30+ peer support thread.

[LoiteringClouds]

Interesting to note that you wrote "I know" and not "I think" or "it seems to me".

As a casual observer, no, you are not responsible, it's certainly not your fault and I hope you don't have guilty feelings or remorse or shame or blame yourself or are angry at yourelf similar for whatever the situation is.

When people say "I know" the first thing that comes to mind is "delusion" - an unshakeable belief in something despite evidence to the contrary.

Thank you so much for your reply.

I said "I know I'm responsible" because I was afraid of judgement from people here. I was afraid of being told "don't blame others, pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" so I tried to play a responsible person. I've seen some user on this forum said a thing like "people who don't fix their problem when they can don't deserve respect."

I agree that I don't have to feel guilty, remorseful or ashamed, so I'm trying not to do so, but it's difficult. I really don't want to get corrected or pointed out my mistakes, because it feels like a proof of the fact I'm always wrong and don't deserve respect (but it's just a feeling, not the fact.)
Still, people have told me "get out of your comfort zone, get corrected, corrected and corrected until you become great."
I'm so exhausted, but they're right I think.

And I think I'm highly delusional person, because I haven't made an effort to see the reality as it is - I simply avoid seeing it. I've been subjected to verbal abuse from parents and teachers, to the point where Japanese language, my mother tongue, triggers me. I'm panicking at work almost every day because of it. I was good at English when I was a student, so I started to avoid Japanese whenever I can.

Even not knowing you and knowing very little of your situation, I can safely say there have been educational factors and social factors that have influenced your life and can have nudged you towards the current situation.

Imho too there are cultural factors that influence how you see things, how you perceive the situation. If I remember well, in Japanese one says "the nail that stands out gets hit first", while in Mediterranean Europe a common saying is instead "the baby that cries gets milk first", meaning don't be like everyone else.

Yes, education and my social life influenced me greatly. I've been the scapegoat when I was child because I was "the nail that stands out." While I don't believe that's a good practice, I try to stay under the radar of my superiors.

Broadly, in Europe, with exceptions, school is unpaid and private schools are rare (and sometimes forbidden). University is - broadly - free of charge. Access to university varies greatly, but I'll take the extreme example of Italy: the only requirement is passing an end-of-school exam. Registration is automatic, there is no "admissions system" and university is free of charge.

The idea is that say 500 register to start medicine and then very quickly they start not coming or not passing the first exams and then drop out on their own and then a reasonable year size is achieved (say about 25). They also get "student money" until they are 26.

Afaik in Japan it's not like this, which means that - logically - there are also systemic factors that affect you situation.

Thank you for telling me this - In Japan entrance exam of universities/colleges is highly competitive and some parents push their kids like slaves. (But I've heard entrance exam in South Korea is even more competitive.)

There is a factual situation regarding you (no doxing ofc) that can be accurately described: you have this car that costed $5k, this job that pays X JPY and you cannot have children.

You could have a Ferrari or a Maserati but then if somebody breaks your side-mirror you will have to wait for a replacement. Then good luck with parking. And if you are driving on a bumpy road you'll know it. And you'll have the view of sitting on the tarmac. Oh and if you are lucky enough to drive them in Germany, the no-speed limit country, you will find out soon that driving at 155mph = 250 km/h on average actually makes trips last much longer bcs you have to refuel every 30 minutes.

And a $5k small car is great, you don't care about bumps and scratches, you can park anywhere and when you are tired of it you can sell it and buy a new one. And if it breaks down your loss is maxed at $5k.

I agree that inexpensive car is great, especially for me, as I make a lot of scratches because I'm bad at parking.

You mentioned that "financial independence" would be a success. This also has different meanings. For some, it's "enough to rent a bed in a shared room", for others it's "enough to buy a house".

Some find a small job annoying, others would welcome it because of the lack of responsibility.

You're right, I don't find any flaw in your argument.

I am glad you found a good therapist that is telling you intelligent things to think about and not what to do.

I think it was a miracle that I met her. She has contributed to my recovery greatly.

Sorry everyone else if I write essays on the main thread - @LoiteringClouds if you want to DM me, you can, I don't mind (so the thread won't have such long answers) but if nobody minds my occasional texts then I'll keep answering here :)

Thank you for your time and sensible response. I think your post is beneficial to other people, especially who feel like they were failures.

Spoiler: How I feel - please skip if it's irrelevant.

This is my confession - when I read your reply first I felt as if I were humbled.

Note: You didn't humble or offend me - this is just my knee-jerk emotional response.

I received cognitive behavioural therapy in 2017, but I think I'm making the same mistakes today, because you pointed out my false beliefs, negative thinking and other "cognitive distortions."
I feel like "I can't do anything right," "I'm just a kid who shouldn't be on '30+ peer support thread'" or "you're perfect and I'm always wrong" but if I said what I'm feeling I'm likely to be corrected. So I've been feeling like a walking mistake, for 30 years.

I crave approval and respect, but in reality, I've been treated like dirt and I could have not change the situation so far.

Honestly speaking, I'm afraid of talking to you, because I feel as if you were the boss who is always right and I were obliged to say "I agree" or "you're right." I'm afraid of authority figures because they trampled on me into submission.

Edit: Thank you for your contribution, and sorry if my wording is inappropriate or I sound defensive. I wasn't offended in any way.

 

[mellie5]

@LoiteringClouds read your spoiler-protected answer and I probably didn't express myself well and caused transference somehow (like me not being the "boss" at all - hopefully - and yet you saw me as a boss because you are used to be put in a "I am under a boss" or "under a authority" situation).

First quick note, you are not delusional. A delusion is a false belief in something no matter what the evidence presented. You felt abused and mistreated and your feelings cannot be delusional by definition. If you are - say - scared then nobody can say "no you are not", only you know what you feel.

It's not even a "delusional perception" (i.e. you see the wind move the leaves in a tree and think it's a message from aliens saying you must bake a cake).

I am sure the people who say "get out of your comfort zone" have never been psychologists or psychiatrists not a single day of their lives. Trying to play therapist is ungood - imagine your phone breaks down and someone says haha let me stick a screwdriver in it and see what happens, you probably would be better not letting them do that :)

Don't listen to them or to me if you can :) it's the internet :) but interesting that you mention CBT, I can see by your choice of words that you have done it well and you can see it's working, you already notice that there is a possibility of repeating the mistakes of 2017. Which means they are no longer subconscious and you are aware of them. Very good.

Also yk these people who say "you should fix yourself" perhaps didn't notice there are things called "hospital", "medication" and "therapy". We could close down everything and the next time they have tooth pain they can go in front of a mirror and fix it themselves :-D there is nothing wrong in going to someone who studied at least 4 years to know more about these things. They obviously don't.

I am sorry to hear that you live in Japan and the Japanese language causes you to have panic attacks. Language is often a trigger in many situations and if you associate Japanese with those bad feelings at home and during school of course it will cause bad feelings.

Note too that regarding panic attacks, however bad they seem, they are not dangerous for your health at all. Idk what your symptoms are, since people use "panic attack" when really they mean "feel nervous", but a true panic attack has hyperventilation (breathing fast) and a higher heart rate because of the fear. Eventually the hyperventilation causes tingling at the extremities (too much oxygen) so the heart beats slowly bcs it doesn't need so much oxygen and people pass out and then it's normal breathing. They seem to last forever but in reality it's a few minutes.

Regarding language, it's completely normal. Old people in Europe outside of Germany who went through the war don't like hearing German. If you shout achtung outside of Germany even today people will associate it first with war films and bad things, not someone helpfully saying "be careful" :-D

If you start to feel nervous or a panic attack is starting, try as much as possible to think that at that moment nothing is actually happening. Try to remember that there is no reason to actually have fear (and incidentally fear is very good, it signals danger, like be afraid of pouring boiling water on yourself). The people who could hurt you are gone. At the present moment it's just memories.

I really didn't want to cause this transference with the essays though...

Regarding the fear of being corrected, it's the internet. Statistically even if you say "nice weather" there will be people saying you are wrong. Easy for me to say but if somebody called "buzibuzi69" on some internet forum were to point out my mistakes and shortcomings I would completely and utterly not care :)

(but if our mods tell me "don't do this" then I say "ok boss" and that's it)

In any case, you cannot be "wrong" when talking about feelings or reactions. Those "are", no matter what.

Ooohhhh am I now doing a counter-transference thing in which you felt I was an authority figure and I am making my answer more detailed, behaving as this hypothetical authority figure? Interesting, interesting, Sasu going on full psychanalysis now :-D

In any case, it is impossible for you to be wrong in feelings, those are always true. Incidentally, can you recognise yourself in the description of this state in the link below?

Learned helplessness - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

because it seems to me very logical that if you have since forever being told you are "bad" and "wrong" you start to assume you are, even when you are not, then imho this makes you insecure -> panic attacks, depressive symptoms. Learned helplessness can be induced and is an ungood technique when used on war prisoners.

Do you think somehow parents and school can have induced this in you and it is persisting?

 

[LoiteringClouds]

@LoiteringClouds read your spoiler-protected answer and I probably didn't express myself well and caused transference somehow (like me not being the "boss" at all - hopefully - and yet you saw me as a boss because you are used to be put in a "I am under a boss" or "under a authority" situation).

First quick note, you are not delusional. A delusion is a false belief in something no matter what the evidence presented. You felt abused and mistreated and your feelings cannot be delusional by definition. If you are - say - scared then nobody can say "no you are not", only you know what you feel.

It's not even a "delusional perception" (i.e. you see the wind move the leaves in a tree and think it's a message from aliens saying you must bake a cake).

Hello @mellie5,

Thank you for your thoughtful reply, and sorry for my late response.

Yes, it was transference I think. You didn't sound like a boss, at least for me.
When I wrote the spoiler, I was just anxious because I had a bad day at work (bad days are the norm rather than the exception though.) Sometimes I feel as if everything I do were wrong and I had to be told what to do.

I am sure the people who say "get out of your comfort zone" have never been psychologists or psychiatrists not a single day of their lives. Trying to play therapist is ungood - imagine your phone breaks down and someone says haha let me stick a screwdriver in it and see what happens, you probably would be better not letting them do that :)

Don't listen to them or to me if you can :) it's the internet :) but interesting that you mention CBT, I can see by your choice of words that you have done it well and you can see it's working, you already notice that there is a possibility of repeating the mistakes of 2017. Which means they are no longer subconscious and you are aware of them. Very good.

Yes they were neither psychologists nor psychiatrists. Thank you for your kind words. But they thought anything they said should happen no matter what just because they were the bosses, so they had unrealistic expectations of me and lashed out at me when I failed to meet them.

In any case, it is impossible for you to be wrong in feelings, those are always true. Incidentally, can you recognise yourself in the description of this state in the link below?

Learned helplessness - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

because it seems to me very logical that if you have since forever being told you are "bad" and "wrong" you start to assume you are, even when you are not, then imho this makes you insecure -> panic attacks, depressive symptoms. Learned helplessness can be induced and is an ungood technique when used on war prisoners.

Do you think somehow parents and school can have induced this in you and it is persisting?

I think I have learned helplessness and I feel as if I'll be treated like dirt in any workplace on earth, but it's not the fact. The only way to break free from this trap is to get out of my comfort zone and find a new workplace where I'm not treated like dirt (if CTB'ing isn't an option.)

(By the way, I'm not a prisoner of war but my boss declared me as a war criminal. He actually said "You're a war criminal" to me. Now I wonder where's his firing squad. I might not need to CTB.)

Do you think somehow parents and school can have induced this in you and it is persisting?

Yes, my parents, schools and bosses have threatened me to do what they want me to do.
And because my current boss is the same...
Every day, night and moment, my trauma is renewed.
People don't acknowledge my torment - they just say my perception is skewed.

I am sorry to hear that you live in Japan and the Japanese language causes you to have panic attacks. Language is often a trigger in many situations and if you associate Japanese with those bad feelings at home and during school of course it will cause bad feelings.

Note too that regarding panic attacks, however bad they seem, they are not dangerous for your health at all. Idk what your symptoms are, since people use "panic attack" when really they mean "feel nervous", but a true panic attack has hyperventilation (breathing fast) and a higher heart rate because of the fear. Eventually the hyperventilation causes tingling at the extremities (too much oxygen) so the heart beats slowly bcs it doesn't need so much oxygen and people pass out and then it's normal breathing. They seem to last forever but in reality it's a few minutes.

Regarding language, it's completely normal. Old people in Europe outside of Germany who went through the war don't like hearing German. If you shout achtung outside of Germany even today people will associate it first with war films and bad things, not someone helpfully saying "be careful" :-D

If you start to feel nervous or a panic attack is starting, try as much as possible to think that at that moment nothing is actually happening. Try to remember that there is no reason to actually have fear (and incidentally fear is very good, it signals danger, like be afraid of pouring boiling water on yourself). The people who could hurt you are gone. At the present moment it's just memories.

Sorry, I don't have panic attacks, and the word "panic" was misleading. It's nothing serious - just anxiety, and even though I look upset at work the only consequence has been just eye-rolling from people.

And thank you for your understanding - in Japan I'd be considered to be weird if I told people that.

Regarding the fear of being corrected, it's the internet. Statistically even if you say "nice weather" there will be people saying you are wrong. Easy for me to say but if somebody called "buzibuzi69" on some internet forum were to point out my mistakes and shortcomings I would completely and utterly not care :)

(but if our mods tell me "don't do this" then I say "ok boss" and that's it)

In any case, you cannot be "wrong" when talking about feelings or reactions. Those "are", no matter what.

Yes it's just the internet and sorry for overreacting to your comments.
And since this is the internet I'd like to ask you the intent of your comments below.

I don't want to encourage psychopathy, but there is a very rude Neapolitan word that sums it up and which roughly means "don't care about it". Ofc actual pain is difficult to ignore, so is not having food, but "situations" are usually made worse by our point of view.

(from the post #117)
Do I deserve this rude word?

If I am wrong or I'm making you uncomfortable please let me know. I don't think feeling itself can be "wrong" but expressing my true feelings caused a lot of problems in the past.

Thank you for your patience, and I'm sorry if I'm insensitive and/or self-centered. I've been told so throughout my life.

LoiteringClouds

 

[Ash]

Changing the subject, for which I apologise, has anyone here had a gastroscopy? (Thought this was the most likely place to ask. Again, apologies if anyone thinks it's presumptuous.)

 

[mellie5]

@LoiteringClouds hello -

the rude word is actually excellent life advice in general :) but it is in the vulgar language register and from the dialect of Naples. It just means "don't care at all about it" :-) I don't speak Neapolitan, I understand it and this word is special to their dialect. No therapist would say it though :-D

here is an article that mentions it:

Bud Spencer Futtetenne, What Stressed Lives Need | ALOR Italy

Bud Spencer is an Italian icon famous for a carefree lifestyle philosophy he dubbed "Futtetenne." Here what Bud said about stressing out.

artoflivingontheroad.com

but it's nothing you can "deserve", it's not an insult, it's just vulgar :-D don't learn it and use it casually with Italians :-D

I don't find you insensitive or self-centered, you are apologising very often and you give the impression of caring a lot about other people.

Those who blame you seem to be very weak and cowardly, who use you as a scapegoat for their shortcomings. Animals fear the bigger animals but prey on the weak.

These people are often treated badly by their authority figure and instead of breaking the chain because they know how bad it is, they do exactly the same.

This behaviour is also displayed in some child molesters, who were molested as children and suffered and say they would never do the same, but repeat it unfortunately.

Nothing you say (or anyone here says) would make me uncomfortable. Very improper things would just be ignored.

Expressing your feelings can of course sometimes cause trouble, depending to whom they are said and how, but I can't imagine someone on an internet forum actually annoying me. Not you, but people can be blocked or ignored. And ofc don't just open up to anyone in general espc irl.

These bosses who treat you badly seem to be bad bosses, not as in "bad people", but as in "inefficient managers". An employee who is afraid to open up and who cannot criticise policy is not going to point out errors, will be sicker, lack motivation etc. Actually this leads to airplane disasters and among pilots has to be strictly avoided. The Wikipedia article on Crew Resource Management is a little confused but I couldn't find anything better:

Crew resource management - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

the idea is that if the captain is too much of an authority figure, the co-pilot will be afraid to correct him. In an office it just creates a toxic atmosphere but in an airplane or operating theatre it can be catastrophic.

I noticed that under your login you wrote "tempus fugit" (time flees). Note that the logical corollary (implied deduction) would then be "carpe diem", i.e. "seize the day", make it the best you can, the future is not there yet, enjoy what there is to enjoy as much as you can.

Since we are being Latin, this reminded me of a famous 13th century student song (the full text is a bit naughty) but the refrain is:

Gaudeamus igitur,
Iuvenes dum sumus,
Gaudeamus igitur,
Iuvenes dum sumus!
Post iucundam iuventutem,
Post molestam senectutem,
Nos habebit humus,
Nos habebit humus.

Let us therefore enjoy life,
we are still young
let us therefore enjoy life,
we are still young!
After playful youth,
after bothersome old age,
the earth will have us,
the earth will have us.

full lyrics here:

Gaudeamus igitur - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

song here:



I noticed that listening to it wasn't a good idea for me :(

Going back to you, however, you say that people in Japan would eye roll and consider you weird if you mentioned your feelings. Imho eye-rolling is insulting - consider that most communication is non-verbal. An example is if someone tells you "I love you" while signalling "no" with the head, you would focus more on the head movement than the words.

Ik this is very difficult for you, but you could try with the therapist exercises for being assertive (this is not "aggressive"), which for eye-rolling would mean doing something like asking "why did you just roll your eyes?".

A good old (1988) book you might like is called "Coping with Difficult People" by Robert Bramson. You might find it somewhere online, perhaps it's still sold on Amazon. It's an easy read, no psychanalysis or things like that. You would probably read it all in 2-3 days.

Interesting that you also wrote "people would consider me weird". Now see, this is a question of interpretation. You see "weird" as negative.

If you see what the word "weird" meant in origin,

(source: https://www.etymonline.com/word/weird )

the weird systers were the goddesses that controlled human destiny, they were supernatural. Not a bad thing to be a goddess that controls destiny.

Some also would see "weird" as positive. I myself would prefer to know someone who is weird (but not crazy ofc) instead of someone who is just a photocopy of everyone else. Weird gives you personality and makes you not insipid (like soup with no seasoning) or anodyne (just saying the right things and being dull).

Imho the fundamental force at work is not that you are weird or not, that you are right or wrong, but that the perception of being weird or the perception of being wrong cause you anxiety. You could be actually wrong about something and just react by saying "thank you for your observation, I will avoid making this mistake" or if someone actually shouts at you, a good trick is to say calmly that you can't understand when people speak so loud. Again imho, it seems to me that it is the link between being wrong and anxiety that must be broken, not an actual or perceived weirdness.

What comes first to your mind after reading this?

Bear in mind, too, that you might be somewhat in a position of power without realising it. Because see, if you are "weird" as you say or "wrong" it means that someone made a big mistake in hiring you and they will be reprimanded for it. Your weak-minded boss is perhaps afraid of his boss telling him "why did you hire her?" and doesn't want to admit he made a mistake. You don't really know the internal company politics before you were hired. It could be that he did the same to other workers and HR is already very annoyed at him.

Lol 1000+ words essay today :-D

Changing the subject, for which I apologise, has anyone here had a gastroscopy? (Thought this was the most likely place to ask. Again, apologies if anyone thinks it's presumptuous.)

it's actually just uncomfortable, you swallow a thing and someone takes a quick look. You don't really *need* medication before. Be nice and remember not to eat before so people can see things :)

 

[CatLvr]

Changing the subject, for which I apologise, has anyone here had a gastroscopy? (Thought this was the most likely place to ask. Again, apologies if anyone thinks it's presumptuous.)

I have. What's up??

 

[Ash]

Burning in my belly. Definitely acid. Query ulcer. Tablets barely holding it at bay. Hence the gastroscopy. Never had one before. High anxiety. Don't do well when "restrained". Read the official literature. Want a user's POV.

 

[CatLvr]

Burning in my belly. Definitely acid. Query ulcer. Tablets barely holding it at bay. Hence the gastroscopy. Never had one before. High anxiety. Don't do well when "restrained". Read the official literature. Want a user's POV.

Wtf are they gonna restrain you??

It was an outpatient procedure. I went in the morning of, had routine work up to make sure I had followed the prep procedures and they put an IV in. Took me to the surgery suite, we had a nice conversation about the doctor's choice of music (80s music which is not my fav lol) then asked me to turn on my side, anesthesiologist said I'm gonna give you your stuff now, and when you wake up you will LOVE 80s music. Last thing I remember was laughing my ass off.

I came to in recovery -- slight sore throat but that was it. Still don't care for 80s music. Of all the things I have had done to me in the name of good health over the years, this one in my top 3 easier procedures. I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[Ash]

Wtf are they gonna restrain you??

It was an outpatient procedure. I went in the morning of, had routine work up to make sure I had followed the prep procedures and they put an IV in. Took me to the surgery suite, we had a nice conversation about the doctor's choice of music (80s music which is not my fav lol) then asked me to turn on my side, anesthesiologist said I'm gonna give you your stuff now, and when you wake up you will LOVE 80s music. Last thing I remember was laughing my ass off.

I came to in recovery -- slight sore throat but that was it. Still don't care for 80s music. Of all the things I have had done to me in the name of good health over the years, this one in my top 3 easier procedures. I wouldn't sweat it.

No, no restraints but a camera on a tube down my throat is a restriction is a restraint IYSWIM?

I'm not having any sedation as I need to drive home so will be opting for the throat spray. Keeping my fingers crossed for 80s pop though.

 

[Dot]

No, no restraints but a camera on a tube down my throat is a restriction is a restraint IYSWIM?

I'm not having any sedation as I need to drive home so will be opting for the throat spray. Keeping my fingers crossed for 80s pop though.

R u sre tht u cnnt gt Ubr

Slf hd simlr procdre & whle = nt trrble slf wld defntly recmmnd sedatn if u cn

 

[null_blank]

The music is too loud! I don't understand this meme. Where's my tapioca??

 

[opheliaoveragain]

Just bopping in at random like I normally do with this thread, thank you to everyone who has contributed on various topics. There's no way to reply to all of you (ok, fine, there is but it would take ages) so I just wanted to say thank you.

My cycle is here and I feel like I'm fucking dying. Heavily relate to the older movie Ginger Snaps (the second one has more nuance imo but both are gold)

This has been the fourth or fifth cycle since it changed. I never used to get debilitating cramping, ALL THOSE YEARS in school, yet here we sit at 33, fucking feeling like someone is taking a serrated melon baller to my insides. -.-

 

[CatLvr]

No, no restraints but a camera on a tube down my throat is a restriction is a restraint IYSWIM?

I'm not having any sedation as I need to drive home so will be opting for the throat spray. Keeping my fingers crossed for 80s pop though.

Ohhh yeah ... I am not sure. I had the throat spray when an allergist put a tube down my nose to look around. It did help me not to gag but I kept swallowing obsessively. It was uncomfortable but I didn't feel restrained and I'm insanely claustrophobic. I think if you are able to take deep breaths and do some mindful shit to keep your nerves at bay you will be okay. Plus I think the doc will probably call it if your blood pressure and/or heart rate gets too high.

Like Dot said, maybe look into an Uber??

 

[Ash]

R u sre tht u cnnt gt Ubr

Slf hd simlr procdre & whle = nt trrble slf wld defntly recmmnd sedatn if u cn

Ohhh yeah ... I am not sure. I had the throat spray when an allergist put a tube down my nose to look around. It did help me not to gag but I kept swallowing obsessively. It was uncomfortable but I didn't feel restrained and I'm insanely claustrophobic. I think if you are able to take deep breaths and do some mindful shit to keep your nerves at bay you will be okay. Plus I think the doc will probably call it if your blood pressure and/or heart rate gets too high.

Like Dot said, maybe look into an Uber??

I do see where you're coming from but there's a few complicating factors. I had the nasal one earlier this year with the spray and it was horrible and they had to keep telling me to stop holding my breath but I really think given my current MH that it's preferable. Besides I live miles and miles from the hospital and the taxi fare is even more eye watering than the procedure. And they won't let me go home unaccompanied.

 

[CatLvr]

I do see where you're coming from but there's a few complicating factors. I had the nasal one earlier this year with the spray and it was horrible and they had to keep telling me to stop holding my breath but I really think given my current MH that it's preferable. Besides I live miles and miles from the hospital and the taxi fare is even more eye watering than the procedure. And they won't let me go home unaccompanied.

Oh man that is rough. I understand, too, about not having anyone. Even though I'm married he's a childish thing and likes to play tit-for-tat. That has backfired on him now that he has "gotten up in years" too. Haha!

I had an ankle surgery at an outpatient place that let a guy go into surgery even though he didn't have anyone. It was my understanding that he was the first surgery of the day and was gonna be the last patient discharged that evening. Maybe a choice if you can't finish this one but I'll keep a positive thought for you. Sees like a really stupid thing to say on a forum for us "crazy folks" but mind over matter. ??? (Yeah, I know -- nobody else gets my humor either! )

Oh!! And 80s POP??!?!?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!??!??

 

[Ash]

Oh man that is rough. I understand, too, about not having anyone. Even though I'm married he's a childish thing and likes to play tit-for-tat. That has backfired on him now that he has "gotten up in years" too. Haha!

I had an ankle surgery at an outpatient place that let a guy go into surgery even though he didn't have anyone. It was my understanding that he was the first surgery of the day and was gonna be the last patient discharged that evening. Maybe a choice if you can't finish this one but I'll keep a positive thought for you. Sees like a really stupid thing to say on a forum for us "crazy folks" but mind over matter. ??? (Yeah, I know -- nobody else gets my humor either! )

Oh!! And 80s POP??!?!?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!??!??

I like most music pre 2000

 

[CatLvr]

I like most music pre 2000

I am all about VietNam era stuff. And rap. Go figure. Hahaha!

 

[Ash]

I am all about VietNam era stuff. And rap. Go figure. Hahaha!

Not a combo I've ever heard anyone put together before. And my music player shuffle likes to throw together musicals, Mozart and Meat Loaf

 

[CatLvr]

Not a combo I've ever heard anyone put together before. And my music player shuffle likes to throw together musicals, Mozart and Meat Loaf

Well, let me be the first!

My shuffle does the same thing -- like it's trying to convince me that there is more to music than "Fortunate Son" and "Slim Shady".

 

[DeathSleep]

Hey! I'm surprised I've made it this long. It is time to go.

"...I just wanna tell you that I had enough, might sound crazy, but it ain't no lie baby, Bye, Bye, Bye..." -NSYNC

 

[FundamentalAspect]

Changing the subject, for which I apologise, has anyone here had a gastroscopy? (Thought this was the most likely place to ask. Again, apologies if anyone thinks it's presumptuous.)

I'm currently sitting in a tiny Airbnb, in the middle of prep to have both an endoscopy/gastroscopy AND a colonoscopy early tomorrow afternoon, so I feel you on the hassle of the logistics of being probed.

Not sure where you are, but you might look into a medical transport company. In my experience, these companies typically have two people on each van - one drives and the other is usually an EMT or has some form of medical training above first aid - and they transport patients to and from appointments and procedures. I worked at a medical facility in intake and we had them in and out for most of my shift (until 2200 when they closed at least) taking our patients when they were discharged. They took insurance or medicaid, though I don't know if they did private pay, and are usually what I've seen recommended for people who have to deal with medical procedures and don't have anyone to accompany them. My paperwork for tomorrow states that a medical transport company is acceptable, but taxis and Uber are not, so that may be an option for you.

 

[Valhala]

54

 

[Soupster]

@Ash I had one done a few years back while they were trying to figure out my GI problems. I was lucky? though as they were doing a colonoscopy at the same time. They did the colonoscopy first and the anesthesiologist went a bit overboard and knocked me right out from before starting the colonoscopy through several hours after they had completed both procedures.

 

[Ash]

@Ash I had one done a few years back while they were trying to figure out my GI problems. I was lucky? though as they were doing a colonoscopy at the same time. They did the colonoscopy first and the anesthesiologist went a bit overboard and knocked me right out from before starting the colonoscopy through several hours after they had completed both procedures.

Very, very lucky.......

 

[Soupster]

Very, very lucky.......

Let me assure you, colonoscopy prep does not feel lucky.

 

[Ash]

Let me assure you, colonoscopy prep does not feel lucky.

I had a whole drama collecting my stool samples which I won't go into (it's funny in retrospect but not while I'm drinking my morning tea) but thankfully they came back clear so no further investigation required at that end

 

[Soupster]

I had a whole drama collecting my stool samples which I won't go into (it's funny in retrospect but not while I'm drinking my morning tea) but thankfully they came back clear so no further investigation required at that end

God. Collecting stool samples is horrific. That was a memory I was content to leave on the scrap heap. But it's back... and you're right, in retrospect a bit amusing.

 

[Ash]

I'm currently sitting in a tiny Airbnb, in the middle of prep to have both an endoscopy/gastroscopy AND a colonoscopy early tomorrow afternoon, so I feel you on the hassle of the logistics of being probed.

Meant to reply to this earlier but got sidetracked. Hope all goes well and they get nice clear views and good scenery

 

[CatLvr]

@Ash I had one done a few years back while they were trying to figure out my GI problems. I was lucky? though as they were doing a colonoscopy at the same time. They did the colonoscopy first and the anesthesiologist went a bit overboard and knocked me right out from before starting the colonoscopy through several hours after they had completed both procedures.

Ahhhhh -- The adventures of the "more mature" of us. Lol

Hope all goes well for you!

@Ash same to you, dear!

 

[Soupster]

Ahhhhh -- The adventures of the "more mature" of us. Lol

Hope all goes well for you!

@Ash same to you, dear!

You'd probably be shocked at how young I was when this happened (barely cracking the age for this thread) and I'm not that much older now 38??? Ya 38. I had to stop and think about it.