Quote:
Originally Posted by samhass
I agree with billethkid. Dr Tran and Phil have saved me from melanoma. That biopsy you think is unnecessary could be the one that changes your life. I go every 90 days and if Phil sees anything remiss, I want it biopsied. I am thankful for Dr. Tran and have full confidence in him and his staff. Philomena is a compassionate, wonderful woman. I owe much to her good eyes.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by billethkid
Having Medicare is not the reason the Nurse Practioner sees you. That happens to be way they operate. Dr. Tran focuses on surgery. You can also ASK to see him....he will stop in between surgeries. I am speaking from personal experience......and have done so more than once.
They do not view you or anybody else as a lessor patient due to being on Medicare. You are entitled to an opinion, however you are incorrect on this one. If one does not like how this office operates, then you should move on to whatever or wherever it is that will make you feel more comfortable......and whole.
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Though I've already commented in this thread, I would like to do so again. I completely agree with samhass and billethkid. Medicare has nothing to do with how they structure their office. I never forget that melanoma is for life, which sounds strange, as it is a killer. What I mean is that one is never "cured" of melanoma as one can be of other cancers.
I go back every three months, which is pretty frequent, but my body does tend to produce new lesions constantly, and yes, I've never left the office without several biopsies being done. However, to reiterate, I've
never had a series of biopsies that did not result in several being pre-melanoma lesions. I do
not consider this "cutting for cutting's sake" (or "cutting for ability to collect more from my insurance company")!
I agree that anyone who is not comfortable with this approach to dealing with skin cancers (who would prefer to wait till the potential for skin cancer is more advanced) should go elsewhere. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still alive after dealing with Clark's Level 3 melanoma thanks to the conscientiousness and knowledge of a PA who singlemindedly does what in my opinion she is supposed to do in terms of "cutting." And I know that the doctor is available when I need him which, thanks to the PA, has become less and less frequent.
My first visit to a different dermatology practice when I moved to TV (my mistake...) was a nightmare, and I've continued to hear horror stories about that practice, even though their setup was the same, with a PA cutting and the MD only when necessary (except there I never got to see the MD). On a recommendation several years ago, I found Village Dermatology (Dr. Tran's practice), and I continue to be extraordinarily grateful to them!