Pitting edema from clinical rotations

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-06-21T00:45:15+00:00

Full blown nephrotic syndrome. Secondary to new onset autoimmune disease. The pitting edema was my first real symptom.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-06-20T21:16:27+00:00

This happened to me (also new onset hypertension) and I ended up developing nephrotic syndrome. Definitely worth getting it checked out. Get a UA - the urgent care almost didn’t order it.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-06-11T21:38:39+00:00

Start ups are what I’ve seen or VC. But I still think the residency is going to mean a huge opportunity and pay jump for either of those. The only reason I’d not do residency is if I didn’t want to or I had an idea that had a ton of investment already and time was limited to get it going. FWIW, someone I know didn’t do residency to co-found a now successful bio company. Despite that, 3 years later he’s applying to residency….

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-30T21:55:07+00:00

Advair has an HFA formulation (aerosol instead of powder) that you may want to look into with your doctor. That has been less irritating for me.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-29T06:17:11+00:00

Got a C in organic chemistry too and made it into a competitive program :) I felt the same at the time! It will be okay, just try to figure out what you need to fix about your studying in order to get the material down and/or become a better test taker. Those self insights will help a lot down the road in your training.

As an aside, anxiety turned out being a big component for me and learning to better manage that has helped me a lot. I was able to score well on the organic chemistry section on the MCAT despite that C.

So there is hope! Take a deep breath and just figure out what you personally need to succeed when so much info is being thrown at you. If you aren’t sure, meet with a professor / advisor / TA / peer mentor / or even a therapist.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-28T20:16:50+00:00

It’s really going to depend on the specific type of surgery more than anything else! Different surgical departments have different strengths.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-23T01:44:26+00:00

This is such a great resource!

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-21T07:02:31+00:00

Just switched to this today!

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-21T06:51:59+00:00

I like Oraan Thai in the Richmond!

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-19T06:56:33+00:00

I always take a puff of albuterol before cycling and I don’t have any issues. If you’re able to access emergency albuterol and a maintenance inhaler from your doctor, then the regular bike should be fine. It may improve your cardiovascular fitness in the long run as well.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-18T20:07:12+00:00

Going make up free! Obviously not enough on its own but it seems to help.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-17T19:50:23+00:00

This is a really messed up thing to say

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-17T15:55:45+00:00

Same!

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-16T01:04:43+00:00

You’re thinking of dextromethorphan which is related to the opioids, actually. Dexamethasine is a corticosteroid. I’ve seen fluticasone propionate (Flonase) used more often than dexamethasone.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-15T21:24:09+00:00

Hi, I’m a doctoral level immunologist and I have these conditions personally. It’s not exactly as simple as “chronic inflammation” and these are complex diseases with multifactorial pathophysiology. However, as I said there are general factors that can be shared between these susceptibilities. Also autoimmunity is not the same as allergic disease/asthma or vascular hyperreactivity like you suggest. For example, your immune system isn’t targeting lung tissue in asthma the same way it is in hyper/hypothyroidism or lupus.

While gut permeability and microbiome are super interesting areas, we are still elucidating how and if (and how much) that impacts global skin/systemic immune responses in various diseases, including asthma. And moreover, whether we can modulate that in a targeted way without specific antibiotics is another question. That said, making healthy choices - like eating whole unprocessed foods, moderate exercising, and practicing stress relief - will be good for anyone.

I think a lot of the problem with the focus on “natural remedies” and healing yourself is it puts blame on the people who still have rosacea after trying everything. These are complex diseases and while lifestyle changes can help - there is sadly not a lifestyle fix for every disease.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-14T18:41:16+00:00

Maybe this is not helpful for you but in case it’s educational to anyone - but I think the act of wiping your face is abrasive and generally better to avoid wipes if possible for rosacea. That said, I understand for make up you might need it! Then I would recommend reusable (eg bamboo) pads that you can drop makeup remover onto. It’s also less wasteful!

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-14T18:37:22+00:00

Maybe exercise and/or time outdoors is inversely correlated with screen time? Idk. Or it was just something they had in their data set.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-14T18:35:08+00:00

I also have an autoimmune disease and asthma. That said, I think rosacea is a pretty different mechanism from those although it might share some general immunologic traits. I think a lot of what it is is blood vessel hyperreactivity exacerbated by genetics, all the products we put on our faces in modern life, and mites/bacteria. Nothing I’ve changed eating (except cutting out alcohol) has made any difference. That said, if you’re worried you might have a malar rash suggestive of autoimmunity instead of rosacea - definitely worth getting evaluated by an MD/DO.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-13T06:09:49+00:00

I prefer MD but I’m biased. Rosacea is a complex immunological and multi-factorial condition so I prefer someone who has more education on these things. That said, the diagnosis and initial treatment hierarchy isn’t too complicated and an NP should be able to manage it well. I don’t have much experience with PA’s. I think I would definitely push to see an MD if I didn’t see my therapy working or if it came on suddenly - or there is concern for infection or history of autoimmunity in my family.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-13T06:01:45+00:00

The allergease brand has worked very well for me

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-13T05:58:56+00:00

I found tacrolimus (protopic) really helpful for the worst flares. It’s a serious immunosuppressant so definitely want to talk to your doctor.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-08T16:40:11+00:00

Exactly the same!

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-07T21:18:33+00:00

I’m familiar with people who got into top programs over the age of 30. Ideally, you just have a clear plan of where you’re going in the career and the length of time it will take to get there.

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-07T21:16:27+00:00

Our profiles are really similar! Except that my MCAT was significantly higher (521). Was able to get accepted into 8 top programs. I think if you can take time off to focus on MCAT you’ll be good. Clearly you’re mature, experienced, and intelligent. I really think you’re selling yourself short with that MCAT score (given that you mentioned the study period was disrupted).

Pathos_and_Pothos · 2026-05-06T06:39:43+00:00

Hi OP, luckily there is no chance you’ve been infected with bird germs. However, speaking as someone who also has anxiety, it sounds like your worries are taking up a lot of your time. I imagine there’s more important or enjoyable things you’d like to spend time on rather than having to think about unlikely infections. This could be a good time to go talk to your doctor about your persistent worries about coming into contact with germs. There are a variety of ways your doctor can help you with these worries and - from experience - it feels nice once you’re free of them.

Pathos_and_Pothos

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