u/tryingtofixthis_mess

I only found out about RCPD recently after my dad listened to a podcast. He said it sounded like me and asked if I burp. Once he explained it, everything clicked. I was horrified when I realized people could probably hear the noises my throat had been making all along.

I’ve had chronic pain since I was 10, which became unmanageable in my mid-teens. I had to quit everything, including dropping out of high school. My parents have taken me abroad for treatment, but every doctor has ignored my inability to burp and extreme bloating.

I’m so desperate, embarrassed, and ashamed. I look 7–8 months pregnant most of the time. Every time I eat or drink, pressure builds in my chest, followed by loud throat growling that can be heard across the room. I’m a croaking teenage girl who looks heavily pregnant.

I also have a condition that causes dangerously low blood pressure when I’m upright, so I need 5 teaspoons of salt and 4L of water every day. Both make the bloating much worse, but without them I’m at high risk of near-fainting or fainting.

Right now, I’m nearly 24 hours without food because I can’t deal with RCPD anymore.

I’m begging to go to the Bastian Voice Institute because if I stay in my country, I could wait months or years for the Botox procedure. My dad wants to wait for an official diagnosis and treatment here, even though every doctor has brushed us off. I understand where he’s coming from, but I’m so desperate that I blew up at him. I’ve been yelling and disrespectful to my parents, and that’s not who I am. I feel like I’ve completely lost myself.

If anyone can relate, offer support, has words of wisdom, or can offer advice. It would be much appreciated. Thank you.

I walk my dog at night because he is extremely reactive and extremely anxious. I find there are less triggers at night and he is more relaxed. I wasn’t worried about encounters with coyotes until yesterday.

On our normal walk, I saw a big unleashed dog cross the road not too far ahead of us. I live in a rural area where coyotes have historically bred with wolves, so they are a bit bigger than your typical coyote (35 lbs to 55 lbs). My dog is about 45 lbs and whatever crossed the road was definitely bigger than him but not too much bigger. I didn’t have a light so I wasn’t able to see any features but I’ve never seen an unleashed dog at night in the two years I’ve walked him. There have been coyote sightings in our area, so I know they’re around. Fortunately, my dog didn’t notice it and I cut our walk short.

For context about my dog’s reactivity: he will jump and lunge on his hind legs when he sees a trigger (another dog, people, or wild animals). He will bark incessantly at any dog from a tiny chihuahua to a Great Dane. I am usually able to control him but there have been one or two incidents I’ve fallen while trying to control him. He’s never bitten another dog, but he has tried once or twice and failed. I believe the attempted bites were leash aggression related.

What would be the best coyote safety tool for my nighttime walks? I don’t carry anything other than a leash and poop bag. I don’t want to trigger my dog but I would like it to deter a coyote if we encounter one. What tools would you guys recommend?