Symptoms a knife in my throat

Hi doctors,
l experience daily allergies (sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, itchy throat) and am stopping allergy immunotherapy due to reasons mostly outside my control. My allergies include grass, pollen, dust etc. and I've seen some mixed information about taking propolis or bee pollen supplements to help reduce allergy symptoms. Can any doctor please confirm if this is a good treatment to I guess desensitise me to the allergies, or if it will just result in higher experience of allergies? I'm looking at propolis 2000mg capsules in particular at the moment but open to all recommendations!
About me: 26F, approx. 165cm tall and 70kg, no current medications (aside from daily multivitamins, calcium + vitamin D3, and probiotics), non-smoker, frequent headaches (no cause diagnosed yet), lifelong allergy sufferer and have tried various antihistamines, nasal sprays, and allergy immunotherapy with little success
Thank you in advance! :)

Today I was finally prescribed Levo, but while I saw my doctor I wanted him to have a look at my throat/neck. After over a month of hypo symptoms I’m suddenly having hyper symptoms again for the past week, on top of that I’ve developed pain in my throat where my thyroid is as well as my lymph nodes feel very swollen and sore. I also have some sort of hard small lump on the back of my neck on the left side. My doctor didn’t examine me at all, just saying that one can fluctuate between hyper and hypo and that my neck is just having inflammation. I’m just worried about the pain since my throat just feels weird and sore when I move my head certain ways or when I cough or sneeze or yawn. I also have a clicking feeling when I swallow sometimes. Should I maybe get it checked out somewhere else or am I overreacting and this is super normal?

To preface, I used to take Doxy every day for months during Covid for acne, but eventually stopped due to not feeling comfortable relying on an antibiotic so much- even when taken with probiotics. I’ve been able to keep my acne at bay with Spironolactone and a tailored skin routine.
But then last week for the first time ever I broke out into a rosacea flare up around my eyes and cheeks (ocular rosacea). I went to my dermatologist and she prescribed me Doxy 50mg for two weeks. After it seemed like the rosacea was getting worse they upped me to 200 mg a day. I took the two pills along with food, water, and a probiotic and had no stomach pain or discomfort. When I woke up the next day I felt relatively fine until two hours later when I touched my skin and it hurt.
I went to work and as the hours passed my entire body was riddled with aches and pains- I was shivering from feeling cold (to the point my nails were turning blue) and had to leave early to go to a doctor. The doctor did a Flu test and it came back negative, my throat looks fine and the lymph nodes weren’t swollen. He said that the main culprit is most likely the Doxy and to stop taking it to see if I improve.
And while the Doxy isn’t out of my system yet, I still feel terrible. Everything aches and pains as if I have a flu without the other flu symptoms (stomach pain, cough, etc.) My skin feels super sensitive to the touch, my neck and back are stiff and it’s gotten to the point where doing simple tasks such as eating and showering was a chore because I feel so rigid and weak.
My doctor explained that even though I’ve tolerated Doxy in the past, my immune system has changed over the two years and may have developed a sensitivity to it. Saying that my immune system is reacting to the Doxy and thinks there’s an infection so it’s reacting accordingly (hence the aches and pains). I only took the Doxy for 3 days before stopping use.
I just wanted to know if this is a common experience by others, and if so, how long after stopping Doxy did it take for the severe pains and chills to subside? Also, just as a heads up to people who may be starting the medication that it’s a possible side effect. It was helping the rosacea flare up, but the pain is not worth it. I’m going to stay off it and keep track of how I feel to decide whether the Doxy is the culprit or not.

Hey this may be all over the place and hard to read and I’m sorry I just need to talk and I hope someone understands how I feel. Also I’m not officially diagnosed but both my doctor and I are pretty sure I have an inflammatory bowel disease. Based on my symptoms I feel like it may be Crohns but I will not have any sort of answers until October.
Which brings me to the point of my vent. I have been in what I assume is a flare up for the last three months. On top of that I also have two other disabilities that for the most part have reared their head in the last 2- 5 years. One also affects my joints and mobility and causes chronic aches and pain that I have to see a physical therapist weekly for. So I am BEYOND drained. I have been surprisingly neutral about these recent discoveries. I have had my bad days but for the most part I’ve taken everything, even the weight loss, on the chin.
However today I think I’ve hit my breaking point. This past week has been awful digestion and energy wise. Our weather has been crazy which makes my body ache and my stomach and throat have been crampy beyond belief. However the one that thing that has been keeping me motivated is looking down at the serotonin molecule ring my long term partner gave me a few years ago. It’s a reminder of a little inside joke that makes me smile and think of him because we’re currently long distance. I rarely take it off and if I do I try to put it back on immediately. In addition I wear lots of rings all the time and have no problem. However between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon is slipped off my finger without my knowledge. It’s the only ring that came off my hand.
I knew my rings were a little loose since the weight loss but why did I have to lose THAT ring out of the six I wear? I just feel like being chronically ill has taken so much away from it’s not even funny. And I still want get any answers or help until October. I hate how my clothes fit, I’m stuck at a job that’s not the best because of the health insurance, and now it’s cost me my only sentimental piece of jewelry.
I’m also fairly young and have had stop pursuing my academic endeavors which sucks because I planned on earning a terminal degree. I have no life plans anymore because my health is so wacky.
My partner says these changes don’t bother him and he’s fine but I just can’t accept that given our age. He would ultimately have to change his life plans entirely to accommodate my life changes and I just feel like that’s a lot to ask from some at our age.
Like my title said… I don’t know how to feel anymore. For me adulthood was going to be the time I finally found inner peace and because I had a kind of turbulent childhood but my plans have been hijacked my an inflammatory bowel disease and a connective tissue disorder.
I also wanted to add that I’m already seeing a therapist and have been working with her for a few years. So it’s not an “Aaahhh I want to end it all moment.” I just literally don’t know how to feel or what to do right now with the few options I have.
If you read the whole thing I appreciate it and if you’re commenting thanks for helping me feel less alone.

I am severe/bedbound and have been for 1.5 years I had sudden severe onset.
However I have all of the symptoms of PEM constantly they’re all just worse when I’ve overdone it by I guess moving too much in bed or talking too much which is crazy to me but I feel like I’m in almost constant PEM unless those are just the symptoms of the condition and I’m guessing my baseline is just severe since I have had a few days without flu like symptoms since I’ve become ill but generally feels like I have a bad flu daily and I wish it could get better :((
Any tips for immune system boosting naturally or pharmacological would be appreciated I obviously had all autoimmune conditions ruled out but I struggle with canker sores, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, chronic sinusitis, chills, temperature dysregulation, burning skin, sweating, muscle aches and severe fatigue obviously

Hey there,
My son who is usually healthy (ran in 100m and came 3rd in class on Feb 3rd) has been coughing from mid Feb. He did 3XX situps and got fever towards the end of Feb. Doc ordered a Chest Xray and provided amoxyxicillin for 5 days. He was fine and was just trying to clear his throat after the duration. He started going to taekwndo where he did 3xx situps again and had a fever. Went to the doc. they re-ordered chest X-ray. They said healing is not complete. He was put on augmentine for 10 days and mometasone for a month. The times he coughs significantly reduced. But he was still coughing. Then he was put on Laveta and some other syrup. His cough decreased a little but not completely gone. He coughs once in the morning with Phlegm. He is otherwise playing and all. He is active and has not had fever for a month and half. He mostly tries to clear his throat all the time and coughs with mucus 2 3 times a day.

1. What are warning signs I should watch out for and report ?
2. Why is it taking so long for him to be relieved of his cough ?
3. He had fever in january which was going till 103 for 6 days and then it subsided on its own. He had some cough symptoms then too. We did not get tested for covid since the day he went to doc his temp started coming down on its own. Could this be COVID related ?

Will appreciate any one with similar experience to share their experience.

Have you ever experienced something that shook you to your very core? Something that makes you remember every single little detail of your surroundings from that moment in time? Even years after? I can remember so vividly the moment I realized something was wrong with me. I was in my junior year of high school sitting in class, just like any other day. I remember the smell of erasers and cheap cologne that permeated off my classmate who sat next to me. I remember the scratchy tag on my t-shirt and how I was resisting taking it off in the middle of class just to cut it off. I remember what my teacher, Mrs. Brown, was talking about; 'the fall of Constantinople'. My mouth felt dry and I kept looking at the clock, counting down the minutes until I had lunch so I could get a soda. The sound of a pen clicking behind me was synchronized with the song that was stuck in my head.
All those things were going through my brain at once. My ADHD mind went a million miles per minute when it all came down to a cashing holt when I felt it at 11:23
I felt what I can only describe as a hand grabbing at the inner lining of my stomach. It didn't necessarily hurt, not at this point. That's not why I got so scared. You see, not only do I have ADHD. I also have OCD that manifests itself in the fear of anything growing or moving inside me. Even if I think about the concept of blood moving in my body or a heart that is beating in my chest, I have to think of something else. I've had full-blown panic attacks because of it. The closest term for this is 'Tokophobia'. That's technically the fear of pregnancy. I'm a guy, so it's not completely accurate but it's really the closest term. I mean, I also do have a huge fear of pregnancy. Not necessarily of me being pregnant, but even though I knew I could never get pregnant, the thought of it still made me feel sick
I bet you can imagine the terror that overcame me as I felt something moving in me. I made an audible groan and grabbed my stomach. My whole class turned to look at me. even my teacher stopped talking to ask if I was okay. I stood up and started to run to the nurses' office without even acknowledging my teacher. My first thought wasn't thinking that something was actually in my body. Even stomach aches and the feeling of gurgling in my stomach made me feel this way before. I didn't have anything on hand to help with a stomach ache, unfortunately. However, the nurse always did.
I sprinted across the school hoping and praying that my stomach wouldn't make that awful feeling again before I got there.
I turned the corner into the nurses' office with my tennis shoes squeaking in the process. I saw the school nurse, Mrs. Kennedy sitting on the couch in her office reading a magazine. She looked up at me with a sweet smile that quickly turned into worry.
"Sam, what is it? How can I help?" She said as she stood up and hurried over to me. Putting her hand over mine which was grabbing my stomach tightly.
"It's…It's my stomach. Something is wrong with it." I mumbled with a red face.
She shuffled her way over to her large medicine cabinet and she motioned for me to sit down.
She asked me questions about my stomach. Asking if it was pain, grumbling, cramps, nausea, etc. As she was asking me what my symptoms were and digging through bottles, The feeling happened again. However, this time was different. It felt like fingers grassing against the inside of my body. I screamed and wrapped my arms around my torso. Mrs. Kenneddy ran over to me to comfort me.
"This seems a lot worse than normal, maybe we should call your parents." She said as she put her hand on my back.
It felt like some days I saw Mrs. Kennedy more than my teachers. Any small ailment would distract me so badly from class that I had to go see her. Sometimes multiple times a day. She knew at this point when something was really wrong.
Within about 30 minutes both my parents were there with us. That may seem fast, but I'm an only child and my parents are very aware of my tendencies. They know I can spiral and like to be around if it happens.
They kept asking me where the pain was. I think they assumed by the way I wasn't responding to their questions the pain must've been really bad. The reality was that I just didn't know how to tell them what was going on.
I got so frustrated after they asked me over and over again that I just yelled at them.
"Something is inside me! Get it out, get it out, get it out!" I lifted my shirt and was ripping at my stomach. Leaving red nail scratches and cuts. My mom and dad ran to either side of me to grab my arms. Mrs. Kennedy had seen me go pretty crazy, but this was the worst I've ever gotten in front of her. My parents however had seen a similar situation before. Not exactly like this, but they didn't skip a beat on trying to help me.
"Sam. Breath, sweety. Just remember everything is in you for a reason. It's keeping you alive. Nothing is going to hurt you." My mom said softly to me. Trying to calm me down with the words my therapist gave her. "Ice cubes, get him ice cubes!" She said to Mrs. Kennedy as I started to hyperventilate.
Mrs. Kennedy grabbed a ziplock bag and started to fill it with ice cubes. My mom went over to her and grabbed an ice cube right out of the bag, opened up my hand, and put the ice cube in it. This worked in the past to distract me, I knew that's what she was doing, and trust me. I wanted it to work too, but this was different. I kept trying to tell myself that it was just a different feeling I hadn't felt before. That it wasn't possible something was physically inside my body. But I couldn't help it.
Everyone in the room could see that this was getting intense. I think they assumed it was just a mental breakdown and that nothing was physically wrong with my body but I didn't care. I just wanted help.
My parents got me into the car with my mom even sitting in the backseat with me. She kept trying to distract me with conversation but my mind was only on that awful feeling in my stomach.
We pulled up to the ER and my mom guided me in while holding both my wrists. It felt like she was walking me on a leash but I didn't fight it. I knew she was just trying to stop me from scratching my stomach.
We walked in and I spoke to the receptionist. All I said was that I had terrible pain in my stomach. I didn't want to sound too crazy. I just needed a doctor to look at whatever was going on.
After giving the receptionist my name and insurance information we went to sit down. I was sitting in between my parents and I could see my mom lean back to try and mouth something to my dad without me seeing. I didn't think much of it. I was way more worried about other things.
My dad then went up to the receptionist. He pointed over to me and she looked a little concerned. I saw her pick up the clipboard that had my information on it and she started writing something else on it. I asked my dad what he did and he just said to not worry and that he wanted to let her know it was urgent.
No more than 10 minutes went by and I felt a terrible moving sensation. I cringed and grabbed my stomach. Immediately followed by not just the feeling of a hand grabbing my insides but also scratching and pinching. I yelled out in pain as the other people in the waiting room looked at me mortified.
A doctor and a couple of nurses came running over to me and helped me up. But I couldn't stand up. I was in too much pain. They put me in a wheelchair and started to head for a room. However, they didn't take me through the normal big ER doors that went to the standard examination rooms, they took me and my parents through a smaller door to the side that had a padlock on it.
We walked through a white hallway that was very quiet. The doctor and nurses showed us to my room and helped me into my bed as I was wiggling and wincing. I had one parent on either side of me. Patiently waited to stop my arms from scratching.
The doctor was trying to ask further questions but he could tell it wasn't going anywhere. I knew that my dad probably told that receptionist about my OCD tendencies and that I needed to go to the psych ward. Not just to the stranded side of the ER.
I couldn't take it anymore and blurted out that something was inside my stomach and it was trying to get out.
The doctor just looked at my parents for a reaction and they gave him a sad nod. It was like they warned him that this could happen. The doctor didn't just think I was crazy, my parents did too. The doctor took a deep breath and came up to me. I knew I was about to hear some kind of dumb speech about how this was just my OCD and everything was going to be okay.
As he came closer to me, I pulled up my shirt and he gasped. Not only was my stomach scratched up like crazy, but we saw movement. It looked like when a pregnant woman can see her baby kicking. But this was so much stronger. It was stretching my skin.
My parents stood up and gasped while the doctor looked frantic and unprepared.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" The doctor said as he backed out of the room. "Hang on! We are getting this taken care of, just hang tight."
Just seconds later a nurse came in to give me some painkillers. I started to feel the pain slip away, but something so much worse started to creep in. I heard a voice. Not my own. Not some creepy-sounding creature, but the voice of a normal-sounding man that I'd never heard before. But that wasn't the scary part. The scary part was what he was saying to me.
"Get me out. Get me out. Get me out!"
It started in a normal tone, but slowly became more urgent and rushed. Then demanding.
The voice would coincide with the moment inside me.
It was getting so loud that I was having a hard time hearing the people around me. The doctor came in just a few minutes after I last saw him. He was red and sweaty. Like he'd just run a marathon. He told me they needed to do just a few tests on what was inside me before taking action.
I was trying so hard to pay attention to the words coming out of his mouth but all I could hear was the voice. The voice stopped for just a second and changed what he was saying. Now he started repeating,
"Cut me out, cut me out, cut me out, now!" I now knew this thing didn't just want out but it wanted out now. I begged the doctor to just get it out now but he wouldn't listen. The voice spoke up again.
"This is taking too long. Don't be afraid. Get me out yourself."
I think it could feel me resisting. Without realizing it, I was looking around the room for something. It was like I didn't even have control over my head or eyes anymore. I knew the voice was looking for a knife but I was trying to ignore the feeling. I knew there weren't any knives around. I was in a very safe place.
Just as I had the feeling I was safe, it was immediately taken away. The thought passed through my head that my dad probably had a pocket knife on him. My heart sank. I knew this thing could hear my thoughts. I knew what it would try to do.
The next thing I knew, I was on my feet, leaping for my dad. My body hit his. luckily, he's in pretty good shape for his age and had no problems putting me in my place.
He got on top of me and pinned me to the ground. All while I could barely hear my mom in the background. Yelling at my dad to be careful. My dad knew something was going on and that I just needed to be on the ground until I calmed down.
My body tried to flail but it wasn't successful. The whole time the voice in my head, now yelling and screaming. Not saying any distinguishable words, but just having what felt like a tantrum. What made my dad the most uncomfortable was the kicking feeling coming from my stomach.
After a couple of minutes, the voice calmed down and I felt in charge of my body again. My dad slowly got up and attempted to help me up. At this point with an audience of hospital staff that looked like they were getting ready to take me somewhere for more tests.
Just as I stood up straight, I felt the voice take over and I lost all sense of my own body. I felt like a shell of myself. My dad gave me a soft yet worried smile, and in that instance, I grabbed him and reached into his pocket. My heart sank as I felt his pocket knife. The room started to panic and about 5 people tried to grab it from me. The last thing I remember is plunging the knife into my stomach. I felt a blinding pain and everything went black.
Several hours later I started to wake up. Everything was extremely blurry and fuzzy. I could hear a very faint voice telling me to relax. As the minutes passed by, things started to become a little bit clearer. I looked around and saw I was in a large room with a few other patients. A nurse was going up to all the beds and checking in on them. I tried to sit up a bit to get more comfortable and noticed an incredible sourness in my stomach. I moved my hospital gown out of the way and saw a huge scare. About 6" across. Most of the scare looked very surgical. Like what I'd imagine a c-section surgery would look like. Except where I remembered the knife going in. It looked like a bunch of extra stitches had to be added where it went in. It also looked pretty bruised. I can imagine that a dull 10-year-old knife that was harshly shoved into a body really wouldn't cleanly cut through and leave some damage.
The feeling of shock from looking at my stomach was quickly gone when I realized that meant whatever was in me was now gone. I didn't hear the voice, I didn't feel a hand in my gut anymore, I didn't see that vile kicking anymore. I felt like I could breathe.
I asked the nurse what they found and she looked flush.
"Uh, that's something that you, uh. Your doctor will talk with you once you eat something and can speak clearly." She said as she scurried off looking upset.
Shortly after that, I was wheeled into a recovery room and my parents came to see me.
As they walked in they had a very similar look on their faces as the nurse did. They looked pale and didn't want to look me in the eye. I kept asking them questions about what was going on but they said the doctor needed to discuss it with me and he wanted to make sure I wasn't feeling high from the anesthesia while we had a conversation.
The doctor didn't come and see me for another 10 hours. Which felt strange. And to add to the strangeness, my parents were taking shifts hanging out with me. There was only overlap when they switched and the other parent took over while the other one left the room. I would understand if they weren't both with me for the whole time. I'm not that needy, but they were only both in my room together for about an hour. That was the hour before the doctor came to my room.
Finally, the doctor came in to talk to me. When he walked in, the room was cold and quiet. It was evident he didn't feel the same relief I was feeling.
He seemed awkward. Like he was talking way too long to get over to me. He grabbed a chair and scooted it close to me.
"Listen Sam. I know this last 24 hours has been very challenging. I apologize for not explaining what happened during your surgery sooner, but we all needed time to figure it out, and quite frankly, process what happened. We feel we have enough information to let you in on what is going on." A silence filled the room. It felt like no one was brave enough to break it.
"And?" I said with confusion.
"I think it'll be easier if we just show you."
The doctor along with my parents helped me into a wheelchair and we started to make our way across the hospital to an entirely different section. I couldn't believe all the things running through my head at what we were about to see. It felt like cruel and unusual punishment to leave me in anticipation and not just tell me what I was about to see.
When I went around the corner I couldn't process what I was looking at. I thought they were showing me a large tumor or growth of some kind, but why would a tumor be in a big incubation chamber with tubes connected to IVs and machines coming out of it?
As I got closer, I started to see human fetchers on it. It was mostly just a 6-pound lump of flesh, but I could see a hand sticking out of it. It was small, but what made it creepy was it looked like a fully developed man's hand. Just small. I could see a patch of hair coming out of what I assumed was its head. It had no discernible facial features. Just a few teeth scattered in one section.
As I looked at it with disgust, coming to terms with this thing that was just in my body, I had a realization. I wasn't feeling sick at the thought of something being in my body. Sure, I was grossed out that this particular thing was just in me, but the thought of the bacteria in my body didn't make me want to throw up. I thought about all the blood pumping through my veins and I felt… normal. Not only was the voice and kicking gone. But my OCD was gone too. I didn't have a mental illness. It was just this thing. Trying to find its way out for years.
As I was staring at the creature, the doctor came and put his hand on my shoulder.
"We believe this is your twin brother." I immediately looked up at my parents who looked very disturbed and upset. I let the doctor finish talking. "We believe that you absorbed him in the womb and that he has been living inside you your whole life. This is an extremely rare condition called fetus-in-fetu. It seems he didn't quite have the best opportunity to develop normally. That's why he looks the way he does. Despite his appearance, he has all the organs he needs to survive. Looks like he's missing a lung and his gallbladder. Also a piece of his liver but other than that, it looks like he will live for at least a few years. He won't be able to leave this room due to him needing a feeding tube and a few other things that his body can not do on its own. He needs lots of support just to live. What makes this situation extremely unique is that your twin is still alive despite your body not sustaining him anymore. Even though we have him hooked up to a few IVs and machines, It is unexplainable how he is living while outside of your body."
I was in complete shock. I didn't want to believe it. I asked my mom why she never told me I absorbed my twin in the womb, she said she had no clue. There was never a sign when she was pregnant with me.
He also mentioned that sometimes even in pregnancies women will go their whole pregnancy without even getting a belly. It's called a 'Cryptic pregnancy'. I've always had a bit of a gut but never anything big enough to cause suspicion. I guess in my case I had a fetus-fetu and an experience similar to a cryptic pregnancy. Even though it was in my stomach. At least that was the doctor's best guess. Although, it all sounded like BS to me.
The doctor and my parents kept trying to explain more and more details to me. I don't know why they didn't slow down a little bit for my sake. How could they not tell I wasn't processing any of this?
I noticed something while they were trying to explain things to me. They kept calling it a 'He'.
Now listen. I'm not some kind of asshole that won't respect someone who wants to be called a specific pronoun. I've never been that kind of person. But this is where I draw the line.
Not just that. But this thing had a name. My parents named it and said today was its birthday. While they told me all this information, they didn't look happy about it. It seemed like they were forced to do all this nonsense. And now it was my turn to be convinced. I could tell they were trying to force it.
The doctor told me despite it not having a high probability for a long life that we should still try and give it the love it deserves. Of course, the doctor referred to it as a 'He' but I refused to.
This disgusted me. This thing tried to kill me and ruined my quality of life for so long, and now we are going to treat it like it's some kind of prince? No, absolutely not.
Luckily, it seemed like it would never leave the hospital, but my parents planned on going to visit it daily. Visiting it? Are you kidding me? it has no eyes, no ears, it's probably miserable and has no concept of people even being around it.
I'm refusing to ever see this thing again or acknowledge its existence again.
I could get in trouble for even talking about this. The hospital or anyone involved has signed NDAs to not share any information about this until it officially dies. This is because it's a medical anomaly and the first of its kind. They want to do the proper research on how this all occurred before coming out with a statement. I just have to get this all off my chest. I feel like I'm the crazy one here when I know I'm not. I don't care if I get in trouble.
I am scared that the doctors are trying to force my parents into giving this thing a proper life. I think that's why it took them so long to tell me. I think they scared my parents into keeping it alive and guilting them or even forcing them into being its parent.
I'm all for every life being important and all that stuff, but I have a feeling my parents are terrified of this thing just like I am.
I am convinced they gaslit my parents into believing this thing is my brother. If there wasn't any sign of him while my mom was pregnant with me, could this thing be something else?
This all happened about two years ago. It's still alive and they are still researching it. My parents continue to visit it despite everything. My therapist told me that I'm probably just struggling with jealousy now that I'm not an only child anymore and so much of my parents' attention is on him now, but it's so much bigger than just jealousy.
Since this thing showed up and my OCD is pretty much gone, I've hardly seen my parents. I know I'm not just jealous. There is something more to this. I know it.
Something just feels so off about this whole thing. What is this thing? Where did it come from? And what does it want?

I (23 F, 195lbs) have been having some odd symptoms for about a week. It started out with heart palpitations, which I blamed on the stress I’ve been under in the last few weeks. I had to put a pet down and was going through finals and graduation. I apologize for my terrible storytelling skills below.
Starting around last Friday, I began experiencing coughing (with mucus in throat), dull aching in my left arm, left side of chest, and back, and some indigestion. Mostly the feeling of acid in my throat or tightness. Sometimes it’s just a mild discomfort, sometimes it’s straight up pain.
The worst was on Sunday, when I had 5/10 pain in the back of my neck that made it somewhat hard to drive. I’ve also had some weakness in my left arm and some light-headedness/mild headache. I have tried drinking more water, thinking it could be dehydration (which I do have a problem with) but it has not helped.
It should be noted that last Friday, I was out in the cold rain and wind for about 2 hours. It was bad enough that my feet (which were in sandals) hurt terribly by the end of it. I did notice that my aching, coughing, and mucus picked up after that.
I should also note that I have had bronchitis once, COVID twice, and have PCOS. I also hurt my left arm a couple months ago. Nothing serious. Just pulled a muscle in my shoulder. Additionally, I did receive a DEPO (birth control) shot in my left shoulder on Tuesday. It sent immediate pain through my arm and shoulder, and is still tender today.
Mucinex DM has been somewhat helpful in relieving my cough and getting rid of mucus, but it only works for a few hours. Cracking my back, shoulder, and chest also offers some minor relief. Occasionally, I find myself needing to take a deep breath, which causes some ache in my back, but also some relief.
Not sure if it’s related, but I’ve also found myself feeling fuller faster. I can usually put away a good amount of food. But lately I’ve been done after only a fraction of that (but not to the point that I’m not getting enough).
Interestingly, my heart palpitations have decreased today. I’ve only had a couple and they’ve been gentle flutters. And it just so happens to be the same day that I’ve stopped drinking some lavender lemonade that I bought.
I went to an urgent care center on Sunday. They performed an EKG and found that my heart is beating fine, if not beating a little fast due to my nervousness. They prescribed some hydroxyzine for stress, but I’ve been hesitant to take it only because I feel relaxed most of the time. I’ve also been referred to a cardiologist but have yet to get a call back from them to make an appointment.
For some minor notes, I have noticed swelling in my left armpit (I assume to be a lymph node) a couple times over the last few months. It is not swollen now, but I do have a pea-sized lump in the left crook of my neck.
I also got my hair braided recently and the weight of it is new for me. I understand it may be affecting my headaches.
I would just like any advice possible. Most of my family says I’m fine and I really would like to believe them. I also don’t want to waste a visit to urgent care (again) or to the ER. And in case anyone wonders, I do not smoke (though I live with smokers), drink, or do drugs. I also used to bike 5 miles a day until about last month, when I started slacking.

I fucked up this weekend and had unprotected sex I always get canker sores never cold sores and this was Saturday when I had sex. I have some cold like symptoms congestion, sore throat and tiredness. In my defense I’m always tired but assuming weather change is causing allergies. Please take a look and let me know if this looks like I need to be concerned cause I’m lowkey freaking out. I just got tested last week and everything came back normal so I’m so worried that this one time I might have fucked up.

On Tuesday I (26F) came down with 103 F fever, body aches and chills, congestion, swollen lymph nodes and tonsils, and sore throat/painful swallowing. I’m a speech pathologist and work in a skilled nursing facility. All of my patients are vulnerable elderly people, or people on ventilators/with tracheostomies, or adults with severe disabilities, who have just stepped down from hospital care.
Tuesday morning I sent my boss (52M) an email about my symptoms and stayed home that day; he replied with only a 👍. Wednesday I woke up and didn’t feel any better after a day of rest and a few doses of NyQuil so I went to urgent care which is where I was diagnosed with strep throat. I was told to stay home a couple more days and take 2 antibiotics. I emailed my boss the doctors note and a brief summary and he immediately called me and the convo went something like this:
Boss: Sadie, you have only worked here for 2 months. Having strep throat is not a reasonable ailment to miss work for 3 days. I will expect to see you in the facility tomorrow morning.
Me: I still have a 102 fever and can barely swallow water without excruciating pain. I am not putting my patients at risk and defying a doctors note.
Boss: It is very unprofessional to miss work in this setting for personal illness and really shows your age. You are completing 1 to 1 sessions with your patients and thus do not have to worry about getting people sick. And if someone were to get sick then wouldn’t it be better for them to get it here where they can receive all the care they need? My wife is an OT and she would never pull this.
Me: Respectfully your wife’s disregard for her patients and coworkers health and wellbeing is not my problem.
Boss: Are you saying my wife doesn’t respect her patients and coworkers because she has a good work ethic?
Me: If she would knowingly come to work with strep throat or such a high fever, then yes that’s what I’m saying.
Boss: Send me an email when you are ready to resume your responsibilities and we will discuss next steps.
Obviously that isn’t an exact transcript, but I’ve been replaying it in my head again and again like an anxious wreck since then.
AITA? Is he right, am I really just being an inexperienced baby about having strep throat and should have powered through work anyway? Regardless I’ve already used this time to respond to 2 recruiters desperate to fill nearby positions. My field is very high in demand so I see no reason to stick around a place like this. I’m trying really hard to understand my boss’s POV, which I perceive as extremely careless and grubby, not to mention unwise considering my position was vacant for 11 months before I was hired b/c there were no applicants…

Age: 28
Sex: Male
Height: 6
Weight: 165 lbs
Race: Caucasian
Duration of complaint: years
Location: All over body
Any existing relevant medical issues: Lots
Current medications Lyrica, Oxycodone
Im at my wits end here, im going to talk my family doctor as soon as i can, which is probably Tuesday, but i was wondering if i can get any other insights.
Basically i seem to be "collecting" allergies, specifically to drugs ive been taking for years or are familiar with, and then suddenly getting a legit sevre sometime life threatening reaction out of nowhere.
First, it was Amoxicillin, i know ive taken it when i was younger, but now if i take it it almost kills me, high fever vomiting, skin all red and burning to the touch (and by almost "kills me" i mean it, ICU, life support, pressors the works). Then Gravol, again, i know for a fact that ive taken Gravol for nausea and didnt have an issue, then i have stomach surgery and im given Gravol as im waking up and again, it almost kills me, the symptoms were so baffling that they thought they left a surgical instrument in me and opened me up again to check. It was only a few weeks later the i took an OTC Gravol pill because ei was nauseas, and sure enough, immediate, instant extreme pain, full body hot to the touch red skin rash, fever etc.
Now is when things get weird, ive taken Tylenol 3 for a while, years even, then one day i take my usual dose and bam! instant horribly painful red skin, fever, throat closing etc, just out of nowhere. And now today i know something is up because after my tooth removal surgery i took Oxycodone, which again, ive been taking for years, no changes in Brand, no changes in dosage, the exact same pill ive been safely taking for literal years, its to the point where the pharmacy stocks the that specific brand just for me and will have deliveries made in anticipation of my monthly refill. But i take it this morning and hives 20 mins later, painful, sweaty, hot to the touch, my mouth hurts, etc all the same signs. I literally didn't believe it until oi tok another smaller dose hours and hours later and sure enough, same reaction just less intense.
What. The. Fuck!?
no seriously? im collecting allergies, the list grows and grows. I have an Anti-Histamine pill in front of me but im terrified to take it because what if im allergic just like how i casually took gravol? i don't want the pain the pain is the absolute worst its nightmerish it burns and burns and im going to be spending hours in the ER just sitting there in excruciating pain.

33F, 5'10" & 145lbs, on 30mg of Lexapro for anxiety/depression, .5mg Ativan (very rarely), Yaz birth control, and Famotidine for reflux.
Hi there! I'm getting frustrated and a tad desperate here, and my doctors seem to be shrugging me off at this point. Let me try to be concise with a brief timeline.
Late June 2023 - I began experiencing what I am now 99% sure were severe reflux symptoms, since they stopped abruptly when I began taking Famotidine (sensation of being strangled, which escalated to a full-body general malaise, fatigue, chest pressure, clenching pain in the neck/throat, tongue fatigue, swallowing discomfort & pain)... lots of very scary things). I didn't know what was going on & went to my PCP. he ordered a thyroid ultrasound & I it uncovered two nodules, one labeled "moderately suspicious." this scared the hell out of me & my doctor didn't contact me to explain that it wasn't a big deal for more than two weeks. during this time I convinced myself I had thyroid cancer (I historically suffer from pretty severe anxiety) and my reflux symptoms worsened.
August 3rd 2023 - I decided to get back on an SSRI because of the anxiety I had been experiencing, so I contacted my psychiatrist and they put me back on a med that had worked in the past, Trintellix. I took a 5mg dose around dinnertime, but that night around 1:30am I woke abruptly with the first and only panic attack I've ever had. I started uncontrollably shaking, my heart raced, and my mind was 100% dominated by the certainty that my death was imminent.
After this, I stopped being able to sleep or eat properly. I lost about 20lbs very quickly (from about 145 to 125) and gradually developed a ton of new symptoms - left leg pain, particularly when sitting, seemingly originating from my glute/pelvic area; right shoulder pain that radiated down the whole arm on the outer side; a sensation of partial numbness without pins & needles in my left foot; and full-body muscle fasciculations. I would have these episodes where I'd begin tremoring, usually later in the afternoon, sometimes just my legs but sometimes my whole body.
for almost 2 months (August to the end of September) I was going days without sleeping, barely eating, and borderline catatonic when I wasn't crying. I took an extended leave from work and my brother essentially had to take care of me. I became convinced I was dying, particularly after I Googled muscle twitching. I went to many doctor's appointments and I had MANY tests done in the coming months, including: a limb EMG in September (100% unremarkable), a 2nd EMG in December (also 100% unremarkable), a brain MRI and later a c-spine MRI (former was clear, latter showed mild arthritic changes & mild stenosis), a laryngoscopy followed by a barium swallow study (redness, but normal swallowing), many blood tests from rheumatology, neurology, and my PCP, x-rays, ultrasounds... all clear. I can provide the specific findings if someone actually decides to try to help my sorry ass out.
Throughout all of this, I was experiencing very strong pain that was escalating in how constant it was. initially it flared up throughout the day and was at its worst in the evenings. at times it would seem very nerve-based, a shooting pain that would travel down my leg or arm from my shouldeglute and curl my toes/fingers. I finally started reflux meds in like... February and eliminated those symptoms, but the pain and twitching remained.
Now, in May of 2024, I am in almost constant pain every day. I am so tired of living like this. My right forearm and elbow region has been experiencing burning and sometimes cold sensations for a few weeks now, and I'm becoming paranoid that there is a new dent in the muscle in my inner arm where the burning is the worst, though I do not know if it was always there or not. my hypothenar muscle on my right also hurts almost 24/7. my left leg has begun tightening up (it isn't physically tensing and it's completely flexible, but it FEELS tight, like an overfilled water balloon). I've been in physical therapy for about 2 months and working on the arm and leg and nothing is happening. I have a neuro follow-up on 5/24 and another around the 1-year symptom mark (8/9), but I don't know what to think. I just know that my quality of life is massively depleted, I'm exhausted, and I just want to be active again without worrying that it'll put me out of commission (I like to hike & the last time I did, I hiked 8 miles & couldn't sleep because of the leg pain and tightness).
If anyone could give me SOME avenue to pursue, I would be so grateful. I am lost here, and things seem to be worsening. It is scary! I can answer any questions to clarify.

Previous case
We're back to business as usual at Orion. Sort of. I'll get into that in a minute. But first, I just need to put it out there that sometimes the clients drive me nuts. As much as I have an apparently irresistible desire to help everyone, some people really push it. Push it right off of a fucking cliff, that is.
I’m going to stop myself before I go off on an unhinged rant about the woes of dealing with the public. Instead, I’ll let yinz see for yourselves what I've been putting up with.
(If you're not familiar with what Orion Pest Control's services are, it may help to start here.)
We received a call from a client about mosquitoes running amok in her home. Since we had a few others to take care of that day, I informed her that the earliest that one of us could investigate the matter was in the afternoon. But because this woman is clearly so much more important than everyone else, her royal highness threw a hissy fit about having to wait like a common peasant.
I tried to be as nice as possible, “Ma’am, I understand that it’s frustrating, but there are others that called ahead of you, so we have to take care of their problems before we can take care of yours.”
The client huffed, “Okay, you clearly aren’t hearing me. There are mosquitoes in my house!”
“Yes, ma’am, I heard you. However, you are not our only client, so we ask that you please be patient and we will be there as soon as we can.”
I should also mention that this client talked out of the back of her nose, if that helps to paint a picture of how her cadence was equally as grating as her personality. “Okay, but do those people have mosquitoes? Like in their house, biting them and their kid over and over? My son could have Zika virus right now!”
Jesus Fucking Christ. I rubbed my temple with my free hand as I did my damndest to keep my customer service persona in place, “Again, ma’am, I understand that this is frustrating, but we have a wasp infestation and termites to deal with before you and those families want their kids to be safe, just like you. In the meantime, I recommend wearing bug spray or burning a citronella candle until we can get to you. We will be there as soon as we can.”
“You better be! And you really need to work on your customer service, sweetie!”
The client hung up on me.
I had to pace around the office after that one. Sweetie? Shove it up your ass, you entitled, snotty… You know what? Nevermind. I have many words to describe clients like that and none of them are pleasant. I hoped that she’d get mosquito bites in all of the most private areas of her anatomy.
It probably didn't help that I was saddled with some bitterness after the ‘dogging’ incident. I knew that there wasn't anything I could do about the mechanic other than stay out of his way going forward. And boy, did that eat me up.
On that note, I know what the mechanic is, however, even whispering the official title of these Neighbors is enough to draw them to you. I'm not sure if writing it counts and I'm not about to find that out the hard way.
Just know that if you hear wings beating from the west at night, hide and pray that you'll be passed by. Placing a line of salt on all of the doors and windows facing the west keeps them from coming inside. Once they set their sights on you, they'll never stop hunting you. Even death itself fears them. You'll still be running long after your heart stops beating.
But I promise, I’ll elaborate more on that later. I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to the case.
Reyna was at the point in her training where she could be trusted to deal with termites on her own. After I had the wasp nests taken care of, I set out to her royal highness’ home, and earlier than I’d told her, might I add. I will admit that I was tempted to dally a bit just to piss her off, but then I figured that it would be better and more professional to just get it over with.
She looked exactly like how I pictured her to look, complete with a weasley sneer that only the most unlikable of human beings are able to master.
“It’s about time.” She snapped.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Where have you noticed the mosquitoes the most?”
“Everywhere.” She said unhelpfully,
Her husband stepped in. “In the kitchen and basement, mostly.”
To make this call even better, the husband decided to take it upon himself to follow me around as I did my inspection, asking me pointless questions and giving me advice that I didn't ask for.
It got to a point where his hot breath wheezed into my ear as I shined my flashlight under their sink.
Stiffly, but politely, I asked, “Sir, can you please keep your distance?”
His wife chipped in, “Will you let her do her job, Curtis? It took her long enough to get here, and if you keep pestering her, it's going to take even longer!”
The husband puffed up and snapped, “Well, it's my house! I need to know that the person working in it knows what they're doing!”
They began screaming at each other. As obnoxious and uncomfortable as it was to have to bear witness to it, at least they weren't focused on me anymore. I shook my head and kept searching for the source of the infestation.
What I was looking for was standing water, which is essential for a mosquito's life cycle; you eliminate the standing water, you eliminate the infestation. The space beneath the sink was completely dry.
With the argument going on, I almost didn't hear it. An odd little sound. The easiest way to describe it was that it sounded like, ‘Kudo! Kudo!’
My head turned to follow it. That's when I noticed that one of the floorboards was slightly raised up from the rest.
I interrupted their marital problems, “You said that your son was sick earlier? Would he happen to have chills and a high fever?”
The client spat, “Yes, because some people-”
Not in the mood for her nonsense anymore, I cut in, “Ma'am, please just answer the question. I am trying to help you, I really am, but I'm going to need some more information in order to do that.”
She looked taken aback, her face bright red. While she balked, her husband answered instead, “Our son said he was feeling under the weather, but he does that whenever he wants to get out of something. You know how kids are.”
Good lord. Parents of the year.
“Have you noticed your salt going missing?”
The wife blinked at me, “How did you know that?”
I told them that I'd be right back and went to retrieve a cage from the truck. This critter is an odd one in that not only is salt not a suitable repellent for it, but it actually loves the stuff. It can consume as much as ten grams of salt per day. So if you find that the salt in your home has gone missing, it could mean that a False Egg has made a nest.
I returned with the cage and advised the couple to either move into another room or wait outside. Would it surprise yinz when I say that they refused? Not in the mood to argue, I just shrugged. Okay. Suit yourselves.
I set the cage up next to the lifted floorboard, took my salt off of my toolbelt, and sprinkled some inside the cage. It would placate the False Egg once I got it inside.
Using my knife, I pried the floorboard up. From behind me, the husband began to protest, but his wife snapped at him to keep still.
Meanwhile, my eyes met the beady gaze of a False Egg from where it hid under their floorboard.
At first glance, it looks like a white chicken's egg. If consumed, it causes the host to lay more False Eggs. That's how it reproduces. The telltale signs that you're looking at a False Egg include two dark spots on the shell near the pointed top of the ovoid. Those are the eyes, which they can leave closed to camouflage themselves. You may also notice two small holes at the bottom of the shell, which is where its legs can retract in and out. Mosquitoes follow False Eggs wherever they nest, though it's unclear why.
Generally, they're more of an annoyance than anything. However, they can cause flu-like symptoms in those that they feel threatened by, so they do pose a slight danger to those with compromised immune systems.
To my surprise, the False Egg leapt out of its nest and into the cage, tucking its legs back into its shell comfortably. Even though it didn't seem to have any intentions of moving, I quickly shut the door of its cage.
For the first time since I arrived, the clients were speechless. The woman had a hand over her open mouth while the man stared at the False Egg in a mixture of horror and disgust.
It wasn't until I stood up with the cage that the man asked, “What the hell is that?”
“The source of the infestation.” I replied. “I’ll take this guy out to the truck. The mosquitoes should follow him, but just to be sure, I'm going to ask that you all leave the house for a few hours so that I can apply a chemical treatment that'll kill off any stragglers. And your son’s condition should improve in a day or two.”
The couple didn't give me any trouble. They quietly collected their sick teenaged son, saying something about getting ice cream, then fucked off to do whatever while I dealt with the rest of the mosquitoes.
Once I was done, I drove off to release the False Egg somewhere where it could complete its life cycle away from humans. It is able to reproduce in any mammal. While forcing other organisms to lay eggs is bizarre and can be alarming for the affected individual, it doesn't appear to hurt the hosts, other than causing some mild abdominal discomfort. Once the False Egg is laid, the host goes back to normal, which is why we generally don't feel the need to kill them.
Unexpectedly, the False Egg talked to me.
It had a small, soft, mousy voice. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”
I glanced at the False Egg. I had its cage on the passenger's seat. Its eyes were visible, along with its little white legs as it sat on the bottom of its cage. It looked up at me as it wiggled its small feet absent-mindedly.
Whenever it spoke, a small crack that resembled a toothy mouth appeared in its shell. That was something to add to our records: not only are False Eggs capable of speech, but their mouths are located below their eye spots.
Stunned, I said, “You're welcome.”
The False Egg continued, “Oh, those humans are vile! I hadn't realized it when I first made my nest. Do you want to know why I made the boy sick?”
“Why?”
So that's how I learned every aspect of this family's lives. I'm sure yinz care even less than I do about some suburbanites’ interfamily drama, so I'll just say that it wasn't bad enough to warrant a call to social services, but enough that I can see why that kid probably couldn't wait to turn 18. Overbearing mother, father trying to use his son to relive his glory days as a high school athlete. The False Egg had done the boy a solid, giving him just enough of a fever to excuse him from lacrosse tryouts.
“Where are we going?” The False Egg asked after telling me all that information that I didn't know what to do with.
“Back to the forest.”
The False Egg kept swinging its little feet, “Can you take me somewhere nice? If it's not any trouble?”
Why not? Maybe some scenery would improve my mood.
So me and my little egg buddy took a little drive to the pond. It was a picturesque area as well as a nice environment for a False Egg. They prefer caves, but as long as they're near water, they'll be fine. When I opened its cage, the False Egg hopped out, its little eyes and shelled body swiveling to take in the peaceful sight.
“Oh, this is wonderful! Thank you!” Before it skipped off, it paused. “I think it would only be right if I told you something that could help, since you brought me here.”
It turned, its shell splitting to form a mouth as it hesitated before speaking, “If you hear whispers in the woods, even if it sounds like someone you care about, don't listen. The louder they are, the safer you are. They get quieter as they get closer to confuse you.”
Hold on. That didn't make any sense. The whispers had gotten louder and more urgent as I approached the mechanic's clearing.
Unless I was wrong and he wasn't the one doing it.
I asked, “Is the whispering thing disguising itself as a mechanic?”
The False Egg tilted to the side thoughtfully, “I'm afraid not. It doesn’t like to pretend to be human.”
So there was something else out there with me when I went looking for Victor. I remembered then that the whispers had stopped once I got close to the mechanic's clearing. When I unintentionally allowed them to lead me astray, they took me in the opposite direction of where he'd been waiting. Interesting.
With the False Egg wandering off to establish a new nest that was far away from humans, I headed back to the office, unsure of how to feel about the information it had given me.
Victor looked annoyed when I came in. The clients had called to complain about my ‘poor customer service.’ Wow. Okay.
“Next time, just leave the False Egg there.” Victor said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “They want to complain about poor customer service? We can show them bad service!”
“It's fine, Vic.” I replied. “Just let them leave their one star Google review and move on.”
“These fucking people…” He grumbled.
Victor's headspace hasn't been much better than mine. He's been pretty much stuck waiting by the phone for those ominous calls that the mechanic mentioned in the woods. They don't happen often, but when they do, he gets grim. Quiet. He hasn't told me in detail what has been requested of him. I don't know if he simply doesn't want to talk about it or if he's sworn to secrecy.
We'd had a long, uncomfortable talk during one of my days off while recovering from getting dogged. Victor stopped by with coffee and a box of donut holes. He drank the coffee, but left the donut holes untouched. We sat in my small kitchen, him staring intently into his black coffee, me quietly adding more sugar to my mocha.
I broke the silence. “What did you want me to see the other day?”
“I couldn't outright tell anyone that I was dead. Not without the mechanic finding out.” He continued after some hesitation. “It feels selfish saying it now, but… I just wanted someone to know what happened to me.”
Victor pulled the bandana aside with a finger, revealing that a jagged, red grin had been carved across his throat. I shuddered, being forcefully reminded once again how thin skin truly is.
He quickly pulled it back into place.
That prompted me to ask, “Is the mechanic the one that…?” I pointed to my neck.
Victor shook his head. I asked him who did.
His expression darkened, “Someone I used to use with. He didn't believe me when I told him that I was still clean and couldn't help him get his next hit. Everything happened so fast after that. Before I knew it, I woke up in his trunk. My chest felt empty. It's strange, you know? You don't notice your own heartbeat until it's not there anymore.”
I shook my head slowly, a knot in my stomach as I whispered, “Jesus, Vic. Where is he now?”
“He can't hurt anyone else. We'll leave it at that.” Victor muttered.
I took in a shaky breath. I couldn't believe that he'd been keeping all of this in. It was a lot to take in at once, so I could only imagine how much worse it was to be the one experiencing it.
Like I said, I don't blame him for what happened. He must've felt so alone.
After I regained my composure, I asked, “So… what does the mechanic have to do with this?”
Victor hesitated again, eventually saying, “He couldn't touch me while I was alive, so he made sure that death couldn’t get to me before he could. That's why I was trying to keep my condition quiet; I was hoping that I could outlast him long enough for the Reaper to catch up. Unfortunately, the fucker is good at what he does and knew that I’d drag someone else into my bullshit eventually.”
I shook my head, “I dragged myself into it. I could've just minded my own business, but I didn't. I chose to go out there, even though I didn't know what I was dealing with. And I chose to say the wrong thing to the mechanic to set him off.”
“You wouldn't have been in that position if I hadn't said anything.”
“So what happens now? You're just… forced to do these calls?”
Victor sighed, “It's either that, or I join the ones in the trees.”
The skulls. Grimly, I wondered if those trapped souls were still aware. If they knew what had happened to them.
I slumped down in my seat. “Is there anything we can do?”
“As of right now, no. We just go to work, keep our heads down, do what we have to do. And from now on, I'll deal with the mechanic, even if it's for something as trivial as changing a tire. He's my problem, no one else's.”
So that's where we're at. Victor's technically not alive or dead, but a secret third, worse thing.
Speaking of worse things, we got an emergency call in the middle of the night.
After we close for the day, Victor routes calls to his phone in case there is something that can't wait until the next day. Thankfully, this is an extremely rare occurrence; up until this incident, it's only happened twice since I've been with Orion. I joined Victor for one of those two emergency calls. Even though it's been two years since that night, I still hear the crunching of bones in my dreams.
Something yinz need to know about the farmers around here is that they know how to take care of themselves. They have more encounters with the atypical than anyone else and for the most part, they know how to live amongst things like the Neighbors in relative peace. They know about leaving cream out to appease them. They know about what measures to take to defend themselves and their animals. They're a tough bunch and they usually prefer to take care of things themselves. It's highly unusual for them to reach out to us.
So when Victor told me over the phone that the emergency call was at one of the farms, I knew it was going to be bad.
When he first described what the farmers were contending with, my stomach dropped. The client's brother was found on the porch with his chest entirely deflated, deliberately placed into a chair that was moved in front of the door where the family could see him.
The farmers were holed up in their home. The woman of the house was pregnant, due within the next few days, which made moving her extremely difficult. They could hear whatever killed the brother giggling and tapping on the windows, mocking them. Victor was already on his way there.
I arrived with my toolbelt along with a shotgun and shells filled with rock salt. This may sound ridiculous, but I also donned a collar that I'd made last summer by hammering long ass carpenter nails into the leather, then coating their pointed tips with silver. I looked a bit like a goth club reject, but when dealing with things that like to go for the throat, you gotta put your pride aside.
Victor's truck was in the driveway, but he was nowhere in sight. Shotgun at the ready, I glanced around as I approached the house. The body was still on the porch, untouched after the poor man had been posed there. It looked far worse than what Victor had described. His chest had caved in, like everything inside of him had been sucked clean out. His face was frozen in surprise rather than horror or pain. He'd been caught off guard and was dead long before he could react.
Wings. I turned, pulling the trigger just in time as the pest tormenting this family dove at me. It tumbled to the ground with an enraged shriek.
It appeared to be a woman. Well… half of one. Her legs were gone, brown entrails dangling sickeningly from her gray torso. Her leathery, hooked wings trembled as she used her bony arms to raise herself up to snarl at me, curling her lips to reveal doglike fangs. I shot at her again. She jolted as the shell took a chunk out of her skull.
That wouldn't kill her. Both her and I knew it. She skittered like a cockroach, an elongated tongue shooting out of her mouth, quick as a whip. I flinched, turning my head so she couldn't reach my face, grateful for the collar as I felt the proboscis slam into its spikes. The impact knocked me off balance, causing me to stumble. I leaned into it, hitting the ground and out of reach of the next swipe of her tongue.
I took aim again, knocking her back a few feet. A dark shape suddenly appeared from the barn, a glint of metal shining in the figure’s hand. Victor.
“I can't find the lower half.” He hissed when I was in earshot.
That meant we were going to have to keep her from rejoining the lower half of her body until sunrise. It was three in the morning.
Because nothing can ever be easy.
Victor had found chains and a padlock in the barn. They should be heavy enough to restrain her. We’d just have to get close. Without her sucking our insides out, preferably.
She was back in the air. I took another shot. I'd have to reload soon. I hoped that I'd have enough shells to last the next two hours. At the rate I was going, I'd burn through them in the next ten minutes.
Unfortunately, I missed as she soared towards the house. I used my last shot and thankfully knocked her out of the air. As I hurriedly reloaded, Victor rushed towards the fallen creature, kneeling on her chest to keep her from taking off again as he fought to get the chain around her.
I heard him make a terrible choking sound, followed by her retching. She'd gotten her proboscis down his throat, but had withdrawn it even quicker than she had gotten it down. I guess undead viscera doesn't taste very good.
As she gagged, Victor pressed his forearm against her throat, pinning her so that she couldn't sink her fangs into him. I raced over, setting the shotgun on the ground next to me so that I could help him restrain her. While he held her, I coiled the chain around her squirming torso.
She began to laugh. When she spoke, it sounded like an old woman and a young girl speaking in unison, “Do you think a chain will be enough to stop me?”
I kept going. She wiggled one wing out from beneath her, jabbing the hook into the hollow of my shoulder. I gasped as it pressed deeper into my skin. Victor roughly pushed her wing back down, the violent withdrawal of the hook making me see stars. Through all of that, I still kept going.
We turned her onto her side so that Victor could pin her wings against her back. She screeched the entire time, the proboscis shooting back to slap him in the cheek.
We almost had her. Then we heard a wail from inside the house. What now?!
The pest abruptly paused in her struggles to leer at us, then she sang, “The baby's coming!”
You've got to be kidding me.
Her fighting resumed with far more force than before. That man that she'd killed had merely been an appetizer for her. The baby was her true prize. Her eyes were wild with excitement, saliva dripping off of her fangs as she watched the front door open.
Shitshitshit!
“Go back inside!” Victor shouted as we both used all that we had to try to keep the pest in place.
The farmer yelled back, distress making his voice higher, “Something's wrong! I have to get her to the hospital!”
I risked a glance. The woman was white as a sheet, holding onto her husband for dear life as he half led half dragged her to his truck. Blood stained the inside of the woman's legs.
At the sight of it, Victor froze. I didn't like the way he looked at the woman then. Oh no. The creature went into a complete frenzy. She managed to get her fangs into Victor's arm, wrenching a cry of agony from him as she ripped a sizable chunk of flesh out. His hold on her loosened just enough that she could wriggle a wing out.
I screamed as I felt her beginning to slip away, frantically reaching for the nearest part of her, which was unfortunately her dangling intestines. It was like trying to hold onto oversized wet noodles, my hands slipping in her chunky blood as I struggled to slow her down.
They just needed to reach the truck. We just had to keep her here just long enough for them to get a head start.
I just hoped that I wouldn't end up having to protect them from my boss, too.
She roared as she turned and slashed me across the brow with one of her clawed fingers. My vision went dark in my right eye. Numbly, I wondered if she ripped my eye out, or if it was just from the pain. By some miracle, I didn't let go.
Fortunately, the bite seemed to snap Victor out of whatever had happened to him when he saw the woman’s blood. At least for the moment. He scrambled across the ground, seizing my shotgun. His first shot missed. The second one hit her left wing. The farmer had the truck's passenger side door open as he helped his wife inside. The pest reached a talon towards them, trying to drag herself closer. Victor was back on his feet and marched over to shoot her in the head. Once. Twice.
The truck's engine roared to life. With it, the pest screeched in rage, the sound warped by the damage done to her mouth after Victor had unloaded on her. She flailed as she watched her prize speed down the road.
But it wasn't over. The gunshot wound in her wing was already closing up. It wouldn't take her long to catch up to them if we lost her.
My cheek was wet. Turns out, I didn't lose an eye. I just had blood in it. Thank God. I crawled over her, trying the chains again as Victor went back to holding her wings against her body.
She called him every foul name in the book, words slurring from her destroyed jaw. One of them touched a nerve: “Bitch of the Wild Hunt.” He wordlessly snatched the salt from my belt and poured it over her face, holding her jaw to shove the container into her mouth. She gurgled and started to convulse as the salt was forced down her throat. That shut her up.
With the chain pinning her arms and wings against her body, Victor dug the padlock out of his pocket, using it to secure the links.
“I’m going to try to get her to the barn.” He yelled over the sound of her agitated howls.
I retrieved the shotgun and followed him as he carried the squirming, shrieking pest towards the barn. I pressed the palm of my hand to the cut on my brow. A flutter of unease went through my gut as it occurred to me that I could be in danger from Victor as well.
It didn't help that the pest had noticed it, too. She was goading him, “That girl smells sweet, doesn't she?”
“You want more salt in your mouth?” He threatened flatly. “We got plenty and we have some time until sunrise.”
She cackled, “You can't tell me that your mouth isn't watering thinking of her soft flesh between your teeth. Her blood warming your tongue. You long to feel warm again, don't you, dead man?”
The borderline pornographic way that she spoke about devouring me made me intensely uncomfortable.
“Keep it up and I'll pack the salt up your nose, too.” Victor retorted.
Once we got to the barn, we found an empty stall, which he tossed her into. I didn't follow him into the stall. My gut was telling me that something was off.
He drew a circle of salt around her. As long as it wasn't broken, it would trap her until sunrise.
I didn't think the boss would ever intentionally hurt me. But the way he looked at that woman…
What if he couldn't control himself?
Victor shut the stall door behind him, leaving the pest to wail and swear at us from her prison.
His eyes went to my forehead, “That looks like it hurts.”
I swallowed back the lump in my throat. There it was again. That look.
“Stay back, Vic.” I said calmly, my unease growing.
He took a deep breath, his eyes closing. I took a small step away from him, towards the exit to the barn.
I kept my voice even, “Vic, be honest with me. Is it safe to be around you right now?”
Victor stayed where he was, still not looking at me. He eventually answered, “Probably not.”
I took another step towards the door. “I'm going to leave.”
He nodded, eyes still shut, “I think that would be best. I'll make sure that she stays in the stall.”
As I backed towards the door, afraid to turn my back on him, I said, “I'll uh… see you at work tomorrow.”
“Yeah. See ya.”
I didn't dare turn my back on him until I'd left the barn. He didn't move a muscle the entire time. As I made my way back to my G6, I kept looking over my shoulder. Victor didn't follow me. I made it back to my car without incident.
I thought back to when I'd found him in the butcher shed. Looking back, I'm pretty sure that he'd been eating it.
Once I was in my apartment, I quickly drew lines of salt in front of all my doors and windows. It made me feel somewhat safer. I inspected the injuries on my forehead and shoulder. After cleaning them both up, I determined that I should probably see a doctor in the morning. In the meantime, I covered them both with gauze.
I painfully settled down onto my bed, my entire body aching. Even though I felt like a dish towel that had been wrung out over and over again, I knew that I wasn't going to be getting much sleep. My mind was racing too much.
Against my better judgment, I ended up texting Victor, ‘Are you a draugr?’
His response was, ‘i think so’
Draugr are known for their grotesque appetites. The joke Reyna and I had been making about him being a ‘high-functioning zombie’ wasn't all that far off, after all.
I reminded myself that Victor wasn't a complete monster. He'd at least had enough control over himself not to hurt me or either of the farmers. But the temptation had clearly been there. That begged the question of what his limits were.
Was it safe to work with him? Injuries aren't exactly uncommon at Orion. Maybe that's why he's been sending Reyna and I together for two person jobs rather than going on calls with us.
I received another message from him, ‘if you want to quit I understand’
I didn't, though. As stressful as working here can be, I do enjoy my job, weirdly enough. I've been treated better here than by any other employer and I like having only two other coworkers to worry about, especially since I get along well with both of them. But the biggest reason why quitting hasn't occurred to me is that I wouldn't be able to just walk away from all that I'd learned about the atypical cases. There was no way I could live a normal life after working at Orion.
I also wanted to keep an eye on Victor. Between whatever the mechanic was forcing him to do and his transformation, there was a lot that I was concerned about. As much as I didn't want to think about having to trap or kill Victor, if it came down to it... I'd do what needed to be done.
I sent back, ‘hazard pay? 👀’
His reply was, ‘😒’
A moment later, I received, ‘we'll discuss it when I don't have a manananggal mf'ing me’
Yinz see why I kept calling her a ‘pest’ rather than trying to type that long name out each time? I guarantee I would have misspelled it several different ways.
When the sun rose, I received another message from Victor, ‘it's over. thanks for your help’
We found out later in the afternoon that the hospital had been able to save the farmers’ baby. She was going to have to stay longer in the hospital, but otherwise, she and their newborn daughter were alright.
What was alarming was that the dead man's body had been desecrated at some point after I left. It was believed that the pest had been the one to take chunks out of his neck, shoulder, and chest. I wasn't going to be the one to tell the family the truth. They'd been through enough already without the news that the one they'd relied on for protection had gotten hungry.
I wondered if being exposed to so much blood had been the trigger. I suppose I should just be glad that Victor had eaten a man who was already dead instead of me or another living person.
Like I said, I'm going to have to keep an eye on him. In the meantime… maybe don't demand to speak to the manager.

i want to kill somebody so bad i really really want to slaughter someone
I want to light them on fire or cut and slice and stab them. I want everybody to leave me alone so i can be in the dark making myself bleed. I want blood so bad but im sick of it being my own. My own blood isnt satisfying anymore, i need to be able to smash somebodies face into their skull with my fist or a hammer. I wouldn't take pleasure in hurting anybody who i didnt think deserved it though. Like a bunny, or a hamster, or my girlfriend, or my family. If i had seen somebody at a store and they seemed kind, i would be devastated if i hurt them even if they were a stranger. However, thinking of hurting or killing somebody who displayed even for a small amount of time that they're not fit for my standards of human then i'd find it so relieving. ++++++++++++++++++++--------------------------__________ ---------________-------_________--------+++++ i want to attack somebody when they dont expect it, like a pedophile that was just sitting down in a chair looking at his phone or something. I'd love to walk up behind him and start stabbing him in the back of his neck or spray pepper spray in his eyes. Poking his eyes slowly with nails]]]sawing away at his throat with a knife or box cutter}}}grabbing and ripping and scratching and tearing any part of his flesh that i possibly could{{{{{light him on fire just to put out the fire once his burns are severe, then I'd keep throwing liquids and drinks and rocks and shit at him while he's on the floor all burned up\\\\tie him down and start cutting his legs with razor blades over and over and over, then pouring bleach all over them and into the cuts so i could hear his screams and see the horrified look on his face

Hi All,
I'm a few weeks away from being able to meet with my rheumatologist, and I've been doing some research on the side to better educate myself on my situation. I've NOT been diagnosed with RA, but my PCP is highly suspicious that I may have inflammatory arthritis based on family history and symptoms, although there seems to be inconsistencies in my symptoms (based on what I was told is common in RA patients). My mom has RA and a cousin as well. After discussing my symptoms, my PCP sent me for bloodwork, x-ray and muskuloskeletal ultrasound, and simultaneously sent a requisition for me to meet with a rheumatologist.
I am 35M with bi-symmetrical pain in both hands and feet (for the last 4-5 weeks) which I understand is a hallmark symptom of RA. However, I have no swelling, no morning stiffness and no redness in my joints. Only mild throbbing pain in MCP, proximal joints and wrists that's been gradually getting worse, and it's a little painful when I brush my teeth or use a knife with a cutting board. Negative RF, CCP, ANA. Low C-reactive. Low sed rate, normal CBC, normal urine tests (for gout). I also got x-rays done as suggested by my PCP which show no erosion.
Anyways, my question relates specifically to the ultrasound... I just got the test results today and it indicates that there is no evidence of synovitis, no effusion, no erosion and normal joint spacing. This surprises me as I somehow expected there to be something on the imaging that would justify the pain that I've been experiencing off and on. It's a little confusing to me.
In any case, my questions are:

• How accurate is a US for early RA diagnosis?
• Did anyone else on here get "unremarkable" US imaging while they had early RA symptoms?

I'm partially concerned that the Rheum will not take me seriously if MSUS results are clean.

Hello all,
I posted in this group a while back about a horrible reaction I had to a compazine IV a few months ago. Unfortunately, I'm still in recovery, although things did get much better than they originally were with some ups and downs along the way. The last few months have truly been hell on earth and I'm so sorry for everyone else suffering on this sub because I truly know how hard it is with little to no support from any professionals.
I'm here because I have had some odd digestive issues over the past week where I'm having trouble swallowing food. Needless to say, I've had to go back into the ER due to chest pain, food getting stuck in my throat, etc. Last night was awful and I fully thought I was dying of a heart attack. I woke up with nausea and then completely went into cold sweat, dizziness, lightheadedness, chest pounding, etc. I called 911 who brought me to the ER. When I went in they gave me 6mg of a steroid orally (dexamethasone) which I now know is decadron (ugh). I tried to quickly google every possibility that could happen and any akathisia stories before I took it while the nurse was standing there, but I was also so exhausted and in pain that I just submitted to it. Once I took it I did some more googling about negative reactions and became pretty scared at some of the reactions people had. I immediately panicked after reading, but didn't physically feel anything from it besides some relief for the inflammation in my throat. I voiced this to the nurse who said that most drastic side effects happen within the first hour or so. She also said since it wasn't an IV and just one dose, it would be unlikely to cause any real major effects. When I got the compazine IV, it was <10 minute reaction so that was reassuring until the doctor said I should still be feeling relief from it for the next 72 hours or so. I asked him if that means I could possibly get delayed side effects, he did the typical shrug off and "well I guess you could..". Not exactly helpful.
The med was given about 14-15 hours ago and I didn't notice anything beyond my usual state and the problems I was already having physically, but over the last hour or so I've gotten that odd feeling in my head similar to how Compazine gave me. Not nearly as bad, no restlessness or feeling like I can't even see stand or see straight, but feeling a bit foggy/out of it. I recognize this could be a number of things as well like my already existing panic, PMS/PMDD symptoms, and not being as on top of my SSRI regimen because of my trouble swallowing pills, which is not helping, but I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance or experiences on this sub before I truly panic. I don't think I can mentally survive going through the worst of it again or having to start over. I don't.
Please share anything you guys know, thank you all.

I am a 42-year-old woman who had always been relatively healthy. That is, until about six months ago. Since then, I have been diagnosed with bronchitis, pink eye, h pylori, and most recently gallstones. I have not had an appetite since before Thanksgiving. When expressing my concerns of something more serious to my PCP, I was written off as having health anxiety. I just cannot understand how this can be all that is going on when I have (or had) the following symptoms:

• Appetite loss
• Short, sharp pains in the abdominal area
• Tightening of the chest
• Lump in my throat
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea and off-colored stool
• Cramping pains in lower back and near tailbone
• Sleeplessness
• Bloated, hard stomach

I admit that I do have considerable anxiety about my health, having lost my mother to a short but intense battle with ovarian cancer. I've also Googled way more than I should, I'm sure. I want to make sure I am doing my due diligence, so I do not get blindsided with a terrible diagnosis. And I do not think it is unreasonable to want some kind of reassurance that there isn't something much more serious going on. Can all of symptoms really be attributed to what they have said? How long am I going to have no appetite and feel so wrong?

I’m a 38/f. No health issues.
Age 28- had odd shooting pain on occasion from my tongue down my throat. Dentist mentioned glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Through the years, I’d have random occurrences.. maybe 10 total, nothing crazy. (Not sure if related)
About three years ago, I started having strange headaches above my ear. It would come and go in phases. Last year, it started and got worse. So bad, I didn’t want to leave my house. At that point, it was shooting through my face and I was just in a constant state of pain. Never thought it was a tooth… but that’s what it was. An abscess above a tooth was causing the pain. I’m terrified of dentists so I took clindamycin for 30 days while waiting for sedation (October). Tooth came out and a few days later, the severe symptoms were gone. Well, mostly. To this day, if there is cold wind, it can still hit that nerve and I’ll be in pain the rest of the day.
December, I got food stuck in my throat. January, my primary diagnosed me with Esophageal thrush and put me on a high dose of diflucan for 21 days. My symptoms went away… but then they came back.
April- I had an upper endoscopy (they stretched me), apparently everything looked normal otherwise other than some evidence of GERD.
Two weeks ago, it was like nothing ever happened. Everything felt normal. And suddenly, food starting sticking in my throat again. But somehow not as bad. Which is so hard to explain…
Could any of this have to do with TN? I see my primary next week for my annual check up so I’m going to let her know my problem is still here. But if I could just connect it to something that makes sense…

Since January I've experienced all kinds of sinus and throat issues after getting a virus in December and taking antibiotics. I've had a tight, swollen feeling throat, incredibly dry mouth, tingling and burning tongue, intense pressure above my teeth when in hot weather, post nasal drip, dry nasal passages, random stuffiness in my nose that comes and goes, dry nose, and stiff neck. The symptoms have changed and evolved over the last couple months. The tongue tingling confused all my doctors which led to me getting an endoscopy that came back fine. I was told I had chronic sinusitis two weeks into being sick, which confused me how he knew it was chronic so early. Over the last couple months I've tried Allegra which made me worse because of the dryness, Neil Med which my nose was too swollen to get it to go through the other side, and Budesonide steroid spray which gave me heart palpitations. I had a lump in my throat feeling in January so my gastro doctor told me I'm probably having silent reflux again and put my on omeprazole. Within two days I've developed an even worse dry mouth and now my tongue tingling is back because I'm realizing that it's the dryness that's causing the tingling. At this point every medicine has made me feel worse and now I'm scared of both trying new medicines and eating food because I'm confused if I actually have acid reflux or not. I feel so lost and I feel like I can't try any medicine to treat whichever I have because I think dry nasal passages are actually causing all my symptoms and all the medicines also cause dryness.

I recently posted about an unknown illness I've been facing for years that's been causing a chronic cough and has begun to cause almost daily shortness of breath along with chest burning around the time I eat or lie down. I strongly believe the cause behind my symptoms is GERD. I had been going to respiratory doctors this entire time, but when I noticed a swollen lymph node I decided to go to an Ears Nose Throat doctor and they told me all of my symptoms are likely due to acid coming up since I'm not showing any signs of throat cancer.
They prescribed me an antacid, and a pill for gas which I'm not 100% sure if they're working (I've been feeling slightly better aside from right now as I have the worst stomach pain ever after having a bad meal).
They offered to stick a fiber optic cable down my throat to check my insides with a camera (I'm in Bangkok I'm not sure if this is normal everywhere else lol), which I chickened out because I thought it would be extremely uncomfortable, and I have a horrible gag reflex.
What should my next steps be? Should I go back and get a PPI? I believe this is the common treatment for GERD. Should I try to face my fears and get the fiber optic cable down my throat? Should I try to get an endoscopy, or is there some other test I should be focusing on to make sure I'm not at the Barrett's Esophagus level since I've been experiencing these issues for years now?
Any help and words of guidance would mean the world to me in this horrible time in my life lol

Hi, i am writing this during a brutal flare up, so if i miss a thimg maybe is because of brain fog,
All started on June when i got infected, i didnt know of long term effects of covid so i push trought, i did very very bad mistakes during my infection, i didnt eat well, even some day i was starving becuase i did a long travel on a car at my work, have a panick atack because some random situation, i think this things contribute to be severe.
After infection i feel great during a week but i keep doing mistakes, i went for a long run , drinking energy drinks , even some day i did fasting, i put my ns to the limit.
One week after end of infection i wake up dizzy for 10 minutes, i went to work and all start with muscle twitches
1-3 month: muscle twitches, legs feel heavy and weak, anciety and terror( i develop a insane fear of ALS), after three weeks i start having brutal dizziness episodes that will last for hours, allodynia, tinnitus, every symptoms of BFS, dpdr
I didnt know what was happening , i think my biggest mistake at this early phase was keeping push thorught, i was believing it was stress and anxiety so i still went to the gym, also i was with insane fear of ALS, everyday i wake up i was doing experimenta with my hands, and trying to walk to probe
3-9 months(the severe phase): i develop brutal dpdr that last 24/7 , also i develop something symylar to akathisia, inability to relax , mind racing 24/7 , inability to sit still, ortostatic intolerance to the point of cant stand still for more than three seconds, heavy body feeling and body feels like concrete, also allodynla in top of that , every surface that my body touch was feeling like concrete and tense, brutla sound sensitivity, depression, hiperacusis, ibs, sore throat sometimes, brutal agoraphoby and fear, Visual snow and problem focusing, tinnitus, episodes of losing control of body
Honestly the only thing that helps on this phase was klonopin to have some relief from some day, i tried an ssri but give me pshycosis, also since this shit beggins i am dairy free gluten free, low sugar, and trying low histamine.
9 months- now : i am not well still, but i am having hours of feeling normal( like 90% normal) mostly times help, i can watch TV again sometimes, but i am still dealing with some hard symptoms, especially flare ups, episodes when i feel wired and cant exist, some tension inside my neck, sometimes moving eyes feel dificult, still some brain fog and depression, and episodes of losing control on limbs and hands, ocd , tension in my brain or jaw, any recomendation for this symptoms? My flare ups are mostly at night or morning