My annual skin cancer screening - hold onto your hats folks

[mcar]

My usual reminder that I live in a ruby red rural county in Central Florida:

I had my annual skin cancer screening this week. I've been going to this guy for several years - he caught a friend's melanoma very early on when other docs ignored it. He's also not overzealous in removing skin stuff (I've had that experience before - a dermatologist was taking 6 things off every 6 months - all benign - because insurance allowed them to do it).

Went in with my mask on; the office staff were behind glass barriers but unmasked. Hmm. I sat in the waiting room next to the table of newspapers and magazines. A sign posted on the wall said that they don't always include the local daily because it gets stories from Associated Press and they don't want to subject their patients to "liberal media." Hmm, hadn't seen that before.

I go into the exam room with the unmasked nurse, who leaves. I start changing into the gown because I want the full body scan. In the exam room, he has 2 signs posted purportedly showing the high recovery rate from Covid - tell that to the families of 700,000 dead Americans.

No one in the office is masked, including the doctor. When he came into the exam room, he greeted me in his affable, goofy way and then told me I didn't have to wear a mask. I said, "is everyone in the office vaccinated?" Instead of answering, he backed away and said, maybe we should worry about you.

He then said that everyone in the office has had Covid but him. He's tried to get it, he said, by going into the hospital and letting Covid patients breathe on him. He also said he takes ivermectin and hydroxycloroquine every day and he's feeling great.

I suspected he was "joking;" I did not respond to anything he said but if he was, it was in poor taste, to say the least. I could have been someone who has lost a loved one to Covid and there he was making these ridiculous comments.

He finished the exam; I left feeling angrier and angrier. Why did I just sit there (OK, in my little disposable gown)? Why didn't I chew him out? I know the answer to that one - it obviously wouldn't have made a difference.

When I got home, I emailed the PR person at our local hospital (ID badge of which he was wearing). I've known her for years and used to be in the manager position there. She called me, appalled, said she'd checked with the Medical Staff dept who assured her that no dermatologist would have been permitted into the Covid units (which I knew). She suggested I file a complaint with the FL Medical board. She also gave me a real insight into how bad this latest "surge" has been here.

I filed said complaint. I also sent emails to Nikki Fried, our agriculture commissioner who is the only elected Dem in FL State politics, and to Anna Eskamani, a young firebrand Democratic state legislator from the Orlando area. Why didn't I let my own rep know? Because he is, of course, a Repub. He's also a dermatologist with the only other (very large) practice in the county.

I also posted the story on a local Facebook group - a non partisan but progressive group about 700 strong. Here, that means something.

I'm in the market for a new dermatologist.

[samnsara]

1. hope your cancer screen is clean..then go get em!!!

[mcar]

3. It was. Forgot to add that.

[greatauntoftriplets]

16. That's great news.

I wondered when I first read your subject line, then remembered where you live.

I see a doctor who is a Republican. At first she thought that Covid was being overblown. Then she saw lots of it in the hospital. Last fall, her 103-year-old father died of it. Now she believes, but hasn't converted to Democrat.

[mcar]

19. With my Irish heritage and 30 years in FL, I can't fool around

I need a reliable dermatologist. I've been lucky, only had one basal cell carcinoma that this doc took care of about 4 years ago. Nothing since.

My hospital contact told me that in this newest wave, they had 100 covid patients at times - in a 201 bed hospital. Some of their nurses are making about $100/hour with overtime pay.

But this amadan thinks it's a big joke.

[greatauntoftriplets]

25. My ancestry is Irish, Scottish, Wels, British and NW European.

I'm a blonde and fair skinned. Said skin is also very sensitive. I've spent a fair amount of time in the sun, but have not had to have anything removed, thankfully.

That's a terrible percentage. Those nurses deserve combat pay.

Good luck finding another dematologist.

[mcar]

27. They sure do

And as my contact said, a year+ ago they were being called heroes and having lunches provided by local restaurants and groups to thank them - when they had a dozen Covid patients. Now, they're being spat on.

[greatauntoftriplets]

47. The terrible treatment is disgusting.

People are assholes.

[dflprincess]

33. I'm Irish, Scots, Welsh, English & Scandinavian

Last edited Wed Oct 13, 2021, 10:27 PM - Edit history (1)

The dermatologist told me with that genetic legacy I'm a basal cell waiting to happen (and I've lost track of the relatives who have had one kind of skin cancer or another).

I'm just thankful I used to get bored "tanning" and never spent to much time just lying in the sun -- not that I didn't have more burns than I should have when I was young.

[greatauntoftriplets]

48. I'm not Scandinavian.

The other people came from France, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. I've only had two bad sunburns in my life, and both were a long time ago. Now I prefer the shade.

No one in my immediate family has had any kind of skin cancer, fortunately. My father had a tendency to moles that could have become cancerous had he not acted on it quickly.

[monkeyman1]

32. medicine & politics are a recipe for disaster !

rite now with all this republican bull shit going on , good luck finding a good doctor?

[greatauntoftriplets]

49. She hasn't brought up politics since her father died last November.

And I never bring it up.

Hillary Clinton's best friend also was a patient of this doctor's before her death two years ago. This is an excellent doctor, whether I agree with her politics or not.

[Ms. Toad]

54. My primary care doc is a Trump republican.

But medically, he mostly has his head screwed on straight.

He got he vaccine as soon as it was available, and tested to make sure it created decent antibodies.

Almost every visit we have some poltical conversation. He's not obnoxious about it, and as long as he is practicing sound medicine I figure it does him good to have openly lesbian parents as his patients.

[monkeyman1]

57. well shit , I should apologize on making a broad statement.

did not think the whole thing through ! My apologies to all ! their are a lot of fine doctor's out there& as far as mine , they are great ! the V.A. !

[Ms. Toad]

58. We had a disaster of a democrat just before him.

So after we fired her, we decided to give him a try based on recommendations of our medical insurance agent.

I discovered his political flavor on the first visit (he goes to church with one of the partners in a law firm that offered me a job - an offer that came tied to religious problem resolution . . . which I declined). Once I learned that, I made sure that he would not let religion or politics interfere with his care for us (and told him exactly who we were).

With one exception, he has kept his word for the past decade-ish. The sole exception is that he referred our daughter, who was wrestling with depression and broadly exploring her sexual options, with multiple sex partners, to a faith-based counseling service. I think he knew all of the tendrils of her emotional landscape - so it was a stupid referral. I did a quick bit of research and let my daughter know what she was likely to encounter. She chose not to go.

Otherwise, I can expect that after we're done with our medical visit he'll strike up a conversation about some wild theory. He listens when I respond, and treats us well.

[greatauntoftriplets]

64. Ths doctor is an excellent diagnostician.

She was vaccinated when that hospital started giving to staff before Christmas last year. Additionally, my niece is an NP at that hospital and they often collaborate on patients. That would make it awkward to stop seeing her because of politics.

[mgardener]

30. I had mine done today too!

Good for 6 months.
I agree.
Find a new dr.
Any dr that states he takes those drugs and is "trying" to get COVID is dangerous.

[monkeyman1]

61. holy shit ! I agree 100% ! don't walk away -run like like hell !!!!!!

[BlueIdaho]

2. I wish I could say I'm surprised

By the number of doctors that a totally full of shit but I’m not. A skin doctor may know skin but they probably don’t know fuck all viruses and epidemiology. We have these knuckleheads here in ruby red Idaho too - but to be honest, crazy doctors are a constant presence throughout America.

[mcar]

5. I'm amazed these idiots can tie their shoes in the morning

This guy is a board certified dermatologist, for sweet Jeebus' sake.

And we both know they are vaccinated.

[BlueIdaho]

7. Truly...

My sister, a public health nurse, managed a local outbreak of whooping cough back in the 1990s. There were several local MDs who believed that the vaccine would actually make the outbreak worse. Just like plumbers, some doctors are pretty good and some are real hacks.

[mcar]

9. Books smarts don't always mean real smarts

[monkeyman1]

62. YA THINK !!

[Haggard Celine]

29. I've noticed through the years that a lot of doctors are RWers.

I think a lot of it is due to economics. They bitch about the taxes they have to pay and they bitch about the high cost of malpractice insurance, and they lay the blame for all of those things on the Democrats. A lot of them think that nobody is as hardworking as they are and they don't want to have to pay for social programs. Paradoxically, a lot of doctors just don't have much empathy for their patients or the rest of society.

[PCIntern]

34. Right you are

And also now true of dentists.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Wow, what a story! You have my sympathies.

What I would do? I would not only be looking for a new dermatologist, but also a new place to live, preferably in a blue state.

Now, I don't know you at all, and you most likely have very good reasons for staying there.

And since you probably want to keep on living there, then your steps outlined above are excellent things to do.

[mcar]

6. Hubby has one year left to work here Peggy

and the cost of living is very low. Our house is nearly paid off.

And, we've got a nice group of like-minded friends and allies. I helped to found the local Democratic Women's Club and have made so many good friends since.

I'll be honest, I hate Florida. I can't deal with heat and it's gotten progressively worse in the 30 years we've lived here - as have the politics. We're looking at keeping the house as a home base and traveling a lot.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. Those are ALL very good reasons to stay, my dear mcar.

I applaud your travel plans!

[mcar]

15. We have a new granddaughter in DC

Looking forward to spending lots of time there.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

26. Oh, how wonderful! Congratulations! ♥

[mcar]

28. Thank you

[Hoyt]

8. Lots of stupid and right wing docs out there.

[mcar]

11. My biggest regret is not calling in advance and asking

if they were vaxxed/masked. Would have saved me a lot of angst.

[Shellback Squid]

10. How did they get their degress, where did they place in their graduating class?

toward the bottom?

[mcar]

13. Wassamata U?

Dude is board certified. I'm trying to figure out how to alert the board and Medicare. I'm not on Medicare yet but he obviously has Medicare patients.

[momta]

38. Nah.

Pretty sure Bullwinkle and friends are much smarter than those idiots.

[mcar]

51. ...

[ShazzieB]

60. This may help.

Florida Health Care Complaint Portal: https://mqa-flhealthcomplaint.doh.state.fl.us/

"Florida Health Care Complaint Portal allows consumers to file a complaint with the appropriate state agency. You will be asked a series of questions to help us identify the nature of your complaint. After you have answered all of the questions, you will see a summary page with instructions on how to file your complaint."

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[mcar]

65. Yes, that's where I filed the complaint

Thanks.

[Hekate]

31. You know what they call the guy who graduates last in his class from medical school?

*

*

*

Doctor.

[mcar]

36. True

[Karadeniz]

14. Good Lord!!!!!!

[qazplm135]

17. you know what they call

the person who graduates last in medical school.

[StrictlyRockers]

18. Even for Florida, this MD sounds really far gone.

I think you're right to just switch and report him to the appropriate authorities. There wasn't much point in confronting someone like that. He drank the Kool-Aid.

[mcar]

20. That's what I figured

plus I was in the aforementioned skimpy exam gown.

[Hekate]

39. Those paper "gowns" are more than a little disempowering, aren't they? Almost as much as stirrups

Nope. I’m with you 100% — wait until fully clothed before launching any action or comments.

[mcar]

44. Thanks. Nt

[oregonjen]

21. I'm surprised you didn't walk out of there immediately after

seeing everyone unmasked. I guess I would have hightailed it outta there.

[mcar]

22. Should have. Didn't. Regret it.

[Maru Kitteh]

23. You did a really great job and a good thing, mcar.

You did speak up - in a way that matters. Follow through with those contacts you made and stick with it. That jackhole needs to understand a few things such as he needs to keep that lunatic shit to himself.

[mcar]

24. Thanks Maru

I think the local FB group will have more of an effect than the official route but at least I'm getting the word out.

[monkeyman1]

35. bad thing is , can't ask them what side of the fence there on ?

[Hekate]

40. This was a known doctor & a known practice. It was all a shock. However...

I wouldn’t launch a political inquiry — while making an appointment I’d just ask what their office COVID safety protocols are, and if the scheduler sounds clueless I’d list what they should be: staff vaxxed and masked, etc.

[Evolve Dammit]

37. Sounds like a real asshole. And dangerous. Bragging they all had covid? Run, don't walk away.

[nilram]

41. My dermatologist immediately had HEPA filters in every exam room

And in the lobby. And her undergrad degree was in immunology. And I’m in a more highly vaccinated (and liberal) part of the country.

But I realized today that my dentist, even though he also put HEPA filters all over the place, might not be one to require his entire staff to be vaccinated. Probably would, but I’m gonna call all of my healthcare providers and ask if they’ll give me a statement about their whole office.

(“Do you require your whole staff to get vaccinated, or do you employ fruitcakes?”)

[Wingus Dingus]

42. Good on you for not shrugging it off. This guy is an unprofessional goofball.

[ProfessorGAC]

43. I Could Not Have Stayed

I would just have walked out.
I'm certain I would not have done so silently.
You have a higher tolerance for this nonsense than do I.

[Joinfortmill]

45. Holy shit

[lucca18]

46. Good for you! You did the right thing!

I don’t know you, but I am proud of you!
Take care.

[NJCher]

50. lame sense of humor

No one in the office is masked, including the doctor. When he came into the exam room, he greeted me in his affable, goofy way and then told me I didn't have to wear a mask. I said, "is everyone in the office vaccinated?" Instead of answering, he backed away and said, maybe we should worry about you.

++I have a medical appointment on Friday and as a result of reading your post, I'm emailing tonight to make sure everyone will be masked and vaccinated. The only reason I have any doubt about this doc in NJ is that I saw him right as the pandemic was beginning and he remarked that he thought the reaction to Covid was overblown. However, he may not think that now. He also may have been engaging in wishful thinking, hoping that his practice would not be affected too much.

I think this doctor of yours is a rightwinger and he is also bad at making jokes. He was trying to be funny but he's not. The last sentence in the above italicized excerpt actually made me angry after I read it.

[mcar]

52. when it happened, I was

just still. I didn't respond bc, again, the little paper gown and it's not my nature to openly confront.

But I did the steely eyed stare thing and with the mask he couldn't see my facial expression. Obviously, I didn't find it at all humorous.

I'm thinking that might be why he continued on with his idiocy - I didn't laugh at his lame attempt at humor so he had to ramp it up.

[malaise]

53. Crazy stuff

Stay away from those lunatics

[GulfCoast66]

55. I'm sending you a PM with my doctors info.

I also know someone he saved from melanoma. Or rather one of his assistants did. Caught it early after another had missed it. I don’t know their total vaccinated status but a month ago they all had on masks and my PA volunteered she was vaccinated. Getting an appointment is hard and you might not want to drive to Orlando. He is considered the best in town.

I’m in the sun hours everyday and even with protective clothing and sunscreen Florida takes it toll. They don’t always take things off but have on occasion. And have removed old folks skin tabs without charging!

Good luck.

[sarcasmo]

56. Leave a review on the Doctors google search page. Post it every place you can. Insane!

[cadoman]

59. you are not safe in Florida, or around this "doctor"

The doctor and his staff were not taking COVID seriously, but neither were you by refusing to confront them and demand that the entire office be shut down and that the entire staff immediately be contained therein for two weeks until they are fully vaccinated.

It's time for us to begin the hard work that is needed to end freedumb.

[monkeyman1]

63. I think I finally got my daughter getting the hell out of floriduh !

pretty damn close & getting a house for her !

[mopinko]

66. there are doctor rating sites out there.

i dont remember any names right now. but they are out there.

i feel for ya, tho. a good dermo is hard to find. it takes months to get in to see mine, even if i have something of concern. you sorta have to make the appt for your next years check when you have this year's.

saw mine in june, and was so happy to see the opposite. it's a big system so they have been pretty good all along. but he told me they had not transmitted a single infection in that office. even tho his nurse's whole family had it, she didnt get it.
the fact that they even measured that is sort of amazing, tho i guess they are supposed to track that sort of thing.

the curse of the irish for sure. he told me the highest rate of skin cancer in the world is new zealand, because there are so many irish there.

[Farmer-Rick]

67. Please get yourself tested

Please get yourself tested for Covid-19. He and his anti-vaxx nurses could easily be carriers. He sounds like a non-symptomatic carrier. Thank God you wore your mask.

I cancelled a dentist appointment because they don't require their staff to get vaccinated.

You may want to stay away from vulnerable people until you know for sure.