Posts by Harold Stewart3

I find myself wondering why there isn't a dedicated section on this forum for crime reports or the latest updates from the local news blotters...

Where has all the American libertarianism gone?

Laura Campbell18 said:So, here’s the deal... after running every single test imaginable—ft4, ft3, tsh, tpo, androgens, dexamethasone, prolactin, testosterone, free testosterone, shbg, ACTH, and an ultrasound—it turns out everything looks fine on paper. Except for my cortisol, which came back high during the 24-hour test. My endocrinologist basically brushed it off as just stress, saying from their perspective, everything is totally normal, and I should just come back in three months to re-run the whole battery just in case. What I'm actually worried about is whether being on Yasmin could have messed with the results... since I was taking it while all these tests were being done. Is it possible the pill skewed the entire picture?

I don't think they'd mess with your thyroid numbers. But if you ask me... birth control definitely impacts the actual state of things, because at the end of the day, your body isn't producing its own sex hormones anymore; you're just taking them synthetically... 🤷
As for the cortisol, plenty of people see elevated levels just as a reaction to stress... 😉

Morgan Torres said:Even the medication didn't do much for me. I went through a period just like this. It was honestly miserable—I’d find myself wide awake at 1:00 AM after only two hours of sleep, and then by 3:00 AM, I’d be crying my eyes out from pure exhaustion. I wouldn't even manage to drift off again until the sun started coming up... it was just awful.

There are more of us out there. I haven't slept properly in days—honestly, if I'm being real, it's probably been a month. Though I'm not quite on the level of someone like Taylor Swift... I still manage to crash for an hour or two during the day...
Taylor Swift 👋 you getting any sleep? 😁

copperrider20 said:but if you look at most hospital websites, universities, or cancer support groups, they say this:

Who Should Receive a Pap Smear?

The American Cancer Society recommends that All Women Begin receiving yearly Pap

So, basically, even if you're 18 and haven't been active yet, you should still be getting a Pap smear.

I mean, my thought is that here in the US, once girls get their first period, moms usually just hand them tampons right away... so they probably break their hymen with those before they even hit 18, making a Pap smear no big deal at all... 🤷

(not that I actually saw this happen or anything, just something I heard once... I can't be totally sure)

placidjackal36 said:The placebo effect shows up in pretty much everything. Which means it applies to medications too.

Look, the placebo effect isn't actually a cure; it’s just a temporary "feel good" sensation. Positive thinking and a glass of tap water aren't going to fix a serious illness. Go ahead and play those games if you want, but don't say I didn't warn you. 🤷
It’s like telling me you cured mono just by staring at sunflowers. It’s the same thing. There is no actual effect.

Those magnetic bracelets are useless because the cheap magnets you find at a drugstore have a pathetic impact on the stuff our bodies are made of. That tiny, almost non-existent effect they do have is basically just nudging water molecules. I’d compare it to an ant trying to push a massive refrigerator. If you’re really that desperate to move your body fluids around, just use your finger. 🙄
It does nothing for your blood, lymph, bones, muscles, fat, or anything else. Zip. Zero. We are diamagnetic, not paramagnetic or ferromagnetic.
"It worked for me"—no, it didn't. Something else did. A magnet can't do it.

I'm really not talking about life-threatening diseases 😲
So why wouldn't you use a placebo to handle nausea on a long road trip, instead of taking those pills that leave you feeling groggy all day... 🤷 I don't see anything wrong with that...

placidjackal36 said:In that case, just grab some tap water. There’s no reason to go out and spend a fortune on tiny little bottles of distilled water. 🤷

Trying to convince people they need to buy overpriced homeopathic nonsense just to deal with nausea is pure stupidity. You might as well tell them to eat a spoonful of flour instead. Most people aren't experts—they're just regular folks. At the end of the day, you're still getting the placebo effect.

Look, you're entitled to your opinion, and I respect that, but homeopathy actually worked for me... and that’s the only thing that matters when I'm thinking about it. Fine, say it's just a placebo effect in adults if you want, but how can homeopathy be a "placebo" for a three-year-old child??? My little one was constantly on antibiotics and always struggling... but after starting homeopathy, thank Jesus Christ, she's been doing great. I can't even remember the last time she felt sick... so, I have actual, real-life examples of it working. And hey, if we all just got cured by placebos, well, I guess it was worth the money anyway... 🙂

Sorry for going off on a tangent... 🙂

Walter Smith8 said:I tried my luck with those homeopathic pellets—you know, the kind you can pick up at basically any CVS or Walgreens.
+
Plus, I whipped up this little DIY blend of essential oils—I went with a citrus mix spiked with some peppermint—put it in a spray bottle, and just kept spritzing the car or dabbing it onto a tissue to sniff whenever things got rough.

I actually survived my long-haul road trip down to Miami and the ferry ride over to Key West and back using that method, and honestly, everything was 👍

👍 Homeopathy? Totally forgot about that phase.

Then you just deal with the nausea 😉 What's up 🤷

Rebecca Scott said:Hey, I finally tracked down those bracelets - link
So, looks like that 😢 idea was a total bust... there's just no saving me now 🙂 🙂 🙂

I’m telling you, just try rowing (and singing 😁)

Jamie Barnes60 said:Ugh, tell me about it. I’m dealing with the exact same thing. Honestly, even Dramamine makes me feel like death—as soon as I take one, I’m basically out for the count. I’ve tried everything under the sun: those motion sickness wristbands, those little lozenges, you name it, I've swallowed it, and absolutely nothing worked. It was way worse when I was younger, too, but somehow now I can actually manage to endure a trip without losing my mind. 🙂

It’s honestly the worst feeling once the drink actually hits... like I’ve been driving around for half an hour already... luckily, she's finally asleep...
So, those bracelets and candies? Yeah, skip them. Don't bother testing them out... definitely not worth the trouble. Luckily, I’m mostly driving these days, so I don't always need to rely on my pills anyway... 🙂

Ugh, I totally feel you on that one. I’m dealing with the exact same thing. Honestly, I just rely on Dramamine, so I don't really have any better advice to offer... plus, it leaves me feeling like a total burnout, just sleeping through the entire day. The only way I can actually handle being on the water is if I'm the one behind the wheel... so, when you're out on the boat, maybe try grabbing an oar and just... start rowing? Just give it a shot. Maybe it'll distract you enough so you don't feel so sick... who knows. I'm not exactly an expert here 🤷 and hey, maybe sing some songs while you row 🙂 🙂 🙂

For young women your age, an ultrasound is usually what they recommend first... so you should probably start there. If things look like they need a closer look, I’m pretty sure your doctor will send you for more tests after that.

quietangler89 said:you should probably bend your arm, trust me... I know a bit about this stuff, though it’s not strictly mandatory. if you can hold the cotton ball firmly over the puncture site, you can hold your arm however you want, but it’s easier if you support it by bending your elbow slightly. plus, you'll naturally restrict blood flow to the spot just a tiny bit, which helps stop the bleeding faster 😉

🤷 lately they won't let me bend my arm at all, and back when I was in Italy during the mid-90s, they wouldn't let me bend it then either... apparently, it's not great for the vein once it's already been punctured... 🤷 anyway, the main thing is just applying good pressure to the spot 🙂 👍

🙂 See? It wasn't actually that bad 🙂 just take it one step at a time... let us know how those results turn out 😘

👋

feraltrucker5 said:I'm a regular blood donor myself...😛

Me too, 🙂

quietangler89 said:Bruising usually happens because nobody—and I mean absolutely nobody—bothers to hold a cotton ball on the injection site for ten minutes with their arm kept straight... everyone thinks once the bleeding stops, we're good to go. But you actually have to insist on that ten-minute pressure to prevent bruising. Though, I guess that doesn't account for the bruises caused by an unprofessional nurse or just when they have a hell of a time finding a vein...

You really need to keep pressure on the spot as long as possible, but whatever you do, don't bend your elbow. That’s a bad idea. 😉

I'm not even scared of the needle itself, that part is fine... even if I end up with bruises or blown veins... it's just those injections into deep muscle tissue. That part honestly terrifies me...😲 🙂

It’s probably just some spotting, but if you're really stressing out about it, maybe go see a doctor... just to rule out a cyst or whatever else is eating at you... good luck, I really hope it's nothing more than spotting 😘

If you actually make it to the endocrinologist, let us know how it goes... specifically if they mention any issues caused by the birth control 🙂

👋

Laura Campbell18 said:Thanks. Honestly, I’m just confused because my OB-GYN told me that if I want to get my hormones checked properly, I should probably stop taking birth control, though she didn't see any reason to quit if I'm not planning on having kids anytime soon. My last hormone panel was way back in July 2007... since I've been on the pill ever since. Then, back in January 2008, during a routine physical, they suggested I see an endocrinologist and come back for a Pap smear in four months because some inflammation made the initial results hard to read. When I finally went for the follow-up and asked for a referral, my gynecologist just kind of smirked at me and said, "Oh, did they scare you?" Then I went to my primary care doctor and laid it all out, and she gave me the same smirking look about why I waited so long... but she did give me the referral for the specialist. She mentioned my labs are ancient and I really need updated ones. But now I'm overthinking it... I'm worried the endocrinologist is going to judge me for being on birth control while asking for these tests. I don't know anymore... just looking for anyone else who's dealt with this. Thanks in advance.

I don't think the endocrinologist is going to say anything to you either. If you're on the pill, the only person who can tell you to stop so you can get clear labs for a certain period is you... nothing else. Just go talk to the specialist... if they ask why you're there while still on birth control, just tell them you'll consult with them on what needs to change. You aren't a doctor, after all... you shouldn't be expected to have all the answers before you even walk through the door😉 that's literally their job.
Good luck