frozenmoose19 said:Are there still such things as permanent prescriptions—you know, the ones that stay valid for six months? I’m on Synthroid for life, but my primary care doctor insists they don't exist anymore, so I have to deal with the headache of hunting down a new prescription every single month.
The old-school "permanent" prescriptions aren't really a thing anymore, but they did introduce recurring prescriptions. Basically, the doctor sends one over, and then that exact same script can be refilled three more times. It saves you from having to drag yourself to the clinic just to ask for the same thing repeatedly, but there's a catch: Medicare has to approve the specific medication for that kind of setup. My mom takes Synthroid herself, and from what I understand, they won't let you do those automatic refills for that particular med.
feralridge3 said:I’ve actually dropped off some extra pills at my local pharmacy a few times, whether they were still in the blister packs or not. From what I could tell, they check the expiration dates, and I suspect anything still good probably ends up being routed back to a general hospital. Personally, I think that’s a perfectly fine way to handle it; it beats letting perfectly valid medication just sit there and go to waste. Back when I was going through this, a woman from Miami was kind enough to donate some Temodal (chemo) to me, which covered almost an entire cycle—it would have cost nearly $4000. 👍 It honestly strikes me as odd that such expensive medications can't be returned. My oncologist provided Temodal capsules, and while it wasn't a massive amount, given how much those things cost, every little bit helps. You’d hope someone did the same for him once.
Pharmacies and doctors are actually required to take old medications, either through official drop-off bins or directly at the counter. They accept them, but don't mistake that for recycling—those drugs aren't put back into circulation. Under the law, once a medication has been dispensed, it cannot be reused for another patient. What usually happens is that an oncologist might get samples from pharmaceutical reps to test out, which they then provide to patients. As much as it feels like a kind, human gesture to hand over unused meds to someone who needs them, it simply isn't legal.
I don't have supplemental insurance, and I’m starting to think I might actually need to roll into the ER at some point. What’s the damage look like? Is there a standard fee just for walking through the door, or does the bill depend entirely on how many tests they run on you?
The costs are laid out pretty clearly on this site. If you're just seeing an on-call family doctor, you're looking at a minimum of $3.25 but if you end up heading to the hospital emergency room, it'll be closer to $8.25—just keep in mind those are really just the baseline figures. Hope that helps...
wiredpilot25 said:Thanks so much for getting back to me! Just one more thing—I actually started feeling pain about a week before my ultrasound. Is there any chance that some sediment was passing through and just irritating my urinary tract, causing the inflammation to kick in that way?
Well, yeah, that’s definitely a possibility. Look, I’m far from being a doctor, but based on what I know about how that area works, it makes total sense that small amounts of sediment could have caused enough irritation to trigger things. That said, you probably shouldn't be overdoing the fluids for another few weeks while this settles down. Once you've finished your course of antibiotics, sticking to some cranberry juice and Vitamin C might help keep everything clean and disinfected.
wiredpilot25 said:So, the urine culture came back sterile and the ultrasound looks fine. The only real issue is those white blood cell counts in the urine. I've been taking some antibiotics and muscle relaxants, which helped a bit, but now I’m dealing with this nagging ache in my kidneys and bladder. My doctor seems totally stumped; she's rambling about some kind of sediment or "sand" causing an infection as it passes through. Honestly, none of this makes any sense to me anymore.
Usually, if you have kidney grit or sediment, it shows up on an ultrasound, though there is always that small chance it stays hidden. Think of that "sand" as the precursor to actual kidney stones. That stuff can definitely trigger an infection as it moves around. There isn't really a specific medication to target the sediment itself; your best bet is just to flush your system. You honestly can't drink too much water—I'd say aim for closer to a gallon a day if you can handle it.
wiredpilot25 said:For the past week, I've been dealing with some pretty intense pain around my right kidney and urinary tract area. I went to see my doctor, who sent me in for an urgent urine and blood panel. My blood work came back fine, but here’s what the urine analysis showed: Leukocytes 1-2, erythrocytes 1-2, quite a bit of squamous epithelial cells, and some bacteria. A normal range for leukocytes and erythrocytes is 0-2. The pain actually got worse, so I ended up at the ER yesterday. Once again, my blood work was normal, but the urine results were: Erythrocytes 2-3, leukocytes 5-10, plenty of epithelium, and some bacteria. They gave me Spasmex via IV and sent me off for a urine culture. Throughout the day, I noticed some little particles or "crumbs" after peeing. Can anyone give me a rough idea of what might be going on? I'm honestly terrified this is something serious. I haven't had any fever or nausea, though.
Look, you have a significant amount of leukocytes in your urine, which is basically the body's way of flagging an inflammation. They sent you for a urine culture specifically to identify exactly which strain of bacteria is causing the trouble. Honestly, there probably isn't much to worry about; once you get started on the right antibiotic, you'll likely start feeling much better quite quickly.
Kate Williams68 said:Dr. Phil mentioned that my kid needs an OCT scan for the optic nerve and macula, plus a Goldman visual field test. Does anyone have a clue what the wait times look like for those, and which hospital in Washington, D.C. would you recommend?
If you're looking to get an OCT covered by insurance, you're pretty much limited to Johns Hopkins Hospital or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Between those two, you’ll likely find a shorter line at Johns Hopkins. However, if you have the budget to go the private route, I'd suggest heading over to Light instead.
casualpuma said:Hey everyone, I’m looking for some perspective on high red blood cell counts. More than six months ago, they were slightly elevated at 5.79, but I just got my latest labs back and the count hit 6.12. I haven't been spending any time up in the Rockies or living at a high altitude lately. My doctors seem to think everything is fine, though the only thing I can point to is that I don't really drink much water throughout the day—I'm not sure if that's enough to cause a persistent elevation like this. Everything else looks normal. I'm 32, and if I recall correctly, they never used to climb above 5 when I was younger. Thanks for the help. Best,
Look, if all your other markers look good—specifically your hematocrit, which is basically the ratio of red blood cells to the rest of your blood volume—then besides altitude, you might just be chronically dehydrated or perhaps you're a smoker...
Melissa Gonzalez68 said:Thank you so much for getting back to me. I’m sending all the positive vibes your way—I really hope they help you on your road to recovery.
He was diagnosed with an ileus caused by cancer. To be honest, everyone is giving him a pretty grim prognosis, maybe just a month or two left. But I’m just not ready to accept that, so I’m out here looking for anyone who has managed to beat advanced-stage cancer when things looked this bleak. They only found out about it about a month ago.
I’m sending plenty of positive energy right back at you. Try to hold onto the idea that the doctors might have miscalculated; they aren't exactly infallible, and right now, having that sense of hope is everything.
Hey there, I’m really sorry you’re going through this. What actually triggered the ileus—was it intestinal adhesions from a previous surgery or something else entirely? My aunt dealt with colon cancer, and after a while, it spread to her liver. She had two surgeries, but the treatment worked wonders, and she hasn't had any signs of the disease for several years now. As for me, I’m fighting breast cancer that has metastasized to my lungs, liver, bones, and lymph nodes. I was also quite young when I got my first diagnosis at 27, and as I approach the five-year mark of this fight, I look at every single day as a personal victory.
To me looks pretty clean overall, though your iron and hemoglobin levels are running a bit low, and your cholesterol is creeping up just a touch. Nothing to lose sleep over, honestly.
I was wondering if someone could walk me through whether a urine culture alone can actually confirm the presence of inflammation or specific bacteria. I’m fully aware that there’s a massive variety of different pathogens that cause infections, but what I’m trying to figure out is if the culture itself identifies that *some* kind of bacteria is present, which then acts as the trigger to run more targeted tests to pinpoint the exact culprit.
To put it specifically: if you happen to have a bacterium causing inflammation in the urethra, is it possible for a urine culture to come back completely normal?
Thanks,
Hi,
A urine culture is essentially a microbiological test designed specifically to hunt down pathogenic bacteria in your urine. So, if the culture comes back negative, it means there wasn't a high enough concentration of pathogens detected. That said, it’s definitely possible to get a false negative. This usually happens if there's less than a four-hour window between your last trip to the bathroom and when the sample was collected, or if you happened to take any over-the-counter anti-inflammatories or even just a heavy dose of Vitamin C the day before. Even things like cranberry juice or certain herbal supplements can throw the results off.
fadedrider17 said:I was wondering if I actually have the right to get more details about a specific condition mentioned in a medical certificate issued by a primary care doctor? You know, those forms you get when you're doing occupational health screenings or something similar...
Because mine included some mention of a condition I don't even recognize, and it ended up causing me nothing but headaches during follow-up exams, so I really want to look into what's going on.
Of course you have the right to know. Your family doctor should be able to walk you through it if you just ask them directly. Otherwise, you can always take that ICD code they used and do a little digging on the internet to see what it actually means.
Hey there, 1. I’m assuming you’re talking about Dr. Andreas Koch? Back in 2016 and 2017, Focus actually named him their Top Physician of the Year for his work in pelvic hernia surgery. While I haven't sat in his exam room personally, he certainly seems to have a stellar reputation in the field. 2. As far as I understand, Neurolysis involves clearing away scar tissue from the nerves. That buildup can be a real nightmare when it comes to chronic pain, so if you're dealing with discomfort, it makes total sense why the doctor would bring up neurolysis as an option. 3. In my experience, procedures of that complexity aren't typically handled at an outpatient center.
Kimberly Taylor92 said:I posted a little while back about my mother’s battle with pleural mesothelioma. Sadly, she passed away last Wednesday after things took a sudden, sharp turn for the worse, and there just wasn't anything left for the doctors to do.
I am so incredibly sorry. Please accept my deepest condolences.
Hey there, if someone doesn't have health insurance, they’re essentially footing the entire bill themselves. Hospitalization costs can vary wildly depending on which facility you're at, and obviously, it all boils down to what kind of tests, procedures, and medications are involved. Your best bet is to reach out directly to the hospital administration where the lady is currently staying to get the real numbers. That said, my gut feeling is that daily rates could hover around $167, but honestly, don't take my word for it—get a straight answer from them.
Betty Nelson71 said:He didn't actually say anything specific, just that I need to head in for some lab work and an ultrasound. As for breast cancer, my great-grandmother used to drill it into my head constantly, so naturally, that's a fear that lingers, though nobody else in the family really brought it up after her. I stay on top of things myself, though—getting an ultrasound every six months and keeping my Pap smears all clear.
Good luck, I'm really hoping everything turns out fine. Please keep us posted on how it goes.
Betty Nelson71 said:It’s really more about how he reacted.. I stay on top of my checkups quite regularly—my last one was just six months ago—so I’m pretty confident I would have caught something if there were an actual issue... Plus, we have a significant history of various cancers in my family, which definitely adds a layer of anxiety to the whole thing. We're talking uterine and cervical cancer; almost all the women in my family hit menopause extremely early and end up having hysterectomies.
Aha, okay, now I see why everyone is getting so worked up. I truly understand where you're coming from because, personally, I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was only 27. I still maintain that if something were genuinely wrong, it likely would have surfaced during that six-month checkup. If you don't mind me asking, what specific lab work did the gynecologist order? Were they looking at hormone levels, tumor markers, or maybe checking your CRP levels?
Betty Nelson71 said:Ladies, I could really use some input here. I just got off the phone with my OB-GYN because I’ve been dealing with some lower abdominal pain, increased discharge, and bloating. He actually sounded concerned—which is weird because he’s usually incredibly laid back about this stuff—so now he’s sending me in for lab work and an exam. What do you guys think this could be? I’m honestly shaking right now; I’m just praying it’s nothing more than a simple infection...
I’m not quite following why everyone is panicking so much. Are people reacting to the fact that the doctor seemed worried, or are the symptoms themselves that scary?
From what you described, he’s doing exactly what a good doctor should do by ordering tests and scheduling an exam to get to the bottom of it. If your cycles have always been regular and your past checkups have been fine, my gut feeling is that we're likely looking at a standard infection rather than anything catastrophic.