New here, not sure where to find support

ACS and This Board is a good place to find support
Avid,

I'm so sorry for your situation. The American Cancer Society website is the place to start of information of any cancer. If it's skin cancer, the skin cancer forum is the place to start. I'm found you may not always get an immediate answer, but you'll always get one!

I may not be able to help you much. I ended up with two suggestions. Hopefully someone with more experience than I will chime in with a solution. My reply is based on my experience 20+ years ago when I was at college. Please don't be offended! My reply is truly not meant to offend, and is not meant to imply you are slow/stupid/would not think to take advantage of all the university resource available to you. I just want to suggest one that may/may not be open to you that you may/may not have thought to check on. Especially since you don't mention if you are a full-time student, nor do you mention where you go to school.

20+ years ago, I was your typical student. I didn't read my student handbook - I did not realize until I truly needed it that as part of my college tuition, I was paying for health insurance. For 3 years, I went without going to the doctor because I didn't think I had the option available. (And of course, with typical 18-21 YO thinking, I though serious illness couldn't/wouldn't happen to me. And health insurance was for "old people" and was something only my parents would think of.) It was only after I cut my hand badly enough to need stitches that I discovered I had health insurance through my tuition. I was really angry with myself when I discovered that! There really were several times in the previous 3 years that I could have used that knowledge because I had been badly ill with colds/flu to need a visit to the doctor (as in strep throat/bronchitis).

Now, as my nieces and nephews are preparing to go to college, I'm discovering that most of their colleges offer health insurance as part of their college tuition packages.

So I would urge you to check your student handbook and check with your admissions counseler to find out if your college includes health insurance as part of your tuition. And if it does, if it includes cancer in the coverage. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it does? Or at the very least if it doesn't, if it includes a referral. I'd suggest trying to find a dermatologist. Maybe if you can find a way to pay for the initial pathology on a mole - if it comes back positive for melanoma, maybe you could convince the dermatologist/surgeon to do the follow-up surgeries pro bono or on a payment plan or something (they have to be done in order to get the clean margins).

All that being said, please, please, please have those lumps and bumps looked at. As I'm sure your research has indicated, melanoma is not something to be played with. And please don't let someone tell you they're nothing, or that you're too young for melanoma. My first melanoma was diagnosed at age 27. The doctors thought it was a "normal looking mole". I wanted it off because it itched - if the docs had had their way, I'd most likely be dead because it had already sent out 3 nodules. At 27, I was NOT a sun worshiper, nor was I one as a child/teen. If you were to do an unofficial pole on this forum, you would find people younger than 27 that were diagnosed with melanoma. You would also find people who were extremely pale.

My oncologist told me some people are just more prone to melanoma than others. Just as I was fortunate enough to go 17 years between my initial diagnosis an my first recurrence. How lucky is that? I consider it VERY lucky. I can tell you we're praying for another 17 years or more before another recurrence.

Another idea just came to mind as I was sitting here typing up this "novel" (sorry for its length, I tend to get wordy). I'm sure you've heard the term "networking" as it applies to the business world and searching for a job. Well, now is the time to apply that term to your search for a medical doctor. You know a few people in the medical profession. At the very least, you know the doctor you went to when you were growing up (even if s/he are in another state). They know people, who know people, etc. One thing I have discovered in dealing with this cancer - doctors are a closely knit group of people. They all tend to know each other (at least the good ones do), they network with each other. If you explain your situation to your doctor, and that you have no insurance/no money, etc. and what it is you are looking for, your family doctor may be able to assist you in your search for a doctor. Depending on your relationship with that doctor, they may even go so far as to make some phone calls for you.

I sincerely hope your lumps and bumps turn out to be harmless. I'll add you to my thoughts and prayers.

Dobermom (Christina)
Initial Dx : 1992
Dx Recurrant Metastatic Melanoma : 6 Aug 2009
NED since 1 Sep 2009
Undergoing low-dose interferon therapy
(26 down, 112 to go AO 10 Jan 2010)

Hello
Avid,
As the others have told you, you need to get those bumps checked. Melanoma is not something to take lightly. Click on my name in the blue square and read my story, especially part about my wife's recurrent melanoma.
I hope you can find some means of getting the screening done. I wish I knew some way. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. This is a good place to get support. There are some truly wonderful people on this network.

JR1949

Financial help
Hello again,
There is a website Cancer Care that offers financial help. I don't know how or what but it would be something you can look into. Website is: www.cancercare.org. Hope this helps you.

JR1949

There are resources
Dear Avid,

I think that several respondents have given you some good information about where you might get help. I work for a university. Most institutions require students to purchase health insurance if they are not covered by their parents plan. You most likely do have coverage. Also, many schools will also have a clinic that is available to students for minimal cost.

Last year about this time my wife discovered a small mark on my head, thought it was a pimple and tried to get rid of it. No luck. I didn't pay much attention to it until about three months later when it grew large very quickly. I finally went to a dermatologist and the rest is history. I have had two surgeries for removing the melanoma and have just finished my sixth month of Interferon. Only six more months to go.

Don't wait to find a doctor. Hopefully you already have. My delay resulted in being treated for stage 3 instead of stage 1.