Check Up Time

It can be harder to have things removed nowadays... Both moderately and severely dysplastic used to get removed, but moderate can be more watch and wait nowadays, though severe should always come out... It's hard for me watching my moles change to the stage when doctors will take them out. I did investigate following in my siblings footsteps and getting some removed privately, which would have been very quick and could have been done at my own NHS dermatology department... But, I was a bit loathe to pay out and finally got the mole removed on NHS, which was moderately dysplastic. The ones the NHS took out were mainly severely dysplastic plus an inflamed moderately dysplastic one.

I had full body photography taken at the hospital after I had so many dysplastic moles and given family history of melanoma (FAMMM syndrome).

You can get mole apps that monitor things for you. Am reluctant to advise as I only used one for a short while – it kept flagging I needed to see GP about things and increased my anxiety, though it was useful in helping me know which ones I needed to pay attention to when doing my own monitoring. There is never a last chance as you can always get GP to send photos to dermatology. I once had to go back repeatedly after discharge, culminating in multiple 2WW referrals, some of which led to dermatology seeing me in person, some to them just comparing images with the total body photography. If you are that anxious why not ask hospital about having the photography, though it is a little embarrassing being under the bright lights and I was unlucky enough to get a male photographer.

Rose x

Just wondering if you had your check up and how it went? How are you feeling now? 

Agree that photography is a good way to manage concerns. That's what my consultant arranged as well and for me it gave me reassurance that it was being recorded. Started doing my own after that as well so I could see if there were any changes. Some are tricky to get, I tried to find the stick on ruler, but just made a note of measurements.

Hi, thanks for following up. It's on Wednesday this week. I've had a bit of a search and I don't think my hospital offers it but I will ask. I've got the skin vision app but it's hard to get the moles in the right place on my phone in the app for them to analyse properly and I think I've probably got in excess of 100-200 altogether on my bodyso it's difficult! I will ask though and see what they say. 

Good luck for Wednesday. Yes, it's really tough when you've got a lot of moles. I have also, plus an appointment tomorrow to check things and take dermatoscopic photos – got at least two that have changed to a worrying level. I do understand what you mean about getting the moles in the right place for the app to analyse when you've got so many. Do you have anyone can help take the photos for you?

I do hope that you are able to explain your concerns fully to the doctors and get the reassurance you need. Also, I think you need to tell the doctors why it is so hard for you to do the monitoring yourself. Hopefully, they will then help you find a solution.

Had my appointment. The doctor was really nice. Asked about photo's she said it's called mole mapping but said they could only offer to keep me on the system for another year patient led, so basically for the next year if I'm concerned about any to call them direct which will skip the GP and go straight to dermatology. I explained how it's difficult to see the ones on my back and she just said try to take some photos by propping up my phone but I don't think that will work as you can't see the detail to see the changes from a big photo of my back. I'll just try to get a friend to check me every so often. It seems the NHS photography mole mapping is a bit of a post code lottery. 

Pleased the doctor was really nice. Mole-mapping can be done privately but hopefully getting a friend to check you every so often will work for you. It really is difficult to do the back properly without a bit of help. (Did notice someone taking picture of themselves using a tiny drone the other day – gave me bit of a shock tbh!! Maybe in the future you just get a drone fly around you...compute results for you, etc.)

When you take the photos you should do it in segments, then when you look at the phone enlarge the pictures for individual lesions so you can see what is going on.  Having a ruler always helps, but again very difficult when it's the back. I currently have one changing lesion (enlarging, new features, etc) on back that ought to come out – confirmed by dermoscopy this week – and another confirmed to be growing on my leg. I managed to get a ruler into the leg photo which helped prove there was a change. But, I really struggle to monitor it all. Just about muddling through!

At least you have another year of patient led monitoring, which will get you through quicker if needs be. My GP is interested in dermatology and they bought a dermatoscope for the practice. My GP is now doing first-line checks that used to be done by the hospital. Thankfully, he is very good at referring to dermatology re changes.

I have a lot of confidence in him now though I wasn't at all happy at first. Rose x