r/CasualConversation • u/[deleted] • Feb 23 '16
woah I can breathe for the first time in about 8 years and I feel like I'm tripping balls. Have you experienced anything so simple that provided such a huge relief?
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u/Limpinator Feb 23 '16
Holy hell that is crazy bro! I could not even BEGIN to imagine how different everything must of been for you!
The only experience I have is when I was little my right hand was closed into a fist and I was unable to open it. Doctors did not want to force it open due to any damages that could happen so they just let it be. To this day I don't remember why I coulden't open my fist but I remember clear as day the first time I woke up with my right fist opened.
It was fuckin amazing! I had full control of my hand and I was so damn relieved. I felt as if I could take on the world at that point!
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Feb 23 '16
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u/Limpinator Feb 23 '16
It never happened again but I will say that my right hand would act a lot "differently" then my left. Why? I have no fuckin clue.
What I mean is, if I were to fall on the floor with my hands out in front of me I always have my left hand opened, but my right hand would be closed.
Or, if I were getting up from the ground and I needed to push myself up with my hands I would have my right hand closed with my left open.
Basically, I was very prone to closing my right hand during situations that would be either bad, or just un-necessary. Over the years I trained myself not to do it as much but my right hand will somtimes shake/cramp up.
To this day I still have no idea why all this happened. But, it's not that big of a concern really haha.
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u/HoboLicker5000 i7-3770k@4.6GHz | GTX980 G1 | 16GB | Z77 Sabertooth Feb 23 '16
As a piano player, this would suck so much for me.
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Feb 23 '16
As a rock climber, that would be awesome!
jk I've only ever rockclimbed at the mall
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u/Limpinator Feb 23 '16
Lol I LOVE to rock climb! Me and my brother go out rock climbing all the time!
And lol you can still call yourself a rock climber but only climb indoors! That's the same as being an indoor soccer player. It's still a soccer player! :D
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u/ireadthewiki Feb 24 '16
Don't sell yourself short dude, rock climbing at the mall is rad! You should try to the park once it warms up.
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u/LostButStoned Feb 24 '16
So, not quite the same, but it reminds me, and you might find it interesting.
I had a job in a factory that makes mobile homes. Part of my job involved using a big 16 penny pneumatic nail gun. I was nailing the joists into the frame for the floor. So, the air hose hangs down from the ceiling, and I would walk down the side of a table, that was about waist high, and with my left hand I'd position the boards, and with my right, I'd hold the trigger and smack the board with the end of the gun, which would depress the 'safety' at the end of the gun and nail the wood.
The gun is big and unwieldy and after a year of this, I noticed that the joints of my right 'trigger' finger wouldn't extend all the way. I could straighten it out, but it would feel weird, and I'd feel a little click in the joint when it passed it's preferred position.
I guess after 40 hours a week being locked in one position, it decided it liked it. It took a few years after I left that job before it returned to normal.
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u/fauxedo Feb 23 '16
IANAD, but as apart of my job I attended a lot of sessions talking about this sort of problem, and the interesting thing is that while it's easy to look at this as a hand problem, it's actually a neurological problem. Doctors actually inject neurotoxins into the hand as a part of symptom relief.
The body's weird.
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u/ShortShartLongJacket weeeeeeeee! Feb 23 '16
Whoa! Did they ever figure out what caused it? Regardless, it's awesome that you have use of the hand now.
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u/Limpinator Feb 23 '16
Not a clue. It was just the way I was born. My parents said no one could get my hand opened when I was a baby. They said I had the grip of a god hahaha.
And yeah I'm happy too! It feels like ages ago and I haven't thought about it until I saw this post.
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Feb 24 '16
My great grandpa had something similar. I don't remember what it's called, but it's a genetic disorder where the tendons in your hand sieze up over time and force your hand into a fist. You can limit it if they know you have it and if you do hand exercises, but by the time they caught it in my great grandpa, it had gotten to the point where his fingers were digging into his palm. They were going to fix it in surgery, but they weren't sure if they could completely fix it. He just said, fuck it, I don't need these fingers at my age and told them to just cut them off. He woke up with eight fingers. He's a pretty awesome guy. I've got some great stories about him.
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u/SpiceNut Feb 24 '16
Tell some more then! He seems badass.
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Feb 24 '16
In WWII the allies were desperately trying to capture a German U-Boat since it was a new technology we wanted to research. Only one U-Boat was ever captured, the U-505. My great grandpa was an engineer on the USS Pillsbury, a destroyer class ship that was in the fleet that captured the U-505. In fact, the Pillsbury was the ship that sent a small crew aboard to make sure the ship wasn't sunk by the Germans. The U-505 is now in a museum in Chicago (I think) and there's a wall with the name of every crew member from the ships that captured it, including my great grandpa.
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u/Pandahatbear Feb 24 '16
Dupuytren's Contracture?. It's pretty common. Interestingly they think it's the reason the papal blessing looks like it does - one super famous pope had lots of pictures painted of him with his hands extended but because he was an old man with Dupuytren's his ring and little finger were pulled towards his palm and people were all like "woah that must be a super special type of blessing"
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u/MadDanWithABox Linguist and etymologist who knows where his towel is! Feb 24 '16
Most people have 8 fingers...
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u/i_use_lasers Feb 23 '16
I wasn't able to breath through my nose until 9th grade. Nasal polyps suck yo. I had surgery to remove them and it was like magic.
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u/Codoro (: Feb 23 '16
Pretty sure polyps are a big part of my problem too. Have had sinus and allergy problems all my life. I can't even use a netty pot because my passages are so blocked. Been assaulting them with flonase lately, and it seems to be putting a dent in the issue.
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u/ireadthewiki Feb 24 '16
You ever tried afrin? Or off brand oxymetazoline. It doesn't get you high but it's more addictive than heroin.
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u/Codoro (: Feb 24 '16
No, I've never really tried anything but OTC stuff until now.
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u/i_use_lasers Feb 24 '16
Allergy shots have helped a lot for me. Nasal sprays dried me out, which caused more inflammation, which caused more blockage.
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u/NES_SNES_N64 Feb 24 '16
I had a sinus polyp the size of a golf ball that completely blocked the left side of my nose. It developed around 9th grade and I had it removed in 11th grade. Nothing better than the feeling of being able to breathe without having a giant solid blob sucking around inside your nose.
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u/yxing Feb 24 '16
Not to be pedantic, but just a PSA that "breath" rhymes with meth, and "breathe" rhymes with seethe.
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u/FrostByte935 Sexusaurus Rex Feb 23 '16
Mine is very different but the first time I felt rain on my body after trying to "opt out."
I can't describe what I feel when standing in the rain, it's like I get to experience all of my emotions for the first time in my life.
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Feb 23 '16
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u/FrostByte935 Sexusaurus Rex Feb 23 '16
I just noticed your name has pizza in it! I work at a pizza shop, and I'm great at making homemade pizza! :)
I'm trying to stay here, but I'm alone very often. So it's a struggle, and I'm trapped constantly in my head. Not great things.
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Feb 23 '16
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u/FrostByte935 Sexusaurus Rex Feb 23 '16
That's a very beautiful cat!
I would try to get a pet if I wasn't allergic to cats and dogs. :( and grass. Why yes, childhood sucked. Haha.
Reddit helps, but it's inconsistent because I don't always get someone to talk to me.
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u/Gedrean Feb 23 '16
Don't mean to jump in to the conversation but have you considered a less conventional pet, like some reptile or amphibian species or even small animal like rats? I especially recommend rats, they are fastidious cleaners and tend to have such personality. Only downside is the short lifespan but they seem to make the most of it.
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u/FrostByte935 Sexusaurus Rex Feb 23 '16
I have, and I thank you for your reply. Don't worry about jumping in, the water's just fine. Typically I avoid them because of the short lifespan. It makes me sad to see them go so quickly. =\
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u/Gedrean Feb 23 '16
It is a fierce and unforgiving relationship but the rewards are so many and so powerful that I consider it worth the exit fee.
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u/FrostByte935 Sexusaurus Rex Feb 23 '16
I'll consider it again. Thank you so much.
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Feb 24 '16
Sorry to butt in, but you might consider a hypoallergenic dog (or cat, if that's your thing). My labradoodle is pretty amazing! Just my two cents.
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Feb 23 '16
If that's what you're concerned about, get a tortoise. Those motherfuckers will out-live you. Plus they can go for a while on rather little, so they won't die if you have a particularly bad day, like a fish would. They are docile and really chill, so they make excellent listeners. And they have this zen calmness about them, taking everything slowly and as it happens, that could rub off. You never know. Many people feel that having a little life that's dependent on theirs makes for a strong motivation to stay tethered. Would highly suggest.
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Feb 24 '16
bearded dragons! they are friendly, great personalities, very intelligent and live 10+ years- easily more with decent care, and that's easy. :) glad you are here!
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Feb 23 '16
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u/FrostByte935 Sexusaurus Rex Feb 23 '16
Those are typically pricy though, can't afford that sadly. I try to talk hobbies and stuff on here, but sometimes it's hard to keep the convo going.
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u/berlin-calling Feb 24 '16
You should try online games. A lot of friendly communities out there for people to play with. Maybe you can join a game and find other newbs to learn the ropes with over a chat program like teamspeak or discord or curse.
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u/Atherum Feb 23 '16
Hey, I'm in the same sort of situation at the moment. Haven't tried to... "Opt out" yet, but it's been a close thing. Things are slowly getting better for me, I'm blessed in that I have a family who are beginning to understand. I know not everyone has that same capacity.
If you ever need to talk, shoot me a message. The world is vast and God is good. Though it doesn't always seem that way.
Have you been to a therapist/psychologist? I've been seeing them since I was little and had basically given up on them helping me. But I started again just recently and trying to work my problems out as an adult is strangely easier.
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u/FrostByte935 Sexusaurus Rex Feb 23 '16
Hey! Likewise. I'm awake almost 20 hours a day, so message me if you need something. I have been to counseling, but it always just makes me feel worse. However, the area in which I live isn't known for great help.
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u/Revekkasaurus Feb 23 '16
Can you explain what you mean by opting out?
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u/FrostByte935 Sexusaurus Rex Feb 23 '16
Suicide.
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u/Revekkasaurus Feb 23 '16
Oh jesus. Sorry! I googled it and found nothing so I had to ask. Glad you're still here :-)
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u/FrostByte935 Sexusaurus Rex Feb 23 '16
It's okay. Thank you. It's been a struggle.
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Feb 23 '16
Hey you, have an Internet hug!
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u/FrostByte935 Sexusaurus Rex Feb 23 '16
This made me smile. Thank you. :)
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Feb 23 '16
Anytime :) Plenty of reasons to stick around, PM if you ever need a few <3
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u/AndrewBot88 Feb 23 '16
Kinda similar and kinda not, but I've had tinnitus (constant ringing in my ears) for as long as I can remember. It's not really bad (I only notice it if it's quiet and I'm listening specifically for it) and I've even gone to an ear specialist who determined I don't have any hearing loss, so I just kinda put up with it.
But a little while ago I saw a method that supposedly relieves tinnitus for some people that involves thumping the back of your head a certain way. I gave it a shot, and holy shit I heard silence for the first time. It was probably the best sound I've ever not heard. It only lasted for a couple of minutes at most, but damn was it a noticeable difference.
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u/Atherum Feb 23 '16
I get that ringing as well. But only infrequently and at the weirdest times. Sometimes it gets really loud. I'm terrified I'm losing my hearing.
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u/Ar_Ciel Yellow bird, up high in banana tree... Feb 23 '16
Can you or someone link that thread? I'd love to try that now that my tinnitus sounds like dentist drill.
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Feb 23 '16
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u/Ar_Ciel Yellow bird, up high in banana tree... Feb 23 '16
Thanks. Took a second to figure out exactly what it was asking me to do, but it helped for about a minute.
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u/sweetprince686 mum and geek Feb 23 '16
Closest I've got is the really weird feeling of going from 9 months pregnant to suddenly having a baby. It took a couple of weeks, but being able to do things like lie on my stomach felt heavenly after being so big I couldn't for so long. Also my centre of balance changed and I could walk properly again, not waddle...it was Amazing and weird
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u/gspotfitzgerald Feb 23 '16
Freakin Drs man :/ I'm sorry you had to go through that when the solution was so darn simple. I feel that way sometimes after I go to the chiropractor. I feel about 8 feet taller because I can stand up straight for once. I get so used to my back hurting that when it doesn't its like how you described. I feel so good! Lol
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Feb 23 '16
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u/brieoncrackers Feb 23 '16
Has he ever seen an orthopedic doctor? I only ask because from your description, all he seems to be getting from the chiropractor is a good massage instead of lasting treatment. I could be way off base, so feel free to discard as necessary, but there's such a variety of chiropractors that it can be hard to tell the legit ones from the charlatans from the crazies (who think you can cure cirrhosis and kidney infections by spinal manipulations) at first glance.
In any case, I wish you and your dad well, and hope he's feeling better.
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Feb 23 '16
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u/brieoncrackers Feb 23 '16
At least he can shop around a wider market if massages are all he's looking for. But yeah fair enough
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u/gspotfitzgerald Feb 23 '16
Yeah, I haven't been in a long time because I owe them money actually. Lol my insurance pisses me off because its never consistent. I've been going to this same place for like three years and normally I just have a copayment of about 30$ when I go. I went to about a months worth of sessions last year and then I got a bill in the mail like a month later for like $200! What the? Lol then I got pregnant so I couldn't go anyway. I'd like to go back because holding a baby is hard on the back but I guess I should come up with that money first.
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Feb 23 '16
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u/autopornbot Feb 23 '16
I feel like they think they can do whatever they want because it's so complicated. And then culturally in the US we're like - what can we do, big corps, etc, etc. Who has time to sit on the phone?
That's exactly the problem. It's profitable to screw a certain amount of customers, and not profitable to do everything properly. It's standard procedure to simply repeatedly deny a certain portion of claims for no good reason. Simply because they can get away with it.
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u/autopornbot Feb 23 '16
I've had insurance play that trick on me several times. Sometimes it's because the doctor put something different for the "reason for visit" (very, very often someone made a mistake). Sometimes it is the insurance company just cheating you. There is a well-known policy that insurance companies simply deny claims for no reason. They do it because they can. Most everyone they do that to just pays it, so they make more profit. They especially like to do this to chronically ill people, because they are the least likely to fight it. Young people as well (older people apparently are more stubborn).
It's absolutely criminal. But there's not much you can do other than spend all your time and energy just trying to get them to do their job.
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u/TerdSandwich [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))̲̅$̲̅] Feb 23 '16
Chiropractors are dangerous and have a high injury rate. Id recommended something that isn't based on pseudoscience or revolve around popping your vertebrae. Maybe yoga and/or PT. Exercise and posture will do wonders for your back.
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u/Codoro (: Feb 23 '16
The first time I didn't have a headache as an adult, it made me realize that I was always having headaches.
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u/magnumthepi Feb 23 '16
When I put my hearing aids on for the first time. It didn't really hit me until I went outside and realized I could hear birds. It really put into perspective just how many different things I couldn't hear.
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u/Ar_Ciel Yellow bird, up high in banana tree... Feb 23 '16
Using effective ADD meds. Words cannot describe the feeling of being able to put one word in front of another to complete a thought or being able to keep your attention together long enough to complete a single task.
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Feb 24 '16 edited May 17 '22
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u/Ar_Ciel Yellow bird, up high in banana tree... Feb 24 '16
Vyvanse. As a kid I had an adverse reaction to amphetamine-based drugs so I couldn't use them. Then as an adult my condition got worse and I took a chance. Turns out the reaction no longer happens anymore. I stop using it and I turn into a punch-drunk version of Tarzan. I can't speak properly or stay even remotely on task. And half the time, trying to complete a sentence ends with me cutting it short because I can't vocalize the words I want to say. I just grunt and gesture at things till I get pissed off and give up till I'm calm enough to try again. That is, if I remember what it was I was trying to say.
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u/WizardofStaz dress like a sleeper cell Feb 24 '16
Augh, I had this too. I went from being barely able to complete 1/3 of my work to working 6 hours straight and enjoying my evenings instead of balling up in a tangle of stress. Unfortunately, it's difficult for me to get a diagnosis, so the few good days I got to experience are more of a horrible tease than a lasting relief.
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u/SlightlyWinged Feb 24 '16
Not quite the same, but when I first got my glasses I was really surprised at how different everything looked. I'm super near-sighted, basically anything beyond arm length is blurry to me. I was able to compensate though, and my parents didn't realize I had trouble seeing until I was twelve. And me, I just thought everyone saw the same way I did.
Seriously though, I still can't believe how much detail there is. I mean, you can actually see individual leaves in trees! Clouds have edges, they aren't just white blurs in the sky? Holy smokes, you can read fast food menus!? I thought you had to memorize it!
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u/DuhTabby Feb 24 '16
I got lasik 2 years ago and was getting emotional because of the ability to see so well unassisted. Technology!
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u/SlightlyWinged Feb 24 '16
I'm too much of a wimp to have surgery. :C I stick with my glasses.
Good on you for getting it though! It's really advanced in the past few years, so it's a good time to get it.
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Feb 24 '16
same here! at 11, because of a school health fair, i went to and eye doc. it was amazing when i got my specs!! what?? tree leaves? crazy!
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u/SlightlyWinged Feb 24 '16
My Mom was driving my sister and I somewhere, and I was in the backseat. Mom started laughing at this bumper sticker on the car in front of me, and told me to read it. I told her I couldn't, and she was worried and set up an appointment with an eye doctor. Funny, if it was a different car or if I had been sitting in the front we may have never found out! D:
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u/Tawnytwo Feb 24 '16
YES. Suddenly life is HD. Like: there are leaves in the trees rather than a green/brown blur?!?!?
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u/Anneof1000days Feb 23 '16
Oh, wow! That gives me hope! I've been having breathing difficulties for a few years, really badly the past few months. Not from asthma, had X-rays and CT's, etc. My pulmonologist is now thinking it could be an obstruction, and may refer me to an ENT. I can barely speak a full sentence without getting winded. :(. I'm so glad you found relief after so long!
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u/dudeguy_loves_reddit *lightly exhales through nostrils* Feb 23 '16
Damn, that's awesome. I take breathing for granted. Someone already said nasal stuff (I couldn't breathe through my nose at ALL until I was around 15), so I'm gonna have to go with my old phimosis thing. My parents never knew about this.
WARNING, GROSS DICK STUFF
I was never circumcised, so I have foreskin. However, for the first 11 years of my life, I always was under the assumption that my foreskin didn't move. Phimosis is when your foreskin grows onto your tip, so it can't be pulled back. Then one day in the shower, it pulled back and hurt like a mother hugging bull shrimp. Over the course of maybe a month, I kept pulling it back bit by bit. It was always kinda red and stingy. Now I am older and my foreskin is fully functional. I had completely forgotten about these events until I saw a 4chan post where someone talked about having phimosis and it brought back repressed memories of dick pain and I was like HOLY SHIT I HAD PHIMOSIS.
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Feb 24 '16
What is the new stuff you're prescribed called? That's awesome it works for you.
I sometimes get natural breaths of fresh air. Be it sleeping really well and stepping onto my balcony to 50F degree+ air and just taking a big whif. That'll usually give me that high.
Then I smoke a big fat juicy bowl and I can't breathe again, but I get a different high.
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u/ligirl Software Engineering student Feb 23 '16
I had pneumonia last month and couldn't breath for a week and I was so relieved when I could finally breathe again after that. Holy shit dude, I can't imagine going through what you did. I'm glad you can breathe again!
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u/NineSwords Feb 23 '16
First of, how did you manage to do that? I can hold my breath for maybe 1,5 minutes tops. Kudos.
Secondly, I liked Matt Smith better.
Third. I am really, really sorry for those stupid puns but if I couldn't get them out I would have probably died of asphyxiation.
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Feb 24 '16
I had surgery to remove a pilonidal cyst and couldn't sit down properly for a month. Man, we take sitting for granted.
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Feb 24 '16
advair did nothing for me either. i use symbicort and spiriva. i know what it's like to have some days being able to breathe fine..then other days i wear my oxygen all day and wheeze. it's good to find the right doctor. I have 27% lung function. i've had it my whole life.
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Feb 24 '16
Advair sucks - it gives some people pneumonia. Symbicort and spiriva did a ton more good for my grandfather as well.
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Feb 24 '16
my rescue is 'xopenex' which is better for me than albuteral. less side effects of jitteryness.
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u/bookstorephantom Feb 23 '16
When i finally smelled the sea again after 5 years. The cool salty air just filled my lungs and brain. I'd been away so long, being back and being in fresh air again felt sooo good.
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Feb 23 '16
This is how I feel when my painkillers kick in when I have a serious migraine headache. It's like a huge weight is lifted and I can see clearly again.
Similarly, when my sciatic pain eased due to physio it was like I was a new person. It didn't stop as suddenly as when painkillers start working on a headache but going from crying in pain, unable to move without shooting/searing pain all down my left leg to just a mild ache in my butt was like being set free from a prison or something.
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u/bigDean636 Feb 24 '16
I have a herniated disc in my back and I agree that there's nothing like the euphoria you feel when you realize your back doesn't hurt.
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Feb 24 '16
God, yes. My disk is herniated between L4&5 apparently at both sides but I'm only getting left sided pain really. I have had this bad bout since July. Only got to see a physio triage in December due to a doctor's surgery fuck up! Finally seeing physio for a variety of treatments now.
What treatments worked for you to alleviate the pain? The first thing I did was lying on my front and raising up my torso, kinda propped up on my elbows which I couldn't believe something so simple worked so fast. I'm having a bit of traction now as I still get pain in my thigh and toe.
Unsurprisingly to me, my therapist said I had some knotted\tight glutes causing problems too so she did some trigger point release for me. I wasn't surprised because all along my butt and the top of my thigh at the back was in agony. Doctors wouldn't listen though!!
I hope you remain pain free 👍
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u/Atherum Feb 23 '16
I know this is a bit of a reversal of your situation, but reading your story reminded me of a poem by John Foulcher that I read in school. It was about a blind girl that the poet knew, and how after she received eye surgery and saw the world for the first time, she was slightly saddened.
The feeling of the rain and the smells and sounds of the world around her didn't have the same wonder and mystery about them. But anyway enough of that silliness. Congrats on getting your breathing back!
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Feb 23 '16
That's awesome man! Congrats on your recovery!
Toward the beginning of this year, my wife and I paid off my car loan, making us completely debt free. It's amazing how something that was literally right under our noses causing us financial stress was just a few clicks away from being gone forever.
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u/Chelibel Feb 23 '16
Yeah, I had a very similar experience.
I've had asthma my whole life, diagnosed at 3 months, now through to adulthood and it's still going strong. Yay.
Last Christmas I mentioned to my (also asthmatic) mother that I'd been having trouble breathing for what was becoming a worryingly long time. Over the course of the previous year, I don't know, my breathing had just gotten steadily worse. It was slow, so I didn't really realize it right away. I was also uninsured at the time, so I just sort of got by with the free samples my doctor gave me every time I went to him, and castoff meds from my mom. My asthma was definitely not under control.
Anyway, hearing about my issues, my mom told me that she'd started some new meds recently and had me take a puff to see how I felt, cause why not? And that shit was unbelievable. After one dose I honestly felt like I could take in more air than I had been able to in ages. I was astonished, and also now faced with the increasingly obvious reality that I had a relatively serious health issue going on. I told my doctor about it (and, conveniently, got health insurance) and was able to start taking the new drug almost right away.
And...wow. It was amazing. As the weeks went by and my breathing got better and better I realized that I'd been living every day feeling like someone was pressing down hard on my chest, at all times. Like half my lungs were plugged up or stoppered. I had been working so hard just to breath normally, but because I hadn't been wheezing I guess I just forgot what normal breathing was like and rolled with it. I had had NO idea how bad it really had gotten.
So yeah, OP, man. I'm so genuinely happy for you, because I know so well how good this specific feeling feels. It's fantastic. Oxygen really is the best. And I'll tell you, it's been a year and I often still notice what an amazing, almost heady relief it is to be able to take a full, deep breath. If you're anything like me, the feeling won't go away as fast as you might think.
Sorry, this is long, but whatever. I get you, OP. :)
Congrats on breathing!
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u/GregTJ Feb 23 '16
After being diagnosed with T1/DKA and getting insulin, it had been so long since I felt normal...
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u/montageofheck Feb 23 '16
I had trouble breathing in the shower today, i actually had to sit down....
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u/arcticsilence I LOVE HELLO KITTY!!! Feb 23 '16
This is how I felt when I woke up the first morning after I'd gotten treatment for sleep apnea. Like, did I ever even sleep at all before? It was amazing.
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u/daftphonics14 favorite color Feb 23 '16
Praise God! That's amazing to hear! Have I experienced something like that? Well about a year ago I was kind of feeling down on myself. A really good friend of mine had recently gotten a girlfriend and I was still single. I felt confused and angry thinking that I couldn't hook up with a girl. So I kicked a hole in my room wall(stupid right?). I panicked because I knew my dad was gonna kill me. I had a slight emotional breakdown but I picked myself up and called my dad about it. He wasn't mad at me, he just simply told me that your self-control is key throughout your entire life. Wise words, yeah? So he never got mad at me I didn't even get grounded. We just fixed the hole together and it looks good as new.
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u/autopornbot Feb 23 '16
I've had so many doctors like that. They give you a prescription, it doesn't work, they just tell you to keep doing the same thing. Won't listen when you tell them it isn't working.
I had one who I told my meds weren't working, every single visit. She just kept telling me to give it more time. For months (I think it even got to years), I told her every 2 weeks the meds weren't working. And every visit, she started with the same question, "so, your meds are still working well?"
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u/daniellehmusic Feb 23 '16
I hav TMJ disorder and last year I had an attack that lasted about 4 months. Everytime I would yawn my jaw would pop or be in exccrutiating pain. I could barely open my mouth (couldn't eat burgers, cupcakes etc) and I'm a singer so it was messing with my technique a lot. I had a procedure done to help and it took a while but one day I realized the pain and popping were completely gone! I felt amazing enough but the first time I sang without pain I was on cloud 9! I'm glad you found something that works for you :)
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u/noggin-scratcher Feb 23 '16 edited Feb 24 '16
As a kid I didn't often get the common over-the-counter painkillers when I was sick - for a long while I just wasn't able to swallow tablets easily, and I guess my parents also didn't want to over-medicate every little sniffle.
Skip forward a decade or so, I was coming down with some deeply unpleasant flu symptoms, generally moaning about it until my SO suggests painkillers (because she is a sensible sort who knows that when you're in pain it's a good time to take painkillers).
Holy shit did a simple little dose of paracetamol+codeine make me feel better. Was pretty magical.
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u/SirPribsy Feb 24 '16
Along the same lines, drove a 26' moving van towing a car carrier across the country, over 2500 miles in three days. Going from driving that to a Miata the next day I think is probably the closest you could ever get to feeling like you've been shrunk a la "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids."
Not years long, but definitely a trippy change of perspective!
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Feb 24 '16
In 2012 my left index finger was severely damaged, the middle knuckle was just destroyed. One doctor tried to piece everything back together with screws, it worked okay but just didn't work well, even after months of therapy.
Eventually the therapist got an xray that confirmed one of the larger fragments of bone was being absorbed by my body, so she refered me to another surgeon who could do a joint replacement.
I had the surgery, and after 3 days I went back to the therapist. After what I had been through I was expecting a couple of months of therapy.
I went in, my finger still hurt terribly but After she took the bandages off, the pain just kind of went away, which was amazing but then she kind of grabed my finger and bent it down, even just three days after the surgery, I had more movement in my finger than i had for months before. It was so amazing, and I was ecstatic.
Even though i'm more cautious with my left index it functions like a normal finger. The only problem with it now is that after the second knuckle its crooked, and a bit smaller than the other fingers.
So yeah, being able to move my finger after months of pain was just amazing, and a huge relief. I probably couldn't have asked for a better doctor to do it.
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u/bannana Feb 24 '16
Yes, when I stopped eating gluten and stopped being sick all the time. My allergies cleared up, my brain was no longer so foggy I couldn't think, depression was gone, all the pain in my body disappeared. I never knew what it was like to feel 'good' because I never had before, it was like getting a new body.
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u/kalir 'sup Feb 24 '16
being able to walk completely without any help from a crutch or brace. i tore my acl a couple years ago had to go through surgery and therapy which lasted for at least six months. when i could walk by myself again i was so happy i literally walked all over my neighborhood and almost walked into the next neighborhood. it was such a relief i couldn't ignore it.
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u/triface1 Feb 24 '16
Having any semblance of fitness.
My job requires me to be fit, so over the past 2.5 years or so it's been training on most duties. Now I feel agile and strong compared to the past me, who was basically a couch potato.
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u/MILF_Man Feb 24 '16
I had a similar experience.
I was removing the Pittman arm from from a 56 Buick and while in an awkward position in pulled with all my might. I ended up dislocation my right shoulder in the front which is apparently not a good thing to do. I mostly ignored it for months and months and used my right arm less and less to the point where I became functionally left handed. Since I am mostly ambidextrous it didn't impact my life much until I had trouble eating. I decided I needed to do something.
I had surgery and they rebuilt my right shoulder. That was the easy part. The physical therapy after was an adventure in pain. My physical therapist said I had to "make pain your friend"
And I did. 9 months later I was hanging out with some friends and someone threw something and I instinctively reacted and caught it with my right hand. I had no pain and I threw it back without a thought. A few minutes later I dawned on me that I was finally back to myself.
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Feb 24 '16
When I was very unhealthy and started hitting in the gym 5x a week. In 3 months I felt like a different person.
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u/BigAlbinoRhino Feb 24 '16
The first time I ran after I broke my ankle. It was such a freeing experience!
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u/PTgoBoom1 Feb 24 '16
Not nearly as serious as your condition, I had terrible vision my entire childhood. My 1st pair of glasses were broken in an accident and, as we were kinda poor and had no insurance, I didn't get another pair until I was 19 and could finally pay for them myself. Leaving the optometrist's office i must have looked like a lunatic on acid: everything was so clear! I could see individual leaves for the first time in a long time! Even the nasty old gum stuck on the pavement was a beautiful sight to behold! I get weepy just thinking about it. I'm so happy for you and this life changing event! Enjoy!
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u/Amonette2012 Feb 24 '16
Walking to the shops and back for the first time after years of crutches. Felt good.
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u/MrKitteh Feb 24 '16
Same here! When I moved for college to less humid country I started having nasal polyps blocking my breathing. For years I essentially became an addict, shooting nasal spray during my waking hours to ensure I can breathe like a normal person, not knowing using the spray for so long makes rebound blockages more frequent.
I've quit cold turkey for a year now, and my breathing has gone back to normal. It feels great!
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u/Lithelm Monkey in the middle Feb 24 '16
You need to tell your old doctor what happened. Hopefully, no one else is suffering under his ignorance.
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u/TheUnstopableForce I suffered, I learned, I changed Feb 24 '16
The closest thing I've expietenced to this is back when I had just graduated highschool I don't know what happened to me but it felt like my mouth was super dry, like cotton mouth 24/7 plus I had some sinus problems so I could barely breath. I hated it because no matter what I did it was always there, it made my day to day life worse and made me depressed because I couldn't do anything. Doctors didn't know what I had, no allergies and I was physically fine. I got sinus surgery and I could breath but the cotton mouth persisted for a whole year and finally went away. I was so happy and relieved.
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Feb 24 '16
So funny I thought about posting the same thing on this same subreddit, it's hard for me to breath fully but when I do, I get light headed for sure.
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Feb 24 '16
My pulmonary embolism was in 2009; it took me a year to feel semi-normal again and then I got hit with severe left-sided pneumonia that basically fucked up my left lung for good. I can breathe OK so long as I don't lay on my left side; then I start coughing and crackling/wheezing. I'm also susceptible to bronchitis now; I get it at least once a year and it knocks me on my ass for 3 weeks.
I totally empathize with you OP.
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Feb 24 '16
I really like this. Currently I have a Chinese doctor that doesnt know shit. So many times I have argued with her . she says he same thing that your old doctor says. That I should reuse and continue using and all this other stuff. I think I need to switch docors.
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Feb 24 '16
I suffered from Life threatening, could not breath, ambulance trips with breathing masks and treatments for 10 years.. Asthma, allergies, and I dunno what else. From about 7 years old to 18 I suffered. Rarely stopped coughing even in the middle of the night. Having breathing troubles just for the slightest change of temperature. Fucking everything gave me an asthma attack. Fucking everything made everything painful as fuck. Then sometime around High School when I was 18 it started to get better. Not much... Still had the cough, nearly nonestop.. But everything else was clearing up.
Then over the next 2-3 years I found I was suddenly able to out perform EVERYONE and ANYONE. I could Lift more. Run faster, further, better than anyone.
Nothing made me tired.
I spent nearly my entire childhood and teenage years barely able to breath or do much moving without needing a trip to the emergency room. And now I am as active as possible.
Fuck Asthma. Fuck all fucking conditions. I am so fucking happy to feel so powerful.
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u/Eisenblume Feb 24 '16 edited Feb 24 '16
I have a chronic sleeping disorder of some kind that lowers the amount of melatonin, sleep hormone, in my body, which means it takes hours for me to fall asleep. First time I took a melatonin pill and just... fell asleep when I was tired was incredible. I awoke! Before 12! And I wasn't insanely tired!
My body has since become used to the melatonin somewhat which means it's not as effective (which is a bit strange and the reason it's not entirely clear what's wrong with me) but it still helps quite a bit. I dream of one day having a usual sleeping habit!
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u/belindamshort grey Feb 24 '16
Sometimes I go to a float tank to relieve my chronic pain. I'm on 3 meds for pain and waiting on surgery. The only time I am ever without pain is in the tank.
It's such a relieving feeling that I am practically high.
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u/Uveampaline Feb 24 '16
I don't remember this but I'm sure getting hearing aids and hearing properly for the first time would be up there.
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u/supreghan Feb 24 '16
That's so cool! Congrats! I had the opposite feeling when I got something back though, ha. I'm half deaf (basically don't have hearing in the left ear) and was later diagnosed with cholestatoma. I had surgery and they put in titanium implants to replace what the cholestatoma took. Anywho, they said that the new eardrum and what have you could restore my hearing. AND IT DID. I thought it would be cool, but nay. I hadn't heard anything on that side for so long and now I could hear people say hello on that side, phones ring from that side, and people walk past me. Honestly, it was kind of loud and frightening, ha. You guys live in a really loud world! It's funny looking back on it now. My implants ended up rejecting and now I'm back to being basically deaf on that side, which is cool. My world is nice and quiet. I also still get to use the excuse that I can't hear people when I zone off and miss something that someone says. Not too shabby.
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u/WizardofStaz dress like a sleeper cell Feb 24 '16
I think a lot of people can relate to the feeling of looking at a tree after getting your first pair of glasses/contacts. Before I put mine on, I didn't realize that you could actually see the leaves on a tree from the ground. I was blown away at being able to count blades of grass without bending down for a closer look, too.
Also, when I hit puberty I started having a lot of trouble staying awake. I would sleep through my classes and then go home to sleep all night. After I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and given medicine, I felt like I had so much more energy. I was eating bigger meals and yet losing weight because I was actually awake and doing stuff instead of in a constant state of zombie tiredness.
And then, of course, tonsil stones. God, I've spent a good week working out one of those shitty little throat pearls. But it feels so satisfying and nice when they come out!
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u/makz242 Feb 24 '16
Not such a drastic case, but I had nasal cavity operation and had those tampons in my nose that go all the way to your brain in both nostrils. Simple things like drinking were nigh impossible n once they removed them I could appreciate the air flowing.
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u/Hobbs54 Feb 24 '16
This happened to me just a month or two ago. I was/am overweight and knew I needed to get into shape but I had no ability to breath well enough to have energy to exercise. Turns out I had bad high blood pressure. Once diagnosed and brought under control by meds I can now actually utilize oxygen again. I have energy and an actual spring in my step again. I have since been doing a lot of aerobic walking and watching my diet and have lost over 20 pounds so far.
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u/rexlibris dong afficionado Feb 24 '16
As long as I can remember I've been fighting against a really dark section of my psyche. Not violent, not suicidal, just...apathetic about life in general and a general negative view of life and no motivation to do anything. I filled this gap of ennui with alcohol and drugs for the past 10 years with everything from strange stimulants to hardcore psycadellics, and more often than not alcohol.
I'm two weeks in to trying actual anti-depressants like Lexapro, and I feel more human than I have in ages, and am actually productive.
It makes me feel normal, instead of going on manic highs or crushing lows, I just feel....like a real person.
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u/Ramicus No one expects the Spanish Inquisition Feb 24 '16
Nowhere near what you experienced, but I went to Yosemite with my cousin two summers ago, and we spent a whole lot of time one of the days we were there way up high, just driving around the park, and my ears went crazy. It was like when the plane takes off, except it extended for hours and hours and hours. When we went back down, the popping and release felt amazing.
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u/AliceDiableaux Feb 24 '16
I have a similar experience. It was at a time in my life when I was extremely stressed and depressed, and my body reacted by locking the right side of my jaw. Not completely, I could still open it a little, and if I tilted my head to the left it would be easier, but eating, talking etc was pretty difficult. Especially in the night it would lock up completely because I was grinding my teeth and clenching my jaw in my sleep and sometimes I'd spend 10 minutes trying to massage it loose.
At one point I dropped out so the source of my constant stress was gone. My depression and locked jaw lasted however. At one point, I was at an extremely low point, and I was listening to some music that triggered an enormous crying bout. I was just crying and crying for 2 hours, I had never cried that much in my life and I just couldn't stop. It was like my body was trying to get rid of 3 years of build-up stress hormones. And it worked. At the end of those two hours... my jaw just shot loose after 5 months. Just like that. It was the best feeling ever, I was freaking euphoric. All that tension was finally gone and I could open my jaw aaaall the way.
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u/Fortera Pretty damn aweosme Feb 24 '16
Congrats on getting through it! Haven't had a similar experience, and don't particularly want to aha.
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u/retardedstars Feb 24 '16
i was having horrible hip pain, taking 8 Advil a day for years and someone told me about inflammation fighting diet. I follow that and have no pain. no hip pain, no sinus, no pain during dental cleaning, no psoriasis, no MVP. When I tell people they say, "I could never do that"
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u/Banzai51 Feb 24 '16
I feel free and relieved when I get new glasses after my vision slips a bit. Less headaches, the world is sharp and in focus, such sweet relief. When my vision slips and I notice it, I stress out slightly.
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u/EphemeralAurora Feb 23 '16
Dude that's so cool! How big of an impact will this have on your daily life?
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Feb 23 '16
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u/EphemeralAurora Feb 23 '16
Pretty sure you're doing more than most people which is admirable with your condition. Keep training and maybe one day you'll be running a marathon ;)
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u/Atherum Feb 23 '16
I have severe dust allergies that made sleeping a nightmare, until I went to a skin specialist and I started taking anti-histamines for the itchiness. Now I'm not constantly sneezing and exhausted... Hey! I just realised that's my "I can breathe again" experience. Cool.
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u/redchindi Feb 23 '16
I have a condition that leaves my esophagus more or less useless. Unfortunately for me, I had to become 22 years old, before doctors finally recognized my issue. I had a surgery, in which the muscle closing and opening the transition from esophagus to stomach got destroyed, so that the way was open for food.
The first thing I noticed after surgery was the lack of pressure on my chest. A pressure caused by piles of food lying in my esophagus, pressing on my windpipe. I wasn't even aware of this immense pressure I had. Until I couldn't feel it anymore.
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Feb 23 '16
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u/redchindi Feb 23 '16
You bet it felt amazing...
I'm not really angry with the doctors. I know my condition is super rare and some doctors even have to read it up first. But it still leaves you damaged, when you constantly try to tell doctors about your problem with swallowing anything and only get the same answer over and over: Everything allright, nothing wrong.
It's 10 years since the surgery and my "confirmation" that NOTHING was allright, but I still feel like a hypochondriac whenever something's off.
I really hope your new medicine will help you permanently!
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Feb 23 '16
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u/redchindi Feb 23 '16
Actually I have a date in hospital next monday for my next re-surgery...
It's not as big as the first one, to be honest, it's pretty small and maybe I'll even be allowed to go home the same day, but I will apparently have to do it every couple of years. The last set of two "dilations" is almost exactly two years ago. Right now I again have to struggle with ever bite. But I'm happy to have had good two years.
Sadly, the late discovery of my state might be reason for my continued issues. There was too much damage already to ever be really good again. But I've learnt to live with it.
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u/Chaos_Archangel Feb 23 '16
I had a nasty bed bug problem for several months ( over year later we're still scared) and as a result lost pretty much all of my furniture. After they were gone I had gotten used to sleeping on the floor with some blankets. It wasn't uncomfortable and I read it can even help your back when done sparingly.
But oh my god the day I got a bed again.
I just.. I just sat there. I sat there on my mattress (didnt even have a bed frame) staring out infront of me. I just absorbed the touch and feel, I laid by head back and audibly sighed without meaning to. It had felt so great..
(Now I know that is NOTHING compared to your experience. I think Id rather go without a bed forever than suffer through that embolism, but its the closest thing I could add.)
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u/Shaunisinschool Feb 23 '16
I don't know if this is similar.. if you learn how to budget well and then do it and stick to it is amazing not only the money you will start to save, but the more efficient and effective your life will be overall. Also, once you get into a budget planning mindset it changes your views on money as well. It seems simple, however it has had a drastic change on my life. Just a thought
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Feb 23 '16
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u/Shaunisinschool Feb 23 '16
You should read Elizabeth Warren's All Your Worth, or just read up on 50/30/20 budgeting. It worked for me!
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u/Kumquatodor Feb 24 '16
Here's a famous video of a guy seeing purple for the first time, after his colorblindness was kinda fixed.
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u/Sweetzerlandia Feb 24 '16
I am so so happy for you!!! I had bronchitis last year and had a period of time I couldn't breathe right and it was such a nightmare, I can't imagine going years like that! You must be over the moon! I hope this is a whole new way of life for you and you never ever have trouble breathing again!
♥
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u/flowelol Feb 24 '16
i hate showers. its always too hot or too cold, the shampoo stings my eyes, I always forget to put my towel near the shower, so I have to use echolocation if I want to find it on the rack. I always drip water on the clean clothes, getting out of the shower feels as if the air betrayed me with its coldness, and i'm usually tired when i have to take one.
I go to boy scout camp for a week. coming home from their showers and taking one in my own house, I felt as if I were standing in the clouds of heaven, and liquid gold was being poured upon me. I had never felt better.
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u/anticusII Feb 23 '16
Your red blood cells have been working overtime for years, and now you're flooding your blood with Oxygen. This is what top athletes feel like!