Looking for a specialist...

I’m looking for a solid nutritionist in Cleveland. I have zero interest in those medical-aesthetic hybrids; I want an actual doctor who can help me manage my diet and, by extension, my weight.

Alright, I really need some advice and recommendations here. I'm a 26-year-old student and I need to get a thyroid ultrasound done in NYC, plus I have to see an internist regarding my diabetes... so, where would you guys actually recommend going?

Thanks a million!

steelpanther11 said:So, I’m looking for some advice or recommendations. I'm a 26-year-old student and I need to get a thyroid ultrasound done here in NYC, plus I have to see an internist regarding my diabetes... uh, where would you guys suggest I go?

Thanks so much

My mom’s getting her thyroid ultrasound done at the Sunce clinic and she's actually pretty happy with them. 🙂

Since I'm still a student, I really need to know—where can I go where I won't be stuck paying out of pocket because everything is covered by Medicare?

ugh, my bad, I just automatically assumed you were looking for a private practice. sorry again 🙂

steelpanther11 said:Since I'm still a student, I was wondering where I could get treated without paying out of pocket by using my health insurance instead.

I can't say for sure how all the clinics stack up, but if your main goal is minimizing the wait time for an appointment—based on the last time I checked, the quickest turnaround for a kidney ultrasound was at the Siget Health Center in New York City, which took about 30-something days.

Elizabeth Davis said:I found this clinic in Chicago (all the details are listed on the side under the tumor markers section): Stela Medical Clinic.
And prices start at $120. $50 Based on one little symptom, I've pretty much figured out that they're looking into colon cancer. They want me to get two tumor markers tested—CEA and CA 19-9—to be sure. That’s going to cost a bit. $80 🙂

Thanks, thanks! We'll definitely give it a shot over there. Fingers crossed for some great results in the end!
Thanks to you too, David Mitchell4! :-) We’ve got his back because he’s always been there for everyone else—even when things were looking pretty rough for him personally! :-)

What exactly is Hrvoje Lom? Honestly, I have no clue. I guess the old-timers around here might actually know...
Look, we all know those markers aren't exactly bulletproof, but given everything they're dealing with, we were really hoping they'd at least give us a rough roadmap of what to do next.

LOM = General Practitioner

One more thing: can standard blood work—you know, just your regular checkups—actually pick up on things like a tumor or some kind of inflammation?
He had his blood drawn yesterday and everything came back totally fine, except for low iron. He says he’s always dealt with anemia, so he isn't really sweating it, even though I know that can be a symptom of colon cancer.

I totally forgot to mention this in my previous post...

It’s always better to run a specific search if it's non-invasive—assuming blood draws aren't actually an issue. Plus, if he's dealing with anemia and needs frequent testing lately, you really need to make sure he's eating well. 😉

Does anyone happen to know a solid diagnostic clinic with doctors outside of the States? Please shoot me a DM with any info. Dealing with some health stuff and honestly, nobody here seems to be able to figure out what's actually going on with me.

I messed up my first metacarpal with a nasty break, and now that the cast is off, my joint is misaligned by a few millimeters and my finger isn't working right. My doctor prescribed physical therapy to fix it. Does anyone know where I should go in Chicago, what the wait times look like, or anything like that?

Thanks in advance. I’d really appreciate any leads—it's my dominant hand, and since I'm a musician, I desperately need this finger back in shape.

redangler2 said:I suffered a nasty fracture of my first metacarpal bone. After the initial treatment and having the cast removed, I've been left with a joint displacement of a few millimeters, which is starting to compromise my finger's functionality. As a follow-up, physical therapy has been prescribed. I was wondering if anyone could provide recommendations on where to go in Chicago, what the current waiting lists look like, and any other relevant details.

Thank you in advance. I would truly appreciate any guidance, as this happened to my dominant hand. I am a musician, so maintaining the best possible condition for this finger is absolutely vital for me.

My own experiences with physical therapy through Medicare haven't been particularly positive (though perhaps someone else here has had better luck), but given the circumstances—and assuming there is the financial means to do so, of course—it wouldn't be a bad idea to seek private care. For what it's worth, I highly recommend Dr. Zugaj; he is incredibly dedicated and always makes himself available to his patients.🙂)

redangler2 said:I had a nasty fracture of my first metacarpal bone, and after they took the cast off, there’s still a displacement of a few millimeters in the joint. My finger's functionality is pretty much up in the air right now. As follow-up treatment, I've been prescribed physical therapy. Can anyone point me toward a good clinic in Chicago? What are the waiting lists like?

Thanks in advance. I’d really appreciate any leads—it’s my dominant hand, I’m a musician, and I absolutely need this finger back in top shape.

I just finished rehab at the Božidarević clinic. Look, the building itself is a total wreck, but I wasn't an inpatient, so I was just going there for outpatient sessions. The PTs were fantastic, the orthopedists were great, and the surgeons were top-notch. Honestly, for outpatient stuff, I don't think there are even waiting lists; you just head out from home for whatever exercises they prescribe. That's how I did it, anyway. Maybe try a spa resort next?

Speaking of continuing rehab, does anyone have experience with spa resorts for actual medical recovery rather than just a vacation? Both of my lower legs were amputated, so I'm currently using crutches, and my orthopedic surgeon recommended a specialized retreat. I'm torn between options in the Midwest and maybe somewhere in Colorado... Any experiences? I'd be grateful for any input...

I have zero clue what this kind of therapy would run me at a private practice, and since I'm just a student, I doubt I could even swing it. Any leads are appreciated—thanks for the tip about Božidarević's.

Morgan Palmer4 said:Since we're talking about rehab, does anyone have experience using hot springs specifically for physical therapy rather than just a vacation? I've had both my lower legs amputated, so I'm currently getting around on crutches, and my orthopedic surgeon suggested some thermal spas might help. I'm torn between checking out places in Colorado or maybe somewhere in West Virginia... Any thoughts? I'd really appreciate any insight you guys can share...

Both of those facilities have pretty solid, well-oiled teams when it comes to their rehabilitation programs.
Given what you're dealing with, I'd say your best bet is to pick whichever one gets you in the door faster—getting started sooner will definitely make the whole training and treatment process more effective. 😉

redangler2 said:I had a nasty break on my first metacarpal, and after they finally took the cast off, my joint is still misaligned by a few millimeters—it’s actually making my finger function pretty sketchy. My doctor prescribed physical therapy to fix it. Does anyone know where I should go in Chicago? What are the waiting lists looking like right now?

Thanks in advance. I'd really appreciate any leads... it's my dominant hand, and I'm a musician, so I seriously need this finger back in decent shape.

If you head over to the clinic on Drašković, I don't think the wait is too bad. As for the one on Baštijanov, from what I know, you can usually grab an appointment with the doctor immediately and start therapy as soon as you show up with your referral.

Not sure if you can use your Medicare at Medikol—I can't quite remember what a friend told me about it—but honestly, your best bet is just to give them a call and ask.

Can you tell me anything about how effective those treatments actually are? You can go through Medicare at Medikol, but I’d be looking at waiting until maybe mid-to-late May. Not sure if sitting on a waitlist like that messes with the end results, though I'm guessing timing matters.

A friend of mine went to Drašković, while I headed over to Baštijanov. Since we were both getting pretty much the same treatment, I don't think there's a huge difference between the two. Honestly, I can't really speak to the quality since I've only dealt with Baštijanov—nothing else to compare it to. 🤷

Does anyone happen to know of a decent physiatrist in Washington, D.C.? And does anyone have a rough idea of what the wait times look like lately? I've heard some things about Quest Diagnostics, and I also heard that Arthur Andersen operates as a private clinic—though apparently, they still accept referrals through insurance.