My mother recently passed and I want to tattoo her birthdate. I asked my siblings for a symbol that reminded them of her and they all said “the moon” since she loved staring at it every night. What would be a good design incorporating a birthdate and a moon element?
Placement either on my back or forearm.

My top five faves are-
Matching tattoos/ injuries/ scars/ doodles
Your soulmate’s name/ birthdate is written on you somewhere
The first words your soulmate says to you is written on you somewhere
You get a note containing details on how to find your soulmate (like a scavenger hunt) the only catch is that you don't get your next clue until both you and your soulmate complete that task
Two months before you meet your soulmate, a little doll size version of them (like under 6 inches) appears and you get to take care of and learn more about your soulmate prior to meeting them
EDIT
I also really like the idea of one soulmate losing something (like a jacket) and it appearing for the other soulmate
EDIT #2
has someone written a soulmate AU where the compatible soulmate’s get each other’s pets and have to care for them until they meet two weeks out or whatever?

This post is a character sheet of a Marvel Comics character that I wish to adapt into my own universe dubbed the Marvelous Universe following a fan-fiction I am currently building titled "The Marvelous Spider-Man".
Name: Sergei Nikolaevich Kravinoff
Origin: Sergei Nikolaevich Kravinoff was born from Russian aristocracy who lost his nobility at a young age. Traversing the world with his family in shame, Sergei was entrusted with the revival of his lineage's honor after the passing of his father. Honing his body and mind to obtain what he once lost, Kravinoff found his calling by becoming a world renowned hunter and tamer, earning the title of Kraven the Hunter.
Aliases-

• Animal Tamer
• Emperor of the Wild
• Furball
• Grand Duke Kravinoff
• Huntmaster
• King of the Jungle
• Kraven the Hunter
• Maneater
• Predator
• Safari Chic
• Savage Stalker
• The Beast
• Ukufuna Isikhova
• Unhuntable Sergei
• White Lion

Age: 84
Birthdate: May 12, 1943
Place of Birth: Volgograd, Russia
Gender: Male
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
Weight: 235 lbs (107 kg)
Citizenship-

• Ethiopia
• Russian
• Soviet (formerly)
• United Kingdom
• United States of America

Species: Human
Identity: Public
Marital Status: Married
Alignment: Neutral
Affiliation-

• Death Regiment (formerly)
• Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda (formerly)
• The Wild Hunt

Occupation-

• Aristocrat
• Professional Game Hunter

Relatives-

• Alexei Sergeievich Kravinoff (son)
• Anastasia Tatiana Kravinoff (daughter)
• Anna Makarova Kravinoff (mother)
• Dmitri Nikolayevich Smerdyakov (half-brother)
• Nedrocci Tannengarden Kravinoff (son)
• Nikolai Kravinoff (father)
• Vladimir Sergeievich Kravinoff (son)

Relationships-

• Aleksandra Kravinoff/nee Nikolaevna (wife)
• Calypso Kravinoff/nee Ezili (wife)
• Zelda Kravinoff/nee DuBois (wife)

Reality: Earth-171
Abilities-

• Gifted Intellect
  • Expert Tactician & Strategist:
    • Cunning Wit
    • Excellent Deductive Skills
    • Honed Memory
    • Leadership Skills
  • Honed Perception
  • Intuitive Aptitude:
    • Escapology Skills
    • Lock-Picking Skills
    • Medical Knowledge
    • Occult Knowledge
    • Prestidigitation Skills
  • Master Tracker & Hunter
  • Mental Resistance:
    • Meditation Techniques
    • Willpower
  • Multilingualism:
    • English
    • French
    • German
    • Latin
    • Russian
    • Spanish
    • Swahili
    • Wakandan
• Master Combatant
  • Expert Marksman:
    • Exceptional Accuracy
    • Exceptional Precision
  • Kung Fu:
    • Baoquan
    • Fu Jow Pai
  • Martial Arts Master:
    • Beast Fist/Hunters Art
    • Boxing
    • Judo
    • Karate
    • Krav Maga
    • Muay Thai
    • Professional Wrestling
    • Sambo
  • Weapon Proficiency:
    • Arnis
    • Escrima
    • Kali
    • Kyudo
    • Latigo y Daga
    • Sojutsu
    • Stick Fighting
    • Swordsmanship Skills
    • Tire Machet
• Peak Human Conditioning
  • Contaminant Resistance:
    • Poison Resistance
  • Exceptional Aesthetics:
    • Honed Charisma
    • Peak Human Handsomeness
  • High Potential
  • Honed Survivability
  • Peak Human Longevity:
    • Honed Recuperation
    • Peak Human Life-Force
  • Peak Human Senses:
    • Honed Hearing
    • Honed Sight
    • Honed Smell
    • Honed Taste
    • Honed Touch
  • Predator Instincts:
    • Inhuman Apathy
    • Weakness Detection
• Peak Human Physicality
  • Peak Human Agility:
    • Blood Rush Resistance
    • Exceptional Flexibility
    • Honed Coordination
    • Honed Equilibrium
    • Stealth Mastery
    • Vertigo Resistance
  • Peak Human Endurance:
    • Limited Hunger Suppression
    • Limited Pain Suppression
    • Limited Sleep Suppression
  • Peak Human Speed:
    • Peak Human Reflexes
  • Peak Human Stamina
  • Peak Human Strength:
    • Peak Human Durability

Equipment-

• Mystic Totems
  • Ceremonial Tattoo's
  • Fanged Necklace
• Suit
  • Hunter's Garb
  • White Lion Armor
• Technology
  • Advanced Chemical Compounds
  • Advanced Energy Based Technology
  • Advanced Stealth Technology
  • Advanced Surveillance Equipment
  • Enhanced Weaponry
• Vast Resources
  • Abundant Wealth
  • Carbonadium
  • Employed Assets
  • Heartwood
  • International Connections
  • Potions:
    • Cheetahs Potion
    • Drought Tonic
    • Eagles Potion
    • Elixer of Life
    • Lions Potion
    • Owls Potion
• Vehicles
  • Advanced Helicopters
  • Armored SUVs
  • Customized Jet Skis
  • Mobile Command Centers
  • Stealth Boats
  • Tactical Motorcycles
• Weaponry
  • Demolitions:
    • Handheld Explosives
  • Firearms:
    • Rifles
    • Shotguns
  • Gadgetry:
    • Bolas
    • Darts
    • Grappling Hooks
    • Nets
    • Smoke Bombs
    • Snares
    • Tracking Devices
    • Traps
    • Throwing Daggers
  • Mass Artillery
  • Melee:
    • Blades
    • Blunt Weapons
    • Ranged Weapons
  • Poisons
  • Projectiles:
    • Bow & Arrows
    • Crossbows

I don't really know how to format this, so unfortunately it'll just come across as ranting.
I am 32 today. I have had many many shit birthdays. I started working every birthday just so I could avoid it. Started not telling my friends or reminding people in my life. That way when no one reaches out, it's my own fault and no one is letting me down, they just didn't know.
My dad remembered my birthday this year at 9pm his time. A new record. I mean the man has my name and birthdate tattooed on his arm.
My mum loves weaponising my birthday. Who remembered to text me from the family etc. Anyone who doesn't inspires a good 5 minute rant about how they never care about HER family. I've been lying for a few years that everyone has messaged me before 10am, so that's taken care of that.
Then leaves my sweet boyfriend. We have been dating less than a year, so it was his first one. He fumbled the morning call by forgetting completely but he's an ADHD dork and made it up with a few hilarious texts. Then this sweet man put it out there on the group chat. All my friends can see it's my birthday. Four replies. God it is humiliating. I know it sounds so trivial but we literally just had two weekend celebrations in a row for birthdays, including hiring an Airbnb for a long weekend. It just confirms all the worst things that I repeat in my mind. That I'm actually super unlikeable. Ugly, boring, shit. You know, the usual self loathing. But then I top it off with "You're crying about your 32nd birthday that you did nothing for? God you are so pathetic."
Before you ask or tell, yes I'm in therapy. Yes I have trauma events around my birthday and yes I will be bringing it up in my next session.
But in the meantime, it's feeling like a silly little butthead time.

i recently got my birthdate tattooed on me about 2 months ago and now i totally regret it. it’s not a small one either its very visible on my arm so i can’t hide it. i already asked my parents if i can get it removed and they said no. i don’t know how im going to get explain to people what it means and im worried about the judgment. i sort of rushed getting into getting one and feel like im screwed now. any advice?

I last saw her on Easter at a cafe.
My grandparents talked to her a few months later on the phone and then she was never seen or heard from again.
She was last known to be in the Humboldt region of Northern California, near Ukiah / Eureka.
She was a drug addict for most of my childhood and possibly got involved with a cult or hippie commune.
She has been reported missing, DNA sample provided, and a family friend allegedly privately investigated her disappearance and found nothing.
It has now been 20 years.
Is it a lost cause?
Any recommendations on how to even go about finding her or any new information?
My dad died. So did my big brother. My little brother is a ‘drifter.’
I think I am the only person left who is looking for her…
Edit:
Her maiden name is Shannon Kay Pratt.
She is tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, about 5 foot 10 and used to be a more heavy set woman (in my memories but I have seen her skinny in photos). No tattoos that I knew of. I don’t think she ever managed to keep ahold of any jewelry.
She was born January 16th, 1970 in California.
Edit 2:
So I should have foreseen this but getting lots of repeat information and I feel bad for people putting in the time and effort to do the same thing someone else did.
This is more information than I originally planned on sharing so I wouldn’t completely dox myself but I am all in at this point.
Michael Saulnier is my dad who died. He was married to my mom until like ‘94 and I guess she used the Saulnier name off and on for years.
Nickolas Pratt is my older brother who died. I know there’s an obituary that implies our mom is dead but that’s because my grandparents wrote it and choose to be at peace with her being legally dead (apparently after a certain amount of years of being missing you are declared dead).
There was a Mike McGee who is my little brother’s dad in Wisconsin.
We constantly moved and bounced all over the Western United States and there was a lot of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Rochester, Minneapolis, Red Wing, a Wisconsin Indian Reservation with a man named Judd who should be deceased.
Tons of addresses in the Sacramento area. Livermore. Castro Valley.
I have been messaged extensive lists multiple times and the only address I don’t remember specifically is Oroville which I will be looking into today. The phone number is listed as Bell Telephone Company which doesn’t even exist anymore so I am not too hopeful.
There are even more hits complicating the issue because my dad remarried to a woman named Shannin (my bio mom is Shannon) who crazily enough shares the exact same birthdate as my bio mom but different years.
There was also an incident with a ‘Jose Gomez’ in Nevada that I need to look into because I have never heard of it.
At this point I am fairly confident if my mom is still alive that she changed her name.
I will be digging up old photos today and will be reaching out to a few groups I was informed about in the Humboldt area. People also suggested reaching out to a couple podcasts which I may consider but will try to keep it to local groups first. I’m not really trying to be on the news, just looking for closure I guess.
Thank you every body for all your time, effort, and well wishes. This blew up way more than I expected and it’s almost been overwhelming all the support I feel. I appreciate it more than you can know.
Edit 3: I have ordered a kit from Ancestry and I am still searching for the old photos I have of her from the 90s

Trigger warning: Domestic Violence 

Okay so it wasn’t the physical toes themselves (thank goodness for that because what would I do with a pair of human toes?), but instead a high quality 4x6 picture of the freshly severed toes laying on cement flooring near a grungy drain. The cuts were far from clean or surgical. The blood that had pooled around the drain was adding to an existing stain that I had grown very familiar with over the past few months. The picture was at the bottom of the box, underneath some nice mascara, a shampoo sample, and some face cream.
This is my sixth box, so I guess it makes sense that they ran out of fingers by now and had to move on to toes.
I’ve tried contacting the company to ‘unsubscribe’ a few times, but something tells me that I’m not the one that decides when this particular subscription ends.
Let me give you some background, here.
I had just moved to a new apartment across town and was feeling like I could finally breathe for the first time in months. That is, until I found the note taped to my front door.
All it said was ‘found you’, with a sloppily drawn smiley face under it.
I knew who had written the note and I immediately broke down. I called in sick to work, moved a bookcase in front of my door, and sat in the dark with the blinds closed. I didn’t know how he found me. Again.
I didn’t use social media, I had asked my employer to keep me out of their online directory, and I avoided stores in our old neighborhood. Yet, he still found me.
I decided to take the note to the police since him being at my apartment at all was a violation of the protective order. Unfortunately, they couldn't do much since I didn’t have actionable evidence that he had been the one to place it there.
That evening I occupied myself by searching records to see when he had gotten out of jail – just weeks prior it turned out. I obsessively searched on things such how to avoid an abusestalker (how did he find me?), safety tips, etc. I didn’t really find much that made me feel better, unfortunately. I even looked at new apartments, but this time much further away.
I didn’t sleep well that night. Flashbacks intermingled with nightmares – at one point I thought I felt hands around my throat again, that I was quietly dying in the dark, and no one would find me, just like he had said. But no, it was just a nightmare this time.
Did you know that it actually takes a while to strangle someone and the victim usually just passes out first? I hadn't known that before I met him.
The next morning, I received an email that I almost deleted as spam at first. It was from a company I had never heard of before, and the subject line was ‘Re: Inquiry’
The email body said:

‘Thank you for your inquiry. The AirTag is in under your spare tire. Have a great day! Tiffany G. Customer Support Specialist’

I was confused, I hadn’t emailed anyone – it threw me off enough that it took me a second read-through to process the line about the AirTag. I instinctively looked over my shoulder after I read it, as if the sender was lurking in the shadows of my apartment at that exact moment. My first, fear filled thought, was that he was behind this, but I realized that made no sense, why would he tell me how he had found me?
I went to my car and opened the trunk hesitantly, almost like I expected something to jump out and bite me. Sure enough, it was there, exactly where the email said it would be. Not long before that, someone had broken into my car while I was grocery shopping. At the time I was more worried about the damage and relieved that nothing was stolen that I only briefly wondered about the motive. Now I knew.
I was thankful, but also weirded out and debating if/how I wanted to reply back to the email. Their motives seemed good, but I wasn't sure.
My friend, Kimmie, invited me to stay at her house for a while. She had literally just moved in days before, meaning it was one of the few places I could go that he didn’t know the location of. I threw the AirTag in the bushes near where my car had been parked at my apartment, and then packed the essentials quickly and left. I asked work for a few days off, since he would’ve likely known where my office was, too.
About a week later, I got a call from the police. He had been pulled over near my apartment, initially for driving recklessly, but when they searched his car, they found what pretty much amounted to a small armory, including an assortment of knives. He always had a thing for knives... I can’t say for sure what he had been planning but I have a good guess. He was arrested, but they said that he later just...disappeared... from holding.
I had another sleepless night that night. I couldn’t help but ruminate on something he had told me once: “Do you know what happened to Tiffany, when she left me?” he had paused, waited for me to shake my head no.
And then he flashed me a smile, “Yeah, neither does anyone else.”
He had shown me her grandmother’s locket that he kept in the safe in his closet, something I doubted she would’ve parted with willingly. Along with her teeth, and what was left of her fingertips.
The next morning I received another email:
Subject: ‘Your order is on its way!’

‘Thank you for your 24-month subscription to _____ Beauty Box! Your order number is 05121. Have a great day! Tiffany G. Customer Support Specialist’

I hadn't bought anything, so I was worried that on top of everything else, my credit card number or identity had been stolen, again. When I first left him, he posted my social security number, birthdate, and credit card information everywhere he could, online. I’m still recovering from that.
I checked with my bank, there were no pending charges. I was hoping there wasn’t another, different credit card that had been opened using my information (again). So, I replied to the email saying I didn’t order anything and I was worried someone was using my information. I asked if they could tell me the last four numbers of the card used to pay. It bounced back immediately as an invalid email address.
It was about a week later when the first box arrived. It arrived at Kimmie’s place, which was the first sign something strange was going on – I had never given anyone her address. Well, that, and the fact that the box had a picture of a severed forefinger and thumb under the beauty products.
One of the fingers had a tattoo that matched my own – or at least the one I used to have. We had got them when we had been dating for a while, but before I moved in, before he became violent. This had been back when he was still laying the sociopathic charm on thick -- I was young, I fell for it.
I say ‘used to have’ because I used to have ten fingers before I moved in with him.
The fingers in the picture – his fingers – looked to have been roughly severed, as if they had been sawed at slowly, with something dull and serrated – the thumb looked to have been removed in a vertical cut down to the wrist. Some of the skin hung in thin strips around the exposed bone and muscle. The bones themselves looked roughly splintered in places, as if someone had grown impatient with the removal process towards the end and just ripped away at what was still attached. The sinew that trailed unevenly from the muscle seemed to confirm that theory as well.
I gasped and dropped the picture on the floor; Kimmie looked at me questioningly, so I showed her. The picture had a handwritten date on the back in thin looping cursive; it was dated recently, after he had disappeared from the jail.
I debated going to the police, but she was worried I might be the first (and only) suspect.
I googled the company name from the email and I couldn’t find anything, no phone number, email, or mailing address.
I got a picture of two more fingers the next month. The date on the photo was recent and the fingers looked… fresh, not like they had come out of a freezer. When I showed Kimmie, her response was, “Good. Fuck ‘em.”
She knew all the details and reminded me that even if he never found me, even if I managed to avoid him while living the rest of my life in fear, he’d likely just find someone else. I wasn't the first; I wouldn't be the last. The police officers I had worked with had told me it is hard to keep that type of offender behind bars until they killed someone (and it could be proven).
She and I took the opportunity of him being out of the picture (for however long), to move me out of my apartment and to yet another new place. The manager of my old place was kind enough to not penalize me too much for breaking my lease.
By the time I got the picture on the third month, I wasn’t even shocked. Am I bad person for not calling the police? Maybe.
Now every month when I receive the box, I take the beauty products out (the products really are quite nice), and sometimes I ignore the picture, sometimes I glance at it out of morbid curiosity. And then, I move on with my day. I'm slowly learning to live my life without the constant fear now.
I still have 18 months left on my ‘subscription’.
I wonder what they’ll send me when they run out of toes.
​
​
JFR

I am not the OOP. The OOP is u/NursingGrimTown posting in nursing
Sadly Concluded
Mood Spoiler - sad
Thanks to u/redrosebeetle for finding this BORU
4 updates - Long
Original - 5th May 2022
Update1 - 26th May 2022
Update2 - 28th June 2022
Update3 - 6th August 2022
Final Update - 10th December 2022
​
Well.. It's been a good run. I now have stage 4 breast cancer and I have been given 8-12 months to live.
​
Well.. It's been a good run. I now have stage 4 breast cancer and I have been given 8-12 months to live.
Yep. I was told about 15 hours ago that my cancer is now terminal.
I've been caring for patients for probably 5 or more years now and I've seen quite a few terminal illnesses.
I never really thought that.. well.. I'd be finding myself in the same position.
Edit: Thank you so much for everyone's support. I'll try to reply to each comment and for fucks sake, don't waste your money on reddit awards! Give it to charity.
EDIT 2: There's somethings that you need to know about me. I'm writing anything and everything that comes to mind without giving away my privacy:
I am 29 and I'm a woman. I live in the UK. I have a bother and sister.. Somewhere. The foster system got us at a young age. This was because of an accident in 2006 which killed both of our parents. One of the things I want to do is to find and contact them before I eventually pass away. This crash was bad enough that it knocked me out for a long time.
I had to have extensive surgery and be revived multiple times as well as another two months in hospital. I think this traumatic experience exposed me to nursing and hospitals in general and it was then I knew I wanted to work in one. With the loss of my parents, we were forced into the foster care system until I was 18-19 and I moved out to university.
I've never been a healthy pup I guess. I had horrible condition when I was 18 which required surgery. During recovery, I spoke to the nurses caring for me in the hospital and also the practice nurses at my doctors for dressing changes. Inspired by that, I became a nurse.
My hobbies were rooted at a very young age when my dad brought back a massive tape drive from his company. He also brought back a big micro-computer type thing that was from the 80s which ran a BASIC-type language. I remember him telling me "This thing can hold as much information as 700 books or more!".
With both persistence and patience with my dad, we wrote some BASIC code that could write to the tape drive and read it back into memory, although it was primitive. That set me on my path to explore computing, sciences and eventually medicine. I also at one time had an Apple 2 computer which was fun to use but I can't remember what happened to it. I still maintain its the only apple product I liked.
I attended a Church of England primary school and I really hated it. It really installed to me that their religion was effectively "you do what we want and you can't do what you want". After my parents died, I was then put through an incredibly harsh catholic boarding school. This really made me not actually religious at all.
Tales from my nursing experiences (these are the BAD ones, theres many many more positive stories not mentioned) When I first started my nursing experience, I was mistakenly listened to some people at the university to go into private nursing. This was a horrible experience but it made me the nurse I am/was. In my first month, I was caring for a woman with severe lung problems due to smoking. She started to cough violently.
Then, she started coughing up blood and parts of her lungs. We couldn't save her. I moved to working in an NHS hospital which I found to be so much better. During my second year of nursing for the NHS, I was caring for a man who had diabetes who had to have their whole arm amputated. He basically had their arm rotting and the flesh was melting off. It grossed me out but I was strangely fascinated. I don't know what happened to him.
There was another time when I was caring for a psych patient who stuck a vibrating toothbrush down his urethra because he supposedly liked the feeling, then ripped it out, causing several tears in his urinary track. He eventually died of sepsis and there was nothing we could do.
In February 2021, I was working in a psych ward. Something happened in an adjacent ward which required almost all of us. Another nurse and I opted to stay in the unit and continued to temporarily watch over 7 patients in the unit whilst waiting for everyone to come back. Whilst doing so, I left one of them, a girl, on her own for just 4-5 mins max obviously not deliberately. The other nurse had discovered that she had managed to slash at her own throat, spilling blood all over the floor. I came over to help as more staff returned.
An incident report was made and I was essentially blamed by management. I had a week off to recover. My unit stood up for me thankfully, the girl survived and was moved to a higher security facility. Only a day later when I came back, one of my favorite patients died suddenly in my arms. This was a 15 year old boy who had a few concerning medical problems and unfortunately enough mental illnesses to not be able to take care of himself. He had no family; his mother died giving birth to him and his dad went missing in the US.
The foster system tried its best but it never worked and then his medical issues landed him where I worked. He liked to wave to staff and chat (as best as he could) and smile and he drew pictures for us. Almost every evening, he got up and slowly walked around the unit, trying to say hello to everyone and waving. During his 7-8 month stay, we effectively became his family and although he got sent places, he'd nearly always end up coming back to our unit.
Unfortunately, on that day that I came back, he was doing his evening walk. Staff were happy to see him and he was waving and saying hello, as well as smiling. Then, out of nowhere, his nose started to bleed. He managed to reach out to me before collapsing onto the ground in my arms. He looked at me and the last thing he said was "something's.. very.. wrong". And then he just died, with blood still coming out of his nose. Everyone rushed around me and him and tried resus. But it didn't work. Eventually he was taken away, leaving me standing there with his blood still on me.
This really really affected me so I wrote an unsent letter to him. https://www.reddit.com/UnsentLetters/comments/m1tf1im_going_to_miss_you_patient/
Then one of my fellow nurses died https://www.reddit.com/UnsentLetters/comments/pm5lec/dear_christie/
Computers have always been fascinating to me. I know Python3, some Ruby, Javascript, Gameboy and 6502 assembly, some C stuff, Java, Processing as well as some stupid languages like Befunge. I took pride in my server rack with various 1U to 4U servers doing many different things. I have 4 PC work stations with all having at least 4 monitors. Of course they all ran Linux. Even had raspberry pis. Well, I don't really have a use for them anymore so I'll be donating or selling it. Growing up I had several gameboys, a PS2, a PSP, a Wii, a 3DS (which I bought myself) and a PS3. I have a whole Steam library as well. I'm selling/donating all of those because I now want to go out and do stuff whilst I still can.
I have no children or any relatives around me usually. Only friends, most of which would be co-workers. There's something magic about it. We would be on a ward or unit somewhere, maybe even A&E. Everything runs almost like clockwork. We would bounce off each other. It's a feeling I'm going to really really miss.. There was something about it that always kept me crawling back for more.
Writing and world-building/universe-building has been a core passion for a very long time. I initially was toying with the idea about writing some stuff based off of some experiences in mental health care but some friends on IRC and later discord really tipped the balance for me to make this account and make what is now GrimTown.
Since I'm not going to be around to write it anymore, I'm passing it off to one of the same friends who inspired me to start. I was going to be co-writing a horror game called Soul Divider with them but yep, that's not happening anymore. I hope it goes well and could maybe make GrimTown famous.
Privacy and being anonymous was also another obsession of mine which I sometimes took way too far. I only ever send/sent images to people who I've met in real life. No one online, who I haven't met in real life, knows my real name. No one online, who I haven't met in real life, knows anything that I didn't want them to. It sounds stupid and absurd but it was my protection from stalkers and my exes. There was four of them and they made me realise how unhinged and obsessed people can be after I made my intentions clear. I had to move several times. I'm incredibly careful about where I am online because of them.
My political beliefs are/were simple: everyone deserves a chance. Everyone deserves access to essentials like food, water, shelter, healthcare and rights. Left. Anarchist. Socialist. Whatever.
Part of me is sad that I'll be leaving behind a world with corruption, exploitation and a climate crisis and I'm sad because I can't do much about that.
​
Update - 21 days later
​
I decided to only work for a week and then leave. I've been travelling in Europe and now I've visited France, Belgium and currently I'm travelling in Germany. I would have wanted to go to Chernobyl but that's not going to happen.
Some people have been asking what I'm going to do with my remains and I've decided that I'm going to donate myself to science for either medical dissection in a school somewhere or research or something.
In terms of my cats, they're being looked after by my friend who's also going to sort out their adoptions. Another friend has now gotten the computers and server stuff and I've either sold or donated everything else, the majority of this allows me to travel right now.
I'm about to travel to America and Canada after Ive finished here in Germany. Other places I'm going to be going to include Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand.
For some reason I've always wanted to explore some cool abandoned places so I'll be sure to do that
Before I went travelling, I had another scan and my doctor said I might have several extra months as it looks as if its slowed slightly.
One thing that surprised me was how many messages I got which were taunting me about how I'm not going to live to 2024. The vast majority of messages have been extremely lovely and supportive so thank you very much but I've received way more negative PMs than I'd ever thought.. What did surprise me is that I got an 8 page document from one of my exes who found out about my terminal illness, expressing how sorry he was. I think I might meet up and talk when I get back.
Again, physically I feel fine. What's annoying is sometimes I wake up in the morning and feel great and forget what I have. Usually I have a very slight aching sensation which I can ignore well but its a reminder.
My nurse friends/colleges have been / are fucking amazing and have been filling out docs and helping me apply for benefits. My friend who is making a game and who I handed off my writing projects to, has ensured that I'll be hidden somewhere in the game and attributed which is awesome.
This is going to sound weird but I'll explain, some of my nurse friends and I have a type of polyamorous sexual relationship and we've been spending some more time together and will be after I get back.
And finally, I'm actually getting somewhere for finding my siblings, now I'm waiting on some archive searches to get back to me.
Thoughts on death My thoughts on death haven't changed much but something has occurred to me. I have seen what happens in-between now and finally dying all too many times. Death isn't the scary part anymore and as I think about it, it's going to be the slow decline that scares me more.
I know what's coming up and I'm really not looking forward to it. Its why I'm trying to do as much as possible before things get too difficult or I can't take care of myself anymore.
To be honest, I don't know what's going to happen after death and I'm not going to pretend that I do know. Obviously I'd like to think that there's something. In case I do become a ghost, my friends have jokingly made a list of people to find and haunt so I'll certainly be doing that if it happens.
In addition, I find myself thinking about my friends more than what happens to me. I was told that by some of my patients who have had NDEs and for some reason back then I thought surely you'll be thinking about what happens next right? Now, I see what they mean.
One surprising thing I've realised is now how honest and blunt I am. I've always wanted to get to a point where I genuinely don't care what other people think of me but I've done so now because I've realised that it won't matter at all in a year or so. I'm still (thankfully) polite and such but I do speak my mind about things with less sugar coating.
My attitudes have become more reinforced now. I've always had a sort of "fuck it, it'll be fun" side to me and I feel like this is really coming out now as its turned into "fuck it, why not. It won't matter soon"
I've realised I feel more alive now than I have before. It's odd but knowing I'm going to die definitely soon and I can't do anything about it, makes me feel more alive.
Lastly, I've been steering clear of any religious people as I do not want them finding out about my situation. I understand that they want to help me and make me feel better but I really do not want to hear it. The last thing I need is someone telling me that 'god' is looking after me after the years of shit he put me through, if he exists.
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Update - 1 month later
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Updates I'm now back in the UK after visiting a few places in the US and I came back only for a little while. I plan to travel to Canada and places in the north like Iceland Sweden etc. My main reason was to see friends again but also some scans (had a CAT yesterday and I really enjoyed it, I love those scanners so much! Almost became a radio tech!)
The greatest update though? I HAVE FINALLY FOUND MY LOST SIBLINGS!!!!! I'm going to see them in two weeks time and yes its going to get emotional spending 2 days with them. There's going to be way too much to catch up on.
My aching sensation is getting slightly more noticeable but its still ignorable. There's a small tumour now in my right shoulder and there could be signs of one near my liver. Unusually it hasn't gotten to my lungs yet and no one seems to know why. Also it seems like I really could have some extra months. Either way I'm making the most of it
I met up with the ex who sent me those 8 pages and it was really nice to actually make peace with him. It was a really nice day!
Another thing, I finally got arrested! I got really drunk and rowdy at a pub. Surprisingly the officers were understanding when I told them my situation and when I admitted that it was on my 'bucket' list.
I've decided to get my name, birthdate and the cancer diagnosis tattooed on my left upper arm as I thought it would be useful for when I donate my body to science. I think I'll update it with each scan result.
We've also decided to get a list of our nurse friends FAMILY <3 names on our right hip (right hip because whenever we'd see each other on a unit or something, we'd place our right hand on our hip, place our left hand on our chest and tilt our head to the right. I can't really remember why it started but it became almost like an inside joke and a way to identify each other when we were drenched in PPE. It means a lot to us ) Theres 9 of us and we also put what we do and where we first met. Wasn't my idea either but I love it!
Another thing is that I've sold off my car! The guy I sold it to agreed with me to remove the stickers and such so that my friends could have some. More money to travel with!!
I'm going to be honest. I'm really miss having my servers and computers but I have found a nice compromise! My friends have been asking me to help them set up their own servers!
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Update3 - 6 weeks later
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Once again in the UK. Went traveling to Iceland which was awesome! Came back for some more scans and theres a new result which is worrying (this is discussed below)
Now about my siblings! OMG they've got kids! And yes there were lots of tears.
My older brother works for a something I had no idea about. Apparently there's actually people who write the code that makes traffic lights work and communicate with each other. Something I've never really thought about before. There was a long long long discussion about my situation with my older brother's kids, a boy and a girl about 7-9.
They talked about it before I arrived and they seemed to understand it. My brother and his partner were more upset than their kids were because I guess my brother and his partner were like ' OMG we've found your long lost sister!! But she's dying... uh..' . It was a tough conversation to have, especially when his kids started to question why this happens to 'good people'.
My older sister is scarily similar to me although we haven't been in contact for most of her and my life. She's a chemist at a pharmaceutical company and loves science and computers too although she isn't as mad as I was (she only has two mini servers and a media centre). She has no kids of her own but decided to adopt a 15 year old boy to give him somewhere supportive to stay for secondary school, unlike us who had to go through the foster system whilst we were in secondary.
I would have definitely done the same if I had the time and wasn't working as much as I was to fill in the emptiness. She doesn't have a partner and doesn't plan on getting one. They've been preparing themselves since they've heard and I've felt like there were more emotions with them.. perhaps because it was just us three? I'm not sure.
My sister is also eerily into similar clothing styles to mine like gothic clothes and such and other general coolness. Our music taste is similar too and Ive given her some recommendations. Im surprised we didn't accidentally meet at a festival!
According to my sister, she's not aware of any possible family history in relation to cancer but instead an increased risk of CJD and some skin autoimmune diseases. So... thats fun...
My aching sensation is getting more noticeable now. I think I also moved my shoulder once and could feel the small tumour. Its not painful, its just there. My breasts are still fine and actually seem to be improving. Still no signs of it on my lungs. But I'll talk about a worrying result below. My hair's fine as well
As usual I've gotten my 'info' tattoo updated with the newest scan result, as much as I don't like it.
I've stopped writing in my diary as I feel like it takes too long. Instead I'm doing voice notes. But I have started drawing again.
I finally decided to meet up with my friend who I'm passing off my writing project to and who I was going to be co-writing a horror game called Soul Divider with. It was really great as I was able to just talk and talk and talk and they listened. I asked them to ask me anything as I wanted to answer questions which most people avoid asking when they learn I'm terminal.
I loved being honest. I also greatly appreciated them being there and being such a good listener. I was able.to tell them some of my more disturbing nursing stories as well as some really nice ones. We talked about what I think is going to happen next etc. I reminded them to cherish life as it can change quickly, in a single second.
It was also great to go out to meet them. They said I looked great and didn't 'look' like I had a terminal illness. I didn't go with any of my friends (apart to meet my friend) and ended up making two friends at the bar!
Thoughts Currently I'm horrified and scared, more than I was when I found out that I was terminal, because of a recent scan result.
I now have a tiny (secondary) brain tumour. Near left temporal lobe. Size of a pea
As far as anyone can work out, its the slowest growing part so it should be easily taken care of with the radiotherapy I was offered and immediately agreed to.
I'm very much terrified of this because I've seen what brain tumours can do. One of my nursing friends died very very quickly in 2018.
She went from working on the ward. Week later, she couldn't see out of one eye. Another week and she couldn't move much. Another 3 days and she couldn't do anything apart from hear and talk. Then 3 days later and she was dead. That's a horrific way to go
I sincerely hope either one of two things.
One, the brain tumour is cured and its not a problem
Two, my other cancers kill me before the brain tumour ever becomes problematic
Annoyingly radiotherapy means I'll probably have to say fair well to my hair again and I can't travel that much
... To be fair, I do get to see those cool radiotherapy machines again as well as CT & MRI scanners.. Almost ALMOST became a radiology tech
Another update in a months time!
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Final Update - 4 months later
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This is being typed out by a friend, as are my replies.
Well, this is it. I'm almost certain that I'm not going to see spring, though everyday is both a gift and also nasty.
I'm now bed bound and can't walk unaided. Currently "living" in one of my amazing nurse family's house as they care for me.
I don't like seeing myself in the mirror. People aren't meant to look like me. I've lost a lot of weight too.
In terms of pain, I don't have that much because I'm on drugs. Last time I had a scan, there were 4 new ones and my brain one is back. They aren't doing any more scans now.
I saw my friend one last time and that was probably upsetting for them. So much has happened in between last update and now that I can't really talk about it as talking is getting more difficult.
Basically, I went traveling for the last time and had a great time then collapsed on a train platform because of my brain one. Nursing family are amazing. I had my last tattoo update for my condition.
My nursing family's house where I am has been somehow receiving religious post somehow which is annoying. I am not religious at all. How did they find out? I don't know.
Thank you to almost everyone here on Reddit, especially this subreddit and anyone who looked at my writing project on here (grimtown). It now belongs to u/FallDeeperAlice5268 ie the friend who calls themselves "Lua Sucks" and they hope that maybe at some point, Grim Town would be famous.
My dying wish would be to fund the NHS and ensure it has the resources it needs and improvement it also needs. I do have a long list of things I wish would also die when I die as well as a list of people to haunt for good or bad.
That is all.
I love all of you.
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dmtjiminarnnotatrdr
I've sat here wondering what I could possibly say as some random stranger on the internet.
I do not know you, but I love you and wish you safety and comfort on your journey. May the NHS be gifted by your wishes, may the public and every patient benefit from those improvements. And lastly, may you be the poltergeist that you have dreamed of...

OOP:
thank you very much

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u/NursingGrimTown last comment on Reddit was 8th February 2023
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Update - thanks to u/CrazyMike419 for finding this update
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u/NursingGrimTown has passed away - 20th June 2023
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I regret to inform the community that u/NursingGrimTown has passed away peacefully in their sleep earlier this weekend.
I will now be continuing the GrimTown writing project and hopefully release some new material soon. Nothing on this subreddit is going to be deleted but I will possibly be releasing material on a dedicated website. I'm not sure whats going to happen to the fandom wiki as I don't have access to it right now.
A special thank you to everyone who has read some material here and another thank you to NGT's friends who helped and cared for her.
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I am not the OOP. Please remember the OOP.

i want to first say that this is just a rant and my dog is perfectly fine i’m just really grateful for her but man does pre grief suck
i was thinking ab my dog and how she’s always sleeping next to my bedroom door in a pet bed. i really ruined my already bad mood by coming to the realization that in ten years i won’t have my soul dog. i’ve had her since age 8 which was when she was born. she was from my moms dog so she’s been with me since she was welcomed to the world
at 9-10 somewhere around that age , i was going through a time where i never left my room which meant that maybe for three months i never paid much attention to her even though she was my dog. she was never neglected nor abused nor has she ever gone a day without a full belly and fresh water. as i got older me and her got closer to the point where now she goes to bed with me every single night. she has multiple places in my room to sleep (my bed , a pile of warm clean blankets etc) and is always taken care of
now here comes my realization : i have less than 10 more years with her left. this realization has pretty much destroyed me. per my last post , the comments have let me know that what i’m experiencing is pre grief. i’m a person who can’t deal with significant change which i’ve had since childhood. the thought of losing her makes me want to not be around her. but i know i will regret it if i do. i want to make the years i have left with her the best years she’s ever had
i don’t know if she even realizes how much i actually love her. i remember her exact birthdate which is december 14 20011. she was born at 5:06pm and was the runt of her litter. sometimes i regret that i wasn’t there when she was born bc i had a doctors appt when she was. i feel it’s kind of dumb having that regret since it wasn’t my fault. i also regret that i never took pictures of her when she was a puppy. i took one , i am very sure i did , but the camera it was on is so old it wiped all the pictures off of it. i have pictures of her with two other puppies but i’m not sure which one is her. i’m jealous of people who have puppy pictures of their dog
i’ve been wanting to do more for her. i know i go over and beyond for her , but i want to even more. years ago i always wanted to get married young just so she could be at my wedding. when she got fixed i stayed up all night with her just in case she needed something even though it was a school night. i plan on having either her name or a portrait of her ears and face tattooed on me really soon as my first tattoo. yearly i pray that december never happens so she doesn’t get older
i know more things about her than i know about myself. i know her favorite food , her favorite snacks , her favorite treats. i know she loves to try to steal my pineapple chunks anytime i have them. she loves popcorn but only if it’s salted and buttered (trust it’s in moderation) and loves hot cheetos. (discovered it after i dropped some on the floor) she truly will always be my best friend. idc how good of friendships i have. idc if i marry the prettiest woman alive , my dog will always be put first. she’s been my will to live for her entire life so i only hope that she knows even a little bit how much she means to me
i know she trusts me a lot because when outside with me , she won’t run away. she will follow me like a duckling happily. she’s technically a mutt , but i view her as my angel on earth. i don’t know when i’ll have to say goodbye , but i know i will be very empty inside. i know that it will be the worst thing to happen to me in a while , so even though she’s still here and healthy , i’ve taken precautions to help myself afterwards
i want to end this off by saying that i intend to spend all my free time with her or just being near her. i will tell her i love her more than i normally do. i will take more pictures with her and i will make the rest of her life the best any dog has ever had. right now she’s currently eating as i’m writing this , and looking at her pearl colored curly fur , i’m filled with love and good memories. because of her i learned what true love is. she will always be my angel no matter on earth or in heaven

I'm 18M and I'm about to submit my papers I've been thinking of getting a sentimental tattoo of my dad and brothers birthdate and death date because they passed away awhile back and I'm afraid to tell my mom because she hates tattoos with a passion. looking for some input.

I am looking for recommendations for tattoo artists in the Fox Valley area for a pair of roman numeral tattoos for my kids' birthdates.
While the tattoos are basic enough that I could reasonably book with any artist or get them done even as a walk-in at many shops, I want to get some recommendations from the community first.
Any local artists who are known for tattoos involving text or who are especially known for their line work?