I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much we used to respect certain massive organizations. You know, those global institutions that felt like they actually stood for something bigger than just a balance sheet or a branding exercise. Now, it feels like every time a major figurehead steps up to lead, it’s just a revolving door of drama, ego, and backstabbing. It’s getting harder to tell who is actually trying to fix a broken system and who is just trying to protect their own seat at the table.
It’s honestly exhausting to watch. Every time a major scandal breaks or a new era begins, the same old patterns of infighting and finger-pointing resurface. It feels like the "old guard" is just as obsessed with their legacy as the "new guard" is with their power grab. It makes you wonder if these massive, worldwide hierarchies are even capable of genuine reform, or if the corruption is just baked into the foundation at this point.
Does anyone else feel like we’re just watching a scripted soap opera instead of actual governance? Is it even possible for these global giants to ever truly clean up their act?
From what I understand, a viral infection doesn't just vanish in a couple of days; it usually lingers for about five to seven days. It is entirely plausible that someone started with a virus and then developed a secondary bacterial infection, which would make prescribing an antibiotic a perfectly logical move.
I’m not quite sure how long it takes to get throat swab results back, but I am certain the patient is stuck dealing with the inflammation while waiting for those numbers. Besides, who is actually confirming this is even a case of pharyngitis? Why is there such intense hesitation when it comes to antibiotics? It shouldn't feel like such a monumental decision. If they are used unnecessarily, the damage is minimal—maybe some mild diarrhea—as long as you finish the entire course to prevent antibiotic resistance. The real mistake is stopping halfway through the prescription.
Zithromax is a potent antibiotic, and I completely agree that it’s irresponsible to prescribe it blindly for every little thing. However, in this specific instance, the individual clearly stated their illness cleared up just two days after starting the Zithromax. That leads me to believe we were dealing with a bacterial infection that the medication successfully targeted. I don't quite understand why everyone is jumping to conclusions about Zithromax being handed out without any actual examination.
Why not simply take her to her own primary care physician? It would be much simpler if she transferred her medical records so he could write the Zithromax prescription himself. If you really want to go that route, it's a straightforward process, and once that's done, you have the freedom to seek a second opinion whenever you feel the need. Rather than undermining her current doctor by showing a lack of trust, perhaps find someone else who will actually listen. Going to an infectious disease clinic isn't exactly the best move either way, but in my view, dismissing a patient with a fever without even looking at them is far worse than conducting an exam and then prescribing Zithromax.
I am not entirely sure. I wonder if it would be effective to hold a protest right outside the Medicare offices with a sign that reads, "I have cancer, and Medicare is denying me care"? I’m certain that Kemik is going to start scrubbing his posts any minute now.
Why go all at once? Honestly, you’re much better off having them pulled one by one under local anesthesia. If your logic is, "It’s going to hurt later regardless," well, you're right—it will. But do you really want to deal with five different bouts of minor pain, or would you rather face one intense period and just get it over with? It’s about choosing how you handle the recovery.
Whatever you do, don't fall into the trap of trying the Atkinson diet; it’s honestly complete nonsense. Sure, you might see the number on the scale drop, but you'll be absolutely wrecking your health in the process. It's much better to just focus on a modest calorie deficit and stick to steady-state cardio—think long, slow bike rides or even just walking at a pace you can actually sustain for a few hours. Seriously, Atkinson sucks!
briskgull27 said:Thanks, I know it sounds primitive, but it's still performed today, so I don't see why everyone is acting so surprised.
If someone deleted something, it was me. Fortunately, I am physically healthy. If anyone suffered consequences from it, people probably just stay quiet about it. I still remember my experiences, my thoughts, my feelings, the smells, and my whole life before ECT. If I had the chance to kill that doctor, who wouldn't resist? But man, life is tough. It really gets to me how much that woman creates this karmic bond of pure hatred. 😎
Not with guns, but with electric shocks.
Don't kill her; instead, hold her accountable to those in charge. When you are sent for ECT therapy, state clearly that you refuse it because you find it inhumane, dangerous, and painful for personal reasons. If they attempt to force you, threaten to sue the primary physician, file a report with the Social Security Administration, and pursue a private lawsuit for medical malpractice—nobody has the right to force you into therapies you don't want. Once everything has passed, remember how you ended up in therapy, how you felt, describe your experience, and put her full name online—write about how much you suffered under her treatment. You can do this on www.healthgrades.com—which serves as a public record of grievances within the American healthcare system.
Noah Booth84 said:I’ve been sitting here reading through your nonsense, and honestly, do you think the rest of us are just living on a silver platter? I have a family to provide for with my $1333 monthly income, and my son isn't doing well right now either. But from what I can gather, you don't seem to be struggling much at all. Besides, nobody has been using electroshock therapy for fifty years now. You really shouldn't take this forum—or the people on it—so lightly. If you happen to have the luxury of spending your entire day hanging out online, well, are you trying to act crazy? The rest of us actually have lives to lead. And we don't all view the world through a single lens like you do; no matter how much you try to present yourself as being open-minded, it just seems pretty foolish to me. I work for a government agency dealing with mental health patients, and I can tell you, nobody looks at them any differently than anyone else. Maybe you should find yourself a job. Work tends to be quite liberating!
If you aren't satisfied with your salary, then perhaps you should look for a better job instead of fruitlessly attempting to vent your frustrations on other forum participants. Furthermore, I fail to see how your son's health relates to the content of these posts.
Noah Booth84 said:I’ve been sitting here reading through your nonsense, and honestly, do you think the rest of us are just living on a silver platter? I have a family to provide for with my $1333 monthly income, and my son isn't doing well right now either. But from what I can gather, you don't seem to be struggling much at all. Besides, nobody has been using electroshock therapy for fifty years now. You really shouldn't take this forum—or the people on it—so lightly. If you happen to have the luxury of spending your entire day hanging out online, well, are you trying to act crazy? The rest of us actually have lives to lead. And we don't all view the world through a single lens like you do; no matter how much you try to present yourself as being open-minded, it just seems pretty foolish to me. I work for a government agency dealing with mental health patients, and I can tell you, nobody looks at them any differently than anyone else. Maybe you should find yourself a job. Work tends to be quite liberating!
That is incorrect. You are being told things by people who have actually experienced them, and there is plenty of information online confirming that it is still practiced—unfortunately—often under the justification that risking injury from electroshock is preferable to letting someone die.
Noah Booth84 said:I’ve been sitting here reading through your nonsense, and honestly, do you think the rest of us are just living on a silver platter? I have a family to provide for with my $1333 monthly income, and my son isn't doing well right now either. But from what I can gather, you don't seem to be struggling much at all. Besides, nobody has been using electroshock therapy for fifty years now. You really shouldn't take this forum—or the people on it—so lightly. If you happen to have the luxury of spending your entire day hanging out online, well, are you trying to act crazy? The rest of us actually have lives to lead. And we don't all view the world through a single lens like you do; no matter how much you try to present yourself as being open-minded, it just seems pretty foolish to me. I work for a government agency dealing with mental health patients, and I can tell you, nobody looks at them any differently than anyone else. Maybe you should find yourself a job. Work tends to be quite liberating!
Who is this "us" you keep referring to? If you lack the time to be online, then please, excuse us and allow us to discuss these matters in peace.
Noah Booth84 said:I’ve been sitting here reading through your nonsense, and honestly, do you think the rest of us are just living on a silver platter? I have a family to provide for with my $1333 monthly income, and my son isn't doing well right now either. But from what I can gather, you don't seem to be struggling much at all. Besides, nobody has been using electroshock therapy for fifty years now. You really shouldn't take this forum—or the people on it—so lightly. If you happen to have the luxury of spending your entire day hanging out online, well, are you trying to act crazy? The rest of us actually have lives to lead. And we don't all view the world through a single lens like you do; no matter how much you try to present yourself as being open-minded, it just seems pretty foolish to me. I work for a government agency dealing with mental health patients, and I can tell you, nobody looks at them any differently than anyone else. Maybe you should find yourself a job. Work tends to be quite liberating!
Based on your post, it is quite easy to envision your character. Lazy, unstable, and arrogant; you act as though the world owes you everything. You seem to believe you shouldn't have to work, and you think you are performing a great act of charity just by completing half of the job you are actually paid for, all while finding the time to insult and belittle people dealing with actual problems. I suggest you find a real profession instead of complaining about a meager paycheck here.
briskgull27 said:Basically, Americans are always burning through money in the EU just to make sure they have decent internet access.
Look, it’s true that Americans frequently shoot one another with firearms, but that doesn't mean being shot is a good thing, does it?
Regarding ECT, it has essentially been phased out of modern therapeutic practices. Occasionally, it impacts memory, and this typically happens if they fail to administer sufficient sedatives or muscle relaxants, leading to physical convulsions and shocks.
The actual impact of ECT on the brain is also reportedly quite destructive: you have electricity passing through that disrupts neural connections, much like running a magnet over a hard drive and simply hoping Windows still boots up afterward. You should do a bit of digging regarding electroconvulsive therapy. Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroconvulsive_therapy which states: "ECT was a common psychiatric treatment until the late 20th century, when it fell into disuse as better drug therapies became available for more conditions...When still in Common Use, ECT was sometimes abused by unethical mental health professionals as a means of punishing and controlling unruly or uncooperative patients."
Jose Miller3 said:Let’s keep the stories from the Square coming...
I swung by there on Thursday, around 3ish, with a friend—who’s totally welcome to jump in and share her own experience if she isn't too shy 🙂. It was packed, honestly... just a huge line waiting to get into the tent. There were two doctors walking around the whole time, just checking in to see if anyone needed anything explained. They actually mentioned to us that these days, they almost always extract the bone marrow from the blood—it's pretty much the standard now—and they've basically phased out the pelvic bone extraction entirely, unless there's an absolutely massive, specific reason why they have to go that route. I didn't dig into what those specific cases would be, though. I did ask if donating is anonymous—like, can you find out later who actually received what you gave? But obviously, it's strictly anonymous. The lady there took it a bit differently, though—she thought I meant "anonymous" in terms of whether you could get paid or demand something for it, which isn't what I meant at all... but hey, whatever, if she misunderstood me, that's just one of those things 🙄. The whole process takes maybe five minutes... you just fill out the registration form, sign the consent to be added to the registry, and that's pretty much it 🙂.
I really just hope the organizers have the drive, the funding, and the coordination to keep this whole campaign going and keep filling up that registry
That’s an interesting perspective. From all the medical literature I have personally looked into, the standard procedure remains extracting bone marrow from the iliac crest under general anesthesia. There is such a thing as peripheral stem cell donation—where the donor is given a G-CSF preparation to stimulate the release of stem cells into the bloodstream—but my understanding is that this is primarily utilized as a secondary measure if the initial bone marrow transplant isn't sufficient. I recall reading that there were discussions toward the end of 2006 regarding the possibility of using G-CSF for primary donations, but I haven't seen any definitive evidence suggesting that it became the standard starting point.
briskgull27 said:I honestly can't say what it looks like from an outsider's perspective; That sudden surge of energy feels great at first, but once you've been hit by the crash, it’s pretty much over. It's also true that when I'm stuck in a depressive phase at home, my body actually aches. And if I'm not fully psychotic but feeling slightly manic, my libido just skyrockets.
I feel like I have to share this: I'll never forget the time after receiving electroshock therapy on my Rib, I woke up, started walking down the hallway, and ended up having a bathroom accident right there while the nurse was yelling: "Go wash up!"
Sometimes, when you're transitioning from one medication to another, the depression is purely a side effect of the meds. My diagnosis was recently updated to F25, which seems accurate—it's essentially a mix of schizophrenia and bipolar symptoms. When I'm at work, I prefer not to get too emotionally close to my coworkers; I find I much rather just lose myself in my paperwork.
On the days when I'm doing well, I'm wonderful company, and I know I'm feeling good, so I always think: I hope this lasts.😲
As for hallucinations, I'm aware they aren't "normal," so I usually just keep quiet and don't bring them up out loud.
Why on earth did you allow them to use electroshock therapy on you? That kind of treatment is incredibly taxing on the body. And if a nurse was actually yelling at you like that, why didn't you file a complaint with the head nurse, the chief of medicine, or even Medicare?
ruggedjackal46 said:Well, I went through with it on January 9th!
What really gets to me is that my urologist didn't actually finish the job on the foreskin; he just trimmed off the excess at the tip. Now I'm facing the risk of paraphimosis and the very real possibility of having to go back under the knife for a second circumcision. At this rate, my junk is going to be famous for being operated on twice. What a complete mess.
It’s a classic scenario: you show up expecting one thing, but the doctor decides they know what’s best for you and performs whatever they feel like instead. It’s honestly pathetic. Performing a different procedure than the one you specifically requested is unprofessional and constitutes substandard medical care.
ruggedjackal46 said:On a side note regarding the recovery, the pain was absolutely unbearable—not just during the actual surgery, but afterward as well—and things aren't looking much better right now. Still, if this ultimately solves my issues with phimosis (and prevents paraphimosis), then I suppose it's worth it.
You should have been under anesthesia during the procedure. If they didn't give you enough, you should have made some noise about it. Now you’re just dealing with the consequences of thinking you needed this in the first place when you might have been fine without it. On the bright side, the pain should subside in about a week.
DD, you really ought to head to a doctor to get an official diagnosis. You aren't obligated to follow any specific treatment plan right away, but at least go once to get a professional opinion, and then perhaps seek a second opinion to compare. If you don't, you’ll find that people on this forum will either stay silent or start feeding you all sorts of nonsense based purely on your own descriptions.
I find it equally baffling that they’d prescribe birth control without providing a precise diagnosis first. It isn't that hormonal contraceptives are inherently harmful, nor are they particularly expensive, but the real issue is whether they will actually address your specific needs—and more importantly, does it even make sense to start them if you aren't interested in taking them? I would strongly suggest asking for a definitive diagnosis of your condition. If your OB-GYN starts acting like a chef who prescribes a whole meal based on nothing more than a "maybe," then it might be time to find a new doctor. You have plenty of options out there, and you could easily see a different specialist every month of the year if you wanted to.
Do you have a specific name for what you're experiencing? You should probably look things up online; I'm sure there are plenty of people sharing their experiences after undergoing similar standard procedures. There's such a thing as genital warts, which are caused by the HPV virus and can be surgically removed. Based on what you've described, your symptoms sound quite a bit like an HPV infection. It might actually be a good idea to seek a second opinion from another doctor—just don't mention what the first one told you right away.
Regarding the surgery itself: any incision made anywhere on the body is going to leave a scar. The actual risk is likely low, though it's typically tied to the anesthesia—which, in your case, might involve a spinal block—and the possibility of a post-op infection.
lonefox7 said:If you go to a private specialist for a consultation but then ask another doctor for referrals, you're playing a bit of a double game. Most doctors I know won't play along with that, because why should they take on the extra work and liability? If someone can afford private specialists, they should be prepared to cover all their associated costs. Personally, I find that perfectly reasonable.
If a patient has a confirmed diagnosis that requires medication covered by insurance, and they actually have that insurance, it seems counterproductive to demand a second opinion from an in-network provider just because one doctor doesn't trust another's findings. An extra consultation is simply an extra expense. Furthermore, turning someone away under the guise of "she can afford to pay" is fundamentally wrong. It isn't about whether she has the funds available; it’s about whether her insurance coverage entitles her to care.
cosmicridge5 said:What kind of psychological profile are we looking at for a man who decides, out of all the medical specialties available, that gynecology is his calling? 🤔 😁 😁
I will never be able to wrap my head around that—and please believe me, I don't mean that in a malicious way. 🤣
If I had my way, I’d tell him that he should focus his energy on specializing in surgery. It seems like the only logical path forward. 😁 All right, then. Aside from that. It’s a word that carries a certain weight when you really stop to consider its implications. "Plastic." On the surface, it’s just a material—something synthetic, molded, and manufactured. But in our modern discourse, we use it to describe everything from the superficiality of social media personas to the sheer volume of waste clogging up our oceans. There is a fundamental artificiality to much of what we consume today. We live in an era of imitation, where the goal often seems to be the creation of something that looks perfect but lacks any underlying substance. It’s a bit unsettling, isn't it? That sense that the textures of our lives are becoming increasingly synthetic, losing that organic, unpredictable quality that makes human experience meaningful. Whether we are talking about environmental impact or the way we present ourselves to the world, the concept of being "plastic" is something we should probably examine more closely. 😂
What you’re saying right there sounds like gender discrimination to me. If we strip away all those preconceived notions, men can be incredibly gentle and attentive partners. Personally, I’d argue that the issue lies in an individual's character and how they relate to their partner, rather than their gender. If a woman truly doesn't care—if she’s just being dismissive or outright rude—then she isn't going to be attentive, regardless of who she is. I honestly don't see the issue with a man specializing in any particular branch of medicine, nor do I see a problem with a woman doing the same. To me, it’s a non-issue. What actually gets under my skin is when people—regardless of whether they are men or women—behave with such a complete lack of empathy. That whole "just shut up and deal with it" mentality is what really bothers me. People who carry themselves with that kind of coldness should probably have their medical licenses revoked.
Scott Allen10 said:😂 .....a steak and fries at minus 270 degrees... quite the gourmet meal...
Honestly, you have no idea how crispy they get, and the way the vapor clouds swirl around them is just wild. And don't even get me started on what happens when your teeth or lips touch something sitting at negative 270; it’s an absolute trip.
Look at this, goldengull3 on health 🙂 The whole idea about microwave radiation causing cancer in milk is complete nonsense. A microwave works by using waves to heat up food; honestly, the effect is pretty much the same as if you were heating it over an open flame or with hot air.
Now, there is a legitimate concern regarding fertility if those microwaves penetrate deep enough into tissue and start heating things like the testes—which we know was an issue with those ancient, old-school models. But modern units are designed to shut off automatically the moment you open the door. Generally speaking, aside from being convenient for some people and terrible for others, they don't differ significantly from any other cooking method.
The tip claims that "a circumcised penis, lacking the warm and moist protection of the foreskin, is less likely to accommodate the AIDS virus," which is nothing short of utter nonsense.
If you take a moment to consult any other credible sources, you will find that whether one is circumcised or not has absolutely zero impact on the transmission of HIV. His shallow logic is just as flawed as arguing that "a circumcised penis will be less lubricated, which increases the chance of minor abrasions during sex, thereby increasing the risk of HIV transmission." Aside from practicing abstinence or monogamy, the only real protection against HIV is using a condom. Circumcision offers about as much protection as carrying a lucky charm for Xi-Xa in your left pocket after sex: absolutely nothing.