Paul had a patient this week who had seen 3 or 4 dermatologists before and had suffered from acute red scaly plaque and fissures on both hands and arms and feet for over 6 years. He is part of the cement worker's guild and works with cement every day. Because of his extremely painful condition he was considering going on disability because continuing to work was becoming excruciating. He decided to ask one more doctor. Fortunately, it was Paul because he was smart enough to put together the facts that leather gloves and cement both contain potassium dichromate. The leather gloves and boots he was wearing to protect him from the cement was actually exacerbating the allergic condition he had developed to the cement. Paul prescribed new canvas gloves and arm protection along with a different boots and several medications. After one week, his skin was completely cleared up. He brought his wife and kids in with him for his follow up visit to thank Paul. This big, tough tattooed guy cried and gave Paul a big hug along with a plate of enchiladas as a thank you. Paul said that things like this happen every day.
At a luncheon this week one of his superiors asked them all to answer the question, "what is alive in you?" He said that being able to help people every day is incredibly fulfilling and studying for boards, while stressful, it is no longer working to pass a test, but each thing he studies is linked with a real person and the possibility to actually help people with the knowledge is very real which keeps him going and keeps him excited.
Watch for more of his success stories. I have to pry them out of him, but I sure love hearing them.
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