It doesn't run in my family, I guess. My mom didn't even have nearly enough gray hair to bother with dye—she just did some highlights—even at 68. But I know this one girl who already had quite a bit of gray by the time she was 25. Honestly, she had more than I do now at 36.
If you're looking for private options, maybe check out the Breyer private lab over on Broadway near Črnomerec. Honestly, they seem to be the best private lab around, probably quite a bit better than Salzer. They have their own website too, so you could just head there and look up whatever specific info you need.
Last winter, my mom used to love drinking fresh-squeezed orange juice. But apparently, that’s not great for the kidneys, so I stopped giving it to her after her nephrologist advised against it. She was also really fond of bananas, but she couldn't have those either because of the potassium content. A wonderful visiting nurse told me that I could try diluting the orange juice with some water instead. If anyone needs this nurse's contact info, I can send it over via private message. She is truly amazing and so hardworking, and most importantly, she has both deep medical expertise and genuine compassion. It was actually her who taught me how to properly change Mom's adult diapers. My only concern is that she seems pretty busy and carries quite a large patient load.
I’ve been reading through all these posts about baking soda. It actually reminds me of my mom... she was taking it for a while too. Her hematologist had her on Allopurinol to deal with gout, but honestly? I still have no idea why he even put her on that medication in the first place, because she never even suffered from gout. Later on, when she reached the point where she couldn't walk anymore, I started going to his office with her test results. He actually asked me directly if she was still taking the Allopurinol. When I told him no—that I stopped giving it to her since she never had gout to begin with—he actually got angry with me. He seemed offended just because I pointed out the fact that Allopurinol is specifically for gout. So, I don't know... I guess it really pays to double-check what doctors are prescribing and maybe seek out a second opinion every now and then.
I’ve started seeing some gray hairs myself, though maybe not enough to be a huge deal since I just turned 36. Honestly, my mom’s illness and passing really took a toll on me. I know someone who’s dealing with a much more severe situation—having a sick child—and he’s already completely unraveled, even though he’s barely past 40. So, I guess it’s possible that major shocks to the system really do trigger premature graying, along with everything else happening to your body. You just have to find a way to survive it all, I suppose.
Thanks for getting back to me. I’ve never actually been pregnant before, so I really don't know how it all works. As far as I can recall, my mom only dealt with gestational diabetes during her pregnancy with me. I'm an only child. She had her first thrombosis when she was 50 after she sprained her ankle and had to wear a brace. Because she was immobilized for a few days, she ended up with her first venous thrombosis back in 1995. After that, the venous thromboses just kept happening, even though she was on permanent Warfarin therapy following the second one. The biggest issue happened when she developed arterial insufficiency in her leg vessels, which eventually led to an amputation. I know that malignant diseases often cause a recurring tendency toward thrombosis, but despite countless tests, they never found any malignancy in her. She didn't have anemia until after the surgery, mostly because she lost so much blood—it seems like she wasn't properly prepared hematologically heading into the operation.
Thanks for getting back to me. I’m 36, and I’ve actually never had one of those ultrasounds done myself, but my mom started dealing with circulation issues in her legs around age 50, along with frequent vein thrombosis. One clot actually traveled up to one of her kidneys, which eventually caused it to stop functioning entirely. Her other kidney kept working for a while, but even that one has started to weaken over time. I guess an ultrasound only shows the physical structure of the kidney, not how well it's actually functioning.
My mom didn't have cancer, but since she was a bit underweight, her hematologist prescribed some Pfizer iron syrup. I gave it to her by the teaspoon every day, and her blood work really started looking better. Since it’s actually a pediatric syrup, I guess it's easier on the stomach... maybe that's why she didn't experience any stomach pain at all. You can only get it with a prescription, though. She ended up being quite anemic because she had to go through two major bypass surgeries and a below-the-knee amputation all in such a short window of time.
Unfortunately, that’s just how things work here. It honestly feels like they don't even know half of what they're doing. I guess they really ought to follow some kind of standard protocol instead of constantly changing their minds every five minutes. And now, on top of everything, they're working under mandatory shifts. Meanwhile, people are dying for no reason at all, and nobody seems to care.
There’s also a high-quality private lab called Breyer located over on Broadway, near the Črnomerec area. In my experience, they really are the best—their results are just so reliable. They even offer home blood draws for patients who have a hard time getting out, which is such a helpful touch.
I didn't ask for a transfer to the Infectious disease hospital because, honestly, I had no idea at the time that they couldn't even identify or manage sepsis over at Vinogradska Hospital. And frankly, where I choose to go isn't any of your business. Besides, Canada isn't exactly a long trip away, so I know I'll be welcome there. Plus, I have my European health insurance card ready to go. The way they treated my mom at Vinogradska was just... it was inhuman, really, mostly because they're dealing with that strike. That's just the truth. I find all your little excuses to be incredibly mundane.
Honestly, just delete the posts where I mentioned names. This kind of thing only happens here. Someone tragically passes away at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and then I’m the one facing a lawsuit because apparently, I should be praising them for my mother's death? As if they'd just be happy and satisfied with all that.
So, I guess that means a lawsuit has been filed against Hrvojev's colleagues too, the ones who also tragically lost their lives at that same hospital. Honestly, I find that hard to believe. In Hrvojev's case, there is actually concrete evidence from independent experts in Düsseldorf proving that two doctors over at Vinogradska definitely made a mistake. But hey, let's just pretend they're those legendary specialists from Vinogradska—the absolute best in the world. As if anyone on this planet could possibly be better than them.
I see my future abroad, in another country, where I’ll actually have the right to access whatever medical treatment is available without some strike getting in the way—where lives aren't needlessly lost because of the sheer rudeness and arrogance of certain medical staff. To me, a human life is worth more than a strike. Apparently, to them, it isn't. We just don't see eye to eye on that.
I have the proof because I'm holding all three discharge summaries, and honestly, I can actually make sense of the Latin diagnoses. This isn't some sci-fi mystery reserved for doctors; I studied Latin for two years back in high school. The surgery discharge summary clearly lists *uroinfectio*—which is just urinary tract infection in plain English—and it doesn't mention any antibiotics being administered, even though there were bacteria present, specifically marked as 3+ in the urine sample. Then, the internal medicine summary notes urosepsis with two different types of bacteria according to the antibiogram. Logically, one would conclude that if those antibiotics had been given on time, the bacteria wouldn't have entered the bloodstream and sepsis wouldn't have occurred. A retired microbiologist, who happens to be a colleague of my mother’s, confirmed this to me. There was an error in my mother's treatment, and that is indisputable. They failed her because it was Sunday, there was a physician strike, and they simply didn't bother to administer the IV antibiotics that could have saved her life—the same kind of treatment she received back in 1999 when she had a pulmonary embolism. Every single doctor I ran into in the hallway that Sunday, including the attending physician, I pleaded with. I practically begged them to give her the IV antibiotics, but they just wouldn't respond. They told me we had to wait until Monday and that I shouldn't be so dramatic. Well, we made it to Monday only to find her in urosepsis, a condition that should never have happened in the first place. Please, tell me where my logic is flawed here. You can draw a conclusion from premises; anyone with a bit of common sense knows that. My mother didn't deserve such a tragic death due to negligence. And she isn't the only victim of this strike. They know they messed up; I doubt they're suffering from amnesia. How could they possibly sue me? I haven't insulted anyone or used a single curse word. I am merely stating the facts regarding her medical care. Sadly, nothing will bring my mother back. I want to apologize to the doctors on this forum; I never intended to offend them. I just wanted to ask about dialysis, which is frequently used in sepsis cases—at least, that's what I read in the medical literature. But they dismissed my mother immediately and refused to even offer her the dialysis that might have saved her once she became oliguric. I was mostly terrified of uremia, of her kidneys failing, even before the sepsis set in from the urinary catheter, since she already had kidney issues but had never needed dialysis before. I don't understand why they denied her dialysis, even after my father, who is also a doctor, asked them to provide it. It felt as though they decided the most "convenient" time for her to pass was during the strike. Like, why bother fighting for her life? I am heartbroken and grieving, but those responsible for my mother's death will be held accountable. I promise you that—perhaps at the European Court of Human Rights, if not here at home where they'll surely try to cover everything up.
Jessica Adams7, you’ve painted such a vivid, albeit heartbreaking, picture of the reality here—this landscape of highly skilled yet chronically underpaid humanists. I truly wish you all the best, and I hope your father pulls through. My own mother, who was a microbiologist, didn't make it because of the medical strikes. It’s just... it's devastating. She passed away at Vinogradska Hospital last month due to a urinary tract infection. Those humanists in charge? They let that infection go untreated, even though they knew about it. People kept telling me I was overreacting, even when she had a fever that Sunday. By the time they finally administered antibiotics, it was already too late. She developed sepsis, and things just spiraled straight into septic shock. They wouldn't even move her to the ICU, despite the fact that I've read everywhere that sepsis and septic shock require intensive care. But I guess that's just how things work at Vinogradska Hospital.
I really have to watch what I say now so I don't end up getting a yellow or red card. Honestly, I'm shaking with anxiety.
I really agree with you on this. The doctors on this forum seem to unconditionally protect their own colleagues, even when they've made unforgivable medical mistakes. When I tried to write about my mother's tragic case—how her sepsis was neglected and left untreated—not a single doctor on this forum would even answer my questions about sepsis, not even via private message. I suppose it’s because my mother tragically passed away at Vinogradska Hospital last month. If she were still fighting for her life in the hospital, maybe they’d find it worthy to respond. I even received a message suggesting someone from that hospital might sue me, though I honestly have no idea on what grounds, since I haven't insulted or cursed anyone. But I stand by everything I say; I spent entire days right by my mother's side, so I saw everything firsthand. I actually come from a medical family—my mother was a physician, as was my father. We have plenty of medical books at home. The best one we have is that American book that doctors used to get for free back in the States. I actually reconstructed much of what went wrong during my mother's treatment using that very book. I know how to think logically; I studied logic all through high school and even had it as a subject during my finals. So, I didn't really need any help from the "esteemed" doctors on this forum.
Now I'm just waiting to be banned for making this post.