Posts by Angela Wright

Don't spiral. Just keep a steady hand on things and hang in there for a year or two until the medication finally hits the US market. 🙂
I just really hope your boyfriend is as responsible as you say he is and actually stays mindful of his next moves.

James Cruz6 said:I was digging through some old archives and found a user claiming they stopped using asbestos in TA furnaces ages ago... but you can never be too sure.

Look, I don't know what your budget looks like, but honestly? Old, sketchy equipment should just be tossed and replaced with something modern. Why on earth would you want to risk your health dealing with asbestos? There are plenty of ways to heat a home today, including new thermal units that pull way less power than that old thing you're running. Just take out a small loan if you have to; it’ll pay for itself in lower utility bills down the road. Or better yet, grab a heat pump. I know tons of people who ditched their space heaters for AC units with heating capabilities and swear their electric bills actually went down. Plus, you get cooling in the summer—and let's face it, summers are only getting hotter. They're even cheaper to buy during the off-season. Just make sure you haul that old furnace to a proper hazardous waste site so that asbestos gets handled the right way.

James Cruz6 said:Since those old thermal storage heaters were insulated with asbestos glass wool, I’m wondering how much of a risk the asbestos dust actually poses. Is it only dangerous if they are being vented out, or does it not matter at all?

Ever since I stumbled upon the fact that there's asbestos in my heater, I've felt like I'm sitting on an unexploded atomic bomb right in my own living room.

We're considering ripping it out entirely, though most of us grew up with these units and never ran into issues. I'm not trying to be difficult, but I'm certainly not willing to gamble with my health, even by a tiny margin, so I need to know what the actual danger is. For instance, if the asbestos is properly sealed within the walls, is everything fine? Does this kind of heater have some sort of internal insulation that keeps it contained?

Mine didn't have any asbestos. When we moved, the workers tore it down and found nothing but bricks inside. It probably depends on the manufacturer, but if you're looking at a newer model, I highly doubt there's any asbestos in there since it's been banned for ages. Nowadays, fiberglass or rock wool has completely replaced that old stuff for insulation.

Anne said:Does anyone know the best place in New York City to get a breast exam and an ultrasound? What are the private clinic prices like?

You can actually get a breast ultrasound at the Mayo Clinic facility where they also have mammography available. It’s covered by insurance, you just need to book an appointment. If things are urgent, make sure to mention that—they'll squeeze you in right away. Otherwise, the wait isn't bad at all, probably similar to waiting for a checkup at your gynecologist. Just keep in mind, you'll need a referral from your doctor first.

granitebadger25 said:If he was using cocaine—which would definitely explain that level of aggression—he’s looking at a massive risk for cardiac arrest, especially if you factor in being blasted with a heavy dose of pepper spray.
From what I can gather, they sprayed him directly with a huge amount of tear gas in an enclosed space... which likely triggered some short-term hypoxia.
Does anyone know if the autopsy results are out yet?

The news reports are saying he’d been on drugs since he was thirteen. He started out with weed before graduating to the harder stuff. Apparently, his mother was a nightmare to deal with, and he’d get wheezy just from all her nagging and constant complaining. That’s why he allegedly lashed out at his wife; she wouldn't shut up, just like his mother, and eventually, he just snapped.

šal said:I’m feeling this intense pressure in my clitoris, and it hurts so bad when I touch it—it honestly feels like it's going to burst. I just dealt with a UTI a few days ago. Does anyone know if there's a connection here? Has anyone else experienced this specific kind of pain and pressure? If you have, please let me know what might be going on.

thanks

Could it just be an ingrown hair nearby that caused all the surrounding tissue to get inflamed? You should probably see a doctor; they'll likely prescribe an antibiotic ointment.

Donna Clark77 said:Throw some narcotics into the mix and you’re looking at a one-way ticket to cardiac arrest. 😎

That’s exactly what I was getting at. The guy was clearly battling PTSD, so you just know he was likely on some kind of sedative or anti-anxiety meds to keep his head above water. Honestly, can you even imagine how much of a beast he was as a sailor? It sounds like they probably had to hit him with a full canister of tear gas just to get him under control. I feel terrible for him, truly. It’s just one tragic chapter after another from start to finish.

steelfalcon21 said:...a few years back I noticed (well, my hairstylist actually pointed it out 😬) this weird red rash on the back of my neck. It doesn't itch or hurt at all. It starts right around the base of the spine/neck area and stretches up about two or three inches—it gets wider as it goes up towards that little dip we have at the base of the skull, just above the hairline 😁. It seems to flare up occasionally, but it’s not from hair dye because I stopped using color over a year ago and the redness hasn't budged. I tried searching online, but nothing clicked. Anyone have any idea what this could be? 😕

Is the skin peeling there?

aurora777 said:I was wondering if it's okay to drink alcohol while I'm on birth control pills (specifically Cilest)?

I’m definitely not an alcoholic or anything, but I just want to know if having a drink here and there at parties is fine.

In principle, you really ought to steer clear of alcohol and sodas, along with anything super greasy that puts stress on your liver. Birth control pills already put quite a heavy load on the liver themselves. It's common for them to cause elevated liver enzyme levels during blood tests.
That said, having the occasional glass of wine or a Coke shouldn't be a major issue.

balila said:I would be extremely grateful if someone could explain these lab results to me:

MCV 80.8 (83-97.2)
PLT 447 (158-424)
ALT 124 (10-36)
AST 55 (8-30)
GGT 73 (9-35)
triglycerides 1.82 (0-1.7)

Everything else is within range.

Those elevated liver enzymes often pop up in women taking birth control pills. If you aren't on any hormonal contraceptives, go see your doctor and ask for a hepatitis panel.
Also, cut back on the soda and alcohol (hopefully you aren't a heavy drinker 😁 )

Chloe Garcia33 said:First off, hey everyone. I’m 21 and could really use some advice here. During sex—specifically in certain positions that allow for deep penetration—I experience this dull ache. It feels like when my partner goes all the way in, he hits "something," which causes a lot of discomfort. Is it possible that my vaginal canal is just too short and he's hitting my cervix? I didn't have these issues with my ex, but my current boyfriend is quite large, so I'm worried that might be the cause. If that is the case, could there be any long-term consequences, like issues with fertility or something? I know the body is flexible, but I can't think of another reason and it's honestly making me pretty anxious. Just to clarify, I go to my gynecologist for regular checkups and everything comes back normal, but I feel awkward bringing this specific thing up... I know I shouldn't feel embarrassed, but still. Thanks in advance for any help..

It’s likely just a cyst.
Go see your OB-GYN and ask them to run an ultrasound.
I don't want to freak you out, but that can be a symptom of endometriosis, though it isn't a guarantee.

Hannah Watson85 said:My breasts are killing me :/ .. it's been going on for about a week now.. it feels like they're covered in bruises, just sore and tender to the touch, and I have no clue what's causing it :/ .. the left one seems a bit worse than the right.

Nobody hit me, I haven't bumped into anything, and I'm not even expecting my period.. they just hurt :/ .. at first, I thought maybe it was because I sleep on my stomach, but I've always slept that way, so it would be weird for them to suddenly feel all crushed and bruised ..

Any ideas?

It’s probably just your hormones acting up.
Mine used to get super swollen and tender from the middle of my cycle until my period started—like 15 days of constant pain. I went in for an ultrasound since they won't even touch you with a mammogram if you're under 40; the technician practically kicked me out when I tried to badger her for a referral. Anyway, the lady doing the ultrasound told me it's totally normal for things to swell and ache like that when you're 29.

Roger Smith6 said:hey

I pulled a total idiot move and went to a jeweler to get my cartilage pierced.
For the first three or four days, everything seemed fine—just a little swelling, nothing major.
But last night, my ear swelled up so badly that this morning I could barely even pull that damn earring out.
My question is: now that the foreign object is out, will the swelling just go down on its own without any permanent damage, or should I head straight to a doctor? Also, is there any way to save the piercing hole, or am I stuck waiting for it to heal before finding a pro to redo it?
thanks
Roger Smith6

It’s infected. You’ll be lucky if a round of antibiotics clears it up. Obviously, get yourself to a doctor right now.

dancer_girl said:For the past year, I’ve been dealing with constant back pain paired with a persistent low-grade fever—it stays hovering right around 98.6°F, rarely dipping or spiking.
After dealing with non-stop pain and a fever that spiked to 104, I ended up in the ER only to find out I have a kidney infection. So, yeah... there we go. It’s official now.
I was still dealing with those pains and running a fever, thinking it was my kidneys acting up again.
But look, five months ago, they told me the cyst was clear—I’d actually ended up in the ER because I was dealing with heavy, painful bleeding roughly every two weeks.
I was constantly going back for scans, and it was always one thing or another—one moment the left side looked clear, then suddenly the right side was flagged. One day the mass would be larger, the next it would seem smaller. It was just a constant, frustrating cycle of shifting measurements.
So, basically, my ovaries have been killing me constantly, which is why I headed back in for another checkup...
The inflammation was intense. I figured if I just used some Vagisil, the whole thing would be sorted, but I clearly underestimated how bad it actually was.
After my transvaginal ultrasound, the gynecologist told me they found a hyper-echoic, oval formation about 2 cm in size on my left ovary—specifically a Dermoid.
There’s also a 3 cm CA-125 tumor formation on the right side.
He told me to get my CA-125 checked first thing tomorrow morning. Now I’m just sitting here waiting on the results, and he wants me to call him the second they come in.
He told me it doesn't look good... but he said I need to wait for the results.
I did a little digging online, and from what I can gather, a dermoid is classified as a tumor.
My doctor wouldn't say a damn thing to me because he was clearly terrified of how I’d react. Honestly, while he was trying to break the news, he could barely even get his words out.
I tried telling him that I honestly couldn't care less what he has to say about it.
Look, he didn't actually say anything concrete; he was just circling around the point.
And now, I’m just sitting here waiting on the results.
I’m actually wondering if this could actually be a tumor—like, can you really tell what's going on just by looking at the CA-125 marker? Is that enough to know for sure?
If anyone actually knows what’s going on, I’d really appreciate some insight. To give you some context, I’ve been through the absolute wringer—multiple surgeries without anesthesia, fighting off sepsis, and being put on a ventilator twice. I've been right on the edge of death more than once. Because of all that, I’m not going to lose my cool or take things personally, no matter how bad the news is. I just want the truth.
So, I'm 20 years old.
I guess I went a bit overboard there... hopefully you guys don't mind the wall of text. 🙂

Thanks a million. 👍

Don't go thinking CA-125 levels are some kind of foolproof diagnostic tool when you're dealing with women of childbearing age. It’s honestly misleading half the time. You can see these massive spikes in the numbers that would make anyone panic, but they don't necessarily point to something malignant. Take endometriosis, for example—it can cause significant cellular changes and growths that send CA-125 levels through the roof, yet there isn't a single cancerous tumor in sight. Context matters.
Look, I’m no doctor, but I’ve dealt with my fair share of ovarian issues and spent way too much time digging through the research. To be blunt, I have this nagging feeling that you're looking at two separate things that, when lumped together, look like some massive red flag—but in reality, they aren't actually indicative of anything sinister.
Those kidney infections you're dealing with could very well be triggered by Escherichia coli. It’s a nasty little thing that’s notoriously difficult to shake once it takes hold. While it plays its part perfectly fine in your digestive tract, things go south fast if it wanders into your urinary system or reproductive tract. If it migrates there, it can cause sepsis within those organs, which is no joke. To rule this out as the culprit, all you really need is a urine culture. Just head to your primary care physician and ask for a referral. In the morning, catch your first urine sample in a sterile cup—you can pick one up at any local CVS or Walgreens—and drop it off at the lab for testing.
Another thing you might be dealing with is chocolate cysts, which could very well be popping up because of those constant bouts of inflammation you've been fighting.
Have you had any swabs done, a Pap smear, or anything like that?
Look, if you want an actual diagnosis, you can't just sit there waiting for one answer. You have to hunt for the cause in multiple places. Too often, doctors just stop looking too early—honestly, that’s exactly what happened with my own case. You simply have to go out and seek second, third, even fourth opinions. Don't just take one person's word for it; go ask around.
Have you had a color Doppler ultrasound done yet?
Honestly, my take is that you need to push for a referral to see a specialist at a major hospital. I’d highly recommend heading over to Mayo Clinic and seeking out Dr. Miller. Just show up there with your referral and all your previous test results and ask him to take a look. If he can't fit you in, any of his colleagues will be just as capable; they are all top-tier experts.
I suspect your primary doctor hasn't given you much info because, frankly, they probably don't know. Most gynecological diagnoses aren't 100% certain until they perform a laparoscopic exam right before the actual surgery.
You’ll likely need some kind of procedure, but right now, the priority is clearing up that infection you've been dealing with.
As for the Dermoid, it's basically a tumor that grows from skin cells. It frequently has actual hair growing on its surface, and from what I understand, it isn't dangerous.
A user named User2 on an old medical forum—who I believe was a physician—wrote this:
A Dermoid, or dermoid cyst (presumably on the ovary), is a type of hamartoma, which are essentially nature's "glitches." During embryonic development, a cell from the ectoderm—the foundation for epithelial tissues and their derivatives (like skin, hair, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, nails, teeth, and even neural tissue)—gets misplaced and settles on a different organ, most commonly the ovary, where it develops in isolation.
In the vast majority of cases, a Dermoid is benign and won't come back once it's removed. The only thing is that multiple cysts can occur; if they found and removed one, there might be others lurking nearby.
By the way, dermoid cysts also show up on the scalp or face quite often—they look almost identical to an atheroma, but when they are opened, you find more than just sebum inside.
Basically, your little "alien" is a peaceful little pet, a total sweetheart... there is absolutely no reason to be afraid of it.

So, go get that specialist referral from your doctor! That is my strongest advice to you!

swiftviper6 said:The X-ray shows partial flattening of the physiological lordosis. The vertebral bodies appear to have normal height, and the intervertebral spaces seem preserved.
Early-stage spondyloarthritic changes in the lower third. Initial uncoarthrosis.

I just had my cervical spine X-rayed. My doctor sent me in because my hands have been tingling... I'm only 22.

Are we talking about your whole hands or just your fingers? Every morning, my hands go numb and I can barely make a fist. It’s painful when my fingers twitch. I had some imaging done on my hands and they told me it's the onset of arthritis (I'm 29).

Austin Phillips3 said:I actually have some Sulfasol drops sitting around at home. Could those work?

They might do the trick, but here’s the thing with eye drops: expiration dates are everything. Since they have to stay completely sterile, you can't just wing it. If you haven't opened that bottle within the last 90 days, I wouldn't risk putting them in your eyes if I were you.

Jose Miller3 said:Let’s stop handing out advice on topics we clearly don't understand at all!!!!!

I mean, you're literally telling this guy to go buy steroid eye drops just because? No consultation, no nothing. And then you act like corticosteroids have some sort of mysterious antibiotic properties... 🙄

The amount of corticosteroid in those drops is just enough to bring down tissue swelling, while the antibiotic is there in a dose meant to prevent or wipe out inflammation. (That's what a doctor told me)
I wasn't trying to play doctor here; I'm just speaking from my own life and what my family has dealt with. Obviously, everyone is responsible for their own choices. If I were in his shoes, I'd head straight to a physician—I've injured my own eye a couple of times, and every single time, dexamethasone was prescribed and it did the trick. My grandmother actually had to use dexamethasone preventatively after undergoing laser treatment for glaucoma. It sounds ridiculous, but even my dog was prescribed the exact same drops for a tear duct infection. Besides, you can pick these up over the counter, so I highly doubt you could even overdose on them; the whole thing would fall apart before you hit that threshold.

Austin Phillips3 said:I took a hit to the eye and now a quarter of my sclera is completely bloodshot, though my vision seems fine. Will this just clear up on its own, or am I looking at a mandatory doctor visit?

Head down to the pharmacy and grab some Dexamethasone eye drops, then ask the pharmacist how many times a day you should be using them because I can't quite recall.
Those drops are specifically designed for injuries like yours since they contain a bit of antibiotic too. You should be back to normal in about a week.

Sam Hughes5 said:the whole point is that her gynecologist prescribed Diane

Good grief, she’s not the only doctor on the planet. She has every right to seek a second opinion—or a fifth one if necessary. Yasmin was my very first pill, but my doctor made it clear I should report any side effects immediately so we could pivot to something better.

Those lingering low-grade fevers hovering around 99.5 degrees are the absolute worst! A friend of mine was dragging them around for an entire week before she finally bit the bullet and went to the doctor, only to find out she had mono. Now she’s been stuck in bed for three weeks straight, stuck on a super strict diet because her liver is taking a hit.