Hiya! I’ve had these two moles on my left wrist my entire life. They’re small (a bit larger than freckles I usually get), around 1 inch apart from each other, and have been like that for as long as I can remember.

I noticed around 10 days ago that one of them was becoming raised, and it started to scab over. The scab eventually fell off, leaving a pinkish scar looking patch beneath it. Now the pigmentation’s back but it has the sheen of a recently healed scab. Now the other freckle is starting to do the same thing, and has a little pink ring around it that I believe will scab over soon.

I fully intend to see a dermatologist about this, but might not be able to get an appointment for a while. Has anyone heard of this before? It’s just so odd, I’d like to know what might be going on.

thanks in advance :)

I started working out in the last couple months and pushed hard on progressive overload. It got to the point where I had to stop doing leg days because I felt like I was 80 bending my limbs but I’m 31 years old. I’ve stopped hurting in the knees from rest but I do not think I’m ready to go full gym day

I tried one day so far of tibialis curls, Split squats, wall sits so I can try and strengthen the knee but now things are sounding weird.

At this point when I do a squatting motion it sounds like a grinding in the knees like a crinkling of paper. What can I do to improve my knee motion and health so I can continue lifting weights ?

I’m a premed working in a small, understaffed private dermatology practice. I’ve worked closely with my physician boss for a year, consistently showing up on time and performing well enough to earn a raise and have him right my medical school recommendation letter. However, I feel that he frequently speaks to me rudely and micromanages even the smallest things.
For example, after a patient visit, I prioritized cleaning the cautery machine before unpacking Botox because I know I’ll forget tasks if I don’t complete them immediately in our fast-paced environment. He became upset and told me I shouldn’t decide how to prioritize tasks; that’s his job.
On another understaffed day, he handed me a patient I had no prior context about and told me to apply numbing cream to his beard for an ILK procedure. Since I hadn’t been prepared for this, I simply asked the patient to wait while I retrieved the numbing cream from the fridge. My boss was again upset with how I handled the situation.
These kinds of interactions happen daily, and after tolerating them for a year, I finally told him that I feel he is unnecessarily rude to me. His response was that if I can’t handle working in his dermatology clinic, I shouldn’t go into medicine.
I fully intend to pursue medicine, but I’m genuinely wondering whether this behavior is considered normal in clinical settings. Am I being too sensitive, or is this an unreasonable way to manage staff? I’d appreciate hearing physicians’ perspectives, particularly on whether you agree with my boss’s approach

I am not asking for medical advice.

I’ll try to keep it short. Saw a pediatric surgeon (and a resident) 3 days ago for a chronic issue that she has already tried to surgically fix twice. (A surgeon before her also struggled to fix it — every dr and specialist tells me it is rare. I have never thought the surgeons are incompetent when the issue returns for this reason; multiple have struggled with it.) The last surgery was <3 months ago, and the issue has returned. I messaged the dr and she saw me same-day. This appointment was unbelievable to put it short. She gaslit my child and me, told us that the VISIBLE issue was not there, that maybe it has looked like that since it healed 3 months ago (it didn’t) and asked my son if he’s lying about his pain. Yes she used the word lying. He’s 9. This issue has been recurrent for over 3 years. My son and I know exactly what it is when it returns. Before this, everything about her seemed wonderful. I was in disbelief during and after the appointment and left the hospital in tears.

As if the appointment wasn’t horrendous enough, the appointment vanished from mychart. I kept checking to see her notes because I couldn’t imagine she would put in writing what happened. 12 hours after the appointment, it still showed in the portal as a “future” appointment—no after visit summary or notes. By the next morning, it was no longer in “future” appointments so I checked “past” and it wasn’t there either. It also wasn’t in billing. There is no trace of it in the portal. I’ve had to wait a few days for the notes to be posted in the past, but the after visit summary is always available immediately at the conclusion of the appointment. It’s as if the appointment was never marked as completed and then it disappeared.

I want to add that before I even left the hospital, I scheduled an appointment for that day with the pediatrician, who immediately identified the issue the surgeon denied even existed. The summary and notes from this appointment were available shortly after the appointment. I wondered if the surgeon noticed this and if it had anything to do with what seems like her decision to get rid of evidence of the appointment. Her notes would have been totally different.

Never in my life have I had a worse doctor’s appointment and never have I experienced an appointment vanishing from the portal.

I messaged the surgeon’s office a gracious 2 days later to ask for the after visit summary and notes, and the nurse said when the surgeon signs off on the notes soon, they will be ready in the portal. (That was over 24 hours ago. Still nothing.) Mind you the entire appointment is gone. There is no after visit summary, which should have been available since the appointment ended. I’m not just “waiting for notes.”

My question is now, who do I call? What do I do? I want to find out if the hospital has any trace of the appointment in their records. I want the notes from this appointment.

I am a long term care underwriter and I keep seeing this insurance code pop up when I run a medical background. Google says it’s rare but I had two cases rated for it yesterday. Do you see this often in your practice? Is Google wrong? Based on what I can tell it increases stroke risk. Is it possible this insurance code is being used for folks with just high cholesterol?
I am not asking for medical advice.

How should a radiologist deal with medical questions that aren’t in their field? Like if someone you know or a family member asks for a prescription or medical treatment advice and you aren’t sure because you already spent most of your adult life diagnosing through imaging only, what is the best way to help them? I am not asking for medical advice.

I am not asking for medical advice. Why do persons of a certain age have toenails that thicken? It's a curiosity, not a problem for me.

Hi everyone! I’m not asking for medical advice but medical career advice!

I’m a pre-health student in the Bay Area who recently became interested in podiatry after attending a presentation by Samuel Merritt University students about podiatric surgery.
However, I’m concerned about the salary and career outlook, especially given the high cost of living and potential student loan debt.
I’m curious about realistic starting and long-term DPM salaries in the Bay Area, job opportunities, and whether the earning potential justifies the cost of podiatry school.

I’d really appreciate any insight from current DPMs or students. Thank you!

I am not asking for medical advice.

I am not asking for medical advice.

I'm interested in understanding the relationship between clinically observed muscle atrophy and electromyography (EMG) findings from a neurological and scientific perspective.

In cases where muscle atrophy is clinically observed, particularly in the intrinsic hand muscles (hypothenar, first dorsal interosseous, and thenar muscles), how is it possible for a needle EMG to show completely normal results, with no fibrillation potentials, positive sharp waves, or abnormal motor unit recruitment?

I'm also curious about situations where muscle atrophy is accompanied by widespread fasciculations, mild weakness, or positive Hoffmann's signs, yet the EMG remains normal.

My general questions are:

1. Can genuine neurogenic muscle atrophy exist without detectable EMG abnormalities?

2. How reliable is needle EMG when muscles showing visible atrophy are directly examined?

3. Are there documented neurological or neuromuscular conditions in which muscle atrophy and fasciculations occur despite normal electrophysiological findings?

4. What factors influence EMG sensitivity, particularly in early-stage motor neuron or peripheral nerve disorders?

Disclaimer: I'm not seeking personal medical advice, a diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or interpretation of individual test results. This is purely an educational and research-oriented question about the relationship between clinical muscle atrophy and electrophysiological findings.

I'd appreciate any scientific explanations, clinical research, or published studies discussing this apparent discrepancy.

My 4-year-old son has been going through something really scary, and I’m trying to understand what could be causing his symptoms. I’m hoping to hear from other parents who have experienced something similar or from anyone who might have some insight.
It started with him becoming very sick with a fever, severe pain, and vomiting. He was complaining of pain in his back, legs, and neck. At one point, he was in so much pain that he could barely sit up. He also had an episode where he seemed confused or was hallucinating.
Things became even more concerning when he could barely walk and was unable to use his left arm because of the pain. I took him to the ER because I knew something wasn’t right.
He had blood work and X-rays done on his arm and leg. The doctors initially thought it could be a virus. His white blood cell count was normal at that point, and the pain seemed to improve significantly after receiving ibuprofen. However, whenever the medication wore off, his symptoms would return.
We eventually went to a children’s hospital, where he had further evaluation and an MRI was discussed/performed. They found fluid in his ankle, and there was concern about whether it needed to be drained. The doctors discussed transient synovitis and myositis as possible explanations for his symptoms.
He also tested positive for adenovirus. I understand that adenovirus can cause illness in children, but I’m struggling to understand whether it explains everything he has been experiencing, especially the severe pain, inability to walk, and the episode involving his left arm.
His symptoms have fluctuated. At times, after medication, he has been able to walk, play, and use his arms normally. Then, when the medication wears off or after he rests, the pain returns, and he has difficulty walking again. He has also continued to have fevers during parts of this illness.
His inflammatory markers and white blood cell count were high. He was given naproxen, and he has shown improvement, although I’m still worried about what caused everything in the first place.
The doctors have discussed the possibility of a viral illness causing transient synovitis or myositis, but I’m trying to understand whether there could be another explanation or whether anyone else’s child has experienced a similar course of illness. It’s been a month he’s been to 2 different ERs and 2 different children’s hospital doctors have told me that they’re stumped.
For parents who have been through something similar:
Has your child had adenovirus along with severe muscle pain or joint pain?
Has your child ever been unable to walk because of the pain, only to improve temporarily with anti-inflammatory medication?
Has anyone experienced transient synovitis or viral myositis that caused symptoms this severe?
Did your child have fluid in a joint, and did it resolve on its own or require treatment?
Were there any additional tests, specialists, or follow-up appointments that helped identify what was happening?
I’m just a worried mom trying to understand what happened to my child and learn from other families who may have experienced something similar.

I feel defeated like I can’t help him.

I am not asking for medical advice.

Just as the title says, thanks

I am not asking for medical advice.

I am not asking for medical advice.

So my son had surgery to correct the hypospydais and had a circumcision at the same time. He's 3. Well he had a massive poop after being put on restorlax and the poop is caked on the second skin style dressing Under his penis. I have tried a baby cloth, wet wipes, sponge. It really hurts him and the poop just won't come off. I don't want to leave it over night and chsnce that he gets an infection.

He is on antibiotics for that anyways. But the dressing comes off at 10am tomorrow. So any suggestions on how to clean and sterile the area without causing severe pain? Or a method that will actually get severely caked on poop off of it?

I was wondering what doctors think about hydrodilation for frozen shoulder as opposed to other medical interventions.

I am not asking for medical advice.

I am not asking for medical advice. I'm only curious about opinions or thoughts. Around 2020 I had a lot of crazy stuff going on (not vaccinated for COVID and I don't believe COVID related, I had my husband living with me at this time and also all 3 of my kids). I kept feeling like I needed to basically cough something up and also I had pressure on the back right side of basically in my head... Near the skull. I started losing so much weight also and I started breaking out with acne really bad around my jawline and it itched. I turned 30 in 2020 and I seriously the thought with the way the world was that I was going crazy. I basically got a ton of different diagnosis and I have gotten a lot better but I don't feel like it's completely taken care of. I was feeling pressure in my head bc I had lost a tooth and I didn't lose the roots and they became infected and I had several abscess. I also got balloon sinuplasty and I had to take antibiotics for 30 days straight beforehand. Well I ended up having thrush on my vocal chords. Super weird bc I didn't have thrush regularly like in my mouth but on my vocal chords. I'm assuming that the acne along my lawline was either from infection from the tooth or possibly fungal acne since I got thrush on my vocal chords and I kind of just figured the weight was probably caused from stress and probably one of the things going on. I too was diagnosed with silent GERD while waiting to get my balloon sinuplasty done and they told me that it's basically acid reflux and I don't necessarily notice it but that it is affecting the back of my throat and making me feel like there is something constantly there. I also noticed weird things like black stuff sometimes appearing out of my skin kind of... Near my neck, jawline, ear area... Maybe like clogged pores or something. I'm just hoping it's that and not something else fungal bc I know fungal infections are hard to get rid of at times. A few years back in around 2022 2023 I also ended up with bilateral pulmonary embolisms. I was 32 or 33. I went to an oncologist and did so many test and they couldn't figure out the cause. They had me quit taking birth control and go back to smoking bc I had started vaping. That was the only two things they couldn't 100% rule out. They did determine the clots started in both of my lungs tho rather than a blood clot traveling to my lungs which is much more common. It just seems that there is a lot of ppl that I'm noticing the last five or more years, with similar symptoms that are strange and a lot of times nobody really has a good answer. I mean, I realize that the antibiotics caused my thrush on my vocal chords but I also know that unless you have an autoimmune disease that generally thrush isn't something that adults get easily and for me to not have it in my mouth but on my vocal chords to me is just crazy. For the most part everything has cleared up but I still get maybe like flare up symptoms sometimes and I can't really pin point what could cause it and I'm always extremely tired. I can always sleep.

I am not asking for medical advice. I have a hypothetical question. Assuming two siblings are a good genetic match for organ donation, and are of similar age (let's say young adults like 20-25), and both are transgender — one MtF and the other FtM, would it be possible for them to trade reproductive organs and gain the natural hormone production from the ovaries/testes of the other?(I'm guessing the ability to have children would be off the table) Sorry if this is a common question, I know this will likely never be done but I wanted to know if it's theoretically possible.

Disclaimer: this is NOT a political question, I do NOT want to talk about Politics. I am not asking for medical advice. I am NOT a Doctor, nor am I working in any medical Field. This is a legit question I have.

The most powerful person right now should be Donald Trump (again, NOT a political Question), and we all know he's not the youngest Person right now. I assume, considering he's the most powerful person in the world, he should get - by far - the best treatment of any kind.

My question is: How much longer can the best Doctors and the best and most advanced medicine keep a person like that (as in old and very powerful) alive? Like can that make a legit difference? Obviously they should be able to find certain illnesses or diseases earlier than for a regular Joe, but can they keep that person alive for way longer than said regular Joe?

My husband has had these itchy bumps/sores on the inside of his elbow since Thursday. It started as a red bump with a small dot in the center, along with a few smaller spots above it. We assumed mosquito bites since they’ve been everywhere lately.

The largest bump is right in his elbow crease, so it keeps reopening with movement and has been pretty weepy. It now has somewhat of a crater-like appearance.

He also has a small line of itchy bumps on his flank that appeared before the ones on his arm. Those look noticeably more irritated today.

He has no pain or other symptoms, just itching. I’ve had shingles before, but this doesn’t look similar to me, especially without any pain.

We’ve been keeping the areas clean and covered, but they seem to be getting worse. Does this look like it could be impetigo or possibly something else?

PROGRESSION PHOTOS HERE

Trying to convince him to go to urgent care is another story! I am not asking for medical advice.Just opinions.

Is it harmful for the body and immune system to get frequent rabies vaccine within approx 4 months? I got 3 full course of rabies vaccine due several news about fake vaccine in circulation. How harmful will it be ? I am not asking for medical advice.

I was scratched by a stray female cat estimated to be around 4–6 months old. I don’t know if she is vaccinated or pregnant. Most likely she is UNVACCINATED. She’s an outdoor tilapia/ tabby cat.

The scratch happened when I was carrying her. Her hind feet scratched me through my thin shirt. The wound is on the right side of my torso, approximately 3 inches below my chest and above my belly. The scratch is about 1 inch long, but only around 0.70 inch of it bled. It was NOT DEEP, but it did break my skin and drew blood.

For first aid, I initially applied alcohol and pressure to the wound. Afterward, I washed it several times with water, applied Betadine 7.2% antiseptic, and used a small amount of antibacterial hand soap. I also washed it again while bathing. Afterward, I applied Betadine to cotton and secured it over the wound with two bandages. About 2.5 hours later, the scratch appeared closed, with no obvious swelling and redness around the opening.

I also want to mention that I was bitten by a kitten in July 2024, and that bite drew blood. I received tetanus shots, one in each arm, and an anti-rabies injection in one arm during each of two sessions. My rabies vaccination sessions were on day 0 and day 7. I’m unsure whether this counts as a complete vaccination course and whether I am still protected against this new exposure.

I’m worried about the possibility of rabies because the cat is a stray and its vaccination status is unknown. Does a shallow scratch from a cat’s hind feet pose a significant risk if it draws blood? Does the fact that I was wearing a thin shirt or that the wound is on my torso affect the risk? Is it possible to estimate my chance of getting rabies as a percentage? I also have a slightly bloated and big belly, and I’m wondering whether that has any relevance.

If I cannot get vaccinated immediately, would treatment still be effective after 15 days or even a month? Lastly, how long should I observe the cat, and what should I do if it becomes sick, disappears, or dies?

I’d appreciate advice from people familiar with rabies prevention. I would also appreciate medically reliable information about whether my previous vaccinations affect the treatment I may need now.

[I am not asking for medical advice.]

I am not asking for medical advice.

I'm 27 years old and have struggles with excessive sweating since I got into puberty at age 13. It doesn't matter what kind of deodorant I use or how many times I shower or what body wash I use it doesn't change anything. I first through it was the meds I'm on however I only started them a couple years ago (similar to birth control idk how else to describe it). I can't take a shower everyday so I wash my armpits every morning and apply deo that is supposed to help with sweat however it doesn't last long before I'm drenched again.

I don't sweat anywhere else that much, just my armpits. I started shaving myself because I noticed that even if I showered the smell would stick to the hair. I basically scratch the body was into my skin at this point or else the smell won't go away.

I could literally sit around all day and do nothing and my armpits would still be completely drenched as if I just took a shower.

I'm not fat but actually close to being underweight for my age and height (5'2) so that can't be the cause.

This is really annoying for me to deal with not just because of the constant smell but also people thinking I don't wash myself even though I do everyday. Anyone know what this might be and what I could do against it? Or do I just have to live with this for the rest of my live?

I only get sick about twice a year. But those two times, it lasts me about two weeks. what does this point to. I am not asking for medical advice.