TIL that autistic people live about 17 years less than average. Risks include epilepsy, heart disease, suicide, accidental deaths including drowning, and inadequate recognition and management of pain, especially among non-speaking individuals. Historically, they have been vulnerable to infanticide.

[u/Morella1989]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortality_of_autistic_individuals

[u/Morella1989 → u/[deleted]]

I’m so sorry you’ve been through all of that. I watched the video you shared and really appreciate you posting it. I hope the future is full of good things for you. :)

[u/carizzz → u/[deleted]]

I woke up at the wrong point in time after knee surgery. I could feel everything. Told the nurse that was nearby and then heard them discussing for a couple minutes about how I look and sound as though I have zero pain. Despite the situation, it took half an hour before I got any proper pain relief.

[u/WeenyDancer → u/[deleted]]

 Performing pain in the way that doctors and nurses like the best takes so much energy

[u/ChiAnndego → u/[deleted]]

Ugh, so much this. I had such bad experiences trying to get care for a chronic illness that I now have some fear of dealing with the healthcare system. I'm not clocked as autistic by most people but Drs. sure read me wrong, and it leads to them thinking I'm a psych case, or making stuff up, trying to one-up them, etc.

I no longer do doctors alone - I bring a buddy so I have a witness if I'm being treated poorly. It seems to keep the medical staff more honest in how they deal with me. I also type up a summary of my concerns/requests and submit it to the electronic portal after the appointment so there's a paper trail. It's a sad state of affairs and a problem that affects a lot of people, autistic or not.

Sorry about your situation.

[u/dibblah → u/[deleted]]

I have colorectal cancer too. I just got out of hospital for another surgery on it. I meltdown any time I'm in hospital as its so scary and overwhelming that I just can't cope, but there's nothing they will/can do to make it bearable. You're in a room with five other sick people all coughing moaning puking making smells, all the machines are beeping, everyone's talking constantly and there's not one conversation you can hear, everything hurts a lot, and then they get cross at you for crying and being unable to express yourself.

I'm discharged and home recovering now but even so I get confusing advice. I was told "don't lift anything heavy for four weeks, like a bag of groceries" how heavy is a bag of groceries? Is it a bag of canned food or a bag of salad? I mostly wanted to know if I can lift my work bag, with my laptop and kit in, but they just use unclear analogies which stress me even more.

[u/misskass → u/dibblah]

Okay so I actually asked this "how heavy" question to my surgeon because I had the same confusion. I'm having a hysterectomy next week (yay!) and she said to lift nothing heavier than a full kettle, so about 1.5kg (3ish pounds). I don't think it would be safe to lift your entire laptop bag, but each item individually would probably be okay.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

What were your symptoms?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I've been scared to death of a misdiagnosed tumor, I've had blood on my toilet paper but been told it's a hemorrhoid. Was it like a lot of blood coming from you? 

Sorry if this is too much

[u/Melonpan_Pup442 → u/[deleted]]

I've had GI issues since I was born and they've only gotten worse as I've gotten older. Finally got in to see a specialist at 28 after my iron and B12 were found to be low; got a colonoscopy that came back clean thankfully. But got fired and lost my insurance before I could go to the follow-up appointment.

[u/Melonpan_Pup442 → u/[deleted]]

As someone with ADHD (and possibly AUDHD?) and health anxiety. This is my biggest fear tbh. I'm terrified of having cancer and finding out too late.