Posts by melloworca6

Sophia Wells72 said:I’d honestly love to know if there is 🙂 let me know 😁.

Right? 🙂 😁

Give me a break, I didn't even know you could do stuff like that. What, are they hiring magicians or plastic surgeons for this now?

I guess someone with actual experience will chime in, but as far as I'm concerned, this is the first time I've ever heard this exists.

😕 Never heard of this one.

Melissa James70 said:But seriously, look at that opening line— this isn't a substitute for a doctor.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/

Turns out I’m mildly to moderately depressed. 🤣

It didn't catch any of my actual diagnoses, though, so all you hypochondriacs can breathe easy. 😬

I can't tell if this chat is strictly for the hypochondriacs, or if people who get totally driven crazy by hypochondria are allowed to post here too? 😁

And why was the blood work even ordered in the first place?

A standard CBC usually just shows signs of inflammation, anemia, or stuff like that.
For anything else, you need specific diagnostic tests. For instance, if a doctor suspects a tumor, they’ll run specific tumor markers. If they're looking at an autoimmune disorder, they'll test for particular antibodies. There are endless examples like that.

Don't write in all caps. On the internet, that's basically yelling, and we actually penalize that kind of thing here on the forum. 🙂

Of course there are illnesses you just can't spot on a standard CBC.

ESR, white blood cell counts, CRP—those things tell you if there's inflammation lurking somewhere, but that's about it. You can't read much else from those numbers.

A blood panel might hint at a problem, sure, but you should never treat it like some magic wand that proves everything is fine. It’s not the final word.

I actually deal with the exact opposite issue—dry mouth. I have to rely on artificial saliva just to get by. My doctor told me that whenever I feel that parched sensation kicking in, I should grab something sour to kickstart my system. Usually, I’ll just suck on a sugar-free sour candy or squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice into my water to trigger some saliva production.

If I were her, I’d head straight to a neurologist. It might turn out to be nothing, but it could also be anything. This isn't normal.

I think we all have those moments where a word just slips our minds, but if it starts happening constantly—or getting worse—that's a problem.

Go ahead and Google "uterine hematoma" if you really want to see what kind of results pop up.

Basically, a hematoma happens when an embryo implants and a tiny blood vessel ruptures in the process. It’s a pregnancy complication, and honestly, it's pretty serious because if it bleeds too much, it can lead to a miscarriage.

As for that black spot on the ultrasound? That could be anything. In my experience, I once had a cyst that just cleared up after I took some hormone medication for about ten days.

In this girl's case, it looks like a minor hormonal imbalance. It’s nothing out of the ordinary; our cycles aren't perfectly synced up every single month. Sometimes you don't even ovulate, so your period isn't going to look or feel the same every time.

What do you mean, a hematoma? 😕

If she isn't pregnant, how does a hematoma even happen? As far as I know, a hematoma usually shows up when an embryo is implanting in the uterine wall.

It’s most likely just some minor hormonal imbalance.

Maybe try checking out the Parenting subreddit instead. I know you aren't breastfeeding and haven't had kids, but there are plenty of moms over there who have dealt with the exact same issues you're facing. They might be able to offer some solid advice even if it doesn't apply to your situation directly.

I wish I could do more to help. You might want to search our local forums for "sore throat" threads too; someone else might have posted about something similar there.

Maria Gomez4 said:Look, I don't mean to upset you, but I find this whole narrative a bit strange.

In other words, my only real conclusion here is this: we are clearly facing a massive shortage of practicing physicians.

Because, honestly, it seems to be in the interest of every single family doctor (and several other specialists, I suppose) to take on as many patients as possible, given they are paid via capitation models; so, I can't really fathom any reason why someone would turn you away, unless they are simply overwhelmed by their caseload.

I know gynecologists who have done the same thing. They're also paid per head, and if they still had room to take people on, they wouldn't be turning new patients away.

Maria Gomez4 said:Which one? You shouldn't just go around cutting someone's therapy without consulting a doctor, right?
How exactly are you interpreting this, and how did it even get to this point?

I already laid out my interpretation in my first post on this thread.

Listen, that sounds like hearsay to me. They are incredibly strict! They just sweep you aside... ugh...

Well... that brings us to the actual question of what is happening here. I suppose, without going further, Americans prescribe and consume far too many antibiotics, but in my view, we really need to investigate the root of the problem scientifically first.
As far as I know, where are they prescribed most often? To young children for throat infections.
And I guess the factors at play here include: physician fear, parental anxiety, ignorance (?), or perhaps pressure?
Teenagers and older adults aren't much of an issue; that demographic is relatively healthy.

Look, melloworca6, if you want to have a serious discussion, I guess you should avoid making such sweeping generalizations. The issue with antibiotic consumption isn't really about the financial aspect as much as it is about the development of resistance. And frankly, I highly doubt you actually know how much different antibiotics cost, or how frequently certain ones are (incorrectly) being prescribed. Please.

I'm certainly not going to cancel anything for her—I don't have any medical training.

As I mentioned, the grandmother was given an allergy med (Florida) by her doctor, even though she isn't allergic to anything. And if the doctor actually suspected an allergy, she should have sent her for allergy testing instead of just guessing. Besides, one of the side effects of the blood pressure meds she takes is itching, hives, and rashes, so the doctor really should have suspected that first.

And what kind of kid is going to give her Zaldiar 😲? That's basically tramadol; that stuff is for heavy-duty pain. Let's be real: aside from the usual issues old folks have with high blood pressure, heart problems, and joints, she doesn't have other issues and truly has no need for that kind of medication. On top of that, she knows how to take aspirin, and sometimes she'll pop something like Cafetin for pain.

She doesn't read the labels and has no clue what any of these drugs are for; the doctor hands them to her and she just takes them whenever she's hurting or feeling off. My mom lost her mind and grabbed all the instructions for the meds to bring home, just so she could see what on earth she’s actually taking and why.

And let me tell you one thing: half these old folks exaggerate and show up to the doctor for nothing. I saw a segment on TV recently where some grandma, maybe 60 years old, claimed she goes to see her doctor several times a week 😲.

Maria Gomez4 said:Which one? You shouldn't just go around cutting someone's therapy without consulting a doctor, right?
How exactly are you interpreting this, and how did it even get to this point?

I already laid out my interpretation in my first post on this thread.

Listen, that sounds like hearsay to me. They are incredibly strict! They just sweep you aside... ugh...

Well... that brings us to the actual question of what is happening here. I suppose, without going further, Americans prescribe and consume far too many antibiotics, but in my view, we really need to investigate the root of the problem scientifically first.
As far as I know, where are they prescribed most often? To young children for throat infections.
And I guess the factors at play here include: physician fear, parental anxiety, ignorance (?), or perhaps pressure?
Teenagers and older adults aren't much of an issue; that demographic is relatively healthy.

Look, melloworca6, if you want to have a serious discussion, I guess you should avoid making such sweeping generalizations. The issue with antibiotic consumption isn't really about the financial aspect as much as it is about the development of resistance. And frankly, I highly doubt you actually know how much different antibiotics cost, or how frequently certain ones are (incorrectly) being prescribed. Please.

I only mentioned antibiotics as an example. Why wouldn't you think the more expensive drugs get prescribed just as pointlessly?

And even if the price per box is $3.25, it’s still just $3.25 wasted. I think a box of Celebrex goes for about $27, which isn't exactly cheap if you ask me.

redridge13 said:Look, if you want to slide into my DMs with a list of names and phone numbers and expect me to actually pick up the phone and start dialing, you're dreaming. I'm not running a telemarketing agency here, man. Go ahead and send whatever you want privately if you need to vent, but don't expect me to act like some kind of automated calling service. I've got better things to do with my time.

Honestly, I’m just as baffled as you are. Something about this whole thing feels off to me, too.
The only logical conclusion I’m drawing from all this is that these people are living pretty damn well off those massive kickbacks they pull, and honestly? They have zero incentive to actually deal with more patients. Why bother busting their backs when the money is already rolling in?
Look, I’m telling you, they don't have more patients. I had an auntie from Medicare confirm it to me twice—and honestly, if you just head over to the Medicare website and check the tables for contracted teams, you can see exactly how many patients everyone actually has. It's all right there in black and white.

And just for the record, I’m not some elderly shut-in, I'm not immobile, I don't have some chronic illness, and I'm definitely not a junkie.
I do all my research through my private insurance provider, but I still need to swing by my GP's office to get a formal sick note processed. My pediatrician recommended it, and honestly, I need the paperwork—I’ve got a little preschooler at home who seems to catch every single bug going around. It feels like we're constantly fighting off something new.

So, did you finally manage to get your medical file opened?

It’s definitely possible. My endocrinologist actually asked me if I was on birth control when we were checking my thyroid levels.

Honestly, you should just run it by your own doctor to be safe.

There’s already a thread on this: Thyroid Issues - Part II: How It Messes With Us All

Look, it's true that thyroid stuff causes brain fog and memory lapses, but if you're straight-up forgetting entire life events? That's definitely not just the thyroid.

Maria Gomez4 said:That sort of oversight happens constantly through various commissions, boards, and audits. They monitor how many referrals you issue, how many sick leaves are signed, how many antibiotics are prescribed... basically, it’s all handled quite rigorously.

That is a very common—almost legendary—side effect of ACE inhibitors, so I honestly can't fathom why the physician didn't consider that possibility. They really should have.

No, I'm not; I just changed my status.

That's how we're trained now, and it's mandatory (knowing how to use a computer). Digitalization has advanced so much that you even have semi-professional apps right on your smartphone.

Clearly, it could be even more rigorous if my mom and I can go through Grandma's meds and find two pills she doesn't even need. And I wouldn't say they're strict with antibiotics either; I know a guy who was prescribed Sumamed just for a slightly large pimple on his face🤦.

I see it with the high schoolers too—doctors hand out antibiotics left and right. First they give one, then if that fails, they give another, and finally Sumamed. Then they send them for a swab practically while the treatment is still ongoing, and the swab comes back negative.

My point is, there are little things like this where massive amounts of money could be saved.

Maria Gomez4 said:Well, I suppose that’s a pretty controversial topic you've brought up. I guess the real question is whether it’s actually more cost-effective to hire a dedicated clerk or just let the doctor handle the typing themselves.

From what I gather—though I might be wrong—there used to be plenty of medical transcriptionists back in the day, but then they were all mass-fired (well, not everyone, since some departments still have their own dedicated ladies handling the machines), so now the doctors have taken over the typing duties. It varies wildly in terms of skill level, too; I mean, some doctors are incredibly fast—I once saw a specialist from Florida typing with one hand while flipping through charts with the other!—whereas others are practically illiterate when it comes to computers, which makes sense considering the average American specialist is probably somewhere in their 50s or 55.
The amount of time wasted on data entry is just massive. In some departments, during my internship, that was basically my entire job, and I consider myself a relatively quick typist.

I can't help but wonder why everything has to be re-typed manually instead of just being copied and pasted; I guess it's just baffling why these records aren't readily available in a digital format.

You know what the saddest part is? It’s not just one person hired; there are several. But either they don't know how to type, they're slow as hell, or they write everything down wrong. I guess instead of doctors dealing with some idiot who got the job through nepotism, they just decide to do it themselves.

They hire people for these positions from all sorts of backgrounds who have never seen a typewriter in their lives and couldn't even read Latin if their life depended on it. How can people like that even work in those roles? 🤷

redridge13 said:This thread was basically made for me 😠 😠

So, let’s dive into my little saga regarding the supposed "right" a patient has to choose their own primary care physician.

I need to switch my GP, so I decided to take the logical route—you know, the one that actually makes sense? I called Medicare, asked the lady to check near my neighborhood for any doctors who haven't hit their cap yet (they're supposed to be under 1,900 patients), and that's when the absolute circus began...
I called them one after another, and every single person just brushed me off with some variation of "we're totally full."
I don't even want to mention how much time I wasted on the phone trying to get through to everyone.
When I finally got home, I sent an email to obvezno-osiguranje@hzzo-net.hr asking if they had a list of doctors actually accepting new patients, since calling every single clinic in Washington, D.C. isn't exactly a great use of my life.
Still no response today....

I called Medicare again this morning to ask for advice, and the woman tells me, "Look, there's nothing we can do for you, it's just plain rude of them, you can file a complaint." Then she casually mentions there are three doctors in a clinic just three blocks away.
Out of those three, I manage to reach one, and of course, he turns me down too.

Then I call the clinic I'm technically assigned to (the afternoon shift)—both of them blow me off. A nurse at another clinic even tells me that their colleague from the opposite shift *should* have taken me, even though that same woman snubbed me yesterday!
Then, at a clinic in the next neighborhood, I get rejected yet again.

I was so incredibly pissed that I called the Department of Health and Human Services hotline: 0800 200 063.
The website says—and the automated operator confirms—that live people are available from 8 to 4, but somehow, at 3:30 PM, I'm still stuck talking to a robot.
I left my info and gave a brief rundown of the mess.
About 15 minutes later, my phone rings. It's a woman from the Department of Health and Human Services. She didn't really know what to tell me; she seemed like she wanted to suggest everything I'd already tried with Medicare, but since I had, she just said she'd pass my complaint along...

And honestly, what can I say? On paper, I have the right to primary healthcare and to choose my doctor. In reality? It's a complete joke.

Tomorrow, I'm heading down to the local clinic in person. If they reject me, I'm demanding a written refusal. Then I'm sending the whole story, along with that paperwork, straight to Milinović and let him try finding me a GP himself.

Just as a little side note from the Medicare regulations (specifically the rules on exercising the right to freely choose a primary care physician or dentist):
Article 9.
A chosen doctor has the right to refuse a patient only in the following cases:
1. If the number of enrolled patients under their care exceeds the maximum limit set
by general agency policy.
2. If there is a breakdown in the relationship between the chosen doctor and the insured person.
The reason for refusing a patient must be recorded by the doctor in the designated section of the official statement form.

A chosen doctor is NOT allowed to refuse a patient simply because the person is older,
sick, immobile, an addict, or suffers from mental illness, or for any other reasons that are NOT
listed in paragraph 1 of this article.

P.S. Every month, several thousand dollars are stripped from my paycheck for health insurance.

This is going in the news. ☕

That’s exactly what I would do.

If they have openings, they have to take you. If they refuse, do exactly what you said. Believe me, not one of them will dare reject you without a valid reason. There is just one catch: you might run into issues with the doctor later, like them being petty or making you jump through hoops just to get basic tests done.

dustynomad8 said:If my thyroid results come back positive... is that actually bad? I mean, how much am I going to have to deal with this? My mom is already 20 years into this and she’s on those pills constantly. I honestly don't know anything about it. I've been scrolling through the forums, but I haven't found a straight answer on what's actually coming my way 🙄
Sorry for bugging you all with these stupid questions, but I'm starting to panic 😢

Regarding the thyroid, it’s not the end of the world. 🙂

There isn't some magic pill that "cures" your thyroid, but there is hormone replacement therapy. For some people, things stabilize and they can drop the dose, or in rare cases, stop entirely. But most of the time, it's a lifelong thing.

I had the exact same thought—wondering if I'd be stuck on meds forever. But once you look it up or talk to people, you realize it’s not that deep. Look at it this way: imagine you're deficient in a specific vitamin and you have to take a supplement to stay healthy. That's basically what this is. If it's hypothyroidism—meaning you're low on thyroid hormones—you're just replacing what's missing with a pill. It's like a vitamin supplement. The only catch is that you can't just eat your way out of a thyroid issue like you can with certain vitamins.

Don't freak out if it turns out to be your thyroid. You really don't need to. Plenty of us live perfectly fine lives even with shitty thyroid levels. 🙂

Andrew Wood5 said:They are terrible. With this new system, everything from referrals to intake is typed into a computer. They just stare blankly at the monitor. You’d think they were doctors making some profound clinical assessment, but they aren't. 😂It feels like you're walking through a courtroom where they're just waiting for you to slip up so they can let you go. And they are so incredibly slow. There is zero effort to speed things up. Maybe they actually want Milinović's failures to take hold. Patients are treated like mere numbers now. It’s all pure bureaucracy, even though the whole point of this change was supposed to be the exact opposite.

Man, it’s really no surprise who’s getting hired these days.

Two years ago, I was in a bad way. Honestly, if my boyfriend hadn't driven me over to his mom's place at the Mayo Clinic, I might not have stayed alive. So there I am, just sitting there in the ward, waiting around for my guy to finish his shift so he could finally come examine me.

So, I got a little peek behind the curtain to see how things actually run on the units. There were two doctors on duty; one female doctor was bouncing back and forth between the ward and the clinic, while the other poor guy spent two whole hours just stuck at a desk typing up test results and discharge papers.

It’s honestly a disgrace. You look at the numbers and it's ridiculous—we have way too many administrators running around. There was even an article about it in the local news recently. At the KBO, one-third of the staff is medical and two-thirds is just non-medical. Pure waste. 😲Doctors need to type their own notes. These guys either have no clue what they're doing or they're slow enough to drive you absolutely insane.

Maria Gomez4 said:Look, you have to realize that money isn't infinite; our budget is already massive and, frankly, unrealistic, so those funds and resources have to be taken from somewhere!
From whom?
From pregnant women? From people with the flu? From ICU patients? Or palliative care? It doesn't matter, but all those resources—the operating room, the prep work, flying an organ in from another state via Air Force One—it all costs an enormous amount. I might be exaggerating, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's close to a million dollars. This woman underwent an experimental procedure where they transplanted a liver from a different blood type! Hello?! That is straight out of a space-age sci-fi movie.
And all of that implies that someone else who actually needed that liver didn't get it, or someone who should have been operated on immediately had to wait because the OR was occupied. It means surgeries were postponed and people were left waiting because the surgeons and staff were tied up. Maintaining that organ requires incredibly expensive medications and oversight from a top-tier clinic like the Mayo Clinic... which is great, really, but I honestly don't know who is going to foot the bill. I'm just not sure our economy can sustain that level of medical intervention.

And yeah, I have this intense urge to go visit the lady, but I probably shouldn't for ethical reasons (besides the fact that she was "my patient" back in my med school days 🙂, so I definitely remember her, even her name)

Look, don't try to lecture me on economics or money; I get it. My point is we need to find a way to penalize certain behaviors (take smokers or hypochondriacs, for example) instead of just cutting people off because some idiots exist or because some people simply don't care about their own health.

And honestly, they should start cleaning house with primary care doctors. I was looking at the prescriptions my grandma takes recently, and out of 5 or 6 different meds, at least two are totally useless. For instance, one side effect of a blood pressure med can be itching, allergies, or a rash. She probably got an itch from that, so they gave her an antihistamine. How many elderly people are out there complaining about what’s likely just a drug side effect, only to be handed more pills, and then spend months taking stuff they don't actually need?

Same thing happened when I was sitting in a waiting room at the doctor's office. This woman was telling how her mom had been coughing for months; they sent her through every test under the sun—immunology, everything—only for it to turn out the cough was just a side effect of her blood pressure medication.

There's your savings right there: pay a little more attention to the details. And don't even get me started on antibiotics being handed out like candy. People walk into the clinic with the flu and get prescribed antibiotics. If people knew that the flu is a virus and that viruses don't respond to antibiotics, then doctors should at least explain that to them, rather than just taking the easy way out and dumping antibiotics on a kid to get them out the door.
First, it's a total waste of money, and second, it's dangerous because bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant.

Maria Gomez4 said:I suppose they aren't necessarily unintelligent just because they’re taking advantage of a service they don't actually have to pay for; if anything, they might actually be quite clever, wouldn't you say? 🙂
I honestly feel that the cost of treating illnesses caused or worsened by clearly defined factors should be shifted directly onto those specific culprits—tobacco products, most notably. While alcohol is certainly a major driver, the number of people actually ending up needing liver transplants because of it seems relatively low compared to other issues; I suppose there is definitely a question regarding how we approach addiction treatment, but I have this nagging impression that it just isn't the massive problem that smoking is.

And why on earth would they just hand them out like candy? I mean, let’s be honest—so many people outright lie about it. It’s a total classic when you look at disability benefits or those extended medical leaves... sometimes a person just doesn't feel like showing up to work, so they turn to a doctor and say, "Hey, write me something."
I suppose a doctor might be weak, or perhaps he simply lacks the necessary expertise, or maybe he’s just plain terrified—it could honestly be all of those things at once—but you have to believe that, deep down, he truly wants to help the man.
I guess you might recall that recent news story about the patient who was treated incredibly harshly by a doctor on the second shift; apparently, they just brushed her off because she hadn't scheduled an appointment, even though she showed up specifically because she was in pain.
Look, I really have no desire to see my name being dragged through the papers!

Sigh. I usually just hop online to look up whatever is going on with a patient; most of the time, I really only need a quick refresher. I have to admit, there are plenty of things I used to think were groundbreaking, yet it turns out they’re just standard practice that my colleagues handle perfectly well. Then again, maybe it just comes down to the individual or the specific nature of the illness.
I suppose the real issue here boils down to trust—trust in the system and trust in our doctors. While I'll admit the system could certainly be performing better, it does function, and maybe there really isn't any need to descend into such widespread panic.

So you said you aren't a primary care doctor? 🙂

Good for you. We need more doctors like that. My old doctor couldn't even figure out how to use a computer, let alone search the internet.