Posts by rustywolf4

Honestly, I’m at a total loss. I don't even know who else to turn to, so I figured I’d just post here and see if anyone has some advice. For a while now, my strength and endurance have just completely tanked. It’s frustrating because I’ve put in the work—I lift weights regularly, I get my steps in, and I try to eat clean. I used to be able to pack on muscle and actually see progress, but lately, it feels like I’m just moving backward. I feel weak all the time. I'm struggling with basic lifts, and if I even attempt a light workout, I’m totally wiped out after just two minutes. To make matters worse, I'm gaining fat around my stomach, hips, and chest—it's getting to the point where it looks almost feminine because that's where everything settles—while I'm simultaneously losing muscle mass in my arms and legs. It's a nightmare. I've already gone through the ringer with doctors. I had blood work done, an ultrasound of my thyroid, heart, and abdomen, and everything came back normal. I’ve been feeling so low and exhausted that I eventually saw a neuropsychiatrist. They prescribed me some Deprozel, which has helped a little bit, but that crushing, chronic fatigue and lack of energy hits me the second I wake up in the morning. I’m thinking about getting my hormone levels checked next. If my testosterone and everything else comes back fine, I honestly won't know what to do. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this stubborn fat gain or how to rebuild muscle in my limbs and upper body? My bones even seem thinner and weaker lately. It's gotten so bad that even chewing food feels like a struggle because my jaw muscles feel so weak. Please, if you have any ideas, let me know.

If anyone here actually knows their stuff, could you please take a look at these results and let me know what you think?

Bryan Barnes2 said:It could be anything at this point—or nothing at all.

We’re essentially just guessing—much like how people try to interpret a Vanga prophecy.

One really ought to run some specific tests first.
To start, things like a CBC, a coagulation profile, a full metabolic panel, a urinalysis, and thyroid hormone levels.
From there, you can expand the diagnostic workup as needed.

I’d love to get more testing done, but honestly, I feel like they treated me like an idiot. Just because I was honest about my symptoms, they basically told me I was making it all up. It totally killed my motivation to even bother following up with more labs.

Hey everyone, just wanted to vent for a second. I went in for some blood work today, and honestly, the attitude from these private doctors is just unbelievable. They basically tried to gaslight me into thinking everything was in my head. You try to explain your actual symptoms, and they just smirk at you like you're being dramatic. Anyway, here are my results. If anyone here knows how to read these better than they do, I'd really appreciate it. To them, it’s just "fatigue," and they brushed me off saying my blood count looks great...
Wbc 4-9, mine is 6
Rbc 4-5.5, mine is 5.40
Hgb 120-170, mine is 173
Hct 26-50, mine is 44.7
Mcv 83-97, mine is 82.8
Mch 29-34, mine is 32
Mchc 320-360, mine is 387—if anyone can tell me what this means...
Plt 150-450, mine is 228
Rdw-Sd 37-54, mine is 37.4
Rdw-Cv 11-16, mine is 12.7
Pdw 9-17, mine is 11
Mpv 9-13, mine is 9.4
P-Lcr 13-43, mine is 21.1
Pct 0.17-0.35, mine is 0.23
Neut 37-72, mine is 59.4
Lymph 20-50, mine is 29
Mono 0-14, mine is 10.1
Eo 0-6, mine is 1.2
Baso 0-1, mine is 0.3

If anyone with a bit more medical knowledge could walk me through this, I'd be so grateful. Specifically, that weirdly high Mchc and why my Mcv is sitting just below the range. It feels like a lot of my numbers are hovering right on the low end. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

I'm heading in tomorrow, so I figured I'd ask. If anyone here has gone through something similar, I'd love to know what to expect...

So, it’s been going on for quite a while now, but I’ve lost my strength and I get incredibly exhausted from even the smallest amount of effort. This hasn't just been a phase; it started with some brief joint pain, and then my elbow cartilage gave out. My arms have lost muscle volume, and my upper body—especially my shoulders, which feel like they've basically disappeared—has gotten really thin, while my hips have drastically increased in size. It’s getting hard to even do push-ups because my joints feel so stiff, and when I try to flex my forearm from the wrist to the palm, this tiny little knot pops up. It doesn't hurt, but you can see it. Moving my head around has become difficult too, and I deal with dizziness pretty often. I also sweat insanely much; if I’m just sitting or standing in a coffee shop, my back and legs end up soaked, and my face feels like it's being hit by a sudden wave of intense heat. I’ve noticed swelling in the joints of both feet, which makes walking a struggle. Today, I spotted some tiny red spots on my chest and one blue one on my leg, and now my jaw has started clicking whenever I make certain facial expressions. At night, and even during the day, I’m hearing ringing in my ears. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like my bones are thinning out. My sense of taste and smell are messed up, breathing is getting heavy, my facial expressions feel limited, and my heart rate seems much slower than usual. To top it off, tonight I’m dealing with this constant feeling of heat throughout my whole body. Please, I could really use some advice or any idea of what this might be. I’m honestly scared it’s something serious because things seem to be getting worse every single day. If anyone has gone through something similar, I’d be so grateful for your input. Thanks in advance.

I’m looking for some guidance here because I’ve heard so many different stories and I honestly don't even know where to start. Basically, I hold an American passport, and on my records, I still have an American residential address listed. The thing is, I don't actually live there anymore—I'm living in Boston now and I have my local ID here. Ever since the US joined the European Union, I know the laws regarding residency have shifted, and from what I understand, you aren't supposed to maintain dual residencies like that anymore. The catch is that both my American ID and my passport expired about two years ago. So, my first question is: how do I go about deregistering my old address back in the States? Am I going to get hit with some kind of fine for not doing this sooner? Also, what exactly do I need to do to renew my passport, and should I expect any red tape or trouble during the process? Most importantly, though—and this is the big one for me—can I handle all of this right here at the American Embassy, or am I going to have to fly all the way back to Washington, D.C., just like I did when I first applied for everything? I really need some answers on this as soon as possible.