Dermatology: Part 1

[mistressofmuses]

Dermatology appointment today, and with that, all my currently scheduled doctor's visits are completed!

This was the one referral I asked for from my primary care provider, since I have a lot of family history of skin cancer, and a lot of personal history of being pale enough to glow under blacklight and getting really bad sunburns.

I was mistaken, and my copay was $75, not the $50 I was expecting. :/

The dermatologist who did the skin check was very nice.

There were two spots that she wanted to biopsy: one on my arm, and one on my scalp. I'm not surprised by the arm one, which is a bit tri-colored, but didn't know I had a weird spot on my head, ha. I'm a bit relieved that there were only two spots. (Not because I had any that I was especially concerned about, but just because of the fact I'm pretty high-risk and haven't ever been screened before.) She didn't sound like she was wildly concerned about either, but just wants to be sure. The one on my head is either two spots that have merged and are not a problem, or one really misshapen spot that is probably very much a problem.

The numbing shots were very effective, and I didn't feel the biopsying at all. I still don't really feel the arm one, but the one on the top of my head hurts, and I'm dreading the experience of brushing (and washing!) my hair, ha.

I've been instructed to buy tinted moisturizer with SPF for my face and a brimmed hat for going hiking. :[ Both probably good ideas. Ugh, "self-care."

I feel like it's a damnation of the healthcare system that I am far less worried about the prospect of either or both biopsies coming back as cancerous as I am "is my insurance covering this?" I called them in advance, and was told that yes, I can use a referral from my nurse practitioner even though she's not listed as my PCP, but I'm still very concerned they're going to deny it (considering they denied me seeing my PCP because my PCP didn't refer me to see my PCP before I had a PCP), and/or subsequent appointments, if I do need to get either of these bits removed. All I can do is wait and see at this point.

Both my nurse and the doctor I saw today end appointments with a "if you see anything concerning, or if you're worried about something, please come see us any time; we want to catch things early if they're a problem!" but like... I won't be doing that, lol. I can't shell out copays for this shit constantly! (Already feeling the same about the "please definitely make sure you do these skin checks once a year, even if the biopsies are clean. You're pretty high-risk." Like... I can theoretically afford this if my insurance covers it, but I will not have $6000 next year to pay off that deductible, so this is probably the only one I'm doing for the foreseeable future.)

I should know the results from the biopsies in a couple weeks. Since there's a holiday next week, she said that it will probably take the full two weeks. Obviously I'm hoping that I don't actually have skin cancer, but we'll find out, and then I'll know if I'm actually done with appointments for the time being.

Comments

[which_chick]

My brimmed hat (kind of robust, has leather chin strap, moldable wire brim, likely "for men") really cuts down on the gnat problem here in the humid midAtlantic. Like, I breathe gnats and get them in my eyes and stuff, literal clouds of them every time I walk outside. I do live in a swamp-adjacent part of the country and it's very rural, but...ugh, gnats. Also the hat keeps sun glare off my bifocals, so that's nice too. I kind of like the hat.

Good job getting all your medical stuff done! I still have to find a new dentist, ugh. It's on the list.

[olivermoss]

"if you see anything concerning, or if you're worried about something, please come see us any time; we want to catch things early if they're a problem!"

God, it's like they are from the alternate reality where shit works right, I swear. How often doctors say stuff that just does not reflect reality is insane. Sorry you're dealing with the insanity of it.

I go hard on stupidly big hats and look terrible while hiking. I also wear a neck buff a lot which can look cool and outdoorsy, but my gear is not coordinated enough, and I'm not mid-20s with long hair.

[boujee_redneck]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! =D I'm so incredibly happy for you to be done with your bajillion appointments as of late!

Though seriously, what in the fresh hell is everything you've been describing with insurance and the twilight zone nightmare that is healthcare? I genuinely hate it for you that you've even had to have these internal debates about premiums and whether you can realistically return for what shouldn't be such an ordeal for an appointment/checkup *you need*... I also genuinely hate it for you that you weren't able to get in sooner on account of everything, regardless of what the biopsy results are. That said though, I am truly hoping your results come back normal and that you're in the clear. <3 I also truly hope you're healing up well, losing spots at the dermatologist is surprisingly painful/weird in some places. o.O

[mistressofmuses]

That sounds like a good brimmed hat. I'll probably be looking for something similar. My mom has a sort of floppy hiking hat that she likes pretty well. I hadn't thought about minimizing the gnats as a side benefit. We don't get them as badly here in the desert, but I prefer hiking along water when possible, and that's of course where all our assorted obnoxious insects DO congregate. Blowing my nose after a hike and finding dead gnats is mildly unpleasant, ha. And I do also wear glasses, and that glare does suck.

Ugh, boo on the dentist. Dental care is important, but man is it a pain in the ass.