My throat aches

Hey all,
Just found this groups today. I’ve been dealing with health problems for a long time now (since high school) and I’m just realizing that it may be an allergy to food.
I was hoping to explain what happens here and take any feedback, experience, advice you guys are kind enough to give.
The thing that mostly throws me is that it doesn’t happen immediately. And I’m on some strong antihistamines and inflammation blockers because it’s been such an issue so that may be hiding the issue.
I found out long back that I can’t eat wheat, although I got the skin test and it was negative. But eating wheat knocked me out for 4-8 days with brain fog, exhaustion beyond words, etc, so I obviously stopped eating it.
What’s going on now is that unpredictably, I’ll suddenly feel all my sinuses swell shut and it makes me utterly exhausted - like “go ahead and let the house burn down, the exhaustion isn’t worth fighting just for my life” levels of tired. I cannot emphasize enough how hard it is to stay upright and conscious.
I have lots of GI issues all the time - bloated, upset tummy, cramps, diarrhea or constipation.
If it gets bad enough, I start coughing continuously. I’ve read that it keeps my heart beating and that may be why I cough even with nothing in my throat.
When it happens, I suddenly can’t speak think well - like I’m dyslexic or something. I add simple math wrong. I make idiotic mistakes. I can’t think or function.
I’m told my face gets really red sometimes but I never get hives or anything.
I’ve been taking Zyrtec because I used to itch all the time. I never had a rash but I just itches crazy, especially hands and feet/ankles.
And I’m now taking singulair too. I always feel so bad, like I got hit by a truck. Achy like the worst flu you ever had. The singulair helps with the pain / ache some and also, when I take it, I don’t get those sudden attacks nearly as bad. Like I don’t pass out immediately and do that continuous cough thing.
I have gotten inhalers from friends (because I text negative for asthma and the symptoms are delayed and I don’t know the cause, so the docs don’t see the reaction and dont think I have any real issue, I guess?) and it helps more than most things. It sometimes stops me from coughing like crazy and it helps when I go into the cold funk.
(Cont. in comment)

When can I consider myself safe after an endoscopy? I underwent the procedure 24 hours ago without sedation or throat spray, and everything went smoothly. However, I've been experiencing a lot of anxiety since then, particularly worrying about the possibility of perforation or air embolism. My mind is racing with concerns about infection as well. I woke up feeling relatively fine this morning, with only minor discomfort and occasional abdominal aches that aren't too painful. I just need to know when I'll be in the clear.

Hi everyone,
I tested positive for Covid just over 2 weeks ago and the only symptoms I experienced were a scratchy throat, body aches, and fatigue which all subsided within 48 hours. I thought I had gotten pretty lucky compared to most people’s experiences, but today I woke up with another scratchy/sore throat and feeling very tired again. What are the odds my symptoms are relapsing from the same Covid infection, or is it likely a whole new virus? Would doing another Covid test indicate whether I have long covid? Thanks in advance for any input!

I’m aware that this is unconventional. Believe me, I’ve tried conventional – it didn’t end well for anyone. I require a certain open mindedness that I’m hoping I might find here, but more importantly, I need my future husband to know the rules. Meet-cutes are well and good on the screen, but they don’t guarantee a partner’s ability to follow basic instructions. That was my mistake the first time.
So, begging your pardon for my bluntness, I’m going to be clear about my requirements. Please read carefully – if you can’t meet them, there’s no point in going any further.

• Must want children. At least one child, anyway. I’m open to the idea of more, but one is an absolute must.
• Must be in it for the long haul. Until our child turns eighteen, to be precise. I understand that level of commitment is a daunting prospect, particularly when we have not yet met. After our child is born, you are welcome to ignore me, if you please, or take your pleasure elsewhere – though I will warn you that it might be difficult to come by. But you will live under my roof until our child is an adult.
• Homebody preferred. It will make the next two decades easier on you.
• Must have impeccable manners. I will provide a manual outlining the required etiquette, but you must at least have a grasp of basic courtesy to begin with. If you let your tongue run away with you, or don’t bother to wish your neighbours a good morning when you pass them in the street, stop reading – this is not the opportunity for you. Seriously.

This is the part where I should talk about myself, but let’s face it, this is hardly a romantic proposal. I require commitment up-front and there’s no guarantee that, once we do meet, we’ll really even like each other. If we do? Fantastic! It’ll help the years fly by. If we don’t, you’ll still have the main prize – years of rent-free, expenses-free living at The Old Oak Hotel.
A sanctuary has stood in this spot in one form or another since before the ley lines. During its tenure, it has been flooded, put to the flame, and pounded into dust. Time and again, it has been reimagined and rebuilt. Most of the current building dates back to Victoria’s reign, though the oldest parts were constructed in the 13^th century. At the very bottom of the garden, cut into the surrounding hills, there is a cave bearing handprints of red ochre.
There has always been an Edwards at the hotel, though of course we haven’t always gone by that name. You would think a family so tied to one place would do a better job of keeping records, but no one is certain of our origins. Perhaps it was a cosmic bargain, or perhaps mere luck – whether good or bad, I have never been able to decide. Either way, our presence is required. Throughout our spotty past, there’s a story here and there of an Edwards deserting their post, and it always coincides with a particularly brutal period of history.
I inherited the position five years ago. At midnight on my eighteenth birthday, my parents took their already-packed suitcases and left. I don’t blame them for their abandonment; I intend to one day do the same thing to my – or, hopefully, our – child.
They send me postcards and photos from time-to-time, always smiling on sunny beaches. Money isn’t a concern for them. That’s part of whatever mysterious deal our ancestors made – when a caretaker leaves in good-standing, they will never want for anything again. They could travel the world for the rest of their lives, always sleeping in the softest sheets and dining in the finest restaurants, and never find their pockets empty.
Keep this point in mind, for if you can meet my requirements, you will share my good fortune.
And what must we do in return? I can all but hear you scream the question. Why, very little. The presence of an Edwards ensures that the guests can’t stray from the hotel grounds. Most of our guests are live-in residents, though we do get the occasional walk-in. Where they come from, I don’t know, for we are not visible to most people who stumble upon our lonely corner of the world. I’ve come to believe the hotel chooses to reveal itself when its lacking entertainment, or to fill a need.
Jimmy, my first husband, was one such guest.
For the most part, the guests are harmless. They’ll give you a little fright from time-to-time, popping out from a wall or turning your bathwater into blood, but I find it hard to hold it against them. I’ve found twenty-three years here dreary; I can’t imagine how bored I would be after five hundred.
There are a few exceptions you should be aware of:

• Eric. Our resident serial murderer. He claims to have been Jack the Ripper while he still drew breath, but I think he’s just a blowhard. He knows better than to harm an Edwards, but I’m afraid spouses are fair game. Years ago, my grandmother managed to confine him to the fourth floor, so you will be perfectly safe from him as long as you never set foot there. Occasionally, the lift will stop on that floor even though you haven’t pressed the button for it. Do not get out. Even if the lift appears to be on fire or starts filling with murky water. Wait for the doors to close again, then go to another floor. It should only take a few hours.
• The Thing in the Cellar. I don’t know what It is; no one ever has. We only know It eats rats and must be fed once a day. If I’m ever ill or incapacitated, this task will fall to you. Harvest the rats from the traps in the garden, then stand at the cellar door and throw them down the stairs. Do not walk down the stairs and do not forget to feed It. You don’t want to be the first person to see Its’ face.
• Mrs Jones. Old fashioned and a stickler for manners, she’s the reason I’m advertising for a husband rather than a boyfriend. She won’t abide a couple living in sin under the same roof as her. Really, though, she’s a sweet old thing. Full of stories about the war and always ready to help if I get stuck on a recipe. I don’t blame her for what happened with Jimmy at all. I’d warned him enough times.

Guests aside, there are other rules you will need to follow to ensure a safe, satisfactory stay at The Old Oak Hotel. They are listed in a book that has been re-penned many times over the centuries. If you choose to accept this opportunity, I will insist that you read it until you can recite the pages word-for-word.
However, there are some rules so critical for your survival that I feel compelled to list them here:

• With the exception of the fourth floor, you are welcome to roam the hotel and its grounds as you please. But you must never set foot outside of our land – not until our child is old enough to fulfil their duties. If I were to do so, it would unleash pandemonium – plague, peril, perhaps another world war. I’m afraid you would be less crucial to the fate of the world, but it would certainly be a personal disaster.
• Never look in the mirrors in room 33.
• I’ve touched this point already, but it bears repeating: never be rude to Mrs Jones.

Failure to observe that last rule is what got Jimmy.
She doted on him. I think he reminded her of her long-dead son, for she pampered him as if he were one of her own. Each morning, she had breakfast ready for him before I had so much as opened my eyes, and she developed a habit of trailing along after him, complimenting his skill as he oiled rusted hinges or set a crooked picture straight.
At first, Jimmy basked in the attention. But by the end of his second month, he was growing bored of Mrs Jones, me, and the hotel itself. We pride ourselves on our facilities. If you need more activity than a turn around the garden, we have a lovely indoor pool – it freezes over every now and then, but most of the time it’s perfectly usable. Our library is unmatched. Although the room is cramped, it has every book imaginable; you only need to think of a particular title, and it will appear on one of the shelves. And now that I’ve dragged us kicking and screaming into the 21^st century, we have a wide array of streaming services.
It wasn’t enough for Jimmy. He wanted to go out – eat in a restaurant, watch a film in the cinema, see any faces other than the ones he was surrounded by every day. He began having a drink each evening. One drink turned into several, and after a few weeks, the bar became his permanent residence between dusk and midnight.
He wasn’t the only one getting bored. I had been thrilled when he first arrived; ecstatic when he agreed to stay. How marvellous to feel real flesh beneath my fingers after five years of only the dead for company. What a relief to have some assistance in the many tasks required to keep the hotel running as it should.
The more he drank, the less inclined he was to help – or even spend time in my company. He no longer visited my bed, choosing a room for himself on the opposite end of the floor. When our paths did cross, at best he would ignore me. At worst, he would nitpick or outright rail against me, blaming me for his captivity.
Still, I made an effort to be present whenever he frequented the bar. As lovely as Mrs Jones can be, she does have a tendency to nag. Before and after her death, she was close to teetotal, only consenting to take a single sherry at Christmas, and drinking outside of special occasions is something of a bugbear of hers.
“Think of your health, dear,” she would tell Jimmy brusquely. “You’ll miss it when it’s gone.”
Or, “How about we switch to a nice apple juice now? You’ve had quite enough to drink for one night.”
Most of the time, Jimmy managed to pull himself together enough to flash a charming smile and distract her with a compliment about her latest meal. But after one drink too many, I’d noticed him gritting his teeth and just barely managing to hold his tongue.
It was better if I was present. Playing the doting wife, I insisted on pouring his drinks, watering them down out of his sight. When Mrs Jones’s nagging bordered on relentless, I could always distract her with a game of gin rummy.
On his final day, I was running behind. The ghoul on the second floor – usually the least demanding of our guests – had come down with some dreadful illness, or else decided he wanted to inconvenience me. Either way, I had woken that morning to the foulest stench I had ever experienced. I followed it to his room and found every surface covered in putrid green-blank gunge, its consistency somewhere between mucus and vomit.
All day I scrubbed, taking only brief breaks to step outside before I fainted. By the time the room was restored to a passable state, and I had filled several bin bags to bursting with filthy rags, it was already deep into the night. Mindful of the time, I paused only long enough to wash the streaks of muck from my arms and face before racing to the bar.
I arrived just in time to hear Jimmy’s last words. After he spat them at Mrs Jones, she only stared for a small eternity, her mouth frozen in the motherly smile she wore whenever she scolded him.
Then, like melted wax, her face began to shift.
I shouted at Jimmy to run, but he didn’t need to be told. Before the words left my mouth, he leapt from his barstool and streaked through the door. Mrs Jones followed him seconds later. Her lips were already peeling back to reveal rows upon rows of long, wickedly sharp fangs, while claws sprouted from beneath her lace-edged cuffs.
I sprinted after them, but Jimmy was fuelled by fear and Mrs Jones by whatever force propels the Mrs Joneses of the world. I followed the screeching to the lobby. Breathless, I arrived to see he had arrived within mere feet of the entrance before Mrs Jones grabbed him.
Claws wrapped around his throat, she lifted him into the air. As I watched, her jaw unhinged, the lower part dropping so that it was nearly level with her chest.
That sight drove all the sense out of my head. Forgetting every rule my parents had ever drilled into me, I lunged at her.
She batted me away as though I weighed no more than a fly.
I crashed into the reception desk, the breath bursting from my lungs in a great woosh. I was certain that I would die, for no amount of effort seemed to force air back into my aching chest. At last, as my vision began to dim, I managed to take a small gulp – then another, and another, until I was able to draw myself together enough to regain my feet.
By that time, Mrs Jones had nearly finished her dinner. Jimmy’s chest was splayed open, muscle and shattered ribs protruding every which way from his flesh, and she was devouring the last few bites of his heart.
His head was angled towards me. The light had winked out from his eyes, but they still held his final terror – and an accusation which, I was quite certain, was directed at me. I would like to say I felt only horror, but I couldn’t help my sudden jolt of irritation. How may times had I told him to mind his manners?
Mrs Jones gulped, the sound thick and wet in her gullet, and dropped what remained of Jimmy to the floor.
Then she turned to me.
Here’s another rule for you, one which I hope you never have cause to use: never interfere with a kill.
The Mrs Jones who used to kiss my grazed knees, who argued with my mother for the right to read me bedtime stories, was no longer at the wheel. No amount of pleading or reasoning would move her.
I could only run.
Spinning around, I vaulted over the reception desk and raced for the office behind it. If Jimmy had not been out of his mind with fear and booze, he might have remembered the rules and survived; it was one of several staff-only rooms throughout the hotel warded to keep out unwanted guests.
Just ten steps from desk to door, yet it was the longest journey of my life. My hard-won breath burned my throat; my heart pounded in my ears, deafening me to all other sounds than Mrs Jones’s heavy, pounding footsteps.
Grasping the handle, her hot, copper-tanged breath was on my neck. Fire exploded in my flesh as she raked her claws down my back. A step further away, and I wouldn’t have made it; the pain would have been too great. But I managed to throw myself into the office and slam the door before crumpling to the ground.
Before I passed out, I heard her grunting and shrieking outside, furious that she couldn’t get in.
Three days I spent in the office, emerging only to feed The Thing in the Cellar before scurrying back to my hiding place. Whenever I left, I tried not to look at the mangled heap that used to be Jimmy. There was no avoiding the smell, though.
With no small difficulty, and the help of a first aid kit, I managed to treat and bandage the wounds on my back. They bled sluggishly all throughout the first day, but thankfully didn’t fester.
On the morning of the fourth day, there was a tentative knock on the door followed by the sound of rapidly retreating footsteps. I waited until they had disappeared down the corridor before cracking the door open. On the floor was a freshly baked Victoria sponge and a beautifully written note of apology.
It took every ounce of courage I possessed, but that evening I forced myself to go to the dining room. Mrs Jones was waiting for me, her eyes red-rimmed, a steaming cottage pie on the table. I tried not to flinch as she took my hand, re-iterating the apology she had already delivered in writing.
The next morning, she helped me clean Jimmy up.
We treated each other cautiously for a while, but eventually we got back to playing gin rummy again. When the scars on my back twinge, as they sometimes do, she helps me rub a soothing ointment into them. Even though I’ve told her it’s not necessary, she apologises every time.
So, you’ve heard my story and you have my proposal. If you think you could be the man for me, I invite you to visit. You will need to drink a cup of ram’s blood (a pinch of nutmeg makes it a little more tolerable) and light a black candle before bedtime. When you next wake, you will find yourself at our gates. As travel arrangements go, it’s hardly the Orient Express, but it beats the airfare.
If you have read this without flinching, if you can stomach the journey to get here, if you walk up to our door and find the nerve to open it, I have one more instruction for you.
Just as you enter, look to your right. You will see a deep brown stain on the lobby carpet. I’ve scrubbed and scrubbed but it just won’t come out. Perhaps that’s for the best. It’s a good reminder of what will happen to you should you call Mrs Jones a “nosy old bat”.
And when you run into Jimmy – as you will, for he still likes hanging around the bar in the evening, his silvery wounds glistening as though they had just been inflicted – don’t let him convince you he was some sort of victim.
He knew the rules.

Oh my bros, I wanted to share my story with you, so you know what's out there...
I was lonely went to a gay bar.
Started talking to an older dude, he flattered me and asked me to suck on my toes. Never did it before, but I thought, well just licking my toes might feel nice and should be safe.
Que to worst two minutes of my life, his teeth where like knives on my piggies.
After couple of minutes he wanted to stamp on him , I very carefully did not to damage him. Then other things, but I said no. I sprayed my foot with rubbing alcohol and that was supposed to be that...
Que a week later I return from a trip and I have herp blisters near my ankle, two days later throat ache starts.
I had cold sores on my mouth my entire life, so it's probably HSV II, since the sores would give me protection against HSV I.
I sent a swap for PCR... But I already know I'm doomed...
Few licks on the skin and now I risk passing this on to everyone I meet.
I don't know what to do bros...
I feel so ashamed and dirty.
If it's on the ankle, will it flare on my junk later in life?
Will my saliva/mouth mucus membranes shed it if it's on the leg?

i became sick with a sore throat, fatigue, and body aches 10 days ago; kept testing neg on rapids and then took a PCpanel test 7 days ago, which came back negative for covid, flu a&b, and rsv. i was feeling better and started going about my daily life, but an itch in my throat persisted and returned in full force yesterday morning, back to feeling generally sick again. i’m still testing negative on rapids and plan to get a PCR today, just baffled by the length and resurgence of the symptoms. would people presume positive based on this timeline, or am i just being paranoid considering i was negative on PCR?

Hello, I never tested positive as I didn’t even suspect Covid until recently (I’m testing negative now) but I have a number of symptoms that line up with Covid/long covid eg woozy/dizziness for 5 weeks.
About 3 weeks ago I had heart palpitations (I think, I could feel my heart thumping in my chest) constantly for 3 days straight, but no change in heart rate. I went to the hospital who conducted numerous tests but said ultimately I was fine. In the weeks since my heart palpitations mostly went away unless I was doing something active like walking around the block or running up the stairs, but yesterday they came back, so I feel them at rest the same way I did three weeks ago. Has anyone who previously tested positive had this symptom? My heart rate only increases if I do something active but I can still feel the palpitations at 60bpm lying down.
I’m due to have blood tests next week to see if it’s anything else, other symptoms: woozy/dizziness - 5wk, full body fatigue and aches - 2wk, sore throat for a week 2 weeks ago, mucusy throat - 2 wk
Thank you in advance

Please any ideas of my symptoms
I had strong infection in August including swollen lymph node under armpit.
Woke up one day back then with my body on fire. Since then my symptoms include:

• whole body aches
• my back feels like its messed up, when I take breathe I feel stabbing pain in lots of areas, assymetry, even I feel deep stinging pain in throat/ear when I take breathe
• right shoulder pain, itching like neuropathy
• stabbing pains in face, head, ears
• burning eyes face
• redness on face, hot flushing, Red ears
• feeling of pain and asymmetry when walking
• deep pains in spine
• whole body pins needles, for example when I put on my clothes
• face skin eyelid twitching, scalp also, like electric shocks and skin jumping on head and face when I touch IT
• heatwaves burning on body mostly on evenings
• deep burning and hot feeling in legs and fingers
• whole body electric shocks, neuropathy so severe its painful to move my eyes
• bugs crawling under my skin
• constant phlegm/ post nasal drip

9 months of suffering. Only small improvement. Gabapentin, pregabalin, antihistamines without improvement. Good bloodwork. What should I do next? Mri, lumbar puncture?
I also have chronic genital infection resistant to antibiotics (but I still have some options like linezolid).
Its hell, I dont want to wake up anymore. Im trapped inside my body.

Overnight laat night I felt a sore throat come on and then that's when the random onset symptoms hit me at once which are stuffy nose, congestion, cough, sore throat, chills, body aches, fatigue, headache but no fever.
Also when I blow my nose my snot us yellow.

This is the longest, slowest and most exhausting illness I think I’ve ever encountered. I’m convinced it’s Covid despite five negative tests. I may have contracted it at a very crowded concert last week or at an unrelated doctors appointment (where they were also treating actively sick patients).
Had a sore throat on Sunday, but really didn’t think too much of it. Then on Monday (2 days ago) I woke up for work extremely fatigued and nauseous. I went about my daily routine until I got incredibly lightheaded and passed out on the bathroom floor. Chalked it up to not eating enough, but the problem persisted throughout the day and I have been incredibly weak and lethargic since.
1 day ago, sore throat became much more intense and runny nose started. Barely able to make it through the work day due to exhaustion and nausea.
Today I woke up feeling like shit. Pain in my face and ears and whole body aches, stuffy sinuses and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. I noticed a familiar painful burning sensation in my inner nostrils and absolutely zero sense of smell. Like can’t even tell the cat just took a huge dump in the litter box. I’ve been Covid positive twice before and the feeling was unmistakable.
Called off work and took two (expired) at home Covid tests which were negative. Made an appointment at the clinic to get tested there, also negative. Begged them for a PCR test but they don’t do that “because the rapid tests are so reliable now, PCR is not necessary”. I should mention the last time I had Covid (January) I also had two negative rapid tests before testing positive, so I don’t really trust them.
Tonight I have developed a dry cough and low grade fever. Wheezing sound when I breathe. Still have persistent and debilitating fatigue along with all of the previous symptoms. Bought two more at-home tests, both negative.
I’m still like 99% sure I have it. I realize I sound insane but I’ve had my fair share of flus and colds and nothing feels at all like Covid sick does. It’s also irritating that work is now expecting me to come back since I’m not positive, even though this illness (even if it isn’t Covid) is absolutely kicking my ass. Ugh.

I (19F) usually have to get at least 9 hours of sleep to feel well the next day, 10 to feel fully rested. I notice that on days where I get between 6-7.5 hours, even if I slept well a few nights in a row beforehand, I literally feel physically ill. My body temperature has even hit the high 99s and 100s (for reference, my base temperature is usually around 97.5). My entire body will ache, I’ll lose my appetite, and my face will go pale. I’ll become nauseated and experience dizziness by the time nighttime comes around, sometimes to the point where I have to lay down to avoid feeling faint. Sometimes I’ll even experience a stuffy nose and sore throat. Caffeine just makes these feelings worse. On days where I’m on my feet at work after a poorer night of sleep, the symptoms are really exacerbated as compared to days where I am mostly sitting in class or sitting down to do homework.
I ask this because it is really such a small difference in the length of my sleep that leads to these symptoms. I’m not sure if I’m the only one experiencing this so dramatically. If anyone else has experienced anything like this, have you found any answers or solutions? It’s going to be impossible to hold a 9-5 in the future without feeling miserable, since there will inevitably be nights I simply just don’t have time for 9-10 hours of sleep.

“Beasts all over the shop…You’ll be one of them, sooner or later…”
The strange Hunter turned around and exhaled. His breath was visible against the night’s air.
He’s bloodlusted. Aegis, I hope you have a plan.
Shimmer saw Elpis step back slightly, with a shocked expression on her face. She shakily raised a claw and pointed at something on the ground.
No. It… it can’t be.
That’s… horrible.
A shattered red jeweled necklace lay strewn across the ground, beside the mangled corpse of the Silkwing.
The Hivewing in front of the three swung his axe to the side. As it was a trick weapon, he was able to change its form on command. The axe had two forms: a shortened form that acted sort of like a sword, and an extended form specialized in crowd control and reach.
He extended his axe and Shimmer heard a low snarl from his throat.
“Do we kill him?” Elpis asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
“We don't have a choice. Steel yourself.” Aegis muttered and brandished his silksabers. The blades gleamed in the soft light of the three moons.
The hunter was taller than all of them, one head taller than Aegis and two taller than Shimmer and Elpis. Black tattered robes clung to him, marking him a Shadowhunter. Blood from tonight’s hunt stained the black fabric, showcasing his expertise and experience in the hunt. He wore a rounded dark-gray hat, and bloodied bandages covered his eyes. Shimmer wondered if he could even see.
Corpses of both beasts and dragons were scattered about the square-shaped courtyard, an equal amount of gravestones breaking up the open space. His teeth were uneven as if he had been eating and chewing rough bones. Blood dripped from his mouth down his neck, and his Hivewing stingers flexed in anticipation.
“Be careful,” Aegis started, “He’s going to use magic. Elpis, don’t use any of yours.” He told the hybrid dragon beside him, and she nodded.
The hunter walked slowly around them, searching for a weakness in their structure, and then spat out a lump of coagulated blood.
“That stench of squalid blood. No beast will be spared.” He half-muttered and half-growled. He tipped his hat respectfully, before lunging at Elpis. She dove to the side, and tried to retaliate with her scythe, but just slightly missed.
This hunter was agile, surprisingly so considering how old he looked. Shimmer gripped the handle of her silkhammer, knowing it wasn’t the time to strike. She stepped backward, seeking cover behind a grave, while Aegis leaped forward with the intent to pierce the frenzied hunter’s heart. Once again, the hunter rolled to the side and sent his axe hurtling towards the smaller Silkwing. Shimmer felt fear grip her heart, but Aegis avoided the blade. He fell back and motioned for Elpis to stay back.
“A sporting hunt. But alas, I’ve forgotten to ask your name.” Aegis growled, and the hunter laughed a sick, disturbing laugh.
“The name’s Gascoigne.” He shot back, and jumped into the air, slamming his axe down where Aegis was a split second ago. Shimmer’s ears rung from the sound of the impact. Her antennae subconsciously curled in defensively.
“Gascoigne. That’s a nice name. I’ll tell Ludwig you were a proud hunter till the end.” Aegis replied and sent his twin blades slicing into the hunter’s thigh. He recoiled, and a gleeful laugh escaped his bloodied mouth.
“Hehe… the sweet stench of blood. Just… just marvelous!” He exclaimed and raised his off-talon towards Aegis.
“Aegis! Get down!” Shimmer called, and a burst of flame erupted from the hunter’s claws across the courtyard. The limited magic the Hivewing had that he was willing to use in this hunt.
Aegis fell back, hissing in pain as a few stray flames singed his tail. The hunter chuckled under his breath, and Elpis took advantage of the opening he had presented her. She thrust the blade of her scythe toward him, opting for its sword form as of now, and the hunter knocked the blow aside. He countered with a kick to the Ice-Hivewing’s ribs, and she was sent to the ground. She coughed up a spurt of blue Icewing blood, and the hunter lifted his axe for a finishing blow.
Shimmer roared out and swung her hammer toward the hunter. The silk connected it to her wrists as it flew through the air, and it hit the hunter square in his side just as his axe was falling. He was sent into the opposite side of the courtyard, coughing and sputtering, but with a faint smirk on his face. Shimmer was in disbelief; how was he not dead?
“Ooh, what’s that smell… the sweet blood, ooh, it sings to me! It's enough to make a dragon sick.” Gascoigne laughed hollowly. He raised his talon, and Shimmer quickly rolled to the side as a ball of flame soared past her horns.
He’s going to turn at this rate.
Shimmer hid under a gravestone as a tree behind her erupted in flames, and Aegis jumped into the air. He beat his four wings ferociously before diving into the hunter. He caught both of Aegis’ horns, and he twisted his head. Aegis fell to the ground, and Gascoigne slashed his axe down across the Silkwing’s leg. Aegis cried out, and Shimmer’s heart ached. She pushed herself up, ignoring the raging fire around her, and she threw her hammer up in the air and aimed it towards the hunter. He narrowly evaded the heavy impact of the stone before Shimmer heard a metal clang behind her.
Elpis, scythe in one talon, approached Gascoigne. She had the little music box in her other.
Elpis played the music box and a song of eerie notes filled the courtyard.
The hunter stumbled back, clawing at his face, and Elpis shot Shimmer a look, her face telling her to make sure Aegis was okay.
Elpis advanced on the struggling hunter, and Shimmer leaped over to her Silkwing partner, who was injured on the ground. She felt tears welling in her eyes, but she knew this wasn’t the time to cry.
“Aegis. Look at me. Look at me.” She repeated, and he lifted his head weakly. His leg had a massive gash in it, but he could probably still walk, just with a limp.
“Ah, Shimmer. I’m alright. I’ll be back in the fight. Go, help Elpis. I’ll join back soon enough.” He groaned, and the pair heard a roar behind them.
Elpis was locked in a duel with Gascoigne, and the hunter’s stray fireballs met with blasts of frostbreath. For the first time in the battle, the hunter had a slight look of fear on his face. Elpis was relentless, her burial blade swiftly countering and stopping any attempt Gascoigne made at advancing. Aegis crawled back and attempted to stand, using a grave for support.
“Shimmer! I can’t hold him for long!” Elpis called, and Shimmer nodded. She took the hammer in her claws and swung it around her side, and in a clockwise circle in the air. It was the perfect counterweight to her body weight. She hoisted it up further into the air and then brought it crashing down onto the hunter.
It struck Gascoigne directly on the spine, and he fell to the ground.
He screamed in pain.
And then, a bright light flashed from his body.
His screams deepened in tone, morphing to be more animalistic. His posture fell forward, and his muscles rippled through his body. He grew in size, and more of his bloodied garb ripped from the size change.
Fur sprouted from seemingly random places on the Hivewing’s body, and his claws extended. His face shifted, his features becoming more and more distorted. His black hat fell to the ground.
The bandages around his eyes stayed, as well as the black-tattered garb that marked him as once a Hunter.
He was no longer a Hunter. Moons above, he wasn’t even a dragon anymore.
He was now a beast.
Shimmer’s heart pounded in her chest. She stared at the transformation for a split second, before reeling in her hammer. She took it in her right talon and dove behind a gravestone, wary of the spreading flames.
Elpis, on the other claw, held her blade in front of her. Shimmer heard a rasping cough escape the Ice-HiveWing’s throat, but she didn’t break her stance.
The beast that was once Gascoigne whipped around toward Elpis, and launched himself at her, with a ferocity Shimmer had never seen even in beasts.
Elpis sidestepped quickly. The beast slammed into the wall with a loud roar, and Shimmer spied Aegis in her peripheral vision struggling to stand. He winced as he stood on his injured leg, but didn’t cry out. He brandished his two blades as the beast charged at him.
“Aegis!” Shimmer cried.
He’s going to get hit. That beast will kill him.
Aegis ignored her, and as soon as the beast was within a wingspan from him he twisted his body in such a way that he narrowly avoided the savage charge. He elegantly sliced his twin blades across the beast’s hide, and the creature howled before rapidly turning to face him.
Shimmer flew into the air. “Get away from him!” She yelled before bringing the weight of her hammer down on the beast. It flattened part of his ribcage, but it seemed impervious to the pain. It did knock him to the ground, though, giving Aegis a moment to cut through what was once two of the hunter’s wings.
The beast quickly got back on its claws before sending a flurry of swipes towards Shimmer. She dodged to the side and readied her hammer for another strike.
That was before the beast kicked her square in her chest, its sharp, ravenous claws digging in and tearing her scales. Shimmer fell back, a slight gasp escaping her mouth, and she stumbled back into the wall. She lost her footing and fell to the ground, and gazed up at the beast locked on her.
“Aegis! Help!” She yelled, and not even a second later her Silkwing partner crashed into the beast. They fell to the ground, grappling with each other before Shimmer heard a familiar song fill the courtyard.
Elpis was cranking the music box, its ominous lullaby breaking up the noise of the fight. The beast stopped attacking Aegis and instead clawed at its face. It growled and screamed in pain, drawing blood from its very own fur and scales.
“Now! Kill it!” She yelled through the song, and Aegis nodded before driving his two blades through the beast’s skull.
They stuck, and the beast roared before throwing him off. It crawled and thrashed about on the ground, clearly not dead, and the two new blades stuck to his head pointed out like new horns.
Now’s my chance.
Shimmer stumbled to her claws and wound her hammer up into the air. With every last bit of her strength, she brought it down on the flailing beast.
It crushed what was left of the hunter.
Silence filled the courtyard, only broken by a few stray notes from the music box, the pained breathing of the three hunters in the area, and the howls and screams from other places in the Hive.
Shimmer breathed a sigh of relief, before collapsing.
I did it. We did it.
Gascoigne was free.
…
“I brought you water.”
Shimmer opened her eyes and found herself in her familiar hospital room.
The morning sun’s rays lit the room, and Shimmer felt very little pain from her chest.
It had been three days since that night.
Shimmer fixed her gaze on the purple-orange Silkwing sitting beside her and smiled.
“Thanks. I’m feeling much better, we should get going to Bloodworm soon. It’s today, remember?” Shimmer asked, and he nodded. Of course, he remembered.
The summons for every hunter to come to Bloodworm Hive. Ludwig, The Holy Blade had requested them all. He no doubt planned an attack. A shame really, the hive was only newly rebuilt. And now it was going to be the site of a horrid, savage warzone.
“I remember. Are you sure you’re feeling okay? Ludwig would understand if you couldn’t come,” Aegis asked, and she spied a hint of worry on his face.
“I’m fine. I need to make sure you don’t do anything stupid. I’ll come.” She sighed and took a sip from the canteen that Aegis had brought. It tasted wonderful, he had put something in to flavor it.
“Honeydew?” She guessed, and Aegis smiled.
“Yep. It’s your favorite, right?” He asked, and she nodded. She opened her arms, and he hugged her tight.
“I love you,” Shimmer whispered in his ear.
“I love you too. I pray to Clearsight that we’ll both be safe today. I can’t bear to lose you.” Aegis replied. He pulled away and gazed out the window.
Shimmer quickly drank the rest of the honeydew-flavored water before getting out of bed. She joined him at the window and was slightly surprised by what she saw.
Almost all of the hunters of Jewel Hive were preparing, some of them already flying in the direction of Bloodworm. They were all sharpening their trick weapons, mixing poisons, or saying goodbye to loved ones.
“We should get going. It’ll be midmorning when we get there, I don’t want to be late.” Shimmer suggested, and Aegis put a wing around her.
“Now? I need to get my stuff, and you do too. Join me at the workshop.” He asked, and she slid her head in the curve of his neck as he led her out of her sick room.
…
Shimmer beat her wings strong and fast against the morning savanna winds.
She saw what looked to be several hundred, maybe even a thousand dragons gathered around a hill. All of them had a colored garb fluttering proudly from their neck. Around ninety percent of the garbs were white, and the rest were black.
They were all different tribes and a fair amount of hybrids were scattered about as well. The gathered hunters were mostly Pantalan, but a good few were from Pyrrhia as well.
Shimmer and Aegis landed a short distance away from the hill, and all around them the sounds of dragons conversing and laughing with each other.
The sun was high in the sky, but it wasn’t quite noon yet.
“You see anyone you recognize?” Aegis asked, and Shimmer shook her head.
“There’s too many dragons here. It’s too much.” She whimpered, and Aegis pulled her close. He knew she didn’t do well in crowds. That was partly why she became a Shadowhunter. To work alone or with no more than a few other dragons.
“You’re safe with me.” He comforted her, and she leaned against him.
She had always hated being with a lot of other dragons. Aegis said it sounded like she had anxiety, which made sense. It didn’t do much to alleviate that fear, though.
None of them are thinking about you. They’re all busy with their own stuff.
Just take deep breaths.
“Do you want to move away? There’s fewer dragons over there,” He asked and pointed a claw across from them.
“…No, no I’m fine.” She whispered, and Aegis sighed.
“Alright. If you want to move, don’t be afraid to ask. I don’t mind it.”
Shimmer shook her head quickly, before the pair heard a loud voice from the top of the hill. They both looked up and saw the legendary hunter himself: Ludwig.
The menacing Nightwing stood proudly, his holy silver sword slung across his shoulder. His partner Memoria stood beside him, her tail twined around his. She had a bored look on her face as she stared at the crowd. The voices of the dragons fell silent, and Shimmer felt like she could breathe again.
The Nightwing’s loud voice echoed through the plain. “Dear Hunters.” He paused, his heroic voice inspiring pride and triumph in Shimmer, even though he had barely started.
“I’m sure all of you know why we’re here. Behind me, Bloodworm Hive stands proud against the horizon. Yet I am more than certain you all know what lies inside.” He paused and pointed his sword toward the dark shape of the Hive.
“Beasts. A few thousand. I think it’s time we put them out of their misery. That is why we are here. A battle of the ages, one that will go down in history. We, the brave heroes, fighting against evil. We will be reveled, we will be honored. We will protect the dragons we hold dear to our hearts, and save those we can yet save.” His speech roused the crowd, and Shimmer felt herself stand a little taller.
“The plan is simple. The Hunters of the Sun will lead the charge from the front. I have already talked to the leaders of the charge. The Shadowhunters will pick the stray beasts off from behind. We will attack at dusk when half the sun is hidden from the eye.” He gestured with his sword at the rising sun, and he extended his wings. His massive wingspan seemed to fill the sky, and Shimmer's heart swelled with pride.
He held his sword up to the heavens, and it transformed. It grew larger, into the shape of a claymore, and it turned a shade of sacred jade. It glowed with an otherworldly light, and the crowd was enamored by the display.
“Now, hunters. Spend the rest of today preparing. The hunt is on tonight. Ludwig, The Holy Blade will be with all of you in spirit.” He bellowed, and the crowd erupted in applause and cheers.
Shimmer saw a proud, triumphant look in Aegis’ eyes, and she felt the same. Ludwig’s blade captivated her. The blade of legend, inspiring all who lay eyes on it.
Ludwig would be with them tonight. The best, the greatest, the strongest hunter ever.
Tonight, the hunters would not know defeat.
Nor would they ever, with Ludwig alive and at their side.
May the good blood guide your way,
Ultima_8

So I’ve had heart burn since I was young. It’s pretty common in my family and everyone I know has just learned to live with it. Last summer I made the brilliant decision to try a two week course of omeprazole. I didn’t think anything would come off it. When I was on it my heart burn completely disappeared. But the moment I went off it my heart burn came back ten times worse. I tried to just manage it like I used to, tums and seltzers, but it was constant and unbearable. Finally I caved and saw a doctor and surprise surprise they told me I needed to be on omeprazole indefinitely. Maybe the rest of my life. I wasn’t crazy about being completely dependent on Omeprazole but I figured atleast my heart burn was gone. But about seven months into me being on Omeprazole I started getting some other side effects. Nausea, constant burping, vomiting, stomach aches and this feeling in my chest after I ate. Like the food wasn’t going down, like it was getting stuck in my throat. I went back to the doctor and they put me on a stronger version of Omeprazole. That made the symptoms better for a bit but then- you guessed it- they came back worse. Now I don’t know what to do anymore. My heartburn is gone sure but I’ve been left with all these other issues that bother me on a day to day basis. I’m trying to get in to see a GI specialist but I’m worried they won’t be able to help me. I know the Omeprazole cause all these issues but if I go off it I’ll be in heartburn, acid reflux hell. Currently I’m getting sick and vomiting most days. My better days are the ones where I only have the burps even though those are persistent and uncomfortable. Has anyone else experienced this? If yes how do you deal with it? Any similar experiences or maybe non pharmaceutical remedies that might help would be greatly appreciated.

28 year old man. I had open heart surgery 2 years ago, and suffer from recurrent pericarditis. The ECG definitively showed my first two episodes of pericarditis, but ever since then, it’s been over a year of normal blood work, ECGs, echos, and even a CT scan. They cannot find anything. My symptoms aren’t even reminiscent of pericarditis anymore (some are, some aren’t). Starting with the worst symptoms, I have shortness of breath, fatigue, malaise, brain fog and depression, muscle aches, joint pain, anxiety, stabbing throat pain, and like no interest in sex. I can feel great for a week but then awful for 2+ weeks. It fluctuates like that, but it’s mostly just an awful time. Exertion makes it worse, and lifting any sort of weights exacerbates the muscle and joint pain. But if I just run or walk too much, I don’t get the muscle and joint pain very much. I feel like this has to be something other than pericarditis. I’m waiting for ANA results and like all my other blood work, I’ll probably be seronegative.
Please help. I can barely function some days. I don’t know how I’m going to hold down a job. I have no pleasure in anything anymore. I’m gasping for a breath most of the time but my oxygen levels and breathing tests are all fine. And then there are days where I can feel like I can do anything. I can breathe normally. No pain. Everything is fine. But that’s short lived. It’s not depression nor anxiety on its own. That I know for sure. I’ve suffered with mild depression and anxiety before my surgery as well, and it was nothing like this.

I wondering if I could get help figure out if I have a cold or it’s just allergies. On Sunday, my throat felt a little funny and by Monday morning I woke up with a sore throat no other symptoms. Monday night I took 50mg Benadryl and ibuprofen 600mg. Tuesday morning my sore throat was gone but I began to have nasal irritation. Today, I still have the nasal irritation and I’ve been sneezing and coughing more, my eyes little are swollen. I don’t feel fatigued nor do I have muscle aches. I took a Covid and strep throat test on Monday both came back negative. I took another Covid test today it’s negative. Does this sound like allergies?

Hi, I currently have a random assortment of symptoms and can’t figure out what it is… I have congestion that is milder than a typical cold, an incessantly sore throat, a constant headache, body aches, one day of fever, sleeping no less than 14 hours a day, very mild shortness of breath. Oh yeah and my mucus is pretty green. This has lasted over a week now. It feels like a lite-version of combined cold, flu, and covid.

I’m on day 13 of being symptomatic, and on day like 5 of the worst, most painful sore throat situation I’ve ever experienced. I’m not sure I’ve ever been in this much pain in my whole life. My throat is so swollen with like huge white patches on it. I can’t talk, I can’t eat, it takes painful, cartoonish effort to even swallow a sip of water. I can’t even sleep at night the pain is so bad. I haven’t slept at ALL in two days and a couple days ago i was prescribed prednisone for my throat, but it isn’t helping yet, it’s still just getting worse and more painful. Not even trying to be dramatic but I don’t even want to watch tv anymore. All I do is sit in silence and on again off again cry while i sip on water. Is it supposed to be this bad, has anyone else has prednisone for this? When does it start helping? I’m losing my mind. I can handle the fevers and body aches and inability to do anything. I cant handle this sore throat thing. Please please give advice and recommendations because i’m exhausted and so hungry and can’t handle this pain!!! It’s bad enough that as a serious nicotine addict of many years, I haven’t touched a vape or a cigarette in over a week. Idek if I can emphasize how big of a deal for me that is. This really hurts. Advice pls

Yesterday was my first day of treatment. Started out with problems with the port, then started having heart palpitations.got that fixed. 3 hours into a 6 hour session, I got body aches, itchy tongue, throat and mouth. I had a fever and felt real cold. My BP was high and my resting heart rate was 138. So we stopped the treatment. The symptoms went away immediately. I was given more Benadryl and Ativan. And then they slowed down the treatment. Went well for the rest of the day.
I’ve had no side effects other than feeling tired but not so tired I can’t do anything. I am still bracing myself for what’s to come. I hope it’s working.

Hi, I really need some help from this community. Any feedback or recommendations would be so much appreciated. I am a 37yr old male, and I suspect I may have a LGV (lymphogranuloma venereum). Below I have a long-ish summarized timeline of my symptoms, dr visits, and labs.
TLDR:... I have several labs that show IGG for LGV, but not showing IGM/IGA, and the labs and doctors say it is a past infection. Have taken antibiotics but symptoms persist. I am in utter misery, and I visited an infectious disease doctor, and I felt like they blew me off and they agreed with the lab results that this is all a past infection. They believe all my symptoms are auto-immune related.
__________________________________________________________
2020-2021 – Started having sores in the corners of my mouth, and bumps in my mouth along with burning in mouth. Infrequent blisters on lip (never crusted up, just would go away). Rashes on body
2022 – December 2023 – In addition to all of the above continuing, had difficulty urinating, leaking urine, lethargy, body aches. Pain in kidney area. Almost every orifice of my body had burning sensation (eyes, ears, nose/sinus, mouth, rectum, sore throat). Small pustules are present in my nostrils. Sinuses appear to be inflamed. Burning sensation in pelvis area.
Saw doctor multiple times and was tested for various things but only thing showed was a severe Epstein-Barr infection in spring of 2023. Symptoms felt worse and worse, and I went again back to the doctor as I thought I may still be experiencing EBV. I requested to be retested for EBV, test for Lupus (ANA), and was tested for LGV.
Doctor prescribed me azithromycin for my sinuses/ears. Within 36-48 hours of taking azithromycin, I had near immediate relief of urological and sinus symptoms, and within a few days my eyes no longer burned.
Test came back that I was over EBV, showed some ANA stuff, and showed a past infection of LGV (C.TRACHOMATIS L1 AB (IGG) 1:64 H) in December of 2023.
I proceeded to setup an appointment with a rheumatologist to address the ANA stuff. Drew multiple labs and felt I had a sensitive immune system, prescribed steroids. By late Jan of 2024 I felt probably 90% better.
February 2024 – Felt nearly completely ok at this point. Had cystoscopy and nothing unusual was noted.
Early March 2024 – Had sex with wife, and all urological symtoms return within about 2 days, and within a week all prior symtoms return, and worse than ever. Frequent urination, difficulty urination, burning sensation in bladder, pain in lower back and kidney area. Rash on testicles that comes and goes. Burning inside of pelvic area. It seemed to me to be very obvious correlation of the timing of symptoms to sex. Wife shows no obvious symptoms.
March 2024 – Was prescribed azithromycin (500mg/day for 10 days) again, and doxycycline (100mg/2x day for 21 days), and when I started the azithromycin within a day it started helping my urological and sinus symptoms, but seemed to stop helping after a couple of days. I finished both rx’s and with no further relief of symptoms.
3/21/24 – Urine screen for UTI/STI's and blood work for LGV. All negative (did not show LGV past infection now)
4/16/24 – LGV test ran again, and now shows past infection again (C.TRACHOMATIS L1 AB (IGG) 1:128 H), but also shows C. Trachomatis D-K AB (IGG 1:64 H) as a past infection now.
__________________________________________________________

So I just got back from a 5 min doctors appointment where essentially nothing was checked and I was told I had fibromyalgia.
About 3 weeks ago I had what appeared to be a gastritis flair up , but also pain from lower back to side of ribs and even in the flank area. It feel like constipation cramps in my back flank area ngl. It was constant as well. After an urgent care visit they told me it wasn’t kidney stones and may have been anxiety.
Fast forward 3 weeks , the constipation like cramps have gone away and my stomach issues have gotten better. But now I’m having rib cage pain , chest pain and what feels like throat stiffness pain. I almost feel like my throats closing up constantly. I can breath fine and take deep breaths but my sternum feels sore and this winded feeling comes and goes. Definitely gets worse with anxiety and the pain at worse gets to a 5 and the lowest is like a 2. It’s mostly like dull achy, sometimes burning pain. Both side of my ribs constantly ache and also the pain is at the bottom rib on both sides. The pain tends to shift all over the place. Even on my upper back. Like yesterday sitting in my computer chair made my back hurt , it felt sore
My issue is I sat in the doctors office explained everything then he told me it could be fibromyalgia and prescribed me antidepressants that can help with the pain. This was all in the matter of 5 mins. Taking vitals took longer. I have really bad health anxiety and usually have a hard time believing doctors but this time idk just seem like it could be something else

Hi all,
Just wanted to share my experience growing up and then using the healthcare system as an adult. I have technically had the same family doctor since I was 12- until I let her go.
As of now, I have no family doctor. I have several health issues- most I was never able to address or have diagnosed by my old doctor- and the ones I did present to her, she had no interest in helping. I want to stress how it's not enough that you get a doctor after years of waitlist; you actually need a good one for anything to matter. I would rather die doctorless than have my previous family doctor, and I'm sure she's accidentally killed from medical malpractice and I'm not willing to be a victim to her. This is a doctor from Charlotte County.
She has, over the years, done several things to people I know:

• told a woman she has stage 4 cancer, then at the end of the appointment realized she had the wrong file and the woman didn't have cancer after all. She did not apologize.
• told my father his livers were failing, then at the end of the appointment my father asks her to double check, and turns out his liver is healthy as can be. She did not apologize
• if you've done any kind of drug in your past, she will mock you for drug use and won't prescribe or diagnose you with anything and make you feel bad about yourself. Not me, but a friend who had an addiction in the past- she wouldn't send him to get diagnosed due to his past, and he ended up passing away from undiagnosed cancer
• told a family member who has had an undiagnosed heart problem for 5 years, "what do you want me to do about it? You're never getting this resolved." And told her why are you even here
• told me "why would anyone ever hire you in your condition?" All disgusted after asking for a refill for my ADHD medications- just made me feel bad about trying to find a job that suited me
• told me she didn't have records of me coming into her office since 2015, except there was a document from 2022 sitting right in front of her in my file- she persisted with the narrative she hadn't seen me since. She gaslights
• will whiplash you beyond belief. Tells you she won't do something, then says oh maybe I can.... then goes back to no, not doing it
• looks down upon autism diagnoses
• her references are terrible
• makes you feel like the biggest piece of trash in the world
• told me "I'm looking to retire, not reopen" when I asked if I could tell her 2 medical issues instead of only 1

And she never, ever apologizes if she does something wrong. Just skims right over it.
The health issues I've either never been able to address because she rushes you out the door, or she's told me she won't fix: - over swollen tonsils for 10 years, one takes up most my airway and she won't remove them. I want them out so bad. - extremely bad ear aches all the time- like I have to pull over kind of bad- my ears are full of scars from infant ear infections and they've reopened, also recently tinnitus too - mental illness that has ruined my life, which she doesn't seem to believe in - ingrown toenails that need to be fixed - bumps on my head that are painful - my bones have sharp aches constantly and my joints occasionally feel extremely twisted - IUD problems - I need a referral to a throat doctor, she said no
This post is all to say, it's not enough to be on the waitlist- you actually need to have a little luck and get a good doctor if you want to ever improve your health. I have spent a decade trying to get some of these problems resolved, and I am shot down or ignored everytime. I get better care in the ER than I ever do from my own doctor.
And I just exist with all of these issues and I am told to figure out how to live with it. Dealing with a bad doctor was somehow worse than dealing with no doctor at all. I have learned that I can't trust a doctor to help me- I have turned to finding my own ways to cope with pain and living like this.
No one wants to help me, fine. I guess you just get the short end of the stick if your health problems aren't cookie cutter enough.
The last time I saw her I left her office bawling from some of the things she said to me, so I made the decision to never go back. If it takes me 5-6 years to get my own doctor again, that's fine- I'd rather suffer knowing I have a shot at a doctor who will listen than ever see her again.
If I can't get my prescriptions renewed through maple, I guess I'll just stop taking them.
So cross your fingers and hope you get a good one. If you have a good one, never let them go- because others are out here fighting their own doctor for decades trying to be medically well again.
I did not win the doctor lottery, so I've re-entered.
TL, DR; there are good doctors and bad doctors in New Brunswick. You need luck on your side when you, eventually in 2030, get your own doctor- so cross your fingers you don't have to fight with one for 12 years just to breathe better.

It’s day 2 of zero vaping or nicotine, and I feel horrendous.
Sore throat, headaches, dizziness, coughing up unholy things, body aches… even my hair is sore. I can’t tell if I’m actually sick, or I’m just fiending for nicotine so badly it feels worse than having covid did for me.