Posts by Gary Jones10

Jamie Clark74 said:Before I write anything, I take the time to understand the context and what the person is actually saying about themselves or their situation. You clearly don't do that.
If people actually paid attention to what they were reading, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Read the post above—let alone the others.

Honestly, Jamie Clark74, I have to wonder: have you looked into EST?
I know someone who struggled with depression for years, cycling through endless therapies and medications, but nothing really moved the needle until she tried EST. 😕

I’m sorry you took my suggestion as an attack when it was purely well-intentioned.

Besides, if you have so many people reaching out for help, wouldn't this give them a single place to read about your experiences? I suspect they would still be contacting you regardless. It could function like a dedicated advice column and easily become a top-tier thread.

The idea seems solid to me. 🙂

I suggest we start a dedicated thread—maybe even pin it to the top. We could call it something like "Jamie Clark74: Life, Illness, and Treatment Experiences," giving him a space to post as much as he wants. 🙂

That way, both he and everyone else following the Health board will be satisfied.

brisknomad6 said:Isn't it Kristic, Ms. Jamie Clark74?

👍 🤣

Vilko, this thread is specifically about hypochondria and those who live with it. I have no idea what has you so worked up or why you feel targeted here.
If you actually have something to contribute regarding the subject of hypochondria, then by all means, go ahead.

rustymoose54, I wouldn't say they're mocking anyone, but they can be genuinely exhausting to deal with.
For instance, you start a thread in the Health section because a family member is seriously ill with some condition. You’ve done your research, but you just want to hear real, firsthand experiences from people here.

Then some guy pops up. He doesn't even have the condition you're talking about, yet he spams your thread with massive blocks of copy-pasted text from the web. He could have just posted a link or stayed silent.
When you suggest he might be overstepping, he responds by pasting four pages of his own medical diagnoses. Clearly, he lacks any self-awareness.

Even on this specific subforum, I've noticed a few individuals who jump into every single thread regarding any disorder or illness, acting like absolute experts. They aren't medical professionals, obviously. So, is it hypochondria or what?

jadesailor14 said:I think they just want attention and sympathy
so people will fuss over them and coddle them
because they are sick
often very seriously and incurably

Look, seeking attention like that from time to time—especially among kids (even I played the sick card a few times growing up, you know, just to dodge school or get Mom to fuss over me with cocoa and worried glances—but after the second time, 😁 saw right through me)—isn't unusual, nor should it be considered pathological. Provided it happens rarely, of course.

But what about those who go overboard? Those who spend all day talking about their ailments, drifting from one clinic to another, and eventually, absurdly enough, actually end up with diagnoses.

Velislav asked for an example. Fine. My aunt has been like this since she was a child (or so my mother tells me). She spends her life on the couch with a headache or some other ailment, complaining about everything under the sun. Her two daughters, my cousins, were basically running the household by age nine or ten—doing dishes, prepping meals—all because "Mom isn't feeling well." They still treat her that way today. To be honest, nobody knows what is actually wrong with her. She has a massive file of diagnoses, though it seems to me she’s missing the real one. She probably needs a psychiatrist rather than a GP.

Besides, I believe there is someone like that right here on this forum. I don't need to name names. Just browse around. 😉

The issue is that these people refuse to admit they have a real problem—a psychological one. Instead, they demand that doctors validate them with a diagnosis. But not one starting with an "F."

And then, inevitably, they find something. Blood pressure, iron levels, blood sugar, rheumatism—you name it.

We run into these people every single day.
They’re in our families, our friend groups, at the office, or even just next door.
The pattern is always the same: the moment you mention a minor ache or a recent diagnosis—whatever it may be—they suddenly become experts. They feel compelled to explain it all to you because, lo and behold, they’ve "dealt with the exact same thing."
Beyond their own endless list of ailments, they act as though they possess medical degrees in everything else. They might even pick a fight if you dare suggest they’re overreacting.

So, what actually defines hypochondria, and who are the people truly suffering from it?
What drives this constant fear of illness, or perhaps even a strange fascination with it?
Is it possible that this obsession eventually manifests as actual physical sickness?
Do you have a hypochondriac in your life? Do they get under your skin?
How do you handle them?

Larry Mendoza said:How on earth do you manage to function while being this sick?😕

When his actual issue lies, shall we say, elsewhere. 😁

I don't quite grasp the point of this thread. What exactly is the appeal for people to swap their supposedly revolting experiences with such an intense level of detail? Is it masochism? 🙄

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:And honestly, it makes me sick how every single thread like this turns into a marketplace for trading names of the worst painkillers and similar garbage.
.

Kenneth Hernandez67, forgive me, but my situation was much worse—I’ve ended up in the ER at least 15 times now. And yes, I have literally vomited. Not to mention there was one time, due to the pain from cramps, that I actually tore the sheet I was lying on with my bare hands. I doubt many people would turn Tramadol into a competitive sport just for kicks.

If there were anything else out there during these 15 years of hell—anything at all—do you think I wouldn't have tried it? How many alternative methods, weed, teas, and other nonsense I've wasted money on... only I know.

The official diagnosis is a retroverted uterus, which basically means it's tilted quite significantly. For the cramps I get (not always, but maybe 2 or 3 times a year), my mother looked at me and said she felt exactly like that during childbirth.

To put it bluntly: 20 seconds that feel like an eternity—pain so intense you feel like jumping off a ten-story building. Then 30 seconds of calm. This cycle can last for three hours. Over time, the ratio shifts; the quiet periods start to outweigh the cramps. After half an hour, the cramps hit every two minutes, then every ten, until they finally vanish.

It seems ridiculous now, but once, when I was about 17, I was screaming and sobbing: "I want surgery! Just cut everything out! Take it all out, I don't care what happens!"😁

After about 15 years of struggling and testing every analgesic under the sun—everything from Advil to heavy hitters—I finally landed on Tramadol. You can only get it via prescription. Tell your gynecologist you need it, then have your primary care doctor write the script. If you see a private specialist, you can ask for a long-term prescription; it’s valid for six months, and you can use it at the pharmacy to pick up either Tramadol or Lumudol—they're the same medication, just different brands—and they cost $13.
You have to be careful with them. Don't drive while taking them; they can tank your blood pressure and leave you feeling dizzy. And for heaven's sake, don't mix them with alcohol.

To be honest, even these don't eliminate the pain entirely. They just take the edge off significantly. I still find myself stuck at home on the first day of my period because I can barely crawl out of bed. For me, it's only the first day like that; by the second or third, something like Motrin or Voltaren Rapid usually does the trick. Good luck!

Angela Rodriguez2 said:Look, for that kind of money, you might as well buy margarine instead of Omega-3. At least then you'd be getting something useful. 😎

I assume you're pitching this as the gold standard for price and quality—maybe some Herbalife Omega? How transparent of you. 🤣 😛

dustycanyon6 said:Look, Omega-3 fatty acids come from fish. What did you expect them to smell like? Lavender? 😁 Maybe you just didn't notice the scent before, or perhaps the capsules have degraded and the odor is stronger now... It is strange, though—when you open a fresh bottle, the fishy smell is intense (especially with Nature's Bounty), but it usually settles down after some airing out... It’s odd that your experience is the exact opposite...

Ultimately, they shouldn't smell like anything at all. If they cause stomach issues or discomfort, toss them and grab a fresh batch. 😉

A few days ago, I picked up some Omega-3 from Walmart, from that Wellness Plus brand or something similar. 😁

To me, these seem perfectly fine, and they are significantly cheaper than Nature's Way—these are $9.00 for 90 "pearls."

Each one is individually wrapped, so there is absolutely no odor. My only observation is that if I take them on a relatively empty stomach, I get that unpleasant fishy aftertaste. 😢

But if I eat something beforehand, everything is fine.

Hey, Anthony, here’s some info—at least regarding diagnostics and minor procedures—you might want to check out the UnitedHealth Group clinic in Miami. 🙂

amberlynx9 said:Is it possible to get prostate surgery done privately in San Francisco or Miami? If so, could someone recommend a place?
How risky is this procedure for an 80-year-old—my grandfather—who suffered a mild heart attack about a year ago?
Thanks.

There’s a highly regarded older-generation urologist in Miami. I’ll have to look up his name and get back to you. I'm just not certain if he takes private patients.

For what it's worth, my father had his prostate surgery in Washington, D.C., at the Mayo Clinic. It’s one of the oldest urology departments in the country, and they have a solid reputation.

To be fair, we dealt with some administrative headaches there, but that had nothing to do with the surgery itself. The procedure was traditional—meaning a larger incision—and he recovered well. Then again, he was only 60 and had no other health issues.

I do recall seeing many older men there, though. Apparently, they use laser surgery for the elderly, which involves a much smaller incision and a faster recovery.

this guy said:From what I’ve seen, heroin doesn't leave lasting damage on the nervous system.

It does. A friend of mine was 28 when his CT scan came back. To quote the report: "changes atypical for age and prior health status." His doctor told him his brain looked like that of a 70-year-old.

Even then, he wasn't even using heavily or acting out. But there were ten years behind him—four of those spent in heavy use, including stretches where he was hitting four grams a day.

I’m concerned we’re calling this a premature birth when it’s actually an abortion.
And let’s be clear—provided there is a formal medical board opinion, performing an abortion after ten weeks due to specific medical necessity is entirely possible.

Eric Newman65 said:The gynecologist sends you for tests, which means you have a doctor now, but she probably has a substitute while on maternity leave, so they're hunting for referrals...
Co-pays under the specialist care plan are usually about 15% of the total bill based on the insurance provider's points... so it shouldn't be too much.

I went. It was a substitute. I didn't actually need referrals, just prescriptions for antibiotics after handing over results from my private OBGYN. For both myself and my partner. She was helpful. 😁
I have to redo my swabs in two months, and I plan to do them with her again. I don't expect any issues there.

How long is the wait for swab results or a Pap smear when you go through standard public insurance? At the private clinic, I had them in three or four days.

If anyone could tell me if they've dealt with Dr. Matezović, I'd be extremely grateful. 🙏

Justin Gonzalez87 said:I managed two pregnancies with a private OB-GYN, while my primary care doctor handled all my referrals and prescriptions.😕

It looks like they issue them here too; doesn't seem to be an issue.

But I’m currently battling a bacterial infection, and getting swabs done privately is expensive $233 (that was my bill just last week). Since I’ll need to repeat them in two months once treatment is finished—and I really don't want to shell out the cash again $233—can I just handle this through my primary care provider?

Sometimes I wonder why I pay into health insurance for my entire career if I'm still paying out of pocket for dentists and OB-GYNs. I'd like to actually use what I'm paying for, if you catch my drift.

Thanks for the tip, too. I didn't realize pregnant women were exempt from all copays. That's great. I don't fall into that category yet, and I won't until I finally get rid of this damn ureaplasma.😢