Candy Brauer Health Scare

[Florita]

Menorrhagia is no snarking matter, but Candy is demonstrating the short-comings of the fundie preference for treating everything with supplements, woo & prayer. She hasn't broke out the essential oils yet (or did I miss something?). Even hemorrhaging for 15 days (and counting) won't make her see a doctor.

Her blog is here: http://eyes2jesus.blogspot.com/    The fun starts with a casual discussion of menorrhagia on February 9 and grows more panicked by the day.

[EowynW]

My mom almost died from that. She had to have two transfusions. She was glad she finally went with the hysterectomy. 

[Loveday]

I had this in my mid to late 40s, pretty much as she describes, although not for 15 days at a time, and nothing quite golf-ball-sized came out of me. My remedy? I went to the damned DOCTOR! who found that I was perimenopausal, and nothing else was wrong (I mean, there are a lot of other reasons for that kind of bleeding!). I elected to go through it all naturally, without any surgical procedures or hormonal supplements. Luckily, I wasn't working so could stay home through the worst of it every month. But...I went to the damned DOCTOR. 

Seriously, though, I hope that's all that's going on. Sounds like she's totally overdoing it with the home remedies, of course.

2 minutes ago, EowynW said:

My mom almost died from that. She had to have two transfusions. She was glad she finally went with the hysterectomy. 

Yikes. That must have been terrifying. I would have probably gone that route if things had been a little worse. 

[Carm_88]

My Mom had it as well. She needed hormones to regulate until she finished menopause. It's not something to treat with essential oils! 

[Jellybean]

I got to the point of needing two blood transfusions (different reasons) and I felt AWFUL. 

Awful.

I had to draw my lips on with lipstick every morning because they were so pale that I couldn’t see where they were. I got out of breath from the slightest movement and dizzy with any change of posture. All my limbs felt as heavy as lead.

I am so grateful for blood donors and for the doctor who saw me in routine clinic and decided I should be admitted (don’t go home for a change of clothes, don’t pass Go, don’t collect $200 - this is why I always carry a toothbrush and a change of underwear). The first transfusion didn’t change much, but by the second one I could almost feel the colour and life trickling back into my veins. 

I feel so helpless and so sorry for people who have no access to medical help, for whatever reason. We’ve advanced tremendously as a society and can all benefit from the knowledge built up through generations. Choosing not to do that, but to suffer unnecessarily, because ‘God’ just breaks my heart.

[Georgiana]

Candy, look.  I have a lifelong obsession with ethnobotany.  I practice green witchcraft to an extent.  I have an entire LIBRARY of herbal remedies from all over the world, many of which are actual scholarly publications.  

This is WELL beyond what herbs can do.  This is a medical emergency.  Get your flabby pirate husband into the car (hopefully the tabs are current this time) and have him drive you TO THE HOSPITAL.  

You don't need tea.  Any herbal healer not completely crooked would refuse to treat you.  You need medical intervention, and you need it now.  Stop pretending that you are Candy Brauer, MENSA super-genius model.  You are a mother.  Your kids need you.  You are NOT a medical professional, you barely graduated high school.  

GO SEE AN ACTUAL DOCTOR.  

[EmainMacha]

Is she reading what she's writing? Good Lord woman! This is not normal. Anyone reading your blog can tell you that. Go and see a doctor. And also you say that you don't have any of the illnesses that could cause abnormal bleeding. But how do you know that? Doctor. Now.

[bea]

Oh dear GOD. There is something seriously medically wrong here. I hope someone in her life convinces her to see an actual MD.

 

 

[Georgiana]

11 minutes ago, bea said:

Oh dear GOD. There is something seriously medically wrong here. I hope someone in her life convinces her to see an actual MD.

 

 

IS there anyone in Candy's life?  Are her children old enough to prevail upon her like this?  Because otherwise, Erick had a track record of isolating her and the kids way out in the middle of nowhere and cutting them off from anyone and everyone  he could.  

I'm not sure there is anyone else in Candy's life besides Erick and the children....in a meaningful way, at least.  

[Fascinated]

I haven’t read much about Candy. Is she waiting for the lord to embed more blessings?  Because she needs a hysterectomy.  My issues were probably a little worse than hers. I went to a doctor (!) and she booked me in right then and there.  It’s no joke. 

[Georgiana]

2 minutes ago, Fascinated said:

I haven’t read much about Candy. Is she waiting for the lord to embed more blessings?  Because she needs a hysterectomy.  My issues were probably a little worse than hers. I went to a doctor (!) and she booked me in right then and there.  It’s no joke. 

Candy, as far as I know, has been at 4 kids for a while, so I am not sure how much waiting for blessings is going on.  I forget why ( @fundiefan do you remember why Candy doesn't have more kids? Did she ever say?), but I was a bit under the impression that she considered her family "complete".  

I can tell you right now, however, that it is VERY unlikely she has insurance of ANY sort or the money to pay for medical care.   I have a feeling this is largely why she likes to self-diagnose in general, but almost certainly why she is avoiding medical care now.  That and the fact that she tends to be pretty far up her own ass and does genuinely believe she's smarter than most medical professionals.  

She got involved with her creepy, much older husband as a troubled 17 year old.  That man should be in JAIL for preying on a teen the way he did with Candy (preyed on her at her mall food court job and then leveraged her issues with her parents to get her to shack up with him at 17), but it gets swept under the rug because they got and are still married.  She's a REdiculous human being, for sure, but she's also a victim of a predator who has kept her under his thumb successfully for years, partially because I do think she has mental issues that are untreated that make it harder for her to seek help.  

And now it may cost her her life.

Candy was my gateway.  Please go to the doctor, Candy.  I will dress in a Sasquatch suit and throw rocks at you if that's what you need to make a change.  JUST. GO.  

[Briefly]

I had to go read her blog and then look up what the condition is. She seriously needs to go see a doctor, and not wait. But also after reading about it I can honestly say that she is describing quite a few of my periods.  There were always really heavy and were heavier at times, which I always told the doctor about. But nothing was ever done and the doctor never seemed concerned. But now, I realize that I was possibly dealing with that.  Maybe, I'm not turning hypochondriac and claiming an illness!  But it sure sounds like it, and also I think my mom could have had the same thing although I'm not sure. I always thought it was because my version of the "redhead curse" includes bleeding to extreme from even minor paper cuts.  But I'm past period now, so I'm not going to worry about it.  But she really needs to get to the doctor NOW.

[fundiefan]

1 hour ago, Georgiana said:

Candy, as far as I know, has been at 4 kids for a while, so I am not sure how much waiting for blessings is going on.  I forget why ( @fundiefan do you remember why Candy doesn't have more kids? Did she ever say?), but I was a bit under the impression that she considered her family "complete".  

 

She has said  that it takes three to make a baby - a man, a woman and god. And all have to agree on the baby to make it. She wanted more but her husband and god did not agree. 

Apparently, god was too busy agreeing with rapists/abusers for more  or agreeing with the 15 years old's who got no sex education to have a baby, or the drug addicts to conceive....as always in Candy's world, she was searching for a way to make her choice (or the choice or her husband? who cares) actual action from their god. Cuz, that's what good Christians do - it's always god's doing, never thier own.

[Georgiana]

4 minutes ago, fundiefan said:

She has said  that it takes three to make a baby - a man, a woman and god. And all have to agree on the baby to make it. She wanted more but her husband and god did not agree. 

Apparently, god was too busy agreeing with rapists/abusers for more  or agreeing with the 15 years old's who got no sex education to have a baby, or the drug addicts to conceive....as always in Candy's world, she was searching for a way to make her choice (or the choice or her husband? who cares) actual action from their god. Cuz, that's what good Christians do - it's always god's doing, never thier own.

Thanks!  I should have known Candy would have her own bizarre take on QF ideology.  I should have known it would resemble her take on pre-marital sex, which is bad for everyone except her and her husband because reasons.  

[Howl]

Sheesh, she thinks she has estrogen dominance, but if she went to a doctor, she could easily find out if she has estrogen dominance, some other hormone imbalance, fibroids or cancer. 

[Florita]

My MIL had excessive bleeding due to fibroids. Endometrial ablation took care of it.

I expected Candy would announce today that someone at church laid hands on her and prayed over her and she was instantly healed. Doubtful they have health insurance or that Wonder Hubby is even employed. She should go to an ER anyway.

[FiddleDD]

I’ve never followed Candy, but this makes me very nervous. A relative of mine had something similar, didn’t go to the doctor for YEARS, and ended up with Ovarian Cancer. There are some things you just don’t mess around with.

[Mudgie]

I had this after my 4th baby. My cycle returned when she had just turned 2. I was one of the fortunate ones whose cycle didn't reutrn until my kids were almost fully weaned. I had started mensutrating the day before and was at the dentist. I stood up and so much blood flowed out of me it soaked into my socks and shoes. I called my OB who sent me immediately to the ER. I was practically sitting in a puddle of clots and blood. I know it's TMI, but it was absolutely unremittingly terrifying. My 4th birth was an emergency caesarean section because one of my uterine arteries ruptured. So to fast forward two years later to this was horrifying and I was imagining the worst. Rational or not, logical or not, I was. In the ER I had an ultrasound, a biopsy and was very near to needing a transfusion. I was put on extremely high dose of birth control pills and it was still heinous. After 4 more months of this I ultimately had a hysterectomy. They took everything but my ovaries. I have never once regretted it. After my youngests birth I was told to carry another pregnancy would be life threatening due to the uterine artery rupture so I knew I wouldn't be having any more babies. It's not something to fuck around with. I can't even begin to describe the physical toll this experience takes on a body. I was useless to my family during the days I menstruated. I could barely function.

[Four is Enough]

I was FOURTEEN  when this happened to me. Period lasting weeks, two weeks of which I can't remember. I became so weak I had to be carried to the bathroom. (I have no memory of this.) Palm sized clots. 

I wound up in the ER and received two units of blood. My mother's GYN put me on the pill and highly recommended my mother keep me on the pill, which she would not do. (what would people think? WHY did they need to know?)

I had heavy periods and severe anemia my entire childbearing years... despite the pill, despite treatments and surgeries for endometriosis. It is NOT to be trifled with. Good God, woman, go to a PHYSICIAN.

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

4 hours ago, Four is Enough said:

(what would people think? WHY did they need to know?)

Well if you grew up in a small-ish town like I did everyone will know because the pharmacist filling the prescription will tell his wife (or another customer) and in 3 hours it would be all over town.

Then of course everyone would discuss the "fact" that the young girl taking the Pill was obviously having sex -- and how awful that was.  It was probably just killing her poor parents.  And of course if she's having sex, that means she's a slut.  And since she's a slut.... well ..... you know what that means..., etc, etc, etc.

[Anonymousguest]

I had bleeding like that from a fibroid. I didn't know it was a fibroid until  I went to the Dr and had diagnostic testing done. I mean, how else do you know? lol!

[acheronbeach]

I can't believe she's hawking turmeric, cod liver oil, and shepherd's purse as an antidote to a serious medical issue.  People eat all this stuff and and still get horrible reproductive illnesses.  She's right that menorrhagia is a sign of something else wrong, but the idea that you can cure it by essentially eating what's in a fish curry is absolutely insane.  

[Florita]

Candy update at http://eyes2jesus.blogspot.com/  Day 18. Still hasn't seen a doctor. She had to get up last night to change pads 3x!!! 

Does she realize her "next period" is due in 10 days or less? And isn't cod liver oil a laxative?

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

OK -- I'm just going to have to say it. 

Candy is straight up stupid.  She has been bleeding for 18. Effing. Days. Straight. and still hasn't gone to the doctor.  Bleeding like the proverbial stuck pig.  With giant clots no less.

And she trying to fix this by eating fish curry (thanks @acheronbeach). 

I ... I just ... I can't even....... I cannot fathom anyone acting like this, being this dumb.  And don't get me started on her dickhead husband who knows this is going on and is letting his wife bleed out.

The 2 of them deserve each other.  However, Candy's cavalier attitude toward healthcare makes me extremely fearful for the children. Cod liver oil and turmeric for a broken leg anyone.

[ViolaSebastian]

23 minutes ago, Florita said:

Candy update at http://eyes2jesus.blogspot.com/  Day 18. Still hasn't seen a doctor. She had to get up last night to change pads 3x!!! 

Does she realize her "next period" is due in 10 days or less? And isn't cod liver oil a laxative?

Having read that, I’m no medical professional, but I know this much is true: Mountain Dew does not cause heavy bleeding. 

Oh, and she needs to go to a doctor. Dear God.