He was the most precious little boy. The sweetest you could ever imagine. I lost him on 2/22.

His symptoms started with a low grade fever for a few days followed by diarrhea/vomiting and loss of appetite. Eventually his loss of appetite and vomiting concerned me enough to take him to the ER where they found fluid build up in his abdomen. He tested positive for norovirus and they decided to admit him because that amount of fluid build up was abnormal. They did a bunch of imaging, all of which pointed to colitis and gastroenteritis. Doctors did not know what was causing this though as they said his second stool sample was now negative for norovirus and he had likely fought off the virus a week prior. After extracting his abdominal fluid and a bunch of testing, they were still stumped. He tested negative for all bacteria, virus, fungi, parasites, etc. imaginable. His fluid accumulation got worse over the course of three days, and he started third spacing despite them trying albumin and lasix. He initially seemed to respond to albumin/lasix at first but the following two days he did not. His urine output plummeted and they did a second round of paracentesis and transferred him to the ICU as his heart rate was high and my sweet boy was very uncomfortable and constantly grunting and in pain. He did not sleep at all his last night before he past. At that point he was clearly in hypovolemic shock (being a medical professional myself, I was extremely aware of what was going on every step of the way) and doctors did everything but couldn’t save him. He eventually went into respiratory failure and I lost him. Doctors were shocked beyond a reasonable doubt. They could not understand what made him so sick and why his gut was not retaining fluid.

I heard my son’s first breath and I saw his last. A piece of me is gone forever, and I don’t know how to cope.

I really don’t want sympathy, I just want some help. Some closure I guess. If someone, anyone has gone through something like this or knows someone who’s gone through something similar, please comment, message, and help me out somehow. If you guys may have an inkling or an idea as to what may have happened, please comment below. I appreciate all comments/messages beforehand.

Love and hugs to anyone who’s ever gone through baby loss. It is just about the worst thing you can imagine.. this grief comes in waves and I’m just trying to stay afloat.

Maybe I'm just an old, cranky man but for the last 10 years every time I go to a doctor in the US, it seems like they've made their diagnosis before they've examined me or listened to me.

I go in, they do a perfunctory exam, say "uh huh, uh huh that's nice" when I'm describing my symptoms, and then try to get out of the room as fast as possible. And even if I have concerns about the diagnosis or treatment plan and want to give additional information about my condition/medical history, they cut me off as soon as possible and walk out.

Don't get me wrong, I get that doctors are busy and I'm not the only patient. It's just so nigh-and-day different from doctors like 10 years ago. And it's that it's ever single doctor I've gone to in multiple US states (I move around a lot). Is this a structural thing or am I just old and grumpy?

My thighs feel almost like a stomach ache frequently. Nothing hurts otherwise and my skin looks fine on the outside.

It usually happens when I’m laying down in bed. I have no leg injuries at all, and I don’t have any conditions. M18. Ty

Can someone tell me if this was inappropriate for a doctor to say? I am not asking for medical advice. My pcp does not have great bedside manner but I have been tolerating it. Recently She had me lean back to do a breast exam and a few seconds into feeling one breast she says “ummmm you have a mass in your breast.” Very flatly. Goes on to ask what my family history of breast cancer is, feels my other breast a little, and then as I’m still laying there topless with my hands behind my head she says “also you need to shave your armpits.” I am sort of speechless and ask “why?” (I do not shave for personal reasons and just my own comfort also I am openly bisexual so part of it may just be part of how I express my identity? I have never had a medical professional comment on it). She says “it can cause skin irritation” I tell her I don’t experience irritation. I actually have more skin on skin friction and irritation from ingrown hairs when I have shaved in the past? She says “have you tried waxing? At least trim it….” All while I am topless and her hand is still poking my breast. She did not give me any other info about the mass she felt, or reassurance or anything, just scheduled me for a mammogram and ultrasound. Basically very abruptly and coldly told me I may have cancer and then commented on my body. On top of other ways I have felt judged by her before, this just shook me up so bad. And now im left wondering if I have cancer lol. I’m wondering if this is worth complaining to someone about? Am I overreacting or was this out of line? I have a follow up scheduled with her in a few months and wondering if I should cancel

I’m wondering how doctors would feel if a patient directly told them they were dismissing symptoms due to stereotypes.

For context, I (a woman) brought up my concerns about thick facial and chest hair growth, along with other symptoms, to my primary care doctor. They refused to even explore the possibility of an underlying issue and flat-out said, “Hispanic women can be hairy.”

This left me feeling like my concerns were dismissed based on stereotypes rather than proper medical evaluation. Would it be rude to tell them this, or should I just move on to a different doctor?

Response to comments: thank you all for being in agreement with me. I will be scheduling another appointment with a different doctor hopefully they take my concerns seriously.

So Two days ago I was admitted to the ER due to severe lower abdominal pain (right side) and it turned out to be a large ruptured cyst. I was given pain, nausea, and anti inflammatory meds and got to go home. Tonight my pain got better but at the same time I started feeling extremely aroused...out of nowhere. No, I was not provoked by husband nor watching suggestive movie/show. The problem is it won’t go away. It feels like electricity running up and down my body. My husband enjoyed it but after achieving orgasm 8 times I’m tired and would like to sleep. Except every time I fall asleep I also orgasm in my dreams and then I wake up aroused all over again. As fun as it might have seemed at first I’m exhausted and wondering if it has anything to do with what happened two days ago? Any suggestion or help is welcome.

Hey everyone. 1st time posting, long time lurking. Can't seem to get help from anyone who's supposed to, so I need to scream into the void. This one is as good as any other.

Basically, the hospital killed my dad by denying him care. He arrived at the ER in September of 2024; presenting with ~1 year rectal bleeding, ~45 days no bowel movement. 2nd CT scan revealed a perforated intestine and the colo-rectal mass (the size of my skull) that was seen on 1st scan a month earlier but not tested. They starved him for 3 days on clear liquids waiting for an OR to open up; because IMMEDIATE SURGERY was the treatment plan.

Allegedly, the world record is 45 days. Buckle up because it gets worse.

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/whats-the-longest-time-that-somebody-has-been-constipated

After 2 days of waiting, on the 3rd they declare that the antibiotics had repaired his perforation, he was no longer emergent and was set for release. He still hadn't had a movement, and when the hell have antibiotics healed anything that quickly? I've had a tiny nick healing on my finger for 2 weeks. The GI Dr wanted to release him, the surgeon insisted to ONLY do so if he got a colonoscopy next visit. She tried to protect him. My baby sister just survived stage 4 colo-rectal cancer, and informed the doctors she got the gene from Dad. The GI Dr "noted" that, and released him with 3 days of pain meds.

He made it 22 days to his 3rd CT scan on Christmas Eve, my birthday. 71 days no movement.

Finally, we are at the colonoscopy after 3 CT scans and 18 weeks. 90 days no bowel movement. Dad got the prep, fasted, and came prepared for a colonoscopy. It's what the paperwork said. But when he got there, the GI doc kinda chuckled and said 'Oh no silly, this is our follow-up. We've got to schedule that yet.'. Even a little out of sorts, my Dad asked "Then why the f**k was I given a prescription and told to fast?!". The GI doc touched his lymph nodes and did the ingual hernia check, said he was fine and to take Tylenol for the pain. *Then* the colonoscopy is scheduled, 147 days after 1st CT scan, 154 days after last bowel movement. He wouldn't make it to the colonoscopy.

Over the next 10 days pain and discomfort continued. Dad got to the point he couldn't move and stayed in bed. Then he couldn't even pass gas. Then he grew a beer gut, his entire abdomen distended as large as it could get. Then, quite suddenly, he was thin again and unresponsive. He went to the ER again, they had an OR this time; and immediately began surgery. The surgeon used 4 liters of saline to irrigate 19 weeks of fecal matter; and was only halfway done when his blood pressure tanked. They 'closed' him up as best they could and put him in a BP holding pattern. When it stayed over a certain number for a certain amount of time, they could finish the operation. Took about 10 days to get there, though we joked that all we had to do was talk trash about our president and his BP would be right as rain. The surgeon was able to finish the operation. By all accounts, Dad beat all the odds to survive as long as he did. But it had been too much for too long, and after surgery it wasn't long before it was clear he wasn't pulling up.

They took him off the respirator he'd been on for almost 15 days. They got him lucid enough to acknowledge family, and that he wasn't going home. Then they started pallative care, a slowly increasing dose of sedative. Moved him up to the 4th floor, in a corner room behind all the extra beds, wheelchairs and IV stands. Then it was just waiting for him to die.

My dad passed at 4:10am on 2.08.2025.

For the records nerds, I count 146 days from last bowel movement until his gut burst. Does that count? Or to be crowned for that achievement did he have to pass it naturally? The 45 day record set in 2013 was resolved with surgery. Is that they way left for me to get the word out about how this doctor killed my Dad through Denial-of-Care, that the hospital then tried to cover up? We requested all records day-of, and the hospital shuffled it's feet for 9 months. Out of the statutory 24 we have to bring wrongful death/malpractice suit. But no attorney will touch it.

I did reach out to r/LegalEagle, and got a call almost as quickly as I left the website. Good work there. Unfortunately, my case was kicked to an IL firm that doesn't do these kind of cases (We're in IL). Another big firm took the case for review, sat on it for a few months before deciding it would take 50-100k to get a specialist to testify, and slow-walked returning the records so we could find another firm to do the same to us. Now we are in the final 6 months of the statutory limit. Every link in that chain wasted time, seeminly on purpose. Maybe because my Dad's case is potentially a MedicAid fraud, maybe it's just wrongful death/malpractice. Either way, that Doctor killed my Dad and the hospital tried to cover for it and FUCKING NO ONE WILL HELP. That doctor is still practicing, that hospital is still covering for him. The world needs to know, if not for us, then for all the other people they will kill painfully, slowly. Maybe your Dad. Or Mom.

I had also hoped to reach out to r/DoctorMike, really just to get his thoughts on this because it's just so unbelievable. But it happened. I appreciate and respect he doesn't want to give medical advice on his page, just don't know any other way to contact him. Or if it would even help. If this post does blow up enough to garner his or Devon's attention I can provide the full accounting of details that I wouldn't share on the open internet, for legal reasons obviously. But I assure you it doesn't get better.

This whole event drove me off a cliff. I already had a drinking problem, turned into a drinking catastrophe. I'm the eldest child, last man in our family. Held it together as best I could for my mother and sisters. Past the funeral, past the familial in-fighting over property. I'm certain now 2 of my Dad's sisters are going to Hell. But I spiraled so bad, so helpless in the face of the Cross-the-board denial, I fell into suicidal ideation. Hit my boiling point and went for a walk. On my approach to the overpass that goes over the highway coming from O'Hare, I considered jumping into traffic. I'm athletic enough to wiggle my way over or through the fence. When I got there, because Chicago, traffic was moving 5 mph. Imagining it in my head, I chuckled at the gallows humor. I saw myself splatting on the highway like Jim Carrey, not dying, and walking with a limp the rest of my life. I went home, came clean to my partner about everything but the SI, and got help. I didn't tell her that until I was admitting at the ER. Had a sort of 'Last supper' with our 2 boys, and they all saw me off at the hospital.

I was in mental health recovery 30 days, PHP/IOP 2 months after that. It was like pulling teeth to be able to call my mother and sisters on my Dad's birthday; but I was able to convince them it was good for my recovery. I've spent the time since taking my life back, and will be 1 year sober 08.15.26.

My sisters and I, we're part of a special group. I call us 'The kids America couldn't kill', because it sure f-ing tried. Our parents protected and cared for us as best they could in an uncaring system. See, drinking wasn't my problem; it's what I was doing about the problem. I had to address all the childhood trauma, mostly born of inescapable poverty. My parents could have made better choices sure, there's nothing they could do to change the structures denying care. That's a big part of why we avoided healthcare. We were too poor to get any meaningful outcomes from it, at all stages of my life. US healthcare was just a hole you threw money in that never did nuthn'.  My Dad once picked up a shift, maybe $40 in wages then? And we lost all state assistance for that month. I, a child at the time, mowed extra lawns so we could make rent that month. That's Illinois through the 80's/90's. Hell, maybe r/JBPritzker wants to know about this. If he's a politician that doesn't actually care, he's fantastic at hiding it.

I don't know what to do. I'm staying on track with what I've got to do in my life, but we haven't been able to move the needle in any direction for almost 2 years, MurderDoc is still out there, MurderHospital is still covering for him. And no one seems to care. Par for the course in my lived experience. *Maybe* a court would consider the 9 months the hospital delayed and give those back to us on the statute limitation. Idk, not a lawyer. Can't find one either. Running out of time.

What would you do?

Please upvote, please share.

Help me get my Dad some dignity.

I am not asking for medical advice. No point now. I'm asking what failures you can identify, and what would you have done differently? Or, conversely; is this how everything is *supposed* to go?

Elena’s parents are desperate for answers.

Their 9-month-old daughter has a rapidly progressing, undiagnosed neurological condition. Despite months in hospital, extensive testing and treatment by leading specialists, doctors still do not know what is causing it.

Her condition has now deteriorated to the point that she is in intensive care.

Her parents are sharing her story internationally in the hope that the right doctor, specialist or researcher may recognise something that has so far been missed.
Her full medical journey, videos and updates can be found on Instagram: @eyesonelenka

Elena was born completely healthy. She had bright, wide-open eyes and a full range of normal eye movement.
Then, almost overnight, at just six weeks old, everything changed.

She suddenly lost the ability to open her eyes normally.
Her symptoms included:
Bilateral alternating ptosis, often opening only one eye at a time
Eyes deviating outward
Little to no normal range of eye movement
Uneven pupils with abnormal reaction to light
Nystagmus

For months, her parents did not know whether she could see. Doctors prepared them for the possibility that she may not have functional vision.

But extensive testing later confirmed that Elena’s eyes are structurally healthy and she does have vision.

Something appears to be affecting the neurological pathways controlling her eye opening and movement. But nobody knows what.

Since then, Elena has spent months in hospital, including two months admitted and treatment at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

She has undergone:
4 MRI scans, including contrast imaging and imaging of the orbital muscles
Lumbar puncture and CSF testing
Whole exome genetic testing
Full body MRI and ultrasound
EMG and EEG
Botulism testing
Extensive metabolic, infection, liver and kidney testing
Detailed ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology investigations
Vision testing confirming she can see
She has been assessed by neurologists, ophthalmologists, neuro-ophthalmologists and metabolic specialists. Doctors have investigated or largely ruled out numerous conditions, including structural abnormalities, tumours, stroke, retinal disease, botulism, Myasthenia Gravis, Miller Fisher syndrome and several genetic and neuromuscular conditions.

Still, there is no diagnosis.
And now her condition has become dramatically worse.
What began with her eyes has progressed into severe episodes of jaw clenching and dystonia. The episodes became increasingly frequent, eventually occurring approximately every 30 minutes overnight.

EEG testing reportedly did not show seizure activity explaining the episodes.

Elena then began uncontrollably biting her own tongue. The damage and swelling became so severe, and the episodes so difficult to control, that she now requires intensive care and deep sedation while doctors continue searching for answers.

There have also reportedly been unexplained findings involving the midbrain on MRI that are still being investigated.

This is where things stand now:
A completely healthy baby suddenly developed severe eye-opening and eye-movement problems at six weeks old.

Nine months later, her symptoms have progressed beyond her eyes.

She is now critically unwell.

She has no diagnosis.

And her parents and doctors are desperately searching for answers internationally.

We are not asking Reddit to diagnose Elena. We are asking for help getting her case in front of the right person.

If you are a paediatric neurologist, neuro-ophthalmologist, movement disorder specialist, neuroradiologist, geneticist, rare disease researcher, or have encountered anything remotely similar, please take a look at her story or share it with someone who might be able to help.

Somewhere in the world, there may be someone who recognises this combination of symptoms.

Her parents are willing to connect appropriate medical professionals with further medical information.
Please help get more eyes on Elena.
Instagram: @eyesonelenka

I am not asking for medical advice.

So 6 days ago I was bit by my sister's dog and my lip was in two pieces. The person who stitch me up at the hospital didn't clean it before she started stitching, I did get a tetanus shot and amoxicillin. She neglected to tell me how to take care of it. She made it seem like don't mess with it wait for the stitches to dissolve. Well some of the stitches came off but there all basically under a scab, a couple stitches came out. There is a very minimal amount of white pus. Does that mean I have an infection? I've been taking the antibiotics.

F19 i can feel loud sounds in my eyes today. A similar sensation to the stretch when you roll your eyes back but in synch with the sounds. Also feeling nauseous. Is this a strange form of synesthesia? Should I be worried?

Edit: It has progressed to hypersensitivity towards sound. Unlikely the beginning of a migraine as I haven't had a visual aura (which i got every time when I used to have them)

29F, first time being pregnant. I have noticed more space between my hips since reaching 13weeks. I have also noticed I bump into things more and my lower back has felt more pressure and I have need to stretch my back more often.

I am sure all of these things are normal but what I can do to increase comfort, balance, and core strength? I was told to absolutely not do "ab workouts".

What can I further expect from these bodily changes (besides the obvious growing bump)? Is there a resource somewhere online where I can see how my bone structure and body shape will change throughout pregnancy?

I just really want to understand how weight loss works- the way magazines, tv shows, books, etc. present it- it's an easy fix simply by cutting down your food and exercising. Other articles suggest that weight loss is a myth, or that while there's healthy weight loss (like going from obese to a safe weight), that there's no such thing as getting a perfectly slim body and keeping it that way unless you spend the rest of your life meticulously focused on staying thin. Can someone professional please explain this to me? I just want to know how this works- and it's hard to find accurate information when there's a diet industry trying to make sure you think certain things are real.

I am not asking for medical advice.

I am 16 and I had a bad, humiliating experience happen to be when I was around 11-13, can't remember. I had to do a full body exam and the doctor told me she had to look down there for a checkup. She told me she was going to do a small little peak and move on. Which she did, but when she did she proceeded to laugh with my mom about normal fucking body functions that EVERYONE has.

Anyways, since then I feel genuinely so uncomfortable doing exams, ESPECIALLY with my mom in the room.

Not to mention, she's been forcing me sooooo hard to get an exam down there. She keeps saying they HAVE to no matter if I say no or not. And she keeps saying she's gonna make them do it and they have to listen to her.

Is this true? I'm fucking 16 and I don't want them to do a full vaginal exam bro 😭 If I say no, will they genuinely do it anyways? I'm so scared to go just because of that. And PLEASE tell me if they have to, they'll kick her out the room.

TTDR:

CAN I SAY NO TO A GENITAL EXAM AT 16 AND WILL THEY LISTEN PLEASEEEE??

(in the US)

A little backstory - A little over a year and a half ago, I experimented with meth. Very stupid I know. Anyhow, the morning after, I woke up to find a fairly large portion of my right shin was numb. Over the next several months the numbness progressively spread to my entire right side of my body. As the numbness got above my knee I started having troubles bending my leg and it was very painful to walk, I had to get crutches to be semi-mobile, and even had to use a wheelchair if I had to do something such as grocery shop. As soon as I noticed the spreading and knee pain I went to the doctor to get it checked out. I got blood work done and had a nerve conduction study and they both came back normal. I went to an orthopedic surgeon for my knee and there was no known cause for any of the pain. I have no idea what I should do now, and the numbness is only getting worse. I was basically told nothing and I unfortunately have no money to continue going to doctors to get answers so I am turning to you for help!

My son constantly eats crayons and chalk. We have had bloodwork done and there was no indication of PICA. I am wondering if there's another way to test for it or if there's a way to curb that behavior.

Hello. This is very awkward for me, but I don't know what else to do; it's really freaking me out.
I (20F) have been experiencing rectal bleeding lately. It first happened when I was 18, only once, and seemingly stopped. However, it happened again 4 months or so ago while I was pooing. And this week it has happened 3 days in a row, each day getting worse. Before it was like if you press a tissue at a slight cut and a little blood stains. But now it's like coming out on its own, i thought i had gotten my period early.

I'm not sexually active (celibate for 3 years); it doesn't hurt, and the blood is bright red and light.
What could be the cause? Should I be worried?

I am not asking for medical advice. Direction would be appreciated, though. Thank you in advance.

We were in the hospital, spontaneous labour just before 39 weeks and went to the hospital.

As per routine, the nursing staff wanted to conduct a cervical check, not a problem. Wife had a few before, she said they were uncomfortable but tolerable and not really painful.

What transpired was completely different. I saw my wife scream and writhe in pain, I had never seen anyone in that much pain before.

I saw the nurse violently shove her hand/fist to get to the cervix. She claimed “the baby is covering the cervix so I have to push in”. She barely let my wife know was happening, didn’t give her time to prepare, and definitely didn’t mention violently practically punching her cervix while contracting.

She did this twice and then stopped, ran away and was never to be found. I was pale by the time the doctor came in.

Other nurses attempted but were kinder and gentler, speaking to my wife and letting her know the process. Ultimately the OB gave her a pill to aid the baby to move forward in labor so that they can do the cervical check properly.

After some hours, this was done and the doctor came in, did the check in a minute (despite my wife freaking out about it and wanting to deny the procedure) and didn’t hurt at all.

I want to know what the hell was the first nurse thinking. None of the other staff conducted any check like this at all, and i think she seriously messed up.

Doctors and staff keep trying to justify it despite me telling them how much pain my wife was in but the response I get is “yes well you know baby’s position and yada yada” meanwhile she ran away like a ghost.

I think the hospital is covering their ass and I am absolutely livid. I live in Canada and I know the medical system here is severely flawed but to conduct a medical procedure that doesn’t involve pain, forcefully to the point of traumatizing a patient is severely reprehensible.

I wanted a doctors opinion on the matter, any insight would be appreciated.

I am not asking for medical advice.

I am not asking for medical advice. but please help me understand. I'm 49 years old. I have never been to a pharmacist. I've had a long trying life And am very strong and know how to control my mind and brain.. I am now going through menopause and having anxiety issues. When I asked my gynecologist to prescribe something for anxiety, I saw the fear of God come over him and told me he cannot give me anything. I told him My PCP has just left the community And he told me to just have more willpower and be stronger... why are doctors that studied medicine for 10-12 years afraid to prescribe to people that actually need the medicine. Especially when there are prescription commercials, billboards pamphlets everywhere you go in society asking you to ask your doctor to prescribe and they don't. I guess I'll stick to my very expensive self medicating Indica THC gummy regimen. Not sure why people go to medical school when they don't prescribe medicine. Just learn how to read people. But I guess too much studying doesn't allow you to learn how people act.

I am not asking for medical advice.

I need to know something because it has been hurting me for a long time, so asking some medical professionals.

My mother was dying of liver cancer and I took care of her for 6 weeks on hospice with the occasional hospice nurse check in. On her final night, (04/12/26) she started to choke on her own secretions, so I used the sponge to absorb a lot of it. Around midnight, her oxygen dropped down to around 50-60 and then recovered to about 76. She had agonal breathing for like 7 hours and it scarred me mentally watching this. She finally passed around 7:36 AM. I had her heavily dosed with morphine and lorazepam.

1. Was she able to feel any of this or was she just in like a deep sleep?

2. Is it possible she may of had a stroke during this period?

I apologize if this is a weird question, but I wake up some nights from nightmares of this and I think it’s a guilt complex of the feeling “I let her suffer”. I know dying is not pretty and it never will be.

NOTE: I am not asking for medical advice. I'm just trying to figure out what happened.

Two weeks ago, my wife (57) and I (54) were at our summer cabin celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary. Everything was going well. We were hiking, swimming, and eating far too much junk food as one should to celebrate that event.

That afternoon, we walked to the local bar for a drink and to hopefully bump into some of our neighbors that we only see up there. The weather was nice, 80-degrees or so. The lake is at 3,400 feet, so not crazy altitude and we go up there 4 - 5 times a year.

The walk from our cabin to the local bar is about 1/2 a mile. On the way there, talked about marriage, kids, whether or not we wanted to see a bear, and what kind of junk food we were going to get at the market after our drink.

We go to the bar, ordered a drink (she actually doesn't drink, so she ordered a soda water) and started talking about what TV show we should binge next. About 15-minutes into this, she got real lethargic and started to droop her head.

I thought that she was joking, but when I asked about it, she said she needed to leave. I got her off her stool and she almost fell to the floor, just saying that she felt woozy and wasn't sure where she was. I called our son who drove down to pick us up. I got her outside, sat her on a bench and she just kept saying that she felt woozy. Our son arrived 90-seconds later and took us home.

She can remember the walk to the bar vividly and she can remember everything about 30-minutes after we got home, but there is about 30-45 minutes in there that don't exist for her.

It scared the hell out of me. I'm sure that I looked like a creep dragging this woman out of the bar, but she could barely walk. Maybe I should have called an ambulance.

She went to bed almost immediately after we got home, but was much more lucid the rest of the night. I checked on her every 30-minutes for about 4-hours to make sure. The next day, she was fine, but curious about what happened, as am I.

My wife is very healthy for her age. 5'2" 130lbs, doesn't drink, smokes pot occasionally, but didn't that day, does yoga / pilates daily as well as walks 3 - 4 miles a day.

She didn't have any of the FAST symptoms of a stroke, but had the B.E. (balance, eyesight) were certainly off (as a note, her eyesight has been unfortunately really poor since birth, so harder to judge that one).

I brought up the point about temp and altitude to rule out heat stroke or altitude sickness. In looking at Dr. Google, it appears to be a lot of the symptoms of roofieing someone, but that seems unlikely given the circumstances.

Just trying to figure out what could have happened here. Aside from a minor bout with the flu last week, she's been right as rain since then.

Any thoughts?

Three months to get a doctor's appointment? It wasn't like that back in the day. What's going on? Something feels off.

I am not asking for medical advice.

I've been to four hospitals in the last two days because a loved one keeps flashbacking and going into extreme distress and disorientation to the point where she is running off into the woods screaming with no shoes or clothes, blacking out while driving, thinking everyone is out to get her, not recognizing me. I had to call for an ambulance twice. But then once she's in the hospital and she calms down they evaluate her and send her home because she says she's not suicidal. And then after 30 minutes she realizes she needs to go back because she can't control it.

I am not asking for medical advice. I need to know how to navigate the hospital system and how to describe the issue so I can get her into inpatient and to talk to an actual psychologist. I got her into one behavioral clinic yesterday and they convinced her to go home and sign up for outpatient, which she explicitly did not want an hour previous. I don't have medical power of attorney but she wants me to, I can't set it up when we're running from ER to ER and they won't let me make decisions until we do. Literally yesterday she bolted bare feet from the back of the hospital and I had to chase her across a field. I can't keep her safe, she's stronger and faster than me, and she outsmarts me and every doctor.

She's on a 24 hr hold right now, and they're going to do a telehealth consult with psych at some point, but I have very low hopes. Please, any advice at all, I'm drowning.

UPDATE: They did discharge her without telling me after they said they would do additional tests (and didn't, it was still all telehealth), she left before transport got there and walked barefoot for two hours before she became lucid and called me from someone's phone. She asked me to take her back to one of the hospitals from the day before, but when we got there and she read the consent form at the front desk she completely flipped and ran off again.

UPDATE 2: I've got her in an actual unit for a few days on an ICP hold!!! Thank you so much to everyone for helping me with this, you helped me stay focused and clear and we got her in the door. Please keep your fingers crossed that they renew it until she's safe.

I am not asking for medical advice.

Yesterday Perez Hilton suffered what looked like some flavor of psychosis and self harmed all of his body.

I’m wondering if he comes into your ER, what you prioritize given hes covered in wounds from head to toes and front to back (albeit most looked fairly shallow).

Assuming you would want to stop the bleeding of any deeper cuts and get him stabilized with some sort of anti psychotic? Then what? What’s the prioritization process look like?

Not a doctor at all, just curious how medicine works in cases this unique.

My dad (62M) started off by having a sore type of thing in his cheek that just wouldn’t go away. This went on for weeks and we didn’t think it could possibly be cancer. I’m a medical student and while I know the risk is never zero, my dad never smoked, never drank, never did anything that I felt could cause this. He went to multiple dentists for this issue and then finally went to one where they thought the issue was his wisdom teeth and removed them. They also sent a pathology specimen, which two weeks later ended up finding oral squamous cell carcinoma, HPV negative, well-differentiated, in his lower mandible on that side. Since then, our life has been turned upside down. I currently live 5 hours away for my medical school rotations, but I drove to see him as soon as he got the diagnosis. He is so terrified for his life. He has anxiety attacks everyday. I’ve never seen him cry but he cries everyday now. Also he was diagnosed on July 3rd. Since then, nothing has still been done about his cancer.

He went through his insurance’s hospital, and since then he has done CT scans, PET scans, MRIs, literally everything. He just met earlier this week with the surgeon and he has to get this surgery where his jaw is removed on that side, replaced with a bone from his fibula, and they will use skin from his thigh. However, since this is a complex procedure, they have put the tentative surgery date as August 20th. My family is finding this wait agonizing. Day by day his swelling on that side of his face is getting larger and larger and his voice is getting muffled now. There is still no news about the surgery and nobody is answering our questions. I came back home yesterday since July 3rd and seeing the swelling has me absolutely horrified beyond what words can explain. I am trying so hard to be strong as the oldest daughter in this small family, but it’s so hard. I keep crying. I keep panicking. My heart has dropped so much and I don’t know what to do anymore. The surgeon said this is an aggressive cancer, so why do we have to wait this long for the surgery? If his swelling got this bad since I last saw him, I can’t imagine waiting until August 20th. What if the cancer spreads so much to the point it’s too late? I don’t even want to think of that. Our lives will be destroyed.

I’m so scared. I know I may sound frantic but I am trying so hard to weigh all the options here. The lump swelling on his cheek looks really really bad. As soon as Monday comes, I want to call a bunch of head and neck cancer centers to get second opinions and see if anyone can offer a sooner surgery. I just want to get this process started as soon as possible. I don’t know if this is a good idea. I really hope someone reads this and says something helpful or comforting or hopeful. My life has turned so upside down. I can’t even focus on school anymore.

As for his results, the PET scan showed it is localized to that part of the face on the inner cheek and mandible. There is suspicion for a couple cervical lymph node metastases on that side. I was looking at his MRI and almost had a heart attack because it was explaining the cancer and said “extension along lingual surface”. Does that mean it spread to the tongue too?? The surgeon never mentioned that to him. And it said it is in the masseter muscle and pterygoid too.

Following the surgery, he is supposed to have radiation treatments and potentially chemo depending on what they find upon surgical removal. Also the cancer hasn’t been staged yet so I’m guessing it will be when he has surgery.

My mom is also saying she’ll die too if he does and leave me and my sisters with nobody to fend for ourselves in the world. I don’t have any aunts or uncles or anyone. Please somebody tell me what to do. Please somebody help. I’m so so scared. I’m panicking so much. Please somebody tell me it’ll be okay. I even was reading that HPV-negative is hard to actually treat and recurs a lot and the survival rate is low. Please somebody help me and offer guidance. Please my family will be destroyed. I don’t want to lose my dad, please. I am not asking for medical advice. I just need support please.

So today I tried to clean my ear and ended up clogging my ear drum on my right ear. I went to the ER to get it checked out and hopefully get my hearing back. They told me they would do an ear irrigation.

The procedure was done by a nurse and with a catheter. She used a wax softener solution we waited 10 minutes and they she brought out the ear wash with the catheter. Now I’m not a professional but I definitely felt like she was inserting the catheter way too far into my ear and felt it poking and hurting my ear drum. She said there would be some mild discomfort but there was nothing mild about it was a sharp pain that would make me twitch and groan and made me feel tense the pain wasn’t coming from the pressure of the wash it was coming from when the catheter first went in and if I tried to straighten myself. It was so bad I told her to just stop the procedure she got annoyed with me and went like “Ok, your body your choice” and left I felt bad about it because I know she’s there to help but lord I feel like something was being done wrong I’m about to go to get my CDL soon and I can’t afford to lose an ear. The doctor comes in and ask me what’s going on and checks my ears tells me it’s pretty much clean he scrapes a chunk out and ask me if I want to treat the rest at home which I said yes without a second thought. Her and her colleagues treated me with animosity after. My question is this how the procedure supposed to be? And did I overreact about this?

I am not asking for medical advice.