Infections more condition symptoms

F28, been struggling with constant infections and spleen Pain since June 2023. I don't have insurance so I've tried to convince myself this is normal and to tough it through but after a current sore throat for a month, continued chest tightness and spleen Pain. I just want to make sure mono can cause all this and i should just keep waiting it out or take it more serious.
All started a year to two years ago. Slight chest tightness, i assumed post-covid like many people. Around this time i also got shingles and started getting constant yeast infections, colds and ear infections. Frequently the lymph nodes under my left jaw are swollen and now they always are.
Eventually get really bad flu symptoms and sweating a lot— spleen is enlarged and painful. MinuteClinic confirms enlarged spleen. Monospot is negative but antibody test is positive.
At this point we go okay it's mono and i move on with my life. Flu like symptoms dissipate However the chest pain and spleen Pain is still there and the frequent infections. Have developed a permanent cough.
Could this still be mono or just circumstances of a “weak” immune system. With this current month long sore throat I'm growing more concerned there's a serious issue with my immune system but could well be overreacting

First off I want to say I'm not asking for a diagnosis. This is more of a brain dump where I want feedback from y'all before I take a neuropsychological test.
I feel more confident in thinking I may have ADHD or NVLD but here we go. (I have other conditions that may mimic autism too so that may be a point against it.)
Why I am thinking I may:
-Sometimes I can't tell when people are joking or not. I mean usually this is in regards to strangers like customers at work. Then they have the audacity to laugh when I am confused. If my response involves (to said joke) saying "No we don't have _____ or "No, sorry," they laugh. Sometimes I don't even get why they are laughing. Like what?!
-I interrupt and have a hard time trying to give my two cents especially if it is 2+ people. This may be ADHD thought because my thoughts are not linear. I usually know that if I say something I will have to explain how I have arrived to that thought in the first place.
-Does tenacity tend to be common with autism? If so I have been called that multiple times by my parents.
-Black and white thinking.
-My sense of humor is odd and unconventional.
-I would cry so much especially as a child in regards to loud noises. I am still pretty sensitive emotionally too.
-I hate eye contact. Hate it!!! I feel like I "look through" people's faces and not at them too. I'm not even shy, and my therapist assumed it was because I am shy, but I'm not. Even when I had bad social anxiety it wasn't because of that. I could tell.
-I have mild prosopagnosia (face blindness).
-I have poor executive functioning symptoms.
-I definitely stim.
-I listen to music on repeat as a stim too.
-I hate it when instructions or rules are not specific and literal. Unless they are clear that they're just guidelines, don't call them rules. Tht makes absolutely NO sense to me and I get annoyed when I get in trouble for not following the rules right when they aren't clear. Sometimes it's not even instructions that I take literally.
-I get upset when there are small changes in my environment or when there is a sudden change of plans. I take the same route to specific places every time I can.
-Strong empathy and my morals are ridged.
-I feel very analytical when it comes to reading body language sometimes. For example yesterday, I saw a coworker who either seemed focused, distressed, or confused. I looked at her eyebrows to decide, and my inner monolouge came to a conclusion. And sometimes I feel analytical when it comes to displaying my own body language. Definitely not always though.
-I feel like a lot for me it is all for nothing, even when it comes to being hypo or hyper sensitive. I have a high pain tolerance speaking of which.
-When I was younger, I was odd. Not just quirky. I had to shut that part of myself down when people told me.
-There was a few times I can remember a group I played with at recess would just...leave me alone and I don't remember why?
-I'm a woman and so I found it interesting that girls with autism had a "mother hen" as a common experience. This was mostly my teachers. Currently even younger coworkers of mine kind of infantalize me and "mother hen" me.
-I am quite trusting (a nicer way of saying gullible lol).
-I would get mad at my brothers for light teasing, not realizing it was the friendly type of teasing. When they got annoyed I was sensitive to it I learned to laugh along.
-I have vivid memories of mentally beating myself up for my odd behavior as a child that sometimes caused bullying and became shy and what may have been learning how to mask.
-I underestimate how many times people lie
-I cared more about changing my doll's clothes than acting out stuff with her. I had two American Girl dolls and when my friend played with me we would argue about which one to use and we were like "Well this one looks more like me, so..." lol
-I don't like talking about much other than what I am interested in. I have heard it is common for autistics to bring back convos about themselves? If that is true that is me. I try not to sound narcissistic about it, but that is how I relate and contribute to conversations.
-I have been told multiple times I am unobservant when it comes to my surroundings.
-I had fixations on thing and somewhat do still. More when I was younger however. My interests are few but deep.
-Misophonia (uggg)
-social chameleon
-I always liked autistic coded characters .
-I'm solitary.
-I accidently do rude things but it is rare enough that even a NT would experience it that often so idk if that counts.
-When I walk into work, I wonder, "I greeted this person in this way, what words should I say to the other?" Is that common?
-I have epilepsy and I heard that's comorbid.
-I have always felt like the odd one out. When I was in elementary school especially I thought I was just different from the popular kids but then I realized I was overestimating how many popular kids there were. Lol! I guess popular=NT or masking maybe?
Why I maybe don't have it:
-I have never had trouble with sarcasm, idioms, or metaphors. For the most part I am the first to get a joke and explain it to others if they are confused (save instances from my "why I may have it" list).
-I'm solitary but I love spending time with the people I know and get upset (on the inside) almost childishly when I feel like they have to leave earlier than I want them to. "Hey, how about another round of the boardgames?" "No, sorry it is getting dark out and I have to drive an hour away..." But I guess afterwords I feel like it is good to relax.
-I understand my feelings easily and why they happen easily. I don't think my affect is flat, but maybe idk because I may have masked for so long that I can't tell (if I do have autism?!). However I don't usually share my feelings. I don't really say I feel _______ unless it is a strong emotion and need to explain why I am crying, etc. Maybe it is because I'm repressing something or don't know how to talk about it. Idk! Well, I guess when I'm excited or gush about something I do mention my emotions. I'd have to do some introspection on this. Huh.
-Especially now I am not super passionate about anything that could be considered a special interest to the point where I know a ton about a subject besides what I learned in college.
-I actively start small talk and am the first person to say hi when I see someone I recognize.
-I honestly can't tell if I get facial expressions intuitively or know it from when I manually learned it out of interest as a teen? I never have had problems with common or obvious facial expressions especially. Not surprising though.
-Although I did mention about my doll I would participate in imaginary play with others. Can't remember much about it though so I can't remember if I spent more time directing it. So yeah idk about that.
-I usually can work out people's intentions.
-Patterns don't really stick out to me unless I'm actively seek them out. And when I do sometimes they have no logic to me and I don't say anything because I know it wouldn't make sense.
-I have been told for the most part I know myself well by multiple people, as in how I am feeling in my body. If I feel something is off, something is off. However, I will admit I can act anxious and like a but of a hypochondriac.
-Like I mentioned earlier, I have so many conditions that could mimic autism traits.
This list isn't comprehensive.

A bit of a long read on pollen again. I tried to make it engaging and I think those of you who battle with pollen related symptoms will find some of the points as high quality food for thought. Later I’m going to do a little write-up of the air quality monitor I refer to here (image in the comments) and for now a quick follow up on my earlier post about connection between rain, pollen and my reaction to their combination. Please ignore dates on the display, I am too dumb to find time adjustment in the setting lol.
According to the ultrafine particles PM2.5 measurements (particles the size of 2.5 microns) that I made on rainy day-2 my assumption about 2^nd day of rain not having a big impact (unlike day 1) on my mast cells is sort of on point. Today is the 2^nd day and 2 things have happened A) I woke up at 7AM feeling almost 100% (on day-1 got out of bed at 10AM feeling like a piece of wood) and B) ultrafine particle count (specifically PM2.5) in the air was almost on par with Swiss alps.
So on the 1^st day, when rain clouds were assumably full of pollen and so was surface of tress/plants/ground like it’s supposed to during pollen season, the measurement was between 9 and12 ug (which is volume of 2.5 micron particles in the air). This number is not the end of the world when it comes to chemically bourne ultrafine particles and hazardous count for those starts above 35ug which I was not even close to. However, pollen grain itself is often a lot larger than 2.5 microns, while sub-pollen particles (allergens inside the grain that are the actual bad news) are a lot smaller than 2.5 microns, I'll leave a picture of how they differ in the comments. In other words this device misses most of pollen and only picks up some pollen grains/particles that are around 2.5 microns. This means that, less environmental pollution count, my 9-12ug measurement on rainy day-1 is a baseline for high pollen in the air.
Come day-2, I open the curtains in the morning and see it rained all night again. Only this time the count on monitor dropped to shocking 1.5ug!!! That’s EIGHT times less than yesterday in the exactly same environment. And this gigantic drop of particles in the air is what makes me almost convinced that on day 2 rain clouds are drained of pollen that they collected before it started raining on day-1 AND all of the surface pollen got washed out and there are no more pollen grains on the trees to rupture and give me symptoms. Remember, I woke up incredibly early by my MCAS standards without the alarm and am feeling great. What a coincidence, right?
Then comes another turn which in my mind cemented my confidence of being on the right path with my assumptions. So by around 2PM the weather started getting warm and sunny, +25C (77F). I am still feeling very well and am spending most of the day outside. But only until around 4PM when I started having a MMMMMMASSIVE migraine, feeling very nauseous and getting red as a lobster. Basically just went to lie on a bed for 3 hours because felt like I am about to meet saint PEter at the Gates Of Heaven. I take the measurement on the device again and guess what – within about an hour count went from 1.5 to 8.5 ug!!! Which is lower than yesterday's 12ug, but since it spiked so rapidly and by so much it probably was the reason for my flare.
Rapid spike in pollen production is also explained by simple biology – as soon as flora dries out from the rain and sun is out it all starts blooming. More so, modern science says that due to climate change flora is a lot more aggressive with pollen than it used to be. Blooming/pollen ultimately is sex, a reproduction way for a tree that was programmed by many years to do so during a certain timeframe in a calendar year. But now when weather is as unpredictable as Pete Davidson’s personal life, trees treat this unpredictably as a survival threat. Apparently they are smart enough to do that.
This means that every time a tree (or any other plant) gets a chance to produce pollen after an unusual climate event it will start pumping it into the air like there’s no tomorrow until the moment it no longer senses the threat. As a result not only you are now getting a longer pollen season due to winters becoming milder, you are also getting more pollen than before because flora feels like climate is trying to kill it and responds with more pollen to secure survival. A double whammy type of situation.
Couple of take home message I got from this absolutely lovely experience:
- Seriously consider changing the accommodation to an area less exposed to pollen and other pollutants as I live in pollen-central at the moment. Basically I AM the pollen where I live now lol. I just don’t think climate situation will be getting any better soon. Probably only worse, so relocation is probably inevitable with my condition, maybe?
- Consider wearing a powered purifier mask (or an air fed respirator) at least a couple of hours per day during the pollen season to give my mast cells and immune system a little break. They are expensive though, so perhaps start with a heavy-duty respirator – regular mask didn’t do it for me either due to CO2 buildup inside it when you’re breathing or because of breathing resistance which is a stressor for the immune system.
- Once relocated, consider upgrading ventilation to an airselaed system with a strong centrifuge and as many HEPA filters as possible (can be DIYed if you have a couple of friends and determination). Alternatively, start with keeping the windows shut during the day and getting decent air purifiers in each room. I have a purifier already but it doesn't seem to be making a difference as I need to keep the windows open to stay away from yet another MCAS trigger (O2 emitted by breathing). You just can’t win with MCAS can you )

I'm noticing many sufferers on this forum and others on facebook being stuck as many literature and articles are providing conflicting messages regarding the bacterial involvement. Many have failed to find bacteria through conventional tests and some only found "pathogens" through a specific method like eps culture for exemple. Those who find e. Coli or e. Faecalis are getting different opinions from urologists and/or other people. MDX testing is making things more complicated as it increased the number of these findings. People are talking about biofilms and difficulty of detection/ eradication. I did myself many tests with negative findings, MDX did find low level stuff but not commonly known to cause issues. One of my urologists is convinced that if I do the test again I'll find other bacteria lol and that Abx are hit and miss.
I've talked to people who recovered after getting rid of the supposed pathogen, other got negative tests and never recovered (hence the confusion) and many couldn't eradicate what they found which is distressing
Most difficult part in this condition I believe is knowing if it's bacterial or not (especially when it doesn't start on its own but starts after a sex encounter or uti or gut infection). Many would argue that category 2 prostatitis only shows as episodic pain when there is an active UTI (what classification says), but many other readings are dismissing the episodic UTI thing and are also putting bacterial prostatitis in the chronic pain category "2024 official guideline of canadian urology" that you can download puts everything in the same chronic pelvic pain category.
I wish the testing for this thing was a yes or no so that everyone can move on. I tried my best to close the chapter, but talking to people with so many different results is confusing. My pain is not episodic which really bothers me.
Any insights are welcome. If anyone has improved despite positive tests and "pathogen" findings that would be interesting to hear their experiences. I just don't wanna end up spending all my energy trying to treat it as psychoneuromuscular or inflammation if there is a risk of having missed something

• 34M, 6'0", 205lbs, White/Caucasian
• Primary Complaint: Chest pain, tightness in chest, trouble breathing, acute fatigue.
  • Chest pain is primarily in left side of chest, just to the left of the sternum, but not quite at the pectoral muscles. This is also where the tightness seems to stem from, spanning across the center of my chest. Another pain point appears to exist in the left side of the chest, around the mid/lower ribcage. This one can sometimes be irritated when moving certain ways, and almost feels muscular in sensation. I haven't been able to manipulate these points of concern or identify sensitivities with surface-level touch or massage, beyond just adding uncomfortable pressure.
• Secondary Complaints: Significant heartburn, intermittent skin rash (small itchy bumps appearing on hand/knuckles/testicles/elbow for the past 2-3 months), muscular pain/fatigue, intermittent lightheadedness.
• Past/Current Diagnoses: Idioventricular arrhythmia, GAD, ADHD, possible SAD/MDD, IBS
• Drink? 0-3 drinks per week (often 0). Smoke? No. Drugs? No.
• Medications (was taking none prior to this event):
  • Bupropion XL 150mg: Began 1 week prior to medical event, stopped after chest issues.
  • Esomeprazole Magnesium 20mg: Took two-week course, ending 3/4/24. Resolved heartburn in that time, but did not affect chest symptoms. Heartburn returned after this.
  • Propranolol 10mg: Prescribed off label for possible bodily anxiety. Took two weeks, now on hand for as-needed use. Saw intended improvements for bodily anxiety (my brain still reacted to anxiety-inducing events, but my breathing and heart rate remained normal), but the chest symptoms were unaffected.
  • Lorazepam 0.5mg: Prescribed in effort to treat chest pain. Currently trialing. Tried a 0.5mg dose so far, and noted slight calming effects, but no impact on chest issues. Planning to take a 1mg dose today to confirm results.
  • Arnuity Ellipta 100 MCG/ACT inhaler: Currently waiting on pharmacy to receive stock.

​
First, a quick background leading to the medical event.
I've been seeing a psychologist on and off for 3.5 years, but no other medical professionals in this time. The work done here was pretty basic--talked through a couple breakups, but typically met once per month for proactive work around daily life. I have a history of probable SAD (received a MDD diagnosis ~10 years ago) that began to interfere with my life around OctobeNovember 2023, so my psychologist recommended seeking a psychiatric prescriber.
I had an upcoming appointment with a new primary care provider, where I wanted to discuss ongoing fatigue since I had COVID in April 2023 (possible "long COVID"?), so I decided to discuss medication here as well, with the idea that they would have the whole picture in mind while treating me.
I'd tried SSRIs twice around 8-10 years prior and didn't love the sexual side effects, so I asked about Viibryd and Wellbutrin, which were recommendations I'd received. I mentioned hesitation around Wellbutrin, given a history of cardiac issues (ultimately diagnosed as an arrhythmia) and medication/stimulant sensitivity (and orders from my past cardiologist to avoid caffeine/stimulants), but my new PCP insisted he was comfortable prescribing it to me, so off I went with a 150mg bupropion prescription, taking my first dose on 12/4/23. They also ran an EKG that day, simply because I had worked with a cardiologist in the past and hadn't had one since then (outside of occasional Apple Watch ECGs), which was interpreted as normal, and I was referred to a sleep specialist for possible sleep apnea (later confirmed, and I'm now trying to figure out how to sleep with a CPAP).
Here's where the symptoms began.
One week later, on 12/11/23, I hadn't noticed any effects from the bupropion, either positive or negative. Around 7:40pm, I was relaxing on my couch in good health, playing a relaxing turn-based game (so no apparent stressors), when I felt intense pain in the left side of my chest. This lasted for 1-2 minutes, when the sharp pain subsided, but an intense tightness remained, which came with a sensation of some difficulty breathing.
I probably should have taken a trip to the ER, but I didn't due to fear of cost (poor choice, I know). I felt things out a bit and eventually went to sleep, hoping to feel better in the morning.
I did not feel better in the morning. I woke up with the feeling of tightness still present, along with feeling a bit lightheaded. I nearly passed out after getting up and moving around, but I barely avoided it by lying down in the floor and elevating my legs. I've passed out maybe 5-8 times in my life due to what is assumed to be anxiety/vasovagal in nature (from medical needle work/IVs, one reaction to numbing or dilation drops at optometrist, one reaction to an oncoming IBS event with lack of restroom access, one vaccination experience (of many before and since that went fine), and once while overdoing it when I had COVID), so I'm assuming that's what happened here. I've experienced occasional lightheadedness in the time since--maybe 5-6 days of frequent lightheadedness, but I haven't actually passed out in this time.
I managed to grab a same-day appointment with my PCP that morning, so I went in to see him, fully expecting to be referred to the ER or urgent care. He told me he wasn't worried about it being a heart attack, to continue taking the bupropion, asked when I was seeing my therapist next, asked for an update in a couple days, and sent me home.
With no change, I saw my PCP via telehealth two days later.
He advised me to continue taking the bupropion, but I reframed my inquiry around that to ask if it was safe to stop entirely. He said yes, so the dose taken earlier that day was my last. He referred me to get an x-ray and blood work. These came back normal, apart from a granuloma/calcified nodule in the left lung.
At this point, he asked me to come back in one month with a journal, which felt much too long, given the symptoms and their impact on my life. He also wrote me a work note recommending remote work while working out a treatment plan.
Currently, there has been no improvement--my chest still feels tight and/or in pain essentially all the time, with severity coming and going. At this time, I was also experiencing acute muscular pain/fatigue across my chest and arms, like I had gone to the gym and way overdone it on those muscles. It was mostly focused on the chest, and the muscles around the armpit. I also began to experience GI symptoms (primarily severe heartburn, but initially accompanied by excessive burping and notable gurgling/activity in the stomach that has since subsided).

• From my journaling, here are the activities correlated with my symptoms:
  • Lack of sleep. This is the most impactful by far.
  • Physical exercise/exertion, including short walks. This can be especially bad, but it's also one I have a bit more control over managing.
  • Driving, especially when heightened alertness is needed, such as in heavy traffic.
  • Remaining in one physical position for too long. Lying on my back is the worst, with lying on my sides, sitting upright at a desk, standing also providing discomfort. Sitting on the couch, where I can lounge and shift position more easily seems to be the least problematic spot for me, but rotating resting positions is the best thing for it so far.
  • Being in social settings for extended periods--even something fun and low-energy, like a couple friends coming to see me, feels taxing after a while. I suspect this has to do with my limited bandwidth, and the passive tension I experience as someone who experiences social anxiety, but it's noteworthy either way.
• It's worth noting that a lot of these symptom correlations don't occur immediately, but in the hours following, and symptoms can be elevated for days at a time if I overdo it too much. It's less like having the body feedback from a broken limb that says, "Don't move that way," and more like the timeline that comes with something like heartburn/IBS (you ate/did the wrong thing and are paying for it on a delay).

It took me multiple requests to get a cardiologist referral, which I directly requested, given my history. He also recommended lung function testing, so I scheduled that. Every time I've spoken with my PCP, he's brought up mental health and referred me to my psychologist, who has determined this is not a mental health issue, as I've never had anxiety present in anything close to these symptoms. We even tried some additional exercises around calming and anxiety, and they helped in the sense that if you have physical pain from something like a broken limb, being able to calm yourself and relax a bit is better than being anxious/agitated, but it does nothing for the actual symptoms (either in the moment or in the following hours).
As soon as I could, I made appointments with a psychiatric prescriber, a cardiologist, and a pulmonologist.
I onboarded with the psychiatric prescriber to explore the bupropion's possible role in this. I was told that given my medical history, prescribing the bupropion at all was not a good idea for me, and especially in an XL format at 150mg. The initial hypothesis was that this could have thrown my body into a "feedback loop" of bodily anxiety that persisted after stopping the medication, but after the symptoms didn't respond to a couple different prescriptions (see above), the determination was that this should be exhaustively diagnosed as a physical health issue. Long-term, this prescriber wants to try stimulants for ADHD treatment, but said this is on hold until the chest issues are resolved and a cardiologist has given approval.
The cardiologist I saw didn't want to see a 12-lead EKG (my latest was from the initial PCP visit before symptoms began). He scheduled an EKG stress test, which was actually the first time I got wired up since my symptoms began. He has also declined to view the medical records I acquired from my past cardiologist on more than one occasion, which detail my past diagnosis and testing (including another stress test, nuclear imaging, echo, and Holter monitor results).
I powered through the stress test as best I could. I experienced resistance in my chest as my breathing increased, but my symptoms got much worse as I returned to rest, and the following 3-5 days were especially bad. The good news is that the results came back good, but the cardiologist has advised against any further testing, despite symptoms persisting with no identified cause.
Here are the X-Rays taken last week after my lung function tests.
I saw the pulmonologist, who has maybe been the most thorough provider I've worked with so far (aside from the sleep specialist, who was excellent, and the psychiatric providers I've worked with outside my PCP's network). He mentioned the calcified nodule on my left lung remained static between the two rounds of X-Rays, and was likely a result of a past fungal infection, or similar. He said my lung function results were good, but noted my lungs held on to air a bit too long, which was possibly a sign of asthma (though unlikely, given I haven't presented accordingly in the past). He prescribed me an inhaler (see above) to try for a couple weeks, at which point he wants to refer me to a GI specialist for the heartburn and have an echo to check for pericarditis (he declined to refer until I've trialed the inhaler).
Feel free to skip to the end from here!
This next bit may be more about poor provider interactions, though I would absolutely invite advice.
About a month ago, my workplace requested a renewal for my remote work recommendation. It's been a good accommodation that allows me to work in light of the physical limitations I'm experiencing (without having to resort to a medical leave, which my psychologist recommended, but I can't afford), and there are no issues in performing my job remote. My PCP asked me to return in person before issuing another note, so I scheduled that and went in (with a different doctor this time). I was assessed, asked again repeatedly about mental health, and told a note would be written. I later found some very inaccurate notes that misrepresented much of what I said during the visit.
The following day, I received a message asking how I'd like the work letter formatted. I provided details and didn't hear back for a week. I nudged them, asking if they needed more details. This led to an interaction with my usual PCP, who asked what limitations I was experiencing... I returned to square one and laid them all out, as above in this post. He then asked why I hadn't seen a pulmonologist as discussed during my visit with the other doctor--this hadn't been brought up at all before now (and I scheduled my above detailed pulmonary visit after this interaction). He then again asked how my mental health was, and what my new psychiatrist recommended (which I had detailed previously). He then recommended I ask my psychiatrist for a work note instead, said that his office would reach out to their office, and noted that I would be charged for the message interaction, because it was initiated by me... despite it being a follow-up interaction initiated by his office after my last appointment. I relayed that I sent my psychiatrist a release form, but noted I wasn't sure how helpful a work note from their office would be, given the ruling that this is a physical issue unrelated to mental health. He requested I return in person yet again.
Against my better judgment, I agreed and set my appointment. The first thing he did in person was act confused and ask why I came in (this is not the first time we've had an appointment he requested begin this way). He then pointed out that I have a care plan via the pulmonologist, threw up his hands, and presented that in an "Okay, end of story, now go home" sort of way. I'm pretty uncomfortable advocating for myself, but I gave it my best shot. I explained that I'm still in pain and can't do the things I want to do, at work and beyond, and that I desperately want to return to normal health, or at least get some answers. He said that some things don't have a solution, and the stress test came back fine, so I can resume normal activity, and his biggest advice was to exercise.
I was baffled by this suggestion, so I explained that I would love to be able to resume exercise (I have a bike and paddleboard collecting dust, and I am not happy being stuck at home nearly all the time, feeling terrible while I manage my symptoms), but it's not something I'm able to do right now. I walked through the fact that I have a significant amount of pain that gets worse as my activity level increases, and we haven't identified a cause... which tells me that I shouldn't push things until I know what I can push. His response was that it would be fine. Specifically, he said that I'm an adult who can make the choice to push through discomfort, and his recommendation as an internal specialist was to exercise through it.
I should add that he was severely agitated and appeared on the verge of yelling this whole conversation, and I was shut down any time I attempted to discuss my symptoms or ask for help.
For example, I wanted to ask about the heartburn and where I need to draw lines on medicating for it, as I currently take famotidine 10-20mg as needed until I can do another round of Nexium, but am concerned with doing this for too long, especially if there may be a better approach to resolving it (and whether it may be related to the chest issues). I've actually brought my heartburn up with him a few times, and have been brushed off each time.
Now for the wrap-up (finally).
Apologies for the large volume of text there, but it's been a journey, and thank you to anybody who stuck through this far. Right now, I'm exhausted, in pain and intense discomfort, and I'm having a hard time being taken seriously or finding a provider who seems to care. If anybody has seen something like this or has a recommendation on what sort of providers or treatment/diagnostic work I should seek out, or even just advice on how to navigate the medical system in light of my experiences here, I'm very open to ideas.
I'm not sure what to make of it, given that I'm of course not a medical expert, but symptoms coming on from nothing at all to full symptoms in an instant, and sustaining for months after seems odd. The timing of the bupropion is also pretty suspect to me, but the issues persisting so long after stopping it is also odd. I've had hiatal hernia mentioned as a possibility, but with no improvement from the Nexium (beyond just the heartburn while actively taking it), I know that makes it unlikely to some extent. It feels like we're looking at a lot of "not very likely" possibilities at this stage, though, so I don't know where I should be looking.

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💌 Your Experiences and Reflections:
If you or someone you know has COPD, have you tried incorporating breathing exercises into your management plan? What challenges and benefits have you experienced? Share your insights on how such a structured exercise plan can impact the management of COPD and discuss any tips for staying committed to regular practice. Let’s explore how tailored exercise routines can enhance health outcomes for those living with chronic respiratory conditions.
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My first cluster headache experience was in May of 2022. I’ve had migraines my whole life so my first cluster headache I just associated to a migraine. But I then started getting one day after day and realized these were different. They come on suddenly with no trigger and were always behind my eye causing redness, watery eye and nasal drainage on the one side. After about three weeks of excruciating pain I could finally get in to my doctor and was prescribed a round of steroids and an antibiotic as I was sick a few weeks prior and had some fluid left in my ear. Not sure which medication helped but I thought I was finally free of these. And I was, until now. It’s been almost two years and on April 8th I experienced my first headache again. Knowing better now I immediately went to the doctor and was prescribed another round of steroids. I was sick a few weeks prior again like last time (anyone know if being sick is related to cluster headaches as this was the case last time i had this?) and there was fluid in my ear but since it was clear and didn’t seem like an infection I was not prescribed an antibiotic. Throughout the 6 days on steroids I did not experience and headaches. The first day off I had an excruciating 3 hour headache. I called the doctor back and was prescribed an antibiotic and a sumatriptan injection. Now 5 days into the antibiotic I’ve had 2 headaches since. Only receiving two sumatriptan injections at a time before a refill and at $5 an injection makes me want to save them for a time I really need it so I haven’t used it yet. Since my first cluster was about a month I’m hoping these will let up soon. Is there any cadence to an episode of cluster headaches? How long in between episodes do people typically have? How long did it take others to find out when their episodes would come?
I really appreciate this group, I’ve been reading everyone’s posts and it’s so nice to not feel alone in what I’m going through. It’s frustrating when those around me think these are just normal headaches and try to give unwanted advice like “drink water” or “sleep more”. They truly are debilitating and are ruining my life. I hardly leave my house anymore out of fear of getting an attack in public. I only leave when necessary and decline social events anymore. It’s making going to work difficult and I fear getting an attack while driving as my eye completely shuts and I can hardly see. Any advice is welcome on how to deal with such an isolating condition.

So yesterday, I was fine. Then I went outside to collect trash (wearing gloves and iirc I hadn't taken off my dust mask yet) and spent some time doing that (I guess ~15 minutes or so but I'm not certain). When I came back in I felt odd and exhausted so I assumed it was heat, so I took my shoes off, drank water (then an electrolyte water when regular didn't do much), and stayed inside. I had some bug bites on my body and was itchy, I showed mom a spot on my back I noticed that wasn't there before and she said it looked like a rash, which cleared in the next few minutes.
Today, I'm somewhat lethargic (more than usual) my throat kinda hurts, my eyes and breath feel like I've been sobbing for twelve hours, I still feel odd, I've had more sinus issues today than usual (I have perpetual sinus issues so I assumed it must've been a sinus infection but the sinuses mostly cleared after taking a pill and some ibuprofen), every symptom is incredibly mild though. Only enough to suck and for me to realize I'm feeling off and since yesterday I thought I got sick but I was brushed off because of my history of overheating (got heat exhaustion once, was fine ultimately but now I get overheated real easily), I have been around allergens yesterday but I got sick when I was away from them outside and was wearing a dust mask (the allergen being dust).
The only peculiar things that I noticed around me was 1. After I'd gone inside, I noticed a dog outside who was starving (I was going to find a way to feed her without risks of attack or making her want to stay or return for more but she kinda disappeared somewhere) 2. More bugs than usual and 3. A soft hissing noise that I quickly walked away from and tbh could've been the wind hitting something near me
Of course, I've been working more than usual since we're moving and the guy didn't clean out his house much other than furniture and storage. He left lots of garbage and dirt (literally and figuratively). So common allergy symptoms + loss of energy from working makes sense. But it started while I was outside and not doing much work, so I'm not certain. My dad thinks it's the intense weather changes lately (nearby tornadoes, sudden heavy storms, heavy rain even when it isn't a storm...) which likely at least is contributing. I'm not certain though.

24F, 115lb, 5’4”, non-smoker, no meds. Moderate sore throat began around Thursday as the only symptom. Between then and now, I’ve developed other symptoms such as low fever, dry cough, scratchy throat with hoarseness, nasal congestion, runny nose, and diarrhea. My symptoms felt worse this morning when I woke up (especially the congestion and the cough started to become more progressive) so I went to the doctor.
They performed a rapid streptococcus test and it came back positive for Strep Throat despite my other “non-strep symptoms” listed above. I’ve also had my tonsils removed previously. The doctor said that the cough and nasal congestion is stimming from my post-nasal drip. What could this mean?
Is it possible that I have another cold, upper respiratory virus, flu, or sinus infection along with Strep Throat at the same time? Or is the Strep Throat test incorrect (though I read it has a 95-98% accuracy rate.) I’ve been prescribed antibiotics for the Strep, but will this also help with the other symptoms I’m experiencing, assuming it may be bacterial?

For context I don’t really think I have an infection, do have inflammatory Prostatitis, but have had countless antibiotics with no help whatsoever. Also had a MicroGen test which just showed low levels of bacteria in the semen.
However, I just wondered if it is still worth it? Obviously my symptoms started instantly which means whatever was the initial trigger from the oral sex, wasn’t bacteria, but technically you could still have a different infection that was different than the initial trigger(ik lol).
Ik ppl hate MicroGen, but If that didn’t show anything is it even worth doing an EPS/semen culture, I’d be far more inclined to do an EPS since it’s more concentrated than semen and could disrupt potential biofilms, thereby able to test for it better.

Hi all - just for a bit of context I was recently prescribed a course of prednisolone to help with inflammation of my chronic condition and I definitely experienced the very vague 'mood swing' symptom. About a week into it I had a very random day feeling very down which was strange, but then for the subsequent few weeks I felt on top of the world. This was in a limitless movie style kind of way (without the increased IQ!). The only way to articulate it is to say that the standard day to day brain fog/autopilot and sporadic motivation and sense of direction was completely gone. I felt hugely positive, motivated and extremely focused it truly was incredible. More because of the fact that I still felt like me, with something unlocked inside of me - rather than I guess something like alcohol which can change you, if that makes sense?
A little bit of looking around online shows that other people have experienced this too and it possibly relates to an increased level of cortisol. Pondering this got me thinking about the disparities between people in general and I can 100% see why some certain people can go on to achieve great successes in life if for example their level of cortisol is higher than others - this might be completely wrong but it did get me wondering.
So rather naively my question is, what would the the best ways of naturally inducing this state? Is it the obvious - get better sleep, manage stress and eat well/exercise (all of which I know I can do better), or are there any other lifehacks for want of a better term, which can help at least bootstrap on improving the former in order to overall bring about this 'limitless' state as I like to call it? I don't know - eat 3 kiwis a day or something lol. Or am I going to be disappointed and told that really we are meant to have highs and lows and that's the nature of the human body - in the same way as a car shouldn't always be on high RPMs?
Any advice would help greatly appreciated!

My cat (f14) hasn't been eating and she's blowing her nose when she tries to eat food. It's not reverse sneezing, which she does occasionally - it's her quickly pushing air out of her nose multiple times (which seems to mostly be triggered when she's trying to eat and it also happened when I took her outside once). I feel there must be something going on with her nose/breathing which is affecting her ability to smell her food and therefore affecting her appetite. It started over 3 weeks ago, one night she was suddenly rejecting all food (we only give her wet food). This was unusual as she always had a high appetite and she'd been happily eating the same wet food for years. She finally willingly ate canned tuna which was the only thing she wasn't rejecting, plus a couple days later I eventually found another wet fish food which she ate too. On that first night, that's when I first noticed she was blowing her nose as she was eating the tuna. The day before her first vet appointment, she started rejecting both of these too. I also turned off the dehumidifier incase maybe that was making the air too dry, but 3 weeks on it hasn't made a difference. At her initial vet appointment, the vet did a general check of her body and said everything looks good except she has dental disease, so he thought she might be experiencing teeth pain or the dental disease could be affecting her sinuses, so he recommended she have some teeth removed and an X-Ray of her sinuses. He prescribed Mirtazapine for her appetite and Metacam for pain relief. She was eating a lot more on the meds, but after a few days her appetite was up and down, plus she was still blowing her nose at the food bowl. 7 days later, I saw her blow her nose hard and some thick, clear snot came out (that's the only time anything has come out of her nose, otherwise there is no discharge and nose looks normal). 5 days ago, she had her tooth surgery where they extracted 4 teeth and did an X-Ray of her sinus. The vet told me that the X-Ray was all normal and no signs of tumor. However, the next day after surgery my cat was still blowing her nose at the food bowl. She was eating the post-surgery food for 2 days after surgery, but suddenly she stopped eating again. She's only allowed very soft food post-surgery, so I've been going crazy offering her multiple different pâtés which she just won't eat. If I'm lucky, she might lick one a few times, but then she walks away. Last night, I offered her 7 different pâtés for her overnight, hoping she might eat one, but they went untouched. Finally today she ate a bowl of pâté that I made myself from plain boiled chicken, but I know she needs proper cat food. She's otherwise not eating anything else. She did have her post-surgery check-up on Friday, 3 days after surgery, where the vet prescribed an antibiotic for an infection on one of her extracted teeth. So she's currently on the antibiotic and Metacam. The vets said we need to get her teeth healed first and then next steps might be a CT scan and possibly rhinoscopy. I'm worried about putting my cat through more procedures unnecessarily, especially because her teeth extraction made no difference which I'm frustrated about. It seems the vets must think it's something in her sinus, but is there anything else I need to rule out? They haven't done any other tests except the nasal X-Ray and a basic pre-op blood test and they haven't brought up any possible respiratory conditions. I can tell my cat wants to eat/is hungry and she's still responding to food and showing interest. Does anyone know why she could be blowing her nose like this or have any advice on what I should do next? She has another vet follow-up in 3 days and I'm expecting they will just suggest the CT scan and/or rhinoscopy. Thanks in advance!

My cat (f14) hasn't been eating and she's blowing her nose when she tries to eat food. It's not reverse sneezing, which she does occasionally - it's her quickly pushing air out of her nose multiple times (which seems to mostly be triggered when she's trying to eat and it also happened when I took her outside once). I feel there must be something going on with her nose/breathing which is affecting her ability to smell her food and therefore affecting her appetite. It started over 3 weeks ago, one night she was suddenly rejecting all food (we only give her wet food). This was unusual as she always had a high appetite and she'd been happily eating the same wet food for years. She finally willingly ate canned tuna which was the only thing she wasn't rejecting, plus a couple days later I eventually found another wet fish food which she ate too. On that first night, that's when I first noticed she was blowing her nose as she was eating the tuna. The day before her first vet appointment, she started rejecting both of these too. I also turned off the dehumidifier incase maybe that was making the air too dry, but 3 weeks on it hasn't made a difference. At her initial vet appointment, the vet did a general check of her body and said everything looks good except she has dental disease, so he thought she might be experiencing teeth pain or the dental disease could be affecting her sinuses, so he recommended she have some teeth removed and an X-Ray of her sinuses. He prescribed Mirtazapine for her appetite and Metacam for pain relief. She was eating a lot more on the meds, but after a few days her appetite was up and down, plus she was still blowing her nose at the food bowl. 7 days later, I saw her blow her nose hard and some thick, clear snot came out (that's the only time anything has come out of her nose, otherwise there is no discharge and nose looks normal). 5 days ago, she had her tooth surgery where they extracted 4 teeth and did an X-Ray of her sinus. The vet told me that the X-Ray was all normal and no signs of tumor. However, the next day after surgery my cat was still blowing her nose at the food bowl. She was eating the post-surgery food for 2 days after surgery, but suddenly she stopped eating again. She's only allowed very soft food post-surgery, so I've been going crazy offering her multiple different pâtés which she just won't eat. If I'm lucky, she might lick one a few times, but then she walks away. Last night, I offered her 7 different pâtés for her overnight, hoping she might eat one, but they went untouched. Finally today she ate a bowl of pâté that I made myself from plain boiled chicken, but I know she needs proper cat food. She's otherwise not eating anything else. She did have her post-surgery check-up on Friday, 3 days after surgery, where the vet prescribed an antibiotic for an infection on one of her extracted teeth. So she's currently on the antibiotic and Metacam. The vets said we need to get her teeth healed first and then next steps might be a CT scan and possibly rhinoscopy. I'm worried about putting my cat through more procedures unnecessarily, especially because her teeth extraction made no difference which I'm frustrated about. It seems the vets must think it's something in her sinus, but is there anything else I need to rule out? They haven't done any other tests except the nasal X-Ray and a basic pre-op blood test and they haven't brought up any possible respiratory conditions. I can tell my cat wants to eat/is hungry and she's still responding to food and showing interest. Does anyone know why she could be blowing her nose like this or have any advice on what I should do next? She has another vet follow-up in 3 days and I'm expecting they will just suggest the CT scan and/or rhinoscopy. Thanks in advance!

Hey all! Hopefully this kind of post is okay, I’m new to this sub (and to reddit in general). Since February, I have had a ton of issues—particularly (but not exclusively) gut issues—and I’m trying to figure out the best course of action, because I have no idea what’s going on, and I’ve had trouble getting any clear diagnosis.
It all started in February, when I had a severe case of Strep Throat. Doctor prescribed me penicillin, which I had never taken, and a couple days in, I developed a rash. As a precaution in case of an allergy, I was taken off and put on a Z-pak. I finished the Z-pak and nothing improved; the strep was resistant. So they put me on Clindamycin.
I finally tested negative for strep after 10 days of Clindamycin, but my tonsil swelling didn’t go down very much (particularly on one side). In fact, the tonsil is still swollen to this day, even though I no longer have an active strep infection. And the day I finished my Clindamycin, I started to develop frequent, soft, pale, floating, misshapen and malabsorped stools. Per the recommendation of some friends, I started taking a probiotic right away (Florastor, two times a day). A few days later, the symptoms got significantly worse, and I had intense diarrhea (maybe 10x/day) for 24-48 hours. During that 48-hour period, I also had a low grade fever.
I went to Urgent Care, and they tested me for C Diff, which came back negative. They did a PCR test and it didn’t even show that I was colonized. Slowly, the diarrhea improved, but I was still having pale, floating, malabsorped stools. I started taking daily Metamucil, switched to a pretty bland Low FODMAP diet, and cut caffeine.
I finally got in to see my GI doctor, who assumed it was just a bad case of Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea and gave me some Visbiome. That helped slightly more than the Florastor, but not much. Still had symptoms for a few weeks. So he finally decided to do a colonoscopy. Came back clean: no IBD, no inflammation/colitis, no polyps. He suggested my problem might be SIBO or PI-IBS, but he told me if I wanted to test for SIBO, I would need to wait for at least a month after my colonoscopy. He also said that the tests for SIBO were notoriously inaccurate. He offered to prescribe me Flagyl without a test, just to see if that improved my symptoms.
However, around that same time, I went in to my PCP for some standard bloodwork. It turns out that my TSH levels were really high, and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (which is a new development, I have never been diagnosed with that before). She’s now scheduling additional bloodwork to see if I have Hashmito’s disease. She also told me not to take that Flagyl that my GI had prescribed for me because it can be unsafe to take with hypothyroidism.
So, as of today, I still have a severely swollen tonsil; very frequent, loose-ish, malabsorped stools (which do not eeem to be improving even with low FODMAP and supplements); hight TSH/hypothyroidism; and no firm diagnosis. On top of that, I’ve put myself in significant debt throughout all of this because my insurance sucks. Luckily, I just sold my old car and was able to get rid of most of my debt that way—but I don’t have any more cars to sell so I’m not in a good place to keep throwing money at new tests and procedures lol.
I’ve read online that tonsil inflammation, SIBO, and hypothyroidism can all be interrelated; but I don’t know how they’re interrelated, how to treat each of them, which one to treat first, etc. And my GI’s Flagyl recommendation is now off the table. But tbh, I was actually scared to take the Flagyl without an official SIBO diagnosis anyway, because I’ve heard horror stories about its side effects, and I didn’t want to go on antibiotics again if I didn’t know for sure that I needed them. Anyway, I would love some insight/advice. What might you do in my situation?

My vasectomy journey is complete. I am posting this here for anyone in the future who may google any of these things, and because my vasectomy experience has been pretty unique. Plus I was unable to find some of this information myself. This will be a huge post, so I will post a TLDR at the end. Skip to to the end if you only want a quick explanation.
I began my vasectomy experience at the end of August, last year. I was 40, married, and I have three beautiful children. At my first consultation that doc couldn't locate my left vas deferens. He suggested I come back and see the other doctor who had more experience. A few weeks later I did that and that doctor couldn't locate my left vas deferens either. He suggested I get a sonogram. Thankfully I could get that done right then and there. The sonogram confirmed what he was thinking. I have a very rare birth defect where I am missing a kidney. The kidneys form from the same material and place as the vas deferens at development. You can be missing one vas deferens and one kidney, or even both vas deferens, which is more common than only missing the one. I believe this condition hasn't been studied extensively, but it has been associated with also having cystic fibrosis. At least certainly in men who are missing both vas deferens. This urologist was younger than me, but he said he had never encountered someone like me, only read about it, and it was fascinating. But he also suggested we hold off for a little and that I should first find a way to be tested for cystic fibrosis which had been associated with absence of the vas deferens. GREAT. Obviously I left feeling deflated and in a little bit of shock. It's not everyday you find out at 40 you have been missing a kidney your whole life.
For anyone who doesn't know, cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat, and digestive juices in your body and lungs. It causes these fluids to become thick and sticky. They then plug up tubes, ducts, and passageways and often means early death.
Trying to find out how and where to be tested for cystic fibrosis was an awful experience. My general doctor was of no help at all. She didn't know much about cystic fibrosis or how to test for it. She suggested I contact Johns Hopkins. I called the cystic fibrosis foundation, Walter Reed in D.C. and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. I got a circle of automatic messages, transfers, hangups and answering machines. After getting nowhere I just left a message at Johns Hopkins. After about nearly two weeks someone from Johns Hopkins got back with me. They provided me with a test code for doing a blood test at Labcorp, but they could not provide a referral. That needed to come from my general doctor. I later found out that test wasn't the ideal first test to do. But I somehow eventually got the extensive blood work done after dealing with referrals and Labcorp not sure how to submit the cystic fibrosis (CF) test in the computer.
The blood test looks at your DNA for the hundreds of possible different mutations that are found in people with CF. And it takes about a month to complete. You typically get CF when both of your parents are carriers of the mutation, or one has it fully. Since 2010 every state in the US now screens for CF in infants after birth. My wife and I contacted our pediatrician to see if our children had been screened for it, and they had.
After a month of waiting I finally received the results, which confirmed what I had already knew. I was 40, had never experienced typical symptoms of CF, and my DNA test showed I did not carry the mutation.
Again the absence of both vas deferens is a strong indicator of having CF, the absence of only one I do not believe is, but more study is needed.
I believe this was now November, I didn't have CF, I needed to finally schedule my vasectomy, but the end and beginning of the year were incredibly busy for me. I decided on the beginning of February. It was scheduled for February 2nd. I bought some fancy support underwear but wasn't sure how much I liked them. So the morning of the procedure I went out to Walmart and bought some classic "tighty whiteys".
One good thing about only having one vas deferens is that I only had to have the procedure done on one side! My experience with the procedure it's self was pretty easy going. Two seconds of intense pain and five seconds of strong pressure, and then not really anything. Lots of adrenaline though having someone work on your balls. My procedure was a small cut on the side of my right testicle, and I asked the doc to not use a metal clamp. I don't really know the exact details, but I was cauterized.
After the procedure I took two ibuprofen, and drove myself home. I experienced no pain, no swelling and no bruising. Only very minor discomfort, which was the most on days 4 and 5. On day 6 I only wore the tight fitting underwear during the day, going back to loose boxers while sleeping. My balls thanked me for this. I believe day 7 I removed the last of my stitch, which actually looked like it was impairing healing. After two weeks the incision was mostly healed. After 4 weeks it was completely healed.
I waited I believe 8 days before my first orgasm after the procedure. I had no pain or blood. It did seem much more watery than before though. After 3 months the consistency and look of it had gradually returned to now being identical to as before the procedure.
One thing I had not expected or thought about before having a vasectomy was how it would effect my thinking afterwards. It briefly negatively effected sex and orgasm for me. I found my mind drifting during sex to thinking about the procedure, how things were now "different down there". Before I would have been laser focused on my wife and being in the moment. For a little bit it really diminished the pleasure of the act and even ruined orgasm for me. During all this time I'd been reading and searching this subreddit. I've read tons of post of people's experiences on here. A reoccurring thing I read on here was that a lot of the issues people had had were mental. I have tried to keep this in mind while encountering my own issues.
Another thing I had not expected was feeling a little sad that I would never experience having a newborn, buying newborn clothes, and watching another child develop during those early days and months.
BUT then my three kids I have started screaming at one another at the top of their lungs, crying, and I am suddenly reminded of why I wanted to get a vasectomy in the first place!
In the three months since having a vasectomy I have fully healed, with only occasional slight tenderness on my right testicle. I had had a total of about 60 orgasms, in preparation of the post semen analysis at 12 weeks. That was a lot of work for this, now, 41 year old. I am typically not THAT "active".
I had my post semen analysis at Labcorp. Contacting Labcorp I was told that only one location in my state of Maryland performed that. After contacting that location the nice lady explained to me that that used to be true when they performed a "full" semen analysis that required testing within an hour of orgasm. No Labcorp's do this full testing now. You can only do the semen analysis that only looks for sperm, which has no time limit. So no full fertility testing. Only post vasectomy testing. That was fine because that is what I needed anyways. And you can "provide" a sample at any Labcorp location. Just bring the provided cup with your sample and drop it off. That was awesome because I could go to the nearest location to my home.
It took two days for Labcorp to provide my results. After just shy of 12 weeks, and 60ish orgasms, my sample revealed no sperm. My vasectomy is now complete. And this journey ends with this post. I will add that any mental challenges I was having are gone. I have tried to remind myself of why I originally wanted a vasectomy in the first place. When having sex with my wife I focus on the moment. I focus on the enjoyment of it all. And I now focus on the thought of worry free sex and orgasm. Sex and orgasm has completely returned to how it was before having a vasectomy, being amazing. Our mind and our thoughts can be incredibly powerful things and can do some funny things to us. Hopefully my words can help reassure anyone who is reading this and having doubts or regret with their own vasectomy and having any of these post issues.
TLDR: To wrap up this incredibly long post, I learned I have a very rare defect where I only have one vas deferens, and one kidney, which could have been a sign of having Cystic Fibrosis. Testing revealed I do not. My vasectomy was "no big deal" with me having no pain, no swelling and no bruising. Complete healing after 4 weeks. After 12 weeks and 60ish orgasms you can provide your post semen analysis "sample" at any Labcorp location and get a result in about 2 days. Which for me was an all clear! I'm now incredibly happy to be past this entire experience.
Thanks for reading and I hope for anyone reading this now or in the future, it provides some helpful information for you!
Good luck!

My 7 year old daughter has had a couple of UTIs before and they usually respond well to antibiotics, This March she started with her symptoms took her and they prescribed her Bactrim, Dr called 5 days and said daughter was resistant then prescribed her Cephalexin and that culture came back as Ecoli she took the medicine as prescribecband still had symptoms burning and pain down there, took her back another Dr gave her Cefdinir for 5 days, still had symptoms Dr took urine sample came out clear but was going to send it for culture called us back and it came back positive for PUSEDOMAS gave her ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice a day took it and still had symptoms I took her to Er because I didn't know what else to do, urine came out clear they did a ultrasound of kidneys and bladder and abdomen, They did say she was constipated, they were going to send that urine for culture, they called me back a couple days after and Said she had another bacteria called enterococcus they prescribed her Macrobid 100 mg 2x I finally got her in urologist appointment, he Said the reason it's not going away is because it's not a UTI, her urine is clear, since she has taken so much antibiotics it makes her more suspectable to other infections- BUT THE SYMPTOMS JUST HAVEN'T IMPROVED-he said it's vaginitis and cystitis and they basically have the same symptoms, that it still go away but just with time, he said to give her miralax for 3 months for her constipation and then to have her soak in water 10 mins a day then shower with soap, to start peeing legs more open and face to font to let out all the urine, he checked her and seen there was still urine in the vagina he Said it's common for kids sometimes the urine doesn't all come out and goes back into the vagina, anyways he said see you in 6 months- and i don't know how i feel my daughter is so uncomfortable it does come n go but after she pees it burns her and then sometimes just laying down she says it feels uncomfortable, Any advice please? I feel like calling back and making another appointment, because how can she be like this is already been almost 2 months, he also said not to take her back to check her urine, she'll be fine only if she has a fever or blood in urine, But what if another bacteria is growing?? OMG I don't know what to do? Advice?

Too much at one time
Just had to tell someone not IRL to me.
The people who matter to me know I don’t care if anyone else does but just needed a pure vent.
About a month ago I had a raging sinus and ear infection. Took a z pack and prednisone.
Two weeks later not 100% better but I got a huge kumquat size lump under my tongue…. Turns out I had a ranula (spit filled cyst)
DISGUSTING.
Went to my ENT got some more antibiotics and prednisone.
Flash forward a week later? The Ranula is bigger than ever. I manage to pop it and it seems to go down. Finish my meds.
A week later??
Cold from hell.
Started having tingling/ burning on my genitalia.
Had to go to urgent care at my clinic and they definitely think I have thrush but I also have lesions and swelling that made them test for herpes and HPV as those can spawn/ turn up when you’re very ill.
All of this to say. Something is wrong/ off.
Prior to all of this I went to my ENT the first time due to severe lymph node swelling in my ears/ neck/ head.
Ive had a whole work up as of yesterday for viruses and any bacterial anything known to man.
The doc I saw was thorough and kind and agreed something was up as that is a lot in a 6 month span.
Just had to vent. I’m so sick. Have a one year old and a promising move in my career coming that missing work is not going to help.
Feeling defeated. Almost wish it was HSV or HPV so I could take meds and manage my symptoms.
Childbirth hurt less/ was more tolerable than the inflammation and swelling I have down there.
Thank god I work from home or I would probably have been laid off. If anyone has insight or can relate please talk to me.

Hi, this will be a little long but if anyone has any advice or experience with something similar happening I would greatly appreciate it 🙏 I have absolutely no idea what to do and nothing I’ve tried so far is helping. Thank you so much :)
I’m 25f and I've been on an intentional weight loss journey since Summer 2022, and I've lost 170lbs naturally so far. I still have another 80lbs to lose and have been in a calorie deficit until now.
Throughout this journey, I've experienced a beautiful transformation in my relationship with food. I've embraced a non-restrictive approach and developed a healthy mindset around eating. However, I believe I may have missed some major stress signals that my body was sending me along the way and have now hit a massive roadblock.
The problems began in October when I started experiencing energy crashes between meals with symptoms that mimicked reactive hypoglycaemia. It seemed random at first but became more and more frequent until January when it worsened, and I started to think I may be diabetic. But medical tests ruled out any underlying conditions.
So, I continued to eat in a calorie deficit, but eventually, I hit a tipping point, and extreme hunger and binge eating episodes started occurring.
I've only been able to barely manage this by eating at maintenance, which I’ve been doing for the past 2 months but nothing has calmed down yet and even the slightest deviation, such as an increase in activity level, triggers intense and uncontrollable eating episodes.
These episodes are completely different from any emotional or restriction based binges I’ve had in the past. I’ve had a lifetime of unhealthy eating habits to compare it with and this is nothing like anything I’ve ever experienced before. Most online advice seems to focus on general binge eating advice, which doesn't fit me because I’m absolutely certain the eating episodes are NOT triggered by emotion, or stress.
My body seems very panicked around food, which is strange because I'm not restrictive at all. The other strange thing is that the cravings have not been for highly palatable foods. It's mostly for plain high-carb foods like rice, bread, oatmeal - things I don't even like very much. And I've never restricted carbs either. That's why I thought it might be some other health issue. But my doctors have run tests for diabetes, blood sugar imbalance, thyroid, hormonal issues, and everything came back normal. The only link seems to be the prolonged calorie deficit.
I think I missed a lot of other distress signals along the way too, like extreme dips in mood and mental health and low energy. It seems like my body eventually gave out on me.
I'm very eager to continue my weight loss journey and I'm willing to give my body whatever it needs to recover. But I’m unsure how to navigate the extreme hunger since it seems to be over-riding my usual hunger and fullness cues and the binge-like episodes are deeply disturbing and have been having a significant impact on my mental health. I’ve rapidly regained 25lbs since this started and I have no idea what to do.
I’ve tried mentally pushing through the episodes but the hunger is so intense I literally can’t concentrate- I literally feel like I have to turn the lights out and meditate to even attempt to get through them and I still fail every time.
I've also tried eating freely, but it leads to binges and needing to eat massive quantities of food almost every hour, which has been exhausting to keep up with.
I’m already eating a well balanced high protein, high fiber, mostly whole foods diet with consistent spacing between meals.
TL;DR - I’ve lost 170lbs in a sustainable way and my body seems to be fighting back at me. I still have 80lbs left to lose. I haven’t gone back to old unhealthy lifestyle but hunger has been so intense it’s been almost impossible to fight. I’m already eating high protein, high fiber, mostly whole foods and leave consistent spacing between meals. The binges are NOT emotion or stress triggered and the cravings are not even for highly palatable foods. Feels like my body is trying to store up food. I have no underlying health conditions. Currently eating at maintainance and taking a break for the past 2 months but nothing has improved so far.
Edit: One more thing I forgot to mention was around the time this hit a tipping point my menstrual cycle also became irregular. Now after 2 months of eating at maintenance (along side the many binge episodes) It has finally returned for first time since January. I didn’t originally flag this as overly weird as I’ve always had an irregular cycle my whole life. It only regulated for the first time in my life during this weight-loss journey around 100lbs down. Not sure what any of this means but this is the only improvement I’ve experienced since pausing the deficit.

Just had to tell someone not IRL to me.
The people who matter to me know I don’t care if anyone else does but just needed a pure vent.
About a month ago I had a raging sinus and ear infection. Took a z pack and prednisone.
Two weeks later not 100% better but I got a huge kumquat size lump under my tongue…. Turns out I had a ranula (spit filled cyst)
DISGUSTING.
Went to my ENT got some more antibiotics and prednisone.
Flash forward a week later? The Ranula is bigger than ever. I manage to pop it and it seems to go down. Finish my meds.
A week later??
Cold from hell.
Started having tingling/ burning on my genitalia.
Had to go to urgent care at my clinic and they definitely think I have thrush but I also have lesions and swelling that made them test for herpes and HPV as those can spawn/ turn up when you’re very ill.
All of this to say. Something is wrong/ off.
Prior to all of this I went to my ENT the first time due to severe lymph node swelling in my ears/ neck/ head.
Ive had a whole work up as of yesterday for viruses and any bacterial anything known to man.
The doc I saw was thorough and kind and agreed something was up as that is a lot in a 6 month span.
Just had to vent. I’m so sick. Have a one year old and a promising move in my career coming that missing work is not going to help.
Feeling defeated. Almost wish it was HSV or HPV so I could take meds and manage my symptoms.
Childbirth hurt less/ was more tolerable than the inflammation and swelling I have down there.
Thank god I work from home or I would probably have been laid off. If anyone has insight or can relate please talk to me.