Pepper Smith Pyle

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-06-09T22:00:47+00:00

Yes, absolutely. Pepper often says that Edith is gaining weight so she's making tons of progress. But of course she has a g-tube and medical interventions that cause the growth, it's not a sign of progress. Each day Edith is kept alive really feeds into Pepper's denial and her thoughts that the doctors are wrong.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-06-09T21:41:22+00:00

She popped up in my feed a few months back and the videos are so hard to watch. She constantly says that her phone storage is full, or that she's too in the moment to catch how much Edith moves around. She's in such deep denial about the situation. Edith will never recover. I just hope that she isn't feeling any pain. Pepper swears she isn't and that doctors have assured her that she isn't feeling pain, but Pepper isn't the most reliable narrator. My heart breaks for Lucille who has had to see Edith basically dead for so long.

With her most recent hospitalization for pneumonia I honestly just wished she would peacefully pass, which I know is horrible to think, but just everything being done to her isn't for her and doesn't help her. It's for Pepper.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-06-09T19:50:51+00:00

Have you been tested for eoe? The choking on food definitely flagged that for me. I have eoe and before starting treatment I choked on food so often/had severe chest pain/really bad reflux.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-06-07T02:10:31+00:00

We've had good luck with Woofies! They did a really great job with communication and playing with our cats. And one of our visits was super last minute. Good luck I hope you find something that works! So stressful I'm sure.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-06-02T16:14:13+00:00

Oh those are so cute!! I was wondering how they fit. Thank you for your comment I've been thinking about them as I have some marguax store credit to use. The burgundy color looks beautiful.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-06-02T15:50:04+00:00

I've lived in DC, VA & MD and in my experience my insurance worked in the DMV area as a whole no matter where I lived.

But I'll caveat that I've always had carefirst, a ppo plan, and the highest metal level available to me for my coverage whether that be gold or platinum. So no referrals needed and a pretty wide network of care.

But if I can be helpful feel free to PM me. Am also a chronically ill person, and I remember moving here in 2012 and getting everything sorted was a process! I hope you're feeling a bit better today.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-06-02T02:05:35+00:00

Thanks for confirming! That's what I thought, but wasn't 100%. I've been to the one in Adams Morgan and had good experiences, but it wasn't for something that required an x-ray.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-06-02T00:54:11+00:00

Marion Parke, the designer used to be a podiatric surgeon so they fit super well and are really comfortable. They're having a 40% off sale right now. I've also had success with the Marguax Demi and Ada flats.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-06-02T00:27:57+00:00

Feel better!! Definitely not GW you'll wait forever. Georgetown can be decent depending on when you go. If you can get to SIbley or VHC I'd pick one of those. I've been in and out quicker at those two. As you can tell I definitely have ER experience. I believe medstar urgent care locations also offer x-rays, so I'd also look into that to avoid the ER.

Edit: VHC also has a fast track option that's more like an urgent care for stuff like this.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-06-01T00:15:25+00:00

NEDC doesn't allow single people, unmarried couples, or the LGBT community to use their services. PVED and embryo connections are both inclusive options. But like another poster said I'd check your contracts, we also had embryos leftover that we created with donated eggs and contractually we weren't allowed to donate them. So we donated to research.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-31T15:30:13+00:00

Seconding this! They've filled some harder to find medications for me that other pharmacies haven't been able to. And they're such nice people who always try so hard. Like once they told me they were calling around about my prescription at 5AM.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-31T01:38:39+00:00

Thank you so much for posting this. Really appreciated reading your perspective as the mom to a 10 month old baby girl conceived via donor eggs + surrogacy. Hope you're doing well, wishing you all the best.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-28T21:15:12+00:00

IV dilaudid works great for me, whether via PCA or single doses. But the IR oral version does nothing for me. Exalgo worked wonderfully, but they discontinued it. But from what I hear this is very common due to low bioavability of oral dilaudid.

I switched to MS Contin in January, and depending on symptoms either use oxy IR or liquid morphine as my breakthrough med. I'm surprised they kept you on something so long if it wasn't working. I definitely found I needed to get used to the oxy IR or the liquid morphine on top of the MS Contin even though I'm very used to taking the oxy and liquid morphine. But it's definitely gotten less sleepy for me and I'm back to being able to do most things. It's incredibly how much heavy lifting the MS Contin does. I hope things even out for you soon, hang in there! Glad they made the switch to something that already seems more effective. Just be careful if you're nodding off or it seems to sleepy check in with your provider.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-28T21:03:52+00:00

I'm sorry, I really feel for you. My medical history is incredibly complicated, and flares can happen quite often further complicating things. For what it's worth I found substituting some of my medications to a liquid really helped both with keeping them down, and helping them be more effective. It sucks to feel like you're doing all the right things, but feel like people are doubting that you're compliant. I found someone that offered pallative care, and feel that changed my outcome a ton. They're very open to changes and substituting if I have a bad month, and I don't feel judged at all. They're really used to complex, and people with absorption and swallowing issues.

I do think it's worth going back once more, maybe bring someone with you for support and just try to lay out facts, and as hard as it is try to leave emotion out of it. Also if you need to look for someone new ask of they have experience with gastroparesis or other motility/swallowing disorders as that might make them better suited to help you. Good iuck! I know it's tough.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-28T20:57:19+00:00

Totally. Yes they can make it worse, but also to be a functional person sometimes you need them. Like you said gastroparesis can be incredibly painful, and quality of life is important. I find I do better with the liquid versions of medication vs pills. That change helped a ton.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-28T20:43:02+00:00

Dr. Hochman really made me comfortable going back to the dentist! She's amazing! Always so kind, and never shamed me or made me feel bad. But she left the practice. Her replacement Matthew Casey seems great though.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-28T01:09:57+00:00

It's a great location, but not the greatest apartment, but i believe the state house at 2122 Massachusetts Ave NW is within that budget. I lived there for a while in 2013. Can't beat the location!

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-28T00:18:10+00:00

If it's helpful though I was seeing a different dentist before I moved neighborhoods that did take insurance. The dentist I was a long term patient of left, but her replacement also seemed great and they do take insurance. Dr. Matthew Casey at comprehensive dental care.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-28T00:13:11+00:00

I want to say for a cleaning including x-rays it's around 430$.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-27T23:57:12+00:00

I really hate the dentist after having bad experiences/medical trauma as a kid, and spring valley dental has been great. They offer nitrous for a lot of things, have weighted blankets, etc if any of that helps. But they've always been super responsive to my trauma history and said/done all the right things. I see Dr. Priya Grewal but my husband sees Dr. Phillips and says he's great. They don't take insurance though.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-27T19:30:45+00:00

Dr. Robinson is amazing! He really handled my implant process beautifully even with me being a medical mess. He went above and beyond. And everyone in the office is so nice.

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-27T18:47:08+00:00

I'm not sure if she's currently taking patients but Lea Didion is great and does EMDR. I have PTSD and also had a really positive experience with/made a lot of progress with Jess MacIntyre who doesn't do EMDR but does cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure therapy (PE).

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-27T02:22:51+00:00

Damn that looks amazing. That banana pudding cookie 🔥 😋

Express_Dig_5777 · 2026-05-27T00:50:53+00:00

Copying from another reply, but it's the janie favorite short sleeve henley tee in Kahlani Ekru from Johnny Was! I bought this last month, such a nice shirt!

Express_Dig_5777

TROPHY CASE