Throbbing pain around temple and ears an

Hi Everyone Wanted to share my experience dealing with joystick drift on my xbox controller.
So my original controller which came with the Series S started showing signs of joystick drift around 1 year after the purchase. Initially I bared it, but it became a pain when playing games such as overcooked 2.
Spending 5k more on buying a controller didn't seem to make a lot of sense since I had one more controller, the only issue was with couch co-op games.
So I first tried to call up local repair shops and they quoted me insanely high numbers to replace the joystick - roughly 2k. I live in Hyd, these prices might be lower in places such as Delhi.
Then the engineer in me got an itch, and I thought why not replace it myself. Searching on amazon I found this - TCOS TECH Xbox Series X/S Analog 3D Analog Joystick Replacement for Xbox Series S Xbox Series X Wireless Controller : Amazon.in: Video Games (not sponsored or affiliated in any way)
I thought it should just be a simple soldering job and I ordered a soldering kit with this.
Then I started, and oh my, it was a really scary experience.
So the difference between soldering normally, and removing solders made by hand is generally very easy. But in things such as the controller, the soldering is done using automated machines on the PCB.
Removing these solders is not possible using normal soldering guns you might have for hobbies etc. They require significantly more heat to remove.
So yeah, I spent a long time trying to heat and remove the solder to no avail, the PCB almost changed a bit of it's colour, and I was like I have anyways messed this up.
Then I started exploring more on youtube to see more simpler techniques, there were techniques around just breaking the potentiometers/joystick instead of the solder, and then just move it back and forth to break the solder.
I thought I'll do this on the whole joystick, but just doing it on one of the potentiometers was too much effort and scary. Scary in terms of breaking the whole thing up.
Then I ended up only breaking 1 potentiometer (the front-back one which had the drift) and then replacing it with a potentiometer from the one I had purchased. After much more effort and abusing the PVC very badly with heat, solder and the hole from where I removed the older potentiometer, it looked like a complete mess. I was worried if it would even turn on.
Luckily after few minor adjustments, the joystick was working perfectly. I can honestly say, I felt super happy!
Fast forward to 2months since this, now the joystick has a different kind of problem, where it randomly gets stuck in top direction, hopefully might be fixable with minor tweaks.
All in all it was a very scary experience (of destroying my whole controller), and I won't recommend it to anyone if you don't have advanced soldering skills and equipment.
Better approach would be to buy a stick like this online and then maybe go to a mobile repair shop and pay them some money to help with soldering.

Hi friends, We recently started writing about Danish idioms on our newsletter the Simple Danish Newsletter - I also started posting them here on Reddit, but I have not been great at keeping up, and so now I am 12 weeks behind here on Reddit, and rather than space out 12 different posts, I thought I would do one big post and hopefully get back on track with the postings 😅 So here’s a bunch of Danish idioms for you!
At have det som blommen i et æg
Litterally; to feel like the yolk in an egg. I like this idiom a lot because of how visual it is. It means that you feel good, you feel comfortable, protected, and in the right place.
For example:
A: Se de søde killinger der sover.
B: Åårh, de har sikkert som blommen i et æg.
En heldig kartoffel
Literally, a lucky potato. If someone is especially lucky, in Danish ,you can call them a lucky potato. As far as I can read, the expression comes from an old sailors game, where you would pass a potato around in a circle, and a person in the middle would try to catch it. If the person in the middle could not catch the potato, it was said to be a lucky potato.
For example: A: Jeg har fri på fredag, så jeg kan nyde det gode vejr.
B: Din heldige kartoffel.
A: Har du hørt at Jonas har vundet i lotto? B: Sikke en heldig kartoffel!
En varm kartoffel
Something can also be a hot potato. It is the same expression as in english, where an issue can be a hot potato. Something so hot that it is painful to touch, and so something you would want to avoid. This expression is less used in Denmark, and mostly by newspapers or the older generations.
Lokummet brænder
Litterally: The toilet is on fire.
Either you are in big trouble or you are about to be in big trouble when your toilet is on fire.
Lokum in Danish used to refer to the old shed behind the house, where hole-in-the-ground-with-seat type toilets with no running water were found. Nowadays the word can also refer, with some disgust, to normal toilets.
For example:

• Danskerne er gode til at få psykologisk hjælp når lokummet brænder.
  
• Når lokummet brænder, ved jeg at jeg altid kan regne med dig.
  

Så er den ged barberet
Litterally translating to; then the goat is shaved. Means that something is done or solved. You can use it if you got an annoying task out of the way, either by avoiding the task entirely (and then ironically using så er den ged barberet to humorously say that it was easy), or by actually finishing it.
Example 1: Jeg skal lige færdiggøre den sidste del af præsentationen, og så er den ged barberet.
Example 2: FCK scorede et hurtigt mål mod Brøndby, og så var den ged barberet.
Hvor kragerne vender
Where the crows turn around is used to to mean the same as in the middle of nowhere, although I like the illustrativeness of the Danish phrase much more than in the middle of nowhere. It means somewhere so far away, that even the crows don’t dare go there. You can for example say; Rasmus er vokset op på landet. Der hvor kragerne vender. Or if someone asks you what you did this weekend, you can say: jeg var ude at gå en tur, helt derude hvor kragerne vender. Or if people ask you where you are from: jeg er fra en lille by ude hvor kragerne vender.
Den der kommer først til mølle, får først malet
Litterally; The one who arrives first at the mill will get milled first. This is pretty much the the Danish equivalent of first come, first serve, mixed with a bit of the early bird gets the worm. However in everyday life, you pretty much only hear the first part; først til mølle or you might see something like; “efter først til mølle princip” which was recently added to the Danish dictionary. You might see the phrase if you are looking at items being given away for free or being sold online. I can definitely see how the isolated phrase can confuse new learners though: “Selling sneakers. First to the mill.”
So now you know 😊
at spille kong gulerod
At spille kong gulerod, to play king-carrot. You can use this expression if someone is acting arrogant, cocky, or superior in a pretentious way. You can for example say du skal ikke komme her og spille kong gulerod if someone is being pompous around you. The phrase apparently comes from an old french, satirical opera from 1872, where vegetables from the garden take control over France. Or so I’ve heard. Don’t cite me on that.
At købe katten i sækken
Literally meaning to buy the cat in the sack. To buy the cat in the sack, means you got cheated in a trade, or that you were not diligent enough when checking what you were buying and got something not worth a lot. You can change the person or the idiom in the idiom as in jeg har købt katten i sækken meaning you already made the bad deal, or you can say hun køber katten i sækken in the 3rd person future tense if someone is going to make a bad decision. You can use it as a warning to someone Pas på du ikke køber katten i sækken if you think there’s a risk they will not make a good choice later.
At gå som katten om den varme grød
Litterally; to walk like the cat around the hot porridge. We use this idiom when someone hesitates to speak directly about a sensitive subject, when they skirt around the issue. I imagine a cat, interested in eating a nice bowl of hot porridge, but the cat is hesitant because it is afraid of burning its tongue.
Example: I forbindelse med spørgsmålet om klimaforandringer, gik politikerne som katten om den varme grød.
at skyde papegøjen
To shoot the parrot, or to have shot the parrot, means to be very lucky. It can also mean to have gotten hold of a very valuable object or person. It is in a sensee the opposite of having bought the cat in the sack. Here’s a few examples:
Rasmus har skudt papegøjen med hende Antonina. Hun er godt nok sød. Jeg har skudt papegøjen her I weekenden på loppemarkedet.
Det med småt
“that with small/little” or more legibly: the fine print.
Har du læst det med småt? Did you read the fine print? You will often see this when websites are trying to be transparent or quirky about their terms and conditions. So you might encounter a link or a website titled “det med småt” if you are trying to buy something.
That was all for now 😅 I apologize in advance for formatting problems, as I am writing this on mobile as apparently this is the only way Reddit will allow me to post multiple images.

Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is the subject of heated debate. How are mast cell activation syndromes defined? Which diseases are included? What is the diagnosis and treatment of mast cell activation syndrome? Prof. Dr. Knut Brockow, Clinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology and Allergology at the Biederstein, Technical University of Munich answers these questions in an interview with MeinAllergiePortal.
Mast cell activation syndrome: The most important facts!
-The prototype of mast cell activation syndrome is recurrent anaphylaxis
-Other forms of idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome are being sought; however, there are mainly symptom descriptions where the diagnosis cannot be made
-Clinical suspicion of MCAS is based on recurring allergy-like symptoms on the skin, nose, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and circulation
-The diagnosis of MCAS is made according to recognized international criteria based on three criteria
-MCAS is often suspected even when symptoms are inappropriate and the diagnosis is unclear; the suspicion is then not helpful for patients
-The same medications are used to treat MCAS as are used to treat allergies, in particular antihistamines and cromoglicic acid
Prof. Brockow, what kind of disease is MCAS?
Mast cell activation syndrome is not an established diagnosis, but rather a concept. Historically, this concept arose because an increasing number of patients came to the doctor's office with complaints that gave the impression of having been triggered by mast cells. These patients sometimes showed symptoms similar to those of allergic reactions, anaphylaxis or mastocytosis, but a clear diagnosis for these diseases could not be made. Nevertheless, it was suspected that there could at least be a connection with mast cell diseases. Unfortunately, the term MCAS created more uncertainty than understanding. This is because MCAS is now thrown around as a diagnosis for many patients with many symptoms and an unclear diagnosis. This is not helpful for patients and fuels short-term hope of diagnosis and cure, which cannot be fulfilled later.
Is MCAS an autoimmune disease?
No, in autoimmune diseases mast cells are not primarily involved and not as lead cells, but lymphocytes that attack the body's own structures, in some cases by forming antibodies.
Is there a connection between mast cell activation syndrome and autoimmune diseases?
No, there is no known connection between MCAS and autoimmune diseases. It has also been claimed by specific authors that other diseases, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are related to mast cell activation syndrome. However, there are no good arguments for this. Unfortunately, such claims are easy to make and difficult to refute.
What is the cause of mast cell activation syndrome?
Mast cell activation syndrome is actually more of a symptom description than a diagnosis in its own right. Mast cell activation syndrome is fully applicable to recurrent anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions in several organ systems such as the skin, respiratory tract, digestive tract and circulatory system), for example due to insect bites. All the criteria for mast cell activation syndrome are met here. Severe allergic reactions are the most common cause of MCAS. However, although the term MCAS is correct in this context, it does not provide any additional information, as patients with such events are better described as patients with a diagnosis of anaphylaxis or allergy, and the term MCAS is somewhat confusing.
Is mast cell activation syndrome genetic?
MCAS itself is not genetic, but patients with the genetic disease mastocytosis often suffer from anaphylaxis, particularly to insect venom, and therefore MCAS. In addition, it is currently being investigated whether people with genetically determined hereditary alpha-tryptasemia suffer more frequently from MCAS.
How did the term mast cell activation syndrome come about?
There were many patients without a clear diagnosis, some of whom predominantly showed the symptoms typical of mast cell diseases. Accordingly, the experts dealing with mast cell diseases saw the need to develop a concept that took into account the “undiagnosable” symptoms of the patients. In the course of this, the terms “mast cell activation” and “mast cell activation syndrome” were defined. In addition, an attempt was made to sort all mast cell diseases into a classification with regard to mast cell activation. However, the difficulty in classifying these complaints is that many of the complaints described by patients are subjective, relatively non-specific and can be both organic and psychosomatic.
How have you defined mast cell diseases and which diseases do they include?
Mast cell diseases are defined as recurring chronic symptoms that are compatible with mast cell activation.
Mast cell activation is classified on the basis of three criteria:
Recurrent typical clinical symptoms in at least two organ systems
An increase in mast cell mediators can be detected in the blood, most frequently by determining the serum tryptase level during an acute attack
Good response of symptoms to anti-mast cell mediator-directed therapy, especially H1 antihistamines
What types of mast cell disease are there?
The classification of mast cell diseases associated with mast cell activation syndromes defines three groups:
1. primary mast cell activation syndrome
Primary mast cell activation syndrome is explained by a clonal expansion of mutated overactive mast cells. It manifests as systemic or cutaneous mastocytosis. If these criteria are not completely fulfilled, but clonal mast cells have been detected, it is referred to as monoclonal mast cell activation syndrome.
2 Secondary mast cell activation syndrome
Secondary mast cell activation syndrome is present when clear triggers of mast cell activation are known. There are established terms for secondary mast cell activation syndrome that we are more familiar with, such as “anaphylaxis” to a known trigger. The classification in the second group of mast cell diseases is therefore merely a reclassification. Examples of mast cell activation are physical urticaria or cold urticaria. Allergies such as pollen allergies are also secondary mast cell activations, as hay fever also causes symptoms typical of mast cell diseases. In pollen allergies, mast cell mediators are found in the blood serum and drugs directed against mast cells have a good effect. If the symptoms recur in several organ systems, this is referred to as mast cell activation syndrome.
3. tertiary or idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome
Tertiary or idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome refers to mast cell diseases whose triggers are unknown. This group would include, for example, chronic spontaneous urticaria, which has additional symptoms in other organs. Here we know that mast cells are activated, but not by what. This group of idiopathic mast cell activation syndromes would also include patients with as yet undescribed clinical pictures who do not fulfill the diagnostic criteria of known mast cell diseases, e.g. allergy, anaphylaxis, but in whom the disease is triggered by mast cells. In these patients, however, the connection between the symptoms and the activities of the mast cells must be proven.
Does this mean that tertiary or idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion?
Idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome can be described as a diagnosis of exclusion insofar as the prerequisite for the diagnosis is that there is no other disease causing the symptoms. However, the symptoms described are often very, very unspecific and could also be caused by a variety of other diseases. However, there are the three criteria for mast cell activation syndrome already mentioned. If these are not all fulfilled, this diagnosis cannot be made.
How common is mast cell activation syndrome?
Anaphylaxis and severe recurrent allergies are not uncommon and represent the vast majority of appropriate cases for MCAS. In addition, mastocytosis patients often have multiple anaphylaxis and therefore also MCAS. However, our initial idea of finding a new disease, idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome, has not yet been confirmed. There are many patients with many symptoms for whom a clear organic diagnosis cannot yet be made. However, it is almost never possible to prove that a defect in the mast cells is primarily responsible for the symptoms. Many of these patients describe symptoms that could fit, and in some patients anti-allergic drugs also have a positive effect. But in only very few patients can an increase in mast cell mediators be detected during an acute attack. I now believe that somatic stress disorders could play a significant role in many of the patients examined.
Histamine intolerance is also a diagnosis of exclusion, is there a connection with mast cell activation syndrome?
Histamine intolerance can cause similar symptoms, but is not a mast cell disorder and has nothing to do with MCAS. When mast cells are activated, the messenger substance histamine is released, which in turn can cause symptoms. In histamine intolerance, the mast cell is not activated - it is not involved in any way. Rather, histamine intolerance describes patients with an increased sensitivity to histamine, which is supplied, for example, via the diet. This can lead to similar symptoms, but in contrast to mast cell activation syndrome, histamine intolerance has a clear trigger, histamine. As a result, the symptoms occur after eating histamine-rich foods, but disappear again if the patient follows a low-histamine diet. A test is also available to diagnose histamine intolerance.
So there are also patients with suspected mast cell activation syndrome who cannot be assigned to a classification group, even though they have corresponding symptoms?
There are many patients in whom no mast cell activation syndrome can be detected despite suspicion. They do not fit into one of the three groups. However, this also used to include monoclonal mast cell activation syndrome. These patients showed anaphylaxis and a KIT mutation, but not the full criteria for mastocytosis. In the meantime, a separate disease diagnosis has been created for these patients. The independent accepted disease of these patients therefore lies between mastocytosis and normal findings.
We thought that there might be other forms of idiopathic MCAS with clinical pictures that have not yet been described. However, this is not supported by the findings to date. There are patients who show symptoms but do not meet the necessary criteria for idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome. In these patients, the diagnosis remains unclear. In how many of these patients functional physical complaints play a role still needs to be investigated.
Are there risk factors that favor mast cell activation syndrome?
There are hardly any recognized studies on this. In a study conducted by Cem Akin in the USA, patients were examined who met the three criteria for idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome. They had the right symptoms, there was an increase in mediators and their symptoms improved with treatment. It was shown that many of these patients suffered from urticaria factitia, a scratch-induced urticaria, abdominal pain and flushing.
Recently, a genetic trait was discovered, hereditary alpha-tryptasemia with elevated basal serum tryptase levels. In patients with this trait and insect venom allergy, the severity of the allergic reaction appears to be increased. It is also discussed that the frequency of mast cell activation syndrome is increased in patients with this genetic trait. However, the published studies are not yet unanimous in this respect.
What symptoms can occur with MCAS?
The following symptoms could be signs of mast cell activation syndrome:
MCAS symptoms on the skin:
Appearance of sudden intense redness (flushing)
itching
wheal formation
Deep wheal formation (angioedema or Quincke's edema)
MCAS symptoms on the nose:
Nasal congestion
Nasal itching
MCAS symptoms in the airways:
Swelling of the upper airways
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
MCAS symptoms of the digestive tract:
Vomiting
abdominal pain
diarrhea
Systemic MCAS symptoms:
Syncope - where you suddenly lose consciousness, but only for a short time
Sudden drop in blood pressure
Allergic shock
These symptoms can occur together or individually. In principle, symptoms must occur in two or more organ systems for MCAS. These symptoms, together with the typical skin changes and anaphylaxis, are also typical of mastocytosis.
Are muscle pain and hair loss also symptoms of MCAS?
No, why would anyone think that these symptoms are primarily caused by a malfunction of mast cells? Mast cells are not important cells for muscle pain and hair loss.
How is MCAS diagnosed?
MCAS is a diagnosis of exclusion, i.e. there is no mast cell activation syndrome test. However, this does not mean that all other diseases must be ruled out before a diagnosis of MCAS can be made.
When testing directly for mast cell activation syndrome, three criteria would be examined, all of which must be met, not just two:
First, there must be a matching of symptoms to see if the above symptoms are leading, recurrent and occur in at least two organ systems.
Is there a substantial or complete improvement in the clinical symptoms when taking anti-allergic medication, antihistamines or cromoglicic acid? Then this criterion would apply.
The blood levels of tryptase in the serum can now be examined at two different points in time. This would check whether there is an increase in mast cell mediators or tryptase in the blood serum in a highly symptomatic phase or during a seizure compared to a time when there are no symptoms.
What does the tryptase level in the blood mean in the diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome?
If the mast cell mediator tryptase rises by 20 percent of the basal value, i.e. the initial value, + 2 ng/ml during such an episode, the diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome has been made without the need to rule out other diseases beforehand. However, taking blood samples to determine the tryptase levels is very time-consuming, because a blood sample should be taken in the normal state and then another blood sample should be taken during a seizure or a highly symptomatic episode. This means that the patient must see a doctor in good time for a blood test during the acute phase. If these tests are negative, mast cell activation syndrome cannot be confirmed.
Elevated tryptase levels also play a role in anaphylaxis, is there a connection with mast cell activation syndrome?
Anaphylaxis is an extremely strong mast cell activation, the “prototype” of mast cell activation, so to speak. The tryptase level rises, so that it is considered an indicator of anaphylaxis. Here too, the basal value is measured and compared with the value during an episode. The relevant factor is the resulting increase in the tryptase value. The therapy against mast cells is effective in this case. In this respect, anaphylaxis is the classic form of mast cell activation syndrome.
The tryptase value also plays a role in the diagnosis of mastocytosis, what are the correlations here?
Mastocytosis patients also have an elevated baseline tryptase level. This is therefore an indication of mastocytosis and an indication for a final diagnosis by means of a bone marrow biopsy. However, there is also a mastocytosis-independent correlation between tryptase and anaphylaxis. People who have a higher number of mast cells often develop more severe anaphylaxis than people with fewer mast cells. The tryptase basal value is therefore considered a kind of indicator for the total mast cells in the body. For example, insect venom anaphylactic patients with elevated basal mast cell tryptase levels in the blood are at increased risk of severe anaphylaxis.
What can be done against MCAS and which medications help?
The aim of treatment for mast cell activation syndrome is to slow down the effect of the overactivated mast cells and to calm the mast cells. In particular, the avoidance of allergic triggers is available for this purpose.
Histamine receptor blockers are tried as medication to block the effects of mast cell activation by histamine. Mast cell stabilizers or blockers of mast cell release, cromoglicic acid, can also calm the mast cells. Cromoglicic acid is also used in mastocytosis patients. It is important to know that the use of cromoglicic acid is not advisable if the attack has already run its course. On the other hand, many patients achieve a significant improvement in symptoms if cromoglicic acid is taken continuously as a preventive measure and in a sufficiently high dose. This has also been shown to be the case with antihistamines.
Another option would be leukotriene receptor antagonists and corticosteroids in the short term, but never over a longer period of time.
Unfortunately, many patients with previously unexplained complaints are given a suspected diagnosis of MCAS in the hope that this knowledge will lead to better treatment or perhaps a cure. However, apart from the drugs mentioned, which can also be used on a trial basis in cases of suspected MCAS, there are no other useful drugs available. In this respect, the suspicion of MCAS unfortunately does not offer patients any additional treatment options.
Are there foods that activate or deactivate mast cells?
No such foods are known in humans. Of course, it is possible to bombard mast cells in a test tube with high concentrations of food and measure whether the natural activation of mast cells is increased or reduced. However, such tests are generally not meaningful for humans when consumed.
Can naturopathy help with mast cell activation syndrome?
I don't know how it could help. Naturopathy is the attempt to achieve a positive effect through naturally occurring active substances. Is the avoidance of allergens in our natural environment already naturopathy?
Could certain vitamins, for example vitamin C, be beneficial for MCAS?
This is claimed by a few doctors without any convincing results. Vitamin C is also said to help against seasickness. After all, vitamin C, taken in normal amounts, is not harmful and is beneficial. Sometimes the conviction that a substance is good for you also helps. That's why the experiment doesn't bother me.
Is it possible to prevent mast cell activation syndrome?
Yes, by avoiding MCAS with a known trigger. This is the case with allergies. In the case of allergies and recurrent anaphylaxis as a form of MCAS, omalizumab, an antibody against immunoglobulin E, can also be used in individual patients.
Prof. Brockow, thank you very much for this interview!
https://www.mein-allergie-portal.com/mastozytose-mastzellaktivierungssyndrom-mcas/925-idiopathisches-mastzellenaktivierungssyndrom-ein-neues-krankheitsbild.html

Hi, I am wondering if I can get some guidance/opinions from the sub on my case two months after injury. I don't know if I can do much beyond just rest and pray for improvement but want to know if someone has gone through a similar thing.
Context:
I did PE (manual stretches in all directions) for about 3-4 weeks. I decided it was not for me and stopped. I noticed at the time that my libido had dropped off maybe 2-3 weeks into this and I was no longer getting spontaneous erections, erections took much more stimulation to get and maintain, etc. About a week after stopping, I started to feel a pain on the bottom right side of my shaft (near testicles) when walking. I also felt an uncomfortable feeling in my glans when rubbing against underwear, and a dull feeling in my perineum (almost like it was too relaxed). I also noticed my flaccid was constantly longer and my superficial dorsal vein was bulging out.
Current:
It has been two months since I stopped PE. The pain in shaft/discomfort when walking has mostly subsided within the last two weeks or so.

• My dorsal vein is still usually bulging/I can push it around when flaccid. One other superficial vein also appears more prominent, and several others are darker all around.
• My flaccid doesn't really turtle up like it used to. Always hangs longer. Sometimes feels soft, sometimes feels firmer, closer to an HF state
• There is slight discoloration/ some hematomas. This was confirmed by a urologist. He said to give the hematomas 2-3 months to resolve. There is one on the dorsal side right below the glans that is darker and flares up when I ejaculate.
• I can get/maintain erections, especially when taking cialis, but are weaker and are not as frequent.
• I received a Doppler US and the doc said it looked normal/no venous leak
• No noticeable other pains or urinary issues.
• For some reason, when in the shower it turns into what seems like classic HF. Feels like a rubber hose.

My question is:

1. Could hematoma/bulging dorsal vein cause EQ issues? Should this resolve without intervention?
2. Does this sound like full blown LF or some variation of HF?

Any guidance is greatly greatly appreciated, this is causing me a lot of distress as you all know. I am also planning to start pelvic floor stretches/exercises.

Hey everyone, I wanted to summarize the injury I had, how it affected me, and the rehab process. I'll make edits every three months or so to track my progress and return to CF.
Background: I'm a 27 y/o guy who had been doing CF for about 1.5 years until my injury. I had seen steady progress in all aspects of CF since starting. I had previously lifted weights for 7 years.
December 2023: I went for a new PR power snatching and dislocated my shoulder while the barbell was overhead. I popped back in about a minute later. I go to the ortho that same day and get X-Rays. No bone damage thankfully. About a week later I get an MRI that confirms labral tear and a little bit of damage around some other tendons I don't remember the name of. No biceps tendon damage. I wear a sling for 4 weeks, doing one small CF workout before surgery for whatever reason.
I believe what led to the dislocation was a combination of poor mobility, improper recovery leading up to the attempt, and trying a weight that was outside of my strength range. Live and you learn I guess.
January 2024: Surgery exactly one month after dislocation. Surgeon tells me it was like my labrum had torn from the 8 o'clock hand to the 11 o'clock hand of a clock so not terrible. Told to wear a sling for 6 weeks.
February 2024: Since I work remotely, I really only wore my sling outside of the house and not all that often. Should've (?) been better about wearing the sling but I have no idea if that had any impact on my recovery since my arm was on my lap 8 hours a day. I began to run as exercise.
March 2024: In the beginning of the month I start physical therapy for an intended 12 weeks. Still running, not doing any weight training or modified CF.
April 2024: Running, did a 10k for the first time, slowly getting back into lifting weights, PT is going well.
May 2024: Quit running after the 10k (something I regret). I'm nearing the end of PT and would say my mobility is around 85% of what it used to be. Starting to get into weight lifting with minimal apprehension. I am still not able to do close to what my old CF self was. I cannot currently do any sort of pull ups, RMUs, BMUs, etc. I could probably snatch the bar and that's it.
As of today, I have not done any Crossfit in 5 months, and don't think I'll be full strength for a few more. I plan to just keep doing a body building split until I'm confident my range of motion is no longer compromised and I can perform everything overhead pain-free. I would rather do this than modify CF around my injury. It's actually been somewhat nice to take a break, get back into something I haven't done for a while, and try some other forms of exercise. Looking forward to getting back into it later this year.

Hello. I’m making this post because I am unsure of what to do. I’m 17 and my girlfriend is 16. We’re very close but are long distance. (4 hour drive) Her mother (actually her grandma technically??) has been abusive towards her up until she was 14. The last time she was physically abused her mom grabbed her hair and made her stare at her. It was much worse before that. When she was around 10, she was hit with charger cords and slapped and had dishes thrown at her. She had bruises but always said they were from other things. After being abused, she was bought things to keep her quiet I assume. Such as stuffed animals because her mom felt “bad.” She would also do this thing to her where after hitting her she would sit her down and say “give me your pain.” And hold her head against hers. I assume the only reason she stopped hitting her is because she knows she’d tell people now. I used to stay at her house for a week at a time. She has 2 brothers, I believe 8 and 10, who I would wake up to every morning screaming as they’re getting hit with spoons and slapped. I saw the youngest with a large bruise on his face. They used to do in person school, now they only do online, likely because of their mom hitting them and her not wanting to be caught. I had known about her hitting her brothers for a while but I hadn’t stayed at her house until August. It was seriously every single morning. I also knew about the abuse she received since middle school as she had told me about it then. We were very close friends. This past week, maybe more, her mom has been very rude towards her. She’d call her things like ugly and ignore her when she tried to talk to her. This current fight is about someone in Walmart giving my girlfriend 40 dollars to buy a shirt she wanted. She didn’t ask, it was just a kind person. She ended up getting a cheaper one as the one that was 40 ended up being too big for her. Her mom freaked out on her and said she was misusing his generosity. Saying she was an ugly person. Yesterday, she came into her room and lectured her about the money. She was screaming at her and saying she’s a selfish brat. She also brought up how she didn’t get her a gift for Mother’s Day. I heard all of this because I happened to call her right before her mom walked in. She came in and said something like,” are we going to talk about this?” My girlfriend wasn’t really saying anything as she’s very passive with her mom. After a bit, her mom was going crazy and screaming at her that she loves her no matter how mean she is to her?? Now, before we had called, we had been talking on text and she had been bringing up all the abuse things her mom has done. I assume my girlfriend was checking something on her phone and hung up so her mom didn’t see us on call. I only know what she told me on Xbox as they forgot to take that away—-

Male, 31, 84kg weight, 6,1' height.
So I was on biologics for ulcerative colitis for years, roughly 7 years, humira, imuran, imflixamab, entyvio and one or two more, I got an ileostomy 3 years ago and was next to cured, I got sepsis due to a perforated bowel and was on antibiotics ( taz and one ending in mycin) for three months then too as the surgery went a bit wrong..
But ever since then I'm on antibiotics every month and if I'm lucky it's every 2 months for things like ear infections, chest, kidney and so on.. right now I'm on them for a double ear infection and upper sinus infection (confirmed by bloods and an exam by my gp) and my kidneys are sore too!..
Obviously being on them this frequently isn't good, but I don't understand why, I'm extremely healthy, gym 3 times a week, swim once a week, hike maybe once every 2/3 weeks (5 or 6k steps wise) and I have a good diet, I'm not overweight and to look at me you would think I was never sickly..
Medications wise all I take is lomopromide to slow the output of my ileostomy and a daily generic a-z Multivitamin as I thought it might help but I'd doesn't seem to, I usually wait till I no its an actual infection too, burst ear drum now as I hoped it would pass on its own..
Is there anything I can do to help prevent all these constant infections? Antibiotics around 8 times a year isn't good..

I 42m been having an attack for weeks now, to the point I'm barely eating anything. I keep having the usual RUQ pain that goes to the back specially if I eat anything fatty. I have pain on my LQ by bottom rib. I also have joint pain in my wrista and ankles. and this weird feeling on my toes or fingers like if I put bengay on the skin, numbness. Headaches neck pain, that nasty taste on my mouth like when you throw up and have nothing left on the stomach. Blood pressure have been high for me around 140/90 constantly. I been to the ER 2x in two weeks they do blood work and say it's nothing heart related gave me a morphine and sent me on my way. I have my surgery now scheduled for June 21. And aside from sludge on my GB and the symptoms, the only other thing was hida said I had a EF of 86. Anxiety is just kicking my ass because so much shit going on and dont know how to make it better.

Hello fellow sufferers, I'm m/26 got diagnosed 2 years ago with episodic cluster headaches.
Yesterday I had a weird experience with my cluster, it started mildy at 12 and went away 20 minutest later, only to come back 2 hours later with the worst attack I had so far. I used my sumatriptan injection (they worked very well and super fast in the past for me). But this time I felt really sick/nauseous afterwards for about an hour.
Today I had another attack, again starting around 12, but today it lasted for around 5 hours straight. I had nothing at hand to abort it, because I was at work and I sat through it.
My question is, did any of you experience something similar after a sumatriptan injection? I think I need to talk with my doctor again. I do have an appointment in June in a pain clinic with cluster specialist and i will talk with them about that too.
Just curious what the community thinks of it.
I wish you all pain-free days/months and years

Day One:
‘Hey, did it work? Can you hear me?’ the tinny, female voice asked. All was dark, then, light. Slowly, his vision cleared and he saw the sky. The sun. Then, a small floating thing that bobbed and danced excitedly over him. ‘You're alive! Finally! I've been looking for you for a long time Guardian!’ that same voice said. It seemed to be coming directly into his ear from a speaker. He sat up and placed his hands on his head. A helmet was there. He began to gasp and panic, trying to remove it. ‘Hey, what are you doing? Calm down….’ the voice said. The helmet disappeared. He drew in a breath. The air was foul with a fetid undertone.
‘What the fuck? What are you? Where am I?’ He asked the thing which was now spinning and dancing in front of him. He coughed and placed his arm over his mouth. The stench was almost unbearable. The helmet rematerialized as soon as he moved his arm.
‘Sorry, but the air here is toxic. Not lethal, but not pleasant. Too many corpses rotting. I replaced the helmet to filter it. My name is Cilla, and I'm a Ghost. YOUR Ghost. I'll explain more about that later, but the long and short of it is you were dead for centuries and I brought you back.’ it said.
‘Dead? Centuries? Wait…. Why can't I remember anything from before I woke up here, who am I?’ He asked. ‘And what do you mean a ghost? Like you're also a dead person?’
‘No, Guardian. I'm more like a piece of the Light that brought you back. It's a long story and we will have time to go over it. Let's get you moving though. We are a long way from the city, and this area hasn't been patrolled or swept like ever. We need to move, who knows what kind of threats have been hiding here’ Cilla said.
‘Where is here, exactly? And which city?’ He asked as he stood up. He looked down and saw he was wearing a kind of robe like garment with gloves, pants, and armored boots. An armlet was fastened around his bicep. ‘And what the fuck am I wearing?’
‘This was once called Romania I think, these are the Carpathian mountains. At least that's what historical records I could find indicate. And you are wearing armor Guardian. You are a Warlock, which means you are powerful, curious, and capable of amazing things. Let's get moving. Seriously, this isn't a safe place. You did die here once already after all.’
He looked around. There wasn't much to see other than the wild beauty of a dark forest run wild that had retaken the civilization that was wiped out. It was haunting and lovely. But there was a hint of something….. dark. He looked down, and saw he was standing on a pile of bones in the remains of an old uniform. A piece of metal twinkled in the ruins of it's ribs. He bent and picked it up. As he brushed the dirt and grit off he asked the Ghost ‘Was this me?’
‘No, your body was reconstituted, that was the one you were on top of….’ She said. He looked down at the tag he had picked up. It read ‘Kassien’
‘Well, then they don't need the name anymore, and apparently I don't have one…. I guess you can call me Kassien instead of guardian.’ He said.
Cilla swooped. ‘Kassien! I like it!’ She said and spun in the air. Her voice was pleasant and slightly sultry. Weird. ‘Now let's move. There is the remains of an installation a few kilometers away. We probably won't find a ship there but maybe some weapons and a way to contact the city.’ she said.
‘OK, let's go. You can fill me in as we walk. First off, what's a Warlock?’ he said. He jumped down off of the mound he had awoken on, and was shocked to find himself gliding slowly down to the ground. ‘What the fuck, I can fly?’ he asked.
‘Not exactly’ Cilla said laughing a bit. ‘Warlocks can glide amongst other abilities. Let's cover the basics as we walk’ she said. And as he walked she explained about the Traveler, the Darkness, the collapse from the Golden Age, and the Guardians. By the time they reached the ancient military facility, he was reeling with it all.
‘So, I'm a space wizard?’ Kass asked. He looked at his hands and concentrated. She claimed he had this power of light flowing through him, and wanted to test it out. At first there was nothing, then, a bright ball of yellowish orange energy flickered into existence in his hand. In his shock he lost his focus and it exploded, taking his hand and lower arm with it. Blood was everywhere. The pain was searing and intense. ‘What the fuck!? Cilla!’ He shouted. She popped out if his backpack and floated there. She did nothing. He bled and the world turned black.
Then he was back. His arm was fine. There wasn't even a singed thread on his glove. ‘What just happened?’ Kass asked. He flexed his hand. No pain. He felt fantastic.
‘Well, you tried to use your power, formed a grenade, blew your own arm off, and bled to death…’ she said. There was a slight bit of humor in her voice. ‘Then I brought you back. I could have healed it, but I thought it best to get the whole ‘You are going to die over and over’ thing out of the way. That is part of the deal, boss. You can die again and again and it hurts every time, but I will always bring you back as long as I am not destroyed or the Light isn't choked off by the Darkness.’ she said.
‘That's kind of fucked up, but yeah, rip the bandage off I guess….’ he said sardonically. He walked over to the dark, gaping entrance and peered inside. ‘Don't suppose you know where we could find a light, do you?’ Cilla made no reply, but floated over his left shoulder and shot a focused beam of bright light into the darkness. ‘Nice, Cilla’
‘Thanks, Boss!’ she said and spun in the air. ‘I scanned the area, looks like there was an armory not too far inside. Maybe there are some guns left. We need a weapon or fifty.’
‘From what you told me about all the creatures here, yeah could be a good idea. Do guns kill them?’
‘Oh yeah, if there is one thing Guardians can't have enough of it's guns.’
‘OK, let's find some firepower.’ Kass said. They stepped inside, leaving the sunlight behind. That would be one of the worst mistakes Kass and Cilla made on that first day.
To be continued....

Backstory- my husband and I are in our mid 40s. Married 22 years with 4 kids. My husband and I had very different upbringings…. He was raised a very strict Christian and attended Christian grade school, high school and college. I rarely went to church until we were married.
The issues began two summers ago (summer of 2022). My husband was forced to work a job that basically left him sitting alone in a small building without much to do. He was working upwards of 60-70 hours a week at this job. He had a lot of time on his hands and I had a lot to do around the house to keep the our lives running smoothly. Without my knowledge, without including me, and without caring about me our his family, my husbands life took a different path than what we had been accustomed to for over 20 years. He took a deep dive into his faith and began spending all his time at work reading and studying the Bible and praying. He would rarely call or text me and basically cut off all communication from me that summer. I often asked him why. Why didn’t he call? He wasn’t doing anything at work and I was confused as to why he had so little time to talk to me and this left me feeling betrayed and like I was being ignored and I talked to him about it many times that summer.
Not until early November after that summer did he confess to me what he had actually been spending all his time doing. He didn’t confess to me in a loving manner. It wasn’t a thoughtful conversation. It was him in my face, yelling and crying and telling me that I was not Christian enough, and I needed to submit myself to God. He made comments during this conversation about my dad not going to heaven because of his lack of faith. He even made comments that as a disciple of God he found it necessary to try to help my dad. He screamed at me through a closet door that I had locked myself in to escape his persistent need to yell at me. He was crying into the closet door telling me that I needed turn to God so I can be saved and that he needed to help me do it. This all happened while my dad was in the hospital struggling to survive and enduring pain and one set back after another. I was distraught. I felt betrayed, and rightfully so. This was so far out of the norm and though we went to church every Sunday, our faith did not extend much past that.
The next few weeks were rough, but normalcy in our life continued. Husband continued his faith walk and he made many improvements in his life to be a better Christian, husband and father and though I wasn’t on the same journey, I did nothing to stop his walk with God. It wasn’t until the following spring that a similar conversation took place with more yelling and crying. My husband could not accept that I wasn’t and am still not in the same place as him. Life again went on. Flash forward to the following summer in August and my dad died.
I dealt with and continue to deal with lots of depression, anger, anxiety and confusion in my life and I miss my dad. I live with daily flashbacks and grief surrounding his death and I am working through this with help, but the reality is when you have to walk into a hospital room with your mom and siblings and hold your dads hand and tell him “this is it, you are going to die, there is nothing that can be done to save you”, you will never be the same. When you have to hold your dads hand as he cries because he has to leave you, you will never forget that. When you sit with your mom and family and watch your dad take his last breath, a part of you dies with him. I have had to consciously put my pain and sadness to the side to continue life and to be strong for my mom and my family, but that does not mean that many times of every day flashbacks about that final week of my dads life do not over take my thoughts. That the pain, anger and sadness do not come back to the surface. It’s just really hard.
This past week brought new betrayal, distrust and lies. My husband, without my knowledge or without discussing it with me, committed to becoming an elder at our church. The only way I found out was that another elder accidentally called my number and left a voice mail, or I probably still wouldn’t know.
When I talked to my husband about this. He basically just told me that he didn’t tell me because he didn’t want to hear what I had to say and didn’t want me to try to stop him… I wouldn’t have. I did tell him that he is not ready to be an elder…. I believe his home life and marriage need to be in order to be able to assist in leading the church. He did agree and talked to the church about it and it was decided he would become a deacon instead.
I love my husband and despite the opinions you may have formed about him because of what I have said above, he really is great and our marriage is great…. He is a great provider, a great father, he teaches high school Sunday school at our church, we have a great sex life and he has really improved in his communication skills, but obviously a lot work in that department yet.
I really wish I had a stronger desire to build a better relationship with God- for myself and my marriage. I believe in God. I know what I should be doing (reading and studying the Bible and praying), but just can’t put myself in the mind frame to take a deep dive into my faith. My prayer life is basically nonexistent. I feel like I am in limbo and waiting for some type of sign or feeling, but is just not happening. My husband of course would love to help lead me and help me study the Bible, but his past attempts at communicating this with me just leave me worried. Not really sure what to do. Thanks for listening.

This is a message for all of you: Fuck you, the world, and everything in it. I'm sick of it, I'm over it. All you do is strut, pretending to be what you're not. I hope you cry on the day you die when you figure out what's what.
You treat everything around you like it's a commodity, just because you haven't learned any other way? You're a bunch of clowns, the lot of you. You've overtaken the world like a plague; it's all I see around me: despair mixed with pain.
And I've tried to help, I've tried to act. I've put forth an effort to enact good change. Yet all that's left is shattered, like glass shards of a wet window pane.
So how many times must I be a hero, to give myself all away? When I wake up tomorrow and do it again, I hope you all feel my pain.

I used to get these lone a year and then I took birth control. The first month was fine but then I noticed symptoms around an hour after taking them.
Guys, it’s so bad. It’s not even the pain. It barely hurts. It’s the vision loss, facial numbness, light sensitivity, it’s so scary. I always wonder if it’s a stroke.
I stopped taking the birth control but almost a year later I’m still getting almost daily migraines.
It feels like my neck gets super tight on one side and then I know it’s coming on. I’m grateful there’s no pain, but the symptoms are quite frightening. How do you guys deal with it?

It is a loooong story buy basically i am 30, have no job , hate my life and have since teen years, gay always liked guys who would never even look at me, hate gay dating pool tiny so i have no chance, hate how society works, been on anti depressants for years, after abusive father violently kicked me out, been living with my mother who wants to kick me out now cause i havent worked in 4 years, nor look for work, i will explain why in a moment. And i am mentally somewhat ok, when i am just doing hobbies, my mother has alreadt banned internet from me and locks the computer room door, today she explodes coming home we cannot communicate all she says is "when are you going to get a job, i need to see a therapist cause now cause of you, i am almost 65 at the end of my life you are so selfish you cant just ger yr own wings and fly away to start your own life"
Now here is the thing, i believe i must be autistic or something like it, cause ive always dealt with many social awkwardness and fears in school, on the street or on occassion i can be polite etc and talkative but for the most part, id love socializing but ive been bulliee, backstabbed, just always had such shitty stressful people around me, from my abusive father, my overly anxious mother whose anxiety was pushed onto me, being gay has been shit for me, i just want to be left alone to enjoy music and my photography hobbies etc, but cant..
I hate the city i live in, i was bullied here, badly that i have ptsd, spoken to therapists etc no change, i have seen 5 diff ones, please understand i am TIRED and opening up again and again about it makes me feel worse!!
I wanna move, but have little to any common sense skills with rent etc, like the idea of having to pay every month, having to work to be able to survive, freaks me out, so fking much... its so hostile, too much mental pressure. I already socially lost, i have less hair now cause of genetic alopecia, lost my teen and 20s to never dating , why continue to simply get a job in the town where seeinh people from my past constantly triggers me, if they see me working, they'll gossip about it and humiliate me again, they should not ever know of me again since the horrific things they did to me in highschool, last time i saw an ex bully as an adult, she passed by car, pointed and gave that evil grin from those days...please understand i cant go through with it here, i would simply be living to live for nothing but physically living.
I dont wanna see these people, my mother wont stop annoying me, my father is a violent abusive man, why just why not end it all? I have no reason to live outside of my hobbies. I learnt escapism cause i always hated the way the world was in regards to me.
Also just to add, so many people seem just so priviledged out of nowhere, the very few jobs i worked in the past i was worked like a mule for mininum wage, come home with stomach pains for hunger, tired without time for me, and examples: my sister is a teacher in a private school, every few months she can go on holiday...wtf? Worse, a guy from same school as me i had a big crush on (wont get into the painful story behind how he mocked me when i confessed my feelings as we are both gay) well he is a vet, his face is on the vet company website he works for too, moved abroad etc, he is constantly posting on insta about going to the states, to dubai, to cuba, the guy is always on vacation..what the fuck?? How did these people win at life? This isnt even what i wanted, i just wanted respect and no more trauma nor having to work a job i dislike, the small town i am in has limited choices. I dont want these people seeing ny life

Hi everyone,
I'm a 28(F), and this February I had my first-ever panic attack. Since then, I've been dealing with heart palpitations, nausea, muscle tension, lightheadedness, a lump in my throat, tingling in my arms and legs, chest, upper back, and neck pain (sometimes my neck gets stiff), brain fog, and headaches. I've had several lab tests done, but everything came back normal.
My doctor thinks I might be dealing with anxiety and recommended I see a psychiatrist. Unfortunately, mental health care is quite expensive where I live, so I haven't been able to go yet.
Does anyone else experience similar physical symptoms? I feel awful almost every day, and I really want to cry, but I can't. This intense feeling is so overwhelming. I live in constant fear, worrying that my health is deteriorating even though medical tests say I'm physically okay. Whether I'm alone or around people, I get anxious. I try to distract myself, but out of the blue, I get this overwhelming feeling—sometimes it's like an uncomfortable warmth rushing through my body, other times it feels like cold water was splashed on me.
Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi Everyone Wanted to share my experience dealing with joystick drift on my xbox controller.
So my original controller which came with the Series S started showing signs of joystick drift around 1 year after the purchase. Initially I bared it, but it became a pain when playing games such as overcooked 2.
Spending 5k more on buying a controller didn't seem to make a lot of sense since I had one more controller, the only issue was with couch co-op games.
So I first tried to call up local repair shops and they quoted me insanely high numbers to replace the joystick - roughly 2k. I live in Hyd, these prices might be lower in places such as Delhi.
Then the engineer in me got an itch, and I thought why not replace it myself. Searching on amazon I found this - TCOS TECH Xbox Series X/S Analog 3D Analog Joystick Replacement for Xbox Series S Xbox Series X Wireless Controller : Amazon.in: Video Games (not sponsored or affiliated in any way)
I thought it should just be a simple soldering job and I ordered a soldering kit with this.
Then I started, and oh my, it was a really scary experience.
So the difference between soldering normally, and removing solders made by hand is generally very easy. But in things such as the controller, the soldering is done using automated machines on the PCB.
Removing these solders is not possible using normal soldering guns you might have for hobbies etc. They require significantly more heat to remove.
So yeah, I spent a long time trying to heat and remove the solder to no avail, the PCB almost changed a bit of it's colour, and I was like I have anyways messed this up.
Then I started exploring more on youtube to see more simpler techniques, there were techniques around just breaking the potentiometers/joystick instead of the solder, and then just move it back and forth to break the solder.
I thought I'll do this on the whole joystick, but just doing it on one of the potentiometers was too much effort and scary. Scary in terms of breaking the whole thing up.
Then I ended up only breaking 1 potentiometer (the front-back one which had the drift) and then replacing it with a potentiometer from the one I had purchased. After much more effort and abusing the PVC very badly with heat, solder and the hole from where I removed the older potentiometer, it looked like a complete mess. I was worried if it would even turn on.
Luckily after few minor adjustments, the joystick was working perfectly. I can honestly say, I felt super happy!
Fast forward to 2months since this, now the joystick has a different kind of problem, where it randomly gets stuck in top direction, hopefully might be fixable with minor tweaks.
All in all it was a very scary experience (of destroying my whole controller), and I won't recommend it to anyone if you don't have advanced soldering skills and equipment.
Better approach would be to buy a stick like this online and then maybe go to a mobile repair shop and pay them some money to help with soldering.

Whenever I was 13, I started getting swollen lips and itchy mouth from shellfish, also esophageal spasms which cause a wave of painful contractions in my esophagus. No systemic reactions but I stopped eating shellfish since that time. I have tried different places such as crab at the beach, lobster at home. Same reaction. Bananas, and avocados cause me an itchy mouth and swollen esophagus/esophageal spasms (painful throbbing in chest that comes in waves). I ate a banana last night and woke up an hour later with severe stomach pain. Figured it was due to the eggs I ate earlier that day and got salmonella. Went away after 2 hours. Ate a banana this morning, an hour later same stomach pain like someone punched me in the stomach. I always wondered why I never really ate bananas even as a child, I guess they never agreed with me. I added them back in the last few days because I’m trying to eat healthier.
I have been reading up on DAO deficiency and histamine intolerance, I’m wondering if this could be it, and wondering if it could also be causing my shellfish symptoms. Most fruits do this, blueberries are another one that causes issues. Eggs cause fullness but it’s not that bad so I still eat eggs. Milk does sometimes, but chocolate milk does not. Salami and pepperonis cause a similar reaction
Thing is, beer and other alcoholic drinks are also high in histamine but don’t give me any trouble aside from the regular beer bloat. Whiskey can cause a stuffy feeling but that’s it.

A little background. I am not fat or obese at all, just out of shape. Since the new year, I have been in a push-up challenge with a couple buddies of mine. We do 50 pushups a day and send it in a Timelapse video to each other to hold one another accountable. This has been tremendous for me as I work from home and was barely physically activity otherwise. I saw a complete change in upper body definition within 3 months. It was motivating.
Fast forward to a month ago, I joined a gym that has classes. I have been taking this VERY intense spin class at noon that has me burning 600 calories in 55mins. I shower, come home, make a protein shake with fruit blended in it and go back to work. Roughly 2hrs later I get a cramping feeling building up in my lower chest/upper abdomen area. It progressively gets worse throughout the afternoon. Usually around dinner time, it cripples me. I break into body sweats and my body focuses entirely on the pain and discomfort. I have to lay in bed or have a cold shower to cope. I’ll go to bed, wake up and feel totally fine the following morning. This happened for about a week and a half.
I ruled out the shakes by trying whey and vegan proteins. Changed almond milk to oat, etc. this past Friday, it kicked in again. I had an iced tea and it immediately subsided. So I tested this. I started having iced tea before my workout and after and I stick to my usual diet. So far so good.
Now my problem is, I don’t want to be drinking iced tea as it is high in calories and otherwise useless to my diet. Does anyone have any better recommendations or even a similar story to this to “justify my findings”?

Hello again...
It has been a while...
This month marks two years since I began this gargantuan task of translating Dogra Magra. I couldn't believe that I began this at my first year and now I'm about to end my third year. I'll admit that progress has been very slow. It has been eating at me how slow I've been working. I've at least 250 or so pages to go, and yet, it feels like I'm Sisyphus painfully rolling that stone up the hill, but in my case, I couldn't even get to the peak.
I apologize for the delay. I know I said that I'd give the update on the 23rd of April, but it's now May 15 (where I'm from). I'm sorry.
I picked this date to celebrate the birthday of Mikhail Bulgakov, whose work, The Master and Margarita, is, alongside The Brothers Karamazov, my favorite novel of all time. It was this magic I need after the various novels of realism I had been buying these days. I needed this profound book infused with biting satire and an absurd yet funny plot to bring variety to my readings. A definite reading, I say. I've read it three times the past two months since I bought it...
Third year is almost over, and yet I feel that it had been draining what remained of my enthusiasm for anything. From documentaries to researches to a live TV broadcast, I felt that I've been too tired to do anything these days. And yet, after this comes the mandatory OJT. I can only pray that my will to write continues to stay strong.
I will admit... I had somewhat lost my enthusiasm with translating. It was painful to even look at my text. I was already considering just vanishing altogether and moving on. I began to doubt myself as I always have, but even stronger than before. Thoughts of inadequacy, of mediocrity, of self-hatred just came to me.
But, I had an epiphany. A certain user told me how much he liked my translation, and he felt the hard work I put into doing it. I realized that my work was not in vain. In this one user, I found that I had successfully given Q-san's words light in the English language. I, an amateur, had managed to give Q-san's words the honor it deserves.
And now, looking back at my text, yet to be edited, filled with some errors, and 200 plus pages long, instead of dread and hatred, I felt pride and wonder at myself for the work I had done. And juggling this with college was even more impressive looking back.
So, I came back and tried to churn out a good number of pages in the week before today. I was rusty, I admit, but I made it up with my newfound enthusiasm. I am now confident that I can deliver Q-san's words to the English audience the best way and with quality that will be unlike any cheap translated text found online.
I have been rereading my two books by F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby, Tender is the Night), and I realize that I want my English to shine as much as Fitzgerald when I put this Japanese text to English. I want it to glimmer out the pages, to leave nothing wasted. He is my ideal of what beautiful modern English is (I put "modern" to distinguish from Shakespeare or Chaucer).
So, if it will be alright for you people, just keep watching, because I will continue to present Q-san's works to you, and I will ensure its completion no matter how long! So stay tuned, and keep reading!
The problem now is a date... It is rather difficult to decide due to OJT. For now, I can only give an approximation. Perhaps around the last week of June would be for the best. If not, the first week of July would suffice.
Again, I apologize, and still hope you will continue to grant me a chance to do this.
And again, if there are any trouble about the text, do not hesitate to comment so that I can improve on it.
Au revoir! Auf Wiedersehen! 行ってきます! До свидания! Arrivederci! Good bye!
See you then!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GdCGl3quvSVJfQZ4Ku-2yylzEZvokjwa/view?usp=drivesdk

For context, I made the mistake of watching some Matt Rife comedy special with friends lol. I find him painfully unfunny always, but he had a specific bit that annoyed me. It was the old trope of "ladies, if a guy is friends with you, he secretly wants to fuck you." It pisses me off, because as long as I can remember, I (28M) have had female friends. Idk if it's cus I grew up with sisters or what and I therefore saw women as people who are just as weird, gross and flawed as everyone else. But I've never had an issue having female friends and not wanting to fuck them secretly. Yes, even ones that I can see are conventionally attractive. I've usually had no problem being friends with their partners either, though occasionally you get one who is insecure.
They're some of the most valuable friends I've ever had because unlike a lot of guys (in my experience, personally) they are usually pretty good about being empathetic and having emotional intelligence, and aren't uncomfortable talking about real life shit. I once tried to open up to a male friend about my dad being sick, and his response was "oh man that sucks, you wanna play Apex Legends?" And it's the same story pretty much any time I try to talk about something uncomfortable with a man.
Anyway the point is, stop telling guys it's weird to have female friends, and stop telling women that any guy being their friend means he wants to have sex. Just because you're horny and can't keep it in your pants around any woman that says hi to you, doesn't mean everyone is. And all you're doing is reinforcing shitty stereotypes and making it harder for people to make genuine connections with each other.