Posts by nimbleskipper13

allegra said:M 70 indicates bursitis, and _,9 refers to the location... I think. 😕

We should probably check the ICD manual, but I can't find it anywhere nearby. 😁

In our system, _,9 is used in almost all ICD diagnoses to mean "unspecified"... so this would be unspecified bursitis, without any specific location or cause noted.

Lawrence Young72 said:I’m not sure what to call this thread, but it doesn't really matter..

Here's the issue: over the last 10 days, I've been experiencing these sharp, stabbing sensations in my head—or maybe my brain, if that's how you'd put it. It’s just this incredibly uncomfortable piercing feeling. It only happens on the right side, always in the exact same spot, about 4 or 5 cm above the back of my ear. Usually, it comes in waves; if one strike hits me, another follows a few minutes later. This can happen three or four times in a single day, which feels pretty strange...
The sensation lasts maybe half a second or less, and afterward, it feels like I'm snapping out of a trance. It's totally bizarre. I don't actually lose consciousness or anything like that—I'm fully aware the whole time—it's just extremely unpleasant..
Any advice?

Based on those symptoms, it sounds like it could be a tension headache or perhaps cluster headaches, which have vascular origins... but you need to see a doctor immediately. Start with a neurologist, no question...

Sarah White66 said:I
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nimbleskipper13,
I'm scheduled for thyroid surgery this Tuesday, and they’ll be removing the left side. From what I understand, the incision is fairly large. Would using calendula oil help, and how soon can I start applying it? Also, does anyone have other recommendations to help minimize the scarring?
Thanks,
Sarah White66.

For thyroid procedures, surgeons typically make a transverse incision along the neck crease—essentially tucked into that natural skin fold—which makes it nearly invisible. On top of that, they often use intradermal stitches, meaning you won't see those little dot-like marks on the surface. Depending on the material used, the sutures will either be removed in about 8 to 10 days (where you'd only see the very start and end points) or they'll be dissolvable if they use something like Monocryl instead of nylon....
There isn't much you need to do... the scar will likely be very discreet. Regardless, for the first month, you shouldn't apply anything specific to the surgical site—despite some questionable advice from certain dermatologists. Just stick to your regular face or body lotions, keep the area clean, and avoid scrubbing it too hard with a towel...

After procedures, I often suggest my patients use St. John's Wort oil on their scars, though specifically for those at risk for hypertrophic scarring—areas like the groin, the armpits, or for patients with a history of keloids. Once the tissue starts to thicken, they should switch to products containing hyaluronidase. If a hard scar develops, we move toward injecting specific softening agents. If those fail, we look into laser treatments or even surgical revision.

I rely quite a bit on herbal remedies. St. John's Wort oil acts as a natural regulator for the healing process, while calendula ointment works wonders for stimulating recovery in irritated, red skin.

I didn't say scars could be made to completely disappear... you can certainly improve the look of unsightly scars, but there's usually some kind of trace left behind...

A man fell ill after visiting a tropical area... he didn't seek treatment... and passed away... Sporadic malaria cases happen all the time. It hasn't been eradicated, so anyone traveling to endemic regions needs to be on preventative medication...

granitehawk8 said:Scars really can't be fully removed, especially the tough ones on the décolletage. However, at a dermatology conference last year, they showcased a laser that’s actually effective for that. I just hope it makes its way to our clinics soon. Other scars can fade away entirely—I know from experience, as a scar on my face from when I was a kid disappeared COMPLETELY.🙂

Look, cosmetologists and dermatologists can sometimes sell you a bill of goods.
I'm a surgeon, and believe me, I know a thing or two about scarring since aesthetic and reconstructive surgery is my day job...

The reality is that the face and scalp tend to heal the best and fastest. Scars there are much less noticeable, assuming they heal properly, of course...

Creams like Contractubex, Ureaza, or Kontrakel are designed to help flatten hypertrophic scars, but let’s be real: nothing on this planet is going to make them completely vanish. Just accept that.
I’m sure everyone here has had a run-in with a dog bite, a clumsy fall, or a shaving mishap at some point. You might end up with a thin, pale, subtle old scar that's barely noticeable, but it’s always going to be there.
If you want to hide it, your best bet is just using some concealer...

Linda Peterson said:Can't you just use a laser?

Laser treatments can help minimize a hypertrophic, unsightly scar, but they won't make it disappear entirely. It’s always going to be there; the goal is simply to make it flatter, thinner, and lighter so it becomes much less noticeable...

You can't really "camouflage" a scar... if it's hypertrophic, there are treatment options, but if it's just a standard scar... it's here to stay.

Chloe Nguyen3 said:I’m no surgeon, but I have seen what a doctor’s "work" looks like on someone's nail.😁
I think my partner is going to opt for a professional pedicure instead.🙂

I'm against any kind of generalization, including yours... I guess since you SAW it, you're an expert now, right?

As for the pedicure route... we'll see. Or rather, thank God I won't be the one dealing with it... just some poor, overworked resident who ends up having to fix the mess at the end. Heh.
🙂

Scott Lee8 said:Mine went haywire, too. Now I can't play soccer, go for runs, or even comment on blogs...

...but honestly, this latest development is the worst part. 😁

Jesse Fox14 said:I dealt with something similar—an ingrown nail. The issue was that I’d always cut too deep into the corner, leaving a sharp spike that would just dig itself back into the skin as it grew. After studying the first little shard I managed to pull out, I decided to try a different approach. I started trimming the edges less and less aggressively until eventually, the nail cleared the skin on its own. Now I just keep it trimmed straight across and stay out of trouble. Not sure if that makes any sense to anyone else 🙄
From what I’ve gathered, most of these ingrown nails are actually our own fault because we trim them incorrectly. Throw in some tight shoes, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

You are absolutely, 100% right. 👍

That is definitely the right way to handle an ingrown nail in its early stages. However, once you hit chronic granulation—where the tissue starts swelling excessively at the side of the nail (what people often call "granuloma")—that DIY method won't work anymore.

Chloe Nguyen3 said:I’ve talked to a few people who went through nail root surgery on both sides. One ended up with an ugly scar because they were stitched poorly, and the other had their nail grow back ingrown.
That’s why I see surgery as a last resort. In my opinion, using that specialized gel-paste is a much better way to go. It hardens, fills the gap, and allows the nail to grow through a channel created by the gel, which prevents it from digging into the skin. There’s no pain, no inflammation, and the nail grows back normally.

I'm just saying, this seems like a better option to me, but everyone can decide for themselves. It's good to know there are alternatives 😉 that are less painful. 😁

Sorry if I keep correcting you, but as a surgeon, I simply can't let this slide:
1. There is no such thing as a "nail root." There is only the nail plate—what we all call the nail—and the nail matrix, which is the soft pink tissue where the nail is formed. The nail itself is dead tissue, basically keratin (like horn or a hoof), so it doesn't have sensation.
2. After this type of procedure, the wound is NOT STITCHED. Stitches are an outdated method that some places still use, but it almost always leads to deformities due to scar contracture...

About 85% of infections caused by improper nail trimming never fully resolve; they become chronic and frequently recur.
As for the procedure itself, it isn't painful when done under local nerve block anesthesia. The only thing that hurts is the needle—specifically, two injections at the base of the toe...

Chloe Nguyen3 said:Yeah, she probably should have, I left her alone... but anyway, moving on.😉

Regarding the topic at hand: surgical nail removal is the absolute last resort—which is exactly why I brought up the idea of "saving" the nail.😉

It’s actually quite rare nowadays to surgically remove an entire nail unless there's significant trauma requiring stitches or matrix reconstruction. That’s why I was specifically referring to PARTIAL ABLATION—removing just 1–2 millimeters of the nail and the matrix along the edge. This is necessary when you're dealing with chronic granulation tissue that keeps fueling the inflammation and simply won't heal on its own.

I don't see how this qualifies as the "absolute last, last, last resort" when you look at the cost-benefit ratio. Plus, conservative treatments often require weeks of antibiotics and frequently result in long periods of time off work.

Anthony Harris14 said:Are you talking about the points on the left and right that correspond to the posterior edges of the iliac crest?
They're used to estimate whether the birth canal is wide enough for delivery, or something along those lines. You also take the tip of the fifth lumbar spinous process and the start of the sacral sulcus. That rhombus helps doctors make assessments in OB/GYN. At least, if I understood the question correctly and my memory of those landmarks is accurate.

Nice work. Your memory is spot on. 🙂

As for those people mentioning a single point—the opening just below the tip of the coccyx where it meets the sacrum—that sounds more like a fistula opening from a pilonidal sinus...

Scott Lee8 said:That’s huge progress. Just 100 more posts on this forum and...

That’s how it goes... start with a little blog, move over to the forum, then hop back to the blog just to keep things interesting. 😎

Anyway, I'm heading to take a soak in the tub now...
🙂

Hope everyone has a good one...
👋 👋

Scott Lee8 said:....your blog is live

It's viewable for now... editing and comments aren't enabled yet...

Scott Lee8 said:If the blog crashes again, I'm ready to make a sacrifice and deal with some blogger...

In other words, a truly great and selfless man... 👏

Scott Lee8 said:No worries at all about asking questions, and thanks for the help. I know exactly what my next steps are, and I'll definitely keep following your blog.👋

You weren't being a bother... I spend my whole workday giving advice, so helping out here is easy enough. As for the nail stuff, haha...
one of the questions on my specialist certification exam was actually about ingrown nails, lol.😁

Beyond that, I perform procedures like that at least ten times a week.
👍