Posts by Jacob Sullivan91

Michelle Nelson4 said:It’s funny how things work out. Back home, there was always this underlying assumption that not everyone had tackled advanced math during high school, so everything basically had to be taught from the ground up. Personally, I think we actually had quite a few more math hours than most, though looking back, we definitely messed up during that first year—we weren't exactly sure if we had even signed up for the right math track since nobody really laid it all out for us! 😁 )

It was the exact same deal with math here, too. But then take something like AutoCAD... everyone just expected you to pick it up on your own. Like, nobody actually sat you down to teach it. I think we just got some random online course and were told "good luck, figure it out." Same goes for technical drawing, honestly. And I definitely wouldn't say kids coming out of vocational high schools were any better prepared (shoutout to the few exceptions, I guess)...

Adam Diaz67 said:Signed. Same here. I considered MIT or maybe studying under Isaac Newton, but I passed because I really didn't feel like trekking across town. On a Saturday morning when traffic is light, it’s a 45-minute bus ride. But during the weekday rush? If the subway or a bus gets stuck, that trip turns into over an hour one way. In the end, I just enrolled in the same local prep school that's only 15 minutes from my house. Instead of dragging myself out of bed at 6:00 AM, I can sleep until 7:15. And yeah, nobody dictated which school I had to go to either.

@Mart28

Yeah. You take the SATs. Some colleges require extra subjects, so if you didn't take them in high school, you're basically studying and testing on your own. For instance, if you want to move from, say, a technical high school to a major like Chemical Engineering, but you only took chemistry for one year, it’s going to be much harder than it is for someone coming from a traditional prep school—not just getting in, but surviving the coursework since you'll be missing foundational knowledge. I can give you an example from my own college experience. During freshman year, kids from tech or vocational high schools had a huge leg up in things like drafting or CAD because they’d already done it in class. Meanwhile, students from heavy math-focused prep schools had the edge in calculus and mechanics because some schools just don't cover derivatives and integrals thoroughly enough. By sophomore year, things usually even out. Theoretically, the system is set up so that someone with a cosmetology diploma who passes the equivalency exams could get into med school, or someone who never studied music could get into a conservatory. In practice, though, that rarely happens.

I'm not sure which university we're talking about here, but I've seen just about everything. I remember being in a general liberal arts track and ended up doing the technical drafting for some guys who graduated from a local trade school because they just couldn't wrap their heads around it... then there were times when two girls from an applied sciences program had to sit down and explain basic mechanics to the geniuses from MIT. As for us? We were basically being taught derivatives and integrals from scratch, so I guess I didn't miss much...
I wish I could see the actual data, but I vividly remember plenty of kids from those high-end math academies failing calculus. Honestly, it was such a shock to me... I totally assumed they'd show up ready to conquer the world.

Anyone got a lead on a solid urologist in Chicago? Doesn't matter if they take insurance or if it's private practice... just need someone who actually knows their stuff.

wearybison8 said:The entrance exams weren't shared across disciplines, but for instance, all the medical schools held their exams on the exact same day, so you couldn't exactly try for one in Chicago and then fly out to try for one in Boston or New York on the same weekend...
Now that you've added more detail, I'm not even certain if the ETF and the FBI had their exams scheduled for the same day 🤔, I just know that you could transfer your credits over to the FBI if you managed to clear the threshold at the ETF but fell just short of the cut-off line

Even back in my day, nobody wanted anything to do with the FBI. Now? Seems like it's actually getting a little bit of hype.

Sarah Hall53 said:Wait, hold on—you actually started college during those first years of the credit system... and you're seriously claiming to be the most experienced one here on this topic? 🤣

I mean, you might eventually get there—but only if you're looking at like a ten-year gap between finishing high school and actually starting college. It’s a long stretch, honestly. 🤣

Yeah, I went to school back in the old Austro-Canadian days before enrolling in college... 😬

I honestly feel like everything you guys are talking about is brand new stuff... 😬 It’s like we're moving backward here in the States. 🕺

Anyway, right at the turn of the millennium, you basically had to pick one specific track for both high school and college or you were out of luck.

wearybison8 said:When was it ever possible to apply to just one school at a time?
Back when I was (way back 😬) applying, I actually applied to two different universities; for one, I had to hand over my original documents, while for the other, submitting copies was perfectly fine.

Regarding entrance exams at technical universities, Civil Engineering and MIT definitely didn't schedule theirs for the same time.
If I recall correctly, the entrance exams for MIT and the School of Mechanical Engineering in New York City were held simultaneously (though I'm not entirely sure about the College of Arts and Sciences)
so you could potentially transfer credits from one university to another if you managed to pass the threshold.
There was always plenty of room available at the School of Mechanical Engineering.🙂

They had a 100% overlap because my cousin and I took them at the same time... we even realized the exams were identical, which felt totally insane at the time. That was the first year of the new credit system. And the year before that, I'm pretty sure it was the same. Beyond that? No clue...

Anthony Gray said:MIT wasn't nearly the household name it is today—back when I was applying, I actually missed out on getting into Krizanicev during the first round. Honestly? I’m incredibly glad things shook out that way because my time at MIT was absolutely wonderful. As for the whole business about locking the doors... I can't quite recall 😁
Things are fundamentally different now, though. Back then, the seniors weren't nearly as involved in all that stuff. My "special treatment" was basically just having someone drive me around to drop off paperwork or head to registration so I wouldn't have to mess with the bus or the light rail. Nowadays, they practically chauffeur them straight to campus—some even get rides all the way to job interviews 😬

I mean, there were always parents like that, but they were definitely the exception rather than the rule. And I'm sure there are still plenty of parents today letting their kids make their own calls, they probably just aren't the loudest group out there.

In theory, my folks told us we could pick our own schools, but the second my sister mentioned wanting to go into electrical engineering, my mom basically begged me to "subtly" talk her out of it. My parents—and even my teachers—were low-key pushing me toward an engineering degree too. Sure, it ended up being the wrong call in the end, but hey, I'm working in a field now that nobody back then could have even imagined existed...

Who knows what kind of jobs kids will actually be doing once they finish the schools they're picking today 😬

Carl Bishop2 said:If I remember correctly, you actually had the option to transfer those math and physics credits over.
I went through the high school admissions process with a close friend, and we ended up taking the exact same entrance exams—we even turned in our paperwork for the same university where we both got direct admission.

I mean, sure, you could if there were spots left, but they gave priority to people who actually sat for the entrance exams at that specific school. For me, my backup plan was always the College of Humanities and Social Sciences because back in my ancient prehistoric days, nobody wanted to touch that place... but Civil Engineering or MIT would usually hit their capacity in the first round, so I couldn't really count on having both as options.

Susan James said:A lot of things aren't comparable to how they were in the last century (man, that sounds dramatic, doesn't it? 😂)
We used to apply to two different schools—one with our original documents and one with copies—and you just went wherever you got accepted. If you got into the one where you sent copies, you'd spend the whole day running around trying to find your originals to hand them in to the school that actually took you.
You could actually get in without hitting the maximum possible score; there was no oversight from the IRS or anything like that. I remember us standing OURSELVES in line outside the school building just to turn in our paperwork. Nowadays, I see parents heading off to college campuses with their kids during enrollment 🤦
(And they watch the high school admissions happen in real-time online, watching the little cursor move during the digital enrollment process, all while dealing with everyone's opinions on which school the kid should attend. For instance, back in middle school, my teachers basically told me exactly where I should go, even though by my freshman year, I realized how much they had steered us wrong. By the time I got to college, I was certain they hadn't been very accurate. Still, I wouldn't be who I am today if they hadn't made those mistakes 🤣)

And then, if you're unlucky enough to be part of a hiring committee at work, you get a front-row seat to these absolute gems who show up to job interviews with their mom or dad in tow. Or worse, the mom calls the office to grill us about the job details 😲

I'm probably the oldest person talking about this, but honestly, back in the day, you could only really apply to one high school. So if you don't make the cut, you're forced into a second round where you have to pick from the schools nobody actually wanted to go to in the first place.

Even for college, all those technical universities held their entrance exams at the exact same time... you could only pick one.

silentmason4 said:Does anyone know which high schools in the Chicago area only have classes in the morning?

Josip Broz Marshall used to have one, but honestly, who knows what the deal is nowadays...

That’s got absolutely nothing to do with the ingredients you need for the pills. Just make them 😉

Look, you didn't just pick that med up while taking a casual stroll through downtown... you were at the ER for a reason. You ended up in the emergency room because something was actually wrong.

Honestly? If I were you, I’d go find a solid psychiatrist and maybe—just maybe—stop falling down those crazy conspiracy theory rabbit holes... 🤷

Kimberly Ward said:This looks like a textbook case of anxiety and depression hitting at once. Plus some other stuff too. It’s not even about the meds... it’s more like everyone is just trying to find excuses for everything. At the end of the day, we're all responsible for our own lives.

Honestly, those symptoms sound like classic anxiety to me too. And hey, looking at what you described, maybe your thyroid is acting up? Might be worth starting there instead... 🤷

People love to latch onto one single diagnosis and blame it for absolutely everything.

Eating a little bit of lettuce every other day isn't exactly going to hit your daily vitamin requirements... Are you at least taking some multivitamins or something?

Look, I'm not trying to freak you out or anything, but those symptoms of yours could be anything—could be nothing major too, I guess. But honestly, I don't get how health can be lower on your priority list than everything else. Like, what's the point of getting that degree if you're too sick to enjoy it?

So many illnesses are way easier to deal with if you catch them early. If you keep pushing off seeing a doctor just because of something trivial like finals week, you might end up having to take a few years off because things got too serious...

I sometimes wish I’d just totally checked out during certain situations back in college, maybe frozen my semester and just found myself again. On the bright side, though, I did learn how to stop being stubborn and actually show up to my checkups on time.

Nicholas Davis4 said:They measure fasting insulin, along with several readings after you eat.
I’ve done this before at places like Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins; first, they draw blood while you're fasting, then they have you drink a glucose solution, and then they take blood samples at specific intervals (don't quote me on the exact timing since I don't have my lab results handy, but if I recall correctly, it was at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 minutes).
They check both glucose and insulin levels.
For glucose, the extended version is called an OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test). A standard one just involves fasting, drinking the glucose, and staying still without eating or drinking for two hours before another draw. With the extended test and insulin monitoring, it's the same idea: fasting, the glucose drink, and then staying as still as possible without food or drink until the end. It's a bit like being stuck in one spot for a while. 😁

The standard two-hour test doesn't tell me much, but the extended one really highlights insulin resistance—my insulin levels skyrocket and then absolutely crater.

Now, I'm no doctor, but I don't quite follow the logic regarding that blood pressure medication.
It's not like your blood pressure is constantly through the roof.
And why not try managing it through lifestyle changes first?
In my case, they had me do a Holter monitor (that 24-hour wearable device that tracks your pressure) first, and it turned out I didn't need a full dose, just half of a minimum dose.

Did they not even run a FEC test for you?

On another note, I've been feeling completely wiped out due to iron-deficiency anemia... I can barely manage ten reps at the gym. I feel like I could fall asleep standing up, and my concentration is shot. But I was taking Heferol and Ferrum (alternating them over a few months), which brought my iron back to normal for a bit, but then it would drop again and I'd be back on Ferrum.
Right now, I'm feeling dizzy and lethargic again, and my hair is thinning, so I assume the anemia is back. I need to head to the local clinic for some blood work.

At the end of the day, without proper testing, you won't find the cause or the right treatment... whether that's a pill or just some carrot juice.

Just in case anyone needs the heads-up, I was stuck in the hospital bed on an IV for the OGTT, and when my sugar crashed hard, I felt like death.

The whole lying in bed and being on an IV caught me off guard since I expected to be sitting in a waiting room or being mobile. And I wish someone had told me to bring snacks, because I could barely limp over to the snack stand at the hospital near downtown Chicago.

steelwalker26 said:And that's exactly my point:

What kind of symptoms were you dealing with at first? How did you end up getting your diagnosis?

Nausea, headaches, and just feeling absolutely wiped out after eating anything sweet... and mind you, I almost never get headaches.

Just felt physically off in general, plus I started packing on belly fat out of nowhere, which was weird because I was hitting the gym hard and actually watching my diet.

I was seeing an endocrinologist (who also handles diabetes) and she pretty much guessed it right away, even though she sent me for a ton of tests. She told me I had that classic insulin belly.

Oh, and yeah, my fasting blood sugar was relatively low. Like, we went for a physical and everyone else was sitting at 90-100, but mine was under 70. I honestly thought that was great... 😬

Don't have my lab results right in front of me, but I know things have progressed quite a bit and my insulin levels are through the roof. During my OGTT, I felt so sick I could barely walk down the stairs... everything went blurry and I was seeing double.

steelwalker26 said:He mentioned he’d take a look at the thyroid, then asked if there was anything else on the checklist.

Before. Diabetes doesn't just hit you like a freight train out of nowhere. There’s always that gray area first—a window where the symptoms aren't all hitting at once. Look, not everyone dealing with insulin resistance is destined to end up with full-blown diabetes, but you can't afford to be complacent. If you're already scrambling to find a fix, you better pay close attention to those early warning signs. Don't ignore the buildup.

I suspect we're looking at simultaneous symptoms rather than actual underlying causes.
Feeling weak after eating is also a symptom. Obesity doesn't just happen overnight—you don't wake up twenty pounds heavier out of nowhere. It starts with excess weight. Your metabolism is reacting to something that simply isn't working for you. Since Jose Edwards16 isn't facing major issues yet, why not try adjusting his diet and see if it helps? I wasn't suggesting anything drastic.

I'm not saying you suggested something extreme, just that it wasn't exactly right. I'd pass out without snacking in between meals 🤷

IR is super easy to diagnose, so he's better off just going for an OGTT to see if he needs medication.

steelwalker26 said:@Jacob Sullivan91, have you ever actually figured out why your insulin levels are staying stubbornly high?

I'm just sitting here waiting on some genetic testing results... because honestly, it’s not like I’m overweight or anything. My cholesterol has never even come close to the upper limit, let alone gone over it, and my blood pressure has been totally fine my entire life.

My mom deals with the exact same thing, so there's a pretty good chance this is just running in the family... genetics, right?

Reading what the OP wrote, it really takes me back to how I felt about ten years ago. Back then, I was struggling with hypothyroidism and anxiety 🤷

steelwalker26 said:Based on extensive research and my own firsthand experience.

And yeah, I suggested running some preliminary tests for insulin resistance, among other things, specifically so his doctor would finally realize there's an option she hasn't even bothered to mention yet.

So you aren't actually a pro or anything, you're just reading random articles online? 🤔

Jabto I wouldn't do what you're doing if I were you, but hey, whatever. You're out here dropping info that totally contradicts what a regular endocrinologist would tell you.

I'm really hoping this whole thread doesn't spiral back into those LCHF/snake diet/fasting nonsense rabbit holes again... 😲

steelwalker26 said:And this part is crucial:
supplement with extra multivitamins and minerals. Watch your meal timing. Cut back on carbs—specifically sugar and starches—and swap them out for leafy greens, healthy fats, and moderate amounts of protein.

Regarding that meal rhythm—if you start digging into the research on insulin resistance, you'll see the consensus is to stop snacking constantly. It means sticking to three steady meals composed of low-glycemic foods, and absolutely nothing in between.

Where are you even getting that from? Because over at Mayo Clinic they told me the exact opposite... honestly, eating smaller, more frequent meals is the only thing keeping my blood sugar steady (since it drops because my insulin is spiked too high). I really think he should go talk to an actual specialist. People online post whatever random theories they have about treating IR and diabetes, and half of it isn't even sustainable...

@Jose Edwards16 what was your fasting FEC like?