The Visit to the Clinic

Hello everyone!

So it's now November 9th, which means that yesterday I went to the Karmanos Cancer Clinic in Detroit. I went there primarily for a second opinion and a full skin evaluation from a skin cancer specialist (as opposed to a regular dermatologist).

Karmanos Cancer Centre, Detroit MI

The visit was exactly what I expected and what I had hoped for from dermatologists here in Canada. Here's a summary of the visit:

1. The doctor reviewed all my previous dermatological files BEFORE my appointment.
2. She explained BCC to me and also explained Dysplastic Nevi Syndrome, and the risks of associated with both disorders.
3. She gave me informative pamphlets on these skin issues - and I know that must sound pretty trivial, but to have something in hand when you're being told about a health concern, it's great to have something tangible to look at, sanctioned by your doctor, instead of searching for information for yourself on the internet.
4. She took more than a half hour to look at every inch of my skin - after a resident doctor did an initial review.
5. For those moles and lesions that she thought were unusual with the naked eye, she used what she called a "dermatoscope" to look at them up close. The dermatoscope was a handheld microscope like thing that she put right against the skin to see a lesion up really close. She could also measure the size of each lesion with the same tool.
6. She told me that she would like to see three more lesions removed, and circled them for me, took pictures of them, and will send me a detailed report of all of her recommendations for me to bring to a dermatologist here. I could go to her clinic there, but the 4 hour drive to Detroit is BO-RING!
7. She is going to have the Karmanos Cancer Centre pathology unit review the pathology slides from the biopsies I've already had done, to make sure that they didn't miss anything.

So, all in all, you'd have to say "wow, now there's a thorough doctor's visit"! Despite the new lesions that need to be removed, I'm very positive about the outlook and I know that I did the right thing in getting a second opinion. For your entertainment, here are the photos of the lesions she wants me to have removed and biopsied. These are #1 and #2:

Numbers 1 and 2 on my back waiting for removal.

This is number #3 on the inside of my thigh, which all three dermatologists to date have disregarded:

Number 3 on my inner thigh (sexy!)

So these three will be removed hopefully within the next month and biopsied, and then all the other suspicious ones will be monitored; like this one on my foot:

This one looks to me like a freckle "in real life", but this is the second time a dermatologist wants to "keep an eye on it".

So, to sum everything up, I'm looking forward to having the three suspicious lesions removed and biopsied, and I'm thinking of trying to find a new dermatologist here in Toronto who has experience and expertise in skin cancers. This means if I see "wrinkles, botox and age spots treated here" on signs all over the doctor's office,  I'm in the wrong place. If I see gross pictures of gnarly looking skin lesions, I'm in the right place!!!!

I hope this experience has been educational for you as well as for me! Please be sure to look over your skin, no matter how old or young you are. We don't always fit into the "statistical norm". So if a doctor tells you, "you're too young to have XXX", get a second opinion!!! I'll keep you posted on the next biopsies, so stay tuned!