The right doctors: worth more than their weight in gold

Dr. G told me he was the wrong doctor, but I didn't really listen. He's an allergist, and in fact the only doctor I was seeing regularly. He told me I needed a dermatologist. I found one but was inconsistent in my visits. In fact I found three or four dermatologists and did not persist in more than two or three visits to each. And then I went to a different allergist, because Dr. G wasn't doing anything about my atopic (he kept telling me I needed to see a dermatologist!)

Boy, was I wrong.

With atopic dermatitis, you've got two major factors at play. You've got your allergies, and they play a major part. But you can't just bank on the allergies. As Dr. H (dermatologist) once told me - but it didn't sink in - even if I were in a bubble, ate just lettuce and drank just water, I'd still have atopic dermatitis. In other words, allergies are a contributing factor - possibly a critical one - but not the sole cause. And when push comes to shove, and treating the allergies fails to solve the problem, you need a dermatologist.

I found this out the hard way. By the time I saw a dermatologist, it was in the hospital. Learn from my mistakes. Don't wait.

P.S. The reverse is also true. Don't put all your trust in a dermatologist without ever seeing an allergist; allergies may have a major effect on your atopic.