ok y'all so it's almost 1 in the morning and i can't sleep so i figured i might as well make use of my time. these tips are from what have personally worked well for me as a person who's been dealing with ibs and gerd since basically birth. of course these might not work for everyone, this is just what has helped me the most :)
first, make sure you've taken your meds!
sip on some cold water. preferably with ice.
get some cool air. whether that's through a window or just a fan.
drip some cold water onto the veins of your wrist. i know this sounds kinda weird, but my dad said it's a trick he learned in the military to help nausea. it's worked pretty well for me, personally. though the effect is temporary.
sip on some cola or another fizzy pop. carbonation helps you burp, and you honestly might just have some trapped gas. you'd be shocked how just one good, trapped burp makes you feel like you need to projectile vomit. drink in small, frequent amounts, not large gulps(for the love of god don't take large gulps. please). this is honestly one of the best tricks for nausea for me, it helps within minutes or sometimes a bit longer.
sniff some rubbing alcohol. again, kinda weird, but it works pretty well for some reason.
drink some pepto bismol. a life saver honestly.
take some tums. i highly recommend the peppermint flavored ones. tums are usually for acid reflux/gerd, but the peppermint really helps the nausea part for me. that's why i usually get these bc i'm killing two birds w/ one stone lol
sleep at a high elevation. this helps stomach contents from coming back up. there's been many times where i've had to sleep at a 90ยฐ angle. get out your pillows and stuffed animals to make one giant mountain if you have to (that's what i do at least).
sleep on your left side. if you really want to sleep on your side, sleeping on the left keeps the stomach contents down the best.
distract yourself. either watching your favorite show, playing a game, or, hell, even working. this might be a bit tricky if the nausea is overwhelming, though.
avoid strong smells. rubbing alcohol is the exception here, but strong smelling things (esp food) has always made my nausea much worse.
avoid spicy/punch-to-the-face type food. eat simple foods like toast, saltine crackers, or applesauce. my personal favorite is dried seaweed (salted)!
sit upright; try not to slouch. sitting upright helps you digest food properly and gets rid of any trapped gas as well.
don't move around a ton. of course, some simple stretching is beneficial, but i'm just suggesting you don't go run for a few miles when you're feeling like shit <3
Do people know about Vocational Rehab? If you're USAmerican they have this in every state.
It's a program that helps disabled folks access education, training, and employment. For FREE.
You only have to be disabled to qualify (autism, ADHD, mental illness, physical illness, etc) and they cover very broad categories of disability. You do NOT have to be officially diagnosed yet when you walk in - they will even help pay for your diagnosis if you are struggling w disability.
I applied with my suspected autism and fibromyalgia, and they paid for 100% of my formal autism assessment.
Once your disability is established they will give you career counseling to learn about your interests and skills, and depending on the plan you create with your caseworker they will then help with school or finding employment. They paid for 100% of my college tuition and books, and even provided a laptop for me to use.
You do not have to pay anything for this program. If you make above a certain income, you will have to contribute to educational costs but will still receive assistance.
They will also help with the cost of things like mental health counseling while you work towards your goals, clothing for interviews, etc.
They cannot discriminate based on your race, gender, or sexual orientation.
They won't make you do excessive meetings.
They will allow you to do meetings with your caseworker remotely.
They will not drug test you.
They want you to succeed.
I'm sure that individual experiences vary but my caseworker was exceptionally easy to work with and very kind.
Vocational Rehab is a phenomenal resource every disabled person should be aware of. Here is the list of offices in every state:
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๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ : lexi / 24 / gad & ibs
๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฌ : chronic illness / disability / invisible disability / gut health / mental illness / advocacy
Another free Notion template! This one is a digital medical binder to keep all your medical information in one place, to make the medical system easier to deal with. A minimalist and mobile friendly version coming soon!
I love a good medical drama. My mother, a nurse, raised me on ER and General Hospital, always pointing out all the plot lines that โwould never happen in real lifeโ but were really cool to watch on TV. My mother credits ER with pushing her toward her decades-long career in the operating room. So when I, a poor lost college sophomore who had gone to school to play French horn (French horn!) and found it wasnโt what I thought it would be, I did what I knew best to do and turned to TV. And on TV, I found House.
House had it all: a painkiller-addicted doctor with a smart mouth and a slap-worthy face, medical mysteries solved via CSI-style case-of-the-week format, and a beleaguered crew of sidekick physicians whose instincts were never quite as good as Houseโs. I would spend each episode studying the setup and trying to unravel what the medical culprit could be before the ultimate reveal. Instead of realizing that what I might want to be was a writer with a good plot, I missed the mark and decided I wanted to be a doctor.
Want to feel like youโre watching House, M.D. this Tuesday morning? Dig into Lisa Bubertโs new reading list on medical mysteries!
Some people donโt want to hear this but sometimes accessibility is not sustainable or eco-friendly. Disabled people sometimes need straws, or pre-made meals in plastic containers, or single-use items. Just because you can work with your foods in their least processed and packaged form doesnโt mean everyone else can.