Posts by Justin Rivera17

Honestly, I was low-key panicking thinking they’d dropped some new rule banning me from looking at memes. Like, what am I even supposed to do at work now?? :-)

Wait, what??

Alright, I’m digging this topic back out of the ashes. 😁

I’m wondering if there are any girls here in the US or maybe over in Canada who have actually used implants?
Do our doctors even know how to put them in properly? And what’s the damage—how much do they actually cost?

My aunt is a nurse working up in Salzburg, and we were chatting about birth control the other day. I’ve been on the pill since I was 19, though I take breaks from it every now and then. I was telling her how much of a nightmare it was just to find the right pills—honestly, living in the States can be hit or miss sometimes, one minute the price jumps through the roof and the next thing you know, they’re totally out of stock. Luckily, my doctor prescribes me generics now, so I don't have to shell out for the big brands.

She uses those implants—the ones that last for three months—and she swears by them. They work great for her because her period stays regular, and her body handles it way better since the hormones are released slowly. Plus, no stomach issues for her...

I’m mostly interested because I deal with some dryness issues, which I’m pretty sure is directly linked to the pill, because whenever I take a break, things feel a lot better.

So, I want to know: what’s the price tag, where are you all getting yours, what kind of side effects are we talking about, and are there different types of implants out there? Because honestly, the Microgynon30 from Bayer works perfectly for me hormonally.

Pollen vs. flower dust

You’ve already got the thread about fungal stuff—go check that out, maybe someone there has a solid recommendation,
because while Johnson & Johnson works fine for minor fungal issues, you’re dealing with actual open sores here.

What I can actually suggest—and this saved my skin when I picked up some nasty herpes on my foot from trying on someone else's shoes—is to try an alternative remedy for a few days first.

Try honey mixed with some propolis and pollen. Honey is a massive antiseptic; even your doctor will tell you it’s great for healing wounds while simultaneously cleaning them and acting as a barrier against fungus. My boyfriend has absolutely horrific foot issues, and it took me forever to get him to actually try it, but he was totally sold.

You can find all the ingredients at health food stores, or better yet, head to a local beekeeping supply shop. It won't break the bank—just grab the pollen and some crushed propolis; if they have it in powder form, that's the way to go. You might even find it at some pharmacies. Just mix everything together and keep it in a cool, dry spot—don't stick it in the fridge and don't leave it out in the sun. At night, wash your foot, slather it on (the area or the whole foot), put a plastic bag over it, then a sock, and just sleep.

It might feel a little gross at first, so just watch out so you don't make a huge mess of your sheets.

Give it a shot for 10 days. It'll cost you a tiny bit, it won't hurt you, and it might actually work.
If it does help, I'd recommend wearing closed-toe shoes during the summer to protect your feet, and keep doing this treatment at least once or twice a week. That toe is going to stay sensitive and vulnerable, so you'll need to baby it for at least another year.

I’ve scoured this entire forum and honestly, I couldn't find anything even remotely close to this topic. If there’s already a thread where people are actually tackling this head-on, please just move me over.

So, here’s the deal:

I’m 25, and ever since my first time, I’ve been dealing with issues regarding Vaginal lubrication—basically, regardless of how much I’m actually into the sex, my body just rarely, rarely manages to get fully wet on its own. My mom deals with something similar, so she suggested using lubricants, but honestly? I can't stand the thought of having to mess around with messy gels right in the middle of things. It totally kills the vibe.

I see my gynecologist regularly, my Pap smear results are perfectly fine, and the dryness issue persists no matter what kind of birth control pills I'm on—it doesn't matter which brand, it doesn't matter who the partner is, and it even happens during masturbation. I seriously thought maybe it was all in my head—you know, some psychological thing—but it's not. I'm relaxed, I'm comfortable, and I've been with the same partner for years...

The whole point is this: I was watching some shows lately where women going through menopause were talking about libido issues and Vaginal dryness, and they mentioned using certain creams and bioidentical hormones. They said it made a massive difference for them.

Since none of the five gynecologists I’ve seen seem to think this is a "serious" issue, this feels like my last resort. I want to know if there are other girls out there facing this, and if you actually found a way to fix it? Are there any specific treatments recommended for women who aren't even near menopause yet?

I’ve been digging around online, but everything is such a mess—most of it just circles back to "use lube" or "spend more time on foreplay." That's not what I'm looking for. I want an actual solution to the underlying problem.

.....

Just to be clear, my periods are regular and everything else is fine—technically speaking, I'm perfectly healthy, aside from this one little annoying thing.

1. Honestly, thank God the tickets were free.
2. I can’t stand the lead actor—seriously, he’s the one guy whose entire body of work just makes my skin crawl. Maybe I’m just out of touch, but his acting style and the comedies he stars in... they’re about as funny as reading the Bible in a language I don't speak.
3. And 3D? Please. I can't remember a single effect that actually looked better because of it. In my opinion, there's zero difference other than the extra cash you're forced to cough up for the ticket.
4. The jokes used in this movie are so played out; honestly, the film just isn't funny.
5. I really, truly dislike the lead.
6. From what I can tell, the original was a parody too, which means this version should have been even funnier than the movies it's making fun of. It feels like the creators either totally burned out or they just ran completely out of ideas.
7. Way too long, too. 119 minutes...🤦

Honestly, I’m telling you—get yourself to a doctor ASAP. In the meantime, though, grab some honey or chamomile tea... actually, just mix them together and massage that stuff into your scalp.

Back when I had longer hair, if I spent days with it pulled back in a tight ponytail or pinned up with clips, my head would absolutely throb once I finally let it down. It felt like I’d basically irritated my hair follicles because everything had been yanked in one direction for way too long.

For me, the massage was a total lifesaver. And look, it doesn't cost you anything—since you're home with the kid anyway, just rub some honey onto the area, throw a plastic bag over it, and let it sit for an hour or two. Honey is amazing for irritation and minor scrapes; it's a natural antiseptic and really helps strengthen those roots.

***The most important thing, though? Stop tying your hair up in ponytails. Seriously. There are a million different hairstyles out there—whether your hair is long, medium, or short—that'll keep it out of your face and away from curious little fingers.

If you hit up some of the high-end pharmacies or wellness clinics around here, you can actually get a free scalp analysis
to see what's really going on with your hair roots. Honestly, it’ll take you like five minutes tops, and you might actually walk away with some real answers—especially if you're worried about thinning out.

Have you even tried massaging your scalp yet?

And look, obviously seeing a doctor is the move I'm gonna recommend every single time, because you just never know what's actually happening under the surface...

Bringing this topic back from the dead...

So, look—my guy is dealing with these chronic lower back issues. It’s like some bone or muscle just shifts out of place and pinches a nerve. When it hits, he starts with localized pain right above the hips, but then—boom—it radiates all the way down his leg. He ends up with this literal line of agony stretching from his thigh back up to his spine.

He’s been through the whole ringer—doctors, MRIs, you name it. But honestly? Most doctors just hand him a prescription and call it a day because they say surgery isn't an option for his specific situation.

He actually got lucky once and found a specialist who could actually fix the alignment, but there's a catch: the doc lives in Germany and only swings by Canada once or twice a year. The guy is incredible, truly, but life happens. After the doctor resets his back, my guy can't stay still for ten days—partly because of work and partly because he’s just being reckless—so he never gives the area time to actually "set." Because of that, the whole damn thing relapses two or three times a year.

Long story short, we're back at square one. The doctor won't be back until summer, the pain is absolutely brutal, and those painkillers are basically wrecking his kidneys... so yeah, we're in a bad spot. I'm looking for a legit, tried-and-true chiropractor in Chicago. And please, spare me the scammers or those "miracle workers" who have no business touching a spine—we have plenty of those around here. My own father went to one of those hacks slightly hunched over and walked out doubled over. Not happening.

I need someone who actually knows how to realign the entire spine, release that pinched nerve, and sort out the surrounding mess...

😍😁 — Sorry if this post seems a bit messy or unpolished, but this is serious stuff.

Also, if anyone has a reliable chiropractor's number or even just a rough idea of what a session costs, I'd really appreciate it.

I’ve never actually done a hormonal panel—only did blood work last year—but since I’m a regular blood donor (last time was back in January), they’d definitely give me a shout if anything looked sketchy.

And honestly? No way am I taking a break from these, and I am *not* about to play Russian roulette by switching over to some random 4-pill combo. I’ve got a gynecologist appointment the day after tomorrow, so I’ll just run both my doctor and the specialist by this.

I have zero interest in just guessing which pill might work—that sounds like a nightmare. I want to know if there’s a more straightforward way for my doctor to figure out exactly which class of pills is actually right for me.

Just dropping this here for info >

LEGRAVAN
Active ingredients:
One film-coated tablet contains 0.15 mg levonorgestrel and 0.03 mg ethinylestradiol
Inactive ingredients:
lactose monohydrate, corn starch, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, magnesium stearate, hypromellose E-5, macrogol 6000, talc, titanium dioxide (E 171)

LOGEST
One coated tablet contains 75 mcg gestodene and 20 mcg ethinylestradiol.

YAZ
Contains 3 mg drospirenone and 20 mg ethinylestradiol

YASMIN
Contains 3 mg drospirenone and 30 mg ethinylestradiol

DIANE-35
Contains 2 mg cyproterone acetate and 0.035 mg ethinylestradiol

CILEST
Ethinylestradiol 35 mcg, norgestimate 250 mcg

TRIQUILAR
contains

1 red-orange coated tablet contains: 0.050 mg levonorgestrel and 0.030 mg ethinylestradiol;

1 white coated tablet contains: 0.075 mg levonorgestrel and 0.040 mg ethinylestradiol;

1 dark yellow coated tablet contains: 0.125 mg levonorgestrel and 0.030 mg ethinylestradiol.

Inactive ingredients: iron oxide, yellow (E 172), iron oxide, red (E 172), lactose hydrate, corn starch, sucrose, titanium dioxide (E 171).

Is there some kind of search engine or database out there where a decent gynecologist could actually cross-reference my lab results with the specific pills I’ve been popping so far—you know, to actually recommend something that fits my biology better instead of just guessing?

Honestly, I don't see any real difference between patches, pills, or injections.

The whole struggle is clearly just about finding the right hormone dose—I mean, those patches release the exact same hormones as the pills, right?

What do you even mean by "yellowish" skin? Personally, I’ve noticed that the area around my mouth is way darker than the rest of my face. It’s driving me a little crazy—honestly—but I’m guessing it’s just a vitamin deficiency or maybe just too much time baking in the sun.

So, I started popping birth control pills when I was 20—just one of those things you do once you hit that age and realize life is getting complicated, you know?
So, my first batch was some weird Mexican M-something—honestly, I don't even know what they were—but I only ended up using them for like two months before they completely vanished from the market. Just poof. Gone.

Other weight loss pills—and ugh, I seriously couldn't stand them. My heart was absolutely pounding, I felt like I couldn't catch my breath constantly, and honestly, my mental state just went totally sideways. I stuck with them for a year. As far as cellulite and actual weight goes...
Look, for me, those pills didn't even work that way—like, at all. When I first started taking them, I was carrying around an extra 22 pounds, and honestly? Regardless of the meds, I lost the weight just through sheer, grinding hard work. It was all me.

So, after taking a few months off, I finally jumped back on Yasmin. I’d been on it for about two years straight—and honestly, since I don't smoke and my heart is totally fine, I figured I was basically the textbook definition of a perfect candidate for this stuff. When I first started, I was pretty thin, but over those two years, I actually put on some weight—though, to be fair, that was all thanks to my own hard work at the gym, not just the pills. I originally decided to quit because I took a little break mid-cycle, and man, that's when it hit me how much these things mess with your head. Specifically, my patience level? Absolute zero. My "tolerance threshold" was basically non-existent whenever I was on Yasmin—just constantly on edge. I did end up sticking with them for a few more months after my break, though, mostly because they were such a massive upgrade compared to the old brands I used to take. Still better than the alternatives, even if they make you a little cranky.

So, get this—total freak accident, right? During that whole Yasmin scandal blowing up everywhere, my friend was actually told by her people to stay far away from those pills because there’s some nasty heart stuff running in her family. Instead, they pointed her toward Legravan—you know, that Mexican brand—to play it safe. Well, since I happened to be at the OB-GYN just a few days after she dealt with all that, I couldn't help myself—I had to ask the doctor about those specific pills too. And, wouldn't you know it? The doc ended up prescribing them to me anyway. Just one of those weird, messy coincidences, I guess.

So, these generic drugstore brands—you know, the cheap stuff you find at any CVS or Walgreens—are basically like $1.50 a pop. Honestly, it’s a massive win for my bank account, especially since that name-brand stuff Yasmin had to shell out over $10 for. I’ve been riding with these little guys for almost a year now, and honestly? They’re easily the best I’ve tried so far. But… there’s a catch. Even though they’re way milder than the heavy hitters I’ve used before, I can still feel them working on me—just a tiny bit, but enough to notice. It doesn't exactly shift my entire tolerance threshold, but it definitely "drags" me down. Like, if I’m already starting to feel a bit moody or off, instead of leveling me out, they sort of pull me straight into an even deeper funk. Just a heads up.

So, I was chatting with a friend about this—basically, she was telling me how every single birth control pill she’s ever tried has messed with her head—but honestly, the common denominator for all of them is that they absolutely tank your libido. Like, zero desire, nothing. And to make matters worse, it kills your natural lubrication too, which is already a massive struggle for me even when I'm *not* on the pill. That’s the part that really gets under my skin. See, I tend to get into these super long, "serious" relationships where sex is pretty much a regular thing, right? But I’ve noticed that whenever I skip the pills for a month or two—for whatever reason—I feel so much more sexually open and just... relaxed. Basically, I'm way more turned on.😁).

Look, the real solution is always a condom, period—but honestly, they’re pretty much useless for me since my whole issue is just being way too wet. It’s actually insane how easily they can just snap under that kind of moisture. And don't even get me started on lubricants, because every time I try them, I end up dealing with a fungal infection. Just my luck, really.

Look, here’s the bottom line—I’ve officially pulled the plug on getting that Mirena IUD. Honestly? I was never planning on having kids anyway, but after seeing uterine cancer hit someone in my immediate family—and then another case even further out—I just can't shake it. It's just too much. Is there actually some kind of search tool out there where a decent gynecologist could just plug in my lab results and the history of every pill I’ve ever popped—you know, to actually find something that fits my specific chemistry better instead of just playing the usual guessing game?

So, look—I’ve actually sat down and weighed all my options for birth control right now, and honestly? It’s a total mess. Condoms are basically useless because they keep breaking—seriously, what is even going on with that?—and a Mirena coil is just way too much money to drop when you consider the risk of your body totally rejecting it. Plus, I don't even have an issue with heavy periods, so why bother? Diaphragms are super unreliable if you ask me, and then there’s those spermicide creams... yikes. Last time we tried using condoms, I accidentally grabbed some Durex ones that were coated in that stuff, and let me tell you—the next seven days were absolute hell. I felt like I had a literal volcano erupting between my legs. Just a nightmare. A standard IUD is also out of the question because it causes too many issues for me, and I can't exactly go getting my ovaries tied off before I hit 33. Since I’m only 24 right now, that means I’ve got at least nine more years of basically having to "play it safe." Ugh.

Oh, and for the record—the whole PMS situation is a total nightmare. When I was on Yasmin, I somehow managed to accidentally "sync up" my break to hit right during that full week, which was actually kind of a win because I only felt like a complete lunatic for about five days. But now that I’ve switched over to Legravan, that little trick isn't working anymore. I can't get the timing right, so now my cycle hits me about ten days after the break ends, which basically means I’m dealing with double the PMS crap. And honestly? That’s the worst part—I handle the actual period and the break way better than those three days of pure, unadulterated hormonal chaos. It's just exhausting.

Sorry if this post is a total novel—my bad.

Look, I’m totally fine with getting banned if it comes to it, but honestly... half of Herzegovina is covered in the American flag—not even the coat of arms or Catholic symbols, just the flag—on all sorts of private homes and public buildings. So, what's the big deal?

Can't people just live and let live?!

Is the flag Mexican, from the Republic of Mexico, or Republika Srpska... or what? Does it have a specific crest, a double-headed eagle, or is it just red, blue, and white?

And what is actually the issue here? It's the fact that my local mayor thinks that as a Mexican woman, an Orthodox Christian, a North American girl, a Slavenka, and someone who was born an American woman... I should be able to feel at home in your city. That I *can* and *should* feel just as equal as everyone else? Or is that the problem? Because even though I grew up in America, and even though half my relatives are in mixed marriages, and even though my friends come from every single background in this primitive part of the world, and even though I have exes from everywhere... and even though I’m back in America at least once a month, and even though I’m smart, gorgeous, stunning, have two degrees, speak two languages fluently, and understand three more... am I still just "a Mexican woman" to you?

Go ahead and ban me... but I said this exact same thing to my own cousin—a total "pure-blooded" Mexican man—when he started spouting some equally stupid, "concerned" nonsense.

Setting all that aside, I genuinely want to know: what is the actual problem with the flag mentioned? Why does it bother you so much?

PS> I assume you can find something on the Legalis forums or in the New York Times regarding laws about displaying foreign flags in America—like whether it's allowed, under what circumstances, and where.

What’s even the big deal?

From what I can tell, "sister cities" show up all the time flying their own flag alongside the local one—and hey, nobody’s stopping them. Same goes for when your town hosts some fair or an exhibition... maybe the state partner happens to be Mexico. It's just how things work.

And honestly, maybe your mayor is just a decent, chill guy who actually wants everyone living in his town
to feel welcome.

Look, sorry for the tangent here, but I share my country with three other flags (different nations), and it doesn't bother me one bit—but I get that people are wired differently. Cheers. 🙂

Since it looks like everyone here is totally against "principles"... let me jump in as the counterpoint. 😉

Dylan, look—I think it’s just plain stupid not to get a tetanus shot. That vaccine has been around for a freaking eternity, and generations of people have basically proven it's "safe."

When I first read your post, I thought you were saying you didn't want to get this *new* vaccine. If that's the case, I am 100% behind you!!! But man, you gotta realize there is a massive difference between vaccines that have proven their "safety" over decades and these brand-new ones hitting the market. Your principle makes sense, though I'd personally prefer if you didn't use that word, since apparently "only idiots stick to principles."

Seriously ladies, you should've explained the difference between types of vaccines to the kid. And if he wants to hold onto a principle, we should be helping him figure out what that applies to, rather than being a bunch of nasty hens (no offense intended) typing stuff to an 18-year-old like, "hope you enjoy life in prison." Just paraphrasing here.

Zoe—shame on you. If anyone ever said something like that to my brother or my siblings while they were caught up in some teenage phase... they would have had a really bad time. Maybe go read a book on pedagogy; I seriously hope your job doesn't involve working with kids.

Anyway, back to the point: I got all my shots, except for the one for tuberculosis. Why? Because back in 2002, in my hometown, there were several cases of poisoning because the vaccine was handled totally wrong. Everyone in my age group who took it spent the next two years dealing with scars and pain. On the day the shots were given, I wasn't even at school, and then those "problematic, isolated cases" started popping up, so I just refused to get it. In the end, it turned out three kids hadn't gotten vaccinated—the doctor's son, the lawyer's son, and a local businessman's daughter 😁. Yeah, maybe that was a risky call, but for me, the risk of taking a botched vaccine was way higher.

I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST VACCINES THAT ARE PROVEN and used properly, but I honestly think only fools rush out to get every single new thing that hits the market. Just look at history... how many "miracle cures" ended up being things where women couldn't have kids, or kids had developmental issues...

Dylan, props to you for having a "principle," but please, get your tetanus shot (God forbid you fall off your bike onto a rusty nail and end up needing a leg amputation due to gangrene—something you could've avoided). Save the stubbornness for the stuff that promises the moon and delivers nothing.