Posts by Walter Smith8

Those remedies you guys suggested for Dr. Ljubojevic... I honestly don't get how he thinks he can treat people like that.

To me, he was just 👎 😲 🙂

First off—how does a gynecologist think it’s okay to use "hey you" with a patient they’re seeing for the first time? Like, we aren't out grazing sheep together in a field or something.

We talked for maybe two or three minutes tops. He barely even glanced at the labs from the doctor who referred me (the one who thought I had ovarian cysts on an ultrasound), and then he just shoves me behind a curtain and says, "Strip down—pants, socks, underwear off."🙄

He wouldn't even bother doing an ultrasound because my previous results were a month old—even though some other doctor did them, so I have no idea why he even cared about the timing.

Then, while I'm on the exam table, he basically shoves his hand in up to my stomach, poking around my ovaries and uterus like he's mixing a batch of concrete. I was sweating through my clothes from the pain, trying to tell him it hurts, and he just... nothing. Zero reaction.

To top it all off, he tells me everything is totally fine and tries to push me onto birth control pills without asking a single question about my medical history or my family's history—which, by the way, is loaded with contraindications that make those pills almost a non-starter.

And this is supposed to be a "professional, gentle, attentive, and thorough" physician? 😕 😕 😕

I walked out of there feeling like I’d accidentally wandered into the wrong clinic. Honestly, once I left, I found myself reading the sign on the door five times, then frantically checking forums and their official website once I got home.

Bad. Just really, really bad. 👎

Alright, time for me to vent a little bit too.

Up until I hit 35, I cruised through life without any of this drama—honestly, when I used to hear people whining about chemicals in food, I was just thanking my lucky stars I didn't have any gut issues. My digestion was perfectly regular and everything was 👍

But then, about a month ago, I noticed some blood when I went to the bathroom and I absolutely lost it. I’ve been bleeding every single day (not a ton, but literally every day) and my bowel movements have gone totally haywire. Some days I’m running to the restroom 3 to 5 times, and other days I can barely go once. So, I finally went to the doctor, and they ran a million tests—nothing specifically related to my intestines, mostly blood work and ultrasounds, probably based on the symptoms—and the grand conclusion? Either hemorrhoids or fissures. So, they handed me some Faktu cream and called it a day.

Right now, I’m stuck on a triple antibiotic cocktail because I tested positive for H. pylori.

What’s driving me absolutely insane is how much my digestion has shifted. I’m still going several times a day, but it's such a struggle now—whereas before, I could just pop in for five minutes, get it done, and be out the door... 😢 god, those were the days.
It's not like I'm constipated, but I constantly feel like I haven't quite finished the job.

And, of course, there's the daily bleeding. It feels like nobody else posting here is dealing with stuff quite this intense.

I’m actually terrified that if I try changing my diet—and I don't even know what to change, since I eat soups and stews, plenty of veggies (both cooked and raw), not huge amounts of fruit, some muesli, prunes, nuts, and I'm basically drowning myself in yogurt and probiotics)—that I'll end up having to run to the bathroom even more often. Honestly, I want to fix things so I go *less* frequently, not more.

Oh, and before the doctor gave me the Faktu, I was using some lavender oil. That didn't do much for the bleeding, but at least my skin wasn't irritated. Ever since I started using the Faktu, everything down there feels tight and dry, and suddenly I'm dealing with itching and stinging—which I never had before—and the bleeding hasn't stopped either.
😢 Anyone got any advice?

maxflu.
Loads of fluids—water, tea, lemonade, all those vitamin drinks. And some homemade chicken soup.
Fruit (think oranges or clementines).
Honey.
Nasal spray. Maybe an inhaler.

Look, those are just supplements, but they won't do squat if you aren't actually resting. Trying to power through your daily grind while dealing with the flu or a nasty cold? That’s basically Mission Impossible. You need to sleep as much as possible and, if you can swing it, stay home for a few days. (Side note: once you hit a fever of 100°F or higher, you're done for—you physically cannot function, no matter how much you want to. Honestly, trying to work through that kind of fever is just masochism at this point.)

Plus, you'll stop spreading your germs to your coworkers and everyone else around you.

🙂 😘

http://www.drstomatolog.com/

👍 🙏 😍

Fool said:Alright, so look—I’ve spent a long time dealing with anxiety, depression, and all that other fun stuff... you know, the usual "life hitting you like a freight train" scenarios. For a while, I had that classic, annoying sensation where it feels like there's a literal lump in your throat that you just can't swallow past. Most of that has settled down now and things are relatively okay, except for this nagging pain on my left side—it basically stretches from my ear down toward the bottom of my neck. Honestly, part of me thinks it’s just some pinched nerve in my spine because massages actually seem to help, but the tension keeps crawling back. But here's what I'm actually worried about: if I reach around the front left side of my neck, I can feel two or three little bumps right along the edge of my windpipe. Could those be thyroid nodules? What do you guys think that might be? And yeah, I totally get that none of you are doctors—obviously, I need to go see a professional to get this sorted out.🙂

It’s not just "maybe"—it’s a total certainty. At the very least, you can check kidney issues off your list of worries and finally start tackling whatever else is actually going wrong—if you even need to. Or, you know, you could just stop stressing about it altogether. 😉

I see a lot of you guys suggesting fixing digestion through diet.
But what if someone already has a regular routine—or maybe even goes way too often? How are all these fiber-heavy meals and extra liquids actually going to affect things? Am I just supposed to spend my entire day glued to the toilet then? Because honestly, I’m already dealing with enough as it is. 😢

Susan White5 said:I dealt with unbearable pain for the longest time too—until I stumbled upon this one incredible book that I honestly recommend to everyone... "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" by Dr. Christiane Northrup. Look, popping painkillers isn't the answer, and half the time, menstrual cramps are actually tied to your mental state. For quick relief, taking 100 mg of magnesium every two hours can help (it relaxes the uterine muscles and cuts down those cramps), plus using castor oil compresses. Period time should really be a window in the month where women slow down and actually prioritize themselves. Given how insane our lives are right now, I know that’s easier said than done... but the only real, lasting fix is learning to listen to our bodies. Every bit of pain is basically a flare sent up to say we need to take better care of ourselves—and when we just mask it with pills, we're basically ignoring the message. I totally get that sometimes the pain is just brutal—believe me, I've been there—and yeah, sometimes Advil is a necessity, but you’ll never actually solve the problem until you tackle the root cause! I seriously highly recommend that book; every woman needs to read it. It’s 800 pages, but don't let that scare you off! Good luck...

I've heard about that massive book—people swear by it.
But I don't get the whole magnesium thing. If I started taking that every two hours whenever I was hurting, I'd end up overdosing before I even felt better. 😕

Jonathan Taylor76 said:I just rely on Advil Forte—and I always pair it with some Pepto-Bismol or maybe a little Gas-X so I don't absolutely wreck my stomach.👍

I usually take some Pepto a few minutes before the Ketonal, so I figure that gives me enough of a buffer 😉 .

@restlesscobra132, when I started doing those Tibetan breathing exercises, my period actually showed up that same day and honestly? No big deal. I did the workout before my "lady visitor" arrived, and since I felt totally wiped out the next day, I just skipped it. I mean, you should probably just go by how your body is feeling—I highly doubt being on your period is a reason to stop working out if you actually feel up to it, far from it! 👍

@Sam Hughes5, which tea are we talking about?

I really need some help here.

I’m looking for a solid, reliable, and super thorough gastroenterologist—someone in private practice—ideally located right in downtown Chicago or somewhere nearby. I need this to happen ASAP.

Thanks!

Samuel Diaz said:Look, I don’t want to be the one to bring everyone down, but trust me—you aren’t alone in dealing with these brutal pains... back in high school, my cramps were so insane that they’d drive me straight to the ER every single month just to get an IV drip to help me relax, or they’d give me an injection that basically knocked me out cold...

Eventually, I switched to a better gynecologist who suggested Ketoral tablets, and things finally started feeling somewhat manageable. But then, during my eighth month, the pain got so violent that even the Ketoral wouldn't touch it—I ended up back in the emergency room, and the doctor was actually worried it might be something serious. Thank God everything turned out fine, but honestly? I'm terrified of it happening again. You all know how terrifying that uncertainty is.

Man, I’ve been living on Ketoral for years now—honestly, nothing else even touches it—but even then, it barely lasts the twelve hours it's supposed to before the next dose is due. The catch is, everyone keeps lecturing me about how much damage it does to your kidneys and liver. 😢

restlesscobra132 said:Props to you, George Carter13, for being so brutally honest. 😘
Man, thinking back to my high school days—the cramps, the mood swings, the whole identity crisis mess...🙄
I actually got mine yesterday and didn't feel a thing, which is wild because I've been doing a lot of soul-searching lately—cutting out all that useless negativity, hitting those wellness routines that help both the body and the mind (you know, like those Tibetan breathing exercises 😁) and stuff. But, of course, I still managed to work myself into such a frenzy that I was staring at the ceiling until 5 AM, and then—surprise, surprise—because I was so stressed out, the unbearable pain decided to show up. 🙂.

Anyway, it’s totally normal for things to be rough at first—like during middle school, high school, or even early college. It’s a mix of the mental side (figuring out who you are as a woman) and the physical side (your body basically finishing its construction phase). I know some girls whose lives were totally changed by birth control when it comes to this stuff. 🙂

So, does that Tibetan stuff actually work for you too? 😉 🙏 👍

sinisa_7 said:I don't want to paint everyone with the same brush, but I honestly think most fans of that trashy pop music have some serious questions being asked about their IQ levels.

See, this is what happens when a "smart guy" posts... any kind of generalization is a slippery slope, especially this kind—you can't just link someone's taste in music directly to their brainpower.

By that logic, we could go off on a rant about lovers of fine art versus people who dig kitsch, and if we called them all idiots just because of their playlist, we'd just look narrow-minded, intolerant, and plain old rude.

Personally? Kitsch is an absolute eyesore and I struggle to wrap my head around why anyone would enjoy it, but I know plenty of brilliant people who absolutely live for it. It’s the exact same deal with people who love country music.

Walter Smith8 said:Look, I don't want to paint everyone with the same brush, but honestly? I think most fans of that trashy, over-the-top pop music aren't exactly winning any Nobel Prizes.

See, this is what happens when someone thinks they’re being deep... making sweeping statements like that is always a gamble—especially here, because we're talking about taste, and you can't just link someone's playlist directly to their IQ score.

You could use that same logic to bash people who love fine art versus those who dig cheesy, tacky kitsch, and if we called them idiots just for their preferences, we'd just look narrow-minded, intolerant, and frankly, pretty obnoxious.

Personally, I think kitsch is an absolute eyesore and I can't wrap my head around why anyone would enjoy it—but I know plenty of brilliant people who absolutely live for it. It's the exact same deal with people who blast mainstream country music.

So I guess you’re officially the only idiot out there who doesn't listen to country music 😛

but honestly, you're just narrow-minded 🙄

look, I don't go out of my way to stalk anyone's posts—it's just that when someone acts this brainless, it really sticks in your head. So, I can safely say I never thought you were particularly bright, and now you've gone and proven me right. 😈

Jeffrey Castillo77 said:Let me say it again: Only idiots listen to that country trash.

So, you happy now? You want me to run it back one more time?

🙄

Jeffrey Castillo77 said:I can't stand country music fans—honestly, I have no clue how anyone can actually listen to that stuff.

Look, excuse me if I'm being blunt, but anyone tuning into that nonsense is just plain simple-minded. People who obsess over that trash are unrefined and, frankly, stuck in the past. PERIOD.
I mean, what kind of headspace do you have to be in to enjoy that? 🙄 It’s honestly gross.

Pure gold 🙄

It’s so obvious you’re this incredibly sophisticated, brilliant, big-hearted, progressive, and tolerant human being. ☕

Pero zmaj said:Look, before you all start bashing "country music" en masse, maybe do a little homework on what actually falls under that label. You’ve got traditional folk, pop-country, and then there's that trashy commercial stuff. Pop-country is basically those upbeat, catchy tunes you can blast at a tailgate all night long. Real traditional folk is more like Safet Isovic or Haris Dzinovic—artists with actual talent and deep lyrics, even if some tracks feel a bit overly dramatic, like "Zarasle su staze moje," though the songwriting is solid. Then there’s the bottom-of-the-barrel stuff—think mindless radio filler like Djogan's "Na silu"—which honestly isn't my cup of tea either.

Also, jokes or tongue-in-cheek tracks—like those silly songs about whole villages being in love or some of Braco's ridiculous stuff where he's basically running around without pants—should be taken for what they are: jokes. The point is, the writers are messing around, which is a huge step up from that brain-dead, repetitive garbage you hear on mainstream country radio.

Hope that clears things up for you guys.

The last part of this reminds me of Severina's recent single. I get the feeling she knows exactly what she’s doing (okay, sure, she might slip up or make a mistake here and there 😉), but she’s clearly having a blast, and if she’s entertaining people too... why not? Even though I’m not exactly a huge fan of her "artistry," that song was actually pretty funny and charming. I seriously couldn't wrap my head around how much drama people stirred up over it as if it were some major cultural statement for the US—man, please, it’s not like Eurovision is some high-brow, prestigious masterpiece competition (just look at who won 😬).

Anyway, obviously, you have to distinguish between real roots music and just "country-flavored" pop, and you should respect the heritage. But honestly, people are weird—there are tons of genres out there, so everyone should just listen to whatever makes them happy.

Sure, some genres carry more weight or depth, but that doesn't mean they're inherently "better" or more appropriate than others.

What really bugs me is the gatekeeping and the intolerance from people who haven't even bothered to learn about what they're arguing about, judging others solely based on their own narrow tastes.

Personally, I have a ton of respect for authentic traditional music. It sucks that we don't promote our own roots enough here, because plenty of other nations have turned their folk traditions into something the entire world admires. Maybe we'll catch on eventually.

I'm not into pop-country, and I don't hang out with many people who listen to it, but I don't go out of my way to avoid them either; it just happens. What actually creeps me out is the baggage often attached to that scene—you know, the organized crime, the violence, the shootouts, and all that mess. (Again, I'm not saying all country fans are criminals, but it makes me uneasy whenever I see those headlines.)

But hey, I love Bon Jovi and Bob Dylan (among others), and I really hate it when people judge me for it.

I really hope the OP was being a bit sarcastic in their first post (even though they're totally entitled to their opinion), because it would be pretty hilarious if they were being dead serious about labeling every single person who listens to that music—especially since their own girlfriend fits right into that crowd.

velvetwolf9 said:TIBC; Total Iron Binding Capacity
Definition
This is a blood test that measures the total iron binding capacity (TIBC) as an indirect measure of transferrin
UIBC; Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity

basically, you're anemic and need treatment
as long as it isn't just your iron levels sitting below the line, you're okay
treatment usually sorts things right out 🙂

thanks for the reply!

is it even smart to just head down to a CVS and try to pick something out myself, or am I stuck waiting until my appointment with the doctor to actually start treatment?

So, I just got my bloodwork back—was checking my iron and glucose levels—and the lab tech scribbled in UIBC and Total Iron Binding Capacity on my paperwork.

Here’s the deal: my iron levels are technically "normal," but they're basically scraping the bottom of the barrel. My glucose is right in the middle, and my Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity is sitting there fine too, but my Total Iron Binding Capacity came back below the lower limit.

Can some kind soul out there break down what this actually means? (I haven't even seen my doctor yet, and honestly, I'm not sure if I even feel like dragging myself to the clinic tomorrow). Also, does anyone actually know what Total Iron Binding Capacity is supposed to be?

Dr. Dubravko Bozicevic, if you need any data, just shoot me a DM