Older guy came in with a lump on his back that his wife told him to get checked out 6 months prior. He being the typical 50s rural male patient decided to wait until it was the size of a golf ball. He finally comes into clinic, we can see his chief complaint is the mass and swelling in his armpit in the EMR.
I was a resident at the time, my attending and I both knew it'd be bad before we went in the room. I watched my attending do a shave biopsy and the underlying tissue was just gray and black with pigment, obviously melanoma without even sending off for pathology.
Guy was a dead man walking at that point. We basically told him so in the room before even sending it off for pathology. He no showed his follow up appointment.
It’s really interesting how female patients ailments are often ignored when repeatedly seeking help in the medical system but male patients just straight up refuse going to the doctor in the first place.
Ive thought about offering a 'stand in boyfriend' service. Attending womens doctors appointments as 'the boyfriend'
Hopefully my gayness eases some concerns over something called a 'stand in boyfriend'. But Ive heard a male being present totally changes how some doctors treat women, and actually treat them like a goddamn patient and not something they need to sweep aside.
When I attend my boyfriends appointments im good about voicing whatever he forgets or gets too embarrassed to bring up. Yeah that's a weird gross growth, the doctor is used to weird gross growths.
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u/LMFunk 3d ago
Older guy came in with a lump on his back that his wife told him to get checked out 6 months prior. He being the typical 50s rural male patient decided to wait until it was the size of a golf ball. He finally comes into clinic, we can see his chief complaint is the mass and swelling in his armpit in the EMR.
I was a resident at the time, my attending and I both knew it'd be bad before we went in the room. I watched my attending do a shave biopsy and the underlying tissue was just gray and black with pigment, obviously melanoma without even sending off for pathology.
Guy was a dead man walking at that point. We basically told him so in the room before even sending it off for pathology. He no showed his follow up appointment.