Posts by ruggedscout91

Jacob Fox6 said:Honestly, Canada feels like a total paradise compared to the US. It all really comes down to "you get what you pay for," which is the last thing you want when it comes to medical care, and it honestly just goes against everything medicine should be. To me, the real issue is that people treat medicine and healthcare like they're the exact same thing, even though they’re closely linked but totally different concepts. At the end of the day, the problem is that the healthcare system is driven by politics rather than actual medicine...

Canada has such a high standard of living and income levels, too. I can personally vouch for that since I've been there myself, and seeing how things work over there is basically pure science fiction for us here, unfortunately...😢

I agree.
However, no one here has mentioned individual responsibility for one's own health. In many developed nations, including various countries in the European Union, patients are encouraged to maintain their health and adjust their insurance premiums accordingly through different providers. This way, those struggling with alcoholism, drug addiction, or other dependencies end up costing the system significantly more.

Why should anyone be held responsible for someone else’s alcoholic liver, smoker's lungs, or addiction-related illnesses like diabetes or cirrhosis? Why should we show solidarity with immorality and substance abuse? These individuals gain security knowing someone will bail them out simply because they are human beings. As for being irresponsible human beings? No one cares.

Here in the US, they take it even further; funds are often raised through various charitable drives to pay for transplants in places like Italy or elsewhere for notorious alcoholics.
Yet, common ailments affecting the young or middle-aged population go untreated because no one bothers to launch a charity drive for the average citizen, right?
The term "humanitarian" is used to cover everything, serving as a convenient way to fleece the hardworking, honest people who were raised to value labor and earned values over profiting from immorality.

Looking at the comments regarding the new law, I see nothing about personal responsibility for health—a factor that could influence insurance costs. This means the status quo remains: some will be careful, while others will continue to gamble with their health at everyone else's expense, under the guise that everything is shared.

Or take the medication situation here. I suspect that if it weren't for what they call the "third age," there wouldn't be seniors in the US consuming such massive quantities of drugs that they practically function as appendages to general practice clinics. Whether it's a bout of depression, a full moon, or just a minor ailment, they swarm the offices like ants; you can't even get an appointment without waiting five hours.
Where is the family medicine or the community doctor to prevent these bottlenecks?

Or the psychiatric services.
A completely dysfunctional health sector that is never where it needs to be. Meanwhile, the executives continue to receive massive payouts. For what?

mistyjackal842 said:I mentioned she received a transfusion at the day hospital, and that’s exactly what happened. She spent some more time at home after that, but as her condition started to decline, she was admitted to the hospital to get a proper diagnosis. Up until then, she had been relatively healthy and lived quite a long life. After they ran all the tests at the hospital, they actually sent her home, even though she couldn't really move around. Given her age, she didn't undergo any intense chemotherapy. She passed away at home. I honestly don't see why this is such an issue for you. For what it's worth, she worked for over 30 years and paid her share into Medicare.

I really don't see why I should have to justify myself to you. It seems like you think you know everything and that you're always right. I just don't understand why you feel the need to pick apart my every word and take things completely out of context.

And I'm not even sure what you're talking about here. Of course everyone deserves help, regardless of their diagnosis. That comparison you made just doesn't make sense. Why on earth should we be choosing who gets help and who doesn't? Do you honestly believe that kind of selection is humane?

YES, CHOOSING WHO GETS HELP IS HUMANE. Is it humane to let someone with ruptured appendixes die because they couldn't get surgery because a 90-year-old with an incurable disease occupied the operating room or the bed?
Is it humane when hearts fail because someone was busy shuttling an elderly person back and forth from the ER to the hospital, leaving no ambulances available for someone's son, grandson, or great-grandson?

Here in America, because there is zero trust in the system, the relatives of the elderly act in a way that drives up the cost of care, making it impossible for other patients. They clog up the system, and no one has the decency to tell them to moderate their demands.
While they are busy making unrealistic demands of the staff, there isn't enough time or resources left to help people in acute crisis.
That is our culture: "Give me everything, and let everyone else rot."
And believe me, when you visit these seniors at home, they are often neglected and stripped of basic human rights. Yet, once they reach a hospital or a doctor, their families treat them like they descended from heaven. Meanwhile, the poor grandparents aren't even aware that their presence only serves to soothe their relatives' guilty consciences, while a young life slips away because they are stuck in the system.
There is no need to criticize me for thinking this way. This is a lesson learned through experience. My own mother passed away at 88, and I knew there wasn't any other way. It was far more important to provide her with care while it still made sense to do so.

We could also talk about the VIP suites and luxury rooms where bodies—more or less warmed up—lie at someone else's expense, sometimes with a little extra paid out of private pockets.
Fortunately, you can't cheat death, even if God is your father.

dustymarlin10 said:Hey Jason Nelson64, just so you know, Medicare actually reimburses you if you had to pay out of pocket for a screening because the US healthcare system couldn't get you in within a month...

And who exactly is supposed to document that you couldn't get an appointment in the public system within thirty days when you need surgery in ten?
Furthermore, who is going to tell dentists to stop bleeding people dry just because they have supplemental insurance?
The same applies to gynecologists, where you see on this forum that the exact same services are charged differently based on $67 price fluctuations and whether or not there’s a receipt.
Where is the oversight in the healthcare system?
There isn't any.
And there isn't any because the system is designed to let patients bleed money constantly for several reasons: paying healthcare taxes, paying for supplemental insurance, regularly buying almost all medications—even those covered by insurance—because sometimes it's cheaper to just buy them at a local pharmacy than to drive to a doctor, pay for gas, and wait for hours. Then there's paying for EVERY SINGLE BREAST ULTRASOUND because I haven't met a single woman who could actually get that exam done using a standard referral. Or paying for every ultrasound related to gynecological issues (prices are roughly similar). Or paying for CT scans (I don't recall anyone being able to get a CT scan regularly because they say the machines at the Split General Hospital are reserved for inpatient use two months in advance). Instead, they just refer you straight to a private clinic without mentioning any benefits.
Because heaven forbid you are sick; you are punished by God and find yourself in this situation:

- They denied me 20% of my paycheck for both months (sick leave due to extensive surgery caused exclusively by the error of my private-social gynecologist back in MA,
- I paid for a private CT scan (which they begrudgingly acknowledged $27 during tax returns), even though I am the sole provider for my family.
- I regularly paid for travel to and from MA, and the State finally recognized those costs,
- Along with several other minor expenses,

A sick person in America who isn't wealthy has zero motivation to seek treatment in a system that looks social on the surface but isn't.
I would rather express my preference for something else, such as:

- That instead of monthly healthcare taxes, the money stays in my savings account. I could have easily saved $0.00 just for this surgery, since I don't use the public system except for preventative checkups, which I pay for privately. The same goes for the dentist.
- That I'm not asked for supplemental insurance premiums for the reasons mentioned above.
- Considering I rarely even use necessary medications (sometimes I just buy Vitamin C), which supports my point.

If they fear certain illnesses so much that we are forced to act proactively by paying into a healthcare system for services that haven't been provided in 15 years—and even when they are provided, they are paid to a private practitioner—then they should realize that people want to know what they are paying for.

So, 15 years of paying $4000 = $0.00
(at the very least). So, 15 years of $400 = $6000 (supplemental insurance)
So, 15 years of 10 x breast ultrasounds = 10 x 250 = $833
So, 15 years of 13 x pelvic ultrasounds = 13 x 250 = $1083.
So, 15 years of dental work: scaling $200.00, 3 fillings x $50 = $50.
Hormone therapy with red clover phytoestrogens, 7 months x $35 = $245.
CT scan of the lower pelvis (without contrast) = $267.

In short, a perfectly healthy person who ended up needing major surgery due to her gynecologist's mistake—to whom she had consistently paid for ultrasounds and visits—has left this healthcare system with over > in 15 years, despite having no medical interventions other than two fillings and one dental cleaning.

205 $0.00.

What happens then to the sick? Or to those patients whom a Doctor actually demands cash from just to perform a surgery—an occurrence that is far too common nowadays?

It all points to one thing: poor organization and an overpriced healthcare system.
I could have kept that money in my own account, using it whenever necessary and choosing my own care based on my family's specific genetics and medical needs. Had I saved what I could over the years, I would be sitting here with $136667. I could have navigated all the misery and stress I endured whenever I had to rely on the healthcare system without a single worry.

Jacob Fox6 said:I'm mostly on the same page as you...
Personally, I'm not really a fan of any specific political system or ideology... I'm just a student living on a tight budget... whenever I need to go get some medical tests done, I simply can't afford to miss class because my school schedule is so intense, so I just end up going to a private clinic. But why? Just because the US healthcare system is set up such that I have to lose at least two days just to get an appointment scheduled...

Both socialism and capitalism had their pros and cons... since socialism collapsed, I don't see any reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater just for the sake of this relatively new American capitalism, which seems to be starting to crumble itself given this massive economic crisis...

Honestly, it’s starting to get really annoying here in the States how people always try to find excuses for certain systems instead of just taking the best parts of everything to actually look out for the well-being of our people. I just want to be able to see a doctor without losing an entire year waiting for tests to get a diagnosis, or having to drop several thousand dollars on private doctors because I literally cannot afford to skip school...

I sign off on everything else you mentioned... I just wanted to add my two cents regarding those systems, which, whatever you call them, are totally overwhelming me...

Dear Jacob Fox6, what you wrote refers exclusively to the poor organization of healthcare. They throw away the positive aspects of the old system, yet they fail to offer new solutions—or worse, they offer alternatives that are even more inefficient and expensive.
The population hasn't increased nearly as much as the bureaucracy. The number of specialist offices is higher, and the amount of medical equipment far exceeds what we had in the previous era, yet it's harder than ever to actually get service or book an appointment. How does that make sense?
My husband went to his dentist after 14 years for a cleaning and some follow-up work based on a private agreement. It was all out-of-pocket $67 costs. Medicare plus supplemental insurance equals $67 for dental work? No one asked him why that same dentist has been collecting fees from the government for him for 14 years. I also go to the dentist every 15 years for a checkup (my teeth are fine), and if I need a filling, it's immediately $17, and that was five years ago.
No one asked me where the money went when I was 11 either. My coverage just rolls along automatically.
That is how it works across the board.
Every preventive measure I take, I pay for entirely out of my own pocket. I don't even bother carrying my health insurance card lately, because who cares?
There you have it. That is our socialized healthcare: where the hardest part is actually getting an appointment or seeing a provider at all. Later on, God knows what else a person has to endure just to survive. In this system, being critically ill is the only recognized category; everything else is treated like a game with no rules.

Angela Wright said:@ruggedscout91

Back in 2005, I was at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. I happened to be sharing a room with a woman who was a general practitioner herself—she had been sent back in for yet another D&C in such a short span of time. The doctors let her stay in the room for a bit to recover while waiting for someone to pick her up.
I remember it vividly: the doctor stood there in front of everyone in the room and flat-out recommended she just have the surgery to get rid of it once and for all, specifically because of those constant D&Cs and the heavy bleeding she was dealing with. He looked at her and said, "Colleague, you should at least realize that your uterus is in such a state that it's basically acting like a sponge, soaking up poison that’s slowly killing you in agony. Let us fix this; it's the only way you'll save yourself."
Obviously, how things turn out depends heavily on which doctor you happen to end up with, but it also says a lot about the woman carrying the issue within her.

That woman has been suffering for a long time, even in a major city like Los Angeles, and despite having a referral for hospital treatment, she hasn't succeeded. Her gynecologist refuses to give her a referral for uterine surgery and even insists she will have periods for a long time to come. The woman is 53 years old and completely desperate.
As usual, everything in the US healthcare system is problematic unless it's a life-threatening emergency. For anything else, you have to guess, hope, or pull strings just to avoid ending up with some incompetent hack who can barely sew a wound. Unfortunately, that's the reality. We didn't invent this situation; people are just afraid to talk about it openly rather than whispering behind closed doors.
Luckily, I ended up needing surgery for fibroids myself, and I can't imagine enduring anything more than a basic exam or an ultrasound down there. Yet, so many women continue to suffer...
Or perhaps it's just my way of looking at it: maybe they withhold the ultimate solution to prevent losing a potential patient—or rather, a customer—from the white coats. Why would they want her coming back to her regular gynecologist or the General Hospital constantly? It’s likely just business.

Brandon Newman95 said:1.) Emergency vs. non-emergency patients? Please. There are so many actors out there who always need something—they get priority at the ER without any issues. Meanwhile, someone else actually needs urgent help.
2) Maybe there aren't enough doctors, but look at how many of them work privately while being tied to the hospitals, and we all know how those "waiting lists" really function.
3) Yeah, sure, if I consider myself "treated within two weeks"—it would have cost the US healthcare system three times less.
4) You won't convince me that CT scans aren't available 24/7, 365 days a year. I know because I was at the hematology ER at 8 PM, and some people were getting brain CT scans right then.
5) We know all too well how "waiting lists" work, how people push through using connections or "knowing a guy," and how private clinics push patients forward if they find something. And we know certain private clinics have contracts with Medicare and partner with major General Hospitals. Don't even get me started on how they handle "available beds."

Some people on this forum act like they’re better than everyone else.
Just read one thread above and you'll see women constantly asking how much a hysteroscopy costs at a private clinic. Why? Because they can't legally get it done at the General Hospital. Mostly, it's women with polyps. Women suffering from heavy bleeding. They end up having several poorly performed curettages in a matter of days, and then they're sent home while still sick because they didn't live near the hospital.
Yesterday, I spoke with a woman for whom this was her sixth curettage. She’s constantly paying out of pocket for private care, had a hysteroscopy, and has a polyp that is destroying her life. They won't allow her the actual surgery; they just keep calling her back for more curettages until she feels like she's at her breaking point.
Why is this happening to women? Why just more curettages? And when the bill goes out, I bet they definitely list "anesthesia" as a service provided.
Why isn't a final solution found for these women? Why not just remove the uterine tissue? These are women in their early 50s dealing with constant bleeding and zero quality of life. Are we waiting for someone to pay a larger bribe before things move along? This isn't cosmetic surgery; why are these women being put through such misery?

And there are empty beds everywhere; it’s unnatural.
Almost every patient ends up paying for everything regardless of their supplemental insurance. They pay for meds just to avoid chasing down prescriptions. They pay for dentists regularly. They pay for breast ultrasounds. They pay for gynecological ultrasounds and never even see a bill from the private clinic. Hysteroscopies are paid for because the General Hospital refuses to use their equipment. Why?
And when you finally get stuck because of a serious illness, they don't even know how to treat it. That's when you realize you've been screwed, because you learn that every single procedure is essentially a cash grab. This applies to almost every cancer case.
It makes me wonder what we are even paying for. What kind of "basic package" is this? Something forced upon us, followed by a recovery where you can't even get your gynecologist to pick up the phone. That's the reality on the ground.

In America, you can only guard your health and prevent disease if you have a high salary—and even then, only if you aren't using it to feed an entire family. Everything else is just empty talk. There isn't money for the basics, let alone for serious illnesses.

The doctor told me right away, without even checking me, that I’d be waiting at least two months for a CT scan. He certainly didn't offer any guarantees about my survival if my surgery was delayed by five days.
So, today is the 15th, the surgery is scheduled for 13 days from now, and there is still no guarantee I'll make it through.
He seemed to think it was perfectly normal for a patient to run out and pay privately, because what is $317 compared to a life? They always treat you this way, almost like a form of blackmail. He even expressed his blatant contempt for anyone trying to use their insurance to save a few pennies on their own health.
Thank God everything turned out fine, thanks to his professional and dedicated commitment.

Ultimately, this leads me to believe that poor organization within the healthcare system is to blame, rather than the doctor himself. It was his duty to say what needed to be said and explain what was impossible to achieve at the General Hospital, especially since he actually cared about performing the surgery correctly.

All of this has left me feeling completely indifferent toward life and survival. I was shocked by the total lack of humanity from the gynecologist who, after a five-year delay, simply pointed me toward surgery and sent me on my way.
Even now, despite all the obvious physical progress, I don't feel okay. It’s as if, after this surgery, I am no longer myself, but someone else entirely. I hate myself for it.

Aaron Anderson72 said:I'm reaching out here because my doctor isn't in NYC right now, so I can't get an appointment anytime soon!

It all just hit me out of nowhere two days ago!
Blood in my urine, really bad stomach pains, burning, and this constant urge to go—it feels like I haven't left the bathroom!

The other symptoms disappeared just as fast as they showed up, but the burning is still there and my urine is still bloody!

What could this be? 🤔 What should I do since my doctor isn't available? 🤷

Have you noticed if the blood appears at the start, middle, or end of the stream? If it's at the end, it might mean the source is actually the kidneys rather than just the bladder or urinary tract.

Take women in cities like Los Angeles, for example. They vent on women's health forums about how nearly impossible it is to get an abortion at a public hospital. Instead, they’re forced to pay private clinics double or even triple the price, risking their lives in the process. It turns out many doctors from the municipal hospitals perform these services privately. And if a woman actually manages to go through with it at a public facility? Well, the whole city finds out who she is.

If we take a look at the US healthcare system and analyze this specific sector, isn't it high time that a new maternity and gynecology wing brought with it a modern standard of conduct? Shouldn't patients have a fundamental right to privacy regarding why they walked into a General Hospital in the first place?
Do we live in Afghanistan? Why must women resort to clandestine procedures just to avoid being labeled a "social problem"? And why do doctors dodge these services so relentlessly, only to end up performing abortions or curettages under abysmal conditions with subpar anesthesia?
It leads to one inevitable conclusion: women in American society simply do not enjoy the same right to equal healthcare as any other group of citizens.

Casey Palmer5 said:Google is already pulling this thread up in search results, which honestly makes me so happy. I just can't wrap my head around how someone could be so heartless while working as a nurse. Especially given our situation—I'm 29, he's 32, and she’s refusing to hand over the paperwork. It's such a disgrace to the nursing profession. Personally, even though I'm not a nurse and my job doesn't involve much direct contact with families, I could never find the nerve or the heart to act like that, even if someone over 60 passed away. You definitely don't get humanity just by earning a degree or a certificate. Over time, it's become obvious that her character is just decaying, much like this woman's condition. And all those professional accolades won't matter once she's been "exposed," and that's something that will stick with her on this forum forever...

Here is what I posted on the community forum for a fresh start:

I have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Even if I couldn't land a job at any state institutions anyway, I decided to just go out and open my own practice. Hopefully, nobody tries to run me off the road for it...

Don't expect her to pick you up in the car. My patients are so insignificant that I can't even recall a single case where someone actually won in court without having a mountain of cash for a high-priced lawyer. And let’s be honest—they all likely feel like they can get away with it, provided the crime isn't an obvious murder or running someone over.
I’ve reached the conclusion that I can only ask for scraps if I want anything at all. But honestly, if I were that private gynecologist, I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing a victim of my incompetence was still out there. I am still mentally replaying how to make this right. As long as he continues to practice and keeps leaving women disabled, I will never have peace. Never.
I'm currently taking some phytohormones to try and patch my life back together because my mental state has completely shifted. Is it true what I read somewhere—that fools always seem to fare better when they cause unintentional harm to others? 😠

Casey Palmer5 said:I’d love nothing more than to walk into that courtroom knowing I actually stood a chance at a fair verdict. But with the way things work around here and the "experts" we have on the bench... I just don't see it happening...

There are plenty of advanced algorithms out there that show exactly how to treat and manage these kinds of conditions. They’ve bypassed all the old protocols, but here's the kicker—our legal system won't even look at them if the findings come from an overseas expert. It’s like being sued by the very people who are supposed to be judging you... especially when you're dealing with the medical board. If I start digging into this, I might just end up screwing myself over in the process...

You mention private practice. Well, my experience with a private doctor was a disaster. Instead of referring me five or six years ago when the fibroid was small, he let it grow. I barely escaped with my life; the mass became massive, threatening my kidney, appendix, bladder, urinary tract—everything. I had to undergo one long, grueling surgery. If things had been handled correctly, I could have walked out of a hospital like a lady with a minor procedure instead of this nightmare.
The private gynecologist nearly destroyed me, while the surgeon at Split General Hospital saved me and did a truly excellent job.
It’s doctors like that who make me wonder why their salaries are so low.
To make matters worse, the people sitting in the ministries are the ones creating this broken healthcare system, while the actual workers are left struggling with poverty they shouldn't have to face.

Drew Booth said:Hi. I’ve always had a fear of serious, life-threatening illnesses, but it spiked last year when I dealt with my first bout of acute gastritis (triggered by some bad shellfish)..

Over the last few months, I’ve been dealing with digestive issues—noisy stomach, gut problems, dark stools over the past two weeks, occasional diarrhea, abdominal pain everywhere, and some mild nausea...

I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist this Monday, but the anxiety is paralyzing. I find myself shaking, incredibly nervous, and spiraling into worst-case scenarios, like cancer and such...

It’s becoming unbearable. I try my hardest to fight it; when I feel fine, I’m great and life feels wonderful, but the moment I notice dark stool, I immediately jump to the worst conclusion and end up depressed for half the day...
I’ve also been dealing with some family issues lately, which has only added to the stress...

I’ve requested a referral for psychiatry, but are there any herbal supplements that might help with this kind of anxiety?

I’m honestly fed up. I’m only 25, and I shouldn't have to deal with this level of stress and fear in my life...

Thanks for the replies 🙂

Bye

We’ve all been there. Whether you're 20, 25, 35, or 40. You hit these phases, and then they pass. Eventually, people swing to the other extreme and stop going for routine checkups altogether.
Just calm down and get the tests done. You need to realize that worrying won't fix your health; it will only make things worse.
And cancer isn't nearly as common as the advertisements make it seem. They scare us just so we'll buy their products at the pharmacy and keep flooding private practices.
Look, my friend, fear is where the real money is made.

As long as cancer remains more profitable than a cure, the "white mafia" will continue to profit by keeping people terrified and constantly cycling through hospitals and pharmacies.
The truth is, the most difficult diseases could have been managed long ago if it suited the international "white" establishment. In places where medical intervention is limited, diseases spread easily. Every 10 to 20 years, we see outbreaks of strange ailments that look less like genetic predispositions and more like targeted attacks.
Take MS and certain neurological conditions, for example—often seen as direct consequences of vaccinations in the US. Now, we see them appearing elsewhere under entirely different epidemiological circumstances.

Do the bare minimum required to get your answers, and don't let it consume you. Healthcare workers are often the sickest people on the planet. If they can't even help themselves, what hope is there?

Brandon Newman95 said:Look, it's our right to receive quality care, plain and simple. We're paying for this out of our own pockets! Plus, the tests that should have been finished within two weeks were delayed. It's also our right to fight for that. If I had actually been hospitalized and treated properly, Dr. Busic would have a healthy girl today who could function normally. And don't give me that "it's not feasible" nonsense—we all know exactly how "limited" those beds are and how "short" the staff is, especially since all the specialists and doctors are practically all buddies anyway.
And I'm not even talking about urine or urine cultures here.

No, the reality is simpler: hospitals don't want to foot the bill for tests. Instead, they force semi-conscious patients to scramble for results that their Medicare will eventually pay for, only for those same tests to be rerun by the staff at the General Hospital. Not to mention, the cost of these tests is significantly higher than the transport costs, which in my case was at least 1243 miles.
Furthermore, if someone pays top dollar for a private CT scan, the General Hospital won't have to perform it; the patient just does it themselves if they want to keep their head on their shoulders.
Mathematically speaking: the State pays for the patient's transport 1243 miles
Medicare - the gynecologist issues referrals for specialized exams.
Medicare covers all types of lab tests (while the patient wanders around).
The patient pays for CT scans and everything else (if needed).
The hospital bills for: the patient's days of stay
feeding and maintaining the patient in a cold holding pattern before surgery
feeding and maintaining the patient after surgery.
performing the surgery and the necessary procedures.
following up on the patient based on the referral.
Essentially, a prepared, examined, and referred patient goes in for surgery and then heads home as quickly as possible (for faster recovery), provided there are no complications.

Yet, nobody cares about the condition the patient is in while traveling and gathering these results. Does anyone care if an artery bursts or organs fail along the way? Does anyone care if, after being told the doctors have no idea what's wrong but that they might die, the patient harms themselves out of fear? No one cares.

That is why it seems better to wait until you are in an acute state and rush to the ER. It is better to drop dead in the emergency room than to survive the grueling journey of preoperative testing, constantly worrying about fainting in crowded hallways. And we are talking about people who live 62 miles far from the facilities where these tests are even conducted. Or else, they have to book a hotel room and commute to the General Hospital every single day, even when half the rooms in the hospital are sitting empty.

Kate Collins67 said:Look, I personally have about ten different pre-op exams to run through every single day. Now, just imagine if I tried to admit all ten of those people to the hospital every day—it's impossible! Usually, I only have a maximum of eight beds available for all internal medicine cases, and sometimes I'm down to just three. You simply cannot meet everyone's demands.

If they think it's just a myoma, then there is absolutely no reason to be hospitalized just for pre-operative testing. If someone didn't catch an appendicitis, that has nothing to do with a myoma.

I get it, there’s a social component here, and there are real social issues at play, but a hospital isn't the place to go solving those kinds of problems.
Don't come asking me where else they should go to solve them, because you might as well ask me where an unemployed person is supposed to find a job. I don't know.

The incompetent gynecologist who referred me didn't even know what it was; they just knew it was large and that the adnexa weren't palpable. Nobody had a clue, even though I regularly had ultrasounds and color Doppler scans performed by that very same doctor. And imagine this: with a mass that size pressing against everything, I spent ten days traveling through 124 miles daily just to finish tests, instead of having a blood sample sent or being admitted for a few days. Later, after the surgery, they saw that my vitals were critically compromised—everything was on the verge of collapse due to the appendix, bladder, kidneys, and intestinal loops, while the uterus and ovaries were nearly crushed. A patient in that condition cannot be treated by traveling for ten days in the heat, in misery, on buses; God forbid.

Regarding payments: over fourteen years, one can save about 200 $0.00. Since I have paid for almost everything privately so far—and aside from a childbirth that didn't happen in America, I am a perfectly healthy person—there hasn't been a need for major saving on my part. Of course, one cannot predict if a more expensive problem will arise in the future requiring public healthcare, because we aren't all Arsen Dedic or some famous singer that everyone rallies to fund a new liver or whatever else. We are just people who have to take good care of our own health.

In fact, besides a few types of somewhat extensive non-malignant surgeries, certain illnesses treated with antibiotics, and some preventive screenings, our public healthcare offers NOTHING ELSE to its users. People should not rely on it too heavily.

What remains is either a bag full of cash for both options or the ultimate solution for a patient in this country: a funeral.
One fewer patient,
I one fewer person in the unemployment office,
II one fewer person occupying a job position,

And for I, II, and III, the cheaper option for our government is hiring someone from overseas. They will simply squeeze us to make up for what the thieves stole from the State before, during, and after the war (not WWII).

Kate Collins67 said:@ ruggedscout91
Look, let's be real here—everyone knows that famous faces get treated faster and better everywhere else. So why on earth would we expect anything different when it comes to the US healthcare system? 🤷

The issue is she didn't go to a private clinic. She went to the very institution we all fund with our taxes, yet we still find ourselves waiting behind everyone else in line.
Furthermore, why is it that during major surgeries—say, an imminent pelvic organ collapse involving the small intestine due to a massive myoma that they failed to diagnose early—a patient is forced to endure ten days of testing? They could simply admit the patient to that same facility to run those tests. Is it really necessary to travel to a major General Hospital from a small town just for that? Not everyone lives in Los Angeles, Miami, or Chicago. We end up traveling for 932 miles at least ten days. It’s absurd. And what if a small intestine ruptures during those long journeys? One less American. A convenient solution for the masses.

Similarly, the role of public healthcare needs some clarification. I once worked in a public health institution in another country. In America, I fail to recognize any meaningful role for public health beyond promoting subpar vaccines for Hepatitis B or certain flu viruses. Preventive care is practically non-existent.

Private gynecological practices have essentially hollowed out primary care, and quality has plummeted as a result. How does that happen? Even the most trivial ailments become massive systemic problems in a setup where the goal is to bill for services rather than actually cure patients. How can a standard color Doppler ultrasound fail to detect a 20 cm myoma?

I have to address point 3 regarding primary healthcare. It is inefficient. Expensive. Poorly organized.
For half of these things, nobody even knows who is responsible for issuing referrals for specialist exams. Take breast ultrasounds, for instance: there is zero clarity. Then there are preoperative exams: general practitioners constantly pass the buck to gynecologists simply because the surgery involves gynecology, leaving everyone wondering who will actually handle the follow-up care later.

Regarding point 6—why do patients swarm the emergency rooms? Because they can't get anything finished through regular channels, so they wait until they reach a crisis state and then descend upon the ER.
While I was preparing for extensive pelvic surgery, I spent ten days traveling back and forth between cities like Split and Makarska just to collect test results, all while feeling increasingly unwell. Was I really expected to travel 124 miles every single day just for blood work, an anesthesiologist consultation, or a simple blood type verification?
Yet, I see cases where public figures like Trbovic are admitted and operated on within three days, with every necessary preoperative test completed in that window. Is that how it works?

The reality is clear: patient treatment is inconsistent. Not everyone is treated equally. This is why people, unable to complete their tests without traveling for days to distant cities—while being too sick to move—wait until their condition becomes acute and then flood the emergency departments.

As for healthcare worker salaries, they are catastrophic. In places like Luxembourg, I read that the minimum personal income is 1,500 euros, yet here, doctors work their entire lives and still cannot command such a wage.
This happens because this country doesn't compensate actual labor, expertise, or knowledge. Instead, it rewards connections, corruption, and political maneuvering. Those are the professions that truly thrive here.
I feel for every doctor, whether honest or otherwise, working in this society. They study endlessly and work tirelessly, while someone else—the ones reaping the wealth in the US—collects the profit.

Regarding Minister Milinovic, if I were in his position, I would be ashamed to appear in the news or pose for photos when the healthcare organization is this broken. There is no accountability; nobody knows who is in charge or who is paying the bills.

But the patient? Well, the patient is expected to have a bag of money ready—enough for the required tests, or enough for a funeral, should the worst happen.

I’ve been looking for these threads again. When a topic is fresh, there's a slim chance someone might actually see it and respond.
On other forums, people discuss these things more often, and women find strength in one another. I never dreamed I would end up needing this surgery. My gynecologist in Miami missed a 20x20x18 fibroid, and suddenly, overnight, I lost my ovaries, uterus, part of my bowel, and survived a massive operation.
Setting all that aside, nobody warned me about the hormonal fallout. Honestly, I was too foolish to even consider it. Now, nothing feels right—except for sex. People tell me how "great" it is that my drive is still there, but that isn't the point. What bothers me is that my husband, our home, the pets, the garden, nature... none of it attracts me anymore. Sex has become a chore I perform just because my husband has become a mere instrument, devoid of any personality or connection. It’s as if I’ve become a man.
The only change is that I buy higher-end creams. I feel a need to groom myself more, to look polished, to buy better clothes. Suddenly, I want expensive perfumes; my old favorites no longer suffice. I am different now. Dissatisfied. Trapped in this situation. I wonder, how did I manage in my marriage? It’s likely psychological. I try to find something that truly interests me, but circumstances force you into a monotonous existence.

Please, reach out and tell me how you are coping. Surely I’m not the only one on this forum facing this. As for the rage I feel toward the doctor who failed me, I won't go there now. I fear losing control, so I avoid that clinic entirely out of dread that I might... I suspect I am not alone in that fear either.

blueseal12 said:Basically, aspartame is just sugar by another name when you're dieting.
I recently started drinking this Herbalife shake my roommate gave me, which uses that sweetener.
They mentioned on an Oprah segment that it's some kind of toxic substance.
I did a little digging and honestly, I'm spooked.😕
Since I started using it, I've been dealing with three or four symptoms listed on this page.😲
A pounding ache right above my eyebrows—my whole head has hurt for six days straight.😢
Does anyone actually know more about this? Maybe someone from Herbalife could weigh in?

The consensus here is that it's pure poison.😢
http://209.85.129.132/search?q=cache...ient=firefox-a

All artificial sweeteners are toxic. Some are practically chemical weapons.
Big Pharma stuffs them into everything—vitamin gummies, tablets, sodas, candy, even wellness supplements. It’s a nightmare. Personally, I stick to sugar-based lozenges and skip the vitamin supplements entirely. Since I'm not diabetic, why would I touch artificial sweeteners?
These substances are the root cause of almost every ailment that sugar doesn't already trigger.

Lisa Thompson said:Since my oophorectomy, I’ve been on hormone replacement therapy using Femoston Conti tablets. My cholesterol and lipid levels have spiked because of them. Professor Koršić at Rebro suggested switching my prescription, suspecting the Femoston Conti is the culprit. He thinks switching to hormone patches should stabilize everything. Previously, I responded exceptionally well to HRT—no side effects, just felt great. The only downside was weight gain. Having lost 43 lbs via a gastric band to reach 140 lbs, I am terrified of gaining it back. Does anyone have experience with the patches?

I am in an artificial menopause myself. Following surgery for fibroids, they had to remove my uterus, ovaries, and part of my bowel.
Given my personal stance against the MLS, I haven't tried hormone patches, but I have used red clover phytoestrogens. I did my homework online first, then decided on the tablets.
I’ve been taking them for months and they help immensely. My libido is normal, I don't gain much weight (depending on my diet), and my fitness is excellent. Honestly, I feel and look better now than before the surgery. One might say I look ten years younger.
I deal with maybe one or two hot flashes around 8 PM, and that's it. Occasionally I feel a bit of discomfort, but a little chamomile tea fixes it. If necessary, I just use chamomile-infused liners at work and change them frequently.
I hope this helps you decide.

Neocortex. Asks:
I pray to God that nobody sits next to me.🤣🤣
I play the part of being completely checked out, just to ensure no one bothers me.😂😂

Same here. If anyone actually intends to show up there, I’ll just give them a cold, poisonous stare—just enough to make sure they change their minds before they even get close.😍