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Latest Posts by ibs-qveen - Page 2
Ah yes, my favorite chronic illness game: is this normal, is this new, or am I dying?
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 “would never happen in real life” 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 wasn’t 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 House’s. 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 you’re watching House, M.D. this Tuesday morning? Dig into Lisa Bubert’s new reading list on medical mysteries!
how to get rid of nausea (or at least reduce it)
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 90° 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
When a chronically ill or disabled person gets their lab tests back as “normal” or all clear, we aren’t sad because we WANT to be sick.
We’re sad because we *know* there’s something wrong with us, yet the scans still stay clear.
Before you kill the monster you gotta know its name.
hey guys psa regarding hospital bills
don’t just pay it. do not automatically pay the hospital bill when you receive it. call your health insurance provider and POLITELY say, “excuse me, i just received a bill for $1200 for my hospital visit/ER visit/etc., is that the correct amount i’m supposed to pay?” because hospitals bill you before your health insurance and they will take your money no matter how the amount due may change based on your health insurance looking at it. 90% of the time, if your health insurance is in any way involved in the payment of that bill, you do not have to pay as much as the hospital is billing you for. call your health insurance provider first, and POLITELY request clarification, always remember that the person you are talking to is human and this is just their job, and then you will very likely find out you actually only owe $500.
don’t shout at anyone about it, don’t get mad, just understand that this is The Way Things Are right now and call your health insurance provider before paying the bill your hospital just sent you. there’s a chance the hospital bill might be correct, true, but call your health insurance provider.
i know hearing people on this website love to pass around those posts with links to free sign language lessons but you know you need to actually put effort into learning about Deaf culture, too, right?
May is a HUGE spoonie awareness month! 💙🥄
#als #lymedisease #lupus #asthma #mentalhealth #cysticfibrosis #arthritis #celiac #huntingtonsdisease #ehlerdanlossyndrome #multiplesclerosis #fibromyalgia #bechets #bpd #stroke #braintumor #mecfs
This site comes recommended by a friend of the blog, and oh boy does it look useful! Since it’s meant for use by doctors as well, the information it will give you doesn’t go through the kinds of “for the patient” filters you’d see on sites like WebMD.
The interface is clean and simple, and once you’ve gotten a list of conditions and selected one to investigate, it opens an on-the-page window for you with the Merck Manual’s entry. There’s in-depth data, a quick-view of the highlights of the condition, and there are even links out to other providers like Mayo Clinic, Medline, WebMD, Google, and more.
What’s particularly nice is that when you’re done looking at one condition, you can click “back to results” to get straight back to the list.
This one seems to do a good job of pulling up the common but quote-unquote rare diseases in the list, which certainly makes it feel a little more trustworthy.
Nonbinary folks, do note that it requires you to enter a binary gender.
[Text ID: "Just in case you needed to hear it, you deserve to be treated by a medical professional who listens to you, believes you, who never makes you question yourself, and who dies everything they can to help you."
By: chronicloveclub
End ID]
If they claim they can cure your condition that you have been told is incurable, run. If they claim they cured themselves, run. If they claim they have cured everything from cancer to lupus holistically, run. If they claim you have to buy only supplements from them, run. If they claim they that only thing that will cure is x but x costs tons of money, run. If they refuse to run tests or address your diagnosed conditions before insisting you do an expensive treatment not covered by insurence, run. If they offer a one size fits all treatment/cure, run.
I have been scammed by "holistic" and "naturalistic" people before as a chronically ill person. In fact it was an actual doctor who went to medical school who scammed me for years. So watch out. If it seems too good to be true it probably is.
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:
April is IBS Awareness Month. If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you are not alone – IBS is common with prevalence estimated at 10% to 15%. Yet many people remain undiagnosed and unaware that their symptoms indicate a medically recognized disorder.
[text:
"Just because a doctor hasn't found something, doesn't mean that something isn't there.
Read that again."]
Having conditions affecting the digestive and excretory systems is just so isolating.
Because even in semi-disability-aware spaces, talking about symptoms relating to the GI and excretory systems is still treated as TMI, as gross.
Even friends and family members are grossed out just seeing us put laxative in our water, or run to the bathroom all the time, or sit weirdly because of an immensely painful gas bubble.
And we internalize this shame so much that when we actually have to describe our symptoms in a medical setting, we hold back, and use euphemisms, because we're so used to having to do so.
It's so so isolating.
Introduction
Hello! If you've found your way to this blog, congratulations! Or condolences, if the circumstances that brought you here suck. Either way, welcome!
I am someone who works in the health insurance field (and will be remaining anonymous due to my obligations to my employer), so I've got some insider tricks. Not only that, I have multiple chronic conditions which means I've dealt with insurance from both ends.
The purpose of this blog is to help people (Americans, mostly) understand health insurance, how it works, and how to make it work for you.
All this to say, I see a lot of bullshit in my day to day life. I watch people pay more than they should or not receive the care they need because of a lack of understanding and knowledge.
I want to change that, one person at a time.
Below the cut are important posts and resources for basic information. Always feel free to write an ask if you don't see your question answered or want more detail.
**Disclaimer: No information on this blog is legal or medical advice. This is meant to be a resource for common questions or problems people run into. All information on this blog is generalized, and may not apply to your health insurance policy. This is based solely on my experience and is not binding information. The information here does not reflect the opinions or policies reflected by my employer. Always consult a medical professional for health questions, your insurance policy for benefit/claims questions, or a lawyer for legal advice.**
Basic Terminology
Types of Insurance Plans
Calling Your Insurance
So you want to make a doctor appointment...
Preventative vs Routine Services
Investigate Your Providers
Medical Malpractice/Lawsuits
What the &$#* is a claim?
My claim got denied...now what?
How to Pay Your Bill
Collections Agencies and Credit Scores
Medical Binder
HIPAA Part One
Resources:
United States Preventative Services Task Force
Healthcare.gov Preventative Services
Medical Binder
You need a three ring binder. And sheet protectors. And tabs. “Why?”
‘Cause you need a medical binder.
What is a medical binder? A place that you store your medical information paperwork. All of it.
Why should I have this? Documentation. Insurance and medical care are all about documentation. If it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen and doesn’t exist. Why can’t you do it electronically? Because the internet can be compromised. No one can hack a piece of paper from a thousand miles away. Having a copy of your medical records means you have easy access to talk to a new doctor and get them up to speed.
For my fellow chronic illness people, this is what keeps you from going batsh*t insane if you see a new doctor or need to go to the hospital.
What should go in it?
Medical Records: This is a copy of whatever records you have from whatever appointments/visits you go to. Have a check-up? Get a printed copy. Have lab work run? Get a printed copy of records. ER visit? Printed copy. Surgery? Printed copy. Vaccine? Printed copy. I recommend having documentation going back at least five years. Include lists of any medications you’ve taken, along with start/stop dates. This is ideally a catch-all of everything you would want to tell a brand new doctor so they can immediately pick up where your last doctor left off. If you have chronic illnesses, this is where you want to include a history of it. Diagnosis, medications and treatments that have worked and not worked, and all symptoms/progressions you’ve noticed.
Medical Bills: Did you pay a bill? Print a copy of the receipt? Did you get a bill? Save it and then add the receipt after you pay it. Collections notice? Financial Hardship paperwork? Payment plan agreements? Print and add here.
Insurance Paperwork A copy of your ID card, a copy of your summary plan document, and any copies of your claims. Print it and save it.
Misc. Anything else related to your healthcare/bills that you could need. If you think in five years there is the remote possibility you could need this specific piece of paper, print it and save it.
These documents are important to have. If you're in an accident and you have everything on hand (or can have someone bring you everything), you're already ten steps ahead. Otherwise, your new doctor has to have you sign a HIPAA form for every single doctor you've ever seen so they can send your records to be reviewed blah blah blah. The main point is that process is time consuming and frustrating. Save everyone (and yourself) the headache.
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!
𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒
𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐃
𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞 : lexi / 24 / gad & ibs
𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 : chronic illness / disability / invisible disability / gut health / mental illness / advocacy