Posts by granitebadger25

My apologies once again for the double post. 😵

Look, if she isn't absolutely certain those are just cysts, it would be far more prudent to send him in for a biopsy... besides, serious issues can often masquerade as benign growths at first glance 😉
Furthermore, the patient's wife actually undressed her and performed a proper examination, which is something you should give credit to in primary care 😁

That’s certainly better than the alternative: when a doctor sees an elevated sedimentation rate and immediately starts writing orders for chest X-rays, gastroscopies, throat swabs, and a laundry list of other tests without even bothering to physically examine the woman... though had she actually checked her, she would have spotted a walnut-sized lump on the breast (honestly, you could see it from a plane) 🙄

Or even worse, like when my late grandmother's GP told her that a sedimentation rate of 120 was practically normal for someone her age and there was no point going to the hospital because she was too old... meanwhile, it turned out to be a plasmacytoma 😠 🙄 🙄

thanks 🙂

And since at my age it’s considered quite improper to mention birthdays, I’ll be reporting you to the chat moderator 😍

steelpanther9 said:If I told them we actually had an exercise machine at home,
🙄
they’d look at it like it was their worst enemy.😁

I don't know exactly what kind of equipment you have, but most of those machines are designed for bodybuilding rather than anything actually functional.😬
Furthermore, if someone is dealing with high blood pressure, they really shouldn't be pushing themselves on those machines.

Walking is the perfect solution... taking the dog out is a solid idea, assuming the dog actually wants to walk.
If the dog isn't interested in hiking through a park or a trail, just take it along for a long shopping trip downtown. It still counts as walking, doesn't it?😁

Also, Betty Rivera14 made a great point—cut out the carbonated soda entirely.👍

Look, I remember my grandfather having to drop weight fast—he was over 260 pounds—because he was diagnosed with diabetes. He kept insisting he barely ate anything because he only had one massive meal at night 🙄 ... so they sent him away to Saratoga Springs for three weeks (this was a long time ago, back when those wellness retreats were still subsidized by social programs) ... while there, he was eating five small meals a day, walking constantly, and doing light supervised exercise, and the man lost weight right before our eyes ... but more importantly, he actually learned a whole new way to live ... though, granted, he could afford that kind of lifestyle change since he was already retired

What I am actually trying to say is

If you two can swing it, book yourselves a couple of weeks for an active retreat in Saratoga Springs ... he’ll get his walking and exercising and weight loss in, and you'll have the chance to study their actual meal plans 🙂

aaa, that’s not even you; it's just that creature you worship 😍

I fear we're looking at a suicide mission, but I suppose it's worth an attempt

This "one meal a day" nonsense simply won't work—it's impossible to lose weight while actually eating nutritiously

The ideal setup would be five small meals (an apple is plenty for a quick snack), but if work makes that impossible, then aim for at least three

Furthermore, dinner absolutely should not be eaten after 6:00 PM

And frankly, I doubt any progress will happen without more movement... they don't need to hit the gym, just walk more. For instance, walking to and from the office could make all the difference

First off, get moving more and stop spending your entire life glued to a computer screen 😁

Cut back on the salt in your diet (it’ll taste bland for the first week, but you'll adjust eventually)

Eat more frequent meals, but keep the portions small

Forget about bacon 😳

As for cholesterol, you likely already know you need to ditch the pork and stick mostly to fish... but pay close attention here: I mean actual fish, not shellfish. People constantly mess this up by eating clams, shrimp, or lobsters, all of which are packed with cholesterol. Stick to fish only

Blueberry said:Oh, please. Fat globules? You think more bleeding means fat buildup? If her pills were actually causing blood to clot more easily, she wouldn't be seeing "fatty" issues!

I need to set the record straight here.

Hormonal contraceptives don't just come with one single side effect; there can be several at once.

One potential issue is impaired liver function—which is exactly why doctors insist on periodic checkups. When liver function takes a hit, the production of certain coagulation factors can drop. For instance, prothrombin time might be extended...

However, since there are so many different coagulation factors involved, a decrease in one doesn't mean they are all low. Platelet adhesion to vessel walls and the subsequent formation of a clot could remain unchanged or even increase (according to contraceptive specialists).

Therefore, even if it's rare, an extended prothrombin time does not rule out an increased risk of thromboembolic incidents. I’m using this as an example, and while it isn't the most common side effect of birth control, it serves to prove that one side effect does not negate the presence of another.

Emily Castillo81, everyone gave you some very lovely advice there. Smoking and hormonal contraceptives are a disastrous combination. You really need to pick one to quit, or better yet, walk away from both entirely if you want to be safe long-term.

As for those slow-moving fat deposits, when was the last time you actually had your liver enzymes checked? If you're on birth control, regular blood work isn't optional—it's necessary.

Bottom line: get your liver function tests done and check your blood clotting parameters too, since those are directly tied to how your liver is performing.

I have no idea what the current trends are, but back when I was pregnant, doctors recommended iron supplements and folic acid to every single expectant mother, even those who weren't showing any signs of anemia,

Alexander Hall said:Including fresh fruits and vegetables during meals is key, since Vitamin C helps boost iron absorption.

Exactly. You serve a steak alongside some fresh bell peppers or sauerkraut... boom, you've got both the iron and the Vitamin C. 👍 And kids can handle all of that at this stage.

It isn't just infants who deal with iron deficiency; older babies—the ones hitting those big growth spurts—are also at risk.
Up until about 6 months, they still have those iron stores passed down from their mothers. After that, if they aren't getting enough iron through their food, deficiency sets in.

That’s why I find this recent trend so baffling—this idea that we shouldn't introduce meat or eggs to breastfed babies until some arbitrary month. 😕

Blue, regarding eggs: the whites can be tricky for kids prone to eczema... but if the kid hasn't shown any signs of skin issues by the time they hit a year, you can give them the whole egg without hesitation. 😉

P.S. Just to be clear: if there is actual anemia, you have to correct it with iron supplements. Fortified foods alone won't cut it. Only once the levels normalize can you stop the supplements.
And yes, once they start taking the iron, their stools will turn black... don't freak out when it happens.

Noah Myers8 said:Fine, I am coordinating all of this directly with his pediatrician. My question is: what specific blood work levels are we actually looking for to consider him "in the clear"?

It takes about two months for those new red blood cells to actually build up their iron stores... once you fix the anemia, the kid won't be catching every bug that goes around. It’s a vicious cycle—the child gets sick because they're anemic, and then the illness makes the anemia even worse. Give him iron supplements every single day (check if there are any on the market now that won't stain his teeth black).

Forget the vitamins and all that nonsense (that's just stuff for old ladies😬); just get the kid to finally eat some real red meat—give him some veal cutlets—and eggs, especially the yolks.😁

And look, I know I've mentioned this before, but it's a waste of time listening to those New Age nutritionists. 🙂

But there isn't anything Google can't dig up 😁

M 70.9 = Soft tissue disorders related to use, overuse, and pressure

P.S. Is it possible you're dealing with forearm issues from overusing your mouse? 😉
(A rhetorical question, 😁 )

M 70 indicates bursitis, while _,9 likely refers to the specific location... I suppose 😕

We really ought to consult that black medical manual, but it's nowhere to be found in the vicinity 😁

It is obvious that effects vary from person to person.

Regarding hormone replacement therapy, one should understand that its side effects aren't significantly different from those caused by hormonal birth control pills—both involve combinations of hormones.
The distinction lies in age: women undergoing menopause are older, whereas hormonal contraceptives are used by younger women, for whom any adverse complications are nothing short of catastrophic. It is fundamentally different to face a cardiovascular event or breast cancer in your 30s versus your 50s.

Interestingly, there seems to be no real panic regarding hormonal contraception (aside from certain religious groups, though most people ignore them) 😉... and by that same logic, pregnancy isn't a disease, so why prevent it? 😉
I am not against contraception; I am merely stating this so we can examine the full scope of the issue from all angles.

"A government commission in Germany released findings from a new international study showing that the harmful side effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) far outweigh the benefits.

The German commission's report wasn't actually calling for a total ban on HRT... the core issue is something this text omits: every medication must prove its efficacy through clinical trials for every specific indication. Pharmaceutical companies, working alongside "distinguished" physicians acting as opinion leaders, claimed HRT protected against osteoporosis and atherosclerosis (it was already known that breast cancer risk was higher under hormones) based purely on theoretical reasoning. However, once actual clinical trials were conducted here in the US, the results debunked the theory that HRT protects against heart attacks and atherosclerosis—in fact, the opposite was true—and showed that fracture rates from osteoporosis weren't significantly lower. The criticism stems from the fact that certain treatment indications were promoted before they were truly verified.
I completely agree with the German commission on this point.👍

Anything we put into our bodies carries potential risk.

This applies equally to pharmaceutical drugs and all those various "medicinal" herbs... even St. John's Wort tea can be potentially very harmful. Anyone with a basic understanding of xenobiotic metabolism should find that obvious.

The key is weighing whether the potential benefit to the patient outweighs the possible side effects. No sane person would take chemotherapy to treat a common cold; you save that for serious illness.

(On that note, I've noticed that the very people who criticize modern medicine and big pharma at the slightest hint of a virus are the first ones panicking in a drugstore looking for "natural" remedies... as if those wouldn't cause harm too.)

As for HRT, that's a slightly different story, and I'm not entirely certain women aren't being properly informed. Menopause isn't a disease, but given how we live today, it can be incredibly disruptive. Most women are in the workforce now—back in the day, they might have just stayed home until the hot flashes passed—but menopause issues can be debilitating in a professional setting, and you have to work. Furthermore, our modern obsession with youth is so extreme that in certain professions, women practically have to fight aging to stay competitive.
My hairdresser says she wouldn't dream of giving up HRT, despite knowing the risks, because her menopause manifested as depression so severe she couldn't function. She argues she’d rather live a normal life until 60 than live as a shell of herself until 80.

It's true that the pharmaceutical industry has marketed this reality quite aggressively, but I suspect HRT will continue to be heavily prescribed specifically at the request of women... with the justification being an improvement in quality of life.

Menopause isn't a sickness; it's the beginning of aging. But if we're being logically consistent, arterial hypertension is also, in most cases, just a symptom of aging. Why doesn't anyone suggest: "Don't treat high blood pressure, it's just a natural part of getting old; just sit there and wait for a stroke to hit you"?
🙄

Jacob Wilson50 said:Lungs?
Could you please elaborate on that?

As an aside, night sweats are one of the primary symptoms of tuberculosis.😢

Other illnesses should be considered as well, but it would be wise to rule that out first.

Exactly 👍
And make sure you get a chest X-ray before they even check your thyroid

And then one day you find yourself stuck in a hospital bed, complaining about the lack of basic meds and even toilet paper, only to realize it’s probably because that budget is being funneled into someone's fraudulent sick leave just so they can fund their own private startup. 👎

The pain is at the base of the skull—so this is definitely not some "undefined migraine pain."

My advice? Go straight to the emergency neurology ward at your local hospital precisely when the pain hits... that’s what I've come to realize now.

Make sure you bring all your previous test results (the EEU and your ophthalmologist's report) with you.
It is critical that a neurologist examines you while you are actually experiencing the headache, because certain neurological episodes only manifest during those specific moments and remain invisible otherwise.
From there, they will decide which tests are necessary based on their physical exam, and determine if those tests need to be performed immediately.