Posts by Harold Jackson32

Terry Ramos7 said:All I have is my blood work. The reference range is 80-160, but I'm sitting at 66. Ceruloplasmin's range is 20-60, and mine is 18. So, care to explain this "good prognosis" thing?

A good prognosis basically means that if it turns out to be Wilson disease, catching it and getting on treatment is the key. If you stick to a regular, lifelong therapy plan, you can live a totally normal life—just maybe cut back on the drinks :-) especially if it’s just the hepatic version. The neurological side of things is a bit more of a headache, but again, the most important factor is getting a diagnosis as early as possible.
Keep us posted on the results.
Best,

You actually made me laugh with that menu—and I don't mean that in a bad way. Honestly, I cook a lot of that stuff at home myself. I’m living out in Suburban City, USA, and part of me just wants to give you a call and whip up everything you mentioned. Even without the whole agritourism vibe, I’m always making tomato sauce and eating nothing else, foraging for mushrooms (though these days it's mostly chanterelles), and spending my time making jams, ajvar, and pinđur. I also make these savory turnovers—kind of like a savory strudel with cheese, cherries, walnuts, or potatoes—and my own homemade pasta... Plus, since I live a bit outside the city limits, it’s pretty peaceful out here. All I need now is to buy a lounge chair for the pool, and then I’m officially inviting you over for a weekend :-) We could even take a quick trip out to the Hilly Region; the scenery alone makes the drive worth it. And don't even get me started on that thinly sliced smoked meat, onions, and farm-fresh eggs with cheese and cream, or some traditional egg porridge...
Anyway, thanks a million for the reply and all the ideas. If anything else pops into your head, please reach out! I’m seriously considering jumping into this business full-time. If I actually pull it off, you’ll be my very first guest. :-))

My parents are from the Žumberak region, a pretty little area about an hour or an hour and a half's drive from Washington, D.C. via some decent paved roads. The town is mostly filled with elderly folks who can’t really look after themselves, and honestly, I doubt they even know the internet exists, let alone anything about agritourism. My folks built a decent little weekend cottage out there; they have some land and basically spend their time doing small-scale hobby farming.
I head out there often just to soak up the peace, the quiet, all that greenery, and the birdsong... mowing the grass, digging up potatoes, picking plums... and every single time, I think about how incredible it would be to actually live there and do exactly what you guys are talking about. Hard work isn't the issue; it's the logistics. Where does the startup capital come from? How do you kit out the space? What do people actually want out of a weekend like that? What are their expectations regarding food? I'm talking things like homemade preserves, warm flatbreads, bacon and onions, or hearty porridge... give me some examples of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners you’d actually crave. And besides nature and silence, what else are you looking for in a getaway? Activities? Would people show up to help with the plum or grape harvest? I highly doubt anyone is driving out there to play tennis. Or maybe they would? Also, what should the accommodations look like—what kind of setup are we talking about? I’m genuinely curious about your expectations because I’m still chewing on this idea.
I'll get into the paperwork, investments, government grants, and all that later. For now, I just want to know: what actually draws city dwellers out to spend a weekend in the countryside?

Hey, thanks for getting back to me. Looking at everything you mentioned, I can see bits and pieces of her behavior popping up everywhere. People are saying she’s been drinking wine and cocktails; I haven't seen it myself, but others have pointed it out. Right now, she's totally spiraling because of work stress, convinced everyone is out to sabotage her. Honestly, none of us—not even her closest friends—see any actual "threat" in her life. She’s just seeing ghosts, and now we’re all officially on her "suspect list." She’s started this whole "audit of the past," dragging old acquaintances back into her life to settle scores over things that ended years ago. These people have moved on, they have spouses and kids... they aren't even part of her world anymore. Those of us who are actually being kind to her can't do anything to help, but we can all see it getting worse by the day. To her, everyone looks more suspicious than the last. It’s reached a point where we’re actually starting to feel afraid of her. I’ve reached out to her mom and sister to try and coordinate some kind of intervention. On top of all this, she apparently went to the police claiming she's being followed and that someone is trying to steal her car. It’s just a nightmare scenario where everyone feels terrible. We all want to help, and she’s likely suffering immensely without even realizing it, but we don't know how to tell her to get professional help or how to handle her. We’re all second-guessing ourselves, wondering if we’re the crazy ones and she’s actually fine. It’s just awful.
Any advice is appreciated, and thanks again.

I’m looking for some advice from people who are actually smarter, more level-headed, and have way more life experience than I do regarding the question I posted above. Thanks to everyone for weighing in and sharing your thoughts.

I have this friend, and honestly, I’m starting to think she’s dealing with some serious mental health issues. I’ve done a fair amount of reading, but I’m obviously no professional, so I don't want to play doctor, but I’m starting to panic because I have no clue how to actually help her. She’s constantly convinced people are plotting against her or bugging her rooms. About a year ago, things hit a breaking point—she was ripping plugs out of the walls, smashing light fixtures, picking fights with everyone in sight, and even physically attacking someone she usually adores, blaming them for a bunch of totally fabricated events. Back then, I managed to get on her good side and convince her to see a psychiatrist. She went, but then told me everything was "fine." She seemed strangely satisfied after the appointment, and we had a relatively long stretch where she acted totally normal. But now, the cycle is repeating. It's all aggressive outbursts again, manic energy, erratic shopping sprees, and she’s already lashed out physically at that same person from before. She isn't sleeping—not for days. On top of that, she’s mixing antidepressants with alcohol and Red Bull, which sounds like a recipe for disaster. Yesterday, she swapped out her door locks, and today she’s gone full security mode with high-end anti-theft doors installed. Yesterday, she called me to vent, accuse me of things, and demand a "heart-to-heart," but today? Today she acts like absolutely nothing happened. To me, this looks like a dangerous disorder that needs immediate medical intervention, but I’m lost. I don't know how to act around her, whether I should confront her with what I'm seeing, or how to even get her back into treatment. Please, I need some advice or perspective. She's 40, single, no kids, living alone. My mom, sister, and dad all see the red flags too, but nobody knows what to do, and frankly, they’re starting to get scared. PLEASE HELP, URGENTLY.

Quest Diagnostics accepts insurance referrals. My daughter actually had her MRI done there using a referral we got from our local general hospital, and the whole process was seamless. We didn't have to shell out a dime, they squeezed her in quickly, and the doctor-patient interaction was top-notch. To top it off, we walked out with the results immediately after the scan, and thank god, everything came back clear.
I’m rooting for you to get some good news too. Best of luck.

frozenmoose16 said:.. for some reason Pfizer stopped making those Neurobion B6 tablets (and the injections too), which my doctor actually recommended .. does anyone know if there's an equivalent I can grab instead? ..

Thanks in advance!

As luck would have it, my daughter is on B6 vitamins too. How long is she supposed to be taking them? Is this a long-term thing or just a temporary fix? Where are you located?

I just heard about this Lakota cream that’s supposed to be the real deal—you just slather it on wherever it hurts and the pain starts to fade. You can pick it up at any local pharmacy for about $67. Might be worth a shot if you're struggling.
Best,

Thought I'd jump in here too. I'm 42. Got diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis about four years ago. It all started with my left wrist; at first, they thought it was just tendonitis. I went through physical therapy, which did absolutely nothing, until they finally gave me one of those direct joint injections. That actually worked. A year later, both wrists started acting up at the same time, so my physiatrist sent me to New York City to get a biopsy at Mount Sinai, and that’s when they confirmed it was psoriatic arthritis. My mom deals with it, too. There's a lot of psoriasis in our family, though neither she nor I have any actual skin issues. I think my grandmother had it as well—I remember her describing the pain, but back then everyone just dismissed it as standard rheumatism since biopsies weren't really a thing yet. Even now, the pain isn't constant; it kind of migrates around. For a whole year, the lower back pain was relentless, which was the absolute worst part because it would wake me up at night, forcing me to get up and walk around just to loosen up. I eventually saw a physical therapist with my test results, and once she corrected my posture and showed me how to actually exercise properly, the pain subsided for quite a while. The problem is, I lack discipline. As soon as I felt better, I stopped going.
Diet-wise, I don't follow anything specific. I've been taking Revit, and I try to be careful with medication because I know this is a lifelong battle that's only going to get harder; I don't want to burn through my options when things get worse 🙂. My mom goes to Saratoga Springs regularly, and that seems to be the only thing that gives her lasting relief. My advice? Swim a lot, stay active, dodge stress whenever possible, watch your posture, and eat well.
And one last thing—none of us are going to die from this, but we'll certainly die *with* it
since there's no cure. But keep your chin up; maybe they'll figure out a real fix in the coming years.
Bottom line: it's hereditary, it's annoying, and it hurts. Your best bet is to get a biopsy and stick to whatever your doctor tells you to do.
Best,