397 posts shown.
Amy Williams59 said:I’d try to avoid Washington, D.C. since it's just not easy for me to make the trip solely for that, especially if I have to deal with feeling under the weather afterward—not to mention the follow-up appointments.
That's totally your call—but honestly, if you're looking for state-of-the-art care, these little logistical hurdles shouldn't really be an issue for you.
Over at our Vineyard facility, we actually keep patients in the hospital until the nasal decongestant procedure is fully completed, so there are zero extra costs involved. The follow-up check is scheduled for about a month out.
That said—we are absolutely slammed right now; we're practically bursting at the seams... so there's definitely no need to rush us!
Terry Fisher2 said:I've got a ragweed allergy, but lately, I’ve been dealing with this classic stuffed-up nose situation. It’s weird—when I sleep on one side, the opposite nostril stays clear, but as soon as I roll over, that one clogs up and the other opens. Honestly, I don't have much else going on, like itchy eyes or sneezing, though I do have to blow my nose constantly. Feels like a minor cold, but definitely nothing as intense as it gets at the end of summer.
Usually, during the winter, I get something similar for a couple of days, but never quite like this. I checked my pollen forecast and there's absolutely nothing scheduled for late December or early January, so... wtf?
What exactly are you allergic to? It could be house dust, pet dander, or even dust mites, though those usually come with itching and sneezing.
It might just be a cold, or honestly, maybe it's just the central heating. Try putting some bowls of water on your radiators to help with the dry air, and definitely rinse your nose with saline solution to keep the membranes hydrated.
George Richardson10 said:I’m also struggling with allergies—pollen, ragweed, and now it feels like dust mites too... I heard about some bio-laser treatments over at the Stela Medical Clinic... supposedly they actually work for people. Has anyone here actually tried them? Also, does anyone know what they cost?
Have you given intranasal corticosteroid sprays a shot yet, like Flixonase, Nasonex, Avamys, or Rhinocort?
Don't just throw your money away.
Get tested first so you know exactly what you're fighting. Once you know, use the spray and make sure to rinse with saline beforehand—that creates a bit of a barrier so the allergens can't hit the receptors in your nasal lining as easily.
Sophia Harris96 said:I wasn't sure if that question was meant for you,
but how much did you end up paying for your nose surgery at the Vineyard hospital with Dr. Kalogjera?
Did you go in for a septum deviation repair plus aesthetics, or just one of those?
Happy New Year to all the noses out there! 😍
Believe it or not—you just have to be patient.
Everyone wants an appointment with him, but he simply can't see more people than is physically possible, even if someone stays in the clinic for 5 or 6 hours.
Aside from him, there are several other doctors here in the US who do fantastic work:
Prof. Baudoin, Assoc. Vagić, the aforementioned Dr. Grgić, Prof. Bedeković, Dr. Geber, and Dr. Solter.
Amy Williams59 said:I figured I'd jump into this discussion too.😍
I've wanted a new, straighter nose for a really long time now; unfortunately, I've kind of messed mine up—well, I actually had a fall and damaged it.🙂
Anyway, does anyone have a recommendation for someone in San Francisco?
Just please don't suggest Glusca.🙂
Honestly, you're better off packing your bags for Washington, D.C.—the list of specialists at the Vineyard hospital who perform septorhinoplasties is much stronger there.
Taylor Miller10 said:On top of being stuck with a crooked nose, they basically overdosed me on anesthesia. I ended up needing injections, developed anemia, and now I have to take iron supplements. Plus, my blood pressure was through the roof and I had uncontrollable bleeding during the surgery.
My doctor actually explained that they gave me way too much anesthesia, and he was absolutely livid with them!
And when I tried to ask questions? They just played dumb!
Oh, and yeah... this happened at the Zajč facility.
ADVICE: Do NOT go there under any circumstances!!!!
In these situations, it really isn't about the surgeon; it’s the anesthesiologist's responsibility, and the surgeon is often powerless to step in.
Now... I'm not entirely sure how she connected those dots, but anesthesia itself doesn't cause iron deficiency. It can, however, affect your blood pressure, which might lead to increased bleeding during the procedure. Usually, that’s something they try to manage immediately because the surgeon can't proceed otherwise.
Theoretically, you could lose enough blood during the operation to end up with anemia, but the anesthesia itself wouldn't trigger it automatically.
Jamie Fowler26 said:I'm not exaggerating—it's true, unfortunately, I have a literal hole. When I block one nostril, air just rushes straight through to the other side. The worst part is that one nostril feels completely blocked even though I can breathe fine through it; it's only when I pinch the other side near the bridge of my nose that I realize the "blocked" side is totally impassable.
I used Nazal for a week and Aqua Maris for a month, but no spray seems able to loosen up whatever is dried up in there.
I tried using a spray on just one nostril and then blowing it out through the other.
It's possible that while the surgeon was working on those internal passages, they accidentally punctured the mucosa.
Given what you're dealing with, I'd actually suggest getting some saline solution in a syringe at room temperature and using that to soak the dried-up mucus. You're right: Aqua Maris just turns water into tiny droplets, whereas you really need to deeply hydrate that area.
Go hit the pool.
Grace Williams36 said:Ivy, you really have a beautiful nose. Honestly, it makes me feel a bit down when I see how many people want surgery, especially since in your case, there is absolutely NO reason to change anything! 🙂
Also... the other day I was watching some awards ceremony for top athletes of the year, and Blanka was there as the female athlete of the year. The woman had two little bumps on the tip of her nose—was that supposed to happen, or is that just a side effect? 😁 I'm actually considering surgery myself, not just for looks, but for health reasons too, but seeing cases like that before and after makes me worry I might just end up making things worse.
It isn't—it's just that the alar cartilages are under too much tension.
Amy Bailey4 said:Hi everyone!
I have a question regarding nose surgery for medical reasons...
If someone is getting surgery because they've been struggling with breathing for a long time, does that procedure also include shaving down the nasal bone (the bumps)? In other words, does the surgeon straighten out the bone if there are protrusions?
That falls under what's called septorhinoplasty. If it's just the septum, then it's just a septoplasty.
The protruding part is removed, and then the "open roof" is closed up using lateral osteotomies (fracturing the sides).
redcrane59 said:Well guys, here I am, getting ready for nose surgery... for the second time...
I had a hooked, quite large nose and a major deviation to one side, so I went to a clinic in Oakland where the doctor promised he'd fix everything. He asked if I wanted him to take off the hump too, and I said, "Sure, why not?" Well, in the end, he left me with this brutal saddle shape right in the middle of my nose, and it still tilts to the side... It doesn't look too bad from certain angles, but when you take a photo from the front... pffft... it looks like someone hit me with a shovel. I honestly feel like going back to that clinic in Oakland and starting a protest...
So, now I'm hunting for a new surgeon :-D looking at options... it can't get any worse than this! :-)
You should visit the Vineyard clinic to see what can be done.
The deviation is still there because the septum wasn't "cut" enough, so to speak.
The issue you're describing is the difficulty of closing that "open roof" after removing the bony-cartilaginous protrusion of the nasal dorsum.
Could I get an unbiased assessment of what’s going on in the Tourism thread? Specifically, I'm looking at how Mark Harris66 and Harold Taylor6 are handling things as moderators.
I’m actually feeling pretty motivated to jump in because of that public warning on the Ireland thread. Honestly, looking back at the years I've spent intensely following this section of Reddit, I don't recall anyone ever getting a formal warning like that before.
The whole thing actually started because of a quote I made:
"People can't be killed by stupidity or sheer nonsense." I was actually having this conversation earlier with Nancy Nelson4 about some Mexican fast-food joint over in Ireland where certain bacteria were being mentioned. Since this is my field of expertise, I decided to look into what was actually going on. However, Nancy Nelson4 responded quite aggressively, basing her reaction on some previous posts that had absolutely nothing to do with what I was saying. I ended up posting my full response and explanation on the thread later this evening once I finally had a moment to sit down. In that post, I lay out my actual perspective more clearly, since I didn't get the chance to explain myself properly in the heat of the moment. On the other hand... Nancy Nelson4 isn't getting any karma points because they keep derailing the conversation with stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand.
So, get this: the thread moderator, Harold Taylor6, actually called me out publicly and posted my penalty before anyone else had even seen it. I’ve never seen anyone do something like that before—it’s definitely a first.
My previous citations actually all have one thing in common: they’re all related to the tourism industry. It's kind of funny when you look back at them that way!
a) jedan komentar o Ireland I ended up apologizing because I totally lost my cool for a second there.
b) This is just blatant spam on this thread. Ryan Where did I even post that one smiley? I was just trying to ask how to find it, but instead, I’m getting met with a massive wave of people snickering and spamming my comment. It’s been going on for days now, and honestly, there isn't even any moderation to stop it. Just endless, mindless spamming.
c) topic Cambodia I made sure to publicly warn travelers about getting malaria protection before heading off to that country, specifically following the official advice from organizations like the WHO and the CDC. After I posted that, a few people on Reddit just kept mocking me. I didn't even react at first, thinking it would blow over, but eventually, I had to stand my ground. And because I did? I ended up getting hit with the harshest penalty yet—a 30-point deduction. It’s honestly frustrating because none of my points mattered; I was just offering objective, sensible reasons why people should take preventative measures, but apparently, being right isn't enough.
In the end, I was the only one who got penalized, and the moderator didn't even bother responding to my private message to ask if that was actually okay.
And, as most of you probably know, I’ve had my fair share of friction with that one user who recently got banned from the sub. com1 I’ve had this incredibly frustrating run-in with a certain user who basically decided to shadow my every move across multiple threads. It felt like they were following me from topic to topic just to belittle my personal experiences and dismiss the advice I was offering. Most of the time, I didn't think it was worth making a formal complaint, and honestly, the moderator, Harold Taylor6, didn't step in or issue any sanctions against him until things really spiraled out of control. He eventually started attacking a huge group of people over in the Paris thread, which was the breaking point. Things actually stayed quiet for a little while after that, but then he started the insults all over again until he completely lost his cool. Once I finally flagged his behavior to the moderator, he actually did the right thing and handed down a ban.
What’s the point? He hasn't ever called anyone out publicly like this before, except for me. He went ahead and posted a public reprimand on a main thread without even bothering to ask—you know, just a simple "hey, what's the issue here?" first.
If things get a little too overwhelmed, If you don't have the actual time to get it done, then someone else should probably step up and take over the job. And honestly, if you lack the patience or the temperament to be fair about the whole thing, then I think we’re looking at an identical kind of forced solution being pushed on us.
To be honest, I’m really struggling to see what value our moderator actually brings to the table, because... Aside from just handing out penalties, they don't actually contribute anything to the community discussions. Isn't that kind of at odds with how the role of a moderator is defined in the FAQ?
To be honest, having a second moderator—specifically this female moderator—doesn't really help when it comes to balancing out the different subforums. Don't get me wrong, she’s absolutely fantastic at providing helpful advice and guidance, which I appreciate, but she completely steers clear of the disciplinary side of things. While that’s a great quality to have, sometimes a moderator needs to wear both hats if we want things to actually stay organized.
I’m not the type of person to jump into an argument without having my facts straight, but look, if I’m being honest—I’ve got feelings too. It’s frustrating when you present a solid, reasoned argument only to be met with mockery, or worse, slapped with a penalty for it. At that point, you really start wondering how you're even supposed to engage. This kind of environment just breeds anxiety and makes everyone feel like they're walking on eggshells. People should feel free to speak their minds while still feeling protected from mindless insults.
I want to highlight our moderator here as a shining example of how things should be done. Trek On topic. Cycling You can always just reach out to the Prime Minister directly to explain what’s going on. From there, I assume some kind of official process kicks in—though, to be honest, I wouldn't know for sure since I've never actually been in any trouble myself! But seriously, if you want to guess why things stay so civil over there without all the constant bickering or mockery? It's because people actually communicate.
That’s pretty much the whole story. Right now, I’m just sitting here waiting on a ruling. Honestly, I’m bracing myself for a negative outcome—it feels like they're just looking for a reason to shut me down—so I wanted to reach out and get some perspectives from the more experienced members here on Reddit.
jadetiger962 said:http://www.abcnews.com/video/example-clip/
It happens right around the 25-minute mark for just a few seconds, but you can't really fast-forward through it, so you basically have to sit there and wait. 🙄
What do you mean you can't 😍? You totally can—you just have to scroll the mouse bar super fast while the clip loads. 😉div>
restlesssailor said:I’m telling you, if you try to run lower tire pressures on current setups—say, dropping them below 30 PSI—you’re basically throwing away about 5% of your power delivery. It just kills that direct feel and makes the car feel sluggish.
On top of that, that Yukon comes with a front gear setup of 22/32/42, which honestly gives you plenty of room to work with if you're looking to rig something up for some serious trekking.
Look, there’s actually another way you could play this. If you aren't planning on hitting any mountain bike trails ever again, you could always just grab some new rims and spokes and have a local shop build them up for you. Theoretically, that would free up enough cash to finally upgrade those brakes and the hub too. The big thing, though—and please make sure you double-check this before you spend a dime—is whether a 28-inch wheel will actually fit in your current frame. Based on what I was saying earlier, it might sound like a 26-inch frame can easily accommodate a 28-inch wheel, but that isn't always the case, even if it works most of the time. Just be careful!
I'd give that a solid 5 out of 10. Honestly, I went through the exact same process myself, but if I had actually pulled it off right this second, I don't know... I definitely wouldn't be feeling that "wow" factor just yet. 😲 To be honest, I don't see any change happening.
And that’s exactly why I keep saying we really need to give some serious thought to how we handle the transfers—once the funding actually hits, of course.
Personally, I didn't see it that way. Looking at my Ford, even just from a glance, it was pretty obvious that those bigger wheels weren't going to fit. 🙄
Dana White53 said:Honestly, I’m just looking for a bike that works well for cruising around town or maybe hitting some local trails on short trips, but my budget is pretty tight right now :/ I actually really like the idea of going with larger wheels, so I’ll definitely look into that... though I have a feeling it might push me a bit past what I consider "affordable." 🙂
Hmm... that sounds like a better route. But honestly, you don't even seem totally sure what you're looking for yet—whether it's speed, handling, or something else entirely...
Personally, I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on those 28-inch wheels because they don't quite hit that sweet spot of a true touring setup or configuration. A real touring bike usually comes with a different gear range too.
So, I ended up just making things easier on myself by choosing a different path, which was probably the smartest move. 😁
Dana White53 said:http://www.highflow.com/scott/bike/i...t_Yukon_Lg.jpg
This is the bike I'm talking about. I was browsing through some tires at a local REI, and I spotted some road-style tires with a light 1.2-1.5 tread profile. Has anyone here actually tried converting an MTB into more of a trekking or hybrid style bike just by swapping out the rubber?
I actually did that exact same thing on my old bike. 🙄
The problem was it ended up in pretty bad hands 😠 so I don't have much technical experience to draw from. I did manage to get rid of that heavy, "tractor-like" feeling when riding on the pavement, but you really need to be specific—what exactly is your end goal?
Without knowing what you're aiming for, it's hard to know which direction to take.
Patrick King7 said:Do any of the shops actually carry those parasite labels? If they do, I just steer clear of them entirely, and that solves the whole problem 🤷
They definitely do—look for the Tax Free logo.
The real trick to avoiding the headache is simply asking right before you buy whether the shop handles the refund on the spot.
And honestly, that’s all there is to it. 🙂
Patrick King7 said:What a total scam! Why on earth does this even happen?
Yeah, it’s basically a shake-down by the Tax Free company. It’s all part of some shady partnership where you can't actually get your full refund in most places—instead, they just hand you a tiny fraction after they've finished feeding off you like parasites.
Dennis White2 said:If all else fails... just hit up Craigslist or eBay and hunt down a solid used one.
I think you're applying some pretty over-the-top principles here. 🙄
People aren't even asking what new gear is hitting the shelves yet, let alone how they're going to find a
decent used deal.
If everyone already had everything they needed, this whole thread wouldn't even exist in the first place.
placidcanyon2 said:Just imagine if we actually tried to explain to people that they don't go to Central Park, the city, or the waterfront to ride mountain bikes... 😁
Charles Bailey45 said:🙂
We really gave it a shot—Krešimir, Mazgov, Tvuk, and myself—but it was a lost cause. We just ended up getting yelled at and flamed by people who insist on dividing all bicycles into "mountain bikes vs. road bikes" 🙄...
So, I’ve officially thrown in the towel; as far as I'm concerned, let them ride their downhill rigs through Central Park 😉if they want to.
Ronald Diaz said:Man, this part fascinates me too! It turns out there's a huge stigma where people feel ashamed riding hybrid bikes. They feel like they need at least 2-inch tires just to buzz around town and look the part. But hey, when you see how many massive SUVs are cruising our streets, it’s no surprise—it’s all about looking "tough." 🙄
I’d give it a 5 out of 5—but for education to actually stick, it needs to be a long-term effort backed by actual inventory. We need knowledgeable shop employees who will actually recommend those types of bikes to customers.
Around here, you can count hybrid bikes on one hand because that’s what customers demand 🙄, and most people don't even know they exist.
And don't even get me started—if it isn't a massive truck, I'd rather just walk to the local coffee shop...😍
feralridge3 said:The tumor was completely removed. Six months later, I had to follow up with my neurosurgeon with new scans, so I scheduled an appointment at Nemetov since their wait times are supposedly the shortest. Honestly, I felt like a little kid again when they told me everything looked fine—even the report didn't mention any recurrence.
I managed to get in with the neurosurgeon just under a month later. When I showed up for the check-up, he couldn't believe they had missed it. He spent the whole time pointing at the images, explaining what was what, and expressing total disbelief. The tumor was about 1cm in size.
The reality is that my tumor progresses incredibly fast, so catching a recurrence immediately is absolutely critical.
If they had simply told me, "We aren't certain, please get an MRI with spectroscopy," I wouldn't have complained. Instead, I wasted a month, and then due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, I lost another month. By the time I finally went under the knife, the tumor had doubled in size. 😢
After an experience like that, I wouldn't set foot in there again.
I forgot to mention earlier: they knew everything. I always carry my entire medical history and all my imaging results with me, and quite frankly, that file has become massive.
Does it show up clearly on the images without using contrast dye?
Sometimes it even comes down to whether the imaging is triggered at the exact right moment while the contrast is circulating.
But honestly, yes—it is incredibly important who is looking at those scans, how they interpret them, and when they do it.
Here’s the deal:
You’re heading in the right direction, but you're missing some key data from the forwarder.
There is a specific number at the Department of Health and Human Services—their version of a free 311 line available to the general public—where you can actually get some answers. I am absolutely certain there are about ten specific diagnoses where the 311 operators are required to email an official over at the HHS National List Department regarding anyone who qualifies to order medication outside of the standard formulary. It sounds like something straight out of a conspiracy movie, but it’s how they set it up. The head of that department, who also happens to be their only employee, is Dr. Dubravko Bajramović.
amberdriver8 said:.......I really, truly hope I'm dead wrong here, but someone very close to me is going through something similar... they suspected a tumor, and the recommendation was to get an MRI at a private clinic. By the next day, everything was wrapped up, right around $1000..
In this context, getting an MRI feels like a shot in the dark. It shouldn't be the first thing on the list for testing in either scenario.
Brenda Myers said:Very nice 😉there are plenty of options like that
Short, sweet, and straight to the point, Mr. Spock. 😍
quieteagle16 said:I recently started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and yesterday, about 30 minutes after class, I noticed this pain in my ribcage—roughly 4 inches to the right, between the 5th and 6th ribs. Yesterday, it flared up a few times when I tried taking deep breaths; it wasn't intense, but it was definitely noticeable, though not every single breath triggered it. Today, breathing doesn't hurt at all, but if I press on that spot a little harder, I can still feel it.
I'm curious if anyone else has dealt with something similar and what this might actually be? I'm hesitant to head to the doctor since the pain isn't severe, and I don't want to miss training just to ask about it. However, I really wouldn't want some 250lb+ guy to accidentally land on me the wrong way and sideline me for the next six months. On the flip side, I also don't want to skip my session in two days if it's just a minor bruise or a pinched nerve. Muscle soreness usually feels more painful than this, but since it feels like it's in the bone, I'd love to hear what kind of injuries we're looking at here.
If you want answers, go ahead and Google it, but if you want a serious medical opinion, you should probably go see a professional. No one here has telepathic powers to diagnose you—medicine is a science based on gathering data and drawing conclusions from those facts.
Anything else is just guesswork.
vividpilot47 said:Enough of this crap. One doctor told me it was 1 mm, then my specialist claimed there was no perforation at all. He told me I could go swimming without a worry, but after I insisted he take another look, he suddenly found a 4mm perforation and said there’s zero chance it heals on its own. It’s been 2 months and nothing has changed. 😢I even went to see a doctor in Chicago who suggested it might heal spontaneously if I just waited six months. As for the surgery itself, it feels like a total scam. I have no idea who actually performed the initial procedure, and whenever I ask for info, everyone just gives me copy-paste answers from internet forums. My eardrum popped once before, but it healed perfectly within two months. This time? No luck. 😢..
That's why I'm asking: does anyone know if there are any alternatives to surgery? Or does anyone know someone who's actually gone through it and can share their experience? Going under the knife isn't exactly a walk in the park, especially when people are constantly second-guessing each other's heads. Damn.
Diagnosis: 4mm perforation, anterior inferior quadrant..
Yeah, it’s pretty certain you’re looking at a significant perforation, or maybe the edges of the drum aren't even meeting, which would prevent healing.
Honestly, it doesn't matter if you know someone personally or if you spend hours reading through a mountain of other people's opinions and experiences, because every single case is unique.
What you really need is an ENT specialist you can actually trust—someone who will assess the situation based on a functional evaluation of your hearing loss using a specific audiometric test.
vividpilot47 said:Enough of this crap. One doctor told me it was 1 mm, then my specialist claimed there was no perforation at all. He told me I could go swimming without a worry, but after I insisted he take another look, he suddenly found a 4mm perforation and said there’s zero chance it heals on its own. It’s been 2 months and nothing has changed. 😢I even went to see a doctor in Chicago who suggested it might heal spontaneously if I just waited six months. As for the surgery itself, it feels like a total scam. I have no idea who actually performed the initial procedure, and whenever I ask for info, everyone just gives me copy-paste answers from internet forums. My eardrum popped once before, but it healed perfectly within two months. This time? No luck. 😢..
That's why I'm asking: does anyone know if there are any alternatives to surgery? Or does anyone know someone who's actually gone through it and can share their experience? Going under the knife isn't exactly a walk in the park, especially when people are constantly second-guessing each other's heads. Damn.
Diagnosis: 4mm perforation, anterior inferior quadrant..
Don't overcomplicate things. The more you procrastinate out of fear or whatever else, the more likely you are to run into complications down the road. Just leave the medical decisions to the professionals.