Dr. Pimple Popper - General Discussion

[Alapaki]

On 1/21/2020 at 8:00 AM, AZChristian said:

And if it is deemed to be "just cosmetic" by a doctor, insurance usually won't pay for it.  It has to be "medically necessary."  A lot of what we see on DPP should be approved as "medically necessary" if a doctor submits documentation to an insurance company (before a procedure) because it is a "quality of life" issue.  

I suspect that a lot of these people are on medicaid or some other basic policy that would not approve treatment that isn't on the border of life-threatening.

 

I think this is definitely behind most of these cases. And a lot of these folks seem to be from states that are SHRINKING Medicaid. 

 I really wish they’d make insurance issues more explicit when they occur. 

[Concerning]

On 7/18/2019 at 9:31 PM, Wanda said:

Vinnies’ mother is infuriating me. His father died of cancer and he has a giant mole growing on his neck and she thinks it’s just his cute unique destiny and doesn’t want it touched. And hasn’t had it seen since he was 3. That’s child abuse.

JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW. THAT VINNIE HAS SEEN A NUMBER OF DOCTORS AT A YOUNG AGE (WHICH THE SHOW DID NOT AIR). 4 TO BE EXACT. ALL FROM THE SAME OFFICE AND THEY WOULD NOT TREAT HIM OR TWICE WOULDNT SEE HIM. HE BIRTHMARK WAS CONSTANTLY MONITORED BY HIS FAMILY DOCTOR THROUGH OUT THE YEARS. WITH THEM TELLING THE FAMILY TO JUST LEAVE IT ALONE. AS FOR HIS PASSED FATHER THE SHOW MADE ANOTHER MISTAKE VINNIE HAD TO CORRECT HIMSELF (ANOTHER PART NOT AIRED) HE FATHER PASSED IN 2011. BINNIE WAS 5 YEARS OLD. AS FOR HIS MOTHER ALL OF YOU WANTING TO SMACK HER OR DO SOMETHING HORRIBLE TO HER. SHE IS A WONDER PARENT. SHE HAD TRIED HER BEST TO GET A DOCTOR TO FULLY CHECK THIS BIRTHMARK OUT WITH NO HELP. WHEN IT COMES TO THE BULLYING SHE WOULD ALWAYS STAND UP FOR HER CHILD. SHE WOULD NEVER ALLOW ANYONE THAT DIDNT KNOW VINNIES SITUATION POKE FUN OF HIM. THERE WAS A LOT NOT AIRED AND THE FAMILY IS VERY MAD TO MAKE IT LOOK BAD NOT ONLY ON THE MOMS PART BUT VINNIE AS WELL. THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE SAID AND MENTIONED THAT THEY CUT OUT. VINNIE WOULD SCREAM AND CRY WHEN IT COMES TO GOING TO A SPECIALIST ABOUT HIS NECK. HE DIDNT WANT ANYONE LOOKING AT IT FOR SO MANY YEARS. HE IS NOW A TEENAGER AND CAME TO HIS MOTHER TO ASK HER TO PLEASE HELP FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS. THE CLOSET SPECIALIST WAS AN HOUR FROM THERE HOME AND DIDNT TAKE THEIR INSURANCE. LIVING IN A SMALL TOWN DOESN'T HELP THE SITUATION. SO THE MOM TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO REACH OUT TO DR LEE. 

ALSO FOR THOSE TALKING NEGATIVE ABOUT HIS SPEECH. HE HAS A STUTTER SINCE HER WAS LITTLE AND HAS VEEN IN SPEECH THERAPY ONCE HIS PARENTS NOTICED IT. IT GOT EVEN WORSE ONCE HIS FATHER DIED. 

SOME SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELFS TO NOT ONLY TO POKE FUN AT HIS POOR MOTHER THAT HAS BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH OVER THE YEARS BUT ALSO SAYING HORRIBLE THINGS ABOUT A 14 YEAR OLD BOY. 

YOU ARE THE BULLY.

[libgirl2]

Oh no. The ending! 😪

[SunnyBeBe]

Oh man...I wonder what happened to cause the death if Kevin, the young man with bump on jaw. He was so young. According to his obit it was sudden. So sad. He was looking forward to enjoying dating again.

[DNR]

Well that was sad to see ! Kevin with the “jawbreaker” on his jaw has passed 😔 Only 31 and so looking forward to life . 

[bamlou]

Here's a link to Kevin's obituary. Very sad to hear. He apparently passed away in his sleep last May due to an unknown heart condition (confirmed by a Facebook post from his mom, screenshot below).

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/petaluma360/obituary.aspx?pid=193289469

 

 

[GaT]

What a shame about Kevin, he was so young & he seemed like a sweet guy. According to his obituary, he had an older brother who had died previously, so this is the 2nd child this poor family has lost. 

I wish they wouldn't go so close when she's cutting things off/out, watching her cut up that guy's nose almost gave me a heart attack. I have an OLED TV, so everything looks like it's video taped & right there in your room.

 

[goldil]

What's even better than 'phenomenal?' Because that's how that guy's nose looked when Dr Lee was done. Just outstanding.

[seasons]

1 hour ago, goldil said:

What's even better than 'phenomenal?' Because that's how that guy's nose looked when Dr Lee was done. Just outstanding.

She really is a gifted surgeon. And she treats the patients so kindly and respectfully, honoring their dignity, but being direct with them too when necessary.

[Jadzia]

Wow, my DVR cut off the ending I had no idea he died until reading it here.

[SunnyBeBe]

Haven't there been two other patients from the show who later died?  I think they include a lady who was getting married and another man, I believe. 

[libgirl2]

14 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Oh man...I wonder what happened to cause the death if Kevin, the young man with bump on jaw. He was so young. According to his obit it was sudden. So sad. He was looking forward to enjoying dating again.

I was so happy for him as he seemed like such a sweetheart of a guy. 

2 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Haven't there been two other patients from the show who later died?  I think they include a lady who was getting married and another man, I believe. 

I don't remember. 

[bilgistic]

3 hours ago, Jadzia said:

Wow, my DVR cut off the ending I had no idea he died until reading it here.

I didn't know either. I watched the show on the TLC app, and they didn't show anything on there about him dying.

[NJMom]

1 hour ago, bilgistic said:

I didn't know either. I watched the show on the TLC app, and they didn't show anything on there about him dying.

At the very end they had in memory of with his name and date of birth and death.

[StatisticalOutlier]

Since Kevin's death was unexpected, I assume the obit was written quickly, but I saw "peacefully but unexpectedly" and wondered if it was a drug overdose.  That's what happens with vaguely worded obituaries.  (Seeing what organization gets memorials can be a significant clue.)  I think it would have been better for them to specify that he died in his sleep because in this case in particular, you know strangers were going to be curious.

I do question their running his segment.  I know all the patients talk about the future and how bright it's going to be now that they look more normal, but his seemed particularly cruel, with specific talk of taking over his father's business and getting back into the dating scene, instead of a generic "I'll have more confidence in myself."

But worse, the comments on his obituary page that it unleashed.  There were FOUR from people who actually new him, and more than 250 from people who "knew" him from 10 highly edited minutes on a reality TV show.  Would even a single one of them have gone to any real effort to let the family know how much Kevin meant to them?  Of course not.  But they can sit there on their phone and tap a few keys and issue some hollow know-nothing platitudes, promising to keep this complete stranger in their prayers.

I just hate how everything has devolved into strangers issuing opinions on shit they know nothing about with the flick of a finger.  I, for one (and possibly the only one), don't give a shit what someone who doesn't know anything thinks, if it takes no more effort than this.  Now, if I were Kevin's family and someone rustled up a phone book and found my address and wrote me a letter saying how much Kevin meant to me after seeing the show?  I'd be beyond touched because they went to all that trouble to let me know how they felt, so they must really mean it.

Of course, for all I know, the family is eating it up.  But it bugs me no end.

 

 

 

 

[xls]

On 1/20/2020 at 10:58 PM, auntjess said:

Part of the problem though, is that people can afford and do go to a doctor, who blows them off with "it's just cosmetic."
And have we seen the show where the woman says "I disagree?"  It's in a teaser/promo sometimes.

 

It aired but that part where the pt sister said she disagrees wasn't in there. I'm a bit puzzled by it. 

5 hours ago, NJMom said:

At the very end they had in memory of with his name and date of birth and death.

The guy with the really long hair? Awwwww 😥

[Wollstonecraft]

I took it that his brother also had the same cardiac condition.  

[BradandJanet]

8 minutes ago, Wollstonecraft said:

I took it that his brother also had the same cardiac condition.  

I assumed that too. I wonder if Kevin was checked or treated for the condition but there's no information online about it. It is tragic for this family to lose two children, especially within about a year of each other. 

[threebluestars]

As gross as I find the rhinophyma cases surgeries, they are always such a fantastic transformation. I can't even imagine what the patients must feel like before and after.

[xls]

3 minutes ago, threebluestars said:

As gross as I find the rhinophyma cases surgeries, they are always such a fantastic transformation. I can't even imagine what the patients must feel like before and after.

She does a wonderful job with noses! 

[auntjess]

13 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Haven't there been two other patients from the show who later died?  I think they include a lady who was getting married and another man, I believe. 

I can't remember a man, but Brittney Sharp was the woman.
https://lailasnews.com/international/brittney-sharp-cause-of-death-obituary-brittany-sharp-death/

[CrazyMoon]

Dr. Lee s amazing with the rhinophyma cases. Tony seemed like such a wonderful man...all about helping & giving...and he is so thrilled with his results...only 8 weeks out his nose looked like it was recovering from a sunburn...by now it's probably perfect.

I was very sorry to see that Kevin had died. He seemed like such a sweet soul...peacefully & unexpectedly....he died in his sleep. So many congenital cardiac conditions are not able to be diagnosed even with a family history. 

[PityFree]

I really, really wanted Dr. Lee to squeeze the rhinophyma “grapes” she took off of his nose. I wanted to see the oil come out. *hangs my gross head in shame*

[CrazyMoon]

3 hours ago, PityFree said:

I really, really wanted Dr. Lee to squeeze the rhinophyma “grapes” she took off of his nose. I wanted to see the oil come out. *hangs my gross head in shame*

You aren't alone....however, those 'grapes' are saturated with the oil then harden somewhat like a dry sponge...can't squeeze anything out like a regular 'pop'

[BradandJanet]

Didn't Tony say he could smell the stuff on his nose? Maybe it's the trapped oil. Yuck. 

He still has bad flushing on his skin. I hope he is able to keep it under control to avoid another surgery. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I sometimes wonder when I watch this show, what in the world would I do if I had to deal with similar problems, especially, those on my face or nose.   I do have a lipoma on my side, but, it's not a real problem yet.  It's been there for many years and has only grown a little. t shows more when I'm on the thin side.   I saw a surgeon who took a biopsy and a plastic surgeon who told me he could remove it.  I sort of wish I had it removed when I had my eyelids done. 

Edited January 26, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[seasons]

Gina with the mystery skin condition. I am a skin picker too! I was surprised that Gina was surprised when dr lee said she was kind of doing it to herself, because Gina said that other doctors told her it was psychological. I think at least giving her the medicated tape made her feel a little better. There was another person on once that was a picker and dr lee gave them the tape too which helped him. I am learning my lesson trying not to pick but it can be a real compulsion! When gina said it was itchy, i get that too and a non drowsy antihistamine helps. 

[Dianaofthehunt]

This guy with his "on/off button: shut up! Stop babbling!

[seasons]

5 minutes ago, Dianaofthehunt said:

This guy with his "on/off button: shut up! Stop babbling!

Lol! I babble when i am nervous too! It can definitely be annoying to those around me! 

[mmecorday]

Quote

Gina with the mystery skin condition.

It looked like she had Vitiligo.

Quote

I really, really wanted Dr. Lee to squeeze the rhinophyma “grapes” she took off of his nose. I wanted to see the oil come out. *hangs my gross head in shame*

I could watch her whittle a rhinophyma nose all day long.

 

[GaT]

They showed too much patient talking again, I need these people to shut up.

The woman with the skin condition is never going to get better. She didn't believe any of the doctors who told her she was doing it to herself, & she expected Dr Lee to have the magic solution but the solution is to stop picking & she doesn't want to hear it.

[cynicat]

8 hours ago, Dianaofthehunt said:

This guy with his "on/off button: shut up! Stop babbling!

Aw, I thought he was funny and sweet.

[seasons]

2 hours ago, cynicat said:

Aw, I thought he was funny and sweet.

And he was so good to his daughter!! ☺

[seasons]

5 hours ago, GaT said:

They showed too much patient talking again, I need these people to shut up.

The woman with the skin condition is never going to get better. She didn't believe any of the doctors who told her she was doing it to herself, & she expected Dr Lee to have the magic solution but the solution is to stop picking & she doesn't want to hear it.

Also, at the end, she was shown at home rubbing at her face. Her daughter was calling her out on that, but she made some sort of excuse for touching her face. Maybe even a low dose of valium or xanax might help. I hope she gets better.

Edited January 31, 2020 by seasons

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, seasons said:

Also, at the end, she was shown at home rubbing at her face. Her daughter was calling her out on that, but she made some sort of excuse for touching her face. Maybe even a low dose of valium or xanax might help. I hope she gets better.

Like the patient said, it was in the OCD family.  It's like people who have to count, touch things, walk a certain number of steps, etc.  They are not able to resist doing these things.  I've read that they need counseling to deal with it and maybe medication. It can be related to anxiety condition.  It's like telling a depressed person to just not be depressed. It's not that simple. I hope Dr. Lee referred her to a therapist off camera.  It seemed like the woman considered her adult daughter her caretaker.  I didn't see why that was necessary.  It wasn't like she was immobile.  Lots of issues with that lady.  

[magemaud]

I admit I haven’t watched every episode of this program, but was this the first time the patient absolutely would not accept Dr Lee’s diagnosis? When she complained about going out in public wearing the medicated bandages I thought they looked a lot better than the uncovered lesions 

Edited January 31, 2020 by magemaud
My keyboard has a mind of its own

[GaT]

3 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I hope Dr. Lee referred her to a therapist off camera.  

Even if she did, I doubt she would go. She absolutely refused to believe it was her & not some disease.

[Twopper]

On 1/24/2020 at 11:11 PM, auntjess said:

I can't remember a man, but Brittney Sharp was the woman.

Both this death and that of Kevin occurred within 3 weeks of each other last May  which must have come as quite a shock to Dr. Lee. 

 

21 hours ago, mmecorday said:

It looked like she had Vitiligo.

That was my first thought until I saw all the scabs.

 

16 hours ago, GaT said:

They showed too much patient talking again, I need these people to shut up.

The woman with the skin condition is never going to get better. She didn't believe any of the doctors who told her she was doing it to herself, & she expected Dr Lee to have the magic solution but the solution is to stop picking & she doesn't want to hear it.

I agree about the stories being too long which is why I refuse to watch in real time.  I ff thru most of the backstory especially since they recap it again in her office.  I also don't want to listen to banter with her office staff.  

I hope maybe the woman's daughter can encourage her to use the medicated pads and quit picking.  Maybe seeing herself on tv will change her mind, although I am not optimistic about her.

I did accidentally download the next episode--the man with the really huge lipoma on his back.  Had to watch it all the way thru as I couldn't ffw, but at least the commercials were limited.

[Jeeves]

I was checking my scheduled DVR recordings. I saw that by setting it to record new episodes of this series, it also picks up the "enhanced" (or whatever they call it) repeats of each episode. When I went to cancel the "enhanced" episode, I accidentally cancelled the entire series recording. And I've decided I'm OK with that. I'm kind of over this show after this week's episode. The on/off button guy was okay but there was WAAAY too much time devoted to him. I'm sorry for that poor woman who won't or can't agree with the diagnosis that other doctors and now Dr. Lee too, have given her. I'm glad Dr. Lee was able to remove so many lipomas from that other guy with the bleeding risk, safely.

But I'm over the cutesie staff chats and overlong backstories and drawn out attempts at drah-mah. 

[magemaud]

On 1/30/2020 at 10:28 PM, mmecorday said:

Quote

 

It looked like she had Vitiligo.

That was my unprofessional diagnosis, too. I like to play a game when I watch and see if I can identify the condition before Dr. Lee diagnoses it. I’ve gotten quite proficient at identifying  lipomas and cysts. 

Edited to add: I even got "steatocystoma" when I saw the Black woman's neck bumps. 

Edited February 2, 2020 by magemaud

[magemaud]

Something that always amazes me about the patients on this program is how long they’ve had a skin problem and didn’t seek help for it. Like the woman with the FIFTY year old blackhead! 

[AZChristian]

15 hours ago, magemaud said:

That was my unprofessional diagnosis, too. I like to play a game when I watch and see if I can identify the condition before Dr. Lee diagnoses it. I’ve gotten quite proficient at identifying  lipomas and cysts. 

Edited to add: I even got "steatocystoma" when I saw the Black woman's neck bumps. 

I can diagnose a pilar cyst from a mile away, thanks to Dr. Lee.

[CruiseDiva]

I have Vitiligo and I thought the woman who scratched her skin had it as well. I was surprised that Dr Lee didn't mention it.

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, CruiseDiva said:

I have Vitiligo and I thought the woman who scratched her skin had it as well. I was surprised that Dr Lee didn't mention it.

I wonder if she discussed that with the patient, but - if my medical research on google is correct - vitiligo doesn't seem to cause the lesions that were this woman's primary concern.

I think of it this way:  If Michael Jackson had gone to the doctors on Botched because his nose was falling off from too many earlier procedures, they might not have discussed his (reported by him) vitiligo on camera.  They would have been talking to him about trying to save his nose.

In this Dr. Pimple Popper episode, maybe Dr. Lee just didn't discuss vitiligo on camera . . . she discussed the complaint with which the patient presented - lesions (which other doctors had told her were caused by picking).  And she wasn't happy to have the same diagnosis from Dr. Lee that she'd already gotten from other doctors.

[auntjess]

On 1/31/2020 at 9:02 AM, seasons said:

Also, at the end, she was shown at home rubbing at her face. Her daughter was calling her out on that, but she made some sort of excuse for touching her face. Maybe even a low dose of valium or xanax might help. I hope she gets better.

Gloves, at least when she's sleeping or watching TV? At least it might make her more conscious of how much picking and scratching  she was doing.
And I'm thinking heavy gloves, not some you can scratch through.

 

Edited February 3, 2020 by auntjess

[LoveIsJoy]

I guess I had a different take on the woman who Dr. Lee dismissed as having nothing wrong—just stop scratching her skin.  My thought was that there may not be something dermatologically wrong with her skin, but something is clearly causing the constant itching she’s experiencing.  Perhaps it’s a neurological disorder (trust me when I say from experience that a neurological problem can cause intense itching that makes you want to scratch your skin off, even though there is nothing wrong with the skin per se).  Perhaps the vitiligo has something to do with the itch.  Or maybe she has an unidentified allergy or autoimmune issue.

About 25 years ago I began having strange symptoms that the doctors I consulted couldn’t identify.  I was basically told ‘it was all in my head” and I should see a psychiatrist.  One doc suggested I just needed a vacation when I complained about inordinate fatigue. I was accused of having “psuedo-seizures” because my body wasn’t following the textbook examples.  Finally, after seeing about 8 different physicians, I was finally able to get an appointment with the Head Neurologist at a major Chicago teaching hospital.  He examined me, ordered an MRI, and found the brain lesions that confirmed I had multiple sclerosis.  He also explained that my so-called “pseudo-seizures” were actually a rare and severe form of myoclonus. He even brought in some students to demonstrate that when he tapped my knee with that little hammer, it triggered such severe jerking that it really did look like I was having a seizure.

The point being, I felt the woman was dismissed as an OCD picker, without offering any advice about how to investigate other possible solutions.  She was picking and creating sores—what was causing the itch and discomfort in the first place?

It just seemed like another case of “when in doubt; blame the patient’s mental health.”   Sorry for the lengthy post.  That story just really hit home for me.  

Edited February 3, 2020 by LoveIsJoy
to fix typos

[lovinbob]

On 1/30/2020 at 9:48 PM, Dianaofthehunt said:

This guy with his "on/off button: shut up! Stop babbling!

Aww, I liked him a lot. I thought he was going to annoy me and then he really charmed me with his sweetness.

I was struck by what Dr. Lee said about the discharge on her skin -- she said she had to wash the "acid" off. What does that mean? What is in that cyst? 

[CrazyMoon]

On 2/2/2020 at 10:00 PM, LoveIsJoy said:

I guess I had a different take on the woman who Dr. Lee dismissed as having nothing wrong—just stop scratching her skin.  My thought was that there may not be something dermatologically wrong with her skin, but something is clearly causing the constant itching she’s experiencing.  Perhaps it’s a neurological disorder (trust me when I say from experience that a neurological problem can cause intense itching that makes you want to scratch your skin off, even though there is nothing wrong with the skin per se).  Perhaps the vitiligo has something to do with the itch.  Or maybe she has an unidentified allergy or autoimmune issue.

About 25 years ago I began having strange symptoms that the doctors I consulted couldn’t identify.  I was basically told ‘it was all in my head” and I should see a psychiatrist.  One doc suggested I just needed a vacation when I complained about inordinate fatigue. I was accused of having “psuedo-seizures” because my body wasn’t following the textbook examples.  Finally, after seeing about 8 different physicians, I was finally able to get an appointment with the Head Neurologist at a major Chicago teaching hospital.  He examined me, ordered an MRI, and found the brain lesions that confirmed I had multiple sclerosis.  He also explained that my so-called “pseudo-seizures” were actually a rare and severe form of myoclonus. He even brought in some students to demonstrate that when he tapped my knee with that little hammer, it triggered such severe jerking that it really did look like I was having a seizure.

The point being, I felt the woman was dismissed as an OCD picker, without offering any advice about how to investigate other possible solutions.  She was picking and creating sores—what was causing the itch and discomfort in the first place?

It just seemed like another case of “when in doubt; blame the patient’s mental health.”   Sorry for the lengthy post.  That story just really hit home for me.  

You've had a serious struggle! I'm so sorry. And you are right on every point....Except! The itching/scratching were only in areas she could reach. The patches kept her from scratching the current lesions, but as soon as she took it off she was scratching (caught on film by her daughter). She denied scratching and we all saw it! 

[LoveIsJoy]

13 minutes ago, CrazyMoon said:

You've had a serious struggle! I'm so sorry. And you are right on every point....Except! The itching/scratching were only in areas she could reach.

Thank you.  ♥️

I will add that in my case, my severe itching/scratching were only in areas I could reach, as well.  Mostly the tops of my feet and my calves.  My neurologist said it was due to damaged nerves.  In retrospect, I’ve probably insisted to my husband a time or two that I was only vigorously rubbing my feet, when I was actually scratching.  I felt guilty because I knew better, uncomfortable, and didn’t feel like being lectured.

 I’m not saying that Dr Lee and the prior doctors were wrong in their assessment.  Perhaps it is psychosomatic.  I don’t know.  I’m just saying from personal experience that if your symptoms present in an atypical way, there are many doctors who will blithely tell you (and truly believe themselves) that you’re imagining it all, or exaggerating symptoms.  I was kind of glad that the patient told Dr. Lee that she disagreed with her diagnosis.

Ultimately, I hope she gets whatever help she needs, from whichever specialist can help her.

[CrazyMoon]

3 hours ago, LoveIsJoy said:

Ultimately, I hope she gets whatever help she needs, from whichever specialist can help her.

So do I...however, part of Dr. Lee's lack of diagnosis is based on the negative biopsy that effectively ruled out dermatologic cause. The patient understandably wanted and answer.