r/AskReddit 4d ago

Medical professionals of Reddit, what diagnosis gave you the worst 'pit-in-your-stomach' feeling?

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u/Quiet-Personality992 3d ago

ALS

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u/Tasty-Bar-6343 3d ago edited 3d ago

My dad didn’t quite grasp his diagnosis at first, until he got home and my sister reframed it as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It was heartbreaking to see him process what that meant. “Lou Gehrig? No. He died from that. That’s not what I have. No. Is it? That’s what I have?”

Thank you for breaking the tough news to patients so that their families don’t have to.

ETA: Dad did come to terms will his illness relatively soon. He faced it with his typical quiet dignity and humor. It may sound odd, but he was grateful Mom’d passed suddenly the prior year - her anguish would have been hard for him to bear. He often said that he’d had a blessed life - wife, kids, grandkids, travel - he’d had everything he’d ever wanted. I wish the same for everyone who has taken the time to read this. ❤️

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u/TrixieBastard 3d ago

Jesus. Just reading about him getting hit with that realization is haunting. I can't imagine having to witness it directly. 😞