Posts by Gerald Kern77

northernviper392 said:I found out about my allergy to Sinersul about eighteen months ago.
My reaction was—well, let's just say it was intense—I broke out in a rash all over. I quit taking it immediately and went straight to my doctor.
I've heard quite a few people can't tolerate Sinersul, so both you and I should probably listen to the experts here; it's best not to gamble with this stuff.

I developed an allergy to Sinersul twenty years ago... though it wasn't limited to just that—it extends to anything containing sulfonamides. The first time, it was just nausea and a rash; the second time, I couldn't breathe. I ended up in the ER, where they warned me that next time, I might not make it in fast enough. My medical records explicitly state "CAVE SULFONAMIDES," a warning I reiterate to every physician I encounter—since so many medications, even simple burn creams, contain sulfonamides.

After a full year—they’re barely even visible.

Much appreciated... we're currently in discussions with the doctors regarding the start of rehab—these details are quite vital to us!😘

Pants, shirts... the sizing just keeps climbing—Marks & Spencer. My struggle there is finding anything in a smaller size. Their stuff follows that classic fashion mold; a bit pricier, sure, but the quality holds up.👍

I’ve been dealing with a thyroid nodule for ten years now—regular checkups every couple of years, hormones stay perfectly balanced, and I’m doing just fine. There’s really no reason to panic.

Does anyone have insight regarding the benefits of hydrotherapy rehabilitation at Spa Resorts in Newport following a heart attack and stent placement? I am curious about the program quality, typical wait times for insurance-covered stays, and whether one can opt for private hotel accommodations...

I am also weighing whether Palm Springs might be a better fit, or if staying local in Washington, D.C. for rehab—specifically following the programs at Drašković—would suffice. That was the advice we received...

Any information would be greatly appreciated... thanks in advance!

Believe me—I’ve been dealing with a heavier lower body since my teens, a struggle spanning some thirty years now—and there really isn't much one can do about it. At 5'7", I’ve generally hovered between 130 and 145 lbs (though the upper limit is creeping up lately—the inevitable toll of aging), yet even when I was down to 110 lbs, my hips and thighs remained unchanged.👎 My advice? Focus your workouts on the lower body—I’m a dedicated roller skater myself—and cycling is quite effective...

The only way to truly slim down the hips and legs would be liposuction—but that seems like a rather drastic measure.😕

I settled the matter with a bottle of vintage wine—my husband ended up scouring every cellar we own just to track down a label from the doctor's birth year (who, I should add, was truly exceptional). We eventually stumbled upon the date after some diligent online sleuthing. Regardless—he loved the gift, which was always the ultimate goal.

boldeagle3 said:I’m honestly not sure which subforum this belongs in—my apologies if I'm misplaced. 🙄

Tomorrow, I have to head over to the Social Security office on Main Street to handle my disability extension.

The problem is, I can't seem to find their actual hours—I know they open in the morning, but there's zero info on the specific window.

Any advice? 😢

My gut feeling—if you know anything about these things—is that earlier is better. For instance, the clinic near my doctor's office in downtown Chicago follows that same pattern; if I show up at 7:00 AM just to grab a prescription, the waiting room is already packed...

brisknomad6 said:BBlue, aren't you one of those water-dwellers too?

Basically, two days after our surgeries, we realized the three of us were the only ones who got back on our feet quickly without much drama—all three of us are total water babies.😬

Not quite... according to my zodiac sign, I'm a Taurus (or a Water Buffalo in Chinese)—so, you decide!😉

Laparoscopy is actually great—I was driving again after a week, and back at work within two. Honestly, I still bring it up to my boss just to remind him how tough I am...👍

brisknomad6 said:They let me have coffee in the morning—heading to the vending machine for a quick caffeine fix and the paper... now I’m even allowed juices in the evenings.

I was even more of a rebel—I practically bolted for the restroom the second I woke up, and by the next morning, the nursing staff was hunting me down in the cafeteria near St. Jude's...

Honestly, the anesthesiologists deserve a medal—I could have almost convinced them to feed me messages through my IV line about how smoking is poison... yet there I was, just two hours post-op, taking a "smoke break" (much to the horror of the nurses). To be fair, I did quit for good a few months later—perhaps those messages just had a delayed effect.

The bottom line for anyone being diagnosed with a cyst: listen to your doctors—surgery really isn't as scary as it sounds.

The gynecology department at Mayo Clinic is truly exceptional... I was a patient there last year following an ovarian surgery (Gin 1), and honestly, the entire staff went above and beyond.👍

Timothy James9 said:What kind? If it’s full of fluid, birth control pills usually handle that.
Regardless—get a second opinion. Don't try to play doctor with your own body.

Typically, you start with hormone therapy—pill regimens—and if things are functioning normally, the cyst should shrink or vanish after a few months. If it doesn't... well, then surgery becomes the only path forward. Definitely seek another perspective, but do listen to the professionals—things can grow on an ovary that are anything but pleasant.

Scott Smith said:The issue—which both you and I know all too well—is that this simply won't happen. The government is far too satisfied with the revenue from cigarette taxes; according to studies in Western nations, those taxes actually generate more money than what's required to treat smoking-related illnesses. They'll keep taking money from smokers, even while stripping away their ability to enjoy the product anywhere except inside their own homes.

In the West, excise taxes bring in serious cash—not quite the case here in America, since most people just buy from smugglers at the local market.

As a former smoker myself, I don't believe smokers should be stigmatized—though a ban seems inevitable—partly because it was one of my reasons for quitting. When I travel to Europe, I hate spending half my meeting breaks sprinting to the entrance just to frantically light up three cigarettes at once before running back in.

As for bars... I’m all for establishments that cater to both smokers and non-smokers—let everyone make their own choice.

Robin Diaz4 said:Hershey's definitely has the best cookies—shame they don't make a Speculaas, those are my absolute favorite—but their chocolate bites are top-tier.

Here’s a recipe—it’s quite similar to those Hershey's bites... and honestly, it isn't hard to pull off.

1 packet baking powder
100 g ground hazelnuts
70 g powdered sugar
1 egg
150 g butter
200 g flour

Nutella

Mix the dough, roll it out thin, and cut into cookie shapes—make sure half have a little hole in the center. Bake at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes. Dust the top cookies with powdered sugar, then sandwich them together using warmed Nutella.

Grace Jackson11 said:this guy is clearly struggling—everyone who's read him by now has already seen right through it.

The Forum really needs a disclaimer—stating that anyone reading Justin Fox's posts does so entirely at their own risk...🙂

Susan Martin24 said:Who’s talking about what? Justin Fox was rambling on about childbirth and episiotomies 🙄
just a month or two ago.

Sure—I discharge a full clip from my .44 Magnum into patients every single day, purely out of spite and for the sheer thrill of it, just for 😈
Please, please, come be my patient 🙏 🙏 🙏

This is getting quite concerning; you're repeating yourself, constantly chewing on the same old bone, seemingly fueled by this doctor-versus-patient conflict. You seem intent on digging up dirt, acting like a tabloid reporter without checking if it's actually slander—as long as there's drama and you can stir the pot against doctors, you're happy. Just move on already and go get some help, you :asshole:

I'll sign off on all of that... except for the part about journalists... let's avoid generalizations, if you please.😉

Just because you’re taking Yasmin doesn't mean weight loss is off the table—if anything, maintaining a steady weight is ideal to minimize side effects.

Yasmin actually uses a specific type of progesterone—drospirenone—which helps prevent water retention. I’ve been on it for nine months now. While early studies suggested most women don't necessarily lose weight, but rather see a slight dip of less than two pounds, my weight stayed perfectly stable until winter hit—and now I'm carrying about six pounds of extra holiday weight that I'll likely shed over the next few weeks. That said, I have definitely noticed the lack of fluid retention; my fingers and breasts don't swell up like they used to before my cycle. For me, Yasmin has been more than fine.

To Susan Martin24 - I clearly hit the jackpot with my family doctor, who actually listens to her patients... though I get the sense female doctors tend to be more attentive in general. Unfortunately, some male physicians still have this unfortunate habit of dismissing any ailment in a woman as mere hysteria.😕 A former high school classmate of mine, who happens to be a physician herself, suffered from debilitating headaches—only to be met with pitying looks from her colleagues, who whispered about her being "unstable" after performing nothing more than cursory exams. You can imagine how isolating that was, and just how much it pushed her to the edge—she told me that when they finally discovered a brain tumor months later, her first thought was, "Thank Bog, I'm not crazy."😕 It had a happy ending, eventually, but she likely would have avoided so much suffering if she’d just found a female colleague willing to believe her from the start!

Jose Miller3 said:well, we definitely hate him...

I suppose I have to say something—and I truly loathe criticizing doctors, though there are certainly parasites among them—but what do you make of a gynecologist who refers a patient to a psychiatrist (claiming she’s "making up symptoms"), only for that same patient to undergo surgery for Stage III ovarian cancer three months later?

Should I just take a baseball bat to her?

PS: My phase of acute hatred toward this doctor has passed, but I still wish there were a way to ensure she never gets near another sick woman. Sadly, I know there isn't...

You can prevent it... if she signed off on the findings, everything should be made public. Sue her—ensure fewer women have to rely on her diagnostic skills.

The Woman from Rijeka already mentioned it—ovarian cancer is incredibly insidious. It isn't easy for doctors to decide—the first one to see my complex cyst (who identified it to the pathologist as a luteal cyst—fine, but you can't truly know before surgery) concluded it was best to remove both ovaries just to be safe.😕 Naturally, I sought a second opinion—that doctor was cautious yet sensible—and decided that if it was just a cyst and not cancer, removing the second ovary would be foolish, even though I'm over 40. A third doctor suggested we could wait, but given everything I'd read online about ovarian cancer, that option didn't sit well with me at all. So, I decided to get rid of the cyst (along with its ovary, unfortunately), but fortunately, the other one is still working.😉

As for ovarian cancer, I've heard plenty of horror stories—an acquaintance of mine, a nurse in a OB/GYN clinic, insisted for months that something was wrong. Her doctor sent her for ultrasounds several times, claiming everything was fine and she was likely just approaching menopause, so she dismissed it... She passed away from ovarian cancer in less than a year.

That is exactly why I didn't want to wait and see what that nasty cyst might turn into...