Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone here has experience dealing with squamous cell carcinoma, specifically regarding a recent diagnosis my mother received. She’s scheduled for surgery next week at a local hospital to have a lesion on her scalp removed. According to the biopsy report, they took a sample from a whitish area where no distinct focal lesions were visible. The histology shows a thickened epidermis, while the underlying dermis contains clusters of tumor tissue consisting of solid nests of atypical, well-differentiated squamous epithelial cells with present keratinization.
I understand that we won't know the full extent of the involvement until after the surgical excision and further analysis of the tissue, but I would appreciate it if someone could help me make sense of these results.
How is it even possible for someone to have a "normal" bowel movement after an ileostomy is performed? It might sound like a silly question, but I’m genuinely confused. My mother recently had her ileostomy surgery, and today she had what looked like a completely normal stool for the first time since the procedure.
boldotter47 said:Honestly, the absolute worst part about this whole pregnancy thing is that people won't shut up. They just keep telling me I have no idea what’s coming. "Enjoy it while you can," they say. "Once the baby arrives, say goodbye to your life, goodbye to your freedom, and goodbye to you and your boyfriend as a couple." Like, give me a break. Kids are an overwhelming responsibility. You can kiss sleep and sanity goodbye, not to mention sex and actually going out on a Friday night. You won't have a single second to yourself. And when the baby finally sleeps? You'll want to sleep too, but that’s a luxury you simply won't be able to afford—because who’s going to handle the cleaning and the cooking? Then there's the physical stuff. Your breasts will sag, your nipples will be constantly sore. It's all just grim.
Seriously, I haven't heard one single positive thing about motherhood since I found out I was pregnant. Every time I scroll through Facebook, some article pops up about parenting—and it's always the same. Everyone is complaining, everyone is frustrated, everyone was completely unprepared for such an exhausting job... So now I'm left wondering—do all these people think I'm an idiot? Do they think I'm expecting a newborn to be some precious little ball of fluff that just sleeps all day while I cuddle and feed it? Or is motherhood truly this brutal (and am I genuinely clueless about the nightmare ahead)?
I am looking forward to my baby, I really am, but it is incredibly difficult to stay upbeat when you're being bombarded by negativity and fear-mongering from every direction.
And another thing—can someone please explain to me (and I have read and heard this a thousand times already)—how exactly does taking a shower or washing your hair become a "luxury" once a baby is born?? It takes me exactly fifteen minutes to shower and wash my hair. 🤷
I second this. I get those same comments with nothing but sour expressions on their faces... all of them saying, "Just wait until you see what's coming." It's incredibly irritating, though lately, I've just started tuning it out. It goes in one ear and out the other.
I've heard that shower comment too... or the classic, "I didn't even have time to use the bathroom!" Maybe I'm being naive, but where is the father in all this? He should be helping with the child and covering those 10 minutes I need just to shower and wash my hair.
Is an electronic referral the exact same thing as a "paper" one? Specifically, does it have the same thirty-day window for blood work, or is the timeframe shorter? I need to get some labs done at the Siget Health Center, and my doctor mentioned they already sent the referral over digitally.
Personally, I find other people's stares quite unsettling. I know I can't control how people act when they walk by, but there's just something about being looked up and down that gets under my skin. 🕺
Carol Palmer90 said:Yeah, that point about the remote work thing is such a solid argument. Honestly, it’s a total win 🤦
It’s just fantastic because I’m actually at home, I'm not stressed out, I have plenty of time to catch up on sleep, and I'm definitely staying much better hydrated than I would be if I were still stuck at the office...🙂
I second that. 😂 I’m also carrying a girl (pointed at Harmony). Apparently, for some people, I’m just glowing too much for a girl; meanwhile, I’m just enjoying being home. Luckily, I haven't dealt with any nausea or vomiting, I'm eating regularly and healthy, and this tea is as smooth as can be.😁
Austin Murphy5 said:Just like any other time—this forum serves as my go-to sanctuary for the things I simply can't share with anyone else in my life. So, let’s dive in:
1. I was actually quite surprised by how much less I feel like socializing lately. I had this mental image that once I became pregnant, I’d be bursting with the urge to hit the town because "it's my last chance," but honestly? I just don't have the energy—though, truth be told, I haven't really felt like it for years, but I fully expected pregnancy to change that. Instead, I find myself preferring a quiet coffee with dear friends over anything else.
2. It also caught me off guard how profoundly misunderstood I feel right now. I don't have many close friends who are already moms, and those who aren't currently dealing with kids seem to be celebrating *for* me, yet they don't truly grasp what I'm going through. It’s as if I’m preparing to buy a new sofa rather than prepare for a child—there’s no room for my anxieties in their eyes. To them, my fears seem completely irrational, almost as if they have nothing to do with reality, simply because I’m "that person" in our social circle who always seems to have everything perfectly under control.
3. I was also genuinely taken aback by how people I know with children tend to offer such depressing advice—it’s like they’re trying to spit in your soup just when you’re looking forward to eating it. I am, quite sincerely, overjoyed about this little one coming into my life, yet I constantly have to endure comments like, "Enjoy it while it lasts," or "Oh, you think you'll manage? Good luck with that, haha," or even "There's no such thing as fun kids, forget about it." Honestly, it doesn't bother me too much because most people are incredibly uninteresting to me anyway—so it isn't shocking that they find the prospect of a new life dull. I absolutely loved biology class, and I am genuinely excited to pass down something that has always fascinated me. However, what truly caught me by surprise was...
4....that out of all the "super helpful" advice I’ve received, not a single bit of it has been practical or material. Like, "Hey, do you need this? I can get it for you cheap." I don't see that happening at all. But instead? I get a mountain of unsolicited advice on how to survive a marriage without sex, based on the assumption that it’s just going to be that way and there's no other way (why on earth would anyone assume that of me?).
5. I was also surprised by how little patience I have left for all the things I used to tolerate—quite forcefully, I might add.
6. And I was surprised by how much emotional energy everything new is taking from me: the intense back pain, the total impossibility of dressing in anything I actually *want* to wear, the nausea, the constant doubting of everything, and the realization that I’m absorbing it all without bothering anyone with my fears... plus, the loss of most people I thought would always be there. They aren't. Not now, when I actually need them.
7. Finally, it surprised me how quickly I—someone who has always been a "forever non-mother" type with very few maternal instincts—am starting to love this little being I'm carrying so deeply. For the first time in my life, I am experiencing this pure, selfless joy for someone else's arrival. I love you so much, little muscle. I can't wait to meet you. :-)
Ryan Carter52 can't seem to see straight without his glasses, but they work just fine for me.. It looks like I’ll need to start paying for supplemental insurance after all. Thanks for the heads-up.
I suspect she’ll suggest those semi-rigid lenses. She already made it quite clear that soft contacts can only do so much to slow down my prescription changes, whereas semi-rigids actually have a chance. Since my vision is slipping even with the soft ones, I suppose I'm just bracing myself for that familiar feeling of having sand in my eyes again...
Ever since I was a kid seeing an ophthalmologist, the routine was always the same: leave the doctor's office and head straight to the specific optical shop they recommended. I expect this time will follow that exact same pattern—once I finish my exam at the lens clinic, I'll probably just go where they tell me to. 🤷 As for whether the coverage through Medicare is actually that bad—I’ve been buying my lenses at an optical center based on their prescriptions for a few years now, and frankly, I don't think they got it right. My prescription seems to have increased, which is precisely why I’m heading to the specialist to see what they have to say about it. For context, my soft contact lenses are $400 and come in packs of six. They’ve been great up until recently, when I started noticing my vision slipping. I’ve heard that with semi-rigid or hard lenses, your prescription doesn't tend to drift as much, so I’ll see what they suggest. If they try to push me back toward hard lenses, I'm going to have a hard time agreeing; I remember how much they used to irritate my eyes, causing dryness and discomfort. I could never wear them for more than eight hours a day. These soft ones, however, I can wear from sunrise to sunset and barely feel them.
Regarding the difference between contact lens and glasses prescriptions—for me, glasses always seem weaker than contacts, which I suppose is normal. That’s the main reason I avoid glasses; my vision is just never as sharp with them.
Does Medicare cover contact lenses or glasses if my prescription exceeds a certain threshold? Mine is currently at -8 (including astigmatism and cylinder), and I’ve just been referred to an eye care specialist. I was wondering if there is any coverage available through Medicare?
Up until today, I’ve been paying all my bills without a hitch, always getting that immediate confirmation that the transaction went through. Everything was fine. But today, while my heating bill cleared instantly, my electric bill is just sitting there marked as "pending." What does that actually imply? Why is it stuck in limbo instead of processing right away?
In any case, $20 it feels like far too much to pay for something that might only happen in a worst-case scenario. 👎 I need to cancel this as soon as possible and just keep the token, nothing else. ☕
I’ve been using the same basic debit card for the last seven years of my working life, and I used to receive monthly paper statements from the bank, which cost me $0.83 per month. Now, I’ve been hit with this "all-in-one" bundle and a security token. Honestly, if it weren't for the token, I wouldn't have even noticed they snatched those extra $20 from my account.👎
I’ve never actually used online banking to pay bills before.☕
I'm wondering if canceling this bundled package would also mean losing the security token. Also, if I were to start paying my bills online, I assume there would be some sort of transaction fee involved. All things considered, paying $20 every month feels excessive, especially since I don't truly need any of these "perks."