Posts by vividsailor7

Joshua Williams82 said:Thanks.

How reliable is punctation as an indicator for whether a tumor is malignant or not?

A biopsy is precisely that indicator. Basically, once the needle is inserted and the sample is taken, they run a full histopathological analysis to get the answer.

Joshua Williams82 said:My dad has a lump in his breast, and right now he’s staying over at Memorial Sloan Kettering. He’s already gone through a mammogram, a biopsy, and an ultrasound, so we’re just sitting here waiting... They should be performing surgery tomorrow.

We don't know anything yet. I’ve just been endlessly scrolling through the internet, desperate for any kind of information while we wait.😢

I honestly can't believe he's going to fall into that tiny percentage of men who deal with breast cancer.
The doctor mentioned that the biopsy and mammogram aren't definitive indicators, but I don't really buy it; I suspect they just don't want to say anything until the official results are in, though I have a bad feeling about this...

I guess I just decided to jump on here to vent a little bit...

I'm praying the results actually come back clean.🙂 Please keep us posted on what they find.

William Smith30 said:Hi everyone... I’m looking for some insight on these test results.

I'm 50 years old, and I've dealt with spinal issues since I was a kid. Over the last three or four years, though, my legs have just been giving out on me. It happens totally out of nowhere—no warning signs at all. I'll just suddenly collapse because my legs simply stop working.
For quite a while now, I haven't even been following any physical therapy.

I just had an MRI, and here are the findings and the report:

Lumbar spine MRI shows maintained vertebral body height with a preserved dorsal intercorporeal line.
Hyperlordosis of the lumbar spine and left-convex scoliosis of the lumbar section are visible.
There is slight dorsal positioning of the L3 vertebral body relative to the L4 vertebral body.
Significant spondylophytic changes are present along the vertebral bodies, specifically ventrolateral spondylophytes.
A deep Schmorl's hernia is noted in the superior endplate of the L3 vertebral body.
At the L4-L5 segment, there is a slight dorsolateral left protrusion of the intervertebral disc.
Minimal bulging of the intervertebral discs is visible at the L2-L3 and L3-L4 segments.

I would really appreciate your thoughts on this. Thank you in advance.

Have you done an emng?

Hannah James76 said:Thank you. It’s just obvious he’s doing terribly; I honestly don't know how else we can help him anymore... Aside from rushing him to the ER every few days... His labs have been pretty much the same for the last three months—just minor fluctuations—except now he's starting to build up fluid again.

What does his urination look like?
Have they checked his electrolytes, specifically things like Potassium, Sodium, Phosphorus, or Calcium?
Has anyone run an ABG—an acid-base status?
And has he had an EKG done yet?

nimbleheron said:Hey!

I might be heading in for a coronary angiogram soon, so I’m looking for anyone who’s been through this to tell me: where does it actually hurt? Is there anything besides the initial prick from the local anesthetic? It would seem logical that there shouldn't be much, but then I stumble upon some video where a surgeon is claiming that on top of the needle, you can actually feel the scalpel incision...

Thanks!

quietdrifter3 gave you a really thorough breakdown of the whole process. Usually, they order this when they need to confirm or rule out coronary artery disease.

Hannah James76 said:Aldactone 100 mg.
The labs from October 7th show: AST 266, ALT 201, total bilirubin 52.1, Hb 128, Hct 0.35, urea 19.3, creatinine 261, direct bilirubin 20.1, and CRP 10.

They might need to bump up the dose, and probably increase the Furosemide too. Honestly, forget the liver issues for a second—the kidney function is actually the bigger worry here. This situation is looking pretty grim.

Casey Rogers47 said:On the native slices through the lumbosacral spine, disc heights appear preserved with the posterior intercorporeal line maintained.
At the L4-L5 segment, there is a dorsal disc protrusion that fills the anterior epidural space and impinges on the dural sac.
At the L5-S1 segment, a broad-based disc protrusion, more pronounced on the right, also fills the anterior epidural space and reaches the ventral contours of the S1 nerve roots.
Early degenerative changes in the facet joints are visible in the described segments.
If clinically indicated or if a more detailed analysis of the relationship between the protruding discs and the spinal roots is required, further neuroradiological evaluation is recommended.

I'm 30 years old. I ended up in the ER this past Sunday because the pain was just unbearable. Right now, I'm on painkillers and have been told to rest. This CT scan was done last week, and I just got the results today.
Please, I need advice—can physical therapy actually help here, or is this something a neurosurgeon needs to handle for surgery?

wanderingcobra76 will probably give you a more detailed breakdown. But honestly? It looks to me like you definitely need a neurosurgeon's opinion.

Kate Brooks2 said:I'm back too, after a quick break. Things are holding steady on our end. It’s true that his white blood cell count takes a massive hit after every round of treatment—so much so that he actually had to be put on Neupogen this time. Last time, they plummeted from 9.8 all the way down to 1.4, though we always manage to get them back up to impressive levels before the next session. He’s eating well, even if my mother-in-law has started nagging us about his diet. Honestly, talking to her is like hitting a brick wall. I just hope everything stays on track. He’s drinking plenty of beet, carrot, apple, and lemon juice, along with Noni and a whole litany of other supplements I won't bother listing. Right now, we're just stuck waiting for the paperwork to clear so we can get approval for the tests the oncologist wants to run to see how effective the therapy has been so far.

The Neupogen should definitely help him out. Fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly.🙂>

Hannah James76 said:The medications being taken are: Furosemide, Carvelol, Aldactone, and Reglan. I'm not entirely sure about the liver panel specifics—I don't have the lab results right in front of me at the moment...

Liver labs. Regarding the meds, I was specifically thinking about the Aldactone, but how many milligrams exactly?

Carol Smith17 said:The tumor is 10x8 cm, markers are within normal range, and I feel fine. Is there any chance it could be malignant?

Where was this found, and how did they diagnose it? Which specific markers are we talking about? Seriously, thank goodness you didn't just drop a question like that without providing any actual context.

Alexander Edwards7 said:I'm from Seattle and I've been dealing with some thyroid issues. I really want a second opinion, so I've decided to head up to NYC to find one. Who is considered the top endocrinologist in NYC?

If you're looking for help with your thyroid, the Butterfly Clinic is your best bet.

bluefalcon12 said:I haven't gone yet because my dentist keeps taking vacations or is just out of the office, or I have to wait like seven days straight, and then I can't make it because of work, so the whole thing just drags on forever. Maybe it's just nazim...

Seriously, go see your dentist.

fadedharbor98 said:Hey everyone...
Maybe I'll actually get an answer here before I get one on the IBS thread..

My doctors suspect I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. My symptoms pretty much line up with it. About two years ago, I dealt with a bout of gastroenteritis. My kidney tests came back normal.

I went in for a gastroscopy. The exam itself looked fine, but now I’ve received the tissue biopsy results, and that’s what I’m really sweating over right now:

The biopsy report says: small pieces of small intestine mucosa with regular villi lined by normal cylindrical epithelium, while the loose lamina propria is infiltrated with inflammatory cells, predominantly lymphocytes. Mucous glands are normal.

I'm 20 years old (turning 21 tomorrow 😍).

So, does this mean my small intestine is inflamed? What do those lymphocytes even signify here?
Most importantly, does this fit within the profile of Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

The doctor told me the gastroscopy was clear, that the tissue results would likely be fine too, and that I probably wouldn't need a colonoscopy. Is the story changing now, or what?

It's just minor irritation. Are you having any issues digesting wheat?

Hannah James76 said:A while back, I posted about my dad’s hepatocellular carcinoma. We weren't even looking at conventional treatments... we tried every alternative out there, but unfortunately, nothing seems to be working. Two days ago, he was in the ER having fluid drained from him, and today he's already full of it again. Now they're saying they aren't allowed to drain it anymore... What's next for us? I'm terrified to even close my eyes. He looks absolutely horrific—he's incredibly thin but has this massive distended abdomen, and he can't even eat or drink without vomiting... That disgusting feeling of total helplessness is killing me; I can't sleep and I feel sick to my stomach.

What medications is he on? And what does his liver panel look like?

wiredrider9 said:I've put on a little weight lately and I'm seeing some stretch marks—nothing crazy, mostly just around my stomach area. Does anyone know what actually works for this if I want long-term results? Obviously, I plan on losing the weight, but will those marks just stay there forever regardless?

Thanks in advance.........

🤷🤷🤷🤷🤷

Are they purple?

Kate Baker5 said:They only run blood tests to check if your clotting factors are functioning normally.
From what I understand, they aren't even checking hormone levels; it's strictly about making sure you aren't at risk for blood clots (thrombosis).
Modern pills use such low doses of hormones that you probably won't gain actual weight, but since they can cause water retention—you’ll likely deal with some cellulite.🤷

Plus, get a liver panel done. You only bother with hormone testing if there's an actual issue to address.

briskskipper71 said:Thanks so much for the response, Dr. Harvey. I also want to apologize because I didn't include all the numbers—to be honest, my company pays for those fancy, high-end screenings where they check absolutely everything under the sun, including every possible blood marker. It would probably be better if they just dialed back the pressure a bit... but anyway, we're getting off track now. I can't really type out every single detail since everything falls within the normal range; nothing even came close to hitting the limits. My GUK is 4.8, and creatinine is 71.

Maybe you could just snap a photo🤷 I’ve seen plenty of people on this forum do exactly that—just upload a picture of the lab results. At the end of the day, you really need to see an internist for a proper conclusion.

Chris Mendoza59 said:Does anyone know what the visiting hours are at Mayo Clinic tomorrow since it's a holiday? I checked online and all I can find is the schedule for regular weekdays and Sundays! Also, am I actually allowed to go into a patient's room if they had surgery three days ago?

It counts as a holiday—basically just like a Sunday.

briskskipper71 said:Hey everyone,
I'm 32 years old, a non-smoker, and pretty sedentary... standing at 5'10" and weighing about 167 lbs... during my routine physical, they found the following:

- I'm only listing the values that fell outside the normal range

Cholesterol 5.6 (3.5-5)
Triglycerides 1.96 (1.7)
HDL Cholesterol 0.95 (>1)
LDL Cholesterol 3.70 (
Blood pressure 140/85

This really freaked me out. I want to know how much these numbers hint at serious issues if I don't change my lifestyle. What's the best way to get back on track? I should mention this is weighing heavily on me because cardiovascular disease runs in my family. Also... an abdominal ultrasound showed that both kidneys are normally developed, but the collecting system looks altered due to some past infection. Is that dangerous? Especially since I don't recall ever having a kidney infection—just some issues with kidney stones about 10 years ago.

Both your blood pressure and lipid levels are elevated. You absolutely have to monitor this, especially since you mentioned a family history of heart disease. Honestly, these elevations aren't massive, but they are right on the edge. You need to follow up with an internist for further evaluation. Your BMI is perfectly fine (23.7). You should look into a low-fat diet (around 1500 calories), cut back on salt, and definitely start getting some physical activity in.
What were your glucose, creatinine, and other test results? (Clearly, you didn't read the first post where it says to list all tests, whether they were normal or not.)
Best regards.

Nicholas Lopez89 said:I’m looking for a recommendation for a cardiologist in New York City. My blood pressure is hovering around 150/90 most of the time. I went to the heart specialist over on Draškovićeva and was totally let down, and my mom went to Medicole and wasn't exactly thrilled either. At the heart clinic, I got the impression from the cardiologist that they just don't care about what I actually want. My test results are fine regarding my heart and other organs, but things aren't going to stay that way if I don't get this pressure under control. They constantly preach about "prevention," and then they just shrug and tell me it's up to me. Well, f*** me, right? If my pressure isn't dropping, change my medication or something! How am I supposed to know how to fix it myself?

Thanks so much for any leads!

I don't know how much waiting lists matter to you all, but for Prof. Urek at Johns Hopkins Hospital, you're looking at a wait of about 3 to 4 months.