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Platypus Maladies

Well folks, it looks like I've got something weird again. Some of you may remember the tale of the sixth-month long ear infection and its final eradication? Well this time it's a hiatal hernia. In layman's terms, that means that a part of my stomach has lurched up through my diaphragm causing all kinds of discomfort. The methods of treating it are also agravating some of my other wonderful little conditions ensuring that I'm kept continual discomfort. Four different doctors have looked at my case and here's their prognosis:



1. This is fairly common.
2. It's very rare that it has to be fixed with surgery.
3. They think they can fix mine with drugs and exercise.
4. If I do end up needing surgery, it will be major.

Right now, my stomach's a bother, but the real trouble is that the things I need to do to fix it put a lot of pressure on my bad back which has voiced its displeasure by keeping me in near constant pain for the past two weeks. Combine that with finals and a distinct desire not to use up any more sick days in case they need to switch me to a harsher course of drugs in the next few months, and that keeps life pretty miserable. Oh well, me and the Platypus have faced weird things like this before...

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