Fever accompanied by leg pain

Hi, I am a 31 y/o female. Since teenage years I have experienced SP on an occasional basis. Past triggers I have realised have been overtiredness, sickness or certain mediations I have been on. Since it was so occasional I have not been overly affected by it, obviously have not enjoyed when it has happened as for me it is quite terrifying but have been able to live with it.
However, perhaps the past 3 months or so I have experienced it far more often, multiple times a week, ALWAYS just as I fall asleep at night.
I have experienced it many different ways before.
· Just the paralysis in bed nothing else
· The sense something is in the room, but never seeing their face.
· Whispers in ears/vibrating (most common)
· Things touching me (scratching/groping me sexually/grabbing me really hard on arms/legs) sometimes I can’t see who, sometimes I just see the hands or arms, sometimes it looks like my husband, but I can never see all of his face, usually just the bottom half.
Every time I have the paralysis/minimal movement and can never ever scream, never have a voice.
Lately though, it seems like it has started out as a normal dream, then suddenly, I become lucid in the dream and then once that happens the paralysis starts, and I always end up back in my bed with any of the above happening. When this transition happens as I said I am lucid, I can feel it slowly happening. A few examples:

1. I was in an old bathroom in an old house admiring the wallpaper, then realised I was dreaming, the wallpaper started melting and I started falling to the ground, locking up, until I was back in my bed having SP.
2. I was showing an older woman who I did not recognise a new tattoo on my back, she went in to touch me inappropriately and I tried to move her arm, couldn’t, realised I was dreaming and suddenly was in my own bed with lots of hands trying to grab me hard with SP.

Anyway, after all that, I was wondering if anyone had any tips, or any ideas on why suddenly this is happening more often? I haven’t made any huge changes.
I have tried the accept it and relax method but sometimes when I get attacked by things I can actually feel the pain, so it is hard.
Anything would be appreciated, thank you.

We keep a running list of all of my new symptoms. Last week added what they thought was a small stroke. I looked in the mirror and my whole left side was severely drooping and I couldn’t speak. We went straight to hospital and by the time we got there, I’d lost use of my legs.
We’ve also added daily and prolific nose bleeds. They were sometimes and now they’re daily if not multiple times a day. And they last 10+ minutes each time and leave me gagging on blood like a full open faucet.
Finally made it to Cleveland clinic last week. She spent 15 minutes with me and rushed me out with zero answers after a 14 hour straight through the night drive to make it there from hospital discharge.
I feel hopeless and scared. Is this the normal escalation of symptoms with IIH that y’all experienced.
For context, a sudden severe lethargy began on 1/29/24
The unending and unrelenting headache began 2/6/24 and came out of nowhere. It hasn’t let up a single day since. My pain levels are 8+ every day.
3/6/24 The MRI showed my brain was swelling from 100% blocked bilateral stenosis
I now have metabolic acidosis as well.
Were things fast and furious and horrible in the beginning like this?

So I contracted gHSV-1 on May 3, 2024. I immediately began feeling this very dull but noticeable pain on my left portion of my glans (head). That was the very first indication something was wrong.
It's been over a month now (June 10, 2024) and that dull pain (2 or 3 out of 10 in terms of pain) still remains. It's only noticeable when the fabric from my underwear brushes against that portion of my glans. If I intentionally rub that area with my finger it doesn't really illicit any type of pain, it's only light brushes that brings upon this light, dull pain.
Aside from this constant dull pain, I've only experienced minor symptoms like various small (almost indistinguishable) red bumps that appear on my glans or under foreskin area but then are gone by the next day. I've had minor discharge from urethra. But I did get a ton of tingles throughout my body (bottom of feet, knees, legs, butt, pubic area, elbow, arm, back, head, lips, even eyes), however these tingles have been subsiding recently and seem to only be confined to pubic or butt region.
My question is has anyone else experienced this? Will this pain ever subside entirely?

They called us The Middleview Four.
Initially, it was just me and the mayor's son, Noah Prestley. We were the first two members. In the second grade, the two of us hated each other. He pulled my hair during naptime, and I scribbled on his drawings when he wasn't looking. When a dastardly crime hit our class, a milk thief, we reluctantly threw aside our differences and came together to catch the evil doer.
Spoiler alert, it was Jessica S.
After a nap time stakeout when we were supposed to be asleep, Noah and I caught her red handed– literally. Jessica's palms were still stained crimson from arts and crafts. Her plan was fool proof: Wait until we were all sleeping, and then drink all of our milk.
Noah and I were hailed heroes.
Well, no.
We actually got in trouble for not sleeping, but our teacher did quietly thank us for catching Jessica before her evil crimes could continue. After the milk incident, Noah Prestley didn't seem that bad anymore. I didn't have any friends.
Instead of playing with the other kids, I spent the entirety of recess examining the dirt on the playground for unusual footprints. Jessica S had been sternly reprimanded for stealing milk, but I had a feeling there were still criminals out there– and I would be the one to find and catch them. Mr Steven’s, the janitor, looked suspicious before lunch. I saw him crouched behind a dumpster with his head down. I thought he was pooping, until I saw the small bag in his hands.
Hiding behind a wall, I watched him open it up and stare at it for a while, before another teacher yelled his name.
I ran away before he could catch me, but I was sure the janitor had run across the playground. Studying the dirt in front of me, I was sure the footprint belonged to Mr Stevens. I had already checked his shoes. Mr Miller, our teacher, asked me to collect everyone's workbooks from the faculty room. I couldn't resist.
After an incident involving a faculty member trailing in animal poop from outside, all students and teachers had to take off their outdoor shoes and wear indoor ones. The janitor’s outdoor shoes were neatly placed under his desk. Before I could hesitate, I checked the bottom of them, memorising their pattern. Swirls and C’s.
Stabbing at the footprints in the dirt, I idly traced the exact same swirly pattern.
“What are you doing, weirdo?”
Noah Prestley knelt next to me, his curious eyes following my fingers that were digging into the dirt. I wanted to trace the footprints with my fingers. Mom told me to keep my dress clean, but it was already filthy, my cheeks smeared with dirt. I didn't look up from my clue. Noah was a good sidekick, admittedly. But he did eat all the snacks during our stake out– and he got distracted easily.
We were almost caught when he freaked out over a moth. “Investigating crime,” I said, grabbing a stick and tracing the shoe pattern for the hundredth time.
The footprint was too blurry, I could barely see any swirls.
Noah sighed, snatching the stick off of me. “You're doing it wrong,” he grumbled. Before I could speak, the boy jumped up, prodding the dirt with the stick. “You need to look at the patterns on the shoe, and then see if they match.”
“Whose shoe?” I said, coughing over my panicked tone. He was onto me. “That's what I've been doing!”
The boy’s lip curled into a smile. He was the mayor's son, so I was careful around him. Even when we worked together to catch the milk thief, I kept my distance. He folded his arms, giggling. “The janitor’s shoe. I saw you spying on him while he was eating white powder.”
I stepped back. “I wasn't spying.”
Noah followed me, mocking my backing away. Another step, and he was standing on my shoes. “You were too. I saw you hiding behind the wall before recess. You were spying on the janitor.”
Urgh. I stuck out my tongue. Boy cooties.
Leaning away from him, I pulled a face. “No I didn't, and you can't prove it.”
“Yes I caaaaan,” he sang. “I can also prove that you were playing with the janitor’s shoes during class time.”
I dropped the stick, stepping on it.
“You wouldn't.”
He danced back, laughing. “I would!”
Noah patted his jeans pocket where a phone was nestled inside. He was the only kid allowed a phone in class, due to him getting special treatment for being the mayor's son. The boy had two incriminating videos that would get me in trouble— maybe in even more trouble than the milk thief. The first one was a clear shot of me playing with the janitor’s shoes in the teachers lounge, and the second exposed me in perfect detail, on my tiptoes trying to peer behind the wall.
Immediately, I tried to grab the phone off of him, but Noah Prestley had an ulterior motive. “I want to help you,” he said, pocketing his phone. When I could only frown at him in confusion, he lowered himself into the dirt. “Old Man Critter is hiding something,” he murmured, tracing the dirt with his fingers. Noah lifted his head, peering at me through dark brown curls hanging in his eyes. His smile was mischievous– definitely not the type I was used to. The mayor's son was more interesting than I thought. “So, let's find out what it is.”
“Old Man Critter?” I questioned.
Noah shrugged. “He looks like a cockroach.”
The mystery white powder was cocaine.
Obviously.
However, to two seven year olds, this so-called white powder was a mind controlling substance, or maybe even something that could end the world.
After all, per Noah’s detective skills, he saw the woman in public, and she was acting a little strange. Noah and I uncovered our janitor's evil plan, after stalking him for weeks, writing our findings in crayon, and staking out his house when we were supposed to be playing in the park. I became a regular visitor to the Prestley household, and Noah’s father wasn't as bad as I thought.
He gave me cookies when I stayed over.
Look, we were seven years old, so our findings weren't exactly concrete.
But we still managed to uncover the clues leading to catching the janitor. There was a strange woman who met up with him outside the school gates at lunchtime. After some digging, we concluded she was buying the white powder from him. We managed to get a picture. Noah told the principal, presenting the evidence, and the janitor was fired for the possession of foreign substances. Noah and I were also reprimanded (again) for sticking our noses into business which wasn't ours.
The adults tried to tell us the white powder was not bad, and was in fact candy. My parents were called, and Noah’s father did not look happy to be there, sending Noah scary death-glares across the principal's desk.
My mother stood up and apologised for my behavior, blaming my imagination on the cartoons I was watching. In front of my Mom, I brought up the argument that a teacher wouldn't be selling candy to a woman. I received the look in return, but I didn't back down.
She shook her head stubbornly, refusing to believe we were onto something, gently grabbing my hand and pulling me into my seat. I was threatened with zero dessert for a week, and no cartoons, which did shut me up eventually.
There was no way I was missing Saturday morning Adventure Time. The adults seemed to have won this silent battle, and the principal began a speech which was basically, Children tend to have vivid imaginations, but will grow out of it…
That was until a bored looking Noah jumped out of his chair and grabbed the seized baggie of white powder, ripping it open, his mouth curling into a grin. “Well, if it's candy, I can eat it, right?”
Following a loud cacophony of, “No!” from the adults who really thought a seven year old was about to down half a pound of cocaine, and my mother almost fainting, our disgruntled parents finally agreed to take our claims seriously.
The principal searched the janitor’s locker, and sure enough, he pulled out multiple bags of white powder.
Old Man Critter had an audience of kids and faculty when he was being led away. Noah and I stood at the front. I remember him twisting around, teeth clenched in a manic snarl, saliva dripping down his chin. “I'll get you! You little brats! I'll fucking find you!”
That was the day we found our third member.
I opened my mouth to shout back at him, but my mother was quick to shut me up.
May Lee, who was standing between me and Noah, nudged me, and then elbowed him hard enough to get a hiss out of the boy. May was half Korean, a tiny girl with orange pigtails who knocked Johnny Summer’s out during reading time for poking her in the face.
May scared me. She scared Noah too, judging from the fearful look he shot me. I had a vague memory of her pigtails hitting me in the face during recess, and were somehow sharp enough to bruise my eye. May’s gaze trailed our school janitor being violently dragged outside. “Do you two even know how to catch bad guys?”
“Yes.” Noah mumbled under his breath. “Obviously.”
He let out another hiss when she hit him again.
“Ow!” Noah shoved her back. “Your elbows are pointy!”
“Well, you're not very good,” May teased, “I can help you catch bad guys.”
He snorted. “Oh, yeah? What makes you think you can help us?”
May proved herself a few weeks later when we were on our second official case. Who stole Mrs Johnson’s award winning carrots? I turned eight years old on the day May officially became part of our gang. We were supposed to be celebrating my birthday in the park, but of course we had work to do.
Mrs Johnson’s award-winning carrots were still missing, and we were determined to find them. After tracking down the missing vegetables to a seedy house at the end of my block, Noah had stupidly decided to check out the inside for himself, leaving me alone with zero help. This was the first time I felt genuine fear striking through me, the first time I wanted to run and crawl under my bed.
The carrot thief was in fact the crazy old woman who screamed at cheese in the store– the one Mom told me to stay away from. Using my dad’s ancient binoculars and my mediocre lip reading skills, I watched the crazy lady hold Noah hostage in her kitchen, armed with an old World War 2 grenade she swore she would detonate.
It's not like I could follow him, I was in danger of getting caught too. Hiding behind the wall in front of her house, I had a perfect view of her kitchen window, and my friend awkwardly sitting at her table eating cookies. Had he switched sides!? my attention flicked to the chocolate cookie in my friend’s hand, my hands growing clammy around the binoculars. Could those cookies be forcing Noah to join the side of evil?
When Noah pointed toward the window, right at me, I ducked, slamming my hand over my mouth, stifling a cry.
I was so close to proving my Mom right, that I was putting myself in danger with this investigative hobby, and calling for her help, when no other than May Lee stepped out of the crazy old woman's house, hand in hand with an embarrassed looking Noah. Immediately, I hugged him. Then I hit him.
“Why did you sell me out, stupid head?!” I yelled. “What did she do to you?”
The boy blinked at me through thick brown hair. “She gave me a cookie.”
“What? But it could be controlling you!”
Noah pushed me away when I tried to check his ears for mind control devices. “Stop hitting me, I was telling her I had a friend waiting for me outside,” he grumbled. The boy refused to look at his rescuer, hiding under his hood. “She wanted the carrots to feed her bunny.”
A proud looking May held up the stolen carrots with a grin. “I snuck in the back window.” she shoved Noah with a giggle, “Sorry, what did you say about not needing me, Mr Know It All?”
Noah groaned, his gaze glued to the ground. Noah Prestley was stubborn. “She was like a thousand years old and was feeding her bunny when you attacked her. She didn't even tie me up, and besides,” he stuck out his tongue. “I didn't even need rescuing. She made me cookies and I got to hold Sir Shrooms.”
“Sir Shrooms?”
Noah giggled. “Her bunny.”
May folded her arms. “Say thank you, dumb butt.”
“I already said thank you!” Noah’s cheeks were burning bright. “You need to clean your ears!”
“No you didn't, I would have heard you.”
“Thank you.” Noah muttered under his breath.
The girl snickered. “What did you say, Noah?”
“I said thank you!” The boy ducked his head and I couldn't resist a giggle. He still refused to acknowledge being rescued by a girl. “You're still stupid.”
Despite Noah making it clear he did not want another member joining our secret gang, we welcomed May into our group with our ritual, which was a chocolate cupcake and pushing her into the town lake. (I did the same to Noah, and the tradition kind of stuck). May wasn't just valuable to us for her fighting skills.
She could talk her way out of a situation too. Noah and I got stuck in the principal's private bathroom investigating a small case of a stolen phone from a classmate. Our prime suspect was the principal himself, who had been the last person with it. I was convinced he'd stuffed the phone in his bathroom trash, after accidentally breaking it. We found numbers for phone repairs on his laptop.
Noah and I were searching the trash when he came back from lunch early. If May wasn't there to interrogate him on his favorite video games, we would have been caught.
That year, we were rewarded a special Junior police award at the Christmas parade for solving the mystery behind the disappearing holiday decorations (a teenage girl, who wanted to ruin Christmas for everyone). I still remember Mom’s scowl in the crowd.
She really did not like my obsession with finding and bringing Middleview criminals to justice.
Starting fourth grade, we became a trio of wannabe detectives, and even earned a name for ourselves. The Middleview Three. Mom tried to keep me inside, but by the age of ten, we were getting tip offs from the sheriff's daughter. We found missing cats, tracked down stolen vegetables, and even found a baby.
When our names started to appear in the local gazette, Mom grounded me for two weeks, and Noah’s father threatened to send him to private school.
May’s mother was strangely supportive, often providing snacks for stake outs, and when Noah cut his knee chasing a run-away dog, stitching him back up, and not telling our parents. We were on our fifth or sixth case when a new kid joined our class halfway through the year.
I wasn't concentrating, already planning out our stakeout in my notebook. It was our first serious case. All of the third grade had gotten food poisoning the previous day, and I was already suspicious of the new lunch lady.
I swore she spat in my lunch, and May came down with the stomach flu after eating slimy looking hamburger helper.
The new kid didn't get my attention until he ignored our teacher’s prompt to tell us three interesting facts about himself, and proudly introduced himself as the fourth member of the Middleview Four.
Noah, who was sitting behind me, kicked my seat, and May threw her workbook at me. They had a habit of resorting to violence when I was daydreaming.
Lifting my head, I blinked at a private school kid standing in front of the class with far too much confidence, a grin stretched across his mouth. Rich, judging by his actual school uniform and the tinge of a British accent. The kid had dark blonde hair and freckles. “My name is Aris Caine,” he announced loudly, “And I want to join The Middleview Four.”
“Middleview Three.” Noah corrected with a scoff, when fifteen pairs of eyes turned to us. I turned in my chair to shoot him a warning look. His death glare was typical. “We don't need anyone else,” he said through a pencil lodged between his teeth. The Mayor’s son had grown fiercely protective of our little gang.
I could already sense his irritation that some random kid was trying to join us.
Our confused teacher ushered the new kid to a seat, but he kept talking. “I was the smartest student in my old school,” Aris folded his arms. “I want to help you with your current case.” the boy cocked his head when I feigned a confused expression. “The food poisoning case?”
He nodded at my notebook. “I'm not stupid, I know you're already working on it.” Aris strolled over to Noah’s desk and pulled out the boy’s notes from under his workbooks. Noah had been studying the footage we salvaged from the faculty lounge. “You're looking at the wrong piece of footage,” he announced. “If you let me join, I'll lead you to the culprit.” he stabbed at Noah’s notes. “Not bad. But you're missing something.”
Noah leaned back on his chair. “Like what, new kid?”
Aris knew he had an audience of intrigued eyes. I think that thrilled him.
“You've been searching in the place most likely to have clues,” he murmured, “Which is the scene of the crime.”
Aris was right.
We were going crazy trying to find anything incriminating in the cafeteria– but all we had found was old custard and a scary amount of recycled pasta. Aris prodded at Noah’s notes again. “Why not look in the place least likely to hold a clue? You might be surprised.”
Something in Noah’s expression lit up, his eyes widening. “The teachers lounge,” he said, just as the thought crossed my mind, May audibly gasping.
“Mr Caine,” Mrs Jacobs was red faced. She had already seized several of our phones, and some earphones Noah had been using to listen to a potential culprit on a missing cat case. “Please take your seat and stop talking about things that do not concern children.”
She put way too much emphasis on the latter word.
I felt like telling her we were ten years old, not six. But that counted as talking back– and my Mom would be informed. So, I kept my mouth shut.
Noah, however, suffered from the doesn't think before he speaks disease.
“Well, maybe if the cops actually did their jobs,” he spoke up, “a group of children wouldn't have to help them.”
“Mr Prestley–”
“You know I'm right, Mrs Jacobs,” he said, with that innocent and yet mocking tone. “We put our old janitor in jail when we were in the second grade,” he laughed, and the rest of the class joined in. “It's not our fault the sheriff is totally incompetitant at his job.”
The laughs grew louder, but this time the class were laughing at him, not with him.
Mrs Jacobs pursed her lips, her hands going to her hips. “I believe the word you are trying to say is incompetent, which makes sense because you are failing at basic English. Perhaps if you focus on actual school work and not your juvenile Scooby Doo fantasies, you might be able to speak basic words.” the teacher’s eyes were far too bright to be mocking a ten year old.
Twisting around in my chair, Noah’s gaze was burning into his desk. The teacher’s attention turned to Aris, who was frowning at Noah. Not with sympathy or pity. No, he was disappointed that a member of the famous Middleview Three, who were known to go against adults, had backed down to a teacher with no snarky remark.
“Aris Caine.” Mrs Jacobs raised her voice. “Sit down.”
Aris slumped into his seat and pretended to zip his lips, before leaning over my desk and dropping a memory drive into my pencil case. “Here is the real footage,” he murmured, shooting Noah a grin. “Thank me later.”
“We’re not going to thank you, because we don't know you,” Noah spat back.
However, the footage the new kid provided was just what we needed, the puzzle piece that put everything together. We were right. The new lunch lady had rushed into the office before lunch time, grabbed a vial of something from her bag, and disappeared back through the door. We had been too busy studying the camera footage from the kitchen, to realise our clue was in fact inside the teachers lounge.
When the four of us stepped into our principals office, he regarded us with a scowl. I wasn't a stranger to his office. I had even picked my own seat, the fluffy beanbag near the door. The Middleview Three were in his office every week.
Usually for breaking into classrooms and the time Noah tried to jump into the vent because he saw it on TV. Principal Maine was drinking something that definitely wasn't coffee or water. His desk was an avalanche of paper, and I swore I could already see steam coming out of his ears.
“You three.” The man leaned forward, raising his brow at Aris, who looked way too comfortable at a school he had just joined. “And you've dragged the new kid into your antics! I can't say I'm surprised when I've been on the phone with four separate reporters who want details on this Middleview Three garbage.”
Noah’s eyes lit up. “Wait, really? What did you tell them?”
Principal Maine’s eyebrows twitched. “I told them the truth,” he leaned back in his chair. This guy had some serious stress-lines. “You are three stubborn children with zero respect for authority, who have broken multiple rules and are very close to acquiring criminal records before reaching the age of eleven. Which, might I say, is a first! The youngest person in this town to get a criminal record was Ellie Daley, back in the 80’s. She was thirteen years old.”
“We haven't broken any rules,” May said, “We’ve been catching bad people.”
The man’s lip curled. “We have a full force of officers whose jobs are to find bad people,” he said. “Middleview does not need the protection of three children who are barely old enough to know right from wrong,” his eyes found Noah. He was always the punching bag for our teachers, and I never understood why.
Like there was this on-going joke between the adults to point fun at him.
“Or left from right for that matter! Mr Prestley has demonstrated that several times. Which is why you are in school, why you three should be learning, instead of playing Sherlock Holmes.”
He shook his head. “Get on with it. Why are you here this time?”
I hated our principal’s condescending tone. He was angry. But I didn't think he'd be this angry. “Go on!” he urged us. “What did you solve this time?”
Principal Maine inclined his head. “Let me guess,” he said. “You've found the Zodiac killer. Well, that's quite the achievement.”
Noah opened his mouth to speak, and the man’s expression darkened. “Choose your next words very carefully, Mr Prestley. Your father may be able to cover up your detective games but I will happily lose my job over suspending you from this school.”
Noah’s eyes widened. “But that's not–”
“One more word.” Maine said, emphasising his threat by picking up his phone, like he was about to make important phone calls. My mom did that too when I refused to shower, or didn't eat my broccoli. “Do not test me.”
The new kid surprised us by stepping forward, the flash drive clutched in his fist.
“It wasn't them, Principal Maine, it was me.” he placed the evidence on the desk. Aris was a good actor. He was playing the innocent kid pretty well, I almost believed him. Until he winked at us. “I went to the Middleview– I mean, to these three because I didn't want to come and see you alone because I'm scared she'll poison me too.” Aris dramatised a sob, and in the corner of my eye, Noah’s eyes rolled to the back of his head.
May, however, was entranced, her eyes wide. The performance was award worthy. The shaking hands, the slight stutter in his words that was subtle enough to be noticeable– but not enough to be faking it.
Aris Caine was already our fourth member, and all of us knew it.
Principal Maine took the flash drive, a frown creasing his expression. He inserted it into his laptop, and just from studying his expression as he watched the footage, widening eyes and slightly parted lips that were definitely stifling bad words— I knew we had him. Aris made sure to give a commentary, which wasn't necessary, but I did enjoy the look on our principal’s shell-shocked face.
“That's the new lunch lady,” Aris pointed out. He started to lean over to prod the screen, but seeing the visible veins pulsing in our principal's forehead, the three of us dragged him back. Aris stumbled, and we tightened our grip.
I was already smiling, and even Noah was trying to hide a grin. This kid was definitely a member of the Middleview Three. “I haven't met her. But as you can see, she is putting something into the third grader’s food.”
“Poison,” May nodded. “Or, according to the police report–”
Maine went deathly pale.
“Salmon Ella.” Noah finished with a smirk.
The man didn't react.
But he did shut his laptop and excuse himself, immediately calling the cops.
I was grounded again after the food poisoning case. Worse still, I got sick for two weeks and was bedridden, so I missed out on two cases involving stolen birthday decorations. Noah was insistent that the new kid was not joining us. I received a multitude of texts cramming up my Mom’s notifications. She ended up muting him.
Hes NOT joynjng
I don't cre now smart he is I don't like him and Im teknicly the first member
May is being stoopid we can talk when your better get well soon OK???
Two weeks later, I stepped into class, and Noah had taken the seat next to Aris, the two of them enveloped in the mountain of pokémon cars on Aris’s desk. May was trying to play, but apparently she needed Pokémon cards to join. When I questioned them, Noah looked up with a grin. “Aris is cool now!”
His announcement stapled our fourth member.
Entering teenagehood made me realise Middleview was not a good town–and its people had masks. Even the ones I thought I knew. At twelve years old, we hunted down a child killer, a sadistic man who turned his victims into angels.
It didn't take us long to realise the people we put away as little kids wanted revenge. And in their heads we were old enough to receive proper punishment. Mom told me we would regret our so-called fame as the town's junior detectives, and I thought she was wrong.
I had spent my childhood chasing bad guys, so I was sure I could catch the real bad ones too. I was fourteen when we ran into our first real criminal who specifically wanted us. Danny Budge was the reason why Noah started going to therapy at fourteen, and why Aris refused to go near the edge of town.
May had taken time off to go see her family abroad, and I was put under house arrest. Seven year old Maisie Eaton had disappeared from her yard, and after searching for her for two nights, alongside the police who had learned to tolerate us working with them, we found her tied up inside an old barn.
Sitting cross legged on a pile of hay, was Maisie.
Awake. I could see her eyes were wide.
But she wasn't moving or struggling, it didn't make sense to me.
“Wait,” I nudged May. “She's not moving.”
Aris rushed forward to untie the little girl, only to trip on a wire, which was connected to a Final Destination style contraption. Aris lifted his head, pointing above him. One more step, and he would have sent a sharpened spear directly through the little girl’s head.
“Fuck!” Aris hissed, already freaking out. He was frozen. “What do I do?!”
“Stay calm,” Noah said from my side, the rest of us hiding behind an old car. The mayor's son had become our unofficial leader. Ever since hitting puberty, he was now our brawn alongside May. Noah jumped forward, watching for trip wires. “I'll save the kid. May! You help Aris.” before I could get a word in, he was dragging me to my feet. “Marin, you're with me.”
I nodded, stumbling in the dark, keeping my flashlight beam on the ground.
“You know what this means, don't you?” Noah said in heavy breaths, his fingers wrapped around my arm. “Maisie was innocent. There was no motive. She was just a distraction.” Noah let out a hiss. “Or even a lure.”
I did. But I didn't want to say it out loud, because then my Mom would be right, and I was admitting that there were multiple people trying to kill us.
Luckily, we saved Maisie. Her kidnapper, Danny Budge turned himself in with no word or explanation.
Later, we would find out he was related to our elementary school janitor.
The little girl was taken back to her mother, and the four of us stayed behind, peering up at the murder contraption specifically made to butcher us. Aris nudged me, and I almost jumped out of my skin. “You should probably keep this… quiet,” he said in a breath, his gaze glued to the long rope expertly tied to the ceiling.
“From your mother,” May added softly. She squeezed my hand. “Your Mom will kill us before they do.”
“We’re going to fucking die,” Noah said in a sing-song. “And I'm not even sixteen.”
He was right.
One year later, our most gruesome and horrific case hit us like a wave of ice water, and I admitted we were just four kids completely out of our depth.
Three townspeople had been found murdered in piles of bloody string.
The photos from the scene made me sick, and I was still recovering from our old janitor’s measly attempt at punishing us for ruining his life. We were stupidly blindsided by the string murders, and thought we were following a clue. The next thing I knew, I was tied up back to back with Aris in my old janitor’s basement while he caressed my cheek with a knife. “Am I supposed to be here?” Aris whispered, struggling in his restraints. “Did he just call me Noah?”
I knocked my head against his. “Don't tell him that! Idiot. What if he kills you?”
Funnily enough, Aris was right. Old Man Critter had mistaken Aris for Noah. The two of them were sandy blonde and reddish brown, one built like a brick wall while the other more wiry. However, to an old man with debilitating sight, I guess I could see it. Maybe if I squinted. So, after an hour or two of empty threats and knife play, Noah and May came to our rescue, tailed by the police, and… my mother.
I think I would have rather been tied up with Old Man Critter than face her wrath.
I was supposed to be at the library studying.
I shot Noah a death glare, and he offered a pitiful, almost puppy-like frown: Sorry! he mouthed. She made us tell her!.
Fast forward to when the others really needed me to investigate the string murders, and I was stuck inside.
Mom had gone as far as taping up my windows to make sure I didn't sneak out. I think me being kind of kidnapped, but not really by Old Man Critter, really set her into panic mode. I did tell her that he didn't hurt us at all, and just wanted to scare us. But Mom was past angry. She was impossible to talk to. May texted me halfway into a horror movie I was forcing myself to watch that another body had been found. Turning on the local news, she was right. This time it was a kid.
May told me to get my ass out of the house.
I knew where Mom hid the door keys, so at midnight when I knew she was sleeping, I snuck out and rode my bike to the rendezvous we had agreed to meet.
May was already there, a flashlight in her mouth, fingers wrapped around her handlebars.
“The boys?” I whispered, joining her.
“They're already there,” she said through a mouthful of flashlight. “Let's go!”
Aris was 99.9% sure we would find a clue inside the old string factory, so that's where we headed. Noah and Aris were already waiting outside, armed with flashlights. The two of them were quieter than normal. They didn't greet me or tease my absence from the gang.
“Okay, so here's what we're going to do,” Noah announced. His voice swam in and out of my mind when I tipped my head back, drinking in the foreboding building in front of us. A shiver crept its way down my spine, and suddenly I felt sick to my stomach, like something had come apart in my mind. I stumbled back, but something pulled me forwards, my mouth filling with phantom bugs skittering on my tongue.
I really didn't want to go in there…
I could sense my body was moving, but I wasn't the one in control. Looking up, there was something there at the corner of my eye. It was above me and around me, everywhere, sliced in between everything. But I couldn't look.
I couldn't look.
I wasn't allowed to look.
“Marin?” Noah twisted around to me, and his face caught in the dull light of the moon. “Hey, are you coming?”
Blinking rapidly, I nodded, despite seeing it with Noah too.
I couldn't look.
I wasn't allowed.
“Dude, are you good?”
My vision was blurring, and a scream was clawing its way up my throat. I took a step back, my eyes following his every movement. “Noah.” I didn't realise his name was slipping from my lips, a rooted fear I didn't understand setting my body into fight or flight.
Why…
I choked back tears. Why do you look… like that?
I held out my own hands, hot tears filling my eyes.
I looked up into the sky, at criss-crosses that didn't make sense.
“Yeah, I'm coming!” my mouth moved for me, and I joined the others, pushing open the large wooden door. I didn't remember anything past the old wooden door we pushed through. Going back to that memory over and over again, all I remembered was pushing the door.
I was found three hours later, inconsolable, screaming on the side of the road, my fingers entangled with…string. It was everywhere. Mom said I blocked out a lot, but I strictly remember blood slicked string covering me, damp in my hands and tangled in my hair.
There was no sign of the others.
Mom put me into the back of her car, and I slept for a while. My mother drove us far away from Middleview. I asked about my friends, but Mom told me they weren't real, that Middleview was a fantasy I had dreamed up as a child. She told me I was in a traumatising incident as a child, and mixed up reality and fiction.
Cartoons and my own life.
But they were real.
No amount of private therapists spewing the same shit could erase my whole life. I was strictly told that I had a head injury, that I imagined The Middleview Four like my own personal fantasy. I didn't start believing it until I grew into an adult and was prescribed some pretty strong meds, so I began to wonder if they were in fact delusions.
Mom’s job was a mystery I couldn't solve, even as a twenty three year old.
So, I followed her one night, hopping into my car when she left our driveway.
Her job was behind a ten foot wall surrounded by barriers.
Security guards were checking a car in, so I took my chance, and slipped through on-foot. What I saw behind the barrier was Middleview. The town I thought I hallucinated. I was immediately blinded by flood lights illuminating the diner from my childhood. Middleview. I took a shaky step forward, my stomach twisting.
It was a TV set.
No, more of a stage.
Inside, bathed in the pretty colours I remembered from my childhood, were my friends sitting in our usual booth, frozen at fifteen years old. The Middleview Four, minus me, were exactly the same as when I left them.
They were even wearing the same clothes.
May. Her orange pigtails bobbed along with her head. Aris was hunched over like usual, picking at his fries and dipping them in his shake. Except how could I take any of this seriously when they were surrounded by cameras?
Noah slammed his hands down on the table with a triumphant grin. “We are so close to cracking this case!”
I noticed his lips weren't moving with his voice.
I started toward them slowly, even when the truth dangled above me, below me, everywhere. I stepped over it, blew it out of my face, reaching shaky hands forward to pull them aside.
Aris laughed, and something moved above him.
“We were kidnapped last week. We are not close. You're just painfully optimistic.”
May nudged him, giggling. “Let him have this. He thinks he's our leader.”
Noah punched the air, and there it was again. Movement. “I am our leader!”
Closer.
I found myself inches away from my best friend, and my blood ran so cold, so painful, poison in my veins. Noah stood up, and I could see the reality of him in front of me. The reality of want I wasn't allowed to see. His head wobbled slightly when he smiled, mouth opening and closing in jerking motions. If I looked closer, his lips had been split apart to perfectly replicate a smile. I forced myself to take all of him in. All of Aris, and May.
The back of Noah had been hollowed out, a startling red cavern where his spine was supposed to be, where flesh and bone was supposed to be. Now, I just saw… strings. Looking closer, I could finally see them. Strings tangled around his arms, his legs, puppeteering his every move as he danced from string to string.
I grabbed Noah’s hand, and it was ice cold, slimy flesh that was long dead. He didn't move, but his eyes somehow found me. Noah’s expression flickered with recognition, before his strings were tugged violently, and he screamed, his eyes going wide, lips twisting.
“Marin?” His artificial eyes blinked, and he slowly moved his head.
“You… left… us.”
Noah’s lips curled, a deep throated whine escaping his throat. “You… left us!”
He twisted around, his lip wobbling.
“Why?!” his frightened eyes flicked from me to his own hands. All those inside jokes our teachers had, I thought dizzily. Was this what it was for? Was Noah Prestley nothing but comedic relief?
“Why… am I… cold?” Noah mumbled.
“Cut!” someone yelled.
I staggered back, words tangled in my throat. Noah opened his mouth, but he was pulled back, this time violently, his strings above jerking, tangling together.
“Allison!” a man shouted from behind me. “Why is your daughter on the stage? Get her out of here!”
I was paralysed, still staring at the hollowed out puppet who had been my best friend, when my mother’s arms wrapped around me so tight, I lost the ability to breathe. I was still staring at the strings cross crossed above me, Noah’s strings pulling him back. Aris’s strings forcing him to laugh. May’s strings bobbing her head in a nodding gesture.
“Marin,” Mom whispered into my back. “You cannot be here.”
“They're here,” was all I managed to whisper.
Her sobs shook against me. I didn't realise my mother was crying until I felt her tears wet on my shoulder. The words were entangled on my tongue, but just like the string above me, they were knotted and contorted. They were here. All this time they were here, and you made me think I was crazy?!
What did you do to them?
What did you DO?
“No, sweetie. No, they're not.” Mom’s voice was breaking, her grip tightening around me. The world was spinning and I was barely aware of myself kicking and screaming while my Mom struggled to shout over me. “I was going to expose them to the world,” she hissed out, dragging me away from Noah– away from his jerking, puppet-like mouth.
I couldn't comprehend that he existed as that, as a conscious thing that had been carved of its insides. “You were the property of an evil and very powerful little girl who owns this town and everyone in it,” my Mom spat in my ear.
“They made me keep my mouth shut, so I begged them to save one of you. Just one. I had to cut one of you down before I went crazy.”
I was still screaming when she calmly dragged me to my car, slipping a shot into the flesh of my neck. I remember the rain pounding against the window, my mother’s pale face shining with tears, her stifled sobs into the wheel.
“And I chose you.”
I woke up the next morning with what was supposed to be a wiped memory.
But I wasn't lucky enough to forget.
I am terrified of her finding out I remember her exact words from the car-ride home. I'm scared she (or her work) will make me forget them for real.
Mom told me that I once had strings too.
Strings that cut through me, cruelly entangling around me, suffocating my mind and controlling my every move. Strings that would soon pierce through me and turn me into a little girl’s doll.
But she saved me, cutting me down, when I was still human.
And now I guess I am a real girl.

61F, Canadian with psoriasis, healthy weight, non smoker, no alcohol, no meds. HS since age 12 currently in 1 year remission, and MDD.
A few years ago my pcp said I had osteoarthritis from aging. I had pain that came and went in my lower thumb joints; although, they always hurt when grabbed. Since then my fingers and toes have continued to swell in the joints and are starting to deform. For example, I can no longer touch my palm by bending my right index finger. I could still do this a few months ago.
My psoriasis which has never been treated, (but was noted in my record by a dermatologist) has spread to my scalp. I have it in random places, but it seems permanently at home underneath my breast where my underwire probably exacerbates it. I also have had patches on my back.
I follow an anti inflammatory diet, and exercise to control my depression. I believe I have always had chronic inflammation from HS. Years of low grade fevers zapped me often. My heart rate is low and wonky as well.
But my crp is always normal. I suspect my pcp doesn’t address my concerns because I have good crp results. I don’t think RA likely because the finger joints are worse on one hand. I don’t think it’s osteoarthritis either because of the rapid changes to my fingers.
I asked for a referral to a dermatologist. My pcp said she would treat me for psoriasis herself instead of giving me a referral. I see her next week. My last physical was 18 months ago and I tried to discuss the comorbidities of hs, but she didn’t have time. Should I attempt another conversation about my concerns of chronic inflammation? Will she likely just look at the crp and dismiss this possibility? Should she?
Is there anything more I am missing here? I will probably only get 5 minutes because it’s not a physical.

I know this topic is discussed way too many times but I feel conflicted (as a pet owner) about the prices of many veterinarian services. I live in a coastal town, lots of pet owners here (mostly retired seniors with pets). Many go here as it's conveniently close. It's also filled with very wealthy folks, but not the Hamptons. I have a small breed dog that is 12 years old that has a luxating patella and it's potentially high grade. Dog is not in pain and is generally happy and healthy (minus the occasional limp). I was told my pup will need an xray (with sedation) that will cost 1300 and determine what they see and potentially refer to a specialist who will do the surgery to make room for the patella to stay in place and will cost between 4k-6k. I've been getting services at this place for 4 years and their routine vac has always been around $400-500. To get the pup checked for things, it's usually $300 just for a checkup. Last visit I went to, I get the leg checked out (visually) cost me $550 as pup was prescribed GABA pentin and dog version ibuprofen for pain relief. I can't tell if I'm getting taken advantage of because pet owners are in a vulnerable state? I dread going to this place as I am always paying at least a $500 minimum for any services. The vet place currently has 3 doctors, 8 techs. ,2 admins. I also asked for a discount and this place flat out said no (nicely). I was told by a friend of mine that they got X-rays done at another location (not coastal area) and it was $200... should I "shop" around?

Gauntlet
Taking a moment to mediate and prepare, Yuvraine reached to accept the call. Seeing their ilk always reminded her of times she would rather forget. They knew this but they could do nothing without being cruel. Looking upon the screen the figure that stared back was the stuff of nightmares, eyes as dark as coal contrasted a face as white as snow the thing that grabbed her attention the most was the dead man's smile she had never seen an Arcon like this before, he spoke one sentence before cutting the link.
“The pact is sealed”
She stood her ship was rapidly approaching the Kor'Or'Vesa it was time for the next stage of the plan.
The moment she walked in the room went quiet, her face was stoic, as she moved without a sound. She was flanked by two wraithblades the constructs had to duck to pass under the door frame. Their claws moved elegantly and silently the designs of Tau tech and theirs on full display as a drone flew by its head. She approached the table and examined the map being projected for a moment, with a simple motion of her hand she examined our battle plan and read through the intel gathered over the last few weeks. The silence was broken as yuvraine nodded in approval, turned to Aun’el and simply complimented him.
Yuvraine- You planned for everything I see, A smile spread across her face. The tension in the room evaporated as the generals laughed uproariously. The joint battle could finally begin.
Shas'O Vior'la- cleared his throat and interjected, Marnias has been spotted in the area, perhaps it would be best to delay until he is gone, the monster already whipped out many of my men, not to mention killing him would likely anger your
Yuvraine through the pen that was on the table past his head, it sounded as if it were a gunshot. “Ally, Your ally” the general sheepishly responded, a water cast full force punching him in the gut.
Yuvraine-turned to the general her face contorted with rage “He is only one man just kill him you monki” Yuvraine- I will leave the details up to you. we will arrive to reinforce when the fighting starts.
Viol’la- turned to his men, the bunker will be ours. A backwater world, the only guards being an ultra marine company on penitent crusade so they won't be missed and allies to clash blades while we lay down fire, this is almost too easy.
The first few minutes of the attack were an organized chaos, the battle was planned as a simple Mont’Ka operation, Crisis suits are tocharge in and make space for the infantry to take the trench network and dig in as Vindicators reinforcements arrived. Hold out until Aldari auxiliaries surround the enemy, All power packs were to be overcharged. Speed was key if they did not hold the trenches by the time the armies of terminators the chapter was famous for arrived they would be caught in no man's land.
Tau forces were two killometers away when their rail guns shook the ground and let out a deafening roar. They sent shells at dreadnoughts Varus the Unyielding and Marius Bloodwrath, The heavy plate turned each of them into living tanks but their speed was their weakness. They tried to run but the first shell cut through the heaviest section of variouses plate and stuck at the machines heart, reaching the reactor before detonating and starting a chain reaction.
Charged plasma tore through the ranks of nearby marines leaving none alive. The second tore through the armored weapon connection point cutting the autocannon free. Motel metal leaked from the wound onto the floor, lightning sparked as the pilot sought cover. He shouted something when he made it behind the building but at this distance none could tell if he was bellowing orders or just insulting the Tau forces. From their trenches the Vindicators laid down volley after volley of fire but to little effect. Cold star pilots Sha'len and Elan'Tael overclocked their shield generators and flew erratically as they rained missiles on space marine positions allowing other Tau units to advance.
It took the bulwark of the assault force only a dozen minutes to carve through the intercessors and aggressors between them and their target, marinias. Almost Surrounded the terminator captain continued to advance, his head held high as he prepared to stop another offensive. Everything seemed so similar but so different, the recklessness displayed before had evaporated into a controlled fury, barrages of rockets tore apart the terminators squads shields. From the eastern hill pathfinder team 531 layed down fire with their ion rifles for minutes on end until finally overcoming the advanced shields and tearing into the terminator plate, brother oloc was the first to fall. Sustained ion shelling causing his helmet to fail leaving him vulnerable to a Tau sniper.
apothecary illian fell to the hammerhead nearby, being blown apart as the anti tank ammunition landed. While the rest fell to the non-stop rocket barrage of the broadsides and crisis suits, he was all alone by the time the barrage ended. In a blind rage he sprinted towards crisis suit pilot Or’s reciting the imperial creed to remind the guvasa pilot what he had turned his back on. Shas'O Vior'la jumped between them slamming the looted thunder hammer into the terminators side, stunning the captain as the new recruit made space. Marnias recognized the hammer, a chapter relic lost centuries ago, challenges explanations rage at seeing a sacred chapter weapon in the hands of a xenos all tried to rise from his throat but in his rage he could no longer think clearly, in the end all that came out of him was a wordless roar. The primal bellow of a space marine defending his honor, Vior’la said nothing, igniting the hammer and his jets in one motion.
Marinas was stronger but Vio was faster,the first punch marias threw going wide and leaving him open to a counter blow as the hammer struck and cracked the ribs of the terminator plate. They paired blow after blow as sparks sprayed in all directions, Vio raised the hammer overhead and stuck down with all the might of the suit his jets turning the sand nearby into molten glass, Marinas countered and punch directly through the right rib of the suit barely missing the pilot as the hammer came down crushing the helmet and stunning the captain. Vio grabbed the helmet in his gauntleted fist and ignited the ion blasters on the gauntlet, melting a hole clean through the helmet and skull. Marnias Calgar fell without a sound. Using the teleporter array at base camp more squads of terminators arrived, materializing 50 meters from the fallen chapter master and firing their bolters in all directions as they made their bid to turn the tide.
The terminators used the chaos of the battlefield to cut down a team of pathfinders but were left stranded as the last of their intercessor brothers fell. Aggressors nearby charged Tau positions, the sound of plasma fire mixing with the snarl of chainswords. This is what the Tau had planned for.Fireknife teams ignited their jets and flew into the middle of the fray letting out a consistent stream of rocket fire .What intercessors remained were killed all at once as the battlesuits outflanked them. Bloodwraith had become hyper focused on the crisis suit teams. The shields of the suits and range they fired from meant his close range armaments struggled. In a blind rage he charged around the corner and unleashed the full fury of his plasma annihilator into a nearby broadside.
The pilot and suit were inserted, This victory much like both the dreadnought and its pilot were short lived however. Stepping out in the open meant a nearby hammerhead was able to line up a shot on the dreadnought. The iron storm shell tore through his life support and power supply. He did not detonate but fell face forward, the marines' vitals and the machine's engine both failing before the armored hall hit the ground. The remainder of the company arrived! Assault marines and jetbike teams staging a desperate last stand, The assault marines were dealt with quickly by pathfinder fire but the bikers remained, they closed the gap on the Tau forces quickly surrounding and harassing a lone broadside until they managed to cut the hydraulics of its legs and outrider Captain Decimus Aurelian blew the suit apart with his meltagun. The entirety of the fire from the remaining army fell on the team of jetbikes in response. Two riders were blown apart instantly by railgun fire, their bikes detonating into shrapnel as the shell tore through rider and machine alike.
Two more were torn apart by concentrated firepower by the remaining pathfinder teams, many of said pathfinders joining the marines in death as their overclocked weapons detonated in their hands, the reminder fell to broadside and crisis rocket fire.The last of his company Captain Decimus Aurelian raised the banner high with one hand while firing the ATV’s melta with the other, the ground shook once again and he closed his eyes moments before the shell struck the engine causing yet another explosion. With this blast all sons of Guilliman on the planet were now dead. and the Banner of the greater good was raised over yet another world. A deafening cheer coming from the few remaining pathfinders on the ground and the fireknife teams in the sky.
As they approached the bunker they planted a flag, a flag that would soon have a bullet mark through it as the whine of the engines of reavers descended from down the hill. Pathfinder teams retreated to the trench networks nearby hammerheads flying full speed to get behind those trenches and to defensible positions and fireknife teams ignited their engines again to engage teams of harpy’s. Taken by surprise the first volley of fire came from the drukari and it was truly devastating Olirmans hammerhead gunship was struck directly by several dark lances, the shells carving through the hall and striking the storage of explosive shells. The tank detonated while surrounded by pathfinders. Those not killed on the spot were thrown to the ground. A nearby broadside suit, already riddled with bolterfire, fell to the shrapnel, its pilot being forced to abandon the suit after transferring the Air to an onboard drone before running into the ruins.
The battle for the sky’s was fast and brutal shells rained down on the combatants on the ground as the few remaining fireknife teams fought the squads of harpys keeping reinforcements from landing. Dark lance’s tore through the suits but stim injectors allowed the pilots to continue fighting, finally reaching medium range and unleashing a barrage of heat seeking missiles. Those that had the sense to flee only bought time as the entire squad was torn to shreds. A single captured thunderhawk made landfall and kroot farstalkers joined the fray. Laying down rifle fire at the aldari jetbike team that surrounded the field. Five kroot were killed by the shurkin cannons returning fire but the shaper was able to bait their drivers into a charge.
As the drivers charged melee weapons raised the shaper Moved at the last second and revealed a hidden grenade. The stabilizers of the bikes were damaged causing them to crash. The 6 man team attempted to fight back reaching for short blades and grabbing rifles from their bike but it made no difference. The Farstalkers closed most of the distance and waited for the crew to exhaust their ammo reserves. After that ammo ran out they were overwhelmed, dying to the rifle blades and jaws of the Taus first allies. Already feeling the effects of the chem infused tissue of the drukari the shaper ordered a charge on their next target.
The death jester was fast, having charged through the battlefield staying unnoticed until he was behind Tau lines. With a single shot he brought down a broadside, shooting through a weak part in the armor created in the fighting with the space marines and killing the pilot. Through the vox the broadside pilots last words were to call out the location of the jester. The kroot immediately changed course, surrounding the building he was hiding in. Fearful of just what a harlequin could do in melee threw wave after wave of grenades inside before they entered.
The figure that stood inside wore the mask of night, marking him as a destruction jester, his body was riddled with shrapnel and he was missing an arm, burns from ion rifles and missiles also covered his clothes. The kroot all rushed at once the harlequin counter charged cutting left and right forcing his attackers to block swing after swing giving the farstalkers no time to counterattack. As the servant of the laughing god stepped forward to take advantage of an opening he screamed and looked down to see a kroot hound latched onto his leg the lasp in concentration being all the shaper needed to take the jesters head off with a single slash of his sword. The hammerheads and remaining broadsides meet in the ruins, the battlesuits grabbing their rifles from the side of the tank and taking cover, All remaining power in their battery packs was dedicated to shields and firepower as a waves of ravers and ravagers descended upon them, dark lances tore through the haul but missed the ammo reserves and crew while the ironclad explosive shells of the Tau landed a killing blow with every shot.
As the ammunition of the hammerhead finally depleted and it was rendered inoperable by damage from another barrage of dark lances the broadsides overcharged their rifles drawing almost every drop of power in both their own suits and the tank. Shells exited the railgun barrels every second, knocking spotters nearby to the ground as the ground around them trembled with every blast. This shelling was too much for the drukari armor and the shells tore apart the final pair of ravagers.The escaping crews were met with a hail of fire from pathfinder and kroot forces using whatever guns were available in the area, bolter ion plasma and bullets all rained down on the escaping crews until none were left.
The shaper having gained the memories of the death jester knew the routes they would use to launch a counter attack. When it was done, The dawnfire enclave 3rd company and the blue claw farstalker band stood together in a field of body’s, Ammo reserves depleted and having suffered grievous casualties. Power reserves of the suits were far too low for the colstars to function in any meaningful capacity. they meet back up at the entrance to the bunker, most were wounded in some way all gripped their weapons tightly, very few still had the Tau armaments they had brought with them and most were using scavenged space marine bolters and drukari Splinter Rifle, the packs they held to store the Ai’s they had brought were also heavy but they needed to reach the bunker for evac.
The structure was small, only two stories in height bone colored rockrete and no windows, even on this desert world it was distressing to see ,Dunes surrounded the area as did patches of willow trees and cacti. Desperately looking to escape the heat Oris threw open the door to the bunker and was meet with a pair of dire avengers and a wrathblade that stood at nearly 3 times his height, Bellows to drop their guns came from all directions as a wave serpent arrived and ignited the pilot flame on its melta in full display of the members of the enclave.
Yuvraine stepped from the bunker and raised her hand high to signal for her guardians to lower their guns. Oris looked around for a moment, aspect warriors and banshee surrounded them on all sides, he breathed an audible sigh of relief as the realization that these were not dark eldar hit him.. From the bunker more wraithblades appeared one after the other they stepped out and looked to the sky.
They were each a work of art that left the Tau speechless as they walked to the ship nearby, One brave pathfinder walked by Yuvraine towards the bunker. What he saw made his heart sink, aside from the chains that once connected the wrathguard to the walls the building was empty. Pathfinder showton- It's not a storeroom, it's a prison. He turned to yuvraine the stoic look on her face was tainted with sadness as she met his eyes. Showton- You tricked us.
Oris spoke his mind, the pain from the bolter shrapnel in his gut causing him to forget all formality- you sent the drukari after us! Was that your plan.For the marines to soften us up so you can swoop in and steal the glory! Yuvraine half turned, she looked the general in the eyes as she spoke thinking that he had least earned that much, “I could not risk the possibility of you taking the bunker first” The general tried to approach but only managed a few steps before a nearby banshee revered her chainsword and he was forced to back away. A million thoughts ran through his mind but all he could manage to say was a single word “why”.
Yuvraine- I could not risk your etherials taking the bunker and using it as leverage over my people. If the nightshade reavers were not granted permission to join in the fighting they would have raided solton nearby, what is it you always say, it was “for the greater good”. Shouts of outrage came from all who stood at one end of the rifles of the guardians until yuvraine raised her voice to them. Yuvraine-think of me how you wish but know that should you reveal what you have just learned a war between my people and yours would be sure to follow. Both of our races are small compared to these monki (she gestured with a hand towards a dead marine) a war between us would only result in this advance into their space ending. Am I correct?.
Yuvraine- For the sake of your empire, your ego and the billions of innocent humans this campaign will save you will keep quiet about this, “side mission” as you can call it, besides you got a lot out of this as well. Scorpius Penal is yours and an ultramarine company is no more. The general opened his mouth once again but stopped, he merely looked at the ground and nodded.
Yuvraine stepped on board the corsair vessel each wrath guard taking a moment to thank the Tau for their freedom, tension lessened as the guardians drank in celebration of the deaths of the marines and the return of the aldari hero’s.
Before leaving the wraithblades helped carry the injured Tau to their evacuation vessels when those landed. The rest of the empire was informed of the bunker being nothing more than a prison but were told that the dawnfire enclave willingly signed up to the mission with this information simply because they wanted to kill more space marines and grab another world for the greater good.
To those soldiers who took part in the fighting it was bittersweet; they had accomplished their goal and even added another world to the empire but they had been used by another species.

I have suspected I have hypermobile- now unstable- SI joint dysfunction since I was 13 (at the time I didn’t know what was happening, only looking back do I now know I was clicking my SI joint in and out). 27 nb. AuDHD. HSD. MCAS. (I take lyrica, celebrex, dexamphetamine, vit D and other meds daily for about 3 years now)
I have been diagnosed with HSD (I am sure it’s hEDs, but who’s got the time/money these days to argue with a rheumatologist?!) after years of fighting.
It’s now going on 6 weeks of a really bad back, hip, groin, leg, knee, ankle flair. It was flared by picking up my baby nephew for a week (at the time I was like this is a silly idea but he’s so squishable I love him so much, and i wanted to be helpful for my sister- she gets back migranes and her partner works all day everyday).
I had to go to the ED a week ago because it got too painful to walk and had started causing sharp stabbing nerve pain to my spine. They just gave me endone and an anti inflammatory needle injection (which worked so so well for the 6 hours or so). And a MRI referral for my lumbar spine. I’ve had MRIs in the past that the doctor hadn’t requested the correct spot, and they gave no other information on the referral except a vague “pain”. Or the MRI was for a really tiny specific spot that doesn’t tell the full story. Or the radiologist who wrote the report was just looking for large common injuries (like a rotator cuff injury) and missed all the microtrauma that even I could see. And getting a 2nd opinion on those MRIs were a massive fight that took years being ping ponged between multiple specialists and never got them to look at the MRIs. (Also supine position not telling the full story that a standing/gravity would provide).
I went back to the ED 5 days later, the endone wasn’t really working (I was getting worse, being able to walk less distance, can’t sleep due to pain). The ED also offers this thing of if you return within a week, the 2nd visit is for a really discounted price. I wanted to get an amendment to the MRI (that i was booked in for the next dat) that could include a wider area- getting more sacrum, or ideally the leg or knee or just anything. Im paranoid that the MRI isn't going to show anything helpful. Also because i went through the ED the MRI is bulk billed which for me is a massive deal.
The ED doctor was the same guy which i thought waa gonna be a good thing so he knew what i was there for. But within the first 5 minutes i was like oh no. the first thing that came out of his mouth was "i cant give you anymore endone" red flag. also i didnt want anymore it makes me feel sick. After getting told that he bascially couldnt do anything for me i said exasperated "so what am i to do when i have no more endone, just lay in bed and wither and die?" bit morbid but that is my reality. he said "oh no dont stay in bed all day" (of course he was gonna say that, facepalm). then "just keeping walking around the house, just make sure you dont do any sport" are you fucking kidding me?? thanks doctor man il cancel that rugby game i was planning. i got another of those anti inflammatory needles which didnt work as well as the first time.
Now it's 5 days later from that and i have only been able to leave my bed to go to the toilet and let my dogs out to wee. when i walk my pelvic girdle kills, my si joint is on fire and i have so many other symptoms i cant figure out which are primary or secondary.
Sorry for that massive chunk of text, i find it hard to sift through important and unimportant info. i want to know who is a correct specalist to ask my gp to send a referral to. Rheumatologist already seen 3, they dont know hypermobile things. have a referral to see a cardiologist that the Ehlers-Danlos society Australia recommended to my gp. (1 year waitlist, and also i dont really have POTs symptoms so it will end up being a waste of time). i need like a si joint/spine/PGP specalist. is orthopaedic surgeon too general?
The other challenge is my masking Autistic ass kicks in and i cant tell people where/ what/ why pain is. also i dont look in pain. so i try so hard to create correct helpful charts and be really specific but i still cant explain it to the fullest extent i know in my heart. thanks gang

Hi - I went out to a bar with friends on Saturday and had quite a cheesy meal. I ate Mac and cheese, a cheese board and a grilled cheese with tomato soup. I only had a few bites of each item and usually I can handle lactose/dairy just fine so I don’t think that’s the issue
We get to the rave after the bar and I start jumping around and I feel my entire abdomen pull and cramp up really bad, kind of like those running cramps you get but basically just in my entire lower abdomen
I got drunk and forgot about it and continued to bounce and jump like normal
The next day I’m at my all time low weight. I’m currently eating in a deficit for weight loss purposes and have been doing fine. Throughout the day my body is sore and I feel abdominal cramps but I don’t really think anything of it bc I knew my body was gonna be sore after the rave
So I wake up this morning and weigh myself and I gained 4 nearly 5 pounds over night. My stomach is absolutely bloated, I look pregnant and my lower abdomen ache hasn’t gone away
I am no where near my period (I have my period once every 3 months bc my birth control)
I tried multiple tests and the ache has moved around a little, it went behind my belly button, to slightly above it, and a little to my left, and has kind of settled into my right lower abdomen probably right where my appendix is. I’ve spent hours researching every link on the internet that has the word appendix in it and I seriously can’t tell if it’s gas or if I need to go to the hospital

• as of rn lifting my right leg doesn’t hurt
• my abdomen is relatively soft, not rock hard
• when I cough I do feel aching cramp pain in my lower right abdomen not my left
• when I push, it aches
• I have been having gas and small amounts of diarrhea
• I do have an appetite and just ate
• I don’t have a fever

The thing is I read people have had appendicitis without any of the symptoms and they also thought it was gas. I have a horrific fear of the ER due to a horrible traumatic incident so I’m so scared to go….what do I do :(

Hi - I went out to a bar with friends on Saturday and had quite a cheesy meal. I ate Mac and cheese, a cheese board and a grilled cheese with tomato soup. I only had a few bites of each item and usually I can handle lactose/dairy just fine so I don’t think that’s the issue
We get to the rave after the bar and I start jumping around and I feel my entire abdomen pull and cramp up really bad, kind of like those running cramps you get but basically just in my entire lower abdomen
I got drunk and forgot about it and continued to bounce and jump like normal
The next day I’m at my all time low weight. I’m currently eating in a deficit for weight loss purposes and have been doing fine. Throughout the day my body is sore and I feel abdominal cramps but I don’t really think anything of it bc I knew my body was gonna be sore after the rave
So I wake up this morning and weigh myself and I gained 4 nearly 5 pounds over night. My stomach is absolutely bloated, I look pregnant and my lower abdomen ache hasn’t gone away
I am no where near my period (I have my period once every 3 months bc my birth control)
I tried multiple tests and the ache has moved around a little, it went behind my belly button, to slightly above it, and a little to my left, and has kind of settled into my right lower abdomen probably right where my appendix is. I’ve spent hours researching every link on the internet that has the word appendix in it and I seriously can’t tell if it’s gas or if I need to go to the hospital

• as of rn lifting my right leg doesn’t hurt
• my abdomen is relatively soft, not rock hard
• when I cough I do feel aching cramp pain in my lower right abdomen not my left
• when I push, it aches
• I have been having gas and small amounts of diarrhea
• I do have an appetite and just ate
• I don’t have a fever

The thing is I read people have had appendicitis without any of the symptoms and they also thought it was gas. I have a horrific fear of the ER due to a horrible traumatic incident so I’m so scared to go….what do I do :(

Hello, my 11 months old daughter had been touching/grabbing her toes of both feet for 2 weeks while playing or sitting. We noticed few days ago that she skin under her right big toe was peeling off. We applied coconut oil to moisturize. We now see that all of her right foot toes are slightly swollen compare to the left ones.
She looks disturbed by it mostly when she's about to sleep when I rock her and when she is in the baby carrier. She keep rubbing, swings her feet (both) and cries 😭 She doesn't show any pain when we gently press her toes/foot. She has no fever.
We live in a hot climate, she has never used any shoes and never wear socks. Always barefoot. She is crawling and not walking yet but standing. It doesn't affect her mobility.

• We were first thinking it could be eczema (she has some on her belly) but the skin really shows nothing there.
• Then we thought maybe she played with our cat and got scratched (there is a tiny bit dot between her big and second toe, that could be a claw mark).
• Can it be a little piece of glass or wood stuck inside her skin that should could have gotten while crawling? This morning the little dot I previously talked about was looking more red and raised. How can she check if she has something in her skin?
• Now I'm thinking could it be water retention? But it's weird because only one foot. She's chubby so we can't tell if her ankles are swollen too or not.

We have seen a doctor who prescribed a cortisone / antibiotic ointment in case this is an infection. But I feel it's not it..
She's also sometimes rubbing her hands and arm's.
Photos here: https://imgur.com/a/JrA5tn9 The swollen foot is the right one.
Anyone has an idea on what it could be? Breaks my hurt to see her feeling uncomfortable. Thank you!!

F[21] hey guys! today i had a lumbar laminectomy (L4-L5)
for the past several months i have been suffering from severe sciatic pain caused by a large disc herniation. i had to drop out of college and leave my job because i couldn’t sit or stand without terrible pain. the only way i could find “some” relief was laying on the floor using a massage gun up and down my leg because it distracted the pain. the floor has been my home for months now.
i did essentially all of the “conservative” treatments, stretches, steroid injections, physical therapy, several different medications,,, nothing really worked, my quality of life was terrible. after several doctors appointments and a loss of what to do- i finally was approved surgery.
fast forward to today i was super nervous but was so hopeful for the outcome. i woke up with a bit of pain at the incision site but absolutely zero pain in my leg, an ABSOLUTE DREAM. when i stood up and sat down with no pain i became so emotional (aka i cried like a bi*ch) i know it’ll feel a bit sore when inflammation hits but i am so so so grateful for this opportunity, i feel like i already am getting my life back!

Late at night, Jake found himself exploring the abandoned asylum on the outskirts of town, driven by a dare from his friends. They had mocked his bravery, betting he couldn't spend an hour inside without running out. Determined to prove them wrong, Jake ventured into the decaying building. As he moved through the dimly lit corridors, his flashlight flickered, casting eerie shadows on the peeling walls. Suddenly, he heard a faint whisper, a chilling sound that seemed to come from the very walls themselves. Heart pounding, he turned a corner and froze. There, barely visible in the darkness, stood a figure.
The figure seemed almost human, but something was terribly wrong. Its skin was pallid and stretched tight over gaunt bones, its eyes sunken and lifeless. It wore tattered remnants of what might have once been a hospital gown, now stained with dark, unidentifiable patches. Strange, chunky liquid dripped from its body, hissing as it hit the floor and causing the tiles to sizzle and melt away. Jake’s breath caught in his throat as the figure slowly lifted its head, revealing a face twisted in eternal agony. He tried to back away, but his legs felt like lead, rooted to the spot. The figure began to move towards him, its movements slow and deliberate, each step accompanied by a sickening, squelching sound. A low, guttural moan escaped its lips, filling the air with a palpable sense of dread.
Desperation surged through Jake as he fumbled with his flashlight, its beam faltering before it died completely. He was engulfed in darkness, his senses heightened by the oppressive silence that followed. The moan grew louder, closer, and he could feel the chill of its presence mere inches away. Suddenly, the figure's body seemed to dissolve, the strange liquid allowing it to slip through the walls and reappear right in front of him. Jake watched in horror as the liquid oozed toward him, threatening to decimate any organic matter it touched. Summoning the last of his courage, Jake turned and ran blindly through the asylum’s labyrinthine halls, the sound of pursuit echoing behind him.
He burst through a door, only to find himself trapped in a small, windowless room. As he turned, the figure was already there, its liquid form solidifying into a grotesque mass. The substance shot out, wrapping around Jake's legs and dragging him to the floor. He screamed in agony as the liquid began to eat through his skin, his flesh sizzling and melting away. The pain was excruciating, his nerves ablaze as the substance worked its way up his body, dissolving muscle and bone alike.
Jake’s screams echoed through the asylum as the entity tore into him, its touch a burning, corrosive death. His vision blurred, the last thing he saw was the figure looming over him, its empty eyes watching his life drain away. His body convulsed one final time before he succumbed to the unimaginable pain. The asylum fell silent once more, the air thick with the smell of decay and burnt flesh. The dark sentinel resumed its watch, waiting patiently for the next curious soul to wander in, unaware of the horror that awaited them.

Shout out to makenzie mazing For helping me edit the scrip
CW: Mentions of death and abuse.
Synopsis: You were sold by your family to the mayor to be his slave. One day, a group of vikings come to ransack the town. What will happen when the leader finds you?
SFX: Fighting and destruction fades out
Clear out all the rooms and look for anything we can take back. Gold, food, water, all of it. Nothing valuable gets left behind.
SFX: Warriors looking through things
I’m going to look in the mayor’s home for the good stuff. Make sure the boats are ready to go when I come back.
SFX: Footsteps outside, opening a door, footsteps in the house, suddenly a creak
(Confident, taking joy in this) Who’s there? I can hear you. Don’t make this more challenging than it needs to be. If you come out now, I won’t have to punish you. It’s up to you, coward.
SFX: Footsteps
(Laughing) Ah, there you are- (Shocked, softer tone) Y- You’re just a child! Oh, little one, what are you doing here?
No no, shhh, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you. See? I’ll put down my sword.
I mean you no harm. Tell me, what are you doing here?
(Getting a bit angry, but trying to keep calm) W-What? A… slave of the mayor?
And he kept you tied up in here? That….that dung heap!
(Softer) Oh little one, don’t cry! You are safe, that man is gone, gone from this plain of existence, and no more harm will come to you ever again.
Here, let me remove these bindings.
SFX: Cutting of rope or removal of chains.
There, all gone. Now, you must be starving. Come, my crew will get you some food.
SFX: Footsteps, door shuts.
Oh, one more thing.
SFX: Lighting of a torch.
Would you like to do the honors?
SFX: Throwing of the torch, the building lights on fire.
(Enchanted by the flames) Wonderful. Let the flames burn the memory of this place from your mind.
Now, let’s get you some food.
SFX: Cooking
How is your meal, little one?
Good, I’m glad. I’m guessing your “master” never gave you food like this, did he?
Of course, that bastard. Well, now you get to feast on the best this village had to offer.
So tell me, little one. Is there any place you can go? A village nearby where you know somebody? Family? Friends? Where are your parents?
(Sadly) They passed? Oh little one, I’m so sorry.
(Getting angry) The mayor promised them he’d take care of you? That fiend, making you a slave instead!
He abused you as well? I suspected as much. But don’t worry. You won’t have to suffer that treatment any more.
Poor little one, you must have been so lonely in that place.
(Sigh) Honestly, I know how hard it is to be alone at your age. My parents passed away when I was young as well. Luckily, I had my village to look after me.
Well, how about this: Why don’t you come home with me? I will take you somewhere safe. You will have an entire village to look after you, the same way they looked after me.
Sounds good? Okay, let us go.
(To the group) Alright everyone, let’s move out!
SFX: Sailing noises
Woah, easy there. Gotta get your sea legs. I take it you’ve never been on a ship before?
I can tell. You’ll get used to it soon enough.
Now, why don’t you tell me more about yourself. Where did you come from?
Uh huh.
Well.
Hmmm.
(Angry) So, that’s how that happened. Even after seeing much of this world I’m still surprised at the cruelty some people are capable of.
(Softly) Shhh. Do not worry little one, I’m not mad at you. I could never be mad at you. You are the victim of horrible people, there is nothing you could have done. Even if you had tried to run, I doubt you would be here today. And I am glad that you are here.
This day has been rough on you, little one. I’m sure that you need some sleep. Come, there is little space so you will need to rest on my lap if that is alright.
Good. Let the movement of the ship rock you to sleep.
SFX: Ship ambience fades out, village ambience fades in
Wake up, little one. We are home.
You slept the entire way. I’m glad you were able to rest after the events of the day.
Why don’t I show you around the village?
This, little one, is my home. And your home now, too.
On the left you’ll see the blacksmith, where all the axes, swords and shields are made for battle.
Next to that is the barn, where we have all types of farm animals; Pigs, sheep, cows, chickens, you name it.
Over here we have the butcher, and next to that is the Tavern, where we sing, drink our fill, play games, and dance the night away.
Now come with me. I want to show you something.
This is the Town hall. Yes, it is quite the sight. It took us a couple winters to build. This is a place for everyone to come and spend time. All celebrations and meetings are held here.
Come, there is something else I want to show you.
Yes, this is my room. It’s a bit small for two, but it’ll do the trick.
Sit on my bed, little one. I will start a fire.
SFX: Fire crackles
Ah, nice and warm, huh?
What was that little one?
What will you be doing here? I don’t understand. Tell me what you mean, little one.
Oh no, oh dear no. You will not be a slave here. I will not put you through that pain again.
Trust me, little one. You will be (pause) my child. I will give you all the love in the world. I will be here with you for the good, the bad, and the sad. Everything. I will show you all the love you deserve, little one. My little one, How does that sound to you?
Good, I am glad. I know you lost your family, but now you have a new one. From now on, you are my child, and I will love you forever.
Rest now my child, you must be tired.
Good night.

When I(36f) was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis MRI imaging showed 28+ lesions on my brain and 32+ lesions all up and down my spinal cord. I was fortunate enough that my vision wasn't impaired at all, but I did have a whole slew of other symptoms - pain, muscle spasms and paralysis, debilitating fatigue, poor balance, anxiety, heavy legs, drop foot, the delightful MS Hug, and needing mobility aides just to get around, to name a few. My neurologist had given me quite a few different drugs to help combat my symptoms, but after my second C-section he wanted to take a more aggressive approach and prevent rapid disease progression, so we did a two year chemo treatment (Mavenclad). It seems to have worked so far, because I don't have any new lesions, but my symptoms weren't getting any better. He recommended doing a third year of chemo, but I didn't want to go through that again.
I'd been reading about the benefits of elimination diets for autoimmune issues, and after a year or so of lurking this subreddit I decided to give it a shot.
For the past 60 days I've been eating mostly ground beef or ground bison, steak or lamb loins a few times a week, bacon almost every day, and I add a couple tablespoons of either tallow or butter to every meal. I tried seafood the first couple of weeks but it was making me feel sick after eating so I stopped that. I'll have chicken maybe once a week to change things up a bit. I have one cup of coffee most days with a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream.
Since starting this diet I've noticed significant improvements in the following symptoms:
-My overall pain has drastically improved by about 70%, so much so that I've only had to take medication for it twice in the last 60 days.
-I can walk up and down the stairs in my home without hugging the walls or bannister. I can walk around the house without a mobility aide, without falling or tripping over air.
-I can get out of bed in the mornings without having to stretch my legs for 20-30 minutes.
-I don't need naps during the day to recover from fatigue.
-I can lift and carry my 50lb children while walking around.
-I can hold a cup of coffee with one hand without dropping it.
-I've lost 25lbs and gone down one dress size
-I only had one instance of MS Hug and it only last about 20 minutes.
-My tinnitus is gone
-My skin has cleared up
-My gait has significantly improved
The way things are going I'll probably stick to this WOE for the rest of my life. I'm slowly healing. I feel better and stronger with each passing day. I can't wait to see what the next 60 days will bring!

Hello, my 11 months old daughter had been touching/grabbing her toes of both feet for 2 weeks while playing or sitting. We noticed few days ago that she skin under her right big toe was peeling off. We applied coconut oil to moisturize. We now see that all of her right foot toes are slightly swollen compare to the left ones.
She looks disturbed by it mostly when she's about to sleep when I rock her and when she is in the baby carrier. She keep rubbing, swings her feet (both) and cries 😭 She doesn't show any pain when we gently press her toes/foot. She has no fever.
We live in a hot climate, she has never used any shoes and never wear socks. Always barefoot. She is crawling and not walking yet but standing. It doesn't affect her mobility.

• We were first thinking it could be eczema (she has some on her belly) but the skin really shows nothing there.
• Then we thought maybe she played with our cat and got scratched (there is a tiny bit dot between her big and second toe, that could be a claw mark).
• Can it be a little piece of glass or wood stuck inside her skin that should could have gotten while crawling? This morning the little dot I previously talked about was looking more red and raised. How can she check if she has something in her skin?
• Now I'm thinking could it be water retention? But it's weird because only one foot. She's chubby so we can't tell if her ankles are swollen too or not.

We have seen a doctor who prescribed a cortisone / antibiotic ointment in case this is an infection. But I feel it's not it..
She's also sometimes rubbing her hands and arm's.
Photos here: https://imgur.com/a/JrA5tn9 The swollen foot is the right one.
Anyone has an idea on what it could be? Breaks my hurt to see her feeling uncomfortable. Thank you!!

I’m a female who just turned 37 in April. Since I was little I’ve had a fear of dying. That fear has lingered in the back of my mind since and I’ve been able to live life happily! Last year I noticed a discomfort on my chest. It’s on the left side right below my collar bone. I ignored it cause I had no symptoms and it wasn’t affecting me in any way. I honestly didn’t even notice it until around November. That’s when it hit me that had been feeling it for a few months. Didn’t think anything of it cause again there were no other symptoms. February 2024 my daughter notices a small bald spot in the back of my head. I mildly freak out. I then notice my hair has been falling out a lot and it’s thin. I tell myself I’m just stressed out. March 11 I decide to start walking 1 hour after work M-F. I’m pretty consistent with the walking and feeling great. Fast forward to April which was exactly 1 day after turning 37 I notice my shin is a little sunken in. I start to press down on both shins and this is where my health anxiety and internet rabbit holes began! First thing that shows up on google is that edema comes from a heart problem. I remember the chest discomfort that comes and goes since last year and I spiral that night. That fear of me dying takes over and break down to my husband. I see a dr about 3 weeks later blood work comes back that I have vitamin d2 deficiency as well as iron. I discover health anxiety is a thing thanks to Reddit and all the symptoms that come along with having these deficiencies can make people feel like there is something wrong with them. Dr also does an ekg which comes back normal and tells me to see a cardiologist for the edema. The appointment with the pcp was ok but it kind of took a turn when I told her I had been walking for a little over a month with no changes in my weight. She starts to offer me a weight loss program but tells me I have to get cleared by a cardiologist first. After starting both vitamin d2 and iron I go down a rabbit hole of all the symptoms I’ve been feeling for years might just have to do with the deficiencies. But with my health anxiety completely taken over my life I have convinced myself there’s something wrong with me! I ended up scheduling an appointment with another Dr (last week June 3) and by this time the leg edema is completely gone, the bald spot has long hair growing from it, I’m no longer sleeping during the day, I feel energized. I would like to mention that I’m still walking 1 hour a day M-F and I live in Texas so the heat is brutal. That has never given me any problems with the chest discomfort. The chest discomfort comes and goes since I first noticed it. New Dr tells me there’s no need for a cardio because I have no swelling, ekg is normal, pressure is normal and my lungs sound great. She did request new labs and I’m waiting on that to come back. She also said it could be costochondritis, but I don’t know because I have never had difficulty breathing or in any kind of pain like I’ve seen people describe who actually have it. I did have to stop the iron (FS) because it was making my stomach go crazy! Diarrhea, hungry noises, but no stomach aches. The chest Today I am here because of course I’m trying to diagnose myself with h pylori! Which I can’t even narrow down since the iron pills have given me diarrhea. I would also like to mention that I work from home and i have to look down a lot cause I have to do a lot of writing. I decided to use a stand to put my iPad down so I’m not having to bend my neck a lot. The chest discomfort has gone away but now I noticed when I sit down to work after a few minutes I start to feel like a cool sensation in the area and it’s only when I’m sitting down or washing the dishes. I’m not sure it’s a nerve or muscles something. I hate that no one is willing to give me a x-ray! Please leave your comments if your are experiencing health anxiety, had edema that magically went away, this chest discomfort I’ve been feeling. Thank you and so sorry for such long boring post ❤️

Hi!
I (23F UK) was diagnosed and treated for endometriosis via ablation during a laparoscopy performed by the NHS in February 2024. Since the surgery, I've been struggling with medical trauma due to the way I was treated, and unfortunately, all my symptoms have already returned.
I'm reaching out to see if anyone has experienced something similar and can offer advice. Also, I'm wondering if I have grounds to file a complaint or if this is more of a personal issue.
Here is what happened:
After years of waiting, making numerous phone calls, and experiencing several referrals mysteriously falling through, I finally had a phone appointment with my surgeon to discuss my symptoms. During the call, he kept trying to dismiss me and dissuade me from pursuing a diagnostic laparoscopy. I tried to remain calm, but after years of being dismissed and seeing my health decline daily, I broke down in tears explaining this to him. This seemed to help because, although hesitantly, he did agree to book a diagnostic laparoscopy.
For context, two ultrasounds had found limited mobility in my left ovary, suggesting possible adhesions.
This was the only interaction I had with my surgeon before the actual surgery. On the day of the procedure, he asked about my symptoms but kept cutting me off and being dismissive. He said the surgery would take at least 45 minutes to investigate and swap my copper IUD for the MIRENA coil. He mentioned that if endometriosis was present, I would be under anesthesia for 1-3 hours, but he would close me up and refer me to a specialist hospital if he found stage 3+ endometriosis. Following the advice of women from my endo support group, I asked my surgeon if he could perform excision surgery if endometriosis was present. He said excision is only for severe cases, that he didn't perform this procedure, and that ablation was just as effective. Despite my research and advice from others, I trusted his opinion since I am not a doctor.
The anesthetist then came in, briefly looked through my chart, barely spoke to me, and seemed very dismissive. I have low blood pressure normally, and vasovagal syncope episodes everyday (depending on day often multiple times). On the day of the surgery, it was even lower than usual (80-70/60-50), so my mum, who is an NHS nurse, brought it up since he hadn't. He kind of laughed in a snarky way and said "You're young, it's fine." then left.
In the surgery room, no one spoke to me, and I was very anxious, on the brink of a panic attack. A lovely nurse tried to distract me by chatting, which helped immensely (thank god for NHS nurses). The anesthetist inserted the cannula without telling me, asked the surgeon how long he needed, and the surgeon said 30 minutes. Without any warning, the anesthetist put me to sleep.
This was very distressing for me, and cranked up my anxiety. Hearing the surgeon say he needed less time than he had told me made me feel like he didn’t really believe I had endo or that my pain was real. Seconds later, everything started spinning, and that was the last thing I remembered as I went under which felt horrible.
I woke up in severe pain, foggy, with an oxygen mask on, two nurses monitoring me, and a rash all over the arm where the cannula was inserted. I felt like I was about to have a panic attack, severely anxious, and overwhelmed by the oxygen mask and other monitoring devices. The nurses said they were worried since I took a long time to wake up, and the rash indicated an allergic reaction to either the anesthesia or the medication I was given. My blood pressure was around 60/40. They did remove the oxygen mask as soon as I was more awake, which calmed me down a bit. Despite a few IV morphine shots, I was still in a lot of pain, so they gave me fentanyl, which helped briefly. I had surgery in 2018 under general anaesthesia and didn't have any of these issues,(different hospital).
Since it took me a long time to wake up, my surgeon couldn't speak to me after the surgery. I still don't know exactly how long it took me to wake up; my mum didn't keep track, I was too foggy to keep track, and the staff avoided my questions about it. However, he did speak to my mum and told her they found stage 1/2 lesions that were superficial and concentrated on my left ovary, on and behind my uterus, as well as severe pelvic inflammation and congestion, which he expressed is more typical in moderate endometriosis. He said I would probably need further hormonal treatment on top of the MIRENA because of this.
I had the option to go home, but I asked if i could stay overnight because my entire body felt extremely itchy to the point where I couldn't sleep, I had a fever, and it was incredibly difficult and painful to urinate. The itchiness improved slightly around the 8-hour mark after many doses of antihistamines, but I was still very uncomfortable and had a slight fever for days after. They said light bleeding was to be expected but I was bleeding heavily, I left a trail of blood walking to the bathroom and pads couldn't keep up with how much I was bleeding. They kept offering morphine, but since it didn't help with the pain and I suspected it was causing the itchiness, I asked for buscopan instead.
The only thing included in my surgery notes was "moderate endometriosis on uterus and left ovary." My hospital discharge notes claimed "no vaginal bleeding, suspected unknown allergic reaction which subsided entirely with antihistamines, no need for further investigation' and' no issues emptying bladder." Since I left a trail of blood all over the floor, it was very painful to pee, and my full body itchiness lasted for days, I don't feel my notes were accurate ? I don't understand this
I had three incisions; they said they used dissolvable stitches, but one stitch was black while the others were clear. The clear stitches dissolved within a week, but the black looking stitch took over a month, and I had to fiddle with it when it was coming off. I'm not sure if this is normal.
Four months after my surgery, I still experience severe deep pain when emptying my bladder and need to urinate constantly (wasn't a problem before). My symptoms are all back, and I am pretty much bed-bound again like I was before the surgery. I still haven't spoken to my surgeon, and the surgery notes left me wondering what he meant by pelvic congestion, severe inflammation, further hormonal treatment, and about the staging of the disease. I've tried reaching him via his secretary a few times and left a voice message once, but I haven't heard back.
Now, every time I have to see a doctor, I find myself trying to suppress panic attacks. I have nightmares related to my experience and struggle to talk about it without crying or having a panic attack.
I started seeing a therapist in March 2023 to help with PTSD symptoms after being in an abusive relationship. By the time of my surgery, I was actually in a great place mentally and hadn't had any PTSD symptoms since October 2023. I also have ADHD, so with all this in mind, I know that I am more likely to process trauma more negatively.
Advice:
Is it reasonable for me to submit a complaint about my experience? I am not seeking any legal outcomes or compensation. My reason for submitting a complaint would be to encourage the staff to be more mindful of future patients.
Even just informing me of what they were doing ahead of time (e.g., "I am putting in a cannula for your anaesthetic; you will feel a slight pinch but don't worry. I am putting in the anaesthetic now; this might feel funny going in but don't worry, you'll feel a bit dizzy and be asleep very quickly after. We need 30 minutes; we may need longer if we find endometriosis (name of patient).") would have avoided a lot of distress. They could have also discussed anesthesia duration before I went into the room, which would have helped avoid a lot of anxiety, but I'm not sure this would work protocol-wise.
Any advice on how to handle this situation, and heal emotionally? Clarifications?
Thank you for reading and for any support you can provide.

24F 5’6 150lbs caucasian
lately i’ve been having this thing happen where sometimes when i stand up i get really intense pressure in my head that doesn’t really last for a long time. also sometimes it’s accompanied by tiny black/silvery floaters in my vision. not sure if its at all related but ive noticed lately some general eye discomfort, not pain but just not 100% normal ness in the eyes but im not talking vision loss or anything, just excess eye fatigue kind of. also some pressure/pulsing in my temples and the fact that my pulse on the right side of my neck is less noticeable to the touch than on my left side. i also have some fullness in my ears. my bp is generally low/normal, i just took it and its 131/87 but i also had just been cooking for a long time/eating and wasn’t totally relaxed. is this anything? or should i just ride it out. and if it is something, who do i see? thanks

Hey everyone. This will be a little long fair warning. I've been lurking in this sub for a little bit now and I chime in from time to time but I really feel the need to make this post for the betterment of those who feel lost, hurt and confused from this horrible illness. I wanna start off by saying I was first plagued with this illness at about 16/17 years old. However I had no idea what it was, and it wasn't that bad initially, I thought it was hormonal acne of some kind since it started as little bumps on my skin, mainly back, shoulders and my chest, these were always the main spots where infections would pop up. I lived a norma life during this time and was not effected mentally or physically until about a year later. I was arrested for the sale and possession of marijuana. I was a local weed dealer, honestly just a kid trying to make some extra money started small then off to the races, was selling ounces a day for about 4 months until I was picked up by the dea on my way back home walking with my girlfriend. That time in jail I started to really see the infection get worse. Conveniently right after I got the hepatitis shot that all inmate's receive( it's very clear at this point morgellons are being put in these vaccination shots). Things started to get bad real fast. Crazy sores all over my chest and back. In jail we are wearing long sleeve jumpsuits and long pants so it wasn't apparent to other inmates. I did about a month and a half and got out with 2 years probation.during this time I was working on rebuilding my life. Lost a girlfriend and got another which I've now dated for 7 years, my ride or die to say the least. My symptoms got worse and worse but I pushed through, finished probation, no felony record thankfully, have stayed working the entire time and used money I made looking for solutions. Ive tried every single supplement under the sun and the only ones that really helped keep it at bay where collodials, zeolite and burdock root. But I didn't understand why these things helped still was learning. Fast forward a little bit my life was going pretty decent working 2 good jobs, then out of nowhere I got sick for a month straight with a cough that wouldn't go away, little did I know these mother fuckers get inside of your vital organs and begin reducing their function. This is what makes us feel sick. Go watch a documentary on YouTube called under the skin. U have to rent it, it's like 3-4 bucks well worth it. In this document they follow many people with the illness and highlight the beginning of the morgellons research foundation. There are people in this movie that talk about having organ failure of many kinds after getting morgellons. I know this is why this happened. I passed out on my living room floor one morning, woke up, and passed out again with severe pain in my stomach and my vision was going black. I thought I was going to die. I was rushed to the hospital where after many tests, they told me they believed it was my spleen, and I had so much internal bleeding that they had to take me into emergency surgery to find out what was the true cause to save my life. Few hours later after that I woke up, with my spleen removed from my body. The doctor who took it out told me that it was almost double in size, when normally enlarged spleens that need surgery are normal 1.25x in size. They said it was the biggest they had ever seen and if it ruptured inside of me I probably wouldnt have made it. So during my recovery in the hospital, I was drugged up beyond belief, I was in excruciating pain, felt like my stomach was being ripped open at all times (i was cut completely open). I without a doubt know now that morgellons are also in the pharmisudical drugs. After taking these pills over a extended period of time I began to flare up with this shit worse than ever before. It literally looked like alien creatures were bursting through my skin I had never been so scared, this was about 2 years ago. I knew that I needed to start making money again so I could get the supplements that helped me before last time I had flare ups in the past. Worked my ass off and ordered my burdock root, ZEOLITE, collodials, some ormus, and a couple other things. My symptoms got WAY better and life kinda went back to normal. Fast forward about a year and a half and again it started to flare up really bad, and guess what, this was at a time where I was smoking weed every day in mass quantities(was going through a serious depression, life had just been really tough and began to get to me). The supplements this time were not really helping. I knew the only way I could beat this shit is to fully understand what the hell it is. Morgellons needs to be throught of as something in between a parasite, and a fungus. Antifungal substances and antiparasitic substances do help morgellons. But what I have come to understand, is u have to be taking a particular combination of thinngs that work synergistically to eliminate all or most of these thing. So after hours, days and weeks of research. I came to the conclusion that I needed collodial silver, collodial copper, ZEOLITE, high allicin garlic, and potent fulvic acid powder. It wasn't until I took this combination of things until I just watched this shit start to completely go away. And it was fast too. I went from looking like a monster of some sorts. To me literally watching my skin heal DRASTICALLY every day, each day was very noticable how much better it was, not to mention my confidence and energy levels were so much better being that I was getting healthier. Fast forward to today, and I just wanna tell you guys. There is fucking hope, fuck anyone who says otherwise, the only reason we are being plagued by this shit is just because we don't understand the enemy we are dealing with. I'm almost fully healed I would like to think. No more sores, no more sick feelings, only very small bumps will pop up from time to time that look like acne but go away if I just up the dosage of copper and silver. The silver is antifungal, antibacterial, antiparasiticical, and it helps keep ur beneficial stomach enzymes in tact. Which helps ur entire biology. The copper is antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, and it's main benefit is that it speeds up wound healing!!! Which is one of the main issues with morgellons, sores that won't go away for nothing. The ZEOLITE cages these fuckers and u piss them out, when u begin taking these things, the morgs will begin trying to escape through ur skin. DO NOT PICK AT THE BUMPS OR SORES IT WILL ONLY MAKE IT WORSE. I have a theory that when we pick at these things it just makes them borrow their way deeper into our skin. We must let them leave naturally. Cover up ur arms and legs at all times to prevent u from having the urge to pick, this shit will cause u to freak out and go crazy and be willing to do anything to get them out, just trust in the supplements they work over time. The fulvic acid is a potent detoxification tool, u will get detox symptoms from all of these in conjunction. Follow a strict healthy diet. YOU MUST CUT MEAT OUT OF UR DIET ASAP! this isn't a recommendation it is Mandatory if u want ur symptoma to get better. and fast as often as possible too to assist the detoxification process. Redmond real salt or Celtic salt added to distilled water this will pull them out through ur kidneys and the Celtic and Redmond salt have a ton of minerals to keep u hydrated and feeling good. Abstain from drugs, alcohol. And sex. I know the last one is a hard one. but for some reason having sex makes them angry for some reason. They don't want us having any fun I guess 🤣. If you follow all of these steps u will get better. I didn't want to be too long winded but I had to make this post as I know how you guys feel. I wish I had people with this knowledge to help me in my times of need so hopefully I can help even one of y'all. Stay strong, there is light at the end of the tunnel. If y'all have any questions feel free to ask

For the past year we've noticed a white and gray stray cat wandering our apartment complex. He seemed healthy enough in the beginning so I figured he was being taken care of and just managed to slip out of his apartment. As the months have warmed up again, the cat began to reappear last month, however he was noticeably in bad shape. His fur was dirty and disheveled, he was all skin and bones, he was missing fur in patches on his legs. He would retreat to the woods anytime he was approached. I reached out to my apartments management and they told me a neighbor said they worked with a rescue and would get the cat to safety. A month later, the cat was still wandering the complex. After weeks of heavy rain he was still outside, wasting away. I knew I needed to do something. I reached out to every rescue I knew of and they all directed me to a feral TNR rescue in our area. Since we weren't entirely sure how socialized he was and he wouldn't let anyone within five feet of him, we developed a plan to humanely trap him.
I put out food multiple times a day and set up a security camera so I could track how often he visited. He never missed a meal that I put out. I knew it was time and set up the trap. He was caught very quickly. I decided to give him the name Gem because I felt in my heart that he was a diamond in the rough. I believed in him and wanted to fight for him. I was willing to foster and adopt him once he received treatment. The TNR organization swiftly took him in, they were absolute angels, frequently texting me updates and videos. They believed he was at one point a domestic pet, who was potentially dumped by someone in the complex. He was scared and in pain, and became frightened of people.
Today they put him under anesthesia so they could do a full exam. They called me around midday to tell me he had advanced infections all through his body, his organs were failing, he was so weak, and he had cancer. They asked for my consent for euthanasia, and it was such a difficult decision to make but I knew in my heart the most loving thing we could do was free him from his pain. I haven't stopped crying. I am so upset that he went so long without knowing the love and care of a human. I wish I had caught him sooner. I wish I could have shown him a happy life. I feel for him as if he was my own cat. I grieve the life I could have given him. I will pick up his ashes on Wednesday, and I will make sure they stay in my home; a safe place he can finally rest.
Rest in peace, Gem. Even though I only really knew you for a week, I loved you so much.