Posts by boldnomad45

Michael Hill2 said:It’s actually pretty straightforward. You basically have two choices: you can either just suck it up and live with it without complaining too much, or you can go out and actually find some help.

It doesn't cost a dime to head to your primary care doctor, ask for a referral to a psychiatrist, and talk to a pro who can evaluate what's going on and prescribe medication if they think it's necessary.

If you're trying to dodge the whole public healthcare system, you can always go private. Pay maybe $200$100 and you'll get a professional opinion and potential therapy just the same.

Look, when your body stays in a state of high anxiety or deep depression for a long time, your brain chemistry gets totally thrown off balance. In my experience, herbal supplements and "natural" remedies aren't going to cut it when things are this bad. You need meds to put out the fire first, then you can use psychotherapy to dig up the root cause and actually deal with it.

Been there, done that. I'm still standing, healthy, and functioning. 🙂

Good luck. 🙂

This belongs in the introductory post. Well said.

Chloe Gray5 said:Hi, can you get free surgery for any kind of deviated septum?
Since I used to do kickboxing, my septum got crooked. From the outside, my nose looks like a "C." I haven’t had an actual exam yet, so I have no idea what’s going on inside.
It doesn't bother me on a daily basis, but when I go out for a run, breathing gets a little difficult.
As for aesthetics, I don't want to change anything. I just want to straighten the septum so my nose looks the way it did before.

Through Medicare, yes. It doesn't matter how you ended up with the deviation; if you have one, they'll operate. Just be prepared to wait six months to a year, but they will do it.🙂

Kenneth Allen11 said:What I’m really trying to figure out is whether they were actually supposed to send me some kind of notice before they just went ahead and charged me.
It looks like I'll have to deal with Medicare directly. But honestly, if this turns out to be some kind of clerical error—what's the actual move there? Like, what's the official process to get my money back?

Talk to a lawyer, not the front desk clerks. They gave us the wrong info; the legal counsel was the one who finally told us the truth. And keep this in mind: they claimed they were sending notices, but they were going to an old address. Even though we updated our info with Medicare, we never updated it with our supplemental insurance plan.🙂 To be fair, they couldn't find us for ten years while they were supposedly sending warnings; they only bothered once it was time to issue the seizure order.🙂

wanderingorca4 said:Klapan is definitely out. I’ve had several people tell me after paying for his expensive consultations that the guy genuinely doesn't have a clue—he just knows the theory. It makes sense, though; he’s a regular professor at a medical school, which basically means he has near-zero clinical experience.

Now you or someone else will probably jump in to disagree, but honestly, I don't know if you're using a fake profile. That's why this forum is risky; anyone can make an account, even private individuals. But I'm telling you based on conversations with people I've spoken to in person. Search his name in the threads, but most of what you'll find aligns with my view. The guy hasn't actually solved anything for anyone with serious issues, whether it was sinuses or a deviated septum.

lenas,
If you're looking for functional surgery, you're better off going to a major hospital system like Mount Sinai, Mayo Clinic, or Johns Hopkins. They have specialists there with massive amounts of experience and top-tier ENT surgeons. Trust me, that’s your best and most cost-effective bet. Private practitioners like Glumičić or Glušac are more geared toward aesthetics, whereas the big hospitals focus on function. If you go with Mount Sinai or Mayo, you won't go wrong.

Well, I personally know plenty of people he helped, myself included. But hey, have it your way.

Melissa Martinez5 said:Trying to convince him he'll feel better, that he'll finally be able to breathe normally...
Well, I wouldn't want anyone ruining his nose...
How long does an operation like that actually take?
Do they put the patient under?
Neither he nor I have ever had surgery...

I had surgery once for no real reason at a new hospital, Ochsner. They put me under, didn't feel a thing, no nausea from the anesthesia either. Five days in the hospital, and that was it. Spent years suffering just because I was scared—listening to everyone's horror stories—but it was all for nothing.

Mark Garcia82 said:Greetings to everyone here. I’ve been following this thread and wanted to ask for
a few details. Writing to you from Canada.
I'm dealing with constant throat infections. Saw an ENT specialist
who told me the issue is a deviated septum.
Broke my nose as a kid, and I've been mouth-breathing ever since.
Anyone have advice on where to go for surgery in the States?
I'd also like some minor aesthetic work done, though that isn't the main
priority. My main goal is functional—I just want to breathe through my nose properly for once.
Has anyone worked with Dr. Ivica Klapan or Dr. Ranko Mladin?
Found plenty of good reviews for them online.
Honestly, it doesn't matter which one I choose; I'll be paying regardless, whether it's
a private clinic or a public hospital. I just want to do this once and do it right
so I don't have to repeat the whole process. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Go with Klapan. For sinus issues, he definitely helps—based on my experience and several people I know who he helped.

Kate James21 said:Xanax has the same effect on me. What dosage are you taking?

for me, it isn't just about the relationship I lost; there are several other things that have set me back over the last year, and I know I'll still be feeling the fallout for at least another year until everything finally stabilizes...

I really should start taking those antidepressants again when I take my vacation or something similar, because they distract me terribly at work and I can't function properly. For now, I've stopped taking them; I need to find the right moment...

Or perhaps I'll pull myself together before then, and won't even need them. I hope...

Otherwise, I take 0.25mg Xanax, one or two tablets a day, making sure to take one before bed, and I can say it helps me fall asleep.

You aren't taking this episode seriously enough. My advice? Start on Prozac to handle the depressive side, begin therapy for ADHD, and look into PT. Once you’ve stabilized, then you can worry about getting back to work. If the discomfort persists, take a two-week leave of absence until your ADHD meds settle in. I don't get the logic behind popping Xanax every single day without a concrete plan. We all know how addictive that stuff is. I’ve known people who actually had to be admitted to a hospital for a long-term detox just to get off it, and let me tell you, it wasn't easy. Real addicts. They deal with intense tremors, insomnia, total brain fog—some were taking ten pills or more just to function. They’d end up nodding off at their desks at work. It's a mess. You could lose your job over this kind of bullshit.

restlesstiger102 said:Today marks the day I finally took my first dose of Ada
I feel like I'm in a complete fog. This depression is just brutal... I suppose this is just what the adjustment period feels like.

Yeah, starting is always the hardest part. That’s why my doctor put me on Adderall along with Wellbutrin and Xanax. Everyone feels terrible at first—nausea, anxiety, stomach issues—but it passes. It gets better eventually.

Kate James21 said:I've honestly been considering just quitting them altogether and trying to get my head straight without any help. I haven't been able to function properly at work all day today...🤦

It’s your life, your call. Good luck. Just keep in mind that everything can come rushing back—the depression, the drinking—because nothing was actually resolved. We just hit a brief plateau. You're still the same person, stuck in the same old patterns. Same old story. But take it slow. That’s just how life goes.

Kate James21 said:Sure, I’d be more than happy to scale back my dosage too, but I honestly don't see how anyone is supposed to manage that with these capsules. The instructions are crystal clear about needing to swallow them whole, without exception. It’s painfully obvious that our healthcare system is failing us...

Look, not every therapy or pill is designed the same way. Yours is clearly meant to be taken whole; that’s just how it is. And obviously, you're going to get used to taking pills. Take it slow.

Kate James21 said:I saw my doctor yesterday, and he prescribed some Alventa for me to pick up at the pharmacy. He gave me the basic rundown on how to take it, or rather, he said the pharmacist would explain it to me. Well, the pharmacist just told me to take one a day.

I took one 75mg capsule yesterday, and naturally, within thirty minutes, I started feeling terrible—dizziness, nausea, and I couldn't get a decent night's sleep to save my life...

Fine, if the idea is to taper up gradually, how am I supposed to split a capsule? It doesn't make any sense to me right now...

No idea, but when I started my antidepressant, I began with just a third of a dose. Can't remember how many times a day, then after a week, half, until I hit the full dose. Think I took three a day back then. I used xanax alongside it to dull the side effects while my body adjusted to the AD. Once things stabilized, I quit the xanax—as soon as possible. Usually, doctors have no clue which AD will actually work for you, so they just try one, move to another if it fails, and that's that. You really need to call your doctor and tell them about the side effects. Don't know why they didn't explain those to you in the first place.

Kate James21 said:I’m heading into my doctor’s appointment today with all my paperwork in hand, so I expect to get a much clearer picture of the situation once we sit down... I am really hoping there is a way out of this without heavy medication, as I have always had a strong aversion to relying on pills to get through the day.

At a general practitioner? Hard to say. My psychiatrist laid everything out for me perfectly. He even told me to call him anytime, day or night, because I was terrified of the side effects. I just followed his lead, took the meds, and things turned out fine. No one with half a brain wants to rely on pills, but you have to recognize when you can handle things solo and when you need a crutch just to function normally again. You definitely need psychotherapy, though. You've got a lot of history—trauma, alcohol, family dynamics, and the ways those patterns shaped how you survive. That's heavy lifting. You can't do it alone. Put in the work.

Kate James21 said:That’s great, thanks a million. She didn't really go into detail, but I imagine my primary care physician would probably walk me through it... I think I'll take some time to look into this further. Thanks again!

So, how does a psychiatrist not explain how to take an AD? Honestly, at this point, nothing about our healthcare system surprises me anymore..😢

Sarah Miller682 said:Hey there!
So, I ran into a bit of a headache today... About two weeks ago, I headed over to JP Morgan Chase to get a card set up—you know, a standard Debit card for transfers, setting up my PayPal, and just having something to swipe at the store every now and then. Everything seemed perfectly fine at the time, and my PIN arrived in the mail this past Friday. But when I went in today to actually pick up the card and make a deposit, the Clerk at the branch gave me some pretty discouraging news. She told me my account is flagged with a freeze, and honestly, she said there’s no point even picking up the card because any cash I try to put on it is just going to be blocked immediately.

Now, here’s the thing—I do remember having a fine back in October 2013. I was actually at the courthouse this time last year, and as far as I can tell, I wasn't showing up in their records (at least, I think so, since the registry apparently only tracks stuff from January 1st, 2014, onwards). I don't even own a car to deal with any issues during an inspection 🙂

So, my big question is... how can I figure out what exactly is causing this freeze? I've never really had anything held against me before (aside from my wardrobe, obviously!). Or, if it turns out I actually *do* need to settle this old fine, where on earth can I go to get a new payment slip? It's not that I'm looking to pay it right this second, but I've managed to lose the original one...

with the IRS?

I'll be around. Thanks for the help, everyone.

ruggedmaker2 said:First off, go back and read that thing you received—really read it. Like, actually focus. Somewhere in that fine print, they’ve laid out exactly what your rights are and what moves you can make right now.

Second, get on the phone or swing by an office to check with Medicare. You need to find out exactly what your coverage looks like and whether you even have a supplemental policy or not. Figure out why on earth they're sending you a warning notice for a service you aren't even using in the first place.

Once you’ve sorted that out (and depending on whatever mess you uncover from those first two steps), you can take it to a notary. Send them a formal written protest, a letter, or a grievance—whatever that notice calls it—to contest this whole thing.

Just don't be one of those people who just shrugs it off and ignores the problem. If you react while there's still time, and if this is genuinely just some massive clerical error, everything should settle itself out.

Most people, when they get hit with stuff like this, they just skim it or don't finish reading at all. That’s how they end up tripping over their own feet and making mistakes in how they handle it. Conclusion Inc. Just read the damn thing and follow the steps.

It literally says I need to pay immediately and call a specific number on the exact day the payment was supposedly made. Since the notice arrived today, Friday, and I can't do anything until Monday, I'm worried about facing a garnishment while I'm stuck trying to prove someone messed up a name. It makes no sense how they can send notices like this without any actual data! They could literally take your paycheck when you aren't even at fault or owe anything. There's a policy number listed, so maybe we can look into whether Medicare entered the wrong name and surname. We never requested or used supplemental coverage. Knowing the bureaucracy in this country and how incompetent officials can be, I'm afraid they'll just pull money straight from my account. I don't understand how something like this is even possible.

Just received a formal notice from a notary acting on behalf of Medicare regarding some unpaid supplemental insurance premiums—insurance we never even signed up for. Since there isn't a single shred of identifying info besides an address, and the name is incredibly common, someone clearly screwed up somewhere.
The letter claims I need to pay immediately or they’ll initiate a garnishment through a collection agency, $633, and frankly, I'm reeling.
What’s my move here?
Any advice would be appreciated.

darkgardener9 said:That’s not the only reason, though it’s part of it. Regardless, how would you even manage going out with a nose that swollen?

I was out of commission for two weeks following my surgery.

Steven Smith16 said:Well, this is a great topic. I struggle with this constantly!! 😁

Basically, I’m far too helpful and accommodating. I tend to feel bad when I see someone struggling with something that I know I could handle much more easily, so I often just take over. Or if someone lacks a ride and I have my car ready to go, I figure, why not give them a lift? The issue arises once people get used to it. You offer them a finger, and they demand the whole hand. I usually tolerate it for a while, thinking maybe things will improve. They rarely do. Eventually, I just snap, tell them exactly how pathetic they're being, and cut them off.

Most people seem to be this way. Then there are the people I've known for a long time—those I try not to be overly helpful toward, or those I don't know well enough to bother with—who look at me like something is clearly wrong with my head because I occasionally lose it on people. I'll drive a friend somewhere and then end up snapping at them; imagine that. God help me. I honestly can't tell who the crazy one is here.

The other day, I was getting off a subway train and there was an inspector on board. A girl stepped on, and I stood next to her for just a second and whispered that the inspector was there, AND SHE LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS TRASH. As if I had any right to assume she didn't have a pass or wasn't a decent citizen of Washington, D.C.

And whenever I mention that I despise society and people, I'm labeled as conceited. It's probably because people find themselves described in my posts.

It’s like I wrote it myself. Honestly, I’m terrified of helping people. It’s never an issue when I see someone struggling—whether at work or in my personal life, I’ll step up. But then they just start taking you for granted. You end up carrying their weight, too. My own damn flaw is that I don't know how to speak up when something bothers me, or how to cut people off before they exploit me. I’ve spent my entire life avoiding conflict. I know the problem lies with me, and I’m working on it. I’m genuinely exhausted by my own behavior. Now, I’ve completely shut down; I just keep to myself and mind my own business, yet somehow I’m still picking up everyone else's slack at the office. It’s a lack of confidence, plain and simple. We have to build that self-assurance ourselves when it wasn't instilled in us growing up.

Angela Alvarez10 said:To me, it honestly feels like TV shows can actually be higher quality than movies. It’s kind of fascinating, really—how a writing team tasked with crafting 22 episodes per season can deliver much better material than someone spending years grinding away on a single ninety-minute film.

Plus, I'd argue you just get more invested in series. You actually grow to love the characters and everything... you end up becoming a genuine fan, which makes it easy to hit that higher rating.

Exactly. Shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, and even stuff like Band of Brothers have completely redefined what television can be.