Today at work, I noticed a young lady was wearing one of those support boots one wears after surgeries or sports injuries. I asked the usual ‘what happened to you?’ She hesitated, then offered an interesting story with flags for us all…she was bitten by a hobo spider on the ankle. Her leg swelled up and she headed to the ER. The ER doc looked at the bite and was concerned, but when he looked at the mole on her ankle, he was more than concerned. This young lady had noticed that odd mole on her left ankle for some time and was a bit annoyed with the occasional itch. A followup to a skin doc and tests confirmed the suspicions of the alert ER doc: a malignant melanoma. Invasive surgery resulted and so far they do not believe there was any permanent nerve damage or cancer. Time and rehab will tell.
A young (27 y/o) lady, not a sun worshipper, developed a mole on her ankle and but for a spider bite probably would not have received the immediate attention and successful intervention. Visit a skin doctor re any suspicious moles or skin oddities.
‘Malignant melanomas take the lives of more than 8,000 Americans a year, or about 13.5 percent of the people diagnosed with the disease, the Skin Cancer Foundation reports. Other forms of skin cancer are rarely fatal, although squamous-cell carcinoma can metastasize and result in death. But the situation isn’t bleak. If detected early, 99 percent of all skin cancers are curable.’ Skin Cancer
SwittersB & Exploring 
Whoa! That’s scary! We should not let any of our moles bother us like this. It is curable, so better make steps earlier than regret it. If we can remove it, the better.
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HELLO EVERYONE! I HAVE A SKIN CANCER TUMOR, ON MY RIGHT CHEST. UNFORTUNATELY, VERY BIG.
STARTED GROWING, ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I LIVED IN UK, BUT I MOVED TO PORTUGAL. BIG MISTAKE!
VERY BUROCRATIVE COUNTRY, THE PAPERWORK IS UNBELIEVEBLE SLOW! THATS WHY I AM NOT ABLE TO GO TO DOCTOR. I COULD, BUT IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THEY CHARGE 8000-9000 EURO FOR SURGERY. I DO NOT HAVE MONEY, AND NOBODY WANTS TO HELP ME! I TRIED, RED CROSS, SALVATION ARMY, A FEW CHIRCH, THEY NOT GOING TO HELP!
WHAT CAN I DO NOW? THE TUMOR IS PERMANENT BLEEDING, AFFECT MY LIFE! AM I GOING TO DIE?
HOW MUCH TIME I HAVE LEFT?
SOMEONE COULD GIVE ME A GOOD ADVICE?
THANKS! GOOD DAY TO YOU ALL!
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Any timely, excellent advice for George from the Euro perspective re resources, treatments, timely responses!!!
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Great posts!!! check out this site.They are affiliated with Knight Cancer Institute and OHSU.They are a not for profit dedicated to raising awareness
http://www.skincancerfree.org
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I was 8 yrs old when I was first diagnosed, and had 6 moles removed. The dr. informed my mother the one on my shoulder blade had “deep roots” ( I have always taken a pro active role in trying to protect my skin) The thing is before I was diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 45, the only symptom I had was that I just didn’t feel well. I mean, how do you call your doctor and say just that? I did. I mean, I had only just been there about 3 weeks before, and I said that it was like I had the flu- and couldn’t shake it. Now, for the mole? it was tiny. Yes, it had changed color- but it didn’t grow, it didn’t have irregular borders, it just got darker. Some how I knew that it was bad, but there was the struggle and dismissing that it couldn’t possibly be cancer because I had done all the right things. I had kept covered up during the summer and used gallons of sun screen and it comes to a point that ether you can be paranoid about it, or just accept it and go on with your life.
The melanoma tumor was smaller than a millimeter (which one that is as large as a millimeter can kill you)
I mean, that’s tiny!! like the size of a period at the end of this sentence.
In a way, you get used to the drill. Sometimes too, because you have seen it on yourself, you see it on others, or you cringe when parents are purchasing stuff so their kids will get a tan for the summer and you know that they will actually burn. Melanoma and skin cancer used to be stuff that older people died from. Now kids as young (if not younger than 12 are dying from melanoma.
Here is my thing about Melanoma.
Curable? eh… You never really are cured from it, you are just waiting for the next time that you have to play whack a mole. I have lost count of the moles that I have had removed over the years. But I know it is better to do that than to risk losing more than just some skin. Once Melanoma starts to grow, things get bad pretty fast.
Treatable? Treatment is pretty much removal of the mole, and the surrounding area until they get clean margins. That may mean removing muscle & bone. (including amputation of limbs) Melanoma can hit every single organ in the body with in a very short period of time,(as short as three months) Itching moles, bleeding moles, moles that are removed and come back? when in doubt, cut it out. and go deeper until it doesn’t return.
Please never say “Well I don’t have the money to go to a dermatologist or put off getting it taken care of if it comes back. The doctors office will take payments if they have to. Your life is worth SO MUCH MORE than the money spent on having the moles removed. Yes, the drs. visit may run 200 bucks, and the biopsy may run another hundred. But trust me. Having to tell your family that you are dying from cancer? having to purchase a cemetery plot and casket and paying for the opening and closing of the grave? and never seeing your kids grow up or graduate or get married and have kids of their own? you can not put a price tag on that.
I had someone say to me “The money that is raised for breast cancer research and the research from it will also cure skin cancers and melanoma.” That simply is not true. Chemo, radiation, etc do not work on melanoma. The only treatment protocols for it are all experimental. There is no cure for skin cancer. There are no walks, few foundations that address it or raise money for the cure, and little interest in promoting sun safety simply because vacationing on the beaches is a multi billion dollar industry that would rather look the other way than to point out the time on the sand (and the tanning beds) are leading to the rise of skin cancer.
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Kath thank you for this exceptional advice!! You are right about the whack a mole idea…just waiting for the next “I better take care of this” moment. Again, thank you for taking the time to help others with such sage advice!!
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A timely warning from the spider, coincidence ?
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I think not!!! The spiders have been busy for weeks thus far. I have to say the excessive heat this Summer kept me out of the sun more than usual. I good thin…probably. I have a lot of skin damage.
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I have a mole on my lower back right at my pants waistline, I have had the mole removed by my doctor 2 or 3 times and I have caught it with my fingernails and pulled it off by myself on one occasion. It was tested by my doctor and was not cancerous but it upsets me that it comes back each time. I can’t see it myself but I had my husband look at it because it is irritating me because I catch it with my nails when I put my clothes on. I don’t have the money nor insurance to go to the dermatologist and have it removed yet again. Do you know anything about moles that grow back after removal? I’m starting to worry about it.
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I don’t specifically know about that from a medical point of view…but, I have one on my left collar bone that is pre-cancerous that has come back two times…I go to great lengths now to protect the spot and just had it frozen off again…we shall see if it comes back. I think a few cells remain at the spot and the mole rebuilds from those cells…if you research it online you will note that others have the same concerns. You need to figure out a medical response for these issues though…should something worse start developing…which I’m sure you know.
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Thanks Switter-hope to see some new stuff from you soon! beebee
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Thanks for reading, Switter, I couldnt find any new articles from you. beebee
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Reblogged this on paddypicasso and commented:
advice for those with moles
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Reblogged this on Exposing Modern Mugwumps.
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Thanks for this article, I will repost it later today on http://www.exposingmodernmugwumps.com
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Thank you!
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Thank you for reposting this very important topic…
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My husband had a basal cell carcinoma removed last year. I kept telling him I didn’t like the way the “thing” on the back of his neck looked….and he kept saying it was just a bug bite or something. I finally convinced him to go in and have it checked out. The doctor took it off a day later when the lab results came back.
AND THEN….the doctors told me that they saw a suspicious nodule on my lung, when I got a CT scan for something else. They said it was highly suspicious and looked like cancer. I said…NO WAY, I don’t smoke.
Guess again! http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2013/11/15/a-medical-mystery-why-is-lung-cancer-rising-among-nonsmoking-women
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Truly one of the more frightening experiences in life’s passage I say. I hope you are holding strong Mary. Thank you for posting this. Interestingly, I wrote this post several years back yet day in and out it is consistently one of the most viewed posts!
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I’ll pray for her.
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Thank you so much! This information is vital to have!
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Your welcome Carol.
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Happy to have found your blog and thank you for visiting mine.
My best to you
john
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Thank you John…much appreciated.
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Thanks for stopping by my blog again! 🙂
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My pleasure!
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Wow! Thanks a lot for the info
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Your very welcome.
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Thanks for liking my cartoon! 🙂
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Always entertaining!
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This is such valuable information and presented so well. I do like opportunities to pause and reflect in life. This was a surprise today. Thank you for this…. and swinging by my blog http://www.FindYourMiddleGround.com
Val
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Your welcome and thank you also.
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This is a great post, with a great easy to understand graphic! I came here to thank you for liking my post, and I might wind up going to the doctor! 🙂 Thanks for the like-I appreciate it!
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Best wishes
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It is a tough call. No sunshine vitamin D means more early childhood diabetes. People who tend toward depression are drawn to sunlight. I am a red head who freckles and tans. So far one small malignancy. At my age, I will opt for the anti depressant and cosmetic benefits. We had a family reported to Child Services at a nearby amusement park cuz one of their kids was showing sunburn. As usual, the happy medium is elusive. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
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A pleasure.
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I had a spot of skin cancer that had to be removed. I sure wish I hadn’t spent so much time tanning at the beach.
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Vanity catches up. I just look better tan though! Darn it.
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You just followed my blog and as I was checking out yours, this title caught my eye. I had surgery (2) in the last month for malignant melanoma, though mind didn’t look like your pictures. I had lentigo malignant melanoma — which is basically a sunspot. I had had it examined regularly, but this time it had gone over to the dark side. It is now gone, I am sunscreen queen and will be checked every few months for several years. That’s the bad news. The good news is hat mine was a stage ZERO and if you’re gonna get cancer, that’s what you hope it will be.
You never know what to expect in life — but this is something you can look out for and is easy to get rid of in the early stages.
Good post, and I’m glad to meet you!
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Such good news Elyse. Thank you for commenting.
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Australia has the highest rate of Melanoma in the world. I have had 14 moles removed, 12 of which turned out to be dysplastic nevi. I was being proactive as there is a lot of cancer in my family. And then three years ago I had breast cancer. Be vigilant people!! Thanks for the post, we can’t be reminded enough.
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Thank you Ardy for stressing the urgency of being proactive!!! Best wishes
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Thanks for reading my blogs, Switter, What else do you do beside tie flies and fish? beebee
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Well I just retired in January so I am figuring out exactly what I will be doing: photography, remodeling house (I cover that over on Hoarding Woes & You blog), a little travel and mostly figuring out life without work and kids. Grandchildren now and then, volunteering for food bank and planting trees group. Reclaiming health a bit and trying to refocus priorities now. Love gardening, camping, cooking, blogging, travel, fly fishing and tying. Not much of a writer like you. The imagination and smarts for writing and poetry not developed. Art is only via a camera.
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This is an important topic. Thanks for helping us be aware of waht to look for in moles. beebeesworld
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Yes it is…thanks for linking to it and commenting!
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Jen, Jen…you sound like you have convertible envy 🙂 I have to admit to sun worship. Last year when I found myself in front of a TV camera and harsh lights, the toll of sun damage was painfully obvious. I have two spots on my forehead that never quite heal. Dermatologist said they are precancerous..like the one on my clavicle. Not so much vanity (maybe a little), as I just feel better being out in the sun. Time to take stricter precautions.
GM/SB
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Well, funny you should mention that…last year, I used some dermatologist provided sunscreen, like PF 100 stuff and applied it onto my face. As the afternoon wore on the sunscreen made its way into the corner of my eye. Soon I was in horrible pain and I swear the product scorched the outside corner of my eye. I had a horrible sore for the duration of the trip. I would opt for tear free or whatever they call it sunscreen so sweating, eye rubbing or by whatever means contact with the eye does not cause such an incapacitation.
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