Posts by hiddenjackal17
19 posts shown.
When my mother passed away from breast cancer ten years ago, it felt like it happened overnight. One minute everything was fine, the next she was gone. It all started with a cough and some back pain, then breathing issues landed her in the hospital, and two days later, that was it. No one—not even her—had any clue there was cancer or metastases involved. Up until those final days, there wasn't a single hint of what was actually happening. By pure chance, she essentially walked right through her own diagnosis without knowing it, passing away thinking it was just bronchitis. Honestly, given her temperament and how she viewed the world, maybe that was for the best. I don't know how she would have handled the endless rounds of chemo, radiation, or being stuck in a hospital bed. That kind of thing would have broken her spirit before the disease ever could. For us, though, it was a massive shock.
Looking at myself now, I’m the complete opposite. I’m a total health freak. I go for every checkup, every preventative measure, and I’m willing to try anything—every possible test, drug, or therapy out there.
In my eyes, the fact that my mom never went for screenings, checkups, or mammograms was purely selfish. Her fear of "finding something" was bigger than everything else. My first thought is always, "What happens to my kids?" if something were to happen to me tomorrow and I hadn't exhausted every single option available. But I guess we aren't all built the same way.
So I’m looking over the recommended reading list for 6th grade here in the States, and it’s divided into groups: some adapted classics—not the actual originals—fantasy stuff, and then those "young adult" novels. It’s got Harry Potter, Gulliver’s Travels, Jules Verne, Erich Kästner, Mark Twain, and a whole bunch of others I’ve never even heard of.
Thought I’d jump into this discussion, though honestly, I have more questions than answers. My kids aren't in the American school system, and over here, the whole concept of required reading for grades 1 through 4 is basically non-existent. Sure, they read, but there isn't a formal curriculum or a set list of books until about 5th grade. So, am I getting this right? Is there just a general list of suggested titles and then the teacher decides what their specific class will actually tackle? Or is that not how it works? Are there certain mandatory classics everyone has to plow through, while everything else is left up to personal preference? Can teachers even add their own picks to the list? And how is that list organized—is it just alphabetical, or does it follow a timeline from the Greeks to modern stuff? Or is there some deeper logic to it? In my experience, books are usually grouped by theme—like you'll have one set of titles for "coming of age" and another for "heroes and adventure."
He didn't even feel any pain. Just this weird sensation whenever he’d cough or anything. The hernia was strictly in the groin area, so they just went in and installed a mesh. Good luck with everything!
None of that. He just popped three 400 mg Advil tablets. He’s never been much of a pill person anyway. He was feeling a little loopy that first day, sure, but by day four? He was back behind the wheel driving his car fine enough.
stormyhound13 said:Did your husband have the surgery under local or general anesthesia?
under general anesthesia
Basically, you’re getting the same level of care an American patient would get living here. The only difference is that back home, your primary care doctor handles the follow-ups, whereas once the surgeon finishes the procedure, they pretty much wash their hands of you. Since you're coming from out of town, you don't have a local GP to lean on, so your surgeon ends up playing both roles. Just keep in mind, even after those first three or four days, you aren't going to be sprinting around. You'll still be limited when it comes to walking long distances or lugging heavy suitcases. It all really depends on how you were planning to travel.
Outpatient means you show up in the morning, get the procedure done, and then head home or back to your hotel just a few hours later. It’s probably a good idea to have someone drive you. Most major hospitals or medical centers have their own dedicated Outpatient Surgery Center for these kinds of minor things.
stormyhound13 said:Hey everyone.
I'm looking for some advice regarding an inguinal hernia I've been dealing with for about 14 years now. Honestly, it was never an issue—no pain, no burning, nothing. It was just this medium-sized bulge on my right side. I figured, why bother with surgery if it isn't actually bothering me?
But then, four years ago, part of the hernia started descending into the scrotum. That bit was about the size of a walnut. Still no pain, no discomfort, so I just ignored it. Fast forward to about six months ago, and that swelling has grown to the size of a tennis ball. Now I'm starting to feel things—a stinging sensation in the groin, some soreness, and this nagging discomfort in the scrotum.
On top of that, I’m feeling pressure and occasional cramping deep in my abdomen.
Could that cramping be caused by the hernia itself, or am I looking at something else entirely?
I was thinking about heading over to see Dr. Koch in Germany. Some people say he’s a massive specialist when it comes to inguinal hernias.
So, here’s what I’m wondering:
1. Has anyone here actually gone to him for surgery? What was the experience like?
2. He mentioned performing Neurolysis during the procedure. What does that even mean, and is it actually something you want done?
3. It seems a little weird to me that he sends his patients to a nearby hotel after surgery, similar to how Dr. Muschaweck operates. Shouldn't a patient have medical staff within arm's reach after an operation? You know, in case of vomiting, intense pain, fever, or whatever?
I mean, you can get proper care in a hospital, but you aren't getting full nursing care in some hotel room.
My husband had his hernia repaired recently. Not with your doctor, but also in Germany since we live here. Over here, they treat it as an outpatient procedure, so you head home just a few hours after the surgery. Someone has to physically pick the patient up, assuming they can walk—they might be a bit groggy, obviously, which is why they don't drive themselves. For pain, they give you Ibuprofen, and you're given heparin shots to administer yourself. Then you just follow up with your regular family doctor.
frozenrider15 said:Right, Capri leggings actually crossed my mind. Pair them with white shoes—no socks, obviously, because once she gets a tan, it’ll look sharp. I'll hunt for some thin ones. As for a tunic... if I can find anything decent. Honestly, though? I'm still leaning toward just a simple white undershirt. Is that even an option?
I’d say yeah, why not? If the dress goes all the way to the floor, maybe some thin ankle socks so her feet don't get shredded?
frozenrider15 said:I have no idea what kind of dresses they use at the church (what's actually best? Last year she was singing in the choir during the First Communion service, but I didn't bother checking the fabric quality then😵).
To be fair, looking at photos online, they don't look like pure polyester, but they definitely look stifling. The issue is she already sweats like crazy regardless.
Putting any kind of extra layer under that dress sounds like literal torture for her. Could she just wear a camisole and... I have no clue about footwear. She can't stand tights; they give her a rash every single time. Jesus, I'm losing my mind.
Maybe some capri leggings? Or a tunic with thin straps?
Ashley Hall59 said:So, I’ve been thinking about making a big move—shifting from the trade track over to the fourth-level commercial track—but the higher-ups are insisting that I submit a formal written request for further education, and honestly? I am completely stumped on how to even begin such a thing.😕😕, if there happens to be a talented writer out there who could help me draft this petition, I would be incredibly, deeply grateful.😁
Iva, just a heads-up on how you're talking to everyone else here. Like someone already said, maybe you'd have better luck asking that question in a different subforum.
I honestly used to think that kind of thing only happened back in my small hometown, 😉 but "frustration" is pretty much the only word I have left for it now. Looking back at being fourteen, it was just this cocktail of fear, nerves, and pure adrenaline. Back then, there weren't many paths to choose from—you picked a school, you took the entrance exam, and that was it. You either made it or you didn't. But the frustration? That came from the lack of transparency. It was all about who knew whom, whose kid was whose, or who had the right connections. Not that it was just about nepotism, though. You’d head into those exams alongside several people you went to Elementary School with, maybe even kids from your own class. There was this constant, underlying rivalry—wondering if they’d get in while you wouldn't, or if someone else would basically steal your spot.
And those few days spent waiting for the results? Pure torture. You just sit there, obsessively looping the exam questions through your head, recalculating your grades and averages over and over...
But at the end of the day, besides your elementary school GPA, that test was the one real metric of what you actually knew. It was evaluated by someone who wasn't your teacher—someone neutral.
Rachel Jones8 said:Did you take an entrance exam here in the States? For freshman year?
What was even on that test?
I took my high school entrance exams back in San Diego. It was for medical school prep, and if I remember right, it was biology, chemistry, and then just... nothing else sticks. I mostly just remember the frustration. That would have been around 1989, if my math is right. Wasn't it like that everywhere back then? Everyone having to deal with entrance exams for high school?
I was born in '75. Back then, we actually sat for entrance exams to get into High School, which honestly wasn't a bad way to do things. But living here in Germany, everything works a bit differently. We don't have school-aged kids yet, but I know how it goes: elementary school lasts four years, and then your grades dictate where you head next. They look at three specific subjects—German, math, and science—calculated down to two decimal places. Better grades mean a shot at a preparatory academy or a track leading to college; lower marks push you toward vocational schools or trade programs. There’s also this "trial period" thing. If the grades aren't quite there, a student might get a few days of trial classes in a more academic track. It’s basically an interrogation to see if the kid actually has what it takes for that level of schooling. I don't know which system is better. Is a ten-year-old really ready to make life-altering decisions about their future? Seems early. And yet, over here, it seems to work perfectly fine.
Looking at how things stand in America right now, there’s clearly plenty of room for improvement. I've been reading about this new reform... but is it actually going to happen? Is it just another big idea floating around in a boardroom, or are we actually going to see some real, concrete changes? Who knows.
Nancy Davis said:Thanks for the links. I’ve found plenty online, but honestly, I just want to hear from people who've actually been through it.
I think I can squeeze the muscle—if that's even the right one—but I can't hold the contraction, and I can't consciously relax it either. Does it just... let go on its own? 🤷
Plus, everything I read says you shouldn't be bracing your abs or squeezing your glutes while doing it, which I'm pretty sure I'm failing at anyway.
I feel like a total mess. 🙂 Is it just me? 😕 Or does everyone else just not care this much? I'm genuinely stressed because I'm constantly lugging my little one around—she's at that stage where her first teeth are coming in, so she's basically glued to me. It's a lot of extra strain.
Just keep at it. You'll find that with enough practice, squeezing that "imaginary" muscle becomes second nature. Getting it right is tough. My OB actually told me today how important it is to work on that pelvic area and my back. I notice it immediately whenever I'm carrying my kids—they're about 55 pounds combined—that heavy, uncomfortable ache starts setting in. Even though, anatomically speaking, everything is where it should be.
It’s mostly just superstitions and old wives' tales, really. Older generations seem especially prone to that kind of stuff. Though, to be fair, I had rough first trimesters during all three of my pregnancies, so nobody actually knew I was pregnant for a while (except my mom and my OB-GYN). It wasn't until that critical window passed that I even started gathering gear or getting the nursery ready. But I’d never dream of waiting until the very end.
It’s hard to really put into words what you need to do. I actually took a pelvic floor rehab course myself—even though I didn't have a prolapse—and honestly, any new mom could benefit from that kind of training. I don't know how "bad" things are on your end, but maybe take a look at this link http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/Heal...=464&id=2825#4 http://www.physiotherapy-treatment.c...exercises.html
There are plenty of other good resources out there, though most of them aren't in English, so I'm not sure if they'd help you. As for those muscle contractions? During the class, we were told to imagine we had them—like we were trying to squeeze a small ball inside. It felt totally fake at first, but you get the hang of it eventually. At the end of the day, maybe just see if you can find a physical therapist in your area.
But if she already booked a one-way ticket for the doctor, I assume she booked her flight back too? If you transfer everything over and it all gets deducted, what if she ends up leaving before the baby even arrives?! Rebooking flights can get incredibly expensive sometimes... but then again, if she really loves you...