Right before we came back to Guatemala I noticed a spot on my arm that didn't look right. My mother, of course, wanted me to go the doctor right away, but without the insurance to cover it I decided to wait until I got back to Guatemala. I asked for a recommendation for a good Dermatologist in Guate from a missionary group we are a part of, and received many recommendations. I ultimately chose Dr. Carlos David only because three different people had recommended him. I have a family history of Melanoma and Basal Cell Carcinoma, so I didn't want to take anything too lightly.
I called with three days' notice and had no problem booking the appointment. Dr. David was very thorough and took careful notes on family history and all other information. He was also concerned about the spot and recommended that it be excised and sent to a lab for Melanoma testing. He usually does surgeries in the mornings, but since I was leaving the next morning for Petén, he asked me to wait 20 minutes while he prepared his room for operating.
The whole procedure was painless and actually fun to watch. He cut very deeply and stitched it back up with 7 stitches. The entire time spent in his office was about 2 hours, and that included consultation, surgery, and payment. The total bill for this was $300, including the lab testing. This happened on a Thursday, and he called me late Monday afternoon with the results that everything came back normal.
I love Guatemala City medical care, especially for non-emergencies like this. Fast and Cheap.
I was very thankful for this good report...that's one of the worse moles I've seen in a long time! You didn't tell people that you removed the stitches yourself! With a little help from your farsighted mom!
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