ruggedgardener74 said:My dad passed away this morning.
I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. It’s been nine months for me now, but I guess there isn't a single day where I don't think about my dad. It’s just... different. Some things used to hit me so hard—like his shaving razor, which was such a constant reminder of him. I suppose I've finally started to get used to seeing it, though. But that deep ache, knowing he isn't here, that we can't just head out together... it stays with you. We had these wonderful private physical therapists who really helped us get him settled into a wheelchair so we could spend more time outdoors. Honestly, those moments—just being outside with him without having to rush anywhere—those were some of the best times. I'll always hold onto the memory of those kind people, and even the sweet younger sister from his home care agency who was always so genuinely helpful.
You might have better luck heading to areas where there aren't quite as many people, specifically places with an older population. For instance, Downtown is pretty much empty, so you can find a spot easily—and honestly, they were actually really kind the last time I went. They’re taking people over at Trnje, too, though not at the main Health Center since that area isn't super crowded. It’ll be tough to get in around Dubrava or Trešnjevka, except maybe at one specific Health Center, and Sesvete is also slammed. In Sesvete, they mostly have to prioritize residents from the private nursing home, which is huge and always full. Downtown should also be an option depending on the specific location; some spots are packed, but I think they're short on staff. That color-coded traffic light system tells you exactly who is accepting patients. A few years back, I applied when my area was marked yellow, and it wasn't just general practice. So, even those in the yellow zones are taking people, though maybe not all the time.
Word on the street is that everyone is seeing doctors at the Trnjanski Health Center, and that they’re actually quite good—green-coded, available, and they have openings. Apparently, there are some great female doctors who are always on duty there. With my current doctor, the only real headache is getting prescription refills. And she just seems totally overwhelmed by emails; she clearly doesn't have the patience to read them. After dealing with some intense pain recently, I went to see a substitute doctor, and she actually refused to give me one of my referrals. It feels like she’s genuinely stressed out about me, but like, literally. Otherwise, the substitutes have been fine since there were plenty of them around. Now, I’m definitely the type of person who will push back or write a formal complaint, but this happened at a private facility back in March. It had nothing to do with general practice. Has anyone else had any experience with the Trnjanski Health Center?
Creams containing urea can actually sting quite a bit on certain types of skin. It’s honestly what the instructions say, too. In my experience, using a Nivea cream from a tub ended up causing actual sores on my hands. Eventually, some Beloderm I got from the pharmacy helped clear things up. You need a prescription for it, though. I also think it’s a good idea to keep some Mirobact antibiotic ointment on hand for little wounds, just so they don't get infected. Then, you should probably cover them with gauze. With dressings, you never really know how your skin is going to react. For a while, I found that using Mepilex border light—it's this very thin dressing—really helped encourage the skin to heal itself.
When you're dealing with sensitive skin that's prone to sores, I’ve found that the standard Bepanthen cream from the pharmacy is actually much better than the "plus" version—that one seems to have some kind of deficiency that just irritates the skin. Maybe it's just me, but I think the regular stuff wins. Another good option is the Hypo lanolin cream from Muller. It’s definitely more budget-friendly, though, in my opinion, Bepanthen still edges it out as the superior choice. Now, if you need to apply something to the back of a bedridden patient, the Hypo cream is great because it absorbs quickly and isn't overly greasy. It's honestly so much better than that heavy, oily Nivea lotion. For treating the legs of someone who can't move, the blue Muller cream in the round plastic tub has been my go-to. It’s a little bit richer, I guess, but it still sinks in pretty easily.
ruggedgardener74 said:They just notified me now that it's sepsis.🙂
If this came from a urinary catheter, they really ought to pull it out immediately and start IV antibiotics. I guess... maybe they should have acted faster. With my mom, they just kept waiting and waiting. But then again, there was a strike going on at the hospital back then. If you’re visiting, please, just react right away. Ask questions. Maybe it's best if just one person takes charge. There shouldn't be any waiting when dealing with patients that weak.
shadowbison75 said:Dad is still undergoing radiation. It’s going according to schedule. He only "missed" one day because the machine broke down. There haven't been any major side effects from the radiation itself.
He’s become so weak, just so weak... especially since he was admitted to the hospital. I really, truly hope we can somehow "get him back on his feet" once he's discharged!!! I really hope so...😢😢😢
I am so sorry you're dealing with this. If he's spending most of his time lying down, they really should be helping him sit up in a chair at least occasionally. Staying prone leads to losing muscle mass. Once he's home, try to get him into a recliner or a chair with good back support and plenty of pillows. Proper seating is actually vital. My dad ended up running a fever after being bedridden for three days because I didn't have anyone to call to help lift him up while I was away on vacation. Even the home health aide told me on Monday that she wouldn't assist with sitting him up. Which is ridiculous—it's such an easy task, and she seemed exhausted enough as it was. I ended up washing his hair and bathing him myself just so I wouldn't have to ask them for help. They finally sent a different nurse the following day who had no problem helping him sit up, since that really only takes a few minutes.
How is everyone doing with their fathers? No one seems to be posting anything. I really hope things are going relatively well. If anyone has any questions and I can help—or if I think I might know the answer—I’d be more than happy to assist. You can even shoot me a private message.
I was just looking into things in Austria, specifically Vienna—private clinics, ultrasound diagnostics, all that. They have cardiologists and radiologists who mostly come from the hospital system. Prices are a bit higher than what we're used to here in the States. But honestly, there’s something invaluable about it... you don't end up making enemies just because you're doing what's best for your parents, unlike how people react here with all those judgmental comments. And don't even get me started on the primary care replacements; their commentary is just bottom-of-the-barrel. As if I'm actually going to listen to her. I really regret that we didn't take Mom over to Vienna during that massive strike back in 2013. Here, most of the doctors are basically just hospital staff. Now that the COVID mandates are gone, I guess I'm part of that 30% of the NYC population that just wouldn't cave to the pressure. Maybe if I could find a job closer to the border, I wouldn't have to worry about living near Brooklyn. It would be an absolute dream, really. I won't let anyone dictate my life, not even our so-called "top-tier" experts. So many innocent people suffered... the numbers say 16,000 from COVID alone. In Austria, it's less than half that, and they weren't hiding the side effects of that experimental vaccine. It feels like they just operate on a completely different level of functionality.
Mirobact ointment is actually quite effective, though you'll need a prescription for it. I've also used Byvacin ointment myself, which works well too. Unfortunately, the Byvacin spray hasn't been available for a while now. There's also Trosure gel, which does contain an antibiotic, but I guess it's a bit weaker than those other two ointments. Then there's the Trosure extra gel, but that one doesn't have any antibiotic in it at all.
It’s usually recommended to wear long sleeves whenever you're walking through areas where ticks might be hanging around. Maybe bring something easy to throw on too, like a light jacket. Or even just an extra T-shirt to change into if you need to.
Does anyone here go to the Kruge Health Center? I’d really love to switch back to my old GP there if possible. They have a solid lab and a physiatrist on staff, and I recall getting referrals without much hassle, though I haven't been there in a while. It's just so convenient having everything under one roof. Plus, the staff always seemed genuinely kind. Honestly, I just want to stop dealing with this whole situation. I definitely don't want that specific nurse dressing my wounds again—I really don't think she handled it correctly. Their online reviews are pretty disastrous, too. If anyone knows anything, maybe shoot me a DM? Or maybe I could try Vrbik, even if it isn't technically a community health center. I'm mostly worried about someone from Brooklyn pinning this on me for the Vinogradski location, though I guess there's less chance it would happen at Trnje.
I mean, just wear long sleeves and pants whenever you’re heading out into nature. It’s honestly better to just prevent a tick bite in the first place than to deal with potentially lifelong issues later on—especially if doctors just brush it off as nothing, particularly if you end up pulling the tick out yourself.
I don't even see the point in arguing anymore. Since I really didn't want to deal with the ER near my place, she could have just given me a referral to go see my cardiologist—someone I’ve actually seen before and actually trust. That works too. Honestly, I've had pretty good experiences with those kinds of swaps. She started lecturing me about some gallbladder ultrasound, which I already went to privately for back on January 7th, and I haven't needed one since. So, no, she isn't going to dictate how I live my life. Plus, she made another unnecessary comment, twice now, acting like they get to decide things for me. When my dad was in the nursing home during his last month, the facility doctor wrote an emergency referral and ordered medical transport. It wasn't an issue at all. Even though he was registered with a different doctor, this guy was the one assigned to the facility and was on-site. He actually respected my input.
I get the whole thing about orders, and honestly, it’s probably for the best. But that substitution they made a few days ago? The feedback on it has been absolutely disastrous. That’s why I’m feeling so frustrated. It felt like she didn't care about my situation at all—not even a little bit. Plus, she lives way too far away to actually help. To top it off, there was this totally unnecessary comment she made when nobody even asked for her opinion. My life is my own business; I guess they don't really get to dictate how I live it.
Complaining about everything isn't going to do anyone any good, I really don't think so. You can tell just from what was written above. People make mistakes every single day. For me, the thing that jumped out most from the previous post was that mention of the gastroscopy. I mean, what does that even have to do with heart issues? Nothing, really. But regardless of that—and even if I hadn't written that long message about my mom—I still wouldn't want to go there. I simply don't want to, because I feel like if they weren't willing to help her, they won't be willing to help me either. There was this one lady who had a falling out with them, and she ended up having to go all the way to San Francisco for her chemotherapy. So, a solution clearly exists, and I'm going to find mine too. Just like she found hers.
It’s honestly heartbreaking how little human life seems to matter around here sometimes. I’ve only ever had decent experiences with one hospital in Washington, D.C., and maybe one other place where I was only there for a very short time. They tell you that you have to go to the emergency room in your own local area, but I just can't bring myself to do that—I lost my mother in such a tragic way at a local hospital during a strike. How can we even fix this? Maybe we can't. I know of one lady who actually had to travel all the way to San Francisco for her chemotherapy just because she fell out of favor with the staff at her local facility. Meanwhile, politicians get every single test they need immediately, regardless of whether it's strictly necessary or not. They don't have to stick to their local zip code. I'm not even sure how migrants are handled, because from what I saw last summer, they certainly aren't treated as locals, even when staying in New Chicago. Is this perhaps the moment to consider traveling to Canada for a serious medical issue? It breaks my heart to think that if we had just taken my mom to Canada during that massive strike back in the fall of 2013, things might have been different.
I had a similar diagnosis myself last year after dealing with chest pains, relaxation issues, and an axis shift—so now it's the left axis and an incomplete right bundle branch block. I didn't receive any real explanation at all, because, clearly, they just didn't care about me. I’m living in constant fear, especially now that I've had lung pains for the third time. I changed my general practitioner, but I don't even know what to say... I guess it's just awkward for her to say something like that to a 44-year-old. Although, I suppose I have had good experiences there until now.
I mean, monkeypox doesn't really seem to have that same tendency to spread as easily as COVID did—you know, that constant mutation thing where no vaccine can quite keep up. It feels more like monkeypox spreads within specific circles, which is probably why we saw it popping up in certain spots like those saunas in Madrid. It seems to be hitting people who are already engaging in higher-risk behaviors. There isn't a dedicated vaccine specifically for monkeypox, either. I guess there is a smallpox vaccine that supposedly works against it, but that hasn't been used in ages since smallpox was wiped out decades ago.
I guess it all really comes down to the individual doctor. Some are incredibly kind and genuinely want to help, and honestly, it’s not even that expensive. I haven't personally experienced anyone ordering unnecessary tests. But then, some just aren't polite at all—they don't seem interested in helping, and I'm particularly sensitive to inappropriate comments. If that happens, you just switch private practices and find someone else. In my opinion, the best private clinic is General Electric; they are so friendly and welcoming, and the same goes for CityMD. I’d definitely go back there. Cleveland Clinic is also quite good, and they actually accept insurance referrals for some of the more expensive screenings. I wouldn't go back to Saint Catherine, though, even if a young cardiologist there was trying his best to help and referred me for everything I needed. Their prices are a bit higher, and the equipment is all brand new. But I would never see a neurologist there again because the comments were just improper and humiliating. I also noticed another lady had complaints too, though I'm not sure exactly what happened—something about an exam. They tend to gossip and talk about patients. This was all based on my experiences leading up to March of this year. After that, I stopped going to private clinics altogether. As for blood work, I've always been happy with Quest Diagnostics in Oakland. They were the only ones willing to come out the very same day for a patient who couldn't move, and they email the results immediately. They take the blood right away and process it instantly. The results come back so fast. Breyer is also a good lab, just not for home visits.
You can find a proctologist over at St. Catherine. I've heard some really positive things about the doctor there. I haven't actually gone myself, so I don't have any firsthand experience to share, but... I guess you probably won't go wrong.