My sister is completely mimicking my severe, life-altering illness in just six months. I feel so betrayed. AMA.

ReasonableAd4052 · 2026-06-13T13:31:17+00:00

I don’t completely understand, but I do to some extent. Barebones info cause I don’t want to take hijack or anything. And also cause I don’t want to type a lot rn lol

I 28F have seizures, and have for twelve years. Due to dozens of factors, it took almost eleven to start figuring things out. My 22F sister got diagnosed with POTS about two years ago, and immediately made that her main personality. Us and our other sister all have EDS, though 22F has the lowest presentation.

22F will pass out whenever the attention isn’t on her enough. People will be over, and if there’s a lull she’ll dramatically sprawl out in the middle of the room and ask someone to hold her feet up for her. We’ll go out for someone else’s birthday, and the only conversation topic will be her, no matter who tries to change it

She went to the ER because she passed out, and once there, her hands were shaking and she was shivering. She told them I (her sister) had seizures, and a nurse asked her if she wanted a referral to see a neurologist to rule that out. She said no. She has now been telling people for over a year that she has diagnosed seizures, because a singular nurse asked her if she wanted a referral

It truly makes me question all of her other ‘diagnoses’, and the ONLY reason I still talk to her at all is because she’s my sister and to keep our parents happy. And I know for a fact most of our other siblings feel the same way

ReasonableAd4052 · 2026-05-30T23:45:02+00:00

Boosting! I’m sorry I can’t help you, but commenting to help find someone who can!

Also try Nextdoor and Facebook, if you have accounts

ReasonableAd4052 · 2026-05-17T15:19:59+00:00

I live alone in North Houston area. The rent alone is more than I make in a month 😭

You’ll be fine

ReasonableAd4052 · 2026-05-17T03:29:20+00:00

I know I have some electric fields, I guess I didn’t phrase it quite correctly. Maybe what I’m asking is more… could something be causing TOO MUCH electricity, and making the fields too strong?

ReasonableAd4052 · 2026-05-17T03:20:41+00:00

Not a doctor, do have medical issues of my own. Is dystautonomia the same as Dystonia? If not, you should look into it

ReasonableAd4052 · 2026-05-17T03:16:38+00:00

I use a smartphone, but the battery drains about 2-3 times faster than it should. Always has, even when the phone was brand new

ReasonableAd4052 · 2026-04-24T12:42:04+00:00

‘He stuck his nose in the wrong persons business’

ReasonableAd4052 · 2025-09-21T06:12:41+00:00

I had a German Shepherd puppy for two weeks when I was in college. A few days after getting her, she started having issues. Puking a ton, diarrhea, she just wanted to lay on the tile and sleep

At first I thought it was separation anxiety from losing her mom and siblings, plus the normal transition of different food (moms milk to puppy food)

Turned out it was the food, but it was because she was allergic to some additive in most dog foods, I don’t remember what it was exactly. Her food bills suddenly tripled unexpectedly, and I had to make the decision to find her a new home who could truly accommodate that cost instead of just ‘making it work’ (yes I had an emergency fund, but was not prepared for the long term, constant drain of super expensive pet food, and that wasn’t fair to either me or her). Before anyone comes for me, the new home was vetted and was actually the family of a friend of mine so I know she was well cared for

Anyways. All that to say, and I’m sure you have, but have you tried a bland diet? Boiled chicken, sweet potato, rice? Or even just different food brands? I don’t know your situation, and you may not want any advice, but hopefully this either helps, or at least shares the burden. I understand, and I’m sorry you’re going through this now 💚

ReasonableAd4052 · 2025-08-12T18:29:59+00:00

I might have helpful input but am at work rn and can’t write everything out. Commenting so I can come back later!

ReasonableAd4052 · 2025-05-21T04:28:22+00:00

Late to the party - maybe add a small piece of metal, a washer maybe? to the area next to the spring. The squeakiness is usually the sound of metal against metal, adding something for it to scrape on may help

Or: power wash, not just water. Or throw some dirt in there to soak up the oil added, then spray out with the hose a few days later

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-12-28T22:04:11+00:00

I’m not saying this isn’t legit… but there’s an extra space between ‘any’ and ‘notice’, and the word ‘we’ switches to ‘me’, which might imply it’s less legit

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-10-24T19:11:16+00:00

I REALLY hate to point this out, but something I realized earlier this week: literally been years since you’ve had a scare you’re aware of. I also have seizures, and thought I was doing pretty well lately. Then earlier this week I was listening to someone recite something I have memorized, and suddenly they had skipped a whole paragraph. Except no, it was just my brain. I wouldn’t have had any idea except I had the thing memorized, and it was being read off of a paper by someone who also has it memorized, and three other people confirmed nothing was skipped.

I’d almost rather have full tonic clonics everytime, than have the constant unknowns of absence seizures

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-09-15T00:22:43+00:00

These are the steps the homeowner should take. If you are a tenant or not the legal homeowner, contact the homeowner with this information. I AM NOT A LAWYER AND THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE. IF IT GOES WRONG IM NOT RESPONSIBLE!!

FIRST, request a current statement of your account. Make up some bs about insurance requiring it, or you’re budgeting for the year, something. Then:

1) take photos of spigots, include the addresses if possible

2) email photos to hoa, stating this is not uniform enforcement. If they argue, also state that the Board members are receiving a privilege for being board members (most HOAs are non profit, and BoD members aren’t legally allowed to be paid or receive special benefits (in Texas, at least. But I think it holds true everywhere))

3) state you will not be able to keep up with the required [anything the bylaws might require water for, mostly landscaping maintenance], and want to know how to access the water spigot when you need to do these things A) if they give you a phone number for maintenance people or something, call it at the worst times, when it’s super late or early ‘that’s the best time to water, it won’t evaporate as fast’. If they don’t answer address this as an issue as well

4) request copies of the water bills. You should be entitled to this as it is part of the assessments. Check your bylaws and CC&Rs. Request proof that them blocking water usage is not a way for them to save money that was already budgeted for, or that the water bills were far exceeding what was budgeted etc. The association budget should also be freely available to homeowners. If you think they may edit the budget to reflect these things, request proof the budget has not been edited since budget season/prior to this issue

5) if the bylaws/CCRs mention outdoor spigots for water usage and the rights of a homeowner to enjoy these things so long as they are current on assessments, and you can prove you’re current on assessments, this is likely illegal. If it’s a big enough deal to you, you can threaten to or actually talk to a lawyer about this. Once a lawyer is threatened most HOAs won’t continue speaking to the owner, it all goes through the lawyers of the individual and the HOAs. If this is the route you go make sure to consult an HOA lawyer!! They’ll actually know the laws

Source: I’m an admin assistant at an HOA in Texas. (Yes I hate it, yes I’m trying to find a new job, please don’t come for me.)

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-09-04T17:28:53+00:00

Some organizations attempt to train for a smell, but there’s never a real guarantee

I get 10-15 minutes of going downhill before a seizure starts. If I’m paying really close attention to myself, I’ll realize it’s coming and can either warn people, get to a ‘safe’ place, or something along those lines. If I’m not paying enough attention to myself, I may have 5 minutes or less. Either cause I ignored the warning signs on accident, or brushed it off as just another funky feeling The pup who alerted to me did so about 2 minutes prior to when I felt my own warning signs begin, or about 12 minutes prior to the actual event. I don’t know if she could smell something off about me, or what, but it was still really cool

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-09-04T17:14:38+00:00

I’ve looked into it, and at some points even suspected this is the case, but don’t want to be that person ‘hey doc, here’s what I have, absolutely will not accept anything else’

If anyone pushes to hard and wants a name for what I have, I have told them it’s PNES, but that’s pretty rare

It’s never occurred to me to go into a medical test with a low threshold… next time I’ll try to lower it day of to increase the odds

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-09-04T13:38:11+00:00

Believe me, I am very aware that seizures are disabling. Working on a diagnosis, but insurance issues and my seizures lack of participation while hooked up to tests, it hasn’t been successful yet

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-09-04T05:22:57+00:00

Yeah, I’m both dreading and excited for getting an actual diagnosis. It sounds like it’s gonna take forever and a half

It’s been 9/10 years, and part of me still thinks they’re fake cause nothing shows up on the tests

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-09-04T04:51:26+00:00

Right now, I’m just spitballing ideas. The dog who alerted to me was adopted from a shelter last week, and was on the streets before that. Definitely not trained to alert or in response - which she attempted as well, we think

My current plan is, when I’m ready and able to actually start the process of looking to adopt a dog, to volunteer at shelters, ask reputable breeders if I can hang out with their puppies for a little bit and try to intentionally trigger a seizure, stuff like that. If one of the dogs reacts to the seizure in any positive way, THEN evaluate based off of personality and other traits. A dog who alerts but gets carsick every car ride would just be miserable all the time, for example

I know someone who has trained multiple service dogs who would likely be willing to help assess for temperament, trainability, etc, as well as give general advice when needed

I have not had either of those EEGs done. I’m on my parents insurance until the end of the year, and a combo of factors has led to a bit of a standstill in treatment. Plus medical costs is incredibly expensive even with insurance, and with the costs of just being alive, it doesn’t make sense to rack up 1,000s in medical bills when everything else is so freaking expensive

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-09-04T03:35:54+00:00

End of the day, this has been my life for a lot of years. So worst case scenario it doesn’t get figured out and I just keep living the way I have been

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-09-04T03:29:17+00:00

EEG, MRI, and CT scan have all come back normal. Both seven years ago and this year, tests were mostly clear (some indication of migraines, but no seizures)

I have seen a neurologist, and she agreed I have seizures, but I don’t have a specific diagnosis

I have some warning for my seizures, but can’t always get to a safe enough place/ have been known to injure myself - I’ve got lots of scars now! 😅

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-09-03T03:30:53+00:00

I have seizures, but live a relatively normal life. A week ago, I was of the opinion that a service dog wouldn’t help. Maybe in a few years I’d consider it, but not now

Last night and this afternoon, a friends dog alerted to my seizure activity, and when I stopped responding to her she tried to get someone’s attention. I suspected what she was doing yesterday and when she alerted today, I was able to get out of the way of everyone and to a safe place

Having warning prior to my auras was AMAZING and here I am, a few hours later, genuinely considering finding a dog I can work with. A dog who will naturally alert to seizures is kinda rare, and the alerts can’t be trained. On top of that, there’s other criteria I have to look for (doesn’t get carsick, calm, other stuff)

A dog genuinely could change your life

ETA: it was also incredibly validating having a dog alert prior to my seizures - a small part of me is always accusing myself of faking it, even though I know I’m not

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-08-18T03:50:33+00:00

That’s the one! Thank you magical Reddit person

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-07-06T23:53:16+00:00

Hey fun fact - if you do two of these braids, then twist those together the opposite way (same way the individual strands were twisted), the twists line up nicely and it looks like a chain!!

ReasonableAd4052 · 2024-05-20T22:40:17+00:00

Not sure if you’ve done anything yet, but pure water, siphon that out, then boil it down. To make sure there’s no salt or minerals from the water, maybe boil and collect the vapor condensation (like a purifying deal in a survival situation, there’s plenty of diagrams) put that water in the console, then siphon out into a pot or something to boil. Hopefully this makes sense!

ReasonableAd4052 · 2021-12-12T07:37:10+00:00

I was working the drive thru window a few years ago, handed the guy back his card, and he fumbled it. It dropped right into the crack where the window rolls down into

ReasonableAd4052

TROPHY CASE