This week on Calling in Sick I’m pulling back the curtain on the last two months of medical testing — why I said yes to a clinical study, what the actual tests were like, and how I’m handling the weird emotional whiplash of “we did all that… and we still don’t have a perfect answer.” I’m tired, I’m flaring, I had my first day of IVIG… and somehow we’re still laughing (because if we don’t laugh, we scream in a medical trailer getting injected with nuclear medicine 🙃). We’re diving into: ✨ Why I joined a clinical study (and what it’s actually used for) ✨ The 5-test diagnostic gauntlet: prednisone taper, bloodwork, scopes, pill cam, MRAs/MRIs + a PET scan ✨ Insurance + scheduling lore from HELL ✨ Colonoscopy prep amnesia (it’s like childbirth… you forget on purpose) ✨ My polarizing take: Google Maps > Apple Maps (fight me) ✨ The pill cam panic + urgent care x2 in one week ✨ The mindset shift I didn’t see coming: career momentum, motherhood timeline, and accepting what I’m not ready for yet xx, Alex 💬 COMMENT: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever had to do for medical testing? TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:06:18 Alex’s Picks of the Week: Gap Body pajamas + bear slippers (kids section hack) Meat & Potatoes: The Diagnostic Gauntlet 00:09:08 Setting the stage: why I did the study 00:09:34 Clinical study 101 (and why it matters for future patients) 00:11:44 The deeper reason: the childhood diagnosis question mark 00:14:21 Prednisone taper (DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME) 00:19:27 Colonoscopy/endoscopy scheduling chaos + prep misery 00:22:26 Bloodwork off meds (and why I wanted the comparison) 00:25:14 Pill cam explained 00:30:47 MRAs/MRIs explained 00:34:56 Rituxan win: the mid-infusion Benadryl trick 00:36:02 IVIG recall 00:36:43 PET scans explained 00:39:19 Biggest takeaways: prep worse than tests + results didn’t show much 00:42:38 What’s next: oral prednisone vs IV, CAR-T trial, methotrexate or… Conclusion: 00:46:00 Why I feel “weirdly okay” right now (and what chronic illness teaches you) 00:49:24 Soft30 with Elastique 00:50:06 One Brain Cell Show: Age of Disclosure 00:52:34 Thank you for listening!  ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- Alex’s Picks of the Week: We’re talking “surviving medical chaos” essentials this week… aka comfort items and small joys. ✨Gap Body pajamas (port-friendly button down) — https://go.shopmy.us/p-35563702 ✨Gap bear slippers — https://go.shopmy.us/p-35563870 ✨Our MERCH is available still…. Get it while it lasts!!!! — https://calling-in-sick.myshopify.com/ —— Use code “ZOFRAN” for a special discount!! ---------------------------------------------------------------- 🥄 RSVP: Cooking with Cooper LIVE on YouTube on 12/19 —https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cooking-with-coop-tickets-1976990439624?aff=oddtdtcreator ---------------------------------------------------------------- #callinginsickpodcast #callinginsick #chronicillness #autoimmune #spoonielife #spooniesupport #invisibleillness #healthjourney #ivig #rituxan #prednisone #vasculitis #lupuslife #endometriosis #chronicpain #fatigue #medicalgaslighting #spoonietribe #flareup #petscan #pillcam #colonoscopy #mri #mra #clinicalstudy #chronicillnesshumor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices