The human body doesn't need to get trashed to start rebuilding itself. Take red blood cells, for example—they’ve got about a 120-day lifespan, and after that, they're just... replaced. It's a constant stream of fresh cells following the blueprint of your existing DNA. So, how can they theoretically be the SAME old cells that died? They're simultaneously brand new and almost identical to the ones they replaced... kind of wild when you think about it.
(Trying not to sound like a total biology professor here, so I'm just gonna paste this catchy little article I found on the subject):
ONLY THE BRAIN AND EYES STAY OLD Our organs are actually younger than we are
Over an average lifetime, your heart regenerates two or three times. Lung cells rebuild even faster than your nails or hair. In fact, there are only two parts of you that stay as old as your actual body: the brain and the eyes.
If you've ever wondered how some local heavy drinker can knock back massive amounts of booze and still be standing, just think about the liver's insane ability to bounce back. Liver cells only live for about 150 days—assuming cirrhosis doesn't catch up to them first, according to The New York Post.
And yeah, the heart can renew itself too. A study out of New York showed that certain heart cells rejuvenate, meaning the heart basically replaces itself two or three times over a person's life.
Cells deep inside the lungs regenerate once a year, while the ones on the surface move way faster—every two to three weeks. That is, unless you're a smoker dealing with emphysema. Diseases like that wreck those regenerative cells, basically punching holes in the lung walls.
Skin is also quick to refresh: every two to four weeks. But, obviously, as collagen and elasticity tank over the years, wrinkles eventually win the race.
Bones get a full overhaul every 10 years, but as the body ages, that whole process slows down. Bones get thinner and thinner, which is usually when osteoporosis starts making its move. Meanwhile, intestinal cells are constantly renewing every two or three days.
Even though nails grow about 3.4 millimeters a month, it takes much longer to fully replace them—anywhere from six to ten months (six for fingernails and ten for toenails).
Hair lifespan depends on how long you grow it, but it can last anywhere from three to six years.
Most cells that stick around for your entire life are tucked away in the brain, which doesn't really regenerate (though there is some research suggesting neuron regrowth happens within the brain itself), and those cells are gone for good once they pass. That's exactly why dementia hits so hard, and why brain injuries are so incredibly dangerous. Same goes for the eyes; they stay as old as you are, with only the cornea being able to regenerate. If the cornea gets damaged, it can fix itself in just 24 hours.
If you’re talking about that spot right where your stomach meets your hip, that’s way too low for appendicitis; plus, pain on the left side—switching sides like that—really sounds more like ovulation hitting your ovaries.
A bladder infection would feel more centered, like a deep ache right in the middle, usually paired with that burning sensation or needing to run to the bathroom every five minutes.
At the very least, just go talk to a gynecologist... it doesn't even have to involve a full exam if you're feeling awkward, so don't sweat it.
It’d be a smart move to track when the pain hits in relation to your cycle—if it consistently pops up around day 14 (or maybe a few days later if your cycle runs longer than 28 days), then that’s almost certainly your culprit.
Susan Anderson77 said:Just jumping in here so I don't start a whole new thread for no reason. I'm dealing with the exact same thing... barely eating anything, dropped some weight, constant headaches, stomach pain, and just feeling incredibly bloated all the time. It started last Friday. My sleep schedule is totally trashed too—I'm crashing at 5 AM and not waking up until 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and honestly, I have zero appetite. Just feel weak. Sometimes it hurts right under my ribs, and whenever I try to stand up, everything goes black for a second... I've got no clue what this could be, even now just lying here, my stomach is still killing me...
Check out post #2 above. Just a list of symptoms isn't enough to go on without more info about the patient
First off, you really need to get checked out by a neurologist, because they aren't just going to order an MRI unless they see some serious red flags. It’s definitely not a given... and if things are actually life-threatening, you'll probably be pumped full of sedatives before they even start the scan, so just remember why you're even bothering with the treatment in the first place.
The MRI machines are pretty much all the same, whether you're looking at an older model or a brand-new one. There isn't really anything to be intimidated by on them...
Have you actually seen what it looks like? You have to take off all your jewelry first. Then you just lie down on this table that’s basically like a sliding tray, your head is held in this padded frame, and the technician is running everything from a different room. No one is even touching you. The tray just slides right into the big ring of the machine until your head is inside, and then you just lie there perfectly still for maybe twenty minutes. You aren't doing anything, nobody is poking you. The machine makes this loud noise, kind of like a train clattering over the tracks. They can play some music through the radio for you, but honestly, the whole thing goes by fast. Then they slide you out, you get up, and you go home. Seriously, there’s nothing to be scared of.
Seriously, why are you so freaked out about getting an MRI? It’s totally non-invasive... nothing actually touches you. You can even grab some headphones if the machine's humming gets too loud for you...
So, first your primary care doctor sends you off to see a neurologist... who basically runs through a checklist and orders whatever tests they think are necessary, like an MRI or blood work and stuff
Wondering what the actual appointment feels like? They’ll sit you down and chat, ask a million questions, check your eye movements, have you stand up, squint, touch your nose with different fingers, walk heel-to-toe in a straight line, all that jazz 🙂 It’s honestly not awkward at all, don't sweat it
Honestly, you’ll probably be rocking a Band-Aid over your nose instead of a mask for at least another week. It’s not that deep—just think about all those different layers of tissue that need time to knit back together... plus, you got incredibly lucky to walk away from that wreck in such good shape, so just be 🙂
p.s. I bet nobody's even gonna have to tell you, "buckle up" anymore
Sandra Morales6 said:thank you so much!!! seriously, you have no idea how much I was panicking! anesthesia didn't go great for me last time, so I'm just really dreading having to deal with it again because of my own stupid mistake... :/
ugh 🙂.
Make sure you note what I said about avoiding any hits or bumps for at least a month. Plus, rhinoplasty patients shouldn't even be blowing their noses for the first two weeks... looks like nobody bothered to tell you that
Honestly, it’s not even surprising... if you were messing around with it while it was still broken, it hasn't even finished healing yet. Plus, all that crying probably just made the membranes swell up, so now everything is super tender. Just chill out, shaking your head isn't going to kill you. But seriously, try to steer clear of anything where you might accidentally bump it for at least another month...
Sandra Morales6 said:I was in a car wreck about 6 days ago. My nose ended up broken in the crash. The day after the accident, I had surgery to reset it. Everything went fine, and I just got my nasal packing removed today. About half an hour ago, this awesome song came on the radio and I started dancing around with my boyfriend—even though he’s got a broken arm from the same accident. I did a few head movements (like, twirled my head maybe 2 or 3 times), didn't hit my nose or anything, nothing. But now I'm freaking out thinking maybe those movements could have caused damage... like, what if my nose shifts back to how it was before the surgery? It's not bleeding, it doesn't hurt, honestly, though there's a weird sensation in my sinus area, but I can't tell if that's from the dancing or just from crying for the last 15 minutes (just emotions, you know...). The surgery was 5 days ago. Please help, I am such a massive worrier by nature and I really need some reassurance. 😢
Your nose isn't just gonna jump out of place on its own, but you shouldn't be exposing it to accidental bumps either—do you have a bandage over it or something?
Please don't delete this thread. The main reason everyone's jumping down your throat is because so many people out there are doing the exact same thing—playing doctor and deciding their own treatment plans, especially when it comes to antibiotics. It’s dangerous for them and everyone else... If someone stumbles onto this post and decides *not* to self-medicate because of what they read here, then this whole thing was worth it. If you were the only one acting this way, it wouldn't be an issue, but it's everywhere. Even people who know better, living right in the middle of places like Chicago or NYC with doctors just a block away, do it...
slybison6 said:Thanks to you and everyone else who helped me out. I actually went to the ER just to get a referral so I could get a urine culture done first thing Monday morning, but they basically told me to just wait and see my regular doctor on Monday instead... so that's what I'll do. Right after that, I ran straight to the pharmacy and grabbed some cranberry tea and some Bactrim. Just in case. Even though the box says two tablets twice a day, I started taking just one because they seem huge to me... 😁 Please don't come for me for taking meds without a prescription, but I seriously couldn't wait another second. It’s been seven days since all those pains started, and things are okay now, but man, I am sweating like crazy... no fever though...
If you've already decided to start antibiotics on your own, you really need to stick to the full recommended dose—otherwise, you're just doing yourself a massive disservice. Bacteria build up resistance to drugs, and the last thing you want is to "vaccinate" them with tiny doses of antibiotics...
Don't let the anxiety get to you too much. That dull ache in your kidneys often comes with feelings of dread, fear, or tension—it's pretty normal. If you feel better by Monday, still make sure you head in to see your doctor.
slybison6 said:I was thinking about grabbing some cranberry tea since it might actually taste better than cranberry extract. I’ve tried the extract, but man, it’s so bitter it makes me want to gag. Question: is the juice from the tea more effective? (Talking about cranberries here). I’m assuming it has to be pure cranberry, right?
Look, you can just brew the cranberry extract a bit weaker so it isn't such a nightmare to drink, and it still works pretty well.
The stuff they sell as "cranberry tea" is usually just dried leaves from the bush, but the actual good stuff—the parts that help the bladder lining stay less sticky so bacteria can't cling to it—is found in the fruit itself (the berries).
But honestly, those are just supplements. They aren't going to cut it for serious UTIs.
Don't mess around with your kidneys... seriously. Stick to the previous advice about getting a urine culture and getting specific antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.
Jamie Thompson2 said:Ladies, has anything even remotely like this ever happened to you... So, I’ve been on Yaz for about a month now (I took them once before, like for four months, then stopped) and after this first month, my boyfriend and I finally had sex for the first time without stopping. But when he finished inside me, I swear I felt like I was actually swelling up from the inside out... and it was burning like crazy on the outside too. I didn't have these kinds of issues with my ex, though if he finished anywhere else on me, that area would sometimes look kinda red after I wiped... honestly, no clue what that was about. Anyway, when he came inside me, the pain started; and I don't mean that typical sting you get if you've been "going at it" a little too hard or whatever, but actual swelling and this intense burning sensation deep inside. It lasted for maybe an hour... is it just me, or should I tell him to go see a doctor? He smokes weed, by the way... do you think that could be causing it? His ex-girlfriend didn't have any problems either. 🤷😢
It’s totally possible you're having an allergic reaction, and those things tend to get worse over time. People with allergies react to stuff that everyone else is totally fine with, so the fact that his ex didn't have issues doesn't really mean anything.
Unless you mixed some LSD straight into your moisturizer, it’s probably not the cream's fault. Are you dealing with blood pressure issues lately? Eating alright? If everything else seems fine, just go see a doctor
silentgardener19 said:Man, I’ve been feeling pretty rough since Friday... just totally wiped out. Everything feels weak, I’m completely drained, and my head and eyes are starting to throb. Honestly? I feel like I might just collapse at any second... I really don't feel like dragging myself to the doctor right now if there isn't even a real reason... honestly, I just can't stand being stuck in those waiting rooms... ugh.
Could it be the weather... or what else could it be?
silentgardener19 said:I think I’m in the clear, should be over this soon... My best guess is that it was just some reaction to that Dove moisturizer I was using near my eyes since my skin was feeling so dry. Anyway, I stopped using it, so it ought to clear up in maybe two or three days... at least, that's what I'm hoping... 🙂
No offense intended, but medically speaking, this doesn't really hold water. Looking at all those symptoms mentioned in the original post... honestly, the only thing that actually makes sense is the stinging eyes. That could easily be caused by using a dry skin cream too close to the eye area...