Posts by Alexander Collins4

Around 5 o'clock, sometimes even earlier.....
I went about five days without any sleep—not even a minute—and afterward, I felt like a literal walking zombie. Now, I’m barely getting any rest at all, so this lack of sleep is starting to take a massive toll on me.

Look, Elizabeth Alvarez13, believe me or don't, but I actually have medical proof—two days spent in a hospital bed—to back this up. And what do you mean, asking which offices allow smoking? At my job, everyone just lights up left and right, acting like they couldn't care less if it bothers me. That "No Smoking" sign hanging on the wall? It’s basically just decoration at this point. Whether you trust me or not doesn't matter; why would I care if someone smokes somewhere else? I don't like it, and I certainly don't want to hang out in smoky rooms, but I have to be where I work... Now you're doubting me again, but honestly, I don't even care... Anyway, good luck with your cigarette. I wasn't trying to take it away from you; I just hate having it shoved right under my nose. I don't even like smoking myself. This isn't about me trying to ban anyone from doing anything; it's just my choice not to smoke, which means smokers should stay outside. And don't even get me started on cars... that's a whole different story entirely...
PS Elizabeth Alvarez13, if you actually follow the rules you're preaching, then a smoking ban in waiting rooms or offices wouldn't bother you since you already practice it. Why would we even bother banning something if people aren't actually doing it in the first place? If you won't believe me, just stop and think about it... what exactly are you defending here?

The bottom line is that smokers smoke everywhere you work, too—you can't just dodge it. It’s in waiting rooms, doctor's offices, all over the place. So this whole argument about "avoiding places where smokers are" sounds like something straight out of San Francisco. Talking about how to avoid being poisoned as if it's some minor inconvenience is ridiculous. A few years ago, I actually ended up hospitalized due to secondhand smoke exposure, so thanks to those "friends" who watched me suffer through it... You people just don't get that this is harassment. It's not just about someone "smelling bad"—because a bad smell is just an annoyance—this is about toxic smoke that actively harms you. And yet, you sit here lecturing me about how "undemocratic" it is to restrict smoking... give me a break. It's a total circular argument. It should be perfectly natural for the smokers to move away, not for the people being harassed to have to hide. There ought to be a limit. They poison me at work, they poison me at home, they poison me in waiting rooms, and everyone acts like it's no big deal...

Look, I’m all for these anti-smoking campaigns—call it chauvinism if you want—but as a non-smoker, I can't stand the smell of smoke clinging to my hair. It bothers me when I walk into certain offices, and you can barely breathe or even see people through the haze. Calling it fascism is a stretch, but the moment you speak up against smokers, they get defensive, and frankly, it feels shady. And don't even get me started on the health aspects. It’s ridiculous how people force smoking on others; those bans are a joke, and honestly, I wish they were actually effective.
PS////I don't get why we're talking about bombs right now when the topic is cigarettes. If we're going to go that broad, we might as well start discussing how the moon affects our dreams. Let's stick to the subject, people: cigarettes. They aren't bombs. Unless you're arguing that dropping bombs is a valid defense for smoking, then we've really lost the plot... Let's just be thankful we don't live on Mars.....
PSS Also, I'm not saying anyone should stop smoking if they don't want to. If they want to do it, fine. But don't force me to breathe that air, period.....

I can see where you’re coming from when you talk about someone putting others at risk—or even killing them—but I just can't get on board with that stance regarding suicide. It’s simple: you never truly know what drove a person to that point. The whole point of being a doctor is to offer help, not to leave compassion at the door. Honestly, we should be helping people without playing judge and jury. That’s what the legal system is for; hospitals aren't meant for passing judgment...

Wait, so how do you view smokers then? Aren't they essentially committing suicide by proxy? And what about drug users, or people speeding through traffic and putting everyone else at risk? In my opinion, you can't pick and choose. It shouldn't matter why someone walks into a doctor's office. If we start judging based on lifestyle choices, where does it end? We'll be checking eye colors next just to decide if someone is "deserving" enough of a checkup or medical assistance. We all know exactly where that road leads. Think about it for a second—there is a very thin line between discriminating against one group and discriminating against another, regardless of how much we tell ourselves we don't belong to either side... Discrimination in a medical clinic is the absolute worst thing imaginable. I won't even get into the ethics of it, because honestly, discussing that is just ridiculous.
PS Scott Allen10 says you aren't a doctor, so what's that even supposed to mean?

Casey Palmer5: When someone is contemplating suicide, that individual is just as ill as someone requiring an MRI or similar diagnostic imaging. You can't claim people whose conditions aren't reducible to a simple "this or that" medical finding—those dealing with psychosomatic issues and the like—are somehow less sick.
I’m no doctor, but I do know this from a more human perspective, just navigating life as we all have to: some people simply cannot bear the weight of existence and collapse under the pressure. It isn't our job to pile more onto them; it's to help them break out of that vicious cycle. By "us," I mean society as a whole, because I don't believe suicide is just a clinical issue. It's a failure of the environment we all inhabit.
Scott Allen10 isn't a physician, even though I've noticed some people seem to think he is, given how he phrased things in the text about helping "these" people rather than "those"... In our society, nobody appreciates anyone's work, including university professors and medical specialists, but that is no excuse to devalue life or fail to help others. And as for those of you who think money is everything, I can only say I'm sorry for what we've become. Go ahead and beat me up if you need to.

I’m asking the moderator to please scrub the full name from the previous post (the one by bucket, specifically the second post where she lists some girl's first and last name)....... I have a gut feeling someone is trying to target her for "harassment" this way.... It's sick!

Um, can I ask if you guys have snacks 🙂? I honestly love those mid-day snacks more than my actual meals. I'll always grab some yogurt or something similar, or sometimes I even treat myself to a little something sweet... As for breakfast, hmm, usually muesli with grated apple and a carrot (I prep it the night before so the flavors really meld together by morning) and a dash of cinnamon—it’s super 🙂... Sometimes I might switch to oatmeal, but it's pretty much always either dried fruit mixed into the muesli with an apple, or just a ton of fresh fruit alongside the muesli.... And I blend it with juice instead of milk. Oh, and for a snack, an apple and yogurt would make me sooooo happy.

I’d much rather you get every single change checked out—shape, size, color, whatever... I saw some info about this on a medical site, and look, I’m not a dermatologist 🙂 but I like to stay informed. They could be dangerous, or they might be nothing, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Good luck! (Our doctor, Susan Martin24, can probably explain it better than I can)
It’s better to panic for no reason than to skip the doctor entirely. I get the whole money issue, honestly; I wish everyone could afford the most expensive treatments and top-tier specialists, but in this cutthroat world, that just isn't always a reality.

From what I understand, you don't see people practicing acupuncture unless they have a medical degree. Most of the practitioners I know actually went through medical school, and some even traveled to China to specialize. I’ve seen firsthand where it really helps, especially in cases where conventional medicine just isn't cutting it. Acupuncture works, sure, but only if it's being performed by a doctor or someone truly qualified who actually understands human anatomy...
Of course, like anything else, it isn't a magic bullet. You shouldn't credit it with miraculous results or anything like that, but it is effective and can definitely provide relief.

On top of the headaches, my lower back, hips, and knees are killing me. If I take a moment to think about it, I can usually tell two days in advance whether the weather is going to shift for better or worse, because these changes hit me all at once. To cope, I end up drinking liters of coffee and staying awake reading... basically, when the weather shifts, I just can't find a single sleeping position that doesn't make my bones ache like hell...

Sorry if I'm derailing the thread... but doesn't the label on Kraft itself state a 'recommended' serving size? Like, how many glasses we should actually be drinking per day...🙂Just one more glass of Krafteeeeeeeee........

I mean, I'm not sure if it's actually harmful, but it basically strips the skin of its natural oils. It's definitely not great for women—especially when it comes to maintaining skin beauty—and using scalding hot water on the chest area is just a bad idea...

Just a quick heads-up: if you’re taking any kind of herbal supplements, you absolutely have to tell your doctor first... Not because they want to lecture you, but because they need to know if those things might interfere with your actual prescription meds. (Maybe nimbleskipper13 can weigh in on the other side of the coin here—the risks of using unverified "natural" remedies when they clash with existing treatments)......
While my personal advice—based on what I've seen with my own mother and grandmother—is to stick strictly to what your doctor prescribes, I do believe in keeping a few old-school home remedies in your back pocket. My grandmother is 83 years old, and for the last 35 years, she’s been managing various medications and hormone replacements. She lives a perfectly normal life because she follows her doctor's orders to the letter and stays mindful of her diet (as advised by her physician, of course)......

This might sound a bit silly since I’m a total hypochondriac myself, but I always run an extra rinse cycle on my laundry—basically, once the machine finishes, I just start it up again just for the rinse. Unfortunately, it’s the only way I can deal with it........And one more thing: pay close attention to your diet. For example, spicy foods can give your sweat a really distinct odor, among other things......Maybe try drinking more tea—like sage with lemon balm and St. John's Wort, or honey and cinnamon blends—and plenty of water. Combine all that with regular showers using sensitive skin washes or baby products 🙂, and making sure to change your clothes immediately whenever you sweat.... And stick to cotton, silk, and natural fabrics...

So, I’ve had this scar on my neck since I was 17. The worst part was that it turned into a keloid—hard, bumpy, and such an angry color that I felt like everyone could see it from a mile away. Honestly, I tried everything under the sun. In the end, all that worked was consistently applying a natural remedy (back then, you could find that Saljicev ointment in Boston), which finally softened the tissue and faded the color... Over time, I actually grew used to it. It became something uniquely mine, a recognizable part of me... I guess, as placidfox52 says, you can only mitigate them; unfortunately, making them vanish completely just isn't possible.....

I don't own an Orbitrack, but I have a stationary trainer. It has a built-in heart rate monitor, which makes it easy to track how long I can maintain specific pulse levels. (Listen, before you jump on the same machine, my advice is to warm up properly—do some light stretching exercises first). Also, since riding a stationary bike is much more intense than riding a real bike outdoors, you're going to tire out faster. Try taking it slow at first; maybe just 15 minutes a day for the first week, then bump it up to 20 minutes the following week, and keep climbing until you hit your goal of 45 minutes. You won't be able to sustain that for at least a month of consistent work. The key is persistence—put on some TV, stay focused. If you feel like you're hitting a wall, don't stop moving entirely; just slow your pace down and keep pedaling until you finish your set or your timer runs out. To see actual results, you'll need to stick with this for more than three months. You’ll definitely see changes, but don't rely on the scale; use a measuring tape instead. Record your measurements on day one, then repeat the process every 15 days until you reach your target 🙂. And don't forget to drink plenty of water, maybe throw in a few crunches later, and definitely stretch... Bye