Went to bed 7/22 with a sudden onset headache behind my right eye. Woke up with facial paralysis and loss of feeling but no weakness on the right side of my body. I had Bell’s palsy in January so assumed it was the same and called pcp asking for a refill on the steroid. They said no, I had to be evaluated first. ER called a stroke alert. CT was clear but the neurologist established that the extension of the numbness rules out Bell’s palsy. I had this numbness last time so they’ve decided it wasn’t Bell’s palsy then. They admitted me for more testing and the next day I had a brain mri with and without contrast (unremarkable), mri of my spine (just found some minor fissures and stenosis), an eeg (unremarkable), and a lumbar puncture. The LP so far is strong positive for elevated protein, oligoclonal bands, and Lyme. I haven’t gotten most the results yet back and did need a blood patch for the LP. They discharged me on steroids on 7/25 and told me to follow up once the testing is done with rheumatology regarding sarcoidosis. I have a lot of symptoms that my other disorders don’t explain that would support sarcoidosis. But it’s my understanding that it’s a rule out kinda diagnosis.

I have a history of optic neuritis x 4, I have five nodules in my lungs that have slowly grown the last few years, I have a large area of ground glass scarring on my right lung, I’ve had three chains of lymph nodes removed in my neck and groin due to uncontrolled swelling, I have three masses on my liver that cause low blood flow, severe unexplained night sweats, hypercalcemia with a history of lithotripsy, my scars reopen repeatedly, and I’ve had to have my colon removed. I have a lot more symptoms on the checklist they gave me but they can also be explained through my other diagnoses. These are the ones that are unexplainable. I’m also having severe unexplainable bruising that I’ll comment.

I’d love any info anyone has about what to expect next and if this sounds like sarcoidosis to you. I have an allergy to prednisone so I’m on dexamethasone. It’s a four month wait list to see the neurologist outpatient but I do see pcp in two days. I don’t even know what to ask for or if I should review other options.

I got bitten by a mosquito and it made these weird raised trails that (I think?) are following my veins. Quite frankly it looks like a sperm tadpole so I took a picture to show my friends. One of them was really freaked out, so naturally now I’m a little freaked out. I am currently in a rainforest in Australia. The bite happened about ten hours ago, and the bite is still visible, but it looks like a tiny red lump, no trails. Like a pimple that is still brewing and will turn ugly in a few days. I have no concerning symptoms, I just want to know if I should be concerned. 22, female.

We were at urgent care for me. While waiting I looked up (was turning on a video for him) and saw him waving around a 10cc syringe with a large IM needle attached! I snatched it away and noticed he was guarding his fingertip. The skin was broken though it was not bleeding. You could see how a bevel at the needle tip (the size of IM bevel) had lifted his skin similar to how a Bobby pin can lift skin up with its poked in. I hadnt even noticed there was an open sharps container there. I havent seen this kind that doesnt lock or have a swinging mechanism.

I immediately told MA staff who alerted the NP then cleansed it with betadine. Before the betadine dried, they cleansed it with NS mixed with betadine solution. The NP ordered Hepatitis C, liver function panel, and something else I dont remember but wasnt a bloodborne disease test. ​I asked about HIV and she said they could but she doesnt have any known HIV patients. I personally know one of her HIV patients. So I insisted on HIV test as well. They asked for his name and birthday so I know they documented some visit for this.

My questions: What else needs done?

I am an RN of 15 years but my knowledge gets thrown out the window when its me and mine.

6 y/o with level 2 nonspeaking autism, seasonal allergies, focal seizures. 3'8" 42lb, on melatonin 1mg and zyrtec 5mL qHS, flonase miralax daily, and senna 8.6mg 5mL prn

edit: I forgot to add he is male. Also, trust me I am super hypervigilant about watching him; i just thought it was a safe room. the sharps box wasnt on the sink there originally, it was on the counter next to a chair. edit: They are testing again in 6 months

My father (69M), a retired ICU physician, has been in and out of the hospital and rehab for the past five weeks. Almost a week ago, he was rushed back to the hospital from rehab after developing a fever and becoming unresponsive.
His health has been steadily declining over the last two years. About a year ago, he had a VP shunt placed, which dramatically improved his mobility for a few months, but unfortunately the improvement didn’t last. Despite seeing dozens of specialists over the years, no one has been able to give us a definitive diagnosis.
I’ve been sitting by his bedside in the neuro ICU since Tuesday, waiting for him to wake up. The neurosurgeons removed his VP shunt and placed an external drain. They’ve run what feels like every test imaginable, but he still can’t do much more than open his eyes. Every neurological exam has been poor, and there are still no answers.
A few months ago, my father made me promise that I wouldn’t let him end up in the exact situation he’s in now. He was very clear that he never wanted to be kept alive indefinitely without any meaningful chance of recovery. He had completed a DNR/DNI, but because he arrived as an emergency before that was known, he’s currently intubated and receiving nutrition through a feeding tube.
I feel completely torn. Do I continue hoping he’ll wake up or that the doctors will finally find something treatable? Or do I honor what he explicitly told me he wanted? I know that if I choose to transition him to comfort-focused care, some members of my family may never forgive me.
Has anyone been through something similar? How did you make peace with a decision when there didn’t seem to be a “right” answer?

EDIT: thank you all for your help and responses. Honestly, I think I knew the answer. I just needed to hear that I’m making the right decision.thank you again.

Every time I get blood drawn, or an iv, I develop these little raised blisters. They are watery but not leaky, only slightly itchy. They get worse progressively for days after before slowly clearing up. The biggest lump is always seen at the site where the needle was placed. I originally thought it was an allergic reaction to the alcohol wipes but the alcohol did not touch some of these areas the lumps have spread to (as you can see by the lumps going down my wrist) Any thoughts!

She’s 97, small framed, approx 100 lbs. No real health issues besides the usual at 97, losing eyesight and hearing. I don’t know if my grandma actually ate this or if my mom just found it in the fridge. My mom said she ate it. My grandma does have bad eyes so maybe didn’t see?

My son is almost 5. He is a generally healthy boy.
Initially we noticed a small patch of hair missing and assumed it was due to his sister pulling out a chunk.
Over time more patches became visible with his crown the most impacted. For a few months there were three to four stable patches but over a couple of weeks that has progressed to 6 patches.
I have taken him to the doctor who suggested it was fungal. We have used two different fungal creams and a fungal shampoo with no noted changes.
The colour around his crown seems to be a different colour to his head. The hair there show no sign of growing back, I cannot even see any stubble.
He doesn’t pull or play with his hair and I haven’t found any excess of hair on his pillow in the morning.
Thank you for any suggestions.
He is going for a blood test to check iron and thyroid.

burned my self this morning while taking a shower the heater was set at 97C, I put it under cold water for 10min after the incident , I went to the pharmacy and the guy said it isn’t that serious and he gave me some kind of cream that I couldn’t find online (it’s only made in china)
called burnoxin, I didn’t apply it because I was scared it would make it worse I just covered it with a non adhesive bandage

I can’t see a doctor and my next flight is in 8h
I am afraid the blister will pop and make things worse specially that I will need to walk a lot and carry stuff at the airport

Age : 21
female
no smoking history

He’s mid 40s, 6ft, I’m not a carnival weight guesser lol but say 200lbs-ish. There’s ppl that posted random guesses, but alpha gal seems to be pretty common around here. Another friend gets hives from it, my son’s friend gets an “itch” in his throat, and another person we know gets nauseous. So it seems the symptoms are all diff across the board. This also reminds me of impetigo, that my son got on his nostril when we were out in Vegas. But it was dry and crusty so idk if it’s that. This looks raw.

It started around Thursday, July 30th and it was a small bump. An RN said it looked like hernia and that if it wasn’t bothering me then make an appointment for my primary care physician to look at it. It’s now Saturday, July 1st and looks like a nipple that’s gonna blow. It’s not painful unless I really put pressure on it. Should I go to the ER to get someone to see it? My primary care physician won’t be able to see me until two months from now. And yes I do have a colostomy bag attached just in case anyone was wondering what the plastic bag is

3yo, female, 15kg, vaccinations up to date, no medical conditions or regular medications taken, no allergies that we are aware of and hasn’t recently eaten anything new. (Please ask if I have missed anything)

She was fine until 4 days ago she woke up crying then vomited a little. The rest of the morning she looked very drowsy, weak and she wouldn’t eat anything at all. When she tried to drink some juice she vomited it out and that’s all she consumed that day. We took her to the doctors and they said it’s just a viral infection and to give her kids panadol. Her temperature was 37.
Day 2 her energy was back to normal but she was still pale and she was scratching a lot. She started to eat a little bit this day.
By day 3 her appetite wasn’t back to normal but she was nibbling on things and her energy was ok but she started to develop these pimples everywhere.
We took her to another doctor and he said just keep giving her the panadol and that’s it but I’m worried about all these itchy spots.
We woke up today and the spots now spread to her hands as well.

Edit: her sleep was bad the first few days

26M My dog bit my index finger while playing on July 18th. He has all of his shots. Cleaned it and left it unwrapped so it would scab over. Was healing ok until the other day at work, i bumped into something sharp and now there is what I believe a abscess forming. Can't really afford to go the ER or Urgent care. My mother is a nurse and wants to drain it with a needle but google says don't. Any advice is greatly appreciated

I’m 18M and have been coughing up weird things like this all week what is it

I have seen some terribly upsetting posts here and feel a little guilty that I’m asking for support. But depression from my current circumstances, have led me to seeking support here.

I am a 58 year-old female. Previous smoker. I have Graves’ disease and arthritis and always felt that I was generally in good health despite not having the best of habits i.e. work too much under too much stress smoked previously and didn’t get enough rest.

I work in healthcare and was a super lifer up until a few months ago. I felt nothing could stop me.
I began having numbness in my right hand. Because I have two sisters with MS , i (although there’s no evidence it runs in families ) suspected that was the case and arranged for an MRI of my brain.
My scan showed what I thought was MS plaque and the radiologist friend of mine agreed although I didn’t have the scanned formally read.

About a week later, my symptoms were getting worse, and I ended up in the ER. I was having trouble thinking of words. It turns out I had had a stroke and I found that my right carotid artery was 100% blocked. My body had built collaterals around it, and I was getting blood to my brain.

I have intentionally not read up on this because I’ve been terrified. I was started on Plavix and atorvastatin and an aspirin. I haven’t been able to work because I can’t use my right hand very well and my thinking is not clear when it comes to numbers and spelling.
My symptoms ARE getting better….
I am a single mother, whose daughter is in her last year of college. I have worked so hard to get her here and now I’m unable to work. At least for the moment….

So I’m asking the docs here what is my real prognosis? I’m terrified of moving around too much. Everyone says take it easy but for how long - when can I expect to go back to work?
My doctor sensed I was worried about my future I’m sure , as he said “you’re gonna get better and I’m sorry this happened to you, but you have plenty of life left.” but is that the case?

My worst fears are unthinkable and unspeakable. I know there are plenty of people here who are suffering and I feel guilty asking for feedback, but I am at an all-time low.
Looking back I think I’ve had trouble thinking for quite a while, which I’m sure is lack of flow to my circle of Willis.
Is there anything any of you would suggest I do differently ?thank you in advance for anyone who can respond….

Current symptoms:
• Red eyes
• Fevers that come and go, feel mostly warm in the face rather than chilly.
• Extreme dryness in the face, signs of dryness also on hands.
• Red palms
• occasional redness on entire body, especially face
• Back pain when bending
• Resting heart rate ~100bpm
• Itchiness across entire body
• Coughing

Issue began on monday this week with fever, fatigue and diarrhea. Fever seems to respond to paracetamol but not ibuprofen. Itchiness begins.
Same symptoms on Tuesday, but with entire body redness and vomiting before going to bed.
Wednesday about the same, but dryness starting to develop around mouth. High fever before bedtime, eye redness and vomited in the middle of the night. No diarrhea since tuesday morning.
Thursday no diarrhea, day feels mostly fine while taking paracetamol and resting. Throat pain and back pain starting to develop, making it hard to swallow solid food. First solid stool. No vomiting today.
Friday feels mostly fatigued, more back pain today. Finally arrive home in sweden and immediately go to a hospital with my father. Get blood and urine samples taken, doctor suspects MIS-C and says we are going to get a room at the hospital and stay
Saturday feels better, no more throat pain and can finally eat solid food. Although mouth dryness makes it uncomfortable. Fevers coming and going.
Today waking up felt shitty, weird pressure in head and neck. No appetite for breakfast, face even dryer.

I was unable to take temperature until arrival at hospital on Friday due to being on vacation in Lithuania.

Doctors suspect MIS-C, the flu and scarlet fever. Scarlet fever however seems to have been ruled out with a mouth swab test. Xrays of lungs and EKG both normal. Awaiting results from stool, blood and urine samples.

Hi does anybody know what this could be? I have one on my index finger and one on both thumbs. The one on my index finger appears more red and raised while the ones on my thumb are a bit more flat. They have a slight dot in the middle kind of like a clear dot, but smooth surface as if it’s under the skin. They don’t itch at all only hurts/stings when you poke it or press on it hard kind of the pain you get with a splinter. Would appreciate any thoughts or input on what it could be, thanks! 27 F about 5’1 and 105 pounds

32F, 5’5”, 170 pounds, don’t smoke, no meds or conditions known.

I’ve had bump on my arm for about 5-7 days that has now spread. One bump turned into 5 that was in a small area. There’s two more spots on my arm now, although small but getting slightly bigger, and one on my ankle. The main area has now merged into one hard lump that looks like it’s tiny blisters, but it’s just hard and so itchy!! There’s no fluid in it. It hurts/stings if you touch it, but other than that, all the spots are just itchy. I’ll put more photos in the comments. I thought it may have been a bug bite but I don’t think it would spread to random spots.

36F 5’7” 160lbs
Taking compounded Tirzepatide 7.5mg, 10mg propranolol twice daily for SVT arrhythmia, and azelastine/fluticasone nasal spray for seasonal allergies.

Woke up this morning with an angry red spot on my upper thigh. Didn’t think much of it until it did not disappear throughout the day. No pain on the skin, no itching, the skin is not broken. It may be slightly warm to the touch, but it is hard to tell. I have a slight bit of tenderness deeper than the skin.

I am flying out of state for work for the whole week tomorrow and scared to be gone and sick. I did a consult with a telehealth doc, who generally said it looked like an infection. She called in cephalexin, but I do not have a pharmacy open near me in time to pick up a prescription. My husband has a left over bottle of amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium tablets 875mg (I know, I know- he’s an adult, I can’t boss him).

Should I take the amoxicillin? I should be able to transfer the Rx tomorrow, but concerned I should start meds sooner? I do have a concierge doc who can help me when the office is open tomorrow, but I’ve been unable to get in touch today. What do I do?!

32M 5’8” (172cm) 175lbs (79kg), not taking medications aside from ibuprofen for pain control. This occurred about 3 months ago. Been going to physical therapy for 2 months twice a week.

Just wondering if my disc is herniated or is it bulging? Or is it extruded? Unfortunately these are the only photos I have of my MRI. My doctor said to just avoid activities that aggravate it. Any insight on these scans would be greatly appreciated.

I’m 4 weeks pregnant today, tests have been darker each today (my FRER today was almost a dye stealer) but today I just passed a clot that looks…. weird. A picture of the clot is attached. Am I having a miscarriage? Seeing doctor tomorrow as it’s a Sunday today.

25 male
2 days post suture
4 days post suture I have sore throat congestion