So, I’m back from testing. Well.... they didn't really find much of anything.
I had a slight reaction to preservatives, so I need to steer clear of E216. Same goes for hard cheeses, vacuum-packed stuff, and beer (thankfully I don't touch alcohol 😁).
The doctor handed me a referral for an IgE test, a mucosal swab, and some imaging for my heart and lungs.
Now we just wait to see what those IgE results say.
In the meantime, I’ve overhauled my diet myself. Honestly, I’ve been living on dried figs, a few almonds (way too expensive 😢), soy milk—there’s a chocolate one at Target for about $3.50, mm, pretty good—white chicken breast, broths, no bread, no cheese, as little sugar as possible, no peanuts... and today is actually the first day the redness looks a bit less intense, though my skin feels drier and the cracks are stinging. Also, that swelling on the inside of my right ankle has finally gone down.
And one more thing—I'm trying to purge this illness from my system. Having a little conversation with my body...🤣
shadowpilot8 said:His mother? Is she still alive? Considering he's already 61 years old . Kimberly Robinson2, you're either sharing your account with others—which is strictly against the rules—or you're trolling, or you're peddling some shady credit union. Stop it. 😉
And that guy happens to be my ex. We're divorced. His mother is very much alive, by the way, and he's still living under her roof. 🤣
And heaven forbid I actually try to advertise a credit union...😲😲😲
^^^We love each other... deeply... but we don't even have enough left over for rent anymore.... and as things stand, if he doesn't get anything from the bank, we’re done by January 15th. Then she moves out, goes to stay with her mom.... and me....🙂....ugh, it's too hard to even type this out...😢
Damn money and this whole life thing.
There's still a tiny bit of hope left—just a sliver—that things might work out at the local Chase branch. But they see through everything; they'll see those three loans, all the overdrafts, the credit cards. After his paycheck hits, if there's even anything left, $133. It's not like his income stays steady.
Everyone else is just a predator looking for a handout...
It’s not on the blacklist. Our entire existence—I mean, whether we even stay together—hinges on this loan. 😢
🙂🙂
Honestly, all this stress and constant worrying has actually made me sick. It’s just one of those modern tragedies, isn't it? That money can tear apart two people who genuinely love each other. We're only a few years and maybe a slightly better paycheck or a promotion away from finally getting this debt under control, but what does that even matter when we can barely scrape together enough to cover the mortgage this month? 🙂🙂
If I were working and pulling in at least $1000....we'd be sitting pretty.....but instead, it's like this: 🙂
rapidskipper12 said:Just DM me your debts, what you owe, and what’s coming in so I can take a look and see if we can actually make something work...
Basically... We’ve got an appointment set up at JP Morgan Chase this Wednesday. We need to run through everything with them first—if we can't strike a deal there, I honestly don't think we have a prayer anywhere else.
Back at the credit office, they handed us papers regarding some entity called FBI (or something close to that). But then, they called us back yesterday—after running the numbers—to clarify that it was actually NSA. The woman working there tried to convince my husband that they weren't even the same organization. Apparently, the NSA is currently going through liquidation.
On top of that, she spent all of yesterday and today absolutely suffocating him with this relentless pressure. She kept insisting that if he didn't take this loan, he’d be ruined—that collectors would be knocking on the door, blah blah blah... she really gave him a hard time. She kept telling him he needed to think long and hard because this was his "one shot" to get ahead. He kept trying to explain, quite pointlessly, that this money wouldn't even cover what we owe to the Americans or fix our current deficit; it would just add an extra $300 per month to our debt. And for what? It doesn't solve a single thing. Oh, and apparently, if he wants to cancel the agreement—though I'm not even sure which specific contract she's talking about, since he only provided paperwork regarding his average income and employment—he has to physically go down to the bank to sign everything. Which bank, though? 🤷.
He called the NSA today—they were actually incredibly polite—and he laid out exactly why we're backing out. Their representative was totally reasonable; she actually understood that this loan isn't the solution to our problems. And yeah, it turns out it really was the NSA.
He asked them to just mail the documents to us, since driving down there would cost us another $33 or so. We're also a bit worried that the lady at the credit office might try to pull something and not send them. They promised they'd send them by mail.
At least someone in this whole mess is acting decent.
As for us, we're still stuck with the same old problem: figuring out where to find the cash for those unpaid installments...🙄😢 Nobody's got anything to lend.🙄
If you ask me, it sounds perfectly normal—but look, if you're actually worried about bacteria or whatever, you're going to have to head down to a clinic and get a lab test done. You can't just guess at stuff like that. ☕
Try eating some dried figs instead... maybe cut back on the chocolate a bit—it might help things stay softer.
And if you're taking iron supplements, expect your stool to turn pitch black. It’s totally normal, so don't freak out over it.
There could be a dozen different reasons for that...
If anything starts popping up on your skin, just go get a referral for a dermatologist. Honestly, it’s worth doing all the tests—including the allergy panels. I’m actually heading in for testing this Thursday, because what started as a tiny little itch about four months ago has spiraled into this massive headache involving dermatitis, patches, and this absolutely disgusting itching.
I’ve been on a strict diet for three days now—basically cutting out everything I used to eat. I looked up those blood type diets online and I'm avoiding everything they say to stay away from.
Mostly just dried figs and water for me lately.
So far, nothing's working, but I mean, I just started.
Oh, and here’s my own thread about my dermatitis if you want to see how nasty this looks... though even with the photos, the spots on my hands aren't quite clear enough for a camera to catch them properly, and it's starting to spread pretty badly on my left leg too...🙂🙂
Maybe try using some creams meant for oily skin, if you really think yours is too greasy. Mine is so dry it’s practically white and flaky...
The FBI (somebody called me—the internet search flagged them as CIA) - they offer $11 - they pay out $7.25 - they pocket the difference to cover the life insurance premium - a 6-year loan, monthly payment of $300
______________________
A massive pile of garbage and a total scam!
You walk away with 22,000 but end up paying back over $21333 — just wonderful...☕
They’re pulling in maybe 47,000... against a 68 $0.00 asking price... 😲
My thought is to probably fork over about 50k just to shut down my small business and wipe out my bank overdraft—if we even have anything left to live on after that. Though, honestly, I have a feeling this whole thing might be an even bigger disaster than the mess we’re currently stuck in. If I actually had a decent job, I wouldn't be forced to dive into this. But no, because apparently, nothing ever goes my way. 🙂
I can't find a single damn thing about "them" online.
Every time we turn around, we’re getting some flyer from a credit bureau... and honestly, I won't sugarcoat it—we can't get a loan anywhere.
Then one day, we stumble upon this other outfit (they claim they don't check Equifax 🙄...)...and my husband just muttered... that we'll probably blow this one too... (because at the big banks, they're demanding a mortgage, and even with a co-signer, he can't get a loan large enough to cover what he already owes 🙂)...
So, we actually went down there in person, to the office at Anchorage, New York City. They called us today saying we need to bring in more paperwork and that, apparently, we might actually get some cash.
And here's the kicker: they told us they don't look at the reports like Equifax does—total LIE!!! At least, that's what they claimed. I told my husband, there is absolutely no way anything gets approved at a real bank without those checks.
But apparently, this wouldn't go through a standard bank, but rather through some sort of credit unions (not sure which ones). I don't have the specifics yet.
I'm just asking—has anyone here actually dealt with this agency over on Anchorage?
Or should we just run for the hills before it's too late?🤷
From what I gather, the interest rate is around 12% and they're asking for some kind of insurance, though the amount isn't set because they haven't finalized the loan total yet.
I need an answer fast since we're heading back there tomorrow morning.
GO GET IT! They have to give you a referral! Otherwise, just switch ☕
I’ve got an appointment with an allergist on April 1st. Heading in to get tested—turns out I might actually be allergic to something. Honestly, I don't even have a clue what could be triggering me...🤷 As long as it isn't chocolate or anything sweet, I'll be fine...🙂🙂
I’m heading to see my doctor tomorrow morning—she’s switched to afternoon hours now—and I might as well swing by the allergist right after. Honestly, I have no clue if I need an appointment first, and I really don't feel like making two separate trips if I can avoid it.
Look, I realize the photo quality is pretty trash... they’re just cheap snapshots, really.🙂
I actually just took some shots using my even older Olympus—which is basically half-broken and has half the megapixels of my newer one—and somehow the pictures came out better than the ones from the newer camera... weird, I know.🙂 😲
Anyway, here are the latest shots from the old camera, taken in natural daylight (I tried the newer one too, but it’s just more junk quality).
Two of the right leg (that side is a total mess) and one shot of the left leg (it looks a bit better so far, things have receded slightly):
Just got back from my follow-up appointment with the dermatologist.
Not much has changed, really—except that I actually pushed him to prescribe allergy testing this time. It felt like a waste of time just popping pills and slathering on various creams if they aren't actually fixing the root cause; at best, they’re just numbing the agony of the itching.
So, looks like I’m in for some needle pricks on my arm soon....🙄😁
I just snapped some more photos of my legs—freshly moisturized with that honey-infused oil lotion from Balee. A fellow member on this forum was kind enough to gift it to me today, so I wanted to give her a quick shout-out here. Huge thanks to her for the five bottles, and a massive thank you to everyone else who’s sent over various creams lately. It's much appreciated.
Don't mention it—honestly, I’m just glad someone actually found those skincare recommendations useful. It’s about time we got some decent stuff in the rotation. No need to make a big deal out of it; I just hate seeing people waste money on junk that doesn't work. Happy to help.
Fotkić is being incredibly temperamental—I actually tried testing it out in a few different positions and kept messing around with the settings just to see if I could catch it at its best, but honestly, from what I can tell, it’s just not happening.
But, hey, that’s just how it looks. Managed to actually get around to shaving my legs one evening—small wins, I guess. 🤣)
jadetrucker43 said:I haven't a clue—looks like some glitch with the account settings. I'll pass this along.
Even though things are sorted now, someone might actually find this useful. I ran into the exact same headache myself—I tried swapping out my old email address (which I don't even use anymore) for a new one, and the second I logged in, everything was locked tight. It looked identical to what she was showing in those screenshots.
What happened was, I had to jump over to my new inbox, find the activation link they sent, click it, and only then did everything go back to normal.
Just a heads-up for anyone else thinking about changing their email—don't be surprised if you get locked out of the forum entirely.
Alright, I’ve uploaded some photos showing what my legs look like right now. It’s not just my legs, though—I have patches on my left arm and on the right side of my body, right around my kidney area.
As for my skin—specifically my legs—this is the situation (and please, don't judge the appearance, since shaving is basically impossible right now):
I’ve tried everything under the sun—from allergy pills to antibiotics—and nothing works. For now, it’s staying quiet, meaning it isn't spreading, though it does seem to migrate to different spots every now and then.
For those of you dealing with this, I have one question—if you feel like answering.
Are you going through any major issues in your life?
In my case, this flared up because of some massive shock I went through—just a brutal stretch of mental anguish, psychological stress, and financial crisis. Plus, relationship drama... I read somewhere that if you're facing significant life problems, stress, or constant worry, it can actually manifest on your skin.
So, theoretically, I should be healing my soul, but how exactly do you do that? 🤷
Brandon Palmer7 said:I can't believe I'm not the only one struggling with this... I thought I was alone. For me, it all started two years ago with a single tiny spot on my forearm. I was convinced something had bitten me because the itching was absolutely maddening. Three weeks later, that spot had expanded into a two-inch red patch that wouldn't stop itching. I went to a dermatologist in downtown Chicago, and they prescribed a corticosteroid cream mixed with acetylsalicylic acid, which cleared it up. But after a while, the same thing popped up on my legs... and during the winter, on my face too. I eventually saw a specialist at a major hospital... diagnosed with nummular atopic dermatitis, or nummular eczema. I went through a mountain of tests: swabs, blood work, autoimmune markers... everything came back negative. Finally, I did full allergy testing, and the only culprit was a nickel allergy. I stopped wearing costume jewelry and haven't worn a watch since. I can say things have improved significantly, but it hasn't vanished entirely... and I doubt it ever will.😢 The only silver lining is that I don't wake up in the middle of the night scratching myself like a maniac anymore. My dermatitis is always limited to my arms, legs, and occasionally my face. My torso, back, and chest stay clear. What I've learned is that the golden rule is: your skin must NEVER be dry. I apply moisturizer 2, 3, 4, or even 5 times a day using whatever neutral creams are available. It doesn't matter if they are expensive or budget brands; the effect is the same. Every once in a while, when things get really bad, I have to use corticosteroids for a few days... but that's just how it is.😢
I hope this long-winded post helps someone out somehow.😉
Man...😲 it was the exact same thing for me. I was sitting outside at work when suddenly I felt something sting me. I didn't see what it was, just a tiny red dot that scabbed over so fast and started itching so intensely that I actually let out a whimper. My doctor told me it must have been a venomous spider or something similar. But from that single little dot, blisters—well, raised bumps—started spreading rapidly, the skin hardened, and the itch became unbearable...🙂
There have been countless times where I've wanted to just grab a knife and scrape my own skin off... the itching is that bad.🙂
In a way, it's a blessing it's winter, because I have no idea how I'd manage wearing shorts with my legs looking like this...😢 Though I still wear wool stockings when it's cold... and even those are starting to bother me now.😢
Anthony White8 said:My kid is in first grade, and honestly, the constant grading caught me off guard too$6.75 like, getting a 10 for this or a 5 for that... man, if I didn't just go along with it, I wouldn't know what to do. It's impossible to tell a kid "we can't afford the movies" when everyone else in class is going🤷
And about the McDonald's thing—I think taking kids there is totally lame too... I was also left staring blankly at the wall recently when I saw the whole school went to see Coca-Cola in theaters (I bet someone got a fat kickback for that one😠)... anyway, my little one was terrified (and she's not even a scaredy-cat), says everyone was screaming in the theater and covering their heads with jackets during the scary parts.... I seriously thought at least one teacher would watch the movie first to know what they were exposing kids to. A lot of kids ended up pretty shaken up...😢
Just to add to that—when we were in the States, they did this thing where the whole class would go to the cinema to see movies like that. It was basically mandatory $3.25 one ticket per kid. I know for a fact all the elementary kids went, though I can't say for sure about the older ones. There’s a little girl living in my building who’s in first grade, and she was absolutely sobbing because she was so terrified—honestly, half those kids were whining. I can't really judge if the movie itself was actually that intense since I didn't sit through it, but I find it hard to believe it was any good if everyone was that rattled. And let's be real—kids these days watch everything on TV and YouTube; you'd think they'd be desensitized by now.
Here’s the deal. She thought he had just forgotten to bring it. When she asked him why he wasn't buying anything, he just said he didn't have any money and went quiet—though he did mention he’d love to eat it. So, she just lent it to him. She told him to just pay her back whenever he can. I told her I’d follow up with him tomorrow, but she seemed to think there was no real rush.
Anyway, here’s what actually happened... I explained to her again exactly what kind of mess I'm in right now—I even showed her my leg and how bad the stress sores look—and asked why she hadn't realized I wouldn't be coming back to talk to her. I told her that since nothing has changed since we last spoke, it's honestly embarrassing to keep walking in there and telling people I'm at my absolute breaking point. My strength and my nerves are just gone.
I also brought up that permission slip thing. Honestly, when you've driven 50 or 60 kids over to McDonald's, you'd think they could throw in one free meal for the trouble! They made a killing off that trip; they aren't going to go broke over one burger and a handful of fries. She claimed she had no idea about that part.
She said I should come by next time to let her know—if things are still this bad—and she'll just report one fewer student.
Look, I told her I felt terrible about how everything turned out. I knew this would happen, and if I had known, I would have just lent him the cash myself. I also pointed out that when someone is offering you money, you aren't exactly going to say "no"... even though I've asked him a hundred times already. But once someone else shoves it in his pocket, suddenly, oh, it's just enough for ice cream. Truth be told, if someone shoved cash into my hand, I wouldn't say no either...😁
It's a different situation, though. Clearly, in that moment, caught up in the smells coming from McDonald's, he didn't stop to realize he hadn't actually been given anything. Now, it's done.
And yeah, I asked her why it’s become such a trend to head to McDonald's all the time. She just says kids love it... and well, whatever. Kids love all sorts of things these days.
nimbletrucker132 said:How can you look at it as only half a family? It seems to me that the disconnect starts with your own perspective and how you're guiding him to view things. In this situation, you are his entire world—you're playing the role of both mother and father, and he is everything to you. Even if it feels like you're standing alone against the world, you two are a complete unit (or at least, you should be... 🙄) Think about how many kids out there are raised by single parents. 🙂 You might want to head over to the "Toxic Parents" thread under the Psychology subforum and really dive into that material. It could provide some much-needed clarity! 🙂
Look, I already said this—in a school setting, "family" means a mother and a father. When they get an assignment about what Dad does at home with the family, we've got nothing to write down. So, in this specific context, when I say "family," I'm strictly talking about the fact that there isn't a father present in the house, not making some grand statement about the concept of family itself.... Ugh, I'm just confusing everyone now.... 😁
We have a family—me, my partner, and we're doing great together—but since he isn't the biological father, I've essentially isolated the term "family" in this discussion.... honestly, who even knows what I'm saying anymore... the room is full of kids and I need to get off the computer... they're waiting to play games... 😍
Jacob Sanders34 said:Look, I’m not even trying to get involved in this whole drama, but man, you are making this incredibly hard to follow. You say you guys have four kids total, but then later you mention three. Then you say both of you are paying child support, which makes me think more than one kid isn't living with you? It's just super confusing, dude. 😕
Honestly, I’m still kind of reeling from how you handled that essay and that letter to the teacher. Look, let's be real—no family is perfect. Every single household out there deals with drama and struggles. Whether it's health issues, losing someone, divorces, money troubles, or just plain old bad habits... it's all part of life. Even those super wealthy families you see on TV aren't actually happy in the long run. Everyone is out here just grinding and fighting their own battles every single day. To me, my pets are basically my family, but you're telling your kid they don't even have one? Using the excuse that they had nothing to write about because of the situation at home just feels off. So what if there isn't a father around? Some kids just grow up without one. It happens. Both parents are still around. Look, at the end of the day, we’re all family here. Honestly? I get the feeling you might be dumping a little too much of your own stress onto that kid instead of just being their shield. I'm not saying they need to live in a bubble or anything, but let's not turn them into a tiny ball of resentment just because we adults can't get our own stuff together.
Yeah, only one of us lives here. His relatives and mine all have their own addresses elsewhere.
loneviper11 said:Honestly, what a silly way to look at things... I lost my father when I was just a little kid, and from that moment on, it was just my mom and me, making us the most complete family in the world because she worked so incredibly hard to make sure I never felt like anything was missing... To me, family isn't about bloodlines or who shows up on paper, it’s about the people you choose to build a life with, the ones you turn into family through sheer devotion... ☕
I'm not going to keep repeating myself to you either.