Terry Gray60 said:So, I’m highly myopic. 😢 My prescription sits at -9.5 and -10.5. Honestly, it hasn't been a massive issue for me up until now. My routine is pretty standard: contacts in the morning, out at night. When I'm without lenses or glasses, I basically just stumble from the bathroom to my bed. My vision started declining when I started school back when I was seven, and it’s just steadily worsened over the years. It actually stayed stable for about three years, but lately, things have started sliding again. I really thought it had finally leveled off—I'm 23, after all; it should have stabilized by now, right? To make matters worse, my contacts are starting to irritate my eyes; they feel drier than usual... I'll admit, I'm a little spooked.
I've decided I need to do whatever is possible to finally stop this progression. However, cutting back on reading or screen time isn't an option since that's literally my job. I remember hearing about those eye exercises that were supposedly popular for a while—the ones that claimed to actually reduce your prescription. Does anyone have actual information on whether that works? Or perhaps some other way to protect my poor eyes? Laser surgery is off the table for now because my vision isn't stable yet. Besides, the idea of something going wrong terrifies me. I rely heavily on my sight, and I am not willing to take even a one percent risk unless it becomes absolutely necessary.
There are actually a few threads on the health forums covering this. The local specialist runs his clinic and offers quick workshops for about $3,000-$1167 Apparently, while you're doing the exercises to try and lower your prescription, you aren't allowed to wear any corrective lenses at all, which honestly sounds impossible for someone like you! If your prescription is up to -5, you can still get around okay, but anything higher than that makes life pretty dangerous.
From what I've read and remembered, most people say they see some slight improvement, but everything just goes right back to normal once you stop the exercises.
Matthew Fox4 said:If I’m following correctly, bluedriver2 is basically looking for suggestions or tips on what kind of veggies to prep and how much to actually pile onto the plate during daily meals. (Looks like the actual questionnaire got left off at the end of the post, though!)
Honestly, I think the question is totally valid. I just wonder if it’s being asked in the right corner of the forum. If you ask a nutritionist, they’ll obviously tell you to eat more vegetables and fruit—that falls squarely under the Health category. But once people start giving specific advice on *how* to cook them, the whole conversation starts drifting toward Food and Cooking.
Maybe it would be better to cross-post this over to the Foodie section? People there chat about meals constantly, so I bet there’d be way more practical advice. I mean, logically speaking, over here you usually expect talk about diets, supplement stacks, or those "detox" cleanses... 😉
Actually, I think it’s the other way around! I had a similar mix-up when I was looking at my tax forms last year, so I totally get how easy it is to flip those two.
And why on earth would anyone choose culinary arts? It’s almost like we can't get a decent meal around here either! 😁 If we didn't have all this stuff to talk about, I bet our biggest topic would just be dieting! 🤣
It’s not quite the same thing, but the goal remains the same
Check out this thread where a bunch of girls have been sharing their stories—and a guy actually joined the conversation recently! 🙂 Based on the comments, both from them and the guys, it looks like the bundle deal is definitely the more successful way to go.
No rest for the weary moderator Rollie, Rollie! As someone who spends quite a bit of time at my neurologist, I can tell you firsthand that human pettiness truly knows no bounds. So, here comes 🙂
- You can switch your primary care physician whenever you want! Just find a new one, set up an appointment, pick up your medical records, and update everything with your insurance provider. - Your OB-GYN isn't the one who handles those referrals. - What kind of specialist did you get sent to, and where? For thyroid issues, you usually need a referral to an endocrinologist or a nuclear medicine department; they'll run blood work for your hormone levels and perform an ultrasound.
Honestly, seeing a private doctor might not save you much money since they can't write prescriptions or official insurance referrals, and all those out-of-pocket tests really add up. For example, a thyroid ultrasound will run you about $67 . The T3, T4, TSH, fT3, and Ft4 hormone tests are roughly $23 each, and testing for thyroid antibodies (two types) is about $260. Once you add all that up, you're looking at a pretty hefty bill. On top of that, you still have to factor in the specialist consultation fees and follow-up visits.
In my experience, once you know what's going on, the best move is to balance using a private specialist with staying within the insurance network for the basics.
Charles Mitchell79 said:Thanks... I think I'm going to pass on the ZORAC. 🙂 The side effects just aren't worth it for me. Does anyone know of a different acne treatment that actually works? I tried Skinoren, but it didn't really do much for my skin.
There are actually specific threads dedicated to acne on both the health and beauty boards! You'll definitely get much better advice over there.
I was actually thinking about the guys! 😬 We all know you studied chemistry at MIT, 😁so you're the expert here.
I tried it myself, and honestly, it was pretty mediocre. I wouldn't dream of buying it or using it again; I'm just curious because everyone keeps raving about how great it is for deep cleaning. jadesailor14 — just a curious old lady! 😁
Is it the same thing? Sugar? Stevia? An artificial sweetener? What exactly?
The label says it's made from sugar, but claims it's 10 times sweeter and has 10 times fewer calories But they can pretty much write whatever they want on those labels, right? 😬 Honestly, this is a question for our food scientists, not for us home cooks just reading labels at the grocery store😁
Kyle Moore55 said:A much better question is whether sugar is actually such a monster that we absolutely have to avoid it, and if using artificial sweeteners really offers the best way to tackle extra weight?
Personally, I think sugar is the best choice! Though, it’s easy for me to say since I don't put any sugar in my coffee or tea at all. I rarely crave sweets unless it's chocolate, and whenever I bake, I only use about a quarter of the sugar the recipe calls for—plus, I only pull out the baking sheets once or twice a year!
The real solution for losing weight is just hitting the gym! 😁 Nike uses all those "health hacks" (like swapping sugar for sweeteners or white bread for multigrain) as marketing tricks...
Those links are a great way to back up what you're saying! But honestly, I think only a tiny fraction of the folks here will actually click them. Between people struggling with their English or just being too busy to dive into deep reading, most will probably skip it.
If you're up for it, maybe just give us a quick little summary of the main points first, then drop the link!
Melissa Moore39 said:which have been going on for a few years now
And you haven't done anything about it yet? 😕
There could be plenty of different reasons for that! Just head over to your primary care doctor and ask for a referral. From there, you can either book an appointment at a public hospital (check which one covers your area) or go private. The hospital route is way more affordable because they'll need to run a ton of tests that get incredibly expensive in a private clinic. At a place like Mayo Clinic, you can usually get seen within a month, sometimes even sooner! But honestly, if this has been bothering you for years, what's another 30 days?
jadesailor14 said:I just stopped by the Podobnik Medical Center over on St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City! It’s such a great spot. Professor Dr. Sc. Slava Podobnik Šarkanji
I’m working privately now, so you'll have to cover the cost of the check-ups!
Honestly, saying something is "the absolute best" just carries so much more weight! It really hits differently. 🙂 It really all comes down to what you’re actually trying to achieve! Knowing your end goal makes everything so much easier.
Nicole James said:Honestly, that weight is perfectly normal—especially since you're an athlete. You likely carry more muscle than the average girl who considers walking in heels to be her peak physical activity.
Just keep a steady eye on things so it doesn't creep up further; if you really want to hit that 152 mark, maybe aim for it over the next three months...
As for those vegetarian recipes, you might actually have better luck starting a new thread over in the culinary section. I'm sure all the foodies over there would be more than happy to help you out. 🙂
Maybe you could borrow a little guidebook? You really ought to eat more veggies—they're so much better when they're prepared right. And since you aren't eating meat, you'll definitely need to whip up some substitutes.
Your diet is honestly a total disaster It’s no wonder you're putting on weight
Fruit? Veggies? Not even a little bit? Even a regular lunch can be easily tweaked to suit meat-eaters or vegetarians alike Like, what’s wrong with a classic tomato soup, some risotto, a steak, and a side salad? They can have the steak, you skip it, and everyone wins!
What does your mom say about this mostly grain-based diet of yours?
placidcanyon62 said:The real difference—speaking from my own firsthand experience—is that the vitafon comes with tens of thousands of satisfied users already behind it...
Yep! And probably about that many unhappy ones, too! 😁