First, there's the severe congestion. The congestion has been here since 2020 (I think). And with each passing year, it gets no better. I don't know if it's getting worse, but it's certainly not getting better. It's always the same horrible problem. I feel massive lumps of phlegm in my throat, and I begin straining on my throat to try and get it all out.

Does it ever come out? That's complicated. Some does. I almost always manage to get some phlegm out. But for each glob I get rid of, more arrives to take it's place. My throat never fully feels like it's clear of phlegm, and that is hellish for me. There's always more, so I'm always straining more to get rid of it. If not for the medium size amounts of phlegm I actually do get out, I think I'd assume I was going crazy.

But no. I stand by the assertion there's stuff in there. It just always regenerates on me. I don't know what's causing it. Allergies? Climate change? Is it really all psychological, and the problems are in my head? I'd hate if that were true, but I'm also just desperate for some kind of answer at this point. It's horrible. sigh…

The congestion seems to lead to a vile heartburn feeling. Seriously, the heartburn is horrible. I've been feeling the heartburn for the past few weeks. Maybe even the past few months. I can't fully remember, if I'm being honest. But I'm like 90% sure it started in 2025 or 2026. So make of that what you will.

The heartburn is something I actively have right now. I won't say it makes me feel nauseous, but I won't refuse to say that either. Because it kind of does. It hasn't ever actually made me vomit, but you certainly feel a burning bile working it's way back up through your chest. It's horrible, and it makes it hard to want to do things.

I think the heartburn is connected to the congestion, actually. I find that the congestion makes the heartburn appear. How? Mainly because the congestion gets me to start straining on my throat in a desperate attempt to force all my phlegm out. Does the phlegm ever come out? Only a miniscule amount, if that. But what does usually come up is the burning heartburn. So I think they're related somehow.

This is still just a guess, though. I first noticed my heartburn when I was eating breakfast and my dad was at work. My breakfast consists of two muffins and a granola bar. And a bit after eating and taking my pills, a horrible burning sensation runs through me. And then it can take ages to leave. I use to think it was the food bringing me heartburn, but now I can get it at anytime (although it's still more common during breakfast on the weekends). So I'm just assuming it's a side effect of the phlegm now, because I need to believe it's being caused by something.

Then we also have my stomach problems. My stomach problems are what I'd define as my third big problem in this list of physical conditions. It's stomach issues, heartburn and congestion. There's some other stuff too, but these are the big three. So let me recap the history of the stomach problems again. Just to refresh us all (in case any of us need that).

I first developed stomach problems in June or July of 2024. They were pretty bad. But they vanished in September 2024 (I believe). But once June 2025 rolled around, the stomach pains returned with a vengeance. Since then, they've simply never left. It's been 12 months of this stuff. Around August 2025, I gained hemorrhoids that make me bleed every time I go bathroom. That's been a ten month problem. And since last month or the month before that, I've been dealing with constipation again too. So it's a lot. And it's just really stressful to deal with it all.

Currently I'm at a phase where I feel like I need to go bathroom a lot, but only small amounts come out. Small amounts of poop come out, and it's largely all highlighted by the backdrop of blood which accompanies it. The boredom doesn't usually hurt, but it is stressful and frustrating to see. I want to talk to my new family doctor about it, but the last time I tried…well, the last time I tried he suggested I get a colonoscopy. He also suggested I get an endoscopy for my constant congestion. And while those ideas do make sense to me, him refusing to even delicately begin discussing it means that it comes off blunt and stresses me out.

Phlegm, 2024