Posts by wiredcanyon2

Interesting topic. I’ve been scrolling through some of the earlier posts here, and I see a lot of "parables" about hospital horror stories and terrible medical care. There’s a huge focus on the doctor-patient relationship being broken—basically blaming incompetent or rude doctors for how bad things are in US Healthcare. But honestly? The state of the system isn't just about a few grumpy or unskilled docs. It’s a direct reflection of how much—or how little—the general public actually knows about their own health. Let me give you a couple of real-world examples so I'm not just talking nonsense:
01. Take basal cell carcinoma. If you catch it early, it doesn't metastasize; it just eats away at local tissue. It develops slowly—you could practically see it from an airplane. If a person shows up to the doctor in time (and there’s plenty of time), a simple procedure fixes everything. I have personally seen people walk into a clinic ONLY after that thing has already eaten through half their face, the eye socket, and breached the skull. Where were they before? The saddest part is these people didn't fly in all the way from Pakistan; they took a subway ride from Brooklyn. Think about how much money those people waste just because they ignored the warning signs. Surgeries are insanely expensive!! Patients just don't see the massive bill the hospital sends to Medicare when they get discharged, so they stay blissfully unaware.
I could go on with a dozen more examples like this. Look, I’m not trying to defend doctors, but I want to point out that everyone shares the blame for how a system functions: first there's the White House, then the medical staff, then the patients...
Once you have something, you eventually start taking it for granted. That's the problem. People here tend to be incredibly irresponsible with their own health because they feel like everything is "free." Once we actually learn how to act preventatively and start seeing a doctor *before* we start falling apart, things will get better. Of course, there are conscientious patients and dedicated doctors out there too, so I won't generalize quite that much 🙂

In principle, we should actually be happy with how things are set up here. For anyone who disagrees, I strongly suggest you watch the movie Sicko from 2007! God forbid you get diagnosed with Lymphoma in America while being overweight—they might just deny you coverage. At that point, you're a dead man walking. Treating Lymphoma costs six figures (cytostatics and immunotherapy aren't cheap), but here, you can get treated with the exact same high-quality, standardized methods used in Washington, D.C., except it's completely free for you!!!

Dana Hughes3 said:Hey there!
So, I heard some rumor floating around that they won't let regular voluntary blood donors switch over to donating plasma. Is that actually true, and if it is, what's the deal behind it?

Look, it’s a fact: you can't be out there donating whole blood and plasma at the exact same time. My guess? It’s just too much of a shock to the system. If you’re doing regular plasma donations—which is what they expect from you, like once a week—and then you try to tack on a full blood donation every three months on top of that, you're asking for trouble. Giving whole blood is still a massive hit to the body, and it takes real time for your cellular components to rebuild themselves. Trying to juggle both would be pretty rough on the donor. Still, all that stuff we give away? We actually need it too, especially when it comes to fighting off infections or dealing with bleeding.

Brian Turner said:Well, I’ve been a regular blood donor myself—I've done it 35 times now—but I’ve never actually donated plasma. Just the day before yesterday, I went in for my screening, and they told me to come back in three weeks specifically to donate plasma, so I'm not sure I buy the rumor that you can't do it.
From what I was told at the clinic near Petrov 3, you have to have donated blood at least 10 times before they even consider letting you donate plasma.

So, I was over at the Blood Transfusion Institute the other day, and they dropped some truth on me. Basically, you can't just go around being a simultaneous blood and plasma donor. It’s not like you can just hit up different places to donate plasma whenever you feel like it—the rules are pretty strict about keeping it all in one place. Apparently, there’s this mandatory waiting period you have to clear after giving blood before you can touch plasma again. They might have their own little exceptions or loopholes, but honestly, that's their business, not mine.

goldencrane3 said:Giving plasma is risky—my sister used to do it a few times a year, and ever since, she’s been dealing with circulation issues (little white spots on her legs) and anemia. It doesn't totally make sense to me, but honestly, she had a ton of health problems right after donating. Now, she's actually barred from giving plasma and can barely even donate blood. Just be careful!

You can't judge the safety of plasma donation based on one single outlier case. It’s just not how it works. Especially if you’re doing it a few times a year—it’s perfectly fine. In some places, they actually allow you to go three times a week! Here in the States, the law caps it at once a week, even though the body's capacity is way higher than that. As for the whole anemia thing, anemia doesn't just hit you overnight. Even if someone develops it due to, say, heavy bleeding, the blood count eventually stabilizes and there are no permanent consequences. Honestly, it would be better to look for the actual causes somewhere else.

swiftangler91 said:urine test results
bacteria count: 10^4 CFU/ml
multiple types of bacteria
contamination with normal flora

can someone please tell me what any of this actually means???

So, 10^4 CFU/L is just an estimate of how many bacteria are in the sample. Usually, the microbiological cutoff for an actual infection is 10^5 (100,000) CFU/L.

Having multiple types of bacteria just means one specific strain isn't dominating the sample, which almost always happens when a sample gets contaminated during collection.

As for the "contamination with normal flora" bit (hands, genitals, etc.)—it basically means some bacteria from your body's natural flora ended up in the cup. Most likely, the sample was collected a bit sloppily and things got mixed in.

graniteowl9 said:Hey, thanks in advance to anyone who can spare a few minutes to help out.🙏

So here’s the deal: my mom is dealing with something and I really want to help her out. I’ve already scrolled through all the threads people have started, but nothing seems to actually fit what she’s going through. Everything I find is just "sort of" similar. 😕 Long story short: she’s 57. Over the last two months, she’s passed out a couple of times. She ended up in the hospital for every test imaginable and they kept her for over a month. The first time, they held her for a week and a half and found absolutely nothing—everything came back normal. Then the second time, they kept her for two weeks and again, everything looked fine, except her blood pressure was through the roof. They put her on some BP meds and things seemed okay after that. But then she had to go back to the doctor because when she passed out, she hit her head and something happened with her eye. They told her she has cataracts and needs surgery! Now, two days ago, her legs started swelling up like crazy (from the knees down to the ankles). Her veins look this weird blue-red color, and if you press on her leg, the indentation stays there for a while. She says it doesn't even hurt. She doesn't do any heavy lifting; she just watches her 2-year-old granddaughter, so the only walking she does is when she takes the kid outside. I Googled it and the only useful stuff I found was compression stockings or "see a doctor" (but she’s refusing that part). How much do those compression socks usually cost? And do they actually work?

She’s terrified. Almost everyone in our family died in their middle years from cancer, tumors, heart attacks, strokes, etc. Is it possible she’s dealing with something serious like that, beyond just fluid retention? Our doctors here don't seem to know anything. They claim her labs are perfect, yet the woman keeps passing out. Bloodwork comes back totally normal too.

If you need more info, just ask. Any help would be huge. 🙂 🙏

I agree, you really need to find her discharge papers or something so we can see what diagnoses they were working with. Without that info, it's hard for us to offer anything truly useful on a forum. Did she wear a Holter monitor (to track her heart rhythm over 24 hours)? Passing out can be caused by a ton of things: arrhythmias, blood pressure drops, brain issues... Are you 100% sure every single test came back normal? Does she have any chronic pain?
The swelling in her lower legs is a symptom, not the disease itself. You have to figure out why that edema is happening—it could be the heart, kidneys, veins, or a dozen other things. Bottom line: Mom needs to see a doctor. Fluid buildup isn't just "water," it's a sign of something else, especially since this is a brand-new symptom.

I can't really make sense of that. It looks like you just dropped a single word without any context. If you're trying to start a discussion or vent about something, you're gonna have to give me more to work with. Lay it out for me. What's on your mind? kaže:
Just the name alone says everything you need to know... My doctor is actually sending me off for a battery of autonomous tests? Like, what kind of tests even are those?

Thanks.

Look, the doctor probably just used some "casual" phrasing there, whatever that means. But basically? It’s code for you heading down to the lab for bloodwork. They usually run these panels when they suspect something like an autoimmune issue might be brewing. Just a heads up. Cheers.

restlessrider17 said:thanks for the reply,

this ECG was from a routine checkup at my occupational health clinic, taken while I was just lying there resting.
They sent me for a stress test, which turned out to be a total waste of time because everything came back perfectly fine—honestly, my cardio is actually pretty impressive.
No pain, no shortness of breath, no feeling winded, blood pressure is totally normal too—sitting at 120/90 at rest and hitting 160/90 during exertion, pulse is steady. No history of heart disease in my family. Weight is normal, I don't drink, I don't smoke, and I really don't feel like I fall into any high-risk category.
If I hadn't gone to that routine work checkup, I wouldn't even know about these abnormalities. Until a few days ago, I felt completely healthy (and young), but now according to this report, everything is messed up.
I'm honestly dreading what the ultrasound will show. Maybe it would've been better if I never had the ECG; life would be a lot easier right now.

Look, a report is just a report—it's just numbers, letters, and a machine... has anyone actually looked at that ECG? Mistakes happen, they can misread things, I'm guessing! In occupational medicine, anything is possible. The most important thing here is how you actually feel and whether you're having symptoms. If you're feeling fine like you say, it's hard to link an ECG like that to your overall good health, especially since your stress test results were solid. Was the ECG during the stress test normal, or was that the one from the clinic? Did you get a referral from a cardiologist for the ultrasound after the stress test? Either way, an ultrasound is a great tool for the heart; it lets a doctor see structural changes, if the heart is enlarged, and stuff like that... basically, most of what’s noted on that ECG gets backed up or cleared by an ultrasound, which is often the preferred method anyway. Given how healthy you say you feel, your BP, and your fitness level, I'm hoping the ultrasound shows nothing bad, but definitely go get it done so you can stop worrying!

Nancy Palmer33 said:Two days ago I noticed this black lump near my labia majora. It feels firm, it’s black, and it's just under the skin. I had an episiotomy on that side when I gave birth about 10 years ago. Honestly, I've been trying not to even think about it because I'm terrified it's some horrible diagnosis. I'm really worried and was wondering if anyone could tell me what this might be?

The best advice you're gonna get is this—just go see a gynecologist. When it comes to "visual" stuff on your skin and all that, there's a massive difference between what you see and what a doctor sees. You can ask someone on a forum who says, "Oh, I had something similar," but they aren't experts, and their "similar" thing might be totally different from yours. In that area, you could be looking at benign cysts, moles, or—rarely but possible—something nasty. My advice? Get a pro to actually LOOK at it so you can stop stressing and just live your life. Hang in there!

restlessrider17 said:Hey,

Nobody replied, so I’m throwing this out there one more time. Maybe someone actually knows what they're talking about here,

I need some expert eyes on these ECG results:

sinus rhythm
left atrial abnormality
abnormal left axis deviation
S1, S2, S3 pattern
left anterior fascicular block
incomplete right bundle branch block
rvh with repolarization abnormality

I'm 32kg—wait, I mean 32 years old. Did an exercise stress test, everything was fine. Great cardio, zero other health issues,
but I still have to go in for an echocardiogram,

thanks

There's a ton of stuff about this already posted. The big question is: why did you even bother with the stress test? What symptoms actually sent you to the doctor, if you don't mind me asking? Was this ECG taken while you were resting or during the actual stress test? Any current health issues? Any family history of heart disease? Blood pressure? Just looking at an ECG readout without any context doesn't tell us much, which is probably why your doctor is sending you for an echo. Most importantly, the doc needs to look at the actual tracing itself; this printed list from the machine alone isn't enough to reach a conclusion. We're just guessing here. I can translate and break down what's written, but again, an ECG by itself is pretty useless without the full picture.

sinus rhythm: that's normal, basically means your heart rhythm is steady.
left atrial abnormality: a pretty vague term; could suggest an enlarged left atrium (needs an echo to confirm).
abnormal left axis deviation: the electrical axis is shifted left. Could be anything from high blood pressure to conduction issues...
S1, S2, S3 pattern: sometimes seen with left ventricular enlargement (like from hypertension).
left anterior fascicular block: often linked to that leftward axis shift.
incomplete right bundle branch block: just a partial blockage in the right side of the conduction system.
rvh with repolarization abnormality - hypertrophy of the left ventricle.

The bottom line is that a professional needs to review the actual ECG in the context of your symptoms and overall health. You could spend all night Googling this, but you won't get anywhere without a full workup, likely from a specialist cardiologist!
;D

Sophia Adams63 said:I was gonna say I use olive oil for everything, but honestly, I don't even trust that it isn't hydrogenated itself.
My blood pressure is sitting at 100/60 right now—totally perfect, like a newborn baby.

Thanks, though maybe I’m just undernourished since I went all out on this healthy lifestyle thing.

Hehe, it's totally possible. Seriously, don't overdo anything! Just try tweaking your diet a bit, then after a few months or so, get some blood work done to see if you've found a routine that actually works for you. Sure, meds exist, but whether they're worth it just to bump up your HDL cholesterol is debatable when you consider the side effects. Basically, live healthy, don't go overboard with anything, eat well, and you should be fine! 🙂)

Sophia Adams63 said:I'm 25, haven't touched meat in a year, honestly haven't even had a burger or anything. I eat super healthy. Occasionally I'll have something sweet, like today, but mostly no. Meat maybe once a month, and that's just chicken. Otherwise, I grab some fish about once every two weeks.

I've been dealing with high blood pressure lately, though it's a recent thing. My HDL is 1.04, and they say it should be above 1.2.

LDL cholesterol is 1.8, triglycerides are 0.57.

My mom doesn't have this issue, and I don't think my dad did either.

Just having low HDL on its own is linked to a higher risk of common medical conditions, and there could be a ton of reasons behind it—everything from genetics to poor nutrition or being undernourished. It’s hard to call without more info; sometimes the cause is a total mystery 🙂...If you want to try bumping up that HDL, here's the deal: get some regular aerobic exercise in (like running), drop some weight if you're carrying extra, and cut back on the sweets. Also, I don't see any reason to dodge olive oil; honestly, it might actually help raise your HDL. You might want to eat meat and fish a bit more often too. Basically, it all boils down to cutting out trans fats through your diet and upping those unsaturated fatty acids you find in fish, olive oil, and general vegetable oils. Try adjusting your diet based on some "HDL boosting" plans; you don't need to avoid meat so strictly, especially fish and olive oil. As for the blood pressure, if it's actually high (you didn't say how high), go talk to a doctor. Depending on the numbers, you'll probably need to manage that too because of the risk of common medical conditions. Here's a link on fatty acids and HDL if you want to dig into it.

http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/cho...a/Transfat.htm

Sophia Adams63 said:I've got a question here.

No matter what I do, I just can't get my good cholesterol up. My bad cholesterol is always fine, triglycerides are solid, but for probably 10 years now, that good one has stayed constantly low. I work out, I don't eat meat, I use olive oil, I stay away from sugar, and I don't smoke. Honestly, I haven't missed a beat. Anyone got any advice?

Hey there. You didn't mention how old you are or exactly how long you've been avoiding meat—what does your actual diet look like? How low is your HDL compared to what they recommend? Also, have you dealt with any health issues lately, or is there anyone in your family with the same "issue"?

Brian Gomez28 said:So, I went in for some routine blood work just to check things out. It’s been about 7 or 8 years since I last saw a doctor, so I figured it was time for a full panel.
Looking at the results, everything is mostly fine except for this:
Sedimentation rate: 17 (normal 0-13)
Enzymes
S-ALT 56 (12-48)
S-GGt 60 (11-55)
Lipids:
Cholesterol: 8.3 ( LDL Cholesterol: 6 ( S- Triglycerides: 2.45
I don't have an appointment with my doctor for another week while I get a few more tests done, so can some expert tell me if I should be freaking out?
A little background:
Male, 43 years old
175cm, 95kg
Physical activity: basically zero
Diet: All over the place. I rarely eat breakfast, often skip lunch, and basically just eat dinner.
I did a little digging online, and based on these numbers, I should probably be a heavy drinker, but I don't drink at all. The only thing I consume in any real quantity is Gatorade (about 2 kg a month) and fruit juice. I rarely touch soda. Does the fact that I absolutely demolished 15 eggs on Wednesday and Thursday (I gave blood on Friday) have anything to do with these results?

Look, here's the deal: You definitely have excess body weight—your BMI is north of the normal range. You’re eating "unhealthy," and you aren't active. Honestly, these results are exactly what you'd expect given your lifestyle. Let's break it down. Your liver enzymes are slightly elevated, but we're talking minorly here; they likely don't point to anything serious (keep in mind lab equipment isn't perfect; you might show normal numbers tomorrow). With actual serious liver issues, those enzymes would be 5 to 10 times higher or even more. That slightly high sedimentation rate isn't a huge deal either, because sedimentation lags behind inflammation. You could have had a sore throat a few days ago, felt better, but the SED is still catching up. What actually matters is the high LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. You need to fix your diet and start moving. Being overweight + high cholesterol + [you didn't mention blood pressure, but let's assume] + being male + age = a recipe for atherosclerosis and its complications, like a myocardial infarction or stroke. You probably have fatty liver, which isn't surprising in these cases and goes hand-in-hand with those slightly elevated liver enzymes. As for the eggs—true, eggs contain cholesterol, and it's possible they played a role in your numbers (though nobody can say for sure). It would be a good idea to get an abdominal ultrasound and repeat the labs after a while. Like I said, you treat the patient, not the numbers; these are just digits on a page that don't mean much without a physical exam and a real conversation.
All the best.