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Posts by Chris Watson3

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Not wanting kids: Is it just me? in Psychology ·
Noah Fowler87 said:I think people were simply weighing different sets of interests against one another, nothing more...☕

If someone loves animals and keeps them, why should that be viewed as somehow less significant than someone having children? I mean that sincerely. To me, it feels incredibly selfish when I’m out with a group of parents and the only topic of conversation at the table is diaper changes or potty training mishaps. It’s exhausting. It’s like if I sat down at a dinner party and spent the entire night lecturing everyone on the nuances of sailing when nobody else cares about it. Why does everyone have to obsess over kids? Why is it that so many parents assume everyone else is dying to have them, or that it’s "normal" to talk about nothing else?

If you want kids, go for it; if you don't, don't. I don't see either path as being "bad"—I see it as a choice. Just as I don't believe those here who choose not to have children would be bad parents, I don't think parents who don't own a dog would be bad pet owners. It’s all about personal preference.

I never once stated that it was "abnormal" to choose not to have children. In fact, if someone doesn't want them, it's much better than having them just because society expects it of them. My issue is solely that comparing children to cats is absolutely revolting. I don't find other people's children annoying either—I'm not the type to fawn over every kid I see—but my nephews are wonderful, though I didn't realize how much I'd love them until they were actually born. It also irritates me when parents talk exclusively about diapers and every single movement their baby makes. A friend of mine has a six-month-old and she's a totally normal, happy mom who isn't limited to talking only about her child. There are all kinds of people in this world; you have the right to not have children, and you have the right not to be stigmatized for that choice. But if I respect your choice, then you should respect the choices of others to have children, rather than following the logic many of you have used here—that most people have them simply because they feel "forced" to by their social circles.
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Not wanting kids: Is it just me? in Psychology ·
shadowtrucker18 said:If you happen to have an aversion to animals, I suppose that might feel unpleasant to you. Personally, though, I don't see anything particularly repulsive about a neighbor's cat. By that same logic, I don't see anything offensive about a friend's son. They are both living beings that someone cares for—and both are capable of feeling affection, each in their own way, I guess.🤷

Where on earth did I ever say I hate animals? I have two dogs and four cats at home, plus two absolutely wonderful nephews. You can't even begin to compare my house cat—who spends its entire existence eating, sleeping, and shedding—to a four-year-old kid who called me yesterday and spoke to me like he was some tiny, serious little adult.
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Not wanting kids: Is it just me? in Psychology ·
Honestly, I’d start getting seriously concerned about my own mental state if I were thinking this way. Look, if you don't want kids, fine—that’s your business. But comparing children to animals? That is absolutely revolting. Besides, people with this kind of mindset should probably be legally barred from having children anyway, because it’s exactly because of people like you that our foster care system is overflowing with abandoned kids.
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Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST] in Health ·
rustygull7 said:I could really use some advice—I just got my blood and urine work back today. Everything looks perfectly fine and falls within the standard ranges, except for my CRP level. A normal result should be between 0 and 5, but mine came back at 14.7. Is there any reason for me to start panicking here?

Elevated levels:
An increase in CRP concentration can occur during acute or chronic bacterial infections, autoimmune disorders, immune complex diseases, tissue necrosis, malignant conditions, myocardial infarctions, or physical trauma. Typically, this elevation manifests within 24 to 48 hours.
Because an elevated CRP reading is non-specific, the results cannot be interpreted in a vacuum; they require a complete medical history and, even then, should only be evaluated in comparison to your previous baseline values. If CRP levels remain persistently high, it may indicate that a current treatment plan is ineffective.
Keep in mind that "normal" CRP levels do not necessarily rule out the presence of mild localized inflammation or certain chronic conditions, such as Lupus or ulcerative colitis.
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Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST] in Health ·
Elizabeth Ross48 said:First and foremost, you should understand that fibrinogen levels can be naturally elevated in certain individuals. I am not sure if you have ever had a fibrinogen test performed previously, but if you have, it would be prudent to compare your current results against those baseline values. Furthermore, an increase in fibrinogen is physiologically expected during menstruation or pregnancy. Additionally, if you have recently dealt with a sore throat, a bladder infection, or any other type of bacterial infection, your fibrinogen levels could easily be elevated as a direct response to that inflammation. Are you currently taking oral contraceptives? Generally speaking, birth control can influence coagulation disorders, and in such cases, one really ought to consider discontinuing their use. Have you completed a full blood count, an ESR test, or a comprehensive metabolic panel? If so, please list exactly what was tested and let me know if any of your other results fell outside the standard reference ranges.
If everything else looks normal, there really isn't any reason to lose sleep over this. Just schedule a follow-up round of testing in about a month. Honestly, there is absolutely no room for panic here.👍

I was just looking back through my old medical records, and it turns out I’ve had this issue for quite a while. Back in 2007, during my fourth month of pregnancy, my fibrinogen levels were sitting at 4.4. This confirms that my levels were elevated even way back then, though I wasn't on any hormonal contraceptives at the time. Fast forward to now, and I’ve just finished a course of birth control pills—I stopped taking my Yasmin last week.😲 I received my results the day after my blood draw. Here is the latest update from the biochemistry panel: Bilirubin is at 9 (reference interval: 3.0–20.0).
My alkaline phosphatase levels came back at 79, which falls squarely within the standard reference range of 54 to 119. Everything appears to be perfectly normal here.
My AST came back at 19, which falls comfortably within the standard reference range of 8 to 30. Given how much noise there is surrounding liver enzymes and metabolic health lately, I find myself wondering if anyone else pays this much attention to these specific markers. Is a result sitting right in the middle of the pack truly indicative of optimal function, or is it merely "normal" by clinical standards? I'd be interested to hear if others follow these trends closely.
My ALT level came back at 21, which falls within the standard reference interval of 10 to 36. Is there any reason to be concerned about this specific reading?
Is there any point in even looking at GGT levels without context? It feels like we’re just staring at numbers on a page without the full picture. What exactly are we trying to determine here? Are we looking for signs of liver stress, or is this just a routine checkup that happened to flag something? Without knowing the rest of the metabolic profile, a single value is practically meaningless. Is anyone else finding these isolated lab results incredibly frustrating to interpret?40The standard reference range for this particular metric is typically set between 9 and 35. It is essential to view any individual result within this specific context to determine if it falls within the expected parameters.
Coagulation:
Prothrombin time: 0.99 (>0.70)
My APTT came back at 31, while the standard reference range is listed between 22 and 28. Does anyone else here deal with these slight elevations? I find myself wondering if such a marginal deviation actually warrants any clinical concern, or if we're all just overanalyzing numbers on a page.
I’ve been looking over my recent lab results, specifically the APTT, and I see an index of 1.24 within that massive reference range of 0.00 to 9999.00. Given how much weight people put on these numbers, I can't help but wonder: what does this actually signify in a clinical context? Is such a reading considered standard, or should one be looking deeper into the coagulation profile?
I still have my hematology results to go through, but everything there looks fine—nothing is outside the reference range. If you want, I can type out the specifics for you. Honestly, thank you so much for looking out for me; you’ve been like a sister.🙏
Fibrinogen levels sitting at 6.1 mg/dL when the standard reference range caps out at 3.5—what exactly are we looking at here? It’s a significant elevation, to say the least. One has to wonder: is this just an isolated spike, or is it indicative of a much larger systemic issue? When you see numbers this far outside the norm, you can't help but ask whether the underlying inflammatory response is being properly addressed. Is there a clear cause, or are we just staring at a symptom without knowing the source?
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Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST] in Health ·
Elizabeth Ross48 said:What's your fibrinogen level at? Have you checked your D-dimer yet?

It’s sitting at 6.1, when the upper limit is supposed to be 3.5. My doctor told me there's absolutely nothing to worry about, but frankly, I don't find those numbers normal at all.
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Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST] in Health ·
I could really use some help here. I just got my bloodwork back, and while my coagulation levels are mostly within the normal range, my fibrinogen is elevated. What does that actually mean? Everything I’ve been reading online is absolutely terrifying, and honestly, it's making me spiral. My doctor mentioned it might be linked to low iron levels, but I don't follow the logic at all. How does that even work????
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Progress or just spoiled kids? in Psychology ·
Eric White10 said:I’ve always felt that kids really just need a foundation of genuine love and honesty from their parents, rather than being met with physical discipline.

What kind of "honesty" are you even talking about? Are you kidding me? Of course kids need love, obviously, but I’m certainly not going to sit here and let someone tell me that giving a kid a smack on the backside when they mess up is some kind of crime. People act like it's sacrilege or child abuse, and frankly, it's ridiculous. Every time I turn on the TV and see Lily Flanders or whoever she is preaching, it makes my skin crawl. She talks such nonsense that even teenagers don't know how to respect their own parents anymore. I have a friend whose kid constantly threatens to call Child Protective Services every time he gets grounded—it’s absurd. Is that supposed to be normal now? Kids today are definitely five times more spoiled than they used to be.
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Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion] in Women's Health ·
Christian Smith6 said:Hey girls...
So, here’s how I handle things—I basically take my birth control, like Yasmin, and just manage it on my own terms... anyway, I actually went to see a gynecologist about two weeks ago to get everything sorted out officially. While I was there, I asked her if she could write me a referral for some blood work and all that necessary stuff—you know, just so everything stays completely above board and legal... 🙂 So, here’s the situation—I’ve got this recipe for my pills, and she told me specifically to get over there the second I’m done making them... basically, don't stop the cycle. But then today, I head in to pick up my lab results, and the nurse just shuts me down. She says I can't see the OBGYN right now because I wasn't officially scheduled for today—apparently, I have to wait until my next appointment in two weeks. To make matters worse, she was clearly agitated... wouldn't even let me see the actual paperwork or talk to the doctor. She did mention that everything looks fine, mostly, though she noted my liver enzymes are slightly elevated—still technically within the "normal" range, I guess—but now they want me to go in for an ultrasound. Anyway, since I'm currently on my break, I'm supposed to start the next pack this Friday. Now I'm just sitting here wondering... should I actually follow through and start the new pack, or is it better to just stop, given that those liver numbers were a bit high...? 😕

Listen, I really have to ask—how on earth does anyone even think it’s okay to just start popping pills without a doctor's oversight? I honestly cannot wrap my head around it. To me, it feels like such a blatant display of pure irresponsibility. Where is the common sense? It’s genuinely baffling.
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Progress or just spoiled kids? in Psychology ·
Spoiled? Absolutely. Honestly, they might as well just have summer break from June through December; though by December, we’ll probably be dealing with snowstorms, so they can just freeze on their way to school. Seriously, what kind of nonsense is this? It’s getting ridiculous. Kids these days are living in bubble wrap. In fact, I don't think parents even know how to raise a child anymore because they're constantly being bombarded with all this advice from child psychologists. You can't even raise your voice at a kid without it being instantly labeled as psychological abuse.
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