Sweat, body ache, diarrhea, headache

My remaining years are few and my body is weak, yet my memories are still sharp, so I shall share a tale I’ve long kept secret. I no longer wish to take it with me to the grave. I once feared that others might be drawn to this horrible experience of mine, like those who wander too close to the edges of a roaring tornado, only to be consumed and mangled beyond recognition. But I’ve come to realize that it was naive to think this way. Though some may not heed a tornado's warning, that’s no reason not to sound the alarm. And so, I tell this story with that purpose in mind.
Consider this the gravest of warnings to stay away from Stonemoor Manor.
In the year of 1953, I was but a young man, though already busy with the responsibilities of a career and a family. Despite my tender age, I had already dabbled in various trades, for I was a restless spirit, never one to settle. From labor to intellect, I had tried my hand at it all. With equal prowess in both craft and wit, I found my true calling in a profession that demanded both: veterinary medicine.
Life in Ireland was tough in those times. Many young families were heading off for better opportunities overseas. Though I was hesitant at first, myself and the wife decided we’d eventually do the same for our daughter’s sake. But I wasn’t about to take them to a new land empty-handed, so we agreed to stay another year in Ireland while I put away some coin. To stretch our savings as far as they would go, we chose to see out our final year in a rural spot where the cost of living was kinder on the pocket.
With but a year's worth of experience as a vet under my belt, I had yet to earn myself a reputation worth speaking of, nor had I much acquaintance with the locals in the village we'd chosen as our temporary home. Still, I held firm in the skills I possessed, my eagerness to learn, and my belief that this countryside community of farms and fields would provide ample chances to prove myself. To put it plainly, I was brimming with confidence, some might even call it cockiness. I suppose it was a mixture of that and desperation which brought me to Stonemoor Manor.
As the days stretched into months, I found myself haunting the local pub like a ghost, a familiar face among the regulars. My confidence was dwindling with the lack of work. It seemed like everyone in that village had the healthiest animals in all of Ireland, maybe even beyond. What a cruel twist, their blessed lives mocking my own struggles.
One evening, in my drunken stupor, I hadn’t noticed at first the gaunt figure come into the pub and saunter over to the shadowed corner where I was drowning my sorrows. It wasn’t until he spoke that I saw him.
“Are you the veterinarian?” He asked.
I raised my head and steadied my blurred gaze on the face of a man whose sunken features made him look more shadow than flesh. For a moment, I even thought I was looking at a skeleton.
“Aye, that’d be me.”
“They seek your presence at Stonemoor Manor.”
“And what’s the reason for that?”
“The Master’s horse has taken ill.”
“And what does this ‘master’ go by?”
The man glared in silence, then in a tone tinged with irritation and raised volume, declared, "His name is Alistair Stonemoor."
In an instant, the chatter in the pub fell silent, and every gaze turned toward our shadowed corner.
Under the weight of the pub's collective gaze, the man squirmed uncomfortably, his voice lowering as he muttered, "It matters not. You’ll be well rewarded for your troubles."
Past the man, the bartender shook his head in disapproval, fixing me with a stern glare, and silently mouthed the word, "no."
Despite the bartender's cautionary glance, fueled by youth, folly, and a healthy dose of drink, I brushed aside his advice and turned to the man, blurting out, "How much is this Master Stonemoor offering?"
The man leaned closer, his face illuminated by the flickering candlelight, revealing a gaunt, pallid countenance and foggy eyes. He looked every bit of his seventy years or more. "Sufficient to settle comfortably upon reaching the shores of America," he murmured.
In that moment, it would have been prudent to heed the warning signaled by the hairs standing on end at the nape of my neck. When your instincts scream "leave," it's best to listen. But the allure of a swift resolution to my troubles clouded my judgment. The prospect of a better life sooner than expected was too tempting to resist. So, I rose from my seat and addressed the man, "I'll go fetch me things.”
I made the decision I believed was best for my family.
God rest their souls.
I kept from my lovely Mary the weight the Stonemoor name carried in the pub. She'd have put a stop to my leaving in an instant. Instead, I spun a tale of a wealthy gent in need of my skills, assuring her I'd be back when the job was done. With our wee Annie already tucked in for the night, I kissed my wife goodbye, gathered my tools, and slipped into the back of a sleek black sedan, driven by the mysterious man with eyes like fog, seemingly undeterred by their cloudy gaze.
I leaned in and murmured, "Didn't quite catch your name, sorry.”
“Never said it.”
“Ah, right. What is it, then?”
“Fergus.”
“Pleasure, Fergus. I’m Liam.”
“I know.”
“Right. The ad. You’ve seen me ad.”
With no response from Fergus, I pressed on, asking, "How far is Stonemoor Manor from here?"
“About a half hour drive.”
What ensued was a half-hour journey enveloped in silence, traversing through the village and onto a dirt path winding through a dense, shadowy forest. Eventually, we arrived at an iron gate, which swung open onto a secluded road. Despite my keen observation, I couldn't discern who operated the gate, nor who secured it shut behind us. Ten minutes further along this secluded path, the woods parted, revealing the grandeur of Stonemoor Manor for the first time.
It bore a striking resemblance to a castle, its exterior fashioned from grey stone adorned with towers and crenellations, save for the central portion, which appeared to be of Victorian design. Judging by the numerous windows, the manor rose at least four stories high, not accounting for any underground levels.
The manor lay bathed solely in the moon's glow, devoid of any external illumination. Among the multitude of windows, only one emitted light: a solitary glimmer from a small window perched atop one of the corner towers.
Fergus brought the car to a halt, then stepped out and opened my door. With a nod, he gestured towards the manor and uttered, "Master Stonemoor awaits you within."
"Up there, is he?” I acknowledged, stepping out of the vehicle and casting a nod towards the illuminated window.
Ignoring my question, Fergus closed the door firmly. "Come along," he directed, leading the way towards the looming manor.
We climbed stone steps to confront a grand iron door, effortlessly opened by old Fergus. He gestured for me to enter before closing the door with a heavy thud that echoed through the foyer. Cast only in the moon's silver light, the room revealed itself in fragments, with stone stairs disappearing into the shadows ahead. Fergus had vanished from sight, leaving me to navigate the dimness alone.
I called out for Fergus, but my voice echoed unanswered, stirring a growing sense of unease. Doubt crept in, whispering of traps and deceit. With cautious steps, I retreated towards the door, its cool iron offering a sense of security. Fumbling in the darkness, my heart quickened with each passing moment, panic threatening to overwhelm me. Just as my trembling hand found the handle, the room burst into light.
“Departing so soon, are we?”
A new voice pierced the silence, resonating with youth and vigor unlike Fergus's. Swiveling around, my eyes met those of a tall, middle-aged man clad in a sleek black three-piece suit, accented by a bold red tie. With raven-black hair framing his face and piercing blue eyes, he commanded the landing of the steps, which diverged to his left and right.
“Ah, sorry now. I seemed to have gone and misplaced Fergus,” I chuckled sheepishly. “Thought he might’ve been locked out. I take it you’re Mister Stonemoor?”
"Please, call me Alistair," he replied with a nod. "And you must be Doctor Kerrigan?"
"Aye... Liam, that's me name," I stammered. "Only the creatures call me doctor."
I couldn't tell if the jest garnered even a smirk, for Alistair remained rooted to the spot at the top of the stairs, a considerable distance away.
"Anyhow," I persisted, "I understand there's a sick horse in need of attention?"
"Are you drunk, Doctor?" Alistair's tone was pointed, his gaze piercing.
Alistair's question caught me off guard, leaving me momentarily speechless, akin to a child caught in mischief. Yet, I had a feeling of innocence; after all, it was Fergus who had recruited me from the pub.
“I’ve had a few pints this evening.”
“I can smell it on you.”
“That is truly impressive.”
“There is nothing impressive about it, Doctor Kerrigan.”
“Well, I didn’t go swimming in it, did I?”
“I do not know and I find your sarcasm unwelcome. Fergus will escort you to a chamber, and you shall begin attending to my horse at daybreak."
“Hold on now, I'm sorry for me behavior, but I can't be staying the night. I've got a family to get back to. And anyhow, shouldn't this horse be needing emergency treatment?"
Alistair turned on his heel and ascended the staircase to his right. "Treatment can wait until you've sobered up," he declared, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"I'm plenty sober!" I hollered after him as he vanished up the stairs. "Me hands are steady as a rock!" My protest echoed through the empty foyer, but Alistair had already disappeared from sight.
Fergus emerged from the shadows of a nearby hallway, causing me to startle. "I will show you to your room.”
“You’re a right sly one, Fergus. Anyway, I can’t be sticking around for the night.”
“Master intends to further compensate you for your time.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I shall return you to your burdens.”
With my jaw clenched and eyes shut tight, I drew in a deep breath. For a fleeting moment, a vision danced in my mind's eye: my little Annie, her smile radiant as she pointed towards Lady Liberty. So precious she was, my heart ached with longing for her to have a better life.
"Fine," I relented, opening my eyes. "Show me to the room."
As I awoke, it was not to the gentle glow of morning light, but to the harsh brightness of noon. Jumping from the bed, I checked my watch, confirming my fears. With urgency, I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my bag, and hastened out of the bedroom. Stepping into the hallway, I was disoriented, with no recollection of its layout from the night before. Rows of closed doors lined the corridor, and I began to try each one in turn. Pushing and pulling, I soon realized that every door was locked. Surely, not every room warranted such security, I pondered, my frustration growing with each failed attempt.
As I ventured down the hall and finally arrived at the imposing stone staircase, the resounding clicks of each door unlocking in unison sent shivers down my spine. Goosebumps prickled across my skin, and I hastened my descent down the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest. Just as I reached the bottom, I came to an abrupt stop, narrowly avoiding a collision with the ghastly figure of Fergus.
“Sleep well?” He asked.
“Jesus, Fergus! It’s noon! Has the horse given up the ghost yet? And, I haven’t a clue what’s happening upstairs, but…”
“Master Stonemoor awaits your presence in the stables.”
I looked at Fergus a moment, wondering if he’d heard a word I’d said, then relented, “Okay, then. Can I use a phone first?”
“There’s no phone on this property.”
“No phone? That’s a bit old-fashioned, isn’t it? I need to let me wife know where I am.”
“I will send word.”
“Quickly, then. Just let her know not to be worrying about me. I’ll be back once the job is done.”
Fergus nodded in acknowledgement before guiding me towards the stables. In the light of day, the grandeur of Stonemoor Manor became even more apparent. It truly was a colossal structure, dominating the landscape with its impressive presence.
The stables were nearly empty, save for one stall at the far end where I found Alistair tending to a black thoroughbred, sprawled on straw, barely clinging to consciousness.
"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Alistair remarked, not lifting his gaze from her.
"Aye, but she's in a bad way."
Alistair nodded solemnly. "She's been like this for some time.”
"You should've woke me.”
"Wouldn't have changed a thing." Alistair paused in his brushing of the horse’s mane and rested his hand upon her flank, following the rhythm of her strained breaths.
"Isn't it me duty to tend to her?"
Alistair withdrew his hand and straightened up, his eyes bluer than ever. "No, it's not." And just then, the horse's breathing stopped. "Come along, Doctor."
Alistair guided me through the grand house, down echoing halls, and into a room adorned with portraits aplenty. He paused in the center of the room and asked, "Any of these faces look familiar?" I scoured the walls until I stumbled upon a particular painting, a sight that nearly shook me to the core. In that frame, a woman and a young lass gazed back at me, bearing an eerie resemblance to my own Mary and our sweet Annie.
My blood boiled with fury, convinced that this portrait depicted my own wife and daughter. Suspicion gnawed at me, and I eyed Alistair with distrust, wondering if he was some sort of obsessed deviant. "Out with it," I demanded, my voice sharp with anger.
“No need to fret, Doctor. This painting predates your girls by quite a stretch."
"I'm not taking it, they're too alike for comfort.”
"I’m just as baffled as yourself," Alistair conceded, his words laced with sadness. "The girls in the painting are my dear wife and daughter. Both passed away some time ago."
I stood silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize." My gaze returned to the portraits before scanning the room again, my eyes catching on something odd. "Don't you have any photographs of them?"
Alistair let out a weary sigh and turned to me. "I'm afraid not," he confessed. "They passed before photographs were even a notion."
A puzzled chuckle broke from my lips. "Surely not. Cameras have been about for a hundred years," I countered, shaking my head in disbelief.
Alistair fixed me with a steady gaze, betraying no hint of doubt or error. "So it be," he affirmed with quiet certainty.
Apart from Alistair's piercing blue eyes, other features seemed to have taken on a newfound radiance. His skin possessed a youthful glow, his hair appeared fuller, and his jawline more defined. Alistair, it seemed, had undergone a remarkable rejuvenation, growing younger right before my eyes.
“Pardon me asking, but in which year were you born, Mister Stonemoor?”
Alistair smirked and made his way to a sizable wooden desk and lowered himself onto a chair. "Are you a man of faith, Doctor Kerrigan?”
Assuming this to be a roundabout approach, I responded, "Aye, I've a healthy fear of the Almighty."
Alistair rummaged through a drawer and withdrew a hefty leather-bound tome, causing a cloud of dust to rise as he placed it upon his desk. Flipping it open, he motioned for me to approach. Amongst the sea of words, atop the first page, was a title:
The Knights Templar.
What Alistair divulged to me was a tale so fantastical, it surpassed any yarn I'd ever heard spun. He claimed to have once been among the legendary Knights Templar, embroiled in the Crusades and journeying across continents in pursuit of sacred relics and hidden truths.
But as history tells, the Templars met a grim fate, condemned by their own church and hunted to extinction. Yet, Alistair was no mere casualty of that bloody chapter. He was a survivor, lurking in the very woods where Stonemoor Manor now stood, clutching to the shadows with a treasure in hand.
Amongst the spoils of his clandestine escapades was a fabled emerald tablet, etched with secrets believed to bridge the mortal realm with the divine. Alistair, having purloined the tablet and sought refuge in the forest, claimed to have communed with the Almighty himself. And in that sacred dialogue, he made a plea, and it was granted.
Thus, his years became as boundless as his desires.
As his narrative drew to a close, Alistair closed the book and beckoned me to follow him back to the stables. Stunned into silence after what I’d just heard, I trailed behind him as we retraced our steps to the very spot where we had witnessed the horse's demise. And once we arrived, still, my tongue lay dormant as I beheld the miraculous sight before me: the once lifeless creature now stood vibrant and strong.
Finally, a solitary word escaped my lips, a gasp of incredulity as I uttered, "How?"
"The Lord bestowed upon me a gift," Alistair confessed, his voice weighted with solemnity. "But it came at a cost. In death, I find life. With each soul I take, I grow younger."
The transformation in Alistair's appearance now made sense, yet it did little to quell my lingering doubts about the resurrection of the horse. "But why is the horse alive, then?" I pressed, seeking further clarification.
In response, Alistair simply glanced past me, nodding toward a figure looming in the shadows. Turning, my eyes fell upon Fergus, his form now even more weathered, his countenance more gaunt and gray. He looked to have aged another decade.
Alistair spoke as I stood in awe, elucidating, "With death, I am rejuvenated, yet with life, Fergus withers further. I take and I gain, while he gives and he loses. Our blessing is also our curse.”
Fergus looked on with weary eyes and sagging shoulders. "There was a portrait earlier that escaped your notice, Doctor," Alistair interjected. "It was the portrait of my son... Fergus Stonemoor."
To be continued…

Hello Y'all! I am just reposting the update and adding some insights in case my last post was removed.
OLD POST << Hello, folks! Some people here must have seen my last post about my experience with folliculitis and how it wouldn't stop coming back no matter what I did ( even after a ton of antibiotics and other medication for 6 months ) and I think I found out why. After endless textbooks and science papers, I finally came across some interesting papers :

• Cutaneous larva migrans with folliculitis: report of seven cases and review of the literature ( the most important )

⦁ Hookworm-Related Cutaneous Larva Migrans by Patrick Hochedez and Eric Caumes on Oxford Academic ( PDF online, this one contains very in depth information ) (( Just click on doi ))
⦁ Hookworm: An Uncommon Cause of Folliculitis in Travelers on Pubmed ( PDF online )
⦁ Hookworm folliculitis by Khaled Ezzedine and Thierry Pistone also on Pubmed
⦁ A Creeping holiday souvenir : about a misleading case of hookworm folliculitis on Oxford Academic.
There's a parasite that is so small and easily caught ( they come from animals, mostly dogs and cats ) that has the same characteristics of bacterial folliculitis. In fact, in some of these papers, it is said that if the antibiotics and nothing else works, it's probably this thing. They don't appear on blood tests and sometimes you can't see them even with a biopsy.
( Doctors found out because of a guess, actually. )
One thing that I did not find on textbooks and was surprised to read is: bacterial folliculitis rarely itches. Itching is the main sympton of parasitic folliculitis, in fact, the itching is worse at night. Although it was studied in 1929 at first and they are found everywhere ( principally in tropical and subtropical countries) most doctors end up missing the clues because these little f**ks are not that well known and they don't show the usual characteristics that parasites show ( for example, at first I thought they were scabies, but mine are not contagious so I ruled it out ) but this kind of parasite can be non contagious too.
By the way, I must specify that other kinds of folliculitis CAN itch too. Here they are talking about the difference between bacterial and parasitic folliculitis.
So it explains those past symptoms that I previously talked about :
⦁ Comes back after medication even if weeks later.
⦁ Sugar can make it worse ( parasites like that )
⦁ Heat and sweat make it worse.
⦁ There are no other symptoms like fever or pain ( apparently, the larvae can't reach deeper skin, so it stays trapped on the outer layers of skin. )
⦁ The lesions appear some days after first contact and can take very few days to appear other lesions.
⦁ The lesions follow a TRAIL. They can be linear or just jump from one place to another. They are always close initially before going onto other places.
⦁ It started on my thighs, but besides the thigh it is also common to appear first on the skin of your feet or above the gluteous. And then it goes to the rest of your body.
Yeah, so Doctors can end up misdiagnosing because it can look like scabies or bacterial folliculitis. As one of the papers said, it can last years because the parasite can die but come back. A person can get them anywhere but it's most common to get them after having contact with water or soil contaminated, even stepping on it for a second can be enough.
Another interesting thing is that infections of the skin can look different on everyone, no matter the race, so sometimes they can be parasitic but look like bacterial, virus, fungus folliculitis. Most of them usually have a brown dot in the middle though.
So I ask you guys to read those papers, they may help you. They talk about the medication that was used and apparently it's rare for them to have side effects, and of course, be careful with self medication, if you can please contact a medically qualified professional. I know that choice is not available to everyone but if you can, a second opinion can be very helpful.
Today I went to check with my doctor and everyone was very happy to confirm that that was the actual problem. So I am happy to share this information with you guys.
Cheers! >>
UPDATE ( 2 )
It's working. As I answered someone else back there " The good news is that was exactly the problem. The bad news is that folliculitis is a very uncommon thing to get when it comes to parasites and it's the hardest to get rid of, unfortunately. They basically say " It's hard to get rid of, take the meds until it's gone" because that's something that doesn't happen every day and the doctors and scientists are kind of not totally sure what to do. So I'm taking 12mg ivermectin every monday ( two pills of 6mg ) because that's usually what people do and works most of the time. At the start I had them all over my body, but then months later I took ivermectin for three days and they kind of died, so I had to stop taking any kind of medication for 30 days to take another lab test, but surprise, the lesions did not grow like before ( every 3 days ) , for a whole month I only got two or three new ones and they would die almost immediately. It really depends on the person how many times you'll have to take the medication, in my case , my immune system and overall health is not the best so it makes a bit of sense that it's taking a while."
I'll add a part of Cutaneous larva migrans with folliculitis: report of seven cases and review of the literature here as for some reason the paper is not uploading :
[ We reviewed all cases that were seen in our department from April 1991 to April 2000 of CLM in which creeping eruption was associated with folliculitis. Patients were included if they presented with localized folliculitis and creeping eruption. Folliculitis was defined as pustular follicular cutaneous lesions. Creeping eruption was defined as one (or more) linear or serpiginous mobile cutaneous track(s). The following information was recorded: age, sex, recent travel history, country visited, time from return to clinical onset and presentation, clinical signs, treatment and outcome. All the patients received oral antihelminthic agents, plus topical treatment in one case. Treatment options for CLM in our department include a single dose of oral ivermectin 12 mg weekly until cure, and oral albendazole 400 mg twice daily for three consecutive days.
Five patients were cured with one to three courses of ivermectin (unit dose 12 mg), including one also treated with thiabendazole ointment. Two patients were cured with albendazole 400 mg twice daily for three consecutive days. Lesions of folliculitis took longer to clear than those of creeping eruption.
Folliculitis is an uncommon clinical form of CLM, as only five cases have been reported in the literature. However, it may be more frequent than previously thought. For example, in a 2-year prospective study, CLM was observed in 69 patients, two of whom also had hookworm folliculitis. Folliculitis in a patient returning from (or residing in) an endemic country should lead to consideration of infection by a hookworm (or other nematode), even though bacteria are the most common cause. All the cases of parasitic folliculitis in our series and most of those found in the literature were pruritic, in contrast to most forms due to other microorganisms. The diagnosis of parasitic folliculitis was based on clinical findings alone. Histological studies are unnecessary, but show nematode larvae trapped within the follicular canal, stratum corneum or dermis, together with an inflammatory eosinophilic infiltrate. In three cases, the larvae were identified as Pelodera strongyloides, a free-living nematode belonging to the order Rhabditoidae. In another case of folliculitis the larvae were identified as Ancylostoma caninum, a hookworm. The pathogenesis of parasitic folliculitis may be related to an allergic reaction to the presence of the nematode larva in the follicular canal.
The remaining patient's clinical signs subsided only more than 2 months after presentation. In one case, thiabendazole eradicated the creeping eruption but not the follicular lesions. Our experience is similar. The clinical response to a single 12-mg dose of oral ivermectin was less favourable in our patients with folliculitis that in most other patients with CLM. A single dose of ivermectin cured two of five patients in our series, whereas it usually gives cure rates of 81-100% in CLM. Treatment was repeated until the pruritus disappeared, this symptom being indicative of parasite viability. In conclusion, folliculitis should be added to the dermatological manifestations of CLM. The clinical diagnosis is facilitated by the pruritic nature of the lesions and their association with serpiginous tracks. Treatment is more difficult than in classical forms of CLM. ]
So yeah, hope this helps a bit.
Please be very careful, these medications can be harsh on your organs and I am not exaggerating, drink plenty of water.

5 weeks in, 23(M)
I’ve been getting diarrhea every meal for the past week. It actually seems like it’s getting WORSE than before, which is strange.
I did have GERD and bad fatigue before the diet some I’m thinking my gut may just be more messed up than the average person.
At first, I realized I was having a hard time handling fat. So I cut back, and the nausea went away. But the diarrhea remained.
Next were palpitations, anxiety, and disrupted sleep. Added more electrolytes and that fixed itself. But the diarrhea remained.
At this point, no matter what I eat, I get diarrhea a little less than an hour later. Hell, I had beef jerky this morning (homemade, extremely lean, completely carnivore) and got the runs.
I wrote in my last post about my “Carnivore Catch 22,” which was about my struggles getting enough fat. I still think my body is especially bad at digesting fat, but now the recent diarrhea-no-matter-how-lean experiences have led me to believe that there’s something else going on.
Has anyone successfully combined Carnivore with the GAPS diet or similar gut healing protocols? Or any other suggestions for healing the gut while on this WOE? Grateful for all the help these past few weeks.
Bonus question: Has anyone benefitted from Sauna on this WOE?
tl;dr: need advice for gut healing protocols and success stories

So I’ve had all the side effects taking 20mg the only positive I can say is that I haven’t had a full blown panic attack. I have headaches, insomnia, tired all the time, my body constantly jitters all day, I’m starting to feel like my eyes aren’t working properly or something it just doesn’t feel like my normal eyes I can’t explain it. Has anyone had this bad of an experience and stayed with it and it worked out? I don’t want to be a quitter but I’m scared it’s doing more bad than good for me

Good afternoon, hopefully someone can help me out. I am (27F) currently dealing with a really bad bout of health anxiety, it started in January after having a series of medical misfortunes.
November I had my second hemiplegic migraine in my life. I was put on topamax for a short time my body seemed to have a weird reaction to it where it aggravated my nervous system and my heart rate shot up and I was shaking and having heart palpitations. After going to the ER the doctor told me the topamax shot my nervous system.
December I was started on propanolol to replace the topamax to keep my hemiplegic migraines from happening (again I have only had two in my life and they were 5 years apart)
January I stopped the propanolol due to heart palpitations. During this time I was diagnosed with GERD. I personally believe this was due to stress. This also caused a lot of anxiety and worry for a while as I have a very big fear of getting cancer. One thing that scares me is I am very aggressive when I throw up, sometimes when I throw up super aggressive I will see little specks of blood in my spit afterwords as I try and clear my throat.
My mother had thyroid cancer in her 30s and aside that the next closest major illness was my paternal grandfather had lymphoma which he beat. I still have this really big overwhelming fear of cancer and health anxiety.
Over the last few days I’ve been dealing with a lot of head congestion, dizziness, feeling like I’m on a boat, as well as headaches. Part of me is not sure if this is just my anxiety getting the best of me or if this is an actual physical thing I need to address with my doctor. It is also noted that I have really bad allergies.
So I guess my three questions are: 1. Is this allergies, anxiety, or something neurological? 2. What are my chances of getting cancer with no major familial history? 3. How can I help heal my health anxiety?
Any help would be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance.
-A.M.

First off, I'm 15 years old, AFAB. I'm not on any medications and I'm diagnosed with depression and anxiety. The only medical history that is significant is that a few years ago, around two years ago, I recieved notice that I was vitamin D decificent.
For around a year now, I've been dealing with these odd pains in my joints and muscles. When they began, they started off mostly painless. Recently, both the occurances and intensities of these pains have spiked. They've been significantly worse the last three months. The pains are on and off, but I'll get sharp pains in random parts of my body (fingers, wrists, neck, back, shoulders, ankles, knees, etc..) only for them to go away after a certain period of time. These pains are, at minimum, around a three on the pain scale. At most, they can reach about six. These pains usually last around at least a minute and at most a few hours, but at times they impact my day to day life. These pains will often interlap, too, so when one stops, another begins.
Should I visit a doctor regarding this issue, or is it just something that everyone deals with on a day to day basis?

i’ve had a pretty smooth pregnancy so far up until this last trimester. i’m catching colds every two weeks, the pelvic and tailbone pain is excruciating and my brain feels like mush.. i’m feeling desperate to have my baby but also so extremely anxious ab having her here. any advice on mentally getting through the last couple weeks ? also need advice on dealing with the horrible body aches, i’m low income so professional massages are out and i can’t sit in a tub due to my tailbone pain :(

I was mostly a longtime lurker, but had commented here and there. I started my weight loss journey as a 5’4 woman right about 240 lbs. Due to my PCOS and the very toxic misinformation in a lot of PCOS subs/support groups in terms of diets and how “no matter what you do it won’t work without medication” I was very hesitant to start and to give all my efforts for “nothing”. Well, that nothing has brought me to current day where I am FINALLY in the 170s. My first goal was set at 160 before a trip in September, but would like to keep going more into the 145-150 range. I’m so thankful for all the information, encouraging posts, highs and lows shared authentically here. I’ve noticed I am more confident, more energy, my body no longer aches, my life feels as if it has more potential again and the best is I have learned to heal my relationship with food. I have learned to enjoy recreating a food or sweet I love into something at a fraction of the calorie base while doing my best to incorporate protein as well. In doing this I have managed to lose 1.8-2.3 lbs a week on average. Some weeks maybe 1 lb some weeks 4 lbs but the average and being consistent is what I have learned matter the most. I started this journey as a scared woman that felt she was doomed to always want and wish for what “those girls” looked like. I’m now in my era of loving myself, my body, my strength. I can’t wait to see what this body of mine looks like in the next few weeks, months, years even. I know this post is horrible with grammar, I am just high on life and seeing how much better things can be. I just wanted to give some hope to some other women who may also be here lurking due to the horrible advice from PCOS groups. You’re not doomed, weight loss is possible, stay consistent. This lifestyle works and I will forever praise it. 🥳💜

Hello, So I’ve been dealing with inner thigh, hip (where the IT band is), testicle pain all on the right side of my body. It feels like VERY tight muscles which ache most of the time. I also have random nerve symptoms (sharp, stinging, tingling, and twitching) along the urethra, perineum, and anus that only last for a second each time. On top of this I have clear discharge that’s like precum sporadically and cloudy urine that comes every month or so, no pain or burning during urination and no itching. The cloudiness disappears after one or two trips to the restroom which is my most worrying symptom. I’ve had these symptoms for a while but I am worried that this cloudy urine comes every few weeks/month. I’ve spoken with some people about this before which helped immensely but still my mind races especially when I see cloudy urine. I should add that I have been told I have a very tight pelvic floor from a doctor a few years back. My questions are: 1) do these symptoms correlate with CPPS/PFD? 2) would cloudy urine be everytime I urinate if it was due to an infection? Or could an infection cause this intermittently? 3)if cloudy urine is from this condition, what would cause it to only appear once a month/every few weeks?
Thanks everyone!

Caroline slowly came to awareness, her mind foggy as if emerging from a deep trance. She tried to blink, but her eyelids wouldn't cooperate - she couldn't feel them at all. Or her eyes for that matter.
Panic shot through her formless consciousness as she attempted to move, to cry out, to do anything to confirm she still possessed a corporeal form. But there was...nothing. No physical sensations, no bodily impulses. Just a hollow, senseless void.
Think! She willed her mind, the only faculty that seemed intact. How did I end up like...whatever this is?
Fractured memories pieced themselves together. She recalled the strange recurring dreams she'd been having for over a month now - hyper-realistic visions of her as a nameless, faceless mannequin trapped in a endless corridor lined with mirrors.
No matter which path she took, no matter which limbs she willed into motion, the mirrors only reflected her blank, featureless form back in a haunting recursion of emptiness.
Night after night, she had awoken from the dreams in a cold sweat, her waking form perfectly intact and human. She had tried dismissing them as just unsettling figments of imagination.
Until the night of the accident...
Caroline's mindform jolted as the memories regenerated in harsh clarity. The rain-slicked road...the truck jackknifing across the median...a blinding impact before everything went black.
She had been rushed to the hospital in gruesome condition, her body broken and mangled beyond recognition. The doctors prepped her for radical reconstructive procedures, inducing a medical coma to ease her physical trauma while they worked.
And somewhere in the long lapse between consciousness, her mind's metaphysical tether had detached from the battered flesh...only to awaken bodiless in this infinite existential void.
Oh god, she thought, mind racing with the horrific realization. This was no dream - this was the undiscovered oblivion between life and death...where the unfinished lay in limbonic purgatory.
As if roused by her awakening, ephemeral shapes began to coalesce around Caroline's astral form. Humanoid figures, shadowform and indistinct like rough pencil scribbles come to semi-life. Features barely took shape - blank ovals for faces, spindly line-boundaries forming stick-figure geometries.
The shades approached, silent and innumerable. Caroline tried to recoil but her mindform remained stationary, subject to the aimless currents of the void like a jellyfish in the deep ocean swell.
One of the shades extended a wispy limb, the tip dividing into filaments that wormed their way directly into Caroline's disconnected consciousness. She flinched at the sudden violation, unable to even scream as the digits rapidly composed an image she knew with dawning horror.
The mannequin from her dreams. Featureless and posed in an eternal, flailing mid-motion captured in Ruben's Vase-like perspective down an endless hall of reflections.
Caroline's own formless awareness had quite literally become a living waking nightmare, deprived of all physical form or agency. She was nothing more than a rough draft of existence now, pending...for what exactly?
Deletion? Reconstruction? An eternal consciousness transposed into an endless purgatorial regression of faceless, inanimate confinement?
The shades swarmed her floundering mind, inscribing their hollow inscrutability into the only tether remaining of herself. No matter how much she attempted to retreat, there was no escape from the truth she now understood with horrific cosmic clarity:
She was the Unfinished - the unmade betweenlife severed from all context of corporeality or sentience. An orphaned soul reduced to the blank slates of pre-creation torment.
Caroline's existence would spend itself eternally trying to reconstitute the illusion of existing from the bottomless void separating states of being. Always incomplete. Forever in agonizing protraction from manifesting... or breaking the vicious cycle once and for all.

F20, 115 lbs, 5’4, history of anxiety, depression, and cyclothymia. Family history of hypothyroidism, depression, and paternal vascular dementia (my grandfather had it). Severe health anxiety that started about 10 months ago. I used to take anti depressants and mood stabilizers but haven’t been able to continue them in the last year or so due to my psychiatrist retiring.
I’ll try to keep this as short as possible, but I’ve done a ton of googling and research and keep coming up empty. I’m wondering if anyone has seen this “presentation” of symptoms before.
About ten-ish months ago I started having memory problems- I had word finding difficulties, severe headaches, and I lost things all the time. This was unlike me as my memory had always been sharp in highschool. I began to worry that I had a brain tumor, but I got a CT scan and the results were “unremarkable”. Since then I have had health anxiety relating to ALS (full body twitches, bad memory, etc) but that eventually went away after a few months. According to my boyfriend, my bad memory is episodic- it’ll be alright for a few weeks and then become bad again. With each episode, however, it seems to get worse.
I was ok-ish for a while but recently, my memory has been dreadful - I have short term memory issues. I can’t remember what happened a few seconds ago. I misplace and lose things frequently. I forget what tasks have to be done and often have to ask people to repeat themselves. I’ve started to lose the ability to do complex tasks.
-I struggle with hear, reading, and writing, specifically with words and complex sentences. I frequently mis-hear words or don’t really hear what people are saying to me at all. I see their mouth moving, I know they are saying something, it’s just not registering in my head. I usually have to ask them to repeat themselves. Today I thought people were saying completely different words than they actually were (car instead of club, etc). I struggle with writing. My hand writes things I didn’t ask it to, like today it wrote “where” instead of “like”. It adds strokes to letters that I write or completely misspells the word. I usually write something phonetically similar like write instead right or tight, or they instead of the, so on and so forth. I’ve forgot how to spell simple words I’ve been spelling for years.
-I’m seeing things, but not really seeing them, in a way. It’s like I see things half way. For example, at work, someone gave me their rewards card and I scanned it like it was an item. I was confused as to why the item wasn’t coming up and then realized it was a rewards card and not an item. It’s like my brain sees the barcode, but not the rest of the card and doesn’t recognize that it’s something separate that needs a separate procedure. Another example I could give is that I left a drawer partly open because that is what we do with till drawers once we take the money out for the night. But the drawer I left open wasn’t a till drawer, it was an actual drawer. It’s like my brain saw drawer and immediately thought to keep it open. Kind of like my short term memory isn’t working so my long term memory steps in. My eyes always feel glazed over, like I’m half way between seeing and my vision being hazy. Almost like I can see things clearly but my brain Is seeing them as fuzzy and not really recognizing what’s in front of me.
-it feels kinda like I’m in a dream. I have a hard time expressing myself, and I have word finding difficulties frequently. I often say things without thinking because I know I’m supposed to say something but my brain doesn’t recognize what yet. I’m confused often. It doesn’t feel like I’m fully “there”, like I’m on autopilot constantly and I don’t know how to shut it off. Even after 12 hours of sleep, I’m exhausted. I often can’t recognize how much time has passed.
I tried to find answers for these symptoms and the only answers I could find to memory and word problems was dementia or Primary progressive aphasia. I’m especially worried about the writing and spelling as these don’t seem to be a common symptoms of any mental health disorder. Any advice or even guesses would be truly appreciated.

I’m really struggling right now and wanted a place to vent. My Dad’s wife died a few weeks ago; we knew it was coming, she’s been very ill for years with COPD. I had the opportunity to take my boys to see her one last time and it was a beautiful day. A week later, I traveled there again to help my Dad because he’d engaged hospice in their home. I arrived in the evening on a Friday and watched him tenderly caring for her. Saturday morning she seemed much worse. He was trying to give her medication, I was putting a cool cloth on her forehead because she’d broken out in a cold sweat, then her breathing became much more labored. Her eyes opened as though she was aware of us tending to her, and then she was gone. I’m haunted by so many things. Telling him she was gone even though he already knew. Him making a call to hospice and him asking me to record the time. I also didn’t realize that things don’t happen quickly when a person dies. Hospice had to come and confirm she was gone. That took almost 3 hours. Then the funeral home was called to come take her away. The weirdest thing was him turning off her oxygen. The house was so quiet I actually asked him to turn on the TV because I couldn’t stand it. He paced around her. Her mouth was open and he kept trying to adjust the bed to close it. He didn’t want to cover her face and the people who came to take her away were so compassionate in that respect. We spent almost 5 hours next to her body. I’m just kind of a shit show and didn’t really have a place to let this all out.

I’m very confused
So I’m on day 4 of my fast and feeling very good. I come to the sub everyday for motivation and now I’m confused. Some people say that you can’t fast for more than 7, others say 10, others say 14 days… you get where I’m going with this. The only fear I have is damaging my heart and the refeeding syndrome and I really don’t know when that could occur on my fasting.
Some info: 31F, 1,70cm(5’7”), CW93kg(205lbs) and body fat is 40%+
Im taking electrolytes, salt and drinking plenty of water exclusively. No headaches or cravings so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGRTRt2NWZg
OK, so there's a long theory here that got deleted while I was on my phone while posting this, but I'll summarize briefly...
Kanako is The Key to Monsterkind's Salvation using Determination Extract, Because Determination is In The Ketsukane Household's Names that describe the 3 routes: "Devoted, Decisive, Determined", meaning that The Ketsukane Family is not too dissimilar from Humankind, what with their roots being based in Kitsune Folklore & Whatnot.
That aside, I think I know why...
When the Determination Extract was leveled enough to be put into Kanako at an extractable level capable of not harming a monster, Chujin had almost perfected the perfect serum to protect Monsterkind against Becoming Amalgamates when they have too much Determination in their body, the keyword being "Termination", whereas "De-termination" is the eradication of...something, depending on what, it eradicates it, "Terminating" it as if it were a terminator of sorts. I am not saying that all humans are terminators, rather that "Determination" itself is a terminator by it's own proxy of it's own usage in how it is actually used, the keywords being, "Determined", as in, willing to go the distance to accomplish your own goals, as a Player.
However, something struck me as odd when Kanako got hurt by the bubble impact by the Needle not having the air pushed out of it properly... When the air impact struck, it likely hurt Kanako the same way as if a bullet were to accidentally hurt Clover or Frisk, since Bubble Impacts CAN kill, if inserted into a normal, living being!
Such to the point where it can kill, if not handled correctly!!! There's a lewd "1000 Ways to Die" episode that explains how she died was because the woman in that episode was so horny, that a huge air bubble impacted her veins, & suffocated her using her own veins against her, ceasing bodily functions from not having enough oxygen to the brain.
Now, if Monster's Organs work anything like Monster Magic Do, it's probably because they are made out of Monster Magic, but that is a topic for another day at another time or so ago later on today probably. Right now, we need to analyze Kanako's Critical Condition of Being An Amalgamate.
The fan-animation explains that Kanako did not Melt strangely enough, & I explained why: Because Ketsukanes, much like Humans, are Determined. Determined, being a reference to UT Vanilla's "Determination", which also likely means that Kanako's Experiment Ceroba knew next to nothing about when researching Chujin's Analysis on his Experiments, likely means That Chujin Almost Found A Cure to Stop Monsterkind from Becoming Amalgamates with too much Determination! And I think I know what happened next...
Deltarune, happened, or some sort of AU of Undertale where Monsters DO IN FACT BLEED, From Being Lightners. Lightners, being, The Gods of The Darkners as well, since all Darkners are objects that exist somewhere in Deltarune. "Why am I bringing this up?", you may think I am asking myself. To answer that, we first have to Analyze What Happens to Monsterkind once the cure serum is created...
MONSTERS. BLEED. Yes, you heard me right! With enough of a minimal amount of Determination, Monsters CAN IN FACT BLEED, which would explain why Sans bleeds in Undertale as well, since Deltarune & Undertale are likely a Timeloop of events that keep unfolding & surrounding each other, if Deltarune isn't actually a type of AU Sequel to Undertale as well. The main point being that which, we as Monsterkind have an obligation to fulfill that All Monsterkind is Looked After While Being Experiments on. Meaning, The True Lab is actually a type of Hospital for Amalgamates. I can already hear many people typing as soon as they've read this far saying "But Talon! That isn't what happened! We see Monsters DIE in The True Lab!" Not really, since they are more than likely resting, since even Snowy's Mom, Snowdrake dies probably long after Undertale, as indicated by Deltarune. However, you can talk to her before beating The Pacifist Route in UT Vanilla by going back through The Underground & Talking to Her & Her Family about what's going to happen next for them right away as well!
Things are...going grimly for Snowdrake, so much that she will die if nothing is done: The context right there is the key, that "Determination... Can Kill too as well."
[Insert Genocide Determination Theory Here As Well] The point being, that when taken to the extreme, Determination CAN Kill. We also see that Clover's Level of Violence is one that is from rage, a Deadly Sin. However, it raises an interesting point in us as humans... Can we get too angry that we gain temporary Levels of Violence? Depends on how VIOLENT you are being in UT Yellow. By that I mean, COMPLETELY SLAUGHTER MONSTERKIND IN A GENOCIDE ROUTE. Otherwise known as... The Vengeance Route. Vengeance being an unlawful for violent revenge used as justification for fulfilling a sense of Justice that just "feels deserved" when done right in UT Yellow, since it feels so earned as well. In UT Red & Yellow, Clover first depletes our Hopes by Half, & then Justice Blasts us so hard, our game crashes, & our save file is erased from existence, except that Now, Clover wants us to try a Pacifist Route Instead, & calls us out when we do it again over them.
By this point, Clover is clearly trying to steer us on the right path of our own Determination using Justice, which also means that Clover only wants what's best for everyone as well, Justice for Monsterkind using Pacifism in the True Pacifist Route of Undertale R&Y or UT Vanilla as well.
Meaning that regardless of whether Clover knew about Ceroba & Kanako, one thing remains certain... With Enough Determination, Monsterkind can potentially become somewhat normal & also mortal in Deltarune, as we also see in several versions of Deltarune Yellow as well, which also means that since Kanako lives in that timeline from no Amalgamates existing, Amalgamates weren't created because The Experiments were a complete success!!! Which also means that in Deltarune, Chujin actually made the perfect Serum that Ceroba tested on Kanako to make sure if Chujin's work efforts were correct or not, regardless of if she disobeyed Chujin's Instructions to use Another Boss Monster Instead, or even just by being convinced by Kanako that IT WOULD WORK... Almost.
Kanako does not change forms as an Amalgamate, Alphys explains. She stayed the same, likely because Ketsukane's Are "Determined", meaning they have Determination! The Ketsukanes are The Key to Monsterkind's Salvation, once Kanako was discovered that she neither died nor changed forms, & remaines stable, because NOW we know that Kanako can provide a Clue as to How Much Less Determination that Monsterkind would have needed!!!
Looking again at Snowdrake, Snowdrake Monsters are actually quite large, so you'd think she'd have a lot of Determination injected into her, right? Well, you're right about that, but the key-wording is "how much", since we also know that Snowdrake, Snowy's Mom was also injected A LOT OF TIMES with A LOT...of DETERMINATION as well. Which also means that depending on the size of the mass, it must be proportional the size of the monster, just like in-real-life medicine would be applied to conduct experiments on people & animals as well, because we all know that science provides experiments with human test-subjects, which also explains Why Kanako Needed Less Determination than What She Was Given to Become More Like a Human & Be able to bleed, & also become more like a Deltarune Monster.
• • • TL:DR: Uh Oh, Spaghettios, Kanako had too much Blue Determination Lasagna for lunch, & now has a bad tummy ache from almost dying & choking on an air bubble by becoming an Amalgamate after almost dying...!
Yes, these are 4 sentences explaining what happened very shortly to Kanako in my theory, why do you ask? Thank you for reading. Hope you like my theory! ^w^

Straight to the point me now guys. Please bare with me. I was prescribed by my OB to take Yaz pills bc I was said to have PCOS even though my ovaries were normal. It was due to me having irregular period dates and my body on the heavier side.
I did what they told me to take a pill on the first day of the period. But then on my second day, I noticed that my period stopped. What should I do? 😖 I'm kind of nervous bc I now have headache and mild fever rin after I took the meds.

5th day on 20mg and side effects are the worst they’ve been. Nausea and headache. Body temp changes. Does it get better after the first week. I know you don’t get all the benefits until week 6 but just need the side effects to lessen for now.

Female, 27, 5'1, 119lbs, no medications. non-smoker.
I have a history of pancreatitis, IBS, minor stomach ulcers etc.
I started with what I thought was a stomach bug or food poisoning, diarrhea, chills and high temperature, extreme pain in the abdomen and distention, migraine, and joint pain.
I had had pancreatic flares before and never had symptoms other than severe pain predominately on one side. I know pancreas pain and it doesn't seem like this is the main issue, I am sure all are playing off each other anyways.
Once the headache, fever, and joint pain subsided, I was left with stabbing gut pain and severe bloat for over a week now. Anything I eat or drink hurts, and I now have severe hemorrhoids which I have had in the past. I can't have solid stool, I get huge stomach pain and a minor amount of loose sludge if I am lucky. It's not easing up and I have a prescription of Anusol coming tomorrow for a start but I fear there's a deeper issue going on. I should note there is also a strong burning sensation all over my abdomen.
Thoughts? I'd love to avoid the hospital if possible.

So this studio is kinda infamous in my town for being a bit much. For two main reasons, the really beginner unfriendly warm up and just the attitude of the teachers. I chose this studio as it had regular hoop lessons and my usual studio doesn’t. I really wanted to try their beginners class, but when I got there it didn’t feel so beginner friendly.
Before getting on any equipment we did a 15 minute warmup which is kind of expected! But oh my god were they insane. We were doing sprints, burpees, push ups, planks and more. I was extremely surprised at first as myself and a few others (aside from people who regularly went to the gym) were pretty much dying. Then after that warm up you’d do a FIVE MINUTE dish positions. I felt like I was going to puke afterwards, my limbs were shaking and I was sweating so hard it was dripping off me. As was other people, and I’m not un fit! We also couldn’t take breaks inbetween either in fear of being barked at by instructors. Myself and others were so exhausted that trying to do things on the actual equipment felt impossible.
That going on to the instructors themselves, they were friendly enough at first, but the woman who led the hoop in my group just really intimidated me. (Remember this was in an absolute beginners first time hoop class)
When it came to getting onto the hoop and trying out moves, if you made a small mistake or got confused she would get very nippy. I have dyspraxia but I still love aerial, and my usual teacher is so helpful as especially I can’t tell my left and right. I told this instructor beforehand as well too. When I was on the hoop I was getting a bit confused as she kept telling me to move my left leg over to the right side of the hoop. I got muddled and did the opposite and was told
“Look you can just get off the equipment right now because you’re clearly not listening to me”
I was mortified to say the least as I felt so stupid and embarrassed. I wasn’t deliberately trying to do it wrong? Maybe if I’d been doing aerial for years and she was my coach I could maybe understand that attitude. But not to a complete beginner
I’m a visual learner and I also get a lot of help when somebody can come close and stand by whilst I get in, guiding my body. It’s why I love my local studio because they’re so understanding and will go the extra mile to accommodate every student, wether it be disability or body types. I tried to keep up with this class regardless as I loved hoop but after a while I just couldn’t cope anymore exhaustion wise. The extreme workout before was putting so much strain on my body and I ended up pulling a muscle and stopped going there all together.
Then a couple weeks ago I was looking for studios to attended some open training for a show I was performing in, and I booked a session at that studio again as they had a spot available on a day I was free. I paid my money and then get contacted back saying they’ve cancelled my session because I haven’t come back to their studio for lessons anymore and they only want regular students with them to train at their studio. Also never got my money back either
Anyways big wall of text but this irritated me and I wanted to rant about it to people would understand what I mean. Anyone have similar experiences?

I just had my colonoscopy today. I’m writing this to detail what happened for Ethan to reference, because I wish I had someone to do that for me. I’d never had a colonoscopy before, but I recently had two endoscopes due to autoimmune / digestion problems.
Yesterday I was instructed to only consume clear liquids and no solid food for the entire day. It definitely sucked. There was heavy emphasis on not consuming anything with red or purple coloring. I was ravenously hungry and couldn’t help but think about every single delicious food I’ve ever enjoyed.
Later in the day, it was time to drink the “solution” prescribed for “bowel prep.” This basically means you gotta drink this stuff that’s supposed to clear out everything that’s in your intestines. I had heard horror stories about this drink and they weren’t wrong. The paperwork I was given recommended that this solution be refrigerated first and it also suggested that it’s easier to drink with a straw. I had to just slam it down and chug it… there was no time for cute little straw games.
Once it’s time to start drinking the solution (for me it was 6pm the night before the colonoscopy), you have to drink a cup every 15 minutes until the jug is half empty. This stuff is the worst tasting thing you’ll probably ever drink. It’s like ocean water, but thicker. It also says to stay close to the bathroom and that the stuff should start working within an hour (once you’re about 4 cups in) and they aren’t wrong. The jug of solution is the size of a gallon, by the way. Somehow every cup tasted more horrible than the one before it. The drink is slightly thicker than water, just enough to feel wrong in your mouth. I can’t sugarcoat this — it’s horrible. Every part of my body wanted to resist drinking this stuff.
Once the “movements” start, it doesn’t really stop. Bring your phone charger, bring whatever you need, and prepare to be in the bathroom for a long time. And for the love of God, get wet wipes. The worst part is that while you’re enduring “the process”, you also have to continue drinking cups every 15 minutes. And that is the last thing you want to do, because you know it’s going to make things escalate and continue. It’s not like taking a normal poop. It’s not even like having normal diarrhea. Nothing about it is normal. Everything just comes out. You will feel exhausted and want to bathe.
For me at least, once you get half the jug down, you at least get to go to sleep… but then I had to wake up super early to start again on the second half of the jug. I had to do this at 4am. Everything was kind of a blur at this point, but you just have to get through it and complete the cursed drink. You either have to finish the entire gallon jug or stop when you’re (pardon my French) shitting nothing but clear water, because that means everything in your body is now flushed and empty. It’s not a nice feeling.
Once you’ve completed the drink part, everything else is a piece of cake. You go to the appointment, wait, get your IV, and go to sleep. They do the rest. I’m totally fine and mostly back to normal now (other than being super tired). But yesterday and this morning leading up to the appointment was rough. That stuff you gotta drink to flush everything out the day before… it’s no joke. God speed, Ethan. Papa bless.

Hey y’all! So I’m a FTM 37+4 today and I had an appointment with my doctor in which I had my very first cervical check. I have been cramping/possibly contracting off and on for the past three days and having diarrhea amongst other new aches etc. so I’m kinda hoping labor is knocking on the door.
During the cervical check, she says “oh yep you’re a good cm dilated, you want me to tickle baby’s head?” To which I kinda just replied with an “uhhHhh” because wow the pressure I wasn’t expecting! She went in further and I could feel her up in there lol ouch. So I’m wondering if she did go through the cervix into my uterus would this be considered even a mini membrane sweep? Like she didn’t want to call it a sweep since I’m not past 38 weeks yet or whatever so she gave me a more “thorough” cervical check? I’ve since been spotting and crampy but that can be normal with just a regular check.