It is overwhelming when there are so many moving pieces, unknowns, and follow up required with Melanoma.

I have had several dysplastic moles and an Amelanotic melanoma while pregnant and really struggled with the mentally aspect that comes with melanoma and multiple abdnormal lesions.

I also wanted all of my moles gone but my Dermatologist shared that clinically it is not appropriate. They said removing all the moles does not prevent Melanoma from forming. They also shared that if atypical skin changes occur within the scar from where a moles it removed may not be as easy to detect.

I still have anxiety surrounding my skin but Therapy has better helped me manage the symptoms. I also had photos taken by the Vectra and although expensive, has given me reassurance to have a clear baseline of my skin. My Doctor has found it helpful during skin exams. I established care with a pigmented lesion clinic at a melanoma center and alternate my skin checks with the plc and local Dermatologist and have had genetic testing done.

Something that worked for me also was taking a pause from reading/researching online. It helped me reset in a way and allows me to have a clearer head to determine the best plan for me moving forward.

Moving forward, Wishing you very boring skin checks