Detected early?
I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma yesterday morning. Stemming from a mole I thought looked suspicious on one of my arms. I spotted that mole 2 years ago but didn't think much of it. Funny how fast time goes by and then I finally decided to go see my doc to get a biopsy. I know nothing about what stage I'm at yet and what not. I've researched it online against advice because, well, that's just the era we live in.
My doc put in an urgent referral for the cancer centre to get seen. I'm waiting on their call. Every reputable article I've read says that this type of cancer has excellent chances of being treated when detected early. I have two questions; what does "detected early" even mean (since I've had this mole for 2 years)? And, how do you stop yourself from thinking about this constantly?
I'm angry at myself for waiting so long. I've also been having 24/7 GI issues for the past 2 months that my doc couldn't figure out and now I'm worried it's all related. My rational mind is telling me to wait for more info, but it's impossible to think of anything else.
PS: I'm not sure if this counts as "health anxiety" since I was already diagnosed. Sorry if it does; I couldn't think of a better forum than this one to ask.