Ok ok. I ate like trash over the weekend but water drinking is good, and workouts are good. I’m in this!
https://imgur.com/a/kr53S7R

Sorry in advance for the length of this post. Ihave been struggling with a variety of symptoms off and on for the last couple of years. This last flare up has been the worst by far and I am miserable and desperately seeking answers. I have been to my OBGYN, GI doctor, mental health doctors, my general practitioner and multiple ER's and specialists and have gotten zero answers. All of my CT scans, MRIs, lab work, upper and lower endoscopy, etc always come back perfect and show nothing. The only abnormal test results I have had are abnormal pap smears for cervical dysplasia and severe inflammation in my stomach and intestine lining. I have also struggled with SIBO but these particular flares seem different and don't fully fit and I have noticed that these flare ups seem to start about 2 to 2 and a half weeks before my periods begin. It has just been hard to notice the pattern because I have very irregular periods. The symptoms for each flare up are: Severe gas pain and burping Constipation Severe bloating/ stomach distension to where I look pregnant Nausea Stomach cramps Lower abdominal and pelvic pain that resemble contraction pain and bad period cramps Bad lower back pain that radiates into hips, butt (like sciatica) and thighs Sharp pain that radiates into right shoulder A cramp or sharp pain in both flanks under ribs that is worse on the right side Headaches Extreme fatigue (I exercise daily and couldn't for nearly 2 weeks) Zero appetite Weight loss (6lbs in 2 weeks) Feeling of extreme fullness after eating just a bite or two of food (doesn't matter what the food is. I tried the blandest and easiest foods on the stomach) Irritability and very emotional (which I am normally not) but I contributed this to being malnourished and exhausted)
All of these symptoms get bad enough to where my daily functioning is severely impaired. I can barely work, sleep, anything. The reason I ask if it could be endometriosis or something similar is because the day my period starts, nearly all of these symptoms disappear it go way down to a very tolerable level. Once I start menstruating the only symptoms I am left with are bad period cramps and the lower back pain. All GI symptoms seem to vanish and the horrible pain in my back/hips/sides goes way down. Any help is appreciated

Hi all! I’m hoping for some insight as I manage a 24 hour wait to be seen at the Early Pregnancy Unit (EPU).
I have previously had 3 chemical pregnancies and one loss at 8 weeks.
This current pregnancy is an IVF one with a double embryo transfer. Bloods showed that my hCG was 60-something and 48 hours later it dropped to 18, so I assumed it was another early loss. That was two weeks ago.
Last night I developed shoulder pain and spotting, so I did a pregnancy test and it showed positive, which would indicate that my hCG has risen (maybe a slow rise).
I rang the EPU and they are going to do an internal scan tomorrow morning. I’m preparing myself that it will be a pregnancy of unknown location and maybe ectopic - and I’m trying to learn about the treatment options so that we can make an informed choice.
I don’t know what I’m looking for - empathy, encouragement, support and a healthy dose of reality! Thanks!

Prequel (Chapters 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie
First ¦ Previous ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
Christie emerged from the bathroom once her nerves had calmed and found one of the chateau’s windows that looked out on the western ridgelines. She reached into her handbag and produced a stick of lipstick, sighted on a curve of blackness intersecting a particular constellation rising into the night sky, and pushed a discreet button on the base. The task force now had confirmation that Rayker was inside the chateau and the machine would be set in motion.
As she turned to head back to the party, Christie saw a different range of mountains in the corner of her eye. A fishhook stabbed into the muscle of her heart and tugged, while she was nearly overwhelmed with nausea. For a moment, a dusty valley surrounded her, the rocky ground coursing with streams of blood. The ghostly white face of Rose Djallen was before her, life fading from her eyes. Christie wanted to gasp, but she let the pain wash over her in silence, as they had all done so often. A moment’s concentration brought her back to the present, and the dangerous operation ahead.
Rayker’s expression had been so devoid of warmth—as though she wore her psychotic nature with pride. Christie couldn’t understand how someone could be so inhuman. She wondered what would happen if Rayker sensed the trap that was closing around her. Christie knew that she, and probably some of the guests, would be taken hostage. No doubt the dozens of Rangers stalking through the darkness would break cover, racing through the night to rescue her, with one particularly hard-headed individual out front. The highly skilled operators now preparing their own move on the chateau would fight their way inside, killing anyone who resisted them. The Banshee, their well-armed gunship, would break its cloak, leaving its position behind Ambrosia’s second moon to rain hellfire down on the small army that provided security for the Helvetic League’s pleasure planet. Rayker would probably die in a hail of gunfire—giving Rose her deserved retribution—for the Valkyrie would eagerly sacrifice their own lives before leaving one of their own behind.
Then the news of the incident would spread, and humanity’s thirty-seven worlds would talk of nothing else but the secret army of super soldiers that protected them from the arsenal of the Jotnar—an ancient and extinct civilization, who’s abandoned weapons and warships littered the stars. Nations, corporations and crime syndicates would find ways to track down those weapons, exploiting their incredible destructive power for their own selfish purposes. There would be war, billions would die, and, like those who had preceded them, humanity would probably wipe itself out.
Rose had died protecting Christie from Rayker’s drone army, but she had also died to uphold Valkyrie’s ancient responsibility.
That operation had ultimately saved the planet Caldera, but in the chaos and confusion of the battle Rayker had managed to slip away. The organization had spent nearly two years trying to hunt her down, but she was too skilled, too deeply enmeshed in the Helvetic League’s underworld.
The council of chiefs, Valkyrie’s inscrutable governing body, had agreed to form Task Force Nemesis under the command of General Smyrna. She was assigned the Mountain Ranger’s Bravo company—the Venomous Vipers—a Raider squadron of elite counter terrorists, and a task unit from Orbital Demolition Team Four. Supported by the Banshee and guided by Christie’s intelligence gathering unit, their mission statement was simple—do whatever it took to kill or capture Allana Rayker.
As they made slow, painstaking process, they began to receive indications that their target had rejoined her old corporate paymasters at VennZech, the most powerful weapons manufacturer in the galaxy. Then, the news broke that Joakkim Meissner, one of Rayker’s suspected allies, had been promoted to Chief Executive, arranging his party on Ambrosia to celebrate.
He had also invited one of the League’s rising stars in physics. The brilliant young doctor Ernst Kolar was a specialist in theoretical energy development. He had recently published a paper describing a theoretical anti-matter reactor alarmingly similar to those that powered the warships and killing machines of the Jotnar. Christie’s team leader, Jiao Zhang, had offered the high-confidence assessment that Rayker would refuse to let such an asset out of her sight. And, on the protected world of Ambrosia, what could she have to fear?
But Valkyrie had been breaking through Helvetic security barriers since the creation of the quasi-imperial state, and had become extremely good at it. And so, the operation had been set in motion.
Christie took a deep breath and prepared herself, soothing away any traces of nervousness. She left the outer hall and re-entered the party.
***
“Olympus, Olympus, Olympus,” a voice intoned through Kayla’s headset.
The code word signaled that Christie had identified Rayker in the chateau, and the operation was a go. A double burst of static followed; a squad-level transmission from Kes. It was the order to take out the security guards.
Kayla and Ray had crawled as close as they could to their position, readied their stun rifle and waited patiently. As the signal came in, the men had pushed away from their boulder rest spot and were resuming their patrol through the woods. Kayla waited until their line of sight had passed her, before she stood slowly, weapon aimed. A faint rustle told her that Ray had done the same.
The guard at the back, still slurping from a water bottle, fell a little further behind. The stun rifle’s projectile hit him in the neck, shocking his nervous system into an overload state. He seized and dropped to the ground, unconscious. The men ahead of him span and there was a mechanical thump from Ray’s weapon. Her shot struck center mass, and another figure collapsed, just as Kayla pulled the trigger again. The last guard went down quickly, but, to Kayla’s shock, seemed to remain conscious. He struggled on the ground like a dying fish as he tried to reach for his radio, so she sprinted forward and kicked him in the head.
Kayla wrinkled her nose and cursed quietly. The scientist who had trained her squad on the weapon had explained that a failed shot would result in the victim emptying the contents of their bowels and bladder. Looks like she had been right.
“Three down,” she muttered into her helmet mic. “No other contacts in sight.”
Even so, she continued to scan the distant trees carefully.
Ray secured the guards with serum injections while Tian and Yak, the other two members of the fire team joined them. The projectiles were gathered into Tian’s rucksack, and, when the rest of the squad arrived, they moved off through the trees together, climbing the slope until they reached another crest, and a chain link fence.
Half a mile away from the chateau, the main security compound provided a base for the guard’s rapid reaction force. The compound had a single entrance and out of the blockhouse blue light flickered to the loud chatter of an excited racing commentator.
Kayla stopped in the shadows of the trees and waited patiently. The air above her head snapped and cracked as rounds shot past, impacting security cameras and sensors around the compound. The bullets were a large caliber, but with a thermic charge core. Each strike glowed brilliantly as intense temperatures melted through their targets, leaving no evidence of what had neutralized them.
She grinned. Thandi was going to work, and though her presence and skill made Kayla feel much more confident, she would still tease her about doing the ‘easy part’ later.
In the near distance, there were a pair of flashes and loud zaps as the base’s generator and backup went out to EMP charges. Another squad from their platoon was working their own approach. That made Kayla nervous. The two elements would soon have to meet up, and nothing could be more dangerous to those who owned the night than confusing each other for the enemy.
She took her team around the base to the now dark main gate as the on-duty guards emerged to check on the loss of power. Stun rifle shots knocked them out, and the squad regrouped behind the cover of a vehicle bay, while Kayla identified the largest building in the compound and watched it attentively.
They waited patiently until the silence was broken by a new voice on the radio.
“Eyes on the barracks, north side. No movement.”
“South side clear,” Kayla confirmed.
“Approaching,” the other squad leader said.
Kayla waited until she saw shapes emerging from the shadows and sprinting behind the back of the large structure. Then, one leaned out from the corner, watching. Kayla tapped a control on her helmet, and a perfect white line broke through her grey world, pointing towards the figure. She was answered with a similar flash of infra-red energy, and her anxiety eased.
Kes, who had also been watching, tapped her shoulder, and Kayla led off towards the barracks.
From outside the Rangers could make out the annoyed calls of men and women stumbling around in the darkness. One emerged from a side door and nearly got off a shout before Tian tackled him and knocked him out. The two squads moved quickly, cracking open doorways and rolling gas grenades inside.
Invisible and odorless, the gas contained the signature compound Valkyrie used to erase memories. The Rangers waited a few minutes, safe behind their face masks, then entered and confirmed that all inside were unconscious. Kes and Thandi smashed a few liquor bottles against the walls, while others dragged the bodies into the main room, and distributed more ‘evidence’.
Eventually, Kes called ‘all clear’, and Kayla emerged from the building into the night, lifting her faceplate to breathe in some fresh air. She saw her fire team, Ray, Tian and Yak, heading to the vehicles to place EMP charges, and began to follow them, when a sharp rap on her helmet brought her up short.
She turned to see Thandi, vizor up, and an expectant expression on her face.
“Was that a curse word I heard earlier?” Thandi asked, keeping her voice low.
Kayla shook her head. “Negative. I was providing a biological assessment of the dude.”
“Ick. Two in the barracks were uh… in the middle of something when they passed out. I had to pull them apart.” She pulled a face. “That was gross.”
Kayla winked at her friend, who was spiritual enough for the both of them. “Unmarried, I bet. Your god approves.”
Thandi nodded gratefully, then shot her a look. “He’s not just my—"
Kes marched over, her expression severe. “Do either of you have EMP charges left?” she demanded.
“Yes Corporal,” Kayla nodded, and patted her rucksack.
“There’s a couple of transports left in the north corner. Get on it, then rejoin us on the east fence. Come on, we need to move quickly!”
Kayla scampered away, buzzing with energy. The squad still had to head for the chateau, and take up their position in the perimeter that was slowly drawing tighter around Rayker. She glanced at the dark mountains around her. In a dozen locations, radar arrays, missile defenses and communications stations were being similarly neutralized by small teams of Valkyrie from the various units. Soon they would have their prey, and Kayla privately hoped that she wouldn’t surrender.
***
Christie found Doctor Kolar, alone as usual, in the main hall and painfully out of place at such a large social gathering. He nursed a champagne glass, and smiled at passersby. Christie stared at him until their eyes met, and he quickly looked away, pretending to study one of Meissner’s diamond statues.
She walked in his direction, and as she passed, she flashed him a shy smile. Then, returning to her coterie of admirers, she looked back with another friendly expression.
Kolar cautiously approached the group, obviously unsure of what to do. The men ignored him, but the second he managed to breach the outer mass of bodies, Christie was on him.
“Oh hello! I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure!” she cried, extending her hand and beaming like a searchlight.
The other men frowned as they lost her attention.
“Um… All mine,” stammered Kolar. “Sorry. I’m—”
“Doctor Kolar, isn’t it?” interrupted a renowned and pompous pianist. “You’re working on space batteries for VennZech weapons research, or some such thing?”
“Well…” Kolar gulped. “We’re starting a new project on micro-singularities at the Planck scale, you see the current theory on weak—”
“It’s weak, you say?” The pianist laughed raucously as he slapped the doctor’s back. “Well, I never would have guessed, old boy.”
“Tell me, Zotty,” Christie cut in, addressing one of the other men, “Didn’t you just tell me this was one of Meissner’s inner circle?” she tottered forward slightly as she spoke.
“Correct,” the elder son and heir apparent of the largest media corporation in the League replied with a smile. He lifted his gaze from her bosom. “Doctor Kolar’s work is vital for the Maestro.”
Kolar smiled gratefully. “Indeed. Well, it’s about energy generation.”
“Oh, I hope you aren’t helping him make more of those dreadful bombs,” Christie said, and pouted. “War is very wrong! Really, I don’t know why they haven’t sanctioned the company for some of the absolutely horrid things they produce.”
The surrounding billionaires nodded their approval, while Kolar flushed. “No… well, I mustn’t talk about it, but I shouldn’t be getting involved in that side of VennZech’s business.”
“Quite right.” Christie nodded. “Oh, but you’re dry.” She turned to a waiter, grabbed a pair of glasses from his tray and handed one to Kolar.
First ¦ Previous ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
Prequel (Chapters 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie

I am officially down 50 pounds from where I started a year ago! From 225-175. Wanted to share my success here, as my weight loss is not something I feel comfortable talking about IRL.
This was the original goal weight I set for myself, and I haven't been this weight since 2017!
I plan to set a new goal and continue to lose more weight, as I'm still in the obese category. I also want to continue working out and toning up, as although I'm the same weight as I was in 2017, things are a bit more wobbly now.

Visit this page for LA Weight Loss Discount Code for May 2024. The website offers a wide selection of coupons, promo codes, and discount deals that are updated regularly, just visit the website to find the perfect one for you.

Basically me accessing my TSH level was a luxury because I don’t have insurance. I’m super morbidly obese and it began by me getting a variety of blood tests paid for out of pocket by my parents in a desperation to get me access to semaglutide for weight loss. I don’t have insurance so you’re not going to find me talking to doctors whenever I’d like, or even if I reallyneed to.. this was a miraculous act of kindness on their part that cost nearly a thousand dollars.
So safe to say I can’t see anyone else now, but if my TSH is 9.67, doesn’t that warrant concern or desire for treatment? Yes I feel like shit 24/7 but I assumed that was just because I have a bmi of 58….
Anyone else been in a similar situation where they saw their TSH and ran with it? I heard someone say that a female body can’t function properly beyond 2.5 especially if she wants to conceive, which was jarring to me.
this is making me want to pursue levothyroxine despite having no other info. am about to go on my most serious weight loss journey yet and I want to try whatever will make me feel like a person again. I can barely stay awake throughout the day, you can imagine how my sleep apnea worsens that. now I know that my thyroid might be playing a huge part in things. I just would like some perspective honestly. I would be accessing medication through out-of-pocket telehealth methods, like I access everything else really.

Prequel (Parts 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie
First ¦ Previous ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
Christie emerged from the bathroom once her nerves had calmed and found one of the chateau’s windows that looked out on the western ridgelines. She reached into her handbag and produced a stick of lipstick, sighted on a curve of blackness intersecting a particular constellation rising into the night sky, and pushed a discreet button on the base. The task force now had confirmation that Rayker was inside the chateau and the machine would be set in motion.
As she turned to head back to the party, Christie saw a different range of mountains in the corner of her eye. A fishhook stabbed into the muscle of her heart and tugged, while she was nearly overwhelmed with nausea. For a moment, a dusty valley surrounded her, the rocky ground coursing with streams of blood. The ghostly white face of Rose Djallen was before her, life fading from her eyes. Christie wanted to gasp, but she let the pain wash over her in silence, as they had all done so often. A moment’s concentration brought her back to the present, and the dangerous operation ahead.
Rayker’s expression had been so devoid of warmth—as though she wore her psychotic nature with pride. Christie couldn’t understand how someone could be so inhuman. She wondered what would happen if Rayker sensed the trap that was closing around her. Christie knew that she, and probably some of the guests, would be taken hostage. No doubt the dozens of Rangers stalking through the darkness would break cover, racing through the night to rescue her, with one particularly hard-headed individual out front. The highly skilled operators now preparing their own move on the chateau would fight their way inside, killing anyone who resisted them. The Banshee, their well-armed gunship, would break its cloak, leaving its position behind Ambrosia’s second moon to rain hellfire down on the small army that provided security for the Helvetic League’s pleasure planet. Rayker would probably die in a hail of gunfire—giving Rose her deserved retribution—for the Valkyrie would eagerly sacrifice their own lives before leaving one of their own behind.
Then the news of the incident would spread, and humanity’s thirty-seven worlds would talk of nothing else but the secret army of super soldiers that protected them from the arsenal of the Jotnar—an ancient and extinct civilization, who’s abandoned weapons and warships littered the stars. Nations, corporations and crime syndicates would find ways to track down those weapons, exploiting their incredible destructive power for their own selfish purposes. There would be war, billions would die, and, like those who had preceded them, humanity would probably wipe itself out.
Rose had died protecting Christie from Rayker’s drone army, but she had also died to uphold Valkyrie’s ancient responsibility.
That operation had ultimately saved the planet Caldera, but in the chaos and confusion of the battle Rayker had managed to slip away. The organization had spent nearly two years trying to hunt her down, but she was too skilled, too deeply enmeshed in the Helvetic League’s underworld.
The council of chiefs, Valkyrie’s inscrutable governing body, had agreed to form Task Force Nemesis under the command of General Smyrna. She was assigned the Mountain Ranger’s Bravo company—the Venomous Vipers—a Raider squadron of elite counter terrorists, and a task unit from Orbital Demolition Team Four. Supported by the Banshee and guided by Christie’s intelligence gathering unit, their mission statement was simple—do whatever it took to kill or capture Allana Rayker.
As they made slow, painstaking process, they began to receive indications that their target had rejoined her old corporate paymasters at VennZech, the most powerful weapons manufacturer in the galaxy. Then, the news broke that Joakkim Meissner, one of Rayker’s suspected allies, had been promoted to Chief Executive, arranging his party on Ambrosia to celebrate.
He had also invited one of the League’s rising stars in physics. The brilliant young doctor Ernst Kolar was a specialist in theoretical energy development. He had recently published a paper describing a theoretical anti-matter reactor alarmingly similar to those that powered the warships and killing machines of the Jotnar. Christie’s team leader, Jiao Zhang, had offered the high-confidence assessment that Rayker would refuse to let such an asset out of her sight. And, on the protected world of Ambrosia, what could she have to fear?
But Valkyrie had been breaking through Helvetic security barriers since the creation of the quasi-imperial state, and had become extremely good at it. And so, the operation had been set in motion.
Christie took a deep breath and prepared herself, soothing away any traces of nervousness. She left the outer hall and re-entered the party.
***
“Olympus, Olympus, Olympus,” a voice intoned through Kayla’s headset.
The code word signaled that Christie had identified Rayker in the chateau, and the operation was a go. A double burst of static followed; a squad-level transmission from Kes. It was the order to take out the security guards.
Kayla and Ray had crawled as close as they could to their position, readied their stun rifle and waited patiently. As the signal came in, the men had pushed away from their boulder rest spot and were resuming their patrol through the woods. Kayla waited until their line of sight had passed her, before she stood slowly, weapon aimed. A faint rustle told her that Ray had done the same.
The guard at the back, still slurping from a water bottle, fell a little further behind. The stun rifle’s projectile hit him in the neck, shocking his nervous system into an overload state. He seized and dropped to the ground, unconscious. The men ahead of him span and there was a mechanical thump from Ray’s weapon. Her shot struck center mass, and another figure collapsed, just as Kayla pulled the trigger again. The last guard went down quickly, but, to Kayla’s shock, seemed to remain conscious. He struggled on the ground like a dying fish as he tried to reach for his radio, so she sprinted forward and kicked him in the head.
Kayla wrinkled her nose and cursed quietly. The scientist who had trained her squad on the weapon had explained that a failed shot would result in the victim emptying the contents of their bowels and bladder. Looks like she had been right.
“Three down,” she muttered into her helmet mic. “No other contacts in sight.”
Even so, she continued to scan the distant trees carefully.
Ray secured the guards with serum injections while Tian and Yak, the other two members of the fire team joined them. The projectiles were gathered into Tian’s rucksack, and, when the rest of the squad arrived, they moved off through the trees together, climbing the slope until they reached another crest, and a chain link fence.
Half a mile away from the chateau, the main security compound provided a base for the guard’s rapid reaction force. The compound had a single entrance and out of the blockhouse blue light flickered to the loud chatter of an excited racing commentator.
Kayla stopped in the shadows of the trees and waited patiently. The air above her head snapped and cracked as rounds shot past, impacting security cameras and sensors around the compound. The bullets were a large caliber, but with a thermic charge core. Each strike glowed brilliantly as intense temperatures melted through their targets, leaving no evidence of what had neutralized them.
She grinned. Thandi was going to work, and though her presence and skill made Kayla feel much more confident, she would still tease her about doing the ‘easy part’ later.
In the near distance, there were a pair of flashes and loud zaps as the base’s generator and backup went out to EMP charges. Another squad from their platoon was working their own approach. That made Kayla nervous. The two elements would soon have to meet up, and nothing could be more dangerous to those who owned the night than confusing each other for the enemy.
She took her team around the base to the now dark main gate as the on-duty guards emerged to check on the loss of power. Stun rifle shots knocked them out, and the squad regrouped behind the cover of a vehicle bay, while Kayla identified the largest building in the compound and watched it attentively.
They waited patiently until the silence was broken by a new voice on the radio.
“Eyes on the barracks, north side. No movement.”
“South side clear,” Kayla confirmed.
“Approaching,” the other squad leader said.
Kayla waited until she saw shapes emerging from the shadows and sprinting behind the back of the large structure. Then, one leaned out from the corner, watching. Kayla tapped a control on her helmet, and a perfect white line broke through her grey world, pointing towards the figure. She was answered with a similar flash of infra-red energy, and her anxiety eased.
Kes, who had also been watching, tapped her shoulder, and Kayla led off towards the barracks.
From outside the Rangers could make out the annoyed calls of men and women stumbling around in the darkness. One emerged from a side door and nearly got off a shout before Tian tackled him and knocked him out. The two squads moved quickly, cracking open doorways and rolling gas grenades inside.
Invisible and odorless, the gas contained the signature compound Valkyrie used to erase memories. The Rangers waited a few minutes, safe behind their face masks, then entered and confirmed that all inside were unconscious. Kes and Thandi smashed a few liquor bottles against the walls, while others dragged the bodies into the main room, and distributed more ‘evidence’.
Eventually, Kes called ‘all clear’, and Kayla emerged from the building into the night, lifting her faceplate to breathe in some fresh air. She saw her fire team, Ray, Tian and Yak, heading to the vehicles to place EMP charges, and began to follow them, when a sharp rap on her helmet brought her up short.
She turned to see Thandi, vizor up, and an expectant expression on her face.
“Was that a curse word I heard earlier?” Thandi asked, keeping her voice low.
Kayla shook her head. “Negative. I was providing a biological assessment of the dude.”
“Ick. Two in the barracks were uh… in the middle of something when they passed out. I had to pull them apart.” She pulled a face. “That was gross.”
Kayla winked at her friend, who was spiritual enough for the both of them. “Unmarried, I bet. Your god approves.”
Thandi nodded gratefully, then shot her a look. “He’s not just my—"
Kes marched over, her expression severe. “Do either of you have EMP charges left?” she demanded.
“Yes Corporal,” Kayla nodded, and patted her rucksack.
“There’s a couple of transports left in the north corner. Get on it, then rejoin us on the east fence. Come on, we need to move quickly!”
Kayla scampered away, buzzing with energy. The squad still had to head for the chateau, and take up their position in the perimeter that was slowly drawing tighter around Rayker. She glanced at the dark mountains around her. In a dozen locations, radar arrays, missile defenses and communications stations were being similarly neutralized by small teams of Valkyrie from the various units. Soon they would have their prey, and Kayla privately hoped that she wouldn’t surrender.
***
Christie found Doctor Kolar, alone as usual, in the main hall and painfully out of place at such a large social gathering. He nursed a champagne glass, and smiled at passersby. Christie stared at him until their eyes met, and he quickly looked away, pretending to study one of Meissner’s diamond statues.
She walked in his direction, and as she passed, she flashed him a shy smile. Then, returning to her coterie of admirers, she looked back with another friendly expression.
Kolar cautiously approached the group, obviously unsure of what to do. The men ignored him, but the second he managed to breach the outer mass of bodies, Christie was on him.
“Oh hello! I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure!” she cried, extending her hand and beaming like a searchlight.
The other men frowned as they lost her attention.
“Um… All mine,” stammered Kolar. “Sorry. I’m—”
“Doctor Kolar, isn’t it?” interrupted a renowned and pompous pianist. “You’re working on space batteries for VennZech weapons research, or some such thing?”
“Well…” Kolar gulped. “We’re starting a new project on micro-singularities at the Planck scale, you see the current theory on weak—”
“It’s weak, you say?” The pianist laughed raucously as he slapped the doctor’s back. “Well, I never would have guessed, old boy.”
“Tell me, Zotty,” Christie cut in, addressing one of the other men, “Didn’t you just tell me this was one of Meissner’s inner circle?” she tottered forward slightly as she spoke.
“Correct,” the elder son and heir apparent of the largest media corporation in the League replied with a smile. He lifted his gaze from her bosom. “Doctor Kolar’s work is vital for the Maestro.”
Kolar smiled gratefully. “Indeed. Well, it’s about energy generation.”
“Oh, I hope you aren’t helping him make more of those dreadful bombs,” Christie said, and pouted. “War is very wrong! Really, I don’t know why they haven’t sanctioned the company for some of the absolutely horrid things they produce.”
The surrounding billionaires nodded their approval, while Kolar flushed. “No… well, I mustn’t talk about it, but I shouldn’t be getting involved in that side of VennZech’s business.”
“Quite right.” Christie nodded. “Oh, but you’re dry.” She turned to a waiter, grabbed a pair of glasses from his tray and handed one to Kolar.
First ¦ Previous ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
Prequel (Parts 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie

Hi, Looking for female accountability partners to work on alternate day fasting and weight loss for at least a one month period. I need to lose about 30 pounds total, but looking to make some progress and kick start myself for the next month. Located in Eastern Canada.

I am a diabetic who has been on Ozempic for 14 months. It’s not so much about weight loss but I do try and keep my food protein heavy.
Since a week I have been waking up with extreme hunger pangs in the morning. So much so that I wake up due to those. Anyone else experiencing the same? I’m on 2MG dose.

I do appreciate that I feel like myself, but without the nagging thoughts of food between meals. BUT I'm having a few issues and could use help.
When I looked into weight loss meds, my doc asked "do you ever eat when you're not hungry?" and I responded no. At the end of the survey he said, "it sounds like you're only eating at meals, and not really snacking unhealthily." I corrected him. "I said I don't eat when I'm not hungry. The problem is, I think I'm feeling hungry when I shouldn't be. Maybe it's thirst, so I drink a ton of water, but it's a battle." [They need to change the survey.] And it was worse when I was exercising. Weight loss while maintaining healthy exercise habits thus, seemed impossible.
AND that's better now. This med seems to be exactly what I need.
But I'm still trying to figure out how to fuel myself. Two issues that I'd appreciate guidance on.

1. I'm rarely hungry between meals (unless it's day 6 or 7 and/or I've put in over an hour of exercise -- but this seems appropriate). BUT I do find that when hunger DOES hit, it doesn't give me much leeway between "a little hungry" and "hangry." Now, hear me out, it's no where near as bad as the hangry I had before the med. But I feel off faster, I need to be fueled quickly. Anyone else find this? What helps?
2. Yesterday this (see last paragraph) hit right before dinner time. With no dinner yet prepped and a event I had to get to, I ate a small bowl of corn chips and salsa to hold me over, figuring I'd get better food when I got home (and I was still within caloric goals.) That was a mistake. It satiated my hunger, but an hour later I got terrible heartburn and mild nausea -- bad enough that I skipped dinner last night altogether and decided it was time to put all my investments into Tums, based on my newfound loyalty to the calcium tablets.

SO -- turns out there are foods I can't tolerate any more. Help a newbie out. How do I fuel myself well and not feel sick or hangry? Tips? Things you've noticed?

on 2.5mg for 1.5 weeks. SW: 250, CW: 239, GW:182

I am 5 feet 7.5 inches.My current body weight is 82kg. I have been doing swimming for more than a month and really enjoying it. Now my exams are also over. Do i want to join the gym also. I want to get in shape. Just want to loss fat and gain some muscles.
Can you suggest any workout plan on what should i follow? I also joined gym 1month back and the trainer only tolds me to do free hand for more than 8days. And also the exams came so i didnt go.
How about this Day 1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps) 1. Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets x 8-10 reps 2. Overhead Press (Dumbbells or Barbell): 4 sets x 10-12 reps 3. Tricep Dips: 3 sets x 12-15 reps 4. Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 3 sets x 12 reps 5. Lateral Raises: 3 sets x 15 reps
Day 2: Pull (Back, Biceps) 1. Deadlifts: 4 sets x 6-8 reps 2. Pull-Ups or Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets x 10-12 reps 3. Barbell Rows: 3 sets x 10-12 reps 4. Face Pulls: 3 sets x 15 reps 5. Barbell or Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets x 12 reps
Day 3: Legs (Quads, Hamstrings, Calves)
Workout Plans for Body Recomposition 2

1. Squats: 4 sets x 8-10 reps
2. Leg Press: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
3. Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets x 12 reps
4. Calf Raises: 4 sets x 15-20 reps
5. Leg Extensions: 3 sets x 15 reps

Day 4: Cardio and Active Recovery 30-45 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio (running, cycling, or elliptical). Active recovery through walking or engaging in a sport.
Day 5: Repeat Cycle
I am hitting my daily protein intake also.
Any advice would be highly appreciated.

Yes, it is possible for a large limb to break off a healthy tree without causing damage, particularly if it falls in an open area where there are no structures, vehicles, or people nearby. However, to minimize the risk of such incidents and ensure the safety of people and property around healthy trees, several preventive measures can be taken:
Factors Leading to Limb Breakage
Even healthy trees can lose limbs due to various factors:

• Heavy Winds: Strong gusts can break branches.
• Snow and Ice: Accumulated weight can cause limbs to snap.
• Heavy Rain: Saturated soil can weaken root stability, leading to limb or whole tree failure.
• Natural Growth Patterns: Some species have branches that are more prone to breaking.
• Mechanical Damage: Physical impact from machinery or vehicles.

Preventive Measures

1. Regular Inspections:Conduct periodic inspections of your trees to identify and address potential problems early.Look for cracks, splits, or other signs of stress in branches.
2. Proper Pruning:Hire a certified arborist to prune trees correctly. Proper pruning helps maintain the tree’s structure and removes potentially hazardous limbs.Remove dead or weak branches that might not withstand strong winds or heavy loads.
3. Cabling and Bracing:For large, heavy limbs or those with poor attachment angles, cabling and bracing can provide additional support.This technique involves installing flexible steel cables or rigid rods to redistribute structural stress.
4. Tree Health Maintenance:Ensure trees are healthy by watering during dry periods, mulching to retain soil moisture, and fertilizing as needed.Prevent diseases and pests by monitoring tree health and treating any issues promptly.
5. Species Selection:Plant trees appropriate for your area and the specific site conditions.Some species are more resistant to breakage; choosing such species can reduce the risk of limb loss.
6. Avoid Mechanical Damage:Protect trees from mechanical damage caused by lawnmowers, vehicles, or construction activities.Install protective barriers if necessary to prevent physical impact.
7. Monitoring Weather Conditions:During extreme weather conditions, such as heavy winds or ice storms, take precautions by avoiding parking vehicles or placing valuables near large trees.

Responding to Limb Breakage
If a large limb does break:

• Immediate Action: Ensure safety by keeping people and pets away from the area until the limb is safely removed.
• Professional Help: Contact a professional arborist to remove the fallen limb and assess the tree for further risk of breakage.
• Inspection: Have the remaining tree inspected to ensure it is not at risk of further damage.

By taking these preventive measures, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of large limbs breaking off healthy trees and causing damage. Regular maintenance and professional assessments are key to maintaining tree health and safety.
If you need a tree service in Utah, you can call:
Truco Services, Inc.
4640 Commerce Drive
Murray, Utah 84107
(801) 466-8044
Truco Services Landscaping Service Snow Removal Service Utah
TruCo Services · 4640 Commerce Dr, Murray, UT 84107★★★★☆ ·