For the last couple of months I have had problems with a mole that just breaks open and bleeds for no reason. It doesn't even have to have contact with anything - it will just break open and blead (since it is below the corner of my mouth, it makes me look half vampire with the blood dripping down to my chin).
So, I saw the doc, who said it probably wasn't anything to worry about since I have had the mole forever and it wasn't changing colors. But. we both agreed that getting rid of it would be a good thing. So on Monday, it was dug out (3 appointments just to have the mole removed, no wonder insurance costs what it does).
Ever tried to take pictures of yourself (especially a specific area)? Not as hard as it sounds.
The bandadge had to stay on for 24 hours, then I could remove it and just use regular bandaids. Well, nice theory, but my face generates so much oil that regular bandaids only last and hour or two (went thru 3 of them between 6 Am and 10 AM). Finally, I decided that regular bandaids weren't for me and just let it all hang out. Fortunately no one at work is squeamish!
I go in next Monday to have the stitches taken out, and that will be that.
You did a great job with the photos! I would have been worried silly about the bleeding mole. (You may recall that 3 years ago, I had a bleeding place above my lip--no mole or anything that I could see--that I took care of at HH's behest. One look and my internist told me to get to a dermatologist--immediately!) Glad that your mole seemed to your doctor(s), to be just that!
Yes, sometimes it takes several appointments to take care of an issue, and it does cost; but, I'm thinking that seeing a generalist can sometimes save money by sending me to the correct specialist. Too, I have saved money/appointments, twice (including the above-mentioned instance where the physicians assistant who saw me wanted me to have a plastic surgeon perform the surgery although she, herself, was licensed to perform it), by insisting that the dermatologist perform the surgery during the same session that he/she recommended that I have it. I'll have to admit that I did it more for my own convenience than to save money for the insurance company, though.
Oil production would make keeping a band-aid secured, a challenge. Your solution is probably as good as it can get.
Good luck--hoping that your biopsy comes back as benign. (How will I recognize my daughter without the mole?!!!)
Posted by: Cop Car | October 03, 2008 at 11:16 AM
I jsut find it incredibly stupid that I can't just call up the dermatologist and have this taken care of. First I have to se my GO, then there is a "consultation", then there is the actual act of medical practice.
I actually ended up going to a plastic surgeon (on the advice from my GP), because the plastic surgeon could see me a lot faster (I would still be a month out for a dermatologist).
Posted by: bogie | October 04, 2008 at 07:22 AM
Yes, I agree that you should frequently (including, in this case) be able to determine what specialist you need to see. They think we are idiots?! In the case of my basal cell carcinoma, the only reason I didn't go straight to the dermatologist was that I needed to go in for my annual physical, anyway. Dr S did, however, light a fire under my butt about getting in to see a dermatologist (I would probably have put it off for a few more months), which is one reason I ended up with the physicians assistant rather than an MD. I had seen the PA, before, and she could take me within a few days.
Your GP is probably in the same mind as my PA, that, any facial work should be done by a plastic surgeon. In my case, at my age, I couldn't have cared much less about the aesthetics. Had I understood how deep the digging would go, I might have had second thoughts; and the PA told me that if there were further work required (if she didn't get it all), she would refuse to do the further work because there would be a need to transplant tissue so as not to leave a hole clear through. Lovely thought! She still checks out the site, every six months.
At any rate, your surgery site looks good in the photo! (Who knew that one could see a plastic surgeon more quickly than a dermatologist?)
Posted by: Cop Car | October 04, 2008 at 10:04 AM
It is amazing how far down those suckers go and how much digging they have to do, hu?
Posted by: bogie | October 06, 2008 at 03:57 AM