BG Medical Random Question Thread

[mallister]

Just wanted to give an update on this. I was able to reschedule my appointment to this past week due to a cancellation, so we were able to come up with a gameplan moving forward. I also saw my MRI, and instead of the normal circular shape, my spinal canal was a triangle with each side curving inward (think 3 semicircles). I'm currently scheduled for a steroid injection, and if (when, if my history is any indicator) that doesn't help we go back to the drawing board.

i've had terrible luck with injections as well. they won't even try them anymore, which is fine by me. terrible experience and it's not really supposed to be that bad. best of luck to you.

[Meresgi]

Mom found out she has 70% blockage in right artery apparently last week. She was on statins but the side effects were too much for her and she has been on and off. I told her there are shots for it though so hoping she's able to get those. From what i'm reading they can do surgery for 70% but you run the risk of a piece getting broken off and possibly causing a stroke? Assuming that's the only solution to this.

[Outlaw]

Right artery where? It depends. My Mom worked in surgery as a PA for most of my life and did a lot of cardiovascular stuff. She is not a fan of procedures for partial blockages because yes, there is is chance of a piece breaking off. I know this because over the years tons of people have asked her for advice on exactly this type of thing. There are other options.

Do not take my word for it though. Have her go see a cardiologist.

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[kuronosan]

If you're talking about the right carotid artery generally there's a risk but you'll need a referral to a vascular surgeon who can discuss that. Sometimes they can dilate if it's stenosed but otherwise endarterectomy is what's curative and carries lower risk for aneurysm.

And honestly the risk of stroke without intervention is much higher long term than that of an endarterectomy. Every surgery has its risks.

[Meresgi]

Right artery where? It depends. My Mom worked in surgery as a PA for most of my life and did a lot of cardiovascular stuff. She is not a fan of procedures for partial blockages because yes, there is is chance of a piece breaking off. I know this because over the years tons of people have asked her for advice on exactly this type of thing. There are other options.

Do not take my word for it though. Have her go see a cardiologist.

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Yeah she has an appt with a cardiologist soon thankfully. I told her any procedure she needs done i'll fly back to NY and drive her to some place that's not a shithole (aka upstate NY).

[mudblood]

If you're talking about the right carotid artery generally there's a risk but you'll need a referral to a vascular surgeon who can discuss that. Sometimes they can dilate if it's stenosed but otherwise endarterectomy is what's curative and carries lower risk for aneurysm.

And honestly the risk of stroke without intervention is much higher long term than that of an endarterectomy. Every surgery has its risks.

What about TCAR surgery? My mom had a stroke a few years ago due to her right carotid artery becoming 100% occluded. A year ago during her yearly ultrasound, her doc discovered that the artery had actually become unblocked. He said he had never actually seen that happen before.

From there, he suggested (and ended up doing) TCAR surgery on her. What I found particularly interesting about the surgery is that they actually reverse the flow of your blood so that blood is routed away from your brain so that any break-off can be caught somewhere around your leg. I'm not a medical expert, just a regular person who read up on the surgery, but I found it very interesting. Routing the blood flow away from the brain, for better or for worse, made me feel a little less apprehensive about the whole thing.

[kuronosan]

TCAR carries risks as well, much like any arterial procedure, but yes theoretically the risk would be much more reduced if it were used. They would be great questions for the vascular surgeon doing the procedures. A cardiologist is a boon of information but a surgeon is going to have far more experience and insight.

[Meresgi]

Not sure if there's a chart or something somewhere, but mom was asking to check on average blockage for a 63yr old woman. TCAR sounds promising as well so forwarded that info onto her to discuss with cardiologist, thanks for the info.

I forgot she got back to smoking but is quitting again and thankfully down to 5-6 a day. Hoping this spurs that on a bit faster. Told her i'll just get her weed gummies to help deal with stress lol

[mudblood]

Not sure if there's a chart or something somewhere, but mom was asking to check on average blockage for a 63yr old woman. TCAR sounds promising as well so forwarded that info onto her to discuss with cardiologist, thanks for the info.

I forgot she got back to smoking but is quitting again and thankfully down to 5-6 a day. Hoping this spurs that on a bit faster. Told her i'll just get her weed gummies to help deal with stress lol

Honestly not sure re: charts/averages and such but I do have my anecdotal experience with this. My mom was about 56 when she had her stroke and was a very heavy smoker and drinker. After her RCA became 100% blocked, they checked the other one and it was at about 50%. The vascular surgeon she saw said they wouldn't want to do surgery until she reached about 80-85% blocked. This could have been due to her medical history - I don't know all of the factors that were at play in his statement. In the three years since her stroke, she 100% stopped drinking and smoking and her left carotid has remained at just about the same percentage. She doesn't have a perfect diet (she's not obese, may be a little overweight), but the lifestyle changes she made regarding her smoking and drinking seem to have had a hugely beneficial impact.

[kuronosan]

Honestly not sure re: charts/averages and such but I do have my anecdotal experience with this. My mom was about 56 when she had her stroke and was a very heavy smoker and drinker. After her RCA became 100% blocked, they checked the other one and it was at about 50%. The vascular surgeon she saw said they wouldn't want to do surgery until she reached about 80-85% blocked. This could have been due to her medical history - I don't know all of the factors that were at play in his statement. In the three years since her stroke, she 100% stopped drinking and smoking and her left carotid has remained at just about the same percentage. She doesn't have a perfect diet (she's not obese, may be a little overweight), but the lifestyle changes she made regarding her smoking and drinking seem to have had a hugely beneficial impact.

The guidelines say no interventions below 70-80% stenosis just because of surgical risk/benefit.

[Meresgi]

Honestly not sure re: charts/averages and such but I do have my anecdotal experience with this. My mom was about 56 when she had her stroke and was a very heavy smoker and drinker. After her RCA became 100% blocked, they checked the other one and it was at about 50%. The vascular surgeon she saw said they wouldn't want to do surgery until she reached about 80-85% blocked. This could have been due to her medical history - I don't know all of the factors that were at play in his statement. In the three years since her stroke, she 100% stopped drinking and smoking and her left carotid has remained at just about the same percentage. She doesn't have a perfect diet (she's not obese, may be a little overweight), but the lifestyle changes she made regarding her smoking and drinking seem to have had a hugely beneficial impact.

Good to know, she is seeing cardiologist today. Concerned that they referred her to a surgeon that's different then the one she was speaking to earlier. At the same practice but can't find info on them beyond a single 1 star rating on Healthgrades. Granted some of those ratings are biased just to "Appointment took too long" which is typical of any doctor. Wish I had access to NPDB to look them up. I gave her a list of a handful of vascular surgeons around the Upstate NY area (Albany-ish) to look into as well as some in Springfield MA that came up.

[kuronosan]

Sorry, we can only self query or an organization can request a report.

[Buffy]

Is there a legal way to pursue an adderall prescription as a "I want to see if this helps me" approach/attempt?

[Richybear]

if not, just talk to a guy named Matt in apartment 2b, he'll hook ya up

[Gredival]

Is there a legal way to pursue an adderall prescription as a "I want to see if this helps me" approach/attempt?

ADHD diagnosis is really easy to obtain

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[kuronosan]

Sure, perpetuate the bullshit that is causing shortages for people that actually have it.

[mallister]

ADHD diagnosis is really easy to obtain

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Unless you have kaiser insurance, in which case they fight you tooth and nail even after you get pissed and go outside of coverage on your own nickel and get a diagnosis. Then they fight and refuse to give an outside referral, to the point i had to file a formal complaint.

[Salodin]

ADHD diagnosis is really easy to obtain

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What's the secret sauce?

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[kuronosan]

Pretend you're an idiot or see a nurse practitioner who is desperate for patients.

[Meresgi]

Unless you have kaiser insurance, in which case they fight you tooth and nail even after you get pissed and go outside of coverage on your own nickel and get a diagnosis. Then they fight and refuse to give an outside referral, to the point i had to file a formal complaint.

Kaiser fucking sucks at anything psych related. My gf has it and can't find a therapist to talk to that isn't multitasking while driving their kids to school during their session or is basically like "You're boring meeeeee". My own therapist has told me a few times how bad they are.

Is there a legal way to pursue an adderall prescription as a "I want to see if this helps me" approach/attempt?

*Opens trenchcoat with a years supply of adderall I got a few months ago* oh wait you said legal haha. Probably better to talk to someone and get a correct diagnosis but if you're wondering if it will "help" in terms of focusing then yes, it helps everyone basically with that I think. Though it's purpose with ADHD is just to bring you more in line with how most people commonly tackle attention based activities and time management (most being not that many honestly)