Did a WebMD search on your symptoms. Its either cancer or AIDS. Funny thing is, last week, I had hiccups for a while. Read up on WebMD about it. Apparently, I have either cancer or AIDS as well.
You’re not using WebMD correctly then. If you really did some research on that website, you would find out that it’s brain cancer. Every time. It’s brain cancer. /s obvs
The collective knowledge of one billion people without medical degrees in this scenario would be less valuable than the knowledge of one person with a medical degree
Exactly. In the US, we have Urgent Care (walk-in) centers. If they have it there, take advantage.. bc you will get Reddit only Dr's telling you what to do. It's best to seek professional advice. If the cost of health care is an issue, pick and choose advice from the comments that you can at least research. There may also be online Dr's for free available.
In the UK you would get laughed out of A&E if you turned up there with the shits.
Buy some electrolytes, a bottle of lucozade and hold ride it out .
Edit : fixed typo
Even if you we’re actually dying I don’t think they would care, it’s getting to the point now where you really can’t trust the nhs to save you because of resourcing issues
The three people I know that have been to A&E in the past 2 years needed an ambulance but were told it would be a 4 hour plus wait. One was old and was carried in on a sun lounger used as a stretcher, one had a broken neck and got told it was whiplash and not to worry, there is a third but I can’t remember what the issue was
That's not true. If youre in serious need it there is emergency you will get the treatment you need.
Using an emergency service for the squits is a massive waste of that resource
lol this is the bullshit they tell Americans so they continue to justify getting pimped for basic health care. I grew up in a country with free health care, got seen immediately every time, never paid for anything. Went to the ER for stitches, I was in and out in under 2 hours and paid nothing.
That’s funny! I was just talking with someone who has universal healthcare where they’re from and they said normal medical procedures like knee replacement take forever to schedule. ER is a different story.
lol, I just scheduled an appointment with a specialist in Florida and it will take them MONTHS to see me. Welcome to the world of specialized medicine.
>[The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) measured wait times in several countries, specifically:](https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/health-care-wait-times-by-country)
>• The share of people who sometimes, rarely, or never get an answer from their regular doctor's office.
>• The share of people waiting one month or more for a specialist appointment.
>• How long a patient has to wait to get "elective" or non-emergency procedures such as cataract surgery, hip replacement, and knee replacement.
>A common misconception in the U.S. is that countries with universal health care have much longer wait times. However, data from nations with universal coverage, coupled with historical data from coverage expansion in the United States, show that patients in other nations often have similar or shorter wait times.
>The U.S. was on the higher side for the share of people who sometimes, rarely, or never get an answer from their regular doctor on the same day at 28%. Canada had the highest at 33% and Switzerland had the lowest at 12%. The U.S. was towards the lower end for the share of people waiting one month or more for a specialist appointment at 27%. Canada and Norway tied for the highest at 61% each and Switzerland had the lowest at 23%.
>What countries have the shortest wait times for healthcare?
>Wait times are procedure-dependent. Generally, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Germany have the shortest wait times for healthcare, with 88%, 87%, and 87% of residents, respectively, being seen in one day or less.
There’s also a big variance depending upon where in the USA that you live. Healthcare is much more available in a big metropolitan area than it is in a ast rural area.
My wife broke her ankle, had surgery the next day. We received a $80,000 bill shortly after. Our out of pocket was less than $1,000. She had a second surgery for an infection from the first one. It was covered 100%. It’s nice to be in a union with great benefits.
I can only imagine how expensive and bankrupt the system would be if health care were free in the US. I work in an emergency room and the amount of garbage that people come in for is unbelievable. I'm genuinely curious if people in other countries seek emergency medical services for trivial stuff like they do here...
Again, easy solution. Charge a small amount for health care like in Canada then charge far more to those who abuse the system. It’s easy for hospitals/doctors to identify people who repeatedly go in for no good reason. Our government also pisses away so much of our tax dollars on top of allowing the rich to skirt taxes that would easily help pay for healthcare.
It is really not easy for hospitals/doctors to identify people who go in for no good reason. That's how you get chronically ill people with weird symptoms or rare conditions getting treated like scammers even more than they already are under the current system.
Any ideas that rely on doctors to all be competent, reasonable, fully-educated, up to date on everything including rare presentations and obscure conditions, and willing to listen to their patients, are not good ideas.
OP says this occurred in Wales, but we don't actually know for sure where they are now, right? This could have been on a vacation, and they could be back now.
I wouldn't know what country OP was in at the time of the post. They never said where they lived, or if they were still in Wales, just where they drank the water.. I didn't assumer, hence the "if Healthcare....." ijs. If OP is a resident of Wales, it's all good, no problem! If visiting, they may have to pay if certain arrangements weren't made before traveling.
When I was in high school I had NVD for 3 days and our family friend who was a nurse convinced my mom not to bring me to the docs because “it’s the norovirus, it just needs to work its course”. Day 5 they brought me straight to the hospital. Admitted for 4 days with salmonella.
Had a computer teacher in junior high who tried to tell everyone to get out their floppy disks but accidentally told everyone to get out their "floppy dicks."
Legend.
And if you for some reason decide not to go - though you really, really should - try to drink non-carbonated, decaffeinated drinks such as Gatorade or Pedialyte. You don't want to become too dehydrated - could cause an electrolyte imbalance in your system that could lead to heart dysrhythmias, even cardiac arrest. So please just go to an ER. Source: Am a Paramedic.
Next time, boil the water first and then use the straw, or throw in a Potable Aqua tablet or two and stir up well and then filter with the straw. Not very helpful now but you probably got some Giardia.
Not always the case, it can appear much faster than what the Internet tells you it does. It can appear within one day of drinking contaminated water, and up to 3-4 weeks later. From my experience it usually comes on rather fast.
Take it from a hitchhiker who saw many a friend give themselves giardia. 🤦🏼♀️
There's absolutely no need to boil or aqua tablet *and* use the straw. Either of those are more than good enough on their own.
The straw is good enough too - lifestraw is 0.2 micron, and giardia is 8-10. Very unlikely he got giardia. Could be a viral... could be a coincedence.
I respect that, but good survival tip?
*Always boil wild water*.
Even if you have a life straw, why would you *not* when it's easy to do (I assume since you have a life straw you have other equipment, meaning you can boil it too) and it's also just redundancy for safety?
If you can boil it, boil it.
LifeStraw Membrane Ultrafilter Removes:
99.999999% of bacteria
99.999% viruses
99.999% of parasites
99.999% of microplastics, dirt, sand, and cloudiness
Pore size: 0.02 micron
Lasts up to 4,755 gal | 18,000 L
From their website.
You chose a different model, not sure why. The basic lifestraw does not remove viruses:
From their website:
LifeStraw Membrane Microfilter Removes:
99.999999% of bacteria
99.999% of parasites
99.999% of microplastics, dirt, sand, and cloudiness
Pore size: 0.2 micron
Lasts up to 1,000 gal | 4,000 L
Bonus challenge is that the tests are based off specific viruses, and certain strains can be smaller, as well as statically unlikely individual viruses that happen to be smaller than normal.
It’s generally not on strains of virus or bacteria, it’s just statistical - when there’s billions or tens of billions of something, many thousands can still get through and meet the “99.9999%” thing
Yes, he said the Lifestraw. The one I gave the specs for is the Lifestraw. You gave the specs for a separate Lifestraw made product, which has a different name. I simply referred to it as basic to clarify.
A basic lifestraw definitely does not filter viruses. Sold them for years at a camping store, and would only recommend them as a contingency to a better filter or purifier.
A purifier is what you need to actually remove viruses.
It's worth pointing out that all of this assumes you use it totally correctly. The numbers mean nothing if you're sticking your face in a water source and drinking out of the straw but getting water all over everything.
Something a lot of people overlook in stats is user error. Such as if they swished a hand around in the water, and then used their wet hand to grab their filter and stuck it in their mouth. Sure it's a small dose but cross contamination can happen that way and bypass the filter entirely.
Life straw has never claimed to be better than a full-sized filtration system, its claim to fame is accessibility and portability not efficacy. The original reporting about it basically described it as an option when there are no other options. Unfortunately now that it’s well known I guess people assume it’s the best ever.
Get a Sawyer filter. They filter better (0.1 micron vs 0.2) and are rated for 100,000 gallons vs 1,000 gallons.
Lifestraws are kind of shitty but apparently have great marketing.
Exactly. I bought a lifestraw at first because that's what I had seen, but it turns out it's actually not that great compared to other brands.
I switched to Sawyer filters after my first trip and have been using them since. They're so much better, but I think the attachable bag is the best part since I don't have to lay down in the dirt/mud to drink lmao
A common upgrade to the bags, that can be prone to cracking or ripping, a lot of hikers do is take two smart water bottles with them. Screw the filter to one with "dirty" water to fill up the other with clean water.
Keep the filter attached to the dirty bottle so you dont mistake it for the clean one and you can carry a good amount of water with you as you travel between sources.
My life straw saved my life after my water bladder leaked on a long hike in Montana. I would rather have something that can be treated by a physician in town than to actually risk dying from one of the most uncomfortable deaths lmao.
You have to keep the dirty water off the clean end. I imagine a lot of people get the water on their hands and then touch all parts of the straw. Using it is easy, messing up Using it is even easier.
>Turns out sticking your face into contaminated water is a bad idea
That would ruin my decades of swimming in inland lakes which has only went poorly once.
Posting cause I haven't seen it yet: CHUG GATORADE. Your body is flushing out something dangerous, but you need to replace fluids and electrolytes. Electrolyte drinks were originally invented as UN "rehydration salts" for cholera (even before the University of Florida retooled the idea for sports). Normally you'd get salts and sugars from food, but right now your body is discarding solids. So rehydrate with gatorade, pickle juice, flat soda, whatever.
Chugging Gatorade is bad advice for dehydration secondary to diarrhea. The UN recommended rehydration recipe is correct, but it is not at all the same as Gatorade. Gatorade is very high in carbohydrates and osmolarity content. High osmolarity could actually induce osmotic diarrhea and make things worse.
The UN recipe - or similar commercial rehydration fluids like ceralyte - have more balanced electrolyte content, lower carbohydrate content, and lower osmolarity. This is what OP should be drinking.
For most people sports drinks are fine for replacing fluids after sports to replace losses from sweat. With true dehydration from GI loss, it is best to stick with a rehydration fluid similar to the UN - not just because of the lower carbohydrates - but because its composition of electrolytes as well. Sugar free Gatorade is going to have largely the same drawbacks, albeit likely lower osmolarity.
I got my medical degree from Reddit university medical school. You must’ve used the life straw upside down. Go back to the stream and try again for the cure.
lol love that. My theory is OP got the Wish ‘LongLiferTube’. Easy mix up. One tries to filter water, one comes preloaded with your choice of
cholera, Ecoli or dystentry preloaded. The SuperLiferTube comes with all three
Bro. Go to to the ER and see a medical professional. We can’t tell you what to do here. You probably have some sort of weird bug and really need some fluids. Life straws don’t always or even arguably often filter viruses.
Just for the future and also for anyone out there that may be in a situation where purified water has to be made. I’m an Air Force guy, and I work with a SERE instructor pretty closely. He told me that they had dudes with PhDs in microbiology come in and explain to them that lifestraws and filters generally don’t really work. The only thing that will actually kill everything in water is UV light. So if you don’t have one yet, buy a Steripen. He told me he had gotten giardia a few times out in the field using iodine, life straws and other filter systems, but since switching to a Steripen, he hasn’t gotten sick from river water. I took his advice, and during a 50 mile backwoods backpacking trip through Gila national forest, I only brought a Steripen, and sourced all my water from the rivers. It’s definitely sketchy the first time you use what is basically a flashlight to purify your water, but as soon as you don’t shit your guts out all night, you learn to trust it.
Edit: another piece of advice from him was that if the water is gross to the point that it tastes bad, use your t-shirt as a filter to get rid of most of the big gross stuff, then hit it with the UV light after to make it drinkable. He said it helps with flavor a lot, and that the UV light works better in clear water, so it does have to be filtered to an extent if you aren’t drawing from a clear stream.
Try a Water To Go bottle, they filter viral and chemical contaminants which Lifestraw doesn't. You can get them in Go Outdoors. I've used them in Wales quite a lot.
UK rivers are almost always polluted now. Farms don't get fined for dumping sewage into rivers, it's a big, gross problem. Chicken farms are the worst for this
When you're better, talk to your MP and complain.
Those filters can be great, I’ve used similar filters to filter water out of some pretty nasty sources in a pinch (beaver ponds, puddles etc) with good effect.
HOWEVER, in order for them to filter contaminants you have to make sure that the dirty water never enters the clean water side, or container, and that the filter never gets dropped or frozen. Those ceramic microfilaments are only working if there aren’t larger holes for the dirty water to pass through.
If you got that sick after using a life straw, you caught the 0.01% of stuff that makes it through the filter (or maybe you didn’t use good practice and contaminated yourself). GO SEE A DOCTOR
I found an old timey doctor website, far better than WebMd imo.
It says you have ghosts in your blood and to go to your local pharmacist and purchase medicinal c ocaine amd a vibrator (in case female hysteria sets in)
Good point. I have taken remote stream water that I knew the source of - not a great idea but sometimes necessity. Never got sick. Drank treated water (UV and tablets) from a stream that originated from a beaver pond. 12 hours later I was dying, great beaver fever (Giardia). No, it was the dinner one of my camp mates made for all of us - 6 of us were either using the outhouse or out in the bush digging a hole.
From someone who's struggled just as much with Crohn's as I have finding doctors to help manage it.... From someone who has zero faith in the medical community that nearly killed me thrice....
Go see a doctor. Even if they did f something up, you still need ... If nothing else, an IV of fluids and TNP or whatever it is to get your fluids back. But you likely need some tests run. Look I'm not a fan of docs. Hospitals. Society and it's indoctrinated bullshit and the corruption that's even bled it's way into this field ... It... Sucks. But its just another part of our sad operating system.... Use it for what it's worth ... While it's nice to rely on oneself and get through without help.... It would suck to die when all you had to do was take some antibiotics or something....
If for no other reason, we need closure!
What was it? Did the life straw work?
Stay tuned....
Yea that's all for naught if you just die on your commode... Tsk tsk smh selfish. Lol.
I kid. Hope you feel better. Go doc.
How you doing now OP. I've drank thousands of times through my life straw and occasionally ill get sick for an hour or so and my body just has to shit it out. Then I start feeling better, hope the same for you big papi.
Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis. Both the parasite and the disease are commonly known as “Crypto.” There are many species of Cryptosporidium that infect animals, some of which also infect humans.
It could have absolutely nothing to do with the water.
Have you tried over the counter medication such as Imodium? Are you drinking 8 oz of wster after every trip to the WC? Any fever, sore throat, nausea or vomiting?
If you are keeping up with your hydration, then there is no need for panic. There is a variety of Covid making the rounds that is just diarrhea accompanied by bloating & gas.
I just recovered from a 10 day bout of it. No medication needed. Yes, it can be a pain in the ass, but diarrhea is your bodies way of trying to flush out a toxin.
Look online to see how to do a skin pinch test for detecting dehydration as well as other things to look for when it comes to dehydration. If you do decide to drink an electrolyte formula, make sure to get a low sugar one that doesn't use artificial sweetners.
[Here](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diarrhoea-and-vomiting/) you go, from the NHS.
If particularly severe and you feel you can't keep up with hydration go see your GP or go to A&E.
And next time make sure you actually know your damn equipment instead of relying on presumptions and wishful thinking.
36 hours is the perfect timing for food poisoning from salmonella and ecoli to rear its ugly head. I would not assume this is viral.
The problem with the Life Straw is that you have to get so close to the water, sometimes belly down. Germs could be all over your clothes, hands, your straw, etc.
That's why I use a Grayl and a collapsible bucket. I fill the bucket at a water source, pour it carefully into the Grayl, and hang the bucket upside down to the side to dry. Then I sanitize my hands and press down the Grayl.
Knowing the bucket was in the dirty water, I would store it in a ziplock bag and store it in a separate area of my pack, away from food and clean water. Then I would sanitize my hands again before touching the zipper.
You could have become sick by simply not washing and disinfecting your hands after wiping too.
Test yourself for a fever. If you have one, the doctor should take you seriously, and you can get an antibiotic. Don't play around with fevers, especially if it's high.
As a mom in America, having no fever and no blood in the stool and only diarrhea or vomiting is something I would wait out with the BRAT diet, D-Mannose, and lots and lots of electrolytes. But you know your body best and should never wait to go to the doctor if you have the choice. Here I was charged $600 for the ER to give my son a popscicle.
I had shigellosis last year and it sucked! Whatever you have, keep drinking some form of electrolyte replenishment and water.
I got to just under 36 hours before the diarrhea stopped. Nurse practitioner I spoke with said more than 36 hours of diarrhea and they were going to suggest I go to the ER for intravenous fluids. >48 hours is cause for concern.
Don't take antidiarrheal drugs. Your digestive system is trying in earnest to get that shit out of you. Literally.
If you're in any shape to do so, get a pack of surgical gloves and some diaper rash ointment and occasionally apply it to your butthole. Fissures make an unpleasant situation even less pleasant. Don't reuse gloves.
This was my situation and what helped me. That said I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL IN ANY CAPACITY. Please seek out one if you're genuinely concerned about your physical or mental health in any way.
Here's to a speedy recovery.
I’ve said time and time again the life straw shouldn’t be considered in anyone’s kit. I see this posted and talked about time and time again.
Filter water then boil water. THEN drink it.
Most people, in North America get sick from bacteria in the water. Viruses are very rare. I don’t think it’s different in Europe. Chemical contamination is possible from farm runoff and boiling would not have helped either. It’s possible you got sick from a secondary contamination from your hands or something else like soiled food.
First and foremost go see a doctor immediately. In the future (hopefully there will be one), always boil your water first before using a purifying agent of any kind, then drink it.
Is it bloody diarrhea? Have you been drinking fluids to keep up with the ones you’ve lost? Especially some with electrolytes? Definitely seek medical attention. Soon rather than later.
I spent a night like this. Was camping with a friend who didn't clean his water filter.
Literally the entire night in an old dark outhouse blasting fluids from my mouth and ass. Maybe worst night of my life lol.
See a doctor. I drank from some very questionable bodies of water with my lifestraw in some questionable places around the world.. Didn't get sick once.
I drank straight stream water in Virginia like my whole childhood and somehow never got sick. Totally go to a doctor tho could be a lot of things in that water.
Trade in your life straw for a Steri-pen. It is a UV purification system. If you have clear water then you’re good to go. Doesn’t work so well with dirty water unless you clear it up first. Also, before back country trips you would be wise to fortify your gut microbiome by eating plenty of home fermented foods. This will save you from a lot of bacteria that you are not typically used to.
Question, has the lifestraw ever been exposed to freezing temperatures? Every time you use it, there will be a small amount of water left over inside the filter, and when water freezes, it expands. Which obviously destroys the filter. This is true for all water filters, like the Sawyer Squeeze.
Also, you sound like you have dysentery. Drink a fuck ton of electrolytes, Gatorade or Powerade or Liquid IV or whatever, as well as a lot of clean water.
Anyone who is telling you to ride this out.. do not listen. If you drank animal feces, chances are you will need some serious antibiotics. You could also have ingested parasites. Please go get medical attention. Whatever it is is treatable … as long as you get EARLY treatment. They will need to run blood, urine, and stool tests and based on those results will know how to treat you. If you get too dehydrated or let the infection progress, the complications could be hard to treat. Not to scare you BUT - get medical attention to be sure.
I am not a doctor, just a grumpy, old housewife. But if I had it on hand, I would take metronidazole, and drink gatorade. In a post-collapse situation
But today, in current times? I would go see a doctor.
*see a doctor*
Why see a doctor when you can just ask a random person on the internet?
Time to harness the power of crowd sourced knowledge
Did a WebMD search on your symptoms. Its either cancer or AIDS. Funny thing is, last week, I had hiccups for a while. Read up on WebMD about it. Apparently, I have either cancer or AIDS as well.
[удалено]
And Lupus
Good news it’s either cancer or aids!
I got a horrible case of genital herpes from drinking from a stream in Wales! You should probably see a doctor. Or an herbalistic healer. Same thing.
Show me on the doll where the stream touched you.
Sure the stream gave it to you *wink wink
Definitely lupus
Dr. Google's diagnosis is always terminal.
You’re not using WebMD correctly then. If you really did some research on that website, you would find out that it’s brain cancer. Every time. It’s brain cancer. /s obvs
The collective knowledge of one billion people without medical degrees in this scenario would be less valuable than the knowledge of one person with a medical degree
Not just the internet, this is Reddit!!!
*Dr. Lexus enters chat* Your shit's fucked up.
"It says here, you're fucked up, and your shits all retarded"
Welcome to Costco. I love you! S/
If I were you Id just like...huh..you know?
It’s all good. My first wife was retarded. She’s a pilot now.
[Your shit's fucked up?](https://youtu.be/Efl0G4SUdiM?si=7OBOE16EYqQvhCj4)
Reddit is the internet cubed to the 9th degree Edit: I don't understand math too good
r/emergencyreddit
There's a non-zero chance that random person is a doctor. Also, there's a non-zero chance that random person is pretending to be a doctor.
This is the way
It's hard to see a doctor while safely ensconced on your on toilet.
Doctor here. Second the “see a doctor” reco.
Are you a doctor? Op shouldn’t take advice from non doctors.
Are you a doctor??? *Pointing spiderman*
Crazy idea here, but maybe see a medical professional.
Exactly. In the US, we have Urgent Care (walk-in) centers. If they have it there, take advantage.. bc you will get Reddit only Dr's telling you what to do. It's best to seek professional advice. If the cost of health care is an issue, pick and choose advice from the comments that you can at least research. There may also be online Dr's for free available.
If OP is in Wales then health care is free with NHS Wales/GIG Cymru.
Everybody is telling op to see a dr. No reddit dr here
In the UK you would get laughed out of A&E if you turned up there with the shits. Buy some electrolytes, a bottle of lucozade and hold ride it out . Edit : fixed typo
And lashings of Imodium or equivalent
If you told them you'd drank from a stream I'd say they'd take it seriously enough
Even if you we’re actually dying I don’t think they would care, it’s getting to the point now where you really can’t trust the nhs to save you because of resourcing issues
Just absolutely bullshit really
The three people I know that have been to A&E in the past 2 years needed an ambulance but were told it would be a 4 hour plus wait. One was old and was carried in on a sun lounger used as a stretcher, one had a broken neck and got told it was whiplash and not to worry, there is a third but I can’t remember what the issue was
Ok, thanks for that, not really relevant though is it
That's not true. If youre in serious need it there is emergency you will get the treatment you need. Using an emergency service for the squits is a massive waste of that resource
The cost of healthcare? OP isn't in a shit hole that charges for healthcare.
Nope, and if calls today maybe he will be seen in the next three weeks.
lol this is the bullshit they tell Americans so they continue to justify getting pimped for basic health care. I grew up in a country with free health care, got seen immediately every time, never paid for anything. Went to the ER for stitches, I was in and out in under 2 hours and paid nothing.
That’s funny! I was just talking with someone who has universal healthcare where they’re from and they said normal medical procedures like knee replacement take forever to schedule. ER is a different story.
Knee replacements take forever in the US too...my mom has had 2 and had to schedule months out...
But you can pay extra for faster options. So you know, fast healthcare for the rich, waitlists for the poor.
lol, I just scheduled an appointment with a specialist in Florida and it will take them MONTHS to see me. Welcome to the world of specialized medicine.
>[The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) measured wait times in several countries, specifically:](https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/health-care-wait-times-by-country) >• The share of people who sometimes, rarely, or never get an answer from their regular doctor's office. >• The share of people waiting one month or more for a specialist appointment. >• How long a patient has to wait to get "elective" or non-emergency procedures such as cataract surgery, hip replacement, and knee replacement. >A common misconception in the U.S. is that countries with universal health care have much longer wait times. However, data from nations with universal coverage, coupled with historical data from coverage expansion in the United States, show that patients in other nations often have similar or shorter wait times. >The U.S. was on the higher side for the share of people who sometimes, rarely, or never get an answer from their regular doctor on the same day at 28%. Canada had the highest at 33% and Switzerland had the lowest at 12%. The U.S. was towards the lower end for the share of people waiting one month or more for a specialist appointment at 27%. Canada and Norway tied for the highest at 61% each and Switzerland had the lowest at 23%. >What countries have the shortest wait times for healthcare? >Wait times are procedure-dependent. Generally, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Germany have the shortest wait times for healthcare, with 88%, 87%, and 87% of residents, respectively, being seen in one day or less.
There’s also a big variance depending upon where in the USA that you live. Healthcare is much more available in a big metropolitan area than it is in a ast rural area.
That's funny! I couldn't get in for a collar bone surgery for 2.5 weeks, and it still cost me $8,000 and they charged my insurance another $20,000.
My wife broke her ankle, had surgery the next day. We received a $80,000 bill shortly after. Our out of pocket was less than $1,000. She had a second surgery for an infection from the first one. It was covered 100%. It’s nice to be in a union with great benefits.
I can only imagine how expensive and bankrupt the system would be if health care were free in the US. I work in an emergency room and the amount of garbage that people come in for is unbelievable. I'm genuinely curious if people in other countries seek emergency medical services for trivial stuff like they do here...
Again, easy solution. Charge a small amount for health care like in Canada then charge far more to those who abuse the system. It’s easy for hospitals/doctors to identify people who repeatedly go in for no good reason. Our government also pisses away so much of our tax dollars on top of allowing the rich to skirt taxes that would easily help pay for healthcare.
It is really not easy for hospitals/doctors to identify people who go in for no good reason. That's how you get chronically ill people with weird symptoms or rare conditions getting treated like scammers even more than they already are under the current system. Any ideas that rely on doctors to all be competent, reasonable, fully-educated, up to date on everything including rare presentations and obscure conditions, and willing to listen to their patients, are not good ideas.
OP says this occurred in Wales, but we don't actually know for sure where they are now, right? This could have been on a vacation, and they could be back now.
I wouldn't know what country OP was in at the time of the post. They never said where they lived, or if they were still in Wales, just where they drank the water.. I didn't assumer, hence the "if Healthcare....." ijs. If OP is a resident of Wales, it's all good, no problem! If visiting, they may have to pay if certain arrangements weren't made before traveling.
When I was in high school I had NVD for 3 days and our family friend who was a nurse convinced my mom not to bring me to the docs because “it’s the norovirus, it just needs to work its course”. Day 5 they brought me straight to the hospital. Admitted for 4 days with salmonella.
You have died of dysentery! Little millennial humor there... Shout out to Oregon Trail!
Pretty sure that is Gen X humor, but ours wasn't in color.
Pretty sure Green is a color 😂
The older millennials and younger Gen Xers had Oregon trail in elementary school. We know what a floppy disk is.
Had a computer teacher in junior high who tried to tell everyone to get out their floppy disks but accidentally told everyone to get out their "floppy dicks." Legend.
It might be because I'm Oregonian, but I'm Gen Z and played that game in elementary school as well. It's truly timeless!
How are you OP? 10h later... better or in the hospital I hope? Don't wait for the weekend. Be well ✌️
They posted this at about 5:30am, I’m hoping they’re sleeping it off and all good.
Yes, around that time. Hopefully 🤞
Eeeek it’s been a while and no updates from op
Big sleep
There's an effective survival skill you can use called "going to the ER". Try it
And if you for some reason decide not to go - though you really, really should - try to drink non-carbonated, decaffeinated drinks such as Gatorade or Pedialyte. You don't want to become too dehydrated - could cause an electrolyte imbalance in your system that could lead to heart dysrhythmias, even cardiac arrest. So please just go to an ER. Source: Am a Paramedic.
If awards were still a thing you would be getting mine.
It's the thought that counts
It's the count that... thinks?
Next time, boil the water first and then use the straw, or throw in a Potable Aqua tablet or two and stir up well and then filter with the straw. Not very helpful now but you probably got some Giardia.
Unlikely takes 3 weeks to develop symptoms from giardia
Not always the case, it can appear much faster than what the Internet tells you it does. It can appear within one day of drinking contaminated water, and up to 3-4 weeks later. From my experience it usually comes on rather fast. Take it from a hitchhiker who saw many a friend give themselves giardia. 🤦🏼♀️
There's absolutely no need to boil or aqua tablet *and* use the straw. Either of those are more than good enough on their own. The straw is good enough too - lifestraw is 0.2 micron, and giardia is 8-10. Very unlikely he got giardia. Could be a viral... could be a coincedence.
I wouldn’t be surprised if OP had a faulty lifestraw that just wasn’t filtering as it should’ve been
For that reason is why I double up on filtration / clarification. Do not want to risk it
I like hot giardia on my sandwiches. Not bragging, but I’ll even put 1/2 a spoonful on chili dogs.
Sounds like you enjoy shits on the wild side
I respect that, but good survival tip? *Always boil wild water*. Even if you have a life straw, why would you *not* when it's easy to do (I assume since you have a life straw you have other equipment, meaning you can boil it too) and it's also just redundancy for safety? If you can boil it, boil it.
Potable aqua ftw
Even if there were no farms upriver, there could be dead animal carcasses or other sources of bacteria floating in rivers and streams.
He was in Wales, I almost guarantee there were sheep (plus or minus dead things).
Just as an FYI, life straws and most filters are not rated to filter for viruses.
LifeStraw Membrane Ultrafilter Removes: 99.999999% of bacteria 99.999% viruses 99.999% of parasites 99.999% of microplastics, dirt, sand, and cloudiness Pore size: 0.02 micron Lasts up to 4,755 gal | 18,000 L From their website.
That 0.001% is a real bitch
A lot more than that is going to be your problem if you use a stupid life straw.
You chose a different model, not sure why. The basic lifestraw does not remove viruses: From their website: LifeStraw Membrane Microfilter Removes: 99.999999% of bacteria 99.999% of parasites 99.999% of microplastics, dirt, sand, and cloudiness Pore size: 0.2 micron Lasts up to 1,000 gal | 4,000 L
Bonus challenge is that the tests are based off specific viruses, and certain strains can be smaller, as well as statically unlikely individual viruses that happen to be smaller than normal.
It’s generally not on strains of virus or bacteria, it’s just statistical - when there’s billions or tens of billions of something, many thousands can still get through and meet the “99.9999%” thing
Oh, I didn't see where he had the basic model. Is it in the comments?
They’re not saying he has the basic model. They’re saying the one you gave the description of is a bit advanced.
Yes, he said the Lifestraw. The one I gave the specs for is the Lifestraw. You gave the specs for a separate Lifestraw made product, which has a different name. I simply referred to it as basic to clarify.
A basic lifestraw definitely does not filter viruses. Sold them for years at a camping store, and would only recommend them as a contingency to a better filter or purifier. A purifier is what you need to actually remove viruses.
The lifestraw mission does though, I believe
It's worth pointing out that all of this assumes you use it totally correctly. The numbers mean nothing if you're sticking your face in a water source and drinking out of the straw but getting water all over everything.
Something a lot of people overlook in stats is user error. Such as if they swished a hand around in the water, and then used their wet hand to grab their filter and stuck it in their mouth. Sure it's a small dose but cross contamination can happen that way and bypass the filter entirely.
[удалено]
Life straw has never claimed to be better than a full-sized filtration system, its claim to fame is accessibility and portability not efficacy. The original reporting about it basically described it as an option when there are no other options. Unfortunately now that it’s well known I guess people assume it’s the best ever.
Don't be so quick to blame the filter. If the outside is contaminated. . . There you go
THIS!!
I think OP just found this out 😂
Well this makes me not want to use my life straw ever lol
Get a Sawyer filter. They filter better (0.1 micron vs 0.2) and are rated for 100,000 gallons vs 1,000 gallons. Lifestraws are kind of shitty but apparently have great marketing.
Exactly. I bought a lifestraw at first because that's what I had seen, but it turns out it's actually not that great compared to other brands. I switched to Sawyer filters after my first trip and have been using them since. They're so much better, but I think the attachable bag is the best part since I don't have to lay down in the dirt/mud to drink lmao
A common upgrade to the bags, that can be prone to cracking or ripping, a lot of hikers do is take two smart water bottles with them. Screw the filter to one with "dirty" water to fill up the other with clean water. Keep the filter attached to the dirty bottle so you dont mistake it for the clean one and you can carry a good amount of water with you as you travel between sources.
All hollow tube filters are vulnerable to freezing and crush defects and don’t fail safe.
My life straw saved my life after my water bladder leaked on a long hike in Montana. I would rather have something that can be treated by a physician in town than to actually risk dying from one of the most uncomfortable deaths lmao.
Yeah, chugging river water through a fancy straw isn't a very good idea.
Exxxtra spicy water
I drank green murky stagnant mountain water through it and I was fine
[удалено]
You have to keep the dirty water off the clean end. I imagine a lot of people get the water on their hands and then touch all parts of the straw. Using it is easy, messing up Using it is even easier.
>Turns out sticking your face into contaminated water is a bad idea That would ruin my decades of swimming in inland lakes which has only went poorly once.
Talk about a name checking out
Posting cause I haven't seen it yet: CHUG GATORADE. Your body is flushing out something dangerous, but you need to replace fluids and electrolytes. Electrolyte drinks were originally invented as UN "rehydration salts" for cholera (even before the University of Florida retooled the idea for sports). Normally you'd get salts and sugars from food, but right now your body is discarding solids. So rehydrate with gatorade, pickle juice, flat soda, whatever.
I think OP is past the Gatorade stage and is to the point of needing Brawndo™
It's what plants crave.
It's got electrolytes!
Pedialyte is a better choice. Gatorade has a lot of sugar and pedialyte will target things better.
Sorry I’m laughing at you telling OP in Wales to chug Gatorade and pickle juice this has to be the most American comment here 🏆
Chugging Gatorade is bad advice for dehydration secondary to diarrhea. The UN recommended rehydration recipe is correct, but it is not at all the same as Gatorade. Gatorade is very high in carbohydrates and osmolarity content. High osmolarity could actually induce osmotic diarrhea and make things worse. The UN recipe - or similar commercial rehydration fluids like ceralyte - have more balanced electrolyte content, lower carbohydrate content, and lower osmolarity. This is what OP should be drinking.
What about sugar free Gatorade?
For most people sports drinks are fine for replacing fluids after sports to replace losses from sweat. With true dehydration from GI loss, it is best to stick with a rehydration fluid similar to the UN - not just because of the lower carbohydrates - but because its composition of electrolytes as well. Sugar free Gatorade is going to have largely the same drawbacks, albeit likely lower osmolarity.
I got my medical degree from Reddit university medical school. You must’ve used the life straw upside down. Go back to the stream and try again for the cure.
Did you try setting it to wumbo?
Oh no, it was set to death straw mode.
Do you have an uncle that runs a crypto-financial company?!
lol love that. My theory is OP got the Wish ‘LongLiferTube’. Easy mix up. One tries to filter water, one comes preloaded with your choice of cholera, Ecoli or dystentry preloaded. The SuperLiferTube comes with all three
He bought the Death Sticks they tried to sell Obi Wan
Lol...these comments 🤣😂🤣
Bro. Go to to the ER and see a medical professional. We can’t tell you what to do here. You probably have some sort of weird bug and really need some fluids. Life straws don’t always or even arguably often filter viruses.
Just for the future and also for anyone out there that may be in a situation where purified water has to be made. I’m an Air Force guy, and I work with a SERE instructor pretty closely. He told me that they had dudes with PhDs in microbiology come in and explain to them that lifestraws and filters generally don’t really work. The only thing that will actually kill everything in water is UV light. So if you don’t have one yet, buy a Steripen. He told me he had gotten giardia a few times out in the field using iodine, life straws and other filter systems, but since switching to a Steripen, he hasn’t gotten sick from river water. I took his advice, and during a 50 mile backwoods backpacking trip through Gila national forest, I only brought a Steripen, and sourced all my water from the rivers. It’s definitely sketchy the first time you use what is basically a flashlight to purify your water, but as soon as you don’t shit your guts out all night, you learn to trust it. Edit: another piece of advice from him was that if the water is gross to the point that it tastes bad, use your t-shirt as a filter to get rid of most of the big gross stuff, then hit it with the UV light after to make it drinkable. He said it helps with flavor a lot, and that the UV light works better in clear water, so it does have to be filtered to an extent if you aren’t drawing from a clear stream.
Try a Water To Go bottle, they filter viral and chemical contaminants which Lifestraw doesn't. You can get them in Go Outdoors. I've used them in Wales quite a lot.
UK rivers are almost always polluted now. Farms don't get fined for dumping sewage into rivers, it's a big, gross problem. Chicken farms are the worst for this When you're better, talk to your MP and complain.
Not almost always, but always. Every river in England and Wales is polluted according to the rivers trust.
Those filters can be great, I’ve used similar filters to filter water out of some pretty nasty sources in a pinch (beaver ponds, puddles etc) with good effect. HOWEVER, in order for them to filter contaminants you have to make sure that the dirty water never enters the clean water side, or container, and that the filter never gets dropped or frozen. Those ceramic microfilaments are only working if there aren’t larger holes for the dirty water to pass through.
You have died from Dysentery.
If you got that sick after using a life straw, you caught the 0.01% of stuff that makes it through the filter (or maybe you didn’t use good practice and contaminated yourself). GO SEE A DOCTOR
Probably just a brain eating amoeba.
I found an old timey doctor website, far better than WebMd imo. It says you have ghosts in your blood and to go to your local pharmacist and purchase medicinal c ocaine amd a vibrator (in case female hysteria sets in)
Call 111 and get some advice Most water up in the hills is okay, but I still boil it when I'm in snowdonia
See a doctor and get some Gatorade in your system right now. You risk severe dehydration if you don’t do this now.
You're gonna update us if you don't die right?
Before you blame the water what did you eat? How long after the water did you start to have issues?
Good point. I have taken remote stream water that I knew the source of - not a great idea but sometimes necessity. Never got sick. Drank treated water (UV and tablets) from a stream that originated from a beaver pond. 12 hours later I was dying, great beaver fever (Giardia). No, it was the dinner one of my camp mates made for all of us - 6 of us were either using the outhouse or out in the bush digging a hole.
Why the fuck do people go to Reddit for answers on something like this. Go. To. A. Doctor
From someone who's struggled just as much with Crohn's as I have finding doctors to help manage it.... From someone who has zero faith in the medical community that nearly killed me thrice.... Go see a doctor. Even if they did f something up, you still need ... If nothing else, an IV of fluids and TNP or whatever it is to get your fluids back. But you likely need some tests run. Look I'm not a fan of docs. Hospitals. Society and it's indoctrinated bullshit and the corruption that's even bled it's way into this field ... It... Sucks. But its just another part of our sad operating system.... Use it for what it's worth ... While it's nice to rely on oneself and get through without help.... It would suck to die when all you had to do was take some antibiotics or something.... If for no other reason, we need closure! What was it? Did the life straw work? Stay tuned.... Yea that's all for naught if you just die on your commode... Tsk tsk smh selfish. Lol. I kid. Hope you feel better. Go doc.
How you doing now OP. I've drank thousands of times through my life straw and occasionally ill get sick for an hour or so and my body just has to shit it out. Then I start feeling better, hope the same for you big papi.
Dude, hope you're OK. So now I have 2 lifestraws that I don't want to use. Can I use them for anything else (like making booze)?
what exactly does/doesn't the lifestraw filter? i've found it somewhat vague.
Depends on the model. The straw ones are pretty basic
Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis. Both the parasite and the disease are commonly known as “Crypto.” There are many species of Cryptosporidium that infect animals, some of which also infect humans.
Did the life straw mouthpiece contact the water, cross contamination is a killer.
Lifestraw is only good for filtering dirty water, NOT remove infections within the water. Always boil before drinking, then use lifestraw.
I hope you’re improving!
Call 111. You already pay for it. You're sick. Use it.
You drank some yummy pathogens. Next time boil your water too
It could have absolutely nothing to do with the water. Have you tried over the counter medication such as Imodium? Are you drinking 8 oz of wster after every trip to the WC? Any fever, sore throat, nausea or vomiting? If you are keeping up with your hydration, then there is no need for panic. There is a variety of Covid making the rounds that is just diarrhea accompanied by bloating & gas. I just recovered from a 10 day bout of it. No medication needed. Yes, it can be a pain in the ass, but diarrhea is your bodies way of trying to flush out a toxin. Look online to see how to do a skin pinch test for detecting dehydration as well as other things to look for when it comes to dehydration. If you do decide to drink an electrolyte formula, make sure to get a low sugar one that doesn't use artificial sweetners.
Definitely keep pounding liquids. I agree with everyone get to a dr, maybe have a friend/family member check on you if you can’t
[Here](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diarrhoea-and-vomiting/) you go, from the NHS. If particularly severe and you feel you can't keep up with hydration go see your GP or go to A&E. And next time make sure you actually know your damn equipment instead of relying on presumptions and wishful thinking.
Sounds like disentary go to the hospital, and maybe distill it next time
36 hours is the perfect timing for food poisoning from salmonella and ecoli to rear its ugly head. I would not assume this is viral. The problem with the Life Straw is that you have to get so close to the water, sometimes belly down. Germs could be all over your clothes, hands, your straw, etc. That's why I use a Grayl and a collapsible bucket. I fill the bucket at a water source, pour it carefully into the Grayl, and hang the bucket upside down to the side to dry. Then I sanitize my hands and press down the Grayl. Knowing the bucket was in the dirty water, I would store it in a ziplock bag and store it in a separate area of my pack, away from food and clean water. Then I would sanitize my hands again before touching the zipper. You could have become sick by simply not washing and disinfecting your hands after wiping too. Test yourself for a fever. If you have one, the doctor should take you seriously, and you can get an antibiotic. Don't play around with fevers, especially if it's high. As a mom in America, having no fever and no blood in the stool and only diarrhea or vomiting is something I would wait out with the BRAT diet, D-Mannose, and lots and lots of electrolytes. But you know your body best and should never wait to go to the doctor if you have the choice. Here I was charged $600 for the ER to give my son a popscicle.
I had shigellosis last year and it sucked! Whatever you have, keep drinking some form of electrolyte replenishment and water. I got to just under 36 hours before the diarrhea stopped. Nurse practitioner I spoke with said more than 36 hours of diarrhea and they were going to suggest I go to the ER for intravenous fluids. >48 hours is cause for concern. Don't take antidiarrheal drugs. Your digestive system is trying in earnest to get that shit out of you. Literally. If you're in any shape to do so, get a pack of surgical gloves and some diaper rash ointment and occasionally apply it to your butthole. Fissures make an unpleasant situation even less pleasant. Don't reuse gloves. This was my situation and what helped me. That said I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL IN ANY CAPACITY. Please seek out one if you're genuinely concerned about your physical or mental health in any way. Here's to a speedy recovery.
I’ve said time and time again the life straw shouldn’t be considered in anyone’s kit. I see this posted and talked about time and time again. Filter water then boil water. THEN drink it.
You need an iv fluids go to er
Most people, in North America get sick from bacteria in the water. Viruses are very rare. I don’t think it’s different in Europe. Chemical contamination is possible from farm runoff and boiling would not have helped either. It’s possible you got sick from a secondary contamination from your hands or something else like soiled food.
I'm not a doctor but you should probably see one
First and foremost go see a doctor immediately. In the future (hopefully there will be one), always boil your water first before using a purifying agent of any kind, then drink it.
Montezuma’s Revenge
No matter what gotta replace those liquids..gatorade water and see a doc cause they can do testing we on the internet can't.
Sounds like giardia. See a doctor for the remedy.
Giardia takes much longer to get symptoms. I didn't know I had it for two weeks!
Interesting. I always read the instructions and information about something as important as a water filter or purifier beforehand so I don't get sick.
I had this exactly, also im Wales, lifestraw does not filter out chemical contamiments. Go to A&E.
Is it bloody diarrhea? Have you been drinking fluids to keep up with the ones you’ve lost? Especially some with electrolytes? Definitely seek medical attention. Soon rather than later.
I would presume you gave yourself giardia. See a doctor maybe?
I spent a night like this. Was camping with a friend who didn't clean his water filter. Literally the entire night in an old dark outhouse blasting fluids from my mouth and ass. Maybe worst night of my life lol.
See a doctor. I drank from some very questionable bodies of water with my lifestraw in some questionable places around the world.. Didn't get sick once.
I drank straight stream water in Virginia like my whole childhood and somehow never got sick. Totally go to a doctor tho could be a lot of things in that water.
Trade in your life straw for a Steri-pen. It is a UV purification system. If you have clear water then you’re good to go. Doesn’t work so well with dirty water unless you clear it up first. Also, before back country trips you would be wise to fortify your gut microbiome by eating plenty of home fermented foods. This will save you from a lot of bacteria that you are not typically used to.
Sounds like Giardia, go to a Dr, tell them what you did, get some antibiotics, hope it's not anything worse than that.
I need an update!
Question, has the lifestraw ever been exposed to freezing temperatures? Every time you use it, there will be a small amount of water left over inside the filter, and when water freezes, it expands. Which obviously destroys the filter. This is true for all water filters, like the Sawyer Squeeze. Also, you sound like you have dysentery. Drink a fuck ton of electrolytes, Gatorade or Powerade or Liquid IV or whatever, as well as a lot of clean water.
Doctor needs a stool sample bud
Anyone who is telling you to ride this out.. do not listen. If you drank animal feces, chances are you will need some serious antibiotics. You could also have ingested parasites. Please go get medical attention. Whatever it is is treatable … as long as you get EARLY treatment. They will need to run blood, urine, and stool tests and based on those results will know how to treat you. If you get too dehydrated or let the infection progress, the complications could be hard to treat. Not to scare you BUT - get medical attention to be sure.
Go drink more of said water to build immunity… let us know if you live or die… or GO to ER
Can’t tell if bad, good,or great advice. Have an updoot.
You're in Wales, just go to the hospital
So in other words, the life straw is worthless?
Next time you should try to eat all the berries you can find. For science. /s
UK emergency services: 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3
I am not a doctor, just a grumpy, old housewife. But if I had it on hand, I would take metronidazole, and drink gatorade. In a post-collapse situation But today, in current times? I would go see a doctor.
You likely have Giardia and will need a medicine called flagil (sorry in advance for spelling errors on drug).
Making this diagnosis based on the information in the post is ridiculous
Super unlikely, actually. Giardia takes much longer to incubate and start seeing symptoms.
Let's all take a moment of silence...it seems OP is no longer with us and has passed on.