Posts by Sarah Mendoza61

Always chewing gum... hahaha... I honestly haven't heard that one before 😂

I used to be such a kid, just constantly popping some in my mouth. I got so hooked that if I couldn't find any gum, I’d actually try eating Play-Doh (crazy, I know)... and yeah, I definitely ended up swallowing some by accident

Look, as long as you're still breathing, you'll be just fine!!!

What can I even say after all this... these stories feel like they're straight out of a nightmare. Honestly, I’m starting to worry that this is just reality and that being professional, kind, or actually knowledgeable has become the exception rather than the rule... right when it matters most. 😢
I really need to back this up with my own experience. My Grandfather was stuck in a hospital in Washington, D.C. (can't remember which one) for a few weeks. Since he couldn't move much, there was always a risk of bedsores. One day my grandmother went to visit him and noticed something was wrong while she was turning him... she was absolutely horrified. The wounds were almost open. And the staff? They hadn't treated them or even disinfected them daily like they should have. They didn't even realize it was happening! It wasn't until my grandmother made a huge scene that a nurse finally decided to do something. Is that really how it works??? I just don't get it...

And don't even get me started on how impossible it is to get any actual information from a doctor about your condition, even if you wait weeks... It's like they probably just don't know.
I've had some bad experiences myself. I was dealing with panic attacks once and ended up at the ER at 2 AM—total chaos, terrified, hyperventilating... The ER was empty, the doctors were awake (but the security guard was asleep, so my husband had to wake him up just to get the ramp down so we could get inside), and I sat there for two hours waiting for a basic exam while the staff inside just chatted away. Of course, as soon as you mention anxiety, they start mocking you, but it wasn't funny for me. The doctor... just this cold, grumpy lady who kept me hanging, muttering and sighing while doing my EKG. It actually made my panic worse because it felt like something was wrong and she just didn't care. Later I figured she was probably just trying to provoke me. Man, I guess it's just not a great job to have at that hour...
Meanwhile, this 90-year-old woman was brought into the ER, pale and lethargic... probably near death. That same grumpy doctor spent half an hour arguing with the paramedics about whether the lady should have been brought there or somewhere else... she was yelling and complaining... while the ER sat empty and a woman was dying right next to her. 😢

Then there was this situation where a patient (not at that hospital) was just left in the hallway after their exam. The staff spent the time arguing over whose patient it was, what room they were in, or why nobody was coming to pick them up... they waited there for hours because the person in charge just forgot about them. It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic. Then someone eventually pushed them out of the hallway, only to bring them back later because they couldn't find their address... it never ends. I've heard stories even worse than these "little" mistakes, but I can't take any more today, unless I want to spiral into a total depressive funk.

This whole debate is heading in the wrong direction... it’s not the ambulance drivers' fault, and honestly, nobody should be calling people out just for "philosophizing." Has the Pope even realized that people actually die because of this? It's all just bad organization and stupid red tape... It's simple... the healthcare system is just a reflection of how the rest of the country is run... mostly when it comes to funding.
We don't have enough ambulances on call. I live in Washington, D.C., and when my Grandfather was passing away, it took the paramedics over an hour to get here!? Seriously, Washington, D.C., taking over an hour!? They finally showed up after we had to call twice just to remind them. The first call was after 40 minutes. I ended up being the one to call them, feeling totally frantic (and I was only 15 at the time). It's the exact same thing as what happened to the other person... someone dies in the evening and just sits there for the next 12 hours because the transport teams don't pick up bodies 24/7.
Just stupid questions... it's hard to even list them.

Another thing... nobody—not even the cool-headed experts behind the scenes—can or should be guessing... because that's all it is, guesswork. Who collapsed from low blood pressure, and who died because of an aortic dissection? NOBODY can know that until the paramedics arrive and get them to the hospital!!!!
I could go on with a billion more bad examples, whether it's the ambulance service (which is way too often jammed up, so you can't even get through) or the hospital staff themselves, their procedures, or even worse, their lack of action!

In short... I'm 25, and I find myself thinking far too often for my age that if things ever go south for me, I'll probably die simply because of how this society works. Even if it's just from low blood pressure, people die from that... the ambulance wouldn't come, people on the street would just assume I'm drunk (even if I am!?), they'd look the other way, and then the hospital would give me a wrong diagnosis.
Yeah, I guess I just have nothing but bad experiences!!! Washington, D.C.!!!

It’s some kind of generator, though honestly, it could pass for a tank...

Hey there!
I was hoping to get some second opinions on this!

I'm a 24-year-old woman, and honestly, these results have me feeling pretty uneasy.
Cholesterol is up at 6.41
Fe-5
TIBC-47
K-3.80—my potassium is always a bit low, so this isn't any better...
MCHC- 352
Se- 4 (right at the bottom limit)

The cholesterol is what's really bugging me because I have no idea where it's coming from!?? I don't eat much fatty food, and I eat plenty of fruits and veggies...
Then there's the iron... a year ago it was down at 8, so I took Ferumlek for three months... then a few months back, it looked fine at 13, but now it's dropped fast again. I can't help but wonder what would've happened if I hadn't been taking supplements; it probably would've tanked way below zero. I'm in the middle of my cycle right now, so I didn't take the blood work immediately after my period. I try to eat everything high in iron—spinach, blueberries, red meat....

On top of that, I've been dealing with constipation for about 10 months now, plus some anxiety.
Does any of this point toward something serious?