Sometimes, a simple, common medical test could be the difference between a quick recovery and unnecessary surgery. That is exactly what Leslie Brewer, a certified registered nurse practitioner and pediatric health expert, highlighted on Instagram, netting over 726K views. The Alabama resident shared the somewhat alarming story of her husband, who allegedly returned from Disney World with a severe illness that baffled a team of medical professionals.
She said that the situation began five days after the couple returned home from their trip. Her husband started vomiting, and at first, the assumption was a standard stomach bug. As Leslie jokingly claimed in her video, “I was like, oh great, we have a stomach bug. Because Disney always sends those kinds of souvenirs.” Unfortunately, the situation did not resolve on its own. Instead, it escalated into a much more complex health emergency as per Leslie.
She noted that her husband began suffering from severe epigastric stomach pain, constant vomiting, bloating, and cramping. He even lost 10 pounds in 12 days. Despite being a medical professional herself, Leslie found herself caught in a cycle of medical uncertainty. She noted, “So GI does every single test and every single imaging you can possibly think of. Everything looks normal besides some maybe small gallstones.”
Overthinking the situation
According to Leslie, the medical team eventually performed an endoscopy, looking into his small intestine. “They said, ‘Oh, this looks like it could be celiac because of the way that it’s damaged there.’ I was like, ‘Does celiac happen overnight? Not usually.’” Then things escalated. “Long story short, he gets hospitalized because he has lost so much weight and he is very, very fatigued,” she tells her viewers.
“They do very specific tests like a CTA and a gallbladder MRI. They don’t really find anything. Everything’s negative.” Considering that he now couldn’t even eat orally at all, the doctors landed on a desperate option to help him find relief. They decided to remove his gallbladder.
Leslie expressed regret in the video. She noted, “The worst part is I’m a medical professional, and I said, ‘Okay, sure, let’s try it.'” Unfortunately, the surgery provided no relief, and his symptoms returned almost immediately.
As she told her story, which can’t be verified, she claimed that the doctors continued to push the celiac diagnosis. However, the diet changes yielded no improvements. Leslie eventually reached her limit, stating, “He was vomiting his brains out. We have five kids. We don’t have time for this. We can’t do this.”
Their primary care doctor gave them the solution. Since water parks can often carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites, he considered that Leslie’s husband might have contracted something during their Disney trip. Leslie confessed, “We did see poop floating in one pool.” So, he started the treatment for the most likely parasites to be found at Disney World.
Leslie’s husband saw significant improvement within 24 hours. He was even able to eat. However, it left Leslie questioning why the medical system in the United States’ overlooked such a simple diagnostic path.
The most interesting thing about the comments section of her post was the immediate gap in how different countries approach healthcare. One user commented, “Ok, I’m from Venezuela, and I was SHOCKED when I realized how uncommon parasite testing is here. Back home, every lab test seemed to come with a stool sample to check for parasites.”
Many commenters were stunned that the diagnosis process seemed incomplete. One user asked, “Nobody thought to do a stool culture before removing organs?” Another commenter added, “Took out his gallbladder… malpractice. That’s insane. Cutting out organs is rarely the answer.”
According to United Digestive, parasitic infections are not limited to rural or underdeveloped areas. They can affect anyone, even in the United States, through contaminated food, water, or poor sanitation. These organisms, which range from microscopic protozoa to large worms, often mimic other illnesses, making them difficult to diagnose. Common warning signs include constant fatigue, digestive problems like persistent bloating or diarrhea, unexplained weight changes, and skin issues.
The medical oversight Leslie described seemed to be a common frustration in the US. One user shared, “I picked up a parasite years ago. The Doctor couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. I switch Doctors and the new Doctor said she was going to treat me like her 2 year old and check my poop. She found the parasite after the 1st visit.”
Another user pointed out that it’s a systemic issue, writing, “Because doctors don’t understand how to look for the root cause of disease. There’s SO much that they miss.”
Leslie just told everyone to be more proactive about their own health. In the caption, she wrote, “Share to make everyone you know aware of parasite symptoms bc there’s a good chance your doctor/provider will overlook.”
Published: Sep 23, 2026 07:43 am