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Day 78 - You can probably skip this one

"Hey Google, what causes acid reflux?"

It might be time to talk to the doctor, because I am over this acid reflux. It has been every single day for... oh, at least two weeks now, so it's probably time to do something about it. (I know it has been at least 2 weeks because that's the last time I texted my sister to complain about it and it hasn't gotten better lol.)

A lot of generations before Millennials kept a lot of things quiet and private. We didn't talk politics at the table because it wasn't polite. We didn't bring up money because it was uncomfortable. Religion was off the table. Details about medical procedures or concerns were hush-hush except with your closest friends or family. We absolutely would not talk about mental health.

I'm glad that's changing. I am happy to hear from the women before me going into perimenopause and then menopause. Not only do I not have a roadmap since my mom passed early and was put into medical menopause for her cancer, but it seems to have been another taboo subject from back in the day. We don't talk about when you start your period, and we won't talk about it when it ends, either.

Honestly, I think it's important we talk about this stuff. I want to know what's normal and not. I want to know what my friends are dealing with in case they need grace, space, or help. If I hadn't been open about talking to my friends about my period, I would never have gotten a PMDD diagnosis or considered a hysterectomy.

I text my sister a lot because she's, unfortunately, been dealing with health issues a lot longer than I have, so I text to see if this is a normal "just sleep it off" kind of ailment, or if I should be concerned about a genetic link. Sometimes it feels like the worst game of BINGO when comparing medical concerns passed on from mom's side or dad's side.

Thyroid concerns? That seems to come from Margaret's side. High blood pressure? Thanks, Michael. Already having annual mammograms? And high blood sugar? Two points to Margaret. High cholesterol? Oh, that one seems to be new! A point to myself, and BINGO!

Ok, time to stop putting it off and probably just call the doctor for an appointment. Oh! They have an app! Never mind, I'm going to just schedule it without talking to anyone.

What was I saying about making sure we talk about stuff?

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