Nosey

[carlapv]

I was at a meeting last night and ran into the cardiologist who first diagnosed my mitral stenosis. I had not seen him for 7 years. We talked for a couple of minutes and he said "your valve is bad again isn't it"? I told him what was happening and I asked him how he knew and he said he could tell by my nose. My nose!

He tried to explain that valve problems can make the nose more bulbous and that it is a dead giveaway.

Have any of you ever heard that before?

Carla

 

[Georgia]

I think I'da popped him in HIS nose! I have a pretty big nose and it's a bit bulbous and I'd find that a bit offensive.

And no, I've sure never heard that before. Are you sure he's not a plastic surgeon?

Can't wait for everyone else to respond to this.

 

[Nancy]

Ya know, this guy wins the ****y prize for tact! He's chatting away with an attractive woman whom he hasn't seen for a while, and decides to make this very humiliating and hurtful remark. I hope you said something to him regarding his lack of head hair, or his developing paunch, or his nose hair, or double chin! Had he been drinking, by any chance?

You look lovely to me. Why this comment popped into his empty head, I wouldn't have a clue. Sounds like he has a mean streak.

I did a search on Google for any relationship to rosacea and heart valve problems, I came up with nada.

Maybe there is some relationship with rosacea and heart valve problems or circulation problems. It's kind of obscure if Google doesn't have anything on it.

That being said, Joe has rosacea and there was someone else who mentioned rosacea. Joe uses MetroGel for it and that helps a lot.

I'd stay away from him in the future. Don't ever ask him if he likes your outfit.

And I'm sorry for you that you had to have that experience.

Gosh, almighty--what a ****!

 

[fyrfytr]

Hey Carla,
You should of asked him if he was changing jobs from a bad Cardiologist to a bad Comedian!
I have never heard of anything like that and when I did a search I didn't find anything on it.
Take Care

Dave
_____________________________
Surgery: 4/21/03
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
AVR, with a St. Jude Mechanical

 

[Ross]

You should've bopped him in his beezer. How people can do these things is beyond my comprehension level.

 

[Georgia]

Rosacea? Did anyone say rosacea?

Rosacea? Did anyone say rosacea?

Oh, yes, I've had it for 6 or 7 years. And if this is yet ANOTHER indicator of valve disease I'll be hornswoggled.

I used metrogel for years; finally quit working. Am using a sulfa-based one now - don't like it - it's a cream and it's heavy and it smells bad. Hoping that I can go back to metrogel sometime soon.

 

[bibliophile]

AHA

AHA

Being a librarian, I was determined to research this thoroughly. I found this link. Maybe your doctor got confused and thought of this man?? Had the doctor possibly had a drink or two?
http://www.sjm.com/successstories/successstory.aspx?name=Flener,+Wes+

 

[pillarpaul]

Biblio, that was hilarious. And what's amazing is that I saw Wes speak about three years ago at a conference on developmental disabilities. He's from the Patch Adams Institute. I read his promo and saw that photo and assumed he would be hokey. He was incredibly moving and hilarious at the same time. Little did I know about his heart valve problem. Of course, at the time, little did I know about MY heart valve problem.

Paul

 

[Yokena]

Who Nose?

Who Nose?

I don't know about this guy or what he might have meant, but when I was at Mayo before my valve surgery, the surgeon told me I had what was called the "mitral flush". I had been diagnosed with rosacea, but he said people with valve problems sometimes have this flushing across the face that is mid-diagnosed as rosacea. I used metrocream, too, and thought it helped, but who nose?

At any rate, he does indeed deserve the ****y prize for tact!

Joyce in Mississippi

 

[carlapv]

Thanks all for the responses. I am glad that you all agree with me that he is a little zonked. Good things I changed docs and didn't follow him to his new practice. Everything happens for a reason.

Carla

 

[hensylee]

Carla - I don't know so I went over and asked Dr Rich if he ever heard of it and here is what he said:

" 2439.2 in reply to 2439.1

No, I have not heard of this. However, when pressure on the right side of the heart increases, the venous system in the head and upper extremities can become engorged. Over a long period of time it is possible such engorgement could create a change in the shape of the nose.

The "classic" cause of developing a bulbous nose - a la WC Fields - is alcohol."


So, there you have it from an expert in the field.

P.S. Your nose doesn't bulb to me! It looks just fine, but then I am looking at it from a woman's point of view, not a heart doctor's.

 

[medtronic of borg]

Drs

Drs

lets see he was right about the valve prob's right? And both Drs and Nurses develope a very keen eye. For some one with a long standing valve condition the body may have made some compensations. Most CHDrs are very small people. Some conditions will alter there chest shape. Both Dr's and any Nurse have had them pointed out while a student. After awhile we can spot things a mile away. I have done it and was "right on the money". Just a thought don't send me nasty pms as some of you reciently have.

Medtronic

 

[Granbonny]

Hand palms?

Hand palms?

I had a lady many years ago in my small town to tell me..if anyone's palms were red..Inside hands..sure to have liver problems???Everyone look..quick Bonnie

 

[Nancy]

I'll tell you how you can find out if you have liver problems, get your doc to write a script for a liver enzyme test , then you will know for sure.

I can also tell you how you can tell if you have valve problems. Have your doctor write a script for an echocardiogram.

Nose "signs" and red palms, may be interesting, but you'll still have to have testing to get a true diagnosis.

That doctor Carla was talking with needs to find a way to discuss medical problems with people without sounding like the village *****.

 

[Kenny F]

I have to weigh in on this one! While it was certainly tactless (and stupid) on the doc's part, it does raise my brow.

About 4-5 months ago I complained to my GP about these red bumps on my face and nose. He said he couldn't tell what it was, and tried a retina-a product, which I immediately stopped using (it made me nauseous - even topically applied!)

Next he said it was probably rosacea, and gave me metrogel, which kind of works as long as I'm diligent.

I have never had any kind of complexion problem, and now am excited that this may be resolved by AVR. Any more thoughts on corelation of this and valve problems.

 

[hensylee]

Wouldn't it be interesting if it solves your problem, Kenny. I am a firm believer that there are many outward signs of health problems in our bodies. Dry skin, purple nail beds, unexplained cough, hair loss, skin eruptions - so many that tell us something is going on. After heart surgery, my regular dr passed me in the hall just before my appointment and said 'you look pale - you are anemic'. When I got in his office, he checked further and rxed iron, sent me to hosp for lab tests and sure nuff he was right on the $. We just don't know what these signs are saying to us. And drs DO look and don't even realize they are doing it. My ex-husband (psychiatrist) always said he was not 'reading' people, but when we'd get home, he could rattle off bunches of stuff about people that didn't necessarily show up to others. I was always amazed.