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the-morningstar-family · 13 days ago

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Pregnancy still going okay?

Alastor has successfully survived through the first trimester of pregnancy.

But in the deer's opinion the ‘success’ is debatable. Not that anything abnormal happened, but he's simply exhausted by it. Now at 14, it is high time for another checkup. Last time Doctor Chaim had done more extensive tests, to make sure their children are developing at a normal rate.

Dr. Chaim: "I'm happy to let you know that we have the results back from the NT ultrasound and the NIPT blood test, and everything looks normal. The measurements for all three babies were within the expected range, and the blood test didn't show any signs of chromosomal abnormalities.

Lucifer, excited: “That's great!”

The king slings his arms around the demon who fondly rolls his eyes. Lucifer starts to play with his hair.

Alastor: “It is excellent”

Lucifer: “You know, you really should wear your hair like that more often”

Alastor: “Not a chance”

Hormonal changes made it harder to straighten, and to make matters worse, Alastor had overslept. So instead of having a half done job, the demon has simply put his hair into a little ponytail. Much to have s partners delight.

Dr. Chaim: “Okay, only a few things left. Please get in the scale”

Alastor, ears lowering: “It is rather obvious, that I put on weight”

Dr. Chaim: “Looks can be deceiving and I need the specific numbers”

Alastor: “Fine, fine!”

Reluctantly, he steps out of his shoes and on the scale, decidedly not looking down. His doctor, though, looks very closely.

Dr. Chaim: “Yes, all in order. You may step off”

Lucifer had been correct, the new set of clothes had been a welcomed change, and made him more comfortable in his own expanding skin. Well, as long as there isn't too much focus on it. But it is getting better with time. Especially since it now looks more like pregnancy and not just like he put on some weight.

Dr. Chaim: “Okay, that leaves us with one last thing!”

He hands Alastor a small cup.

Dr. Chaim: “I need a urine sample”

Alastor, glaring at him: “You are testing my patience, Doctor”

Dr. Chaim: “Yes, but mainly I'm testing your children, so go on. I am checking for glucose, bacteria, Ketone and so much more.”

The glare gets redirected to Lucifer, who looks slightly amused.

Alastor: “I'm holding you accountable for this misery”

Lucifer, nervous laugh: “Yeah, sorry about that.”

He makes quick business of it, and gets the doctor the urine sample.

Dr. Chaim: “Thank you very much. I should have the results ready by next time”

Alastor, sarcastic: “Wonderful. Shall I bring an entire canister next time?”

Dr. Chaim: “One of those cups is more than enough”

Lucifer: “Al, common, he's just trying to help”

Dr. Chaim: “Don't worry your majesty. I get all kinds of patients, I have thicker skin than that”

The doctor waves it off dismissively and goes over his checklist one more time.

Dr. Chaim: “That would be all I am checking today. Do you have any questions?”

Alastor: “Yes, actually. Regarding the magical growths. I could hardly find anything”

Dr. Chaim: “It varies from person to person. Especially if the children build stronger capabilities, their needs might fluctuate intensely. You might go from next to nothing to pretty solid magic reserves within the day. Just listen to your body and don't overexert yourself.”

Alastor, tense: “Right. Thank you, that would be all.”

The two leave after bidding goodbye.

Lucifer: “Are you worried about the magic thing?”

Alastor: “... A tad, admittedly. I do not enjoy being more… ugh vulnerable. But I suppose we will handle it, as always”

Lucifer: “Yeah! You bet!”

The enthusiasm does calm the demon.

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tteessiiee · 25 days ago

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Feedism health - Diabetes Mellitus

TW: feederism, feedism reality, medical issues, explicitly explained medical conditions

Hi! This post gonna be long, it is a bit more medical again. We are feedists, right. Many of us are overweight or obese, some also have high blood pressure and many other comorbidities. We overeat a lot, stuffing so much sugar and fat into our bellis or bellies of our feedees so that we gain as much as we want. Therefore we are at HIGH risk of developing diabetes.

I am a student of physical therapy, NOT A DOCTOR. But I kinda feel the need to educate our community a bit 📚. So there are some facts (from medical literature which i study for my exames) about diabetes that I think should be commonly known. It may scare you, it may make you horny (we are weird, especially death feedists, hi guys 🖤), I just want you to know this, if you feel strong enough:

What it is and important vocabulary:

It is a disease caused by malfunction of insulin secretion from pancreas, or by insulin resistence of target tissue (such as muscles) or combination -> in every case you have a problem with insulin and glucose in your body.

There are two types, type I (DMI) that is caused by autoimunne reactions and you can not prevent it. And type II (DMII) which is hella important for our community because you can literally eat yourself into it. The more you over eat, the more you weight, the less you move, the higher the probability of developing that disease. This post is mainly about DMII.

Glycaemia = how much glucose (form of sugar) is in your blood

Norm is 3,9-5,5 mmol/l. After eating usually max 7,8 mmol/l

Hypoglycemia = less than 3,3 mmol/l

Hyperglycemia = over 11 mmol/l

Insulin causes that glucose goes from blood to your cells so it can become part of your metabolism. On the other hand there are hormones that causes the opposite - more sugar in your blood (by various mechanisms) and those are adrenaline, kortisol, growth hormone and glukagon.

How to get diagnosis of diabetes mellitus type II:

Doctor takes a sample of your blood plasma and tests its glycaemia:

If it is done in two different days and in both cases your glycaemia is over 11 mmol/l

OR if it is over 7 mmol/l after not eating for at least 8 hours*

OR if you undergo oral glucose tolerancy test and it is positive (you drink 75 g of glucose in 200 ml of water, wait for 2 hours and your glycaemia is over 11 mmol/l)

...in any of these cases they probably give you a diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus. This apllies for my country in the middle of Europe, idk about your countries but it could be very similiar.

OR! I know that in USA they are also supposed to measure glucated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and diagnose you with DM if it is over 48 mmol/l.

*if your results are between 5,6 to 6,9 mmol/l, you are prediabetic which means that your body already suffers but you can stop it and go back to full health by changing your lifestyle (read more bellow).

Smyptoms of DMII:

I gonna explain them in "normal" language. You may have just some or all of them:

you are thirsty a lot, you drink a lot, you pee a lot, you are still thirsty though

there is glucose in your urine which definitely should not (you will not notice it, lab will)

you lose weight, you feel tired

your vission is blurred

you have some of acute or chronical complications (more bellow)

Complications of diabetes AKA what may happen to you:

They are usually devided into two groups - acute that actually can kill you pretty quickly and chronic that deteriorate your quality of life. (In the worst hypothetical case you can become blind, with neurological pain, amputated leg and close to a stroke that may kill your ability to move and speak. Nice, isnt it? 🤢) So lets get a closer look into that. These things happen when you do not treat your diabetes well or ignore it at all (for example continue in overeating and gaining even after being diagnosed):

Acute complications:

Hypoglycemia - may occur in patients that are treated with insulin (or glinids or derivates of sulfonylurey), also after drinking alcohol (even when you eat with it or dink juice etc). You do not have enough glucose in your blood so your brain cells become to die and in the worst case you will fall "asleep" (into coma) in the evening at party and will not wake up in the morning because you simply die. Your body fights hypoglycemie by making more glucose from storages in your liver, muscle and fat mass. Symptoms are anxiety, blurred vision, inability to concentrate but also seizure and coma.

Diabetic ketoacidosis - occurs in patients with DMI, very dangerous, also can lead to death. If you dont aplicate insulin when you should, you become hyperglycemic, dehydrated and your body catabolise fat into ketone bodies.

If you overdo it with your stuffing session while you are diabetic you may hypothetically cause yourself a hyperglycemic hyperosmolar coma. You are dehydrated, pee a lot, your blood pressure is very low, so low that it can reach hypovolemic shock and you faint. Also you kinda damage your kidneys.

Cronic complications:

Instability between insulin and glucose causes damage to your blood vessels and nerves which may result in

Retinopathy - you slowly lose your vision or even become completely blind

Nephropathy - if you ignore that you have diabetes, you damage your kidneys, it is asymptomatic for a long time but may result in need of dialysis or even transplantation if not treated.

Neuropathies - very common and very annoying. Harms your nerves - all kinds of nerves which means motor (problems with movement), sensoric (problems with feeling anything - touch, pressure, pain, cold, warmth, vibrations etc. and "problems" means you feel it less, more or differently so for example contant pain tha cannot be stopped) and autonomus (causes erectile dysfunction and decrease of libido, slows down motility in your stomach and gut, makes you feel sick, causes vomiting, constipation and diarrhoea and many more)

Diabetic foot - tissues in your leg are so damaged that it may literally start to rot and in the worst cases leads to amputations. This complication is related to many things from little injuries to ulcerations to gangrenes with bacterias that kinda eats your fat, muscles and bones.

Aterosclerosis - higher risk for ischemic heart disease (angina pectoris, heart attack), lower limb ischemia (may cause pulmonary embolism) and stroke.

Other problems such as: inflamation of thyroid gland, celiac disease (you can not eat anything with wheat, barley and others), diseases of skin, mycotic infections, urological infections etc.

Treatment:

I hope you are at least a bit frightened now... So what can we do when we are prediabetic or even diabetic? Three things!

Diet - if you are overweight or obese then it is weight-loss diet plus diet counting how many carbohydrates and fat you eat. Losing weight really works honestly.

Physical activity - helps so much!!! In general you should walk at least 10k steps per day and do some aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes 3-4 times per week. And it should be on 75 % of your maximal heart rate (how to count that at home: "220 - your age = ideal load") plus ofc any sport you like. If you do have diabetes, be very careful about any injuries because it can lead to the diabetic foot.

Meds - DMI insulin for sure. DMII usually gets first oral antidiabetics and only in some cases insulin. But over all meds are only part of the treatment, it reallly does not work well without taking care of your food or exercising. You need to change your lifestyle if you wanna get better (I know that some of you don't).

______________________________________

I hope this post gave you something, tought you something new and you know the risks of our kink better now. I do not want to tell you not to do it - I have that kink too and love it, gonna continue gaining. Just be aware about the consequences 💕

Uffff... that was long and complicated, I actually did my research for that and spent few hours making that post 😂. But it is still possible that i did some mistakes, did not understand something well etc - I am NOT a doctor, please believe more your health proffesionals than me, thank you. Im sorry if anything does not make sense or if I use some words in a strange way - english is not my native language and I do not know many medical terms and phrases, know them only in czech and latin so I translate it somehow based on that XD

Enjoy the candy that our kink brings to our life and stay as healthy as you wish 💕💕💕

~ Your Tessie

#feedism.#feederism.#feedism health #diabetes #feedism consequences #kink education #feedism education #feedee girl

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macgyvermedical · 10 months ago

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Hi! I am working on a fic in which the main character (superhero in the MCU) gets hit by a villain's unknown gas that causes extreme and irritational fear/paranoia/anxiety (sort of similar to the DCU's fear toxin, I guess). I'm just wondering how this would work medically, as the character will obviously see a doctor after the fact. I'd like the conclusion to essentially be "you'll just have to let the toxin/drugs run their course," but what kind of tests would be run, and would they be able to determine what exactly is in the character's system? (Since it's a reality-flexible universe, there can be elements of the toxin that aren't actually real or familiar/recognizable to make it cause some of the reactions I'm wanting.) Is there any sort of meds they might give the character? Any insights you might have to make the conversation with the doctor at least a little realistic would be very helpful, thank you! :)

Sounds like a pretty standard day on my observation unit haha.

There are lots of drugs, particularly stimulants, club drugs, and THC, that can cause paranoia and anxiety. The thing is, none of them do it consistently enough that you could easily make them into a chemical weapon like you're describing.

The closest IRL chemical weapon to a fear toxin is called QNB (aka BZ). QNB is a deliriant/incapacitant, meaning that it causes incapacitating confusion, hallucinations, and probably paranoia and anxiety as well without causing death. There is no antidote that has been identified, and the drug really does just need to run it's course.

Let's say your character went to the emergency room. They'd probably draw some blood and take a urine sample. The blood would mostly be used to see how the person was doing physically (what their electrolyte levels were, how many red and white blood cells they have, what their blood glucose is, etc...) and maybe get an alcohol level. The urine would be used to do a urinalysis (basic test to determine whether someone has a UTI or has things in their urine that shouldn't be there, like blood or mucous) and a urine tox screen.

Unlike what most people think, a urine tox screen won't identify everything. It will just identify the top 10 commonly abused drugs. It's the same test that they run when people start a new job. If the fear toxin is a common problem in-universe, though, they might have a specific test for that that could also be run on the blood or urine. We don't have a specific test for QNB.

Once they got all the tests back and they were normal, they would know this was probably either a drug they couldn't identify or a psych problem. They might gets seen by a psychiatrist in the emergency department, but if intoxication was suspected (as in, the patient reported that their symptoms started when they were exposed to a drug), psych would probably want to wait until the person was sober.

For this they may be admitted to an observation unit to let the drug run its course. They might also be given an antipsychotic medication like olanzepine or haloperidol, or a benzodiazepine like lorazepam to decrease agitation/paranoia/anxiety.

If the person was a flight risk due to their paranoia and it was deemed that they couldn't make good decisions for themselves, they might also have a 1:1 sitter or a video sitter to stay with them and stop them from leaving (or in the case of a video sitter, alert nursing staff to them trying to leave).

#whump reference #writing reference #superheroes #fear toxin #psych #paranoia #anxiety

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landgraabbed · 3 months ago

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welp today is my 20th diaversary! i could never bring myself to celebrate it, but always acknowledge the date. but to be honest, it's funny to me that i don't remember 17th of october, 2004. probably a mix of trauma and me being so severely ill that my memories of the weeks leading up to diagnosis are quite spotty. and i only got diagnosed because my mother put her foot down after doctors were set on sending me home without so much as a urine glucose test; this after weeks of endless doctor trips blaming my weight loss, incessant vomiting, and tiredness on anxiety. i was really close to dying. but here i am. two years ago when it was my 18th diaversary i joked about sending her to university. she should be getting close to getting a bachelor's degree by now and at times it feels like i am struggling to get a bachelor's degree worth of knowledge on diabetes management, but that is that. 20 years of diabetes and so far i have no complications even after struggling with it for a few years as a teen. here's to hoping i can get 20 more good ones

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anotherpage-inthe-book · 1 year ago

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March 30th - April 25th

April 5th 2023

Apologies in advance cause this post is going to be lonnnnnnnng but I have chosen to share something very personal and real. So here it goes;

I always knew I wanted children. I have known ever since I was old enough to comprehend what having children & a family would actually mean. I was always set on having a baby the good old fashioned way. Toughing it out and delivering vaginally. Of course, I always understood that things could happen and that circumstances could change. Although, that couldn’t happen to me... right? Wrong.

When I first found out I was pregnant with our daughter, I was in disbelief. I think I bought about seven or eight pregnancy tests because I was in such disbelief at the first one. The initial feeling of ‘oh my god’, quickly turned into, ‘OH MY GOD I’M HAVING A BABY!’. I went into our room and told my partner (let’s call him J) I needed to talk to him about something. After he had finished up on his computer, I held out 3 positive pregnancy tests. J said, “Why are you showing me your positive COVID test”. He quickly realised it wasn’t a COVID test and he was over the moon.

Fast forward to being 33 weeks pregnant; I had done all of my scans. Which showed normal growth, normal sizing, and most importantly, a healthy baby. I had done not one, but two glucose tolerance tests. I found them not to be as bad as what everyone says they are. It just tastes like really strong lemon cordial. I had all my blood work come back normal, with just a minor iron deficiency. This is very common in pregnancies because bubba gets majority of it. I had just finished at my last growth scan and was headed home. I was feeling good, I had just seen my baby girl and was told/shown that she was measuring well and was healthy. As to be expected, I had gained some weight from being pregnant. Although, I was just happy that our baby was getting the nutrition she needed.

It was about 9:30, just after my Mother was due to start work, when I started to get a headache. So I had some water and went to bed. I woke up around midnight with a pounding headache, seeing stars in my vision and just feeling unwell and not myself. I messaged Mum and told her what was going on. She told me to get J to help take my blood pressure, have some Panadol & water and lie down with calming rain sounds to help. J helped me do my BP, which I thought was relatively okay (given I was a tad agitated and in pain from my headache). So I did what Mum told me to do and went to sleep. Woke up the next day and was feeling my normal self, so I went about my day as normal.

That evening, I started to feel the same way that I felt the previous night. This time, I kept it to myself. I thought it would go away just like it did the night before. Around 5/6pm, I went outside and sat in the pool because this strange feeling just wouldn’t go away. I spent a good 30-45 minutes out there. I went inside for dinner and to chill out whilst I tried to figure out what was causing me to feel so off.

Mum and I sat in the lounge room, watching TV, when she asked me if I wanted her to do my blood pressure. She asked because I was looking agitated and uncomfortable. She did it, and when I looked at her to ask how it was, she had this smile on her face. It was the type of smile one gives another person when they are trying to dull down how serious a situation. I asked Mum if it was good or bad. She just said, “I think you need to call the hospital and see what they say.” My blood pressure was 180/100mmHg. Which is very, very high.

I rang the maternity ward at the hospital. Sure enough, they said I needed to come in as soon as possible. We quickly packed a small bag with all the essentials for a SHORT hospital stay. I thought that we would only be in overnight and maybe the next day. When J and I got to the hospital, the first thing they did was reassess my blood pressure, take a urine sample, and some blood tests. All came back elevated. My blood pressure remained alarmingly high. My urine test came back with elevated protein and my bloods were marginally worrisome. I just kept asking if the baby was okay. I kept asking if this was causing her distress and what we could do to stop it. I was given medication, after medication, to try and bring my blood pressure down. However, nothing was seeming to work definitively. After multiple doses of anti-hypertensives, my blood pressure started to plateau around the 140-150’s. This was still not ideal, but better than what it was. I was feeling like rubbish at this point because of the anti hypertensives, pain medication, antacids, and anti nausea medications I had been given.

Our doctor came in at around 1am. She was was able to give us some news that, quite literally, made me sick to my stomach. It was from nerves, stress, and an entire range of other emotions. I was diagnosed with sudden onset severe pre-eclampsia. She told me that, if left untreated, could be fatal to Bub and I.

Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy which is detected by women having high blood pressure, high levels of protein in their urine (that indicates kidney damage) and/or other signs of organ damage such as epigastric pain (indicating the liver damage). The doctor then told me that I would be staying for almost 2 weeks. However, it ended up being a few days longer. It was all starting to make sense and fall apart, simultaneously. My general feeling of being unwell, the headaches, the rapid weight gain and fluid retention (I probably tripled in size within a week due to fluid retention which was a big yikes), the blurred vision and visual disturbances; the lot. And I was sick, I mean physically I threw up after we were told. I think it was from anxiety but it was probably because of all the medications I had been given. Our doctor reassured us and tried to calm our nerves, but I know I was out of my mind worried about bubba. As was J. Funnily enough, our daughter was healthy and unaffected by what was going on & it was my body that wasn’t coping however that very well could’ve changed at any given time.

That first night I would like to say was the worst it got. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. I was admitted to the maternity ward the next day where we received nothing but the best from the midwives. They were kind, caring, and were always checking in on us to see how we were coping. I think it was because they could see the mental and physical toll it was taking on not only me, but J and my Mum as well. During my stay on the ward, I had multiple different tests and scans to monitor by blood pressure, kidney, liver functions, and my overall health. I won’t lie, I really was unaware as to how unwell I was and how serious the situation was.

Due to the severity of my preeclampsia, we were told that our daughter would probably have to be born early around 37 weeks. At 37 weeks, a baby is considered to be full term. They have fully mature lungs, as the baby is getting ready to be born. I had asked the doctor, and the midwife, if it was still possible to follow our birthing plan of having a water birth. Unfortunately, as we were now a ‘high risk’ pregnancy, a water birth was out of the question. Then came the question of, "will I be able to have a vaginal birth with our baby?". This was an aspect of pregnancy that I was actually very eager to be able to experience. Originally, I wanted a water birth with as minimal medical intervention as possible. I felt like, as painful as Labor may be, it would be equally as beautiful to be able to bring our daughter into the world this way. My treating doctor told me that, although labor was not impossible, it was highly unlikely that I would be able to safely go through labor. She explained that I would likely need to have a caesarean. I was obviously 100% on board with whatever our little baby needed to be happy and healthy, but it still felt like I was stripped of having the birthing experience that I wanted.

It was a few days after I was admitted that we were informed that we wouldn’t be able to make it to 37 weeks. The doctors were worried my body and organs would give up due to the stress they were under. I said to the doctors I would at least get to 34 weeks (which was 4 days away). They were hesitant to wait that long. I thought I would be able to, because it was only just a bit of high blood pressure right? Clearly I was in a bit of denial about everything. Over the next few days, I had multiple blood tests, CTGS and vital signs attended. All showing that my body was struggling. My liver functions were declining. My kidneys were struggling. I was struggling to move due to the fluid retention. I was having issues breathing and doing everyday activities that I usually would’ve been able to do independently. My blood pressure, although much more controlled due to being on two different anti hypertensives 4-5 times a day, was still elevated. The CTG’s weren’t bad, but they weren’t good. So I was sent for an ultrasound to check on the baby’s measurements & they showed that the baby was measuring smaller than expected. Meaning she wasn’t getting everything she needed to grow healthily. That’s where I actually became concerned.

It all came to a head the morning of the 05/04/23, after a shitty sleep and another 2-3 hour CTG tracing. Mum had stayed overnight with me (she and J often took turns doing this). I turned to her and said, “I can’t do this anymore”. She could already see how exhausted I was (physically and mentally). I made a decision to let the treating team know that I needed something to be done that day. We weren’t seen by the initial obstetrician. Another obstetrician (let’s call him Doctor A) who works along side the obstetric team came to review me. Straight away, he asked how long the CTG trace had been trending that way. He asked how long it had been on for, if anyone was monitoring it, and what was the point if nothing was being done about it. The doctor asked me a few more questions about how I was feeling. They asked if I was I struggling, coping, etc... I told him that I was trying to make it to the 34 week mark, but I was unsure how much longer my physical and mental health could last. He left to discuss things with ‘the team’ and to see if a decision would be made that day. Around lunchtime, Mum and I had just taken a bite of our sandwiches when Doctor A came back. He asked how I felt about having a baby that afternoon. It was a definitive ‘let’s have a baby’. Mum and I (more so Mum who is a midwife and wasn’t letting on just how unwell and dangerous my situation was) felt relieved. Someone had decided on a plan, instead of just sitting and waiting.

That afternoon, after a quick phone call to J telling him to get his ass to the hospital ASAP, I was prepped. We went downstairs where we were about to meet our little girl. After about 45 minutes of trying to be cannulated, I was wheeled into the theatre room. They told me what the process would be, how long things would take, etc... It was time for me to have a spinal anaesthetic (that thing with the big needle. The one that numbs you so you don’t feel anything. Yeah... That thing...). I will admit that it was not as bad as I expected. It took two tries, but the most unpleasant part of it was losing feeling and control of my legs so fast. I still had to try and move around to get into position, but that’s just me whining. It all happened pretty quick after the spinal anaethetic. Or that’s how it felt to me at least. The anaesthetist asked us what we would like to listen to, music wise, whilst the procedure was happening. Obviously, it was a no brainer. The 1975 was the only option. Before we knew it, the doctor was telling us to "look up... look here....", and there she was. Our little girl. She was looking like a “mandrake” from Harry Potter, but she was healthy, breathing on her own, and squawking.

I think I was in some kind of trance or something, because it was all feeling so surreal. I mean... This little bundle of love wasn’t due for another month and a half. Yet here she was wrapped up in a blanket and in her Dad's arms. It's safe to say that I was in a bit of shock, but the best kind. It was a pretty quick ending of the caesarean. I was stitched back up and sent round to recovery, whilst Dad and Bub went to the special care nursery. This is where we would spend the next few weeks. I think I was delirious after everything happening so quickly, but I was stable. When I was taken back to the ward, the first thing I asked was "When can I see bub?" and "How is she doing?". Being wheeled back into an empty maternity ward room without my husband, my mother , or baby was very confronting. I felt alone, but not upset, because I knew they were with my baby girl. I felt really good. I think it was the best I had felt since I had been in the hospital.

However, after I returned to the ward, my midwife attended my vital signs. My blood pressure and other symptoms resulted in her calling a medical emergency. I was given more medication and they increased my observations overnight. Unfortunately, I had another medical emergency. They sent me back to the birth suit for 1:1 care. I had a 24 hour magnesium sulfate infusion running (to help bring down my blood pressure). I had a catheter re-inserted (was not a happy little Vegemite) and I spent the next 24hours having half hourly vital signs, hourly catheter output/input measures, and barely any sleep. This entire time, I hadn't even been able to hold my baby yet. I had minutes with her briefly, after she was born, before she was wrapped up and sent up to the special care nursery. It was a lot to internalise. I felt guilty because I hadn’t been able to cuddle our little girl since she had entered the world. During the night spent in birth suite, the midwife that took care of me was nothing but an angel. She could obviously see the toll that not being able to see (or hold) our baby was having on me. She could see how uncomfortable I was with being pricked, prodded, and my catheter blocking. I think it was just after 11pm when, after checking my blood pressure, our midwife said we could go and see our daughter. She would have to accompany us as I had IV’s running and I would have to go in a wheelchair, given my recent surgical wound and how unwell I was.

Seeing our little girl in the incubator, with an IV line in (along with all the other lines), was the hardest thing I think either of us have had to see. Seeing a little baby with lines and tubes in is hard; but when it is your child, I think it just stings that little bit more. Our daughter weighed 1780 grams when she was born. Our daughter had a nasogastric tube inserted, as she was too little to breastfeed or bottle feed. This was another blow, as I felt like I was letting my baby down by not being able to breastfeed. She was given IV glucose drips until she decided to yank her IV out. Just like her mother, she gave the doctor’s a challenge to reinsert the IV. Ultimately, they gave up because she was doing so well on just her 3r hourly feeds via the feeding tube. Her feeds were majority expressed breast milk, but in the beginning days (when my milk supply was just coming in) she had formula as a substitute. It was a relief that once my milk did start flowing. I was able to express and bottle it for her without any issues. I think we had about 6-7 litres of frozen breast milk in our freezer at one point. It was one less thing to worry about, given everything we had going on. Our daughter spent almost 4 weeks in the special care nursery. She recieved the absolute best care possible. I cannot thank the nurses and midwives enough for the care they gave my daughter & I. After those four weeks, we brought our little girl home. She looked a little bit funny sitting in such a big car seat.

4 weeks of visiting the hospital at all hours of the day. The hours spent holding our baby girl, giving her the tube feeds, changing her nappies, leaving the hospital in tears, feeling like the world was against me and sleepless nights at home wishing our baby was at home with us; it was a very tough time. I remember speaking to J in the hospital cafeteria “I feel like the world is against me, like I’m the butt of a bad joke and it’s not fair”. The guilt I felt over leaving our girl... I would leave the hospital either in tears, or angry at the world for our situation. I felt a lot of emotions at once. I was feeling guilty for not being able to hold my new baby and have a normal first interaction with our daughter. I missed out on the first few hours of skin to skin contact... Just because I was sick? I was angry at myself for being unwell and I felt like I had let our daughter down, beause I wasn’t there. I still get angry at times over this and it’s still something I have to deal with on the daily.

I take my hat off to all midwives, special care nurses, and neonatal nurses. I could not do what they do. Our daughter received the absolute best care from the most beautiful people in the special care nursery. We were reassured and checked in on every time we were there. They had offered support, given education, and assisted with her care when it was our turn to take the ropes. Those amazing people will always hold a special place in our hearts. I will never forget the kindness and care given to our family, especially when I wasn’t well enough to be able to.

I spent two weeks in hospital being pricked with needles, having constant CTG’s to monitor the baby, multiple blood tests, scans, and had numerous sleepless nights. I even had two emergency calls due to my BP being elevated. I had sudden weight gain and large amounts of swelling all over my body. The swelling was not just in my legs, but my arms and fingers as well. My hands still tingle from time to time due to the swelling and carpal tunnel I experienced. I was retaining large amounts of fluid, which was shown by my size and by how difficult it was for me to physically move. I have never felt so humiliated and disgusting. I relied on others to be able to help me move, wash, and do everything I am usually able to do.

I have never thought so lowly of myself. I refused to look in the mirror in the bathroom because I thought I looked disgusting and gross. I still felt this way after being told it wasn’t actual weight, it was the oedema that caused me to get so big. I have to continue to remind myself that the strectch marks and baggy skin is a normal part of pregnancy. I have bruises and scars from constantly being stuck with needles, multiple cannulas, and having blood tests. My liver functions and renal functions are only now starting to improve. However, I’ve had multiple follow ups with doctors from different departments and my GP to monitor these. I physically feel weaker. I can feel when my muscles are close to giving up, but that is slowly starting to change since I started exercising again. I struggle with anxiety from leaving the house, wondering if our daughter is unwell, and taking her out in public. Although, I am starting to slowly get better at managing these anxieties. I am still struggling to deal with how my body looked/looks now. Body image has always been a big issue for me. It will be an ongoing process, but one step at a time. Walking by myself, and walking with our daughter, has helped me cope with a lot of these negative thoughts. It has helped my mental and physical health immensely.

I’m slowly learning to accept that, while I might not have experienced giving birth how I would’ve liked, I am so very blessed and thankful to have a healthy and happy baby girl. She is thriving and becoming her own (very small) person. I have been left with some physical and mental scars from this entire ordeal, but I remind myself everyday about how lucky I am. I'm a Mum and our baby made it home safely. It has taken my almost 3 months for me to finally finish writing this. It brought back a lot of negative thoughts and upsetting memories, but getting my thoughts out on paper has helped me process this traumatic (yet wonderful) experience. It’s also made me so thankful that our little girl, who is just like her Mumma, is tough and resilient. Seeing her smile and laugh, makes everything I went through worth it.

#postpartum #birth story #pregnancy #ptsd recovery

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dragonpigeons · 6 months ago

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Hey guys, I wrote two accounts of my time in hospital and after for anyone interested. The first is posted here. The second I will post separately.

Update: Link to Part 2 is here.

---------------

Account I.

Hospital & After: The Physical & Medical Aspects of My Recovery

CW: bodily fluids, blood, needles, minor injuries.

》 Written with Twitter format in mind, edited for Tumblr.

My family and I, we lived a normal existence. My mother was healthy. My father enjoyed a laid-back life but was otherwise healthy. My brother had lactose intolerance but was otherwise fit and healthy.

I had lived a normal life for the past three decades. I was regarded as fit and healthy. I liked to be active. I went for walks often. I ate a balanced diet. I got over illnesses normally. I had no allergies.

The symptoms began 2-3 years ago. More worries started to accumulate. There were more things to consider, more to do, and more to take responsibility for. And, damningly, what seemed like less time to have to deal with them all.

Everything was piling up in me physically. My body was hoarding all the things I wasn't facing and running away from. My body began to suffer under the weight of it all.

My body was slowly dying.

In May ‘24, my ankles started swelling. It built up quickly over the month and reached up my legs and hips. I finally went to my GP. She saw how serious it was via blood & urine tests. My results were off the charts. I was sent to the hospital right away.

At the hospital, they saw my blood count dropping. I had to have a blood transfusion. It helped my bloods somewhat, but I was still building up fluid and wasn't passing much urine. There was still something wrong with my body. I was still unwell.

They did more blood tests and found an antibody reading, which was also off the charts. The doctors told me I had SLE lupus nephritis. My own body was attacking my kidneys, which meant I couldn't pass urine and get rid of the fluid retention.

ii.

I was given a number of injections and IVs over the next few days. A boost to my low WBCs and neutrophils, prophylactic antibiotics, insulin to lower my potassium level, glucose to keep my blood sugars up, steroids to stabilise the lupus and stop the levels from rising higher.

Soon after, they put me on daily steroids in tablet form, along with a bunch of other pills - antibiotics, antifungal, antirheumatic, minerals, diuretics. They seemed to help keep my body stabilised. Though I did start getting side effects and symptoms.

I had insomnia and woke up often in the night. I also began having strange dreams. They felt like everything was submerged underwater. I couldn't understand what people were saying or doing. Also, my bowels were acting up, and I had to go to the toilet often.

All the while, my swelling continued to increase. I had to wait a few days to be transferred to another hospital. It became more difficult to stand and walk day by day. It was like moving with a bunch of clay wrapped around my feet and legs.

The only people I ended up talking to on a daily basis were my mother, who came to visit me every day with home cooked meals, and my brother via DMs. Everything just got too much, too fast. I had to make a lot of life-critical decisions in a short span of time.

Despite all that, I did find myself with time to think. I found myself thinking how crazy it was that my own body would choose to attack itself. I also found myself accepting that it did and what it meant.

Lupus was here to stay. Lupus would be my companion for life.

iii.

In the meantime, my kidney function dropped to 10%. I had a kidney biopsy done. The results were on the lighter side. There was no scarring but a lot of inflammation. The glomeruli were damaged quite severely, but they would be able to recover. My kidneys could heal.

Something interesting happened during all of this mayhem. I had small swollen lymph nodes for the past two years, which finally went away after the first antibiotic and steroid IVs. It was like the trash had been taken out. I felt I could think clearly for the first time in years.

One of the things I realised was that for nearly all my life, I had been caught up in the most trivial of things. Am I being ignored? Did I do something wrong? Do people even like my art? Does anyone actually like me?

I had used my energy on the wrong things. I came to realise, within the four white walls of my minimally-furnished ward room with a crappy plastic bed to sleep on, the more important things in life. Family. Friends. Community. Network.

The doctors proceeded to the next phase of my treatment. Though lupus had been stabilised by the steroids, my immune system needed to be suppressed in order to lower the levels.

Cyclophosphamide is a chemotherapy drug and, at standard doses, is the standard used to treat lupus patients. They explained the procedure and the risks. The first main risk was hemorrhagic cystitis. The second was infertility.

Since I didn't want children, it was a simpler decision for me to make. I had my first dose of the drug the next day. I didn't feel anything. The doctors told me it would kick in after 7-10 days.

Throughout the days, they continued to poke me like a pin cushion, checking my daily blood levels. My arms and hands were covered in bruises by the end. Some nurses were better than others. One had a shaky hand. I bled and bruised with them the most.

On my last day, the trend in my blood results showed improvement. My kidney function went from 10 to 14%. I was discharged that afternoon and waited for my meds. I chatted with an elderly man. I had chocolate biscuits. I was content.

iv.

My father picked me up and drove me back home. I took my first step out of the hospital after two weeks. Though it was summer, the weather greeted me with a cool, cloudy ambience. I opened my arms and welcomed it. I breathed in the fresh air. I smiled.

I was happy to be back in a comfortable bed and in the company of my family again. The environment was much better, more peaceful. I wasn't disturbed at odd hours of the night by nurses checking my vitals or giving me meds to eat.

My troubles weren't exactly over yet. I continued to have heart palpitations, and my swelling continued to increase over the next two days. I got worried that I would no longer be able to move. I feared I would have to be bed bound.

On the third day of being home, I finally felt myself getting lighter. I was passing more urine and going to the toilet more often. I gained 20kg+ since the start of the swelling. I went from 70+ down to 67 by day five.

On day six, things hit me like a truck. The chemotherapy drug had kicked in. My heart palpitations were hard and numerous. I grew exhausted. Even getting up to go to the toilet took so much out of me. I was down for the count for the following days.

I had to think about how to spend my energy each day. I prioritised eating, resting and going to the toilet. If I had an appointment, I'd try to prepare the day before. There were periods where I'd have more energy, and I'd make use of those.

Eventually, it did get easier as I learned how to manage my symptoms. Eat well, but don't overeat to reduce my palpitations. Eat fibre to keep the bowels moving. Drink fluids to keep hydrated. Rest often to conserve my energy.

Since then, I've been getting better as the days go. It's been a rough and bumpy ride throughout. My symptoms and needs seem to change by the day. I have to adjust through trial and error.

Sometimes I get it wrong. Sometimes I get it right. Often, there's conflicting info on the Web. I have to take it all with a grain of salt (which is almost literally all I can have with my kidney injury) and find what works for me. I've learnt a lot. There's still more to learn.

Every day brings something new. I still get scared when something unwanted or unexpected happens. I still panic and rush to resolve the problem as if a meteor is about to hit the planet. I'm learning to just stop and do nothing. Calm myself. Observe.

I'm a high-strung person who tends to jump to the worst conclusions. I believe that with enough discipline and focus, I can change this for the better. It will take patience. It will take time. Something I thought I didn't have enough of. Now I know that I do.

There is time for everything. I just have to make it by cutting out the unnecessary and focusing on what truly matters.

Before, I squandered my time and energy. Now, I will spend them wisely as I recover and return to a new normality.

---

#dragonpigeonstalks #update #hospital #cw: bodily fluids #cw: blood #cw: needles #cw: minor injuries #why did i write this? because i wanted to share my experience with everyone #maybe it could inspire. maybe it could be educational or motivational #but mostly i just felt like sharing. I've kept a lot hidden from everyone. it was time i opened myself up to the yall #if you read it all thank you for reading

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mobileblooddrawservices · 2 months ago

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#Mobile Lab Services #mobileblooddrawservices #Mobile blood draw services #Stat blood draw #Blood draw at home services near me #Mobile blood tests

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feelboss · 3 months ago

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lmao realizing afterward that they didn't run a full urinalysis on me, just a strip and pregnancy test (after i said i had a hysterectomy)

was positive for glucose

then told "you dont have a uti you're fine" and also "your stones are in your kidney you wouldn't be able to feel them"

motherfucker do you know how many urines i've read where the strip was COMPLETELY normal and the sediment was RAGINGLY infected?

the worst part of working in a medical field is knowing exactly how much you're getting fucking ignored and glossed over

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rmlpathology · 6 months ago

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Understanding Different Types of Diabetes and Their Impact on the Body

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It disrupts the body's ability to regulate blood sugar (glucose) levels, leading to serious health complications if not managed properly. There are several types of diabetes, each with unique characteristics and impacts on the body. This article will explore the different types of diabetes, how they affect the body, and the tests provided by RML Pathology to diagnose and manage this condition.

1. Type 1 Diabetes

Description:

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This results in little to no insulin production, which is essential for regulating blood sugar levels.

Impact on the Body:

Requires lifelong insulin therapy.

Increases the risk of complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a potentially life-threatening condition.

Long-term complications include cardiovascular disease, kidney damage (nephropathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and vision problems (retinopathy).

Can cause frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme hunger, weight loss, fatigue, and irritability.

2. Type 2 Diabetes

Description:

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Lifestyle factors such as obesity, poor diet, and lack of exercise significantly contribute to its development.

Impact on the Body:

Often managed with lifestyle changes, oral medications, and sometimes insulin.

Can lead to complications like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, and nerve damage.

Symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, slow-healing sores, and frequent infections.

3. Gestational Diabetes

Description:

Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy when the body cannot produce enough insulin to meet the increased needs. It usually resolves after childbirth but increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Impact on the Body:

Can cause high blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia).

Increases the risk of having a large baby, leading to complications during delivery.

May result in low blood sugar levels in the newborn and a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the child later in life.

4. Prediabetes

Description:

Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. It is a critical stage for intervention to prevent the progression to type 2 diabetes.

Impact on the Body:

Often reversible with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.

Increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Symptoms are often absent or mild, making regular screening important.

Tests Provided by RML Pathology

RML Pathology offers a comprehensive range of tests to diagnose and manage diabetes effectively. These include:

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Measures blood sugar levels after fasting for at least 8 hours.

Helps diagnose diabetes and prediabetes.

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Provides an average blood sugar level over the past 2-3 months.

Used to diagnose diabetes and monitor long-term glucose control.

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Measures the body's response to a glucose solution.

Commonly used to diagnose gestational diabetes.

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Measures blood sugar levels at any time of the day.

Useful for diagnosing diabetes when symptoms are present.

Gestational Diabetes Test:

Specifically designed for pregnant women to detect gestational diabetes.

Conclusion

Understanding the different types of diabetes and their impact on the body is crucial for effective management and prevention. Regular testing and early detection play a vital role in managing diabetes and preventing complications. RML Pathology provides a wide range of diagnostic tests to help you monitor and manage your diabetes effectively. If you have any symptoms or risk factors for diabetes, consider visiting RML Pathology for a comprehensive evaluation.

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#diabetes #type 1 diabetes #type 2 diabetes #gestational diabetes #prediabetes #diabetes management #blood sugar #glucose levels #RML Pathology #diabetes tests #HbA1c #fasting blood glucose #oral glucose tolerance test #random blood sugar test #health #healthcare #diabetes diagnosis

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wellhealthhub · 2 years ago

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There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes

Diabetes, a chronic medical condition as common as sand in the desert, casts a wide net, affecting millions of people globally. Understanding this persistent foe is no small task, given its complexity and variety. Two primary types—type 1 and type 2 diabetes—emerge from the shadows, each with its unique characteristics, causes, symptoms, treatment options, and prevention strategies. By unlocking…

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#A1C test #Blood sugar tests #diabetes diagnosis #Diabetes screening #Fasting blood sugar test #glucose testing #Hemoglobin A1C test #Oral glucose tolerance test #Random blood sugar test #Urine tests for diabetes

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anakintwolegs · 7 months ago

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Kazu is at the vet being treated today. He is not feeling well. Friday Night I noticed he didn't want to eat as much and not eating from the table at night. We were still able to coax him to eat through the weekend with his paste treat on top of his food and gave him Cerenia tablet for nausea. This morning Kazu had an exam, bloodwork, and urinalysis done at our vet. He is slightly dehydrated, has too much glucose in his urine. He has never had ketones before. They said he had ketones now .5 , a slight UTI - Cocci 1+. His blood glucose was 379 before I took him to the vet. It was over 400 at the vet. They think this could be why he doesn’t feel good and doesn’t want to eat with all of these issues going on. They kept Kazu to give him an IV with fluids, she also said they were going to give him some regular insulin (I don’t know what that is) to try and bring his blood glucose down. Also based on what kind of UTI he has, they are starting him on Clavamox. They are also going to send off a fructosamine test. I really hope he’s going to be OK. I am so upset & worried about him. He has to be ok! We are picking him up later this afternoon. I will update you on how he’s doing then. I’m a stressed out worried sick mess! ❤️

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mcatmemoranda · 1 year ago

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Hyponatremia, defined as a serum sodium concentration below 135 mEq/L, is usually caused by a failure to excrete water normally. In healthy individuals, the ingestion of water does not lead to hyponatremia because suppressed release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), also called vasopressin, allows excess water to be excreted in a dilute urine.

●The initial diagnostic approach to the adult patient with hyponatremia consists of a directed history and physical examination as well as selected laboratory tests. When hyponatremia is first discovered, some elements of the history, key features of the physical exam, and the results of several helpful laboratory tests are usually already available, and these guide the subsequent diagnostic approach:

•If hyperglycemia is present, the serum sodium concentration should be corrected for the effect of glucose to exclude hypertonic hyponatremia. To calculate the "corrected" serum sodium, we recommend the use of the following ratio: the sodium concentration will fall by approximately 2 mEq/L for each 100 mg/100 mL (5.5 mmol/L) increase in glucose concentration.

•Patients with lipemic serum, severe obstructive jaundice, or a known plasma cell dyscrasia may have pseudohyponatremia. This laboratory artifact can occur if the sodium is measured with flame photometry or indirect potentiometry using ion-selective electrodes when the solid phase portion of serum or plasma is increased due to severe elevations of triglycerides, lipoprotein-X, or protein. The true concentration of sodium in plasma water can be measured using direct ion-selective electrodes, which are not susceptible to the artifact. Such direct ion-selective electrodes are utilized by most "point of care" bedside analyzers and devices used to measure blood gases. In addition, patients with pseudohyponatremia typically have a normal serum osmolality.

•Patients who have had recent surgery utilizing large volumes of electrolyte-poor irrigation fluid (eg, prostate or intrauterine procedures) and those treated with mannitol, glycerol, or intravenous immune globulin may have isotonic or hypertonic hyponatremia. Measurement of the plasma osmolality is helpful in these settings.

•Patients who do not have hyperglycemia or one of these other features associated with pseudohyponatremia, isotonic hyponatremia, or hypertonic hyponatremia are likely to have hypotonic hyponatremia.

●The serum creatinine concentration, which can be used to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and the patient's medication history are typically available at the time that hyponatremia is discovered. Both severely reduced GFR and thiazide (or thiazide-type) diuretics are important causes of hypotonic hyponatremia.

●In patients with hypotonic hyponatremia who do not have severely reduced GFR and who are not taking a thiazide diuretic, or in patients suspected of having an additional cause of hyponatremia, the subsequent evaluation depends upon whether or not the patient has clinically apparent edema and/or ascites:

•Patients with hyponatremia due to heart failure or cirrhosis typically have advanced disease and present with clinically apparent peripheral edema and/or ascites along with a previous diagnosis of heart or liver failure.

•Nonedematous patients with hypotonic hyponatremia are either euvolemic or hypovolemic. Most patients with hyponatremia due to true hypovolemia will have obvious signs of volume depletion; however, some hypovolemic patients have more subtle signs and are mistakenly judged to be euvolemic. The evaluation of nonedematous patients usually requires further testing:

-Hyponatremic patients who present with clinical symptoms and signs of hypovolemia may have extrarenal fluid losses or renal fluid losses. Measurement of the urine sodium and chloride concentrations can often distinguish between these two causes.

-Most hyponatremic patients who appear to be euvolemic by physical examination have the syndrome of inappropriate ADH (SIADH). However, such patients may occasionally have hyponatremia due to true volume depletion, primary polydipsia, malnutrition, glucocorticoid deficiency, or severe hypothyroidism. The subsequent evaluation in such patients includes measurement of the urine sodium and urine osmolality as well as levels of cortisol and thyroid-stimulating hormone.

#hyponatremia

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