Man, Lisa Moore7, I’m still tripping over why some weird light was leaking out from your part of town, when really it was just you glowing in the dark from all that radiation 🙂
Anyway, I'm heading in for a routine endoscopy tomorrow just so the docs can tell me I need to actually eat regular, healthy meals, chill out more, and stop being so hard on my stomach.
Prices are high, yeah, but you can find stuff three times cheaper that uses basically the same ingredients as those Prozac drops. As for just treating yourself... I don't know. Honestly, it’s probably smarter to just go see Dr.
His family basically built their entire fortune on people's backsides. Literally... From what I know, his old man was also a private proctologist and a pretty big name in the field. But word is he had this whole "cut first, ask questions later" approach to surgery. If my memory serves me right, my dad actually went to see Dr. Chavcic or maybe Cucevic over at Rib. Something like that.
You can totally find stuff about this on the Health forums if you just search for it. People were definitely talking about it back in October 2005 when I dealt with a nasty flare-up. Got it after sitting on a concrete floor while I was messing around installing some outlets at home, tinkering with wires and laminate.
Actually, it’s even genetic. I definitely inherited mine from my old man. He had surgery right around the September 11 attacks before I headed off to basic training. I went into the service without any kind of send-off because the pain was so bad he couldn't even get out of bed.
The predisposition is genetic, but you also get them from catching colds, eating poorly, or having a bad diet—lots of hard, dry foods. It’s also triggered by poor hygiene, sitting too much, and not moving enough. And interestingly enough, about 40% of pregnant women get them. For them, it’s due to the blood vessels in the pelvic area expanding and contracting during pregnancy.
Mine were external and they were brutal. Everything felt inflamed, probably even a couple centimeters deep because I could feel it in my prostate too. I couldn't even pee, and don't even get me started on trying to take a real dump—it was a total nightmare. What helped was taking cold chamomile baths for two weeks, using Fact ointment, and some Voltaren gel, which acts as a local anesthetic for that area; it took the edge off the pain and itching a bit.
The whole thing flared up again just a few days before my wedding, so my honeymoon ended up being pretty painful too.
Oh, forgot to mention... alcohol makes it worse, especially red wine and hard liquor. While you're recovering, you seriously need to cut out the booze, especially the strong stuff.
I actually found some herbal ointments that worked even better than the famous Fact cream.
You’re never truly rid of them, even after surgery, because new ones will eventually pop up. You just have to learn how to live with it and keep things under control. Fix your diet: cut out spicy food, salty stuff, dry snacks, and alcohol. Eat more fiber and grab some probiotics like kombucha, kefir, or yogurt. Don't sit on cold surfaces, stay dry, and most importantly—if you feel even the slightest itch and your hand starts drifting toward your butt, grab the ointment immediately and apply it preventatively. Otherwise, once they swell up, it gets ugly fast. I was on sick leave for two weeks because I couldn't stand, lie down, or walk...
Thank God you aren't cleaning them with bleach or something. 😁 Hold up, are you actually washing your contacts with regular soap? Doesn't that mess with your eyes? I've heard people try that before, but I find it hard to believe you aren't totally wrecking your eye's pH balance or leaving nasty chemical residue on the lenses. Also, how is saline supposed to kill off all the bacteria and fungi after you wash them? Like, how does it actually neutralize everything while they're just sitting in the case?
Seriously, can we get some real answers about the meal situation already? I was stationed at that base about 10 years ago, so I know how things actually went down. There’s plenty of food, period. Anyone claiming there isn't enough or that they're skipping meals is just straight-up LYING. The food isn't exactly gourmet—honestly, it can be pretty "unpleasant"—but there's never a shortage. The real headache is that everything is always rushed. I think things might have changed since my time, but back then, there were maybe 2,500 of us trying to shove through the lunch line in like thirty or sixty minutes. Usually, the bottleneck happened because the kitchen staff would pull guys from different units on a rotation to help prep and serve, so most soldiers had been stuck doing kitchen duty at some point. The worst part was getting woken up at 3 or 4 in the morning to go work in the kitchen, and you wouldn't be done until basically noon. Naturally, everyone assigned to the serving line or peeling potatoes was pissed off and hated the world for the rest of the week. If the kitchen was closed for maintenance, deep cleaning, or training exercises, they'd give us a MRE instead. You'd get some spreads, deli meats, jams, and maybe one or two stews like bean and sausage. The only issue with those MREs was that if the stew was cold, it sucked, so you'd have to heat it up in hot water. Around 10 or 11 AM, they’d hand out a snack or mid-morning meal... usually donuts and chocolate milk. Honestly, if you could just eat that alongside breakfast (which was mostly spreads, hot dogs, cheese, and a breakfast burger), you wouldn't starve. Even the guys in the brig didn't go hungry; they actually got fed before anyone else. Actually, our unit used to get fed first, so the rest of the base absolutely loathed us for it. The absolute worst part was standing in formation outside the dining hall waiting in the snow, rain, or blistering sun.
Yeah, I’m telling you, it really went down just like I said. It was back in December '96. Honestly, I can still picture those officers' faces—the ones who made us stand at attention by our bunks for the entire afternoon.
I think someone got the wrong idea about what I meant. It doesn't matter if someone turns a profit off all this blood; in the end, it serves its purpose—saving a life. That's the whole point. I'm going to donate my blood, not sell it. Not for a sandwich, or some cheap snacks, or even $33333. If someone ever needs it from me, I'll give it. When that happens... I don't know. My dad used to donate blood for his coworkers back at the office quite a bit, whether they needed surgery or were recovering from a bad accident.
Ivana, I actually feel kind of bad that we share the same name, because you clearly haven't earned it... go ahead and stay mad if you want, but you really should get that there isn't any reward big enough for donating blood—and honestly, there shouldn't be one.
The first time I donated blood was back when I was in the US Armed Forces. Right after we finished, they were riding our asses like crazy—we had to run everywhere because it’s always a rush with them, like you won't get everything done in your entire ten-month tour if you don't hurry. All that running actually made me pass out for a second, and they had to call me back. We got some food, and then we didn't have anything else to do for the rest of the day, so we just hung out in the barracks. But get this—we were stuck standing at attention right next to the beds. Just like that, the whole afternoon... until guys started literally collapsing.
But what does that even have to do with donating blood? Nothing. Should people really be held responsible for that? Donating blood is a noble thing to do, but selling your blood or reselling someone else's blood isn't "noble"—though, at the end of the day, it's still useful and important.
I don't donate blood anymore, but I'll always step up if someone asks me directly. If I happen to be at the scene of an accident, or if someone needs surgery and specifically asks for my help, I'm there. But making money off of it? Not gonna happen.
And what if the price for messing with your chest ends up being some crazy side effect (God forbid) like a tumor?
Hyper is hyper... don't mess around with stuff you shouldn't. Hormones are a nightmare. Honestly, just find a new guy instead of getting surgery on your boobs.
Honestly, I’d much rather stick with two separate solutions instead of some "all-in-one" deal. My take? It just makes more sense to have two distinct products, each specifically tuned for its own job, rather than some weird hybrid. Like, one is meant to clean, and the other is for storage. I mean, what kind of "sterile" solution is actually full of detergent that you can just dump straight into your eye? Or if it's a storage solution, how is it supposed to clean like a detergent?
I used Johnson & Johnson for four years, but I switched over to CareCredit about six months ago because my lenses just feel "lighter" with them. As for stuff from Boston, I haven't found anything worth mentioning there.
My eye doctor hit me up this morning saying my new lenses—pardon me, my new contacts—are ready. Heading over there at 10:00, so looks like I'll be spending today cleaning my brand new pair.
How do you guys handle cleaning new lenses? I usually soak them in cleaning solution for at least 5 minutes, then let them sit in the storage/moisturizing solution for at least 12 hours. What's your routine?
Also, quick question... do any of you rinse your lenses with regular tap water? I know it's a big no-no, but I end up rinsing the cleaning solution off with water before putting them into the storage solution. Same thing when I take them out—I rinse them with water and use some artificial tears before popping them in. Otherwise, they feel heavy and my vision gets super blurry.
Yeah, I definitely blow past the 12-hour mark. Honestly, there are plenty of days where I'm looking at 18 or even 20 hours straight. As for the pros and cons of soft lenses... I don't really want to act like a know-it-all and lecture you on stuff that's already been covered. Just do a little digging through the forum and it'll all make sense. They're better for astigmatism, give you a sharper image, help slow down prescription changes, have a lower risk of infection, and they're way easier to pop in and out. The downside? They just aren't quite as comfy. But yeah, just give the search bar a shot.
It took me a few days before my eyes stopped watering like crazy. I spent about a week just trying to actually get stuff done while wearing them. Give it like two weeks and you’ll finally get used to the feeling. If I remember right, I didn't even feel comfortable driving my car until a month had passed.
Honestly, you just need patience and grit. At first, putting them in, wearing them, or even taking them out feels totally weird and uncomfortable.
My first solo attempt at handling them was a total disaster: it took me a couple of minutes just to get the lens in. I managed to shove it in and get it centered, I guess. Then came 15 minutes of trying to adjust, my eyes just streaming tears, cursing my own clumsy hands, blah, blah, blah... And the grand finale? It took another 20 minutes just to get the thing out. I couldn't get lucky for anything. I was pulling on my eyelid in every direction possible, but nothing worked. My eyes were red, tearing up, and I couldn't even see or feel where the lens went... just total darkness. The next day, I went out and bought one of those little suction tools to help, and I kept using that until I finally mastered the "manual" blink technique.
I think I read somewhere that something like 60% of pregnant women deal with hemorrhoids. It’s basically because of all that extra pressure on certain veins and arteries during pregnancy, plus just the overall physical strain you go through.
Yeah, honestly, I was pretty shocked when I brought up my own "struggles" with the guys. In my circle of about ten friends—mostly between 25 and 35—six of them have dealt with this exact same issue, usually from catching a chill while out partying, hitting the clubs, or even just being stuck at work.
If you've dealt with them, trust me, you won't forget it. Hemorrhoids are basically just little blood vessel pouches near the edge of the anus that help seal things up. But because of stuff like changes in blood flow, irritation, getting chilled, or even just bad luck (like genetics), they can get inflamed and swell up. Aside from being super irritating—all that stinging and itching—they can be incredibly painful (just remember that area is packed with nerve endings). When they flare up, you’ll feel one or more lumps about the size of an olive right at the edge. That's the external kind. If they pop up inside the rectum, those are internal ones, and honestly, those are even more of a hassle. It gets really messy if they start bleeding and cracking. The pain can be pretty intense.
I actually thought I had "cured" my issue and everything was fine until about two weeks ago. Then they flared up again, just on the other side this time, and luckily they were a bit milder. This time the culprit was just drinking way too much alcohol and—boom—there was my "reward."
You'll know it's happening when you feel that slight sting or itch down there. Then you get that feeling that "something isn't right" and you feel a painful lump. After a day or two, it swells up and becomes sore to the touch—hard, tight, and you can actually feel your pulse throbbing in it. And don't even get me started on the "joy" of taking a dump. It feels like someone shoved a whole pineapple up your butt and left it there for a week or two. Plus, the inflammation and muscle tension can mess with your prostate, so peeing feels weird too—everything from feeling like you have to go when you don't, to actually struggling to go.
You're truly special if this happens, like, say, on your own wedding day. You'd probably think some ex decided to take up voodoo magic. 😁
I mean, it makes sense to see them as the experts here. If you had a broken leg, you wouldn't be heading to an orthopedic surgeon, right? Hopefully you get that besides all the chemical stuff—you know, synapses, neuroreceptors, neurons, blah blah blah... there’s also this whole other side that people call the mind, the soul, or the psyche. And that can be broken down even further. It just follows that one part gets treated chemically, while the other part needs a different approach. It's kind of like how a computer works with hardware and software; you can't have one without the other. You can't just swap out your graphics card and expect Windows to start running better, nor can you try fixing Windows by hoping a modem that got fried by lightning will just fix itself. You feel me?
Plus, psychiatrists are the only ones on your list who actually fit the bill. All those other doctors deal with how people behave or how they interact with the world around them, but a psychiatrist is the only one who's basically a master of both the hardware and the software.
Call me old-fashioned or biased if you want, but I’m not backing down when it comes to Russians. People can say whatever they want, but I don't trust them—not even when it comes to buying a car, let alone trusting them with my eyes.
Based on everything I've heard and read, it feels like Štambuk is getting way too much hype. It honestly seems like money has overtaken quality at his place; they've ramped up production but the actual standard has dropped. From what I know, there's Bilić-vision, Visumed, and Svjetlost. He thinks Gabrić is one of those top-tier world-class ophthalmologists. Whatever. I’m thinking about laser surgery maybe in 2 or 3 years. That’s how much time I’m giving them to get their act together, plus time to save up enough cash and just live my life for a couple more years with this vision (sfe+cyl=-7). For now, I'm just struggling through with contacts. I'm not some kid; I'd only go through with an operation if it actually had lasting results.
Someone brought up that liability waiver. I mean, what procedure are you going for besides getting an ingrown toenail where you *don't* sign a consent form? Of course they’re going to ask you to undergo the surgery at your own risk—that’s just common sense, right? It’s written all over their websites, though they mask it with clever marketing so people don't freak out. They claim a 95% success rate. Cool, but what if I end up in that unlucky 5%? Money isn't even the main issue here. The real issue is that I'm getting married, and we're planning to start a family in a few months. Just imagine getting married and having kids. You function totally fine with contacts; nothing is missing except maybe a little extra comfort from perfect vision. But then you go in for surgery, something goes wrong, and you lose your sight—or you end up seeing nothing but blurry shadows and silhouettes. And you never actually see your own children? That's pretty bad, isn't it?
Please, don't get all worked up over nothing. What I'm saying is that people dealing with PTSD usually picture soldiers coming home from war. In the US, the default assumption is always that PTSD comes from combat, even though sometimes it’s actually from something like a bad car wreck.
PTSD isn't just some thing you pick up during a war zone. We tend to link it to combat because we see so many people in our own neighborhoods dealing with it after serving, but that's not the whole story. You can get it from a car wreck, losing someone close to you, or even just witnessing something absolutely horrific...
My grandma is an old soul, super wise. She always used to say, "Listen, honey, everything’s fine until your head starts hurting." Basically, you can stomach almost anything, but once that pain hits your brain—especially if you don't even realize why it's happening or if you're just spiraling through it—that's when things get real. You can't exactly cut your head off to make it stop. That's her philosophy on life, anyway, but it kind of fits what we're talking about here.