Posts by velvetmoose9

Jesse Foster54 said:Thanks a ton for laying all this out. So, if I'm reading you right, I shouldn't really be sweating this too much, right?.

Based on everything you've shared up to this point—absolutely NOT.
Really appreciate you keeping us in the loop on how the whole situation plays out 😉
.

Jesse Foster54 said:I don't really have any issues with my nose or throat right now, but I did deal with a nasty ear infection last year, if that's even relevant.

Honestly, it probably just has more to do with being around way too many people all day; it’s almost inevitable that someone is going to pass some random bacteria your way.

Feel free to ask your primary care doctor if they plan on swabbing and putting everyone—all your students and colleagues you're constantly rubbing elbows with—on antibiotics based on an antibiogram, too. ☕
Go ahead and ask how long it’ll be before you pick up another bug from those same "sources" right after finishing a targeted course of antibiotics. ☕

I’m mostly worried that this is just how the whole medical system is set up, rather than it being anything the individual doctor chooses to do while they're busy following the official "guidelines and protocols." 🙄

Jesse Foster54 said:I just had my usual annual checkup (I teach English at a school). Everything’s been fine up until now, but this time my report says: Dx. Z22 Repeat nasal swab with antibiogram and follow therapy based on findings.
Obviously, I'll head in tomorrow or the day after to get that swab done, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me what this might actually mean. Is it anything dangerous? It mentions being temporarily unfit for work.
I was born in 1985.

Now, look, I'm just taking a wild guess here—kind of like how VidovitiMilan acts when he's staring at a smoky crystal ball... I don't have the full clinical picture or your actual lab results in front of me.
It looks like they isolated a bacterium from your nose, and again, just guessing here—maybe Staph or Streptococcus. Given that you're working in a school, you might be a potential carrier (if I remember correctly, Z22 refers to being a carrier), which makes you a possible source of infection for all those kids you're surrounded by.
That’s probably why they want you to redo the nasal swab plus the antibiogram; they’ll likely put you on a targeted antibiotic, and then about a week or two after your last dose, you'll need another swab. Based on those results, they'll decide how to move forward.

The big question is: Are YOU actually feeling anything? Any issues with your nose or throat? Do you deal with inflammation in those areas often?

By the way, I have my own take on all this, but since it doesn't exactly align with current medical trends, I think I'll keep it to myself for now. 😬

lonepanther9 said:Hey everyone,

I've dealt with issues regarding my left pectoral muscle since the day I was born—basically, I was born without it. I was wondering if there's any kind of surgery that could actually fix this?

I'm assuming we're looking at partial agenesis here? Or is it a total absence?

From what I understand, trying to functionally "install" a muscle that never fully formed in the first place isn't really something you can do with standard surgical methods just yet. 🤷

I'm not sure where you're located, but honestly, it might be worth grabbing a consultation with a plastic surgeon—maybe somewhere like Cedars-Sinai...

ruggedmarlin2 said:This might sound like a bit of a silly question, but I just want to be absolutely certain before I proceed—I’ve been using Rhinocort spray for my allergies lately, but as luck would have it, I’ve managed to injure my neck and back. My doctor suggested applying some topical pain relief to the sore spots and taking a Ketorolac if the pain becomes truly unbearable. Now, I haven't been able to find any specific contraindications listed in the instructions, but since the nasal spray is a corticosteroid, I can't help but wonder: is it actually safe to use both at the same time? I generally try to avoid mixing different medications whenever possible—I'm quite cautious about that—but between this sudden sinus flare-up and my aching back, I feel a bit cornered by circumstance.
Thanks 🙂

Rhinocort is a local inhaled corticosteroid, so as long as you're using it the right way, there's really a negligible amount being absorbed into your system.
Fastum Gel is a topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, which has even less systemic absorption to worry about.
The chances of any weird side effects from combining those two are incredibly slim, even if you throw Ketorolac into the mix at the recommended daily dose—assuming, of course, you don't have any other underlying issues that would make them unsafe for you.
So, honestly, you probably have nothing to worry about. 😉

casualmaker17 said:I haven't gotten my lab results back yet, so I'm honestly not sure if my CRP is elevated. To be truthful, I don't recall the doctor mentioning anything about it, but it's totally possible I just missed it. He told me nothing is going to change until Monday anyway. velvetmoose9, you seem way more clued in on all this stuff than I am, so if you could, please let me know what you think this might be pointing toward? Thanks a bunch!

Well, look, since I don't have the full clinical picture and I haven't seen any of those baseline labs, it wouldn't really be fair of me to start throwing diagnoses around here.
Given everything you've mentioned—the fever and the fact that you're feeling progressively worse—I'd still suggest heading over to the ER as soon as you can.
Keep us posted on how things go when you get a chance, alright? 😉

casualmaker17 said:Please help me!!!
It’s my first time on the forum, I just finished reading through the first page, and honestly, I have no clue if I’m even asking this in the right place...
I had blood work done yesterday, and over the last week, I’ve been running a fever. Usually, I handle things pretty well, so a temperature between 99.5 and 100.4 isn't really a huge deal for me... But... since February, my back has been killing me. I got an MRI and found two herniated discs—nothing massive, but they're in a narrow spinal canal. I’ve been bouncing between specialists for months, and while some think that's the culprit, nobody is actually giving me any real answers... Anyway, on a coworker's suggestion, I went for blood tests yesterday. They called me back in the afternoon saying they "thought" something was off with the sample. So, I went back today to a private clinic to redo everything, and they called me back just a few hours later. When I arrived, the internist started reading me my results, and from what I could catch (he jokingly told me not to go looking for diagnoses on Google), he said my white blood cell count is at 29,000. He mentioned something about lymphocytes, but I can't remember the number, and something about T-cells too... I forgot half of it. All I know is that I’ve lost 12 pounds in the last six months (which I just blamed on my back issues) and I've felt totally wiped out. He told me they’re sending the sample to Washington, D.C. because they need to run a peripheral blood smear or something similar. He wants me to come in Monday for some imaging and said they should have the results back from D.C. by then. Does anyone have any idea what might be going on? I don't think I can wait until Monday! Just a year ago, this same doctor told me I was the picture of perfect health and how lucky everyone was that people were like me, but today, he looked genuinely worried. I know I don't have the full report and I only caught a few details, but can anyone make sense of this? I can't wait till Mon...

You definitely have a good friend in that coworker.
You didn't mention if any other markers are up, like your CRP?
If that fever keeps hanging around, it would be smart to head straight to the ER or an urgent care center (like a local hospital emergency room or an HHS facility...)

Jacob Stewart11 said:Hey everyone! So, I had general anesthesia about 7 or 8 years ago and everything went perfectly fine, but lately, for about a year now, I've been dealing with this mystery urticaria that I just can't pin down. Everything stays under control if I take an antihistamine—maybe just a stray spot or two pops up—but if I skip the meds, I end up looking like I walked through a patch of poison ivy, sometimes even with some swelling. I've been planning on having a procedure done for quite a while, but I keep putting it off because of this allergy, and honestly, since these things can drag on for years, I'm a bit stuck. Is it actually safe to go through with the surgery while taking antihistamines (and maybe whatever else they might add to the anesthesia cocktail just to be safe)? Has anyone dealt with this before?
Thanks in advance.

The anesthesiologist will have the answer.
Just bring all your medical records along to your pre-op appointment so the anesthesiologist can review everything. Any decent specialist will know exactly how to handle it to make sure everything goes smoothly and safely. 😉

analogdriver22 said:My Grandpa took a nasty tumble somewhere in town a few days ago, and honestly, none of the witnesses can agree on what actually happened. He ended up hurting his ribs and his right eye, and man, that eye looks like a pumpkin right now. At first, he seemed mentally fine, and even though the swelling around the eye is going down a bit, he’s totally lost it—he doesn't recognize anyone and keeps talking about people we've never even heard of.

Any idea what could be going on? Anything at all?

They actually had to restrain him at the Hospital because he keeps trying to wander off and has no clue where he is.

What did the neuroimaging show—like, did they run a CT scan or an MRI of the brain, and maybe an EEG? Any blood work from the Lab? Does he have any history of underlying health issues? Did they figure out what actually caused the fall in the first place? And did he lose consciousness?

steeleagle152 said:Can someone explain what esophageal stenosis actually is and how it’s treated?
My dad just got diagnosed with it. For about a month now, he's been having a hard time swallowing (and this past week, it's become almost impossible). Basically, whatever he eats, he ends up throwing up. He had an endoscopy—I think that's the right term—and they gave him this diagnosis, but now they're looking to follow up with a gastroscopy and an ultrasound of the esophagus.
Thanks in advance.

The first priority is figuring out what caused the stenosis in the first place (which is basically just a fancy way of saying the esophagus has narrowed pathologically).
Have you seen any lab results from Google yet? Any pathology reports? Maybe some tumor markers were run?
Has he lost weight?
Does he have a history of anything related to the esophagus, like GERD, Barrett's esophagus, accidental ingestion of caustic substances, chronic alcoholism, or maybe liver issues?
Did they do a CT scan?
A gastroscopy should definitely provide some much-needed answers.

redharbor9 said:Look, if anyone actually bothered to read the original thread—which, let's be honest, nobody seems to have done—it was explained pretty clearly a few times already: here’s the deal:

1) In the USA, psychotherapist isn't actually a recognized profession; it’s just not listed in the official job classifications. You can have a psychiatrist who specializes in psychotherapy, sure, but "psychotherapist" doesn't exist as its own standalone career path. There’s legislation currently being worked on regarding this.

2) Legally speaking, psychotherapy can only be practiced by a psychiatrist working within a psychiatric clinic. Psychologists are limited to providing psychological counseling.

3) Before the Psychology Practice Act was passed, psychologists who wanted to run their own private practices (basically acting as psychotherapists) were lumped in with all sorts of random small businesses, like those tarot reading stalls you see at fairs. I remember looking into it, and they were literally categorized right alongside them. Nowadays, some psychologist-psychotherapists will set up an LLC instead of a private practice—probably just to avoid dealing with the licensing boards—and then they provide what is officially termed "psychological counseling."

4) Here’s the crux of it: according to certain academic definitions, psychotherapy is meant for "serious" issues and complex cases, while counseling is for adjustment problems and day-to-day functioning. But in the real world, you absolutely cannot draw a line between the two; they overlap completely, and that's just common sense. That’s why psychologist-psychotherapists are forced to bill their services as counseling just to stay compliant. Personally, I write down "counseling." It’s what the law says we do. But the client gets exactly what they came for: someone to talk to.

5) As for everything else out there... well, you've got all kinds of small businesses offering all sorts of things—life coaches, wellness retreats, spiritual gurus... people go to them because they want to learn and talk. Psychotherapy is also about learning and talking. People just call it different things and approach it differently... some are more structured, some are more laid back... but the person knows what they need, they seek it out, and they get it. Sometimes the label doesn't even matter that much.

X) Anyway, personally, I don't think this is really the core issue here. Everything has been laid out in that thread, and honestly, it feels like the main target is just the moderator who wrote it. 🙂

That’s exactly how it works on the ground.

Everything is perfectly legal.

The country would be a whole lot healthier, more productive, and happier if we had way more constructive work like this. Healthcare would actually be cheaper, too—we'd see fewer prescriptions for antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, antipsychotics, or those "mood stabilizers" that are basically just anti-epileptic drugs. We'd have fewer sick days, fewer hospitalizations, and fewer unnecessary medical procedures that just clog up and slow down the entire system. All of that could be improved through these kinds of "interventions."

The reality is that the system (and by "the system," I mean the government) still hasn't figured out how to recognize the value of this kind of work or properly respect the professionals doing it—especially the non-medical types, like psychologists.
It’s probably just a leftover relic from an era when politicians stood up in D.C. and told the nation that "brain drain" was just a minor inconvenience.

bolddriver12 said:Will I feel like I'm choking or get that awful sensation from a gastroscopy? Or will I sleep?

Usually—you're out cold.
Like a little baby 😉

bolddriver12 said:What’s the deal with using Dormicum for anesthesia? My kid needs to go in for a gastroscopy under Dormicum via a line in the collarbone area. What should I actually expect? Is there a real chance they’ll just sleep through the whole thing without feeling a thing or even knowing what happened?

It’s excellent. It kicks in fast, and once they stop the drip, they usually wake back up pretty quickly without much trouble in most cases. Plus, the doctors have total control over it, and patients generally handle it quite well. Any anesthesiologist—or honestly, any doctor trained in emergency medicine—can run this procedure smoothly. Everything should go perfectly fine.😉>

feralbadger2 said:I'm not going to type out every single detail because there's honestly a mountain of data here, so I'll just summarize what I went over:

CBC, differential, hematology, urinalysis, sediment in the field of vision, substrates, enzymes, electrolytes, and trace elements.

Everything looks pretty standard, except for my MPV, which came back high. The reference range is usually 6.8-10.4, but mine hit 11, so it's just a little bit elevated.

As for the substrates, my glucose was 4.2, while the reference range is 4.2-6.0. I'm wondering if I should be "worried" about that one?

They also checked my thyroid hormones at the same time, but everything there seems fine too.

I had my blood and urine tested because I've been losing weight. Even though I changed up my diet, the drop felt a little too fast for comfort, so I figured I'd get everything checked out just to be safe.

I'm a 23-year-old male.

Based on those specific results, you really don't need to worry right now.😉

vividsailor7 said:Why on earth shouldn't they be allowed to write the brand name??
Patients have every right to be pissed off because they were given medication based on professional guidelines, and they have a right to receive it at no cost.
As for why the American Medical Association is denying them—honestly, I should probably say it's none of my business, but lately, we’re constantly having to call out the AMA regarding medications. To make matters worse, they’ve become incredibly arrogant recently; for instance, they won't even listen if you tell them $167 you're spending a fortune on meds every month—they just don't give a damn about what happens down here.

Medicare basically holds the keys to the vault.
With that kind of power, Medicare gets to decide what’s covered and what isn't.
The problem is that Medicare doesn't always play by the same rules as the actual medical professionals.

Just because something is "legal" doesn't mean it's actually fair.

Keith Chavez3 said:Look, please don't roast me here, I'm dealing with some health issues and I'm just wondering if there's a better way to say "farting" or "gas" when I'm explaining my symptoms to a doctor? Or is just saying "farts" actually okay?

Flatulence.

Saying you have gas might not be the most clinical term out there, but honestly, most doctors will know exactly what you mean.

Using "gas" is perfectly fine too.

There's your answer, so let's move on.

slynomad79 said:Hey everyone.

I was wondering if anyone here has any insight or personal experience regarding the symptoms I've been dealing with lately. I've already done the whole dance with my primary doctor, who followed the usual protocol and sent me off to an ophthalmologist and ordered some blood work. So, basically, I've had this headache hit me three times now, and each time it dragged on for seven days or more. A couple of times I popped some Advil, which seemed to kill the pain after about thirty minutes, but then it just crawled right back. It’s bilateral—kind of a dull, mild pressure all over, though occasionally I’ll feel this sharp little "stab" in one specific spot during those seven-day stretches, though nothing intense. Sometimes it stays localized to just one side of my head. On top of that, I’ve got random aches in my chest, back, and lower lumbar area, and today my throat is acting up and there’s this ringing in my ears. Though, honestly, the throat thing might just be because I went a bit overboard with ice cream the other day. Yesterday, I also felt dizzy whenever I stood up too fast. My blood pressure seems fine, though. Back when the first headache hit me (around February), I was completely wiped out, totally unable to focus, and one night I even felt this weird tingling in my face along with a pain in my right upper arm. Then there were a few times during the winter months where I felt this sudden, sharp chest pain. I did a little deep dive online, and everything seems to point toward cervical spine issues (except for that random chest pain in the winter when nothing else was going on), but if anyone has a different take, please let me know. One thing to note is that the first two times these headaches flared up, it was right during finals week—so tons of stress and sitting at a desk all day. Since I've been back home, though, that hasn't been happening. Also, during those first two episodes, my appetite completely tanked; I could barely eat anything. There is one thing I didn't mention to my doctor because I felt silly, but once last winter I went outside without a hat after drying my hair, and that evening I got that facial tingling and the pain in my right arm (even though the headache had already started). I'm kind of worried I might have caused some lingering issue by doing that. Other than this, I haven't dealt with any heavy or long-lasting headaches for years, but this past year has been incredibly high-stress for me. I should probably mention that last winter (not this current bout, but the previous one) I was on some pretty strong antidepressants and actually needed a much higher dose than usual to get them to kick in. At that time, my blood work showed some slight hormonal imbalances. Usually, I lose quite a bit of hair in the summer, but strangely enough, that hasn't happened this year. Thanks for any info you can toss my way.

You definitely have enough going on here to justify seeing a neurologist. You should bring along your lab results, including the thyroid/hormone panels from Quest Diagnostics, the eye exam results (vision, pressure, fundus), X-rays of your neck (and maybe thoracic too), and maybe even start with an EEG.

Sam Castillo9 said:Hey there. So, I just had a routine physical through work a few days ago and they found some occult blood in my stool. Naturally, my mind went straight to the worst-case scenario. I’ve got a kolonoskopija scheduled for the day after tomorrow. What are the actual odds of them finding something nasty? I'm 31, spend basically my entire workday sitting at a desk, dealing with stress, eating pretty poorly, and I've dropped about 15 pounds over the last three months (partly from diet, partly from being more active). Oh, and yeah, right before the checkup, I dealt with some pretty intense diarrhea for maybe 3 or 4 days.

Thanks in advance...

Look, based on what was just laid out there, I wouldn't go painting everything in such a dark shade of black. 😉

Look, a kolonoskopija is honestly one of the best ways to get things checked out. I won't lie to you—it’s definitely not exactly a spa day or the most pleasant experience you'll ever have, but it's nothing you can't handle. Just hang in there, and hey, let us know once you get those results back.

Michael Diaz4 said:Man, I feel like I’ve already covered this ground somewhere else, but I guess I'll run through it one more time for you... When you're dealing with hemorrhoids in those early stages—or even a little later once the initial inflammation starts to settle down and those tiny micro-tears begin to heal—they can honestly itch like crazy. Honestly, though, I'd take the itching over the actual pain any day; if it starts hurting, you're basically questioning every life choice that led you to this moment. Now, whether there's something else going on alongside the hemorrhoids, I couldn't possibly know, but again—once that swelling dies down, the itching can be absolutely brutal... You might want to look into some creams that have corticosteroids or maybe lidocaine in them ... But you really need to get the specifics from whatever doctor you end up seeing for an exam...

Whatever you do, don't go slapping corticosteroid cream on the perianal area without checking in with a real doctor first!

Emily Fisher said:Hey everyone! I'm gonna try posting this here too, hoping someone might have some advice for me.

So, for about two months now, I've been dealing with this absolutely brutal itching around my anal area. Every once in a while after using the bathroom, I’ll notice a tiny bit of blood, but it's really minimal and happens super rarely. I'm thinking it's probably hemorrhoids. I also think I've got some fissures going on. I've tried pretty much everything under the sun to stop the itching. At first, it was just a nighttime thing, but now it's constant throughout the day. It gets the worst at night and right when I'm showering—that's when it hits hardest. Even though I try to be careful and just use plain water without any soap to clean the area, the itching still won't quit.

The only thing that gives me even a moment of relief is applying cream after drying off, but then the stinging and itching just kick back in. Honestly, it feels like there's something crawling around down there... that's the only way I can describe it. It's enough to drive a person insane.

I tried using Fact, but it didn't help; if anything, it felt like it made things even worse. Olive oil, Modolex, aloe vera—I've thrown every little thing at it that I could find online or thought might work, but nothing changes. The only thing that actually offers any temporary relief is calendula gel... but even that only lasts maybe two or three hours before the whole cycle starts all over again.

I already had a swab test done for parasites, and that came back negative. Now I'm just waiting to get an appointment scheduled with a proctologist, but until then, I honestly don't know how I'm going to deal with this because it is just unbearable!!!

Maybe it's yeast, like Candida!? I really don't know... or maybe it's some kind of allergy, since the irritation seems to be spreading out from the immediate area.

Is it even possible for hemorrhoids to itch this much?? They don't really hurt, except maybe occasionally when I'm on the toilet or if I touch the area, but otherwise, no pain at all!

And the itching gets even more intense right after I go to the bathroom... It's just awful.😢 I genuinely don't know if it's going to stay this bad, or how I'm supposed to endure this...

Take care!

It definitely makes sense to check for a yeast infection in your stool (and maybe urine, too).
You might also want to look into tweaking your diet—cutting back significantly on highly refined carbs can make a huge difference.
I'm assuming you've at least had some basic lab work done?

Using calendula products (like ointments or gels) along with some propolis ointment can really take the edge off for some people, so it's worth giving those a shot.