Posts by Grace Lewis6

@ melloworca6

Long before I actually got my diagnoses, I was such a huge hypochondriac... 😁

Now, things have flipped on me. I've gone from being mostly fine to feeling like a moderate hypochondriac, mainly because the new diagnoses just keep coming one after another 🤣

I’ve got two hypochondriacs in my family too 😬

The first one is an 86-year-old woman who's been convinced she has cancer since her 20s... 🤦
She just wears everyone out with it.
And honestly, she's probably healthier than I am, she's practically invincible... 🙄

The second is a middle-aged guy. He has some actual diagnoses—nothing major—but he acts like he's the only one suffering and nobody gets how hard it is for him.
He has UC and refuses to go in for colonoscopies or anything, yet he constantly insists he definitely has cancer and wonders why he's still alive... ☕

Then there's me, stepping into the mix... 🙂
At least I hope I'm not suffocating the people around me. 🤷
I try to handle the tricky situations, the real diagnoses, and even those imaginary illnesses with a bit of humor... 🙂

Most of my school years, I was absolutely convinced I had leukemia or at least a brain tumor 🙈

Then one night, I woke up with this sharp pain under my arm and felt a lump 😱 I just cried until morning, thinking I was dying 😬 honestly ☕

A few years back, my pinky finger kept twitching for about a week, and I was certain I was having a stroke—so I called my boyfriend at 3 AM to have him call a doctor friend, who told me it was nothing, just some tiny nerve spasms 😕 😕

Recently, my eyelid wouldn't stop twitching for a while. It annoyed me more than anything, though I did think a few times that it was a sign of an impending mental breakdown ☕

Yeah, I'm a hypochondriac, and I own it 🤣 maybe even more than most people... 😁

Susan Gonzalez4 said:you can have fat-free cheese, they usually serve it with pasta in hospital diets
I didn't deal with salmonella or anything like that, but back when I was in the GI ward, everyone got served that exact version, no exceptions

the pasta thing is true, I actually thought it tasted pretty good😬

but I was actually hospitalized with a really severe case of salmonella, getting antibiotics through an IV, so I still feel like my meals weren't fully tailored to what I needed🤷

they gave me all sorts of things, though luckily I wasn't able to eat much anyway...🤣

Guys, there’s a massive thread over here

There are so many of us dealing with Hashimoto's 😬here

And honestly, you can definitely take the edge off that brain fog with some hormone therapy 🥳...

Susan Gonzalez4 said:take a look at this—people dealing with IBD (like Crohn's or colitis) have to fight through diarrhea every single day

click

I agree, especially if it's a nasty case of Salmonella.
I've had to take antibiotics myself because of some intestinal inflammation, but honestly, some of the meal options they served me at the hospital were a bit of a shock...😳

@Carol Smith43/">@@Carol Smith43
do you have a fever?

I think you can pull through, especially since you've been sick for five days already...
I was taking that too!

You could always try some grated apple, maybe one that’s a little overripe...

How is he supposed to just rewrite an antibiotic prescription without seeing him?

@Melissa Miller2, if it’s really at the point where you can't push through this without medical help, maybe try heading to the ER at the local hospital...

silvergardener472 said:Yeah... 🤷 I honestly don't even care anymore, I'm just waiting to see the specialist... I almost lost it laughing today seeing this allergy guy... the man had absolutely no clue what he was doing. He picks up an X-ray of my sinuses like he's actually analyzing it, keeps staring at some paperwork, and then concludes that every single sinus is inflamed. My primary doctor... seriously, someone needs to put a statue of her in the middle of Times Square for being that clueless... 🤣 It’s interesting how everyone online insists that a CT scan is the only way to go because X-rays just aren't reliable enough... yet nobody mentions it to me. I guess I'll have to wait and see if my specialist actually orders one so I can finally get some answers. Honestly, I don't even know if I have the energy left for all of this... I've been struggling with GI issues since last September, and once, I even sat through a seven-hour wait just for an appointment... 😉 Then there was that awful endoscopy, the ultrasound, stool samples, blood work, and a few other tests I can't quite recall...

I think you were smart not to take those antibiotics. I’m with mellowlynx on that negative test result... 🤷
Don't you think you might be taking them a little too often...?

amberraven76 said:So, where did you end up having your surgery?

ps. Does anyone else here have some experience they could share?

I was over at MD Anderson today...

Are you really worried about a scar? I mean, isn't the tattoo way more beautiful than some tiny little mark... 🤷

amberraven76 said:I’m really curious about whether there will be any scarring left behind. I have an atheroma on my face that I’d love to get removed, but my biggest fear is being left with a permanent mark.
The skin around the bump is also looking a bit redder than my natural complexion, which makes it pretty noticeable and honestly quite bothersome. It's about the size of a pea, though maybe even a little smaller.
Before I commit to surgery, I’d love to hear from anyone who has dealt with this exact same issue. What kind of scarring did you end up with, and where did you go for the procedure? I really don't want to end up in the hands of some inexperienced intern who might leave me disfigured.

Listen, I ended up with a scar that's barely noticeable, but it wasn't on my face... 🤷

it was under my right armpit...

I'm heading there soon, so I'll let you guys know what they tell me... 😉

@mellowlynx/">@@mellowlynx
I have a thyroid condition, so swallowing can definitely be an issue for me...

As for reflux or acid issues, I’ve never really dealt with those. They actually only found out about my condition after I lost my voice once😉

mellowlynx said:I honestly have no idea what that's called. I just remember my specialist was such a model—really handsome, but... 😬 I haven't heard of stroboscopy before, but once you described it, it reminded me of seeing it on TV. Doesn't sound too scary.

And? Is there any actual improvement beyond just going in for that fiberoptic scope all the time? ☕ It feels like they send you in there like it's the treatment itself, rather than just a way to diagnose. 🤣 Like they can't figure out the issue, or... 😕 ?

I deal with chronic laryngitis and acid reflux that really eats away at my vocal cords, so I end up losing my voice or sounding raspy pretty often🙄
basically, it's either sinus drainage hitting my larynx or stomach acid irritating it... just wonderful ☕

Right now, they're using the fiberoptic scope to check my vocal cords🤷
and they occasionally prescribe me tablets for the acid...

but I think I've managed to cut down on the stomach issues through my diet, so now I'd really like to fix the sinus problems... I'm actually curious about that third tonsil, I'll definitely ask about it at my next appointment.
I might even need to have both tonsils removed; it feels like I'm constantly sick, catching maybe three or four viruses a year and at least two bad sore throats... and so on...
plus I have nose surgery coming up eventually😳 because of a deviated septum, yikes...

mellowlynx said:You have a good intuition, and you aren't the only one who feels this way. Like they say here—they just don't care, as long as the monthly check clears...

The doctor examined me by grabbing my tongue with a gauze pad, using that little dental mirror and pointing the light upward—well, as much as he could see before the pulling sensation made me want to gag. Real cutting-edge stuff, clearly...☕

A few years ago, I had a really painful sore throat that I didn't take to a doctor, and ever since then, I've dealt with swallowing issues, that third tonsil thing, breathing through my nose, and problems with my sinuses and throat. I honestly think the right move would be getting a proper CT scan or something similar because the discomfort is so significant, but it seems like it's cheaper for Medicare to keep paying for useless, cheap exams rather than covering one expensive, necessary one...🙄

I don't think we need healthcare reform; we need accountability for bad doctors. Without consequences, they just don't care how much the patient is hurting...

If I'm not mistaken, what he did was a fiberoptic scope...🤔
pulling your tongue down with gauze and shining a light down your throat... yeah, real high-tech, I totally agree...🤣

I have to go through that all the time...☕

silvergardener472 said:I haven't heard of that before

Since you mentioned using a probe earlier, that's what I was thinking about.

I think stroboscopy is when they use a probe, probably with a camera, to go through the nose down into the throat... 😲
It seems like they could figure out quite a lot using that method🤷

Has either of you two ever had to deal with stroboscopy?

My specialist keeps ordering both a fiberoptic scope and a stroboscopy on my referral, but she only ever actually performs one... 😠

I think I’m finally going to have to say something to her next time... ☕

silvergardener472 said:I've got bad pollen allergies, so spring is basically a nightmare for me... I'll go through with those tests just so my doctor stops nagging me about getting an ENT referral... does that sinus drainage give you bad breath? That’s my biggest issue... I can't even talk to people normally, and it's honestly making me feel pretty depressed 😢
I'd honestly rather deal with a broken leg than have constant bad breath... it's enough to drive anyone crazy

That's the thing though, I don't really have any major allergies. I get some eye irritation here and there, though nothing has been officially confirmed 🙄
but nothing else—no food allergies, no pollen, no ragweed, nothing 🤷
so it really bugs me when they start throwing diagnoses around without any proof...

As for the sinus drainage, I don't have issues with bad breath, so I'm not sure how to help you there 🤷
That sinus stuff could be linked to stomach issues, but since you already saw a gastroenterologist, I'm not sure what else is left to check

Just get the allergy testing done, and hopefully you'll get some actual answers... 😁

Terry Fowler2 said:I've been eating some yogurt, but I'm feeling quite nauseous and have actually vomited. My doctor has already finished for the day, so I'm unsure whether I should push through with the antibiotics or stop, though I really ought to continue since I'm dealing with a bladder infection. 😢

Maybe you should just head to the ER...
Do you ever ask them for advice over the phone...