#my sis has to undergo surgery in two weeks

[kilisworld]

Today has been... terrible.

[daisyfir98]

What Is Fat Freezing?

Cryolipolysis Archives

Content

Ask Dr Mark Jinks Concerning Coolsculpting.

Hi And Welcome To Norwich Face And Body Facility.

What Is My Skin Type And Just How To Take Care Of It.

One of the most typical problem is late onset discomfort, happening 2 weeks post-procedure, that solves spontaneously. Paradoxical adipocyte hyperplasia happens approximately 6 months postoperatively and also has actually been reported in 33 instances. Sensory change was investigated by Coleman et al.; six of the 9 topics had a transient decrease in feeling, which returned to normal after a mean of 3.6 weeks. Cryolipolysis is secure for all skin kinds, without reported pigmentary changes, as well as is secure for repeated application. Ferraro et al. recommend that people that require just tiny or modest quantities of fat and also cellulite elimination would certainly benefit most from cryolipolysis therapy. Contraindications include cold-induced conditions such as cryoglobunaemia, chilly urticaria, as well as paroxysmal cold haemoglobinuria. Cryolipolysis should not be executed in therapy locations with severe varicose blood vessels, dermatitis, or other cutaneous sores.

Body Wraps Purifying and also skin-smoothing, a body cover is a therapy that cocoons your whole body in a mix of herbs, important oils and also nutrient-rich mud. Expect to be swaddled from the neck to feet in cozy towels, aluminum foil or a bed linen covering. Two treatment sessions are advised (taking place 4-- 6 weeks apart) for maximum outcomes.

Ask Dr Mark Jinks Concerning Coolsculpting.

A lot more men than ever before are looking for visual treatments in a location that is no longer scheduled for females. Our popular male therapies consist of Anti-Wrinkle Therapy, Dermal Filler, Excessive Sweating, Skin Tightening and also Acne & Acne Scar Alteration. It boosts both keratinocyte and fibroblast development aspect task.

Virtual reality: Zoom meetings causing an upsurge in cosmetic surgeries - Free Press Journal

Virtual reality: Zoom meetings causing an upsurge in cosmetic surgeries.

Posted: Sun, 22 Nov 2020 08:00:00 GMT [source]

We provide a comprehensive computerised skin evaluation in clinic too. Nothing else treatment integrates these 2 advanced features as well as in most cases both Cryolipolysis and Cavitation will be made use of in combination over a program of therapy in order to optimize the results accomplished.

Hello There And Welcome To Norwich Face And Also Body Facility.

This independent clinic and also health club pick from the greatest modern technologies as well as finest treatments offered. They pride themselves on superior, customised customer support and also aim to attain exceptional outcomes. Snuggled amidst the eclectic shops of Marylebone, Netala Massage uses a city retreat to charge your body and mind. Positioned inside the elegance store, Kieran Group, they give reliable, targeted massage therapy and therapy treatments in a tranquil and also stress-free atmosphere. It's a top pick for skin care fans offering everything from skin plumping micro-needling and invigorating LED light therapy to deep exfoliation with microdermabrasion and also peels. There's also an option of meticulously targeted combination treatments to actually get you beautiful.

The stunning LondonCryo - Belgravia is the sis venue to LondonCryo in The City. They are experts in whole body cryotherapy, offering treatments for sporting activities, physical fitness, anti-ageing, beauty as well as discomfort monitoring. Recover brightness and vigor to your skin with a targeted facial or fat burning therapy at Catford's Significance of Looks Clinic, situated within Famous Styles Bellingham.

What Is My Skin Kind And Also How To Look After It.

House to five different therapy areas and also a thoroughly innovative skincare array, Skinglow includes treatments from SkinCeuticals and also Juliette Armand. la-lipo.co.uk Bicester Cryolipolysis treatments work features provides a modern-day method to gorgeous skin. Their therapies vary from endermologie for cellulite to inch loss and toning and also are executed by their extremely trained, expert therapists. Their pleasant team include professional treatment with a reliable solution to give you an improving experience that is both reliable and also inexpensive. LondonCryo is the very first whole body cryotherapy centre in the city of London. They are experts in entire body cryotherapy, giving therapies for sporting activities, health and fitness, anti-aging, charm and also pain administration.

A terrific facet of cryolipolysis is that there is no down time after the treatment.

During view product website , a pair of special plates attached to a cooling maker are positioned directly onto the skin above the fatty location you wish to target.

Although an extremely effective treatment, it is necessary to keep in mind that whilst cryolipolysis literally eliminates fat cells, it can not avoid their return.

Just like all weight management surgery, diet regimen and also exercise are the secret to keeping the lump at bay post-procedure.

It blitzes away a substantial quantity of fat yet enables you to get on with your normal everyday tasks as quickly as you leave the center.

A 3 in 1 gel Pad which raises treatment convenience is applied on the area to be dealt with. After your treatment, your skin will show up slightly red as though you have actually been to the fitness center; although this will certainly go away within a hr.

Although all researches show decrease in every area examined, it is still unidentified what areas are most responsive to cryolipolysis. Different aspects might contribute in the level of fat reduction observed after cryolipolysis. The vascularity, local cytoarchitecture, as well as metabolic activity of the particular fat depots concerned might contribute.

Can CoolSculpting go wrong?

Additional rare complications that may occur after CoolSculpting include: pain that starts several days after the treatment and usually resolves when numbness goes away, or after about a month. scarring or changes to skin color. reduced movement or response of the tongue following procedures involving the neck or chin.

A change in skin bio-revitalisation - This cutting-edge therapy has all the benefits of a medical quality chemical peel without the downtime as well as peeling. There is no demand to have discomfort medication, and also most individuals that have the therapy don't need healing time and the very same day they can return to work or to their common exercising. The results of Cryolipolysis are significantly the exact same - just the same as natural fat decrease processes would cause. I had experienced string veins on my face for a number of years as well as when I had the opportunity to have laser treatment at a reasonable price, I went for it. I could not believe the difference also after the first treatment. I have been so happy with the results that I am now undergoing a course of skin restoration to decrease rosacea and also I no longer have to put on layers of cover-up cosmetics.

The excellent information is that TimeReverse offers a prompt firm result-- making it the ideal treatment to have prior to an unique event. The treatment will certainly heat the deep layers of the skin and so you will certainly feel heat however this needs to not hurt by any means.

Cryolipolysis results Daventry ='text-align:center'>

[sineala]

Iron Man: And Call My Killer... MODOK!

So if you're a Marvel Comics fan of any stripe, you're probably aware that Marvel has a longtime history of publishing what they call "prose novels" and what literally any other publisher would just call "novels." You know. Books with only words in them. As opposed to "graphic novels," which is I guess why Marvel needs to make the distinction.

You're probably also aware that a lot of these prose novels are, well... bad. Some of the current ones, the original ones with new stories, have been getting good reviews -- I've heard good things about the Black Widow and Squirrel Girl books -- but a lot of them are just things like "novelizations of Civil War" and those ones are not great. (The MCU Iron Man 1 novelization was pretty good, but I would say that that was one of the few exceptions, and that only because Peter David both can actually write and has also written comic books.)

But a few weeks ago @blossomsinthemist told me that there had been a line of paperback Marvel prose novels way way back in the late seventies, and I was immediately interested for two reasons. One, if it's not novelizing an existing story arc, it's less likely to be terrible. And two, I really like late-seventies Marvel comics. So if I get to read a brand-new (to me) late-seventies story, I'm going to be pretty excited.

(If you're looking for these for yourself, prices vary, because people seem to be really into just having them for collection value, but if you don't care about condition and are patient you can get them for $5 to $10 or so.)

Anyway. I'm starting here with the Iron Man one, And Call My Killer... MODOK! It's from 1979 and is by William Rotsler, who also appears to have written the Doctor Strange novel in this series, and according to Wikipedia, he won four Hugos for Best Fan Artist, though most of his prose work appears to have been SF novelizations, and, uh, he was involved in the making of over two dozen pornographic films? Thanks, Wikipedia!

Right. Okay. The actual book. We are talking about the actual book. So the plot, as you can guess from the title, involves a lot of AIM and MODOK -- and because this is vintage 1970s Iron Man, also a lot of Happy, Pepper and SHIELD. SHIELD here is a lot of Nick Fury and a lot -- hi, again, 1970s -- of Jasper Sitwell. (If you're only familiar with the MCU, 616 Jasper Sitwell is, like, the ultimate Boy Scout SHIELD agent, a giant nerdy stickler for protocol.) Basically, AIM is scheming to get the armor, and the basic plot itself is kind of fun in that respect -- Tony scheming right back, decoy fake plans, a fake auction of the armor, and of course Tony and Happy captured by AIM. There's the requisite fight with an armored villain, of course, and what feels like a very perfunctory showdown with MODOK. (It's not a long novel.)

But since we're in fandom, we're not reading these things for the actual plot content, and so I am happy to say that on a characterization level, if this is the Tony Stark characterization you like in this era of comics, this book is going to make you happy. Because he really is, just... peak, classic Tony Stark. This is established very early on, in what is actually my favorite section of the book. Tony addresses a roomful of students about ecology, and his plans for SI and for the future, and about how he's not actually in it for the money and he just wants to do the right thing and save the world and so on and so forth and he wants to hire some of these kids to help everyone and build space colonies and so on. Similarly, when we first see Tony at SI, there's a paragraph about how he knows his employees' names and values them as people and it's very much classic Tony characterization. I love it.

In terms of canon, I'm not quite sure if this is relying on any particular recent developments in canon. Pepper and Happy are still together, and there's a throwaway line, in the list of Things That Have Happened To Tony's Heart, about how he's had several surgeries and a new heart and at this point in his life he has to wear the chestplate some of the time but not all of the time. I think that whole "weak heart" era is the Michael O'Brien/second Guardsman stuff, but I'm not exactly sure; this is not an era of canon I'm 100% up on in order. That may be a little too early for this, as well. Sorry; I'm not the best at this part of this game.

There is, of course, some identity porn, since what would an Iron Man story be without some good identity porn? There's a section early on where Tony explains why he would never reveal his secret identity. (Literally, he wishes he could "come out of the closet," and, yes, they do put that phrase in quotation marks.) His rationale is that the media would never let him alone, and also there are "Iron Man groupies, publicity seekers, and other assorted crazies" who would make his life miserable.

The weird thing is, then he goes on a date with what seems to be an Iron Man groupie. Pepper sets him up on a date with a woman who is a bellydancer and auto mechanic trying to break into acting. (The even weirder thing is that she seems to be named after a woman the author has coauthored several novels with. I, uh... I hope she knew first?) Anyway, they go on a date and she starts asking him about what Iron Man is like. Now, in a book where the plot appears to be that the bad guys want Tony's armor, I would be a little suspicious of people who were curious about Iron Man. But apparently this woman is on the level and just really likes gossip about famous people, and then at the end of the book when Tony talks about maybe going on another date he seems excited to "give her an opportunity to know Tony Stark." Although, really, she seems to still think Iron Man is cooler, so I don't see this working out well.

(Also, in the course of the plot, he does end up unmasking in front of MODOK, and as cover he comes up with the excuse that he isn't the only Iron Man and that there are a group of them. Which, y'know, historically, isn't even untrue, for a certain view of Tony's behavior -- there have actually been multiple people in the suit before now. So I kind of like Tony's quick thinking there. Amusingly, as he's bluffing his way through this, one of the fake Iron Men he names is Captain America, which honestly I think would make a hell of a fanfiction plot.)

Another weird thing: since this is right before Demon in a Bottle, Tony still drinks. It's not even an issue. And obviously it's meant to show something about his affluent lifestyle (and how he considers alcohol a necessary part of that lifestyle) but it's interesting reading this in retrospect and thinking about all the character development that Tony is basically about to undergo but hasn't yet.

So, yeah, in terms of characterization, this is an interesting look at Tony Stark basically preserved in one of the more-well-regarded eras for him, so on that basis I think it's worth reading. Which is not to say that there aren't some downsides, and since this book is mainstream fiction from the 70s, I bet you can guess what the main one is: namely, there is a certain amount of casual sexism and racism. The first scene takes place on a college campus and there is a lot of, uh, dwelling on co-eds and their short skirts. There is also a retelling of Tony's origin story, and you probably already know that ToS #39 is racist as hell (especially if you have seen non-recolored versions in which Wong Chu is literally yellow in the art) but the prose retelling here manages to add in some racist epithets (many characters are referred to as "the Oriental") which is... disappointing. Neither of these things are really unexpected for a book from 1979. But, you know, there they are. Heads up.

It also makes some weird narrative choices. One is that it has a surprising number of extended flashbacks in which dialogue is taken directly from the comics. I understand that back in the day before trade paperbacks and Marvel Unlimited and back issues whenever you want them, you the Iron Man fan might not have been aware of a lot of Tony's history. So I get why you would want to spend some time going over the events of Tales of Suspense #39. And, okay, Happy is a pretty important character in the plot, so I get why you'd want a lot about their first meeting in Tales of Suspense #45. But then there's a whole flashback devoted to the whole body-horror extravaganza of how MODOK came to be, and that one... that one was just kind of weird, especially because Tony didn't even figure into it.

And that leads me to my final complaint about weird narrative choices, which is the author has chosen to write this book in 3rd person omniscient point of view. I mean, it's a valid POV choice, sure. But it's a little jarring coming from fandom, where we are all basically 3rd limited forever and ever (like, honestly, I'm not even sure I'd know how to write 3rd omni if I tried!), and it's even weirder to read Tony in the middle of one of his inspiring speeches while a female student is thinking about how sexy he is even if he is an "older man." Yeah.

Also, the narration calls him Tony when he's out of the suit and Iron Man when he's in the suit. Consistently. Even when he's thinking about himself. I am pretty sure fandom never does this, and it is weird as hell.

So, overall, I have to say that despite some reservations, I really enjoyed this, and if this is an era of Iron Man canon that you enjoy, you will probably like this if you can get your hands on it, because it's a lot like reading an Iron Man comic from 1979, and the plot shenanigans are amusing. I mean, it's not the best-written book ever, but it is a lot of fun, especially in terms of Tony's characterization.

[healthishealth]

I hope I don’t have ____, but I hope I have SOMETHING.

Yesterday, I received my genetic test results; it cost $250 and analyzed 26 genes related to auto-inflammatory diseases. In a big grey box it stated, “Negative result. No pathogenic sequence variants or deletions/duplications identified.” My heart sank, then lifted, then sank again and then broke into pieces. Every time I receive a negative test result, I go through the same wave of emotions. It’s not that I hope I have a terrible disease or some genetic mutation that I could potentially pass along to my children, but I’m hoping for an answer to this mysterious illness that has taken over my life. It’s a bittersweet feeling when my sixth hospitalization in the past few months results in no conclusive findings. I’m relieved that I wasn’t diagnosed with a serious illness, but I’m left with doubts about what the heck is going on with me and unanswered questions about my future.  The hard part about many of these tests is that in fine print it says, “This negative test result does not eliminate the possibility that the individual’s condition has a genetic component. Clinical follow up of this individual and their family members may still be warranted.” So, essentially, I spent $250 to find out that science isn’t sure what I have (or don’t have).

I remember the first time I learned that doctors didn’t have the answer to everything. A similar experience to when you realize your parents aren’t superhumans, there’s a part of you that loses a little faith and another part of you that is humbled by all that science has discovered so far and even more appreciative to be alive now as opposed to 50 years ago.

When my brain tumor grew back just 6 months after having it surgically removed, my doctors presented me with two treatment options: surgery or radiation. Due to the aggressive nature of my tumor and how rare it was, my top-notch doctors at NYU told me that they just didn’t know which one I should choose. Frustrated and afraid of making the wrong choice, I went to four other hospitals including Johns Hopkins and the NIH for second, third and fourth opinions, each time, hoping for a clue as to which treatment would be best for me. Ultimately, the decision was made for me because as time went on, my tumor became inoperable and forced me to undergo radiation.

After the whole brain tumor fiasco, I was sure that the rest of my life would be smooth sailing.  How could it not be? In my journey to diagnosis, I was faced with a torn esophagus, a collapsed lung, pnuemomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema, severe neuralgia, and migraines. When my tumor grew back, I also experienced papilledema of both eyes and dysfunction of cranial nerves 9-12 (paralyzed right vocal cord, loss of taste on the back third of my tongue on the right side, inability to shrug my right shoulder, etc.).  Everyone I spoke to reassured me that this would be my biggest obstacle in life and pointed out how lucky I was that I experienced all this adversity at a young age, when I could not only recover faster and more fully than someone who was older, but that I would bounce back a stronger woman and be able to help others who experience obstacles later in life.

Once I recovered from radiation, I faced a whole new set of issues. At 22 years of age, nobody informed me of the dangers of getting back on my feet too quickly. I had decided to take an anatomy and physiology class at community college to learn more about my body and to try my hand at science – a topic that had never come easily, but that sparked a newfound interest I never expected to hold. I remember walking up the stairs to my class, my backpack stuffed to the brim with textbooks and binders. I had this strange dull ache in my leg the past week or so, but didn’t think much of it until one morning when I woke up in excruciating pain. I called my mom from my bed, crying from the pain shooting down my leg, unable to walk. Long story short, I was diagnosed with sciatica – a painful condition I only recalled older people complaining of. No doctor I went to was sure of where my pain was actually coming from. After multiple MRIs and CT scans, the only findings were two minor disc bulges between L4/L5 and L5/S1 and a minor degree of degenerative disc disease. I struggled for the next 3-4 years with episodes of terrible pain and underwent numerous treatments including epidural injections, SI joint injections, physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic treatment, spinal decompression therapy, and a botox injection into my piriformis muscle. The theory was that I had jumped back into my regular routine too quickly and my back muscles weren’t prepared for the spike in activity, resulting in an inflammatory response that aggravated my sciatic nerve.

Throughout all of this, I unsurprisingly fell into a deep depression and was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (among other things that I’ll probably share more about in another post). After receiving treatment, I learned to view my health struggles as positive experiences. They set me on a new career path in medicine, helped me realize how strong I really am, and also filtered the people in my life, leaving me with only those who supported me no matter what and got rid of those fair weather friends.

Surely now, after all that I had been through before even reaching the age of 30, I was REALLY facing a lifetime of health and happiness, right? Not quite! If you’ve been following my journey, you already know that I have been extremely sick since the beginning of April. Before you start feeling bad for me and questioning why bad things happen to good people (all of which I have already done), let me tell you that I am the happiest I have been in a long time. Of course, I would be happier if I had my health, but I am done putting off my happiness until _____ happens. Why must we hold off on our life until things are perfect or until we’ve checked off certain boxes? I so often hear my clients say that they “will be happy when…” What if those boxes never get checked? Why wait for happiness to find you when you can find it? Radical acceptance does not mean that you have to agree to the conditions you are currently facing, or that you must live the way you are living forever; rather, it means that you accept the way things are, especially those which you have no control over. It means you can live your life and be happy, despite the adversity you may be facing or boxes that have yet to be checked. Will I ever get a diagnosis? Maybe. But for now, that is not a predictor of my happiness.

[womenofcolor15]

Meg Thee Stallion SLAMS False Reports That Said Tory Lanez’s Charges Were Dropped – ‘B*TCH You Going To Jail!’

Megan Thee Stallion goes OFF after false reports that said she dropped the charges brought against Tory Lanez for allegedly shooting her started circulating. Peep Meg AND Tory’s reactions inside…

Sis is TIREDT!

Megan Thee Stallion hopped on Twitter yesterday to clear up rumors that started circulating about the criminal case against singer Tory Lanez.

Apparently, a certain publication looked up information about Tory’s court hearing and when they saw “No information found” under the case, they automatically assumed MEGAN DROPPED the felony gun charges against Tory.

But here’s the thing…

The “WAP” rapper never pressed charges against the Canadian artist. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office pressed charges against Tory, which include one felony count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and one count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. So, she couldn't have dropped the charges brought up against him.

New York Times reporter Joe Coscarelli spoke to a rep for Tory who confirmed the rumors are false:

a rep for Tory Lanez says it is NOT TRUE that charges against him in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting were dropped: “The blog that posted this info is wrong. I assume the docket hasn't been updated ... The next hearing date is in mid-February.”

— Joe Coscarelli (@joecoscarelli) January 21, 2021

”A rep for Tory Lanez says it is NOT TRUE that charges against him in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting were dropped: ‘The blog that posted this info is wrong. I assume the docket hasn't been updated ... The next hearing date is in mid-February.’"

A rep from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office told Complex the next court date is set for February 25th, following the originally scheduled hearing date of January 20th.   But it didn't matter, because those who were already dead set on believing Tory did nothing and Megan is lying about being shot by him (apparently they think the blood leaking from her feet on the police video we all saw was.....fake too?), took the lie and ran with it.

The “Body” rapper caught wind of the rumors about the case and decided to respond. She SLAMMED people for making light of the trauma she went through after she was allegedly shot in the feet by Tory.

"AT THIS POINT IM GETTING ANNOYED!" she began in a series of tweets. "STOP BELIEVING EVERYTHING YOU READ ON THE MF INTERNET. Imagine how I feel waking every day seeing people LIE and turn my trauma into a joke ? That whole team figures out ways to create doubt with my story every week and the media eats it up."

Meg said the inauguration caused the hearing to get pushed back. And she popped off on Tory, reminding him he’s going to JAIL.

“Y’all can’t tell when shit fake news? Y’all still don’t see an ABUSER picking with me ? The first court date got pushed back bc of the inauguration but I can’t wait until the MF FACTS come out ! B*tch you shot me AND MY STORY NOT CHANGING AND B*TCH YOU GOING TO JAIL,” she tweeted.

Sheesh!

Meg also went off on everyone who thinks she’s lying:

”How tf I get shot now I’m the worlds biggest mf villain !? All y’all pussy ass niggas and pick me ass hoes GONE EAT YO MF WORDS,” she tweeted.

A fan asked the Houston Hottie why she kept bringing up the Tory Lanez situation and she responded:

”are you living under a rock ?! You think I brought this up today ?! AND IF I WANNA KEEP TALKING ABT ME GETTING SHOT I CAN TF ?”

”Y’all so believe black women and protect black women online BUT WHEN I LITERALLY SAY I GOT SHOT ITS CONFUSING,” she continued tweeting. “Trauma is real I’m still traumatized from loosing my mom dad and one of my grandmothers and on top of that being shot. I’m not open abt anything on the internet usually bc I like to keep my emotions private but I’m reaching my limit, Im going to keep staying positive.”

Peep her tweets, plus Tory’s “positive” tweet he posted yesterday below:

        View this post on Instagram

                      A post shared by TheYBF (@theybf_daily)

”I will continue my 2021 unproblematically.. just wanna make great content for my fans much love y’all,” he tweeted. Oh.

In October, Tory Lanez (real name Daystar Peterson) was charged with one felony count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and one count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He also faces an additional gun charge and that he personally inflicted great bodily injury. A judge ordered him to stay at least 100 yards away from Meg and told him he can not make any contact with her as well.

In November, he pleaded NOT guilty to all of the charges. He also released his DAYSTAR album where he made claims that he didn't shoot Meg. If he’s convicted, he faces a possible maximum sentence of 22 years and 8 months in prison.

The felony charges stem from a shooting incident that went down back in July after Meg & Tory were partying with Kylie Jenner. The “Savage” raptress revealed in an IG Live Tory shot her in both her feet as she exited the car they were traveling in. Afterwards, she had to undergo surgery for her injuries. Meg also accused Tory and his camp of a smear campagin where they allegedly created fake emails posing as her team to feed FALSE information to the media. SMH.

There were two other people in the vehicle during the shooting incident: Tory’s security guard and Meg’s former best friend, Kelsey Nicole. Meg and Kelsey had a falling out after the shooting incident and are no longer friends. It’s unclear what exactly happened between them, but it had something to do about the details surrounding the shooting incident. It's clear Kelsey longer deals with Megan. Kelsey has posted several videos of herself hanging out with 1501 Certified Entertainment CEO Carl Crawford. As you know, Meg sued her label in March 2020 to be let out of her contract. She has also posted shady comments about Meg on social media.

With everything she has going on, Meg isn't letting the 2020 drama take over 2021. She's busy in Hot Girl Boot Camp to get her body even more snatched: 

        View this post on Instagram

                      A post shared by Hot Girl Meg (@theestallion)

  Hot Girl Summer will be here before you know it!

  Photo: Meg's IG

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2021/01/22/meg-thee-stallion-slams-false-reports-that-said-tory-lanez%E2%80%99s-charges-were-dropped-%E2%80%93-%E2%80%98btch

[eunicechan-photo]

Navigating public healthcare

I've been on, and witnessed both sides of the line.

I'm one of those rare few fortunate people who have never needed to visit the Polyclinic for a doctor's consultation. My father's company insured my parents, and my sis and I until we turned 18 under private care.

When I hit adulthood and started working, my own company insured me under private care. I enjoy my private clinic visits as I never had to wait more than 10mins for a consultation for flu, or if I needed a medical opinion, I knew I didn't need to pay out of pocket (I only pay $5 out of the total bill) if I visited the doctor. My GP dispenses expensive branded fast acting medication that would otherwise be costly if bought at a local pharmacy.

One year ago, I started having severe headaches and I anticipated myself being in need of long term healthcare, which I'm afraid that my future job(s) may not be able to insure for my private healthcare cost. In Singapore, a private rate consultation with a specialist would cost more than S$100 while subsidised citizens paid only S$38. I took a day off, went to the polyclinic to get the doctor's referral to a specialist.

I waited. And waited. I went home for a shower and lunch. I came back. Waited some more. When it was finally my turn, I pretty much don't remember my own parents' names. Another thing about subsidised patients. You don't get to choose your consultants. Subsidised patients rarely get Senior Consultants (the ones who have amassed tonnes of experience in their specialty) and depending on the doctor's ethics, he/she may or may not treat you like you feel you deserve.

I was referred to a Neurologist for my headaches. I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw I got a Prof, a senior consultant, despite being a subsidised patient. Things took a turn when I sat down in the consultation. I knew immediately I was not going to click with this doctor. She wore a diamond encrusted watch. She listened intently as I spoke, but when it was her turn to speak, I immediately knew when a doctor was dismissing my concerns. I was prescribed a beta-blocker, and was told that I stopped the medication my headache was for sure to come back. I tried to ask if I had a pinched nerve (because it sure felt like some of my nerves are compressed somewhere along my neck, arm and chest) and she said no (I slowly understood that if a doctor doesn't literally see something PINCHING on your nerves, it's NOT considered a pinched nerve).

I narrated this whole incident to my osteopath (someone who studies nerves and muscular-skeletal structures for a living) and he shook his head. "How could she say that? Your posture already tells me which part of your arms and neck tingle without me even touching you." (He then proceeded to prod some of my tingles with accuracy. Lol.) My osteopath costs S$320 for 1 hour of therapy. I can't afford him.

I'm a young 20-something who knows what Google is for. I'm perplexed by her prescription. What the - I don't even have any of the key symptoms this medication is used mainly for. I took the medication for two weeks, but decided my doctor was crap, and ditched the medication. I later discharged myself from her care.

This year, I was diagnosed with gallstones that had fallen into my common bile duct which had caused me crippling, severe pain in my abdomen. (Imagine getting your worst menstrual cramps and multiply the pain by 20 in your gut.) All Singapore Citizens who enter a public hospital's A&E will automatically be treated as a subsidised patient. Your care thereafter will be treated as a subsidised case. I was told I will need to wait 2 months to get surgery required for my case (by a slightly apologetic looking junior doctor). My poor neighbor who previously had gallstones was advised a 3 month wait.

After having more painful attacks at home (I lost 2kg within the week), my family and I decided that I should immediately transfer myself to private care. The public hospital doctor I had a follow up with told me with a sincere smile "yes sure, if you can afford it, a private hospital would be able to handle your case as soon as you walk in." The painkillers I was prescribed was a generic kind of opiod which gave me more side effects than main effects. My private GP shook his head when he heard what I was prescribed and changed my prescription. (Heh heh, the branded pharmaceutical kind.)

I got myself transferred to another public restructured hospital as a private patient and got my doctor of choice. Head of General Surgery. A Prof. A Senior Consultant. A doctor who reminds me of my dad. Didn't talk much but instead took time to look through ALL of my hospital records (there is this nifty thing across Singapore government hospitals where they share patients' records, reducing the need for hospital chart transfers or patients bringing physical copies of scans and test results) and asked me questions about my other conditions unrelated to my gallbladder "What's with all these CT scans of your brain? Why are you prescribed with propanolol? How come you had consultations with an endocrinologist?"

It was obvious he was trying to paint a bigger picture to my problem other than my gallstones, despite being a surgeon and his main job is to cut people up. I told him I had headaches (short of implying my doctor was useless) and that I had serious fatigue problems (I directly told him my endocrinologist actually asked me to perform error checking by getting my bloodwork tested at another lab).

My doctor ordered an MRI. It would cost $2300 out of pocket as a private patient. I immediately shot an email to HR asking about my coverage. 90% will be reimbursed to you. Phew. The frustrating thing with private care in a public hospital applies here: with a full and bursting and the seams radiology roster, I was told I need to wait 2 months for that extremely specialized MRCP (MRI of pancreas/ gallbladder/ spleen area). My doctor was having none of that bullshit when he heard. He wanted to see me back within 2 weeks. He made his nurse push my MRI up. My MRI wait was reduced to 3 weeks. (My boss: “Anything is better than a 2 month wait, with your pain and all.”)

My doctor duly noted all of my problems and said one thing that was enough to bring tears to my eyes in the consultation immediately after my MRI. He said, "you know what, I think you are very borderline hyperthyroid," while looking at my past charts again. Could there finally be an explanation for my muscle fatigue, headaches and fatigues?

He immediately scheduled for my ERCP to evacuate the stone in my common bile duct, the culprit of causing me so much severe pain, the most imminent problem to solve at hand. He told me that he was unable to confirm whether he would be able to operate on me immediately the next day after the procedure, but I should be in much less pain without the bile stone in the bile duct. No doubt, he put me through all the pre-surgery testing (despite not having a confirmed surgery date) so that I could undergo a surgery as soon as he was free.

When I saw him after the ERCP, he told me he was free to operate on me the next day. I said yes immediately. Cost was definitely not a problem as I had jumped through all the hoops to ensure my company insurance paid for my medical costs. Honestly, by now, cost was actually a non-issue as my personal insurance had 100% coverage for in-patient services and boarding up to A1 class (private room). Next, he told me that he had run more tests on my blood and that my thyroid function is normal, but it’s my pituitary glands that are giving me problems. (My sis: “Now what, you also have a brain problem??”) Brain problem or not, I’m glad AT LAST a doctor is making some headway with my other host of symptoms.

The difference between private and subsidized care is stark. You really pay money to get your case treated swiftly, efficiently and as urgently as you need it to be. The total cost for both my surgery and the ERCP would amount of something like S$15,000 out of pocket without insurance coverage. With subsidised rates, I would be expected to pay only 30% of that, but the boarding would be limited to non-air-conditioned wards (in this lovely tropical heat).

If one has the money to spend for short term urgent care, one should definitely take up private care rates. AND THANK GOD FOR INSURANCE!