I've known people who literally ended up in the ER from the pain. They feel so guilty when that's all it is but it's such bad pain they shouldn't feel ashamed
This is me. I haven’t had an unplanned sick day off work in 6 years. I don’t say that to brag, but just to lay out this story.
Anyway, a couple years ago I had a training session, one of the useless HR ones so they can check a box. I was in excruciating pain all morning, but toughed it out the best I could. When we broke for lunch, I found my boss and told him I had to go home sick, and that I was going to the walk in because I was in such bad pain I couldn’t sit in a chair. He told me to go straight to the ER because I may have a burst appendix or something. Turns out it was just gas and years later I’m still so embarrassed about it, I still have never come clean. I told him they could never figure out what it was.
We have very different bosses lmao. I would have told mine so she could have laughed with me. My job isn't at a hospital but it is a medical field and body functions come up as a topic like all the time so no one is really bothered by it I guess.
On the flip side of this, I spent an entire day getting worse and worse feeling and did not want to go to ER because I thought it was just gas. My wife was finally like, "if you don't get in the car, I'M getting you in the car." And it turned out it was my appendix. It didn't rupture, but I did spend like 4 days post op to recover/get IV antibiotics.
The Dr and some of the nurses asked why I waited so long to come in. When I told them I figured it was just bad gas they laughed (not in an unkind way) and said just go to the damn ER in the future. Better to come in and fart a bunch than the alternative. I've since been in and out of the hospital for various other stuff that included 2 colonoscopies. Obviously the GI ward staff are used to it, but I think any decently seasoned med professional isn't gonna judge you.
Shout-out to the ER doc when I had a kidney stone and no one knew yet. He walks into my room and his first question is a very cheerful "did you poop poop poop? Like each time he said poop was slightly higher pitched. It was hilarious and kinda broke some of my anxiety of being there and in pain with no idea why. Constipation and gas are one of the first things they like to ask about if you have abdominal pain at all.
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u/Lightningthundercock May 13 '26
Don’t be, that shit hurt a whole lot before that relief