There’s no way I could be a decent parent if I don't get my act together first. I'd just end up passing all my baggage down and making my kid even more messed up than I am. I can do it, but only after I finish therapy. Direct route: psychotherapist.
Totally👍 I mean, it’s pretty standard to feel wiped out for a bit while your body figures things out. It’s still a weird sensation, though, especially when you can barely eat anything.
I’m just a little lost on the IV thing—you mentioned being on an infusion for three days. Does that mean you had to swing back to the clinic for more after you got discharged on day two?? Did they give you any actual guidance—like what to expect during the adjustment phase or how to handle those first 10 days? Is the recovery process basically the same as getting a lap band?
Timothy Reed8, walk me through the process. When did you get there, when did they hook you up, and when were you out of there? What kind of side effects are we talking about—you still breathing? 🙂🙂🙂 Props to you! You finally made it happen, huh!
Looks like this thread has gone totally stale 🙂 Why's that? :-)
Just finished my follow-up gastroscopy to confirm everything for the PhD study (yeah, yeah, round two!) and I'm alive! YAY! Psihić told me I’m basically nuts, but said I’m cleared for the balloon 🙂🙂🙂 If I can just wrap things up with Miroševićka on Wednesday (she’s back from vacation this week), then I'm hitting the balloon clinic the following week. Of course, that’s assuming the stars align—Miroševićka, Nikolić, my job, and all the other chaos... I seriously can't believe I'm this close... but nothing is set in stone yet, so I'm not getting ahead of myself... if it happens, it happens 🙂 What's the latest with you guys?
Look, just grab some Bianca instead of coffee. You can find it at Walmart in the coffee aisle—it’s in a little round tin, probably tucked away on a bottom shelf or shoved in a corner somewhere. It’s the perfect substitute, honestly. Ever since I switched, I don't even miss the caffeine hit. You just toss in some sweetener and a splash more milk and you won't even notice the difference. Keeps that morning ritual alive without the jitters...
I’ve tried those decaf coffees before, but they’re pretty meh, maybe Jacobs is okay... everything else? God help us.
My doctor puts it this way: drinking coffee is basically like stirring a tiny bit of poison into a bowl and swallowing it down. 😁😁
Ever since I quit, I’ve been feeling way better. I went from chugging liters of the stuff to maybe a tiny splash every third day... my sleep is better, my senses feel sharper, and my blood pressure finally dropped back to a normal range. Honestly, I don't think there's anything worse than coffee out there... so why bother keeping even one little toxin around?
State Farm is running this promo on coverage for those out-of-pocket costs. Here’s the deal: $17 monthly, for a year, covers up to $0.67. (you drop $600).
The promo runs until July 15th, so just call them or swing by their office on Broadway that same day.
The good news? It kicks in either on the 1st or the 15th of the month, which basically means if you're in a pinch, it works immediately. You pay the first installment right there on the spot.
I paid mine off on June 30th and was already getting reimbursed by July 1st. Basically, you pay the hospital upfront, send the receipts to them, and they cut you a check (up to the policy limit of $0.67—though you can negotiate for more).
Honestly, even if some of you are already dealing with medical stuff, it’s worth doing this right away just to get some cash back. It is DEFINITELY A BETTER DEAL THAN PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE!
Ever since I ditched coffee, my blood pressure has dropped big time. So yeah, there IS a connection between caffeine and your BP, take it or leave it!!
I just drink Bianca. It’s this grain-based coffee substitute you can find at Walmart—usually tucked away on the bottom shelf near the coffee aisle, right next to the Divka, Chicory, and stuff like that. It comes in a little round tin. Honestly? It’s great. Tastes awesome and I don't miss actual coffee one bit.
Hopefully you left early 🙂 I bailed after five days when they gave me an ultimatum: "Do you want your collarbone to heal crooked, or should we just reset it?" I chose to let it heal on its own. Big mistake. Now one shoulder sits lower than the other, I dealt with pain for five straight years, and my whole skeletal alignment is totally shot... the takeaway? If they need to reset it, let 'em pull!
Regarding work, here's the deal—people just want to be happy. What does that actually look like? It means having a job you don't hate, enough cash in the bank, a solid family life, friends, blah blah blah. Every one of those pieces carries different weight depending on the person. For you, work is clearly huge, which is why it’s messing with your head so much. Some people? They couldn't care less about their jobs. There are plenty of them out there!
I wanted to be a journalist, but my folks wouldn't let me go to the right high school or college for it. So, I played it smart: near the end of college, a few buddies and I started our own student paper. That landed me in newsrooms, eventually leading to a full-blown professional journalism career for years. In the end, I jumped ship to do something else, even though I swore I never would. Why? Because I saw the dark side, not just the perks (which seems to be your situation). My main reason was pretty existential—even though I loved the gig, I couldn't afford my own apartment or move out from under my parents' roof...
The point? Look at the downsides of being an artist too... would you really be happy if your kids were starving and you couldn't buy them what they need? Huh? I don't think so. Stop idealizing things. Just find the path of least resistance within your field. There's no such thing as a boring job, only boring people (take my word for it)...
Second tip: carve out some time for a hobby—sculpting or whatever. Sign up for a class, start hanging out with people who actually dig the same stuff you do. Who knows, maybe that hobby turns into a global phenomenon one day. Plus, that outlet will give you the energy to survive your day job... sounds crazy, but it's true...
And then... once you're world-famous, don't forget who gave you this advice 🙂🙂🙂 ME!
Stop whining. Do something real. And tell me EXACTLY what you decided to do! Did you find a class in your neighborhood? Ha! Do you have the cash for it? Are you going to actually save up? Let's get CONCRETE here, okay?
Look, I’m gonna drop one truth bomb on this thread—everything can change! There’s absolutely nothing written in stone saying what happened yesterday has to dictate tomorrow. The past isn't some permanent contract for your future!
It’s not like if I spent my whole life being overweight, I’m just stuck like that for the next 20 years. Or if I dressed like a total grandma, I couldn't pull it together in three months (with enough work and a little investment) and turn into a total Carrie Bradshaw type!
Come on, people, have a little optimism. I’m telling you this from actual EXPERIENCE, not just reading about it in some textbook!
So, I’ve checked off the psychologist, the GI doc, and my PhD—now I just need to see Mirošević and hopefully get some good news. The bad part? My hormones are a complete mess. Cortisol is through the roof (which basically means I'm constantly starving, lol), uric acid levels are wonky, and all that good stuff. Honestly, I have no clue if they'll even clear me to move forward... I already got kicked out of $200 at Sun, and yeah, things got a little heated, but that was just for the hormone stuff. I'm low-key terrified of what Miroševićka is going to say...
Realistically, I don't see myself getting in before September, which is totally bad...
How’s everyone else doing? Timothy Reed8?
On a brighter note, I’ve actually dropped about 15 pounds since the start of the year :-) Still sticking to the diet and living the healthy lifestyle... But still, I definitely need help because usually I hit that 20-pound mark and then just completely stall out...
Hey ladies! I think Timothy Reed8 is onto something—we seriously need to start a new thread just for the bloating situation. It’s a whole different beast!
Quick heads-up on the doctors: Dr. Mirković is on vacation starting this week, no clue when he'll be back. Same goes for Dr. Mirošević; she’s out until July 16th. Word is Nikolić is heading out in August.
Here’s the breakdown for bloodwork prices at Sun—straight up, full retail, no discounts or fancy stuff, just the raw numbers as they tell you at the front desk:
Dr. Mirošević told me to get these done, so I did. Now I gotta drag the results back to her. I’m betting she’ll try to kill me with an ECG, a chest X-ray, and probably whatever else she can throw at me.
Basically, if you're heading to see Dr. Dubravko čuvati over on Runjanin Street, just know everything moves at lightning speed—except for the prosthetics, which he’ll definitely charge you for... and honestly, the whole vibe is just one big sales pitch. The guy basically pushes you into getting a crown or a bridge just to get a sale. He's also super unpleasant to be around; he’s even rude to his own nurses, whom he's constantly cycling through. Makes you wonder why...
I woke up with a fever and went in today to get things "opened up." Honestly, I barely made it through the weekend. AND HE REFUSED TO DO IT because he said it would "prolong my treatment." No kidding! He only just gave me an antibiotic now—like, why wasn't this given last week? And then he tells me to call if I happen to notice I'm dying (hey, buddy, I AM dying!! I have a fever, I can't swallow, I've been feeling like crap for 4 days!). He handed me ONE antibiotic and thinks that’s going to fix everything just so he doesn't "prolong the treatment."
So, tell me—is THAT even humane? And is it professional?
I'm seriously thinking about hitting up the Perkovčev clinic tonight because this is getting ridiculous...
Honestly, I don't think a decent dentist even exists in Washington, D.C., because if one did, everyone would be talking about them.
I’ve been seeing Dubravko čuvati over on Jurišićev, and let me tell you—he’s gone downhill. The waiting room is more packed than ever, so now he’s just cranky and "fast," and not in a good way. I asked for a simple cleaning—and he gives me this attitude like I’m wasting his precious time or some crap. He takes Medicare and private patients, but honestly, I’m losing interest fast. Also, dental implants can sometimes be covered partially by Medicare (just like glasses and other stuff, depending on your benefits), but with him? NO WAY IN HELL, not happening!
And it gets worse...
The latest disaster: they tried to do a tooth revision, treatment, and filling all in one week. Even the nurse looked horrified—like, seriously? You’re finishing the whole thing in a week?! Basically, he filled the tooth, and when I told him, "Hey, it hurts," he basically told me it couldn't hurt... Well, guess what? My tooth swelled up so much over the weekend that my face is puffy, and now I feel like my ear and throat are going to swell up too... I actually ran a FEVER!!!!
Look, I’m no doctor, but if your liver starts acting up, watch your diet and get your ass to a clinic the second you walk through the door. Liver cirrhosis isn't just about booze—it can come from all sorts of things, and that's what kills you.
Maybe you’ve got some kind of issue in your soft tissue or something, which would explain why they aren't growing. You better dig into this until you find out what's actually going on, because THIS IS NOT NORMAL