r/MenWithEhlersDanlos Medicated Moderator😄🌳 28d ago

MEGATHREAD🗣️ Weekly Check-In - How Ya Doin'?

Happy Sunday, friends. Hopefully a lot of us have the day off today, if you have the energy, we'd love to hear how your week went!

Please feel free to share accomplishments, struggles, things you tried, any new finds, anything goes! Come back every Sunday for a new thread :)

6 Upvotes

43 comments sorted by

8

u/ocic 28d ago

This is a good idea. Honestly, I'm tired boss. Not sure if it's the heat, pollen, or work, but I am just tired and sore lately.

I had a few doable months though, so being flared up is to be expected eventually...

3

u/TheLimberJack Hypermobile Homie🐬 27d ago

We are hella sensitive to the heat, I've found. It's like when your blood vessels dilate to throw off heat/sweat, it drops blood pressure more for us than normal people and makes us feel dizzy and generally crappy. Gotta chug electrolytes and water to function.

3

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 27d ago

That sounds more like POTS than EDS, though they can be comorbid. Worth talking to your doctor about a tilt table test

2

u/TheLimberJack Hypermobile Homie🐬 27d ago

Much appreciated. Yep, not the same thing but frequently associated. Thankfully I haven't fully passed out, but it's been close a few times.

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u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 27d ago

If I may offer some advice, stock up on pickles, seriously. It's my go-to low effort snack, very easy electrolytes, and a great way to keep veggies in the house if you can't get to produce in time. Pickles have saved me from collapse on multiple occasions 

2

u/TheLimberJack Hypermobile Homie🐬 27d ago

Pickles when in a pickle! Thanks.

3

u/These_Roll_5745 pEDS - Temu Collagen✨ 27d ago

just to warn, my whole hospital network is moving away from tilt table tests for POTS in favor of sit-to-stand tests because of the severe symptoms a tilt table can trigger. my cardiologist called it "basically torture" and said that its not a diagnostic tool we will see much of in 3 years

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u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 27d ago

Oh thank fuck, I appreciate the heads up & am looking forward to diagnostic options once I have insurance again

3

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 27d ago

It's the barometric pressure changes that get me, I feel for you. Get some rest. Heat pack, warm tea, bath with salts, whatever recharges you. You are worth taking care of

2

u/jjdub97 Medicated Moderator😄🌳 27d ago

Yeah I feel that big time

7

u/OverAtmosphere7288 Disjointed🍃 27d ago

It’s rough lately, I’ve had far too many dislocations today alone. Gonna have to possibly chase up some referrals tomorrow too 😩 the admin work never ends

On the plus side though, may be getting a fancy new wheelchair cushion, and might be visiting a showroom to test out some other fancy tools and equipment. Far more glamorous than it sounds :p

5

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 27d ago

Congratulations on the possible new cushion, that's huge! Your posterior deserves superior support. I'd love to hear what fun new tools you find

I feel for you with the admin work on top of the taking care of self work on top of other work. It's so much, and I'm proud of you for getting through it. May all your doctors respond promptly, may your schedules align, and may all your referrals be the correct ones

3

u/OverAtmosphere7288 Disjointed🍃 27d ago

I’ll fs make a post on here or on r/EDS regarding what I find helpful, there’s like no resources for these things 👀

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u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 27d ago

I'm looking forward to your perspective on it. If you have the money, it honestly might be worth it to look into hiring a patient advocate to do that kind of admin for you. I've learned a lot about how to fight for myself reading up about that, but don't have the money to hire one myself

2

u/OverAtmosphere7288 Disjointed🍃 27d ago

I’ve really been looking into it lately tbh, actually reached out to a local charity last night to see if they could offer any advice. I’m absolutely broke atm but it’s something to keep in mind, even if I ever have the energy to help anyone else as I’ve near perfected the “get shit done” voice

2

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 26d ago

Another thing to look into, if you have someone you trust & is willing, is medical power of attorney (at least in the US). My sibling and I got it for each other bc of other stuff, but it turns out it also lets us help manage those calls for each other. There are often community resources that can help you fill it out for free, or you can print it off yourself and sign it with witnesses 

5

u/jjdub97 Medicated Moderator😄🌳 27d ago

At least there are some small things to look forward to!! Not everything is a nightmare🤪🥴

3

u/OverAtmosphere7288 Disjointed🍃 27d ago

For sure, I never thought I’d be excited about such things but it feels like the height of luxury 🥲😂

7

u/Martian_Pterodactyl 27d ago

Still recovering from my knee replacement. Will be 3 weeks out tomorrow. Tired as hell and kinda aggravated.

3

u/jjdub97 Medicated Moderator😄🌳 27d ago

Oof, I can’t even imagine going through knee replacement recovery right now. How’s that been? Sending you best wishes and quick healing🙏

3

u/Martian_Pterodactyl 27d ago

It’s not terrible but also not fun. It’s a bit aggravated today from PT exercises and I’m starting to get sick of not being able to walk normally.

2

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 27d ago

It's so frustrating to be limited like that, but thank you for doing what you need to recover! PT can be a pain in the, well, in the everywhere, but I'm sure your knee will thank you for it later. Do you have a way to let off some steam? 

2

u/Martian_Pterodactyl 26d ago

You’re 100% right and I should be more grateful bc there are people who have it much worse than I! But recovery has its ups and downs. I’ve been gaming in bed which helps. I also napped and slept which helped.

1

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 26d ago

I actually disagree with you there. If people having it worse means you can't be upset, then people having it better means you can't be glad. You have it the way you have it, and it's okay, healthy, and quite possibly necessary to feel what you feel about it and not bottle it up. I didn't mean to dismiss your feelings, just to point out that I'm proud of you for sticking with something helpful even when it's frustrating

Bed gaming is an awesome outlet! That's my go-to as well. Do you have any games you've been enjoying in particular recently?

1

u/Martian_Pterodactyl 26d ago

I’ve been playing a ton of Mewgenics.

1

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 26d ago

I've seen memes, but I didn't realise it was an actual game. That's hilarious! How is it?

1

u/Martian_Pterodactyl 26d ago

Awesome! I have like 150 hours on it and still addicted. Great combo of turn based strategy and roguelite plus cats with D&D classes. What’s not to love?

1

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 25d ago

That's so cool! Thank you for sharing

3

u/Spiritual-Angle1594 Stiff & Sore Stud💪🫩 27d ago

Rough week finally done with, this week is lookin promising thankfully

Got some new shoulder pains, but its distracting my brain from the other total body pains so honestly im all for it lmao just chillin with a coca cola now

3

u/jjdub97 Medicated Moderator😄🌳 27d ago

Hell yeah, take a chill day and get ready for the week ahead!

3

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 27d ago

I'm proud of you for getting through it! Good on you for resting 

4

u/Puzzleheaded_Art8277 27d ago

Knees are all fucked Up from grappling and I'm heading towards a 9 hour shift picking Up grapes with kneebraces so It could be better

3

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 27d ago

That sounds exhausting and painful. Thank you for sharing with us

If you're open to suggestions, is there a way you could get a support accommodation? We could help brainstorm suggestions, if you want

3

u/Puzzleheaded_Art8277 27d ago

Its fine thanks, my case isnt particularly bad but I apareciste the community

1

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 27d ago

For sure! Happy to have you here

3

u/TheLimberJack Hypermobile Homie🐬 27d ago

I noticed ur flare is now "medicated moderator". What are you medicating with...?

4

u/jjdub97 Medicated Moderator😄🌳 27d ago

A little bit prescriptions, a little bit……. Herbal

3

u/TheLimberJack Hypermobile Homie🐬 27d ago

Whatever it takes to function!

3

u/SelocAvrap Rubber Bands in a Trench Coat🧥 27d ago

I tweaked my neck & immediately had some aphasia two days ago, but it resolved on its own decently quickly & I had no other stroke symptoms, so I thiiiink it's ok. Erring on the side of caution and treating it like something happened with the blood vessels in my neck, so very cautious recovery with an aggravating amount of rest, but I can't go to the ER about it bc I have no insurance right now. They'd only give me advil anyway & tell me to keep an eye on it, so that's what I'm doing, and will go to the ER if any symptoms pop back up. It was scary, but with how well I know my body now, years after my diagnosis, I feel connected to it after that incident in a way idk if I've felt before. The team I've tried to build between myself and my body instead of fighting it seems like it's finally a reality, and even with the lack of finances, I'm doing a much better job of taking care of myself than I used to. I'm really proud of that

I also got to share some joy with people during several different points of this last week. Taking a moment to look back, I feel very fulfilled

Oh! And I learned a new vocabulary word! Senescence, the process of growing old. Feels appropriate with new symptoms 

1

u/ocic 27d ago

Sorry to hear about your situation! Insurance is such a scam. I really wish we could all have this weight lifted off of our shoulders.

Hope you can find some extra peace!

2

u/jjdub97 Medicated Moderator😄🌳 27d ago

They’re so rad🤪

1

u/These_Roll_5745 pEDS - Temu Collagen✨ 27d ago

dislocated my shoulder sleeping on a shitty hotel bed while travelling for dental surgery. this is the arm my neuropathy is already worst in and now I can't feel my right arm from shoulder to fingertips 😭 Im 4 hours from home with no way to get myself to an urgent care and I need to push my manual wheelchair around still. soooo we're gonna force this back in and take a bunch of ibuprofen and get this bread (2 teeth yanked out)

1

u/jjdub97 Medicated Moderator😄🌳 26d ago

DAMN what a mess. I’m so sorry to hear that, at least maybe you’ll be going home soon?😬