Hello everyone,
I am ready for bed but wanted to post quick with a update from my appointment today.
I went to the dermatologist with the understanding that a biopsy would be done to see why my skin & nails are changing so much and my hair is literally falling out of my head at rapid rates. I was also there for my annual skin cancer check.
Well, I do not have any suspicious moles or cancers on my skin so that is good. I have a pre-cancerous area above my lip that they freeze when it flares up and so they did that today and I am a little sore but no big deal.
As far as the visible changes to the skin on my hands, around my cuticles and palms too he prescribed a prescription lotion called Lachydrin Lotion to be filled at my pharmacy. He said put it on in the morning and at night with gloves to try and reduce the issues.
Now as for the biopsy he told me that he will not do a biopsy as they really do not show much.
OK, so I proceed to politely challenge him and tell him about The Lupus Site, my friends here, the stories I have read about skin biopsy's that clearly show a lot and are very helpful to aid in diagnosis or at least help to paint a clearer picture. He did not like that very much and reminded me that in fact he was the M.D., not me.
At this point I was really mad because my Rheumatologist wrote a letter requesting that a biopsy be done and results of the pathology be sent to his office as well so I told the Dermatologist that clearly biopsy's do show things or my Rheumy would not have requested it be done. His reply to me, "I am the skin guy and it wont show anything".
He wrote a script for the lotion and for bloodwork. He is checking my ANA, Ferritin and TSH 3 and 4..........told me to come back in a month. Then he suggested it is probably hormonal and I told him that is impossible as I hit menopause years ago! I asked him if he reads his charts before he opens his mouth.:lol::lol::lol:
So the moral of the story here is I pissed off the doctor today because he was just a pompous know it all who in my humble opinion did not do his job and disregarded the requests of my Rheumy. When I got home I called my Rheumy and left a message for him to call me back and discuss this. I know that he will not be happy and the war between doctors will begin.
Is anything ever easy in life? The older I get the more I challenge doctors like this one and it really is exhausting. I had the blood work done yet I am left to wonder if a biopsy would have provided some answers before I have to put my head into a wig.
I am done venting, feel better but tired. I am going to bed now but hope you all had a pain free day.:wink2:
I am ready for bed but wanted to post quick with a update from my appointment today.
I went to the dermatologist with the understanding that a biopsy would be done to see why my skin & nails are changing so much and my hair is literally falling out of my head at rapid rates. I was also there for my annual skin cancer check.
Well, I do not have any suspicious moles or cancers on my skin so that is good. I have a pre-cancerous area above my lip that they freeze when it flares up and so they did that today and I am a little sore but no big deal.
As far as the visible changes to the skin on my hands, around my cuticles and palms too he prescribed a prescription lotion called Lachydrin Lotion to be filled at my pharmacy. He said put it on in the morning and at night with gloves to try and reduce the issues.
Now as for the biopsy he told me that he will not do a biopsy as they really do not show much.
OK, so I proceed to politely challenge him and tell him about The Lupus Site, my friends here, the stories I have read about skin biopsy's that clearly show a lot and are very helpful to aid in diagnosis or at least help to paint a clearer picture. He did not like that very much and reminded me that in fact he was the M.D., not me. At this point I was really mad because my Rheumatologist wrote a letter requesting that a biopsy be done and results of the pathology be sent to his office as well so I told the Dermatologist that clearly biopsy's do show things or my Rheumy would not have requested it be done. His reply to me, "I am the skin guy and it wont show anything".
He wrote a script for the lotion and for bloodwork. He is checking my ANA, Ferritin and TSH 3 and 4..........told me to come back in a month. Then he suggested it is probably hormonal and I told him that is impossible as I hit menopause years ago! I asked him if he reads his charts before he opens his mouth.:lol::lol::lol:
So the moral of the story here is I pissed off the doctor today because he was just a pompous know it all who in my humble opinion did not do his job and disregarded the requests of my Rheumy. When I got home I called my Rheumy and left a message for him to call me back and discuss this. I know that he will not be happy and the war between doctors will begin.
Is anything ever easy in life? The older I get the more I challenge doctors like this one and it really is exhausting. I had the blood work done yet I am left to wonder if a biopsy would have provided some answers before I have to put my head into a wig.
I am done venting, feel better but tired. I am going to bed now but hope you all had a pain free day.:wink2:
