Weird rash? Genitals leaking green fluid? Have some Illegitimate Medical Advice!!

[Goatchella]

Shitty beer made from shitty grains... Hella glutens. Glutens cause mucus.

Dont drink shitty beer

[Courtney]

Barb, I have a weird thing on my decolletage. It's like a little oval of raised, red shiny skin, sort of like a scar that is healing. But it has been there for several months now and has not gone away. It is about an eighth of an inch in diameter, and has remained consistent in color, shape and size since it appeared. It does not itch.

1) What is it?
2) Am I dying?
3) If I am dying, how long do I have to live?

[ThatGirl]

Wow I thought my lame little resume thread was offering valuable advice until I saw this thread. Damn.

[herro kitty]

Darn!! Courtney, show me again! I haven't checked the site because it was down for a while, but I'll look now!!

[Courtney]

Oh! I don't know what happened. Let me take another photo right now.

[Courtney]

I remember what happened. I deleted because it was sort of gratuitous cleavage. But here is new gratuitous cleavage. Happy V Day. Also, the thing has started getting really itchy. I'm sort of worried it's melanoma or something. The button is 1.5 inches in diameter, to give you scale.

[herro kitty]

It sorta looks like ringworm. Has it gotten larger in size at all? Try putting some athlete's foot cream on it.

[Courtney]

Eeeeek. No it has not gotten larger in size. It is the same size, same color, and same shape since it first appeared. Except now it's itchy too.

[MissingPerson]

Ringworm would probably have spread a bit flatter and wider though, wouldn't it? And if it's been a couple of months, it probably would have spread around to other patches?

Hey, if it is ringworm I know a guy said to have the miraculous power to cure it. Just so you know.

[OnlyNonStranger]

I've only ever seen ringworm on dogs but I don't think that's it.

[Courtney]

I don't know guys, I just googled and it really sounds like this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001827/

Basal cell carcinoma may look only slightly different than normal skin. The cancer may appear as skin bump or growth that is:

Pearly or waxy

White or light pink

Flesh-colored or brown

In some cases the skin may be just slightly raised or even flat.

You may have:

A skin sore that bleeds easily

A sore that does not heal

Oozing or crusting spots in a sore

Appearance of a scar-like sore without having injured the area

Irregular blood vessels in or around the spot

A sore with a depressed (sunken) area in the middle

[OnlyNonStranger]

You should probably consult a doctor before telling yourself that you have cancer. That's why they get paid the big bucks.

[MissingPerson]

Teeny tiny sebaceous cyst?

[Courtney]

Ha, Warren yes as soon as I saw that list of symptoms, I called my doctor. I have an appointment for tomorrow morning at 10am. My family has a history of skin cancer, and I have spent the better part of my life living in the tropics, so I am super paranoid.

[koryp]

I agree with the MD visit Courtney, especially if you can see a decent dermatologist due to your family history. Unless you've been breast stroking in a preschool sandbox, I think it is probably just a mild folliculitis from a generic staph. That'll clear up easy with some cream. You will be told to "put the balm on it". Unless it is cancer, or spontaneous external clone graft, or a government experiment, or a pimple.

[herro kitty]

I just realized that I had something similar to this on my calf during Coachella of last year, and I saw that it was still not completely healed in August! But now it's healed up but has a small scar. I didn't do anything to it though.

So basically, what koryp said.

[Courtney]

I just got back from my PCP (I'm on HMO, so I have to see him first for everything). He said that it's not melanoma, but it could be squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma. He also said something about a rat bite. But I'm not sure if that's some sort of medical jargon, or if he actually was saying that a rat bit me.

He referred me to a dermatologist for a biopsy.

[Stickjohn]

Yay for no melanoma! And you don't sound paranoid you sound smart.

[koryp]

Did you say anything to lead him to believe you may have been snuggling with rodents? Glad you are seeing a dermatologist. Truth be told most other practitioners don't delve too far into dermatological problems. There are simply too many differential diagnosis to remember and since few of them are immediately life threatening, we can send you down to the geeky kid with glasses and the textbook of skin bugs to figure that stuff out. Good luck Courtney.


Barb, how goes the Nursie orientation? Exciting? Scary? Underwhelming?

[Courtney]

Ha, I am pretty sure "rat bite" was a description of how it looked. Or at least, I'm hoping that's what he meant. I have not encountered any rodents recently, and especially not rodents on my decolletage.

I hope the dermatologist doesn't want to do a "skin map" on me. I had a guy in LA that did that, and having someone spend the better part of an hour mapping every single freckle on every inch of your body from your scalp to your butt crack is kind of not very awesome.

[NachoCat]

You are awfully white for living in hawaii. LEAVE THE COMPUTER NOW

[koryp]

This "skin map" sounds a little like a "free candy" scheme. Maybe I'm just suspicious by nature. Fuck it he's got a diploma, must be legit.

[Courtney]

Hhaaa. I know Kory. I researched it and I guess it's pretty legit. But I still asked to have an observer the room for the whole thing, because the doctor sort of skeeved me out.

Somewhere in the archived patient files of the USC Medical Center, there is an envelope full of photos of every single inch of my skin along with annotations of color, size and placement of each freckle. That's not creepy or anything. Really.

[koryp]

Lulz. Uncomfortable Lulz.

[amyzzz]

I keep putting off getting the obligatory skin cancer check for that reason but I suppose I should do it soon. I don't relish the idea of someone looking at my skin that closely. Damn my sunny state.

[herro kitty]

Hey kory, I am taking my NCLEX next fucking Wednesday. I'm shitting my pants because I am forgetting everything. I'm trying to study.. but there's so much. I am pretty much fainting in fear. Sigh. I signed up for an online review thing from the NBCSN and have been doing questions on that... but I don't know if I'm ready. What do you think?

[TomAz]

He thinks you should quit being such a pussy.





oops i mean HI BARB

[dekelou]

I just got back from my PCP (I'm on HMO, so I have to see him first for everything). He said that it's not melanoma, but it could be squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma. He also said something about a rat bite. But I'm not sure if that's some sort of medical jargon, or if he actually was saying that a rat bit me.

He referred me to a dermatologist for a biopsy.

Just discovered this thread...being a (ahem) doctor myself, a simple shave biopsy (just like it sounds) should be able to rule out basal cell. Although it is in a normally sun exposed area, your chances of it being something malignant are not that high even with a family history. It's more than likely a small cyst or minor infection around a hair follicle, but a biopsy is still a smart idea. Hope it goes well.

(insert statement releasing liability regarding providing medical advice on the internet)

[Courtney]

Yesssss more medical professionals. I love this thread.

Thanks dekelou. I have had an irregular mole biopsied before, so I'm not super super freaked out, but I will definitely feel much better once this is all sorted out. The joys of being of Irish heritage and living in warm, sunny cities.

[yardbird]

Am I the only one who had to look up decolletage?