Posts by Angela Wright

Rachel Brooks63 said:Yeah, they never actually got back to me about my question or suggestion 😉

Mary is incredibly friendly whenever you talk to her on the phone. I'm honestly surprised you haven't heard anything back yet.😕

Maria Howard27 said:Hey everyone.🙂

Just got back from the doctor, and she put me on Amoxicillin.

I laid everything out for her—basically repeating everything I already posted here—but I made sure to mention that I've completely lost my appetite. It’s honestly bizarre because, under normal circumstances, I’m basically eating every five minutes.😁)

My doctor checked out my throat and said there's some inflammation on the side, but since I can swallow just fine and don't feel any swelling or lumps, she thinks we can officially rule out mono.🤷

She listened to me all over again—insisted everything was perfectly fine. Honestly, I felt like an idiot giving her unsolicited advice on what she should or shouldn't be doing.

She mentioned that this antibiotic covers both upper and lower respiratory infections, so... 👍

And there you have it. Chapter closed—hopefully. 🙂

Thanks for the advice.

Look, if I were you, I’d still head to the clinic to get some bloodwork done. I really hope she’s right and that you start feeling better soon, but you can't be too careful.

Rachel Brooks63 said:Look, I’ve got this one question that I can’t seem to find an answer to anywhere, so I’m hoping you might be able to shed some light on it. 🙂

The media is constantly harping on the fact that a huge chunk—most of them, if you ask me—of the collected samples haven't been typed because the foundation just doesn't have the budget to handle them all, given how insanely expensive the process is. Honestly, I would gladly pay for my own typing 🙂 Why on earth isn't there an option to cover our own costs? You tell us it costs $1000, so let me just send over $1000 for my specific testing and then whoever is responsible can just get it done. People would actually be willing to open their wallets (certain people, anyway) if they knew exactly where the money was going and if they were actually going to see their results at the end of the day.

Why isn't this an option? If typing even 100 samples like that makes a tangible difference, isn't that a win for everyone?

Well, why don't you just ask them directly and submit the proposal?👍

Carol Mitchell86 said:Things are just spiraling downward here. My mom had her second surgery back on August 28th, and she didn't get discharged from the hospital until Friday, September 11th. Everything went sideways during her stay—she had a CSF leak that they eventually stabilized, but now she’s dealing with a thrombosis in her left leg. Her leg is massive. The veins have burst, and they’ve started IV therapy directly in her legs. On top of that, she’s developed this cough, and she’s once again completely vacant, staring off into nothing. That blank look in her eyes is honestly the hardest part for me to handle mentally. She’s seeing an oncologist tomorrow to hopefully start Temodal. She’s been dependent on diapers for a while now and can barely make it to the bathroom without our help. It’s terrifying how fast this disease advances. I can't wrap my head around the fact that she was a perfectly healthy woman just two months ago.
Do you think she's already entering the terminal phase?

Oh honey, it’s so hard to say. My own mother was completely immobile and spent a year and a half bedridden.
But since she just had surgery—and brain surgery at that—you have to hang in there. Given the thrombosis, I doubt they’ll even start her on Temodal until they get that situation under control.

It looks like you're dealing with mono symptoms. You should definitely bring that up with your doctor.

wiredharbor22 said:It might be a fungal infection... 😲 Who should I reach out to regarding this...?

I had some abdominal pain that lasted for a few days, but since it intensified in the evening, I didn't see my doctor until later... She’s a bit of a worrier, so she sent me straight to the emergency room at Mayo Clinic. I spent the entire day there, mostly just waiting in the internal medicine waiting area, only to be told in the end that it was just cramps... 😕 Then the next day passed without a second thought, so I didn't even seek treatment...

Sometimes I go through phases where various symptoms crop up, only to vanish just as quickly. It feels as though a collection of minor ailments builds up all at once... then suddenly subsides... 😁

Look, an esthetician should be able to spot a fungal infection just as easily as your GP. There's oral medication available, and I noticed even Schol has that nail fungus marker pen, though if you ask me, that little pen is nothing more than a temporary band-aid.

fadedmarlin402 said:Your diabetes isn't the cause here, at least not specifically regarding your nails. With diabetes, you start seeing wounds pop up out of nowhere that just won't heal, which eventually leads to tissue necrosis.

Just go see a podiatrist, an aesthetician, or whatever—someone who handles feet—and ask them. If they tell you it's a medical issue, then head to a doctor. That nail situation doesn't sit right with me. It might actually be a surgical matter rather than something for a butcher to handle. 😁

Yes, they do. That's your glucose...

It’s not uncommon for diabetics to deal with fungal infections on their feet, particularly in the nails, which makes them thicken up.
But you don't have to be diabetic to deal with fungus.

wiredharbor22, why were you in the hospital?

wiredharbor22 said:The rest of my nails seem fine. Do diabetics only have trouble with their pinky toes? And I haven't been monitoring my glucose for long...

edit: I didn't see any follow-up until now. Does it bother you? Or have you just gotten used to things being this way since that doctor's visit?...

I have no clue, but you really need to go check those levels. Trust me, if your blood sugar is spiraling out of control, your nails are going to be the least of your worries.
And honestly, there's a chance you're just dealing with a fungal infection. That's definitely on the table.

You say your nails look terrible. Have you actually checked your blood sugar lately? People with diabetes often run into issues with that.

p.s. I’m kind of in the same boat as you. On my left foot, my pinky toe is actually larger than the one next to it. It just stunted. It grew normally with the rest of them until I was about six, and then it just stopped. I actually went to see an orthopedist once, but after seeing how many other kids were there with much worse deformities, I felt so self-conscious that I just turned around and went home.
It looks genetic, because my brother has the exact same issue on his right foot—though mine is definitely more pronounced. You can imagine how people stare at him when we're at the beach or when I'm just wearing flip-flops. But honestly, I don't care. My partner loves me just the same. He jokes that if I ever get lost, he'll be able to find me easier because of it.😍

Ashley Fisher2 said:I realize this thread is pretty old, but I’m facing the exact same situation as the original poster.

My grandfather is battling end-stage prostate cancer. Last spring, he had surgery and things actually looked up—he gained some weight and stayed on top of his checkups. But since last summer, everything has spiraled. He’s dealing with numbness in his limbs and his blood counts are abysmal; he’s been receiving red blood cell transfusions once a month
. For the past two weeks, his condition has just plummeted. He can't walk anymore, spends all day sleeping or lying down, and refuses to eat, especially meat. He’s incredibly weak, and as of tonight, he can’t urinate properly or it's completely uncontrolled. I didn't quite catch what my grandmother said, but she ended up buying him adult diapers.

If anyone here has dealt with this specific illness, could you tell me how much longer this suffering usually lasts? His condition is deteriorating daily, and I know he doesn't have much time left; I just don't want him to be in pain. Is there anything at all we can do to make him more comfortable?
The doctors at the local hospital told my grandmother that there isn't much point in coming back anymore... the only thing left is to keep him on the red blood cell transfusions.

Thanks everyone for any answers or advice.

He needs palliative care if it’s an option. I had an aunt with that diagnosis who lived for 15 years and passed away at 95.
I highly recommend scheduling a consultation for your grandfather with Dr. Trnski at the Mayo Clinic. He’s a urologist and a true specialist when it comes to these complications. My aunt had several procedures performed by him to clear out new growths that were blocking her bladder. In fact, he operated on her just a week before she passed because urine was backing up into her kidneys and causing excruciating pain. It provided such relief because she had been suffering so terribly before that. She passed away peacefully, and as the doctor puts it, she died of old age rather than the cancer.
To be clear, he won't cure your grandfather, but he can certainly manage the symptoms so he can live with the disease.
Unfortunately, in our healthcare system, they tend to cut corners on these kinds of procedures, especially with elderly patients. It seems like Dr. Trnski is the exception to that rule.
Also, your grandfather absolutely needs to be put on an IV if he can't keep food down anymore.

Dana Morales64 said:Sometimes I sleep fine, but other times I hit these phases where I just can't get enough rest, barely getting 3 or 4 hours. For some reason, no matter how exhausted I am, I’ll pass out, but then I’m wide awake again after only a few hours and I just can't drift back off. Or if someone wakes me up before I've had enough, there's zero chance of falling back asleep; I feel wiped out but my brain won't shut down. To be honest, my sleep schedule has been all over the place lately—no discipline at all. I go to bed at different times every night and my hours are totally inconsistent, so maybe I'm just confusing my internal clock and triggering this insomnia? Also, when I'm sleep-deprived, I struggle to eat properly, yet I find myself feeling hungry again shortly after a meal. I'm pretty hyperactive and my mind tends to race, making it impossible to relax once I hit the pillow. My thoughts just keep spinning, and I end up tossing and turning. Any advice?

Get your thyroid checked.
My old man dealt with similar issues regarding his sleep and appetite. It eventually turned him into an absolute nightmare—irritable, impossible to be around, and he lost a ton of weight because of it. Turns out his thyroid was completely out of whack. Once he got his medication regulated, everything leveled out. He's doing great now.

Susan Diaz91 said:she passed away.. in her sleep.... 🙂
I can't even find the right words to describe this grief... honestly, I feel like my heart is just going to shatter 🙂
.... this pain is absolutely unbearable

😢🙂
I am so incredibly sorry, dear. Please accept my deepest condolences. You did everything humanly possible for her. Don't let the guilt eat at you; she’s in a much better place now than she was here on this earth, watching over us alongside my own mom.
Let her rest in peace now and try to find a way to move forward. That is undoubtedly what she would want for you.
Hang in there and keep staying as brave as you have been.

Alcohol isn't the only thing that can wreck your liver. You could be looking at damage from a diet loaded with greasy fast food, too many sodas, or even something like hepatitis.
Go see a doctor and make sure you get tested for hepatitis along with a full liver panel. If they find something off, they'll likely order an abdominal ultrasound to see what's actually going on inside.
The good news is that the liver is one of those rare tissues that can actually regenerate itself, provided the damage hasn't gone too far—and honestly, I doubt you're dealing with anything that extreme.

Sam Hall15 said:Hmm... anesthesiologists... now that is interesting...

I'm with you on this one.

I’m in the exact same boat as those famous gynecologists. I take Yasmin because of endometriosis. She claims you don't need to take any breaks from them since they're considered next-gen pills. She even told me you can keep taking them as long as we're in our fertile years.
I've been on them non-stop for four years now. Still, if I didn't have this condition, I’d definitely be cycling off them, probably at least once every six months.

Daniel Roberts18 said:It seems to me that younger professionals have this extra drive—they’re a bit more eager to prove themselves, right? Since they aren't quite the big names yet, they actually have the time and the patience to really focus on their patients—which is perfect, because succeeding with a patient is how they build that reputation. Plus, I’d much rather hire someone who will be around for many years to come.

Oh, please, you’re still "young," so you clearly don't grasp how things actually run in an American hospital😍.
The reality is that young professionals rarely occupy positions where they can just work "unhindered." There is always some authority figure looming over them—whether it's a department head or the hospital director—ready to throw a wrench in their plans with some arbitrary restriction or rule. And don't even get me started on the "collegial" cliques and petty politics that dominate those hallways.

fadedmarlin402 said:Paladino is definitely the choice, but the real question is who actually steps up to succeed him...
I don't really get why you're pushing for someone younger. In my experience, the older crowd tends to bring much more seasoned expertise to the table—especially in medicine—and they’re usually better at staying on top of the latest advancements in their field.

Here's the play: coordinate a consultation through the head nurse when he's free, then walk in there with some ambition and conviction. Say what you want to say, and if that guy recognizes you're the real deal—someone worth working with—success isn't just a possibility, it's a guarantee.
From my own experience, I've found him to be incredibly approachable; he genuinely respects smart, driven young professionals and values a solid, constructive dialogue.
Back when he was performing surgery on my mother, he had a junior resident shadowing his every move during operations and rounds.

From what I’ve gathered—and I eventually saw the truth for myself—the absolute heavyweights in neurosurgery around here have to be Dr. Paladino and his crew over at Rebro.

Sarah Perez59 said:My best friend is dealing with some kind of lymph node disease.
I can never remember the actual name—I always have to Google it just so I don't look like an idiot copy-pasting it. There’s just something about the word itself that feels wrong; I can barely even wrap my head around it.
She's facing chemotherapy. She hasn't started yet, but right now she's stuck in this endless loop of tests to figure out if it's spread to other organs.
I honestly have no idea what lies ahead...
I had so much more I wanted to say, but now I'm just completely drained.
We only found out yesterday. She spent the entire day in total denial, insisting she’d still be out partying like nothing happened...
I'm seeing her today, and I have to stay strong—for her and by her side.
I need to face this head-on. Being strong and staying positive doesn't mean ignoring the reality of the situation or being delusional.
She has to face it too, obviously. The doctor said it's treatable, but they have to go all in to get her healthy again...
I was a complete wreck yesterday, crying my eyes out because I can't believe this is happening to her. She had finally reached a point where she was truly happy.
But dwelling on "what ifs" won't help. It happened, it's real, and now there's a fight to be won.
My stomach has been in knots all day.
Honestly, nothing beats the feeling of absolute helplessness—that crushing uncertainty of not knowing what happens next or how bad it gets...

It's most likely either Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin.
Lymphomas fall into a category of cancers that generally have very high success rates with treatment.
Hang in there and keep being her rock. She's facing a massive hurdle, and while it's going to be exhausting and incredibly tough at times, she's going to beat this.

wirednomad42 said:Honestly, I’ve come to realize that I only ever give a damn about what I'm eating when everything else in my life is actually falling into place. 🤷
Maybe I just have a fundamental problem with order. 🤣

Maybe you’re just carrying some deep-seated childhood trauma that's buried somewhere in your subconscious. Or maybe, plain and simple, you have bulimia.😉People with bulimia stuff themselves until they hit a limit, then they purge, chasing that specific, fleeting sense of relief that follows. It’s all about that momentary high.
There's a whole spectrum of eating disorders out there, but at the end of the day, most of them are really just psychological issues manifesting through food.

A quick chat with a therapist would probably be enough to get things moving in the right direction.