Diagnosis

Today I am feeling really grateful and happy.  Rob has had these spots all over his body for the past 6 weeks and we finally went to the dermatologist to see if it was more pre-cancer (he had about 15 spots frozen off last year).  I have been quite worried about it because of his history and the skin cancer in his family.  We were relieved and grateful to find out that it's just psoriasis!  The doctor explained it like this: the top layer of our skin regenerates every 36 days.  We don't notice it because it is such a gradual process.  In people with psoriasis, the skin that is affected regenerates every 6 days.  The skin looks red and ultra-dry, but it isn't dangerous.  There isn't a cure and he can plan on having it off and on for the rest of his life, but that's no big deal compared to skin cancer.

I found this picture online of psoriasis guttate (the kind he has):

There are 4 types of psoriasis. Some are painful and look much more scary than this kind.

While we were there the doctor froze off another 16 pre-cancer spots on his head, several that were as large as a dime.  He also told him the skin on his head looks like that of a 60-year-old.  Rob didn't like that too much.  He said the only place Rob should be without a hat is in the shower.  Oh how I wish he would take the doctor's advice, but he still thinks he is invincible! Dang agency.  I'll keep nagging him though; I love him that much.

Rob got a prescription for some topical medicine that we put on him 3 times a day that will hopefully help, but if it doesn't we'll have to try the more effective medicine that is $350.  Rob doesn't have health insurance, so we're really hoping this first RX works.  He's also supposed to come back every 6 months for the rest of his life and was warned that if he doesn't keep his head covered he can pretty much expect to have large chunks of his scalp removed by age 50.

When I put his medicine on him today I counted the psoriasis spots - I found exactly 100.  Even as recently as last night Rob was trying to convince me that we didn't need to go to the doctor.  Let me just say this: it's a good thing he has me!  And I'm glad that I'll still have him.