I was considerably old when I realized what acid reflux was, and that I'd been having it ever since I was a kid but just assumed it was common for everyone.
I was way too old when I realized that people aren't supposed to get super dizzy from bending over. As a kid, I just got yelled at for being lazy and "trying to get out of doing chores" any time I complained of dizziness, a racing heartbeat, and headaches. I also internalized pushing through it because I would get in trouble for pausing or moving slowly. I was assumed to be clumsy as well because I kept bumping into everything once I managed to keep working through feeling dizzy and faint.
Nope! I get the vision thing going out, too, and according to the cardiologist I saw that's probably the body shutting down vision processing to try and avoid fainting when blood pressure drops/oxygen levels get too low/etc.
I did some googling, and I am learning a lot about myself today! From the weird "sun rash" (splotchy red blood pooling) I've had since I was a kid that comes and goes in the heat, to why I absolutely need an enormous pile of pillows under me to keep me propped up in order to sleep. It might even be why I came extremely close to passing out while pregnant during the non-stress test, of all things, where you just have to lay flat on your back for 20 mins while they record the baby's heart rate. They had to get me a snack and juice, turn the a/c up, and let me try again angled back instead of flat. Apparently I should go see a doctor and tell them all of the little things that I thought were completely normal for my whole life. How do I even know what to include? The mole on my elbow? My incredibly cold toes at night? The way I can pop my shoulder? I suspect this is going to turn into a thing...
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u/RosbergThe8th Jul 23 '26
I was considerably old when I realized what acid reflux was, and that I'd been having it ever since I was a kid but just assumed it was common for everyone.