Posts by granitebadger25

brightmarlin44 said:...unless you start feeding the computer patient history data alongside clinical findings—though things like ultrasounds, CT scans, or MRIs are already digitally processed anyway... all that's missing is the interpretation.😛

A "clinical examination" isn't just running tests (like an ultrasound, CT, or MRI). It’s exactly what the term implies: visual inspection, manual palpation and percussion, auscultation, and occasionally, even your sense of smell can be a diagnostic tool. 😉

Since you want to talk about diagnostics, it would be wonderful if a computer could perform, say,
a pleural puncture, or better yet, a digital rectal exam or a gastric lavage. Unfortunately, computers seem to prefer the "delicate" work. 😬

To avoid any confusion (since we're drifting off-topic regardless), computers are incredibly useful in medicine, just as they are everywhere else. They have simplified—and in some cases enabled—certain diagnostic processes, but they aren't omnipotent.

brightmarlin44 said:However, your arrogance—which is the single greatest mistake a doctor can make by refusing to entertain even the slightest doubt about their own errors—makes you a danger to your patients.

I agree with this point entirely.

Besides, you clearly don't realize that we aren't just handing out diagnoses anymore; surgical procedures are being monitored via computer as well. This is undoubtedly the future of medicine. A computer combined with a skilled physician equals an accurate diagnosis...

But you have gone too far here.
Telemedicine (which is what you are describing) is merely a substitute for a consultation—an expert opinion or oversight. Computer algorithms that process lab data to generate a differential diagnosis should only serve as assistance. To attempt a diagnosis based solely on that, without a medical history or a physical examination, is nothing short of amateurism.

I am in agreement with Scott Allen10 regarding the quality of certain private providers, but I would also point out another major issue: people flock to private clinics to run specific tests based solely on their own whims—or perhaps some advice from a friend or neighbor—without undergoing a full medical evaluation first. Often, those individual tests come back looking fine, leaving the patient wandering around with a stack of results—some normal, some misinterpreted—still without having actually addressed the underlying problem.
Everyone seems so impressed by the latest generation of imaging machines that private diagnostic centers market as "all-knowing" tools, while completely ignoring patient history and a thorough physical exam, which are the only things that can truly indicate which tests are actually necessary.
Recently, a businessman who couldn't be bothered to follow the standard diagnostic protocol because it "took too long" decided to handle his issues with frequent urination and thirst at a private facility using a full-body CT... he was quite pleased because there was no wait, the procedure was quick, the bill was substantial, and the result was normal... unfortunately, he didn't solve his problem until he ended up in the ER with ketoacidosis... it turned out to be diabetes, something his primary care physician likely would have identified immediately through a simple consultation.

Likewise, I advise the original poster to speak with their primary care doctor about their headaches before rushing off for more testing... there is a wide range of causes for headaches, and a Doppler ultrasound isn't a magic bullet for everything.

I’m with Justin Gonzalez87 on this one—those two really went above and beyond🙂

sretno👍

shadowfalcon33 said:What other option would there even be? 🤣

shadowfalcon33, you’re acting like just another spoiled brat yourself. 😍 😁

shadowgardener12 said:You’re clearly just another spoiled little brat...

Oh, wow, shadowgardener12, that is hands down the nicest compliment I've received on this entire board. 😘 😁

By the way, regarding my "style"—I shouldn't have to explain that it's just me poking fun at "Dad," right? Honestly, driftinggull13 does it to me all the time. 😁

And what else am I supposed to do when every single time I try to start a real discussion, you just resort to an ad hominem attack?
👋

shadowgardener12 said:The upside to homeopathy is that, much like Ayurveda, it works holistically without any side effects.

This "hyposensitization" nonsense—this supposed homeopathic method—actually carries nasty, dangerous side effects. It can trigger anaphylactic shock. 🙂

shadowgardener12 said:Homeopathy includes drops and various other preparations that are mostly administered orally.

🙂

In conventional medicine, we have tablets, lozenges, capsules, syrups... blah, blah, blah. And notice how many different colors they come in. 😁
Oh, and my dad is stronger than yours, too. 😬

Since we are supposedly engaged in a "constructive" debate,

why don't you provide just one single example where a homeopathic method holds an actual advantage over conventional medicine? And please, provide a logical explanation for it.

I previously cited a method borrowed from homeopathy that was integrated into mainstream medicine—one which, by the way, is currently most effective at boosting a doctor's profit margins. I mentioned that because you specifically asked for it (in one of your earlier posts).

shadowgardener12 said:So you're citing a single instance of homeopathic therapy?? One solitary use case!?? This is exactly what I mean when I talk about such a narrow-minded approach to criticism.

I presented one specific method, but I provided a full explanation and argued its flaws compared to conventional medicine.

In contrast, you’re just showering homeopathy with praise in general without providing any actual arguments; you don't list methods, potential advantages, or even drawbacks.

Do you see now whose approach to this discussion is actually narrow-minded?

No... please, give me a break...

You're practically begging for it, which means you're clearly lacking 😁
It doesn't matter how far away it is, as long as you carry it with you (in your heart and your head). ☕

And maybe this homeopathy actually does have some side effects after all. 🤔

shadowgardener12 said:I already mentioned that in the West, where "mainstream" medicine is a bit more advanced than here in America, homeopathy is actually recognized by traditional physicians...

In this backward part of America, just like in the "perfect" West, mainstream medicine once adopted one homeopathic method: hyposensitization for allergic diseases, particularly allergic asthma. It was a relatively convenient method back when more effective drugs didn't exist—specifically for an allergy to a single allergen that couldn't be avoided, and in cases where the patient had plenty of free time to afford frequent, long-term treatments. This comes with the caveat that this method makes absolutely no sense if there is an allergy to multiple allergens (which is most common), and that the reactions can be extremely unpleasant, even dangerous.

Today, much more effective medications for asthma exist, along with far simpler treatment methods, making homeopathic hyposensitization obsolete in most cases.
However, it is still being performed here and abroad, but guess where? Mostly in private practices!!! And that is because it is incredibly profitable to have a patient who comes to you regularly for injections for years on end... whereas they could easily resolve their issue with modern medicine, but then their asthma would be perfectly regulated, leaving them no reason to visit your clinic every single week.😉

...and yes, there is a desire for profit, but doctors in the West don't have to be quite so greedy because they earn significantly more for their work than they do here in America, and there is no such thing as bribery for surgery (in social capitalist countries like Sweden, Norway, Austria, or Switzerland...).
And since they practice mainstream medicine, they don't earn a dime from homeopathy, as it apparently seems to some greedy, underpaid people here. These drugs are bought at pharmacies, and doctors and physicians earn absolutely nothing from them. Just like they don't earn anything from the antibiotics they prescribe. But as I said, they earn enough for a comfortable life.

In Western nations, doctors aren't bribed by patients, but they certainly are by pharmaceutical companies... to such an extent that even professional and scientific "authorities" are capable of peddling unverified data as recommended treatment methods.

You wouldn't believe it, but some English teachers actually insist on using "siderofaz"

To me, it sounds just as ridiculous, but apparently, that's supposed to be the formal literary version now. 😱

A siderophage is essentially a macrophage—a type of monocyte-derived cell that acts as the body's internal "cleanup crew"—that has effectively "swallowed"
hemosiderin granules. This pigment is what's left behind when hemoglobin breaks down following the destruction of red blood cells.
In plain English: finding siderophages is a clear indicator that there was bleeding within the cyst roughly two to three weeks prior to the procedure.

goldensurfer3 said:They’re still in total shock...
So...
I guess that's just how things go...
And honestly, I don't feel any better after speaking up...
I thought a weight would be lifted off my shoulders... but it wasn't. Now I'm just hiding in my room; I'm simply not ready to talk to anyone...
👋

It’s going to be fine. 👍
Your mom is just stunned because, to her, you're still a kid (which explains that ridiculous question she asked about "how" 😂). Eventually, your dad will sit her down and explain that his little girl has actually grown up. 🙂

My dad handled it way better than my mom did when I told them... He even took this incredibly heavy situation and turned it into a joke just to mess with Mom... He said he was fine with having grandkids, but he was worried about having to sleep in the same house as the grandma. 😍

goldensurfer3 said:but there's one more thing hanging over me right now
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL MY PARENTS?
GIVE ME SOME SUGGESTIONS...
;(

In situations like this, parents usually take the news with surprising grace 😉 ... sure, they might be a bit shocked at first, but once they realize there's a grandchild in the picture, they'll melt.
I'm speaking from experience here; I went through all of this ages ago.

I suspect your parents will react the same way... especially if they've been waiting on you and your brother for so long.

sretno 😘
Don't sweat it, you made the right call.👍

This is my response from yesterday regarding the same topic over in the science forum, so I’m pasting it here (though I see Stephanie already posted something similar):

Go get a second opinion. Seriously, consult another ophthalmologist.

Though, based on what you described, this doctor is likely correct.

The visual cortex in the brain develops during childhood, and its maturation depends entirely on the clarity of the images being sent from the eyes. If there is even a minor misalignment in early childhood—say, one eye drifts just slightly—the image transmitted to the visual center will be blurry. If that isn't corrected within the first three years of life, the brain's visual center will permanently learn to decode images in that blurred manner. In such a case, correcting the optical hardware with glasses, contact lenses, or even laser surgery won't fix anything, because the brain itself is still decoding everything through that flawed lens.

This condition is known as amblyopia, or what people commonly call "lazy eye." You should look up that term online to learn more about it, provided that is indeed what your sister is dealing with.

Since you're heading to Washington, D.C. anyway, you should swing by the Mayo Clinic in Manhattan

They have a specialized phoniatrics clinic there led by Professor Večerina, who deals specifically with these kinds of issues (I know she's worked with plenty of opera singers)... first, they can assess the condition of your vocal cords (given how you described your voice getting "darker," it's possible they've thickened from overexertion)... after that, they can provide specific vocal rehabilitation exercises

I think you could walk away with some genuinely useful advice there

Atlanta,
The info was posted on the Pfizer health portal maybe a year or two ago—I can't recall the exact timing—along with a link to the journal where it originally appeared. Someone really ought to dig through their archives to find it.

I remember it clearly because my father has been on a strict diet for years due to hyperlipidemia... he was just as thrilled by this as you were. 😁 ... And I have to admit, the rest of us in the family have become much more relaxed about how many eggs we eat. 😬

Karen Thompson79 said:From what I can tell, eggs are loaded with cholesterol, plus the shell itself might carry bacteria like salmonella...

That was the old way of thinking, but it's simply incorrect.
Only the yolk holds a significant amount of cholesterol. Interestingly enough, the egg white actually contains a cholesterol absorption inhibitor.

So, if your goal is to dodge cholesterol, you should eat the whole egg.😉 As for the salmonella concern, that is easily managed through proper heat treatment.

Regarding this debate over "healthy" versus "unhealthy" diets, I still maintain that whatever provides calories fastest is what kills hunger—at least that's how it looks in Africa.

Life is far too short to waste on these trivial worries (there are much bigger problems out there).
We aren't immortal; one has to come to terms with that fact.

Amgen should boost her white blood cell count quickly; I don't see any need for anything else
if we are strictly looking at an isolated drop in leukocytes rather than other blood cells, then there is absolutely no reason to administer any blood products or derivatives.

Look, I think you’re asking for advice in all the wrong places
The smartest move would be to have an orthopedic surgeon give you a proper, old-school physical exam first. They need to see what we're actually dealing with before deciding which scans are necessary. You aren't going to get any intelligent guidance this way