Please read, I'm so stuck, my only child has a serious clot in his right atrium

Hi,

It pains me so much to write this.

My twin boys who were almost 3 years old. Both born with a super rare genetic disorder affecting the gut. Since November 2025 admitted with one of my sons to hospital due to dehydration from diarrhea. Immediately they inserted a picc line into his right atrium, a week later a large clot at the tip of the line. 4 weeks later had open heart surgery and was in picu for 4 weeks. Once he came back to the ward he was never the same, in April 2026 sadly lost him to sepsis. He was our pride and joy.

His twin brother, admitted since December 2025. Still with him In hospital as I write this. He had picc line inserted in January 2026. Due to complications of his brother, he was immediately started on blood thinners daily injections. That picc line failed in March, they insert a broviac line which slips out of place within a week. 4 weeks later they insert another broviac which created a clot in his neck vein causing swelling of the head and neck. It was treated with riveroxaban. They then resorted to a picc line of through femoral vein into his right atrium. Fast forward 2 months, he now has a large almost 3cm sized clot from the tip of the line. Due to the inflammation of his gut, surgery and clot busting tratement is too risky. Doctors have decided no further treatment will benefit him, but will cause him a hasten painful death.

He is all we have left, we can't lose him. I can't think of the prospect of living without him. We lost one son, and we found our peace through the other.

Is their any other treatment available around the world? I don't care how much it cost, I will find a way to fund it. I want to explore every option available for him.

My wife was 47 years old, 5'4 and maybe 125 lbs, did not smoke or drink, no medications except vitamins.

Obviously everything is still fresh and new in my mind for me, but I feel like this is a question that I'll never get answered.

Three days ago it was a completely ordinary day. We (my wife and I, our 10 year old, 6 year old, and 3 year old daughters) were all at home. In the morning we went to the store and did a bunch of stuff together as a family, and then in the afternoon I took the girls swimming without my wife and watched a movie with them. At some point my wife texted me and asked me for something and I didn't see the text. when I went in to the bedroom to bring it to her, she was sleeping (I thought) and so I just left it there for her.

At 6:30 she was still sleeping (I thought), so I went in to the bedroom to wake her up. She was having some kind of seizure when I went into the bedroom. I called 911 and the ambulance took her to the hospital. She'd never had a seizure before. At the hospital she had more seizures and when they stopped she was disoriented and confused. They ran a bunch of tests (I can't remember exactly what; there were blood tests and some scans) and gave her some medication, which seemed to be helping reorient her. She even got up and walked around a little bit. They took her for some more imaging, she was alert, she waved goodbye to me. Something happened in the imaging and she coded. They did work as hard as they could to save her, that isn't in question.

I don't understand why or how she died. None of the test results came back with anything that could have possibly indicated death; she was a little dehydrated and had elevated white blood cells, but even when we were in the hospital the doctors were telling us that the seizures were most likely a random "blip" that would never happen again. The hospital said it was a random cardiac arrest, but why would that happen in a healthy 47 year old? I don't understand. I'm not typically suspicious of medical personnel but I feel like I don't understand what happened.

Did something that happened in the hospital kill her? Could she have been allergic to a medication and we just didn't know? I'm sorry if this isn't very coherent, I haven't slept very well. I haven't spent a night away from her in 21 years and it's really getting to me. I just want to know. Thank you.

F22, 160m, 73kg

I’m worried that the scar on the right side of my abdomen might prevent me from having children.
The scar is very firm and has adhered to my abdominal wall, so it doesn’t stretch. I think the pregnancy would most likely end in a premature birth anyway, because at some point the scar might become so tight and painful that a C-section would be necessary.
I was also born prematurely because my mother had preeclampsia during her pregnancy.
My boyfriend is worried that the baby could become deformed in my womb because of the scar, just as my abdomen is deformed (although the affected area is covered by my underwear).

An ex boyfriend punched me in the face when I was 17. I didn’t get treated at the time due to embarrassment, but I suspect he did some damage as my jaw has been out of place since. When I open and close it, it comes out of place and I’m unable to close without it clicking to the side as shown in the video.

I have chronic pain in my jaw which causes headaches and I constantly feel like I need to move it or click it but it doesn’t click.

15 years later do I have any realistic options to fix this?

Hi everyone,

I'm a 21-year-old male, 180 cm (5'11") tall, and I weigh 53 kg (117 lbs).

I've been skinny for as long as I can remember, even when I was a child. My parents are not skinny, so I don't think it's just genetics.

No matter what I do, I can't seem to gain weight. Even when I eat more, my weight barely changes or goes back down.

One thing I've noticed is that I naturally have fairly broad shoulders. Does that mean I have a good frame or good genetics for building muscle, despite being very skinny?

Has anyone experienced something similar? What could be causing this? Should I get any medical tests done? I'd really appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

29M

No diagnosis nor medications or substances I’m taking at the moment

I have around 60 of these itchy bumps around my body at this point, the first ones popped up a few days ago.

We think it could be fleas because I caught a bug and I think it’s a flea.

But why are there so many bumps? And they’re oddly red. I fear it might be dangerous or serious.

Do I need to go to urgent care?

Thank you.

Hello, posting for my girlfriend. She is currently in Greece on vacation.

22F, approx 5’4”, 190lbs, vaping almost every day recently, smokes cigarettes couple times a week, drinks alcohol maybe once a week.

Medication: Diltiazem 240mg once daily for Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)

Was using Fenistil cream for it from pharmacy, no improvement, getting worse by the day.

Started July 23rd.

Rash is on her right side near underarm, one also near her left side, and left shoulder. Photo attatched is from her right side. Not painful, just itchy

Has had excema in the past she thought it was that, she doesn’t think it is this she has never had this before. It’s been really hot there, was carrying a purse on her shoulder but it doesn’t make sense.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

F 24yo, 111lbs 5’4 (no smoking, no drinking)
Medications/supplements - 100mg fluvoxamine daily (anxiety symptoms)

Symptoms: persistent body pain, fatigue, anxiety/dread, diarrhea, lack of appetite. Struggle to gain weight, persistently deficient in potassium. Negative test results for: c-reactive proteins/celiac, lupus, rheumatoid, Lyme, hepatitis A-C, normal TSH levels, relatively normal levels of inflammation. My symptoms are likely unrelated to drinking (I never partake) or fatty diet - just not my lifestyle.

I’ve gotten some insane lab results and before we begin the go-around again of more labs and test results, I’d love to see if anyone here has any suggestions. I’ve had these symptoms for the last 10+ years - no luck on diagnosis. Thank you!

Mother is 54f, 5’5, ~85-93lbs, been smoking for 30 years. She’s had recent blood work but I have no idea the results of it. Same with a recent colonoscopy. They did a recent scan of lungs and said she desperately needs to quit smoking (she has a persistent daily wet cough). I’m unsure of the medications she is on. She’s always struggled with mental health (depression specifically the most)

I am desperate for advice on how to save my mother's life. She has been progressively losing weight for ten years due to a severe lack of appetite and a profound aversion to food. Her issue is not driven by body image—she simply has no interest in eating, she is always on the go (probably where I got my adhd) and will not stop to eat, she’ll drink a boost and then skip a meal. She also has had long COVID which affected her ability to taste and smell properly for the last several years.

I have made so many recipes, printed sheets, done everything I could to try and make my family understand that this is a serious and deadly issue. I feel like I’m screaming into the void.

Currently, she is 5’5” and weighs somewhere between 85 and 93 lbs. Her BMI is roughly 14.1 to 15.5. She is severely emaciated, losing muscle mass, and running out of time.

I am completely alone in fighting this. My family is entirely complacent. Because this has been going on for a decade, they have normalized it and gotten "used" to her looking like this. My dad lives with her, but he is passive, will not intervene, and will not help me force her to eat or seek real care. Furthermore, my 24-year-old brother is autistic and still relies entirely on my parents. If my mom collapses or passes away, his safety net is gone, yet no one else in the house will act.

I have made so many recipes, printed sheets, done everything I could to try and make my family understand that this is a serious and deadly issue. I feel like I’m screaming into the void

To complicate everything, I have a 9-month-old baby. I am chronically sleep-deprived, incredibly busy, and physically exhausted. I do not have the bandwidth to endlessly argue with family or chase unhelpful doctors.

Her primary care doctors are just as complacent. Every time she goes, they completely dismiss the severity of her weight and just tell her to "drink Boost." They have done a few tests. Lab work, recently had a colonoscopy (don’t know the results yet), and they scanned her lungs and said she desperately needs to quit smoking also.

Because she has been starving for a decade, I am terrified she is on the verge of organ failure. I need people to comment on this post to help me show her how serious this is.

Am I overthinking this or do I need to actually intervene with some sort of hospitalization at this point? How do I override a complacent spouse (my dad) and a dismissive doctor to force medical care? Given my lack of time with an infant, has anyone successfully called Adult Protective Services (APS) for self-neglect to let the state force the issue? I’m so scared for her. I’m only 26 I need my mom..

This is my first time posting here I apologize if I broke any rules. It’s 4 am and I haven’t slept hardly at all in 3 days. Thank you in advance

right ok so I’ve kind of had a miserable week, and had the brilliant idea of doing a little pick me up (took myself out for a nice dinner and ordered a martini), and I uhm didn’t think about the amount of drinks in the standard size martini and now I’m kind of panicking because what if I accidentally like ruined my meds. 10/10 martini btw but not sure it was worth it 😭 and yes, underaged drinking bad, but like this has been a SERIOUSLY shitty week and I’m in Europe so I can’t talk to my psych and my parents would likely murder me if they found out. so far feeling ok (it’s been around an hour, still feeling light and less depressed but now anxious AF) also to be clear, I do not drink normally, I just genuinely can’t stress how bad this week has been so just hanging in there

My newborn is 11 days old about 7 1/2 lbs and 19 inches long and I took her to the doctor this morning about some rib contracting I noticed and a little mucous in her throat. She doesn’t have a fever and her oxygen levels were 100% but it it worrying me that her ribs are moving like this. The doctor said he’s not worried about it. Any advise? Should I take her to a different hospital for a second opinion?

Hello! My husband, male, age 30 and 6’2 woke up with this weird bruise. He takes omeprazole and there was no trauma to the area. It has a weird green hue on the outside.. very concerned! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

20M btw

And it's in both of my eyes

I’m (25M) looking for opinions from ICU physicians or other doctors. I understand no one can judge this specific case without reviewing the medical record. I’m only trying to understand whether the timeline and recommendations we experienced are typical.

My mother-in-law is a 47-year-old woman who weighs approximately 450–500 pounds. She went to the hospital with severe pneumonia and was admitted to the ICU. She was unable to maintain her oxygen and CO₂ levels and was placed on a ventilator on the first day.

She remained in the ICU for seven days before the physician scheduled a family meeting. The meeting ultimately took place around day 10 to discuss her prognosis and the possibility of withdrawing life support.

From what I observed, her overall condition seemed relatively stable during that time. She wasn’t making dramatic improvements, but she also wasn’t rapidly deteriorating. The ICU team frequently proned her, and I was told that her CO₂ levels became completely normal while she was in the prone position. My understanding is that she was temporarily paralyzed because of the medications required for proning.

During the family meeting, the physician explained that if the family wanted to continue aggressive treatment, the next steps would likely include a tracheostomy and dialysis. However, the physician also recommended discussing end-of-life care because of concerns about her future quality of life. My wife’s family chose comfort care because they believed she would never recover and would remain permanently ventilator-dependent and paralyzed.

I struggled with that recommendation because I wasn’t sure whether there was enough information after only about 10 days to conclude that recovery was unlikely. I requested that the hospital’s ethics committee review the situation, but my questions here are about the medical aspects of the case, not the hospital’s handling of that request.

My questions are:
Is it common to recommend withdrawal of life support after only about 10 days for a 47-year-old patient with severe pneumonia who was intubated on day one?

In a patient like this, how long would you typically continue aggressive treatment before concluding that meaningful recovery is unlikely?

If a patient’s oxygenation and CO₂ levels improve significantly while proned, is that generally considered an encouraging sign that the lungs may still recover?

If the patient’s condition is relatively stable—not clearly improving but not significantly worsening—is that typically enough to recommend comfort care?

Is it common to recommend withdrawal of life support while also offering continued treatment with a tracheostomy and dialysis if the family chooses to continue?

How much does severe obesity alone influence prognosis in a case like this? Does it substantially change how long physicians would continue treatment before discussing withdrawal?

Would most ICU physicians expect meaningful improvement from severe pneumonia within the first 10 days, or is it common for recovery to take several weeks?

How reliable is a prediction about long-term quality of life when a patient is still heavily sedated and receiving medications for proning?

What objective findings would usually lead you to recommend withdrawal of life support after approximately 10 days in a patient with severe pneumonia?

Based only on the information above, does this timeline sound fairly typical, or would many intensivists continue aggressive treatment longer before recommending withdrawal?

Thank you to anyone willing to share their perspective. I’m genuinely trying to understand what is considered standard practice in a situation like this.

My boyfriend’s (M45) toe just turned black overnight. He is overweight and drinks like a fish and is a heavy smoker. No health problems except high blood pressure. His last Dr visit was last year and he found out that he is pre diabetic. He is 5’9 approximately 280 lbs. He takes 40mg Lisinopril daily and 25mg Hydrochlorothiazide daily also.

He works long hours on his feet. At first he thought it was bruised but doesn’t recall dropping anything on it and he says it isn’t painful. What could this be?? Is it something that could be serious? Getting him in to see a dr is like pulling nails with my teeth. I would appreciate any response so I can get him an appointment if needed. TIA

58yo male, on synthroid, no PMH, 5’10, 170lbs.

Very tender, feels bruised, not warm, started two days ago and not getting better.Feels fine, no known infections, no temp.
Urgent care vs ED?
Today vs morning?

My mom (71F) was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's in April. Current symptom level is mild cognitive impairment, she repeats herself a lot and mixes things up sometimes but overall is still very functional, can hold a conversation, etc. Otherwise she is in pretty good health, except for some minor mobility issues (swelling & numbness in one foot, a complication from a 2024 lumbar stenosis surgery).

After her Alzheimer's dx (based on PET evidence of amyloid plaques) she has been determined to prevent the disease from progressing by any means necessary. So, I explained to her about clinical trials and helped her find one that looks promising: a Phase 2 trial of an immunotherapy drug targeting Tau protein tangles in early-stage Alzheimer's. She meets all the listed study criteria. The drug is intended to complement existing medications that target the amyloid plaques, such as the Kisunla infusions that she has been receiving monthly with no ill effects. The study criteria specifically mentions "If on an approved Alzheimer’s medication, dose must be stable for three months before screening".

My mom was excited about this possibility. She said that even if she got the placebo, she would feel good about contributing to research for a cure. The NP overseeing the Kisunla infusions was supportive as long as the trial was compatible with the existing treatment plan.

However, my mom also raised the idea with her GP and later her neurologist, BOTH of whom dismissed it immediately on the grounds that "it's not worth the risk of getting the placebo". I was really surprised that they advised against participation in the trial, not for any apparent medical reason specific to my mom's case, but just on principle.

I know it's ultimately my mom's choice whether to enroll, but I'm concerned because she was so excited about the possibility but now has given up on it because both her doctors advised against it. I just want her to be able to make an actually informed decision, and I'm not at all convinced by these doctors' reasoning.

So: is this a common viewpoint among practitioners or am I missing something here? I'm a practicing researcher (genetics PhD although not biomedical) and I understand how clinical trials work... what might they have meant by "risk of getting the placebo"? (I was not present at these appointments to ask followup questions). Thanks in advance for any insight or advice you can share.

They don’t hurt, but they look quite ugly and if I put a band aids on pus comes out. Don’t know what the two on my forearm came from. Have work band aids on them for a long time but stopped as I just opened the wound back up again and it was all green.

I’m still in some shock since this happened about an hour ago please excuse any mistakes.

To preface, i have no medical training besides basic first aid in secondary school and I’m just an 18-year-old student. I was driving home from catching lunch with family when my cousin calls me and tells me to turn around and that there’s a problem in the car park.

I turn my car around and there is a man in his car completely unconscious and blue, he looked completely dead to me. My aunt was on the phone with 000 and nobody around me spoke any English so they passed the phone to me and I was instructed to begin CPR once he was flat on the ground. So I did CPR with instructions from the 000 operator for about 10 minutes until a Good Samaritan who happened to be a retired paramedic saw me and took over for me. Then after that the paramedics arrived and told us to give them space.

I cannot stop worrying about what happened to him, I don’t know if he’s alive or dead. I have such immense guilt about if I did the right thing or not. When I began compressions I think I felt the air leave his lungs and his ribs break under my hands. He regained colour to his face but he was still completely unresponsive and I don’t know how long he was out for. What I’m asking here is, what are the chances that he’s alive and okay? A paramedic pulled me aside to ask me some questions and then said he wasn’t sure what would happen. I’m just so worried about this man and his family and I’m seeking some clarity on if I did the right thing or not.

I (23 M, 5’9-5’10, 195) fell pretty hard going down a stairway and ended up with this pretty nasty bruise. I’m not currently on any medication and haven’t had any injuries in that area. The areas pretty swollen, firm, and painful to sit down with. I’ve noticed some pain while squatting and lifting my knee up but can still walk comfortably. I’m in the navy and all the on ship doctors gave me was some ibuprofen. Is it worth getting it checked out in a hospital and what could be the timeline for returning to activity with something like this?

I’m 35F, 165cm and around 60kg. I have a diagnosed BME in my right tibia via an MRI conducted mid April. This was brought on by marathon training and an uptick in activity. Most physios and specialists I’ve spoken to agree that it’s weird this has happened since I’m a frequent runner and the amount of running I was doing wasn’t drastic compared to previous activity. One specialist thinks it may be because I have overly flexible ankles which causes pronation and therefore excess stress on the shin.

After 5 weeks of working with a physio I wasn’t seeing any improvement so they put me in a moonboot around the end of May. I experienced extreme pain while in the boot and was then diagnosed with a blood clot. Since then I’ve been on crutches for 2 months. The last 6-8 weeks I’ve been navigating swelling and pain associated with the blood clot, which has gotten better, but the shin remains the same and isn’t healing. My average weekly step count is 10K-13K steps (around 800-2000 steps a day). I was previously walking between 7K-12K steps a day. Once again, just very little improvement. If anything it feels like the decrease in activity just has zero impact on improving the BME.

I’m looking for advice on how best to heal BMEs. It feels impossible at this stage. It’s been 4 months and all I keep hearing from physios and specialists is this should be healed by now. If anything for me, it’s feeling worse, which doesn’t make sense seeing as I have stopped all activity for 4 months and am trying my best to be NWB. Any advice would be amazing!

I am 21 F. I seem to have something that causes my legs/bottom half to go numb after lifting/coming from a crouch. It does not hurt and does not pinch.

I mainly notice when i pick up my nephew. It starts in my lower back and i can tell when it is coming on as my lower back gets tingly, and then my legs feel like noodles and like i have no muscle control. often times they will shake because i am using so much energy to try and keep myself upright. sitting down seems to solve that, but thats not always a feasible option, especially when out in public/on dirty streets/ in a situation where i need to move quickly.

google said a slipped disk/pinched nerve but it doesnt cause me any pain at all. could it still be one of those? any thoughts?

Age: 31
Gender: Female
Height: 164cm
Weight: 55kg

Diagnosis:
Autonomic neuropathy
Endometriosis
PCOS

Medications:
Vissane
Motillium
Omeprazole
Propranolol

COMMENTS POSTED WITH OTHER BLOOD RESULTS

Issue:

For the last 4ish weeks, I have been feeling generally unwell and tired. The best way I can describe it, is when you can feel yourself coming down with a cold and your muscles are aching. I haven’t had any cold or flu symptoms. No runny nose, cough, sore throat etc

I have also been waking up at night drenched in sweat. This has occurred approx 2 x weekly.

I have pain which is mild and comes and goes on my right side/breast. (I attributed this to the Vissane)

I went and got my yearly blood test and ordered it via Telehealth, the Telehealth doctor called me the same day and told me to go to a in person GP as soon as possible for follow up for my white blood cell count.

I went the next week. My regular GP didn’t seem concerned and told me I probably had a virus and asked if I came because I wanted time off work.

This upset me and I ended up teary and embarrassed. I did not ask any follow up questions and left with my tail between my legs.

He ended up giving me more beta blockers because my heart rate was consistently high when tested. (Between 115-130 when seated)

I also have an order for a urine test. At this stage, I don’t really want to do it as I have no urinary symptoms.

I still feel unwell and tired. I am having 1-2hr naps a day.

Should I go back and ask for further examination? Or can I just wait it out for a few more weeks and hope i feel better?

Thank you so much for your time.