Posts by restlessbadger2

Has anyone here had any experience working with gastroenterologists Stanka Popijac or Mark Duvnjak?

restlessbadger2 said:Does anyone happen to know what Rotkic's office hours are? I’ve been scouring the internet but can't find anything useful, and whenever I try calling the clinic numbers, there's just nobody on the other end of the line today. 😕

Actually, let me just answer my own question. To my great disappointment, Dr. Rotkvic officially retired as of March 31st. Now, I suppose I'll just have to start looking for some new recommendations. 👋

Linda Johnson66 said:That’s possible; if it shows up in your urine, how could you not have it? Based on what she's saying, the inflammation seems pretty obvious, but you should definitely make sure to wash up first thing in the morning before doing the urine culture...

Well, I just looked at my lab results, and it says right here: leukocyte esterase: negative.

Now I'm completely lost. 🤷

Linda Johnson66 said:What’s your leukocyte esterase level looking like? I mean, elevated white blood cell counts definitely suggest some inflammation is going on, so would it make sense to go ahead with a urine culture?

Thanks for getting back to me. Honestly, I haven't even heard of leukocyte esterase before now. 🤔 Is that something they check for in a urine sample or via a blood test? It wasn't listed on my lab results. 😢
I've been weighing whether or not to just head in for a urine culture, though I did read somewhere that having 8-10 leukocytes might just be a case of sample contamination. 🤷

Grace Davis77 said:Mike Pence, absolutely brilliant!

Does anyone happen to know what Rotkic's office hours are? I've been scouring the web but can't find anything useful, and whenever I try calling the clinic numbers, there's just nobody on the other end to pick up.😕

Hello there.

I was wondering if anyone could help me clarify something regarding a urinalysis (not a culture, just the standard screening). If the results show 8-10 leukocytes—given that the normal range is typically 0-2—does that usually point toward some kind of inflammatory process within the urogenital tract? Furthermore, would those numbers be considered a sufficient indication to move forward with a full urine culture? Does anyone here happen to know?

Wait, I think I might have missed something here. Is there a particular topic we were discussing? It feels like I've stepped into the middle of a conversation without my notes. Should I be looking for a specific thread, or was there a question I failed to address? Please, do let me know so I can catch up properly. Asks:
I’m not entirely sure if this is the right place to pose this question, but I figured I would give it a shot. My sister and her husband are currently on a bit of a wild goose chase trying to find a primary care physician in the Forest Hills area. Every single clinic they visit tells them the exact same thing: they aren't accepting new patients. So, naturally, my sister decided to call Medicare in Brooklyn to get some clarity. She wanted to know which doctors actually have open slots—you know, those who haven't hit their maximum number of insured patients yet. And do you know what they told her? They claimed that *every* doctor has space. Now, who exactly is being unreasonable here? Is it even legal for doctors to be contracted with Medicare and then claim they are full when the agency says otherwise? More importantly, how am I supposed to suggest to my sister that she just walk into one of these offices and tell them, "Actually, Medicare said you have room for me"? How does one even begin to establish a functional, trusting relationship with a doctor after starting a conversation like that? It feels like a bit of a catch-22, doesn't it? 😕

Medicare maintains a public directory listing all their doctors along with their current patient counts, which they update from time to time. When I was looking to switch over to a specific doctor, I decided to be extra prepared—I actually printed out the official list directly from the Medicare website. I even had a copy of their own policy on hand, which clearly states that any general practitioner with fewer than 2,000 patients is required to accept new patients. Now, the doctor I wanted to see had only about 1,800 patients on record, so according to the rules, there shouldn't have been an issue, right? But somehow, I still couldn't get signed up. It turns out her nurse was incredibly rude and condescending, going so far as to claim that Medicare’s data was completely wrong just to avoid taking me on. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Why does a simple administrative process turn into such a headache when the rules are so clearly laid out? 🤣 The truth of the matter is quite simple: they just don't want to deal with the mountain of paperwork or the headache of taking on one more patient. So, whenever anyone asks, they just start rattling off excuses one after another. Honestly, I finally reached my breaking point. I ended up filing a formal complaint with Medicare, stating clearly that I wasn't able to register with that specific doctor and suggesting that the inspectors pay a visit to their clinic. Of course, I never heard a single word back from them. In the meantime? Well, I just went ahead and signed up with a different physician.

Does anyone happen to have a recommendation for an exceptional gastroenterologist? I'm looking for someone truly top-tier!

dustyscout8 said:Does anyone here know why doctors would recommend specific vaginal suppositories over others? My doctor gave me a private prescription for some soft ones that cost $43... whereas about a year ago, she prescribed standard ones that were covered by insurance. What could possibly be the difference? Why would these be so much more expensive? She didn't really explain anything to me, nor did she mention they’d be such a hit to my wallet... These pricey ones are round and have this intense yellow (almost orange) color... plus, they feel a bit harder to use than the regular ones that seem to have a more ergonomic shape..

Based on your description, I suspect you might be talking about Polygynax. It’s essentially a combination of an antifungal and an antibiotic. Those aren't typically covered by insurance, so you end up paying the full retail price out of pocket.

feralwolf said:Dr. Smith at Dubrava Basketball Club, though the wait times can be quite long.

That would be Dr. Smith. He's a young urologist—very pleasant to chat with and genuinely listens to your concerns—but as far as actual treatment goes, he didn't really do much for me.

Carol Smith27 said:Does anyone here happen to have any experience working with Dr. Patlj or Dr. Kolovrat over at the Mayo Clinic? What was your experience like?

Are you thinking of Dr. Patlj? He’s an abdominal surgeon at the Mayo Clinic. I've actually seen him before, though I must say, he didn't particularly leave much of an impression on me.

Elizabeth Brown90 said:Does anyone know roughly how long the wait is for a knee MRI at the local hospital system right now? And honestly, where can I find the shortest queue? I have a feeling I’ll end up having to pay out of pocket for a private appointment, but I really want to exhaust every single other option first.

My advice? Scan your referral, send it off to every provider in the area, and just take whichever appointment pops up first.

If you took a close look at the instructions, you’d notice they specifically mention not taking these on an empty stomach. Since it’s such a potent antibiotic, you really need some food in your system first. I was on them for about two weeks, and honestly, they were one of the toughest medications I’ve ever had to deal with. The fine print even warns that dizziness is a possible side effect, and let me tell you, it can leave you feeling pretty lousy—which is exactly what happened to me. My advice? Make sure you have a hearty meal, and then take your dose. It makes all the difference!

dustysurfer23 said:So, where can I actually go to get this done—specifically testing stool for fecal elastase?

I’ve already reached out to Oakland, Mercury, Rib, Holy Spirit, the Infectious Disease center, and even the CDC, but none of them are performing this particular test. It's a bit frustrating, isn't it?

Perhaps there's a private lab out there, maybe something along the lines of Breyer, Stella, or even Bonifarm???

driftingsurfer14 said:They actually signed a new contract starting on New Year's Day.

Well, that sounds like fantastic news on the surface, doesn't it? 🙂
I'm curious, though—could someone give me a heads-up on how the process is working? Has anyone actually managed to schedule an appointment using a Medicare referral yet? And if you have, how far out are they booking you? 🙂

gentlefalcon383 said:Rade, I honestly think they’re working because my mother-in-law scheduled an MRI and actually got an appointment within just 20 days! The only catch would be if they somehow filled up their entire quota since she booked it about a week ago, though I find it hard to believe they’d be completely booked out already, don't you? It might be worth asking.

When I called them a few times back in October of last year, they told me straight up that their contract with Medicare had been terminated, so I could only see them if I paid out of pocket.🤷

It really could be anything at this point... we’re talking about everything from syphilis (which is notorious for causing those types of sores or ulcerations) to various different dermatological issues. Honestly, the best move is to head straight to a doctor—specifically a gynecologist, if you can!

gentlefalcon383 said:You can actually get an MRI done using a Medicare referral at the specialized Saint Catherine hospital in Zabok, and the wait isn't too bad—maybe just a few months. You can reach them at 049/204888.

Actually, they don't accept Medicare referrals anymore.

electricangler32 said:Fair enough, but I’d still love to get a definitive answer from an anesthesiologist so we actually know how to prepare ourselves.

When I went in for my groin surgery this past summer, I had a real heart-to-heart with my surgeon about this exact topic. To be honest, most of them couldn't care less whether you're on your period or not when it comes to scheduling. Personally, though? I find the idea of going through with it during my cycle completely unthinkable, especially given the area being operated on. Luckily, I didn't have my period then, but I really can't imagine what that whole situation would have looked like... :/

Honestly, the smartest move you could make right now would be to head over to the gynecologist for a full check-up. It’s probably the most sensible way to handle this.