skin cancer?

[texaninnyc87]

i'm probably just being paranoid but i was wondering if anyone could shed some light on this...

i have a spot on the tip of my nose on the side that is slightly pink. it is barely noticeable at all except sometimes it itches and then will get a little red if i rub or scratch it. i have other itchy, dry patches of skin that come and go, but this one seems more stubborn than the others. it hasnt gotten worse, but it hasnt gone away. my cd4s are finally on the rebound. they were around 280 in january and are now up near 500, so i was kind of waiting to see if this issue cleared up on its own before i go through the process of dealing with a dermatologist. the spot is small, and as i mentioned not very noticeable. i just look at it obsessively so obviously i notice it. i wouldnt really worry about cancer if it werent on the tip of my nose where i feel like i've had a ton of sun exposure. it never hurts, just itches occasionally

should i give it a few more months to see if it clears up when my cd4s stay at a better place? should i go see a dermatologist now?

im also pretty poor. would my ADAP cover a dermatologist or any possible procedure i might have to get done on the spot if it does turn out to be bad?

any advice/anecdotes would be appreciated!

[Jeff G]

If you are on Medicaid then it will be paid for . Have you asked your doctor about it ?
If I'm not mistaken you are on the young side , so its may or may not be just sun spots or sun damage . I bet your doc would have an opinion .

[texaninnyc87]

I am young. 26, but lifeguarded in my youth, so i worry a lot about what that did to my skin. i am not on medicaid i dont think, just plain old ADAP. When i was first meeting with my doctor i talked about my dry patches of skin and she didnt seem worried. I've always had very sensitive skin. I guess i'm just worried since its on my nose and that seems like a major sun exposure spot.

[Miss Philicia]

ADAP pays for your medication, your medical services are paid by some other portion of Ryan White (just to be clear). If you're really poor you might also qualify for Medicaid. You really should have your finances assessed by a case manager to make sure you're getting what's needed in order, for example, to see a dermatologist as that's the only thing that will resolve what you're discussing.

Just as an example, while I have maintained a cd4 count +1,000 for over five years I still have persistent skin issues. You must consider that your skin is your largest body organ, and of course it's exposed to the elements. So regardless of my cd4 count I still have seborrhoeic dermatitis from time to time, which is quite normal for someone with HIV (I think something like 60% of patients have this though most aren't aware that they do). In addition, once I turned 40 or so I began developing rosacea but only on my nose -- this evidently is not HIV-related and I have to use a topical ointment every night, and even then it doesn't make it go away completely. Just skipping one night can make it flare up where I begin to look like Rudolph, and then rude homosexuals like Wumpella mock me, further damaging my fragile self esteem. But, like you, I need to go see a proper dermatologist about this as thus far I've just had my HIV specialist diagnose the condition and prescribe medication for it.

If it's just seborrhoeic dermatitis that you have your HIV specialist should be able to address this without sending you to a specialist. If it's not that, then you need to see someone else.

[WillyWump]

I doubt it's skin cancer, but it would be prudent to get it checked out by your doctor to see what it is.

I had skin issues during my first year, weird stuff like spots and red marks on my legs. But it went away eventually.

-W

[Jeff G]

Its best to wear sun screen even if you are going to be outside a short time because those little pale sun spots can turn brown as you age .

[texaninnyc87]

Thanks for the great advice everyone. I'll check in with my ID doc during my next visit if its still a problem.
I just accepted a job in the hamptons over the summer so sunscreen will be a big theme for me soon (this will also fix my poverty issue!)

[Miss Philicia]

If you want to fix your poverty problem and you're in the Hamptons you should focus on finding a sugar daddy. They're everywhere.

[Ann]

I just accepted a job in the hamptons over the summer so sunscreen will be a big theme for me soon (this will also fix my poverty issue!)

Do you watch Revenge? I love that show. (If you don't watch it, it's set in the Hamptoms.)

I also think you should talk this over with your hiv doc. She's likely to have an opinion. Good luck getting it cleared up.

[texaninnyc87]

I love Revenge!