11 posts shown.
Angela Wright said:Look, the advice came from a good place—pure intentions, really. Don't get worked up about it. You and I both know what this actually means for us, regardless of the noise. Other people are always going to have their own takes, and honestly? They’re entitled to them.😉
Yeah, that’s exactly my point. I shared my own experience with HPV—basically just how I cleared it—and she had the nerve to accuse me of spreading "propaganda" or whatever. As if. I didn't name names or call anyone out; I just talked about the treatment that actually worked for me. Honestly, whatever. I’m not wasting my breath arguing. People can deal with their own mess. Anyway, I'm glad to hear things worked out for you at your clinic! Good luck with everything.👍
Angela Wright said:So, I finally bit the bullet yesterday and went to a private OB-GYN clinic. Honestly, trying to get an appointment through my regular doctor covered by insurance—you know, the "standard" way—has been a total nightmare lately. Between the constant scheduling conflicts and those endless hour-long waits in the lobby, it just wasn't happening. So, I picked up a basic supplemental insurance plan from a major provider. I’m paying $35 a month, and for that $35, I get three specialist visits a year, plus free checkups and lab work.
Just for context, getting a Pap smear, an ultrasound, and swabs privately would run me about $300, but with this coverage, I can basically do that twice a year for nothing. All in all? I'm actually really happy with it. The office was super modern—AC blasting, free coffee station, water, a stack of fashion mags, and a big screen playing Fashion TV. It felt more like a lounge than a waiting room, and I had the whole place to myself. I was maybe ten minutes behind schedule, which is honestly better than what I usually deal with. The doctor was chill, upbeat, and her equipment looked top-of-the-line. Even the exam room was stocked with everything you need—soap in the restroom😍, paper towels😍 🙏, toilet paper👍, pads😲, water cups😁, and even disposable booties if you need them🙏. She didn't rush me at all, answered every single question, and actually gave me some insights that my usual "public health" doc totally missed.
Bottom line: it's worth every penny. If you can swing an extra hundred bucks a month, seriously, do it.
Oh, and they said the Pap results should be ready in a week, and they have their own courier to drop off the swabs at the lab.🙏 👍
And this is exactly what I’m telling these girls, yet they’re attacking me over in that CIN and HPV thread!!!
Sam Hall15 said:Look, a low platelet count isn't exactly cause for panic... if you run the test again, you’ll probably get different numbers anyway. Unless you’re actually feeling the effects of those "low platelets," just don't sweat it—live your life. Doctors don't treat lab results; they treat people. Truth is, nobody has every single marker sitting perfectly within the "normal" range. Everyone’s got something slightly off somewhere.
Great, thanks for the comfort! 🙏 So I guess I don't need to worry? My other levels look fine, and from what I understand, white blood cell counts and ESR are the big ones since they signal inflammation—meaning something's actually going on. If those were off, that would be a real problem, right?
James Watson84 said:Look, those numbers look totally fine to me. Everything checks out!
Thanks for the pep talk, really, but let's be real—this isn't exactly "normal." My platelets are sitting below the standard range, and now my MPV is running high? Something's off.
Can someone make sense of these blood work numbers for me??
PLATELETS 156 L (158-424)—so yeah, they're low.
MPV 11.3 H (6.8-10.4)—which means it's high.
Everything else looks totally fine—white cells, red cells, ESR, all that stuff is within range.
Since MPV stands for mean platelet volume, it feels like there's something weird going on with my platelets. If anyone actually knows what this combo implies, please, for the love of god, let me know!!
thx
man, Robert Clark2, I see what you mean—that sounds seriously rough... honestly, I’m sitting here shaking just thinking about it. I’m actually terrified to even go to the doctor because my vision is so shot—I'm scared they'll think I've completely lost my mind... I mean, sure, I could be fine, but I'm such a hypochondriac—the second something feels off, I'm convinced I'm dying... and let's face it, there are a million different things that could be wrong😲
Robert Clark2 said:Psoriasis guttata falls into its own special category of psoriasis. "Gutta" basically means drop, which is where the name comes from. Aside from just having the genetic predisposition, it’s triggered by inflammatory foci—which can honestly be anything from throat issues to respiratory problems and a whole host of other stuff.
Once you pin down that inflammatory source, treating the skin lesions alongside the right antibiotic therapy makes this one the closest thing to a total cure out of all the psoriasis types.
It doesn't even have to be viruses causing the stir; bacteria, strep, or whatever else will do the trick.
Like I told you guys before—go talk to a dermatologist, and make sure to see a general practitioner too.
Yeah, I've got chronic sinus inflammation... year-round, summer and winter alike... I work in this smoky, non-stop air-conditioned space... my head constantly aches from my sinuses right above the eye... I know exactly when it's those damn sinuses acting up... and even if I pop an antibiotic, I feel like it'll just come right back. And who knows, I'm healthy enough, but man, life is stressful as hell... what a mess... you really realize how much money you throw away when your health goes south... bah👎
Michael Ramos3 said:Look, I don't care where you guys are from, but my advice? Go to one of those old, massive state university hospitals. Small private practices mess things up way too often—and I’m betting the big-name private clinics in the States are just overpriced for the privilege.
In my limited experience dealing with this stuff, there’s basically a 100% rule: almost all the wrong diagnoses come from those tiny private offices.
I’ve literally written about how my own case was misdiagnosed as psoriasis when it turned out to be vitiligo after 15 days.
The Probability that an old doctor—one who’s been seeing every single case in the metro area for 45 years because private clinics didn't even exist back then—is going to screw up is incredibly low. He basically sees the diagnosis the second he looks at you. Plus, it won't break the bank.
Best,
Yeah... honestly, I’d go to a private clinic just to get every possible blood test done for that inflammatory focus you mentioned—the thing that might have triggered guttate psoriasis. If I went through the public hospital system, I’d be waiting forever for every single lab result and scan, and I just don't have time to waste since I work in another city... plus, primary care doctors won't just hand out referrals for everything—you know how they are, always trying to dodge the paperwork... at least here in the US... you practically have to be dying just to get sent somewhere.
So, I'd probably do the bloodwork privately just to rule some things out. Finding a dermatologist is easy though—I can hit up the public system for that, but they'll probably just give me some cream to rub on it anyway. It feels kind of stupid to visit a specialist when these skin changes are barely even visible—especially since they fade immediately once I apply anything, and they're hidden under my hair... I'd feel like an idiot showing a doctor two little spots... they'll think I'm joking... I don't know... I'll start with the bloodwork to see if everything is within normal limits, then maybe hit the dermatologist later... does anyone know if the herpes virus could actually cause psoriasis, since that virus stays in your body forever?? Anyone got an answer for that? Anyway, thanks a lot for everything.😘
Robert Clark2 said:🙂 Look, I want to help you out, but first things first—get yourself to a dermatologist so they can actually diagnose what we're dealing with. There are different types of psoriasis, and the treatment depends entirely on which one you have. Not trying to freak you out here, but if the patches are round—like the size of a pea or a water droplet—it sounds like guttate psoriasis to me. That usually stems from some inflammatory focus somewhere in your system. If you can clear that inflammation and hit those spots with standard antibiotic treatments, you’ve got the best shot at getting better.
So, my advice? Don't stall. Go see a dermatologist immediately so they can take a look and give you a real diagnosis. It'll save you a lot of headache later.🙂
Thanks a ton, Robert Clark2. Yeah, the spots are about the size of water droplets—never bigger, and they always show up solo, never clustered together. So, you're saying it's caused by some kind of internal inflammation... hmm... I'm no expert, but honestly, I'm worried it might be something else entirely. That's the part that really keeps me up at night. Anyway, I guess I don't have much choice—I'll go see a private dermatologist right away.👍
Thanks again!
Nancy White57 said:Here’s a new story that feels old when it comes to psoriasis. Basically, my psoriasis vulgaris started on my temples and in my ears, but after giving birth, it slowly started flaring up in all the usual spots. Following some advice, I started using this life honey, a Psorex cream (from a local brand), and a lotion. Now I’m wondering if anyone else here has tried this stuff and what you’d suggest for getting the best results... Also, since I can't be out in the sun, would it be smarter to just push the treatment off until fall? I have to get outside because my 15-month-old goes absolutely nuts being stuck indoors... thanks
So that might be it... how lovely😠—but honestly, it’s been the same exact thing for two years now, nothing's actually improving. Everywhere I manage to apply the stuff clears up, but the places I can't reach—like my scalp, since the cream ruins my hair—stay problematic. If you ask me, this whole psoriasis thing is psychosomatic... it's all tied to stress and that kind of stuff.😢
Alright, figured I’d jump in here and vent about my own mess.
I’m honestly not even sure if what I’ve got is actually psoriasis, but looking at the symptoms, it’s a pretty safe bet. Basically, my skin gets these patches that flake off at the surface, and once they peel, the stuff underneath is bright red—and if you try to force the flakes off, it just turns into a raw scab. It mostly hits my elbows, behind my ears, all over my scalp, and a little bit on my back, leaving these weird white spots behind once it clears up. I’ve been using some hydrocortisone cream from CVS to deal with it, and while it works if I’m aggressive with the application, the second it clears up, a new patch pops up somewhere else. It’s like a game of whack-a-mole—one spot heals, another flares up, and there’s just no end in sight.🤣 🤣 These spots are always small, perfectly round, and uniform, which is weird. To be honest, I haven’t actually seen a doctor yet because, frankly, I’m terrified. I kept telling myself it would just go away on its own, but clearly, that was wishful thinking... it’s not life-threatening or anything, and most people don't even notice it, but it’s definitely an issue for me.😠
So, if anyone has any advice, please, help a person out.😘