Author’s Note:
If you enjoy the story so far, please consider upvoting and commenting! These go a long way in helping the story reach a larger audience. (Also, reddit removes all my formatting for some reason so if you want a fully formatted read, check out my story on RoyalRoad)
READ 2 WEEKS AHEAD: Season Finale Chapter 17 is now available for Tier 2 Manifest Fantasy Patrons and higher!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/drdoritosmd
Discord: https://discord.gg/wr2xexGJaD
First
Three, two, one... execute.
Ron peeked around the corner, his M4E1 Carl Gustaf already loaded with standard HEAT rounds. The rest of Alpha Team stacked up behind him or behind Ryan, who was on the other side of the doorway. Through the opening, they could see a nightmarish tangle of webs and egg sacs, with the skittering shapes of Spiranids lurking in the shadows in the far corners of the room.
The Queen was positioned in the center of the room, completely exposed by a cluster of eggs. Henry watched as Ron leveled his Gustaf, taking aim at the Queen while they stayed along the wall to ensure Ron’s backblast was clear. It should have been an easy kill, but a flicker of movement caught Henry’s eye.
A blob of white flew across his vision, smacking into Ron just as he fired his weapon. The thick strands of webbing bypassed Kelmithus’ shielding and wrapped around him, sending him flying back a couple of meters. He landed on his back, his body and launcher completely stuck to the floor by the condensed silk.
Around the same time, the Gustaf’s projectile struck the Queen’s abdomen section. The resulting blast tore through its exoskeleton but was far from a fatal blow. The Queen shrieked, a sound far deeper than Henry expected.
“Fuck!” Ron shouted, struggling to break free from the webbing.
Henry exhaled. They were a man down, but helping him had to wait; the not-dead Queen and its minions took precedence. It would be great if he had another launcher in his own Holding Bag, but that was something he’d have to bring up to Chief Cole later. Henry tossed his grenades into the room, the pops mingling with the screeches of injured Spiranids. Ryan struck simultaneously, throwing his own collection into the mix. Like firecrackers, the explosives were violent but short-lived.
As the chaos subsided, Henry pushed in. Raising his shotgun, he tore through a Spiranid that pounced at him, its carcass smoldering from the white phosphorous. Beside him, Isaac, Ryan, and Dr. Anderson’s shots rang out, tearing through their own sectors of fire.
Almost immediately upon their entry, the Queen surged forward with terrifying speed. It reared its head back like it was about to vomit, mandibles covered in a sick, yellowish color. Henry recognized immediately what it was trying to do. “Acid, move!”
Henry dove away from his previous position, taking a shot at another Spiranid that had taken the opportunity to jump at him while its master was preparing to attack. He narrowly escaped the lethal spray as it jetted toward him. The acid splattered on the ground where they had stood not even a second before, sizzling fiercely as it corroded the thick webbing sprawled across the floor. He noticed as he ran that, rather curiously, the acid was simply puddling on the floor. There was no damage to the floor itself, but if it could tear apart high-quality monster silk just like that, he didn’t want to find out what it could do to an envirosuit.
Henry glanced back after blasting apart his third Spiranid. His teammates were fine – Ryan helping him keep the Queen’s attention, Sera already on her way to Ron, and the others taking care of the smaller Spiranids. He tried to get a quick headcount of how many Spiranids they’d already eliminated. Between their guns, Kelmithus’ magic, and the grenades, he estimated they had killed at least a dozen so far. Solid progress, but the fact that they weren’t able to take out the Queen with their first strike was an issue.
Henry rolled to his left as the Queen pounced on his previous position. It was fucking fast, like a Goliath birdeater but scaled up – and with nasty abilities that really shouldn’t belong on a creature like this. He recovered quickly and took aim, firing point-blank into its thorax. The white phosphorous pellets hissed as they burned into its exoskeleton, forcing it back.
Beside him, Ryan’s shotgun boomed. He struck the Queen’s legs, which seemed to be more fragile than the thick exoskeleton surrounding the head and thorax. The pellets bit into the chitin, likely striking a nerve as evidenced by the leg’s subsequent buckling and collapse. It was a lucky shot – one that he doubted they could repeat four or five more times.
“Sera, use my knife! Here, right here!” Ron called out.
Sera’s sword must’ve been too large to effectively cut through the webbing. They had to hurry up. He and Ryan had been dodging the Queen’s attacks, but mostly by a hair’s breadth. All it took was one lucky hit from the Queen to put them out of commission, possibly for good. “Sera, status on Ron?”
“One minute!” she responded.
Damn. That was one minute later than he’d hoped. Reacting instinctively, Henry noted the Queen raising one of its legs – a sure sign of it preparing for another attack. The Queen struck again, this time cleaving the air with the leg, aiming to corral him into a predictable escape route. As its leg swept through the air, Henry caught sight of the Queen rearing its head back in a grotesque mimicry of a snake about to strike – another acid attack.
Anticipating the monster’s strategy, Henry feinted to the right, a move he hoped would mislead it about his true intentions. As the Queen’s head followed his feint, Henry twisted sharply, scraping against the rough ground. With a powerful push from his legs, he launched backward just as the Queen unleashed its attack.
Acid spewed forth in a wide arc, splattering where he had just been. The corrosive globs almost instantly melted the webbing on the floor, collecting into pools. And there was the second issue. The longer this fight dragged on, the less room they’d have to maneuver.
Henry unloaded into the creature’s compound eyes before tossing a flashbang near its legs. The creature staggered backward, blinded in both its eyes and its sensory hairs. Henry used the precious few seconds he bought to reload his weapon and check up on his team. “Yen, sitrep?”
“Stragglers neutralized; we’re moving to you now.”
Automatic gunfire erupted as Isaac and Dr. Anderson joined the fight against the Queen, dumping their mags on the creature’s head. The 6.8mm seemed to penetrate well, but he could say the same if they fought an elephant; the Spiranid Queen was simply too large for the relatively small caliber rounds to have any effect besides pissing it off.
The Queen lunged again, its legs surrounding him from all sides. There was only one way out, and it was through the belly of the beast. Henry rushed forward, ducking under the Queen’s mandibles as he slid underneath its abdomen. He fired his shotgun as quickly as he could, unloading pellets into the beast’s underbelly. The white phosphorous scorched the softer flesh, drawing a shriek of pain from the massive creature.
As the Queen writhed under the relentless assault, Ryan and the others seized the moment to reload their weapons and reposition. They poured everything they had into the creature’s cephalothorax, bluish ichor oozing from the hundreds of new wounds that they opened up. Yet, it was like chipping away at a mountain – it simply wasn’t enough. The creature thrashed around violently in response; Henry knew it was only a matter of time before it landed a hit on someone.
And land a hit it did. With a terrifying swiftness, one of its massive legs slammed into Henry’s chest, launching him backward. The shield Kelmithus cast on him flickered as it absorbed the brunt of the impact. He crashed into an egg sac by the entrance – its membrane ruptured on impact, drenching him in a sticky, corrosive slime. The sac provided little cushion, and he hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him.
Pain flared across Henry’s chest where the Queen’s leg had struck him. Gasping for breath and battling the encroaching blackness in his vision, he instinctively checked his envirosuit. He started with the areas he could see, glancing down at his chest. It was visibly deformed, dented but not quite a gash.
Still intact, thank goodness. No breach, but another hit like that would be disastrous. He breathed a sigh of relief, his chest hurting like hell as he did so. He checked his sides and back. Parts of his suit were covered in slime from the egg sac. It didn’t seem as corrosive as the Queen’s acid, but it was still a hazard. Quickly, he swiped at it, removing as much as possible with his gloved hands to prevent further damage.
He forced himself up, grabbing his shotgun from the floor. The Queen was already barreling toward him, the damn monster not letting up. He didn’t have time to make a run for it; he needed to jump to one side or the other, and the timing needed to be perfect. Just as the Queen’s shadow engulfed him, the air turned icy cold, frost creeping up on his visor.
Ice formed from thin air, spearing up from the ground and piercing through the Queen’s legs. The spikes rooted the beast in place. Not one to waste an opportunity, Henry dashed away from the entrance, firing at the immobilized giant spider as he linked up with the others.
“Sera?” Henry asked again.
Sera’s voice came in strained. “Almost…” Then, with a triumphant shout, she announced the word Henry had been desperate to hear. “Done!”
“Owens!” Henry said, risking a glance back.
Ron had already grabbed his Gustaf and was in the process of loading another HEAT round. “On it!”
Henry grinned. It was a relief, to be sure. With Ron free and back in the fight, the odds had just tipped heavily in their favor. The Queen was tough, but it wasn’t invincible; they just needed an opening.
Given the damage the Queen sustained to its body, Henry couldn’t imagine it being in peak fighting condition. Even in its weakened state, though, it still had the capability to dodge Ron’s attack, and it seemed to be saving its web ability for that very inevitability.
“Take out the legs!” Henry ordered.
They combined their fire on the left legs, since Ryan managed to break one of them earlier. He heard a crack that might’ve been the chitin giving way or the leg snapping, but it was hard to tell. He was just about to chalk it up to the prevailing gunfire around them, but then he saw it: a brief stumble. The Queen recovered quickly, but it was clear to Henry that it wouldn’t be able to manage any more damage to its legs.
Then, he noticed a blur in his peripheral vision to his right, moving so fast his eyes could barely keep up. Shit, he was certain he kept track of the Queen’s movements. With the existing damage to his envirosuit, he’d be completely fucked. He braced himself for another impact, but it never came.
As he focused harder on the blur, he caught a glimpse of a flash of light that could only be one thing – Sera’s sword, And, just like a flash of lightning, she had already cleared the vicinity of the Queen. The Queen’s foreleg seemed to simply vanish, severed so cleanly that it took a moment for the beast to realize what had happened. When it did, it let out a screech of pain, its balance faltering as it tried to adapt to the sudden change.
While Henry focused on taking out another leg from the left side, Sera had already shifted to her next target. Their assault was brutal: white phosphorus pellets and hard-hitting 6.8mm on one side, ice magic and skilled swordsmanship on the other. And to think, they managed to inflict all this damage by the time Ron completed his reload.
“Clear the way!” Ron called out, his Gustaf aimed right at the Queen’s head.
Henry jumped back, watching as Kelmithus conjured another set of ice spikes to root the beast again, in case the five obliterated legs weren’t enough to keep it down. The Queen thrashed against the icy bonds, its remaining legs slashing through the air in a frenzied bid for freedom. It spat acid – a tactic that would’ve worked effectively on most other materials, but instead simply got diluted with the melting ice. Even as the acid reacted with the ice, the spikes held firm, anchoring the beast in place like steel cables.
Henry’s heart pounded in his ears. Come on, Owens, he urged silently. Take the shot.
As if on cue, Ron pulled the trigger. The Gustaf bucked in his hands as the HEAT round streaked towards its target. Henry barely had time to brace himself before the explosion hit, the shockwave slamming into him and nearly toppling him over. He staggered back, gazing into the settling dust.
When the smoke cleared, the Queen’s head was obliterated – replaced by a gory mess of shattered chitin and pulverized flesh. Blood sprayed from the gaping hole, covering the ground in a pale blue hue. The creature’s body convulsed, its remaining legs scrabbling weakly at their surroundings.
A surge of triumph washed over Henry, but it was fleeting. From the corner of his eye, he locked on to a glimpse of movement. One of the Queen’s legs continued to spasmodically jerk around and spray the ground with blue ichor. He raised his shotgun in a nonchalant motion and blasted the errant limb, watching as it shuddered and went still.
Sera stepped up, her sword barely catching the light as she jammed it into what was left of the Queen’s thorax. A sharp twist, and it was over. She then yanked the blade from the carcass, her grip shifting subtly along the hilt. As she flicked the sword, frost swiftly coated the ichor clinging to the metal. The frozen debris was flung off, hitting the ground and shattering like glass.
He glanced down at his Holding Bag. Damn, the fight took out most of his shells. Swapping out his shotgun for his M7, he turned to his team and took stock of their condition. It seemed everyone had mostly gone unscathed, only debris and dirt scarring their envirosuits. Well, except for himself and Ron. “Think we’re gonna have to start calling you pinata now,” Henry said, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
Ron scoffed. “Yeah? Says the runner-up,” he said, tapping the dent on Henry’s envirosuit. “Better ‘pinata’ than ‘roadkill’, though. But seriously, what’s next? Don’t even know where to start.”
The room was empty, save for the debris strewn about and the singular obelisk standing in the center of the room. He didn’t notice it earlier, but as he got closer, he realized that the obelisk emitted a faint light that barely escaped the canopy of webs. He looked it up and down before turning to the others. “Only one place to start. Let’s clear out the webs, see what’s hiding below.”
“Doc, Kel, clear out the eggs. Hayes, Sera, see if the Queen’s got anything useful. Everyone else focus on the webs,” Henry ordered.
Ron drew his knife and started slicing through the dense cobwebs. “Hey, what y’all think the Queen’s Tier is?”
Isaac paused to consider. “Eh, Tier 8, probably. Minotaur boss and Rillifane boss were both Tier 8, so I’d say the spider’s around the same level.”
“Well, the resilience of the specimen isn’t a definitive measure of the Tier,” Dr. Anderson pointed out. “It’s quite possible that we merely had the most suitable tools at hand in this particular encounter.”
“The scholar speaks truly,” Sera agreed. “There is nary a defining criterion; defense is but one of many that are considered by the Guild. Were it so simple, Kelmithus and I would have attained Tier 9 ere now.”
“So, what do you think the Queen is, then? Tier 7 maybe?” Ron asked.
Henry shook his head. Tier 7 didn’t seem accurate. Using his knife to scrape some of the webbing off his glove, he voiced, “Spiranids are weak in general, but are classified as Tier 5 or higher because of their traps, ambush tactics, numbers, and abilities. Archers can use Wind Snipe and mages can use wide-area spellcasting, but they can’t reliably penetrate the exoskeleton’s armor. If anything, this is probably on the lower end of Tier 9.”
“Tier 9, huh?” Isaac muttered.
Sera smiled as she stood back. She stuffed a frost-covered gland into her holding bag and paused from her work as she chimed in, “Hmm… how keen. I expected nothing less from the first Tier 6 entrants in Eldralore’s history! It shows plain why the Guild did so swiftly raise you.”
“Hah,” Henry chuckled. It was an amusing thought, but… “Say, ya think we can get to Tier 7 after this?”
Sera’s eyebrows shot up. “Tier 7? A mark of no slight merit. What have you achieved since attaining Tier 6?”
Henry reached to scratch his chin, then cursed softly as his glove thudded against his visor. “Well, we took down a Rillifane pack, a Sentinel Lindwyrm, and now this primal Spiranid Queen. That’s not too shabby, eh?”
“Firm victories,” Sera admitted, “but advancement weighs more than battle alone. The Guild also considers quest difficulty, knowledge gained therefrom, and impact – in other words, glory.”
“The Baranthurian Ruins,” Dr. Anderson blurted, taking the words out of Henry’s mouth. He turned to Kelmithus, who approached them after confirming that the eggs had been cleared out. “Surely, working with the Sanctum Arcanum must be quite the honour. The Guild holds their quests with high esteem, wouldn’t you say?”
Kelmithus nodded, burning a clump of disposed webs on the ground. “True as that may be, advancement oft hinges upon the cumulative experience of dozens of quests.”
“Well, ain’t no small feats for us lately,” Ryan remarked. “The quest to the Baranthurian ruins, what was it, Tier 8? Yeah, that was Tier 8. Sentinel Lindwyrm? Hell, Tier Nine. That there beast?” Ryan pointed his gun at the carcass of the Spiranid Queen. “Tier 9 as well.”
Ron interjected, “Plus we’ve been helping out along the way, like those villagers, and taking on quests others won’t touch. Honestly, the Hardale quest should be pretty weighty too, considering the Nobian shenanigans.”
Sera hummed, mulling over Alpha Team’s experiences. The fact that most of their quests at Tier 6 had essentially been Tier 7 quests or higher in difficulty was probably unheard of in the Guild. Not only that, but they’d been able to complete these difficult quests successfully. Hell, with flying colors, even. That had to count for something.
Henry looked over at Sera, stepping back as he allowed Kelmithus to dispose of the webs that he had cleared out. “So, whaddya think? Based on what we’ve done, you think we got a shot at Tier 7?”
Sera looked up at the ceiling as she weighed her response. “Ehh, you’ve a strong case. Alas, it’s Taldren’s call to make. His favor seems yours, though; I wager he’ll agree.”
Henry grinned. Moving up meant they could have access to more quests. Naturally, that also meant better rewards and in turn, access to some truly magical equipment. “Good to hear. Guess we’ll see to it once we get back to Eldralore. Now, we should probably –”
A soft glow of light gradually lit up the room, interrupting Henry mid-sentence. He squinted, readying his weapon. The light came from the walls and ceiling, illuminating the once-dark chamber. The obelisk, now free of webs, now hummed… healthily? It wasn’t like he had a manual to tell him if this was a good or bad development, but judging from the facility’s reaction, it must’ve worked.
Henry glanced at his HUD. The temperature readings were rising, too. The icy chill from Kelmithus’ magic rapidly dissipated as the environmental controls kicked in. “Well, looks like we’ve done all we can here. Let’s head back to the containment cell room and see if we can find anything else of interest.”
– – –
Outskirts of GB-2, Grenden Forest
Carvus Alnect Virelius narrowed his gaze toward the brightening sky, his eyes cutting through the retreating mist that had long veiled the forest’s canopy. This unprecedented clarity above the ruins was strange. After centuries cloaked in an impenetrable fog, why did the skies clear now?
The Umber Vicearch’s mind worked like a whetstone, sharpening the fragments of reports from his scouts, cryptic as they were. The recent skirmish, occurring concurrently with the lifting fog, could not be mere happenstance. Regardless of the answer, the unexpected fold presented a welcome complexity to test his mettle.
He set his thoughts aside as the sound of footsteps approached.
“Leuarch Eldreyn reporting, milord,” one of his men said. “We’ve word from Serarch Trelian.”
Carvus gave him a nod to continue.
Eldreyn relayed the news. “The scouts espy traces of battle: a fallen Sentinel Lindwyrm and two carriages left abandoned near the cave’s entrance. The land bears scars from some form of magic, strewn with strange metal tubes and other objects unknown to us. Save for the Lindwyrm, no other bodies are to be found. What are your commands, milord?”
Carvus took a deep breath. No other bodies? Two carriages? That such a formidable creature was felled with no apparent casualties among their ranks suggested a small but extraordinarily capable force. Each member was no doubt Tier 7 at the least. The limited number of carriages implied a party not larger than ten. But… what could the metal objects mean?
Powerful though they might be, could such a small group withstand his numbers? Carvus entertained the thought briefly. No, direct confrontation would be unwise. The site bore secrets too vital to squander on rash gambles. Better to maneuver them into a position where the only viable option would be to comply with his demands.
“Hold our position, Lornus,” Carvus commanded. While he preferred the safety of their hidden vantage in the forest, the intrigue of Trelian’s findings – the slain Lindwyrm – was too compelling to ignore. “The contents of Trelian’s report compel our own investigation. Lead us, that we might see for ourselves.”
“As you command, milord.”
It was a short walk to the clearing. As they reached the treeline, Carvus held up a hand, signaling his men to halt – they should go no further than the cover of the forest. The aftermath of the battle lay evident before them. The massive form of the Sentinel Lindwyrm sprawled near the far side of the clearing, its outline murky at a distance.
Carvus squinted, adjusting his position slightly for a better view. He felt his jaw drop, a lapse in composure that surprised even him. Yet, who could fault him? The beast lay nearly torn asunder, its massive body riddled with gaping, jagged wounds that no sword or arrow could inflict. Indeed, not even traditional siege weapons or combat spells could inflict such damage.
The destructive capability of fyric powder was well-known to him – he had seen its use in adamantite mines. The wounds on the Lindwyrm, however, spoke of a force of another Tier entirely. Where fyric powder might clear a path through a stubborn boulder, the agent used against the Sentinel Lindwyrm seemed capable of obliterating several boulders at once, perhaps even an entire cliffside.
Turning his attention from the ravaged beast, he scanned the battlefield. Among the chaos, his eyes caught the glint of metal – strange tubes scattered about, all some lighter shade of bronze. The craters were blackened and littered with debris: shards of metal mixed with wires. This was clearly no ordinary skirmish.
He moved closer to the tree line, cautiously examining the unfamiliar objects. The metal tubes bore no resemblance to any weapons known to Nobian forces. However, their presence here implied that somehow, these objects were related to the catastrophic wounds on the Lindwyrm.
Near the cave’s entrance, two metal carriages lay abandoned. Their exteriors were marred by dirt and marked with an array of dents that appeared to be from the Lindwyrm’s armored tail. The carriages, in style and make, aligned with reports of American machines observed by their Umbercari in distant Eldralore. Mounted atop each was a long cylinder. As foreign as they were, he could tell they were weapons – ones capable of unleashing formidable destruction.
Adventurers throughout the ages had ventured here, all repelled by the formidable Lindwyrm that long guarded these grounds. Had it been folly to devote their resources to the conquest of their neighbors, rather than to mastering and exploiting this site? Such questions surpassed his station, yet irrespective of the answers, the Emperor would surely take no pleasure in learning that he had allowed Americans to plunder the Gatebuilder’s secrets.
Carvus turned to Lornus. “Bid our scouts to investigate the cave.” As Leuarch Eldreyn departed to carry out the orders, he beckoned to one of his serarchs. “Bring me one of those metal tubes. I wish to examine it.”
He sat on a rock, watching the light bend around the man’s form until he vanished from sight. The serarch then adjusted the temperature around his body, matching it to that of the forest. Were it not for the subtle shifts in the man’s mana as he held the spells, Carvus would have surely lost track of him.
The serarch made his way forth, passing through the trees and into the clearing beyond. With haste, he seized upon one of the tubes that lay scattered about, and then, as quick as he had come, he turned and made his way back to the forest’s edge. When at last he returned, Carvus stood up and held out his hand.
The tube, lighter than its solidity might have portended, was chill to the touch and was marked by a patina that showed clear signs of bending. He tried to bend it with his fingers, but the metal resisted. Even when he used magic to strengthen himself, it yielded naught but scant impression. What could have possibly moved the metal?
Looking closely, he noticed that the metal wasn’t bronze, as he had first thought. Though bearing a hue akin to bronze, it was of a kind unfamiliar to him. The surface was engraved with American script – characters and sequences that held little meaning to him. Yet, to deem the letters ‘engraved’ would be to err; it was as if they were imprinted with a craftsmanship nary a smith could rival.
He turned it over in his hands, his eyes drawn to a circular groove near the base. Examining both ends, Carvus noted the open end was distorted as if a great force had expelled something from within – an insight into his previous question. The other end was sealed, marked by a small, precise indentation. He held it up, aligning it with a similarly sized hole in a nearby tree.
This was no common weapon. As a trebuchet releases its load, so too must this tube have hurled its own projectile. It gave him an idea. What if one were to use an adamantite tube with fyric powder, place a keen arrowhead atop, and ignite the mixture below? Would it rival a standard Wind Snipe combined with physical enhancement magic?
Carvus’ thoughts were interrupted by someone calling out to him. “Milord.”
“Hm?” He looked up, finding the face of Leuarch Franus. “What is it, Martano?”
He hesitated, as if second-guessing his words. “The… The Lindwyrm… The men grow restless, milord. They wish to claim the spoils of this battle – the Sentinel Lindwyrm’s materials are prized in many a lore. And these carriages, would it not profit us to salvage what we can? They may hold more secrets – or riches.”
He turned the leuarch’s words over in his mind as he would a well-worn coin. In truth, the idea held merit. Even the smallest measure of a Lindwyrm’s blood was a treasure beyond compare – to say nothing of the other materials, sought after by alchemists and smiths alike. That the Americans had forgone harvest was a curious thing indeed. Could it be that they were ignorant of the creature’s true worth? Or perhaps, had they found something more valuable?
And then there were the carriages, gleaming in the sun like ripe fruit waiting to be plucked. If they could but glean some understanding of how the Americans had so deftly slain a beast of the Lindwyrm’s standing, it would surely prove a boon to the Empire’s own martial pursuits. Perhaps, armed with such knowledge, they might at last gain the upper hand against the accursed Sonarans.
Carvus cast his gaze once more upon the clearing, then turned to face Martano. “Aye,” he said. “Let it be so.”
Yet, as he made to step forth, a low, droning sound beckoned his attention – a buzzing hum that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. The unfamiliar noise compelled him to halt. He raised his hand, stopping his men as he searched for the noise. He tilted his head skyward, squinting as he beheld a strange sight: a winged thing hanging in the air above the clearing, like an animal circling its prey. As the sunlight reflected off its surface, it became evident to him that this was no creature of flesh, but a machine – much like the metal carriages.
“Hold,” Carvus ordered. “We dare not venture forth.”
Martano stepped forward, doubt and confusion etched across his face. “But, milord, if we shroud ourselves in invisibility, surely they cannot see us.”
Carvus shook his head. “Nay; recall the umbercari we sent to infiltrate the Duke’s mansion. They, too, thought themselves hidden, yet were somehow discovered. We know not what sorcery that flying machine might possess, and we cannot risk exposing ourselves.”
Before Martano could respond or venture any further protest, the scouts returned, led by Serarch Trelian. The search bowed his head before providing his report, “Milord, the cave lies empty, and the Lindwyrm’s nest remains untouched. We discovered footprints leading to a great sealed door, which we believe to be the entrance to the ruins.”
Carvus nodded. The Americans had ventured forth and left the loot behind for a reason. He thought back to a fortress that the Empire once sacrificed to encircle the forces of the now-conquered Kingdom of Durenelle. “So be it. Let us abandon these lesser spoils. As our adversaries have forgone these spoils in pursuit of greater gains, so must we sacrifice Straltus.”
Next

We recently switched vets to one that's more local (the other was 45mins-1hr away, this new one is 10mins). The first experience I had left me shaken but I figured I was over reacting or just being too sensitive.
My std poodle has the hairiest inside ears. I've had his last 2 vets tell me this lol. So he gets plucked every 6-8wks to prevent ear infections. All the vets prior to this new one used numbing powder and have me give him rx sedatives prior to the appt. Haven't had issues with this process before until the new vet.
Incident 1: I used the sedatives medication as per protocol from before but this vet didn't use the numbing powder that the others used before. He just started yanking and my poor boy was in so much pain that i started to have a panic attack and asked them to do something about his pain, their solution was to put him under with a combination of IV meds. They explained it's similar to when they do surgery and continued with the ear plucking then gave him another medication to wake him up and we had to use a stretcher to get him into the car. He's a larger breed of standard so is 92lbs rn.
Incident 2 (vet tech only appt): I grind Abel's nails myself but I've been fighting cancer since June last year and dealing with treatment side effects so I went longer than I'd like not doing his nails so I wanted the vet to just LOOK at them to make sure I'm doing it OK. And to do his anal gland expression. Well they decided to clip his nails without asking and clipped thru THREE quicks! I could hear him yelping from the lobby but didn't know why at the time. They brought him out and there was blood drops everywhere he walked in the lobby, I had to point it out and they used Quickstop on 2 of them, then a 3rd started to bleed during checkout, they did quick stop on that one too. I left feeling like complete crap and a bad pet parent but also extremely angry. They hurt him! Not once but 3x! Once I would understand but 3x?! How does that happen?
Now I'm debating if I should stay with this vet clinic. The vet who owns the clinic himself is fine. Idk what to do anymore, I'm just upset for my baby and want to do what's best for him.
What would you all recommend at this point? What should I do? Thanks in advance! 🐾
Adding: Abel is also my SD. 🐩

So after 5 years of fighting to figure out what was going on with me and being told a mixture of: anxiety, depression, migraines and/or allergies. I finally got a doctor to listen to me (an optamologist of all things) and her finding my optic nerves being swollen and that I possibly have this disease caused me to fight for an MRI/MRV. That showed I had:

1. A partially empty sella
2. A 13 cm cyst on my pituary gland
3. Mild narrowing along the lateral aspect of bilateral transverse venous sinuses

All of that combined with my symptoms had me finding a new doctor to go to because my neurologist saw all of that and still said "it's just depression" so I did research and asked my pcp to refer me to a neuro-optamologist. He said everything sounds like IIH and scheduled me a LP. That came out at 35, got my official dx and diamox ordered.
I've been scared to start diamox from all the horror stories but, I've kept doing research and feel a bit better about starting it knowing that upping my wateelectrolytes and potassium can help tremendously with side effects. However, I was hoping for a few things to be answered by you lovely people.

1. I'd absolutely LOVE to hear positive stories. I desperately need it for both people getting their lives back having IIH and people on diamox. I've felt like I haven't lived in years due to so many different illnesses (pcos, anxiety, depression, adhd, chronic pain, migraines and now IIH.) I felt like I could still live my life until about 5 years ago when I started getting insane head pressure but, anytime I went to the ER or a doctor - they were like "oh that must be a headache or migraine". No one would listen when I said "no, it doesn't hurt..I can have a migraine with it but this is different, I feel like my head is full and needs drained". Anyways, since that started 5 years ago my head pressure episodes have gotten worse and I'm usually bed ridden that entire time cause I just cannot function. I miss living my life and I just want hope.
2. I know I need to bring this back up with my doctor but, when they went over my MRI/V notes no one mentioned the "Mild narrowing along the lateral aspect of bilateral transverse venous sinuses". Is this what people get stents for? Is that stenosis? Should I be asking them to look more into that?
3. I had my LP done on Fri (the 10th) and I've been naesous almost constantly since. Is that a normal thing? I've had a headache and migraine as well, migraine was on day 3 and then day 4/yesterday was a mild headache. From my understanding a spinal headache from an LP is undeniable and you'll know it's from that, correct? This has felt like a typical migraine/headache. Nothing I'm not used to and it doesn't seem to make a difference if I'm standing/sitting/laying. I will also note after 10+ years of migraines and very little helping them, Emgality has been the thing that has made my almost daily migraines go down to 1 or 2 a month and I'm 3 days out from my next injection which typically is when my head gets irritated so I think that's why my head is irritated and that it's not LP related but, I just wanted to make sure.
4. Last question (for now lol), I've seen people recommend getting blood work frequently once on diamox. How do you go about this? My neuro-opt never called me once we got results - he just saw my OP was at 35 and sent in the medicine and I'm hoping to talk to him tomorrow to go over it a bit more but, do I need to advocate for regular blood work? If so, how often? What should I ask them to keep an eye on? I've seen too many people say their doctors didn't tell them about needing to drink more, get more potassium or electrolytes etc. so I want to make sure I'm prepared to fight for myself to try negating any possible side effects from taking diamox before I start.

Also whoever wrote the IIH packet on here - you're a Godsend. Thank you! Having all those notes is super helpful. 🫶

December 2023, started getting brain fog, off and on, several days per week. I thought I might need a change in the supplements I usually take, so I ditched Quercetin, Astaxanthin, and Krill Oil, and just kept taking the usual vitamins. No improvement in brain fog.
In late February 2024, I started feeling weak in the legs, with oddly stiff knees, when getting out of bed in the morning. It was hard to walk and my feet hurt. The brain fog also increased, and I started getting horribly fatigued, sometimes all day long. During the day and in the evening, my hands/knuckles/fingers started throbbing, sometimes severely. No fever, no swollen glands. I went to my primary doctor on March 19, and she ordered blood tests and xrays. Xrays showed no joint damage, and my inflammatory markers were pretty good, but my Rheumatoid Factor test was positive. She referred me to a Rheumatologist.
In mid-April, Rheumatologist took history and ordered a gazillion blood tests and urine test. Inflammatory markers looked good, except for IgA, which was elevated to 435. RF was negative though, after being positive the month before. FANA test was also negative (positive, with speckled pattern, but an insignificant titer....so, negative). Meanwhile, symptoms persist...brain fog, headaches, fatigue, joint pain (including wrists, now), weak/stiff/wobbly legs in the morning for about 45 minutes (but they come back if I sit or lie down for too long). At a recent follow up appointment, my primary doc ordered a brain MRI (haven't had it yet) and told me she still thinks I'm dealing with RA, but the Seronegative version.
Has anyone else experienced the same things? How did your Seronegative RA get diagnosed?

( I POSTED EARLIER BUT NOT SURE I DID IT RIGHT, TRYING Again) SOOOO let me start off with, the reason I'm confused is bc it doesn't make any sense. SO A Month ago I had a Retreat RC with a tooth on top ( endo did the retreat) then I had a tooth pulled that already had a root canal/crown just last week ( last Wednesday), it was also a back top tooth#2, I have been doing salt Walter rinses amd finished my Antibiotics on Saturday. ( it was my 3rd round of Abx my 1st round Amixocillin 7 days was 2 weeks before my Retreat bc my dentist said it may have been a sinus infection bc xrays showed NO INFECTION, went to Endo he started the Retreat with a drain and put Medicine in and sealed it up put me on my (2nd Round Antibiotics ) Keflex for 7 days, then 3 weeks later went back to finish up Retreat root canal, everything went awesome, but he let me know that my back top tooth #2 which had crown/rootcanal was loose and had a crack he could see on the x ray but I had already had a bad taste coming from it which I had already told my dentist, and he said it looked fine and it was probably from the one that was being retreated which he had said that it didn't have any infection ( it was infected based on what endo said, but My Dentist informed me that Endos can see more bc of their equipment, although my Dentist done a xRay that went all away around my head and he had stated he could see everything) so I had called my Dentist to make an appointment to have crown took off to look at it, but then with rge Money adding up so quickly I said let's pull it bc Endo said by what he saw it probably needed pulled and he was correct, it was decayed pretty bad, it's been less than a week it was pulled, but before they pulled it 4 days before I was put on a (3rd round of Abx Amoxicillin 9 days, [it was for 10 days but dropped my bottle and 3 of my pills got soaked] ) went had #2 extracted so far so good, THEN THIS MORNING HAPPENS!!!! Getting to my question, so sorry.
So I brushed my teeth and I have been noticing that bottom tooth # 30 which has also had a root canal with a crown just a couple years ago by my Dentist, has been sensitive and been told that is normal and since I have had the top extraction just 5 days ago I have noticed it is sore maybe from the pressure of biting on guaze trying to get bleeding to stop from the extraction ( I was bleeding for 8 Hrs pretty heavy)I'm not sure, ANYWAY then I noticed a hard Bump that was the color of my skin it was just a Hard bump with NO white on it like a pimple, but it was hard so I called my Dentist they said to come in at 12PM only 3 hrs away, so I was in the car before going in and I pulled the side of my mouth to look at it and pulled tight and then I tasted a salty taste,, ( the pressure from pulling the skin to look at it must have popped it) didn't see anything but BUMP GOT SMALLER, as I'm walking into my Dentist, x ray was done with a visual exam , ( no tapping of teeth or cold/hot sensitivity test just visual and xRay) was glaced at for maybe 10 seconds when I showed him where a very tiny bump remained (bc my dumb butt had to look at it and mess with it before he looked at it, so it popped amd went down quickly)and he gets up takes gloves off and said no sign of infection , so I asked what it was and the taste I explained to him once again, he said IDK I see nothing, he then says maybe a Mucosa Gland but not sure bc nothing is there, I asked if he could see where it was leaking, he said no signs of infection, I remind him I was told the same when I did have infection when he sentt me to the endo. So I felt embarrassed and so stupid and felt so small bc I felt he just didn't believe me bc his tone, didn't even explain anything to me, so abt 6 hrs later it's coming back slowly, amd I called my detist office again to let them know the bump is returning amd sometimes I taste a salty taste,the office staff called me back amd said he said he could put me on anorher round of antibiotics( 4th round) just in case it is an infection or gum boil, or it may just be a mucosa cyst ( i thought cyst didnt drain?)I reminded them I had just finished a 9 day ABX ( my 3rd round) not even 48 hrs ago, then I told her I wanted to ask him questions bc I never had a " Abcess/ Gum Boil/Mucosa Cyst, but he literally was in that room with me MAYBE 1.5 MINUTES, she asked me what would I need to know, I then changed the subject amd asked what should I do going foward, Their Amswer since I'm" denying" My 4th round of Antibiotics within a month and a half was to see if it keeps coming back, maybe wait a month or so, touch base if any significant change and go from there. I asked if maybe I should go to an oral surgeon for them to glance at it. I was told no , I couldn't get a referral let's just wait and see, I explained to them if IF it's an infection I would take my 4th round of Antibiotics but he said it wasn't an infection this morning , amd I asked twice as he was walking out if he was sure it wasn't t an infection, he stated NO It isn't, then while walking down the hall I asked him one more time if he was sure it wasn't an infection he said NO, if it was am abcess it would show up on xray. He then stated real loud NOTHING NOTHING Is there and IF something Appears call us, I felt so small. But I did call, and I still have NO ANSWERS after paying $110.00 today for NOTHING!!!! I also have Crohns so being on alot of Antibiotics cam really mess me up, amd ir it's truly not an infection you don't need an Antibiotic, or so I thought. So I said and explained all that, to ask, is it possible to have a "Gum boil" without any infection? The hard Bump is not right under tooth #30, it's more over we're #29 ( but #29 is gone just empty space) so it's way down on gums Like where your inside cheeks go down and meet ur gums, I hope I'm explaining that right, anyway again it's not right up under tooth #30 I would say if #29 was there it would be under that tooth all the way down past gums where gums meets ur cheeks. ( when I'm home I may be able to get a picture to explain better) but again #30 has been sore and hurting off and on since extraction again I thought it was from me bitting down on that guaze all those hrs, I had alot of pressure on them, but before that I had explained to them that it was sensitive to sweets, amd some colds was told it was normal, so again here are my questions!!
What could it be if it isn't infection?
Should I get a 2nd opinion?
If it's an abcess , are abcess hard to leak out, does it take alot to pop am abcess? ( again there was no white pimple looking bump or any blood or pus that leaked out it was just clear n salty, amd the color of bump was the color of my gums)?
How fast do abcess fill back up if it's an infection amd would it hurt and could u see where it leaked or popped fluid from? Would it look like a sore after it pops? ( mine hasn't filled all the way up as it was this morning but i can tell it's coming back, it's slow.
Should I take another 4th round of Antibiotics without knowing it's a true infection?
I have spent $2,800 in the past Month and half, and I'm so scared I'm gonna have to lose another tooth bc I can't afford another Retreat, and I'm scared my dentist doesn't really care or maybe just doesn't know, but being told to wait it out, if it's am abcess wouldn't that be dangerous? I hope I explained amd to anyone that cares to explain anything to me abt what you think my Dentist is thinking please explain to me bc I don't even know. All I l ow to do, is wait and see what happens. And was told to try to wait atleast a month. THANKS and GOD BLESS!!!!

SOOOO let me start off with, the reason I'm confused is bc it doesn't make any sense. SO A Month ago I had a Retreat RC with a tooth on top ( endo did the retreat) then I had a tooth pulled that already had a root canal/crown just last week ( last Wednesday), it was also a back top tooth#2, I have been doing salt Walter rinses amd finished my Antibiotics on Saturday. ( it was my 3rd round of Abx my 1st round Amixocillin 7 days was 2 weeks before my Retreat bc my dentist said it may have been a sinus infection bc xrays showed NO INFECTION, went to Endo he started the Retreat with a drain and put Medicine in and sealed it up put me on my (2nd Round Antibiotics ) Keflex for 7 days, then 3 weeks later went back to finish up Retreat root canal, everything went awesome, but he let me know that my back top tooth #2 which had crown/rootcanal was loose and had a crack he could see on the x ray but I had already had a bad taste coming from it which I had already told my dentist, and he said it looked fine and it was probably from the one that was being retreated which he had said that it didn't have any infection ( it was infected based on what endo said, but My Dentist informed me that Endos can see more bc of their equipment, although my Dentist done a xRay that went all away around my head and he had stated he could see everything) so I had called my Dentist to make an appointment to have crown took off to look at it, but then with rge Money adding up so quickly I said let's pull it bc Endo said by what he saw it probably needed pulled and he was correct, it was decayed pretty bad, it's been less than a week it was pulled, but before they pulled it 4 days before I was put on a (3rd round of Abx Amoxicillin 9 days, [it was for 10 days but dropped my bottle and 3 of my pills got soaked] ) went had #2 extracted so far so good, THEN THIS MORNING HAPPENS!!!! Getting to my question, so sorry.
So I brushed my teeth and I have been noticing that bottom tooth # 30 which has also had a root canal with a crown just a couple years ago by my Dentist, has been sensitive and been told that is normal and since I have had the top extraction just 5 days ago I have noticed it is sore maybe from the pressure of biting on guaze trying to get bleeding to stop from the extraction ( I was bleeding for 8 Hrs pretty heavy)I'm not sure, ANYWAY then I noticed a hard Bump that was the color of my skin it was just a Hard bump with NO white on it like a pimple, but it was hard so I called my Dentist they said to come in at 12PM only 3 hrs away, so I was in the car before going in and I pulled the side of my mouth to look at it and pulled tight and then I tasted a salty taste,, ( the pressure from pulling the skin to look at it must have popped it) didn't see anything but BUMP GOT SMALLER, as I'm walking into my Dentist, x ray was done with a visual exam , ( no tapping of teeth or cold/hot sensitivity test just visual and xRay) was glaced at for maybe 10 seconds when I showed him where a very tiny bump remained (bc my dumb butt had to look at it and mess with it before he looked at it, so it popped amd went down quickly)and he gets up takes gloves off and said no sign of infection , so I asked what it was and the taste I explained to him once again, he said IDK I see nothing, he then says maybe a Mucosa Gland but not sure bc nothing is there, I asked if he could see where it was leaking, he said no signs of infection, I remind him I was told the same when I did have infection when he sentt me to the endo. So I felt embarrassed and so stupid and felt so small bc I felt he just didn't believe me bc his tone, didn't even explain anything to me, so abt 6 hrs later it's coming back slowly, amd I called my detist office again to let them know the bump is returning amd sometimes I taste a salty taste,the office staff called me back amd said he said he could put me on anorher round of antibiotics( 4th round) just in case it is an infection or gum boil, or it may just be a mucosa cyst ( i thought cyst didnt drain?)I reminded them I had just finished a 9 day ABX ( my 3rd round) not even 48 hrs ago, then I told her I wanted to ask him questions bc I never had a " Abcess/ Gum Boil/Mucosa Cyst, but he literally was in that room with me MAYBE 1.5 MINUTES, she asked me what would I need to know, I then changed the subject amd asked what should I do going foward, Their Amswer since I'm" denying" My 4th round of Antibiotics within a month and a half was to see if it keeps coming back, maybe wait a month or so, touch base if any significant change and go from there. I asked if maybe I should go to an oral surgeon for them to glance at it. I was told no , I couldn't get a referral let's just wait and see, I explained to them if IF it's an infection I would take my 4th round of Antibiotics but he said it wasn't an infection this morning , amd I asked twice as he was walking out if he was sure it wasn't t an infection, he stated NO It isn't, then while walking down the hall I asked him one more time if he was sure it wasn't an infection he said NO, if it was am abcess it would show up on xray. He then stated real loud NOTHING NOTHING Is there and IF something Appears call us, I felt so small. But I did call, and I still have NO ANSWERS after paying $110.00 today for NOTHING!!!! I also have Crohns so being on alot of Antibiotics cam really mess me up, amd ir it's truly not an infection you don't need an Antibiotic, or so I thought. So I said and explained all that, to ask, is it possible to have a "Gum boil" without any infection? The hard Bump is not right under tooth #30, it's more over we're #29 ( but #29 is gone just empty space) so it's way down on gums Like where your inside cheeks go down and meet ur gums, I hope I'm explaining that right, anyway again it's not right up under tooth #30 I would say if #29 was there it would be under that tooth all the way down past gums where gums meets ur cheeks. ( when I'm home I may be able to get a picture to explain better) but again #30 has been sore and hurting off and on since extraction again I thought it was from me bitting down on that guaze all those hrs, I had alot of pressure on them, but before that I had explained to them that it was sensitive to sweets, amd some colds was told it was normal, so again here are my questions!!
What could it be if it isn't infection?
Should I get a 2nd opinion?
If it's an abcess , are abcess hard to leak out, does it take alot to pop am abcess? ( again there was no white pimple looking bump or any blood or pus that leaked out it was just clear n salty, amd the color of bump was the color of my gums)?
How fast do abcess fill back up if it's an infection amd would it hurt and could u see where it leaked or popped fluid from? Would it look like a sore after it pops? ( mine hasn't filled all the way up as it was this morning but i can tell it's coming back, it's slow.
Should I take another 4th round of Antibiotics without knowing it's a true infection?
I have spent $2,800 in the past Month and half, and I'm so scared I'm gonna have to lose another tooth bc I can't afford another Retreat, and I'm scared my dentist doesn't really care or maybe just doesn't know, but being told to wait it out, if it's am abcess wouldn't that be dangerous? I hope I explained amd to anyone that cares to explain anything to me abt what you think my Dentist is thinking please explain to me bc I don't even know. All I l ow to do, is wait and see what happens. And was told to try to wait atleast a month. THANKS and GOD BLESS!!!!

1st outbreak in years
I got herpes like 20 years ago. My 1st outbreak was so bad. I thought I had strep and had 1 bump on my vagina. My throat hurt so bad. I have been very fortunate and only had like 3 outbreaks in my life. I have been under an enormous amount of stress during to ongoing GI issues for like 4 months which has really spiked my anxiety. I noticed like 4 or 5 days ago I had a bump in my vagina. No surprise. The last few days I noticed how sore my throat was which I thought was from acid reflux. On Friday I started having ringing in 1 ear and vertigo. I went to Minute Clinic and said ibhad some fluid but no infection gave me 5 days of steroids for the inflammation because my throat and glands are swollen. I have no other sinus congestion. Is it possible or has anyone else had an outbreak after so many years be really bad and affect them like the 1st? I have no fever either. Also is it too late now since it's been like 5 days to take acyclovir or valtrex and I have to just ride it out? I don't have any since I never get them. Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue or anything similar. I asked my GI Dr too if they thought it could be from the reflux and they said no. They said it wouldn't go up that for to affect my tonsils and ears and this sounds like allergies. I have post nasal drip too.

I got herpes like 20 years ago. My 1st outbreak was so bad. I thought I had strep and had 1 bump on my vagina. My throat hurt so bad. I have been very fortunate and only had like 3 outbreaks in my life. I have been under an enormous amount of stress during to ongoing GI issues for like 4 months which has really spiked my anxiety. I noticed like 4 or 5 days ago I had a bump in my vagina. No surprise. The last few days I noticed how sore my throat was which I thought was from acid reflux. On Friday I started having ringing in 1 ear and vertigo. I went to Minute Clinic and said ibhad some fluid but no infection gave me 5 days of steroids for the inflammation because my throat and glands are swollen. I have no other sinus congestion. Is it possible or has anyone else had an outbreak after so many years be really bad and affect them like the 1st? I have no fever either. Also is it too late now since it's been like 5 days to take acyclovir or valtrex and I have to just ride it out? I don't have any since I never get them. Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue or anything similar. I asked my GI Dr too if they thought it could be from the reflux and they said no. They said it wouldn't go up that for to affect my tonsils and ears and this sounds like allergies. I have post nasal drip too.

https://ibb.co/5GhYPzf

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting so I'm sorry if its messy.
TLDR - I have been suffering with severe red eye, irritation, and itchiness for majority of my life. Likewise, my optometrist says that my eyes are not dry but they said signs are pointing towards allergic conjunctivitis.
I am a severe red eye sufferer and at first I always thought that I would give myself ocular abrasions by scratching my eyes and I would previously take steroid (Prednisolone & Maxitrol) prescribed by my previous optometrist to help heal my eyes from the abrasions.
This actually worked for me every time i would use it, but in a couple of months or so the abrasions would come back and I would have to use the steroids again. I did this routine on and off for about 15 years.
Fast forward I am now (29) and I am visiting a new optometrist at Kaiser (I know its not a specialist but its what I can do for now), my optometrist let me know when she was measuring my eye pressure that I was at a 40 and it was likely caused by my intense use of steroids for relief. I came off of the steroids (using glaucoma medication) and my eye pressure is back to normal now, but I am left with almost no way for relief. My girlfriend and I spoke about the many different causes for my red eyes because what I was doing was no longer working and it made me think if my diagnosis was wrong this whole time.
Now here is the part for the rabbit hole, I first started with the idea that maybe I wasn't experiencing abrasions and instead my eyes were dry and could not produce the correct oils to keep them lubricated through the day/night. This lead me to trying out an abundance of tactics to solve my issues. First I tried cleaning my eyes regularly with tea tree oil, I also was using several different eye drops (Manuka honey eye drops, Ivizia, Thera tears, Lumify, pretty much any over the counter that wouldn't hurt my eyes i.e. Visine). An important thing to note as well is that I tried to do hot compress, but it would just make my eyes even more irritated and cold compress had little to no affect. I also invested in many different eye masks so that when I slept I could keep my eyes moist. Contrary to my initial idea, my current optometrist had stated to me that I do not suffer from dry eyes and my eyes are coated well enough to support my eye health.
This lead me to try and look into other answers, my girlfriend was being super adamant that it could be allergy related so I went to go get tested (since we have a cat). It came back that I was not allergic to our cat but I was allergic to dust at a level 3/5. Ive invested in two air purifiers for our very tiny apartment and a dehumidifier to really minimize the chances of dust growth. Likewise, I was put on immunotherapy (Tablets by mouth daily), I also use Sequa twice a day, manuka honey eye drops as needed, MSM supplements, omega 3, and vitamin C. Its also important to note that during days where my eyes were very red, I would work out and really exert myself, and my eyes would become clearer, but still be a little red.
So far this hasn't been the solution for me just yet so I also began to look into high histamine foods. I realized through some quick searches that many of the foods I really love are extremely high in histamine. So now to help, I have cut out majority of foods that are really high up on the list (salami and beef jerky are some examples) I have also stopped ingesting caffeine and dairy. Now I mostly take my supplements, eat very carefully, and work out moderately because I feel as though after a work out my eyes get better but then a day later they would rebound pretty badly.
I think it is also important to mention my girlfriend has told my that my eyes are slightly open when I sleep at night. I also work a 9-5 in an IT job where majority of my day is behind a screen (I make sure to reset my eye focus as well as doing blinking exercises)
Final update on my eye situations as of today 5/12/24: My eyes have been extremely red for about 2 weeks now, and last night was an extremely hard night, my left eye was in severe pain to the point that I could not sleep. I noticed the white part of my eyes (Sclera) is starting to swell around my iris and create a small film around the edges of my iris.
I am genuinely at a loss of what steps to take next and would like some guidance or suggestions. However, I have tried an abundance of things and I am sure I have missed some things on my lists below but this is what I can remember for now.
List of Medicines/eye drops I have tried:
Cromolyn sodium eye drops
Brimonodine
Manuka Honey eye drops
Sequa
Ivizia
Thera Tears
Lumify
Tea Tree oil cleansing wash
Artificial Tears (various brands)
Advil
Zertec
Aleve
Pataday
Lastcraft
List of Methods I have tried:
Hot Compress
Cold Compress
Wearing several types of masks at night/goggles
expressing my eye glands
Low Histimine Diet
Working Out
No Alcohol
Cleaning my eyes with tea tree oil

Ive always suffered with reoccurrant mouth ulcers since being a kid, always taken good care of my oral hygiene because of this (brush twice daily, floss and mouth wash) but still have issues. Iv always had imbalanced hormone levels which Iv put it down to, but does anyone else experience swelling of the face and glands under the jaw when you have the ulcers? (Usually on the same side the ulcer is on)
The pain is next level, it adds to the pain from the ulcer and just makes you feel so miserable, the ulcers also bleed. Talking hurts, laughing hurts, it feels like it’s ripping back open when something makes you laugh 😖 the swelling feels like a golf ball in your cheek.
Does anyone else experience this??

EDIT: Since someone asked for a TLDR I've added one::: Please understand there is a lot of information to have to compact here which I do not believe can accurately fit into a short TLDR but here goes.
TLDR: I had repeated strep throat infections resulting in over a months worth of constant antibiotics. I asked (ex) bf to please get a test for it as well. He refused and seemed angry. Ghosted me for 3 days then came back calling me self-centered. I tried to reason with him and figure out what his point of view is but instead he ghosted me for 3 days before finally saying he was too busy to reply due to work and stressful job changes. We talked a bit and returned to regular conversation for the following 3 weeks. He came over to stay after going to an event together then left suddenly and despite him previously saying we'd spend golden week together. He has since ignored me for another week.
:::UPDATE::: I have my house key back. He came to my house to give it back and we had a small chat about wtf has been up with him. Unsurprisingly he didn't have reasons for things. Only saying suddenly going on dates costs too much money ( I always offer to pay but he insists he has to) and that his job change is too stressful. Therefore we "no longer match". Whatever the hell that means. He also gave weak excuses that we didn't match because I like gardening and he doesn't and then proceeds to say my clothing and the fact I wear makeup doesn't suit 'his' style. Srsly fuck this guy. We parted ways and he was unable to clearly say we're broken up saying he's got a lot to think about. He can go think all he wants but for me obviously it's over. He suddenly sent me a few random messages last night about starting his new job early and how he's got an exam to take in October. Least to say I didn't reply as I see no point and fail to see what he is trying to achieve.
Thank you everyone for your comments and support !!! This whole event has triggered anxiety attacks for me but I'm receiving treatment for that. The doctor also believes after I have finished my recent 2 week course of mild antibiotics I should be cleared of strep throat. It's been a long journey. ‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd like to start off with I'm a big fan of the podcast and I hope that posting here will help me organize my feelings and perhaps make me see things a different way.
::Warning:: This make take some time to get into the T. Please bare with me and thank you
Starting off I'd like to make it clear that prior to this incident nothing in our relationship seemed out of place. We talked often and despite our busy work schedules would try to meet up atleast once every week or two weeks to spend time together.
About a month ago now, I (30F) was diagnosed with severe strep throat that has reoccured 3 times. Each time I start to get sick the glands in my throat swell up like golf balls so bad that I look like a croaking toad. Swelling and aside it's often accompanied by high fevers close to 40°c (104F). This resulted in trips to the hospital where I was misdiagnosed (This is not uncommon where I live, but that's a separate story) and I ended up just suffering through until my regular doctors clinic would open. During this time my (ex) boyfriend (32M) stood by my side looking after me, changing my cooling pads and made sure my temperature didn't go higher even going so far to take time off his jobs (he has 2) just to look after me through my fevers.
All things seems to be fine again as I began to recover while on antibiotics from my regular doctor. The following weekend we were to meet up for a date and he chose Mt Yoshino, a very popular spot from cherry blossom viewing. I ask him atleast 3 different times if he was sure he'd like to go there as the hike up the mountain is fairly significant. Before we left to go on the trip I checked one last time as I didn't think his shoes were the most suitable, nor his white loose fit pants (as they could get stained) He said there were no issues and we proceeded with the trip. Despite me pre-warning him that it was a long and very uphill hike he solidered on and he later admitted that perhaps he hadn't made the best choice for our date this time. I reassured him that I don't mind at all because I enjoying being around nature and walking and that I'd done this hike once before. He stayed over that evening and everything seemed perfectly fine.
UNTIL
Wednesday morning disaster stuck again as I was hit by swelling and high fevers again. I again went to the doctors to have a check up and was told I have strep again (still) and they would be trying a different course of antibiotics. I was pretty distraught by this as also asked my (ex) boyfriend to please get a test as well. I was worried because he'd spend a lot of time looking after me maybe he'd caught it. He refused and then coldly said "I'm too busy" I replied saying I was worried and to please get one and I'm sorry if it upset him by asking him to also take the test.
This is where I was met with his first ever instance of him ghosting me. Over the 3 days he ghosted me I kept my messages to a minimum trying to accept that he might just need some time to cool off. I thought what I had asked him to do was not so completely unreasonable given how strep throat can easily spread and carriers exists as well.
Well his silence broke 3 days later. He said "I'm not angry. I just think you're being self centered"
I WAS SHOCKED !
I proceeded to try and ask him why he felt that way but he wouldn't give a clear answer. He only said that we shouldn't meet until I'm better because that's how we should deal with infectious diseases. I thought his words and behavior were strange and I tried to explain that by asking him to get a test was I in no way blaming him. It was just a precaution.
He then went SILENT for another day or so and came back said " Sorry my job isn't going well as it's commission based and I have a lot of concerns" He then went on to say again that I was a bit selfish and finished off with this gem a line like Spidermans Uncle "You are free to choose your actions, but with freedom comes responsibility."
At this point I tried not to feel angry since he is showing signs of deep stress. I pointed out that I am here for him and I'd like to support him in anyway I can and that I'm worried about the continous stress his job and my sickness has caused him. I suggested we have a proper sit down and talk so he can express how he's feeling better.
:::: At this point I should mention while I speak English my (ex) boyfriend does not. Therefore we usually converse in Japanese. However, for some reason druning this conversation he chose to use what i assumed was a translation app:::
I also tried to ask him how can I make him feel more comfortable. Did he need more space apart to relax and think. Or had I been asking him to help too much recently. I let him know I'm eternally grateful for everything he's done for me and with me over the past 6 months.
His reply came saying " You told me I should go to the hospital, but you always didn't listen to my advice. And reading your message, I got the feeling that you were only worried about yourself."
I questioned him about this and what he meant by it. As we both know going to a hospital has not worked in the past and my current doctor is the only one who seems to be able to listen to my symptoms and prescribed medicine. I also apologized if my words had made him feel I only cared for myself. I was merely worried about his condition and mine had become so bad. He then said my comments were double standard which I couldn't understand.
The conversation continues and it feels like he's just trying to take hits at me through the messages I'll be honest gaslighting. (If anyone wants pictures I'll try find them)
It boiled eventually to me telling him he had really hurt my feelings by ignoring me for 3 days, and I understand he is stressed but if he needs to have a shutdown moment like that again to please just say I'm feeling stressed/overwhelmed and want to take some time. That in the very least is better than ghosting your partner to wonder what happend.
3 weeks passed and we reverted to somewhat regular conversation, and if I'm being completely honest, I felt that if I pushed him more on the subject he'd have further withdrawn so I tried to draw us back to a happier place. Both of us had been very busy. On top of my continuous doctors trips and different antibiotics I started a new job and was having a good time settling in and realizing my new company treated me 1000% better than what I had left.
We agreed to meet up and spend time together during golden week as he had said he had 4/27 ~ 5/6 off from work which matched almost with my schedule of 5/3 ~ 5/5 We met up during that weekend. I had chosen a meat festival even to go to nearby as he really enjoys eating BBQ and meat. We hadn't seen each other in about 3 weeks and since that initial "fight" so I could tell he looked awkward when we met up. I tried to lighten the mood and play some cute couple hand games and decide what to eat together. His mood seemed to be more relaxed and lifed after this (or perhaps he was just starving up till then, you decide) After the meat festival, we went to a firework event just a bit further out from the city. We were both taking lots of videos and pictures.
IT WAS AT THIS MOMENT that I realized since our initial conflict over the strep throat he'd be hiding his Instagram from me. I had been aware in the back of my head that for about a month I'd not seen any of his stories but had just pushed worries aside, and we'd been messaging still. It got brought to my attention more clearly as I could see him posting to his story which I couldn't view. I turned to him at this stage and tried to casually ask him about it.
Me " Hey I can't seem to view your Instagram posts" Him passive but awkward face Me " did you block me or something?" I asked jokingly as I knew he hadn't. Him "No it's just difficult to explain" Me: "I'll do my best to understand " Him: "No, it's difficult"
Least to say that small pit on anxiety I'd been feeling for 3 weeks sent me sick to my stomach. I tried to reassure myself maybe he's just tired or is being considerate of my language ability. But it continued to nag at my gut as to what possible reason he could have anyway to start hiding it since our initial "fight" 3 weeks ago.
After the fireworks finished we went back to my house for a few last drinks and to go to sleep. The whole night I remember tossing and turning awake because he was wanting to initiate s#x and I was just so exhausted I didn't want any. ( I've mentioned this to him several time that there's nothing wrong I'm just extremely tired and want to sleep first, which he has normally accepted) He got what he wanted in the morning anyway once we were both awake and fairly well rested.
As it was my impression that we had the whole weekend together I said I wanted to go to the home center to get some things for my garden and I'd like a bit of help getting rid of some spiders and this giant 2m thistle that was posing dangers to the road below.
At the home center, I noticed he did not seem enthusiastic at all. I asked him twice if he was okay, was he feeling stressed? That we could go if he didnt like it here and I'm happy to carry the basket and head to the counter . He kept insisting he was fine despite the growing discontent on his face. I tried to quickly finish up and pay as per past experiences over the last 3- 4 weeks he is not wiliing to express his feelings to me.
We arrived back at my house and I asked him if he'd like a break or some lunch. He simply said he was fine and proceeded to sit in the house entryway while I freed the plants from their bags. He stayed sitting down until I asked him for help with a few weeds as I tackled some bigger tree cuttings. He worked for 5-10 minutes before saying he'd sit down for a break. He took a break for 45mins and didn't speak to me, just kept looking down at his phone watching videos or tiktoks. As I was finishing up putting the biggest plant in the ground he suddenly announced he's be going home to shower. I said he's more than welcome to use the one in my house but he continued with wanting to do laundry and play games at home to relax. I became upset by this as it was my understanding we'd be spending golden week together and 50min for some much needed gardening wouldn't be a problem ( if anyone asks, yes he knew I wanted to do a bit of gardening and cleaning up before he came to stay) I finally asked for his help with this 2m long thistle and then I'd walk him back to the station. The whole walk back he just continued to ask if I was angry. At the time I replied yes because he was going home so suddenly.
When we said goodbye at the station, you could cut the tension with a knife. I tried to hold back my tears as we were in public and I just felt so frustrated. We hugged and said goodbye quickly and just like that he was gone.
I felt pretty bad once I got home, and given how things had been going I had wanted to be able to give him a proper goodbye but didn't know of I'd be able to hold back tears. I sent him the following message after we parted ways
「I'm not angry. Im just feeling very lonely at the moment. I've missed seeing you these past 3 weeks. I felt very sad when we said goodbye and had the impression we'd be spending more time together. We haven't decided on when next to see each other, and Golden week is the longest holiday period for the whole year. We don't know when will see each other next. I miss you」
What are your thoughts everyone. Have I really been self centered and not properly considering his feelings? Thank you for taking the time to read all of this.
Edit: Apologies for my crappy spelling and grammar. I've tried to fix some
::::::::::Note::::::::: I feel like this has leaned a bit far from the title at this stage but I'll add that after we met up I went to to doctors again and was told I have strep throat again and am on further antibiotics
Since my last message from above was sent he has not replied and gone full ghost.
This man also has a key to my house that I'd need back
I am a New Zealand F and he is a Japanese M. If that matters to anybody.
I didn't use a throwaway account as I figured there's no possibility of him or his friends seeing this anyway and I'm feeling a bit too down in the dumps to make a separate account. I barely use this one for anything anyway
::::EDIT:::: There are a number of comments expressing concerns about stds and for me to get checked. I get checked regularly as it is the normal thing to do for one's safety. I purely just have reoccurring strep throat infections. No stds here. Thank you all the commenter's who were concerned over this.

Opinion on Dr. recommendation? - Test Results
Hello! In February I went for annual checkup, there my thyroid got some weird results, with:
TSH - LOW - 0.02 iIU/L - Reference (0.450-4.500)
T3, FREE - HIGH - 4.6 pg/ml - Reference (2.3-4.2)
T4, Total - NORMAL - 9.7 iIU/ML - Reference (4.9-10.5)
My doctor then recommended re-testing in one month, so in March I got the following results:
TSH - HIGH - 5.38 iIU/L (TSH flipped)
THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES - HIGH - 2 IU/mL - REFERENCE (< or = 1)
TPO - NORMAL
T3, FREE - NORMAL
T4, Total - NORMAL
Since results were not normal again, the doctor referred me to an Endocrinologst. Important to highlight that between the two test, I got a contrast CT Scan, which according to the doctor can have an impact on thyroid results.
The Endo sent me another bloodwork one month apart plus a thytorid ultrasound, and these were the results:
TSH - HIGH - 5.490 iIU/ML - Reference (0.450-4.500)
T4, FREE - Normal
T3 - NORMAL
TSI - NORMAL
Ultrasound Results:

1. Normal size mildly heterogeneous thyroid gland with mild hypervascularity. Nonspecific for thyroiditis. 2. No nodules.

So, the Endo is telling we should just wait and watch. Sometimes thyroid make weirds things that are one off, and may normalize with time or convert now into a full thyroid issue. The THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES, he told me they are not so clinically significant, specially in the absence of TSI and TPO. I trust on the doctor, but a second opinion would not hurt. Specially for us people with high anxiety 🥲
Thanks in advance!

Opinion on Dr. recommendation? - Test Results
Hello! In February I went for annual checkup, there my thyroid got some weird results, with:
TSH - LOW - 0.02 iIU/L - Reference (0.450-4.500)
T3, FREE - HIGH - 4.6 pg/ml - Reference (2.3-4.2)
T4, Total - NORMAL - 9.7 iIU/ML - Reference (4.9-10.5)
My doctor then recommended re-testing in one month, so in March I got the following results:
TSH - HIGH - 5.38 iIU/L (TSH flipped)
THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES - HIGH - 2 IU/mL - REFERENCE (< or = 1)
TPO - NORMAL
T3, FREE - NORMAL
T4, Total - NORMAL
Since results were not normal again, the doctor referred me to an Endocrinologst. Important to highlight that between the two test, I got a contrast CT Scan, which according to the doctor can have an impact on thyroid results.
The Endo sent me another bloodwork one month apart plus a thytorid ultrasound, and these were the results:
TSH - HIGH - 5.490 iIU/ML - Reference (0.450-4.500)
T4, FREE - Normal
T3 - NORMAL
TSI - NORMAL
Ultrasound Results:

1. Normal size mildly heterogeneous thyroid gland with mild hypervascularity. Nonspecific for thyroiditis. 2. No nodules.

So, the Endo is telling we should just wait and watch. Sometimes thyroid make weirds things that are one off, and may normalize with time or convert now into a full thyroid issue. The THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES, he told me they are not so clinically significant, specially in the absence of TSI and TPO. I trust on the doctor, but a second opinion would not hurt. Specially for us people with high anxiety 🥲
Thanks in advance!

I’ve been dealing with chronic eye pain almost 3 months now. And I feel like I’m getting worse each day my eye aches more and more. I’m on different medicine have seen many doctors that say nothing is wrong with my eye. Other than severe dry eye and that the pain I’m explaining doesn’t show that much in the eye. I have dry eye spots a really TBUT (tears evaporate quickly) messed up oil glands :( but my eye feels like they’re in pain the whole eyeball both eyes. The only peace I get is sleep. With all these drops I feel burning and my eyes just feel like I’m getting worse. I’ve already had awful flares and no gabapentin or Tylenol helps. I feel like I can’t run anywhere to get help when I’m in super pain. I can’t go to the ER anymore, I’ve been twice. I have a very young family, my baby’s 4 months. And I can’t do any special outings to see family cause I’m always aching. I always have to be at home and it just happened all of a sudden one night. No one can really explain me why I got eye pain just one night and it’s stuck. I do think have dry eyes but it shouldn’t just start hurting one day super confused and hurt (physically too by this pain)

I am NOT OOP, OOP is u/throwra_gladeeventyr
Originally posted to relationship_advice
My (26f) husband (28m) is frustrated with me because he thinks I'm not feeding our babies adequately because I had to switch to formula. He refuses to help with their feeds at night, how can I find a compromise with him?
Trigger Warnings: emotional abuse and manipulation, controlling behavior, verbal abuse
Original Post: April 28, 2024
My husband and I got married about a year ago and have been together for six years. I became pregnant quite quickly, and I gave birth to twin girls about four weeks ago. Thankfully neither of them needed to stay in the hospital for longer than normal, which is rare for twins and I am so happy they're healthy. They were born naturally so I don't have the surgical wound or anything which has made things easier, although the whole thing was not a great experience. But once they were born, everything had seemed to be okay. Except they just wouldn't breastfeed.
I've tried, I really have. I've talked to all my doctors, I've done everything they said but it just doesn't work and it hurts as well. They both hate it, and I don't think I'm even producing enough for both of them because when they will feed, they get really hungry and cry soon afterwards. I've tried absolutely everything to make it work but it just doesn't and they'll either refuse or not have enough. I told my husband I can't do this anymore, and he said that I should talk to my doctors but it's probably a phase. And once they're hungry enough, they'll feed because that's what they'd been doing. Also that it's far healthier for them to be breast fed and that we shouldn't just switch because they're being picky.
He does look after the babies with me and it's fairly evenly split throughout the day, but I've been getting up every night to try and feed them when they're hungry but it's just not working. Eventually I told my doctor I was doing everything I could but they just wouldn't feed. They checked both of the babies for things that may be affecting this, but there was nothing. So she said just to move to formula, and that I've done the best I could do and it was better at this point to use formula instead because then they'll be getting enough and not be waking up so often in the night. I told my husband what the doctor said and that we need to switch because the babies going hungry so often could have lasting effects on them in the future and I don't want to affect their development.
He disagreed, but the babies were starting to cry again and still not wanting to feed, so I called my doctor about everything I would need, what I would need to do. I went and got those things and they actually fed, and slept much better in the night. One of them was still a little fussy but once she had some she was so much better and drank the whole thing. It was such a relief that I could finally sleep for a bit and they've been far happier for the last couple of days once I switched to formula. But I wasn't feeling well so I asked my husband if he could feed them one night so I could sleep for the night. He still has parental leave, so he doesn't have work or anything that would be affected by that. But he said that I chose to go against him without a proper conversation or agreement and so I should be responsible for feeding them still.
It upsets me that he holds something like this over me when I tried the best I could to have them breastfeed. They just won't, and I've tried everything. It doesn't make any sense forcing them to go hungry when they will have formula, and they're both much happier now. I was talking to my mother, as she's going to be coming with my father to see the babies soon and I was telling her that I was really tired. She said she can help me once she comes to see them with the babies and their feeds at night but I'm already so tired and sore and I wish my husband could help me now.
But he said it's a waste of money and that I should be feeding them like a normal person and that's what I'm naturally supposed to do. It makes me feel awful because I've tried so hard to do that, but I just can't. They're his babies too and it would help so much if he could feed them at night sometimes, even just once a week. I know other women have gone through much worse and what I'm dealing with is not that stressful but it really is a lot and I just wish I could have a night's sleep for once instead of having to be awake so much and I know I'm lucky but it's really hard and it's becoming a bit too much. I don't know how to find any kind of compromise with him when it comes to the feeds at night and it's making it difficult.
Relevant/Top Comments
Suspicious_Egg_1516: OB nurse here. Your husband is being unreasonable, controlling, and manipulative. He is punishing you for making a decision that actually is yours to unilaterally make because breastfeeding is YOUR BODY. His input is secondary on this. They aren't his breasts, his nipples being sucked on, or his mammary glands not producing enough (VERY common with twins!). Formula isn't a toxic substance that poisons babies. It is a vital alternative in situations like yours.
The biggest concern here is that your husband, rather than support you in what is obviously a difficult but necessary decision, is using the situation as an opportunity to escape shared parenting duties AND blame you! Is he a humongous asshole in other areas of your marriage or life? Because I'm finding it hard to believe that someone this awful is a saint in other aspects. Please consider downloading a free PDF of Why Does He Do That by Lundy Bancroft and reading it while you're giving bottles to the babies. Your husband is either temporarily insane or an emotional abuser.

OOP: That was what my doctor said, that I probably just aren't producing enough and that it's unlikely to change. And the babies hated it most of the time anyway, I don't know why but they just did. And I'd rather give them formula than have them hungry.
He's not normally like this in other aspects, no. I wouldn't have married him if that was the case. He hasn't acted like this before but I think we're both really stressed at the moment and that isn't helping at all.

OOP on her husband being against giving their twins the formula instead of being breastfed

OOP: They'd likely be fine with it. I just don't want it to be too much for them, me being there with two babies. I'm sure they wouldn't mind but I still don't want to be doing that.
He didn't seem to understand that they were really hungry. And although they would eventually try if they were hungry enough, I don't want to be doing that to them when they should be getting fed enough consistently.

 
Update: May 4, 2024 (6 days later)
Thank you to everyone who commented on my first post. I took my daughters to my parents, and I have been there for almost a week now. Both of the twins seem to be doing well, and they seem happy, they're five weeks old now. One of them is starting to try and make noises as well, which is a nice change from the crying. I took them to the doctor so they can be checked and they're both healthy and they're growing a bit better now they are having formula. One of them is a little fussy about it, but will still feed.
I've finally been able to sleep properly. I'll feed them at night still, but my mother or father will feed them in the morning, so I can sleep then and sometimes I even get to sleep for nine or ten hours. It's so much better, and I feel like I can enjoy the babies more while they'll still small when I'm not so tired. They've been enjoying sleeping outside now that they're not so hungry all the time anymore, and they don't cry so much. I do feel horrible about letting them go hungry so often when they were little but the doctor said they'll be fine now they're getting enough with formula.
I was worried about frustrating my parents with the babies, but they seem really happy with them there. And the babies don't cry very much now so it isn't so bad. My husband is angry at me, I told him I was going with the babies to my parents but I think he thought I meant just for the day. We've called each other a couple of times and he's said horrible things to me and how he wishes I was dead, but I'll deal with how he feels later when I feel better and know I can manage the babies on my own because they still need regular feeding quite frequently and it's only achievable with my parents helping at the moment.
Relevant/Top Comments
floppybunny86: Hey OP! I commented on your original post & encouraged you to reach out to your parents stay with them. I’m so glad to hear that you are feeling much better, and your babies.
Your husband’s reaction to you leaving is a major red flag, especially when you consider he would basically rather have seen your babies starve than “allow” you to bottle feed. I really hope you pay attention to how he is behaving, because he is showing you his true colours now.
I really hope you have the strength to pay attention, and do what you need to do to protect your babies from him. I hope you have a village of family & friends who can help you.
This internet stranger is rooting for you! Good luck!

OOP: They are so much better, I'm really glad I carried on with what I was doing because they're not so hungry.
It is confusing that he's so upset, I know I should have told him but I couldn't manage and he wasn't helping so I don't know what he thought I should've done.

pastel-goth3722: Your husband calls to wish you dead and your solution is to wait until the babies don't need to be fed as much to work it out with him?
The only way you need to work it out with him is by getting a divorce lawyer and separating from him.
 

DO NOT COMMENT IN LINKED POSTS OR MESSAGE OOPs – BoRU Rule #7

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT OOP

Hi,
I have problems looking at the monitors lately.
I have had maybe like 3 visual aura migraines in my life. The first 2, typical, visual aura lasting 45 mins, then a migraine for few hours.
The 3rd one, 3 months ago, was a normal visual aura migraine, but the headache pain from the migraine was so intense I thought I'm having a brain attack. After that, I got one dark eye spot (one circle floater).
I can't stare at patterns anymore. I am sensitive to light. I have stronger after images (not photophobia or palinopsia, just strongelonger after images). If I read something on the phone for 1-2 minutes, I can see lines from that text on the wall or anywhere I look at. It's not clear or too much visible, but it's there for 30 seconds.
I have two new eye floaters. One dark circle spot in the eye, top right, and one underneath, smaller, less visible, but there. Both are linked to the eye movement.
Part that sucks the most, I struggle when working in front of the monitor. It's hard to look at plain backgrounds, including walls, and I have the BFEP (blue field phenomenom) - I see the stars in the sky, and in the walls. Could be some signs similar towards Visual Snow, but my vision outside the monitors is okay, except for the light sensivity. The biggest problem is in front of the monitors. Just can't explain what I see.
I wear glasses: -0.5, -0.75. With them, my vision is not blurry, my eyes don't hurt, it's just some weird pulsating in the vision when looking at white backgrounds with text. Like for example, when you take a phone at record the monitor, that's exactly what I see with my own eyes. It's like something is pulsating around the focus, not direct, you look at it, nothing's there. White backgrounds mostly. But also appears similar with dark backgrounds if they are plain.
I have been 10 times to ophthalmologists. Eyes check out healthy. Last visit, I cleaned out the tear canals because apparently they were clogged, and I have some capillaries in the eyes (that I have had for over 10+ years, with no problems), but the ophthalmologist recommended I should take tobradex drops for the eyes, like antibiots and stuff. I'm taking them, but no change in the vision.
What the last ophtalmologist said I have is:

• Myopia
• Astigmatism
• Anisometropia
• Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)
• Fundus hypertonicus

P.S: Lots of people mention VS / VSS. I may have the blue field phenomenom everywhere, including the sky and seeing small stars when looking at walls, but it's like with 5% opacity, barely visible, but noticeable. I don't have constant snow in the vision, so I might rule out VSS even though there are similar symptoms that are there.
Could all of this be the reason I struggle in front of the monitors?
Anyone else sailing on the same boat? Any explanation?

Hello! In February I went for annual checkup, there my thyroid got some weird results, with:
TSH - LOW - 0.02 iIU/L - Reference (0.450-4.500)
T3, FREE - HIGH - 4.6 pg/ml - Reference (2.3-4.2)
T4, Total - NORMAL - 9.7 iIU/ML - Reference (4.9-10.5)
My doctor then recommended re-testing in one month, so in March I got the following results:
TSH - HIGH - 5.38 iIU/L (TSH flipped)
THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES - HIGH - 2 IU/mL - REFERENCE (< or = 1)
TPO - NORMAL
T3, FREE - NORMAL
T4, Total - NORMAL
Since results were not normal again, the doctor referred me to an Endocrinologst. Important to highlight that between the two test, I got a contrast CT Scan, which according to the doctor can have an impact on thyroid results.
The Endo sent me another bloodwork one month apart plus a thytorid ultrasound, and these were the results:
TSH - HIGH - 5.490 iIU/ML - Reference (0.450-4.500)
T4, FREE - Normal
T3 - NORMAL
TSI - NORMAL
Ultrasound Results:

1. Normal size mildly heterogeneous thyroid gland with mild hypervascularity. Nonspecific for thyroiditis. 2. No nodules.

So, the Endo is telling we should just wait and watch. Sometimes thyroid make weirds things that are one off, and may normalize with time or convert now into a full thyroid issue. The THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES, he told me they are not so clinically significant, specially in the absence of TSI and TPO. I trust on the doctor, but a second opinion would not hurt. Specially for us people with high anxiety 🥲
Thanks in advance!

10 weeks ago I slipped at work and hurt my neck. I’ve had lower back pain for a long while but now I’m getting tingling numbness in my hands and feet, neck and upper back pain that won’t go away with NSAIDs, weakness and clumsiness in my hands and electric shock sensations when I sneeze or shrug. I got an MRI of my cervical spine done last week that a neurosurgeon looked at and told me is “normal” and he’s not sure what’s causing my problems and can’t help. Can anyone take a look at the notes from the radiologist and help point me in a direction? I’m starting physical therapy in 2 weeks so I’m hoping that will help. I have a very demanding job and won’t be able to go back until it’s cleared up. I’m not convinced the Dr. I saw actually looked at my mri he spent about 2 minutes in the room with me and was very dismissive. Not needing my spine surgery should be great news but it leaves me in the dark. Wondering if I should seek a second opinion.
FINDINGS: No evidence of cervical spine fracture and the vertebral body heights are normal. Intervertebral disc spaces are normal in signal and height. Endplates are intact. Craniocervical junction, atlantodental interval, and cervical spine alignment are anatomic. Anterior and middle columns are intact as well as the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments. No focal ligamentous disruption or epidural fluid collection. Prespinal, paraspinal, and retrospinal soft tissues are normal. Marrow signal appears normal. Visualized posterior fossa and position of the cerebellar tonsils appear normal. Visualized pons, medulla, and spinal cord are normal in signal and contour. No evidence of an intradural or extradural mass. C2-C3: No focal disc herniation, spinal canal stenosis, or foraminal narrowing. Uncovertebral/facet joints appear normal. C3-C4: No focal disc herniation, spinal canal stenosis, or foraminal narrowing. Uncovertebral/facet joints appear normal. C4-C5: No focal disc herniation, spinal canal stenosis, or foraminal narrowing. Uncovertebral/facet joints appear normal. C5-C6: Concentric disc bulge. C6-C7: Mild concentric disc bulge. C7-T1: No focal disc herniation, spinal canal stenosis, or foraminal narrowing. Uncovertebral/facet joints appear normal. Cervicothoracic junction is intact. Anterior prevertebral soft tissues are normal. Visualized retropharyngeal spaces are normal. Visualized vertebral arteries are patent with expected flow-void signal. Thyroid gland is normal. Visualized portions of the lung apices are clear. Visualized esophagus is normal.
CONCLUSION: Near normal MRI of the cervical spine.

10 weeks ago I slipped at work and hurt my neck. I’ve had lower back pain for a long while but now I’m getting tingling numbness in my hands and feet, neck and upper back pain that won’t go away with NSAIDs, weakness and clumsiness in my hands and electric shock sensations when I sneeze or shrug. I got an MRI of my cervical spine done last week that a neurosurgeon looked at and told me is “normal” and he’s not sure what’s causing my problems and can’t help. Can anyone take a look at the notes from the radiologist and help point me in a direction? I’m starting physical therapy in 2 weeks so I’m hoping that will help. I have a very demanding job and won’t be able to go back until it’s cleared up. I’m not convinced the Dr. I saw actually looked at my mri he spent about 2 minutes in the room with me and seemed a little dismissive. Not needing my spine surgery should be great news but it leaves me in the dark. Wondering if I should seek a second opinion.
FINDINGS: No evidence of cervical spine fracture and the vertebral body heights are normal. Intervertebral disc spaces are normal in signal and height. Endplates are intact. Craniocervical junction, atlantodental interval, and cervical spine alignment are anatomic. Anterior and middle columns are intact as well as the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments. No focal ligamentous disruption or epidural fluid collection. Prespinal, paraspinal, and retrospinal soft tissues are normal. Marrow signal appears normal. Visualized posterior fossa and position of the cerebellar tonsils appear normal. Visualized pons, medulla, and spinal cord are normal in signal and contour. No evidence of an intradural or extradural mass. C2-C3: No focal disc herniation, spinal canal stenosis, or foraminal narrowing. Uncovertebral/facet joints appear normal. C3-C4: No focal disc herniation, spinal canal stenosis, or foraminal narrowing. Uncovertebral/facet joints appear normal. C4-C5: No focal disc herniation, spinal canal stenosis, or foraminal narrowing. Uncovertebral/facet joints appear normal. C5-C6: Concentric disc bulge. C6-C7: Mild concentric disc bulge. C7-T1: No focal disc herniation, spinal canal stenosis, or foraminal narrowing. Uncovertebral/facet joints appear normal. Cervicothoracic junction is intact. Anterior prevertebral soft tissues are normal. Visualized retropharyngeal spaces are normal. Visualized vertebral arteries are patent with expected flow-void signal. Thyroid gland is normal. Visualized portions of the lung apices are clear. Visualized esophagus is normal.
CONCLUSION: Near normal MRI of the cervical spine.