Posts by mistyhound2

Kevin White5 said:Just so I can give you a heads-up on what's waiting for me in Washington, D.C. After this year of residency, I'm looking at maybe two or three years of just... nothing. Just floating around before I actually get my own specialty certification. And the pay? Don't even get me started. $1500 Yeah, exactly. And then, once that's out of the way, it's straight into rookie residency training. Just great. $1600 And even if I actually pull it off...

Sometimes I honestly wonder if I've lost my mind, but there's just something about being back here in the States that makes me feel right. It’s why it absolutely kills me when people around here start trashing doctors. Like, seriously? There are so many of them who are actually incredible—genuinely good people who can't be bought, working their tails off way beyond what they're supposed to. And for what? They aren't pulling in politician money or getting those massive research grants like some big-shot scientist. It's just... yeah. It hurts to see.

Look, let's be real—you aren't exactly going to strike it rich in medicine. Unless you're a plastic surgeon, you're basically just working for the man. 😁 Look, medicine isn't just some job you clock into—it’s a passion. It’s a whole lifestyle, a way of seeing the world, honestly. You have to actually love it; you have to live and breathe it, or you won't make it. If I could go back in time? Yeah, I’d choose medicine all over again. No regrets. 🙂

And honestly? Whatever. At the end of the day, you’re the only one who actually knows what’s best for you. You know? Just you. 🙂

Pallas said:Look, there’s no actual data on that, but let’s see what kind of nonsense people cook up in the comments.

🤣

God, Pallas... seriously? Just suggest eating a spoonful of butter straight from the tub... watch those AST and ALT levels drop instantly. And don't even get me started on gamma-GT, even for the heavy drinkers out there.🙏

Man, look at all the "medical experts" hanging out on this forum...🙄

boldsailor52 said:but is there actually any chance at all for someone to pull through once it hits the lymph nodes?

I hate being the one to say this, but honestly? I don't think so. At least from everything I've ever heard or read. Once those metastases hit the lymph nodes, we're talking about an advanced stage. It's just... heavy.

boldsailor52 said:I mean, yeah, unfortunately... but does that automatically mean things are at their absolute worst? Or...? I get that making predictions is a total crapshoot. I mean, he went under the knife, so there’s gotta be some kind of hope there, right?

Was he doing radiation? Is he on chemo? He’s probably heading into that now. Look, there aren't really any other cards to play here... this whole thing is just an attempt to buy more time, but whether that extra time actually feels like *living*... well, that's a whole different story.

Dana Rivera3 said:Can someone please explain how spinal cancer actually works?

Look, I’ve got this nagging feeling that my sister is totally making up this whole spinal cancer thing.
When we asked her to just send over some actual medical records from the hospital so we could figure out how to help—or at least give her some decent advice—she dodged the question like a pro. She’s being super cagey about showing us anything official. How are we supposed to know if she's telling the truth if we can't see the symptoms? Since she doesn't live here in the States, we can't exactly drop by or check things out ourselves to see what's really going on.

Scott Allen10 already covered this, but basically, there isn't just one thing called "spinal cancer." You're looking at either a primary tumor or secondary ones—you know, metastases where a different cancer spreads to the spinal column. A primary tumor in the spinal cord is usually a meningioma, and those almost always come with neurological issues, like weakness or paralysis in the legs, lost reflexes, or weird sensory stuff.

boldsailor52 said:Scott Allen10, someone really close to me was just diagnosed with kidney cancer that's already spread to the spine. Luckily, the spinal cord itself seems okay. They took out the kidney and now we're just sitting around waiting to see what kind of treatment they'll try next. Do you have any idea what the outlook looks like once it hits the spine like that?

The chances aren't great. Honestly, the prognosis is pretty grim.

Walter Myers4 said:Look, after this whole recent mess with Voltaren and those supposed side effects (heart attacks), I’m honestly at a loss. When I get period cramps, Voltaren gel is the only thing that actually works—it's a total lifesaver. And now everyone is coming at me with these horror stories about heart attacks.
Hey, what should I do?

Diclofenac and other NSAIDs work for menstrual cramps because they block prostaglandin synthesis, which is what causes that smooth muscle contraction in the uterus—basically stopping the pain at the source. Listen, I have yet to hear of anyone actually having a heart attack because of Voltaren or any other NSAID. Honestly, half the stuff people post online, I just don't buy; I trust what I see sitting right in front of me every single day. So, keep using it. 🙂 Not one single patient of mine has ever had a heart attack "from Voltaren." You need actual underlying issues for a heart attack to happen... and I won't even go there right now, it's a whole different conversation.🙂

Chondroitin sulfate—which is usually prescribed for osteoarthritis—is actually a fundamental building block of cartilage, so logically, it should work. And honestly? Most patients swear by it. They come back telling me their pain has plummeted, and I have to admit, it catches me off guard every single time because part of me still thinks it’s all just a placebo effect. 🙂

Walter Cox5 said:So, we’ve got a real situation here.
My skin used to be great—super bouncy, soft, you know the drill...
But lately, maybe over the last two years, things have just gone totally haywire!! Every single time I touch my face, even if I'm being incredibly gentle, I leave these nasty red marks behind that look absolutely gross and take forever to fade. Plus, it's like a roller coaster; one day my skin is painfully dry and rough, then twenty-four hours later it's an oily mess covered in tiny little red bumps.
My doctor keeps chalking up every single change in my body over the last couple of years to stress. Honestly, I’ve got this nagging feeling it’s more than just nerves (or maybe it isn't stress at all).
I went to a dermatologist too, and get this—it was the usual routine: "you have sensitive skin"... "use mild cleansers"... "stay away from soap"... "make sure you use Sorbolen."

Quick question for the group: anyone else dealing with this kind of chaos, and how did you fix it? Any recommendations for natural skincare stuff?
Thanks!

To be perfectly honest, I don't buy the "stress" excuse for a second. Something else is definitely going on, but since there's no other info to go on—and we all know a solid medical history is everything when trying to figure out a diagnosis—there's not much smart advice I can actually give you.

She definitely leveled up intellectually—reading all the right books, keeping up with the news, actually knowing what’s going on in the world. She comes across as incredibly sharp, which I’m sure you all noticed too. But did she actually grow emotionally? That’s a whole different story. If that guy is a full-blown psychopath—or if we’re using the fancy modern term, someone with a severe personality disorder involving a messy mix of paranoid, unstable, and dependent traits—then there isn't much doubt about it. Spending eight years of my life under someone like that... hm...

chingy said:so I noticed this black spot on my chest, and now I'm freaking out thinking it might be some kind of skin cancer??

http://http://img194.imageshack.us/my.php?image=clipboard01km6.jpg

Man, first off, that photo is super blurry, so I can't really see a thing. And second, you gotta give me more to work with—like, when did it show up? Have you noticed any changes? But hey, you mentioned you already saw a doctor, so hopefully everything is fine and we're just overthinking it.🙂

Sophia Evans76 said:I saw her last week and she was so sweet, but honestly, just... off. Like, kind of weird and subdued. But then I read this 😲 and now I’m second-guessing everything... 😢

We went to college together, and let me tell you, she was one of those students who actually gave a damn. Seriously, top of the class material. While the rest of us were still passed out in our dorm rooms 😁, she was already sitting through lectures. She wasn't a cheater, either—she did things by the book. She’s always been quiet and kept to herself; that's just how she is. As for these American tabloid outlets waiting like vultures to tear someone apart? It’s pathetic. Total disgrace to what actual journalism is supposed to be.🙂

goldengull3 said:Give me something concrete. In what way isn't America capitalist here? And why call it "hard-core"?

Look, goldengull3, with all due respect, quit messing around. Seriously. Either you're playing dumb or you just have no clue, and I'm leaning toward the latter. Just look at one example: in which "capitalist" country does a pregnant woman get put on medical leave for "bed rest" during her first trimester—I don't even know what they're protecting her from—for nine straight months, followed by twelve months of paid maternity leave (unless she gets pregnant again immediately and the cycle 😁)? Let me tell you, myself and all my coworkers worked right up until our due dates. It never even crossed my mind to go to a doctor just to get "sick leave" because I didn't want to get fired at 3 p.m. And after giving birth, you only get four months of paid leave before it's either back to work or nothing. Take a look at how things actually work in a real place, because in actual, hard-core capitalism in the USA, this issue is handled quite differently. Since you're a lawyer, I'm sure you've got an answer for that. 😁

And as for the rest of your post, why are you even complaining when you clearly have everything you need?

goldengull3 said:1. Why isn't America a "true capitalist country"?
2. I'm getting an education. It's cheaper here than elsewhere.
3. Offer me a different social model then. Personally, I much prefer capitalism over that self-managed socialism crap I saw firsthand (back when I did two years of internship work at OAR during high school).

I mean, for all you people living abroad who claim to hate capitalism, why the hell did you move to a capitalist country in the first place if you had the choice? 😕

Regarding point one, don't make me laugh.🤣
As for point two, oh, you're "getting an education"? Yeah, right. How original.
And regarding point three, who said I don't like capitalism? I moved out on my own; nobody forced my hand. In fact, just a few days ago, I officially became a "Geschäftsführerin."😁 So yeah, I've got the job, the house, two cars, my own business... what more do you want? Look, it's not exactly some perfect utopia like you might be imagining.

Vicky said:Look, I—along with pretty much any average Canadian, Czech, or Slovak—actually live through a much more raw version of capitalism than any of you guys living abroad. Our system doesn't have all those fancy, efficient safety nets to cushion the blow. Honestly, it’s pretty brutal. Especially back during that "primitive accumulation" phase in the 90s; things are different now, sure, but still. I'm making an exception for people in the USA, though, because let's be real—the US isn't a social welfare state by design. They don't want it to be.

And if people have such a massive problem with capitalism, they can always just pick Cuba or North Korea as their dream destination. I'm dying to know why nobody from those places ever chimes in here.

Seriously, I'll say it again—capitalism works. If I don't like my boss, I find a new one. If I sell a project, I grab my cut. I don't have some arbitrary wage coefficient forcing me to earn the same as the guy doing nothing at my firm. And if I hate being managed? Fine, I'll start my own company.

Good grief, what are you even on about? It sounds so simple and perfect when you're sitting there in your armchair in some small town in Ohio (or wherever), but reality isn't quite like that...

I'm genuinely curious, though—what do you mean you don't live in a "real" capitalist country? You've been preaching this same stuff for two or three years now.

Prilosec is basically an omeprazole derivative used to tackle stuff like acid reflux esophagitis or those nasty gastric and duodenal ulcers. In most cases, people end up taking 40 mg once a day or splitting it into 2 x 20 mg doses. If you're just trying to prevent a relapse, 20 mg once a day is pretty standard. But look, if your specialist specifically told you to take 2 x 20 mg daily? Then stick to the plan they gave you. I mean, honestly, I don't see why you couldn't just split a tablet in half if you had to, right?😕

Drug dealers pushing paracetamol? I haven't heard of that one, but hey, in this world, anything can happen.😁

Look, you really have to be careful with paracetamol. Just last week, I was treating this patient who—let's just say she was "trying to end it all"—and she popped about 50 pills. She’s an older woman, in her 70s, and she ended up with fulminant hepatitis. Or, if you want the medical jargon, fulminant liver failure with grade 2 hepatic encephalopathy and brain edema. For the non-medics out there... basically, it's a horrific disease with a massive mortality rate. She survived, though. But honestly, she’s one of those borderline patients where this isn't even the first time she's tried to check out early. That's why I put "trying to end it all" in quotes. Because, let's be real, if someone actually wants to die, they don't call their local hospital to report they swallowed a handful of pills.🙄 These kinds of borderline patients are hands down my worst kind of case.🙄 I can't stand them.

Anyway, the point is, paracetamol is notorious for its hepatotoxicity—obviously when you overdose. You shouldn't be going over 2000-3000 mg a day.

Jose Miller3 said:oh, we absolutely despise him...

Look, I just have to get this off my chest (and I swear I hate badmouthing doctors—I know there are parasites in the profession, but sometimes you just have to call it like it is): what do you guys think about an OBGYN who refers a patient to a psychiatrist because she thinks the patient is "making up symptoms," only for that same patient to end up having surgery three months later for Stage III ovarian cancer?

Should I just go hit her with a baseball bat or something?

PS: I’ve moved past the phase of pure, unadulterated hatred toward this doctor, but man, I really wish there was a way to make sure she never gets anywhere near another sick woman. Sadly, I know there isn't...

Alright, so who actually diagnosed the ovarian cancer if she sent the lady to a psychiatrist? I'm guessing it wasn't the psychiatrist. 😁

And why would you hate someone, even a doctor who messed up a diagnosis? I run into colleagues every single day who get diagnoses wrong, but I don't hate them—God forbid—I just think they have no clue what they're doing. Luckily, there are some out there who actually know their stuff.

And by the way, why shouldn't a doctor be allowed to make a mistake? They aren't all-powerful, thank God. I bet even you, being a chemist or whatever you are, mess up plenty of times too.

........

Shout out to my doctors, Susan Martin24 and Scott Allen10 👍

Susan Martin24, I think Alien is totally awesome 😁 and btw, that story about switching from abdominal to plastic surgery is great. 😁

feralorca2 said:I read somewhere that strep throat treatment needs to last at least 10 days, so I'm freaking out because my three-year-old was only given Amoxil for "just" seven days. Is that actually enough???? 😕

Of course it is. Seriously, stop believing everything you stumble upon online. I've treated my own kids—and even myself and other patients, too—for five days max, and look, everyone's still kicking and perfectly fine.

Look, just tell us everything they actually did to him. What kind of diagnostic tests are we talking about here? You already mentioned the blood work, but what else? I'm guessing an X-ray from Reagan... what else?