Posts by darkbison81

Daniel Lopez said:I had no idea it was actually that bad...
What kind of symptoms are we even talking about here? Is there a way to tell if you have it without running to a doctor, like some obvious physical sign on your body?

Look, if you want a definitive answer, you have to get an endocrine panel done. You can't just rely on what you see in the mirror; external symptoms aren't always obvious, and even when they are, they can easily be misread or attributed to the wrong disorder.
If someone is dealing with a health issue, they need to go see a professional. A layperson is always going to risk overestimating or underestimating what's actually happening.

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:Does that mean I'm going to have a shorter lifespan?😕

Luckily, humans aren't mice or turtles.🙂 If you were a mouse, I’d tell you that you'll definitely live a shorter life than a turtle, mostly because on top of having shorter telomeres, you're also dealing with much higher oxidation levels.
But you aren't a mouse,🙂 and honestly, nobody knows exactly how long you'll live. Maybe a really long time... it all depends on a massive variety of factors, like genetics, pure luck, and so on.
So don't sweat it too much.🙂

I honestly have no clue... I know there are a bunch of different names for it... but with all those "miracle" supplements out there, I’m pretty sure I read something about iodine. Apparently, you can end up with way too much of it. At the end of the day, even if it doesn't completely wreck your kidneys, you might still think it's doing wonders for your blood pressure and renal health when it's actually not.

And since you're naturally built like a little sprite—your kidneys are running perfectly and your body temp is a steady 98.6°F🙂—you're probably burning through oxygen like crazy. Just be careful not to over-oxidize yourself.🙂

Andrew Anderson6 said:Exactly. And honestly, most weight loss products or those "cellulite fighters" are just as sketchy. Like those cellulite tablets (something with "cel..." in the name; I can't recall the exact brand). The fine print says they can trigger hyperactive thyroid function 😲 👎—so weighing the risks against any supposed benefits isn't exactly rocket science. 👎

None of these quick-fix pills are actually safe. In my opinion, if you want to lose weight "healthily," there’s really no substitute for hitting the gym harder and fixing your diet.

As for laxatives: if I ever felt the need for that kind of help, I'd stick to old-school home remedies like prunes, fruit, or whole grains. The massive issue with commercial laxatives is that eventually, they stop working and actually end up making your gut health worse than when you started. Don't rush to the pharmacy for a pill first.

Yeah, I totally agree. Why on earth would anyone risk messing up their hormones for the rest of their lives just to deal with cellulite? I think that specific supplement is called Cellasen... it goes by a few different names depending on which country you're in. From what I understand, it's loaded with iodine, among other things, which forces the thyroid into overdrive. That spikes all your metabolic processes and raises your body temperature. They call it "metabolism activation," but it's far from harmless. Anyone with a natural thyroid condition already has enough to deal with without adding this chaos to the mix.

- Just because something is plant-based doesn't mean it isn't "active." Some of the most potent poisons on Earth come from plants. It’s the same deal with medicine—there's a razor-thin line between a cure and a toxin (take digitalis from the foxglove flower, for example). Even salicylic acid used to be extracted from willow bark, though we synthesize it now. When people say "plant-based," all they're really saying is that the product lacks the precision, exact concentrations, and specific chemical makeup of a synthetic version.

- Looking at these tablets, I'll quote what it says right here:
"Metabolism capsules naturally replenish GLA in the body, ensuring the synthesis of sufficient amounts of prostaglandin E1, thereby supporting optimal metabolism and faster breakdown of fat stores."

The way I read that is: the substance in these capsules is an analog designed to mess with your prostaglandin levels.

Why would a healthy person feel the need to take analogs just to shift their prostaglandin balance? Personally, I wouldn't touch it...

Based on what's been said, this product actually shifts your hormonal balance.

Solaris said:but I honestly think we should be doubling down on perfecting organ cloning instead.

It would be incredible: imagine being born with your own personal biological bank. As soon as you hit a health snag later in life, specialists just start cultivating the exact organ you need.🙂
Still, we’re nowhere near that reality. For now, we can only manage to in vitro differentiate some basic organs—like maybe a small vessel...
We're still missing those massive, fundamental data sets regarding how tissues and organs actually undergo differentiation in the first place....

jadesailor14 said:darkbison81, why on earth are you constantly lugging that will or declaration or whatever it is everywhere you go?
Think about it: if you’re in a car wreck and you're unconscious, every second counts. Doctors can't just track down your parents or your spouse to ask permission; they'll follow standard legal protocols and make the calls they're allowed to make by law. So what then?
I honestly can't believe there's some massive conspiracy going on. Personally, I'm always going to carry my donor card with me.
Besides, if my brain is irreversibly damaged, well, screw a life like that.
And what happens if you or someone you loves suddenly has kidney failure or liver issues? That happens to people who have never even touched a drop of alcohol. Will you just shrug your shoulders, say "that's life," and start planning the funeral? Or will you do everything possible to recover, including getting on a transplant list?
There are plenty of decent, responsible doctors out there. Don't be so cynical.

Cynical? 😕What does "plenty" actually mean to you? Give me a number.
I don't really have a comeback for that. If you don't like what I'm saying, just ignore me. You've got an ignore list for a reason—use it. 🙂

As for your question: no, I don't carry any kind of formal document (even though that hospital—and others besides—sent a lawyer/notary after me to get it done). I hate administrative red tape and I have zero interest in wasting my time on it...
When I die, I die. It doesn't matter to me. As long as I'm alive and healthy, I'm happy. Once that stops being the case, oh well. I don't live under the delusion that my life is some grand, noble cause.
If it comes to my own recovery, I'll do whatever I personally deem necessary and useful. When it comes to saving the people I love, I'll do whatever they allow me to do.
Thanks for being so deeply invested in my personal business. 😉

I’m basically an aspiring anthropologist, 😁

As far as how much I actually know about this—don't get it twisted, I’m by no means an expert on the current state of things. But from the little bit I've gathered, I’m definitely not feeling optimistic. Back when I was still hitting the books in college, I had to interface quite a bit with doctors and the staff over at the blood typing labs (mostly because of some courses we had to take and exams we had to pass under their supervision).

Casey Palmer5 said:darkbison81, man, this is just a total gray area... I can't even believe it.
Those five points you made are enough to make anyone freeze up. Thank God I don't rely on medical services, and I certainly don't have any intention of starting.

Dammit, Casey Palmer5, that was supposed to be comforting 😁—to show you how slim the chances are that something like that actually happens to you.
Besides, not every doctor is some villain or a butcher. There are plenty of kind, smart, and responsible people out there. Heck, even a handful 🙂

Casey Palmer5 said:Ugh, I just remembered my blood actually exists somewhere... But what do you think—if I did this a long time ago (like, when I was just a kid), would I still be on some registry somewhere? I had testing done for antinuclear antibodies (specifically anti-DNA) and some other weird stuff that I can't even name because the terms sound so ominous 😢....you can't just get those tests anywhere, blood work is expensive in Washington, D.C. 😢

Personally, I wouldn't go into full-blown panic mode. It’s not like they're typing everyone's blood type, nor does everyone know it, nor can everyone afford to find out (it takes money and effort). As time goes on, things become easier and more accessible. Beyond that, I don't buy into any grand "conspiracy" where every single person who ever donated blood has an active file sitting there. I think there's just a specific "network" that handles that kind of thing.

So, here's the deal:
1. Maybe you aren't even registered by blood type.
2. Even if you are, you probably won't show up on some hospital database table
3. At the exact same moment as someone you're compatible with
4. Who actually desperately needs an organ
5. And happens to be wealthy enough for the "network" to pull strings for them.

🙂 See? It's not all doom and gloom. 🙂

What I was warned about was simply not to go looking for trouble...

jadesailor14 said:I honestly can't wrap my head around it. If people were actually getting snatched up just because someone needed an organ—like a kidney—it’s baffling how that hasn't leaked out yet. That kind of stuff is heavy, and if it were true, it would be front-page news everywhere. It would drive newspaper circulation through the roof.
If anyone in my family ever got caught up in something like that, they'd be answering to God.
But sure, let's go with the idea that it's all been perfectly covered up so nobody can ever find out.

It happens. Look, I'm not saying this is some daily occurrence, but a lot of stars have to align for something like that to even be possible (which I touched on in my last post). Naturally, if you aren't a specific blood type, you're at much lower risk. Besides, it isn't hard to sweep rare, "good deed" type events under the rug.

jadesailor14 said:1. I’ve been checked out regularly at my local community health center, various hospitals, and private clinics. Honestly, I don't think anyone is running some kind of profiling scheme on me, because I haven't felt any targeted vibes from the staff.

2. Legally speaking, organs can be harvested without family consent, but doctors just don't operate that way in practice.

3. Personally, I don't see much use for my guts in the afterlife, and if they can help someone else here, then fine by me.

4. Obviously, I wouldn't want my liver going to some alcoholic who trashed his own life and his family's life, but that's completely out of my hands.

5. darkbison81, did this whole situation happen here in the States?

1. Look, if anyone ever drew blood from you, they had enough material to run a typing test. They aren't going to target you until they know your HLA status. Once they have that, the scenario would be that you end up in the hospital with something like appendicitis—with a favorable HLA match—and while you're there, someone needs an organ and has a compatible HLA profile. The registry flags you as a potential donor, and if the recipient is wealthy or has the right connections and there isn't an immediate donor available, they might "find a way" to make one happen...

2. Hmm.

3. True, except organs aren't typically taken from people who are already dead; instead, a person is killed so the organs can be harvested. Usually, this involves people who were already terminal or brain dead anyway.

4. If someone is a donor, they have to be prepared for any outcome. At the end of the day, there's no foolproof way to decide who "deserves" an organ more than anyone else.

5. In Washington, D.C.

Casey Palmer5 said:I'm curious about where you guys actually go to sign up. Does the system really run a full tissue typing on everyone who signs up immediately? That sounds incredibly expensive and probably not worth the ROI. Also, which agency handles that here in the States?

From what I’ve heard, just carrying around a donor card doesn't mean much if you aren't officially registered in the system.

Honestly, I'm wondering what the point even is. If they decide to take your organs because your HLA type is a perfect match, the only way to actually stop them is to explicitly opt out. So, what's the deal with the donor card procedure? Are you automatically typed, and do you even get access to your own medical files?

Casey Palmer5 said:1. darkbison81, you've got a bit of a dark sense of humor, don't you? 😁 ?

2. By the way, in the US, doctors can basically harvest whatever they want once you've been under anesthesia... Unless your next of kin explicitly proves you were against it (I assume you'd need a written statement notarized by a public notary), then they aren't allowed to explant anything. I remember a scandal a few years back where organs were harvested from a young woman without parental consent under some pretty shady circumstances.

3. darkbison81, did you actually get typed when they sent you to see those lawyers?

1. Of course 🙂 I'm not going to have some sunshine-and-rainbows kind of humor 😁
(It's nothing, really—we were all pretty terrible back in college...)

2. Yeah, I was told the same thing...

3. They sent me to lawyers and notaries (it's all the same to me) because of point number two. I've never voluntarily been typed (there hasn't been any reason for me to be yet), but once I mentioned where all my blood samples were stored—you know, at state institutions, clinics, hospitals—for various tests (like when I had mono, they drew a lot of blood over a couple of months), a woman looked at me and said it wouldn't be a bad idea to protect myself. There's a chance someone could perform a typing and enter it into the system (that's what they suspect happens, though they aren't certain). In private labs, it's assumed they don't do it because some small analysis lab doesn't have the budget to run systematic typing. It’s expensive.

Gary Sanchez said:but seriously... I still can't wrap my head around what kind of messed up world we're actually living in right now. 😢
I mean, honestly... it's just revolting. 👎

Welcome to the club. 😢

silentpanther15 said:Are you actually being serious right now?

I took that warning quite seriously. I didn't just pull it out of thin air; I heard it from two completely independent sources who actually work in that industry—one from the medical side and one from the tech sector.

Mark Watson12 said:I think I read somewhere—and please don't come for me if I've got this wrong—that every single one of us is a potential organ donor by default.
Basically, there’s some law or regulation that gives doctors the green light to harvest organs from deceased patients for transplants.
So, from what I gather, the only way to actually opt out is to explicitly state that you DON'T want your organs used. That’s supposedly the only way to ensure they don't end up being transplanted into someone else.
Personally, I don't have any problem with it. If my organs can help someone out after I'm gone, why not? I won't be needing them where I'm going, and it could save a life.

Yeah, I think you're onto something there... I actually remember back when I was dealing with blood typing, they basically sent me to a lawyer to draft a formal document—like a will or a power of attorney—just to declare my opposition and authorize a few people to sign off on my behalf. Honestly, I completely blanked on the whole thing at the time, but looking back, I definitely remember them telling me I needed to go through those legal steps to make it official.🙄

Casey Palmer5 said:Honestly, I’m pretty anxious about my HLA results... thank God there isn't some theory that they might type me without permission. I tend to run for the hills whenever a doctor tries to get too close anyway! 😁

If you just want to mess around, you could always head to a private clinic and ask for tumor markers or maybe something for ankylosing spondylitis—you know, the usual cheery stuff. 😁 It's not technically HLA/MHC, but you'll still learn plenty about your own DNA. 🙂

Otherwise, in places where the medical institutions are better funded, it's entirely possible they could type you while they're drawing blood for a completely different test, and you wouldn't even realize it happened. It makes you wonder: are we all already sitting in some sort of database somewhere? 😲 Total Twilight Zone territory...

(I'm joking, or at least I hope I am... I've heard rumors that this actually happens, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but I don't know if it's a widespread reality. I really hope it isn't.)

Joseph Thomas63 said:When I crunch all the numbers, this way feels right. Honestly, I’d rather be healthy and feel good even if I have to deal with some acne, than be on hormones just to get perfect skin while dealing with all the side effects.
Then again, who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind once I stop recognizing myself in the mirror.

It sounds like you made the right call, 🙂 honestly, it takes guts. You can treat psoriasis other ways; there's no reason to sacrifice your entire mental state over it. 🙂

By the way, regarding doctors (please don't take this personally, I know they aren't all incompetent or careless), I'm just quoting my dad, who happens to be a physician:

"If you can manage it, try to give them a wide berth."