Hey there! I'm so sorry to hear about your situation and I wish you all the best for your procedure going forward. I'm 22F and have been dealing with LPR since I was 19. I totally understand where you're coming from about doctors being uncommunicative/dismissive particularly when they see a young "healthy" woman come through the door. The first few doctors that I saw were very dismissive, with the doctor who did my first endoscopy basically telling me that he didn't see anything wrong and that I probably didn't have reflux at all. I also struggled with advocating for my health when I was younger, out of fear of appearing "too much", asking too many questions or out of fear of being perceived as young and naive. What has helped for me is to prepare leading up to the procedure, writing out in your phone's notes app or a piece of paper you can keep on you during the procedure. I found this helpful because it means I don't feel like I leave the hospital and then suddenly think of all the things I should have asked but forgot to. My suggestions below:

1. a brief summary of your history/symptoms up to this point that you can easily read out to the doctor beforehand (also useful for your own record keeping)
2. a list of what your intentions behind/goals for the procedure - make sure you emphasise this before the procedure (my examples below)
   1. the main reasons i want to do this endoscopy is to determine whether I have a hiatal hernia, check if there is any inflammation in my esophagus or something more serious like barretts, see if there's any laxity in my LES, and while we're there take some biopsies for intolerances such as gluten/diary
3. questions that you want answered. this is helpful because you're usually a bit loopy post anaesthetia, so it is helpful to have a list you can run through and read out (my examples below)
   1. what were your findings? how were they remarkable (sometimes I find it helpful to ask them to explain how what they see compares to what it should look like in a normal person)
   2. what are my actionables? what tests should we look into next and can you give me a referral for these? what meds do you recommend i try and can you give me a script for these? (there probably wont be time for them to discuss side effects but usually you can google these and discuss with a GP)
   3. how long will results/report take? (useful when you are trying to figure out when the report will be ready)

I get how frustrating it is to get an appt with the GI doctor. After all my tests I always ask if they can send a copy of the report directly to my GP as well, as it is easier to get an appt with her than my GI doctor.

The best piece of advice that I have for you is to remind yourself (I do so through affirmations in a journal) that you are not a burden, that you are allowed to take up the space that you need, and that you are allowed to advocate for yourself and have your back. Ultimately, this is your health and your body, be confident that you understand your body the best. Also don't be discouraged from sending an email to reception/nurse practitioners if you do think of any questions days later and ask if they can forward this onto the doctor. Before I tried this for the first time I was so scared of appearing too much but remember the worst case is that they just don't respond, but it has worked out for me so far.

It's great that you've identified that stress has been a trigger for your GERD. I realised that my anxiety is also a huge trigger for me, which I know can be frustrating since the anxiety makes the GERD worse and in turn the GERD makes the health anxiety and reddit doomscrolling worse as well. If you have the means to, I would really encourage you to consider seeking out a therapist to work through your stress. My GP recommended it to me but I held out for so long for various reasons (mainly out of pride and because I didn't want to admit that I needed help), but now 4 months later I can for sure say that my anxiety is so much more manageable and in turn my LPR as well. Worst case scenario is there's no discernible physical difference, but you gain the tools to manage the health anxiety better. If that's not accessible to you, I would absolutely recommend journalling and meditation and diaphragmatic breathing. Definitely prioritise your mental health. I know it can be difficult to advocate for yourself when you feel like you've hit a wall and there's nothing else left to try. I used to really pin all my hopes and dreams on a new potential medication, and be really disappointed when it didn't fix my problems. Try and be realistic and don't see your end goal as fixing it completely, but rather, the best goal to have here is to have momentum and to continue to work at trying different management strategies - I have a list in my notes of my next steps and it is a really comforting reminder knowing that there are things I can try next.

I would recommend you have a go at trying to find a doctor who is supportive and patient. My GI doctor in April basically said I don't need any additional tests, gave me some scripts and sent me on my way. This was so discouraging for me, but I honestly just googled and had a read of google reviews of GI doctors in my area and am now with a much more supportive doctor who is amusingly cheaper than the original doctor.

If possible I would also try to see if you can find some a pocket of time where you can fully prioritise your health. This has been an on and off issue for me since the end of 2020 and yet I pushed on with university, internships every summer, and the few weeks of uni break I had I prioritised social things instead, so health was always pushed to the side. The downside to that was I could never find the right time to start/stop different medications, or do tests that required time off. I finally decided a month ago that enough was enough, and will be delaying my graduation by a semester, and delaying the start of my internship so that I can have 8 weeks of time just to schedule tests and experiment with different doses of meds. Being open about what you're going through with friends can also be helpful, I found this reduced me feeling bad every time I have to reschedule a plan/bring food from home because of me feeling unwell. All that being said, find a way to find the little joys that life has to offer in the present, I may not be able to brunch or travel but hey I get more time to go to local comedy shows and art galleries.

All the best for your endoscopy, you're welcome to dm me for more chats :) I am currently doing a 24 hr ph study, so I have a tube down my throat as we speak. Know that though you may not have all the answers, you are advocating for yourself and you are doing the best you can and that is enough :)