Posts by Susan Chavez

Sandra Vaughn50 said:I’d suggest getting a platelet count done using a citrate solution—just to rule out pseudothrombocytopenia, which is basically a false low reading.

The follow-up test came back at 180. Thanks again!

bluemason3 said:I checked with Medicare—they said they aren't going.

So, I finally got my referral for Vitamin D testing. To be honest—and this is kind of a mess—my previous results from that private lab were pretty abysmal, but I managed to get a referral through Medicare after seeing a state-appointed endocrinologist. My GP could barely even figure out how to write the damn thing—it was painfully obvious she’d never dealt with this before.

Getting your Vitamin D levels checked privately—it’ll run you like $200 or something... I guess.$83 The lab results are usually ready within a day or two—though at the federal facility in Chicago, they’re still working on the Reber case—but if you order it yourself, you're looking at about a month just to get the screening done, and then another three to four weeks waiting on the actual results... or at least that was my experience, I guess.

I suppose—if you ask me—testing vitamin levels through bloodwork is just generally pointless. It's all a bit much, I guess. $67 Given the vitamin levels and that total figure—I mean, honestly—it’s going to be an uphill battle getting Medicare to cover all of this at once, especially if you're just coming in with some private specialist's recommendation. If you want to actually get a referral that sticks, you'll likely need a state-appointed specialist to sign off on it first—then maybe your primary care doctor can write the actual referral. It's a headache, I guess.

Sandra Vaughn50 said:I’d suggest getting a platelet count done using a citrate solution—just to rule out pseudothrombocytopenia, which is basically a false low reading. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

Thanks so much for the response! I’m going to redo the test today—maybe that'll actually show something useful this time—so I'll let you know how it turns out.

Hi there!
I'm a woman in my early 30s.
I just had some bloodwork done because I'm scheduled for a hysteroscopy soon—dealing with a submucosal fibroid.

Everything looks fine according to the standard ranges, except for my platelets (138, when they should be 158-424), bilirubin (27.6, instead of 3 to 20), lymphocytes (47.7, while the range is 20-46), and neutrophils (40.6, vs. the 44-72 range).

I don't have any symptoms and I'm not on any medication—plus, my platelets were slightly low a few months ago too, so I guess they just always hover around 140.

I'm not sure if this matters, but I should mention that a few months back, my iron was high (it was 34, and the max for women is 30), so I had my ferritin checked—the result was 20.53, though the reference interval is 13 to 150).

Also, during some research study I participated in through a friend's service, it turned out my Vitamin D was incredibly low—only 8.6 nmol/L. After about a month, I had it retested at Mayo Clinic and it was up to about 35 (in that month between tests, I was taking roughly 2000 IU daily and making sure to get some sun, then bumped it to 5000 IU for a month after the new results). I'm going back for more bloodwork at the end of October to see how things look after the summer. My calcium, bone ISO-ALP, and inorganic phosphates were all okay, but my alkaline phosphatase was 40 U/L (range is 54-119).

Thanks for the help!

So, regarding that TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100 drive—the one suggested by halek.

I suppose that's just $1743 then.

I think I'll just shell out a few more bucks—it makes sense—to take that first build and just swap the case and toss in an SSD.

So, here’s the plan:

1 x Zalman T5 mini tower case. 170(W) x 427(H) x 348(D)mm.
1 x CORSAIR 430W Power Supply, CX430M, Modular PC, EPS12V v2.3
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x Intel Core i3-4170 (3.70GHz,512KB,3MB,54 W,1150) Box
1 x AOC i2276VW, 21.5" IPS 16:9, 1920x1080, 250 cd/m2, 50,000,000:1
1 x Seagate 1TB HDD, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, DESKTOP SSHD,8GB SSD
1 x Asrock H81M-HDS, s1150, Intel H81, M-ATX, Dual Channel 2xDDR3
1 x 8GB DDR3 (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1600MHz, CL10
1 x Microsoft Windows 10 Home, 64bit, English 1pk,DSP,OEI DVD,WN7-00614
1 x Kingston 120GB SSD HyperX Fury, 2.5", SATA 3 6G

Total: $1820

I'm assuming—unless I'm wrong—that they at Best Buy will handle installing Windows and everything else onto that SSD.

Is there anything else I should be looking out for, or am I good to go ahead and buy this?
I recall reading in some old thread—if I remember correctly—that you aren't supposed to defragment an SSD... plus there was something about indexing or whatever, though I have no clue what that actually means.

Can I just use the computer like I did before? You know, nothing crazy—just turning it on, off, deleting files I don't need, and occasionally blowing the cat hair and dust out of it?

Fine, one more—hopefully the last question!

What kind of setup would I need if I decided to grab an SSD?

Would that drive the price up too much? Maybe I could cut something from that first configuration—like dropping that 1 terabyte down to 500 gigs—just to keep the total cost roughly in the same ballpark?

Awesome, thanks everyone!

I think I'll just stick with that first option. I've been planning to pull the trigger on a brand-new rig for a while now—so an extra 100$67 really doesn't make much of a difference to me.

Also, just in case anyone else needs to know—I reached out to the admin and found out they actually offer free Windows installation if you buy all your components from them.

Thanks!

But seriously—how am I supposed to choose?

The only thing I actually get here is the price difference.

I noticed some of the components are different—is this basically the "same" thing performance-wise, just maybe a bit easier on my wallet?

Sorry if these questions seem stupid—I just don't know any better.

You've convinced me.

I'm giving up on the square builds—I'm siding with progress now, I guess—so my eyes can finally see things the way they were meant to be seen.

@Timothy Kim60/">@@Timothy Kim60 -is this signature okay for you?😁

@fadedorca66/">@@fadedorca66 -that's software from a firm I work with. I checked with them—apparently, it can only handle 7 or 8 at most.

thanks! So, stretched it is, I guess.

Thanks a ton!

The only thing is, I'll probably have to swap out my Windows setup for 8.1—just because of some specific work software I rely on.

Also, quick question regarding monitors.

Is everyone using these stretched-out screens now? Like, is there actually a reason people recommend them? Personally, I find working on a more square-shaped monitor much easier on the eyes... would I look like an idiot if I insisted on sticking with one?😁

Hi there!

I'm looking to pick up a desktop and monitor setup—I’m a total novice here, so I could really use some advice from you all.

The computer is primarily for work—lots of translating in Word and using subtitle editing software. Basically, plenty of streaming movies and series and tons of web browsing. Occasionally, an architect will use it to run AutoCAD. Having genuine Windows (7 or 8) is a must. I don't play games at all.

I was considering an All-in-one because space is tight—I work from home and my apartment is small, so my desk isn't huge either—but it's not a dealbreaker. Honestly, I’d rather have a decent, proper machine, though it would be nice if the case wasn't massive. Also, it needs to be quiet—I need to be able to translate by ear without constant fan noise.

I don't need speakers. I'll be paying cash, so financing or credit cards aren't a factor, but if I buy a custom build, I absolutely require them to assemble it in-store and install Windows—because, frankly, I'm hopeless with tech.

And they need to offer a solid warranty, obviously. Besides the size issue, the main reason I even looked at an All-in-one was the possibility of a 5-year warranty.

Thanks!