Have you or a family member/friend ever felt sick for weeks and couldn't get a diagnosis?

[BrianNole777]

What happened?

My buddy lives in a small town in Pennsylvania and has felt sick for weeks. He's been to the doctor a bunch and they can't find a reason.

I doubt the doctors in his small town are world class but I can't know for sure. I thought it could be Lyme disease since he lives in a wooded area.

He's financially well off and I recommend he rent a hotel room in New York City and check into a world class hospital.

Has this ever happened to you or someone you know? What happened?

 

[Moral]

My dad had a hell of a time getting diagnosed for rheumatoid arthritis. The lady had a hell of a time getting diagnosed with celiac disease. They both basically had to keep going back sicker and trying different doctors until they figured it out. It wasn't a fast process. It was over a year for each one.

I would try to figure out if what he has going might align with a condition someone else in the family has which may or may not lead to clues. That's how my sister got her rheumatoid arthritis quickly diagnosed.

 

[lonestar50]

Before I met my wife (no pics) she would get pounding headaches, vomiting. doctor's just thought it was migraines but she knew it was not migraines. Finally on a trip to the ER the doctor there has just gone to a conference on pseudotumor cerebri and diagnosed her with that. Without that doctor she may still be fighting to get it diagnosed correctly.

 

[BrianNole777]

My dad had a hell of a time getting diagnosed for rheumatoid arthritis. The lady had a hell of a time getting diagnosed with celiac disease. They both basically had to keep going back sicker and trying different doctors until they figured it out. It wasn't a fast process. It was over a year for each one.

I would try to figure out if what he has going might align with a condition someone else in the family has which may or may not lead to clues. That's how my sister got her rheumatoid arthritis quickly diagnosed.

How are your Dad and lady doing now?

 

[Finance85]

What happened?

My buddy lives in a small town in Pennsylvania and has felt sick for weeks. He's been to the doctor a bunch and they can't find a reason.

I doubt the doctors in his small town are world class but I can't know for sure. I thought it could be Lyme disease since he lives in a wooded area.

He's financially well off and I recommend he rent a hotel room in New York City and check into a world class hospital.

Has this ever happened to you or someone you know? What happened?

Did you ask your buddy if he was up to date on all of the jabs?

 

[Moral]

How are your Dad and lady doing now?

Good, I'm worried my dad will be pretty sad once Caitlin Clark is done at Iowa.

 

[Aardvark86]

Did you ask your buddy if he was up to date on all of the jabs?

jesus, finance, don't feed the animals.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

My brother was sick for a couple of months before they finally figured out he had prostate cancer that had gotten into his bones. He died a year later.

59 years old. He didn't have a PCP, so no one told him to start getting labs and things like a colonoscopy once you hit 50.

 

[Finance85]

jesus, finance, don't feed the animals.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

 

[bagdropper]

Been dealing with a sinus issue for 4 months now. Just saw an ENT last week and she prescribed more of the same (antibiotics and steroids) plus a nasal wash thing (that's new) and I'm getting a CT scan next week.

I feel a bit better, my hearing has improved, my senses of smell and taste seem to have improved slightly...but I'm still far from normal.

Unfortunately the cure (meds) are making things tough on my stomach.

Returning to normal...sheesh, almost forgotten what normal is any more. And no, never tested positive for Covid.

 

[Aardvark86]

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

next thing you know, you'll be asking whether the guy went to weekly mass.

 

[BrianNole777]

****Update****

He thinks it's a back/spine injury.

I recommended he go to a spine institute.

CSB.

 

[Aardvark86]

****Update****

He thinks it's a back/spine injury.

I recommended he go to a spine institute.

CSB.

...and here you were going to squander his life savings at an academic medicine institution.

 

[BrianNole777]

...and here you were going to squander his life savings at an academic medicine institution.

They have a spinal institute.

He makes $10K a week. He can afford it.

 

[Aardvark86]

They have a spinal institute.

He makes $10K a week. He can afford it.

I'm sure you know this, but 10k a week is well below the run rate for "Non-Specific Symptom Syndrome" in a teaching hospital.

 

[BrianNole777]

I'm sure you know this, but 10k a week is well below the run rate for "Non-Specific Symptom Syndrome" in a teaching hospital.

He has health insurance, too.