Posts by Angela Wright

Melissa Martinez5 said:Thanks ;-)
My doctor gave me some antibiotics today, so once I finish this course, I'll go in for the urine culture and swabs...

Ugh, I can't stand it when they just play guessing games like that.🙄
Next time this happens, you really need to dig your heels in and insist on the urine culture first. Handing out antibiotics based on a hunch is basically playing Russian roulette with your health. If they don't hit the exact right strain of bacteria, you're just nuking your immune system for no reason. Then you end up needing *another* round of antibiotics to fix the damage, which wrecks your immunity even further, and before you know it, you're dealing with fungal infections and stuck in a vicious, endless cycle.

dustymaker642 said:Hi everyone, I'm currently in my 11th week of pregnancy (10+5) and I did some blood work and a urine test this morning.

The results just came back and everything looks totally normal, except for one thing: the lab report says there's an enormous amount of amorphous phosphates in my urine.

What does that actually mean? 🤷

Thanks.

It basically means you probably aren't drinking enough fluids. Phosphate salts tend to precipitate when urine is alkaline, so you really should be aiming for about 2.5 liters of fluid a day. You might also want to try eating more meat (just skip the organ meats for now) and cutting back on plant-based foods and dairy until things settle down. If this keeps happening, it could potentially point toward a calcium or phosphorus metabolism issue somewhere in your system.
But honestly, most of the time, it’s just because women aren't staying hydrated enough.

Melissa Martinez5 said:Can someone help me make sense of these results?
Urinalysis-
Appearance-slightly cloudy (clear)
Color-yellow (light yellow)
Proteins-trace (negative)
Leukocytes 12 (normal up to 2)
Erythrocytes 2 (normal up to 2)
Squamous epithelial cells 2 (normal up to 1)
Small epithelial cells 0
Hyaline casts 0
Non-hyaline casts 0
Crystals 0
Salts 0
Bacteria - plenty
Fungi 0
Mucus - some
Is this some kind of infection based on what I'm seeing?
And how can I tell where the inflammation is coming from?

It looks like a bladder infection. Your report shows a high amount of bacteria, and urine should be sterile. You really need to get a urine culture with an antibiogram done so you can identify the specific strain and figure out which antibiotic will actually kill it off most effectively.

quietfox384 said:Yaz doesn't have identical pills in every pack; he’s probably referring to those specific ones.

You've got a point there. They include four placebo pills in those packs. If that's where the confusion is coming from, then the whole thing is a mess. 🙄
It's best to just give the doctor a call and get some clarity.

Timothy Jackson20 said:Hey girls, I could really use some help here. I was supposed to take the very first pill from my pack today, but I totally messed up and accidentally took the one meant for day 22 instead. Now I’m panicking—what should I do? Should I just take today's pill right now along with the one I already took, or what? I know the hormone levels change depending on which pill you're on, but I've never screwed this up before...

Which brand are you on?
Whether it's something like Diane, Yasmin, or Yaz, they all work pretty much the same way.

Daniel Morales63 said:That’s exactly why I’m looking for an actual medical opinion here—medicine is basically a foreign language to me. Is this just some alternative health nonsense, or is there some actual substance to it?

It makes sense. From a biological standpoint, the human body is designed to function efficiently, and things like shellfish can actually mess with that natural rhythm.
My husband always says he hasn't had a "normal" bathroom experience since his time in the Army. 😁
I tried searching for that Ozark video on their site to get more details, but I couldn't track it down. He explained the whole mechanism behind it so vividly in the video, though. 🙂

Someone was claiming over at HBO that the absolute best way to do it is in a squatting position, leaning your head and torso slightly forward. Apparently, that’s how you get the hose positioned perfectly while letting gravity do most of the heavy lifting.

feralsurfer72, I am truly, deeply sorry for your loss. 😢
Hang in there and try to find some peace; you did everything humanly possible. Your dad is in a much better, happier place now, watching over you.

Andrew Cruz43 said:I'm looking for some insight here. A few nights ago, I dealt with these sharp, stabbing pains around my right kidney area and the right side of my abdomen—sort of in a horseshoe shape—along with some nausea. It cleared up by about 11:00 AM the next morning, though I can't rule out that my back was hurting at the same time.
Today, I went to get my liver enzyme levels checked—specifically ALT, AST, Bilirubin, and GGT—because, aside from what I just described, I've been feeling intermittent discomfort and occasional dull aches on my right side.
Here are the results:

AST - 40
ALT - 95
GGT - 96
Bilirubin - 20.8

I noticed that while AST is just slightly above the upper limit, the other two are nearly doubled, even though Bilirubin is within the normal range. I haven't seen a doctor or gone for an ultrasound yet, which I know I need to do pretty soon.
Regarding my habits, I’ve been a regular drinker; over the last 3 or 4 years, I’ve averaged about four large beers OR 0.3L of hard liquor daily, usually taking maybe half a week or a full week off per month.
I hadn't touched alcohol for about 10 days before these tests, maybe just one or two beers, and I ate roughly seven and a half hours before the blood draw (if that matters).

My Helicobacter test came back positive, which definitely explains the stomach discomfort and nausea.

I'd appreciate it if someone could explain what might be driving these elevated numbers. Is this strictly due to the alcohol consumption, and what should my next steps be?

You definitely have a liver issue stemming from the alcohol. You need to cut out the booze entirely, stop eating heavy, greasy foods, and ditch the soda too. Pick up some Silymarin and give your liver some actual time to recover.
Helicobacter isn't related to these specific numbers, but you absolutely have to treat that with antibiotics.

Lisa Perez37 said:I don't want to start a whole new thread since this is about diagnostics, so I'll just ask here. Is it standard practice in surgery departments across the US to use gauze pads with RTG threads? My sister's doctors suspect they left a sponge behind after her C-section. One OB-GYN claims they can see it on the UZV, another wants an MR, and a third one insists it won't show up on either UZV or MR—only on an RTG—basically making us all feel like we're losing our minds. 😢Thanks in advance!

I hope you guys got this sorted out by now. If not, from what I know, it should definitely show up on an RTG.

Sean Jackson4 said:Here are the results:

WBC: 9.5 (3.4-9.7)
RBC: 4.46 (3.86-5.08)
Hemoglobin: 13.1 (11.9-15.7)
Hematocrit: 0.41 (0.36-0.47)
MCV: 91.3 (83.0-97.2)
MCHC: 32.3 (32.0-34.5)
Platelets: 289 (158-424)
RDW: 12.6 (9.0-15.0)
MPV: 10.4* (6.8-10.4)

Serum Glucose: 4.46 (3.9-6.2)
Urea: 3.8 (2.5-7.5)
Creatinine: 69 (58-100)
Cholesterol: 6.30* ( Triglycerides: 0.83 (0.4-1.9)
Iron: 21.80 (8.0-30.0)
AST: 21 (0-30)
ALT: 15 (0-48)

ESR: 10

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this. Thanks.

Everything looks fine here. You just need to watch that cholesterol, but it’s nothing to panic about. Just look up a diet plan online, stick to it consistently, and you'll see those numbers normalize in time.

Benjamin Thomas8 said:Could someone please help me make sense of this urine culture report? It says something about . I don't have the actual paperwork right in front of me, so I'm not entirely sure what that "10" refers to specifically.
On my last lab test, the culprit was Escherichia coli.
Thanks in advance!

That number represents the bacterial count—basically the concentration of bacteria found in your sample. That’s the metric doctors use to decide if you need more meds. It's pretty clear that either the Escherichia coli is still hanging around or some other bacterium has moved in; your urine isn't sterile, so expect to be prescribed another round of treatment.

Jack Barrett4 said:Weight loss pills - Trust me on this one, they actually work. I'm 32, and honestly, I've tried just about everything under the sun. This is hands down the only supplement I’ve ever put in my body that actually managed to strip the pounds off and keep them gone.

And you just happened to log onto this forum for the very first time specifically to share that with us, in a thread that’s practically ancient 😉 😁
The site claims, "I order the pills at a special price of $45 with discreet shipping." 😂

Go through things systematically and settle the dilemma once and for all😉

steelviper392 said:Alright, I’m checking in to give you guys an update.
For me, it wasn't just a little weight gain or something minor...
This week has been an absolute gauntlet of endless testing, and it turns out I'm dealing with a severe bladder infection. I actually had to undergo a cystoscopy yesterday—honestly, that was hands down the worst thing I’ve ever had to endure. The inflammation got so bad that the bacteria actually damaged the lining of my bladder and urethra. Now I'm stuck on a month-long course of antibiotics, so fingers crossed everything works out...

Oh my God, thank goodness it didn't spread to your kidneys or enter your bloodstream. You were inches away from sepsis.🙄
Go grab some D-Mannose and make sure you stay on top of probiotics, because your immune system is going to tank, and those heavy doses of antibiotics will almost certainly trigger a Candida breakout.

Look, I’ve dealt with this firsthand with my own kid. In his case, there was this thing that kept coming and going, so I asked a surgeon if he could run an ultrasound to see what was actually happening. He told me no—we were trying to delay surgery anyway because of some neurological risks—so he said he could only check it by physical exam.
Now 🤷
He also mentioned that certain types of pelvic hernias can actually be pushed back in with just a bit of pressure. Honestly, it might be better to just get a referral to a surgeon to have them take a look at you right away. They'll give you a straight answer. With my son, you can't feel a thing, yet apparently, he still has one.

He’s nothing special.😁

steelviper392 said:Hi everyone, I just joined this forum because I’m honestly grasping at straws here. I’m hoping there might be someone out there who has dealt with the exact same thing or something similar, because I am completely at a loss.
For the last few months, I’ve been dealing with this massive issue and nobody can tell me what's wrong. I am beyond exhausted from running between doctors, hospitals, and private clinics; my urologist sends me to the gynecologist and the gynecologist sends me back to the urologist, yet the pain just keeps coming.
About a year ago, I had my first bout of bladder inflammation. I was prescribed antibiotics, it wasn't a huge deal, and I felt better immediately after finishing them. Normally, I'm pretty healthy and I make sure to stay warm and dressed appropriately. But a few months ago, it started hurting when I pee. I went to the doctor, they found bacteria in my urine, and she prescribed N/A. I finished a whole week's worth of antibiotics, but the pain didn't go away. It felt like my bladder was aching, but not specifically during urination. I had all the swabs and urine tests done, and everything came back clear. My doctor referred me to a gynecologist since I noticed the most intense pain happens during sex with my boyfriend—specifically in the vaginal area near the G-spot where it feels like the contact goes straight through to my bladder. The gynecologist did the swabs and an exam, and again, everything looked perfectly fine.
Then I went to see a urologist. He sent me for an ultrasound, and the results were normal too.
My pain—it just won't stop. This has been going on for months. I don't even know where to turn anymore. I don't have any burning sensations while peeing or the typical symptoms of a bladder infection, but that specific area hurts like crazy. I can't even touch my lower abdomen (especially when my bladder is full) without it feeling like someone is slicing me open with a sharp knife. It’s also strange that the pain is most intense when I apply pressure, like using a finger or when the gynecologist performs an exam in that area toward the bladder.
What could this be? What else can I do just to make this pain stop, and where should I go next? No painkillers seem to touch this.

Did the gynecologist perform an ultrasound? You only mentioned being examined. Certain things can only be caught via a transvaginal ultrasound.
Go seek out a specialist hospital evaluation.

feralsurfer72 said:Lately, I’ve been feeling absolutely drained and depressed—my energy levels have completely bottomed out, and my to-do list is just relentless. There have been several nights where, as I'm lying there, I’ve honestly thought about how much easier it would be if I just didn't wake up at all.
I guess things will eventually turn around.

Hang in there. Honestly, even my own husband and kids push me to that edge sometimes, so I can only imagine what you're dealing with right now, but you just have to pull yourself together and keep pushing.
You handled that whole situation with the nurse pretty well.
And let's face it, we're pretty screwed when you try to get medical help in this country at 3 p.m. 😢

Kate Wells44 said:The new drugs hitting the high-cost lists are pazopanib (Votrient) and everolimus (Afinitor). Pazopanib is indicated for first-line clear cell metastatic renal cell carcinoma—essentially the same use case as Sutent—while everolimus can be used following Sutent treatment in patients without brain metastases. As things stand, this patient doesn't qualify for either of these under current American insurance coverage or Medicare guidelines.
By the way, I’m an oncologist.

Finally! It took seven long years! 🙏
Don't you dare walk away now and leave this hanging 🙂

@placiddrifter19/">@@placiddrifter19
Don't forget that last sentence I dropped in my previous post to you... stay focused.