Hello. Hopefully this post finds you all well.
Been recently diagnosed with a small (6.5mm) inguinal hernia that I presumably have acquired through weightlifting.
I will eventually get it fixed by getting surgery, because apparently, even though these small hernias don't even hurt, they do get worse and bigger over time. Which means in two or three years the pain might start (if I keep lifting and being careless).
So I was wondering if very basic Calisthenics (only push ups, pull ups, squats, calf raises and split squats) can make it worse or put my health at risk?
I will consult with a doctor on Monday, but I am trying to learn how to manage this condition while staying active, hence why I am making a post here to ask, in case someone has gone through something similar.
Thanks in advance for any and all information. Appreciate it.

this is my first reddit post ever so sorry if i’m doing this wrong. i only use this app to find people with similar problems, anyway.
i’m a 19 (almost 20) y/o F, i weigh 106 and im 5’1.
i like to start off by saying i have anxiety (mainly health anxiety) and tachycardia (due to anxiety probably) so this could just be a misunderstanding.
but as of now i feel bloated, like a balloon. i feel like i need to burp but i cant. i feel like i cant take a full proper breath. my middle/upper back hurts, (my spine is slightly curved to the right so maybe thats why, but i think thats lower) under my left breast feels uncomfortable and my left arm near my armpit feels odd (basically lots of slight pressure) i have a weird sensation in my left arm and hand, kind of like a numbness but not at the same time. the left side of my face (cheek/jaw and ear area) feels weird and my throat feels like there’s a lot of mucus clogging it. everytime i lay down after awhile i feel like i get out of breath and my heart spikes up. i have a cheap heart watch on but it said it went up to about 113, (i constantly check my heart rate and blood oxygen.) as of now its in the mid 80s, but its going up still. anyway, i’ve been feeling very imbalanced lately, like the floor is moving, not standing on solid d ground. i’ve been feeling dizzy and very fake, like derealization. and it’s super scary considering i feel like i’m not in my head / body most of the time. maybe this is because my iron is mildly low (55) and i’ve been staying up until 7am and waking up at 4pm and haven’t been eating right, constantly have stomach pain. but in my mind all this stress, bad sleeping habits and and eating habits could lead to a heart attack. my episodes usually start at night when i want to go to sleep. it’s scary. i always have a feeling that once i fall asleep i wont wake up which keeps me up at night. i usually fall asleep once my boyfriend wakes up because i like the feeling of being monitored i guess, its comforting to know that someone is there just in case.
but are these signs of a possible cardiac arrest or heart attack or is it just anxiety ? i’m trying to avoid going to the ER since i went 11 times JUST in may and had multiple CT scans and x-rays done and everything seems to be fine (except my $2k hospital bill) my mom always told me growing up that stress can kill you and that information stresses me out more every time i’m stressed and lately i’ve been constantly stressed.

So for some context my partner and I have been having unprotected sex for coming up on 10 months now, I got my IUD removed September 2023. I’ve been on birth control essentially since I started puberty (about 9 years ago now, I’m 20) because of my heavy periods. It’s not like we’re trying to get pregnant, we are just letting things be more natural because I’m so sick of birth control. I was having painful periods and stress induced bleeding while on my IUD, but after I got it removed it’s like a whole new world for me. My periods are extremely regular, don’t last that long and are never late by more than a day. My flo app is actually super good at detecting my period. For the last few months I almost always start my period on the exact prediction date. But this month I was supposed to start my period on Monday (27/05), and it’s now almost Sunday (02/06) and nothing. My boobs are super sensitive which I haven’t had since I got my very first period at 12 years old, my stomach is more sensitive to foods & I’m also peeing like a race horse. My flo app has been telling me I’m late for a few days now too (& it’s been telling me to test) which ever since getting the app, has never happened to me. I took a test on Monday for fun and it was strange. Normally when I test the control line shows up as the pee goes across the test, but this time it took 5+ minutes for the control line to become somewhat clear. I also found out you’re supposed to only dip it in the cup/stream for 5 seconds exactly. A stopwatch or clock is even recommended. It’s literally so important that it’s in bold and underlined, but for some reason I didn’t read the instructions in a panic and literally kept it in the cup for like a minute because I wanted it to soak up as much as possible. Then to my surprise I find out that too much pee on a test will hinder the results. I retested on Friday (this was still before I knew too much pee can affect the results. I also tested at night both times after already drinking a lot of fluids throughout the day) and I thought I saw something while the pee was going across the test, but then my pasta sauce started boiling over and I forgot about it for the rest of the night so I actually don’t know what to think. Especially because the control line on that second test was also significantly fainter than I’ve ever seen. My long term partner and I are reasonably active (especially during ovulation) so it’s not like pregnancy is out of the question. My cycle is normally 28 days long, but I’m nearly on day 34. What should I do? Should I test again to see if I’m pregnant? In my 9 years of having a period this has never happened to me and I’m worried it’s now a sign of something more sinister like health problems… What do yall think?

Help me out because I’m confused. I finally got diagnosed with ADHD and my wonderful healthcare team took my “I think I might be having flashbacks too” seriously when talking about comorbidities.
After discussing with my therapist, she asked me to make a timeline of my life, and put my memories into themed shame buckets. Like “appearance” or “intelligence” for example.
So guys, I started writing and I couldn’t stop. The level of detail that I have in my memories is baffling. It just kept pouring out of me and I kept coming up with new buckets and re-making the timeline. The writing in particular was a mess because I jumped through different tenses within one memory all the time.
I went through several stages of “development” of how I was going to tell my story. Trauma therapy is no joke, and opening up these wounds causes me flashbacks, nightmares, etc. Whenever I had a flashback, working on this actually calmed me down. Eventually I settled on a power point presentation, with pictures and a clearer thought progression. We’ve had three sessions by now and we’ve just now reached the end of high school.
She brought up that I should write a book about this the first session and I thanked her wholeheartedly but I also dismissed her immediately.
In my honest opinion, Bojack Horseman’s “Good Damage” episode is exactly how I feel about this. My damage is not good damage, it’s just damage. I have CPTSD, but it’s the result of generational trauma, bad parenting, and societal ignorance. People failed me over and over again, they refuse to acknowledge it even today, but I know that they think they were trying their best and they would like to be acknowledged for that as well.
I didn’t save my sibilings from a house of criminals, and then became a CEO to provide for them (slight exaggeration). My story is just painful and frustrating and middle-class-in-Latin-America boring. I’m living in Europe now.
I’m doing trauma therapy because I still don’t understand what happened, how to change my own narrative for myself, and how to interact with my parents in the future (if we ever do interact again).
But in our last session she brought it up again and before I could dismiss her she said that the way I’ve structured the power point would be helpful for other people, and that she’ll (pitch me an idea? Idk) bring it up when we’ve gone through everything.
And here’s the kicker: I’ve always wanted to be a writer - specifically a fantasy writer. But whenever I set out to write something, it comes out sad and mostly autobiographical. That made me kinda give up on the idea.
So yeah, writing a book about my life, focusing specifically on the sad parts? I could totally do that. But who would read it? And how could anything I write help people?

Horrible sleep yet again, I feel so tired but my anxiety is keeping me up again. My stomach has this weird sensation in it. It feels like butterflies when I am on a rollercoaster.
My head also hurts, I don’t know why. It’s at the top of my head and I’m afraid that my arteries will get blocked by the cholesterol or they’re thinning ans I will get a brain aneurysm. Either way is horrible honestly. It’s at the top of my head which is a really odd place to feel pain in. I have had this sensation before, that was when I went off coffee for a day.
Maybe the veins are just expanding due to the lack of use of coffee today. Usually I drink it at 10 but I did not do that today. And coffee is known for making the walls more confined. It constricts them causing the blood pressure to elevate.
It’s not the sensation is just weird at the top of my head. Only at the top? Maybe I am dehydrated but I don’t see as hot how that would be the cause because I had water right before sleep. It’s a mild pulsation maybe I can just try to sleep it off?
I am still pissed by the way. Go fuck yourself.
Update: 11:51 No, I can feel my heartbeat through my brain veins now. Just great that is what I need after getting up to pee a f drink water. My mouth still feels very dry even though I drink a lot of water. It’s on one side now, on my left side where my forehead is. It’s pulsating and I can feel my heartbeat through that pulsation. I am tired, go fuck yourself.

I(32M) have ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. About two weeks ago on Friday I started feeling unwell and ended up having an episode of cholangitis, where I had pain in my upper right abdomen. I needed about a week to recover, during which I had issues with stomach upset come up time and time again. However on the next Sunday I started developing a fever after eating a bigger meal, and ended up vomiting for 1.5 hours in the early hours of Monday. I didn't have diarrhea on the other hand, which I believed was because I vomited everything up from what caused me to get sick.
Since then I have been slowly recovering, but whenever I tried to eat a bigger meal I would again start feeling sick and develop a fever. When I realized this connection I stuck to eating smaller meals again.
We got a blood test done, which revealed a high CRP(66 mg/L), and an elevated GPT of 113(U/L). My white blood cell counts were also elevated. A few days after the vomiting I had one night where I was itching on my hands and feet quite badly, and this morning my urine was brown, but generally I experienced no pain in my upper right abdomen since two weeks ago.
So why I am posting this is to just get a few pointers on where I should head next. I visited my family doctor during the previous week twice and we were on the conclusion that I was recovering from a bacterial infection of the stomach, and that everything should be okay now. Instead yesterday(on Friday) I felt well enough to go back to work, until eating a bigger meal gave me a fever again and made me realize I am still not well. I would go back to my family doctor of course, but I cant' do that until Monday. I will also be calling my hepatologist/gastroenterologist to consult with them.
I am mostly worried about this pattern of only being able to eat small meals, and that sometimes even small portions can make me sweat, and of course the fever induced by eating a larger meal. Can anyone please give some pointers? I wasn't prescribed any antibiotics, since we believed that with the vomiting having gone, I was already recovering.
Thanks.

So...this is likely going to be a long post, I apologize in advance as I kind of just have a lot of my mind to expand upon.
I am a 33 year old male, I first got Covid in late December 2023. It was rough, What complicates this for me is that I didn't feel good before Covid. For years I dealt with major fatigue issues, what some would consider similar to adrenal fatigue type symptoms, low blood sugar feelings every day, anxiety, all kinds of weird stomach/chest sensations, lack of energy, heat sensitivity, anxiety and more. The only things I previously had been confirmed to have that could have contribued to this were low Vitamin D and a hiatal hernia. Over the last few years I've had a batery of heart tests, stomach tests, all never really found much other than the hiatal hernia.
Covid was rough on me for sure. Had the worst cough I've ever had for weeks. Though oxygen remained normal, the worst muscle pains I've ever had, and stomach issues, frequent bowel movement. In the weeks following Covid I felt like my hiatal hernia had been made worse as I was just noticing symptoms in there more. I also feel sleepy way more than I did before Covid. The coughing stopped, but I dont know that any of it totally went away, there were periods of time where I forgot I had Covid and even thought I was totally over it a few times, but right now I am reconsidering it.
The last few weeks I have really been just not been feeling rough..and its nothing new to me totally but it all feels worse.
Muscle pains and soreness...I dont have horrible muscle pains, but I have pains that are just there that I didnt notice before, arms, legs, ribs, back, chest. Now weird feelings werent new to me, but its all so much more noticeable after Covid. Its almost like...My muscles are all just a little heavy/sore, like if I want to go on a walk, its like starting an old car, something at 33 I dont think is the norm, just sitting here typing this paragraph I've noticed a strain/muscle pain in my left knee, upper thigh, fingers, and left wirst. They are low on the pain scale like 2 or 3 out of 10, but they are there. It is similar to the muscle feelings you get when you are sick but not quite on that scale, just a lower level daily 24/7 version of it.
My hiatal hernia has felt so much worse in the last few weeks. I am noticing so much more pressure around it, its almost like a baby kicking in my lower chest/upper stomach when I move positions or lean wrong, or strain. I've had lots of nausea last few weeks also going along with it, it also goes along with the low blood sugar feelings I get which are fixed by foods (not sugar), and sometimes its hard to tell if I am sick or hungry or what.
Along with the theme of stomach issues, and this one gets a little more graphic...I haven't been normal with bowel movements since I had Covid. Atleast my usual. I was..pretty regular pre-covid. Every couple days, maybe once a day, but it was..simple..relatively the same...Since I had Covid, its extremely irregular, much more frequently it can be more diahhrea like, usually very soft, sometimes multiple times a day which used to be extremely rare for me, and where I used to be able to hold it before, it seems to come on much more suddenly for me now.
For a weird one, I feel like my anxiety is worse again since Covid...now I had anxiety for years which was actually caused by all the strange symptoms I had over the years. But it had been maintained and stable before Covid. Now it feels like any adrenaline release at all absolutely screws up my body. Good or bad energy. Watching a sporting event and getting excited = feeling bad...Even gaming...I am an eSports compeititor, mainly with sim racing, but I enjoy other games. I've noticed that if I play a game like Fortnite now, when I get done if its a tense game, I am borderline panic attack and my body freaking out for literally no reason, and it comes on out of nowhere once i'm done. Fortnite seems to do it worst of all games.
There are more things im sure I am forgetting but its very late, and this really hit me today that maybe somehow Long Covid is playing up all of these things after all. I did have an episode of my heart racing last month and they said it was POTS..I had an EKG while it was going, EKG was normal, Chest XRay was normal...I dont necessarily believe it was POTS but I also cant rule it out as I have had other POTS like symptoms before.

Hi! I’m looking for your thoughts and if anyone has experienced what I’m going through these days. I have severe gas that worsens in the early morning and wakes me up while sleeping. The gas is constant all day regardless if I’m eating or not. I burp up gas pretty much all day long. It doesn’t stop.
This constant gas can cause heart palpitations that I believe is from a small hernia that I was diagnosed with a few years ago. I’ve had all of the tests from echo cardiograms to endoscopy tests. Only the endoscopy showed I have some redness from GERD in my stomach and esophagus. Nothing serious. I was subscribed PPI’s and H2 blockers but those made me worse. Not really on anything now besides the occasional Tums and GasX. Nothing really seems to work.
I've been experiencing these symptoms for years and have consulted three gastroenterologists, but none have been able to help. One diagnosed me with SIBO, so I took Xifaxan and changed my diet, and a follow up SIBO test came back negative but the severe gas remains. Interestingly, I rarely get heartburn; instead, I suffer from severe gas throughout the day, originating from my stomach. The gas isn't alleviated by Tums, GasX, Mylanta, or Pepto-Bismol. I find that keeping my stomach full helps reduce the discomfort, but that's not a solution. Dietary changes have been ineffective, and I feel pain in the mid-abdomen, around the small intestine area just below the rib cage from time to time. I don't know what to do. Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks for reading.

Awake in the middle of the night because I tried to drink some water and spilled it all over my bed and johnny, and was lying there with my dick cloud/phallus palace in my lap, soaked in the dark and I thought to myself "hm, maybe this is the lowest I've ever been."
Which I had thought to myself a few hours prior when trying to use a commode because I had a stomach pain. I had been shuffled over with leaked on puppy pads sticking to my butt and sat on the commode and after the nurses left, just farted SO fucking loud and the pain went away. Then I knocked over the nurse call button and I thought, "hm, maybe this is the lowest I've ever been."
Which is what I'd thought about a few hours prior when my boyfriend came to visit me after work and I immediately burst into tears when they walked into my room and gave me a hug. I cried so hard and told them "I just want to go home, I don't want to be here anymore." And I remember thinking as I cried like a kid "damn, maybe this is the lowest I've ever been."
Which is what I thought to myself the day before when I had woken up with such terrible muscle seizes that I was interrupting my nurses and begging for /literally anything/ to make me feel better (it was muscle relaxers and I only needed them twice).
I knew this would be the worst of it. I knew that. I just didn't know how fucking exhausting and humiliating it would be. Luckily I don't have a huge ego and I can take the hits, look at myself from the outside and appreciate the absurdity of my situation, but it's not like... Fun. I'm focusing on the fact that this part is temporary, that I will become independent, that my dick will not live in a giant foam castle in my lap, and I will leave this 80°F room.
So that's the rant out of the way. My actual healing has been really good (knock on wood). My tissue oximeter is steady, my blood can be heard fully throughout whenever they check for it, no signs of infection (yet) (no UL btw, just ALT and burial rn), and it's warm and happy in its little nest. I sleep okay, eat terribly, but I was able to get out of bed for the first time today. Sleep got interrupted by my being an idiot with water in the dark, but I'll be able to sleep a little more before rounds soon. Everyone is very pleased with my progress, and while I don't want to leave their medical care per se, I can't WAIT to be back home where I might be more comfortable and less embarrassed. Nothing like shuffling across the room to a chair while gripping your wrapped up dick with your ass out to humble a man.
The wrap is... Difficult. It's very present. It's hard to ignore because it's essentially like a two tiered cake sitting in your lap at all times and we all just do our best to ignore it. I actually had to call some family members who were going to visit me and say hey... Don't do that. I actually can't handle having a conversation with you while my massive dong/boner home sits in between us.
I know most of my experience is mental health related - actually going to do a second one for that later- but that doesn't change the fact that it has been difficult and uncomfortable by no one's fault, I think it's just difficult and uncomfortable 🤷🏻
Still don't regret it, still have lots of hope for later on, just man. How many new ways will I find to have some personal lows? Does my ego even have a limit of what it can take? I hope it gets better soon.

Hi there… I have been diagnosed with PCOS which gradually over the years has stopped my period completely. I know symptoms during your period are a major factor in endo, BUT when I did have my period, it was very heavy, I’d have severe pain in my legs, severe cramping, lower back pain, and lots of clotting.
I am 25 years old. My period has gradually stopped completely over the years unless I am on a birth control, and I “bleed”(withdrawal bleeding) on the last week, otherwise off of it I have no period. I’m currently not on any sort of birth control, no periods…. A couple months ago I randomly had severe tailbone pain, pressure inside of my vagina, and uterine pains/cramping. This year it has happened a couple times… It wasn’t due to a period, I brushed it off blaming it on my cysts. But recently I’ve been EXTREMELY tired, nauseous, headaches. I am on the bigger side, I can always eat!! But lately I haven’t been able to and I am rapidly losing weight due to it. My partner and I had intercourse a couple days ago, my pelvic was so tight he could barely penetrate.. it was not a wet issue or anything like that, I tried to put my finger inside to see what he was talking about and that barely fit! We ended up stopping because it was hurting him. I have NEVER experienced pelvic dysfunction, along with that I’ve had discharge which I’m not used to whatsoever due to not having a cycle. Along with that, just odd feelings in my uterine area, not painful… almost like from my uterus down is inflamed and I am constantly aware and can feel it inside of me, if that makes sense? I’ve also had severe bloating in my stomach and swelling of my breasts. I didn’t think much of my fatigue and nausea until the issue with my pelvic… has anybody else had similar symptoms? I also have had GI issues the past couple of years and seem to have worsened the past year!!

21 female in the USA I’ve been diagnosed with Epstein Barr since October 2023 due to getting blood work done because of a swollen lymph node. Since that October I’ve noticed how exhausted I’ve been. It comes in waves of 2 weeks where I am okay and then a month or so of me unable to do anything due to how tired I am. I’m currently in that period where I can’t do anything. I can barely get out of bed and I’m not eating due to me sleeping all day. I’ll be up for maybe 2 hours then I’m asleep for 8 hours. Alongside this when I get mildly sick, ie a headache or the sniffles my body sleeps for nearly 10 hours at a time. I cannot get work done, I can’t find time to do what I need to on top of all of this I’m worried I’m going to just sleep forever. And I hate naps, I hate sleeping, so all of this sucks. More information in February of 2024 I got diagnosed with Bells Palsy and parotitis. It was painful and I was on a whole bunch of medicine for it and it took several months to go away. My doctor thinks the Bell’s palsy was caused by my parotitis but he is not going to confirm it. Is this normal? As always google says I’m dying and for some stupid reason I believe it. Should I go back to my doctor, if so what would he be able to do? Can I learn to live around this?
Any and all advice is appreciated

Chronic pain currently affects around 28 million adults in the UK, with research from Mamedica revealing that 51% of UK adults report dealing with chronic pain every single day. However, women are disproportionately impacted, as 56% report feeling ignored or dismissed by medical professionals regarding their pain. This is further supported by our data that shows almost 80% of women have accepted physical pain and discomfort as the norm, compared to 66% of men.
Women also suffer from female-specific pains; particularly in their pelvis, including period pain (dysmenorrhoea) and the pains associated with conditions such as endometriosis and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). A survey by The Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD) found that 69% of women say they had a negative experience at work due to their period. Yet 25% of women said they have tried at least three different medications for their pain but have not found any to be effective.

The life-changing impact of medical cannabis on Lucy’s life

Mamedica patient Lucy Hartshorn shared her experience with the Daily Mirror on her decade-long battle with receiving her diagnosis for PMDD. Lucy found life-changing relief from medical cannabis after years of being dismissed and even receiving a wrong diagnosis.
“For a long time, I didn’t realise that is what it was, I was misdiagnosed with all sorts for years and years. I thought something was really wrong with me and everyone wrote it off as being just moody.”
Lucy battled severe PMDD symptoms including cramps, headaches, joint and muscle pain, along with emotional symptoms such as feeling suicidal. She first noticed a change when her period stopped due to her pregnancy. This is when she was able to pinpoint that the two were connected. It eventually led to her final diagnosis of PMDD after the birth of her daughter.
Now, Lucy finds relief in medical cannabis, which not only eases her period pain but also helps regulate her mood.
Read about Lucy’s story here.

Can medical cannabis help you?

Since its legalisation for medical purposes in the UK in 2018, the benefits of using cannabis-based prescriptions to treat a range of health conditions as well as symptoms commonly found in women have been well-documented.
Medical cannabis interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system through CB1 and CB2 receptors and helps regulate various physiological functions such as sleep, mood, appetite and pain, and can help improve memory too.
The most well-known cannabinoids, CBD and THC, have been shown to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties that could be beneficial for conditions such as endometriosis and PMDD. These compounds can also help regulate hormonal imbalances, stress, and anxiety, which can have a direct effect on how women tackle their pain.
With waitlists in the healthcare system reaching unprecedented levels, patients are facing delays in receiving diagnoses and treatment. Furthermore, reliance on traditional medications like opioids frequently results in patients having to deal with severe side effects.
This brings up the urgent need for natural treatments like medical cannabis,that provide a personalised approach to symptom relief. This is further supported by Mamedica’s research which highlighted that over a third (34%) of UK adults felt that their treatment was not tailored to their condition.

Tw- ED and food abuse
I'm pretty sure this is caused by severe EDNOS that I've had for 7 years. I have a history of every eating disorder, I starve, binge, purge with exercise and laxatives, pretty much anything that doesn't include vomiting. I've gone down to 90 lbs and up to 240 lbs, each within months. The main disordered eating pattern I use to struggle with was binge and restrict. Last few years it was only binge, I was then restricted access to food which plunged me into a deep anorexic spiral. I went from 240 to 150 in 5 months. I have developed what feels like ulcers from extreme stress (had them before) causing terrible pain when I do eat (duodenal) and when I don't eat (peptic). I also have very very severe emetophobia, which causes me to restrict even more (my theory is: can't throw up if you have nothing to throw up ((I know this isnt true please don't mention it in the comments)))
All of this has led to very uncomfortable, hypo-like symptoms:
Extreme nausea Sweating/clammy Feeling faint or just passing out Fatigue Mailse Excessive salivation Irritability
However when my blood sugar is checked it's normal, but it takes a while for these symptoms to hit their peak and knock me over and I usually get it checked after I feel it coming on and not during an 'episode'
I'm nauseous because I'm hungry, can't eat because I'm nauseous, I'm passing out regularly when I stand up, literally crying because I can't eat food when I am literally famished. Sweaty and fatigued when I get hit with this. Glucose tablets and carbs bring me back, but it's hard to stomach anything when I'm putting every brain cell into not puking everything I've eaten since birth. I am miserable, this cycle is feeding my ED thoughts and putting me in a snake eating itself situation, so to speak. I feel shitty, I'm nauseous 24/7, I'm hungry 24/7, and I'm anxious 24/7. I don't know what to do, hell I'm not even sure if this is the right sub 😔😔

Link to article

Growing awareness about ADHD and autism is reshaping thinking in science, society and medicine. Scientists explain what’s behind the rise – and the best ways to improve neurodivergent lives.
Some quotes I found stimulating:

Neurodiversity has clear parallels with biodiversity. It champions difference and the validity of individuals. [...] As a concept and a movement, neurodiversity is reshaping thinking in science, social science and medicine. Neurodivergent people are more involved in the research and in the language used to describe them. Questions are being asked about research priorities, ethics, consent and whether studies will really benefit neurodivergent people.
Interwoven with the concept of neurodiversity is an ongoing shift that embraces a social model of disability. It posits that many of the disabilities neurodivergent people experience are not caused by “something wrong” in the brain, but reflect the friction that arises when a neurodivergent person moves through a neurotypical world. The barriers they face, then, should be reduced, and if possible removed, by making society more accommodating.
“There has absolutely been a change of ethos and tone,” says Professor Francesca Happé of the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London. “We no longer talk about curing or treating autism, for example, but we do try and improve the things that go along with it, like anxiety and depression, bad sleep and epilepsy, intellectual disability and language impairment.”
[...]
[Talking about some people arguing for avoiding vaccinations because autism is worth than sick / dead children] “It was a real moment of understanding the stigma attached to autism,” says Botha. “One of the most powerful things that neurodiversity has done for neurodivergent people is give us a way of conceptualising ourselves as fundamentally worthy, regardless of how disability is perceived by others.”
[...]
The official numbers weren’t always so high. Rewind the clock 40 years and doctors talked of four, perhaps six, in every 10,000 people being autistic. Today, records suggest 1-3% of the world’s population are autistic.

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Would you rather get kidnapped and get your organs harvested without any painkiller, you're completely wide and awake and can feel all the pain by the inexperienced doctor cutting your skin roughly, and to make this even rougher they didn't even tied you to the operating bed they just hold your arms and legs in place, and when you struggle and try to move the immense pain makes your mind go blank and when you try scream or groan in pain your muscle in the abdomen move and the already immense pain becomes even greater, you can see your intestines slithering out of your stomach and the blood leaking like a broken tap. You can't groan, can't move and can't even think straight because of the pain you just stare into the void with your almost lifeless eyes and regret every life decisions that led you here as you feel your last breath fading away or be my girlfriend?

Even if there isnt any chance of me having sepsis or going septic, if someone can help pinpoint what i could have until i can get to a doctor, thatd be amazing. 19F, 171lbs, 5’5. I take a multi vitamin and Benadryl for allergies. Physical health wise I’ve been diagnosed with anemia and hemophilia since 2018, lab results from May 2023 confirmed both of those still but i havent been to my doctor since then (im horrible, my dr moved and im terrified of doctors but im now learning ive gotta get over that). Other than that and where my really bad issues start i went to the ER in mid April, i think the 18/19th because i had extreme pain in my lower right abdomen that continued getting worse and spreading throughout my stomach which got diagnosed as enter-colitis (enteritis and colitis). I stuck to the BRAT diet until i felt safe enough to switch (they told me at min. 3 days i believe i carried it for at least 5). I’d like to say ive been super mindful of my diet ever since but its already hard for me to eat anyways so when i want something, i dont really deny myself that because i dont really eat much in the first place. This is where im gonna note i have a lot of the same symptoms as gastroparesis, if any further explaination on this would help ill be happy to give it. May 31st from 2-3am i puked 4 times, no blood. I will say i took a couple of shots but only enough to feel buzzed, not drunk, i also havent drank since Sept. last year as im not a big drinker however i do smoke weed when i need to eat or else i feel sick, and before i sleep. I know both of those can mess with you gut health so i figure its worth mentioning. But the whole reason i felt so nauseous anyways is because i felt like i needed to shit so bad but i just couldnt so i guess puking was the second better option for stomach relief. For a while it truly did make my stomach feel better id say around 2pm (May 31st) is when my stomach started bothering me again like it does almost daily, it gets hard for me to eat or be hungry, i also do think shaking thing a lot that could either be low blood sugar or what i mainly think it is, POTS, and i just dont shit a lot (partly why i think i have gastroparesis is literally because i do have delayed gastric emptying) even when i do its never like a normal one and its almost always at least somewhat painful to do so. As of right now, June 1st 3am, the whole left side of my stomach hurts like hell, when i used the bathroom earlier there was bright red blood in my stool, and this is going to sound dramatic as hell but it feels like my stomach acid it actually burning my stomach, chest, and throat. I wont go into a lot detail unless needed but id also like to note from 2019-2022 i had multiple eating disorders mainly starving myself and purging where i abused laxatives like crazy (would eat a full laxative chocolate bar in a day). Ive also overdosed on ibuprofen, tylenol, midol, and benadryl and didnt go to the hospital afterwards id just make myself throw up. Not to pity party or make this dark but as ive grown up i’ve realized that i probably brought all these stomach issues upon myself as all those things are fucking horrible for your stomach! Any and all help is appreciated and if any questions need to be asked i will literally answer anything. if anyone thinks its ok to wait longer ill probably just make an appt with my pcp but if its something urgent ill go to first care or if pain or blood in stool get too much worse ill definitely go to the ER.

I'll be leaving uni for home in a few days time, but I just got off the phone after talking with my parents and siblings and had felt triggered about the past 2 years and how I almost commited suicide because of all the stress and pressure of putting up with what had transpired. For context, I'm 24 (F) in my last year of uni, and I have two brothers 30(M) and (5M) who live with my parents (Both in their late 50's), who live in the country side. I had been diagnosed with heart disease when I was in highschool and since then things have been tough for me, with losing all my weight and having to go through three different schools just to complete high school because of my health, but since then I have got the hang of taking care of myself and my symptoms, I have gained weight, made it to uni (which was a suprise not only to myself but my teachers as well) and am almost done with uni, and I could not be prouder. However, this past week has been a roller coaster, with thoughts of committing suicide lurking in every corner, I didn't know why at first but after talking to my parents on the phone bits of memories came flooding back to me about how I thought I reached my point of living and that my heart was gonna give out any moment or that it would be better if I'd just off myself with that sharp knife in the corner by slitting my wrists open. You see, my mum had this really bad lung infection the Christmas of 2022 while I was home for the holidays, and I took on most of the responsibility of taking care of her from 5am in the morning to the next morning where I'd sleep at 3am after ensuring she was okay, then wake up to do it all again. Don't get me wrong, I loved taking care of my mum, it made me happy that I could be there when she was at her weakest to lend her the strength and care she deserved after taking care of me all these years. It all happened one afternoon when my brother has come home afted being gone all day and did not even receive an earful from my parents (or mainly my dad) like I did for being out for just 2 hours to unwind from taking care of my mum and nursing her back to health all while not having any contact with friends or the outside world then our yard for almost 2 months, I was called selfish by my dad and told that my actions were stupid that if my mum would die I'd look stupid crying for her just like my mum's sister who chose to go out and meet friends the day her father died, that I was supposed to be at home with mum taking care of her. My dad is a stay at home dad, my older brother dropped out of college and my mum is the sole bread winner of the family. While my mum was sick, my dad would get groceries, attend to church meetings, ensure the yard was kept clean lend a hand when it was needed with caring for mum while my brother ate, slept on time, had time to meet friends, throw his plates in the sink without washing them and not lending a hand with helping mum. Meanwhile I spent my days bathing her, dressing her, feeding her, massaging her body, changing her hot water in her mugs to ensure she stayed hydrated because that's all she could drink without coughing , cleaning her sleeping area and sanitizing it everytime she had to go to bed after a warm bath as well as watching over her as she slept to ensure her pillows were placed in a way that didn't obstruct her airflow all while also ensuring that everyone's laundry was done and put away, food was cooked and served, plates were washed and put away, my little brother was cared for also while doing part of my dad's work around the house to ensure he got enoughg sleep at night, since we lived by the country side there were a lot of chores to do around the house as most of the things were done manually or by hand. I did this until she got back on her feet and was able to do little things around the house without my help. After a week or two when my mum had improved told my parents that I'll be gone the next day after lunch to see my friend and that normally before mum got sick Friday was a free day for me that I get an off day of doing house work. So the day came, I dressed up (I felt pretty after not being able to do that in a whole) and left after ensuring that my big brother was home to assist mum whenever she needed and also checked on my mum to see if she was okay and that she didn't need my help before I stepped out of the house at 2pm. The walk to my friend's house felt like heaven, with sun in my face, the breeze on my face and the skip in my step. I spent the afternoon talking, laughing and having a good time with my friend before going home at 5pm, happy and satisfied that the day had brought me so much joy and relieved my stress. I got and came in with a big Hello, to everyone in the house, my dad didn't say anything, he just sat there looking so mad. And that's when he proceeded to call me selfish and compare me to my mother's sister all while my mother and brother sat there saying nothing, I atleast thought they would've spoken up to say that I needed the break, but they didn't. I cried as ai stood there listening to my dad utter out harsh words until I couldn't listen to him anymore. I proceeded muster up a less shaky voice and said the following "I apologies for going out to see my friend and I apologies mum and dad it won't happen again, but the thing is I needed this, after taking care of mum and the house I just needed a break. My brother gets to go out, meet friend and talk to them and even stay out till late but he never gets scolded but when I do it's different. I do everything in this house, I take care of mum, wash all of your clothes, cook the food, feed you all and even wash up after everything and you big brother can't even wash your own plate or lend a hand. Oh and dad I spend the time I get after mum finally rests during the day to do some of your chores to cut down the amount of time you spend doing them in order for you to get a good night's rest and I go to sleep early in the morning just to wake up after 2 hours and do it all again. So I'm sorry that I had to go out, but I really needed it." After saying all that, I went up to my room and cried the whole night. The next morning I came downstairs at 10am to find my dad washing up and my mum on her phone, it was a quiet day, I thought my brother was in his room, then the we got heard that he had actually left in the morning to go visit my aunt who is a 30 minute drive from our house, where he spent the day hanging out with friends and cousins before coming back home at 6pm with my grandma who came to spend a week with us. My dad upon hearing the news that my brother was had left in the morning just shook his head and said that my brother should have stayed and lend a hand around the house, but after my brother got back I was hoping he'd get the same scolding my dad gave me, well that never happened. I went to my mum and asked her why wasn't daddy scolding my big brother and she did not say anything so I spoke up and said aloud, "wow, so I get a scolding for staying out for just 3 hours but he gets to stay out for an entire day without helping out around here and he gets welcomed home?" I then went to my room because I didn't want them to see the tears that started to fall, then it hit me when I was in my room crying, everything that happened over the years on how differently I was treated, my accomplishments my birthday's and even my sickness. It hit me how differently I was treated, my brother had big graduation foods prepared and his graduations were celebrated from primary all the way to high school and little courses while I just had a well done from my parents even after taking in prices since I was in elementary, thought they'd take me out to eat a celebratory lunch after my high school graduation because it was the hardest part of my life to pass but all I got was a disgusted look and a 'thats what your wearing?' after at my graduation after I took my gown off to take pictures. I can't remember the time I blew out candles for my birthday or when a party was thrown for me, but my brother somehow has a cake for most of his birthdays and he had a really big party once with four big cakes, a whole roasted pig, lots of food and even had all his friends invited. When i reaches the age of 14, the same age he was when my parents threw him a party, I thought I'd have the same too, but I didn't, and still had not one party until I turned 24. The day I turned 23, was a month after my mum got better, I spent the whole day cooking for everyone, was wished happy birthday after realising it was my birthday, I then told them I'd come down to eat later after I take a nap and that they should serve the food and leave mine on the dining table. I came down to find they ate most of the food, and I was only placed only a bit of food in my plate. I got mad and hit my plate on the table with just a little food spilling over, my dad saw this and screamed at me and told me that my future husband would beat me up and that my life will be miserable and bad because of what I did. Well you guessed it, I went back to my room crying, and that blade in my bag looked so tempting against my wrists. I also remember when my brother dropped out of college that I was blamed by my parents, with my dad telling me on my way back from the grocery store that I'm the reason my brother ended up like how he is because they show me too much favour growing up. And when my big brother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after dropping out of college after misuse of alcohol and drugs my mum religiously took to the internet to search for diets, information and everything to do with it until he became better and she continued doing so for every little sickness like flu, meanwhile my heart disease was never on her search list. She even signed up for YouTube videos and lessons on everything to do with my brother health, and mind you my heart disease was diagnosed 6 years before he got bipolar. I left for school after the holidays, still exhausted and stressed from the entire experience. My body had reached its lowest point, I could feel my heart was tired, I was ready to die in my bed in my dorm, I had made peace that if my heart passed out before while rest I'd be okay with it. That's third year of uni was hell for me, my body never really recovered, I kept getting sick, had malaria countless times as well as typhoid three times in a row the same year. The stress combined with with the state of my immunity caused me to be sent to various medical officers and clinics to get my blood samples and x-rays to find what was wrong with me, why after being treated and cured my body felt sick. They thought I had tuberculosis, others thought I had STI's but all tests came back negative, and mind you all these tests cost money and my parents weren't happy with what they were spending for me to get this tests. It came to a point when I called my mum to tell her that I feel really sick and I'm stressed with my assignments, only for her to say "you're always sick, everytime we call you're sick. Don't you know we're tired of this, stop trying to get sick!". I'm tired of getting sick too mum, I thought to myself as I got off the call and stared at the pile of medicine Infront of me prescribed by the doctor as well as my heart meds, and they were too much, my mum's words over the phone kept playing in my head I I got my the blade on my study table and pressed it into my left wrist lightly drew it over to cut the skin, the pain felt soothinf, calming even, then I wondered how it would feel if I placed the knife on my study table and fell on it to pierce my heart, would the pain feel good? Would the thoughts stop? Would mum stop complaining? Would they mis me? What would happen to my body? Then I thought better of it and wrote in my dairy ro stop myself from doing ealxactly that then I was distracted by my medicine Infront of me with thoughts of "they would never know if you take all these and overdose, it'll be a painless death." The remainder of third year continued like these, with sickness and suicide thoughts until I went for job internship at a company I've always wanted to work in and life was good because i didnt for home for the holidays and I spent the holidays at school in my little dorm room with friends who looked out for me. Then 2024 rolled around and I'm properly rested, no stress and I'm happy. That's is until a month ago when my parents bought me my ticket to go back home to see them for the holidays that I spiralled, I had completely locked those memories away, but after every phone call this past month I'm left a crying mess with flashes of words said and feelings felt during that time and I go back to thinking of suicide. I nearly commited suicide on the 16th of may, i was truly gonna go throught with it, I wanted to so bad if only I did not see the bible verses in front of me amd if my roommates hadn't come back early. But I know, if I do go home now, I might actually commit suicide, if something like what happened in the past happens again, or if they say another harsh word, I wouldn't think twice of dying, because I'm done, I truly am.

Hey - knew to this! I'm a 39/F. I just had my UFE 2 1/2 days ago. I had mine done by an Interventional Radiologist/ Vein Specialist MD with 30 years of experience and I'm really glad i went with that option. I didnt ask my obgyn or anyone else what to do as an option for fibroids i just went online and researched all my options and found a Vein and Vascular Center that performed the UFE procedure as an outpatient that had great reviews. I had twilight sedation which i like better than anesthesia because i don't like waking up all drowsy and frankly it scares me. They gave me a mix of fentanyl and something else and it was easy peasy. I only felt the needle going in stomach for numbing (mild) the pelvic area and also when i think they removed the catheter out of the artery (i think) that one irritated me slightly. I really wasn't sure what was going on i was just in my own little world lol. They didn't give me a catheter in my urethra however, so not all places will do that for the procedure. Post op they gave me antibiotics. The whole procedure took about 40 mins but it felt like 15 mins or less. Afterwards was sooo rough. Until i got my prescription for the oxy/ibuprofen i was in excruciating pain. But once i took those i was ok. My advice is to pick a pharmacy close by to where the clinic is! I was silly and traveled an hour to pick up at a pharmacy near my home (but i didn't know the pain would be so intense). Some say on here worst than contractions. I have never been pregnant so idk. Also, my IR told me that chances of pregnancy after UFE are highly likely. It just depends on where your fibroids are so definitely ask that question.
The major stuff i have noticed in just 2 days is i can't feel my fibroids anymore (one was 9cm and i had two smaller ones). The larger one was protruding out in my lower abdomen before. My uterus is smaller. No pressure when bending over. Stomach is flatter. Feel lighter. No horrid lower back pain anymore which i had for the past 4 years. Had my fibroid in there growing for 8 years. My sides are less fatty and bloated. I haven't had my period yet since it's not supposed to start for another 14 days.
The major thing with this procedure that my IR told me is that it will shrink your uterus which is where most issues are coming from. Mine was the size of a 18 wk pregnancy. Shrink or kill the fibroids and the uterus will decrease. I highly recommend this surgery, honestly. The only down part is the pain afterwards but just take your oxys right away and you'll be fine. Thats my experience anyways. Greatest decision for living my best life i have EVER made!!!!!

I knew that the Dirtman was real, although I hadn't wanted to believe it.
Just the idea creeped me out. A man slathered in dirt who sneaks into your home while you're asleep and steals dirt from underneath your pillow.
It was freaky.
The stuff of nightmares.
But regardless of that, there was worse to come.
If by any chance you looked at the Dirtman, then he would stare at you until you died a slow, painful and miserable death.
But I highly doubted it.
No one had ever died.
They just keep their eyes shut. Only, if it's true.
And I highly doubt that it is. I mean, it's just an urban legend. A campfire tale.
Like the tooth fairy, but replace the teeth with dirt.
I decided to test the theory out. I knew that there could have been a danger to it, but I knew that the chances of such a thing being real seemed minimal, even impossible.
There's no dirtman, I told myself.
Nothing's gonna get you.
I retreated out of my bedroom, wearing only loose fitting pajamas, and crept downstairs. I was an adult male living totally alone, still afraid to make the stairs in my house creak.
Regardless, I still crept down. The wood of the stairs was cold to the touch.
Very ice cold. Freezing, even.
Gooseflesh aroused on my arms and I rubbed them to melt the pimples of the cold and return my arm to the normal smooth layer of skin.
That's a weird description.
But that's what the Dirtman'll do.
I reached the bottom of the steps. Just behind the dining table stood an outdoor backyard. The doors were made of see-through glass. Sliding doors. Damn convenient for barbeques on a nice Saturday evening.
I walked around the table, and unlocked the door.
The cold air hit me like a fist to the stomach. My stomach clenched, eyes grew watery...
I stepped outside, my bare-feet feeling the damp wood of the patio.
I walked down the small steps and into the garden.
Crouching down, I burrowed for a bit, feeling the grains of dirt against my hands. They stank of water, and a little bit of faeces, too. But that's what the rain'll do.
I looked at the sky.
Gonna rain again.
With a handful of dirt, I quickly got up from my crouched position and made my way up the patio stairs.
I felt like a juggling clown at the carnival, attempting not to spill the handful of dirt clenched in my grasp.
Racing up the stairs, I came into a small problem.
My door was shut.
Fuck.
My door had the spinning knobs, so I needed a hand to open it.
And then, I noticed that it wasn't entirely shut. But when my shoulder pushed against the door, it didn't open.
Oh well, I can clean up the dirt a little later.
I cupped the dirt into one hand, watching small specks fall onto the floor, and twisted the doorknob.
I raced inside and leapt for my pillow, careful not to spill the dirt.
Pulling the soft pillow upwards, I emptied my hand onto the mattress. The dirt laid before my eyes, and I quickly found myself asleep, as if it were some hallucinogenic way to fall asleep.
But I awoke to a sound.
My room was dark. My eyes were shut.
The Dirtman was real.
And he was inside of my home.
Inside of my bedroom.
Touching me.
His skinny finger, curved and bony, jutting with perfect precision, traced the outlines of my face. Up my cheek.
The way his hand felt, brushing against my face, felt like a knife carving into fine wood.
I was afraid, but I knew that all I had to was keep my eyes shut.
Or so I thought.
The Dirtman's hand reached my eye, and began to pull the flesh open. I felt my eyes blink. I looked everywhere but at the Dirtman.
'Look at me, child,' he croaked.
The voice was not human,
It was monstrous.
Multi-pitched and croaky, it reminded me of an angel. If only that angel had risen from the bowels of Hell.
My eyes locked onto him. He was a tall, skinny figure, with dirt slathered across albino skin. A smile was etched into his face, with the only bit of light gleaming from his crystal teeth.
'You are one of us, now,' he said.
Dirt outlined him, fell to the ground in clumps.
'You should have been asleep.'
My heart was racing.
His eyes were black. Vanta. I looked at him and could feel his gaze tearing my soul from my body. Literally.
My intestines had tensed to the point I felt like they were being sucked up through my throat. My bones were buzzing with a sense of vibrations.
It was like a compression of my stomach.
Mashing my bones together. Dicing them. Slicing them. Rearranging my body.
I heard the snap of my leg as the Dirtman lifted it above my neck, the knee wrapping around. He did the same to the other, forming an O with my feet.
He pulled my arms from the socket. The small section of flesh without any bone to rely on was one of my biggest phobias. And now this random Dirtman had just tried to kill me.
I felt a gash open up my forehead, blood seeping from the wound and blinding me.
As I tried to scream, mountains of blood and dirt strangled me, choked me, forced all of my air out, until my heart slowly began to stop beating.
If you are reading this, I am dead. Sacrificed to the Dirtman.
Please, never put dirt underneath your pillow.
Because the Dirtman will only retreat from that corner.
You know exactly what corner I am talking about.
You.
The reader.
Holding this book open on a paperback, a e-reader, a phone, a computer, an app.
Please, whatever you do.
DO NOT LOOK AT THAT CORNER.