Some Dr Offices ..

tara g

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Some doctor's offices just bug me!

Currently, Rob and I will go to a place called Doctors Care if we're sick, or concerned about something. They're convienient - open 8am-8pm Mon-Sat, and 9am-5pm on Sun. Since we're usually never heading home from work until after 6, they're the only place open. Everyone else seems to find them very convienient too
It's always a nice long wait, regardless of how many people are there.

Last night we stopped by to get Rob's hands checked out. They've got small bumps on his fingers and top of his hands. He also said he's noticed them on his feet before (I haven't seen those yet). If he squeezes them, a watery pus will come out. They don't itch at all. At first I thought it was a reaction to the parts cleaner he's been using, but he's usually always got 1 hand in a glove, and I don't know how the heck it would affect his feet! Plus, he's been using the cleaner for a year and a half now without any reactions. My guess was a reaction to something, basically. He has no idea what it could be.

We waited over an hour before they called us in. There had been 4 people ahead of us, and then somehow they called in a lady who arrived after us before they called us. Dont know how that worked. I went in with him this time because last time he went, I stayed in the waiting room but couldn't even read a book with the kids behind me crawling on my hair and all the other ones screaming. Ugh. I ended up walking outside and waiting out there.

We get in there and the nurse guy does the requisite questions on medical history and whatnot, then asks what's wrong. Rob told him, and the guy said something that began with a "d" ... dont know what it was, never heard of it. Then we proceeded to wait another 20 minutes in the exam room. The doctor comes in and takes a look, but when she sees them she's like "whoa, let me put on gloves in case those are what I think they are..." Okay, I've touched his hands quite often, and I have nothing wrong with mine. She starts looking at them, and says "scabies". Then she proceeds to give the symptoms of scabies - VERY itchy bumps, "trails" from where they burrowed, ability to give them to other people through touch, generally in finger and toe webs ....

But he has NONE of those symptoms! He hasn't given them to me, he doesn't have any "trails", the bumps never itched, and they are on his FINGERS, not in the finger webs. They had disappeared from his feet when he was going to show her. The ones on his hands showed up about 2 weeks ago, and then went away, then reappeared a day or two ago.

She didn't seem open to any other options BUT scabies. Even though she kept saying how his symptoms didn't quite match them, that's all she had to tell us. She prescribed some cream you have to apply from head to toe, then repeat in 14 days if it doesn't get better. Then told us to buy hydracortizone cream if it doesn't improve in 14 days. Never heard whatever the nurse had seemed sure it was. It seemed like the place is just out to get a buck. Suggest something that doesnt make sense, and then tell you to come back for another $25 copay and some more charged to insurance. Gotta figure everything out for yourself these days.

I just did some searching, and the nurse had suggested "dyshidrosis". Some of the symptoms do sounds similar to what is on wikipedia, but the picture included looks nothing at all like what his hands are like. It's some form of eczema. Hmm. We'll see if the cream works any, anyway. And if not, maybe one day someone will be able to really give a diagnosis other than myself.
 

brandi

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be very very careful with that cream...especially If Rob is driving I had a reaction to the cream that caused a seizure while driving...sending Rob some !!!
 

rockcat

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Sure doesn't sound like scabies to me! Sorry, I don't have a diagnosis suggestion, but it sure doesn't sound like scabies to me!
 

kiwideus

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Do the bumps on his hands get really itchy? I get those when I am stressed - its a form of eczema, which I am lucky enough to have


I use a normal topical eczema cream that you can buy over the counter and it works just fine.
 
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tara g

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Nope, the bumps never have itched. We are going to try and find a dermatologist in the area and find out what it is for sure. He's not going to even bother with the prescribed cream because it is for scabies and we're pretty much 100% sure that's NOT the problem!

So far the closest we've gotten to "diagnosing" it is dyshidorsis. Some of the "treatments" it calls for on wikipedia are things I have in the lab
The first picture on that page isn't what his hands look like (apparently that is a very advanced stage) but the one further down is how the soles of his feet have been getting (just not AS peel-y). Except no itching.

I wonder if Doctors Care ends up with the people who finished last in their classes
How they got "scabies" out of this is beyond me.
 

calico2222

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If she was so sure it was scabies, did she tell you to put him in quarantine, wash EVERYTHING in the house with hot water and bleach, and basically keep him isolated for a few weeks? If not, she knew it wasn't scabies but didn't have a clue.

My grandmother got scabies in the nursing home a few years ago and they literally threw away ALL her clothes and moved her to a private room where she couldn't have visiters for a month. It is HIGHLY contagious and unfortunately seems to be a common epidemic in nursing homes.

I think a dermatologist would be able to help you better. Hope he feels better soon!
 

carolpetunia

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I understand about the convenient hours and all, but... really, those places are only good for a few stitches when you bang your head on a cabinet, that sort of thing. These are not likely to be the sharpest diagnosticians -- as you discovered!
I wouldn't rely on "doc-in-the-box" places for anything that isn't obvious and minor.
 
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tara g

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All she said was to wash the linens. Nothing else. I KNEW it wasn't scabies from the moment she said it was. Especially as she rattled off the symptoms and NONE of them matched what he's got. I was like "um, so HOW did you come to this conclusion again?" They must go by the "guess and check" method
There was no mention of "quarantining" him, bleaching anything, throwning stuff out, etc.

I went looking into some doctors offices in town, most of the doctors I've billed for in the past at my previous job. One of their buildings is 3 buildings away from the Doctors Care place. I've been there maybe 3 times for myself, and the last time was just another guess. They gave me something to get rid of the pain and then it went away. Rob's wrist was bugging him, they gave him a brace and ibuprofen and sent him on his way last time. I guess the painkillers worked the best, since he never wore the brace at work (it would get in the way), and thats where he spent most of his time!

I've only found 1 dermatologist nearby, and he only has a 1 out of 5 rating from patients
Not sure if I wanna go there or get a referral from a regular doctor if it IS a derm. problem.
 

carolpetunia

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Originally Posted by Tara & Rob

I've only found 1 dermatologist nearby, and he only has a 1 out of 5 rating from patients
Not sure if I wanna go there or get a referral from a regular doctor if it IS a derm. problem.
Y'know, I was thinking the other day -- I've been to half a dozen dermatologists in my life, and not a one of 'em was worth a hoot. If it weren't for the wonderful dermatological surgeon I took my father to for his skin cancer surgeries, I'd begin to wonder if there are any good ones!

Maybe some of our nurses could enlighten us on how to find a good dermatologist...?
 

rockcat

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I think my DH has a good dermatologist. We just found a new one. I did some research, looking for the most qualified doctor. The problem is it takes forever to get an appointment. I had to schedule the appointment a month in advance to see the assistant. If we wanted to wait for the doctor it would take 4 months. Fortuantely, the assistant is very good. She had a concern and inturrupted the doctor to take a look, so we got to see her anyway.
 
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