Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with blood

Did I spend too much on a book?

Bacillus — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:22:12 -0800

Did I spend too much on a book? $325 for a very good hardcover 1st Edition UK (Picador) Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy? About a year ago I became a huge Cormac McCarthy fan and decided to get as many of his 1st Editions as possible.

I recently bought Blood Meridian for $325 before even reading it. The day I bought it over eBay I went to the local book shop and bought the paperback (so I wouldn't damage the hardcover) and have read half and absolutely love it.

After reading half of the paperback I'm not sure I'd ever want to sell it.

Would it bother you if it was the UK edition?

Will the price of the book go up considering the popularity of Cormac's Pulitzer winning fiction novel The Road, The Road Movie recently released in cinemas and the fact that their making Blood Meridian The Movie?

Would you sell it?

Did you enjoy this book?

Acing this test!

lundman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:47:30 -0800

Me = fat guy, annual health checks = "A" grade. What gives? Actual data inside, BP, LDL, HDL, Cholesterol etc, inside... So, without a doubt I am obese, about 135kg/200lbs. (BMI at 40 this year). I have always struggled with weight, and pretty much spent 23 years fighting it. There is a lot of kanji in here I can't read.

The data is as follows, sorry it is so hard to read, couldn't find how to make tables in meta.

_____2-years-ago_____1-year-ago_____this-year
BP: 108/70_____128/86_____118/80
Kanji: 84_____84_____81
HbA1c: 4.7_____4.6_____X

Cholstr: 119_____122_____133
Kanji: 54_____79_____60
HDL-C: 50_____45_____42
LDL-C: 91_____87_____X

UricAcid: 6.9_____6.7_____6.5

Kanji: x_____x_____6.7
GOT(AST): 25_____25_____26
GPT(ALT): 23_____24_____34
y-GTP: 13_____13_____15
AL-P: 209_____195_____213

LDH: X_____X_____204
T-Bil x_____x_____0.6

I'm a bit unsure what I am doing "wrong" I guess. My diet is not fantastic, but sure better then it has been before. (In terms of carbs anyway). I cycle to/from work, but maybe i need more exercise (don't we always).

I recently threw in the towel on trying to get smaller, clearly I am not going to win. I have decided to go the other way, if I am to be big, I want to be big, meaning muscle, so I have started that instead. I feel really good about that though.

The only "*" I got was on Cholesterol, I guess they feel it is getting high. (Although, their guide says 150-219). Perhaps it is 'too low'. How can a fat guy have too low cholesterol?

Although I am aware that these checks are more for the health insurance to know what to charge the company, than they are about my health. But it feel peculiar to get "A" grade, when you get droned about how bad it is to be fat.

Amusingly, I seem to fit the profile for AD-37, but I get the feeling that's more fringe-science..

And yes, you are not my doctor. :)

Does Pterocarpus marsupium work?

RajahKing — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:27:50 -0800

I recently heard that Pterocarpus marsupium extract can be beneficial for those of us with high blood sugar. Have you tried it yourself? Has it been helpful? Have you seen results? Any side effects?

Finger Pain & Nail Biting

Draccy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:43:33 -0800

Fingernail Filter: I know its been asked many times how to quit this compulsion. While that is a concern of mine, I need to know what to do to alleviate pain in the fingers from excessive fingernail biting. What do you recommend? I've heard people say that chewing fingernails is a bad habit, and can be stopped with strong will. I don't subscribe to that, in that I've tried so hard to stop. When I'm in the car during my hour commute, I can't help but chew. I do it beyond the point of pain, and continue. I have horrible nails, and the skin under them is torn up and bloody. I've tried clipping my nails so close down, and it makes no difference. I've tried the bad tasting fingernail polish and found it didn't deter me.

I've got so much pain in my fingertips today because I bit them way down. How can I relive the pain?

Also, what extreme remedies can you recommend for stopping this horrible compulsion?

Stuck myself with a needle I just used on my dog. Should I freak out?

anonymousme — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:40:29 -0800

Stuck myself with a needle I just used on my dog. Should I freak out? I've had to give my dog fluids subcutaneously for the past few days.

Each needle is disposable, and has a plastic base that slides over the end of the line attached to the bag of fluid.

I just finished one of those sessions, and removed the needle from my dog. Then, I tried to remove the needle itself from the end of the line.

I think I had pushed the needle's base on too far, and it was stuck. I was kind of tugging it to get it off, and I stabbed myself pretty badly with it and drew blood.

Now I'm freaking out thinking of all the crap he tries to eat on his walks (garbage, roadkill, animal poop) and all the unknown pathogens that might be in his system.

Also the fact that his illness has, despite visits to two different vets, basic bloodwork and xrays, still not been diagnosed. One vet told me it's possible he has cancer, but that would need an MRI to diagnose, and I have to wait for the next paycheck to afford that.

So? Should I freak out? Is there anything I can do?

DOG PERIOD BLOOD IN BED. CAN I JUST SLEEP IN IT?

defmute — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:15:08 -0800

my dog bled on my blanket (i think mine's called a com-fort-or). can i still sleep in my bed? my dog's been on her period for a while and we always kick it pretty good in bed and i thought her period was over but i guess not and i've actually been sleeping in bed with a few half dollar siezed dogperiodblood spots on the pillows, com-four-door, sheets and mattress. am i okay? do i need to disinfect my sleeping arrangements?

Have you taken Adderall and blood pressure meds?

keener_sounds — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:22:04 -0800

I have Adult ADD -- and about 5 years ago, I briefly got a huge benefit from taking Adderall. But that was before I had high blood pressure. For the past 2 years I've had high blood pressure that is pretty well controlled by meds-- when it was diagnosed it was *really* high (195/110!) I'm not really overweight nor do I have other risk factors for high blood pressure; just seems to be the way I handle stress. Anyway, I have just been given a beautiful bottle of blue pills with my name on it by a respected psychiatrist who says it's OK to take this Adderall as long as I continue take my blood pressure meds and monitor myself at home with a cuff. The regular doc also says it's OK. Only 5 mg of Adderall twice a day; I could take it once a day. But I'm terrified. You are not my doctor. But have you taken Adderall with controlled high blood pressure? The website says: Do not take with high blood pressure. Canada says: Adderall is banned due to sudden deaths and strokes. Docs say: Go ahead. My work says: Take the damn -- what? Was that a squirrel out the window? Oh yeah.
Please let me know if you have experienced this -- seems like it should be all over the web, but all I can find are warnings about high blood pressure, not controlled high blood pressure. Thanks hive mind.

Herpes blood test in NYC

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:22:05 -0800

Where to get a herpes blood test in NYC? I have been in an exclusive relationship with a man for the last few months. Previous to our getting together, he was married for 10 years to a woman with genital herpes. They always took precautions to abstain when she had an outbreak to prevent her passing it to him. But, as he assumed they would be married forever, he did not worry about it too much.

He did not realize until his most recent doctor visit that it was possible to contract herpes even when avoiding sex during an outbreak. After his doctor visit, he told me about this issue, sincerely apologizing for not bringing it up earlier, as he didn’t realize there would be any risk.

Neither he nor I have ever had any symptoms/outbreaks, but we want to get tested just to make sure. We are both recent transplants to NYC, and neither of us have health insurance or a GP (his recent doctor visit was before he moved). I called both Planned Parenthood and NYC Department of Health, and neither provides blood tests. They will only test current lesions.

So where is a free/cheap/sliding-scale clinic that will provide blood tests for both a male and a female in NYC?

Help normalize my spiking blood pressure!

rachaelfaith — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:54:25 -0800

Can you help me not freak out about my suddenly spiking blood pressure? This is related to birth control and anxiety. Also looking for methods to calm myself down in anticipation of a reading. Some history: Have not had any indication of high blood pressure since I started taking birth control 5 years ago- I typically register in at 120/80. I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for 3 years and switched to Yaz 2 years ago after some ovarian cysts showed up.

I used to be overweight but lost 45 pounds and am now at what I believe to be a relatively healthy weight [about 5'3", 137 lbs]. I do not smoke and I don't consume caffeine. I don't have a stellar diet, but I try to keep an eye on my sodium intake. I work out around 3 times a week, though college classes are taking a toll on my consistency.

I have had a history of anxiety for just about forever. Panic attacks, avoidance, social anxiety, health anxiety, and so on.

Went to my OB-GYN yesterday for a regular pap and pelvic, they were about to renew my birth control scrip when they mentioned my blood pressure was too high- about 130/89. They waited about 10 minutes and took it again- even higher, because I was nervous. Now I'm told I have to get it retaken elsewhere before I am given the scrip to prove it's not prehypertension or higher.

Of course, I'm now freaking out [over the possibility of HBP, over possibly not being able to obtain my birth control] and my heart's been racing ever since. I took one measure at home of my blood pressure and it was really quite high- something ridiculous like 144/89.

Now I fear that I will not be able to calm myself down enough to get back to normal, much less when I go for an official reading.

Is there any reason my BP would jump so high in a one-month period since my last normal reading? Besides deep breathing, how else can I calm myself down in order to obtain a neutral reading?

Yaaargh. Help!

mystery diagnosis

WeekendJen — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:04:45 -0800

Did the hospital save my blood samples and could they be retested? Would swine flu cause a positive test for regular flu? In March I was in the hospital for 7 days with an undiagnosed virus. In April the swine flu was identified and the county I reside in had the highest # of infections in my state and my town's schools closed for 2 days due to student infections. While in the hospital I tested negative for regular flu, but was not tested for swine flu becuase it was not a known issue yet. So if I had swine flu, would my regular flu test have come back positive? If not, is there any chance the hospital would have saved any of my exorbitant amount of blood samples and could those samples be retested? If I gave a new sample, would that test positive for swine flu fighting blood particles (or, um, whatever fights viruses) now that I am recovered?

Thanks for any help!

Blood From A Stone

ryecatcher — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:41:04 -0800

Blood. Let's say...a bucket full of blood. Now pour that on a flat stone surface. Then put that under the hot sun. Go away. But come back in a week or two. What's left? Anything? Put aside wind conditions and all that. I just want to know how the heat affects the blood and whether or not you could determine if there was blood there at all after a few weeks time.

I could assume but we all know how that usually works out.

Asking for fictional purposes.

Thanks!

Blood type asap

ish__ — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:33:37 -0800

Where can I get a ABO/rh blood type test done today in metro Washington dc? I can overnight an eldoncard kit from amazon or the like, but need to know as soon as possible. No pharmacies seem to carry tehm, and I havnt had luck with medical supply companies either. Willing to drive up to 2 hrs from dc today to get a home test or get a same-day test performed? Help!!

paging Lady Macbeth

happy scrappy — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:08:00 -0800

Suggestions for removing large, set-in blood stains from cotton fabric? Last week I had a laparotomy to remove my cervix and ovaries. Yesterday the incision began to leak copious amounts of pooled blood. I've soaked two pairs of comfy pants and 2 panties with blood, as well as gotten smaller spots on other cotton items. I haven't been able to deal with the stains because I've been trying to stop the bleeding (I'm seeing my doc this morning to get it fixed).

What are your suggestions for removing really nasty, set-in blood stains from cotton fabric? Thanks in advance.

What does Daniel Plainview tell Eli?

jakubsnm — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:39:13 -0800

What does Daniel Plainview tell Eli in There Will Be Blood? What does Daniel Plainview say to Eli while shaking his hand after being baptised? It doesn't come up on the subtitles.

I've found a few pages asking the same question. This one has a short video of the moment.

What other substances might show up in a blood test for valproic acid levels?

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 06:17:02 -0800

What other substances might show up in a blood test for valproic acid levels? Asking for a friend:

Twenty-something female has been epileptic since she was a kid, and taking Depakote to control seizures. Her doctor ordered a fairly routine blood test to check for valproic acid levels, but since her last round of blood tests, she's gotten into the habit of smoking marijuana. She probably gets high once a week, on average, but sometimes more often. The lab order is written for a "Valproic Acid Level Test."

So on to the question: Is there any way to know whether her blood test for valproic acid might reflect her marijuana use? And if it does show up in a blood test, are there any legal repercussions? It seems like a valproic acid levels test shouldn't be looking for any other substances, and my instinct is that even if she tested positive for pot somehow, the doctor would just counsel her on the risks of drug use, but she'd like to know for sure.

Just FYI, she hasn't taken the blood test yet, but needs to schedule it in the next week or so.

Throwaway email at epilepsy.and.pot@gmail.com if there are any follow-up questions.

How do I deal with a phobia that came from being around a cutter?

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:39:30 -0800

What do I do about a persistent phobia and why is it getting worse? Reading this question (how scary is blood) I had an instant reaction of starting to hyperventilate a bit, though I got it under control quickly (also stopped reading). As I get older and the more I'm aware of it, this reaction gets stronger. Explanation involves a friend who was a cutter so be aware if this is a trigger for you. Background: in high school a couple of close friends would cut themselves, at first as some sign of bravado or when under stress, and then (for one of them) as an addiction. I was under constant and severe stress at this time myself, due to family issues (parents' divorce, living with the one who was unpredictable and frequently enraged) and a mood disorder that went undiagnosed for quite a few years.

I'm afraid my brain was wired to leave me much more sensitive and anxious than a normal person. When stressed, I tend to tune out from people, become uncommunicative, worry that no one can stand me, and so on. What I've also realized is that a phobia seems to be growing connected to my friend's behavior - it's about blood and cutting in particular.

I wasn't awfully bothered by the cutting at the time. I tried to talk my friend into quitting, but was not grossed out. I used to watch all kinds of bloody horror movies, and would even seek out the worst at the video store as if I was dared to.

After a couple more intensely stressful years (they've passed), now I'm afraid to keep sharp objects around even though I haven't harmed myself nor wanted to. But I seem to have started worrying at times about doing so, through some sudden, perverse impulse I can't control. Now I can't stand to watch scenes in movies where anyone's been cut (I don't seek to watch violence, but a shooting on film wouldn't bother me). I'll start to hyperventilate if it's very bloody. I've had blood drawn at a doctor's office during a checkup and wasn't afraid of the procedure but couldn't stand to look. Yet I'm female so when I get my period every month seeing that kind of blood is no big deal at all. I just can't seem to get rid of some images in my head of that friend's arms and legs and seeing dried blood splattered on books and papers. I think it's particularly having seen the results of some very deep cuts that gets me.

I have read plenty about addictive behavior, PTSD, any and all kinds of mental health issues and I'm on medication that keeps my mood pretty stable. I can't see a therapist now, however, due to a lack of funds/health insurance. What I'm confused by, mostly, is how the phobia didn't seem to develop until about 8 years after the events in question, and why I worry about the.. imp of the perverse suddenly taking over. Has this happened to others? Anything I can do myself to deal with this?

How scary is blood, really?

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:32:18 -0800

How scary is blood, really? I was curious how safe and/or possible it is to draw blood without causing serious harm or death? Is it possible to see blood on the skin without the plausible threat of death? If so, what methods exist for doing so without fatal harm to the individual?

I am asking this mostly out of curiosity of my own body, and of the human body in general.

Diabetes, glucose, and food -- Oh my!

DrGail — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:39:18 -0800

Type II Diabetes filter: How do measured glucose levels vary depending on how long it has been since eating? My husband was just recently diagnosed with Type II diabetes, based on an A1C reading of 7.3. He has made numerous lifestyle changes: careful food choices, no binging, regular exercise, eating three meals a day instead of one. (I nag very effectively, as you can see!) This has brought his second A1C reading down to 6.1, without any medication, so we feel like we're definitely on the right track.

But I keep wondering what the "curve" looks like if blood sugar readings are plotted against the hours since eating. A search of the internets hasn't turned up any generic curves we can use as a reference.

For example: His after-dinner blood sugar readings are usually done about 1 - 1-1/2 hours after having a Dannon Light Yogurt for dessert, instead of the 2 hour delay the doctor recommends. If he were to wait until the 2-hour mark before testing his blood, would the reading be higher or lower than the one he gets at the 1-1/2 hour mark?

If he were to take his blood sugar readings hourly, over several days, we could discover the curve empirically. This is not an option, though -- he would never go for it.

So I'm hoping one of you wonderful MeFi folks either knows the answer to my specific question or perhaps can point me to a generic curve that exists somewhere on the 'net.

True Blood trivia - Jessica drinks blood

Roger Dodger — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:30:19 -0800

In Season 2 of the HBO show True Blood, what is the exact mixture of blood types that Jessica thinks tastes ok? Supposedly this was determined by Bill. I realize this is a silly pop culture reference, but a friend is trying to stump me, and I have no TV. Please help me show him up.

Nosebleed Questions

By The Grace of God — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:00:21 -0800

Nosebleed filter: My husband has been having very severe nose bleeds. We are going to an ent specialist today (hopefully) but would like community information about how to get these nose bleeds to stop, what causes them, and - if they can't be stopped - any tips for managing them well while mobile in public on holiday. We are from Scotland but are on a two week holiday visiting family in several cities in the US and Canada. My husband has had nose bleeds all his life, but they are generally very mild and infrequent, happening every 6 to 8 weeks. Starting on the plane from Heathrow to Canada, he got a nose bleed (from the right nostril) that just gushed. Like, tea cups full of blood gushing. It took a half hour or so to stop. He got another one in Toronto and my grandparents freaked out and we went to the emergency room. Resident and the attending there both said that there was no visible tear or lesion after a specular inspection and there is no way to really fix it, it just has to heal.

Since then, yesterday he has had four episodes, each lasting a half hour or more.

We are wondering the following:

1) Can this be cauterised or something to make it stop? If so will he need admitted to hospital?
2) Is the blood loss dangerous over time? He has no dizziness or other symptoms.
3) If the ent says that we should wait until our return to get this treated, should we cut the holiday short? We are both falling down from stress and really need this holiday but health trumps this of course.
4) If we are to stay on holiday does anybody have any tips on how to manage the bleeds more effectively? We are carrying tissues, baby wipes and disposable cups to catch blood, and my husband is willing to overcome his shame and alarm when it happens so he can stay out in public and continue holiday events, but don't worry, our fun and enjoyment is a low priority compared to health and we will not be forcing this issue.
5) What about the airplane? If we need to move the flight up and get him home should we have some sort of doctor note or special seating request or what on the plane? Or should we stay here for the full treatment process, even tho it is expensive and we would get free health care at home?

How long for unscabbed wound to heal?

Malad — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:45:37 -0800

Several days ago I got a cut on my elbow. It scabbed; then there was some pus and later the scab fell off. Now it looks red and white and raw and exposed. For the last couple of days I've been washing it morning and night and putting on bandaids which have built-in antibiotic. The cut doesn't seem to be getting worse, but if it's getting better, it's slow. It doesn't hurt or anything, but how long for this to heal and should I be doing anything differently? Also, right around the cut there's a crust of probably some combination of dried pus and antibiotic ointment. I am tempted to clean it off but don't want to cut tender, growing skin in the process. Should I just leave it be?

What are the ramifications when a real estate disclosure is misleading, and nasty surprises are revealed after sale?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:08:09 -0800

What happens when you buy a house with an unfortunate history (suicide) that has been disclosed, but no one bothers to tell you that the victim's blood is hidden under the new carpeting? I have just purchased an older home in California, which had been on the market for many months. It was being sold by a local realtor for an out-of-state trustee. After I bid on the property, the seller's agent contacted my realtor with a disclosure: the previous owner had committed suicide in the house. Because of the resident's death, no other information was available, but I really liked the house, so after asking for and receiving additional information on the suicide—that it was with a gun, that the victim was elderly, that it happened in a back room that would not play a central role in my daily life—decided I was willing to live with the sad history. Inspectors came and said the house was sound, so I bought it.

Late last week the seller's agent happened to be at the house on the day that escrow closed, and introduced himself. He was friendly, and asked about my plans for the property. I told him I liked it pretty much as it was, but had pulled up some of the wall-to-wall carpeting and preferred the hardwood floors underneath, so planned to have them cleaned and buffed. He told me about another house he had sold for the same family that also had nice hardwood under carpeting, and after some small talk, he left.

Flash forward to Monday. My hardwood flooring contractors call me and say they have found something I need to see. They have pulled up the carpets and padding in the living room and each room off the hall, finding floors with some minor stains and scuffs that they think will clean up nicely, and have finally reached the central hall. They pulled up the hall carpet and the underlying pad, and this is when they call me.

Here they found a hideous scene: between the new carpet padding and the hardwood is a thick layer of dried, saturated blood and crunchy tissue which appears to be brains. The residue runs the entire length of the hallway, some 15 feet, with distinct lines at each of the five doorways. Despite the disclosure that the shooting happened in the back room, the blood evidence makes it clear that the suicide closed himself off in the smallest area of the house, the hallway, and shot himself there. The body was removed, the walls repainted, but the residue of the shooting was never cleaned up. Instead, someone had laid down new carpeting to give the impression of cleanliness.

I'm not a squeamish person by nature, but I was badly shaken by this discovery. Thankfully, the flooring crew said they knew how to handle the mess and could sand the stains away, and they did so that day. They also had to sand the rest of the floors, to match the diminished height of the hall floors, and the cost and length of my flooring job increased accordingly.

I am wondering now what I should do and what I can expect from the seller's realtor and the seller. There are issues surrounding the misleading disclosure (wrong room), and beyond that, the fact that I was sold a bio-hazard deliberately disguised as a livable environment. I have searched real estate law online, but this is such an outrageous and bizarre situation that I'm not finding any case studies that apply.

If you have any insight into possible ways that this situation might play out, what I ought to do and who I should talk to, who might be liable and for what, I would appreciate it. Of course I will be talking at length with my agent, but I hope the hive mind can provide some ideas and talking points.

(Posting anonymously because I'd rather not be known as the person who lives in the house that dripped blood. But if you have questions or want to reply anonymously, I can be reached at floorofgore@hushmail.com)

I want to be the only one to know if something's wrong.

citystalk — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:55:42 -0800

Can I get 1 blood test for 100s of possible problems, anonymously?? Because I am paranoid about my already unfairly tainted medical insurance records (sending my premiums to the moon and making my coverage horrible enough to warrant paying for this out of pocket), I would love to get an anonymous blood test (in Los Angeles or by mail) done and be tested for a zillion different things from thyroid to testosterone levels to diabetes, any blood disorders, etc.

Is this possible???

Should non-hemophilic women with a factor VII deficiency have children?

brokekid — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:01:03 -0800

Should non-hemophilic women with a mild factor VII deficiency have children? Are the risks too serious to chance child birth?

Is a low blood platelet count serious?

Anonymous — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:04:43 -0800

What does having low blood platelets mean? I went for a check-up a couple weeks ago (it's only a few months before I reach the big 30) with a new doc. The doc I usually go to left my insurance company and the new one I was assigned was booked for months, so I just randomly found one to go to.) I was told everything checked out except my blood platelet count was 119, and that I need to come in and get re-checked. I have no symptoms of anything, not fatigued, don't overbleed, nothing, feel the same. I'm okay, but my mother is not, she's kind-of freaking out and that's making me kind-of uneasy.

Should I be freaking out? I have no idea what's going on. This feels surreal to me. I've never had to get rechecked for anything, always had a clean bill of health. Even when a couple years ago I was told I had low blood or low iron or something, I was just told to take iron tablets, nothing like having to come back to get re-tested.

Can you help me gain some perspective on this? Thanks