to checkit. If you say it is changing, the Derm should be willing to remove it and have a dermapathologist check it. Please let us know what the Report is. (Can I hope it's not Mel or even atypical?)
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:00 am
Yeah NO KIDDING!!! How can a human, even if he went to medical school, be positive I am 10000% cancer free by using his eyeballs? Last I checked, his eyeballs are not cancer-testing equipment. He is entitled to his expert opinion that things DO change, yes.. of course they change, but over a 6 month period? I didn't come to him and say "hey doc, this lil mole changed over a 8 year period. Think I'll die?" I came with definitive photographic evidence and he shrugged.
The lab is testing it for sure, thank god. He said he's very confident. And in any case, if he's wrong I get my $175 back, If he's right… well, I just bought peace of mind for a great sale price of $175 and boy, that's the cheapest peace of mind I ever bought 🙂
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:00 am
Yeah NO KIDDING!!! How can a human, even if he went to medical school, be positive I am 10000% cancer free by using his eyeballs? Last I checked, his eyeballs are not cancer-testing equipment. He is entitled to his expert opinion that things DO change, yes.. of course they change, but over a 6 month period? I didn't come to him and say "hey doc, this lil mole changed over a 8 year period. Think I'll die?" I came with definitive photographic evidence and he shrugged.
The lab is testing it for sure, thank god. He said he's very confident. And in any case, if he's wrong I get my $175 back, If he's right… well, I just bought peace of mind for a great sale price of $175 and boy, that's the cheapest peace of mind I ever bought 🙂
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:00 am
Yeah NO KIDDING!!! How can a human, even if he went to medical school, be positive I am 10000% cancer free by using his eyeballs? Last I checked, his eyeballs are not cancer-testing equipment. He is entitled to his expert opinion that things DO change, yes.. of course they change, but over a 6 month period? I didn't come to him and say "hey doc, this lil mole changed over a 8 year period. Think I'll die?" I came with definitive photographic evidence and he shrugged.
The lab is testing it for sure, thank god. He said he's very confident. And in any case, if he's wrong I get my $175 back, If he's right… well, I just bought peace of mind for a great sale price of $175 and boy, that's the cheapest peace of mind I ever bought 🙂
-
- July 22, 2014 at 3:48 am
I cannot say it is or isn't melanoma. I also have a problem in believing the Derm can be 100% positive, especially withour using a Dermalert type device to checkit. If you say it is changing, the Derm should be willing to remove it and have a dermapathologist check it. Please let us know what the Report is. (Can I hope it's not Mel or even atypical?)
-
- July 22, 2014 at 3:48 am
I cannot say it is or isn't melanoma. I also have a problem in believing the Derm can be 100% positive, especially withour using a Dermalert type device to checkit. If you say it is changing, the Derm should be willing to remove it and have a dermapathologist check it. Please let us know what the Report is. (Can I hope it's not Mel or even atypical?)
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:02 am
Not all changing moles are changing to become melanoma – just so you know. I've had several removed that we're changing and nothing. It might be your derm is reacting to your extreme worry – the vast.majority of all biopsies done are NOT melanoma. You don't get that perspective reading worst case scenarios here.
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:06 am
I definitely agree that the majority of biopsies are totally clean of any atypical cells. But it was a 5 minute procedure of his time. If that could buy him the comfort that if this person DID have cancer they wouldn't sue the pants off him, and could buy the person the comfort that if it is cancer it's dealt with… well, that makes it worthwhile. I understand resources are not unlimited in terms of time or equipment, but I can't help be concerned based on the stories of people removing innocent looking moles and getting a mel diagnosis…
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:06 am
I definitely agree that the majority of biopsies are totally clean of any atypical cells. But it was a 5 minute procedure of his time. If that could buy him the comfort that if this person DID have cancer they wouldn't sue the pants off him, and could buy the person the comfort that if it is cancer it's dealt with… well, that makes it worthwhile. I understand resources are not unlimited in terms of time or equipment, but I can't help be concerned based on the stories of people removing innocent looking moles and getting a mel diagnosis…
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:06 am
I definitely agree that the majority of biopsies are totally clean of any atypical cells. But it was a 5 minute procedure of his time. If that could buy him the comfort that if this person DID have cancer they wouldn't sue the pants off him, and could buy the person the comfort that if it is cancer it's dealt with… well, that makes it worthwhile. I understand resources are not unlimited in terms of time or equipment, but I can't help be concerned based on the stories of people removing innocent looking moles and getting a mel diagnosis…
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:02 am
Not all changing moles are changing to become melanoma – just so you know. I've had several removed that we're changing and nothing. It might be your derm is reacting to your extreme worry – the vast.majority of all biopsies done are NOT melanoma. You don't get that perspective reading worst case scenarios here.
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:02 am
Not all changing moles are changing to become melanoma – just so you know. I've had several removed that we're changing and nothing. It might be your derm is reacting to your extreme worry – the vast.majority of all biopsies done are NOT melanoma. You don't get that perspective reading worst case scenarios here.
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:30 am
I think your dermatologist was definitely out-of-line; perhaps not negligent, but definitely unprofessional. If a patient comes in worried about something, the doctor has a duty to treat. Refusing to submit to your insurance is ridiculous.
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:45 am
It's not insurance since it's Canada; I've had moles removed by him that cost me $0 because the government pays for that. he said it was OPTIONAL. If I wanted it done, it must be done on my dime. I didn't want to pay but if I could pay $175 and not get cancer…welll…..that is a no brainer……!!!
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:45 am
It's not insurance since it's Canada; I've had moles removed by him that cost me $0 because the government pays for that. he said it was OPTIONAL. If I wanted it done, it must be done on my dime. I didn't want to pay but if I could pay $175 and not get cancer…welll…..that is a no brainer……!!!
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:45 am
It's not insurance since it's Canada; I've had moles removed by him that cost me $0 because the government pays for that. he said it was OPTIONAL. If I wanted it done, it must be done on my dime. I didn't want to pay but if I could pay $175 and not get cancer…welll…..that is a no brainer……!!!
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:30 am
I think your dermatologist was definitely out-of-line; perhaps not negligent, but definitely unprofessional. If a patient comes in worried about something, the doctor has a duty to treat. Refusing to submit to your insurance is ridiculous.
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:30 am
I think your dermatologist was definitely out-of-line; perhaps not negligent, but definitely unprofessional. If a patient comes in worried about something, the doctor has a duty to treat. Refusing to submit to your insurance is ridiculous.
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:35 am
All I can say is, if it bothers you, get it removed! When I learned I had melanoma cancer, it had already progressed to stage IV. Sadly, when I went to my GP for a fast growing dark growth, it was misdiagnosed as a blood blister, later it fell off and went away, of course! 5-7 years later another growth started, this time a bump under the skin, pea size, misdiagnosed again, called a dermato fibroma, by my GP and dermatologist. Waited 6 months and then insisted it be removed, after it continued growing and was painful. It was then that I was diagosed with stage IV melanoma. To me, there is no harm in removing something that is suspicious, if nothing else, peace of mind and knowledge! Hope your's is nothing but a benign issue with a lesson in following through with your own wishes!
Take care!
Swanee
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:35 am
All I can say is, if it bothers you, get it removed! When I learned I had melanoma cancer, it had already progressed to stage IV. Sadly, when I went to my GP for a fast growing dark growth, it was misdiagnosed as a blood blister, later it fell off and went away, of course! 5-7 years later another growth started, this time a bump under the skin, pea size, misdiagnosed again, called a dermato fibroma, by my GP and dermatologist. Waited 6 months and then insisted it be removed, after it continued growing and was painful. It was then that I was diagosed with stage IV melanoma. To me, there is no harm in removing something that is suspicious, if nothing else, peace of mind and knowledge! Hope your's is nothing but a benign issue with a lesson in following through with your own wishes!
Take care!
Swanee
-
- July 22, 2014 at 4:35 am
All I can say is, if it bothers you, get it removed! When I learned I had melanoma cancer, it had already progressed to stage IV. Sadly, when I went to my GP for a fast growing dark growth, it was misdiagnosed as a blood blister, later it fell off and went away, of course! 5-7 years later another growth started, this time a bump under the skin, pea size, misdiagnosed again, called a dermato fibroma, by my GP and dermatologist. Waited 6 months and then insisted it be removed, after it continued growing and was painful. It was then that I was diagosed with stage IV melanoma. To me, there is no harm in removing something that is suspicious, if nothing else, peace of mind and knowledge! Hope your's is nothing but a benign issue with a lesson in following through with your own wishes!
Take care!
Swanee
-
Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.