Posts by Bradley Collins5

I work as a nurse, specifically dealing with patients who are immobile. Even back when I first started out, I used to get these sharp, stinging pains—it would really flare up whenever I had to exert myself a bit more.

I haven't actually had surgery for a dermoid—it was more of a paraovarian cyst—but the incision was pretty standard, so maybe that offers some perspective if it helps at all... I managed to head back to work after about two months. The mass was roughly 10 cm, and they did a bikini cut. I ended up staying in the hospital for about 10 days.

No worries at all, gentletiger73—and honestly, I don't know much about anything regarding thrombophilia. I really hope you can track down a specialist who knows their stuff, or maybe someone else here might have some insight already.

gentletiger73 said:Does anyone know if I actually need to make an appointment for the lab over at the island clinic? I need to get my ANA levels and thrombophilia factors checked. I’ve been calling for a few days now, sent an email with a scanned referral attached, and... nothing. Just total silence. 😁

Thanks 🙏

You definitely need to book an appointment. I haven't done those specific tests myself, but I have scheduled others before—once I waited two whole months just to get five blood tests done all at once. Back then, I happened to be heading in for another checkup anyway, so I just walked in and booked it in person. But, honestly, I had this situation recently with a follow-up for a gastroenterologist where I tried emailing them... nothing. So I emailed their main headquarters, and they just gave me the runaround, saying they'd forwarded it to the local clinic and that I should wait for a response from them (even though I'd already contacted the clinic directly). After three weeks of hearing absolutely nothing, I ended up having to drive all the way into the city just to schedule it in person, and only then did I finally get a date. ☕

I don't have any grievances with anyone. Thanks a lot for the info 🙂

I sent off another email—this time straight to the corporate headquarters instead of just hitting up the local clinic—so if I don't hear back from them there, I guess my only real option is to just show up in person. Which, honestly, isn't exactly how I wanted my week to go, especially since I don't live in the city... having to coordinate an entire day off just for this is such a headache. Anyway, what time were you actually there? I’m trying to figure out a window so I don't waste the whole trip only to find the doors locked.

You were totally right—I just got back from my appointment at the local VA clinic, and let me tell you, she can't boss me around if she wants. I mean, her system doesn't even give her access to schedule appointments over at Mount Sinai!

Thanks for getting back to me. Honestly, it would be great if you could actually reach them by phone—because I just spent two hours trying to call during the exact window they claim they're available, and absolutely nobody picked up! It’s just frustrating. On Monday, I’ll probably check in with my doctor at the local clinic to see if she can put in another request for my follow-up. In the absolute worst-case scenario where I have to drive all the way into the city to handle this in person—assuming that's where the scheduling happens—would I still be heading to Room 15, and is there a specific time I should aim for?

Looking back through some older threads, I’ve noticed a ton of people complaining about the absolute mess that is the centralized email booking system over at the Gastroenterology department at Mount Sinai—and honestly, it’s making me a little anxious. I need to head in for a follow-up, so I sent an email directly to the clinic about a week ago, but... nothing. Not a peep. Even though their website explicitly claims you should hear back regarding an appointment within three days at the latest. Has anyone dealt with this kind of radio silence lately? I’m not actually based in New York City, otherwise, I probably would have just driven down there to deal with them in person. My primary care doctor was the one who originally referred me for the first exam.

I deal with this cold allergy thing myself—if that’s even what you call it. It’s just like a few people mentioned here; whenever I spend time outside in the chill and then step back into a heated room, my ankles, knees, feet, and sometimes even my face or ears start breaking out in hives.
To make matters worse, it’s always accompanied by this intense stinging sensation, redness, and itching. On top of all that, I also have another type of physical urticaria called dermographism—basically, my skin gets raised welts if anything is even lightly scratched or rubbed against it.

Look, I’m in the same boat when it comes to lactose intolerance—it’s a total pain—but I can usually handle yogurt without any major issues. At least, that’s my experience, anyway. Since yogurt actually has lower levels of lactose, most of us dealing with this disorder seem to tolerate it much better. Even ice cream doesn't really mess with me too much. On the flip side? Pâtés, certain deli meats—like ham—and, obviously, straight milk will absolutely wreck me. But honestly, it’s hit or miss; sometimes I get hit with full-blown diarrhea, and other times it’s just annoying bloating and gas.

I’ve gone ahead and transcribed the entire report. I actually went to see a urologist, and based on these results, he’s under the impression that the cells aren't malignant—so he thinks there's no need for a cystoscopy or any further follow-up. My ultrasound from a few months back was totally clear, and my urine culture came back normal too.
I just really wanted to stay quiet about it and maybe get a second opinion... Thanks so much for getting back to me.

I was wondering if anyone could help me make sense of this urine cytology report? It was ordered because of some microhematuria. Moderators, please feel free to move this post if I’ve put it in the wrong section... I wasn't entirely sure where it belonged. The results say:

In three separate samples of cloudy urine sediment, there's a significant amount of urothelial cells—some appearing in small papillary clusters—with enlarged, hyperchromatic nuclei. A urological follow-up is recommended.

shadowbadger14, your liver enzyme levels are running high. I guess you'll have to wait until the doctor gets back to you with more specifics—hopefully they reach out soon.

Maria Fisher46 said:What kind of digestive issues are we actually talking about here?

You definitely need to redo that urinalysis. If those red blood cells show up again, you really ought to have a cytology on the urine sediment done three times—and after that, you’ll likely need more testing and a follow-up with a urologist.

And regarding being thin—how has the appetite been? Is he eating okay?

Let me try to answer those. His appetite is actually quite good. As for the digestive stuff, it's frequent diarrhea—not necessarily every single day, but it happens often, mostly at night. I'll be woken up by cramps and pains right in the middle of the night, usually around 2 or 3 AM. Once the diarrhea starts, then the stomach issues kick in—vomiting, nausea—and the abdominal pain doesn't just go away after he uses the bathroom. The stool samples came back normal for Hb, bacteria, and parasites.
Thanks for getting back to me.

Maria Fisher46 said:Hi there,

The results show there's blood in your urine.

Were you on your period when you provided the sample?

What prompted you to get this tested in the first place?

No, I actually had the test done ten days before my period started... I went to my doctor because I've been dealing with these long-term digestive issues, some weight loss, and constant fatigue—so she sent me off for some lab work. My CBC looks fine, and my CRP is normal too. The only thing is my Republican Party levels are pretty low, but apparently, that doesn't really mean anything according to what I've read.
I don't have any pain or burning when I go to the bathroom.

If anyone could help me make sense of these urinalysis results, I’d really appreciate it—I'm 34.

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL URINALYSIS
Specific Gravity 1.020
pH 6
Protein 0.25
Glucose normal
Ketones negative
Urobilinogen normal
Bilirubin negative
Erythrocytes/Hb 50
Nitrites negative
Leukocyte Esterase negative

MICROSCOPIC SEDIMENT EXAMINATION
Erythrocytes 8-10
Leukocytes 2-3
Squamous epithelial cells, bacteria, and mucus SOME