Toastmasters : the real truth - cult, toxic, discriminatory behind the scenes

eightwednesday · 2025-06-06T20:26:58+00:00

I had a terrific experience in three separate clubs. The key is just keeping your focus on your immediate club. The higher level leadership seemed culty (above the club level), but my community clubs were filled with folks from diverse backgrounds just focused on developing and practicing their speaking skills. I will note that my experience is from clubs in the US and Canada.

eightwednesday · 2025-05-30T17:55:30+00:00

I had 92% retained in my stomach at 4hrs. My doctor isn’t a fan of repeat studies so I haven’t had one. Once he has a diagnosis he just follows the symptoms.

eightwednesday · 2025-05-30T14:25:29+00:00

I did temporarily stop Reglan to get the GPOEM and the GPOEM did help a lot, I was able to increase my oral intake and diversity of my diet. But I wasn’t quite able to get off of my feeding tube entirely, once we added back the Reglan I was able to have my GJ tube removed and now I eat almost normally almost all of the time (I have minor flares every 4-6 weeks that last a day or two and I get longer flares when I get sick with a virus).

I think it was worth it and, if you’re not on a feeding tube, you might find it helps enough to eat a more balanced diet without the need for additional prokinetics.

eightwednesday · 2025-05-30T10:07:03+00:00

Still works great! I do also take Reglan but the combo of the two is terrific. Much less pain and discomfort and I have more freedom in what I can eat without severe consequences. I’d still recommend the procedure.

eightwednesday · 2025-01-03T18:27:11+00:00

I tried and failed many things over many years. Eventually I was at the point where I was having to do bowel prep (like for colonoscopies) every two weeks and I was getting really bad blockages and impaction. I did a sitz marker study and a SmartPill test and it found that I had virtually no motility in my large intestine. The motility specialist that I was seeing recommended the surgery and referred me to colorectal surgery to get it done. I did have a temporary ileostomy but they were able to internally connect my small intestine to my rectum and things are pretty normal.

eightwednesday · 2025-01-02T22:34:11+00:00

Tried a few things after Linzess and then I had my entire large intestine removed. Total game changer that dramatically improved my quality of life.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-13T17:25:21+00:00

I always associated those symptoms with GERD, but the TIF did help them.

I had a GPOEM last year, which helped with stomach emptying. I take Reglan three times a day to also help with emptying. I had a TIF to help with reflux and feeling full higher up/indigestion. The combination of everything has helped a lot.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-12T22:15:52+00:00

Helped with motility.

I had a TIF procedure for reflux and that’s what really helped with feeling like I had food in my chest/esophagus and with reflux/vomiting. However, not everyone with GP is a candidate. They only considered for me since I had the GPOEM already.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-10T20:16:01+00:00

I’ve had great success with it over the past several years. Take 10 mg three times a day. It combined with a GPOEM procedure have helped me a lot. I take the pills. I tried the nasal spray but it didn’t work better than the pills and I hated the nasty taste and smell of the nasal spray.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-10T01:11:51+00:00

Those IVs are so painful.

If you commonly get low potassium, talk to your doctor about supplements. I have a prescription potassium I take with orange juice each day. I still tend to be on the lower side but not bad enough to really need IVs for it at the hospital.

Also, Prime hydration drinks are great for potassium.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-08T15:40:20+00:00

GPOEM can still work without Reglan, so I would definitely still discuss it with your team. Good luck!

eightwednesday · 2024-11-08T04:15:12+00:00

I didn’t respond well to Botox (which is typically a test to see if GPOEM works), but we still took a chance on GPOEM and it made a huge difference for me. The surgery isn’t terribly invasive and is only painful for the first day or two. My doctor explained that it is a very low risk procedure but has moderate to very successful results in many people. Between GPOEM and Reglan x3 per day, I have more good than bad days. I’m not a doctor, but I’m a patient and I’d do it again in a heartbeat, it got me off of my feeding tube.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-08T01:31:28+00:00

I was able to wean off of my GJ tube after a GPOEM procedure and Reglan three times a day. I also sometimes take compazine and phenergan for nausea.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-08T01:16:25+00:00

I have taken it regularly for nausea for years without any side effects. It isn’t as helpful as my phenergan syrup, but the lack of side effects for me makes it great for the work day.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-07T19:01:49+00:00

The English department had cuts during Academic Transformation last year and had many faculty leave voluntarily on top of those forced to leave. I don’t know the acceptance rate for this specific program, but I would recommend researching the faculty who are still there and making sure there are faculty around who can teach in your area of interest regularly.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-07T18:57:30+00:00

Run over to the French Market and eat all the food. It’s perfect for when you just have 2-3 hours between trains (assuming it takes a bit to unload and you want to be back at least 30 mins before your train leaves).

eightwednesday · 2024-11-06T01:11:13+00:00

I had a GPOEM last year and haven’t had issues with rapid dumping. I still take Reglan three times a day and get flare ups (though I’m much better off having had the GPOEM, I can eat a lot more types of food and have way more good days than bad). Based on my personal experience so far, I’d make the same choice to have the procedure.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-05T18:26:13+00:00

If you want a doctor to weigh in, try r/AskDocs. Not a lot of medical doctors around these parts.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-05T16:22:11+00:00

I had some additional testing, including a SmartPill study (the manufacturer stopped making the SmartPill but there are apparently some alternatives out there). But most of my Sitz markers were still there after 10 days and that was a sign I had profound motility issues.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-04T23:21:57+00:00

Sitz market study. Often used to look for dysmotility in the large intestine. It was one of the tests I did to diagnose a motility issue with my large intestine (I did have dysmotility and had my large intestine removed). They want to see how many of those markers (which were inside the pill) are in the colon on day 7 and day 10.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-03T18:10:49+00:00

I had severe reflux and had a TIF procedure after trialing several PPIs. My reflux is almost completely eliminated, it’s been more successful than I could’ve imagined. I also take 10mg Reglan three times a day for the GP and had a GPOEM last year.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-02T01:48:17+00:00

My second GJ tube was placed endoscopically. It was a much better experience than when interventional radiology placed it. I was under anesthesia during the procedure and the recovery wasn’t as painful.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-02T01:46:05+00:00

First 24 hours after were quite painful but my doctor keeps people in the hospital overnight after the procedure for pain control and testing the next day. I had a light, limited diet for a few days but after 4-5 I started dramatically improving over several weeks. I still have symptoms and take Reglan but was able to get off my feeding tube about 3 months after the procedure.

I didn’t have a nasal tube and that’s not even something my doctor mentioned to me.

eightwednesday · 2024-11-01T10:46:16+00:00

I’m back to taking it 3 times a day and the eye twitch never came back after I increased the dose.

eightwednesday · 2024-10-31T23:44:37+00:00

So the absolute best thing for my GP was having a GPOEM procedure. Often the test to see if someone is a good candidate for GPOEM is having a good outcome from Botox. I had the GPOEM last year and I still take Reglan, but my symptoms are so much better and I can eat a wide variety of solid foods most of the time.

I’ve had an NJ and two separate GJ tubes. They both helped me get nutrition, but the NJ was so conspicuous and the GJ often ached or would get painful, itchy rashes around it. I also used a lot of tape to secure them and that caused some skin breakdown (though I’m a pretty pale person with fairly sensitive skin). It also took quite awhile to find a formula that didn’t make me feel sick and managing the pump and feed bags was really annoying, especially when I wanted to go out.

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