So what's it like to be the recipient of an organ transplant and having to deal with immunosuppressant drugs? How does your life change? How often do you have to take your drugs? What are the weird details of daily life that outsiders don't know about? Are there any insurance hassles? I have a fair idea of what it's like to be diabetic because of coworkers who have this condition but I don't know anything about the life of organ transplant recipients and I'd like to know more. Any help you could provide would be deeply appreciated.
posted by jason's_planet on Mar 23, 2013 - 15 answers

Polycystic kidney disease - what should I be asking my consultant as a newly diagnosed patient? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 18, 2012 - 5 answers

So... over the course of the day my elbow has gone weird looking - it's red and swollen and sort of squooshy feeling. The skin feels warm to the touch and it is tender. Doctor Google tells me it's probably Bursitis. So... I should probably go get it checked out. But is it a rush to the docs tonight thing or a wait to tomorrow thing?
posted by Artw on Aug 23, 2012 - 21 answers

Are there risks in having botox injections for a neutropenia sufferer? A relation of mine is determined to have botox injections to get rid of wrinkles, however, they suffer badly from cyclic neutropenia which means that their immune system is often weak and have white blood cell issues and consequently they get infections frequently. I am aware that botox is botulinum toxin and I have kept trying to persuade her to see her doctor before having botox injections, to check whether they are safe for her in light of neutropenia. She is desperate to go ahead with this and it is hard to persuade her to get medical advice on this. From a layman's perspective, I am concerned that this may be dangerous for her. Does anybody with medical knowledge, perhaps haematology, know if this botox is safe for neutropenia sufferers? Many thanks!
posted by conrad101 on Jul 20, 2012 - 1 answer

Writing a story... What is a malady or health issue that is 1) hereditary, 2) difficult to diagnose in an unborn child, 3) makes life particularly difficult (mentally or physically) for someone who has it? [more inside]
posted by You Should See the Other Guy on Mar 16, 2012 - 31 answers

Alright, so it's cold/flu/etc season and my roommate brought home a package of Emergen-c. He welcomed me to it, so I figured what the heck, I'll take a look at it. Then I noticed it says you can take it post-workout, which spiked my interest because I'm a self-described 'gym bum.' [more inside]
posted by ascetic on Dec 14, 2010 - 21 answers

Bloating, sweet taste in mouth, and various odd sensations - what could it be? [more inside]
posted by consilience on Jul 30, 2010 - 17 answers

What are your tips for parenting small kids when you have a chronic illness? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 18, 2008 - 10 answers

Is there any way to avoid getting sick when you have to touch lots of people in a developing nation as part of your job? [more inside]
posted by Silentgoldfish on Mar 26, 2008 - 12 answers

Are commercial genetic DNA testing companies worth the price tag? [more inside]
posted by Schuby on Feb 5, 2008 - 6 answers

Does anyone else here have a bad disease? How do you deal with it-especially the bad days? [MI] [more inside]
posted by aacheson on Sep 22, 2004 - 30 answers