So, a hiatal hernia basically happens when a part of your stomach pushes up through the diaphragm—that's that muscle separating your chest from your belly—via an opening called the hiatus. If that little gap gets a bit too wide, the stomach starts sliding up into the chest cavity where it doesn't belong. To put it in plain English, a chunk of your stomach essentially "slips" back up into your chest, which leads to all those annoying symptoms like heartburn, chest pains, constant burping, or that nasty acid reflux feeling where stuff comes back up your throat.
Doctors can usually spot the signs during a checkup, and they’ll typically use an endoscopy to confirm exactly what's going on inside.
In terms of making life easier, I've found it helps to eat smaller meals more often rather than one huge feast, and definitely try not to eat anything right before hitting the hay. You also want to avoid wearing tight clothes that squeeze your midsection, maybe look into some weight loss if you're carrying extra, and steer clear of things like soda, super spicy food, coffee, or smoking.
I’ve honestly never heard of anything like that before, man. If we're talking about a mass, there's gotta be some kind of substance inside it, you know? I was just reading up on some health stuff earlier, and it made me wonder—do you think it might be something similar to diverticulitis?
Dennis Patel2 said:It’s doable, but honestly, Smith doesn't have anything to do with the Democrats; his ties are to HB, which is just a minor player, and Clinton settled things with Goldwater ages ago. I mean, sure, it could happen, but I don't see the point. If anything, the Democratic Party of San Francisco might actually try to spin this case to their own advantage...
And you know, that’s definitely on the table... But the whole situation I was talking about earlier was just incredibly messy since we were already looking at a second surgery and all that stuff. I also know Smith spent time operating over in Switzerland and Germany too. My gut feeling is he was steering clear of those super high-stakes cases just to keep his success rates looking pretty, exactly like you mentioned, rather than because he didn't know what he was doing.
But man, there’s just one thing I can’t wrap my head around; how does a doctor with a clean conscience just let a patient pass away???! I really don't get it—what kind of person are you to be totally indifferent to whether someone lives or dies ???? It’s just beyond me....That alone is enough to land him a long stretch behind bars.
When it comes to the political side of things... it doesn't matter if Ogi was messing around with HB. What matters is the public perception that this whole scandal went down in Democratic San Francisco. At the end of the day, if I recall correctly, Linić was the one who brought Ogi into San Francisco in the first place.
As far as his actual skills go... when he was out of town, he mostly just played the role he assigned to his assistants back in San Francisco—you know, harvesting veins from legs for bypasses—and maybe did a few surgeries on his own, but certainly nothing major. Then again, because we only have a handful of cardiac surgeons in the whole country, we don't really have any way to accurately judge who's truly elite and who isn't. He showed up in San Francisco acting like he was the king of the world, and he acted like it too, mainly because he had zero competition, so nobody even had the expertise to call him out on his skill level. Plus, anyone can fudge the statistics if they want to.
Nah, forget about any egg-based recipes. Honestly, once you've got a sunburn, the only thing that actually matters is getting that skin cooled down immediately.
When you look at the political side of things, I honestly feel like the current administration is just trying to run a smear campaign against that Democratic statement out of San Francisco to set the stage for the upcoming election season. Honestly, it wouldn't even surprise me if that was their whole playbook here.
As for whether Dr. Smith is actually an expert—I mean, there isn't really anything to suggest he’s "top-tier." He didn't have any real competition from anyone in Washington, D.C., and when you realize that almost every cardiac specialist in the US can claim to be "world-class," his reputation feels a bit inflated. Plus, he seemed to cherry-pick his patients, only taking on cases where the prognosis was already looking good. Any of the super tricky or high-risk cases? He’d just send those straight to NYC or pass on them entirely. It's pretty easy to pad your stats and call yourself a superstar when you only take the wins.
Exactly. Just get that burn under some cool running water right away. Forget about slathering on creams or greasy ointments, and honestly, don't even bother with those old-school home remedies you see floating around online.
Honestly, don't just go running off to private clinics without thinking it through first. You should really take advantage of the hospital systems instead. The wait times aren't actually that bad, it’s way more affordable, and usually, all you need is some basic lab work and an ECG, which you can get done pretty much anywhere. Plus, I always say this: going private doesn't automatically mean you're getting better care.
Casey Rogers47 said:So I ran into this immunologist over at the Mayo Clinic, and she basically told me I need to get my tonsils ripped out ASAP. Well, I went through with it, and now I'm stuck dealing with constant fevers and sinus issues all over again.
Good grief... since when does an immunologist handle emergency tonsillectomies?! That sounds totally wild to me.
Ketones in your urine? Yeah, that can happen. But hemoglobin? You might actually be thinking of red blood cells.
Seeing ketones in your urine isn't exactly standard, and usually, we associate that with folks managing diabetes. Honestly though, it's probably best not to play doctor on an internet forum—your primary care physician is going to be much better equipped to give you the real deal.
The same goes for red blood cells; they shouldn't really be showing up there either, though they could pop up because of something like a UTI or maybe some kidney stones. Still, you really need someone who sees your whole medical history to give you a straight answer.
You’re probably gonna kick the bucket in like, two or three minutes tops. Honestly, where on earth did you get such a half-baked, ridiculous idea from? Man, whatever.
Honestly, I don't think you even have to wait that long at most hospitals. You should probably double-check things first—there’s no sense in throwing money down the drain if you don't actually need the tests.
I mean, what does "absolutely everything" even mean? A standard cardiology checkup usually just covers your medical history, an ECG (which they’ll likely run right there anyway), some basic blood work, a chest X-ray, and listening to your heart. That’s pretty much the whole deal.
The extra stuff—like a Holter monitor, more specialized lab tests, or an echocardiogram—only happens if the doctor specifically tells you that you need follow-up testing.
Honestly, this whole thing isn't even about the original topic anymore; it’s just a massive embarrassment for the Cleveland Clinic, especially considering Dr. Oggy is involved.
Kevin Allen10 said:Well, now we're getting somewhere... So, I guess it’s finally possible that we don't have to just make things up anymore. 🤔 Based on what you were saying in those earlier posts, it honestly felt like it was going to be impossible for a doctor to actually get anything done for... $2000 😁 And now you’re trying to tell me that we actually wrote that nobody has more than... $1.75 🙄
I'm honestly a little lost on what you're trying to get at here, because I actually laid out all those numbers for you right at the bottom of the last page.
Look, it’s not like I’m just being difficult for the sake of it; it’s more like I'm trying to push back against that aggressive mindset you have where every single doctor is pulling in a massive paycheck regardless of anything else.
I'm not trying to be aggressive here, I swear; it's honestly just my way of reacting to those stubborn, almost mindless medical claims about feeling "underpaid and undervalued." If you can't wrap your head around that, well, I can't really help you there.
Like a parrot. Honestly, you just can't beat those government jobs. Man, what a total mess. 😁 I mean, does it even make sense that they pull in those massive salaries just because they spent a decade in school and climbed their way up to those fancy titles? Honestly, I get the logic behind it, but sometimes you gotta wonder if the grind is actually worth the payout. 🤔
I mean, obviously, for crying out loud, that's just how it is. It wouldn't even make sense if the high-earning professions in the public sector were making more than they already are. So, I'm still not quite sure what you're trying to get at by throwing that claim at me? I guess the real issue here is more like, "Yeah, they're the highest paid, but it's still not enough," right?
Man, you really don't stop going on about hospitals, do you?
I know I’ve been going on and on about hospitals in this thread, but honestly, just go back and re-read the post.
I wonder how many tiny little towns out here in the States have nothing more than a small clinic and a skeleton crew working the front lines. I bet everyone there is just lazy and doesn't have a clue what they're doing. Scott Allen10 knows what's up. He saw it. 😂
I honestly have no clue how many teams they actually have running or if they’re just a bunch of slackers, but you probably know the deal better than anyone. 🙄 I’m just speaking my truth based on what I’ve actually lived through and seen with my own eyes, you know? Honestly, this whole mocking thing you're doing is just pointless and isn't getting you anywhere at all..
Man, it's honestly wild how some people on here try to question someone’s expertise when they’ve got decades of experience and formal training under their belt—it's just ridiculous. The way you write makes it sound like general medicine is nothing more than a total joke. It’s honestly basically high school level stuff. 🙄
You’re totally missing the point here, man. Like, what do you mean "what about training and experience?" It goes without saying that you have to put in the work and grind for years to actually get good at a job, especially in medicine. But let's be real—the quality of healthcare here in the States can be hit or miss for a ton of different reasons... it’s definitely not world-class, but honestly, on average, it isn't exactly lightyears away from being decent either.
So, is the decision to shut down that little local clinic final?
Nah.
And just one last thing before I head out... I honestly can't wrap my head around how doctors are even supposed to make a decent living using all that expensive schooling in a system like ours, especially since everyone seems to expect everything to be dirt cheap.
Give me a real, concrete example here—something that isn't just another empty cliché or a bunch of fluff. 😉
I was just sitting here thinking about all the possibilities, and honestly, I could go on for hours, but let me just throw out a few ideas that popped into my head in like ten seconds: we could set up partnerships with private specialist clinics to handle things like ultrasounds and mammograms alongside a radiologist, maybe even roll out some telemedicine cardiology services through the Magdalena Hospital Call Center, plus there's acupuncture—which is such an underrated way to tackle both acute and chronic pain through a whole suite of different treatments—and then of course there's basic lab work and everything else.
My bad if this post looks a little messy in some spots...
Casey Cook10 said:..... rather, it's a country that lacks the resources to shorten waiting lists and isn't even trying to build them up. .....
And now, you see this same rib with the exact same crew acting like some kind of savior, claiming they'll operate on the person in question without "disrupting the current system" or "harming others." But let's be real—someone is always going to get screwed over because if they aren't bumping a surgery date, they're taking up a spot in the shock room that someone else desperately needs.
I'm with you, Doc. The real culprit here is just government inertia, where things are basically being run by people chasing whatever niche interests happen to cross their desks.
Been away for a bit, but I couldn't just leave you guys hanging...
Please, don't just come at me with all that whining and try to label it as "generalizing." Look, obviously you can't generalize everything, but if we're playing that game, my take is basically the polar opposite of the medical side's version of generalizing—you know, where they act like nobody makes more than $5,000 or $6,000 a year and everyone’s basically starving. We all know that's a million miles away from reality. I mentioned somewhere before that I don't think this top-down management style at the Social Security Administration is the best way to run things, and yeah, there's plenty of absurdity involved. But honestly, where isn't there absurdity? In any profession, you can dig up a story or a problem if you look hard enough. That goes for doctors at the Social Security Administration too. But that doesn't justify feeding the public these constant stories about being "underpaid and humiliated," especially when you're actually part of the highest-paid public sector service out there, with salaries most other government employees can only dream about. Let me say it again: we're talking about the hospital sector where a few shifts can easily net you $11,000–$12,000, and even at the Social Security Administration, when those average 20 $0.00 bosses reject expenses, it's still an average of $10,000. The fact that Social Security Administration doctors don't look toward the "market" to offer extra services to boost their income has nothing to do with being underpaid; it's just pure inertia and decades of getting used to money falling into your lap without taking any kind of risk. And I'll leave you with this: there's always an alternative, but you need vision, guts, and a willingness to take some risks to go after it. But why bother doing that when it's so much easier to just sit around saying, "Oh, we're so underpaid and mistreated... blah, blah, blah..."
Look, Red, don't get your knickers in a twist. I get that the truth can sting, but try not to eat yourself alive over it—especially when you're spinning fairy tales that anyone with half a brain could see right through. Even though I personally think the whole capitation system is a total mess and pretty absurd, that "humiliated private practitioner" you're talking about pulls in an average of nearly 20 $0.00 a month, maybe even more. Once you subtract the gross pay needed to cover my sister's bare-minimum salary, some modest rent, negligible utility bills, and those surprisingly high costs for medical supplies and meds for a general practice clinic, plus a few other small things, that "poor soul" is still walking away with at least 10,000 to 15 $0.00 in take-home pay. Of course, if someone owns their own space, those overheads drop even lower since they aren't paying rent. Plus, nobody is stopping a "humiliated private doctor" from doing side work outside of what's billed to Medicare and, of course, actually charging for it. And since you really want to nitpick my every word, here’s my honest take: my opinion of general practitioners is pretty low. Setting aside this whole financial circus, I don't think clinical expertise is exactly their strongest suit. I constantly run into the same two scenarios—either they send people rushing to the hospital for absolutely no reason, or they stubbornly stick to a treatment plan that clearly isn't working. If you ask me, being a dentist under the PZZ is much tougher. On top of covering all their own expenses like any other doctor, they get a lower capitation rate, yet they have to constantly shell out for incredibly expensive materials, whereas a GP might only buy a few infusions, a couple of meds, some alcohol, and some gauze once in a while.
nimblestag31 said:I have to hand it to you, your way of measuring value is pretty unique. So, you're saying $5,000–$6,000 is an amazing salary? Especially if you're an MD, or even better, a specialist with years of experience under your belt, a family to provide for, and a schedule that isn't just a standard 9-to-5 because you carry the legal and moral weight of being on call whenever someone needs you... 👍 Honestly, even $5k–$6k is too much; we should probably cut that down. Some people are happy with $3k and won't say a word, right? 🙄
Oh, nimblestag31, honey, you've got your wires crossed right from the jump. Complaining about a specialist doctor making $5,000 or $6,000 is absolute nonsense, and here you are, latching onto those numbers and dragging out this pathetic whining like Babić himself is cutting your paycheck. The starting coefficient for a specialist is around 2.04. I think the base pay is a bit over $1500. Then you get a 0.5% bump for every year of seniority. Plus, almost everywhere else, there’s some kind of stipend for working conditions or responsibility. On-call shifts—whether they're regular, weekend, or holiday shifts—pay roughly between $500 and $333. Any leadership role within a department comes with extra pay, too. And heaven forbid a kid ends up in your care... oops, there goes the salary back to a standard, comfortable, relaxing minimum of $11,000–$12,000, and that’s in the public sector here in America. That applies whether you're a top-tier expert dedicated to the craft or a total slacker who rolls in at 9 and ghosts by 1. So, don't try to sell me those stories; they're completely out of touch. I do agree with Casey Cook10 that overtime hours outside of scheduled shifts should be compensated—that makes perfect sense. But should we really be deducting the early hours too? Look, anyone who isn't happy with all of that can always just go into private practice. I already said that, so I'm not sure why you're getting defensive about it for no reason.
nimblestag31 said:Look, those doctors are incredibly well-paid. If Bradley Phillips35 was just talking about doctors in general, and if your last point was meant to cover all doctors—not just Šimić who had that specific management contract—then you honestly have no clue what you're talking about. Statements like that actually make me feel a bit sick.
Trust me, I feel even worse hearing this kind of medical corruption nonsense where people claim they only make "five or six thousand dollars a month," which is clearly the direction your post is heading. If that's really how you see things, then you're the one who should be feeling sick, just from reading your own takes.
@goldengull3/">@@goldengull3 I can see you're definitely not some top-tier moderator, honestly. I’m totally with you on this one—there’s basically no difference between those examples, and if they keep running things like this, there's just going to be more of the same forever.
@Justin Fox/">@@Justin Fox You really hit the nail on the head there. They try to gatekeep everything as some sort of "exclusive" club, but the real reason we don't see more qualified people stepping up is because the whole system is just broken and stagnant, stubbornly letting things stay this way for years.