Posts by Eric Wright29

Gerald Thomas65 said:I hope I’m in the right place. I went in for my annual physical this past Friday, and my doctor mentioned some varicocele during the exam. She's sending me to see a urologist for a follow-up. In your experience, what’s the absolute worst-case scenario diagnosis I could be facing here?

That sounds like a varicocele—essentially an enlargement of the pampiniform plexus veins in the scrotum. Based on how the veins are laid out, I’d bet it's on your left side.

In most cases, surgery isn't even necessary; doctors usually just monitor it. If they do decide to go ahead with a surgical fix, it's a pretty routine procedure to repair the issue.

Pediatric surgeons used to claim that leaving a varicocele untreated could lead to infertility, but modern American urology doesn't really hold that same view anymore.

Either way, definitely follow through with that urologist appointment. They'll likely run a scrotal ultrasound to get a clear picture of what's going on.

Good luck!

Peter Cruz7 said:Quick question for you guys! I couldn't find anything about this in the existing threads, so I figured I’d just start a new one.

So, for about three months now, I’ve noticed this little lump right above my abdomen—like, dead center, just under my ribcage. You can really feel it if you’re lying down. It doesn't actually hurt or anything, but honestly? It's starting to freak me out a little. Also, full disclosure, I am a smoker. I don't know if there's even a connection there, but I'm wondering...

Thanks for any help!

It’s probably just a lipoma. But regardless, you should go get an ultrasound. If they see anything suspicious, they'll run a biopsy and a pathology report, which will give you a clear answer.

Just try not to panic. It's likely nothing.

Get yourself to a neurologist!

Jeremy Lee88 said:I posted a thread recently titled "Split Personality or...?" and today I feel fairly certain we are looking at cognitive schizophrenia or perhaps even schizotypal personality disorder. What’s really throwing me off regarding my first and final decision to refer this potential "client" to a doctor is how my colleague imagines these people—a mistress, a future wife, a friend... honestly, I haven't come across this kind of obsession with an imaginary person who has such incredibly detailed personalities; it actually gives me the creeps. Everything else I've encountered involves the standard fears of being watched, hearing voices, and things like that.

Do these kinds of fantasies or abstractions exist within these conditions? Or am I heading down the wrong path entirely? What can I do to ensure I don't lead my colleague toward a misdiagnosis?

Thanks for any insight.

Psychiatry is the one field of medicine where you simply cannot draw even a vague conclusion via Google. It requires a highly individualized approach for every single patient, and I believe discussions like this—intended to normalize psychiatric concepts—should be kept more concise.

As a specialist working directly in psychiatry, it pains me to see diagnoses being thrown around so casually, especially ones I haven't seen practiced in years.

Stop playing symptom guessing games.

Look at the bolded parts in your text. I'm honestly surprised you even found this place.

Nicholas Cox50 said:Hey there,

I went snowboarding today—still pretty much a beginner—and I definitely wiped out at least a hundred times. Some falls were minor, but others definitely stung a bit more than others.

One fall in particular was pretty rough; I hit the ground on my elbows at about 31 miles mph and my left one really took the brunt of it. But being stubborn as I am, I just kept going and ended up landing on that same elbow plenty of times after that. About three hours later, we headed down to a pub for some drinks, and I could feel my arm swelling against my jacket. When I went to use the restroom and took my jacket off, I was actually shocked—my arm was completely swollen. It honestly looked pretty bad 🤣. Obviously, I wasn't about to go back out and risk killing myself on the slopes, so I just called it a day and headed home. I've applied some ice gel to it now.

Now I'm wondering if it's just bruised and swollen, because I can still move my arm through its full range of motion, it just hurts like hell.

Thanks, 🙂

Don't look to an online forum for medical answers. My advice is to get an X-ray so you know for sure what you're dealing with. If it is broken and heals incorrectly, it’ll cause lasting pain, and doctors might have to break it all over again to reset it properly so it heals in the right position.

Good luck!

Sophia Wells72 said:Amoxicillin and the flu don't mix. Amoxicillin is an antibiotic, and since the flu is viral, antibiotics won't touch it. Don't try to medicate it away; just stay in bed and focus on managing your fever.
It honestly surprises me that the ER staff was so quick to hand out Amoxicillin, and even more so that they prescribed a "treatment plan" from memory that makes zero sense for the flu. (Even though there are some quiet "advocates" out there who swear antibiotics are fine for everything).

They might have been prepping for a potential bacterial infection, but Ibuprofen is really just for masking the pain that comes naturally with a virus or a nasty cold. It’s probably not wise to keep popping pills while you're fighting this; it's better to just rest through it.

ironsurfer8 said:Look, just go see your primary care physician to get a proper exam and make sure everything is okay.

Or at least give them a call to get some professional advice on what to do next.

That’s the fundamental issue with our healthcare system here. You feel pressured to give the patient *something*—like Amoxicillin—just so they feel heard. Who cares if that's how we spread MRSA or VRE? If you don't prescribe something, they'll just take their paperwork and head to a clinic where doctors hand out meds like candy.

So, my friend, your colleagues have given you all the answers. Lie down, bundle up, and sweat it out.
Don't just treat Ibuprofen like Tic Tacs. It can cause complications that end up being worse than the actual illness. And I'm certain that Amoxicillin didn't help you one bit. You're just another victim of this nonsensical "pass the buck" medical system (one that I am unfortunately a part of myself).

Best regards, hope you feel better soon.

Carl Sanchez4 said:About six months ago, I took a hard fall and messed up my elbow joint. An X-ray didn't show any obvious fractures, and the doctors told me the pain would subside in about two weeks...

It’s been half a year now, and I still feel it depending on how I move. I get this sharp pain right by the ulna.

I've heard some people say it's normal for it to ache for a year, and while the impact was pretty heavy, it feels like this is dragging on way too long.

Has anyone else here dealt with a recovery period that lasted this long?

It's possible you sustained some tendon damage, which would explain why it's still hurting.
Or, there's a chance they missed a fracture entirely.

Are you able to use your arm normally?

Terry Ramos7 said:Forty.

Any kind of malignancy in the pancreas tends to be incredibly painful because those types of carcinomas usually grow perineurally—basically wrapping around the nerves. If you aren't dealing with systemic symptoms like significant weight loss, loss of appetite, chronic pain, or digestive issues like diarrhea and vomiting, I’d lean toward ruling out a malignant process for now. That said, CA 19-9 is a specific tumor marker for the digestive system (intestines, pancreas, etc.), but keep in mind that an elevated marker doesn't always mean cancer.

Just get an abdominal CT scan and try not to worry too much; I really don't think this is anything serious.

How old are you?

Ryan Torres27 said:They told us she's in a shallow coma, and they're giving her sedatives and pain medication.

There’s something called the Glasgow Coma Scale used to determine how deep a patient's coma actually is. Since they are administering medication, I assume the coma isn't drug-induced. She should wake up; we just need to be patient.

Once she's out of surgery, keep a close eye on Mom to make sure she doesn't suffer another heart attack anytime soon.

Watch her medications closely and stay alert for any signs of blood clots.

Noah Harris50 said:Stress isn't just some byproduct of having a heavy workload.

Don't lecture me on what stress feels like; I know it well enough.
I'm simply offering ways to manage it, regardless of where it's coming from.

Being condescending isn't going to help anyone solve anything.

placidtinker80 said:Do you really think there isn't any other way to find out besides doing another gastroscopy?

Actually, you might not even need a gastroscopy; an esophagoscopy could suffice.
If the breathing issues turn out to be somatic in nature, you should look into respiratory testing—specifically spirometry and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Ultimately, it might be worth sitting down with a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist to talk things through.

Ryan Torres27 said:There isn't one right now!

It's actually possible they’re keeping them in a medically induced coma if the pain is just too much to handle.

From my own experience working in healthcare, I know some people need a couple of days just to fully shake off the effects of general anesthesia.

Either way, if this state persists, they’ll likely want to consult a neurologist or run some brain imaging.

Noah Harris50 said:😕

What's so strange about it? I was under an incredible amount of stress. Then I planted 40 olive trees, and now I spend my quiet time tending to them like they're my own kids. Since then, I feel like a completely different person, even though my actual workload at the office hasn't dropped one bit.

placidtinker80 said:I deal with H. pylori myself, too.🙂 But I suspect this breathing issue is more likely rooted in anxiety or the nervous system...

It’s possible, though not a certainty. If GERD has progressed enough to cause significant reflux, then it makes perfect sense—when stomach acid gets close to the trachea, the body triggers a sort of panic reflex in your breathing to prevent you from accidentally inhaling that gastric contents.

placidtinker80 said:I’ve been officially diagnosed with gastritis... so there's no doubt about that, but it feels like all that stress and tension might have played an even bigger role than people think.

It’s certainly possible for stress to trigger gastritis. While more recent medical studies tend to link the condition more closely to infections from bacteria like Helicobacter pylori or those in the Enterobacteriaceae family rather than just psychological stress, it's still a very real factor.

placidtinker80 said:I assume you're speaking from personal experience?

From a medical standpoint, 🙂.

Picture being in the middle of a huge exam at a state university, and suddenly your heart starts racing, you can't catch your breath, you feel nauseous, and you're sweating like crazy. All of that is just heightened sympathetic nervous system stimulation—basically, pure stress and panic.

placidtinker80 said:I know, I actually just posted about this in another thread too...

If everything mentioned there makes your palms sweat, I’d put my money on panic attacks.

The best way to handle stress is simply to find some peace and do what you actually love.

Anything else is just pure self-inflicted terrorism that leads straight to Normabel (I'm pretty sure about this 😁)

Is there any definitive medical consensus on whether hypoxic brain damage actually occurs following cardiac arrest?