Is anyone a dermatologist? (long)

[trumansmom]

Last May I noticed a weird little bump on the ring finger of my right hand. I thought it might be a spider bite since I had been working in the garden. A friend of mine said, with certainty, that it was a thistle and was going to have to work its way out. Of course, I decided to try and help it along. I messed with it a lot until one day it started bleeding. A LOT. It took about 10 minutes for it to slow down. I left it alone after that, but periodically for a week or so, it would randomly start bleeding all over the place. Eventually, it started looking better. Then it started looking all red and mottled and weird, and I thought at that point it might be a planter's wart. I left it alone (honestly!), but one day, the bleeding started again. I bled everywhere. This continued everday for a few days, and then I went to see my nurse practioner. She cauterized the edges, put me on antibiotics, gave me a tetanus shot and told me it would be better in a few days. 5 days later I went back to her, as it had doubled in size! She told me it had to be removed and called it a "wet mole".

So... I called the dermatologist she recommended and was told it would be a month before they could see me. I had my NP call them and they bumped it up two weeks. I go in on Wednesday, and by now the thing is well over a 1/2 inch long. It's disgusting. (If you are squeamish, don't read this part! :) ) Basically, there is a small hole in the surface of my skin about 1/16th of an inch in diameter. Growing out of this is this column of red, pus covered sticky vessel looking thing that looks like an internal organ. It was originally flush with the skin, but now is just big and nasty and sore.

So, my question is, how much is it going to suck to have it removed? Should I have DH go with me, or will I be okay to drive home alone? Also, how worried should I be about this? I've Googled "wet mole" and all I've come up with deals with soggy rodents. When I looked up skin lesions, the only picture I found that looked remotely like the nastiness on my finger was something called basal cell carcinoma. Which, of course, had me totally freaked out. I've never heard of finger cancer before :P, and I seriously don't want to be the first one!!

If anyone has any information, or has had yucky growths removed, feel free to calm me down! :)

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/01 and Eleanor 4/04
Independent Consultant, Do-Re-Me & You!

[eb1]

Ok, not a dermatologist, and I apologize if I'm totally off base, but after reading your description I thought of this (and caution, this is not a pretty picture):

http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologi...granuloma.html

I know that these can bleed and bleed, can grow rapidly, and look disgusting. If this resembles what you have, it's not a big deal to remove--you would be okay to drive home. (The link talks about the removal process.)

HTH?

[Sillygirl]

Also not a dermatologist, but an MD, and granuloma was the first thing that popped into my mind as well. I'm hoping you'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy the removal will be. Keep us updated!

[trumansmom]

The only difference is that mine is long and skinny.

Thanks so much, y'all! I will definitely sleep better tonight. :)

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/01 and Eleanor 4/04
Independent Consultant, Do-Re-Me & You!

[Bethann31]

I didn't look at the picture, but I had a pyogenic granuloma under a fingernail on my left hand a couple of years ago and it was gross. I treated it as a wart too, until it started bleeding uncontrollably one day. I went in and had it removed at a Family Doctor. I was supposed to go go the Dermatologist for follow up, but I didn't.

It's really yucky looking, but isn't deadly, thank goodness.
Beth
mom to:

Josh 3/90
Mollie 4/92
Jeffrey 12/94
Katherine 6/03


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/lamla...e+Grace+is.png

[missym]

Not a medical person, but I would recommend that when you have it removed, the sample be sent to a lab for diagnosis. Chances are, it's nothing to worry about, but better to err on the side of caution with any strange lump/bump.

Missy, mom to Gwen 03/03... and #2 due late Sept 05!

[tarahsolazy]

Sounds like a pyogenic granuloma to me, too. Not a dermatologist, though. I did have a "sore" on my chin the size of a pencil eraser that wouldn't heal for a few months, though. I finally had it looked at. Skin cancer, sclerosing basal cell carcinoma. I had Mohs surgery to remove it, and now have a two inch scar on my chin. Kind of scary, so I'd advocate having anything like that biopsied, and sent for pathology.

Not a dermatologist here, either, but I agree that it sounds like a pyogenic granuloma. Also second (third, actually) the recommendation to get the specimen sent to pathology.

Yucky for you, but hopefully no big deal for the dermatologist!

Not a dermatologist here, either, but I agree that it sounds like a pyogenic granuloma. Also second (third, actually) the recommendation to get the specimen sent to pathology.

Yucky for you, but hopefully no big deal for the dermatologist!

[trumansmom]

Well, you were all right. That's exactly what it was. The removal wasn't so bad, but the shot to numb it was horrible, and it's been hurting like crazy since it's worn off. Apparently, mine was a bit larger than usual, and although she didn't think it was any big deal, she did send it to the lab to be sure. It had continue to grow since I had posted, and a whole new section was developing above it. I now have an inch long black, burned out crater on my finger, and am planning on digging out my post partum Darvocet as soon as DH comes home. Regardless, I'm glad it's gone.

Thank you everyone for your reassurance.

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/01 and Eleanor 4/04
Independent Consultant, Do-Re-Me & You!