Posts by Angela Wright

Karen Morgan79 said:I feel compelled to jump into this debate because I’ve held this stubborn opinion for ages: men simply can't be good gynecologists because they lack the capacity to feel what we feel. It’s basic logic—if you have a headache, and I also have a headache, then I have a pretty good idea of what you're going through.
I’ve seen four different female gynecologists, including one absolute nightmare who was nothing but a cranky grouch, and then I finally ended up with a male doctor. Honestly? This man is wonderful. He explained everything perfectly, acting like a true professional. At the end of the day, this is still medicine, even if we’re all still a bit skeptical and sexual or reproductive health issues remain such massive taboos. If you're in pain, there’s zero reason to feel ashamed; these doctors are here to help. As for why they choose this specialty, who knows? Maybe they have some weird hang-ups, or maybe they’re just genuinely interested in the field. Personally, I think they might actually be better gynecologists. I have an appointment with him this Tuesday, and I’m actually looking forward to it. I’m not afraid, because when you have a medical issue, you look for the best care possible.

Look, I had the exact opposite experience. It wasn't until a male gynecologist took over my care—after I'd cycled through three women—that I finally resolved an issue I'd been dragging around for years...
But honestly, it has absolutely nothing to do with whether the doctor is male or female, or whether they "feel" the pain themselves. What matters is how skilled they are and how much they invest in their continuing education.
And that whole "feeling the pain" argument is just a tired cliché... Good God, that’s like saying an oncologist can't effectively treat cancer because they haven't personally had cancer. It's incredibly narrow-minded.

John Martin14 said:Thanks for the reply.
So, what form does this medication actually take, and where can you even get your hands on it?
My friend's son is battling Stage IV melanoma, and it’s already spread to his brain. The doctors are recommending Sutent.
Could you please send me a link in either Spanish or German? Our English isn't exactly top-tier.

So, just like @FighterGirl pointed out, Sutent only comes in capsule form.

slyseal28 said:Quoting: Sutent is used for cancer treatment. It’s available in three different capsule strengths: 12.5-mg, 25-mg, and 50-mg. You take it orally just once a day. One thing you absolutely cannot do: do not open those capsules.

Sutent is a medication used in cancer treatment—though, let’s be clear, we aren't talking about every single type of cancer here. It comes in 12.5, 25, and 50 mg capsules. You take it orally once a day, and whatever you do, don't go opening those capsules.

Getting hold of Sutent is an absolute nightmare of red tape. I don’t know where you’re located, but here in the States, for this specific indication, the drug isn't even registered or covered under standard Medicare protocols. If a doctor actually tries to prescribe it, they hit a brick wall: the request gets tossed to a hospital review board that has to vote on whether to approve or deny it. More often than not, the answer is a flat "no." In fact, doctors are often scared to even write the prescription in the first place. Even though there’s a general policy that says if a doctor prescribes a medication, the patient should be able to get it, the reality is much grittier. These drugs end up being paid for directly out of the hospital's own budget. It would all be simple if Sutent wasn't so obscenely expensive, but hospital budgets are razor-thin and strictly capped. It’s a high-stakes game—hospital directors who blow past those budget limits face getting fired by the Secretary of Health. So, right from the jump, the doctor's neck is on the line, and don't even get me started on how much it puts the patient in a desperate position.
Look, when it comes to the US, getting a prescription for a drug like this isn't just a simple matter of walking into a pharmacy and buying it out of pocket to start treatment. You might be able to track down a prescription through a private oncologist, but let’s be real—private practices just don't have the infrastructure or the specialized equipment required to monitor a treatment plan like this properly. You need a full-scale medical institution, like a major hospital, to handle that kind of oversight.

I don't know exactly how things are going for Vanda, but I'd bet it's pretty much the same situation everywhere else: if Medicare doesn't cover the medication, you're stuck paying the full price out of your own pocket.

I have to admit, this is the first I've heard about Sutent being used for malignant melanoma, too. As an association, we spent a huge chunk of this past year fighting the Sutent battle, and we finally managed to pressure the government into getting it added to the Medicare coverage list for kidney cancer. Honestly, I can't believe we didn't stumble across any data regarding its use for this specific indication during all that work.😕

And one more thing that’s absolutely critical:
If you find yourself in a position where you have to source your own medication, listen to me: do not, under any circumstances, buy anything without a legitimate prescription. Don't fall for those shady internet vendors or random resellers. These people are experts at playing the victim; they’ll spin a sob story about losing a loved one to make it seem like they're just passing along a leftover miracle cure. It’s a total scam. And for heaven's sake, don't ever touch an unsealed container. Some of these predators are so depraved they’ll actually encapsulate bacteria and sell it to you as medicine. It's pure filth.
So, we're talking about a prescription-only drug from the pharmacy!

EDIT: From what I gathered after digging around online, Sutent is still being tested in clinical trials for malignant melanoma. It would be worth asking his doctor about getting him enrolled in one of those studies. If he gets accepted into a trial, the medication could end up being free. As it stands, the current data suggests that Sutent shows some level of effectiveness in roughly one-third of melanoma patients.
http://www.pharma24.de/sutent-sunitinib.html

Maria Taylor58 said:keep things like that to yourself, because making snide remarks right now isn't helping 🙄,
since you have no idea what might happen to you or your family down the road...

True, life is unpredictable, but keeping quiet isn't the answer either. Your situation could serve as a cautionary tale for others—a lesson in why you shouldn't mess around with things you don't understand or take medical advice from some neighborhood old lady like Mary.
So, don't go getting mad at the people on this forum 🙂, get mad at her. Personally, I’d report her; she's a danger to the community, not to mention how much I'd love to see her face if she had actually tried to kill my mother and me. Who knows, maybe it was intentional. You find all kinds of psychopaths out there, and those old women can be the most vicious of them all. 🙂

It's just crazy when I think about how many people on the alternative health boards constantly chew on random seeds thinking it'll somehow fix their looks... it's pathetic.🤦

Brenda Cooper3 said:But if it isn't bacterial, I’m not wasting my time on antibiotics—they only work against bacteria. Usually, when I see her and tell her my only symptoms are sneezing and coughing, she just brushes me off with a "you probably have sinus inflammation" and tells me to go home and use a humidifier. So, that's exactly what I do! Though honestly, I lose track of how many times a day I end up doing it.

The more often, the better, especially using sea salt solution.
Tell her to run a swab test. There is absolutely zero point in dragging out some vague illness for weeks on end without knowing what we're actually dealing with.

Good grief!😲 You two are just as delusional as she is!🙄
Someone report that woman already! Seriously, we need to start locking people like this up for good.😠
This could easily be charged as attempted murder! It’s nothing but straight-up dangerous quackery!

Brenda Cooper3 said:It’s been ten days since this cold started. I’m still coughing up phlegm, and my nose is running thick, bright yellow—with a bit of blood mixed in. Honestly, I'm assuming the blood is just a busted capillary, but the yellow part? No clue. Maybe it's just plasma, or who knows if I've got some kind of internal scratch. Hm. 😕
Do you think I should see a doctor?

You've got a sinus infection... I told you that already. Go see a doctor and tell them exactly what that mucus looks like. They'll hand you a prescription for antibiotics 100%.
Get some steam inhalation in you!

I'm mostly over mine. The only thing is I wake up all stuffed up, but that clears out once I get to the bathroom and blow my nose.

Donna Phillips26 said:I honestly think you men are just mentally unstable! If psychology actually played a role in this, she’d have enough work to last a lifetime...

I think you're overgeneralizing. Sure, there might be some psychological outliers out there, but I'd bet my life savings that most of them are perfectly sane people.
I remember back when I was first sketching figure drawings at art school. I had an 80-year-old grandmother sitting right in front of me, completely naked, and all I could think about was how to $17 just make it through the day without dying of embarrassment.
It felt incredibly awkward, seeing someone have to strip down like that in front of a bunch of drooling teenagers. But by the second time around, I realized I wasn't even thinking about the nudity anymore; I was focused on proportions, light, shadow, line work... I was just doing my job.
What's my point? When you're lying on a gynecologist's exam table, that doctor has a thousand other clinical questions and dilemmas swirling in their head—anything from diagnostic concerns to whether your anatomy looks "normal." They have to perform their job responsibly; they can't hurt you, and they can't miss anything. A mistake on their part could cost you your health or your life, and cost them their career and a clean conscience. I'm pretty sure for most of them, that's the only priority that matters.

ambersurfer3 said:Seeking advice

My mother was admitted to the hospital about two months ago. Her initial symptoms included abdominal pain, jaundice, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. After undergoing a gastroscopy and a CT scan, doctors identified a 3.5 cm mass on the head of her pancreas and noted a blocked bile duct. Following surgery, the surgeon realized the issue wasn't limited to just the pancreatic head—the entire organ is inflamed, hard, and misshapen, and her duodenum has also hardened. They didn't remove the pancreas; instead, they performed a biopsy and created a bypass from the stomach to the liver to route around the duodenum using the small intestine. While the pathology report didn't explicitly confirm cancer, malignant cells were found. Based on their clinical experience, the doctors strongly suspect pancreatic cancer. We are currently waiting for confirmation from specialists in Canada.
She’s still hospitalized and receiving IV fluids. She has just started being able to tolerate small, pureed meals. If anyone could help by sharing their experiences or recommending a specific diet regarding what she can safely eat, we would be so grateful.

Did your mom have gallstones?
From what I understand—specifically from my conversations with oncologists—it isn't unusual for long-standing, untreated inflammatory processes to trigger malignant cellular changes. There was very direct discussion about how gallstones can drive constant inflammation. People carry them around for years, dealing with chronic inflammation, and by the time their health takes a massive hit or an acute attack forces them under the knife, doctors often find that the damage is already done. It's common for patients to be opened up only to find widespread metastasis because that persistent inflammation caused the cells to turn malignant, and the situation becomes too advanced for surgical intervention.
In the case of a malignancy, it seems like your mother caught it at a moment where there might actually be something that can be done.

As part of the Hotline project, Kuz is launching a dedicated phone line where citizens can get answers regarding healthcare and social security rights, specifically focusing on disability services and primary care. You'll be speaking directly with two experts from Kuz: Jane Smith, MD, a specialist in family medicine, and Jane Doe, a licensed social worker.

Hotline: 1-800-555-0199

October Duty Schedule:

Wednesday, Oct 7, 2009: Jane Smith – Primary Care topics – 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Thursday, Oct 15, 2009: Jane Doe – Social Security and Disability rights – 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009: Jane Smith – Primary Care topics – 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Thursday, Oct 29, 2009: Jane Doe – Social Security and Disability rights – 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Kitty, please accept my deepest condolences😢

Brenda Cooper3 said:What exactly is native propolis? I assume you can pick it up at a local pharmacy, but what’s the damage on price?
By the way, I'm currently in that stage where I'm coughing up mucus that's basically trickling out of my nose. It’s thin, ranging from pale yellow to bright yellow. I know the mucus is the culprit behind this brutal cough I've got. My dilemma is whether I should just let my body "clear itself out" naturally or if I need to actually medicate. The coughing is intense and irritating; I nearly gagged this morning because it was so suffocating. Hm.
I'll try nasal inhalation again tonight. Last time I had a cold, that was the only thing that saved my throat from all that irritating drainage. Anyway, this cold has already dragged on for a week. Khm. Is that unusual?

I'll shoot you a link via DM.👍

Drew Morgan said:Hold on a second—who is physically stronger in most cases? Men or women?

And what exactly was the author supposed to do? It’s not like she’s made of steel.

Should we be the ones to file suit first?😉
Of course it isn’t made of steel, and she really needs to keep that in mind. A guy who is willing to spread slander so publicly without a shred of evidence is exactly the kind of person who might just decide to raise a hand to a woman.
Whether you're a man or a woman, resorting to physical violence at the edge of an argument is nothing more than a pathetic admission of defeat. It’s the ultimate sign that someone has completely run out of steam and lacks the intellectual capacity to hold their own in a real debate.

Here’s the deal: he can file a lawsuit, but that doesn't change reality. Everything he thinks he has against her? It’s all true.
I'm not sure what kind of nonsense you're trying to pull here, but let's get one thing straight: cut the crap.😳

Brenda Cooper3 said:Wait, what on earth do you mean by mother's milk? 😲

Bee products😉
They’re fine, I guess, but my local beekeepers always tell me that royal jelly really needs to be eaten fresh, otherwise it loses all its potency.
Native propolis is also good, though if you have a pollen allergy, you might want to stay far away from it.👎

As for me, grapes do the trick. I just sit here snacking on Isabella like a total idiot.🙏

Donna Wood52 said:That's what the headline says.

It’s not that I’m shocked—gynecology is just another medical specialty like any other. But I am genuinely curious about what drives a man to choose OB/GYN. I know they pick their specialties just like any other med student, because they have an interest in the field, but I’ve heard from plenty of seasoned professionals that some men go into it because they find it "exciting" to watch, especially when a young, attractive patient walks into the clinic.

Then again, I hear from others that some men choose it because they are a bit more "detached."
And then there's the argument that they feel a deep sense of empathy for women.

Personally, I used to be nervous about male gynecologists, but after my first visit, I realized that many men actually have a much gentler touch, whereas most women seem to have a "heavy" hand. I’m not saying female doctors aren't great—they are kind and professional—but they can be a bit rougher during the exam.

What do you all think?

My take is that this has absolutely nothing to do with whether someone finds the work visually appealing or not. It’s a job. And if you're going to do a job, you have to do it with passion. Gynecology is a fascinating field of medicine where innovation never stops. We're talking everything from IVF and infertility treatments to minimally invasive surgeries and breakthroughs that might cure conditions we consider terminal today. Perhaps men simply possess more of an adventurous spirit in this regard, or maybe they have more flexibility in their schedules, since high-level research demands a massive time commitment—time that often results in wives being the ones who sacrifice to manage the home and the kids.
I don't quite get why this specific topic prompted you to post. 😕 As far as I can see, the split between male and female OB/GYNs is pretty much equal.

You should’ve snapped at him right then and there and told him to get lost because you’re going to sue him for defamation. You could have played this smarter and squeezed a few extra bucks out of the settlement. Let him wander around town slandering people instead.👍

Bottom line? You folded.😳

I was out soaking up the sun and diving deep. Suddenly, it felt like I’d surfaced from the ocean floor after years underwater, and there were zombies everywhere😁 But honestly, things settled down after a day or two. That’s just the usual pattern for me; it's been happening since I can remember.
It all started out looking like a simple allergy. It felt like something was constantly getting under my skin all last month. First, my palate started itching, then my eyes got all scratchy, then came the drooling and the occasional sneezing fits. After that, my tonsils started acting up, and once that passed, it morphed into this mess.
I’m feeling a lot better today, though I still sound like I’m talking through a stuffed nose.😳

slyhound18 said:after a whole week, I was still hurting just as bad as day one🤷
I guess you really have to cut all activity down to an absolute crawl to see if anything actually changes.

Whether I liked it or not, I barely moved at all—even breathing felt too painful. I was gasping for air like a fish out of water. I couldn't sit up straight, and I couldn't even eat because my stomach was constantly turning.

slyhound18 said:I haven't seen any real progress in about 15 days now...
If anyone out there has dealt with something similar and can suggest some kind of actual therapy instead of just sitting around waiting for it to heal, I’d really appreciate the help.

They just put me on Advil and everything cleared up within a week.

Anonymous said:Are you talking about the online portal?😕 Something isn't loading for me🤷...

Thanks for the heads-up. We were running some site upgrades, and clearly, things got a bit messy during the process. We'll have it sorted out sometime tomorrow, so check back then.😉

Brenda Cooper3 said:My sinuses don't even hurt, even when I apply pressure!

Pain isn't always a requirement for an issue to be present.
Start using a steamer or grab some nasal spray to clear things out and get the drainage moving.