Ha, ha—yeah, right, they’re probably just cutting to make sure Medicare gets billed. Speaking of billing, I’ve been reading that at Holy Spirit, they can hand out TWO epidurals a day because Medicare stopped covering them. If it were truly about the money, we wouldn't be seeing all these routine episiotomies 😬
The real issue with episiotomies—and honestly, with pretty much any medical intervention during labor—is how incredibly routine they’ve become. Around here, births seem to happen on some kind of assembly line; everything is rushed through, which is definitely not ideal. That said, I am seeing more stories lately where women, even first-timers, managed to avoid an episiotomy altogether, so there might actually be some progress happening after all.
Whether it’s better to tear naturally or to be cut is something I really can't say for certain; the absolute best-case scenario, obviously, is avoiding both tearing and cutting entirely.
It’s an interesting observation, really. It seems that those of us who have actually spent significant time navigating the American healthcare system—dealing with doctors and hospitals through our own personal struggles rather than just hearsay—don't typically walk away with such disastrous stories; most of the horror stories people recount usually come from second or third-hand accounts rather than direct experience. 🙄
Nobody is out here casting suspicion on anyone else. However, I suppose I should clarify my reasoning for starting this thread in the first place. Out of about twenty people I spoke to regarding the surgery, at least fifteen of them immediately went straight to: "Uh oh, this is going to cost you..." or "Oh, honey, you're going to be paying through the nose," along with similar sentiments.
After listening to these comments over a certain period, I realized that this seems to be standard practice in this country nowadays—everyone is trying to convince me that things won't just go smoothly and that I'll eventually have to "make it worth their while."
Since I lack experience in these matters, and seeing as those around me seem to be quite well-versed in them, I decided to do some digging.
And honestly, I am quite satisfied with what I've found. Most people here report positive and non-transactional 😬 experiences, which is a relief to me. 🎉
To quote you, since various things have been said in the meantime and the conversation has drifted slightly off course: Don't put too much stock in the rumors about bribing doctors; half the time, it’s just hearsay. There is no doubt that some doctors condition their services on extra payments, and there's no doubt some will do the job regardless of any extras but might act a bit friendlier if they receive a gift. However, there are also those who will be perfectly professional and kind without any compensation or gifts whatsoever, and from my own experience, most fall into that category. So, if your surgery date is already booked, don't lose sleep wondering how much you need to 'grease the palms' of the doctor.
P.S. Beyond what was mentioned above, there are actually doctors who will kick you right out of the room if you even attempt to 'thank' them with a symbolic gift—so proceed with caution. 😁
Elective C-sections are typically charged when there isn't a medical necessity—basically, when a woman simply chooses to deliver that way. In the US, you don't really have the option to just opt for it on a whim without reason, so women end up paying doctors under the table to perform them. If a C-section is medically indicated or, heaven forbid, an emergency procedure, there's no charge for that.
I had surgery to remove a uterine fibroid myself, performed by one of the top laparoscopic specialists over at the Mayo Clinic, and I didn't pay a single cent out of pocket. Once a surgical date is already on the books, it seems pretty cynical to suggest a doctor is sitting there waiting for a bribe to go through with the operation 😕
I’m not entirely sure what you all mean by an eye twitch. Are we talking about that involuntary eyelid fluttering? Mine have been twitching incessantly for days now, though I’m fairly certain it’s just a direct consequence of the stress I've been under lately. I suppose taking some magnesium might help... I'll give it a shot.
There’s the Mayo Clinic, where they handle both CT scans and MRIs, though I’m not entirely certain if they offer scintigraphy; you might want to give them a call to check.
Mayo Clinic
On another note: my husband had his scintigraphy done at the Mayo Clinic, and if I recall correctly, the wait for the actual procedure wasn't bad, though it took quite a while for the results to actually come back. That was several years ago, though.
They handle urine samples at Breyer too, and I know they process thyroid hormone levels. They actually cover just about any kind of testing you might need, such as the quad screen.
It isn’t like you’re waiting weeks for results anywhere. For standard blood work, everything usually wraps up within a day or two. I’ve used both a private lab over in Brooklyn and Bell Labs. The nice thing about Breyer is that they can just email your results directly to you if you opt in. As for the cost—I believe a visit to KFC runs somewhere around thirty dollars.
Did they run an antibiogram along with the swab? That’s standard procedure—you wait for the sensitivity results so you can target the specific bacteria with the right antibiotic. It’s possible your doctor is being cautious about prescribing Azithromycin during the first trimester; I have a feeling there are restrictions on using it that early on, though I could be mistaken. If you're looking for more perspectives, you might want to check out the World Economic Forum boards; I think there was a discussion there involving a pregnant woman dealing with chlamydia, but keep in mind that people often share their worst experiences online, so don't let the horror stories get to you too much.
If we’re admitting that the primary drain on our healthcare budget is this endless cycle of redundant tests and unnecessary prescriptions, then shouldn't the accountability fall squarely on the shoulders of primary care physicians? A GP shouldn't essentially function as a glorified bureaucrat whose sole purpose is rubber-stamping referrals and filling out scripts. I’ve seen how patients can be—a friend of mine worked at a small-town clinic, and she dealt with a local man who had been cleared for a head CT, yet he spent months coming back in, complaining about headaches and demanding more scans; naturally, she wasn't going to just churn out dozens of unnecessary referrals for him. If the issue truly lies with the way general practitioners operate, then any meaningful reform needs to target that specific bottleneck. This current proposal, however, seems designed to penalize the very people who need support most: chronic patients, pregnant women 😲, children 😲 😲—I sincerely hope this legislation doesn't see the light of day.
I honestly don't get why you're celebrating these legislative shifts, especially since you're a doctor. I haven't delved too deeply into the specifics yet, but this piece in The New York Times is genuinely unsettling; it makes a pretty blunt case that this reform is completely devoid of social empathy. They're even saying that children will have to pay for $3.25 based on a referral and a prescription. It’s just grim 👎
A couple of light beers, a glass of wine—honestly, you could really pile it on if you wanted to 😛
I’m just messing around, though; I had some elevated amylase levels once and became completely obsessed with the idea that I was developing fatty liver disease, even though I don't actually have it. I remember spending way too many hours spiraling down a Google rabbit hole about it 🙄
Yes, I’m well aware of what lactose intolerance entails; I was simply responding to dustypilot2's post.
It’s possible that even John Ruiz4 wouldn't be negatively affected by such a negligible amount of milk—just enough to splash into a cup of coffee—though I suppose it really depends on how sensitive his system is to lactose. There are plenty of people living with the intolerance who can still manage things like yogurt without much trouble, my own mother being a prime example.
To be fair, I should probably point out that these various grain-based milks aren't actually substitutes for dairy, neither when it comes to flavor nor nutritional profile; much like how tofu wasn't originally intended to replace meat, they are simply entirely different categories of food. Besides, these plant milks—which tend to be quite overpriced—can easily be made right in your own kitchen if you actually have the patience to bother with it.
Out of all these alternatives, oat milk is probably your best bet, though I wouldn't dream of using it in coffee—it tastes absolutely revolting there. You’re much better off sticking with cream; oat milk specifically just ends up separating and curdling in your cup.
But then again, hello? Milk is unhealthy, yet we're all sitting here drinking coffee??
I honestly can't stand this, so I'm editing my comment rather than cluttering the thread with another post. >, seriously, how much milk are you actually pouring into your coffee? You can't honestly believe that tiny daily amount is going to wreck your health. Unless you have some sort of religious 😬 reason for avoiding dairy, there really isn't any cause for concern.
Nobody bothered to give me any specific heads-up regarding jewelry, so I ended up walking right into the operating room still wearing my wedding ring (that’s surgery number two for me)
To be honest, I don't recall having any deep or detailed consultations with an anesthesiologist either 😕 What I do remember is going through my general internal medicine checkups—so perhaps an anesthesiologist just pulls whatever data they need from those files, since they were taking my full medical history during those physicals. I have absolutely no memory of sitting down for a formal talk with an anesthesiologist before my first surgery; before the second one, the conversation was incredibly brief, and by the third, things had become an emergency, so there wasn't even a discussion 😁 For my third procedure, which was an emergency, I was under general anesthesia despite not being fasted or having undergone any bowel prep, and I didn't suffer any side effects like nausea or vomiting at all.