Posts by Brandon Newman95

silverranger10 said:As far as time goes, my family and I are incredibly patient—we kind of have to be, since we're a bit different from the crowd. But today, the anxiety and dark thoughts are back in full swing (if you'll excuse my choice of words), even though he actually managed to sleep last night after being up for a few days straight.
I actually messed up in my last post when I said he was already taking Effexor; he’s still on Zoloft. We're still waiting for the pharmacy to get the Effexor in stock.

He ended up switching psychiatrists because the first one (even though he’s in private practice) was pretty condescending. My dad called him on a Saturday because he wasn't feeling well, and apparently, the doctor doesn't work Saturdays—we had no idea. He basically snapped at us about why we were calling outside of business hours.

I truly believe once the meds kick in, he’ll find his footing and stay steady, but I'm just stuck wondering how to help him through this transition. Right now, he’s convinced this feeling is permanent...

Zoloft can cause a ton of side effects. Insomnia is definitely one of them.

feralridge3 said:That isn't true if they show up when the GP's office is actually closed, like on a weekend. 😉

Not on weekends, sure, but during the week? Yeah, you still need it—unless they've gone and changed the rules at the ER.

feralridge3 said:I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at here. 🤷
Technically, they can move him up the queue if he pays out of pocket or if he gets admitted to the hospital and they send him off for diagnostic testing. But let's be realistic—they aren't going to admit him unless there is some genuinely serious issue.

I know. And even if he heads to the ER, he still needs a referral from his primary care doctor. As stupid as that sounds.

feralridge3 said:I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at here. 🤷
Technically, they can move him up the queue if he pays out of pocket or if he gets admitted to the hospital and they send him off for diagnostic testing. But let's be realistic—they aren't going to admit him unless there is some genuinely serious issue.

The ER—look, I'll shoot you a private message to explain—works perfectly fine. 🙂😉

Brandon Morgan said:I’ll look into what you mentioned tomorrow. And yeah, I’ve got a whole list of people I need to call.
It’s not even about being cheap or trying to save a buck on my health—I just don't have the cash sitting around right now, and my credit isn't exactly stellar either. So, there's no way around it; I’m stuck waiting.
My neurologist actually sent me in because some old issues I had have been getting worse lately. Now my eye won't stop twitching—like, my eyelid has been spasming constantly for over 20 days straight.

And regarding that whole "centralized" thing? Believe me, it’s a joke. It’s anything but centralized. Every single hospital has its own weird policies, its own set of rules, and its own dedicated fax number. With some places, you can still manage to book an appointment over the phone, but with others, forget it. Then you've got the ones where you send a fax and might get a call back the next day, and then there are those that actually reply via fax—which makes zero sense since nobody uses faxes anymore. It’s just a mountain of nonsense. Honestly, the whole system feels like it was designed to kill people rather than help them. You have to go through this massive, exhausting drama just to land a simple appointment. At least, that’s how it’s worked for me.

It clearly varies from one hospital to the next. For me, it was super easy and fast—like, I waited just a few days for an ENT appointment, and then another follow-up—I can't even remember which one—within three weeks, even though usually you'd be waiting a month and a half.
One hospital works fine, but for the others, I'll probably just PM you and then reach out to different facilities.
You should try calling all the clinics we thought of, because maybe they've updated things and might actually accept a referral from Medicare.

Look, here’s the deal: everything was processed neurologically—they even ordered a brain MRI because they were worried about MS. But turns out? It was all just psychological.
Getting an MRI at Diagnostic Center 2000 takes maybe ten minutes and $533. Plus, you can usually write it off on your taxes by the end of the year.
If I remember right, everyone raves about Diagnostic Center 2000. Personally, I’m claustrophobic as hell, so it helped having the technician or the radiologist right there in the room with me. I know they do CT scans covered by Medicare too. Honestly, I think even most neurologists trust their results.
Also, Quest Diagnostics—from what I can tell, they're linked with Mercy Hospital. If you pay out of pocket, you get seen immediately; if not, you're stuck waiting depending on what kind of test you need.
Maybe hospitals are more integrated now and can see where there's an opening—since everything is centralized through the system now, things might move faster, or maybe there's some kind of loophole, but feralridge3 might know more about that.
And seriously, why is your neurologist even sending you for a brain MRI in the first place?
Just call every private clinic in town.

Brandon Morgan said:Hey there.

My neurologist just sent me off for a brain MRI, so I’m trying to figure out the best way to handle this. Does anyone have tips on where to get it done around New York City without dealing with insane wait times? I'm looking to skip the massive crowds if possible. Also, does anyone know which private clinics take Medicare? It would be great if I could just use my Medicare card to cover the scan instead of paying out of pocket.
Thanks!

Look, if you try using a Medicare card at public hospitals, you’re looking at waiting up to 6 months. Honestly. You could check out Mayo Clinic—not sure what they charge, so maybe ask if they accept Medicare for an MRI. Then there's diagnosis 200-days-ahead; they had you scheduled right away, cost about $1,600, whereas Sun clinic wants $2,400 or $867.
And I haven't a clue what the deal is with Light clinic or Bat clinic.
Bottom line? You'll get an appointment much faster where you're willing to pay out of pocket.

granitefalcon26 said:Look, you know as well as I do that big pharma companies run studies to suit their own interests.
There was a time when the New England Journal of Medicine published a study claiming that unknown (a diabetes med) was risky for people with cardiovascular issues.
Honestly, that sounds like total nonsense to me. Most diabetic patients already have damaged blood vessels, so a huge chunk of them are heart patients anyway. Even the FDA, which is incredibly strict, didn't ban the drug.
In my actual experience, I've never seen a single death caused by using that medication.
Studies are one thing, but real-world practice is something else entirely.
Medicine isn't math. Just because citalon works just as well as cipralex for you doesn't mean it'll be the same for me.

Are you actually a psychologist or a psychiatrist or something?

Kenneth White said:how much is it?

It’ll run you about 15 bucks or something.

I honestly thought this forum was supposed to be anonymous, but apparently not—despite everything the moderators claimed. You can basically dig up anyone's info if you look hard enough. Looking at how people are constantly hunting for doctors, specialists, or dentists here, it's clear everyone has their own horror stories or success stories, whether it’s a gynecologist, a GP, a dentist, or whoever else.
Everyone's experience is totally different, and frankly, I don't think it's right to be out here publicly soliciting doctors, specialists, dentists, or OB-GYNs like this. It could really backfire on patients who take this advice blindly.
Because of all this, I'm done with this site.

rowdytinker20 said:Antidepressants aren't even an option for me since I'm already on meds for my thyroid and heart—they don't play nice together. But you're spot on about one thing: at the end of the day, you've gotta be your own best friend and doctor, not rely on a prescription to fix everything.

Look, any psychiatrist worth their salt is going to ask you what else you're on before they prescribe anything. They need to know which sedative won't mess with your other stuff. There are plenty of really mild sedatives out there that aren't hard to get off of, or they might just prescribe an antidepressant instead. Or a combo of both.

Grace Lewis6 said:Okay, quick update, though I don't feel any smarter about this!
They ruled out meningitis. They pulled blood and urine samples, but we’re still waiting on the labs, and she won't even see the doctor until tomorrow...
Right now, she's just hooked up to some standard IV drip and lying completely flat without a pillow—apparently, that's supposed to help with the pressure in her head (?)
I actually asked her if the doctor mentioned whether they're certain this is an infectious thing, or if there's a chance it's something else entirely and she's just at the wrong hospital?
Who knows, we'll find out tomorrow.😢

Look, let me tell you, these days doctors are often just as lost as the rest of us when it comes to identifying which specific virus is hitting someone.
And honestly, if she really is in the wrong facility, the infectious disease department will just transfer her to a specialized hospital elsewhere.
To be fair, I think they're pretty efficient at running tests and ruling things out.
In my experience—and I've been through their system twice in my life so far—they actually get results.
The main thing is that they've cleared her of meningitis.🙂

Grace Lewis6 said:Hey, everyone!
I need help, or maybe just some comfort... or advice. Honestly, at this point, I’ll take all three if anyone's offering!
So, they actually held my mom at the local hospital today. She woke up this morning running a fever—around 100.4—and she’s been complaining about this weird sensation in her head, like some kind of pressure right at the base of her skull. On top of that, she just felt generally weak and her stomach was acting up a bit, you know, softer than usual. That's pretty much all we've got for symptoms so far.
So they actually decided to admit her just because the doctor brought up potential complications. I mean, she had a fever back on Wednesday that lasted for two whole days, and then she felt totally fine for three days after that... but apparently, that was enough to trigger an admission. Typical.
She already went through the Rengarten scans, which was fine, I guess. Now they’re doing a spinal tap just to rule out meningitis. They haven't even gone for the blood work yet...
I'm heading out there soon to check it out. Does anyone actually have a decent idea what I should even look for?

Look, I’m already stressed enough about this whole health situation, but there's another massive headache looming over me: my mom doesn't have any health insurance. Honestly, that's a whole other disaster waiting to happen... 😠
Does anyone have any idea what the damage would be for this? Like, I'm talking maybe two nights in a hospital bed, all the meds, and the main diagnostic tests?

Thanks for the replies. I really need some help here. 🙂

It’s a bad move to start jumping to conclusions before we even know what we're dealing with. For all we know, it could be a run-of-the-mill flu or something else entirely. I don't see why everyone is immediately panicking about meningitis, either. Why hasn't she had bloodwork done yet? Honestly, it probably just depends on whatever specific tests the doctors decide to run first.

As for the money situation—look, you just pay what you owe. You’ll get a decent deal on things like staying there, the bed, and the food, which are all pretty cheap. But those searches Mom is running? Yeah, those are definitely gonna cost you. Not exactly budget-friendly.

Jeffrey Peterson43 said:Finding glucose in your urine isn't normal. Period.

I'm with Hannah Williams5 on this one—just go get checked out so you can stop worrying about it.

Carol Parker said:So, what kind of diagnosis did you end up getting? Is all of this really just from anemia?

Look, basically, everything she’s going through is a direct result of the anemia—especially if it hasn't been treated properly. Throw in a massive amount of stress on top of that, plus whatever else... I mean, let's be real, who isn't stressed out these days? Or maybe she just went through some kind of shock. We still need to see those immunoglobulin results and whatever other tests are pending to know for sure.
The same thing happened to me.
Just because she wasn't allergic to anything a while ago doesn't mean she won't be now.

Susan Rodriguez72 said:Ugh, yeah... honestly, that's me right there. 🙂 When you’re feeling perfectly fine and only bother seeing a doctor once every couple of years... you just don't give a damn about anything going wrong.

It’s been way longer than two years since my last checkup, too, but man—reading this is like looking in a mirror.

Susan Rodriguez72 said:Wait, what does that even mean?
Max $1000 at the hospital?
I actually just finished up some neurology stuff myself... honestly, paying all those co-pays was enough to give me a headache, but still, it feels cheaper than shelling out for full supplemental insurance for an entire year. 🙂
The thing is, you never know when life is going to throw a curveball at you... a wreck, a crash, cancer... and that kind of stuff can get insanely expensive!

Well, obviously, neurological tests aren't cheap. I’ve been through the ringer—neurology, hematology, endocrinology, internal medicine, plus some other specialist stuff—all privately.
Is it actually cheaper to pay for supplemental coverage all year, or is it better to just have it? Because I used to be right where you are.
What good is supplemental insurance to me if I haven't seen a doctor in ages? But this year, it’s definitely paid off for me.
I actually signed up because a nurse in hematology suggested it—and man, am I glad I did. It’s been worth every penny since I’m practically at the doctor every single month with a mountain of referrals, prescriptions, and whatever else.
My advice: just get the supplemental coverage. You never know when you're gonna need it.

analogpuma0 said:Buffett, girl! Everything you’ve laid out here... I think I’m starting to feel the same way... though I suspect there might be one underlying reason for it... that I'm just far too emotional, or maybe just overly sensitive, if I may put it that way. Sadly, I feel like I paid quite a heavy price for my youth... dealing with depression and panic disorder... and since I recently ended my therapy sessions, I find myself reliving all of it once again. For me, beyond just medication—which, looking at you, you might not even need—talking things through with a psychologist was incredibly helpful... as was just having someone to talk to in general. It’s true that I’ve become somewhat withdrawn, but that’s mostly toward people who aren't aware of what I'm actually going through. I’d suggest seeking out a psychiatrist just to see where things go from there... you mentioned you might turn down the idea of pills, but personally, I wouldn't... when I was in the position I was in, I was willing to try anything. 🙂

I used to be the type to push back against medication, too. The first time I managed to pull through without it—I was home, still in college—but this second time? After the shock I went through regarding my period/hormones? No way. I'm working now, and at the end of the day, it feels like everyone is just sitting there in silence, totally numbed out on sedatives. Maybe you'll just need someone to talk to. We're all different, after all.

restlesssurfer said:Honestly, today was one of the absolute worst days I can remember in a long time.😢
I spent the whole day chasing down referrals again, and when I told my doctor I needed one for a psychiatrist, she actually had the nerve to ask why. She claimed my symptoms have nothing to do with mental health.👎👎👎👎
Just hoping I can get at least one thing sorted out.😢

If you ask me, there’s a full explanation in your DMs. Besides, you basically answered your own question in your very first post.

restlesssurfer said:Honestly, today was one of the absolute worst days I can remember in a long time.😢
I spent the whole day chasing down referrals again, and when I told my doctor I needed one for a psychiatrist, she actually had the nerve to ask why. She claimed my symptoms have nothing to do with mental health.👎👎👎👎
Just hoping I can get at least one thing sorted out.😢

Please, just hit me up in a DM. Or better yet, I'll just message you privately myself.