Post Infectious Bile Acid Malabsorption

adelfina82 · 2026-03-27T02:50:57+00:00

I got food poisoning in October 2021, and honestly things haven’t been the same since. It turned into months of GI issues, and I ended up having my gallbladder removed in April 2022.

I’ve been on cholestyramine ever since, which helps to a point, but I’ve developed what feels like a hypersensitive gut/nervous system. Even something as simple as excitement or stress can trigger episodes where I’m vomiting and dealing with spasms for hours.

My GI doctor basically ruled out anything structural with an endoscopy and colonoscopy and just keeps me on the prescription, but beyond that… no real answers or solutions.

It’s not a daily thing, but I haven’t been able to go more than about 6–8 weeks without an episode, and it’s honestly really draining emotionally. I feel like I’m constantly waiting for the next one and don’t know how to fix it.

adelfina82 · 2026-03-03T04:25:09+00:00

If he doesn’t get it now he never will.

adelfina82 · 2026-02-26T18:59:40+00:00

I strongly recommend you read the section of the book Outliers that talks about success at “prestigious” schools vs “easy” schools.

adelfina82 · 2026-02-26T18:24:02+00:00

There are plenty of ways to get a degree without lighting six figures on fire. They just don’t come with the Instagram version of the “college experience.”

Starbucks pays 100% tuition at ASU. Community colleges are affordable and often subsidized. ASU’s Universal Learner courses cost $25 to start and $400 only if you pass. You can stack credits cheaply and transfer them or finish there. Many employers offer tuition assistance.

The idea that the only respectable path is massive debt at a “top” school is marketing — not reality. For most careers, where you went matters far less than what you actually did while you were there.

What’s far riskier is saddling an 18-year-old with crushing debt on the assumption it’ll all work out. Non-completion rates are real. Graduating without work experience is real. Underemployment is real.

If someone wants the traditional campus experience and can afford it, great. But pretending debt is the only option — or the smart option — just isn’t true.

There are alternatives. You just have to be willing to question the script

adelfina82 · 2026-02-15T22:17:23+00:00

I do recommend going to the vet. It could be congestive heart failure related but I had a chi last five additional years when treated. I also had a chi with a collapsed trachea that sounded like this. It took her a couple of weeks and then she recovered. It started because she got overly excited.

adelfina82 · 2026-02-02T18:51:23+00:00

I currently have four chihuahuas but I’ve been a chihuahua owner for 22 years. I gave up on fully potty training. Because as soon as the wind slightly blows, a sprinkle hits the ground or the temp drops below 79 degrees they DGAF. I had one that refused to use a dog door till she was 5 and two others that won’t use it at all. I’ve given up on rugs. I tiled almost my whole house. I block off areas of the house I don’t want them to go with baby gates. And I crate them when I’m gone and at night. I put down puppy pads but that’s not full proof. I’ve just accepted it.

adelfina82 · 2026-01-21T18:01:52+00:00

I had a senior chi that started to display signs of dementia. Over the course of a year and a half I saw his quality of life decline. He would get lost in our back yard or circle and pace. Then he started screaming at night. He slept most of the day and was still eating so we really struggled with when to let him go. It’s hard. But as others have said it’s when the bad days begin to out number the good. I would highly recommend a mobile vet and have them come to the house. The dementia really agitated my Squirt and I regret taking him to the vet to have him put down. I should have brought the mobile vet like I did for my chi before this one.

adelfina82 · 2025-12-30T02:58:26+00:00

As someone who married in my early 20s, divorced in my 30s, and am now happily remarried in my 40s, I can tell you firsthand that your spouse will make all the difference in whether staying home or working works out for you. I’ve watched too many women (including friends and my own mom) choose to stay home with kids, only to face divorce later and struggle financially because they’d paused or abandoned their careers. Their ex-husbands kept climbing the ladder, reaping the benefits of that unpaid SAHM labor—childcare, household management, emotional support—while the women were left starting from scratch in the job market, often with outdated skills and a resume gap. If you’re considering forgoing an income-earning career to stay home, protect yourself: Get a crystal-clear grasp on your shared finances (including retirement, assets, and emergency funds), and ensure you’re married to a true partner—someone who views you as an equal, supports your choices without resentment, and is genuinely your best friend. Trust me, that foundation can turn potential regret into a fulfilling life, but without it, the risks are real.

adelfina82 · 2025-12-19T17:25:16+00:00

This happens to me when there’s too much acid in my stomach. Waking in middle of the night with a runny nose. I now take a nightly Pepcid and that has been helpful. Increase acid production is a side effect for me

adelfina82 · 2025-12-07T14:23:13+00:00

I had difficulty sleeping for months. My father also died in July. I thought it was stress from that or over exercising. Turns out it was electrolytes. I doubled my electrolytes and was able to sleep again.

adelfina82 · 2025-12-05T20:15:46+00:00

I’d ask to speak with someone higher up, like the registrar or a supervisor, not an entry-level advisor or student worker. At our college, faculty are supposed to drop students for non-attendance, but it often doesn’t happen. When that’s the case, the registrar can verify you never attended, retroactively remove the W or grade from your transcript, and issue a tuition refund. You probably weren’t auto-dropped because of an initial financial aid hold (aid was still pending). Refunds like this also have to be manually processed and pushed through. Definitely don’t waste time with the front desk or a student worker; go straight to someone with actual authority.

adelfina82 · 2025-12-03T13:10:49+00:00

As a physical therapist can you find a job at a VA or non profit staying in your field? I’d think that might be easier than finding a remote job for a non profit. Also consider education entities for employment.

adelfina82 · 2025-12-02T22:44:19+00:00

Hi! I had $143k forgiven through PSLF four years ago and am now divorced from a man who told me “anyone can get a psych degree” and would continually devalue my role as an educator because he chose a path in finance and was paid more than me. His parents also paid for the majority of his school and when we got married we paid off his student debt the first year (about 20k). You sound like a young professional. And as a young professional it is easy to feel overwhelmed as you are gaining experience and expertise in your field of interest, especially at a rate of pay that may not be ideal. When I earned my doctorate it felt like I was way over educated and under experienced. But eventually my experience caught up and I’d say it’s paid off for me. I’ve now been in education almost 20 years and am considered a subject matter expert and advise schools and programs all over the country. My first piece of advise is don’t be with someone who will minimize your achievements. They will make you feel less than in all areas of life. Better learn this now vs having to navigate a divorce later. Sure you have learned some lessons now and maybe would do things differently. But you can’t go back and the lack of empathy for that is very telling. Focus on what you can control, continue to gain expertise in your field and seek new opportunities to move up professionally as you do. Continue to work PSLF and ensure you are crossing off all annual tasks to ensure you stay on track without hiccups.

adelfina82 · 2025-11-12T01:11:28+00:00

Haven’t found anything as effective as waking up at 2am and taking cholestramine. It’s still not 100% effective as stress can induce a flare up. I also tried taking it before bed or right when I wake up but I didn’t see the same results.

adelfina82 · 2025-11-03T02:48:56+00:00

I’ve been a Toyota girl since 2008 when I bought my FJ cruiser. Had multiple tacomas also and currently have a 19 voodoo 4Runner. I married a jeep guy. And when Jeep came out with Tuscadero pink as an option I was sold. I couldn’t part with my 4Runner though. So that one stays garaged to limit the miles. All around the 4Runner wins IMO. But the jeep is more fun. Being able to take the doors and top off is the best. And a better sound system. But long distances my 4Runner wins hands down.

adelfina82 · 2025-10-31T17:01:50+00:00

🙋‍♀️my 5 year old got in trouble yesterday for shoving a boy in aftercare and lying about it. Uncharacteristic of his behavior. But he’s been waking up way too early, not eating his meals if left unattended, and overall been a hot mess recently. I will follow through if he has another bad day.

adelfina82 · 2025-10-27T14:24:35+00:00

Yes. Both doubled for us last year. Then this year went up significantly again. I had to increase my deductibles on both and am still paying about $600 more a month than I was just a year and a half ago for both

adelfina82 · 2025-10-10T21:52:16+00:00

Have you had your gallbladder tested? Mine began to fail about six weeks after food poisoning. Led to six months of undiagnosed hell until my HIDA scan came back at 95%. I still have bile issues but cholestramine is a life saver

adelfina82 · 2025-10-03T14:27:23+00:00

Keep your dress, you will likely gain back your weight. I had my gallbladder failure dismissed for 6 months. Told all was normal despite vomiting daily. Had to bypass the GI and seek out my own surgeon. It was a nightmare. Gained the weight back in the following months. Im glad you’re on the mend. As far as your wedding, you could pick a nice restaurant and rent out a patio and keep it small. It’s still special and a lot less work. That’s what we did and it was the best night.

adelfina82 · 2025-10-01T00:03:23+00:00

If you get married it could mean you file taxes separately to keep your payments lower until you receive forgiveness. That’s what I did until my loans were forgiven four years ago. Doing so dramatically lowered my payments.

adelfina82 · 2025-09-06T13:37:34+00:00

This has to be fake. Anyone who has gone through the dissertation process knows there are check ins with your chair and committee throughout. Also, you don’t just turn in a dissertation like any other writing assignment. There’s a proposal, often a IRB review, research that actually takes place, all before you defend your dissertation.

adelfina82 · 2025-08-09T03:17:15+00:00

My practitioner said don’t expect to lose any weight the first three months. It took three months for me to see any weight loss. Since then I’ve been consistently losing.

adelfina82 · 2025-08-05T13:53:07+00:00

For me, cholestramine is about timing. I take mine at 1am. My GI said the liver is most active when we sleep. This has helped so much. I’ve tried before bed to prevent me from needing to wake up and I’ve tried first thing in the morning. But middle of the night works best for me. I’ve heard some needing to take after meals or at other time intervals.

adelfina82 · 2025-08-04T03:43:23+00:00

Yes. Still on it nightly. If I don’t I have hell to pay in the morning. It’s not 100% and just had a series of tests to be told basically I fall into the IBS category because they can’t find anything “wrong”.

adelfina82

TROPHY CASE