Posts by Sam Ruiz7

Phoebe Buffay

I’m looking for someone to just vent and chat with—doesn't matter how old you are or what your gender is. I really want to find a partner to geek out over movies, books, art galleries, walking the dog, fashion, cooking, or weekend road trips... but specifically through the lens of an Aquarius. Look, you don't actually have to be an Aquarius yourself, but you definitely need to be cool with them. Don't come at me if you think they're "weird."

Man, when my iron levels first tanked, I was dealing with some serious dizziness. Like, every time I’d bend over to pick something up, I’d see literal stars dancing in front of my eyes. My iron was sitting at a pathetic 5.6. I tried taking Ferum, and while I was actually on it, things felt fine—but the second I stopped? Boom. It crashed again. My iron stayed stuck around 3 for a while, and honestly, I didn't even feel anything because my body just... adapted, I guess? But when it hit 0.7? That was absolutely brutal. My heart was constantly racing, and after walking up just a few stairs, I genuinely thought I was going to die. My hemoglobin dropped to 74, too. My doctor actually looked at me like I was a superhero, asking how I was even standing or walking. At first, they were talking about a blood transfusion, but once the specialists at the hematology clinic saw me—and they were freaking out that I was even upright—they suggested hitting me with massive, crazy doses of Ferum instead. Their logic was that every transfusion is basically a transplant, so it's better to try everything else first. Between those heavy-duty doses of Ferum and all the stuff I researched online, my iron is finally back up to 14.5.

Ugh, same here. My iron levels were absolutely pathetic at 0.7.

But after 7 months of slamming Ferum, cycling through supplements, praying my liver was holding up, and chugging literal gallons of raspberry wine... I finally hit 14.5.🙂

redfox57 said:Man, my lower left side just starts killing me because of how I eat. As soon as I touch anything that doesn't sit right with my system, I feel it immediately.

So, does the pain just hit you quick and fade, or does it linger for a few days?

Question: I was dealing with some absolutely brutal stomach pains all day yesterday. At first, I just tried to tough it out, thinking it was just my stomach reacting to the Tylenol I take twice a day because my iron is low. But eventually, once the pain became totally unbearable, I ended up hitting up the ER. They gave me an IV shot of Advil and some aspirin, which finally knocked the pain out. Today, it’s feeling way better, but the sensation has shifted lower—like it's in my intestines now. It doesn't really hurt when I'm just sitting there, but if I press on my stomach, it hurts like crazy. My stomach feels soft though (not bloated or anything, since my bathroom habits are totally normal), but I get these little cramps a bit after eating. I’ve noticed sipping warm chamomile tea actually helps quite a bit. Has anyone dealt with something similar? I’d really rather not trek back to the doctor again if this is just going to settle down on its own in a few days. thx

Kimberly Morgan said:Man, I feel you. Honestly, I went through the exact same nightmare. At first, they just handed me some basic iron supplements from the drugstore, which made me feel slightly better for maybe a month before everything crashed and burned—and twice as bad as before. I was fighting that battle for over a year. Once your levels get that low, don't even bother with the OTC stuff; demand a referral and go see a hematologist at a major hospital like Mayo Clinic. My specialist gave me the "real deal"—basically a much more aggressive treatment plan—and made it clear that those little pills you grab at CVS aren't going to cut it when things are this bad. One of my friends was feeling so trashed she actually had to get iron IV drips. But hey, you'll figure out the specifics once you talk to Dr.
. And listen, you seriously have to watch what you eat. Pills alone? They won't save you. I was constantly sipping on specific beet and blueberry juices and loading up on anything high in iron. You really have to be disciplined about nutrition and slamming plenty of Vitamin C to help it all absorb. 😉 It’s a grind because your iron levels aren't gonna skyrocket overnight, but if you actually put in the work, you'll be fine.
Back then, my iron was hovering between 0.6 and 2. Now? After almost a year of grinding, I'm sitting steady around 13.

Ugh, okay, hearing that it can actually be fixed makes me feel a little less hopeless... 🙂 but like, which juices specifically? And what kind of food?

Sandra Hernandez5 said:Hey! I actually started a thread today asking about alternative ways to deal with anemia, since mine is a side effect from chemo. Honestly, when your iron levels are that low, you gotta listen to the doctor and take the prescribed iron supplements immediately—there are tons of different kinds out there. You could always try supplementing the "real" meds with some herbal syrup that my nutritionist recommended.

The thing is, I've been on this iron supplement for ages now, and it usually works fine. Like, three or four months ago, my levels actually climbed up to 10, so I stopped taking it... and now everything has just tanked again.

What kind of syrup are we talking about?

Question: I’ve been feeling pretty wiped out for a while now, but lately things have taken a turn for the worse. It’s gotten to the point where if I even climb two stairs, I feel like I’m about to pass out. I finally went to get some blood work done this morning to check my iron levels since I've always struggled with anemia. I just got my results back online and, honestly, I'm freaking out a little: hemoglobin is at 74 (normal range is 119-157), and iron is sitting at 0.7 (normal is 8-20). Has anyone else dealt with something this bad? thx

Seriously, does absolutely nobody have anything to say about Mirena? Or am I just invisible here?😢 😢 😢

I need some actual firsthand experiences, please. Like, real talk.

I vividly remember seeing some thread on here once—can't find it now though, damn it—where one person was absolutely tearing Mirena to shreds while someone else was totally defending it.

I feel like I’ve already asked this, but honestly, I have no idea if anyone actually got back to me—I was off the forum for a bit. So, anyway, what’s the deal with Mirena? My doctor is pushing it on me because my iron levels are absolutely trashed, but I’m still totally on the fence about it. Anyone actually used one?

Thanks.

Results? Honestly, I have zero clue.

Alright, let's break this down. So, I went to see Dr. Proust and shelled out $1000. They’re open from 11 AM to 5 PM. First up, there’s this whole lecture about eye structure and how things work—kind of interesting, I guess. But then comes the part where Dr. Proust goes on and on about his own massive successes. We're talking slides full of thank-you letters (which, let's be real, could be totally fake) and photocopies of random patient charts and "before and after" results. It sounds super impressive on paper, but honestly, you start questioning if any of it is legit. That whole segment drags on forever. After that, his assistant starts explaining how to actually do the exercises, which was just exhausting because they did it way too early; nobody even knew what was going on yet, so she was basically just talking to a wall. Before all that, though, we had to pay up and sign some waiver saying we wouldn't sue him if nothing actually gets better. Then we got this packet with all the details on the method and the exercises, plus three pairs of glasses with +1, +2, and +3 prescriptions. We didn't even get to try the actual exercises individually until around 3 PM (just a quick once or twice each) to figure out how they worked. By then, we were all so wiped out that we didn't even care if we were doing them right; we were just over it. Personally, I would've preferred it if they flipped the script: do the exercises first (and do them properly!), then do the whole "glory days" speech at the end. Or at least wait to explain the moves and take questions until *after* we've actually tried them and know what we're talking about.

To top it off, there’s this note at the end saying if anything isn't clear, we’re allowed two follow-up consultations to ask questions and make sure we’re doing the drills correctly, but those cost an extra $133—which feels like a total rip-off after already dropping $1000.

I mean, okay, looking through the printed materials (two different booklets), you can tell they wrote them out in detail, and you can pretty much figure everything out just by reading them. Even though the booklet says multiple times that the exercises are customized for everyone and tailored on-site based on individual needs, that’s just not true. Everyone got the exact same thing and we all do the exact same routine. For example, if someone has a different prescription in each eye, they give you a blocking lens, which the manual claims is specifically fitted for your specific difference on the spot, but nope—not happening.

So, yeah, the exercises are simple, easy to grasp (even just from the handouts), and if you actually stick to them, I don't know, something happens. The catch is you aren't allowed to wear glasses at all while you're trying to fix your vision.

I'll admit, at the very beginning, I practiced exactly as instructed, and honestly, I could see the eye chart (which we all got to test) a bit better. Like, I could see maybe two more lines of letters than before from the same distance.

After that, I kind of slacked off because that "miraculous progress" didn't happen (meaning my prescription didn't just vanish into thin air in the short timeframe he promised), so I stopped practicing for a while. I still don't wear glasses, but now I can briefly sharpen my vision to a pretty good level. Just briefly, though. For instance, I couldn't watch TV without glasses before, but now I can—it's not perfect, but if I blink and focus, the image snaps into clarity. It only lasts a second before it gets blurry again. Blink, and it's sharp again. I can't really compare if this is something new or not, because when I was wearing glasses, I never had to do that "focusing" trick since the lenses kept everything steady. I'd be curious to hear if anyone who wears glasses all the time tries taking them off and attempting to focus the image like this. Yeah, and when I stand in front of an eye chart, I can focus enough to see at least three more lines—almost the whole board—but again, it’s temporary. (And no, it's not that weird squinting thing; it's a totally normal way of seeing). I also noticed that back when we were testing the exercises at his office, it was huge if you checked your vision on the chart IMMEDIATELY after, because you could actually see better, but only if you did it right away.

Bottom line: I can't really recommend him or rave about it because I wasn't super disciplined with the practice. Besides, I'm convinced his whole method could have just been published as a book; it would have been just as clear to us and probably way cheaper, which is likely why he does it this way.

And look, I can't even sit here and trash him or claim the whole thing is just some big fabrication, because honestly? I can see some actual improvements on my end too, even if it’s not quite hitting the mark I was hoping for. The real question is how much further this rabbit hole goes and whether any of this is actually going to stick in the long run.

So yeah, I have no clue if I actually helped anything or just made things worse. 👋

I’m not sure if this thread already exists—if it does, my bad, I just couldn't find it. I really need to hear your thoughts and actual experiences here. Specifically, I'm looking for reasons to go for the Mirena or reasons to steer clear. Basically, because my periods are absolutely brutal, I’m constantly dealing with insane anemia. My iron levels are always hovering around 3.5, which is pathetic. I’m basically living on those awful Ferrum supplements that manage to bump me up to maybe an 8 or 9 temporarily, but then two or three months later, I'm right back down at 3.5. It's exhausting. Because of all this, my OB-GYN was actually raving about the Mirena and recommended I get it, but I’m still totally on the fence. Has anyone actually used it? What was it like for you?
thx

I dropped those two links from some other forums at the start of this, just in case you actually bothered to read them.

My stuff is scheduled for the end of August, mostly because everyone is out on vacation until then. I'll let you know how it goes once it actually happens.

And about working out... look, if I can manage an hour of abs every single day, I can definitely handle this. There's plenty of hours in a day if you aren't a total slob. 😉

There’s this whole thing about how a day is only as long as you make it by actually getting your life together. 🙂

shadowviper12 said:basically, fingers crossed it actually works for you 👍 👍 👍

thanks 🙂

shadowviper12 said:Some guy at my office was giving this big presentation after getting treated by this specific doctor... he had, if I remember right, like a 5 or 6 prescription in both eyes... and he was rocking glasses thick as the bottom of a damn Coke bottle... now look at him, just wandering around squinting at screens without any glasses or contacts...
he swears on his life that it actually worked, but honestly, it looks like he totally burned himself...
the only catch is you aren't allowed to wear any corrective lenses while the treatment is active, so if you have a heavy prescription, you basically have to be blind for a month until your vision stabilizes...

Yeah, true. That’s exactly what the nurse told me when I booked my appointment, and I saw people talking about it on some medical forums too, though it doesn't really bother me since my prescription isn't that bad.

And yeah, you gotta spend an hour every day doing exercises / reading through those special alpha glasses they give you during those 3 $0.00 weeks—or even better, do two 45-minute sessions at home. You just have to stick around the clinic from 11 to 5 on the first day until they teach you the routine. We'll see how it goes.

And this too

Btw, I already put my order in for August. My prescription is barely even a thing—just a tiny bit of nearsightedness. We'll just have to see if this turns out to be a smart $3 $0.00 investment or if I’m just throwing $3 $0.00 right out the window

Charles Thompson12 said:Sam Ruiz7, how much did that trip down to San Diego set you back?? How long were you out there??

Look, it’s really not that big of a deal. You just have to book ahead of time. Whenever I find myself out in those parts of the country, I always try to schedule it so I can knock it out while I'm already in town.
Basically, just pick a specific day and time and get it booked.

The first time I went, I paid about $300 for the consultation (it was super thorough, they did all these gait analyses and muscle assessments) plus another $133 for the inserts. Then they walked me through some exercises in the gym (btw, Andre Agassi was actually training right next to me at the time, and he seemed to be having way easier of a time than I was). Once the exam and the session are done, you're out the door—takes less than half a day, tops.

Anyway, last time I checked, the exam was $83 and the inserts were $133.

Those inserts are legit quality though, they last forever. In the eight years since I started, I think I've only gone through maybe 4 or 5 pairs, and I wear them constantly.

👋

Look, I’m not trying to make excuses here, but normally I’m a totally chill person (or at least I can fake it well enough), but when my PMS hits? Man, I can't even handle myself, let alone expect anyone else to put up with me. Everything gets under my skin. Things that I’d usually just shrug off and ignore suddenly turn me into a literal bloodthirsty monster. I just fight and fight and fight (and then I'll burst into tears during my breaks). Of course, the whole thing clashes horribly with the fact that I actually crave affection more than ever during those days. So my partner—who basically walks on eggshells because he knows if he says one wrong thing about something minor, I might actually gouge his eyes out—just has to suck it up and take it.

Honestly, I think everyone around me is basically a victim of my cycle.

And no, I don't go on some massive binge eating spree when this happens (mostly because I'm too busy tearing my hair out to eat). The only thing is that I find myself getting up between 2 and 3 in the morning because I'm starving, but honestly, I do that all the time anyway, so I don't think it's even related to the PMS.

Also—and please don't come for me here—I don't even crave chocolate during those times. I don't even like chocolate, or pastries, or coffee, really. But hey, I guess that's beside the point, right?👋

Man, I just checked his site and noticed they already swapped out the phone number and the location. It’s an ad, obviously. Honestly, I haven't been back to see him since almost two years ago, and I didn't have any issues then—not that I had problems during my first visit about eight years back either.

Anyway, if you need to get a hold of them, the contact info is right here on www.peharec.com