I haven't actually asked yet. I’ve got a few more things I need to look into first, and honestly, I think they'd just grill me about it until I finished my own research anyway.
I doubt I'll be able to get them to cover everything. Maybe I can score some specific vitamins or minerals if my symptoms line up with certain deficiencies, but getting the whole list? Unlikely. I can always just pay out of pocket for the heavy hitters, especially since I know some stuff—like calcium or Vitamin D—is usually included in standard multivitamins anyway.
Nicholas Myers 🙏, I didn't even realize we had this thread going. 😬
David Mitchell4, look, there are definitely some rude people out there—doctors and nurses included—but do you honestly think it’s fair to blame the doctors just because they’re still stuck on the ward? What do you think they were doing in there, sipping coffee and hanging out? Or let's put it this way: what's more urgent? People in an outpatient clinic coming in for routine checkups, or patients actually admitted to the hospital? If they've been hospitalized, they certainly aren't feeling great.
northerncyclist2 said:Look, reading the rules is obviously important, but this isn't North Korea. You shouldn't just mow down every newbie with a machine gun because they made a harmless mistake. It would be more decent if the mods actually warned people and pointed them toward the guidelines instead of just coldly handing out bans. It’s about people relations, you know? This isn't the NYPD where they can flex their authority whenever they feel like it; it's a site that survives on (new) users. Even the local cops usually give you a warning for a first offense rather than just slapping you with a ticket 😁 .
Usually, that's how it goes—you get a warning, a DM, or a polite nudge explaining what happened along with a link to the rules. I haven't really noticed anyone picking on the newcomers; we tend to show some understanding and go easy on them.
Angela Wright said:My body just couldn't take it anymore and I ended up in the ER this Thursday. Everything turned out fine, though. The little one is 5 lbs and doesn't need any special help—she's fully developed. I'm still in intensive care while they get my blood pressure under control, but I'll probably be moved to a regular room tonight. Honestly, thank God this part of the story had a good ending. Thanks to everyone for the support.
I don't worry about myself. I don't run to the ER for nonsense, and I don't call 911 for nothing, so my conscience is clean and I'm not worried about karma coming back to bite me. That’s a problem for the people who actually act like that, because karma is a real bitch. 😉
Look, if you have three ambulances out with three doctors on the road, and all three get dispatched—but two of them end up being for absolute nonsense (you wouldn't believe it, but people really do show up to the ER for stupid stuff and call 911 for nothing)—then explain to me how that doesn't hurt the person who actually needs help? What, are they going to clone ambulances and doctors so they can send a vehicle they don't actually have just because I'm having a heart attack right now?
It’s the exact same story once you get to the hospital. Unfortunately, we have a limited number of doctors, nurses, and machines in the units. If I get admitted—let's say I'm exaggerating my symptoms—that doctor is busy treating me instead of someone else. If you don't get it, while he's treating me, three people who actually need help could walk through the door. How is he supposed to know if I'm an emergency or not until he sees me? And what if I'm just bullshitting and overstating things just to get seen faster?
Bottom line: stop telling people to go to the ER for no reason. It's called "emergency" for a reason. I bet you wouldn't want someone to suffer because someone else thought they were clever enough to skip the line and dodge the procedures.
If you think I'm just talking trash, go ask a doctor who has actually worked in an ER what it's really like.
Sandra Brooks91 said:Maybe if politicians actually took us seriously and fixed the root causes behind these massive wait times and general frustration, we wouldn't be in this mess. But no, better to just roll over, follow orders, and keep waiting... while complaining about it on forums. 😁
Like I said, people are taking their anger out on the wrong targets. A few posts ago on this thread, people were calling others idiots just because they’re looking at months of waiting. It’s as if the hospital staff—who are already shorthanded and under-equipped—are somehow to blame for the chaos. They don't need patients insulting them on top of everything else.
Then you see people handing out "tips" on how to cut the line at the ER. Seriously? The ER is for emergencies, not for impatient people who can't handle a wait. If you want change, write letters to Congress or your local representatives. Put pressure on the people who actually have the power to fix the system.
I usually ignore unsolicited advice, but I draw the line at tips on how to jump ahead of people in the emergency room. I honestly hope anyone trying to cut the line realizes that when it's their turn to face an actual emergency, they might find themselves stuck behind someone else who thought they were clever.
The system here is broken, sure. But if we actually had the American model, we’d realize how lucky we’ve been. We’re just bickering over nonsense until the whole thing finally collapses and we're left footing the entire bill ourselves.
I honestly just hope they start charging people a fee for showing up at the ER with nothing but nonsense. It’s like the rest of us—the ones actually waiting for routine checkups and follow-ups—are just complete idiots who don't care about our own health or our families'. We're clearly just being "smart" by rushing to the emergency room, exaggerating every little thing just to skip the line and get seen immediately.
Meanwhile, someone's mother, father, or child is stuck in the waiting room, unable to see anyone because the doctors and all the equipment are tied up with non-emergencies. As much as I despise the American healthcare system, I see people here practically begging for it to start hitting them in the wallet. Maybe if everything cost a fortune, people would finally learn to appreciate what we actually have.
The argument that "I pay my insurance premiums, so why should I wait?" is absolutely ridiculous. What, do the people waiting on diagnostic tests and screenings not pay their insurance either? What happens when everyone starts acting like they're entitled to every single thing in the world? For God's sake, we live in a country where people are waiting months for chemo because the monthly drug quota ran out—which is exactly what we're discussing here. So what kind of "rights" and "demands" are we even talking about? Our healthcare system is fundamentally broken. It's not the patients' fault, and it's not the doctors, nurses, or lab techs' fault either. You're aiming your anger at the wrong target.
If everything felt normal, then don't sweat it. For instance, my periods always hurt like crazy—I'm talking brutal—but then, maybe two or three times a year, I’ll have one where I barely feel anything at all. Cycles aren't consistent, so the symptoms aren't always going to be the same.
But if you aren't trying to get pregnant, make sure you're using protection. You just got lucky this time. 🙂
Stress can totally mess with your cycle. Was your period actually normal though? Like, was the flow consistent with what you usually get, and did you have the typical shedding of the uterine lining?
Just head over to your primary care physician. Tell them what symptoms you're dealing with and let the doctor actually do the job they went to medical school for and get paid for. You can't even get a referral without seeing your GP first anyway, so guessing on a forum about why someone's legs are swelling is just getting nowhere fast.
It could be anything. Best to leave the guesswork and testing to the professionals. If it's heart issues, talk to a cardiologist; if it's kidneys, see a nephrologist.
vividsailor7 said:It's not exactly bacon... don't go overboard. But if you just grab a sandwich before going in for, say, KKS, CRP, AST, ALT, GGT, creatinine, or urea tests, it won't matter much. But you should probably fast before doing blood work for glucose, iron, or a lipid panel.
Think I'm overreacting? 😁
Come visit the Midwest and see how much we love to snack. 😳 Honestly, seeing someone eat bacon or sausage for breakfast wouldn't even shock you. Personally, I can't handle anything heavy in the morning; that's more like lunch food to me, but hey, there are plenty of people out there who load up on that kind of stuff first thing in the AM.
vividsailor7 said:You don't need to fast, even if some people keep insisting you do.
So food doesn't affect things like blood clotting at all?
Sugar definitely requires fasting. I'm not sure if the same goes for cholesterol, triglycerides, and stuff like that—it just seems logical to me. It’s not exactly the same thing whether I gorge myself on pepperoni pizza and bacon right before the draw or if I eat nothing at all.
Please don't start talking about using Baking Soda as a treatment here. We've already discussed how harmful that can be in this thread. If you're looking to push that agenda, there’s an entire section over in the Alternative discussions where you can go ahead and move there.
I figure you shouldn't eat anything in the morning, and if you're getting your blood sugar checked, you absolutely have to be fasting.
Just eat the way you normally do; that’s the only way to get an honest look at things. What’s the point of obsessing over your diet, cutting out fats, or upping certain nutrients if you aren't doing that on a daily basis anyway? If you don't, the results won't reflect reality. Personally, I don't do anything special before my KKS tests, except I never eat or drink anything—water is fine—before the draw.
granitecobra5, if that swelling isn't going down by tomorrow, go see a doctor. Mine got pretty puffy once, but it went back down by the next day—barely even noticeable. Lips are super sensitive because they're so vascular; things just swell up fast (even for me, just from biting my lip), but it usually dies down after a bit. If it doesn't, you need to get checked out to see what's actually happening.
Bottom line: listen to Bill Gates. If you wake up tomorrow and it’s still swollen, don't waste your time at a CVS buying random creams. Go straight to a doctor and let them tell you what to use or whatever else needs doing.
Did you maybe crack a lip without even realizing it? You know, if you were out in the sun too long and things just dried out and split.
A while back, my upper lip split right down the middle—on the inside, too. It actually swelled up pretty bad that day. I wouldn't have even known it happened if I hadn't tasted blood in my mouth and had to go check the mirror to see what was going on.
granitecobra5 said:Why is the upper lip such a bad spot for inflammation?
It's not just the upper lip, though—it's lips in general. They're heavily vascularized, so any inflammation spreads much faster. Same goes for the skin immediately surrounding the mouth.
velvetmoose9 said:Or just stop waxing altogether...
Ahhh, easy for you to say... 😛
Every time I wax, my legs end up covered in these tiny red bumps. My skin feels super sensitive, almost like I just scalded myself with hot water. Usually, it clears up after a day. I'm not sure if that's a normal reaction, but I figure since you're ripping hair out by the root, you're basically creating thousands of tiny little micro-wounds.
I don't bother applying creams or treatments afterward because I feel like adding more stuff to my skin actually makes it worse. Honestly, a quick rinse with cold water is all I need. 😁
Angela Wright, I'm crossing my fingers that you can make it through another few weeks without any complications. I trust you're in good hands, just hang in there. 😘