Posts by Karen Smith34

Is it just me, or does it feel like we’re constantly watching the same loop play out every single season? You get all excited about a new talent or a massive signing, everyone talks about how they're going to be the missing piece of the puzzle, and then—boom—the injury bug hits. It’s incredibly frustrating to watch.

I feel like we spend more time discussing recovery timelines and "fitness concerns" than we do actual tactics or gameplay lately. It really kills the momentum of a season when you can't build any consistency because the core group is constantly in and out of the lineup. It makes you wonder if the physical demands of the modern game are just becoming unsustainable for these players.

Do you think clubs are overworking their squads, or is this just the new normal for high-level athletes?

I'm looking for a recommendation for an ophthalmologist in New York City. I just need a second opinion based solely on her current eye doctor's findings—my mom is quite elderly and isn't feeling well enough to travel to the city right now.
Unfortunately, they turned me away at Light—they won't provide a second opinion without doing their own full exam first.

So, here’s my take on the whole "reverse charge" thing...

We just had an invoice sent back to us from the USA, and they're asking me to include specific wording like "reverse charge procedure according to US Code"

We already invoiced them for the service.

So, my question is:

How am I supposed to know which specific code to cite? It seems like just writing "reverse charge" isn't quite enough.
I mean, when companies over here send us goods or bill us for services, they always seem to reference all sorts of different regulations—you know, things like the 2008/8 or 2006/112 ones (which I think covers everything related to physical goods, like equipment rentals or repairs and stuff).

Also, just to make sure I've got this straight—if a service is tax-exempt, does that mean we don't use the reverse charge at all?

Thanks so much in advance for any help!

I need to bill some services to a company over in Italy—should I be charging them sales tax or not?
(The service was performed here in the US, though I've been including sales tax on their invoices up until now)

Ethan Mitchell4 said:Wait, so did anyone actually get that "famous" number from the IRS?
I just got a note from a supplier over in Canada asking me to provide it. For now, I’m playing dumb since I don't have it yet, though I was half-tempted to just send them our US Tax ID... I don't even know....

I haven't been to any seminars lately... so there's nothing for me there... I'm basically flying blind here.
but this is going to be fun 🙂

Anyway, I'll ask one more time: has anyone actually heard back from the IRS with their number?

Maria Fisher46 said:Hi there,

It would definitely be a good idea to redo the platelet count—just to double-check that 80×10^9/L reading.

A platelet count of 80×10^9/L really does warrant some follow-up (some doctors start looking into it once it hits 100×10^9/L, for instance), but honestly, this number isn't quite at an alarming level yet. It doesn't significantly bump up the risk of bleeding—usually, we see issues like skin or mucosal bleeding when counts drop below 50×10^9/L, though I guess some people stay symptom-free even with lower numbers.

One of the big next steps will likely be a blood smear, which helps see how the platelets look in relation to the other blood cells.

If everything else looks totally normal—meaning the other blood cells are fine in both structure and count—and a physical exam shows no signs of systemic illness, then the most common culprit is often immune thrombocytocytosis. That’s basically when the body somehow starts breaking down platelets too quickly, though the exact reasons aren't always clear.

It’s also super helpful to know if anyone in your family has dealt with similar things. For example, have you ever noticed spontaneous bruising or bleeding in the skin or mucous membranes—like heavier periods, nosebleeds, or bleeding gums? Also, have you started any new medications recently (you mentioned Persen) or had any recent vaccinations? I won't go into all the tiny details here on the forum, though.

So, if it turns out you aren't experiencing any symptoms and everything else checks out (besides the low platelets), it’ll most likely be immune thrombocytocytosis. This can be primary (where the underlying cause is a mystery) or secondary (where something else triggers the immune system to attack the platelets, like an infection—so they might want to run tests for certain viruses or H. pylori, maybe check immunoglobulin levels, or screen for systemic autoimmune diseases if there's any suspicion).

In those cases, treatment usually doesn't kick in until the count drops a bit further (some doctors wait until it hits 30×10^9/L), unless there's a specific high risk involved.

The logical question follows: why bother with the check-up and testing at all if we aren't treating it yet? Well, I guess it's because we need to figure out *why* the count is low in the first place, since it could be linked to something else that actually needs treatment, like an infection.

Best regards! 🙂

Thank you so much for such a thorough answer!
The hematologica specialist asked for a retest to start with, as they're assuming the initial 80×10^9/L might just have been a counting error.
Thanks again, and take care!

Drew Rogers6 said:Look, we use Chase for our business account. Most of the time we don't even keep Euros in the foreign currency account, so when we need to pay something, we just convert from USD—and that conversion amount becomes my base for the VAT form calculation. Am I doing this wrong?

Yeah, that’s not quite right. You should be booking the transaction using the Federal Reserve's mid-market exchange rate on the actual invoice date—that’s what you should use as your base for the sales tax calculation.

I have a quick question about my platelet count:

Back in October 2012, my levels were at 220
But a recent test just showed 80

Everything else seems to be within the normal range—my cholesterol is 7, I'm 53, and I'm not really feeling any symptoms,
My blood pressure is usually fine, though it does tend to drop if I stand for too long—plus some occasional headaches that last a few hours and then vanish for days. About two and a half years ago, I had surgery for uterine cancer (had my uterus and ovaries removed), but I didn't need any follow-up treatment after that, and all my post-op results have been totally normal. I wonder if high stress levels right now could be playing a part? I occasionally take an herbal supplement for calming down—Persen—but I don't take anything else. I don't drink or smoke either.

Should I be worried?

I've already scheduled an appointment with an internist who also specializes in hematology to go over these numbers, but I’d love to hear what you guys think here too. Thanks in advance!

Douglas Booth22 said:Where in Seattle can I find something nice for a wedding? Not looking for a dress, just some black trousers and a dressy top. I once saw a boutique called Moni in a department store that mentioned they carried plus sizes...

Maybe check out Marks & Spencer at the Tower mall?

Angela Wright said:If everything can be surgically removed without it spreading to the abdomen, that’s honestly such a blessing—it usually leads to a much better outcome.
I think your perspective is really healthy and positive. You shouldn't let this illness dictate how you live your life. You're in charge of your own body, and I know you'll do whatever it takes to get things back under control.
Hang in there and just stay brave.
For more info on treatments and what to expect: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/uterine-cancer/...
You should also check out the association's forum. There's always a huge rotation of people dealing with similar diagnoses, so I'm sure you'll find someone going through the exact same thing right now.

Thank you.
I'll jump onto the forum once I'm back from the hospital. Right now, I just don't have the patience for anything else—I'm honestly just ready to get this surgery over with.

Honestly, one thing that’s actually making me feel a bit better about my story is realizing that nobody else here has had to deal with this awful experience—and I really mean that, it's not sarcasm—even though I guess I was kind of hoping for a little bit of comfort. (thanks, Barbara)
It doesn't matter, though; I've made up my mind that this illness isn't going to run my life. In a few days, they'll get all of this out of my system, and after that, I'm going to be a healthy woman again. I'm really trying to stick to that decision.

I’m writing this while feeling pretty overwhelmed, so please excuse any typos or weird grammar.
I might have missed it, but I haven't been able to find anything on these forums about my specific situation.
So, here's the deal: after several months of irregular bleeding—sometimes it was super heavy, other times nothing at all, followed by this odorless pinkish-brown discharge—my Pap smear came back mostly normal, though there was a tiny hint of "atypical cells."
To get straight to the point: the results from my recent D&C confirmed endometrial cancer. I'm heading to the hospital this Wednesday, and I'm hoping maybe they'll perform the surgery by Friday. They're planning to remove my uterus and both ovaries. Either way,
I'm having moments where the shock just makes it hard to breathe. I'm 50, and I've always been healthy—well, except for one D&C about eight years ago due to endometrial hyperplasia. Based on what I know, I shouldn't be in a high-risk group since I'm under 55, I'm not overweight, my blood pressure is fine, I don't have diabetes, and there's no history of this in my family.
Has anyone gone through something similar (especially if you've dealt with the medical system in Cleveland)? Any advice at all? Thanks so much.