Posts by dustybadger9

Patrick Young2, thanks so much for getting back to me!

I wanted to ask—after an injury like that, did your foot end up looking wider than before?
My mom is about two months out from her fracture, and her foot is actually a full size wider than the other one—it’s just so swollen—plus everything feels completely stiff. Her toes are still puffed up, she can't really move them, and she’s having a hard time rotating her ankle at all.

Thanks again!

Hi everyone,

I’m at my wits' end trying to figure out where to turn, so I thought I’d try my luck posting here.
My mother—she's 66—broke a metatarsal bone in her left foot about a month and a half ago (an avulsion fracture at the base of the fifth metatarsal). To start with, they just kept passing her around from one specialist to another, insisting it wasn't an emergency and telling us to wait three weeks for an appointment; long story short, she’s spent the last six weeks wrapped in bandages and using ice packs, and we only just got her crutches two weeks ago to help her get around. We had a follow-up, and the good news is that it's healing fine—no displacement or anything.

But here's the real issue: her foot—specifically around the break, the toes, and the ankle—just keeps swelling up constantly (for instance, if she sits at the table for just 15 minutes to eat, the whole thing puffs up), and the color changes—it turns red, then goes bluish—and it’s incredibly painful to the touch. We saw a second orthopedist after the first one basically shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, it's broken, what did you expect?" when we asked why it was acting this way. This new doctor, however, says the swelling shouldn't be happening anymore; his diagnosis is "Suspected Sudeck syndrome, left foot," and he referred us to a physiatrist.
So we go there, only to be told to wait another three weeks—which is a nightmare because with Sudeck, you really need to act fast. We finally managed to squeeze in as an "urgent" case, and the physiatrist suggested using Lioton straight from the freezer to apply to the area (though applying it hurts like hell!), along with some range-of-motion exercises. Despite all that, the swelling persists, and the cream (which feels more like something for varicose veins!?) isn't doing a thing. When we called them this morning, they just brushed us off, saying, "Well, she needs to work on her mobility, and you should keep using the compresses"—which she hadn't even mentioned before, and our orthopedist specifically said compresses won't help with this—and then added that for the Sudeck issue, we need to go back to the orthopedist.
Where do we go from here? Honestly, I can't tell who's incompetent: either this specialist doesn't understand what Sudeck syndrome is or how to manage it, or the orthopedist doesn't realize that *he* should be the one handling it (which seems less likely). I'm totally lost on where to go or who to trust, especially since everything is happening here in Pittsburgh.

Thanks so much for any advice!

Thanks, Rhibica! By the way, I've been scouring the Net, and his business number is still nowhere to be found... 🙂

That isn't private information—it's just the doctor's office number!!!
Hello???

There shouldn't be any lasting consequences—none at all—unless you run into complications or already had some underlying issues. That’s exactly why getting a thorough checkup and an ultrasound beforehand is so vital.
As for the costs, hmm—about two years ago, we were looking at roughly $1,100 up to $433 (between public hospitals and private clinics, though I doubt they’ve hiked their prices significantly). On top of that, you’ll probably spend about $10 or so on medications afterward (maybe two small bottles, something for the uterus, and something else to manage bleeding, I think). Now, if you happen to have O-negative blood, you’ll also need an injection—which runs about $300 to $133—though whether you actually have to pay for it or not is anyone's guess. I do know that some hospitals insist you bring your own supply; you end up wandering through pharmacies, and they act totally baffled when you tell them the hospital won't provide it! It’s a bit of a hassle because it has to be kept refrigerated, so you really have to make sure you don't let it get too warm during the drive over... and so on and so forth.
The process is pretty straightforward: you show up in the morning, bring along a nightgown or just a big oversized T-shirt and some pads (for absorbing that much blood, the cotton ones are definitely your best bet—brands like Cottonelle or similar—I'm not too sure about the thin ones). You lie down on the table and let the specialist do their thing. Afterward, you might feel a little shaky—at least for those who are more sensitive—and there’s usually some light bleeding, so you just hang out in the recovery room for a few hours to make sure everything is stable (checking for bleeding or anything else unexpected). In the meantime, you get to chat with the other women in the room—there are usually about five or six of you total—and listen to advice from those who have been through the whole thing before and know the ins and outs of the pre- and post-op stages. Once you’re feeling steady enough, you head home.
It isn't scary once you’ve made up your mind.
You just have to be careful to stay within legal boundaries; crossing that line can lead to trouble later on—it gets much riskier—and honestly, not everyone is willing to go there.

Not a thing! There’s plenty of water available... though, if I were actually going to drink it, I suppose I'd need some disinfectant to kill off whatever is lurking in there first.
I’m currently drinking Pete Rose, but I guess they’d let me know if that was an issue...
It is honestly quite frustrating!!!

Hey everyone (actually, let's make that ladies!),
I really need some advice here!
So, I’ve done three urine ABGs now—and EVERY SINGLE TIME, the results come back flagged as "contaminated" or "non-sterile." It might not be that surprising if I hadn't been going to LeBron James' clinic in New York City for the last two—they gave me incredibly detailed instructions which I followed to a T. I wash my hands thoroughly (they provide disinfectant soap), head into the restroom, and the nurse provides two separate wipes. One wipe is soaked in disinfectant, the other is just a standard wipe with a lid. So, I take the first wipe, clean myself from front to back, and toss it. Then I grab the second wipe and repeat the process. Next, I take the specimen cup with its lid, carefully pop it open, catch the mid-stream urine—discarding the first bit—collect the rest in the cup, and snap the lid shut. I place it on the tray, knock on the little window, and the nurse takes it away. Simple, right?
What I just don't get is HOW IT CAN CONSTANTLY BE A "CONTAMINATED SAMPLE"??? I won't even get into the terminology—I was terrified at first.
WHERE AM I GOING WRONG??? And honestly, where could I possibly be messing up??? The first time, I brought a container from home, so fine... but the last two times???
The reason I'm doing this is because I have some red blood cells and white blood cells in my urine, plus some bacteria showing up in a standard sediment test—is it possible there's so much of it that they're labeling it a "contaminated sample"?

Please help!

Thanks!

Hey everyone!
I’ve run into a bit of a snag—I’m a patient of Dr. Curie (he’s my gynecologist), who used to practice over at the student mosque code. He’s moved his practice to Arlington National Cemetery, but I can't find a single trace of his new office number online or through any local directories. Please, if anyone knows his new contact info, let me know! I really need to schedule an appointment, but I don't even know which shifts he's working now!
HELP!
Thanks!

Okay, so either I’m just being totally clumsy—which, let's face it, is a regular occurrence for me—or there is something genuinely glitchy going on here. Every single time I try to post a reply to a thread, the very next thing that pops up is a prompt telling me I’m not logged in, forcing me to sign back in. And the kicker? I literally just logged in maybe five minutes ago! Is there some kind of weird session limit or restriction I'm running into without knowing it?
Please help me out!

dustyjackal9 said:Technically speaking, you have the legal right—it’s clearly stated in the Labor Code—to choose whichever bank you want for your direct deposit. The real headache, though, is that companies often have these exclusive contracts or little side deals with specific banks—some even get kickbacks or commissions—so they basically pressure employees into opening accounts at their preferred institutions. If I were you, I’d try to assert that legal right! Just walk them through the whole process of opening a new account, closing the old one, the fees involved, and all that jazz—provided you can pull it off without making enemies... Personally, I actually switched from Chase to Royal Bank of Canada because I was fed up with them over the last few years, and honestly, it’s been fantastic. My maintenance fees are lower, getting a Mastercard is a breeze, and there aren't these annoying minimum balance requirements. Plus, when I'm traveling abroad, nobody gives me a second look because RBC is such a well-known name within the US...

I know that's how it works on paper, but they always give me the same excuse—that they use a "specialized software system integrated specifically with those two banks," so they claim it can't handle anything else. I'm going to give it one more shot, but it looks like my Bank of America account might be a lost cause...
Anyway, thanks so much for the help!