Posts by John Cox8

Brandon Wilson5 said:What do you mean, "it happened completely by accident"? As far as I know, they usually play it safe if you have a clear result—just to be certain whether surgery is actually needed to remove something... at least, that was my experience. But those tumor markers aren't exactly reliable anyway..

I know they are standard procedure in those cases, but I honestly just did it spontaneously. It wasn't just the CA 125; I did all the other tests too. I was running basic labs, and a friend of mine who works at the clinic suggested we just do everything—markers and all—since I was already there. I realize they aren't perfectly reliable, and my gynecological exams show everything is fine. However, it feels strange because when I repeated the test a month later, the level had climbed. Not by much, just by one point. I’ll keep monitoring it to see if the trend continues upward. I'm wondering if there's anything else I should have checked. Could this be linked to something other than gynecological issues?😕

Hi
About a month ago, I had some tests done. While they were at it, they decided to run a tumor marker test too. Everything came back normal except for my CA 125, which was slightly elevated at 45. I saw my gynecologist and she said everything looks fine. She advised me to retest in a month. Well, I did the test today, and the result is still high—now at 46.7. It isn't a massive jump. I’ve read a bit about this specific marker, but it feels strange to have an elevation at all. I feel perfectly healthy and have zero symptoms. Does anyone know anything about this? They want me to test again in another month. The whole situation feels off. What if the numbers keep climbing even though I feel completely fine? This was all just a total accident.
🙂

Drew Thompson5 said:We rarely make time for ourselves. My father-in-law has some swollen lymph nodes in his neck. They're benign, but they need to be removed. Be persistent. Make sure she sees a doctor.

In her case, it really is the lymph nodes. She’s going in for a biopsy this Monday. We aren't sure yet if they'll just take one or try to clear them all out. Then comes the lab work. We're also considering sending a sample off to a specialist for further testing. I'm staying hopeful that everything turns out fine.
Thanks for the response. I wish your father-in-law and everyone else here a very speedy recovery.

fadedraven192 said:Thanks for the info. I really hope those six days pass quickly...

They certainly will. It’ll go much faster than it feels right now. Besides, you know how men are—they can be quite affectionate.
No problem at all, 🙂

Reading these posts gives me chills. It always ends in tears for me, especially when it involves a young person or a child. Thankfully, no one in my family has ever faced a malignant illness, but seeing what people endure is devastating. I am currently dealing with an ongoing issue regarding my sister. This struggle has lasted for several years now. It is heavy. I try not to dwell on the worst-case scenarios, but the fear and anxiety are always lurking in the back of my mind. Constant worry is exhausting. I joined this forum recently to find some relief, but reading about these tragic fates leaves me feeling both lighter and deeply saddened.
I am asking anyone who has dealt with a similar situation to please share your experience:
My sister is an identical twin, and when she was about four years old, doctors suspected lymphoma. They performed a biopsy on her only enlarged lymph node at the time, but the results were inconclusive. She was told she just needed follow-up checks every three months. She has never been particularly disciplined about her health, so those check-ups eventually dwindled down to just once a year. Now, new nodes have grown on the right side of her neck, varying in size. Her doctor is demanding another biopsy because, based on his experience, he is certain it is some form of lymphoma. This exact uncertainty happened just a year ago, and again, the analysis yielded nothing. New nodes continue to appear, including one in her right breast. We sought a second opinion from a different specialist—I don't have the name or the specific files, but we traveled to a major medical center in Chicago for the consultation. He suspected it might be a benign tumor of the lymph nodes that could transition into something malignant. He suggested surgical removal and preventative radiation. However, everything hinges on a pathological analysis to confirm if it is indeed Castleman disease, as he called it. Between work, kids, and daily responsibilities, my sister tends to brush it off. But the nodes are there, visible to the naked eye. We recently arranged for a PET scan at a facility in Chicago. My husband and I insisted on taking her there. The nodes in her neck showed up clearly on the scan. I posted about this previously, and the feedback suggested a malignant etiology, recommending another pathology report. What do we do now? She seems dismissive because doctors keep giving conflicting opinions. Some suggest removing the entire cluster, which sounds incredibly invasive, while others suggest removing just one. Has anyone lived through something like this? Does anyone have recommendations for where to send samples for testing? Anything would help...😕🤷
Thank you.

Brandon Bennett said:I'm 18. A year ago, I broke my nose from a heavy impact. It was so bad the ER doctors wouldn't even attempt to reset it; I had a bump and it was deviated. I finally had surgery with some specialists a few days ago. So far, it looks good. They removed the packing today, and for the first time in a year, I can breathe through both nostrils. Before this, my left side was at 20% capacity and my right was at 50%. There wasn't any pain after the procedure, just discomfort from the packing and nausea from the antibiotics. I also dealt with constant strep throat all year because everything was draining down my throat since it couldn't clear through my nose. Removing the packing wasn't even that bad, though one internal stitch popped and I bled a little. I asked if that was normal, and the doctor said it happens and it’s fine. Is that actually okay? Everything seems alright so far.

You were already used to barely breathing, so the packing probably didn't feel like much. I had mine in for seven days. I didn't feel human again until they came out. As for the stitch, it's likely fine. If it were a real issue, a local clinic would fix it immediately. My doctor told me the same thing—he mentioned that if a minor issue like that arises, it can be handled under local anesthesia. But honestly, as far as I know, that rarely happens.
The worst part is over, thank God.

fadedraven192 said:My 15-year-old son had surgery yesterday for some health issues. A specialist at Mayo Clinic operated on his rib. It took two hours, which felt like an eternity to me. He’s swollen up completely and the pain is unbearable. Blood keeps draining into his throat, making it impossible for him to swallow, and his teeth hurt intensely. They told us they won't remove the packing for another six days. Can anyone tell me how long this pain lasts and how long the full recovery takes? Thanks.

I already posted about my own nose surgery experience. Reading how someone else went through it sounds almost unbelievable to me. Every surgery, whether cosmetic or medical, is a major event. However, I realized that once people see the end result, they tend to forget all the hardship. They tell themselves it wasn't that bad. Some people handle it worse than others, but it’s definitely more intense than just getting a tooth pulled.
I think he might start feeling better regarding the pain by tomorrow. Everything changes once those packs are removed. That's when the relief hits. During my recovery, I couldn't sleep at all. I could manage during the day, but nights were a total disaster. I lived for the sunrise. If I even drifted off, I’d jerk awake feeling like I was choking. The mouth breathing, the stuffed nose, the drainage—it was terrifying. Once they took the packing out, it all vanished. Don't worry, this is perfectly normal. Just be patient. In six days, he will feel like a new man.
Best wishes and good luck.
👍

What’s the price difference for a procedure with those actresses versus what Duje Ostojić charges? I'm talking strictly cosmetic, nothing to fix a deviation. Are those two really the top plastic surgeons in the States?

Brandon Bennett said:I had nose surgery a few days ago with Dr. Glumac. I have a couple questions for anyone who has been through this.
1. I caught a slight cold, so mucus is draining down my throat and into the tampons. Could this cause an infection, gangrene, or something serious? I'm worried.😁
2. Every night I deal with nausea, feeling exactly like I have a kidney stone. Has anyone experienced anything similar?

It’s all completely normal. I had my nose done exactly one year ago. I actually posted my own recovery story on this forum back then. I vomited at least twenty times. I reacted poorly to the anesthesia. Right now, what you're feeling is definitely due to the tampons. I went through both issues. Once those tampons come out, everything clears up. It wasn't until after they were removed that I could actually see the results. Until that moment, I was seriously regretting my decision.😁,,
Everything will turn out great.👍

driftingpuma26 said:My surgery date is finally set... this Thursday at 9 AM. 🙂
I'm seeing Tony Bennett, and I'm hopeful everything goes smoothly. 🙂

Good luck.

I dealt with hemorrhoids toward the end of my pregnancy too. I never faced any inflammation or major issues, though they were visible, which was incredibly annoying. My OB-GYN told me the main thing was to ensure I wasn't in pain, and that was it. They actually flared up a bit more during labor from all the straining, but I recovered without any inflammation or pain afterward. Fast forward two years later: they haven't disappeared. They just shrunk. Sometimes they flare up again, then settle down, but they are definitely still there. It’s a constant nuisance. Has anyone else gone through this? Do they ever actually vanish completely?😕

Hi there.
It’s been exactly one year since my rhinoplasty. I never liked my nose, even though everyone told me I was being ridiculous. I spent so much time overthinking it. I had massive fears—what if it looks worse? What if it isn't actually that bad? Since I traveled from out of state, I saw Karabeg. We talked for ages. I kept repeating exactly what I wanted over and over again; honestly, he almost gave up on me because of how much I cycled through the same questions. Looking back at those conversations, I realize how exhausting I must have been for him. Making this decision isn't easy. It's your face. You want to be one hundred percent certain.
To get to the point: the day arrived. The fear, the nerves, the anxiety—it hit me all at once. But there was no turning back. I was committed. As I lay on that operating table, I just prayed to God for help. When I woke up from the anesthesia, I thought I was having a total mental breakdown. I felt like I had ruined my life. It was pure catastrophe—nausea, sickness, and vomiting all night long. And then, the plan was to go straight home the next morning. My only thought was my one-year-old son. I was terrified I wouldn't be able to hold him. He was just there with his mother. The next day didn't get any better regarding the nausea. I couldn't even leave my house in the morning like I planned; I had to wait until evening after receiving two more IV drips because the vomiting was so intense. I barely made it to the car, and I barely made it into the house. That feeling of regret—of thinking I’d done something stupid—wouldn't leave me. I had to take some Xanax just to calm down. I stopped thinking about the nose entirely. At that moment, I wasn't even focused on the results. By the second day after surgery, everything changed. I felt much better. The nausea vanished. I could finally get out of bed. The only struggle for the next few days was sleeping at night; the packing made it impossible to breathe through my nose, which was incredibly uncomfortable. During the day was fine, but nighttime was rough. Once they removed the packing after about six days, all those bad memories faded. Then, I started looking at my nose. I hadn't seen the full shape because of the cast; I could only see the tip. I had this split at the bridge that looked like two little bumps only I could see. Others didn't even notice when I complained. They didn't break my bones, and although we initially discussed it, the doctor decided against it during the procedure. I actually wish he had narrowed it a bit more, but the tip is perfect. I didn't have major bruising; whatever I had cleared up in three days. Personally, I had a hard time with the anesthesia; the staff thinks I just have a sensitive stomach. Hardly anyone knows I had surgery; only the people I told noticed. To everyone else, there is no visible difference, even though the internal changes are huge. When I look at old photos, my nose looked like a beak. Now, it is beautiful and symmetrical. I struggled through the first twenty-four hours, but after that, everything was okay. Despite the initial panic, the regret upon waking, and all that anxiety, I would do it all over again.
My advice: think very carefully about what you want and what you don't. Talk to your surgeon openly about everything. Be prepared for the possibility that things might turn out differently than expected. This is surgery. It doesn't matter if it's cosmetic; no surgery is simple. Gather your courage and fix whatever is bothering you. Especially if it's a nose with a large hump or something similar. I am always in favor of the surgery.
No doctor is a magician. You can't fix everything instantly. Many celebrities worldwide have had three or even more rhinoplasties. They pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for them.
That's all from me. Whatever you decide, good luck.
Full credit goes to Dr. Karabeg and his team.

Hello,
I’m asking for your help. My sister has been struggling with swollen lymph nodes in her neck for four years now. She’s had two separate pathology reports, and both times they couldn't find anything conclusive. The second one was exactly a year ago. Right now, she has several enlarged nodes visible on the right side—it looks like a whole cluster on her MRI from this past summer. After reading through forums and talking to people dealing with similar issues, we traveled to Washington, D.C., and decided on our own to get a PET-CT scan. Here is the result:
SUV max=5.7, SUV max=2.6 SUV max=1.1 CONCLUSION: Increased glucose metabolism in the lymph nodes on the right side of the neck, as well as in one small right retroclavicular node. Given the intensity of the metabolic activity, this could represent either active inflammation or malignancy. We recommend repeating a fine-needle aspiration under ultrasound guidance or a biopsy. There is also slightly higher glucose metabolism in a lesion in the upper medial quadrant of the right breast; morphologically and metabolically, this is most likely benign, but analysis is also recommended.
Has anyone here dealt with something similar? She is currently making arrangements to go abroad to have those nodes removed, since her previous two procedures were performed in Canada. She isn't experiencing any pain, which makes me wonder if this is just inflammation. If anyone has experience with PET-CT scans, please reach out. I am looking for positive doctor recommendations and advice. I am in a complete panic right now... thank you all.

We had our PET-CT scan on January 22nd. Scheduling was seamless. We called about ten days ahead of time to set everything up. The only requirement was paying in advance and faxing over the receipt before our appointment.

Hello
I am asking for your help. For four years now, my sister has been dealing with issues regarding the lymph nodes in her neck. She has undergone two separate pathology reports, and neither one could identify the cause. The second test was conducted exactly one year ago. On her right side, she has several enlarged nodes that are clearly visible. A recent MRI scan from this past summer shows them as a single cluster. After researching online and talking to others facing similar struggles, we traveled to Chicago to get a PET-CT scan on our own initiative. The results are as follows:
SUV max=5.7, SUV max=2.6 SUV max=1.1 CONCLUSION: increased glucose metabolism in the lymph nodes on the right side of the neck, and in one small right retroclavicular node; given the intensity of metabolic activity, this could indicate either active inflammation or malignant etiology. We recommend repeating a fine-needle aspiration under ultrasound guidance or a biopsy. There is also slightly higher glucose metabolism in a lesion in the upper medial quadrant of the right breast; morphologically and metabolically, this is most likely benign, but analysis is also recommended.
Has anyone here dealt with something similar? She is currently making arrangements to go abroad for the surgical removal of these nodes, as her previous two procedures were performed in Canada. She isn't experiencing any pain, which makes me wonder if it's just inflammation. If anyone has experience with PET-CT scans, please reach out. I am looking for positive physician recommendations or any guidance you can provide. I am in a state of total panic right now... thank you all.