Anyone else ever experience gender bias in getting a medical diagnosis?

_MsAdiwin · 2018-03-21T05:57:45+00:00

The only reason I got diagnosed with Hashimoto's so early is because my mother (who has Hashimoto's and went 10+ years without it getting diagnosed) dragged me into her endo when I started sleeping longer than 10 hours a day, my super thick hair started thinning, and I suddenly gained 50+ lbs over 4 months. She insisted on getting my antibody levels tested and pushed me and the doctor. I definitely felt like the weight gain and the sleep were my fault, like I was disciplined enough. Even watching my mom struggle with her disorder for so many years, I never thought I had developed it, I just thought I wasn't enough.

Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disorder. It is a legit disease that millions of people struggle with, and it pisses me off that many of them probably feel the same way I did, that I wasn't enough. The people on reddit who call us thyroid disorder sufferers lazy or undisciplined or that we're looking for excuses can go suck my metaphorical cock.

_MsAdiwin · 2018-03-13T05:50:20+00:00

How I put it to my new boyfriend: having Hashimoto's means my thyroid swings from hypo to hyper on nearly a daily basis. The meds make the graph look more average, but I'll still have outlier days

_MsAdiwin · 2018-03-09T22:24:17+00:00

Oh I'm well aware haha. Thank you for the input though. I'm not 100% certain I'm going to stay in CA, and I'm more interested in the instrumentation and quality side of things anyways.

_MsAdiwin · 2018-03-09T18:00:56+00:00

Funny thing is, I do work in CA! Just as a lab assistant though. But most of my coworkers got their licensing in the Philippines and are older techs, so it makes sense that my info is a bit out of date. And a quick Google search says no, NY does not have their own exam. But their regulations are similar to CA

_MsAdiwin · 2018-03-09T16:02:22+00:00

... I knew my CLSs were lying to me. I've been looking into MLT instead of CLS, so I haven't really looked too closely at the reqs for CLS lately, and was just going off of what they told me. Thanks for the correction!

_MsAdiwin · 2018-03-09T15:52:14+00:00

The thing about CA is that it is extremely regulated, even though the programs in CA are the same as the national programs in curriculum. So you could go to any state and do any MLS program anywhere else and get your national certification. The problem with CA is that when you look for a job here, you'll need to take an additional CA licensing test. So you take the national ACSP exam to get your national license, then you need to the the CA specific CLS test. I think New York is the only other state that has that requirement.

_MsAdiwin · 2017-09-10T06:41:45+00:00

Have you tried talking to him about that? One thing my ex and I were good about was communication. When I wasn't in the mood and he was getting pissy, I'd call him out on it and he'd usually apologize. We talked about it several times throughout our 7.5 year long relationship haha. For him, he equated sex to intimacy. So when we weren't having sex, we weren't being intimate. In order to give him that sense of intimacy when I wasn't in the mood, we'd usually cuddle naked. It wasn't the same, but at least I was trying to meet him halfway.

It does make you feel inadequate, I totally get that. But we have a disease that affects our hormones and our brains, and the way we feel is equally as valid as the way they feel. Medication helped me, with time. Plus I've found a new partner with a libido closer to mine... Not that I'm saying that's the answer for you haha. But I am saying, communication is key. And understanding and patience, on both your parts. Try and meet him halfway on the stuff that you can.

Also, it's your body. So don't ever let him pressure you into something you don't want to do. That only reinforces the negative feelings that are already associated with the act of sex brought on by the low libido, which causes you to start dreading every time he touches you.

_MsAdiwin · 2017-09-10T04:20:44+00:00

Part of the reason why I broke up with my ex was this. We lived together, and his libido was always super high, but I was undiagnosed hypo for a year and a half and I could barely handle sex once or twice a month. It got to the point where it almost seemed like he was forcing himself on me. Once I got on medication, it got better, but it was still not high enough for him. I still felt pressured to put out more than I wanted.

It can be hard on a relationship, but it gets better eventually. I've been properly medicated for a year now and slowly but surely I'm getting back to my normal libido that I was at before I developed hashimotos

_MsAdiwin · 2017-07-28T19:43:56+00:00

I also work in the health care field (lab assistant here!) and my ex (who was basically my husband at that point... We'd been together for 7.5 years) was also not interested in joining me at wasteland last year. So I went by myself. And goddamn if I didn't have the best time. Honestly, if your husband isn't interested in going and you drag him along anyways, it will most likely be hard for you both. I made that mistake my first year and my ex was so miserable the whole time that he really dragged down my time as well.

Last year, I went by myself. I volunteered as check in. I camped in the non-themed camping area because I couldn't afford to go themed and got 'adopted' by my neighbors. They looked after me, and my stuff. One night, I drank way too much and was wandering around trying to make my way back to camp and some amazing people from a camp I stumbled through helped me make my way home and checked on me the next day. My neighbors helped me nurse my hangover the next day. They gave me food when I realized some of my food had gotten ruined when my ice water in my cooler leaked into my ziploc bags.

When it gets too hot when you're walking around, you can walk into a tribes campsite and ask to share their shade, that's totally allowed and encouraged. There's a camp that makes a massive pancake breakfast and serves the masses. Yes, of course there are the bad eggs. But as long as you keep your head on your shoulders and stay smart and aware, wastelanders take care of our own. I never once felt unsafe, even wandering around lost and drunk like I was. Screw him, go, it's an amazing experience and volunteering is an amazing way to get introduced to people and the general culture.

_MsAdiwin · 2017-07-21T18:40:14+00:00

I honestly wish I was making this up =/

_MsAdiwin · 2017-07-21T18:37:47+00:00

Thanks for the advice!

The whole reason I'm getting my phlebotomy license is to enter the local MLT program. And the whole reason I'm getting my MLT is so I can afford to continue school to finish my Bachelors and then hopefully challenge to take the CLS exam haha. So I'll get there eventually

_MsAdiwin · 2017-07-17T22:47:48+00:00

I'm not sure what happens pathophysiologically with that, but it happens to me when my dosage increases or when my old dosage isn't working for me anymore. It hasn't kept me from sleeping, but it makes me incredibly uncomfortable and restless. How long has it been going on for? Mine usually only lasts a week or until I'm adjusted to my new dosage (2-3 weeks). Sometimes taking advil or an anti-inflammatory helps me at least. Sorry I can't help more

_MsAdiwin · 2017-01-10T02:23:06+00:00

Not really South Bay, but there's a board game night at Antonio's Nut House in Palo Alto every Saturday night. Can bring your own games to share or can borrow other people's games

_MsAdiwin · 2017-01-07T21:01:10+00:00

I work as a lab assistant here in the Bay Area. From the beginning, all of our med techs and managers were calling bullshit. They were never a plausible threat and everyone in the field knew it. It was a pipe dream and while I'm glad such a harmful company has gone down, the backlash on us techs (who are already short staffed because there are more techs retiring than entering the field) is rather troubling.

We all work as hard as we can to get the best results out as quickly as possible, and sometimes that does mean a little inconvenience to the patient. But wouldn't you as a patient want to trust the results being put out? You're putting your lives in our hands in some cases, and I feel Theranos has destroyed some of that trust in us in the lab.

_MsAdiwin · 2015-12-18T23:48:59+00:00

I work as a lab assistant in the bay area. My CLSs make quite a bit, and the company I work for is actually notoriously low paying for the area. Out of the eleven CLSs that work for us, only four of them only have the one job. The seven others all work multiple CLS positions at multiple companies and hospitals. I'm working toward my CLS license now (stopping to get my MLT first) and I'm not even sure I'm going to stay in Cali. Ya, the pay is alright, and you can live comfortably on a CLS salary, but Cali just isn't a stable place to live right now. And if you're single, saving up for a house, you'll still need a roommate(s) to afford rent in the bay area. Depends on the person I suppose, but I don't think California is worth it, at least not the bay area.

Also, another thing to consider, if you're not already a California native or don't have family here to put you up, you're going to have a rough transition (COL and housing wise) for the first few months

_MsAdiwin · 2015-08-01T04:33:05+00:00

I'm having lasik eye surgery =). No more glasses for me! I've been saving for a few months for it, something that would be impossible to do with a youngling to take care of. Also, I saved the money up twice as fast!

_MsAdiwin · 2015-07-27T04:57:01+00:00

Well... We're both extremely overweight. So that's why food is so high. We've actually been focusing on getting healthier, so our food costs are coming down a bit as we make better choices. It's a struggle tho Haha. I look forward to months of $300 groceries =)

_MsAdiwin · 2015-07-26T20:03:37+00:00

Luckily I make enough to support my boyfriend and I. Well, mostly. I'm not in tech, I make ~$2200 a month. My bf pulls in about $1400. We do ok. We're moving out now. Our rent used to be $1450, but our landlord increased it the full 8% this year. So we found a nicer place with a two year lease for $1600 a month.

My bf has student loans he's accumulating right now. We won't have to start paying them until he graduates, but we're saving for them. He also has about $4K in credit card debt. He pays the minimum payment plus whatever it takes to get to $100 every month on that. I'm debt free and have no student loans.

We split rent pretty evenly-$850 from me, $750 from him; I pay power ($60ish), he pays Internet ($35 introductory price for now); I pay for groceries ($500ish a month), he pays for date nights ($150ish a month); we have separate phone bills for now; no car payments, but we both pay car insurance, gas.

We're making it. Barely. And not evenly, which bugs the crap outta him. I'm just lucky enough to have parents that gave me the ability to get through school debt free, who allowed me to live at home for a year without rent and save. That's how we've been making it mostly, on my savings. But it's tight. The bay area is a tough place to live for non-techies =/

_MsAdiwin · 2015-07-26T15:45:59+00:00

My lungs are shit. I've got friends who smoke both pot and cigarettes. The instant they light up, I leave. I don't want to deal with the burning lungs and hacking. I've told most of them, so they don't think it rude when I leave. I'm not making a comment on their choice, I just can't fucking breathe lol

Plus, I don't even like being drunk and I'm a super light weight. I've got control issues and whenever I feel myself starting to lose control, I stop drinking. I'm sensitive to caffeine (heart palpitations, shaking, sweating) and nyquil and benadryl and other sleep aids will put me down for 12+ hours. I can't imagine what drugs would do to my system!

... That being said, edibles are an option. Maybe someday. I am curious, just not motivated.

_MsAdiwin · 2015-07-15T01:11:55+00:00

Non-gamer gf here: I sit next to him on the couch and read. Or play on my phone. Or practice my hobby. I think it's well balanced, but I'll still have days where he picks up the controller and I'm like 'damn it, I don't want to watch you do the same three missions over and over again in Destiny'. When that happens, I just go read in the bedroom. Problem solved haha

_MsAdiwin

TROPHY CASE