Posts by neontinker5

I’m lodging a formal protest here....

😁

My signature looks perfectly fine on my end, but it refuses to show up for anyone else... It appears under my "options," yet to the rest of the world, it's nowhere to be found. 😢

Come on, mods, do something for the sake of minimum wage. 😁

EDIT

There we go..... finally.

Kenneth Jackson30 said:Look, obviously you should get all the tests done to rule out anything physical. I’ve gone through a full battery of exams four different times because that nagging sensation just wouldn't leave me alone. We aren't all built the same when it comes to anxiety and nerves—I honestly felt like I was dying during my first panic attack, and those palpitations still hit me today during public speaking, or even during sex when things are at their peak.😛, damn it, we weren't all born with bulletproof nervous systems.🤷Even now, I catch myself "waiting" for the skipping to start or for the panic to set in, especially if I had a few too many drinks the night before.

Cut back on sex, hard liquor, and avoid public speaking😉 😁

I honestly doubt it's all in my head. I've dealt with much more stressful situations than relaxing on vacation, lounging by the pool, or playing a casual game of billiards or soccer without a single worry in my mind.

It's easy to blame it on your head; just pop a couple of those "happy pills" and suddenly everything is fine, right?🙂

We might not be dealing with the exact same symptoms, but my point remains: you shouldn't take your health for granted. I know plenty of people who refuse to see a doctor, opting instead to say, "It'll pass" or "It's all in my head." Of course, you don't need to rush to the clinic for a bruised finger or a minor scratch from earlier today—you'll survive until tomorrow.

What frustrates me is that I actually took precautions. No drugs, no alcohol, no smoking, and no greasy fast food, yet here I am, facing this anyway. 🙄

Lisa Martin10 said:Hey there. Just stumbled upon this thread and noticed some symptoms that sound pretty similar to what I’m dealing with.
For about 2 or 3 years now, I’ve had this daily sensation—a sort of tightness around my heart. It’s hard to put into words; it feels like a weight combined with this weird tickling sensation. On top of that, I have this persistent cough almost every day—sometimes mild, sometimes more intense. I’ve gone through the whole ringer: blood work, echocardiogram, chest RTG, spirometry, and even an endoscopy (you know, swallowing the pill and getting imaged while lying down). Most recently, I had my thyroid checked via blood tests. I spoke with my doctor—a major specialist at the Mayo Clinic—and he basically told me it's all in my head. My cardiologist said the same thing. Apparently, I’m just the type of person who internalizes everything and stays overly sensitive, and they think that's the root of it.
Looking back objectively, he might be right. When I start dwelling on life's problems, the feeling gets worse—and if I'm stuck in a stressful situation, the coughing flares up immediately.
I don't smoke, I don't drink, I hit the gym a few times a week, and I watch my diet.
Not sure if I'm in the right place, but maybe this helps someone out a little.

I’m going to give you my two cents. When I was twelve, they told me my results were just a byproduct of pre-puberty and that there was absolutely nothing to worry about. Fast forward ten years to now, and let me tell you—I am definitely worrying.
If a patient with that specific diagnosis was only given a standard EKG after complaining, they might have been spared the devastating news that they perhaps only have a year left to live.

Scott Allen10 said:When it comes to cardiology, I unfortunately have to agree with that comment....😢....But hey, that doesn't mean everything is garbage...it's just a matter of knowing which specific specialist is actually good so you can go to them for an ultrasound, a checkup, or whatever testing you need....

On the flip side, the way things work at St. Mary's also makes sense from a purely financial standpoint....for them, it's totally in their interest to make you redo every single test if necessary, even if you just saw the best cardiologist in the world yesterday....it's basically easy money, you know? And sometimes it's completely unnecessary...
But any sane person is going to feel exactly like you do—I mean, it's your life and your health on the line, so who's to say you shouldn't just do what they tell you to do...

Man, this could go on forever....☕

It is certainly true that there are plenty of decent, hardworking people out there who take pride in their profession. However, I have reached a point where I am no longer willing to simply place my trust blindly in someone else's hands. Even the slightest unverified rumor is enough reason for me to seek out a fifth opinion if necessary. Given my past experiences, can I really afford to be any less cautious? Clearly, I cannot.

Regarding Magdalena, I will say this again: let them perform whatever tests they deem necessary. We are dealing with specialists who have spent decades at institutions like the Mayo Clinic and are highly trained professionals who teach at major medical universities. Besides, I have personally received excellent feedback from several people who were treated there.
I’m starting to sound like an advertisement. 🙂

Scott Allen10 said:So, bigeminy is basically a rhythm issue where if you look at an EKG, every single "normal" heartbeat is followed by an extrasystole—basically a skipped beat or a hiccup in the rhythm that shows up on the trace but doesn't actually result in a real contraction. Think of it like a little glitch in the system.
If you feel like scrolling, take a look at this; it lays it out pretty clearly...http://anestezija.org/index.php/Aritmije_i_antiaritmici

Dyspnea is just the medical term for shortness of breath, which in your case is clearly stemming from what's going on with your heart.
The NYHA classification ( New York Heart Association ) is how doctors grade how much heart failure a patient is experiencing. Class 1 means you don't even feel it while resting or exercising, whereas Class 4 is the most severe, where you're feeling symptoms even while just sitting still. Classes 3 and 4 are usually reserved for patients with heavy cardiac decompensation, while 1 and 2 suggest the issues are more manageable or limited.
It’s not a perfect system, but it's the standard most people use.
When a heart starts failing (decompensating), it actually grows larger to try and compensate—that’s where the word hypertrophic comes from. On an RTG, the heart might look massive. A buddy of mine recently asked me if that meant the heart was getting "stronger," but it's actually the exact opposite—it's getting sick and weaker, so it enlarges as a struggle to keep up.
The term idiopathic just means they haven't figured out the underlying cause of why it's happening yet.

Looking at all this, especially considering how young you are, you're dealing with something pretty serious. Sending you nothing but good vibes for your treatment and wishing you the best of luck!😉

When Dr. Bratelj examined me, she explained that my shortness of breath falls somewhere between stage one and stage two; she even showed me the specifics in an international medical textbook.

Regarding the size of my heart, I'm not entirely sure if it's moderately enlarged or significantly large. However, I've always been quite active in sports, and I recall reading that it's perfectly normal for athletes to have larger hearts than sedentary individuals.
Essentially, she mentioned some sort of thickening, perhaps hypertrophy, located near the apex of the heart, noting that it isn't pumping blood with the volume a typical heart should.

Kenneth Jackson30 said:I had an EKG, an echocardiogram, a color Doppler ultrasound of my vessels, blood tests for cardiac enzymes, and an exercise stress test—everything came back completely normal. What kind of testing did you end up having, Eric?

They performed spirometry, a thyroid scan, and blood work. However, they refused to provide me with a Holter monitor or perform a cardiac ultrasound because they are currently under their annual budget freeze; apparently, nothing can be ordered until September. I did have a chest X-ray, though.

Ultimately, everything they skipped will be handled at St. Mary’s. They basically implied that they don't value the input of public healthcare staff anyway.

There is a man currently on his deathbed because certain tests were denied to him at the local clinic within the Mayo Clinic system. I refuse to trust them anymore or gamble with my life by relying on their word. I will simply pay out of pocket for the Holter, the stress test, and whatever else is necessary.

Amanda Gomez47, I have been dealing with similar symptoms since I was twelve years old. They used to show up about once a week, maybe a bit more often, but nothing ever felt serious until one or two months ago when things took a turn for the worse. I am twenty-two now.
I went to see Dr. Bratelj in Chicago for a consultation, where I received the following diagnoses:

Diagnosis:
Extrasystolia SV paroxysmalis-bigeminus type
Dyspnea
Chest tightness
Suspected idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, NYHA Class 2

Now, someone needs to explain this to me. I tried to find an internist's post on a medical forum to copy from, but the thread got lost in the archives.

Here is what Dr. Bratelj noted in my report:

LV myocardial hypertrophy with a posterolateral Q wave, along with the echocardiogram findings, suggests that in a 22-year-old female, we are looking at the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, currently primarily localized to the posterior region.

Honestly, when people tell me I’m just being anxious—which they have suggested is a possible cause—I feel like punching them in the nose. It would take years for that kind of pain to wear off.
Since I was twelve, I have been in and out of the pediatric ward at the local hospital in Chicago for various tests. Very few of them actually yielded anything significant. To give you an idea, here is a quote from my EKG report:

"EKG is normal."
That was it. No parameters, no supporting data, no images, nothing.
My spirometry results were fine, as were my blood tests.

If you ask me, my advice is to ditch those doctors entirely. If you can afford it, go see a private specialist.
I am heading to St. Mary next month; that is where all the top-tier cardiologists in the country practice.

In my case, they mentioned it could easily be related to my kidneys as well. I had an exam for that two weeks ago, and I should have the results back in another week.

boldhound8 said:He’ll be back, mark my words.
What else does he even need in this life?😁

I am here.

Could this just be a media hoax?

OFF; when are you posting this from Siga? 😁
Edit by mod:

Mr.Ex.President said:Once the board is gone. Just losing Grgić is nothing but a distraction.😉

swiftbison2 said:Maybe there’s a double? He did play for the Lakers, after all.🤷

I think we could actually make the defense work by pairing Vorie and Valcic at center half. They’re solid, they have great height, and they stay mobile. Wouldn't that provide the stability we need?

Maybe I’m just seeing things, but I didn't even see Buntica on the list. It actually surprises me that he wasn't included in the broader selection—he clearly has some serious potential.

I’m rewatching the 2008 EuroBasket highlights, and I noticed Terzic is listed on the roster.
Didn't he actually move over to play for us?

Jesse Sullivan2 said:It all depends on what kind of mood Grandma was in.🤣

It's almost like an artistic impulse from her; she might just run into someone on the street tomorrow and act on it... 😂

Thanks for the effort. I’ll definitely check the local library to see if they have anything on it, though I'm not actually from NYC 🙂

I’ve spent quite a bit of time scouring the web, but it seems like any actual, concrete advice comes with a price tag. Everyone just tries to sell you their own books and manuals...

It didn't even occur to me to head over to the library 😵
Now, I just need to put together a solid training program. The motivation and the drive are already there 🙂

Is it fair to say I owe you a beer? 😉

frozenmason10 said:Could you perhaps clarify what you mean by "agility"? It might help those of us trying to offer some useful advice.😉

Being able to pivot 180 degrees as quickly as possible.

As the title suggests, are there any specific exercises that can help improve my agility—specifically, how quickly I can change direction?
For context, I’ve been running about 7 miles every other day5.0 miles for several years now (excluding the winter months). My cardio is solid, but that’s just straight-line running.
It becomes an issue when I play pickup soccer, because it feels like it takes me forever to pivot and turn.
If anyone knows of some effective drills, please share them. You can also reach out via PM.

PM Thanks

My very first job was handing out flyers around the neighborhood back in high school. After that, I moved on to delivering newspapers, then spent some time working at a local print shop doing the actual printing, and eventually even landed a gig as a news anchor...

I never really made any specific 🙂

That opening scene where they disguise the cat as a mouse, and then end up using a hair dryer to overheat a snake 🤣 🙏

The real question is, just how much protection were they actually wearing while pulling that stunt off?

A bit premature to talk about a coalition, if you ask me 😍

Does anyone know of a website where I can watch the Canadian Spaniard match?

Merry Christmas (to both us and 😬 ) to all our forum members!

He’s always been prone to injuries, much like Michael Owen. It’s a bit of a gamble, really...