Posts by boldnomad45

Casey Kelly2 said:Quick question for anyone who’s had rhinoplasty under general anesthesia—did they make you do an enema before the surgery?

No.

The nurse at the hospital told me straight up: you have to schedule your appointment within a month of getting the referral. It doesn't matter if they book you out for several months down the line; the only thing that counts is that the referral itself isn't more than thirty days old when you make the call. This was already mentioned earlier in the thread.

Sandra Johnson78 said:Hey everyone, it’s me again. 😁
I was hanging around here bothering you all about a year ago. Based on recommendations, I decided on Dr. Jurlin at Mayo Clinic. Is he still the man for the job? Also, how long is the waitlist? I haven't dealt with nose issues there before, but I'm currently seeing Dr. Kymatica over at the nuclear department. Had my checkup today and asked if I could go through with nose surgery given my thyroid condition; she said yes and mentioned she’d sign off on everything for the anesthesiologist. Basically, I just want this whole nose mess sorted out ASAP. I had some uncertainty regarding the thyroid and whether I’d need surgery, but since my doctor confirmed today that I won't be having the thyroid procedure this summer, it would be ideal to get my nose fixed before college starts. Just want to get at least one thing off my plate. 😁
It’s a deviated septum. I’ve broken my nose twice, so there’s a significant bump that looks terrible, and it leans to the left because I once slammed into a pillar. So, it needs to be aesthetic as well. Anyway, some kind souls on this forum mentioned that Dr. Jurlin from Mayo Clinic handles both functional and cosmetic work, and does it exceptionally well. Hoping he hasn't changed. My main question: what are the odds my nose is healed by October 1st? I have an ENT appointment next week.

I'm wondering—do you have any inside connections for the surgery? Because there is zero chance you're getting scheduled by autumn without some serious pull.

Angela Wright said:Roughly $1333 a month. For live-in help, I think prices hover around $2333 depending on the specific needs of the household.
Your best bet is to find a retired nurse. You'll see ads for that. There are plenty of people out there just looking for a handout, but with a nurse, you actually get someone who knows what they're doing. The cost really depends on the level of care required, but you’re going to have to sit down, go through the listings, and call people one by one.
If it's strictly about meals, it might be much cheaper to arrange for meal delivery services. It won't break the bank, and she'll have a hot, prepared meal ready every single day.

She has her pension, so she isn't on welfare, but her mobility is limited, her appetite is low, and sometimes she can't even manage the cooking. Because she lives in her own home and barely makes enough to cover the utilities, she doesn't qualify for any government assistance.
I'm trying to find someone to handle the cleaning and the cooking. I see plenty of local agencies specializing in this, but in a sea of options, it's hard to tell which ones are actually reliable and honest.

I’m considering hiring some in-home help for my mother. Does anyone have recommendations? I’ve been looking into services offered by places like Sunrise Senior Living, $13 maybe just an hour or so at a time. I'd appreciate hearing how others have managed home care for elderly parents. My mom is still mobile, but she's struggling more with cooking and keeping up with the housework. Also, what are the typical costs for assisted living facilities in Chicago for seniors who are still relatively active? Thanks.

wearyheron7 said:Hi. A family member is experiencing tachycardia and fainting. We went to our GP, but they’re sending us to the cardiology clinic at Mayo Clinic. They want to run an ultrasound, but we can't get an appointment for another two months—and even then, we won't actually have the results until later. Is there anywhere else we can go to get seen sooner? Are there other cardiac specialists nearby? I don't understand how you can delay care for someone, especially an elderly person, by two months. In two months, who knows if they'll still be alive.

You can. They discharged my mother with blood pressure at 270 and a stroke, acting like nothing happened. I couldn't do anything. I begged them, but it was useless.

Casey Phillips18 said:Syncope refers to a sudden loss of consciousness, whereas pre-syncope is that sensation of vision darkening without actually losing consciousness (which is what you mentioned happens to you).
It is entirely possible for a person to lose consciousness abruptly, it’s possible to experience only the "blackout" sensation, or perhaps a combination of both the darkening vision followed by the loss of consciousness.
Once consciousness is lost, a full recovery typically occurs within a few minutes.

The causes of syncope can vary widely; many instances are relatively benign, such as standing up too quickly, a drop in blood pressure, heat exhaustion, or being in a cramped space, though they can also stem from more serious conditions, such as cardiovascular disease.

Since there is a history of epilepsy treatment, it would probably be wise to have that looked into as well.

My mother has cardiovascular disease and glaucoma; she had two strokes a few years back and lives alone. She takes medication for blood pressure and cholesterol. Yesterday, she passed out. She claims she didn't even feel sick—she had eaten, felt fine, and then simply remembers nothing. She fell and hit her head. They did a CT scan, an EKG, and checked her blood sugar at the ER. Her blood pressure was 170 over 100. I'm extremely worried. Why doesn't she remember anything? What should we do? She sees a neurologist regularly at a new hospital, but I'm afraid they won't even really look at her; the appointments last maybe a minute, just a quick check to tell her to stick to her meds. I don't know what to do.
Thanks in advance,

Casey Phillips18 said:Syncope refers to a sudden loss of consciousness, whereas pre-syncope is that sensation of vision darkening without actually losing consciousness (which is what you mentioned happens to you).
It is entirely possible for a person to lose consciousness abruptly, it’s possible to experience only the "blackout" sensation, or perhaps a combination of both the darkening vision followed by the loss of consciousness.
Once consciousness is lost, a full recovery typically occurs within a few minutes.

The causes of syncope can vary widely; many instances are relatively benign, such as standing up too quickly, a drop in blood pressure, heat exhaustion, or being in a cramped space, though they can also stem from more serious conditions, such as cardiovascular disease.

Since there is a history of epilepsy treatment, it would probably be wise to have that looked into as well.

My mother has cardiovascular issues and glaucoma. She suffered two strokes a few years back and lives alone. She takes medication for her blood pressure and cholesterol. Yesterday, she passed out. She says she didn't even feel sick; she had eaten, felt fine, and then nothing—she has no memory of it. She fell and hit her head. They ran scans at the ER, did an EKG, and checked her blood sugar. Her blood pressure was 170 over 100. I’m extremely worried. Why doesn't she remember anything, and what should we be doing? She sees a neurologist regularly at a new hospital, but I fear they won't even give her a real exam; it’s usually just a one-minute checkup before they stamp the prescription and send her on her way. I don't know what to do.
Thanks in advance,

Mark Cook3 said:Looking for a GP in the West Side area who’s actually taking new patients.

Every single office I call just hangs up on me. 🙂

If anyone has a number or knows how to find out who isn't full, let me know.

Thanks.

I have one over near Savanna. Can DM you the details.

Kate Bishop57 said:Does anyone know what time they start taking orders for tests at the Dubrava hospital, specifically over in the Radiology department?

My GP just ordered mine directly through her computer. I had my appointment the very next day.

cosmicbadger83 said:I’m actually glad I didn't get general anesthesia for stuff like this... I had it during my surgery and it was miserable. My throat was wrecked and the coughing lasted for days. It was awful.

Not everyone reacts that way. I didn't have any issues—no nausea, no sore throat. Honestly, I didn't even realize they'd performed the surgery. Neither did anyone else in my recovery room.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy

Casey Kelly2 said:Thanks for the reply. Things are a bit clearer now. Regarding my nose—one nostril is quite congested, and I'm also looking to fix the aesthetics. Is there any cost involved through something like Medicare, such as hospital stays and all that?

If it's strictly medical, there's no charge. But you'll be waiting forever—six months minimum, likely much longer these days. You'd be in the hospital for five days. I'm not sure they'll cover anything cosmetic; it's usually just for health issues. Then again, some people do get both, but whether that's due to luck or knowing the right people, I couldn't tell you.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy

Casey Kelly2 said:Hi, I'm new here and would really appreciate some advice from the veterans. I'm planning on getting nose surgery through Medicare, but could someone walk me through the process 😕—from visiting my primary care doctor for a referral all the way to meeting the ENT. If anyone has been through this and has a moment to spare...

Is this for a functional issue or purely cosmetic? You head to your GP, explain what’s bothering you, and get a referral to a specialist. Personally, I always get my scans done beforehand so when I finally see the specialist, they already have the imaging ready to review. They'll determine if you actually need the surgery, then you take their diagnosis and medical history to the nurse. She’ll schedule the procedure, usually about 6 to 9 months out, and give you a list of all the pre-op tests you'll need to complete.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy

mistyjackal842 said:What about those walk-in clinics where you don't need an appointment? You know, the ones where you just show up with your referral and get seen immediately. My referral is dated January 7th. Does that mean I'd have to get it extended by a community dentist if I don't make it in for an exam until next week?

Then it's useless.

electricangler32 said:I’ve already brought this up in this thread, but I haven't received a "professional medical" answer yet. Basically, I’m scheduled for nose surgery in a week—that part is set. But what I really want to know is whether it's okay to be on my period during the operation. If not, why? I assume it somehow affects bodily changes, but how exactly? And does it have any connection (if any) to the anesthesia? I would truly appreciate it if someone with expertise could explain all of this.

If I recall correctly, I told you before that you shouldn't have surgery while on your period. That’s what they told me when I went in for sinus surgery. As for the reason, I don't know.

blueheron15 said:Question: I need to book an appointment at Rib with a specialist where the wait time is about 6 months... but the referral is only valid for one month. I don't get why I need to scan it just to book the appointment... ??
Should I ask my primary care doctor to issue a referral without a date? Thanks

The referral still counts. As long as it isn't more than a month old when you actually make the booking, you're fine. Once you've secured the spot, even if the appointment is 6 months out, the referral remains valid.

Melissa Hernandez97 said:How long do you usually have to stay in the hospital after septoplasty? I'm not talking about private clinics, just a standard public hospital.

They kept me for 3 or maybe 4 days at the new facility. Can't quite recall.

I was lying in the hospital after my first night following surgery, and I was bleeding quite heavily. Even the night nurse got spooked; she wasn't sure if she should wake the doctor or not. Honestly, I didn't even realize it was happening until I saw my gauze and pillow were soaked through. It finally stopped by morning. That was my entire night.

Lisa Myers said:Someone told me the 30-day window is "in the system"—meaning it applies to both the physical referral you get in person and the digital one.

So, if I book an appointment and end up waiting over a month for an opening, does that mean my referral is expired because the 30 days passed?

I received a referral for a radiologist back in November. If I show up for the appointment now, is there any chance they'll reject the referral?
Thanks.