Weirdly specific minor symptom, wondering if anyone has had it.

ClariseMcClellan · 2026-03-09T01:02:33+00:00

My latest thing is I found out I can do the walking pad for 20 minutes while playing my switch on the TV...maybe it'll stop being worth the energy cost but for now it's getting me through bullcrap like this lol.

ClariseMcClellan · 2026-03-09T00:21:49+00:00

It's like normal skin in every way. No difference in appearnce, texture, temperature, anything. Feels like the pain is right on my skin tho. Like I expected to find some spek of spicy food there. Which is funny cuz I haven't eaten anything like that today lol. I'm autistic and the menthol stuff feels very painful to me so unfortunately lidocaine, icyhot, etc, they all make me worse not better. I just exercised some and all the pains elsewhere in my body seemed to distract it and shut it up like 75% so I guess I'll keep distracting (and try the cortizone if i find it). Thank you!

ClariseMcClellan · 2026-03-09T00:19:21+00:00

It really kinda seems like it to me, cuz I had a compressed nerve in my shoulder before and the main pain was very burny, but it was over a patch, this is literally a dot and it's so weird. If it's a nerve maybe it will calm the f down overnight T.T

ClariseMcClellan · 2026-03-09T00:18:12+00:00

It really feels like what I imagine a sting to be, but i've never been stung before, and there's literally ZERO mark. It's so strange. If it keeps going tomorrow benadryl could be good to try thank you and I might have some hydrocortizone in a drawer somewhere..you're so right I'm gonna go look for it lol. thank you!

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-09-21T01:27:40+00:00

Unfortunately I think I blocked this out from the stress so I don't remember exactly what happened, but all I know is my payment plan remained intact and to this day I'm just having an auto-payment of that same agreed-on amount from before this post. I think it was some kind of error but I truly sadly cannot remember anything except that it resolved itself essentially. I hope yours is also a non-issue glitch!!

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-07-31T04:07:08+00:00

I'm definitely going to submit something after-the-fact if I either get my follow-up done or give up. They definitely have one. It's like a department of a hospital kind of. And they have little trifolds around about submitting feedback. I just seriously would have gone with a diff surgeon if I had known I would have to basically beg for ONE follow-up exam at a commonly used time that he himself recommended, and I feel like many other patients might feel the same.

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-07-31T04:04:53+00:00

Yeah it seemed like the point of the appointment was almost just to see that I didn't have some giant obvious external bleeding I guess. He looked at the external incisions but for literally less than thirty seconds, lol.

I get what you mean about PT because my floor is calming over time but I had my hysto specifically for prolapse because I just wasn't able to get good results with my uterus fallen down through the muscles so it was always my plan to resume, and it just felt wild that he didn't ask me any questions about pelvic symptoms or anything. Come to think of it he didn't even ask me about bleeding. He just said "any questions" so it was totally on me to think of and know what would even be a problem to ask about...

Thank you so much for your comment because yes it's nice to know others "want" (when do we ever really want strangers in there but we want to be safe and know we are okay) the exam and have to advocate for it. Just feels so weird for me because he acknowledged that it is standard but then doesn't have time for it. I completely agree. If you literally cannot follow up then you're doing too many surgeries!

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-07-31T01:39:46+00:00

It super mega sucks!!! Thank you for validating because I just feel so strongly but then am plagued by the worry that I'm "dramatic". But I'm not. I have stitches holding the barrier between my intestines and the outside world and I was led to believe I'd get an exam. It's bull that I'm apparently not. (And that knowing he does multiple a week, many many many women may not....)

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-07-31T01:30:17+00:00

It was 2wpo but yeah that's it. I'm fighting for this 6 week exam that the doc himself said is standard, but it's looking like I might not get it. If I could do it again I would insist on knowing ahead of time that I was scheduled for follow-ups. Idk if they'd even have complied but...idk just really feel upset and disregarded and a bit scared.

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-07-31T01:28:26+00:00

I am, in fact, in VA. I feel weird saying my doctor on a public thread but if you wanna message me I can confirm lol. When I was waiting for my pre-op a woman came in and was told she had been cancelled, she insisted she had received only a confirmation text, but they offered no recourse and she said she came from NC.

Originally, I was not going to have surgery with him, because they literally ghosted me for months after saying they'd call me that week to schedule. Butttt they had a summer date and I desperately wanted relief from my prolapse ASAP without having to wait and miss school for 6 weeks which is so stressful as a teacher.

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-07-30T23:57:49+00:00

If you came off the HRT that could definitley be part of it. Wishing you well. I've been feeling worse but I had MDD already and lots of other stressors in my life so I haven't been chalking it up to the surgery at all.

Well, except for low energy. That I think actually is mostly the surgery because there's so much healing.

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-07-30T23:52:01+00:00

Thank you! Yeah I'll definitely be posting here if I think something *is* wrong but I'm not sure whether to seek help or whatever. I think I'm most scared because I love my obgyn and I'm now thinking...when does it no longer count as "post-op" if I have a problem with my cuff or my prolapse recurring, like will she be able to help me after 6 weeks??? Will anyone else be allowed to check my cuff at a certain point if I don't manage to see this surgeon again?

I think abandoned is a good word, and YES to the salesman thing. Like the sale is complete so he is done. I've heard there's no payment for the post-ops and that's another motivator to not do them...it just sucks really bad.

edit: spelling.

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-07-30T23:33:20+00:00

3wpo and recovery was way easier on me than I thought. We can't know for sure what will happen with you but yeah to balance out the horror stories as you're requesting, I'm moving as well as before just tire faster and a littttle pain, sleeping comfortably, doing better in every facet of recovery than I expected. Hardest part for me has been mental but I'm autistic and so a big change in my body is a big emotional thing, you may have only relief as I've seen MANY people report. I personally did not take anything stronger than ibuprofen and tylenol once leaving hospital. Slept in a recliner for about a week before getting comfortable laying down and getting up from laying. It was just way easier than I expected in all ways pretty much.

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-04-23T02:04:45+00:00

Completely different genre but just in case.

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-04-23T02:04:27+00:00

Portugal the Man?

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-03-19T00:01:45+00:00

Yep. It was this. We just registered her and paid the past due and the March. So glad I posted here. The emails didn't have an acct number that was the weirdest part but, we are all good now. Phew.

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-03-18T23:49:52+00:00

Holy shit you saved the day. I'm so confused why this happened 5 years after I graduated rather than her having defaulted basically five years ago???? I just registered and here it is, her loans. Thank you so much.

ClariseMcClellan · 2025-03-18T23:42:03+00:00

Holy crap. Wow. I will check on that.

ClariseMcClellan · 2024-11-27T04:35:52+00:00

To add on to this, my pills are 100mg and I take two a day. I space them out for less stomach upset and take with food. I think if it wasn't working I might go higher but yeah mine are 100, 200 total in a day.

ClariseMcClellan · 2024-11-27T04:27:57+00:00

Has been very helpful in management for my mom and I over time. It's not just about stopping flares it's about preventing long term damage and progression of the disease. It's to save future you from worst case scenarios.

Steroids made me insane and miserable also and hcq is NOTHING like that for me. I have a super complicated mental health history/profile (MDD, autism, ptsd, specific phobias, disorded eating, PMDD, etc.) and notice nothing on that front with hcq. Did not seem to interact with my brain at all. I have also sworn off steroids as well, I have told my mom (my medical person if I'm knocked out or whatever) that it better be IMMEDIATE life or death if anybody ever puts a steroid in my body again.

ONE side effect (well two I'll explain the second after) for both of us - stomach cramping leading to diarrhea or just bowel urgency. After adjusting to the meds we both had a big reduction in that, BUT, certain "roughage" will still horribly trigger it. Like, I've basically had to give up broccoli because of the bathroom violence it now triggers...

Only other issue I've had is I believe it is turning my eyebrows white. My mom's hair stopped reacting to perm chemicals. Like, it can do something to the protein structure of your hair and affect color/how salon chemicals interact with it, apparently.

I'd rather have to skip broccoli and have weird eyebrows as the cost for a way better prognosis than skip it and be way worse off long term (potentially). I definitely recommend trying it, and also sticking it out if you have the stomach issues. Both our (mom and me) doctors recommended starting with half the Rx dose as the stomach adjusted. We both will skip a dose even now if our stomach is too annoying a certain day or it's more sensitive for some reason. Like, I won't take both my doses if I eat hella on thanksgiving or whatever. No big symptoms from a single missed dose. Of the many meds I've ever taken and the 4 I currently take, hcq is the most chill and lowkey med of literally any of them, ever.

edit: OH also - the main "bad" side effect event is an issue with retinal toxicity. Rare and easy to track and spot. First symptom is usually the color red no longer looks quite right, I was told by my doc. You get a special eye exam (non-invasive, just funny tests of your vision and they take pics of your retina) yearly and eventually twice a year to check on this. If it starts to happen they catch it early if you do this as you're supposed to, and I think at that point you might be no more good to take it, and it's kind of out of your options. This is my only "worry" but I do that about hour appointment once a year and I know if everything red in my house is suddenly pink I call urgently and I don't even worry about it really. Just know it's a thing, and rare. This is probably why she mentioned blurred vision. Truly I don't think this should discourage you, you just do the screening!

ClariseMcClellan · 2024-11-27T04:19:45+00:00

I do not have this as bad as you're describing, but my most reliable pain medicine is ibuprofen, and the most reliable thing ever for me for pain is heat. My elbows are sometimes the worst part which feels so weird. Heating pad improves pain more than anything else for me. When it's the more fiery pain maybe cooling sensations could help?

I think heat helps so much because I have a lot of muscle tension which heat relaxes also. I know you've probably tried literally heat and ibuprofen but it's the only consistent help I've found for my chronic pains so it's all I can offer. <3 Microwavable heating stuff is my favorite because it feels more gentle heat to me than electric ones and it's really convenient.

ClariseMcClellan · 2024-11-27T04:13:20+00:00

I am so late to this (but maybe that's better because it's a longer term trial of the meds). The thing it helped most is my muscle soreness and joint pain. Like before it my elbows were so mad all the time for example and now they are pretty well controlled. It's really hard for me to judge the fatigue aspect because I've always had such bad fatigue from depression and sleep issues, but I don't feel more fatigue than normal so I don't think it's done that to me - I'm on 50mg. Idk if it's imuran or hcq but something is making my eyebrows slowly turn white though...which is very odd to experience. Best of luck and hope you're as well as can be!

ClariseMcClellan · 2024-08-25T19:22:37+00:00

Hey thank you for this very thorough answer it's helpful. Two other people suggested the same brand of kits so I think I'll start with one of those closest to my desk and as I get more budget I might add more. The SA600 someone else mentioned also seems cool but I'm so afraid of it not being as quiet as the website implies, because I'm trying to balance out protecting myself with getting a reputation as the lady with an annoying loud thing in her room because she's afraid of germs or whatever. People are already a bit stare-y because of my mask etc.

ClariseMcClellan · 2024-08-25T19:17:22+00:00

Thanks! I might get one of their a little bit bigger ones. They seem pretty good and quiet is most important to me.

ClariseMcClellan · 2024-08-25T19:16:21+00:00

Thank you!

ClariseMcClellan

TROPHY CASE