copperfox172 said:I'll second what kik said... the latest summer collection is actually cute. There are plenty of pieces that don't look overly "girly," which is usually the problem—the more models they have, the worse it gets. Quick shop report: at Ulta, I saw some decent slim jackets and swimsuits, and Marks & Spencer has a really nice selection too. I even wandered into Monsoon over at the mall; they have gorgeous dresses and everything, but the prices are insane. To each their own, I guess. 🙂 Oh, and a little win: I found two pairs of amazing black cotton pants at M&S. There you go. 🙂
Can you post a picture of those pants? I’ve been hunting for good black cotton pants forever, but honestly, stuff at M&S always feels kind of small to me, I don't know... I’d probably need a US size 18 or whatever their 22 is. One time I was looking at blouses and it said size 24, but there was no way that was actually a 24... I’m not from around here, though—which mall has the M&S? I’ve only ever been to the one in the Westgate area.
Not sure if I'm even asking this in the right spot 😁, but I’m heading over to Seiersberg soon. I remember there used to be a BiB section inside the H&M there, but I don't think I even spotted it last time... so now I'm wondering, does anyone actually know if that section is still there or if it's gone? 🤷
Huge churches, seriously, why are people even buying into that? It’s my literal nightmare. Honestly, I’d move all the way to Canada if I had to just to get away from it...
I'm not from NYC and I've never been to a downtown cathedral, so what are their actual numbers like? Is 48 actually big, like 48, or are we talking smaller scales here? And do they have a buddy system or anything? Can you find info on this online somewhere?
So, I had a spinal block during my C-section. Honestly, the surgery itself was fine—nothing to complain about there—but everything after that... man. I just didn't know, and nobody bothered to tell me, that I was supposed to stay flat on my back for 24 hours. I ended up propping myself up in a sitting position because it felt way more comfortable, totally clueless about what I was doing. Every time a nurse came in, they’d lower the bed, but since they didn't say a single word to explain *why* they were doing it, I'd just sit right back up again. Later on, I dealt with these brutal headaches and neck pain, especially whenever I actually tried to lie down flat and relax. It wasn't until I got home that I found out about the whole 24-hour lying flat rule, and I honestly felt like going back to the hospital just to 😠. Plus, I was expected to be up and moving by the second morning, even though I'd only had the surgery the afternoon before.
I guess I’ve got the same issue, but instead of tiny spots, I’ve got these massive patches—one big one on my right cheek and a smaller one on the left. In the summer, it looks pretty damn rough.
I heard it might actually help to rub some juice from a houseleek plant on them. I planted some in my rock garden out back, so I’m just waiting until fall to go all in with it.😁
It hit me all at once, honestly. My joints just gave out on me—mostly my hands and my ankles. I was, I don't know, totally locked up. Like, there was zero chance I could turn a key in my car, brush my teeth, or even just touch my thumb to my index finger to grab something.
On top of that, I started getting these dark red patches on my forearms. The doctors called them erythema nodosum. As for the joint stuff, even though I’ve been seeing an immunologist-rheumatologist for years now, I still don't have a solid diagnosis (this all started back in 2003).
They initially suspected sarcoidosis, but apparently, that wasn't it either... I guess.
Nowadays, I still get occasional joint pain, but it’s nothing compared to how bad it used to be. I've noticed that whenever I deal with intense emotions—like some kind of shock or major stress—the pain flares right up. And yeah, the fatigue is always there... just constant, heavy exhaustion.
Amy Sanders10, what else did you have to go through besides the gastroscopy and blood work? Are you already all set with Dr. Nikolić or what? It seems like you scored an appointment for the 👍 insertion super fast.
I think I might need some help too, but honestly, maybe I’m just a weird case. I don't really eat huge meals, and I can't stand fatty food—I just won't touch it. But sweets? I could basically live on sugar alone. My mom keeps telling me I don't even need a gastric balloon because I eat like a little bird, but the sugar habit is killing me... I'm honestly starting to lose it and wondering if there's any hope left as long as dessert exists. I don't even know if a balloon or a sleeve or whatever would actually save me, because, you know, it's not about how much I eat, it's just what I choose to eat...🙄
placidcyclist said:My CRP is at 41. Everything hurts... anyone else dealt with this?
You probably mean the CRP level. Mine is constantly high, and my ESR never drops below 37. But hey, I guess I've been lucky so far since all my tests for lupus and arthritis have come back negative...
Dammit 😁, honestly, I’ve noticed my pain is actually super tied to stress. If I get worked up over something or even if I'm just too hyped about something, my joints and muscles start aching like crazy, plus there's that inevitable fatigue, obviously.
Just a few thoughts from my side on this topic....
So, back in 2003, I started getting these annoying erythema patches on my forearms and shins, along with total stiffness and massive pain in my joints—mostly my hands and knees. It was honestly brutal. I couldn't even touch my thumb to my index finger without hurting, let alone grab a sheet of paper, brush my teeth, or just turn a joint. A total disaster.
I ended up being hospitalized and put on a heavy course of Medrol for four months. That actually helped clear things up; the intense stiffness went away and I gradually started feeling better.
Back then, they suspected sarcoidosis because they tested my ACE levels. To be fair, the level was right at the top end of the normal range, but it didn't actually cross over. Right now, I’m not taking any meds, though there are days when the muscle and joint pain gets pretty gnarly, plus I get tired way faster than I should. They told me this is just what happens and I'll have to deal with it for the rest of my life. And man, I can definitely feel it when the weather changes. It's crazy. My lungs were clear, so they figured it mostly "hit" my joints instead. 😕, liver is fine, eyes are fine. And so, even though I still go for checkups at least once a year at the Mayo Clinic, I still don't have a definitive diagnosis. Everything is just "suspected," which is honestly kind of pathetic.
The worst part is probably that you look perfectly healthy, but when my muscles and joints are acting up, I feel like absolute crap... yet nobody notices. People just wave you off like, "Oh, why are you complaining? You're young, we all hurt sometimes." Or when I'm exhausted—it's not that "I need a nap" kind of tired where you sleep for twenty minutes and feel fine. It's like a coma. I can't even explain it. I guess I just have to learn how to live with it. 🤷
So, I’ve been lurking here, and honestly, the more I read, the more I feel like getting one of those gastric balloons put in my stomach. The thing is, I have zero clue where to even start. Plus, since I don't live in Washington, D.C., and I've got a tiny baby at home, I'm pretty much stuck here. There's just no way I can keep making the trek to NYC for checkups and all that stuff. I really just want to get back to work looking slim 😁
šmrc 😢. And yeah, money is a huge issue too. Unless Medicare covers it, I don't see it happening. My BMI is 37 and I deal with joint pain, so maybe that would qualify me for it to be free 🤷. How do you even go about convincing the Department of Health and Human Services to pick up the tab?
And there's this other super dumb reason holding me back... I actually work in an office right next to the Medicare building, so I know everyone there. Can you imagine the gossip if I showed up wanting a balloon? Ugh, I really want to keep this on the down-low from people who don't need to know... It's just... total nightmare 👎
Like I mentioned in an earlier post, my mom is battling breast cancer. She’s had surgery, finished six rounds of chemo (the last one was back on August 4th), and she just started Herceptin—she actually got her second dose today.
So, here's the thing. Her regular doctor wasn't in today, so she ended up seeing some other guy. When she casually asked about when she should have follow-up tests for the cancer, he just started scribbling a ton of referrals without even glancing at her medical history. But honestly, that's not even the main issue. She went ahead and did all those tests today, and they found some lumps on her neck and a pretty scarred-up liver. The doctor who did the exam said it’s probably just side effects from the chemo, even though she wrapped up chemo less than a month and a half ago. Apparently, a lot of people deal with this after chemo...
It really worried me, though. I don't know, I didn't feel like the doctor sounded super confident about it, which was confirmed when she scheduled another follow-up for September to see what’s going on with the neck and the liver.
I'm wondering if anyone here knows anything about this... is it actually possible that this is just the chemo catching up to her... or maybe something else?
I also heard that the first major follow-up usually isn't for about a year... so doing all this today felt really early for her. Maybe it really is just the chemo and her body hasn't fully cleared everything out yet. I don't know, just guessing... I'm really hoping for the best.
If you have any experience with this, please let me know....🙂
jadehound9 said:I honestly have no clue how to quote a specific sentence or just a single word when I'm replying to someone. Can someone please explain this in plain English? Help me out here.
Yeah, so the surgery was at the start of February, and my mom kept insisting it wasn't a big deal since her lung scans were totally fine right before they did it.
How can doctors be 100% sure there aren't any metastases when they take out a cancerous tumor?
Basically, my mom had some breast tumors removed, and the report said there was no spread and the lymph nodes were negative. I know cancer usually travels through the lymph system, so if nothing was found there, does that mean it’s totally gone? Or... what?
I don't know, I guess I've just noticed she's been coughing a little bit for maybe two months now. It’s not constant, just a few times a day. Honestly, I don't even know if she was doing this before and I just didn't notice, or if since she got the diagnosis I've just been overthinking everything. Is it actually possible for a metastasis to have moved to the lungs even if the lymph nodes came back clean?
I'm just lost at this point... I'm really scared for my mom.
I tried bringing it up to my parents, but they won't shut up about how everything is fine. They're sticking to the idea that Mom is basically cured and that the chemo she finished was just preventative (at least, that's what the doctors at the hospital told her).
She feels great, though. She handled the chemo really well, and she's got 17 sessions of Herceptin left to go.