@Dr_pelo, thanks so much for all the info 🙏 I feel way more prepared to talk to my mom's surgeon now. I’m really hoping we can spare her from yet another one of those "painless" surgery horror stories.
It honestly would be great if people realized just how much we value anesthesiologists here in the States—and they definitely get paid the big bucks for it, too! A few years back, I remember reading about this one doctor who basically became a total superstar in the American medical world. People would actually wait months—as long as their condition allowed them to, of course—just to make sure *he* was the one handling their anesthesia. Or is that the right way to put it? I can't quite remember his name, which is a bummer. It's funny, though; back home, I have absolutely no clue who the top names in anesthesiology are, even though I feel like I could name almost every plastic surgeon in town! Not that I’m interested in that kind of surgery or anything, obviously. Just goes to show how much the media shapes what we think is important!
Anyway, thanks again for being so patient with all my questions. And give my best to Oprah 🙂... 🤣
urbanscout50 said:...1)"So, I was thinking about this "frugal" anesthesiologist I know... honestly, it’s kind of wild how some people operate. You'd think someone in that profession—dealing with all those high-end meds and fancy equipment—would be a bit more willing to splurge here and there, right? But not this guy. He’s got this mindset where he’s constantly looking for ways to cut corners or find the absolute cheapest option for everything, even stuff that really shouldn't be cheapened. It reminds me of this one time I was at a local diner in Chicago, just trying to grab a quick breakfast before heading out, and the guy at the next table started lecturing the server about the price of extra bacon. Like, relax, man! We're all just trying to eat. Anyway, yeah, this doctor is exactly like that. Just always pinching pennies when it matters most. So, I was thinking about this the other day while I was grabbing coffee... you know how some people just try to cut corners everywhere? Like, they think they're being smart by being cheap, but they end up making things way worse. It makes me wonder about those doctors—specifically the anesthesiologists—who try to save a few bucks on the "meds." It’s wild to think about. You’ve got someone who isn't even watching the monitor closely enough during surgery, or they just totally miss the moment when a patient's vitals shift. Or even worse, they just straight-up forget to give the next dose because they weren't paying attention. It’s one of those massive mistakes that just shouldn't happen in a modern hospital, right? Just cutting corners on anesthesia like that... man, that's scary stuff. You know, I was thinking about this earlier while grabbing my coffee, and honestly? It’s probably best to just avoid things on a broad scale. Like, don't go looking for trouble in every direction. Just... steer clear of the big stuff entirely. It keeps life simple, you know? Better for the soul.);
Where can I actually find a list of those stingy anesthesiologists? Or maybe even a heads-up on the ones I should steer clear of entirely? Sorry if that sounds like I'm just messing around, but I’m being dead serious here. These are your internal insights, you know? There’s no way I could ever prove any of this stuff, even if I hired the best lawyer in the country.
So, my mom had this whole thing lined up where a specific doctor was supposed to handle her cataract surgery, right? But then, out of nowhere, a completely different surgeon steps in to do the actual procedure. It’s just... a lot. Now we're sitting here wondering if we're going to run into the same kind of musical chairs with the anesthesiologist. Like, how can we actually be sure the person we expected is the one actually doing the work? Just feels a bit unsettling, you know?
To make matters even worse, my mom was in actual agony during the surgery itself. All those fancy sales pitches about how "painless" the laser procedure is supposed to be? Total garbage. Honestly, who knows—maybe the anesthesiologist just completely botched the dosage or something. It’s such a mess. 🤷
Sorry if I sound a bit intense, but this whole thing with the anesthesia and my mom’s eye is still so fresh in my mind. She’s actually scheduled for surgery on her other eye soon, and honestly, I’m spiraling a little bit thinking about how she’s going to handle it. After dealing with all that pain, she spent the entire day running a fever and could barely even come around. Her doctor actually had the nerve to say, "Well, she just has a lower pain tolerance" (yeah, right!). I mean, isn't the whole point of anesthesia to make sure you don't feel anything at all, regardless of what your personal pain threshold is? I was genuinely terrified that she might go into shock or something. It brings me back, too—I had surgery on my shin years ago, but local anesthesia just wasn't... caught her Trust me on this one—experiencing a scalpel firsthand is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Seriously, just... no. Not worth it.
Honestly, your best bet is to just call 911 right now and see what they suggest regarding an ER visit. If they tell you it's serious and you need to get seen immediately, you should probably head to the nearest major hospital—maybe something like Mount Sinai or whatever big medical center is closest to where you live—unless there's a local Community Health Center with an urgent care wing open late.
You really should have washed the bite area thoroughly right away with some heavy-duty soap, maybe something strong like Dial or even just a good antiseptic wash, scrubbing it for at least fifteen seconds. That’s actually how vets handle it when they're dealing with little scratches from panicked animals, so it's a pretty standard move.
I've got a good feeling everything is going to turn out just fine.
Samuel Morales said:Can someone walk me through how to actually switch doctors?
So, I'm moving soon and figured I’d find someone closer to my new place... I don't get sick all that often, but honestly, my current doctor is driving me up the wall, so that's probably another reason to bail...
How does this even work? Like, can I just go straight to whoever I want like Paul Morales3 suggested, or am I stuck having to go deal with my current doc and deal with the drama first?
Honestly, you just go see the new doc you're eyeing and ask if they'll take you on as a patient 😉, basically seeing if they have an opening or aren't totally slammed. They usually handle all the paperwork on their end; there's really no need to get into it or cause any drama with your old doctor 😁
Walter Williams33 said:This year I’m planning to get out there and run every single day, too... Do you really think the weight is just going to snap right back if I drop it too fast?
👍 See, you totally get it!
Trust me on this one, the faster you crash the scale, the faster that weight comes sprinting back. And honestly, you’ll probably end up heavier than when you started. Once it hits, it's like, good luck getting it off again, seriously. 🙂
slyjackal38 said:...My uncle was diagnosed with malignant melanoma on a mole last August. ... ...The next CT scan showed metastases in the liver, adrenal glands, and spleen. It hit him so hard he went into shock and ended up being hospitalized in psych...
...The following CT shows disease progression again, and he’s been hospitalized a second time because of suicidal thoughts. ...
...After surgery, he went through a bottle of Beta Glucan. If I remember correctly that first CT after that looked okay. ...Once the metastases started appearing again, he began taking Immunomax AHCC (shiitake and maitake mushrooms), specifically the "Biocil" preparation... This actually worked, and then came that earlier mentioned CT showing regression. But then, the next one was bad again... And now the doctors....well, none of them are feeling optimistic, and some are even implying he shouldn't have made it this far. Not to mention how you practically have to squeeze the words out of them...
Even though I pop into this thread pretty regularly, I didn't really think I'd chime in. You see, I had cancer surgery about twenty years ago and I'm doing just fine now. But this specific post really prompted me to speak up. Back then, an acquaintance of mine was also dealing with a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma (in the lymph nodes). Around the same time, I met a man who had melanoma metastases in his liver. Both of them decided to try macrobiotics. They weren't just winging it, either—they were working with a professional macrobiotic consultant from the Netherlands who used to travel to Chicago quite often at the time. So, I followed his advice and guidance too and started a macrobiotic diet. And it really worked for me.
Now, I'm not writing all this just to talk about macrobiotics. Honestly, I don't think a macrobiotic diet is the only path to healing if that's an option. It's actually something else. During our first meeting, this consultant told me something incredibly important. He said—your test results won't improve immediately once you switch to macrobiotics. In fact, one might be good, the next one bad, then the next one good... they'll just keep oscillating until your body finally clears out that very last cancer cell. So, don't let those bad results shake your confidence. Just stay committed to the intention of healing and believe that you can do it.
For the people mentioned above, and for me too, it was all so strange and so incredibly hard to wrap our heads around, yet somehow, it was comforting. Even though I was going through my own rough patches back then, I always kept those words about the healing process and its bumpy road in mind.
...And as far as the results go, it really was exactly like the consultant said. I was getting tests done every single month. And the results... one would be good, only for the next one to look suspicious... then the next one right on the edge... then bad again... then good again... it just kept going like that until finally, all the results were consistently good. As for those two people with 'metastatic melanoma,' they are both healthy and active today.
I don't know if this helps much, but I felt a real need to share this with you all. I'm wishing healing to everyone here, and to all your loved ones too.
So, I was actually out doing some different kind of work lately, just popping into various medical supply stores, and I spotted this walker—the kind where you can actually sit down on it! If my memory serves me right, I think it was over at 75 Main Street in Brooklyn, at a shop called Two Seas. You should totally Google them; they have a website and everything.
Douglas Fowler, hey, would you mind sharing which chiropractor you go to see for those spinal adjustments? I was going to shoot you a private message about it, but I figured a few other people here might be wondering the same thing. Thanks!
So, my mom needs cataract surgery. It’s not an emergency just yet, but knowing how long the waiting lists can get at our local hospitals, her cataract might be fully ripe by the time she actually gets called in.
Does anyone have any advice on which hospital or clinic in Chicago I should look into? Or maybe a specific doctor you’d recommend?
Also, does anyone know if they perform that newer method—you know, phacoemulsification extraction with lens implantation—at the public hospitals, or is that something you can only get at private clinics?
Thanks, Gregory Gomez45, for making that red copy/paste just for my eyes only! 😉.
But... I was reading the text while it was still black and white, and... honestly, I don't think that bit about crowds of patients showing up for no reason and causing jams really applies to people coming in with specialist referrals and prescriptions for chronic conditions. And let's be real, chronic patients—whether they want to or not—are the ones creating those waiting room bottlenecks. For instance, my mom has been going in every single month for five years now just to get her Effexor. If it's common knowledge that Effexor is meant for long-term use, I don't see why she couldn't just get one prescription for, say, three or six months at a time. Then she could just pick up her monthly dose once a month, which could easily be "noted" on the script and logged into the "networked" computer system.
Even though the whole limit issue isn't really the main topic, I'll touch on it anyway, just speaking from my perspective as a patient. As far as I know, regardless of whatever financial cap a GP has, they aren't supposed to deny a prescription for a chronic patient's medication (and I'm assuming that goes for acute cases too). We aren't here to debate whether prescribing certain meds is justified or not—that’s not the point of this discussion. Nor are we talking about trying to kick "fakers" out of the waiting rooms.
My doctor actually mentioned to me recently that when she's about to "hit the ceiling" on her prescribed medication budget, she writes to a specific Medicare committee. She explains exactly why it happened and asks for permission to spend a certain amount over the set limit. And you know what? My doctor is super helpful; she'll write two prescriptions where I can pick one up right away and the other after a certain date. I'm not totally sure if that's strictly how it works or not, but hey, I'm thankful for her. It saves both her and me so much time, and I think that's basically what copperfox28 was looking to hear. Maybe it doesn't align with your view that a chronic patient should have to trek to the clinic every week or two just for their meds and pay a co-pay for the visit, but it makes my life so much easier. Now, whether the healthcare system loses out because of this, I haven't a clue. Personally, I'd even be willing to pay for two separate visits just to get two scripts if it meant I didn't have to spend half my life sitting in a waiting room.
Just to reiterate, if I understood correctly, copperfox28 wasn't asking for opinions on reforming the entire healthcare system (which, for the record, definitely needs a makeover), but rather how to "swim" within the system as it exists right now.
And as for Sweden, I'm actually pretty curious how they distribute that Effexor (assuming they haven't already swapped it for something more effective).
Harold Ramirez49 said:In the US, we see about 200,000 people diagnosed with colorectal cancer every year who don't even get surgery, let alone other essential treatments, simply because their health insurance won't cover it.
quoting copperfox28: ...So I'm calling on you all... to join me in sharing your own experiences with this. Even if these things aren't officially on the market and we unfortunately can't ignore them, maybe through these small, tiny contributions and little steps, we can start fighting so they don't just treat us like we dropped out of a tree today...
From what I gathered, the person who started this thread was basically asking us to share our experiences navigating the American healthcare system, and then maybe follow up with some suggestions, advice, or tips... just so we can figure out how to best manage and feel okay within the current setup.
Anyway, I keep thinking back to those prescriptions. If my doctor is annoyed because she has to write out new scripts for "chronic patients" constantly—feeling like she's "wasting" them or causing the waiting room to overflow... and if the pharmacist is also grumbling about the paperwork... well, since everything is computerized now, I really don't think "reorganizing" how chronic prescriptions are handled should be some impossible mission. It's all right there on the screen!
As for what Harold Ramirez49 said above, I honestly think it’s a bit misplaced given the reality here in America. So many people (whether they're still working or retired) simply weren't in a position to contribute to extra retirement accounts or private savings—some due to age, others due to financial struggles that had nothing to do with being irresponsible—and because of that, they can't afford to pay for supplemental private health insurance either. I think it'll be a long time before anyone can look at someone and say, "Look, buddy, you didn't plan ahead for your health coverage, so don't act surprised that we're in a tough spot with your cancer." Life happens, you know?
Come on, guys, let's stay focused here! Parking is just one more thing that eats up my time—and honestly, a lot of work hours too—plus the cash, but it shouldn't be the reason we start tearing apart how healthcare is organized.
The whole situation with prescriptions is just exhausting and creates such huge hurdles for people living with chronic conditions. Take my eighty-year-old mom, for instance. She’s dealing with Parkinson's, neuropathy, heart issues, osteoporosis... she’s a fighter, but walking isn't easy for her anymore. So, having to trek out several times a month just because a bottle ran empty or some computer system glitched out? That's a real struggle.
And it’s not like I’m doing much better when I hit a rough patch with my systemic lupus. So, I didn't really see copperfox28 complaining as being "entitled." Even my doctors—and thank god I have plenty of them—complain all the time about the red tape surrounding medication protocols for chronic patients and those endless referral procedures...
Also, why do we keep comparing everything to the US? At least when people talk about them, they mention how "inhumane" and messy their healthcare system can be. That's what I hear in the news, anyway. How do the Scandinavians handle it? Or the Dutchmen? 🤷 All I know is that the poor organization of our own healthcare system drains energy I already don't have much of, being a chronic patient myself.
And reading about whether someone has "wasted" the money they paid into Medicare makes me feel uneasy. Maybe that's just real life, as people call it here, but... it's called health insurance for a reason. It's meant for when you're sick or in need. Now I'm supposed to feel guilty for using the coverage I paid for? What then? Just say goodbye to everyone and walk away? 🙂
(By the way, I actually turned down conventional meds for my SLE and try to manage things my own way, so I'm hoping there's still something left in my account...)
placidjackal36 said:I’m going to speak my mind however I see fit, as long as I’m not taking direct shots at anyone. Just remember, my attempt to get a "swear jar" rule added to the moderator guidelines didn't fly. 😉
At the end of the day, I feel like it's my responsibility to keep people in the loop. If you look at the ratio of people who actually realize they're being scammed versus those who are totally clueless, it's easily 1 to 100. Someone has to act as a reality check in these discussions. This forum isn't some billboard for peddling idiocic "alternative" methods.
placidjackal36, I really do admire how much you want to educate people. But, man, you tend to butt heads with people's personal beliefs quite often. I don't know what your style used to be, but it seems like you've decided that this Health section is where you're going to shine a light on everything possible. Look, I truly value your expertise and your drive to share it with everyone here. It's great! But sometimes, your tone just feels a bit... off. And I don't think we should all feel uncomfortable when browsing this forum. No matter how misguided someone might seem, nobody likes feeling belittled or looked down upon. Using phrases like "talking nonsense" or "get this trash out of here"... that’s still insulting, even if there aren't any curse words involved. I don't think it helps the flow of conversation at all. Especially in the Health section, where most people are just looking for advice rather than an argument. And let's face it, you get all kinds of advice here. It just seems like you jump in to critique almost anything that doesn't align perfectly with your specific knowledge or worldview. Honestly, whenever I see one of your posts, I can't help but think of Savonarola... And, well, as they say, God works in mysterious ways... and that goes for health, too. Maybe try having a little more faith in the people reading these threads, at least here in the Health section. Do you really think everyone just blindly follows every single thing they read online?
Anyway, back to me—motion sickness used to absolutely wreck me. Even with Dramamine, I couldn't handle a trip. Only difference was, it didn't make me sleepy like it does for most of you; if anything, I was the most energetic person on the road! The only thing it did was make me super hungry, so I always traveled with a massive pile of sandwiches.
But once I switched over to macrobiotics, I didn't need the Dramamine anymore. I managed to beat the nausea using umeboshi plums instead. I'd eat two before leaving and maybe five during the trip. They're pretty tough to eat at first because they're so salty, but after that, I felt wonderful for the whole ride.
So, I actually went in for that "atlas adjustment" back in February. And honestly? I have to admit, those old issues I had with my head suddenly spinning whenever I turned it too fast—they've finally stopped. My naturopath told me that my atlas was super misaligned, which apparently was way worse than it was for two friends of mine who went through the same thing at the same time. Because of that, my session lasted a bit longer and was a little more painful (though you'll have to take that with a grain of salt, since I've become such a total wimp when it comes to pain lately).
My neck was also pretty sore for a while in the exact spots where the doctor was using that vibrating tool to, supposedly, nudge the atlas back into its rightful place.
Since my neck muscles have basically withered away from years of terrible posture, and just because I don't want to feel dizzy or nauseous again, my "neck recovery" is still very much an ongoing process (mostly just doing a bunch of neck exercises).
But, for sure, my head moves freely now. No more ringing in my ears or that weird pressure in my skull after sitting at my computer or desk for twenty minutes. Sure, I still have some issues, but they're mostly due to my straightened spine and those weak muscles I mentioned earlier. Still, I really think this atlas adjustment has bumped up my quality of life.
Now, all those stories about "total body healing" right after an adjustment feel a little bit too much for me... but hey, they say that can happen over time if you've been sick for a long time. And since my nickname is Jeremiah 🤣... maybe in ten or twenty years, I'll reach that state of enlightened health too. 🤷 🙂
Honestly, reading all your posts is such a joy. 😍 It’s actually kind of a bummer this thread isn't over on the Foodie board or even under the main Health section.
The food industry—along with Big Pharma—is easily one of the most massive powerhouses on the planet. And once you turn something into a global industry, the goal becomes churning out the cheapest possible stuff in massive quantities. Especially if that product is addictive. And sugar? Oh, it's definitely addictive, but nobody talks about it because, let's be real, sugar is hidden in absolutely everything these days.
I know firsthand what that sugar addiction feels like. I remember when I decided to just cut it out of my life overnight, and man, I swear I was having actual delirious episodes. It was the same thing with fats (though I never really went overboard with those anyway). But, just like quitting smoking, you can stop. It isn't easy, though, and it rarely happens on the first try. Plus, there’s always that social pressure from everyone around you. You know, the "Oh, come on, it's just one cookie, one little candy bar, it won't kill you" crowd.
I’ve noticed that food has become so infantilized lately. Everything is creams, chocolate bars, chips... and it’s not just kids we're talking about. They’re basically playing on that inner child in all of us. The truth is, most of how we view food is purely emotional, so our choices follow suit. That’s why I don't really buy into that whole "listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs" thing. Because for one of my friends, her body's way of telling her what it needs is a batch of muffins (that's what they're called, right?). Sometimes my body tells me I have a sudden deficiency of Snickers bars in my bloodstream, and then there's this third friend who thinks all processed stuff is trash, so she only eats high-end Swiss or Belgian chocolate.
copperwolf112 made a great point about how easy it is to manipulate people through food. It’s not just about what you eat anymore; it’s about choosing an entire lifestyle. That’s why there’s zero real nutrition education in our schools. We should be teaching this in every single grade, from elementary all the way through high school. And not just the basics, either—we need to teach kids how to think critically. If you raise a thinking human being, it becomes much harder to manipulate them or push certain standards on them—standards that, of course, companies then want to charge us extra to satisfy.
What really breaks my heart is how healthy eating is marketed as this "trendy" lifestyle now, which makes it insanely expensive. I mean, seriously! 😳 Thirty years ago, my grandma lived on the farm and ate real, healthy food every day. Nowadays, the farms are gone and so is Grandma, so I’m stuck eating fruits and veggies from Italy, South America, France... I don't even know where half of it comes from! And then you go into a specialty health food store and the prices are enough to give you a headache.
If you ask me, access to healthy food and a good diet should be a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution, not something that depends on whether you can afford it or not.
Ugh, look at me, I’ve turned into a total soapbox orator! I better go take a breather! 😉 😁
I’m guessing you’ll eventually snag some info on chromotherapy via that "Alternative Medicine" PDF. Honestly, most of that file just gives you the standard textbook answers from mainstream doctors and then has a good little laugh at anything that falls outside the usual medical playbook. Personally, though, I think this whole thing with the disc is such a cool idea 🤣.
hollowseal78 said:I went through something pretty similar, but I actually managed to get my act together for a bit and things improved—until now, and here we are again... So, the main issue is this constant waking up in the middle of the night and just feeling chronically sleep-deprived. At first, I thought it was because I was eating huge dinners, so I figured that’s why I was getting up 4 or 5 times a night to hit the bathroom. I started eating way less in the evening—just some salad or maybe some granola with yogurt. Then I thought maybe it was just a crappy mattress, so I went out and bought a new one that’s super comfy. I used to stay up until 4 or 5 AM, but now I’m hitting the sack around 2 or 3. For a little while, the whole midnight bathroom run thing stopped, but for the last two weeks, I've been waking up basically every hour. Sometimes I have to pee, sometimes I’m just tossing and turning. It’s brutal—literally waking up every single hour. On top of that, it takes forever to drift off, even though I don't get much sleep, so I'm totally wiped during the day. Usually, I’m the type who loves sleeping in (like 10–12 hours easy), but now I can barely scrape together 8. It’s not even like I’m busy—I’m actually studying for an entrance exam right now and don't have much else going on—it’s just... it won't happen. And it shows. I’ve got massive dark circles under my eyes, I'm exhausted, I'm getting headaches, all that stuff. Today I actually had to take a nap during the day because I had zero energy left, but even that was useless—waking up every little bit during a 2.5-hour nap. The weird thing is, whenever I do wake up, I can fall back asleep pretty easily, but the sleep itself is just total garbage. Now I'm wondering if it’s all just nerves. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now: there's this entrance exam coming up that I'm honestly pretty nervous about failing, my boyfriend's dad is seriously ill and I'm heavily involved in helping out, plus there's some legal drama involving an inheritance... I try my hardest during the day to push all that stuff to the back of my mind so I can focus on studying. Most of the time it works, but once I lay down at night, everything just starts swirling around in my head, which is probably why I can't settle down. Is it possible that's why my sleep is so bad? Like, is this happening on some subconscious level? I don't know, I'm no expert, but it’s making it incredibly hard to function, especially since I need to be sharp and focused to study... About a month ago, I hit such a peak stress level that I didn't sleep for two nights straight. My mom, who has heart issues, ended up giving me half of her 3mg Xanax doses—so like 1.5mg—on that third night, and man, I slept like a rock. Now, it's gotten to the point where I'm seriously considering taking some just so I can feel human for one night. Do you guys have any solutions?
Thanks in advance
Man, insomnia is the absolute worst. It gets especially tricky for me if I try to hit the hay after 11 PM. But, if I can actually force myself to be disciplined and get into bed by 10:30, I actually sleep! It’s not an instant fix—not the first night or two—but after a few days, you really start to find that rhythm. You should look up "sleep hygiene" on Google; there's actually a whole thing about it. Honestly, the only way to get truly quality rest is starting before midnight, ideally around 10 PM. I know, I know, sounds totally unrealistic, right? But looking at people who actually have that "perfect" schedule, they just seem so much more energetic, organized, and positive... It’s weird, but when you're rested, problems don't feel nearly as scary or overwhelming as they do when you're running on empty.
I'm telling you this from experience here. I've had those phases where my sleep schedule was a total disaster, dealing with all those same symptoms you mentioned. And then I've had periods where everything was "on track." During those times, I felt so much better. I didn't miss out on anything in life just because I went to bed early—if anything, I got way more done, both personally and professionally. But... my habit of pushing bedtime later and later always seems to drag me right back into insomnia... then comes the morning exhaustion, and I'm basically dragging myself around like a zombie... and obviously, my mood takes a massive hit too...
So yeah, aim for an early bedtime. Maybe ask your primary care doctor if they'd recommend something mild to help you unwind (or even just some herbal tea), and I think you could get your sleep situation sorted out pretty quickly.
I actually saw a story about your grandpa today and thought about reaching out, but then I hesitated. But then you popped up and bumped my thread, so I figured, hey, might as well say hi!
First off, I am so incredibly sorry about your grandfather. Dealing with a stroke is hard enough, but it’s just heartbreaking to see how much things have changed with the healthcare system lately. It feels like they try to discharge patients with these kinds of issues almost immediately. Like I mentioned before, with the lady I was talking about, they had already decided to move her to a Small town in the US by the fourth day at most. When I went to visit her—which was about eight days after her stroke—she was still conscious, and the other ladies in the room told me she was even speaking coherently up until that day.
The woman who prompted me to write all this... well, she passed away. It was maybe seven to ten days after she got moved to that Small town in the US. I can't shake the feeling that she was just left to fade away because nobody really wanted to step up and take responsibility for her care. Honestly, I’m just her neighbor now, trying to find new homes for all her cats.
I know this sounds terrible to say, but when I think back to people I’ve seen in hospitals who were in a coma for ages, the speed at which they move people out of the big city hospitals just doesn't make sense to me. On the flip side, I know friends of mine whose parents stayed in the hospital much longer because their families really fought for them, and they'd eventually get sent off to a nice rehab center or a spa. But with your grandfather, it seems like they're rushing him "out of sight" just as fast. I don't know if it's some new hospital protocol or if it's just because the healthcare system is such a mess right now and they're trying to cut costs on every single hospital bed.
Anyway, please, just keep pushing. You have to be persistent if you want to make sure your grandpa gets what he needs.
granitebear7 said:I'm dealing with this nightmare ingrown nail. I've tried basically everything—from trying to pull it out myself to going for professional pedicures that lasted seven months straight, which honestly didn't do much at all. So, I was wondering if anyone knows any other ways to fix this, or if you can recommend a really great specialist who can handle it properly so I don't have to deal with this ever again. Thanks!
Man, I have no clue if the quality will be any better, but hey, I'm actually heading in tomorrow to get some threads pulled. My doctor didn't go for the whole nail or anything, he just, say, neatly trimmed off that right quarter and the little bit that was causing all the drama. Once he finished up the procedure, he looks at me all smug and goes, "Look at that! How could that possibly look bad?" And there I am, just staring down at my poor, mutilated, mangled toe... 😲. And then the doc is actually surprised that I'm not totally dazzled by his (less than stellar) handiwork. 🤣.
I saw quite a few people sitting in his office, and it seemed like they were all there for the exact same thing. I can't really give a final verdict on how the surgery turned out just yet, but I will say he was super careful during the actual process. I'll probably pop back in here later to let everyone know how the nail heals up.