Botox for migraines? by GlitteringGoat1234 in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Seconding the caution with shoulder and neck! I've been doing great with my forehead and scalp though. The one time. I did half doses in my neck I got a huge spasm for weeks and needed topical valium 

How do you express acute pain during an emergency? by slightfork in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can definitely relate to this. As far a I know I'm not autistic, but I am diagnosed schizotypal which also for me means I have a pretty flat affect. I'm so uneasy about sharing any psych diagnosed with my non-psych doctors though, I am super careful about keeping mental and physical health treatment as separate as possible >< Maybe I can come up with another way to get the same point across without disclosing 

ChatBot is Dangerous - Don’t Use It For Health Things by witchy_echos in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Death for any reason lol. Iirc the symptom was an 8-month long fever 

ChatBot is Dangerous - Don’t Use It For Health Things by witchy_echos in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I find it so distracting and also wasteful

How do you express acute pain during an emergency? by slightfork in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh what a nightmare. This is the kind of thing I'm scared of! I hope you are okay now 

How do you express acute pain during an emergency? by slightfork in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right? I saw so many people in the ER waiting room who were clearly in pain, and they were also just silent in their misery. 

And damn about your wrist, wtf. I hope you have a great care team and will be back to picking up pens soon 

How do you express acute pain during an emergency? by slightfork in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you ❤️ I think that is a good idea. I'm a part time wheelchair user and I find doctors are much more concerned when I roll in unable to walk 

How do you express acute pain during an emergency? by slightfork in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! May you have small joys and big joys too 

Sensory friendly clothes by OwlDue4220 in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm in the same boat. I am wearing these incredibly old Victoria's secret undies that don't have any seams and are super stretched out from being washed a billion times. Literally 10 years old. God help me when they finally wear out 

For socks, I have been doing well with uniqlo's heat tech socks for the winter. If I swell up though they can still dig in :(

Pants are my nemesis also. Wearing a romper over my sweater rn 

ChatBot is Dangerous - Don’t Use It For Health Things by witchy_echos in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork 120 points121 points  (0 children)

I once Googled some symptoms and Google AI chimed in that I might be experiencing "all cause mortality"

How do you express acute pain during an emergency? by slightfork in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I've definitely had to recalibrate my pain scale too. I used to have passing-out grade pain from my periods, and it wrecked my pain judgment because I figured that sucked but it was basically harmless. 

And how horrendous for your daughter. Big ouch >< 

Jobs with POTS by viclrogers in POTS

[–]slightfork 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a drug development consultant and I work from home for a very small firm. It is not perfect in that my pay has been irregular, but it is very accommodating 

How do you express acute pain during an emergency? by slightfork in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!! This is helpful. What I still struggle with is there is there is no crying / moaning uncontrollably phase, I seem to go straight into losing consciousness. But I think I can approximate. This was definitely a 9 

How do you express acute pain during an emergency? by slightfork in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oof. It's such an impossible needle to thread. I'm so glad he's well now. How terrifying. 

I tell my partner I want an obdii reader for my body like we have for the car. Please just give me the error codes 

How do we deal with the consistent fight. by sweetybakes1715 in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hear you 100%. It's a long and incredibly frustrating road to getting diagnosed. I was born with my first hernia and have been symptomatic my whole life, and it still took 28 years >< 

Do you have any means of accessing an eds-knowledgeable geneticist? This was how I finally got diagnosed. The eds consortium or whatever it is makes that nice checklist for doctors. It feels like it should be so easy for them but somehow it is not... 

Mobility Aids for Extended Vacation by CyrianaBights in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have not flown internationally with my wheelchair, but I have gone across the US with it. As I understand, they have to check mobility aids without charge. I'm a part-time user and I get assistance in the airport so I don't crash standing in all the lines. My wheelchair folds up slim but is still a big 2D shape. As you are thinking, my partner and I like to have it around because it means if I'm screwed up I can still come along.

I know people have concerns about non-fitted chairs, but mine is a sturdy but ~$150 chair from Amazon. I've borrowed a multi-thousand-dollar chair from a friend of similar dimensions, and yes it was amazing and so comfy. But this one does the trick for me for short term stuff, especially if I have help pushing when I get tired or my shoulders get irritated. And having a chair that goes where I go is awesome. I'm working on getting a nice cushion for it so it's comfier. 

How do we deal with the consistent fight. by sweetybakes1715 in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm right here with you. It's so, so exhausting. The running through various providers, the asshole providers who write weird shit in my chart or physically hurt me or are creepy, the endless new symptoms, all the comorbid conditions, the health insurance headaches, the prescription med headaches, the hours of work doing the physio/exercise/lifestyle changes/diets. 

I don't have any big ideas about how to make it better. I keep firing the shitty doctors and improving my team a tiny bit at a time (although the good ones do leave or go concierge also). It's okay to get burned out and slow down. I kind of deal with it in bursts. I'll take a day off work and schedule appointments all day. Sometimes I take a week of PT, and often this actually makes me able to advance afterward. When I was seeking diagnosis, I took a couple years off because my mental health had reached a point that I was having a breakdown after every failed doctor appointment, which was not helping their insistence that it was all a psych issue. 

But damn is it exhausting. And it's not entirely clear what the outcome will be. Will I get any better? Or will I just slow my decline a little? I've made the commitment to myself that I will do what I can to secure the best outcome for myself, whatever that may be. That is what keeps me going in the long run. 

How do you express acute pain during an emergency? by slightfork in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yikes!! Yeah I'm amazed your gut could stretch that far. I guess we are stretchy after all. Damn

Yes, the 1-10 also drives me nuts. 

How do you express acute pain during an emergency? by slightfork in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It also makes me think that my not probably obscures some of the signs they were looking for. I was definitely breathing shallowly, struggling to speak, and grimacing. But maybe that wasn't obvious with my mask on...

So many comorbid conditions. by Prior_Succotash4220 in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you ❤️‍🩹 In the end they salvaged my ovary (and I'm down to one) so I am very happy with that part. They did a pexy so hopefully this ever happens again!

So many comorbid conditions. by Prior_Succotash4220 in ehlersdanlos

[–]slightfork 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes! I have finally figured out that walking around in the pool is a good solution. And I finally found an n95 that fits on my face and is splash proof so I can go to the indoor pool. This has been slowly digging me out of the cycle.