I know it is healthy to be paranoid

[Arrian]

Find a new doctor.

-Arrian

[Jon Miller]

I have been calling places off my insurance web site. Some are specialists....

Some are just not there.

Some are walkins... which I am not sure I want (I wouldn't be seeing the same doctor often, and I could wait for a long time to get in).

And some are booked until October.

I don't feel like I need to see a doctor this week... but still, this is a complicated process (I would like to see one by end of next week).

Anyone have any good ideas? I could call my insurance company.. but I dont' like insurance companies by default.

JM

[Lancer]

Try supplements

[Jon Miller]

I am not going to take supplements for something I am worried might be kidney or liver issues.

If it turns out to be nothing, I might look at taking supplements over the ace inhibitor. Or over cholesteral medication (But I doubt if I will need that, I really do very little of what should cause me cholesteral problems).

I have an appointment for 2 weeks. If I had answered affirmative earlier I could have had one for 1.5 weeks, ah well.

I could go into the walkin tomorrow if these spots (3, not circular) are too concerning, but I have had them a while...

JM

[Dulaak]

Supplements should never be used as a way to cure ailments. Most of them don't work, and some of them can be harmful.

[Jon Miller]

I view some 'supplements' not so much as trying to cure what ails you as stopping the problem that is causing the ailment in the first place (mainly, too much of one substance in comparison to another substance).

The 'supplement' I Am the biggest fan of is exercise.

Jon Miller

[Lancer]

To some extent, but certainly not always, medicines treat the symtoms and ignore the root cause. In your particular circumstance I would expect a doctor to prescribe a hydrocortizone cream, or some other such.

That would be good, perhaps get rid of the appearance of the problem. However I look at such stuff as your body trying to tell you something, and that something is often that the foods you are eating aren't providing what your body needs and so there is a sign, and that's what brought you here.

Jon, I think you're looking for a magic bullet, that's what most of us look for. You want to go to the doc and have him give you a pill that fixes everything and tell you it's all ok. This happens too! With my addison's, a hereditory adrenal condition, I was brought from death's door to normal within a week just by taking pills to replace what my body no longer produces.

However other things in life haven't been so readily fixed. I had a knee that was torturing me at work, felt like bone on bone intil I started taking glucosamine which gives my body the ability to rebuild the stuff that keeps the bone on bone thing from happening. That's a nutrient that acted as a magic bullet as within a week I was without pain at work.

So, go to the doctor and see what he says, but also consider my list of supplements. It may be that your bias against them is keeping you from better health.

I hope your doc understands this as it can be a big help. My doc at the veterans administration has advised me on supplements several times as well as medicine.

Use all the tools in your belt, eh? God bless.

[Nugog]

Man - I am soooo glad our health system is not like yours - if I had weird strange spots appearing on my body - if I could not see my doctor that day - I would be off to the hospital.

Doctor is about $40.00 - hospital is free.

[Lancer]

I've had spots, no big deal really. Hell of alot better than the stripes were.

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Nugog
Man - I am soooo glad our health system is not like yours - if I had weird strange spots appearing on my body - if I could not see my doctor that day - I would be off to the hospital.

Doctor is about $40.00 - hospital is free.

Oh, I could go to a hospital for free (pretty close at least) also. But they have been ther e(or not there) for several months. So waiting a couple days isn't going to hurt me.

And I don't want to look stupid if they are nothing (like one of my coworkers thinks).

JM
(I have good insurance, I don't worry about going to the doctor/hospital... I just don't like going in general, and I really don't like appearing stupid)

[Jon Miller]

Lancer, I don't want to take any pill. I want to get off the one I am on (high blood pressure). I do want to know, though, if there is something seriously wrong...

Especially because I am taking a pill (they have complications).

JM