Posts by Michelle Sullivan3

Elizabeth Davis said:you sound anorexic. regardless of what you actually weigh, talking about weight like this feels straight up anorexic to me.

and Xanax isn't a "milder pill." it's way worse than half the newer antidepressants.
plus, you aren't handling your DSM-5 stuff without meds.

I don't get the obsession with weight (yeah, I deal with being overweight too) to the point where you're popping Xanax like Tic Tacs (5x5) instead of actually helping yourself.😲

what kind of anorexia are we talking about with a 47-inch waist? every extra pound just pushes you closer to a disease you can't come back from.

Xanax isn't a milder pill, and I never even said it was. Ativan is.

I said I only take them (Ativan) during crisis periods—like when life hits the fan (surgeries, cancer, death, lawsuits, etc.). Once that passes, I'm off the meds, so yeah, I handle my DSM-5 stuff just fine.

if you actually know anything about psychopharmacology, then you know Ativan can be used as needed, and once you don't need it anymore, you can easily stop. antipsychotics don't work like that—it's not a little bit or a lot, you have to take them continuously. and unlike Ativan (which doesn't cause weight gain at all), they pack on the pounds. we're talking way more than 2-3 kg.

the topic is about weight gain and pills. I was just sharing my experience because I know some people have to take certain meds just to stay alive since their mental illness is life-threatening. but for those of us who can manage without the heavy hitters, yet the weight gain itself is becoming a health threat—we shouldn't have to gamble with our physical health (assuming the person is capable of making that choice).
I think I made myself pretty clear: you have to weigh the risks and see which side of your health is under more threat. whichever one carries the higher risk—that's the one you save.

Elizabeth Davis said:Michelle Sullivan3, why are you messing with your health? I honestly don't think anyone prescribed those antipsychotics just to make you gain weight or whatever reason you're using to say you don't need them—I mean, why do you actually need them.

It’s all about health priorities. If a physical ailment is more life-threatening than a mental one, you gotta prioritize saving your life first.

It really depends on the person and their specific situation. Dealing with a DSM-5 diagnosis is different for everyone. If psych meds are threatening your physical health—like, if you're risking your life because of massive weight gain or abdominal issues—then you have to weigh whether you can manage with something milder just to stay alive.

Obviously, tons of people can't function without psych meds. But I'm pretty sure there are people out there who, like me, face actual physical risks, yet can handle their diagnoses without the heavy stuff.

If someone has, say, schizophrenia, then yeah, they absolutely shouldn't refuse medication. But if we're talking depression or PTSD, things are going to get way worse if you lose your physical health due to weight gain. That'll just trigger the PTSD even harder and send you spiraling into deeper depression and anxiety...

granitemason55 said:Keep talking, people—seriously. So many folks are popping psychiatric candy, and it’s messed up that we’re all just sitting here silent about the side effects. Are we really okay with these meds turning us into total zombies, making us go numb until we don't even care about our mental health, fitness, or mood anymore? Like, who cares if we become total couch potatoes? That extra weight isn't just an aesthetic issue either, especially for women; having a waist over 31 inches is basically a fast track to heart disease and diabetes down the road. I actually give a damn. And honestly, I'm hoping for some suggestions, for heavens sake. 🕺

I don't really have a magic fix for the weight gain because, looking at everyone else's stories, it feels like there isn't one... I can only say what worked for me, and hey, maybe it won't work for everyone—but I decided to stick to just taking Xanax as needed since it doesn't make me gain weight. I was prescribed an antipsychotic too, but I never even touched it just to avoid the weight issues...
Xanax doesn't cause weight gain at all for me. When life gets messy (stress, family drama), I’ll take up to five 5mg doses a day, then once things settle down, I taper off completely over about two weeks—mostly because stopping cold turkey gives me heart palpitations. I don't touch it again until the next crisis hits. It’s how I manage, because the heavier stuff would definitely pack on the pounds, and I can't afford that since my waist is already 47 inches. I've lived on the edge of anorexia for years; I have zero appetite, but I still gain weight because of constant existential stress—my body is basically in survival mode, hoarding everything it gets, even if it's just some steamed greens...
So, my suggestion? If you can get by just on Xanax without needing the heavy hitters, do that.

jadewolf16 said:We should put together a solid file with photos and evidence and blast it to the news outlets to ruin her reputation. Man, you won't get anything done with that doctor without losing everything first.

The thing is, there's zero evidence. That's why us patients are basically helpless; it’s so easy for them to twist the truth and just write whatever they want in the discharge papers. They manage to word things so perfectly that it’s simultaneously fake and technically true—you can't prove anything. And that discharge summary is literally all you get. They won't hand over any other paperwork, even after you've spent a month fighting for your life in the hospital. Just that one paper.🤷
It's wild how well they cover for each other. The guys in surgery worked their tails off trying to save me, but they ended up making it seem like the lady from internal medicine was actually at fault because they fought so hard on my behalf. Even then, they still protect her... because tomorrow, one of them might need that same kind of cover.
I'm living in a small town, too, so I don't have "tons of doctors" to choose from. It's just one hospital and one crew of doctors who are always the same. I'm totally stuck depending on them.

melloworca6 said:Did you actually file a lawsuit against her? Or at least stir the pot a little?

Nah, we didn't, and honestly, that’s what stings the most. It’s worse than having my health totally wrecked. I can deal with an honest mistake, but pure disrespect? Not gonna happen.
Why? Because I know I’d lose the lawsuit. I don't have the cash to hire a lawyer, let alone pay for both sides' legal fees if I lose. If that happened, I'd be selling my apartment just to cover the costs and end up on the streets... They've got each other covered at the hospital, protecting their own, and I haven't got a single shred of proof. My evidence is all verbal (like the doctor saying my appendix had been ruptured for five days by the time it reached the gangrenous stage in my gut). On paper, I have nothing. In fact, the surgery department—clearly in cahoots with her—wrote in my discharge papers: "Patient was transferred by mutual agreement from nephrology, where she was treated for a urinary tract infection." That’s a flat-out lie. I was on the nephrology ward because of *her* mistake, not an infection. I had a perforated appendix and never had a UTI in my life. In court, they'd just swear I was there for an infection, and according to their story, the appendix would've burst during those three days on nephrology before the transfer. See? They already rigged the paperwork to protect themselves. They cover for each other and you're stuck. No proof, nothing. Just a disgusting feeling.😢
And why didn't we even kick up a fuss? Because sooner or later, I'll end up back in their hands. Thanks to her, it won't be long before I'm back under their care again. Common sense tells me it's a bad move to piss off the people holding your life in their hands, especially when it gets me nowhere—I'd only lose.
They coordinate, write lies in the records (just like they did with me), cover their tracks, and you're powerless.😢

jadetinker85 said:I’m not sure if this topic has been covered yet, but I think there's some educational value here.

Ever heard of someone being treated for one condition, when the actual culprit was something else entirely? I recently heard about a guy who woke up one day with his arm basically out of commission. He went to the hospital, and they told him the pain was coming from his spine. They spent about three months treating him based on that diagnosis until he decided to take matters into his own hands and booked a private ultrasound and color Doppler. Turns out, it wasn't his spine at all—it was a ruptured cyst pressing against a nerve. That was the real source of the pain. He's switched over to a completely different treatment plan now. 🤷

So, here’s my story (I’m 40). Last year, my appendix burst, and the ER sent me straight to internal medicine, only for the doctor there to tell me I just had a UTI. When I asked her, "Are you absolutely sure you ruled out appendicitis?" she told me they did—by checking my blood (which was impossible, so yeah, she was lying). On top of that, she snapped at me and my mom because we showed up late at night, acting like nobody should be hitting an ER at 2 AM. 🙂
This wasn't just some mistake; it was straight-up neglect. They played with my life...
They left me lying in a hospital ward with a ruptured appendix for five whole days without even having a doctor on call. I didn't get surgery until day five, by which point I was hallucinating and basically on death's door because they kept feeding me food that was just leaking into my abdominal cavity.
I spent a month in the hospital while they tried to save my life through two massive surgeries to remove most of my intestines and organs, plus flushing out an infection that had spread deep through my entire abdomen. I've got scars running from my hip to my stomach, twice over.
To make matters worse, they ran me through four abdominal CT scans in a week and a half. That's radiation exposure roughly equivalent to 3,000 chest X-rays.
All this because some arrogant doctor decided on an ENT consult and picked a UTI (something I've never even had) instead of appendicitis—even though I rolled in with a bloated gut, intense cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and passing out.
The doctors told me that because of those two heavy-duty surgeries, I could deal with bowel obstructions anytime down the road. And I think anyone can figure out what that much radiation exposure means for cancer risks.😢
And all of this could have been avoided if it was just a routine appendectomy, provided that doctor hadn't literally said, "Don't come to the hospital at 2 AM, I'm tired, I'm going to sleep." Those were her actual words...

Can't speak for everyone else, but in my experience? Nothing. I’ve been through two different surgeries where they basically rearranged everything in my abdomen—if there was actually a hole or anything left to see, they would've found it. So yeah, nothing to report, and the lump is still right where it started. 😕

And what if it isn’t BJJ training fatigue? I've got this thing where it isn't even about muscle tension—it's just that when you run your hand over everything, it feels smooth, but then suddenly your hand hits this little bump, drops off, and hits another dip... kind of like hitting a pothole on a backroad.

I think anyone starting out can check if it's just swelling by pressing the area back in. If there's nothing to push back, then it's just like my situation—just some weird deformity that popped up out of nowhere...

For me, it's not even an issue when I'm lying down. Everything stays flat. It only happens when I'm standing up straight or leaning forward...

Here’s my scar after my appendix surgery

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/507/rezj.jpg/

The part near my stomach is what bugs me most. It’s over an inch wide and almost an inch long (the photo doesn't show the full length because of the angle). Is this ever going to shrink down, or is it stuck like this forever?

Is it even normal that they used stitches spaced out every 3 cm for a cut this long? Honestly, I feel like it would’ve healed way better if the stitches were closer together. On the widest part at the top, there was literally just one single stitch holding the whole thing, so obviously the wound just gaped open and "healed" by growing that weird raised tissue instead of the skin actually meeting up properly.😢

While I was in the hospital, I had these two plastic plates (about the size of a large Band-Aid) taped to both sides of the incision. They had these cables tied to them that went right through my abdomen to keep everything tight. When I asked about it, they told me if they didn't use them, the stitches wouldn't be able to hold such a long incision and my whole midsection would just pop open.

Anyway, it's been 8 months since the surgery and the whole scar is super hard and stiff—it feels like I have a metal rod running down my belly. If I lean forward, the top part stabs right into my stomach.😢
I've been using Contractubex, but nothing really happens; it just faded a tiny bit.🤷
Will it ever soften up?

Unbelievable, I’m dealing with almost the exact same thing 😲

Same side, right side of the belly button, about 10x10 cm. It's this visible bulge, like a little ball. When I flex my abs—the left side tightens up, but this thing just stays sticking out. If I lean forward, it kind of hangs there... everything is identical, except my belly button is centered.

I mean, personally? I'd tell you it sounds like a hernia or something. Just speaking for myself, though—I know for a fact mine isn't that, which means besides a hernia, it could be something else. But what? Who knows. 🤷

It’s bad for you in the long run... cells need enough sleep to actually recover, and the body only adapts for the sake of survival. Basically, you can push through a crisis for a bit without permanent damage, but it's a temporary fix

Look at it this way: take your first drag from a cigarette and you'll be coughing your lungs out. Stick with it, and eventually, your system "adjusts." Soon enough, you're hitting a pack a day and your body thinks it's fine—but is that actually healthy over time?