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A Facebook Fight About Santa Helps Woman Get Unexpected Medical Diagnosis

A couple years ago, Reddit user gfjq23 got into a Facebook argument with her sister over whether or not Santa Claus exists. She became concerned over her sister's reaction, which included blowing the issue way out of proportion. It was so bad, OP's sister got medical tests done - and it revealed something unexpected.

Original Poster had asked Reddit for advice at the time and then provided an update.


Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.

To summarize the last post, I posted a Ryan Reynolds meme about Santa Claus not being real on Facebook which my 13-year-old niece saw. My sister flipped out about it and wanted me to publicly rescind and say how Santa is real, but I thought my nieces were too old to believe in that stuff and refused. It lead to a crazy fight between us. Link to the original.

Anyway, I talked to my nieces and neither of them believe in Santa, so they were baffled about the fight. I talked to my BIL and he said my sister has been flying off the handle lately. We agreed she should probably get a check up and he convinced her to go to the doctor.

Onto the update. They did a MRI and nothing showed up. Then they did some bloodwork which looked fine, except some elevated cholesterol. She isn't pregnant. They pretty much wrote her off as a crazy person and sent her to a psychologist for stress. After a session, the psychologist told her to do some "deep breathing" and sent her away as fixed.

She got worse. She stopped sleeping and barely ate, yet still gained weight. Any small annoyance would send her into a rage. Commercials were making her so upset she would ugly cry. I asked my BIL if they tested hormone levels or anything like that and he said the doctors didn't feel it was necessary.

She called me one day crying and apologizing, saying she was the worst sister ever and I had every right to hate her. She was so devastated she ruined our relationship and such. It was weird and NOT my sister, so when I got a chance to speak I told her she was going to go see my doctor and I wasn't taking no for an answer. I set up an appointment and my doctor ordered a full blood panel including hormone and vitamins before my sister drove to town for her appointment.

When my sister drove up we spent the morning shopping and she was unpredictable. One minute she was happy and the next yelling about some perceived sight ("That fucking pretentious makeup counter bitch just looked at me funny for my cheap drug store makeup."). It was uncomfortable, So I just walked on eggshells to keep her from exploding.

Anyway, results of the bloodwork and a good doctor: perimenopause. Her hormones are completely abnormal. None of her doctors would even consider it because she was "too young" for menopause, so they didn't even bother running the tests. She'll be coming up with a care plan with my doctor for hormone replacement therapy and diet change to hopefully get back on track.

She still a nutcase right now. For example, she called me crying the other night because she will never have more kids (wha...her husband had a vasectomy years ago). I'm driving to her place next weekend and we're going to batch cook a bunch of meals for her new diet plan (I'll be doing it with her as I could stand to eat healthier). So it'll be a slow process, but we have a diagnosis and plan. I'm just taking her outbursts as "crazy hormones" right now because it'll take awhile to even out.

I got her a dark chocolate cake for Easter that said, "Happy Reverse Easter (when the Easter Bunny takes back your eggs)" because I'm kind of a jerk. She thought it was hilarious though, so we are good.

TL/DR; Sister is going through perimenopause, so she's irrationally, but understandably nutty right now. Oh, and Santa Claus still doesn't exist.


At least they're getting along now.

Giphy

This is the best thing ever. So glad you figured it out. good for you for realizing she was totally out of whack and helping her get back on track. Good luck!

shakatay29

Those hormonal imbalances are rough.

Giphy

Holy crap when my mom went through this (before she got onto hormone treatments to balance her out) she legit acted like a crazy person, so I know exactly what you're going through.

My dad gave her an ultimatum to get it checked out because her behavior towards us was getting so irrational and violent, especially me. That's the one and only time I've ever heard divorce mentioned under my roof, because my dad said flat-out to her in the midst of a terrible argument he could not live like that any longer.

Now she's post-menopause after getting hormone treatments and you would have never imagined she behaved that way in the past.

danceswithronin

Perimenopause is far more rare than menopause.

Giphy

It's my understanding that it's not too terribly common. There are women on the other side of the spectrum who have asymptomatic menopause, which is also pretty rare. Most women fall somewhere between the two extremes.

CalmTits

The symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, and moodiness.

Giphy

The physical symptoms were the bad part for my mum. Among other things, she permanently had the feeling that she'd severely burnt her tongue. Apparently that's a thing.

The_Bravinator

Perimenopause occurs in younger women before the typical onset of menopause.

Giphy

My mother went through menopause almost immediately after having my sister. She was 41 and our family GP refused to acknowledge it could possibly be menopause because of her age, despite her very clearly having all the symptoms. I was 13 when all this started and it was an awful time for our family. At one point I was sure my parents would divorce. I honestly don't know how my dad didn't just walk away. I would've.

Six years later the doctor told her, "whoops, sorry, seems you've actually already been through menopause". It nearly tore our family apart, my mother has never been the same and now it's "over" (totally wasn't) you'll admit it happened? Uh, thanks? Huge victory for her.

magickmidget

The fact that a debate about Santa Claus led to the discovery is pretty remarkable.

Giphy

I suppose the sub can add 'hormone imbalance' right next to the 'gas leaks' and 'tumor' unexpected twist responses now. :)

But seriously, it's great that you found out what was really going on and got your sister some help. Going through any health issue is terrifying, let alone one that effects you mental health. It's good you're supporting her and willing to try and get it resolved.

NeonicBeast

OP did a heck of a thing.

Giphy

You, ma'am, are an AMAZING sister. Well done. She will be so grateful when her hormones are back under control (as will her husband and kids). I hope I have someone who looks out for me as well as you looked out for her.

I hope your sister starts feeling better soon, and take yourself out for a VERY well earned spa day. You deserve it.

DiTrastevere

And it was Reddit which came through with the best advice - seek help.

Giphy

A lot of doctors just write off emotional disturbances in women as depression or, if they're less professional about it, "just being an emotional woman." Good on you for pushing to get a second opinion and find the root of the problem. I have PMDD, and many people, including doctors, don't realize how much hormone disturbances can mess you up.

And the cake sounds awesome, it sounds like she's got a pretty decent attitude about it now that there's a diagnosis.

vita_e_amore

OP's nieces were not bothered by Santa Claus not existing, by the way.

Giphy

I'm just relieved to know a 13 year old didn't still believe in Santa Claus.-g-

marthaliberty

Fin.

Giphy

Pretty much anyone who gets butthurt over a Facebook post needs this type of deep medical analysis.

JAYDEA

What happens when a 13-year-old is encouraged to believe in Santa?.

Giphy

One of my best friends, who's a similar age to your sister and is a single mom, has a 13 yo daughter than I discovered DOES still believe in Santa Claus. I was like "are you kidding???" And my friend says no and that she wants her to still believe. Personally, I know the daughter has been made fun of in school for it, as if she isn't awkward enough. I dropped it for this last Christmas but I don't think I'll be able to let it go another year...

wacka4macca

Are the presents still hidden before Christmas?

Giphy

Lots of people hide presents even without Santa. My mom still does...I don't know why. We're not going to scour the house for them.

Rosebunse

Yup. It's just plain weird.

Giphy

She hides the presents in my apartment not so her daughter can't shake them to figure out what's in them (that's why my mom hid the presents for so long until I moved out of the house) but so that her daughter thinks "Santa" actually delivers them Christmas morning.

wacka4macca

Some parents troll their kids.

Giphy

I plan to torture my future children just like my dad tortures me, so yes, Santa exists.

lisalisasensei

Regardless, people love a happy ending - isn't that what Santa is about?

Giphy

This was one of the few relationship updates that for whatever reason I was dying to read. Glad it had a (mostly) happy ending!

rexmus1

People Reveal The Weirdest Thing About Themselves

Reddit user Isitjustmedownhere asked: 'Give an example; how weird are you really?'

Let's get one thing straight: no one is normal. We're all weird in our own ways, and that is actually normal.

Of course, that doesn't mean we don't all have that one strange trait or quirk that outweighs all the other weirdness we possess.

For me, it's the fact that I'm almost 30 years old, and I still have an imaginary friend. Her name is Sarah, she has red hair and green eyes, and I strongly believe that, since I lived in India when I created her and there were no actual people with red hair around, she was based on Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo.

I also didn't know the name Sarah when I created her, so that came later. I know she's not really there, hence the term 'imaginary friend,' but she's kind of always been around. We all have conversations in our heads; mine are with Sarah. She keeps me on task and efficient.

My mom thinks I'm crazy that I still have an imaginary friend, and writing about her like this makes me think I may actually be crazy, but I don't mind. As I said, we're all weird, and we all have that one trait that outweighs all the other weirdness.

Redditors know this all too well and are eager to share their weird traits.

It all started when Redditor Isitjustmedownhere asked:

"Give an example; how weird are you really?"

Monsters Under My Bed

"My bed doesn't touch any wall."

"Edit: I guess i should clarify im not rich."

– Practical_Eye_3600

"Gosh the monsters can get you from any angle then."

– bikergirlr7

"At first I thought this was a flex on how big your bedroom is, but then I realized you're just a psycho 😁"

– zenOFiniquity8

Can You See Why?

"I bought one of those super-powerful fans to dry a basement carpet. Afterwards, I realized that it can point straight up and that it would be amazing to use on myself post-shower. Now I squeegee my body with my hands, step out of the shower and get blasted by a wide jet of room-temp air. I barely use my towel at all. Wife thinks I'm weird."

– KingBooRadley

Remember

"In 1990 when I was 8 years old and bored on a field trip, I saw a black Oldsmobile Cutlass driving down the street on a hot day to where you could see that mirage like distortion from the heat on the road. I took a “snapshot” by blinking my eyes and told myself “I wonder how long I can remember this image” ….well."

– AquamarineCheetah

"Even before smartphones, I always take "snapshots" by blinking my eyes hoping I'll remember every detail so I can draw it when I get home. Unfortunately, I may have taken so much snapshots that I can no longer remember every detail I want to draw."

"Makes me think my "memory is full.""

– Reasonable-Pirate902

Same, Same

"I have eaten the same lunch every day for the past 4 years and I'm not bored yet."

– OhhGoood

"How f**king big was this lunch when you started?"

– notmyrealnam3

Not Sure Who Was Weirder

"Had a line cook that worked for us for 6 months never said much. My sous chef once told him with no context, "Baw wit da baw daw bang daw bang diggy diggy." The guy smiled, left, and never came back."

– Frostygrunt

Imagination

"I pace around my house for hours listening to music imagining that I have done all the things I simply lack the brain capacity to do, or in some really bizarre scenarios, I can really get immersed in these imaginations sometimes I don't know if this is some form of schizophrenia or what."

– RandomSharinganUser

"I do the same exact thing, sometimes for hours. When I was young it would be a ridiculous amount of time and many years later it’s sort of trickled off into almost nothing (almost). It’s weird but I just thought it’s how my brain processes sh*t."

– Kolkeia

If Only

"Even as an adult I still think that if you are in a car that goes over a cliff; and right as you are about to hit the ground if you jump up you can avoid the damage and will land safely. I know I'm wrong. You shut up. I'm not crying."

– ShotCompetition2593

Pet Food

"As a kid I would snack on my dog's Milkbones."

– drummerskillit

"Haha, I have a clear memory of myself doing this as well. I was around 3 y/o. Needless to say no one was supervising me."

– Isitjustmedownhere

"When I was younger, one of my responsibilities was to feed the pet fish every day. Instead, I would hide under the futon in the spare bedroom and eat the fish food."

– -GateKeep-

My Favorite Subject

"I'm autistic and have always had a thing for insects. My neurotypical best friend and I used to hang out at this local bar to talk to girls, back in the late 90s. One time he claimed that my tendency to circle conversations back to insects was hurting my game. The next time we went to that bar (with a few other friends), he turned and said sternly "No talking about bugs. Or space, or statistics or other bullsh*t but mainly no bugs." I felt like he was losing his mind over nothing."

"It was summer, the bar had its windows open. Our group hit it off with a group of young ladies, We were all chatting and having a good time. I was talking to one of these girls, my buddy was behind her facing away from me talking to a few other people."

"A cloudless sulphur flies in and lands on little thing that holds coasters."

"Cue Jordan Peele sweating gif."

"The girl notices my tension, and asks if I am looking at the leaf. "Actually, that's a lepidoptera called..." I looked at the back of my friend's head, he wasn't looking, "I mean a butterfly..." I poked it and it spread its wings the girl says "oh that's a BUG?!" and I still remember my friend turning around slowly to look at me with chastisement. The ONE thing he told me not to do."

"I was 21, and was completely not aware that I already had a rep for being an oddball. It got worse from there."

– Phormicidae

*Teeth Chatter*

"I bite ice cream sometimes."

RedditbOiiiiiiiiii

"That's how I am with popsicles. My wife shudders every single time."

monobarreller

Never Speak Of This

"I put ice in my milk."

– GTFOakaFOD

"You should keep that kind of thing to yourself. Even when asked."

– We-R-Doomed

"There's some disturbing sh*t in this thread, but this one takes the cake."

– RatonaMuffin

More Than Super Hearing

"I can hear the television while it's on mute."

– Tira13e

"What does it say to you, child?"

– Mama_Skip

Yikes!

"I put mustard on my omelettes."

– Deleted User

"Oh."

– NotCrustOr-filling

Evened Up

"Whenever I say a word and feel like I used a half of my mouth more than the other half, I have to even it out by saying the word again using the other half of my mouth more. If I don't do it correctly, that can go on forever until I feel it's ok."

"I do it silently so I don't creep people out."

– LesPaltaX

"That sounds like a symptom of OCD (I have it myself). Some people with OCD feel like certain actions have to be balanced (like counting or making sure physical movements are even). You should find a therapist who specializes in OCD, because they can help you."

– MoonlightKayla

I totally have the same need for things to be balanced! Guess I'm weird and a little OCD!

Close up face of a woman in bed, staring into the camera
Photo by Jen Theodore

Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.

Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?

But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.

It would be so great to be sure there is something else.

But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.

Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:

"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"

Sensations

Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy

"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."

PeachesnPain

Recovery

"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."

"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."

"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."

good_golly99

Take Me Back

"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."

"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."

rayrayrayray

Free

The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy

"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."

TooReDTooHigh

This is why I hate surgery.

You just never know.

Shocked

Giphy

"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."

Admirable_Buyer6528

The SOB

"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."

"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”

1-cupcake-at-a-time

Colors

"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"

Hannah_LL7

"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"

huntokarrr

The Fog

"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."

"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."

Fluffy-Hotel-5184

Through the Walls

"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."

"She's quite alive and well today."

Hot-Refrigerator6583

Well let's all be happy to be alive.

It seems to be all we have.

Man's waist line
Santhosh Vaithiyanathan/Unsplash

Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.

The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.

Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.

Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:

"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"

Redditors didn't see these coming.

Shiver Me Timbers

"I’m always cold now!"

– Telrom_1

"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."

– r7ndom

"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."

– mr_remy

Drawing Concern

"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."

– dee-fondy

"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"

"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."

– LizardofDeath

Unleashing Insults

"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”

"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."

– alanamablamaspama

Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight

"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."

– KeltarCentauri

"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."

– KatMagic1977

"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."

– Jaew96

These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.

Shopping

"I can buy clothes in any store I want."

– WaySavvyD

"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."

– ganache98012

No More Symptoms

"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."

– colleennicole93

Expanding Capabilities

"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."

– Ramblonius

People Change Their Tune

"How much nicer people are to you."

"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"

– LiZZygsu

"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"

"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"

– awholedamngarden

It's gonna take some getting used to.

Bones Everywhere

"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."

– Princess-Pancake-97

"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."

– bekastrange

Knee Pillow

"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."

– snic2030

"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."

– Strongbad23

More Mobility

"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."

"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."

– dma1965

People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.

But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.

That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.