11 Comments
Apr 20, 2021Liked by illyanna Maisonet

It took me about 4 years to finally figure out what was going on with my guts. I had a number of doctors that didn't listen to, believe me, or thought I was imagining it. I finally demanded a new doctor and went to a black woman. She was the first doctor that sat and listened and believed me. She did a bunch of tests on me ruling out all the possible things it could be and finally figured out it was a gluten sensitivity. Even though I test negative for celiac, my system can't handle gluten, so I've had to go gluten-free and I take anti-inflamation drugs and finally I am pain free.

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Apr 20, 2021Liked by illyanna Maisonet

All humans deserve to be seen and heard by empathetic and understanding healthcare professionals. I see you. And I think we’d have some fun eating tiny cupcakes (or whatever) on a stoop and laughing at the world, for what it’s worth. From one human who experiences chronic pain to another - I hear this and you aren’t alone.

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Apr 20, 2021Liked by illyanna Maisonet

Does repeatedly screaming into the void count as exercise cause that’s about the only thing I got energy for 🤬 It IS allll bullshit. And I’M sorry they don’t listen to us. Why when we have health care are there still so many obstacles to CARE CARE? 😫😫😫😫

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Apr 20, 2021Liked by illyanna Maisonet

Hi Illyanna! I wanted to mention one possible cause of stomach pain - an entrapped abdominal nerve. I suffered with stomach pains for YEARS that came and went. At times, the pain was so intense that it sent me to the ER twice. I am fat, but lucked out and saw multiple doctors who took my pain seriously and ran lots of tests. CT scans, ultrasounds, colonoscopies, endoscopies... nothing revealed a cause. Last year, I met with a new gastroenterologist who mentioned the possibility of an entrapped abdominal nerve. I had never heard of this condition in all my years of researching what this pain could be, but I plugged this term into Google and BAM! I read the symptoms and KNEW this was the cause of my pain! The treatment is a trigger point injection to relieve the nerve pain. I have not sought that treatment yet, because just knowing what the pain is has made it tolerable. Now that I know I'm not dying when this pain creeps in is enough for me to stand it.

It is degrading and tough emotional work to navigate the healthcare system in the U.S., and it shouldn't be. All bodies deserve respect.

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Apr 20, 2021Liked by illyanna Maisonet

I want to say a million things in response to this newsletter because we have so much in common it hurts me. But why co-opt your newsletter by writing a diatribe about myself? That don't make no sense.

Just know that you are very seen, heard and understood by another woman whose brown doctor won't stop telling her how "easy" weight loss surgery is.

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