Happy New Year! I’m finally surfacing for the first time in 2014, just now feeling I have the time to stop and reflect on the last month. The move and transition back to Northern California definitely took its toll on the whole family. The most memorable part of Christmas? Packing from the afternoon until five in the morning. Two days later we drove two cars, five people, and one anxious dog over four hundred miles. Then I started my new job two days later. The stress left my body susceptible to a nasty cold and a skin infection recurrence, with no dermatologist.
I spent much of the first two weeks in my new locale with a serious eczema outbreak triggered by the skin infection. The rash spread all over my face, neck, upper body, and legs. My anxiety ramped up as I had lost access to my doctors with the change to new health insurance; I didn’t know how to access my new doctor. When I enrolled in the new insurance plan they required me to choose a primary care physician. After some searching I found the numbers I needed to make an urgent care appointment. On my first official day of work I found myself at the local medical clinic meeting my new physician. While he seemed experienced, knowledgeable, and personable, I couldn’t help but compare him to my previous primary care physician. He knew my health history and what issues come up with my skin. With the new doctor I felt exasperated having to explain everything from scratch, including the psoriasis, eczema, asthma, and folliculitis.
He referred me to the University of California, Davis dermatology clinic, but told me I would need to wait a couple weeks before receiving a call. Sure enough when I called them two days later (pleading my case that I needed to see a dermatologist ASAP) the dermatology department showed no record of my referral. They did call me a over a week later, a day before I received a letter in the mail dated ten days prior telling me I could schedule an appointment. I wanted to ask them if they’d heard of email or text?! But I didn’t; instead the conversation went something like this:
Me: “Yes I would like to see a dermatologist who specializes in treating psoriasis.”
Receptionist: “All of our dermatologists treat psoriasis. I can get you in on Monday.”
Me: “No, you don’t understand, I’ve had psoriasis for 35 years, and my case is severe and difficult to treat.”
Receptionist: “Let me see. . . (long pause) I have an appointment with one of our prestige dermatologists next Friday.”
Me: “Oh really. That sounds good. I’ll take it.”
I didn’t know what a “prestige doctor” was until I searched his name on the Internet. Turns out the dermatologist I will see specializes in immune mediated skin disorders, has co-published a few articles on treating psoriasis recently, and has received numerous academic awards and grants. Maybe this one will be worth waiting for.
I’ve experienced a couple anxiety attacks in the process of addressing my skin conditions in a new location. Change is never easy. But maybe change can be good. We’ll see at my dermatology appointment.