Stuffy nose sore throat hoarseness?

Hi there! I’m on week 4, and I’ve noticed every day after I put in the injection, my voice is very hoarse and raspy. No pain in my throat, just hoarse. Wondering if that’s normal for anyone else. TIA!

"Hey, Himiko! Wanna go to the gym with me?" Tenko asked Himiko, who was laying down on her bed, reading a fantasy book. She wanted to groan, but she gave Tenko a small, drowsy smile, and began drumming her fingers against her book.

"Nyeh...no, thanks, Tenko," she replied. "Um...I'm not feeling well." She reached for her belly and sides. "Cramps," she said.
"Oh! Okay, then," Tenko replied sympathetically. "You want me to get you anything on the way back?"
"No, no, it's fine," Himiko assured. "I think a nap will make them go away. It usually does." Tenko smiled, and shook her head at Himiko.
"Oh, Himiko, you and your naps!" she said adoringly before heading out the door, and waving to Himiko. "Bye, Himiko!" Himiko waved back at her, feeling a small pang of guilt. The truth was that she wasn't actually cramping, she just didn't want to go to the gym with Tenko. Whenever Himiko had turned her down from going to the gym by simply not wanting to go, Tenko's countenance would go from enthusiastic to down-hearted, which would end up making Himiko change her mind and go with Tenko to the gym. Himiko always dreaded the gym because Tenko would make her train and do the more strenuous exercises that were too much for Himiko's noodle arms and legs. Himiko knew Tenko meant well, but she felt much safer not going to the gym with her. This time, even though it hurt Himiko a bit to do so, she had to lie about having cramps to keep herself from going to the gym, and to save Tenko's feelings. At the same time, however, she couldn't help but feel pleased with herself.
"Wow...I think I'm good at lying," she said to herself. Excitedly, she left her and Tenko's room, and rushed downstairs to Kokichi and Gonta's. Before she knocked on their door, she paused to stop and think. Hmm...maybe I should test my skills on Kokichi, she thought to herself. She giggled mischievously to herself, then cleared her throat as she tried to put on her best poker face. Then, she knocked on the door.
"Come IIII-IIIINNNNN!" Kokichi's voice sang from the other side. Himiko opened the door, and saw Kokichi sitting on his bed, playing video games. She sat down next to him. "Hey, Monkey Buns! What's up?" he asked, not taking his eyes away from the TV screen.
"Um, Kokichi? Can you pause it, please?" Himiko asked. "I have to tell you something." Kokichi paused the game, and turned to look at her.
"Yeeees?" he asked expectantly. Himiko opened her mouth, and began to panic. She hadn't thought of a lie to tell him. She began nervously drumming her fingers against her knee, and blurted out the first words that came to her mind.
"I need you to go to the store with me," she said. Kokichi merely stared at her, keeping his expression the same.
"Why do you need me to go?" he asked.
Oh, my gosh! It's actually working! Himiko thought excitedly to herself. "Well, because there's a dog on the loose outside, and I don't want to be out there by myself."
"I see," Kokichi said with a small smirk. "What breed of dog is it? A German Shepherd? A Golden Retriever? Or is it a rare breed of an imaginary dog that you come up with when you wanna lie to me for whatever reason?" Himiko's mouth dropped open.
"WHAT?!" she exclaimed. "H-HOW DID YOU KNOW?!"
"Nee-heehee...you're not a very good liar, Himiko," Kokichi replied. "Especially since you have a tell."
"I don't have a tail, you weirdo!" Himiko said.
"Not a tail, you bonehead, a tell," Kokichi corrected playfully.
"Oh..." Himiko replied quietly. "Well, what's a 'tell,' then?"
"A 'tell' is an indicator that someone is lying," Kokichi explained. "Like, when someone gets all fidgety, or if they stutter, or if their eyes shift around a lot. Lots of people have different kinds of tells, and sometimes, they're easy to spot. Other times, though, you have to reeeaaallly pay attention to a person to know their tell. But it comes easy to a liar like me! I always know when some is lying!"
"How is that even possible?!" she asked.
"Nee-heehee...a liar never reveals his secrets," Kokichi replied cheekily. "You of all people should know that, Himiko."
"Hummm..." Himiko groaned in annoyance, and frowned at him. "Well, could you at least tell me what my tell is?"
"You start drumming your fingers against either your body, or whatever it is that you're holding," Kokichi replied.
"Oh...I didn't realize that," Himiko admitted quietly. "But...now that you mention it, I do remember doing that when I came in here...and when I lied to Tenko before I came down here."
"You lied to Tenko, too?" Kokichi asked.
"Well, yeah, because she asked me to go to the gym, and I didn't want to," Himiko explained. "So, I told her that I had cramps so she wouldn't feel bad about me not going with her."
"Hmm...I see," Kokichi replied with a nod.
"But, Tenko didn't catch my tell," Himiko said. "Do you think she knew I lied to her?"
"Pfff...no," Kokichi replied promptly. "Tenko didn't notice because she's a moron, so she's easy to lie to." Himiko scoffed, and tilted her head admonishingly at Kokichi. "Well, it's true!" he said.
"Well...okay, but could you say it a little nicer? Jeez!" Himiko said.
"Sorry, babe, I don't sugarcoat things," Kokichi said. Then, he smirked at Himiko. "Is that why you tried to lie to me? Because you thought you were a good liar by successfully lying to Tenko, and so you thought you could lie to me?" Himiko's eyes bugged out of her head.
"How do...why is...ARE YOU EVEN HUMAN?! HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS STUFF?!" Himiko asked incredulously. Kokichi gave her a smug grin.
"You are just way too easy to figure out, Himiko," he replied, wiggling his brow at her. Himiko's face fell. Noticing her expression, Kokichi thought of a way to make her feel better. "Buuut...if you want, I guess I could share some tips with you about lying."
"Nyeh...really?" Himiko asked.
"Yup! After all, lying isn't a bad thing, y'know," Kokichi said. "Matter of fact, it can be very useful at times! Like, when you lied to Tenko earlier today. Not only did you get out of going to the gym with her, but you also made her feel better by saying that you weren't feeling well, rather than just flat-out telling her that you didn't want to go. If you told her that you didn't want to go, she'd get all upset, and you'd end up changing your mind to make her feel better. But as a result, you'd end up all hurt and sore in the end, right?"
"YES, GOSH!!" Himiko exclaimed, still flabbergasted at Kokichi's deduction skills. "How in THE WORLD-"
"Eh, Tenko's easy to figure out, too," Kokichi replied, nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders. "She's too clingy to you, and if you don't go anywhere with her, she gets all mopey. And, of course, you don't want her to feel bad, so you end up doing whatever she wanted to do. It's just...too easy."
"Pff...well, I'm so sorry we're too easy to figure out, your Majesty," Himiko scoffed sarcastically. Kokichi snickered, and poked her cheek in a teasing way.
"You'd better be!" he said. "Anyway, so want me to help you out?"
"Yeah," Himiko said. "I wanna play 'Two Truths and A Lie.'"
"Okie-dokie!" Kokichi said. They sat crisscross, facing each other. "Now, if you wanna lie, you gotta look me in the eye. If you wanna fib, you gotta know how to ad-lib. If you wanna-"
"Nyeh...Kokichi? You're teaching me how to lie, not rap," Himiko interrupted.
"I know, I know, it just sounded funny," Kokichi said. "Okay, but seriously, if you want to make someone believe your lie, you have to stay calm, y'know? Look someone in the eye as if you were telling the truth. To start things off nice and easy, you ever heard of K.I.S.S.?"
"Nyeh...th-the band?" Himiko asked.
"Nope! K.I.S.S. stands for 'keep it simple, stupid,'" Kokichi explained. "Don't overcomplicate your lie, just make it simple enough so that it sounds believable. You give it a try, tell me two truths and a lie."
"Um...okay, here I go," Himiko replied with uncertainty. "I...was born in December, I have b-blue hair, and I-" Himiko stopped abruptly when she noticed that Kokichi facepalmed. "WH-WHAT?!" Himiko exclaimed.
"Himiko, you don't lie about something that anyone can obviously see!" Kokichi laughed. "We can all see that you have red hair! Why would you lie about it being blue?!"
"W-Well, I panicked, okay?!" Himiko said. "It's kinda scary lying to you!"
"To me?" Kokichi asked, looking a bit flattered.
"Well, yeah! You can pick up lies so easily!" Himiko said.

"Well, I'm obviously going to notice that you don't have blue hair, Himiko!" Kokichi said.

"I dunno! Maybe you're color blind and you never told us!" Himiko said. Kokichi suddenly looked at her with a serious expression.

"I actually am color blind," he said. Himiko looked at him with uncertainty.
"N-No..." she replied quietly. "That's a lie."
"It's actually not a lie," Kokichi said. "Colors that you see normally, I see differently. Like, red to me would be more of a brownish color, or usually greens are a more...yellow-y color."
"B-But...you said that my hair was red just a few seconds ago," Himiko said with suspicion.
"Because that's what everyone says that's what your hair color is," Kokichi replied. "They'd have no reason to lie about that, right? Plus, I've memorized which colors are which based on what colors I see. So, every time I see something brownish, like how I see your hair color, for instance, I know that it's red."
"Oh..." Himiko breathed. "Kokichi, I never realized-"
"IT'S A LIE!!" Kokichi exclaimed triumphantly, and began laughing.
"WH-WHAT?!" Himiko exclaimed.

"Hahahahahahahaaa...you fell for my lie, Himiko!" Kokichi said. "Whoo! That was great!"

"Wait, so you're not color blind?!" Himiko asked.
"Haha, nope!" Kokichi replied. "Honestly, I have no idea what it's like to be color blind. I just made up a lie based on the very little knowledge I have about it."
"D'oh...but you sounded so convincing!" Himiko huffed in frustration.
"Mm-hmmmm..." Kokichi replied with a sly grin. "Did you notice that I didn't fidget, or shift my eyes, or anything like that. I looked you in the eye, and I was talking to you like I normally do, right? I was acting natural, and I didn't overwhelm you with a bunch of information; I just kept my lie nice and simple."
"Ohhh!" Himiko replied, giving him an impressed smile. Kokichi smiled back at her.
"Well, anyways, you can practice it in your own time, HimiCocoa Bean," he said, ruffling her hair. "But, you, personally, should only use lying when you absolutely need to. You don't wanna lose your friends to it, anyways." Himiko nodded.
"Um...Kokichi?" she began.
"Hmm?"
"Do you think I should have lied to Tenko earlier today?" Himiko asked. "I just...didn't want her to feel bad about going alone, but...I also didn't want to do the training that she does, since it makes me feel really sore afterwards."
"Well, lying did seem to work out for you, but you also could have been honest with her, Himiko," Kokichi said.
"How?" Himiko asked.
"You could have told her that her kind of training hurts you, and you two could come up with an agreement on doing what training works best for the both of you," Kokichi suggested. "That way, you wouldn't have to feel so bad about leaving her by herself, and you could get the workout that you need without feeling too sore."
"Oh! Nyeh...that's a great idea!" Himiko exclaimed. "Thanks, Kokichi!" She threw her arms around him, and gave him a kiss.
"No problem, Monkey Buns!" Kokichi replied, giving her a wink.
"Well, I'm gonna go ahead and test out my lying skills on the other...unsuspecting fools," Himiko said with a mischievous giggle while she tapped her fingertips together like a stereotypical villain. Kokichi smiled, and rolled his eyes at her.
"Nee-heehee...you do that," he chuckled. He picked up his game controller, and smiled affectionately at Himiko as he watched her run off to spread mischief.

SORRY FOR THE LONG READ
Hi.
I (18M) started having a sore throat on Saturday evening, which quickly progressed to general dizziness and disorientation that same evening.
Sunday and Monday that continued with a fairly low fever, a minor caugh and headaches when going from laying to standing.
On Tuesday the caugh worsened to current levels. And the small bit of dinner I did manage to eat, was not kept.
Yesterday (Wednesday) everything continued. Same thing with dinner. Only come bedtime the fever increased to 39,6C. Only stopping there after cold compress and such. I had been freezing during the last days (due to the fever), but during the night I required multiple changes of clothes due to sweating so much.
And today (Thursday) I wake up relatively fine. Sure I was medicated but everything except the caugh was essentially gone. But after a pretty lengthy attack, I got this sharp pain in my lower lungs, and a blunt pain all over.
———————-
I’m sure this could be a million things from common cold to pneumonia, but an educated guess would be very appreciated.

Last time I shove this theory down on people's throat, I swear! I've been meaning to make this it's own standalone post since day one, but at the time I didn't had enough Karma to be able to. But now that I do, I feel is time to finally broadly propose this idea for the rest of the sub to see and consider;
Today I propose my take in the PuzzleVision Movie, and how i feel that Mr. Puzzles actually won, and got what he wanted off the SMG4 gang, which was for them to get the +5 stars he so always wanted, by tricking them with the sense if free will under simulation;
And is because I feel he did exactly that! In my opinion he currently has the entire SMG4 universe at his disposal, and already has used them to recast and finalize the episodes Mario corrupted after his escape, thus why Bowser and Shroomy are present in episodes when they were never personally kidnapped first hand by Puzzles.
Something that feels like an outlandish claim but actually, is a lot more possible than you think, since from the trailer Puzzles states 'PuzzleVision' IS an in-universe movie meant to satisfy his programming audience. But who that programming audience could be? Is it the SMG4 universe? Not at all!
It's US. We, the IRL SMG4 Community, ARE THE AUDIENCE Puzzles wants to please by taking over the channel, to deliver us with his entertainment. Throughout the course of the series post 'It's Gotta Be Perfect" Puzzles has been slowly rising in power as director of the channel, hijacking it and inspecting us and what we enjoy if the show and characters;
For instance, The Showgrounds are that, A SHOW. GROUNDS. A glorified acting stage for a live reality show about SMG4 and friends. This is spoiled by Puzzles on his song: "I'll be in control your real life". An ironic turn of the tables to what he does to Mario, and karma if you will.
From the beginning his goal has been to slowly draw and trap the characters in a place they're constantly available to his command without them even realizing it. He has set them up for danger because it is entertainment, entertainment he knows WE consume.
Puzzles used Wren and Marty as free content makers. Western Spaghetti and WOTFI 2023 are quite literally THAT, specials made for OUR entertainment at the expense of the crews' mental health. He used these to investigate why these characters resonate with US and if we would love the specials; We did and he took full control to deliver more, missing as to why we liked them.
On that note, he LIED about his reasoning to use the SMG4 cast. Veterans would know that canonically 4 and 3, although divisive, have a strong following and are quite well known. Is not that he just used them for the sake of it, he used them because he knows they're ADVERTISABLE AND WILL DRAW VIEWS.
Also on that note, he failed replicating their formula so he purposely gaslighted them with free will. By allowing them do the thing WE love (in canon) about them, he achieved what he wanted.
The whole movie is one HUGE set up, cover up and gaslighting towards US the audience. Puzzles knows our needs. Puzzles hears our demands through reviews, he knew he was seen as the villain so by the time he snapped he took acting role by self-inserted in the story, purposely setting himself up to failure for the sake of the script, didn't stop the crew from advancing until defeat because he knew US, THE AUDIENCE wanted that confrontation. He's an actor, a showman, he was flowing with the script. The movie is an in-universe MOVIE, it gaslights the crew into thinking they are free by "defeating" Puzzles, but in reality he only took himself off the picture having finally won. It makes us believe that they're free, and it makes them believe they're out, but they're EXACTLY stuck in the last channel; That set up Bob called it out to be a possible trap. After all the live action show was possibly Puzzles' DUMBEST idea as it indirectly freed them from his mind's prison; It is so dumb it has to be deliberate
Mario's escape is the only real escape as he's consumed by the static, not teleported like 3 and 4 when they did the same. The crew only hops on channels, but Mario actually exists his prison as revealed by PuzzleVision.tv;
With this in mind, is easy to see why Mario never opposed an actual threat to Puzzles throughout the movie. That Mario we saw is animal Mario, a recreated version of the character with his flaws amplified making clear the sheer hatred Puzzles has for his character. He gets sidelined on purpose because Puzzles' intention with him is to throw US off by thinking that is Mario; He shows up OUTSIDE the castle for no reason, Puzzles quickly gives up in trying to capture him although he CAN CLEARLY IMMOBILIZE HIM, he then quickly gets him off his shoulders and DOESN'T TRIES TO KILL HIM.
This IS NOT the real Mario, is merely another facade. He's only introduces him randomly without explanation so we AS THE AUDIENCE don't question his absence after Puzzles found out he escaped. How am I sure? Because as the gang tries to get some grass time, Mario STILL insists in US not taking our eyes away off the TV, saying "This is what life is all about" when surrounded in an ominously dark shading scenery, at SMG4's castle.
That, my friends, is an allusion.
It leads me to believe this version of Mario is the one used in the finalized versions of the PuzzleVision episodes after Mario's escapade corrupts them, hence why these are so hostile towards him in nature and narrative.
But how can there be two Marios? Well, I for one think Animal Mario is a mesh of memories, the embodiment of what the crew sees of Mario, and scripted through Puzzles' hatred of him. He's like Axol and Desti in Western Spaghetti, that is being not the real deal but close enough to what the crew thinks he truly is based on what they remember, and enough to recast his character and fill his missing role in the finished versions of those episodes.
The REAL Mario escaped during the early stage of production, popping out finally during the trailer for the PuzzleVision movie, back at his theater; By that point Mr. Puzzles already succeeded as inside him characters not present in any other episodes, such as Melony, are being tortured.
Mario seemingly seems to be cautiously approaching Puzzles, watching over him by the distance yet fighting back in his own way by trying to change programming. The story isn't over because Mario is STILL out there fighting back after having punched through PuzzleVision.tv's facade, prompting the website to trick everyone he was done for when in reality, he may just be preparing a counter attack.
But you know what else solidifies this theory? Meat-Mallet Luigi.
In the stream, this version of Luigi became suspiciously prominent outside the "Mario's Mysteries" programming, creeping into "Once Upon a SMG4"; it's almost felt as if the show was trying to deliberately tell us something with this one detail, through visual narrative that didn't quite add up until you remember that Puzzles shot Luigi with the intention of OF KILLING, or so he claims.
It doesn't make sense for him to turn into a Meat Mallet unless Puzzles WAS LYING ABOUT IT, saying it just for drama because he knows he cannot afford that loss; As a good director he understands the importance of character dynamics, and how getting rid of a character changes the nature of a show even if for a bit. He didn't kill Luigi NOR Mario because HE NEEDS THEM in order for him to get those 5 stars through their character dynamic, as he understands that is the appeal to US. The characters' natural personalities and friendships.
This is why I stand saying that they never escaped his mind prison, so much. Details like that are hard to brush off since the overall on-going narrative seems to want to go against what the plot of the movie presents. When we last saw Me. Puzzles in a regular episode he had snapped and lost it, but in the movie? Although angry, he's suspiciously composed, almost as if he had never lost control to begin with.
Here's an advice for the SMG4 community: Keep your eyes open, and your senses alerted if anything DOES NOT add up in the narrative of the show, or a character in specific!
Beyond being just an arc, the PuzzleVision saga acts as an analog series/ARG, as it clearly had drawn influence from these genres for it's narrative; This will require people to start thinking outside the box in picking up clues to put the pieces together in what the story is trying to tell us is going on. That is the PUZZLE side of PuzzleVision.
It is unorthodox to the show, especially when in this universe gags and clues can get super blurry beibg the show a parody at heart, but Luke has been vocal that the story isn't over, trying to stray our attention into the much grander narrative; To not just take things for granted and accept is over.
He wants us to know in advance Puzzles is still not over, that he's still not over AND that narrative has JUST BEGUN.
The series WON'T tell us this outright because the characters are just as in the dark as we are as to whether if Puzzles won or not. SMG4 and his team can only do so much with official statements to point into the right direction without spoiling the fun and surprise factor;
IT IS US, MR. PUZZLES IN-CANON AND IRL AUDIENCE WHOM HAVE TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER BY THINKING OUTSIDE ANYTHING WE'VE LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS ARCS, AND RETROACTIVELY DIGESTING THE THE INFORMATION WE'VE LEARNED FROM WESTERN SPAGHETTI AND IGBP.
Those movies high-key about what they were, in retrospection. They were literal movies for our entertainment, OURS, and it was because Puzzles gaslit the cast into putting themselves in danger by doing every day tasks; And I feel that's EXACTLY what happened at the end of PuzzleVision AGAIN.
They may have gone back to basis, but their freedom is fictional. They aren't free, they're allowed freedom fir OUR content.
This is why WE, THE AUDIENCE, have to keep our guards up in case something in the narrative stops adding up and is suddenly different. Maybe it'll be a visual gag, character inconsistency, a story detail, OR A WHOLE CHARACTER.
I'll throw a wild example of what I mean: MARIO.
Keep your eyes open for the behavior of this character.
Yeah, I know. Hard task being the most random character in the show. But here's the thing;
Mr. Puzzles DESPISED HIM and wrote him to be right down insufferable, useless to the cast, and a throw away joke. Exactly how he was depicted on PuzzleVision the Movie, even thought the teasers surrounding this character over-hyped his presence. From a narrative point of view it makes NO SENSE to have him be so prevalent in both the website and movie teaser just for it to not live up to the expectation, unless is one big 'Among Us' ploy.
If my theory is correct, and the narrative is following this course then the one and only even I can see this narrative leading to is, you guessed it, WOTFI 2024!
A true to form "War of the Fight Italians" since Mario and Animal Mario would have to to bump heads at some point. Perhaps thematically it'll play with the idea if how much the crew trusts Mario, and if they know him well enough to know who's the fake one and who's the real one.
Am I right? Am I wrong? Only time until WOTFI will tell; But until then, remember:
DONT TRUST IN WHAT YOU SEE JUST YET, AND KEEP EYES OPEN. THINK OUTSIDE THE TV-BOX BECAUSE THE CLUES MAY HIDE IN OUR NOSES.
I learned my lesson from IGBP, Puzzles has been catfishing the cast all the way since offering the new castle to SMG4 and it would only make sense that subtle storytelling and subversion of expectations to continue going forward, based in these official statements.
Just remember, if Mario starts behaving too out of character, or all the sudden characters question his nature, it means we're on the right track ;)

24M
Hey! Just to avoid — „go to a doctor“, i’ve been to a doctor, but not sure if he is right.
2 weeks ago I fell ill, but thanks to medicines I recovered surprisingly fast (never experienced such fast recovery) in 2 days. No snots, almost no coughing, but extremely strong sore throat (only tonsils) and ache in ears. After a week of prescribed antibiotics therapy I don‘t feel any progress. No temperature, not snots, not coughing, but still — extremely aching tonsils and ear ache. Maybe someone experienced this? First time in life I recovered in 2 days like it‘s nothing, but first time in my life nothing helps against tonsils pain and ear ache. Doctor said it‘s tonsillitis, but I am starting to doubt it taking into account antibiotics don‘t help.
Any suggestions? It‘s just weird and really hard to swallow… No issues while I talk tho unlike all other sour throat cases. Always it has been hard to talk with sour throat, but this time — not. I can even speak loud without pain, even scream almost without pain.
Thank you.

My throat and nose are hurting from the constant sniffling and snorting, I’m tired because my body is using up so much energy fighting an unwinnable battle against plant particles and my usage of paper tissues has almost quadrupled
So how are y‘all doing?

Hi all - M/46, UK.
I had an incidental finding of a 3cm thyroid nodule on a spine MRI a while back. Ultrasound and FNA followed and then a letter saying possible malignancy. I had my NHS ENT appt today, didn't know what to expect at all.
The report states that "there are no definite papillary structures and no intranuclear inclusions are identified" - but the ENT surgeon today said it's TIRADS 4 and there is a 30% chance of PTC, and that she can only establish that and find out more by surgery removing my right thyroid lobe. I have never had surgery of any kind before so this is daunting - both the procedure and then the scarring and recovery, and the very small but existent chance of damage to nerves affecting voice and swallowing. I asked if 'wait and see' would be possible and she did seem a bit equivocal - she said yes, if it'd been 3 - but she "recommended" it at 4. However, it seems to be my decision and to be honest, I am not sure how to make it.
I was doubly disappointed as I have had some muscular symptoms (perceived weakness, twitching, tingling) along with a hoarse voice at times and an altered swallow, but my TSH is in range at 0.54 (down from 0.9 in Feb) and she said that this would not be causing any muscle stuff as I definitely don't have hyper or hypo (she can tell without an antibodies test from my numbers and the ultrasound?). She did a probe through my nose to check vocal cords (?) too and said they were fine. Which is good - but I know my voice has been tiring/breaking up of late.
All in all, today was not the best day I've ever had.

disclaimer: i will be talking to my doctor about it next time i see her, i was just wondering how concerned i need to be in the meantime.
i just started using certain dri this week and i think it is miraculous: no sweat for two days after only one application. however, the side effects have been horrible. the first time i used it was in the evening so it all just dripped off of me, and then i used it again the next night and it worked wonders. but last night i was shaking in fear before putting it on because the pain is so bad. according to my partner i woke up in the middle of the night screaming, it could just be a coincidence but i remember being in a crazy amount of pain.
how horrible of an experience is this supposed to be?
i haven’t really gotten a rash or anything, just mild redness and dry spots, so i don’t think i have an allergy, but i was also coughing a lot last night, but i woke up with a sore throat this morning.
thank you thank you!

I’m 3dpt on antihistamine protocol (intralipids, Benadryl, Claritin) as well on heparin injections. Today I feel like I have really bad allergies 🤧 I thought I had a mild cold the day of transfer but it seems to have resolved itself (NO fever, body aches, cough, or sore throat). However, today my allergies seem to be full force as I have been sneezing and experiencing some Nasal congestion. Seems weird to me considering I am already on antihistamines. I put a call in to my doctor but wanted to see if anyone can relate to this? Can this be a good sign for possible pregnancy?

The rain began as a soft patter against the windows of the Plymouth, a gentle interruption to the otherwise oppressive silence of the stormy afternoon. I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel, the rhythm a futile attempt to dispel the tension that had settled between us like a dense fog. The car door opened with a creak, and Finn slid into the passenger seat, bringing with him a gust of chilled air and the cloying scent of cheap cologne that seemed to cling to the back of my throat.
Took you long enough," I muttered, my gaze fixed on the rain-slicked road ahead. "We're going to be late."
Finn grunted in response, fishing a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. He lit one, the ember glowing bright in the dark, and inhaled deeply, filling the car with the acrid stench of tobacco. "Horses," he said, nodding toward a nearby field where a group of the animals huddled together, their coats glistening with rain.
I ignored his remark, pulling the Plymouth back onto the muddy track just as lightning streaked the horizon, casting fleeting shadows inside the car. Finn flipped open the case file, the pages rustling as he scanned the contents.
"So, this broad," he began, his voice rasping as he exhaled smoke against the windshield, "Allison Novak, 34, no rugrats. Teaches snot-nosed brats for a living. Goes to church every Sunday like a good little sheep, and spends her Tuesday evenings with other dried-up housewives reading trashy romance novels."
I shot him a glare, my knuckles whitening as I gripped the steering wheel. "Watch your fucking mouth, Finn. That's someone's daughter you're talking about. Someone who just went through hell. She didn’t deserve this and she doesn't deserve your dumbass comments.”
He scoffed, flicking ash out the window into the storm. “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it,” he retorted, tossing a stack of crime scene photos onto the dash. The images, illuminated intermittently by lightning, revealed a horror I'd seen too many times. Allison's body, twisted and mutilated beyond recognition, her flesh woven into some kind of tapestry.
"Gotta hand it to the bastard," Finn remarked, his eyes alight with a morbid fascination. "Takes a special kind of creativity to come up with this shit. Almost makes you appreciate the artistry of it all."
I swallowed hard, bile rising in my throat. "Creativity? Artistry? Jesus Christ, Finn, this is a human being we're talking about. A woman who was tortured and mutilated. There's nothing creative or artistic about it."
He shrugged, taking another long drag from his cigarette. "Call it what you want, but you can't deny the skill it took to do this. The precision, the attention to detail. This isn't some amateur hour bullshit. This is the work of a true master."
I shook my head, disgusted by his callousness. "You're sick, you know that? Absolutely fucking sick." He leaned forward, tapping the stack of photos with a nicotine-stained finger. "Look at these markings, these symbols carved into her flesh. They don't match any known cult or religious iconography. Not Hermetic, not Abrahamic, not even fucking Satanic. This is something new, something we haven't seen before."
Despite my revulsion for Finn's crassness, I couldn't deny his expertise. The FBI had sent him for his knowledge of ritualistic crimes, and though it often felt more like I was there to babysit rather than collaborate, I knew we needed his insights to catch this killer.
I often wondered how Finn ended up in his role. It was hard to picture him navigating the bureaucratic maze of the FBI, rubbing shoulders with the top brass and climbing the corporate ladder. Yet, when you're scouting for experts in occultism, you're not exactly sifting through the cream of the crop. It made a twisted kind of sense that someone like Finn, drawn to the darker recesses of human nature, would find his niche where his unconventional skills could be utilized by the Bureau.
"We're here," Finn announced abruptly, snapping me out of my musings. He pointed toward a nondescript office building that seemed to cower behind a screen of tall reeds, its facade as drab and lifeless as the overcast sky above. We entered, flashed our badges, and found ourselves standing over a cadaver moments later, the chill of the morgue seeping into my bones.
Nothing could have prepared me for the sight that greeted us. Even now, the image of Allison Novak's mutilated body is seared into my memory, a nightmare that will haunt me until my dying day. Her once beautiful face was a grotesque mockery of itself, metal stilts protruding from her flesh at odd angles, stretching and distorting her features into a macabre caricature. The stilts formed an intricate pattern, almost like a blossoming flower, a sick juxtaposition of beauty and horror.
Her torso was an abattoir of horrors, her sternum removed, her ribs splayed out like the wings of some monstrous creature. Intricate markings adorned her skin, the charred edges suggesting they had been burned into her flesh. And her legs... God, her legs. They had been twisted, rearranged in a way that defied anatomy, defied reason.
I've seen my fair share of brutality, witnessed atrocities that would break a lesser woman. But this... this was something else entirely. The sheer depravity, the meticulous cruelty of it all, spoke to a level of evil that I had never encountered before. This wasn't just a murder, it was a violation of the very laws of nature. We weren't hunting a man, we were chasing a demon in human skin.
I could feel Finn's eyes on me as I took in the scene, gauging my reaction. He seemed almost bored, as if he had seen this all before, just another day at the office. It chilled me to the core, wondering what kind of darkness he had immersed himself in to become so desensitized to such horror.
The local coroner, a man who had no doubt seen his fair share of death and decay, seemed shaken as he prepared to brief us. It was odd seeing a man that spent his days cutting open corpses and weighing viscera stutter. He cleared his throat, his hand trembling slightly as he consulted his notes.
"The, uh, the facial mutilations," he began, his voice unsteady. "They don't seem to serve any physiological purpose. Initially, the lack of blood led me to believe that the victim was deceased when this was done. But then I found traces of anticoagulants around the puncture sites."
He paused, swallowing hard. "This suggests that she was alive when the metal was inserted. The precision, the care taken to minimize blood loss... it's as if he wanted to keep her alive. To prolong her suffering."
I felt bile rise in my throat again, a wave of nausea threatening to overwhelm me. The thought of Allison Novak, awake and aware as this monster transformed her into his twisted masterpiece... It was too much to bear.
Finn, however, seemed intrigued. He leaned forward, his eyes glinting with a morbid fascination. "Interesting. So, our boy has medical knowledge, or at least a rudimentary understanding of anatomy. That narrows the field a bit."
The coroner gestured towards the victim's torso. "The removal of the sternum and the positioning of the ribs further support this theory. The way the ribs were splayed out, the muscles and tendons meticulously cut and arranged, it was almost surgical in its precision. It would have taken considerable time, skill, and a profound understanding of human anatomy to achieve this while the victim was still breathing."
He looked up at us, his face pale and his eyes haunted. "Based on the state of her muscles, blood flow patterns, and what appears to be strap marks, I believe she was not only alive during this process but likely conscious, albeit to a limited degree. She was almost definitely in shock."
A chill ran down my spine as the implications of the coroner's words sank in. The killer had not only subjected Allison Novak to unspeakable physical torment but had also ensured that she was fully conscious, aware of her agony in excruciating detail.
"Do you have any idea how long she might have survived in this state?" I asked, my voice strained, echoing the hollowness I felt inside.
The coroner shook his head. "It's difficult to say for certain, but based on the extent of the mutilations and the signs of healing around some of the wounds, I'd estimate she endured this hell for several days, if not longer."
Exiting the morgue, the image of Allison Novak enduring days of unimaginable torture haunted my thoughts. We had barely taken a few steps outside when a wave of nausea that had been building all day suddenly overwhelmed me. I stumbled toward a nearby bush, my body convulsing as I vomited. I could feel Finn’s gaze on me, yet he said nothing, maintaining a respectful distance as I regained my composure.
Straightening up, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Finn offered a bottle of water, his expression unreadable. "Here," he said, "rinse your mouth out."
I accepted the bottle gratefully, taking a moment to splash water on my face as well. For a brief instant, it seemed we might have shared our first genuine moment of connection, a glimpse of understanding beneath his rough exterior.
But before I could fully grasp it, Finn blurted out, "So, ready for lunch? I was thinking Mexican." His tone was casual, as if he hadn't just witnessed me losing my composure in the most undignified manner possible.
At the time, I pretended to be annoyed by his apparent insensitivity. But looking back, I realize that I was actually grateful for how he handled that moment. Vulnerable and exposed in a way I rarely allowed myself to be, especially in front of a new partner, Finn could have berated me or questioned my ability to handle the case as a senior detective. Instead, he brushed it off as nothing, giving me the space to collect myself without judgment. It was then I understood there was more to him than the callous facade he presented. I never got the chance to thank him for that.
The rest of our drive through the county unfolded in silence, the gentle hum of the Plymouth's engine a soothing constant as we ventured deeper into the heart of Texas. The rain had cleared, giving way to a vast expanse of sky that stretched endlessly above us, an uninterrupted blue save for the occasional drift of wispy clouds. The landscape rolled by, marked by herds of cattle and plumes of smoke rising from distant oil refineries, painting a picture of rural industriousness.
As we neared Willowbrook, Finn unfolded a map with practiced hands, confirming our entry into the city limits. The town, home to 54,382 souls, had transformed over the years from a modest oil outpost into a thriving agricultural hub. Rich, fertile soil had been discovered beneath the once-barren surface, breathing new life into the area and drawing local and migrant ranchers to capitalize on the agricultural boom. I was struck by the verdant fields and pastures that contradicted my dusty, arid preconceptions of Texas.
Finn pulled the car off the road, bringing it to a stop beside a gently babbling creek. The serene sound of the water provided a momentary respite from the weight of our earlier discoveries. As I scanned our surroundings, my gaze fell upon a structure nearly consumed by the encroaching vegetation, its faded red roof peeking out from amidst the overgrowth. Finn, following my line of sight, gestured towards a rusted plaque half-hidden beneath a tangle of vines.
Intrigued, I pushed aside the foliage, revealing the weathered inscription:
"Willowbrook Confederate Hospital Est. 1862
Dedicated to the brave Texas soldiers who fought in the New Mexico Campaign and the noble medical staff who tended to their wounds.
'No greater love hath any man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.' John 15:13."
Finn, cigarette dangling from his lips, exhaled a plume of smoke as he studied the faded lettering.
"Places like this," he mused, his voice taking on a rare, contemplative tone, "they have a way of soaking up the past. All that pain, all that desperation—it seeps into the very walls. Makes you wonder if it ever truly fades away."
I considered his words as I gazed at the crumbling edifice, my mind conjuring images of the countless souls who had passed through its halls—the wounded, the dying, and those fighting to save them. "Maybe so," I conceded, "but it's worth remembering that this place was also a symbol of hope and healing, once upon a time."
Finn scoffed, flicking ash from his cigarette with a dismissive gesture. "Hope? In a place like this? More likely they did more harm than good, if you ask me."
Rolling my eyes, I felt a surge of exasperation at his relentless cynicism. "Christ, Finn, do you ever give it a rest? Not everything has to be so goddamn bleak all the—" My words died in my throat as a flicker of movement caught my eye.
There, across the creek and through the dense foliage, a face peered out from one of the hospital's cracked windows. Pale and ethereal against the shadowed interior, it stared directly at us, sending a chill racing down my spine. As quickly as it had appeared, the figure retreated back into the gloom, leaving me with a lingering sense of unease.
Finn, noticing my abrupt silence, turned to follow my gaze, his brow furrowing in concern. "What is it?" he asked, an uncharacteristic note of apprehension in his voice.
"I saw someone," I managed, my words scarcely more than a whisper. "In the window. Watching us."
He scrutinized the building, his expression inscrutable. After a moment, Finn crushed his cigarette under his boot and looked back at me. "Probably just a squatter," he concluded, his usual skepticism returning. "Let's not get sidetracked. We've got enough to deal with."
I wanted to persist, but I knew I didn’t have any good arguments. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. Finn, too, seemed eager to put the building behind us, his pace quickening as we made our way back to the car.
The relentless Texas sun bore down on the mourners gathered at Willowbrook Cemetery, casting sharp shadows across the sea of black garments and somber faces. It had been a few days since our arrival in town, and Finn and I, having settled in at the local police station and assigned local liaison Detective Steve Martinez, decided to attend Allison Novak's funeral to better understand the community's perception of her.
As the casket (closed, of course), was gently lowered into the earth, the reverend's voice, soothing and somber, invoked words of comfort and promises of eternal peace. The air was thick with the scent of freshly turned soil and the muted grief of the assembled mourners.
One by one, community members stepped forward to share their memories of Allison. Their speeches painted her as a dedicated teacher, a kind soul with unwavering faith. However, amidst the typical eulogies, one definitely differed from the rest.
"Allison was a special soul," the woman began, her heavy German accent lending a mystical air to her words. "She was chosen, blessed by powers beyond our understanding. Her death, tragic as it may be, is not the end. Her soul, forever changed, will watch over us, a spiritual sentinel guarding our community from the forces of darkness."
I glanced at Finn, noting the way his eyebrows shot up at the woman's cryptic statement. It seemed we were both on the same page, our instincts telling us that there was more to this than mere grief-stricken ramblings.
As the service concluded and the mourners began to disperse, Finn and I approached the elderly woman, our curiosity piqued.
"Excuse me, ma'am," I said gently, not wanting to startle her. "We couldn't help but notice your unique perspective on Allison's passing. Could you tell us more about what you meant?"
The woman's eyes widened, a mix of fear and excitement flickering across her weathered features. She glanced around nervously, as if checking to see if anyone was within earshot. "You don't understand," she whispered urgently, leaning in close. "Allison was special. More than you could possibly know."
"Special in what way?" Finn cut in, his tone a mix of skepticism and intrigue.
The woman opened her mouth to answer, but before she could utter a word, a hand gently touched her shoulder. We turned to see a younger woman, likely her daughter, standing beside her. She offered us a small, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but we really must be going," she said, her voice gentle yet firm.
The elderly woman looked back at us, her expression fraught with an unsaid urgency. "Just remember," she whispered, her eyes boring into mine with intensity, "she didn't fear death. She feared what her death meant for all of us."
Finn took a long drag from his cigarette, his gaze following the old woman's retreating form. "Well, that was enlightening," he muttered.
I nodded, my mind still processing the implications of her cryptic message. "I'm starting to get the impression this is a bit bigger than a lone torturer," I said, turning to face my partner.
Finn flicked the ash from his cigarette, his eyes narrowing. "You think?" He laughed. "At some point, we need to speak to that woman alone. See if we can't get her to spill the beans.”
"Agreed," I said, glancing at my watch. "But in the meantime, I believe we have an appointment to keep."
Martinez had arranged for us to meet the man who discovered Allison Novak's body, and he insisted on accompanying us himself. "Edgar's a bit of a recluse, old school, you know? He might open up more with a familiar face around," Martinez explained as our vehicle wound through the dense woodland bordering the town.
Edgar Holt was a wiry old man with piercing eyes and a guarded demeanor. He lived in isolation, off the beaten path in a cabin adorned with hunting trophies and antique firearms. As we approached, we found him on his porch cleaning a rifle. His scrutiny was intense as he watched us approach, his expression unreadable.
"Mr. Holt, I'm Detective Hunt, and this is Special Agent Finn," I introduced us, gesturing towards Finn, who offered a curt nod. "Detective Martinez mentioned you could help us understand more about where you found Ms. Novak."
Holt paused, setting his rifle aside with deliberate care and wiping his hands on an old rag. "Yeah, I found her alright," he muttered, his voice rough with a hint of defensiveness. "I was tracking a deer through the woods out back when I stumbled up on her. Nearly jumped out of my boots. I'll show ya."
We followed him into the woods, the underbrush crunching beneath our feet. Martinez stayed close to Holt, making small talk to keep the old hunter engaged. Despite his age, Holt moved with surprising agility, his intimate familiarity with the terrain clear as he navigated through the labyrinth of trees.
"Right around here," Holt announced, stopping in a small clearing. The ground was littered with fallen leaves, and remnants of police tape fluttered lightly in the breeze.
Finn crouched to examine the ground, while Martinez kept his eyes on Holt. "You come out here often, Mr. Holt?" Finn asked in a tone that was casual yet sharp.
"Every day," Holt responded, his gaze sweeping the clearing. "This land's been good to me. Known it all my life. Nothing happens here without me noticing."
I spoke up. "I noticed a fresh deer skin tanning outside your shed, and another looked recently processed. You're quite the marksman, Mr. Holt."
Holt's posture stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he processed my words. "Yeah, that's right. It's been a good season for me," he replied cautiously.
I nodded, keeping my gaze on the ground. "Interesting, since this is BLM land and I understand they've only issued two tags this season. You've had quite a bit of good luck to have already filled your tags this early, wouldn't you say?" I noticed how the color drained from his face, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.
"So, what I'm trying to understand, Mr. Holt, is how you were out here hunting deer when you've supposedly already reached your limit." My question hung in the air, the tension palpable.
The old man grunted, his eyes flashing with anger. "I want a lawyer. And you can get the hell out of here."
I sighed, holding up my hands in a placating gesture. "You're not under arrest, Mr. Holt. We're with homicide, not fish and wildlife. Whatever you're doing, that's for the game wardens to sort out. We're just trying to figure out why you were out here, and I don't appreciate being lied to."
Martinez stepped in, placing a hand on Holt's shoulder. "Give it a rest, will you?" he said, steering the old hunter away from us. He spoke to him in low tones, likely trying to reassure him that he wasn't in trouble.
Finn shook his head, "Wow, great detective work, Hunt. Not five minutes into interviewing a witness and he's already lawyering up. Bang-up job."
I shot him a glare, my patience wearing thin. "Speaking of jobs, why don't you do yours and look for something useful instead of second-guessing me?" I snapped, turning my attention back to the clearing.
Finn chuckled, but set about examining the scene more closely, his keen eyes scanning the ground for any clues we might have missed.
"Mr. Holt, I need you to explain why you were out here," I pressed.
"Hunting, damn you," he retorted. "I didn't have anything to do with that girl's death. I should've just kept walking, with all the trouble y'all are causing me."
"I assure you, Mr. Holt, finding a mutilated corpse and not reporting it would not have been in your best interest. But we need to understand how a woman's body ended up this far out, isolated, with nothing around for miles but your cabin."
"I don't know!" he shouted back, his voice tinged with anger and a hint of fear. "If it were me, I'd have buried her or fed her to the hogs. You might think folks like me are just dumb hicks, but even I would've come up with something better than just leaving her out to attract predators."
"There are predators in the area then? What kind?" I asked, seizing the opportunity to gather more information.
"Oh, you name it," he muttered, "Coyotes, bobcats, maybe even a cougar or two. They'd all take a chance on a free meal," he explained.
I pondered his words, "And yet, she was out here for weeks without so much as a nibble from them?"
Holt paused, "Animals have been steering clear of this spot. Won't come within a hundred yards. They can smell the evil."
"Smell the evil?" I echoed skeptically.
"Yes, the evil," he insisted, his voice dropping to a whisper. "This spot ain't normal no more. There's something dark here, and even the beasts know better than to mess with it. Maybe you could take the hint."
"Well, I appreciate the advice, Mr. Holt, but I have a job to do," I responded with a forced smile, turning to leave. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."
As I rejoined Finn, his expression was pensive, eyes scanning the ground. "Find anything?" I asked.
He exhaled slowly, frustration evident. "Not much. There's hardly any blood, if any at all. But look at this," he gestured around us, "the foliage here is dying off. It might be from some chemicals she was doused with, or something else affecting the area."
I nodded, following his gaze. The ground underfoot was patchy and discolored for a few yards in any direction.
"She wasn't dragged here, either. The ground's soft from recent rains, but there are no tire marks, no signs of a body being dragged." He paused, then pointed towards a specific spot. "But I did find something interesting over here."
I stepped closer, following his gesture to a set of footprints. Finn crouched down, his finger tracing the outline of the prints. "Look at the gait here," he explained. "Nearly four feet between strides. For most adults, it should be closer to two. And look—they seem to be backwards."
The implication of his words slowly dawned on me. "You're saying—"
"Whatever happened, she walked here on her own," he concluded.

just like the title says, i am 34 weeks pregnant and working full time. my maternity leave is unpaid, so ive been trying to just keep going as far as i can. but i will have financial help when i leave. my pregnancy has been fairly easy and i am very grateful for that. i work with toddlers, my job involves a ton of bending, lifting, cleaning, and yelling haha. I feel so overwhelmed plus I have back pain, swollen feet, and carpal tunnel. I currently have been sick with a sore throat and my boss is giving me a hard time about being off for two days. i also just heard that some of the children here have contracted hands foot and mouth. I feel overworked and so stressed out. I also am not fully prepared for baby but find myself too burnt out after work to even finish everything up. I likely will be getting a new job later in the year but I don’t want the pressure of having to hurry up and find one because I got fired or was forced to quit this one. How do I go about leaving work to prepare for my baby? Does my doctor need to write me a note, do I write one myself? Am i overthinking things?

I tested positive for Covid this morning, and to say I’m terrified is actually an understatement. Pretty sure I caught it at a concert this past Sunday, and the worst part is the concert wasn’t even worth the exposure… I wear masks literally everywhere still, and at the concert I was wearing three. I have severe anxiety, bipolar disorder, and OCD, along with not being super active because I’m not currently working. I’ve read that those two criterias are associated with possibly being a high risk case.
My symptoms are pretty mild (stuffy/runny nose, fatigue, body aches — thankfully no sore throat or cough) but I’ve had a bit of an elevated heart rate that didn’t really start until I after I saw the results of my test. The suckiest thing is I’m also on my period, so I’m just struggling a bit right now lol.
Anyway, I’m seeing my doctor and my therapist today (originally for different reasons but I guess this counts now, too.) I’m wondering if anyone else has felt this way? Is it true that having mental disorders is a sign for high risk cases?

This morning I had my radio on and hopped on the bed while I was cleaning… little did I know his foot was there.
Big mistake I saw the hands ready to be used on me again and they stopped mid air when his mom walked in…. So he just grabbed my speaker and threw it to the floor….. in front his mom while he is naked…..
She says — “he’s sick, why is that even something you would do” he’s not sick at all lol…. little does she know he was up all night; doing what? Hmmm using nose candy now.. let’s talk about last night ;
I got off work 10.5 hour day and I’m exhausted and sore I missed a whole half our break and walked 14k steps while cleaning a huge yacht; I got off late and I was so happy to be home! I see a text “your not being honest about where you are why is your map not working” he tracks me when he does coco watches my every move while I work on a ferry type of boat…..
I wanted to set my boundaries and be taken seriously im going to need this accusation to stop because it’s triggering since he is the only person I let cheat on me…. He keeps getting more mean and aggressive plus he’s constantly deflecting all the time and never can take accountability…. He blames me for not enough attention but I only see him…. He won’t let me just have friends to myself and I hate it…
We temporary had to move in with his mom and recently he’s been aggressive and it’s always me at fault for it???
He screams and I used to years ago be the mentally unstable one but he helped me with love and now I get none of it. Why can’t he say he doesn’t love me instead of it being shown in actions. He gets mad when I tell him my feelings and it’s always an attack… I don’t know if I can love again because I fell for a narc and didn’t see it till 4 years too late.
He loved me so much and he now hates me and I let him because I pray my love will fix but he actually hit me a few times which he hadn’t done to anyone. Why can’t I leave. Why can’t he love me. Why do I have no self esteem and I used to be so proud of myself. I’ve lost my personality and joy and creative energy , he’s lost his spark to do life with spontaneousness. I feel my worst fear that I am only valued for my body was something I never saw coming but gets worse.
Talking to fix our problems is so hard
Also He implied that I was not honest for the 1000 time when I’ve been nothing but loyal and his only example of my “cheating” is when he was not even close to wanting to call me his gf and he didn’t let me know he wasn’t dating other girls… I was previously seeing another guy and didn’t stop right away for 3-4 weeks because it’s not fair to me to be all in w a dude who doesn’t seem serious and said he wouldn’t want a gf for a year and he just got out a relationship!!!
Lol so I wasn’t going to go all in to be hurt by a lame! Till I felt he was actually not just calling me for sex ya know?
That’s me cheating…. Yes pre relationship cheating ??? I can’t imagine being happy with someone again it took 4 years for him t go from perfect to worse in violence and accountability than everyone I’ve been with.
I had a grade bpd 10 bf in school who had more respect for me and ability’s to do things like…change and not just say it. I’m just so sad and I don’t want it to be over but imma pack rn he left me with a welt for trying to stop him “wanting to die and it’s all because of me “ it’s been a week and it’s still there and he is closer to wanting to hit me in the face more than ever…

F27, obese (in the process of losing weight) Meds: trazodone, pregabalin, Candesartan and lansoprazole Diagnosed with migraines, FND, bile reflux, multiple herniated discs (chronic), PTSD & autism
TLDR: GP said it’s tonsil stones but it hurts quite a lot, redness, swelling, high temps & migraines happening daily last few days. Should I try to get antibiotics anyway?
I get sore throats with swelling of tonsils & uvula a lot (twice a month at least) but it usually lasts a few days then goes away, never any white patches. This time it’s been ongoing for 3 weeks, around 1.5 weeks ago I noticed white patches but didn’t feel too unwell other than sore/swollen throat stuff so just got on with life as usual. Last few days I’ve had migraines every day which always happens when I have an infection, not sure if the high temps are related to that (it happens sometimes when I get migraines, no higher than 38.2c / 100.76F) or if I have tonsillitis. My throat hurts constantly but when I swallow it’s like I’m trying to swallow shards of glass. I saw GP this morning but she was more focused on doing a referral for testing for sleep apnoea as a possible cause for frequent sore throats. She said it’s probably tonsil stones but go to urgent care if I start struggling to swallow anything, dribbling, or can’t breathe well.
My partner took a video a few hours ago, they don’t show it in great detail (there’s patches on the other tonsil too, and some further down my throat) but I’ll link them below anyway. She had recurrent tonsillitis when she was younger and said because of the patches, redness in my throat, back of my tongue being grey/fuzzy and the swallowing glass sensation that she thinks it could be tonsillitis. I’m obviously not saying she knows better than a doctor, but I feel really rough right now which I don’t think would happen if it was just tonsil stones? Eg I’m in bed at 4pm which is really uncommon for me but the pain is quite bad (also uncommon for me to complain of pain, my pain threshold is generally quite high) and my temp is 37.9 / 100.22F despite alternating paracetamol & ibuprofen every 2hrs.
I just looked at my throat again and it looks more swollen & red than the photo/video from earlier but I couldn’t get any more photos on my own.
Link to pic/video: https://imgur.com/gallery/HzX9DU7

21F
https://ibb.co/fqQ6XVd https://ibb.co/CnFjdzZ

Hello! I am female, 26 years old, living in Southern Europe.
I have never had serious health issues before, but I do suffer from PCOS, Migraines (with occular aura), seborrheic dermatitis, depression, anxiety and C-PTSD. I take birth control, amirol and fluoxetine to manage symptoms of these conditions.
Here's the short story about my 'medical mystery': Almost 4 months ago, I suddenly developed a very painful and swollen bump on the back of the right side of my head, almost going down towards my neck. I have had CT scan, MRI, biopsy, ultrasounds and various blood tests done which confirm acute inflammation in the subcutaneous layer. No abscess or fluids. There was also thickening of the soft tissues and enlarged lymph nodes. CRP levels very elevated at times. I have seen various specialists and no one can pinpoint why this is happening.
Now here's the full story, buckle in and enjoy!
My story starts around the middle of January. I was on a very short business trip in Spain when I realised that the area on the back of the right side of my head was feeling very sore. At the same time, I also had a pretty intense seborrheic dermatitis flare up, so I thought that perhaps my scalp was just sore from that. Fast forward to the day after I arrive back home. The sore area was getting increasingly more swollen and painful throughout the day. By the late afternoon, I had limited movement of my neck due to the amount of swelling and pain. That day, I had my first visit to the clinic where they suspected a muscle spasm and prescribe ibuprofen and muscle relaxers. Over the next few days, it continues to get worse. The bump is increasing in size and pain. At the point the swelling is about 5cm wide. Nothing can be seen from the outside besides very light redness (although it's difficult to see much as I have thick hair). At this point I have almost no movement of my neck, and sleep/rest was very difficult due to the pain and location of the bump. I go to the immediate care unit at a private clinic and am told it's muscle inflammation. I received valium (lol), solpadol and a gel to treat muscle inflammation. I get an appointment to see an orthopedic specialist two days later. The next two days were awful, I was in very intense pain which was only slightly alleviated by the valium and solpadol. Besides this, I started having other symptoms such as extreme fatigue, and I started developing open sores on my nose, fingers, thigh and ear lobe. These sores just came out on their own, one day the skin just opened up and was leaking pus and blood. I looked and felt extremely unwell.
I see the orthopedic. He didn't look at me much, injected something into the trapezius trigger point and set me up with an appointment for an MRI in two weeks time.
I am feeling increasingly worse over the next few days. I decide to go to the closest GP because I'm just so desperate to stop this pain.
GP is like, yeah you need to go to the emergency right now and get a CT or MRI ASAP.
I go to the emergency department. I have blood taken and my CRP is at 110, and my White Blood Cell count is at 14.5. The doctors there are suspecting mastoiditis and I am admitted to hospital in the ENT ward. I have a CT scheduled the next day and in the meantime, I am started on intravenous Augmentin.
I have blood taken again the next morning and my CRP is at 147 and white blood cells is at 14.
I have a CT of the neck and head with contrast done. This is the report: There is diffuses irregular subcutaneous fat stranding and thickening of the soft tissues in the occipital region on the right which extent at the right posterior aspect of the neck, in keeping with inflammatory process. No convince signs of the abscess formation are seen. There are multiple reactive enlarged regional lymph nodes. Otherwise, soft tissues of the neck are intact. No intra or extra axial fluid collections or space-occupying lesions seen.The lateral ventricles are symmetrical. The midline structures are not shifted and the ventricle are not effaced. No haemorrhages are seen. The visualized paranasal sinuses are clear. The mastoid cells are intact. No focal lytic or traumatic bone lesions demonstrated.
The doctors at the ENT ward decide that it's a skin infection, and treat me with regular intravenous antibiotics for the 3 nights that I was admitted. On my third day there my CRP went up to 166 and my white blood count went down to 12. During my stay there, I felt like I improved greatly, the pain and swelling went down substantially. I am sent home with a prescription for 1- Augemtnin 1g, BD x 7 days 2- Prednisolone 40mg, x 2 days then 20mg, x 2 days then 10mg x 2 days then 5mg x 2 days then stop. 3- Omeprazole 20mg, daily. And I was told to make an appointment with a dermatologist.
At first I was doing much better, but as the days passed by I was feeling worse again. Less than a week after being released, I am back the clinic. I have blood taken and I also have an ultrasound done. My CRP was at 16, ESR is at 70, White blood cells is at 11. Normochromic normocytic red blood cells seen. Leucocytes and platelets appear normal. At this point, I am low-key panicking that this might be cancer, due to an extensive history of cancer on both sides of my family. I am prescribed Ciproflaxacin and Clindamaycin for 14 days and told to hold tight and keep monitoring.
I also had an appointment with a dermatologist almost 2 weeks after my release from hospital. She had a look at everything and said it's in no way related to dermatology and sent me back to square one.
I take the course of antibiotics, and wait it out patiently. I'm not feeling super sick, and the pain is minimal, but the swelling is still there. At this point, I get an ultrasound done which didn't tell us anything we didn't already know, except that I have a few small cysts on my thyroid.
I'm still freaked out by everything, and my GP refers me for an ultrasound guided biopsy. These are the biopsy results: Sections show granulation tissue, acute and chronic inflammation and fibroadipose tissue. A few foreign body giant cells are noted. There are multiple keratin squamous, the latter suggests that there may be an infected branchial cyst. No malignancy.
So after this, I am referred to an ENT (not one that has seen me before). He takes a look and says that it's most definitely not an infected branchial cyst due to the location, but refers me for an MRI just to be sure.
I get the MRI done. I don't have the report available to me, but pretty much the MRI told us nothing we didn't already know, except for one thing. 3 months prior to everything happening, I had an MRI due to my migraines. The radiologist looked back at that MRI and noted that my lymph nodes were already inflamed.
I have been back to my GP this week and I had another blood test done. My CRP is at 50.5, ESR 45 and White Blood count is at 9. My GP has suggested to see a neurologist next.
So that's my whole story so far. After my own Google deepdive, I'm leaning towards a theory that this is autoimmune related. But I would love to hear feedback and thoughts from this community.

I dont know if its correlated or not but since ive start minoxidil I have been sick at least 4-5 times in 2 months. Like a cold or flu symptoms. Feeling weak, headeache, sore throat, flu, feeling cold etc.
I have been researching sides effects but these arent the ones that comes out. Has anyone have anything similar ?

It’s beyond irritating and enraging.
Are people not self-conscious/does it not occur to them that this would bother others?
When I would be sick in school, I would suppress every sound as much as possible. When I couldn’t breathe through my nose, I even thought my mouth breathing was too loud and tried to breathe shallowly and quietly.
Also because it’s like…stay home if you’re sick (I’m a bit germophobic and want to avoid these people), at least go and blow your nose instead of sitting there sniffling (or when people do that throat noise repeatedly instead of fully coughing to clear their throat).
I have had to plug my ears when taking a test because of this. And I have an urge to give people nasty looks or react to it when they do it, to clue them in that they are being annoying. I will try to get accommodations for a private testing room next semester.
I acknowledge that I am being somewhat unreasonable, but I think they are also being oblivious and don’t need to be sniffling SO often. I’m okay if it’s not super excessive.

​​Sorry to bother you guys, I'm not looking for a diagnosis, just someone with a similiar story who might have some advise (I'm feeling pretty lost at the moment!)
I've dealt with the following symptoms for the last year (around 13 months or so):

• Major fatigue
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Difficulty standing
• Migraines
• All around weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Numb hands and feet

For now the doctors I've seen haven't been able to find a cause, I've done/seen:

• Blood and urine tests (to rule out hormone problems and diabetes)
• Kidney and liver ultrasound (to rule out kidney stones, etc)
• Brain MRI (to rule out growths or malformations)
• Upper GI endoscopy (to rule out stomach problems)
• Gastric emptying test (to rule out gastroparesis)
• Thoraxic radiography (to rule out lung issues)
• An electrocardiogram
• Ear, nose and throat specialist and an ophtalmologist

I'm a 24y old woman btw!
Everything come backs clean, and my doctors keep insisting It's psychosomatic (and tell me to just take nausea medication every day).
I heard about POTS on the internet and did a 'poor man's tilt test', I'm around 65-70bpm laying down and 115bpm immediately after standing up and around 100-105 after 10minutes (I mesured with a pulse oximeter I got at the pharmacy).
The doctors I've seen aren't familiar with POTS (haven't heard about it at all), so I'm thinking about going to another city to see an expert, which I'm worried would be a waste of time and money if I'm completly wrong but at the same time I feel like I'm at a dead end. I'd like to add that the average time to get a POTS diagnosis in my country is around 11 years because people are misdiagnosed/underdiagnosed.
What would you do in my position? Any advise is welcome pretty please, I really don't know what to do…

34M in good health. Non-smoker. Mild asthma triggered by respiratory infections (like this). Mild seasonal allergies controlled with Zyrtec. Vaccinated at work every fall, not sure the exact month (probably Septmber or October)
Saturday: Morning workout, deadlifts + 1 hour cardio. Afternoon work event at museum full of kids coughing and sneezing. With wife and 11 month old baby
Sunday: tickle in my throat in the afternoon. Occasional bouts of coughing without pain. Thought it was allergies (trees in full bloom). Played with baby, hung out with wife basically all day. Went to bed feeling fine (wife next to me). Some coughing fits during night
Monday: wakeup at 3am with muscle aches, chills, temperature 99.5. Take Tylenol, go back to sleep. Wake up feeling reasonable, no fever, but still sore throat and coughing. Now thinking I have a cold. Take home Covid test— negative. Go to work wearing n95 with supply of Tylenol and advil. End up alternating every 4 hours with breakthrough chills, muscle aches in between doses. Starting to feel just like Covid I had in the fall. Call wife and tell her to grab all her stuff out of bedroom so I can quarantine when I get home. Call off work next day. Fever controlled for about 3 hours with each Tylenol/advil dose, then rises to about 101 as I near the 4 hour mark.
Tuesday: wake up at 3am with terrible chills and body aches. 6 hours from last antipyretic dose. Temp 102.2. Take advil and suffer for 45 mins while it kicks in. Poor sleep. Ongoing sore throat (not as bad as strep, 5/10 severity), congestion starts, vertigo/lightheadedness with head movement, minimal headache. Cough continues. Second home Covid test negative. Continue alternating Tylenol/advil every 4 hours. Go to Walgreens in the afternoon for test. Flu A positive, prescribed tamiflu, but can’t be filled until the following morning. Notify work, benched for 7 days from symptom onset per protocol
Wednesday: no significant changes in symptoms, however able to control fever pretty well with only Tylenol spaced out to 10-12 hours instead of every 8. Max temp 101.1. See this as improvement. Decide not to pickup tamiflu after reading about lack of effectiveness if not started early.
Thursday (today): nighttime sweats, not soaking sheets but noticeable without fever. Wake up with no fever. No Tylenol or ibuprofen needed. Congestion improved. Sore throat improved. Cough still present and slightly productive. Muscle aches better but still present particularly upper back. Feeling much better, but not quite ready for anything strenuous
Wife and baby currently showing no signs of infection. I would say Covid was worse. The worst of it was similar, but with covid I only felt 5-10% better every day beyond the initial period of fevers. This feels like a much more rapid recovery so far once it starts. Covid also crippled my exercise capacity for weeks beyond my fever breaking (would sweat profusely and get winded walking on a flat surface).
One last note: I spent a lot of time in bed reading flu trying to figure out how long this would last. I got the impression that this was worse than Covid, fevers could last 1-2 weeks, recovery would be slow, months of crushing fatigue, etc. I’m sure that happens to some, and maybe time will tell, but so far this is tracking with more conventional timelines offered by the CDC, etc of about 3-4 bad days, followed by ~3 days of rapid recovery. The stories on Reddit are likely not a representative sample, so don’t despair if you are on days 2-4 with no end in sight. In all likelihood, you will turn the corner out of the blue and this will all be just a distant memory