Posts by velvetmoose9

So, what’s the highest temperature we've actually seen on record here?

...you just toss a bit of it right into the laundry detergent.
Your clothes would come out smelling incredibly clean.

And honestly, we want this thread to be just as spotless, so we’re going to scrub away any inappropriate topics.

If you have a specific suggestion on how we should handle things, feel free to let us know over on this thread.

P.S. Since the response in the post above was so incredibly precise, we're actually going to keep this thread locked at the top of the forum for a little while.

Lock ☕

I don't have any text from "ivica1983" to rewrite yet. Please provide the posts you'd like me to transform! kaže:
Honestly, there’s just nothing I can do about it. It feels like a total slap in the face every single time someone decides to group me in with that lady in one of their posts.😁

Yeah, now that you’ve laid it all out like that... I see where you're coming from. 😬

I honestly see my colleague’s post as this masterclass in balancing irony and sarcasm, especially after hearing that one congresswoman’s remarks back at the US Capitol. It’s wild because voters actually sent her there to represent our best interests and show the rest of the country what we're all about, you know? ☕

And just to be clear, I don't see this post as some kind of dig at you, or anyone else hanging out on this forum.

ironfox17 said:I’m actually hearing about this medication being approved here in the States for the first time!

OxyContin is everywhere over here in the US... honestly, it’s basically just like that Vicodin we all know from those shows where Dr. House can't even function because he's so "hooked"😵

But I'm wondering, who actually gets to write the script for this stuff? Is it just your regular family doctor, or does it have to be a specialist—like a psychiatrist, in this case?

What would even be the reason for a psychiatrist to prescribe OxyContin? 🤔

And under what kind of diagnosis? 🤔

melloworca6 said:Which nurse and doctor did you ask?

By the way, here’s what I figured out from my immunologist: they cover those biologics through the hospital budget for the first year, and only after that year passes does Medicare take over the bill. They aren't exactly thrilled about it because it limits how many patients they can put on biologics—the hospital has a set budget and they can't just stretch it; they know exactly how much money goes toward what, and you have to work with what you've got. You know how it is when this kind of nonsense is involved; they watch every cent, so they're hesitant to hand things out because someone will always come looking for blood if the funds run low.

Ask about that specific drug, but honestly, I bet the issue is that people with Lupus often carry an RA diagnosis as part of the package, which is why they get the biologics.

Anyway, for stuff like this, I think you should just call Medicare directly. It's constantly a game of telephone. They're always changing things, or some doctors and nurses just don't know—or don't want to know—so you end up getting wrong information. I know plenty of people who pay for their own meds even though they’re entitled to get them via prescription. I'm one of them, actually. I kept buying ibuprofen out of pocket even though my outpatient records say I can take it as needed for pain; I'm fully entitled to get it on a script, but nobody ever told me. I just found out by accident.

edit: @Jose Brown57, I don't think they'll approve a biologic for you until every other option has proven useless. Like, if you haven't tried Methotrexate, and we know it's pretty effective at stopping joint damage, there's zero chance you'll get moved to a biologic. I stumbled upon the requirements for qualifying for biologics ages ago, but now I can't find the actual protocol online.

edit2: Okay, I found it: http://www.reumatologija.org/Preporu...reporuka022015
Treatment with at least two synthetic DMARDs over 6 months at full dosage, where one must be Methotrexate administered for at least 2 months at 20 mg/week (or a lower dose due to intolerance), or following the failure of one TNF blocker or tocilizumab.

As far as I can tell, that’s just one of the ways they're getting patients signed up for the program right now.

William Cox73 said:He’s diabetic, has vascular issues, a weak heart...
It all started about two and a half years ago with his right leg. They had to amputate both toes, they performed angioplasty on his vessels... nobody expected things to turn out this well... thank God. About a month and a half ago, a wound opened up on his heel on the other leg. We contacted the doctor immediately, and they tried more vessel work to get the circulation moving enough for the wound to heal... but it didn't work, and they had to amputate the leg.

Unfortunately, when you're dealing with diabetes—especially if it's been around for a while and hasn't been well-managed over a long stretch of time—you run into permanent damage to the microcirculation in your blood vessels.

Doctors usually try to be conservative at first and avoid jumping straight to surgery or amputation, but the reality is that the progression of the disease is almost always pretty brutal. Since that microcirculation is irreversibly damaged, it’s really just a matter of time before they have to cut higher and higher up toward the torso.

If you don't take those steps, you're looking at Gangrene, and once that sets in, the whole situation becomes incredibly painful and exhausting for both the patient and everyone looking after them.

What was the specific diagnosis they operated under?

Did they have any other health issues or underlying conditions on their record before this?

William Cox73 said:My dad lost his leg above the knee last night due to Gangrene. Now we’re just trying to figure out how to make his life any easier. I'm looking for some insight on prosthetics, but also the practical stuff—like whether we should rip out the bathtub to install a walk-in shower at floor level, or if it's better to just buy a bunch of specialized bath aids. My mom lives with him, so he isn't completely on his own, but we're still figuring this out. Does anyone have advice? This whole situation is totally new to us; nobody in our family has ever dealt with someone who has limited mobility before.

Honestly, the safest bet—and probably the only right way to go about it—is to get a consultation with a physical therapist who can actually come to the house. They can assess what he's capable of doing now, what he'll likely be able to handle once he finishes rehab, and together you can look at the layout to see if the space actually needs changing or if you can just work around it.

Patients really need to have their medical records handy to prove that the doctor actually prescribed this specific treatment.
The medication itself has to be in its original packaging—you know, the actual box, the blister pack, or the bottle...

And honestly, usually nobody gives you any grief about it, whether you're over in Denmark or right here in the States.🍿

Just like you said, two weeks have flown by, and it’s getting pretty hard to recall all the gritty details.
I'm guessing your level of interest in this whole thing was basically tied to how much time you actually spent following it.

To break things down for you:
- Honestly, this thread didn't really fit the vibe of the Health & Wellness subforum (I mean, the whole "why walking in shoes is a necessity in today's American climate" argument is pretty self-explanatory on its own), but we decided to let it ride anyway (just like we do with a bunch of other threads like it). Sometimes—and I'll admit, quite often—these kinds of topics can actually spark a really interesting and useful conversation.
- There was definitely some blatant self-promotion going on from certain users—basically just a bunch of sockpuppet accounts working together, praising each other and funneling everyone toward one specific site.
- If you're feeling slighted because we haven't slapped any disciplinary measures on you yet, maybe try reaching out to one of the senior moderators and see if they'll do you a favor.
Even if it's just to give you an excuse to troll a little.

mistyskipper16 said:I haven't dealt with any actual viruses, colds, or anything like that—just general weakness. Specifically, I get winded pretty easily; like, if I'm just walking, after maybe three or four minutes I find myself needing to open my mouth just to catch my breath. It’s nothing crazy though, once I get moving for a bit, it settles down. It’s mostly just that initial burst where I feel totally out of shape. I'm a guy, I don't touch alcohol, and I don't use any banned substances or anything. The only thing I take is Helex, which my doctor prescribed to help calm me down because my heart issues have left me feeling incredibly anxious. Aside from that, I'm not on any meds. About a year ago, I had an ultrasound done, and the results showed that my gallbladder, liver, right kidney, and spleen were all perfectly normal. I've got a cardiologist appointment this Tuesday, so I'm hoping they can point me in the right direction regarding what else I should get checked out once they look over my blood work.

So, you're saying there was actually a legitimate reason for someone to order a liver ultrasound for you even a year ago...
What was that reason, exactly?

mistyskipper16 said:Hey, I'm 21 and just had some bloodwork done because I've been dealing with some heart stuff—palpitations, chest pains, tachycardia... honestly, there were times when it even felt like my heart wasn't beating rhythmically. I actually ended up in the ER once; they did an EKG and the doc said my heart rate was fast but regular. I also went in to get my thyroid levels checked, and those came back totally fine. I'm still stuck wondering if this is all psychosomatic or if there's something physical going on. I've got a cardiologist appointment this Tuesday, so we'll see what happens, but looking at these lab results now, things seem mostly okay, though a few values are outside the normal range and they're definitely making me nervous. If anyone could help explain them, I'd really appreciate it!

(K) MCV - 82.1, whereas the normal range is 83-97.2

(K) MCHC - 358, while the normal range is 320-345

(K) (MPV) - 10.5, and the normal range is 6.8-10.4

(S) Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) - 54, when the normal range is 11-38

(S) Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) - 120, which is the one actually keeping me up at night since the normal range is 12-48

Every now and then, I get this sharp pain right under my right rib, though it doesn't happen often, and sometimes I feel that same kind of pain in my back where my right kidney is located, just for context. When I had my blood drawn exactly a year ago, my AST was 22 and my ALT was 36.

Hmm.
You definitely need to get some basic abdominal imaging done, maybe start with an ultrasound.
Have you dealt with a cold, a virus, or any weird periods of unexplained weakness or getting tired way too easily lately?
Any unprotected sex?
Do you drink?
Are you using any supplements that aren't exactly "legal"?
Or maybe you're on any long-term medications?

wearycanyon61 said:Since they still need a bunch more people to sign up, they actually dropped the age limit from 25 all the way down to 18 years old. 😁

Well, I guess it's my turn to jump in too then 😬

Scam ☕

Now that they’ve finally shed some light on this whole mystery, I guess we can call it a day and close the thread.
Total fraud 🍿

analogseal86 said:my doctor basically told me to just go Google it myself😁

Hmm, now that I’m actually thinking back on it...

I knew at least one woman who, right after her gallbladder removal, cut out dairy entirely and lived on things like oatmeal, chocolate cereal mixed with fruit juice, or those vitamin drinks.

There are definitely some basic guidelines you should follow, but honestly, everyone handles the recovery differently and finds their own rhythm. 🍿

Harold Garcia60 said:I’ve been getting blood work done maybe four times over the last month and a half now, and my liver enzymes—ALT and AST—are always sitting high, somewhere in the 60 to 80 range.
I went ahead and got tested for hepatitis and even had an ultrasound on my liver, but everything came back totally normal. I’m not even taking any prescription meds, and I don't touch supplements or vitamins either. Honestly, I figured it might just be from working out, so I took a seven-day break from the gym to see if that would help, but when I went back for more blood work, those enzymes were still elevated...

Have you been using anything lately—or ever, really—that could potentially be messing with your liver?

My bad, I totally missed 🙈 asking what's actually going on with you and why you need to see an anesthesiologist in the first place.

I'm guessing there's some kind of surgery involved.

Which one specifically?

Is it just taking something like Gas-X for bloating?

Or maybe fatty liver issues from being overweight?

Joseph Morales2 said:Hey there, I just had some bloodwork done because my anesthesiologist requested it.
Here's what it looks like:
Na-C 145 136-145
K-C 4.7 3.5-5.1
CaC 2.39 2.10-2.55
Cl-C 108 98-107
GluC 5.3 3.3-6.1
Urea 6.5 2.0-7.8
Krea 101 63-109
AST 100 0-38
ALT 86 0-48
CK 129 0-205
CKMB 15 0-25
LD 195 123-243

I'm a little worried about these ALT and AST numbers since they jumped up quite a bit. Just as a heads-up, two days before the test, I hadn't eaten anything at all—just stuck to liquids to prep for a colonoscopy—but then the day before the actual draw, I ended up eating nothing but fast food all day. Could that be why they're high? Also, I had an abdominal ultrasound about three months ago and my liver looked totally fine back then.

You should probably get a GGT test too.
I don't see any CBC results here (like MCV??)

Maybe alcohol?
Did you have jaundice recently?
Medications?
Some other illness (like mono or something)?

In this specific situation, honestly, hitting the drive-thru won't spike your AST and ALT like that.

When was the last time you had your AST and ALT checked, and what were those numbers?

Lisa Barrett22 said:I think there are condoms made from some other material that doesn't cause allergies like latex does. I can't remember what that other stuff is called, maybe someone here knows and could let me know? By the way, I'm allergic to condoms, so that info would be super helpful.

Polyurethane.