Some time towards the end of the summer 2012 I noticed a Mole on my back that I wasn’t happy with – it looked irregular – it was about 5mm wide at the time & a bit scabby on the top. I had already being seen by the local dermatologist 6 months before because I am quite “moley” and I had had 3 previous moles removed for testing that had all come back as benign.
In October I saw one of the dermatologists and got them to look at the mole on my back .
I was actually complaining at the time to this lady about a previous dermatology appointment there where the male doctor wouldn’t look at a mole I had I was concerned about that was in between my breasts – he had gotten very embarrassed & in my opinion didn’t treat me properly as a patient.
She did look at the mole on my back – pressed the glass against it & said it was nothing to worry about – she consulted her colleague who was there & he too came in looked at the mole on my back – and the mole on my front.
He also said the mole on my back was nothing to worry about – and neither was the one on my front – but they would remove the one on my front & send it off for testing anyway. I was given the impression they were “pacifying me” because their colleague had not consulted with me properly on a previous appointment – they removed the one on my chest & another one next to it for “cosmetic reasons” and sent them off for testing (benign btw).
They also said that because I have so many moles they would put me forward for Mole Mapping & I would get an appointment soon for that. (again I felt like I was being given a treat as a here have this and shut up tactic)
But the mole on my back carried on growing & I was never sent an appointment date for Mole mapping (no surprise there!).
In March I called my doctors surgery to ask about the Mole Mapping appointment & was advised they would chase with the hospital & get back to me. ( they didn’t)
In early April I called again – apparently the Mole Mapping machine was broken and would not be fixed until August – they would imagine I would get an appointment some time in September!
I booked an appointment with a GP to get them to look at my mole on my back – by now it was almost 1cm wide – stuck out from my skin about 1cm & ticked all the boxes of worry. This GP looked at it – pressed a glass against it & said that looks ok but because it is on your bra strap line we will take it off here in minor surgery.
I had a minor surgery date booked for 7th May 2013.
The GP who removed the mole also said that it looked fine & that because I am a “young woman” he thought the last thing I would want is a big hole/ scar on my back if it wasn’t necessary – so he decided to shave the mole off rather than cut it out.
Hindsight is a vicious thing – oh to turn back the clock to that day!!!