Throwback to that THIRD time my intestines tried to kill me via a perforated duodenal ulcer. ☠️ #ulcerperforation #perforatedulcer #duodenalulcer #gastriculcer #stomachulcer #ulcer #emergencysurgery #medicalemergency (at Lancaster, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CckLNO7uKis/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Successful healing from any type of painful ordeal entails making peace and embracing positivity. What you're looking at is me embracing positivity by sending a heartfelt thank-you letter to the ER doctor who took me at my word instead of writing me off as a drug-seeking lunatic. He could have extended my physical agony and emotional terror by many horrible hours that day by making me answer all sorts of pointless questions and go through all sorts of pointless diagnostic tests designed to weed out the seekers from the actual injured/dying (I was the latter). But this doctor, who had never met me before, took me at my word. He believed me, or at least believed me *enough* to put aside his reservations, administer blessed IV pain relief, order an immediate CT, obtain the CT results, and contact my bariatric surgery team and arrange for an ambulance transport... ...all on the span of half an hour. I posted the long but heartfelt and completely unedited letter here: http://www.jenn.nu/2016/05/13/a-letter-to-the-er-doctor-who-believed-me/ I will be forever grateful to this doctor, and I hope my letter to him (mailing today) adequately expresses that gratitude. #ulcerperforation #perforatedulcer #ulcer #emergencysurgery #jenndotnu