Ask MetaFilter questions in the health & fitness category

Help me stay awake.

quadrilaterals — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:57:23 -0800

I don't think I'm narcoleptic, but I fall asleep all the time. I'm 25. Since junior high, I have fallen asleep in classes, lectures, and meetings, but only if I'm not doing anything else. This is so, so embarrassing at work, and I need to fix this for my job as well as for impending grad school.

My various coping strategies over the years have included sudoku, crosswords, and the internet. Things that don't work include taking notes (I will fall asleep writing), doodling or other engaging activities with pen and paper, and active listening; I promise you, I have tried these over and over and over. I try very, very hard to listen and to stay engaged.

I am not bored or usually even tired when I fall asleep. I just fade out. If I am expected to listen to a lecture or meeting, I will just start slipping into sleep. This afternoon, at a weekly department meeting, I was out for a good forty minutes of it. It is not subtle. I do not know when I am starting to sleep, either; I was taking minutes during the meeting but still drowsed off. I often fall asleep during movies and plays, even though I love these events. I have, on occasion, fallen asleep sitting up at my desk while working if I am just editing a document or something non-engaging.

I've always been good at school and a hard worker, so I haven't been in big trouble for this yet. My hypothesis is that my brain just needs to be doing something, and it can't just sit there and be quiet. If I can't mentally grab on to something, my brain seems to just take that as, "well, I'm not doing much anyway, so I'll take full advantage of this rest time."

Health stuff: I take an SSRI and thyroid medicine. I work out 3-5 days a week. I eat tons of fruits and vegetables, lean protein and fat. (I've eliminated a lot of sugar from my diet, because I've noticed that I crash during the day if I eat it.) I sleep at least seven hours a night. I wake up and go to bed at the same time almost every day, even weekends. I consume a cup of coffee every morning. (Caffeine will not keep me awake during these meetings, no matter how hard I try.) I don't drink a lot.

What is the deal, and how can I stop sleeping like this? Is this a doctor-worthy issue?

SKIN CARE REGIMEN IDEAS

Spice_and_Ice — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:20:35 -0800

Looking for tips and tricks to come up with a skin care regimen for myself (31, F, with a beautiful baby). My goal is to get a glowing healthy skin in 3 months. The idea is to inculcate good habits, and hopefully some of them will stick for life. Any suggestions, beautiful men and women? Diet suggestions welcome, work out suggestions welcome, beauty tips welcome... basically all suggestions welcome :) You could also just share your inspiring story and that will keep me motivated enough ;-) Thank you!!

In it to win it. 4 REALZ.

crawfo — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:07:49 -0800

You're a competitive athlete. How did you level up? I'm really passionate about a sport, and am interested in going from rec-league competitive to Way More Competitive. Just the thought of it excites me and terrifies me, which -- if past experience is any guide -- means it's probably a good and rewarding idea.

I know I can be self-sabotaging when I make determinations like this. I am hell bent on not heading down that road ever again, and would love to get your help.

What I would like to know -- how do you stay driven, when training can be grueling, slow, and requiring all of your heart and patience? When the rewards are obvious and palpable but... quite far away? What are your mechanisms for keeping your head and heart fully in the game? I'm good at the things google tells me (setting small goals, celebrating every little victory) -- I would love to hear the weird, lived, funny, particular things that real athletes do to keep themselves inspired.

What happened to make you fully commit? Did you have a "turning point" or definable moment? How did you change your approach to training -- mentally, emotionally, physically?

Finally -- was it worth it?

Abdominal discomfort, alcohol use and trouble sleeping

Anonymous — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:55:20 -0800

I'm having some abdominal discomfort that might be related to my alcohol use. But I don't know what to do about it, for reasons related to sleep issues. Long story within. For 15+ years I've been a daily drinker - 2-3 drinks in the evening while watching TV. Never enough to get drunk (I hate getting drunk, but love the daily ritual of drinks in the evening). About a year or so ago, I started getting an occasional pain in the middle right side of my stomach, right at the top of the belly. Not a sharp pain, but just like a thing is there.

In the past few months, that feeling is always there, and it feels like it's getting worse. I went to the hospital and had scans done, and they said I have a few small gall stones. So I guess I'm going to get my gall bladder out.

But I'm increasingly worried, because the liver is in that same spot. And I'm wondering if what I'm feeling might not be my liver instead of my gall bladder. I've read up on the symptoms of liver pain and liver disease and whatnot, and I don't have any of them - discolored skin/eyes, bloody stool, itchy skin, nausea, lack of appetite, I don't have any of that. Just this mild discomfort in my gut.

I went in to get a colonoscopy done, and as part of that, had to go without alcohol for a few days. Which was not a problem. Despite my long history as a daily drinker, it was no problem for me to not drink. So that's good. But here's where I'm getting to the real thing: On any night when I don't have a few drinks, I consistently have night-long, horrible horrible nightmares, and that's after hours of struggle to fall asleep. Every single time. I've abstained nights here and there in the past, went a week without drinking not too long ago, and it's always the same. If I don't have my "night-caps," I have nightmares.

And they're awful. So awful that I'm actually afraid to give up drinking, which I want to do, just to see if this pain will go away on its own (which I suspect it will).

So I guess there are a couple of questions here, the smaller one is: Is it possible that this discomfort in my gut is something other than alcohol-related? Any diet tricks or fasts or whatever that I might try to find out?

And the larger question: If I go the route of eliminating alcohol in the evenings, what are some things I might do to help myself fall asleep and not have the terrible dreams? Sleepytime tea and melatonin aren't doing the trick.

(Complicating factor: I live in a noisy house with a lot of kids, so falling asleep is difficult in the first place.)

Going to the mental health clinic, what can I expect in the time ahead?

Anonymous — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:51:49 -0800

I made an appointment at a local clinic. Assuming things start well (right Dr.+ right drugs). What can I expect 2-3 years down the road? After years of fighting myself, I'll be going to a mental health clinic in about two weeks. I recently made a distinction between an unhealthy inability to have motivations/enjoyment and what feels like an "inner wall" which I always have social troubles with. But life shouldn't be a mix of depression plus whatever other condition one has. I want a family of my own, a place of my own, a supportive spouse, some friends, interests I actually eagerly follow... I have a job, great... but I have none of those other goals now and can't even imagine having any of that the way I handle myself now. It is just a black hole beyond being someone's good acquaintance.

So I'm getting help.

I don't want to waste more time fighting myself all the time to do even the easiest of things. Last weekend I set a very easy to do item for each day and did it fine. Every week before this was going to work every weekday, mentally exhausted back at home and just spending time at home trying to recharge my mind. This can happen for 3/4's of the year basically. Why repeat this for years and never get any actual personal life goals done? I don't get it. The main reason why I was able to call up the clinic I'm going to is that I finally argued myself on taking medication. I already take a supplement of sorts for another condition (life long one as well), why hesitate to treat another illness in the same way?

So I'm getting help. Finally after years of fighting alone.

I'm not entirely sure what my other condition is (the inner wall). The main thing is, I'm really "habit" or routine based and among a few other self-reflections I find that in recent years I have leaned toward Aspergers... But there are plenty of Aspergers who live fine doing what they like right? I can't even do that right now.

So anyway, I'm getting help. I dread all the time I might spend on this, but the time I waste fooling around punching myself is just as bad.

Due to my company's financials I do not expect to not have my job in 2-3 years. Besides all those personal goals, I need to be stable enough to look for a job again. I'm in my late twenties and yes, I wish I had this question years ago.

So for any of you who have had similar "co-existing" conditions looked at in therapy or at the psychiatrist... How did it go? 2-3 years down the road, is everything 180 degrees different?
Throwaway: yankoponpon@gmail.com

Help me identify this back pain

annekate — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:44:10 -0800

I had a baby a few months ago, and all of the sudden I can't sleep through the night without having excruciating back pain. YANMD, but I have never had serious back pain before and don't know really know where to start. New mattress? Chiropractor? Physical therapy? Stop getting older? Some more details inside. The pain seems to be located in the center of my back under my shoulder blades. I've tried every possible sleeping position and no matter what, I wake up in pain. It goes away completely if I get out of bed and either sit or stand up for about a half hour, and my back doesn't bother me at all during the day.

The pain is awful and wakes me up constantly throughout the night. I toss around but nothing is comfortable or seems to offer any relief but getting out of bed. It happened very suddenly so I'm not apt to blame the mattress but maybe this is the problem? It's a relatively new mattress, not more than two years old. I share the bed with my partner.

Any idea what I should do to fix this? I feel like there are TONS of options for this sort of thing and it's kind of overwhelming figuring out where to start.

Where can I buy a good, pre-made earthquake kit in Vancouver?

Canageek — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:51:39 -0800

What with recent disasters, and recently moving to BC I'd like to get an earthquake kit. Now, I don't have a car, so I'd like to not having to travel all over the city picking things up in my backpack if possible. So I'd like to buy a pre-made kit. Back in 2007 acoutu was able to get a deal on a "Ready Kit", but those appear to have been discontinued shortly after they were created. So, there are a zillion of these things online, ranging from $50 to $200 and up, and all claim to be exactly what you need. When I try for reviews I find a bunch of them that either reek of astroturfing or are in the vein "You can't buy one: You need to make your own! You need 90 days of food and water, and this list of expensive supplies".

So can anyone give me advice on a good 72-hour earthquake kit I can stash under my bed? Either that will ship to BC or that I can buy here. It doesn't have to have everything; I can buy some canned food and water myself to store with it for example, but I'd like a start for the camping type supplies they recommend.

Oh yeah, and I'm a student, so somewhere near the $50 end of the scale would be a lot better for me, provided that I'm not buying garbage that will break the first time I use it, something I'm rather wary of as I've had several 'bargain' items I bought when I moved in a couple weeks ago break on me the first time I used them.

What is wrong with my long menstrual cycles?

squirbel — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:46:19 -0800

Screenshot of the past two years. This is not an aberration, I have been this way since I was 13. There was even one year that I only had 2 periods the whole year. I have never taken the pill, or any contraception. I do not take any medications. I became sexually active in my early 20's. my first time meeting with a gyno was at 32, my current age. I have always worried about my fertility, but I comfort myself saying I am holding onto my eggs for an important time instead of letting them go. Do you know what is wrong with me?

Recommend a rheumatologist in Boston

Meg_Murry — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:29:29 -0800

Can anyone recommend an excellent rheumatologist in the Boston area? Cambridge or Somerville would be ideal, but travel isn't a huge problem.

My demands are reasonable, my diet is ridiculous.

aint broke — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:33:08 -0800

Over the last ten years, I've put on 10-15 pounds of pure, unadulterated fat. Giving up desert for the next ten years doesn't seem feasible, but my general food intake is fine. I was looking for a healthy but reasonably quick way to loose 10 pounds, and 4 Hour Body was recommended. After six weeks, I am at my exact starting weight. What am I missing, and where should I go from here? I tried this diet with my roommate (R). R and I are ovo-lacto vegetarians who share 19/21 meals every week. We found the 4HB diet relatively easy to follow as eggs, vegetables, beans, and tofu made up the majority of our food before. (Tofu/soy products are technically not allowed, but we are both female and not trying to build 37 pounds of muscle so we decided to ignore that rule.) We have both been very strict about cutting out all fruit, dairy, and grain products.
R has been loosing 2-3 pounds a week, and I am at my exact (down to the tenth of a pound) starting weight. My results were in line with my normal weight fluctuation- down a pound here and there, up a pound here and there. According to my body measurements, I may have lost an inch on my hips and half an inch on my waist, but that may be measurement error. I have a post-diet body fat analysis scheduled next week, but given that other metrics show no change, I'm not expecting much.

My previous attempt at diet modification was calorie counting. After a week of weighing all my ingredients, adding recipes to calorie counting software, and weighing my servings, I determined that my normal, unmodified diet is hitting carbs/fat/protein ratios reasonably well, contains enough fruits and vegetables, and is about 1700 calories on a normal day. Once I figured that out, I stopped counting. (I did count calories one representative day of 4HB dieting and got 1645 calories.)

I spend about 6 hours/week doing some form of physical activity- usually competitive tennis, jogging, weightlifting, yoga, and rock climbing. I enjoy all these activities but don't have time to add any more.

If I'm active, the food I'm eating is good, and the portion sizes are ok, what else can I tweak for weight loss?

Why do I keep dreaming about my ex?

Anonymous — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:57:32 -0800

Why do I keep dreaming about my ex? YANM Psych etc. So this has now been going on for long enough that I'm asking a Mefi, not necessarily for an explanation, but simply some suggestions and perhaps recommendations of how to pursue this further.

My first serious relationship lasted for 9 years, the last two of which was spent in a different country. After we broke up, there was the usual period of re-adjustment, but we remain close friends and visit one another regularly with our new respective partners.

After the relationship ended, I was single for about 2 years before getting involved with someone else. My current partner and I have now been together for almost five years.

Here's the thing: I continuously have dreams involving my former partner. Sometimes we are just doing stuff together, other times it's a dream where it is slowly becoming apparent to me that she is breaking up with me (which was the case in real life – she was the active agent in bringing the relationship to an end).

Neither of us harbor feelings of getting back together. We understand one another on a very deep level, and that's what has enabled us to stay close friends. But we have fundamentally different views about some things, and that was what ultimately brought the relationship to an end.

I'm – for lack of a better term – a Jungian in terms things like dream analysis and the subconscious. My ex-partner in question is a clinical psychologist, so I have some knowledge of psychology; I've done extensive CBT in coping with an anxiety disorder (not sure how that may factor, or if at all, but thought I'd mention it). I have for a long time been actively involved in processes of self-realisation.

I know that these dreams mean something, perhaps archetypically, though it feels like I'm being hampered in discovering what in some way. The likelihood is that there may be aspects of myself I see in her that I'm unable to resolve for some reason. But it's come to the point where I'm really starting to get frustrated with trying to connect to this part of my subconscious and establishing a point of investigating this further.

I'm not looking for some kind of diagnosis; I'm simply keen on hearing any feedback/recommendations (including for reading material) that you may think I might find useful. I guess I would call myself a spiritual individual (I like to refer to myself as a 'scientific mystic'). Oh, and I'm a gay girl, if that means anything (so yes, all my relationships have been with women, just to clarify).

How do insurance companies test for tobacco use?

deliciae — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:14:07 -0800

Someone asked me this this morning, and I have no idea so I thought I would throw it out to the green. I was asked: "In every insurance application I have ever filled out, there is a question about cigarette smoking, and smokers are charged higher rates to reflect the higher rates of related health issues. How do insurance companies test for smoking? I am sure insurance companies have ways to figure out if you've lied on the application so they can find a reason to deny your claims, but what are they? Are there ways to get around the test results as there are with marijuana tests?"

For the record I am not encouraging anyone to smoke, or to commit insurance fraud by lying about smoking - I am wondering about this because I have never thought of it myself before today.

Thanks!

North Austin/Pflugerville doctor recommendations

OnTheLastCastle — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:49:20 -0800

Primary care physician and an eye doctor are both needed. I live just north of Howard street in south Pflugerville so a good doctor by there would be great. If you know they take United Healthcare Insurance that's even better!

Shoulder pain + yoga = ?

ellieBOA — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:19:25 -0800

I am supposed to be doing a yoga class with my friend on Wednesday, this will be my first one in over a year, and I have some pain in my neck and shoulder at the moment, will this make it worse? YANMD! I've had some pain in the right side of my neck and shoulder since Friday, and woke up this morning and the pain had travelled down to under the top of my arm. It's not particularly bad pain, and I went for a massage on Saturday which helped. I think it's probably related to posture at my desk and not taking enough breaks.

Should I cancel?

(I've browsed the archives and am working through the advice on posture at a desk etc, my question is specifically about this yoga class.)

Alcoholism groups in NYC that are Not AA?

DMelanogaster — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:45:46 -0800

I'm looking for non-AA alcoholism treatment groups (non-residential) in New York City (preferably Manhattan or Brooklyn ) for someone who is AA-averse. The individual seeking this treatment is rejecting AA because he is tired of hearing "war stories" (covertly competitive stories about how much damage the individuals wreaked before giving up booze) and also finds it difficult to figure out how to get a sponsor and really take part in the structure.

Low-cost would be great, although there is health insurance that might be available.

There is also the possibility that an AA group exists that is different from the groups he's tried, as per the above, so if anyone can recommend such an AA group in NYC, that might be a possibility too. thanks.

Counterfeit grey-market medication. Now what?

tigrrrlily — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:03:46 -0800

Mail-order pills from a reputable overseas vendor (have seen them recommended in Ask) turned out to not contain any active ingredient according to a blood test. I switched meds when I found out, but am at a loss as to what to do beyond that. What's the responsible way of dealing with this? I haven't done anything beyond set the remaining pills aside, but I don't want other people hurt like I was (6 months of problems that in hindsight make all too much sense). I alternate between doubting the strength of my evidence (but how else would a serum level test read ZERO), or thinking nothing I could do would make a difference.
What would someone a lot more assertive and together than I am do in this case? I'm in the US, so initially I was just happy the pills had made it through customs. Bummer.

I might have eaten a caterpillar; will I die?

Maecenas — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:49:04 -0800

So I found a translucent green worm thing in some salad I was eating: image. The salad leaves are from a friend's garden, so it's entirely possible that I didn't manage to get the worm off when washing the leaves. I'm kind of worried that I might have eaten one or more of its family members without noticing. So: 1) Can I get an ID of the thing? I think the immature form one of those ubiquitous green caterpillars, based on this ask. 2) Do I need to drink ipecac/see a doctor? If so, how urgently?

Returning to the gym after staph?

Metroid Baby — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:15:30 -0800

I'm recovering from a staph infection. When will it be safe for me to return to the gym/pool? A week ago, I scraped my foot and picked up a nasty staph infection; my entire foot swelled up and turned bright pink in a matter of hours. I was prescribed oral antibiotics and instructed to stay off my foot whenever possible.

As of today, I have four days of antibiotics left (and yes, I plan to take them all). The infection seems to be gone; my foot is no longer swollen or painful. The wound isn't completely healed over, but I've been keeping it bandaged and changing the bandage daily.

Normally, I work out at either the gym or the pool five times a week. I haven't been since I picked up this infection, because I don't want to give it to anyone else. (For the record, I was traveling when my foot got infected, so I don't think it's likely that the staph was from my gym or pool.)

How much longer should I wait before I go back? I'm assuming I should wait until I've finished my antibiotics and the scrape is healed, but should it be even longer? Or sooner? Is the gym safer than the pool? Everything I've read about staph and the gym is focused on avoiding getting it in the first place, which is not much help in my situation.

YANMD, though you may be a fellow gym-goer.

sudden onset sunburn? what just happened to me?

fromageball — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:56:26 -0800

All of a sudden, within a couple of minutes, my skin on my arms/chest/face turned beet red and was hot to the touch, like I had a bad sunburn. In addition was a headache(similar headache that I get when I've been in the sun for too long) and I could feel my heart beating faster and was a little lightheaded. I wasn't itchy at all. This lasted for about 30 minutes and my skin is still sort of splotchy and warm but is going back to normal. YANMD. I'm not looking for medical advice. I don't have any known food allergies and didn't eat anything weird today or do anything out of the ordinary, and the weather has been overcast.

I ate a can of sardines and a bowl of popcorn right before/while this started to happen, but I eat both of those pretty much everyday. I also had a small glass of red wine but I drink that all the time as well. Earlier today I had a couple of eggs and some toast and coffee. That is all I've eaten today.

Nothing like this has ever happened to me before and my roommate was concerned as well, so I called 911 and 311 but neither could give me any useful advice and I don't have insurance so I didn't want to have an ambulance come out because it seemed like it was probably an allergic reaction and didn't seem life threatening but I had no idea. 311 transferred me to the local hospital but the person I spoke to didn't want to diagnose me over the phone(understandable) so couldn't tell me anything either.

I do have anxiety issues but nothing happened today to exacerbate that even though my anxiety has been high lately in general. Could this have been some sort of a panic attack?

Has this ever happened to anyone else or does anyone have any idea what happened to me?

A durable blood glucose meter to carry in my pocket?

scottreynen — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:09:39 -0800

What blood glucose meter can be reliably carried in a pocket, handle the wear of being jostled around, and avoid being activated when not actually in use? I carry my blood glucose meter in my pocket, so I'll always have it with me. It's one of four things I always have in my four pants pockets, along with keys, phone, and wallet. And I notice pretty quickly if any pocket is empty, to the point where I feel vaguely uneasy driving or talking on the phone because a pocket is empty. So I'm pretty attached to carrying my glucose meter in my pocket, along with my other supplies.

However, the pocket storage has proven problematic. Every meter I've used fails in some way when carried in my pocket. This doesn't seem like an especially strange use case, but nothing seems to be designed to handle pocket jostling. Most have buttons that turn them on and change various settings, and these buttons get bumped in my pocket and the readings become unreliable because the settings are off, e.g. the time changes and I don't notice and then it's not clear what time any reading was taken.

My doctor recommended the FreeStyle InsuLinx, which has a touchscreen and a single on-off button. And this seemed like a great solution for a few months, though a bit large, but now it has gradually worn out in my pocket and it has started turning on even when the button isn't pressed. This doesn't change the settings, since those are controlled by touchscreen, but it wears down the battery really fast, since it's on a lot in my pocket when I'm not actually using it. And it seems likely to just stop working eventually.

So what meter should I try next to avoid these problems?

Health and weight effects of medicine metabolites in water?

mintchip — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:12:59 -0800

I'm aware that there are metabolites of the many various medicines that people take in the water supply in many US cities and towns. What are the health effects of this (known or theoretical)? Has drug residue/metabolites ever been linked to weight gain in humans? How can it be removed from the water (is reverse osmosis the only way)?

Which inversion table will help my back pain?

annabellee — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:03:06 -0800

I'm convinced from friends' reports and reviews that I would benefit from an inversion table. Which should I get? I'm looking at the top few on Amazon and if I go by the reviews alone, the Body Max IT6000 or Body Champ IT8070 both sound good.

My main concerns are space and weight. They both weigh about 50 pounds, but if there's a lighter one that will do the job as well/be sturdy enough to hold an average sized person, I'd love to know about it. The smaller it folds, the better as I don't have enough space to keep it open all the time.

I'm also slightly nervous as it seems all of them have a couple reviews that mention someone getting trapped and unable to get out, and people complain a bit about ankle discomfort. These are not enough to dissuade me from getting a table.

Garmin-compatible bike training schedule for a 180-mile ride

Brittanie — Sat, 18 May 2013 08:39:49 -0800

I want to sign up for Bike Around the Bay. If you're familiar with the MS150, it's similar — 180 miles over two days, circumnavigating Galveston Bay. But I need a training plan. I am not a frequent cyclist — I am a hobbyist. But I have a good bike and am in pretty good physical shape.

I've run several long-distance foot races, and when I've trained for them I've used these awesome downloadable Garmin training schedules. You just select your race date and goal time, and then upload the entire training schedule to your Garmin and go. The schedules include speed work, long runs, tempo runs — basically everything you need to train for a half or full.

Does such a thing exist for a bike race of this distance? The longest ride I've ever done was 40 miles, without training, so I haven't the slightest idea of what sort of schedule I should be training at for Bike Around the Bay.

If downloadable schedules don't exist, I could program an entire schedule into my Garmin (if someone can point me to one for a 180+ mile ride) but I'm looking for something more convenient first.

Painless Broken Bone Workup?

jimmysmits — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:45:35 -0800

Think I may have broken a bone in my foot- how do I get checked out without spending the whole damn day in the ER? I think I may have fractured a bone in my foot yesterday. Whats the best way to get this checked out without sitting in the ER all day? Can I schedule a ct myself, or do i need to make an appointmebt with an orthopedist or something? I've got good insurance but no pcp at the moment. If anyone has medical training and/or personal experience I'm all ears. Smashed outer part of right foot pretty hard in a weird exercise accident. Immediate pain 7/10. Currently have mild to moderate swelling in the area, no pain without pressure, but 5/10 pain if I try to put any weight on it.

I need medical care and I'm too ashamed to go to the doctor.

Anonymous — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:43:25 -0800

I need to go to the doctor, but intense shame is keeping me from seeking help. How do I make myself get medical attention when I can barely acknowledge the problem to myself, let alone discuss it with the receptionist, write it out on the medical forms, talk to the doctor, undress and let them see my humiliating problem?

I need to go, but I just can't. Please help me get past this, it's making my life miserable.