Posts by wanderingcanyon2

Amy Mendoza81 said:Specifically, I’m currently managing high blood pressure at Mercury under Dr. Prkačin. Honestly, she’s been incredible—nobody else has taken such a serious approach to this issue. She even managed to confirm my insulin resistance and the issues I've been having with weight loss.

The same doctor sent me to an endocrinologist, Dr. Bulum, also at Mercury, and his approach was a total disaster. Absolutely useless. He just gave me a quick glance and concluded that my weight is simply due to overeating, and that was it. His entire solution was just telling me to stick to a 1200-calorie diet because, apparently, "you just need to eat less." 🤦

So, I was wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a specific physician who actually treats their patients with some level of seriousness.

I’ve seen quite a few recommendations for Dr. Mirošević over at Vinogradski, so I might look into booking an appointment with her.

Did you end up finding a decent endocrinologist? I’m dealing with similar issues, so I’m searching as well.

I'm looking for some insight here. I just had a full blood panel done, and for the most part, everything looks fine except for
In my blood work
erythrocyte 5.36 ref 3.86-5.08
MCV 79.2 ref 83.0-97.2
MCH 25.6 ref 27.4- 33.9
RDW 17.1 ref 9.0-15.0

(these specific levels are always a bit off for me, either too high or too low)

Regarding my biochemistry
Urate 388 ref 134-337
Cholesterol 5.5 ref up to 5
LDL cholesterol 3.4 ref up to 3
Alkaline phosphatase 133 ref. 54-119

I am 31 years old and have two children. I gave birth to my second child exactly three months ago, and I'm still in the middle of postpartum recovery. I am an ex-smoker. I decided to get this blood work checked because I dealt with low iron during pregnancy and gestational diabetes.

Let me try posting this here...
About two or three months ago, I noticed a tiny white spot in the back of my throat, right behind the uvula. It looks like a canker sore or a small pimple. It doesn't hurt at all, and it isn't bothering me—honestly, I didn't even realize it was there until recently, mostly because I deal with tonsil stones quite often and end up clearing my throat constantly.🙂
Anyway, the spot is still there. It remains painless, it isn't growing, and it just looks like a white part of the mucous membrane.

I usually sleep in a room with high humidity and suffer from snoring, so my throat feels scratchy every morning. On top of that, I struggle with allergies to pollen, dust mites, and wool.

What could this spot actually be? I feel foolish even thinking about mentioning it to a doctor; it feels like I'd be wasting their time. I'm not even sure how long it's been there, and I can't decide if something like this is actually worth worrying about.

For a few weeks now, my left breast has been itching. It’s not constant, but it happens periodically—sometimes even seems tied to my cycle. It’s just one spot near the armpit area. Some days that same spot aches a little, but I just figured it was PMS. However, last night it went from an unbearable itch to actual pain.
During my pregnancy, I noticed some tiny spots appearing, almost like small bruises, and a couple of days ago I spotted a little mark that looks somewhat like lichen or I honestly don't know how else to describe it...
I scheduled a routine checkup with my OB-GYN for today, and I plan to bring this up then. But since the appointment isn't until January 10th and I am a known hypochondriac, I'm starting to spiral. I thought I'd ask if any of you have dealt with something similar or have any idea what this could be. I tried Googling it and the results were enough to send me into a full-blown panic. With the holidays coming up, I knew I'd lose my mind if I didn't reach out to someone to help calm my nerves...

The sooner the better—but honestly, this feels like a lost cause. I don't have Medicare, and I certainly don't have the cash...

This post might be a bit disorganized, but I don't know how else to put it...
Around noon on September 3rd, I was just sitting on my couch chatting with some friends when I suddenly felt this sensation in my head. I can't describe it any other way than feeling like my brain was being stressed—like someone grabbed it, tossed it in a cocktail shaker, and gave it a violent shake. Right after that, my vision went dark for a second, like I was about to pass out, before things settled down.
Last weekend, during a particularly stressful day, I actually struggled to find basic words mid-conversation. For example, I couldn't remember the word for "couch" or "computer."
A few days later, while I was coloring my mom's hair, there was a moment where I completely blanked on which side I was supposed to be working on, even though I do this all the time.
It happened again while I was changing my daughter's diaper; I was holding it in my hand and simply couldn't process what a diaper even was for a split second.
Then yesterday, the concentration issues and word gaps returned.
For a while now, I've been dealing with dizziness, brain fog, a heavy sense of fatigue in my head, and strange visual disturbances.

I have an eighteen-month-old who still doesn't sleep through the night, so I am exhausted. I don't drink enough water during the day, I really need to wear my glasses but rarely remember to put them on, and I've been under massive amounts of stress lately—financial worries, family arguments, illnesses in the family, my husband being unemployed, and studying for my final college exams.
I am 27 years old.
Since I don't currently have Medicare coverage, that's why I'm coming here looking for advice...
Is it possible that all of this is just caused by stress?
Thanks.

I was out hiking in the woods this past Monday. By Tuesday afternoon, I spotted two ticks on me—one on my stomach and another on my leg behind the knee. I soaked them in alcohol first. I managed to pull the one from my stomach out easily, but the one on my leg left a bit of a piece behind. I had to dig it out with a needle.
Last night, I noticed the bite site on my leg looks slightly, though very minimally, swollen and still red. I’m feeling a bit anxious about it, so I wanted to ask if this is typical? There's also a small red spot on my stomach, but no swelling there.
There's no pain, just a slight itch, which I suspect might just be dry skin.
Thanks.

I'm attaching a photo... it's just a phone picture, but you can see enough.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/684/img144ie.jpg
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/713/img145n.jpg

First off, I’d strongly advise you to stop self-diagnosing via Google. If we could all just identify our own ailments online, medical school wouldn't need to exist. You need to see a doctor immediately to get a referral for a gastroenterologist. They will determine which tests are necessary. Given your symptoms and family history, a colonoscopy is likely required. If that's the case, you can request it under general anesthesia; just ask the hospital staff about their sedation options.
It wouldn't hurt to start with basic blood work and a stool sample to check for occult blood. There are specific blood tests you can run before a colonoscopy to help determine if more invasive procedures are actually warranted.
A few more questions: What do you do for a living? Do you exercise? What is your diet like—are you getting enough fluids and vegetables? Also, did these symptoms flare up during periods of high stress?
In any case, go see a gastroenterologist and don't let fear stop you. At the initial consultation, they won't perform any invasive procedures; they'll simply take your medical history and potentially order some lab work.

Yes, cigarettes certainly bring a host of problems along with them. I’m an addict myself, but I have managed to cut back drastically by switching over to chewing tobacco.
It's good that you're using Lysobact; it really is an effective disinfectant, as is sage. Just make sure you stay consistent with your hygiene routine. If this happens again, avoid using a metal spatula—use something gentler instead. If you've already checked everything else, there's no reason to worry.😍

Regarding that, there is no reason to be suspicious. Speech therapy for any kind of disorder is a long haul, especially for adults. Since your sister is 17, she’s been living with this speech pattern for quite some time now; it isn't going to vanish in a few weeks. Six months would be a reasonable minimum to see if the issue diminishes or resolves, depending entirely on her motivation. Don't go expecting her sigmatism to disappear overnight just because she started therapy. A lot depends on dental health and various other factors too. Has she seen a dentist yet? What is her bite like? Does she need braces, or is she already wearing them? All of this matters. If she needs orthodontic work, she should probably get it sorted now while she still has coverage through Medicaid. These things directly impact the quality of the therapy. Again, I say there is no reason for distrust. However, before you pick a speech pathologist, do some homework. Ask about their specialties so you don't end up with someone who lacks experience working with older teens or adults.

I get that metallic taste of blood quite often myself, but I make sure to get regular checkups, so I know it isn't anything serious. It wouldn't hurt to have a full blood panel done just to be safe; honestly, it’s good practice to get those checked every few years regardless if you aren't facing major issues. I hope this doesn't give you too much trouble and that it starts happening less frequently.

Unfortunately, those lists of words and sentences your sister is supposed to repeat won't do much good on their own. Treating sigmatism—or any speech disorder, for that matter—requires a full battery of rehab procedures. You have to break old auditory habits, reposition the articulators which aren't sitting right due to the disorder, and engage in intense work using specialized speech therapy equipment designed to boost specific pronunciation frequencies. Of course, there’s also a massive amount of homework involved. Without a speech pathologist and their professional tools, this kind of therapy is essentially pointless. Age plays a role in how successful rehabilitation is, sure, but so does the patient's own motivation. The real question is how severe her sigmatism actually is—whether it's a narrow case or part of a broader group of issues. Sometimes people don't even bother with therapy because they don't view it as a serious condition; they just think they need to get used to it. That is, unless it bothers her personally or she has a specific reason to fix it.
If you have the budget for it, I suggest looking into private speech therapy. However, you can also check out clinics at local health centers in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, most of these clinics, and even FEMA itself, prioritize young children, especially preschoolers. To be blunt, FEMA is completely overwhelmed with patients and consistently exceeds its annual quotas, making it incredibly difficult to secure an appointment there.
In any case, I wish you luck in addressing the sigmatism if your sister decides to move forward. I hope my input was somewhat useful.

Usually, you don't need prescription meds for this. Just grab some Listerine lozenges at a CVS or Walgreens; they're small tablets you let dissolve slowly to disinfect your mouth. Using various antiseptic mouthwashes is also a good idea since they help clean out the tonsils. Watch your throat closely. If your tonsils swell up after bleeding, if the pain intensifies, or if you notice a color change, go see a doctor. Otherwise, don't sweat it—a little blood isn't dangerous. I definitely wouldn't recommend scraping it out with a spatula, though. If you absolutely insist on doing it yourself, dip a Q-tip in some mouthwash and try that, or just gargle with sparkling water a few times a day to try and dissolve the buildup. You can also try to gag it out, which carries a lower risk of injury. Another way is to apply pressure to the area just below your jaw near the tonsil and swallow while pressing. If you smoke, cut back. It’s also wise to avoid dairy; any food with a slimy texture can contribute to tonsil stones. They are essentially food debris that gets processed by the tonsils, but for some reason, it gets stuck in the crypts. Once it settles there, it decays and breeds bacteria, resulting in those foul-smelling, various-sized plugs. They can sit right on the edge of the crypt or deep inside. It's unpleasant, but it isn't dangerous. Hope that helps.

I deal with that same nuisance myself; it flares up every few months. It’s no surprise you had some bleeding—you likely just nicked it during the removal process. Try drinking more sparkling water; you can even use it as a gargle. It doesn't stop them from coming back, but it makes them happen less frequently. For now, surgery is the only real fix available in our medical system, but I get where you're coming from. At my age, I'm in no rush to go under the knife either.

First things first: get a referral from your doctor and schedule an appointment. You’ll likely end up needing a gastroscopy. Pain in that area doesn't always point directly to the stomach itself. Have you been under a lot of stress lately, or perhaps dealing with some anxiety? Are you eating regular meals?
Regardless, if these symptoms haven't let up after a year, you need to stop guessing and see your physician. Online diagnoses are never reliable.

It could be an allergy. Or maybe that shampoo you're using just isn't working for your scalp anymore. If you recently went to a salon and had them wash your hair there, plenty of people run into issues with their specific products. Try rinsing with some chamomile tea for a few days. It might help.