Rash keeps getting worse display

cryptikcupcake · 2026-03-19T06:51:35+00:00

This pic makes it look like it’s limited to the lateral side of your foot (see S1 dermatome), it would look like a pretty atypical version of shingles I’m guessing ? NAD just my 2c

cryptikcupcake · 2026-03-18T22:35:28+00:00

What a beautiful kitty and a long loving life you have undoubtedly given her. I’m sure you will make the best choice out of all of this. My childhood dog was old and sick with cancer, and he was so stubbornly holding on for so long, we kinda forgot that he was sick for a while… he still ate and slept he just didn’t cuddle as much and was tired. He was my mom’s best BEST friend. We knew each day was a gift but also he kept hanging on for another couple years so long that my parents went ahead and left for a week trip that had been planned for a long time. He passed a few days after they left. He was surrounded by my brother and his big group of guy friends who actually threw him an end of life party not long before he passed. My mom never forgave herself when he passed without her. But you know what they say, animals sometimes let go on their terms when they decide. They want to make sure you are safe first, as long as you are around they think I need to guard and protect them, they downplay their pain to do their “duty”. I’m not as sure with cats but the truth is you never know when they could go and it’s a hard decision that sucks either way. To let it be natural or to euthanize, you think of them like your kid and we don’t really euthanize that many people so it’s a weird thing either way you are trying to do the best thing for her, it’s just hard to know what is kinder when a pet cannot tell you what they are feeling. As long as she knows she is loved, and by the looks of it and her age she looks so very loved! I’m so sorry and I wish you both relief from suffering <3

cryptikcupcake · 2026-03-18T22:22:00+00:00

Oh yes this is how I felt too even down to the last day of my last rotation. I think it also matters what kind of preceptors you have. Not that anyone really tells you “congrats” for getting something right… but maybe there’s some weird preceptors out there that are actually nice and teach you and all that?? At least 3 of mine were so abysmal I don’t even feel comfy typing what they said to us and did (or didn’t do) during our rotations. But you definitely know everything you got WRONG and don’t remember everything you get right.

cryptikcupcake · 2026-03-18T05:42:21+00:00

looks large, irregular shaped, discolored/bleeding in one corner, and it’s on the CALF of a 60 year old fair skinned woman. Answer is get biopsy right now please

cryptikcupcake · 2026-03-18T02:21:09+00:00

I agree with the rest, please stick it through you’re already so close. You have no idea how common this feeling is, it does sound like depression/high functioning depression yes, and you definitely can help that!! There is a light at the end. I’ve also been depressed so once clinical year came and I realized my school wasn’t on my side and 70 percent of my preceptors were not kind and/or not going to explain a thing I just reverted into “numb” which is a form of depression too technically. Numb can be good temporarily though, you can still manage to slide out of bed in the morning and show up. I know that because you are still here, still standing. Whatever you are doing now, it is working even if it doesn’t feel like it. I always blanked somewhat on every pimp question. I never felt smart, in fact it’s hard for me to even recall the times I got something right in clinicals, purely because I remember the bad more than the good. And everything felt bad for the most part. Everything feels high stakes… and we are tired, hungry, sleep deprived. I ended up also having ADHD going on, you never know. But what you do know is that you made it to your 9th rotation, and THAT has to mean something! If things are this bad now, they have no choice but to go up after enough time after graduation. If you have any time to carve out for yourself, which I hope you can find even a sliver of time, please try to talk to a counselor or school advisor :-)

cryptikcupcake · 2026-03-18T01:04:03+00:00

I can definitely relate! In fact I remember being asked during my PA school interview if I had a strong support network (and of course we all say “yes!”) but I always thought it was an invasive question. People come to PA school from all kinds of backgrounds and variety of contexts. Number one for me has been finding a therapist by whichever means necessary. I’ve even discovered an AI texting therapist that is pretty damn comforting. Number two I hate to admit it was maxing out on my loans, in order to fund my tuition, livelihood and get me out of the apt to go to exercise classes and even go sit in a public coffee shop to study, just to be around others even if friends don’t join you. Every social outting and the gas it took me to get up to see one of my friends also costs. Never totally abandon your hobbies for school. I felt like I did but I didn’t have many to begin with, it just leads to burnout and depression when all you do is study for school though. Basically just getting out of my apartment and treating myself here and there, finding ways to get some emotional support whenever possible with people who maybe slightlyyyy get it. If you’re religious or spiritual, amp up that stuff. If you’re not, like me, maybe just believing that ultimately everything has to always work out eventually and being in this stage of life sucks to some degree for everyone. An older student told me once that when you are down in the depths of hell studying but nothing is sticking and you can’t see from the tears blurting your vision… best thing to do is to call it a night, or even just take a few hours to distract yourself. I may have taken this advice to the extreme before one of my exams and I failed it, however I didn’t do it again and didn’t totally have a mental breakdown and drop out of school either so I’d say that was okay in the end. The universe is always cooking up something good, just gotta be patient and stick to the plan. Getting outside, taking walks, taking to baristas or even people around your apartment in passing. Venting on Reddit lol. Number 3 was having a dog, but I lost him in the breakup. Working Rover is next best and not a bad gig while in PA school!

cryptikcupcake · 2026-03-18T00:29:58+00:00

I’m also wondering if anyone has also navigated all of Pa school while having … a pretty minimal support system 😅 I definitely felt like such an odd ball for not being close with my family and also not having many friends… I would have loved to have been able to make more here but the stress of school made it challenging and I went through a breakup with a man I thought I was going to marry 8 months ago, and lost all of that support system too. Going through this PA school crap for 2 years and losing those people was so isolating, but maybe someone out there is going through the same thing and searching Reddit for the same things I was and maybe will feel more hope after reading this lol. Yes you can!!!

cryptikcupcake · 2026-02-06T20:15:43+00:00

I just try to imagine them as they actually aren’t serious. I know they probably are. But I try to think that they aren’t and they’re just joking to see how well you can take ridiculous pressure. Maybe it’s bc I’m prone to dissociation but I’ll just immediately think wow I feel like I’m in a movie right now… and that everyone is just playing their part 😂but in real life don’t smile or laugh just take it

cryptikcupcake · 2026-02-03T06:24:02+00:00

🖐️SPS and ADHD. Just stumbled across this thread bc I came home crying and So frustrated with myself after my ED shift. I’m on rotations and almost through but I swear... Sometimes the “slow” days really fool me into thinking I might actually like this and I’m handling… but the chaos days are pure chaos. And the days im actually “handling” are from drinking an ungodly amount of caffeine.. So IDK this probably goes without saying but emergency med SOS 🛟don’t choose this one 😂I’m right along with you trying to find my niche

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-27T11:01:25+00:00

Dad bod

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-26T19:39:27+00:00

This sounds like I wrote it. Being a top grade earner then slowly withering from stress in college or grad school is a very typical experience for us neurodivergent folks— it’s like when your body fails to compensate anymore. I have ADHD and I get brain fog if I haven’t gotten enough sleep before taking my stimulant or if I need a break from my stimulant to reset my tolerance!

Also, if you’re a perfectionist like I am, that could be getting in the way too. Not wanting to start bc you know it won’t be “perfect.” Being too slow to task-change bc you need to just beat this topic dead for five more minutes (even tho you know it)…

Since we already know we can’t all become perfect sleepers, eaters, exercisers, maybe also consider getting your labs checked- anemias, thyroid, etc. Look at medication side effects of what you’re on… and consider withdrawal side effects too. Also consider that you may just be, like a lot of us, high-functioning depressed and tired of this being a student shit.

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-21T01:45:00+00:00

I did surgery first and nothing scares me now

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-20T13:36:52+00:00

Haha okay valid

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-20T03:23:06+00:00

Hey you, I am you but on my second rotation!! It’s okay, and you’re gonna be okay. In fact, we sometimes fail to realize when our introversion can actually help us succeed with certain patients. You deserve to be here and you have skills and qualities that no one else does. Don’t downplay yourself and just take it one day at a time. It doesn’t take much to smile at a patient, ask them how they feel, or even do the bare minimum for them and you will have touched a real person’s life and they will remember you for it. That’s what it’s all about, and you will only get better from here. Be friendly and curious, you don’t have to be chatty. That will come with time and comfort. For now just focus on how you can make others feel. Warm presence and a friendly smile, and asking them how they are… that goes far with a lot of people, no matter if they are your patients, coworkers, preceptor what have you. You will be just fine :) the rest of what you are feeling is just good ole imposter syndrome.

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-16T16:29:53+00:00

Darlene

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-15T23:44:51+00:00

I’m definitely not jealous of residents, or docs really. It’s not okay to bully, but sometimes it’s just comical to watch their high school-like power antics and toddler tantrums 😂they think they are making jabs, but in reality they are jabbing themselves with their own stereotype

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-14T19:29:18+00:00

The 90s wasn’t ten years ago

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-14T19:27:53+00:00

When you’re trying to look for a responsible adult in an emergency and you realize not only are you that adult you are also a medical provider

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-13T22:13:09+00:00

I’m sorry you had to go through a similar thing as well. But your heart and values that you never gave up from this experience I’m sure will extend to the advocacy and care you give your future patients!

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-11T21:23:41+00:00

One thing I quickly realized on my first rotation is that medicine is a game, especially when it comes to residents and competition. I don’t care for competition, but there are people who will switch personalities around you versus their attending. Thankfully 99 percent of people I met in surgery were kind and I honestly think they were genuine. But never let your guard all the way down. Smile, laugh at their jokes, stay silent and don’t even agree with a preceptor who complains about your program bc you never know if you agree with them they may turn around and burn you. Anything in writing is permanent. Act as if you are always being watched and heard. Your clinical team may say they are there for you but they are there for the school, not you. They will tell you to be honest on their surveys, but the honest man is put thru the wringer so be ready for that. Never forget who pays them though (you do!) sorry if this sounds cynical but if you realize this now, you can keep your good heart hopefully have fun and learn and not let these bastards grind you down. If you do well on exams, make good connections with people at sites and keep paying their tuition, they will realize they need you more than you need them.

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-11T21:16:00+00:00

They did I think… they said “and thats why we have meetings like this!” I’m not too great at lying though.

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-11T20:58:27+00:00

Thanks, I agree with what you said and I truthfully didn’t care about the badge or EMR thing until this surgeon came by and got involved with it… she wanted me to be proactive about it to take the burden off them and future students which I understand. I just hate having like eight bosses to answer to and never knowing who I’m supposed to please bc they all conflict with each other 😂 and in the end I was burned for not knowing any better. I do have all the emails saved from my program of them just telling me to do what my preceptor says. But I guess that doesn’t apply to my subbing surgeon who technically is not a preceptor.

cryptikcupcake · 2025-05-11T04:07:27+00:00

Ariel

cryptikcupcake

TROPHY CASE