Posts by Matthew Cox8

velvetmoose9 said:Flu season is officially upon us.

The usual suspects include stuff like fevers, sinus pressure, sore throats, and aching joints—plus, I’ve noticed some people dealing with stomach issues, too, like nausea, losing their appetite, or even running to the bathroom.
The weather lately has been basically an open invitation for viruses to thrive, and since everyone seems to be traveling way more than they used to, we're constantly picking up new bugs that our immune systems aren't exactly prepared to handle.

If things start feeling really heavy or you feel like you're spiraling, it's probably worth reaching out to your doctor.

Thanks. Best,

Thyroid hormone results are inconclusive.

After tossing and turning all night with those sweats—couldn't get a wink of sleep—I hit this weird patch this afternoon where I started shaking a little and my temperature climbed to about 99.7.

On top of that, I've been getting these sharp, stabbing pains popping up in my muscles and joints every now and then.

I'm leaning toward thinking it's just some random virus going around... or do you guys think I should go ahead and make an appointment with my primary care doctor tomorrow?

I don't know what's going on, but this is starting to get to be too much—it’s actually messing with my sleep at this point. I keep waking up drenched in sweat, which means having to jump in the shower in the middle of the night and deal with changing all the sheets... it's exhausting. On top of that, I've been feeling these irregular heart palpitations—just a racing pulse and those weird "skipping" sensations.
I'll just have to wait and see what my thyroid hormone results show.

I’ve honestly never really done any training—not even the kind where you break a serious sweat. Even during those humid summers... nothing.

I'm going to wait until I get my hormone panel results back to see if there's some kind of imbalance going on, but I'm leaning toward thinking everything is fine, just like you mentioned.

Thanks again, and take care.

Thanks for getting back to me.

It doesn't matter where I am sleeping—I just end up sweating through the night. Whether I'm in my own room, if I crash on the couch at home, or staying over at a friend's place... it happens everywhere, regardless of the temperature. Even if it's freezing or sweltering, I still sweat.

Regarding the antidepressants, I've been on Paxil for almost four years now. The sweating is pretty much constant—even if I'm just taking a quick walk, like a short stroll to the local CVS or a grocery store just a block away, my shirt is already soaked.

Hey everyone.

So, to make a long story short—it's been going on for a few years now, but especially over the last couple of weeks—I’ve been dealing with these intense night sweats. It's gotten to the point where I have to get up twice a night just to swap out my sheets.

Just to give some context—I sleep in just boxers, and I don't turn the heat on in my room at all; thanks to the insulation, it stays around a cool 59°F. I usually just use a sheet and two thin blankets.

The thing is, I'm on an antidepressant, and over the last two months, I've gained 10 pounds—I feel like my body is totally changing shape. Yesterday, I actually went in to get blood work done—my own call, of course—to check my thyroid hormones. I've always been a pretty lean guy, usually hovering around 140 lbs, but now I'm pushing over 165 lbs.

My diet is relatively healthy—lots of fiber and veggies with my main meals.

Has anyone else dealt with something similar, or is anyone experiencing this right now?

Maybe try asking your primary care doctor about getting a prescription for those Ensure protein shakes. They’re meant to be a supplement to your regular meals—not a total replacement, obviously. Personally, I managed to put on about 11 pounds in just six weeks using them.

I'm actually not entirely sure if you can just grab them over the counter at a local CVS without a script, but they come in these little cartons... kind of like a chocolate milk setup.

Hi everyone.

I’m hoping someone with some medical background might be able to help me make sense of this. My uncle just had a CT scan done—he got the results back today, though he doesn't have his follow-up appointment with his doctor until Monday.

Here is what the report says:

Expansive renal mass in the upper third of the kidney (possible RCC?)
Fatty liver infiltration, liver cyst
Suspected liver cysts, alternative etiology
Renal cysts

Thanks in advance for any insight.

I've attached a photo here—you can see that right next to the Bluetooth icon, it's listing the Windows host process ( Rundll32. >>Check it out here.<<

Just a bit of context—I picked up this Dell laptop with Windows 8.1. installed. Everything was working perfectly fine with the Bluetooth at first; I haven't downloaded anything sketchy from the web, just the standard system updates and nothing else.

But now, the Bluetooth just won't work. Does anyone happen to know a fix for this?

Thanks.

So, I just picked up a new laptop. It’s running macOS, and I noticed there's already a Google Workspace icon sitting right there on the desktop. I need to get it installed, but I'm staring at these options:
1. Buy (New user)
2. Activate (Current user)
3. Trial version

It honestly feels a bit cheeky if I actually have to shell out extra cash for this right now—I thought everything was included. I tried using a few different little tools to hunt down a 25-character product key, but no luck so far... Any advice?

PS: If this whole thing falls through, can I just install Google Workspace from a USB stick onto this system? (I assume I'd need to wipe everything related to Google Workspace first?)

Thanks!

If I’d left my doctor’s office just two minutes earlier, I would’ve missed that truck entirely. If I’d stayed just two minutes longer, I probably would’ve dodged it near the overpass instead. If I had been just five feet closer... well, I likely wouldn't be here. It all boils down to the numbers—but what do those numbers actually mean? They're really just constructs of the human mind. We’ve basically boxed ourselves in with endless theories and definitions about time and existence. That was the first thing that hit me.
The second thing is this: Where was I before I was born? Who was there to "measure" all that vast stretch of non-existence before my arrival? Did any of that time matter? Was it useful to anyone? Not at all. And what happens when I die? Nothing. Time simply stops. But which "time" are we talking about? Only the kind humans bother to record. A birth date, a death date. Does any of that actually matter? Not a bit.

My takeaway is this: We didn't exist once, and we weren't even aware of that void. It’ll be the exact same thing when we pass away—we won't exist. It will be identical to the state before we were born. So, is that a reason to fear death? Absolutely not. Is it a reason to fear the fact that we are just ordinary mortals, and that everything eventually boils down to a messy blend of suffering mixed with a little bit of luck and love? Most definitely.

So, just live for the moment.

I went through something pretty similar to what the author described here.
See, both of my grandfathers passed away—one in his sleep, and the other just a few days after suffering a massive stroke. And that’s where the spiral really started.
Just pure paranoia and fear.
Where am I going? What’s waiting for me there? How is it going to come for me? Is it going to hurt? I mean, why am I even bothering with college if there's a chance it could come for me tomorrow? Honestly, why even try to achieve anything in life if I know, deep down, that it’s eventually coming for me? Out of nowhere. Just like that. Why?
Then, a cousin of mine passed away—relatively young. He had been sickly, sure, but his death was... well, it was the absolute definition of agony and torment. It was the worst thing imaginable.
That’s when I really hit rock bottom. Everything just boiled down to thinking about death. Every single thought, every movement, every breath I took... it all circled back to one question: was this the last one?
Eventually, I sought out some professional help. And then, on the very day I was driving home from my psychiatrist's office—almost as if in defiance of everything—it happened. We were approaching an overpass, my car heading toward a truck coming from the opposite direction. There was this strange sensation in the air right before it hit. The car on one side, the truck on the other, closing in on the overpass... then, this massive impact. The truck was too tall for the bridge, and debris started flying everywhere—hitting everything, including my car. For a split second, the world just stopped. I just closed my eyes.
After those few seconds, I fell into shock and ended up hyperventilating. I couldn't catch my breath. Luckily, nobody was hurt—just some minor property damage to the truck and the overpass.
It felt like a slap in the face that actually woke me up. Instead of spiraling into even more fear, things finally started clicking into place in my head...

Hey everyone.

So, we’re a gay couple—just two guys living out here in Santa Barbara—and honestly, it’s been feeling a little lonely lately. Most of our old friends have moved away to pursue their own things, plus I only actually moved to Santa Barbara a few months back... so we’re really just looking for some good company to talk to and hang out with (maybe hit up a bowling alley, play some pool, that kind of stuff).

We’re really just hoping to meet some down-to-earth people without any judgment—we'll just let things happen naturally. If you're in the Santa Barbara area or somewhere nearby, please reach out.

Best to you all 🙂