Gastro-Intestinal Help

Go Vegan! Had the same sort of symptons w/IBS and it cleared in a week!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Salsawonder @ Jun 26 2006, 11:17 PM) [snapback]277167[/snapback]</div>

geez, there's enthusiasm....! heck, might as well tell her to expect THIS:



A vintage glass syringe...

... you know, the kind that were re-used and needed SHARPENING.... h34r:

speaking of which, hey docs, what's the largest gauge syringe used to draw blood? excluding intubation-esque devices....?

hey, wait a minute, i just thought of a new band name!

Large Gauge Syringe

B)

 

The old nusing way of deep sympathy and "there, there dear" never set well with me. I am a get your a$$ out of bed and get healthy type of nurse.

22-20 gauge is used most commonly for IM injections, 25 and above for things like insulin and PPD testing (TB). I think most blood at the blood bank is drawn with a 14-16. The larger the number the smaller the needle, the smaller the number the larger. Not sure what the largest bore is though, haven't worked in the hospitals for a while.

I do remember my mom sterilizing the needle every month so she could give her mother a Vitamin B12 shot. Old medical equipment is cool!

When I first used to keep this in my office people would think it was a shot glass that got too close to some heat. I wish I had one of the colored ones but this one is cool.

 

I am going to add my two cents, even though this probably is not your case (but it will make you stop procrastinating).

My dad spent the last 5 years with bad gas from both ends. It got worse as time went on. After 5 years of this, he was unable to eat or drink anything at all because he had begun throwing it right back up. He was in sevier pain. We kept telling him to GO SEE A DOCTOR! He would not. He procrastinated, and for a month he literally starved.

FINALLY he broke down and we forced him into the doctor's. The doc took blood and X-rays. And came back and said "You are going straight to the hospital RIGHT NOW! Surgery is tomorrow morning. You will be dead in two weeks in your current state". He nearly died that night in the hospital.

He was informed while still at the doctor's office that he is in Stage 4 (which means he's terminal and will NOT survive) of colon cancer, and has been for a LONG time. It has spread everywhere in his body. Had he not procrastinated and brushed it off as "just indigestion", he would have a possibility of survival. But because he did not get medical help while he still could, he now has less than a year left before he dies. He is only 56.

Now, GO SEE A DOCTOR!!!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Jun 26 2006, 08:31 PM) [snapback]277174[/snapback]</div>

I'm not sure what the largest needle is, but by far the most painful is the square needle Navy Corpsmen threaten to use during "certain" medical procedures. :blink:
http://outskirtspress.com/cgi/webpage.cgi?ISBN=1598000020

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Starbug @ Jun 26 2006, 10:25 PM) [snapback]277232[/snapback]</div>

NOW!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Jun 26 2006, 03:40 PM) [snapback]277018[/snapback]</div>

Beat me to it... That's my medical $0.02... That makes 3 MDs saying get your tail to one.

 

Whenever I need something i just call my regular doctor. He then makes whatever referrals are necessary and can get me in to places quickly instead of my waiting months... plus I use him to interpret whatever the specialists find in terms of my total health status. I think of him as my "health quarterback".

 

So far, no one has brought up the alternative to the doctor.....

SuperColonBlow.....

In a sauce pan, put in a variety of chilies and peppers. 1 can of refried beans, and 2 cups of chopped broccoli.

Warm that up, stir it well, then eat it... all of it....

wait 30 minutes.

Eat 2 cups of dried prunes and drink 2 large glasses of room temperature water (fast)..

Wait 45 minutes and see what happens.

Somethin's gotta give...

Ok, now go see the Dr....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SCDrJ @ Jun 27 2006, 04:59 PM) [snapback]277703[/snapback]</div>

Make it 4 MDs.

An internist or family med doctor probably encounters this 3 times a day.
You don't need to start with a specialist.

Starting with a specialist is like, well, buying a full-service "tune-up" from
the most expensive shop in town, when all you might need is an oil change every 5000 miles.

Or something like that.

 

Unfortunately, this is an area where I have had much experience. Four years ago, I had symptons with acid reflux to the point is was causing Asthma like symptons. I had the surgery where they wrap part of your stomach around your esphogis. This was one of the best choices I made in my life. The surgery was difficult for several months, but I have fully recovered.

My only problem now is that little air comes out as a burp, but I have plenty of gas coming from the rear. This can cause problems in public, but I feel better. I would be glad to discuss further if you are interested.

Gerds disease is a serious matter along with colon cancer, don't mess with this and get professional advise.

---Kent

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Punkinann @ Jun 27 2006, 10:34 PM) [snapback]277806[/snapback]</div>

Also, you are always better off seeing a generalist first, because otherwise you are starting off by doing self-diagnosis. You symptoms sound like like an upper GI problem, maybe acid reflux like I have- but they COULD be something else. As someone mentioned- possibly a cardiac problem. A good internist/family MD can assess what the problem area is and then direct you to the proper specialist.
Most specialists I know (at least in areas such as GI, pulmonary, endocrine, etc.- not obvious specialization areas such as ophthalmology) require a referral from a primary physician, and many insurance plans require it as well.

I was thinking that the MDs here could start a forum on PriusChat- but I guess you couldn't really do much more on the internet anyway than say, "see a doctor"

 

The favorite game we had in medical school was "guess the diaginosis" on this new show on TV Program that was on "Mucous Weelbe MD" You got 10 points for the first correct diagnosis of the patients of the weeks problem and one point for the first person to point out each medical mistake made, like putting up the chest film back wards on the viewer. It was one night we cut loose and imbibed together. Beer was involved and good times were had by all. It was a very necessary release, trust me. I guess that dates me. My advice is get help and move up the food chain if you do not get help and answers! You need some one who will spend the time to work it out. I will take a lottery number on GERD, but they taught me to be on horses not zebras. Medical people are bad. or good I guess, sometimes, maybe. In the end most of us try.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Salsawonder @ Jun 26 2006, 08:17 PM) [snapback]277167[/snapback]</div>

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!

(Although I don't wish a barium enema on ANYONE--been there, done that, never want to again.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Jun 26 2006, 03:40 PM) [snapback]277018[/snapback]</div>

actually was going to suggest the same. my gf had her gall bladder removed on June 2nd. many of her symptoms were similiar. do you notice more discomfort when eating foods higher in fat?? she was reduced to eating rice and broth for the two weeks it took to get to surgery. anything that had fat in it caused her to double up in pain. everything she ate hurt, but the higher the fat the greater the pain. (torture for someone addicted to Dairy Queen!!)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(heliotropehead @ Jun 28 2006, 06:28 AM) [snapback]277998[/snapback]</div>

good luck on your diagnosis. i dont know if this is an option for you, but here, you can get assistance with medical procedures no matter what your level of income. my gf just had her gall bladder removed and it will cost her about $5400 for the surgery alone. (she was unknowingly recently removed from her parents insurance plan because of her age) we found out after the fact that we could have applied for assistance and gotten some relief despite having a decent income. a co-worker had a procedure that cost her $3500 out of pocket (she had no coverage either, hadnt worked long enough to get medical yet) the state paid $1100 and based it on her income and living situation.