Stomach pains and diarrhea cold sweats shaky hands
I am the last of the Cocoanut Grove Fire (My First Post)
2024.05.19 15:23 RyanNoSleep I am the last of the Cocoanut Grove Fire (My First Post)
I was a busboy at the Cocoanut Grove. That Saturday, the place was a heaving mass of humanity. Soldiers on leave, couples on dates, socialites, and gangsters—the club was their playground, and I was just an invisible part of the scenery. The air was a haze of smoke and alcohol, thick enough to choke on.
It was around 10:15 PM when I first saw him. A man in a dark, heavy coat, standing by the service door near the kitchen. Odd attire for such a warm, crowded club, but what really caught my eye was his face. His eyes were black pits, empty yet somehow full of a cold, malevolent hunger. His smile was a razor-thin line, cutting through his face like a wound. He gestured for me to come closer, but before I could move, he slipped into the kitchen.
Seconds later, the lights flickered, and fire erupted in the Melody Lounge. The flames didn’t spread—they leapt, as if alive, cutting off exits with a terrifying, unnatural precision. Panic ignited, and the crowd became a stampede. I tried to guide people to safety, but the fire seemed to anticipate our every move.
As I fought my way toward the kitchen, hoping for another way out, I witnessed horrors that will forever be etched into my memory.
The first was a young woman in a red dress. She had been dancing with her boyfriend moments before the fire broke out. When the flames began to spread, she tried to run, but the crowd was too thick. She stumbled and fell right in front of me. In the chaos, no one stopped to help her. The flames reached her, and her screams pierced through the cacophony. Her dress ignited, the fabric melting into her skin. I watched in horror as her flesh bubbled and peeled away, revealing raw, charred muscle beneath. Her eyes locked onto mine, pleading for help, before the fire consumed her completely. I couldn’t do anything but keep moving, the image of her agony seared into my mind.
Further ahead, near the bar, a middle-aged man, a regular at the club, was pounding on a locked door that led to the staff area. His hands were bloody, and his face was contorted in sheer panic. The smoke was thickening, making it hard to breathe. I saw him drop to his knees, clawing at his throat as he began to choke. His skin turned a sickly blue as he suffocated. The fire found him next, wrapping around his legs and creeping up his body. His screams were a mix of terror and pain as the flames cooked him alive, turning him into a grotesque statue of blackened bone and seared flesh. I wanted to help, but the fire was relentless, and I had to keep moving.
Near the back exit, which had been illegally locked to prevent people from sneaking in without paying, I saw a young couple—newlyweds celebrating their honeymoon. The husband was trying to shield his wife with his body as they pounded on the unyielding door. The fire closed in, and I heard their desperate cries for help. The flames licked at their legs, their screams merging into a single, horrifying wail. The husband’s back blistered and burst, his skin sloughing off in sheets. The wife’s hair ignited, and she clawed at her scalp in a futile attempt to extinguish the flames. They held each other as they burned, their bodies fusing together in a grotesque, charred embrace. I was frozen in place, unable to look away, until a surge of heat pushed me to keep moving.
I fought through the flames, dodging falling debris and stumbling over lifeless bodies. The heat was unbearable, the air thick with smoke and the stench of burning flesh. Finally, I found a side door and burst into the alley, gulping in the cool night air. As I looked back, the building was fully engulfed, the screams of the trapped mingling with an unholy laughter that echoed in my ears long after.
The official reports blamed faulty wiring and overcrowding, but I know better. The man in the dark coat—he wasn’t human. He was something ancient, something that revels in chaos and feeds on fear. Since that night, I’ve been plagued by dark dreams and even darker realities. Doors in my house creak open on their own, whispers drift through the night, and I see shadows moving just beyond my vision.
Every anniversary, the nightmares get worse, and I feel his presence more acutely. It’s as if the fire forged a bond between us, a bond I can’t break. I’ve tried to tell my story, but no one believes me. They think I’m just a traumatized survivor, driven mad by the horrors I witnessed.
But I know the truth. And now, so do you.
If you’re reading this, I’m begging, heed my warning. On the anniversary of the Cocoanut Grove fire, stay away from dark, crowded places. If you see a man in a dark coat with eyes like voids, don’t approach him. Run, and don’t look back.
Because once he marks you, there’s no escape. The flames will find you, and Hell will claim its due.
Tonight, as I write this, I can feel the heat building, the shadows lengthening. He’s close. I can hear his whisper just beyond the door. I don’t know if I’ll survive another anniversary, but if I don’t, remember my story.
Remember that some fires are more than just flames. They are gateways, and some doors should never be opened.
submitted by RyanNoSleep to scarystories [link] [comments]
It was around 10:15 PM when I first saw him. A man in a dark, heavy coat, standing by the service door near the kitchen. Odd attire for such a warm, crowded club, but what really caught my eye was his face. His eyes were black pits, empty yet somehow full of a cold, malevolent hunger. His smile was a razor-thin line, cutting through his face like a wound. He gestured for me to come closer, but before I could move, he slipped into the kitchen.
Seconds later, the lights flickered, and fire erupted in the Melody Lounge. The flames didn’t spread—they leapt, as if alive, cutting off exits with a terrifying, unnatural precision. Panic ignited, and the crowd became a stampede. I tried to guide people to safety, but the fire seemed to anticipate our every move.
As I fought my way toward the kitchen, hoping for another way out, I witnessed horrors that will forever be etched into my memory.
The first was a young woman in a red dress. She had been dancing with her boyfriend moments before the fire broke out. When the flames began to spread, she tried to run, but the crowd was too thick. She stumbled and fell right in front of me. In the chaos, no one stopped to help her. The flames reached her, and her screams pierced through the cacophony. Her dress ignited, the fabric melting into her skin. I watched in horror as her flesh bubbled and peeled away, revealing raw, charred muscle beneath. Her eyes locked onto mine, pleading for help, before the fire consumed her completely. I couldn’t do anything but keep moving, the image of her agony seared into my mind.
Further ahead, near the bar, a middle-aged man, a regular at the club, was pounding on a locked door that led to the staff area. His hands were bloody, and his face was contorted in sheer panic. The smoke was thickening, making it hard to breathe. I saw him drop to his knees, clawing at his throat as he began to choke. His skin turned a sickly blue as he suffocated. The fire found him next, wrapping around his legs and creeping up his body. His screams were a mix of terror and pain as the flames cooked him alive, turning him into a grotesque statue of blackened bone and seared flesh. I wanted to help, but the fire was relentless, and I had to keep moving.
Near the back exit, which had been illegally locked to prevent people from sneaking in without paying, I saw a young couple—newlyweds celebrating their honeymoon. The husband was trying to shield his wife with his body as they pounded on the unyielding door. The fire closed in, and I heard their desperate cries for help. The flames licked at their legs, their screams merging into a single, horrifying wail. The husband’s back blistered and burst, his skin sloughing off in sheets. The wife’s hair ignited, and she clawed at her scalp in a futile attempt to extinguish the flames. They held each other as they burned, their bodies fusing together in a grotesque, charred embrace. I was frozen in place, unable to look away, until a surge of heat pushed me to keep moving.
I fought through the flames, dodging falling debris and stumbling over lifeless bodies. The heat was unbearable, the air thick with smoke and the stench of burning flesh. Finally, I found a side door and burst into the alley, gulping in the cool night air. As I looked back, the building was fully engulfed, the screams of the trapped mingling with an unholy laughter that echoed in my ears long after.
The official reports blamed faulty wiring and overcrowding, but I know better. The man in the dark coat—he wasn’t human. He was something ancient, something that revels in chaos and feeds on fear. Since that night, I’ve been plagued by dark dreams and even darker realities. Doors in my house creak open on their own, whispers drift through the night, and I see shadows moving just beyond my vision.
Every anniversary, the nightmares get worse, and I feel his presence more acutely. It’s as if the fire forged a bond between us, a bond I can’t break. I’ve tried to tell my story, but no one believes me. They think I’m just a traumatized survivor, driven mad by the horrors I witnessed.
But I know the truth. And now, so do you.
If you’re reading this, I’m begging, heed my warning. On the anniversary of the Cocoanut Grove fire, stay away from dark, crowded places. If you see a man in a dark coat with eyes like voids, don’t approach him. Run, and don’t look back.
Because once he marks you, there’s no escape. The flames will find you, and Hell will claim its due.
Tonight, as I write this, I can feel the heat building, the shadows lengthening. He’s close. I can hear his whisper just beyond the door. I don’t know if I’ll survive another anniversary, but if I don’t, remember my story.
Remember that some fires are more than just flames. They are gateways, and some doors should never be opened.
2024.05.19 15:20 KimbleFlakes2001 Chaos at Costco.
First time writing about my anxiety. So without going into too much detail I'd have had this disorder for three years now and it usually manifests itself in being convinced I have heart disease despite evidence to the contrary. Now straight to the fun part.
Popped into a Costco to grab an appetizer for a party I was going to attend last Saturday. On the way in, I could feel my anxiety start to creep up. Got in, saw there were massive lines to the cash registers, nearly reaching to the back of the store. Recently my disorder has given me the joy of freaking out in crowds when I'm alone. This has never, and I mean never been a problem for me. On the contrary, I'm more comfortable with groups of people then being alone. So nevertheless I grab the freaking appetizer, get in line and that's when it starts. This wave that starts in my stomach and spreads up my chest, giving me the feeling of angina, but its not. Still, my mind thinks "Heart attack!". My heart rate races, a tingling in my legs and feet starts to swamp me, I being to sweat. For ten hellish minutes I was debating myself on just bailing or riding this thing out. At one point my legs went numb and I thought I was going to just collapse in the line and make a fool of myself. Finally, I got to the self checkout, worked the scanner and keypad with my hands that were shaking so badly, I look like I just got out of a Betty Ford program. Never, has the air of a Costco parking lot smelt so refreshing and clean to me.
I got back to my place, and as terrifying as it was, I was legitimately triumphant that I got through it, that I had exposed myself to this in a very public setting. Naturally I cracked a few beers open in celebration. Alcohol use is one part of this nightmare that I'm dealing with, and while I've cut down significantly on my weekly intake, by God, does it give you relief in a crux. But then at that point your more or less on borrowed time until you sober up and it all comes rolling back at you tenfold.
I find exposure therapy, however bad of a medicine as it tastes, does help me recalbertate myself back to the man I formerly was. And like most experiences on this thread, it's' not been one big Neil Armstrong step forward and your good. I've had many half steps back since, but if you are in better shape the following week, however incrementally, the you've made some progress right? Gosh, just writing this right now gives me some discomfort. But getting it off my chest, might just help get it out of my chest.
Cheers.
submitted by KimbleFlakes2001 to Anxiety [link] [comments]
Popped into a Costco to grab an appetizer for a party I was going to attend last Saturday. On the way in, I could feel my anxiety start to creep up. Got in, saw there were massive lines to the cash registers, nearly reaching to the back of the store. Recently my disorder has given me the joy of freaking out in crowds when I'm alone. This has never, and I mean never been a problem for me. On the contrary, I'm more comfortable with groups of people then being alone. So nevertheless I grab the freaking appetizer, get in line and that's when it starts. This wave that starts in my stomach and spreads up my chest, giving me the feeling of angina, but its not. Still, my mind thinks "Heart attack!". My heart rate races, a tingling in my legs and feet starts to swamp me, I being to sweat. For ten hellish minutes I was debating myself on just bailing or riding this thing out. At one point my legs went numb and I thought I was going to just collapse in the line and make a fool of myself. Finally, I got to the self checkout, worked the scanner and keypad with my hands that were shaking so badly, I look like I just got out of a Betty Ford program. Never, has the air of a Costco parking lot smelt so refreshing and clean to me.
I got back to my place, and as terrifying as it was, I was legitimately triumphant that I got through it, that I had exposed myself to this in a very public setting. Naturally I cracked a few beers open in celebration. Alcohol use is one part of this nightmare that I'm dealing with, and while I've cut down significantly on my weekly intake, by God, does it give you relief in a crux. But then at that point your more or less on borrowed time until you sober up and it all comes rolling back at you tenfold.
I find exposure therapy, however bad of a medicine as it tastes, does help me recalbertate myself back to the man I formerly was. And like most experiences on this thread, it's' not been one big Neil Armstrong step forward and your good. I've had many half steps back since, but if you are in better shape the following week, however incrementally, the you've made some progress right? Gosh, just writing this right now gives me some discomfort. But getting it off my chest, might just help get it out of my chest.
Cheers.
2024.05.19 15:14 pohltergiest Spoke broke part 4
 | Where were we, ah yes. We piled into the train, which was not empty but had enough room. It took us a few stops to arrange ourselves to not be in the way, but there's only so much you can do when you're taking up the room of six people at once. The sky steadily darkened as we headed north, the local train trundling along at a steady pace. It felt a little slow, but whereas we might go 120km/h on the highway back home, it's pretty common for major roads here to have a speed limit of 50 and it's not common for it to be exceeded. submitted by pohltergiest to RainbowRamenRide [link] [comments] We arrived in shinjo, awkwardly carrying our bikes through the station. It was night and we needed some food. Beside snack bars, there was a Korean place open, so we went there. It was on a dim street, lit only by the colourful signs of the handful of bars and restaurants on the street. The doorway was short, so we ducked into a low ceilinged place that looked like a basement ftom the 80's. Wood panelling, faded posters, and a bunch of fridges with cold drinks inside. The cook welcomed us in and we sat at a low table on the ground across the little room from a rowdy group of men who looked like they had been there for awhile already. We ordered karaage and stone bowl bimimbap. The chef seemed happy that we wanted it spicy. He kept popping out to make sure we knew how to eat the food, him stirring Bryce's bowl of bimimbap for him since Bryce has never had the dish. When we were nearly done eating and the other table had stopped shouting for more stuff, the chef pulled up a chair in the doorway of the kitchen and chatted us up. He said he was from Korea and he had been in Japan for 36 years. He loves skiing and wanted to show us his pictures. He loved to hear our story of us biking across the country, asking about different details along the way. When we were done eating, he brought out two small cans of Korean soda for us to enjoy and then when we had finished that, he said that the meal was on him. "My heart", he said, when we insisted that we should pay. We gave him as many candies as he would accept, but graciously took the offering. Outside we headed to our best shot at a campsite, a day camping spot about 5 km away, well outside of shinjo. It was very dark on the way out, but nobody was on the road and the road was good, so we had no problems. The campsite looked good, with working bathrooms. It was a little overgrown, which was a good sign. Don't want to be camping in a park that will be well used on a Sunday morning. We found a quiet corner in a stand of weeds across a little stream that looked like it hadn't had foot traffic in a decade. We got set up and got to bed, it being very late. A cat watched us atop a fallen tree, it's eyes glowing an eerie red in the light of our headlamps. We could feel the heat and humidity really starting to ramp up, so we were ready to get going. After packing up, we set off west for the coastline and the aquarium. We got about ten kilometers before I ran over what I thought was a branch, both of us paranoid of a broken spoke at this point. Just to be sure I checked my spokes, sure enough I had a broken one. My face getting hot from frustration, I sat down and started wrenching spokes to tighten what I could, swearing and cursing that we lost another one. This couldn't be that hard. I didn't have a proper spoke wrench, which was making this kind of maintenance very difficult. Regardless, it'd need to be replaced and while I had many spares now, shops were hard to find. We were 15km from shinjo, so we could head back, or go forwards and try our luck with some transit. We decided to go forward, as we'd spend all day going back to the city to get repairs done. May as well get them done in the place we were already heading to. There was a train station nearby, so we biked the 5km to get there. Along the way I noticed that I did a terrible job with the spokes, making the wheel wobble and bump as I tugged it into an egg shape. Not great. When we arrived, the train station looked permanently closed. The tracks had a layer of rust on top indicating that no train had run here for some time. We looked around and found notices that a replacement bus was running this line. Would it be a small passenger bus or a large coach bus with luggage compartments? We decided to wait the hour and find out. As we waited, it got hot and sticky. I read some guides on spokes and wheel trueing. I've had some difficulties with learning new things, but the upset feelings with losing the ability to bike confidently helped to spur me along. It doesn't look too hard, but I'll need a spoke tool. Next time we're in a city with a few minutes to spare I'll get one. From what I can see, it's likely the super fast sections we're doing where we're fully loaded and hitting bumps in the road at 60km/h. These cause wild tension spikes in the spokes and lead to fatigue and breakage. We just can't be doing such intense speeds and hitting things like potholes. We also need to check the spoke tension after big rides. I'm going to try to incorporate it into lunch breaks. Eventually the bus came and it was thankfully a coach bus. After some wrangling we got the bikes in the luggage compartment and got on the bus. I sat, a little dazed, as I looked out the window. I reflected on why bike failures cause me such grief, it doesn't matter if we spend the day trying to get repairs, and yet I'm upset like I've been mugged. I suppose the bikes are our independence and mobility out here, something we control. I get a sense of safety from them, knowing I can get to food and shelter. When they break, not only is my movement hampered, now I have a big awkward expensive dead weight that I can't leave for extended periods of time. Getting it fixed is hard and there are often only one or two places per city that can do it. It's scary having a breakage in the countryside because we have no ability to call a cab on our own. It's a long string of "ifs" to get back to moving and the cascading failure of plans makes me very upset. I tried my best to remind myself that this is all part of the challenge, and besides, I would never, ever, learn things in any way other than the hardest. All we need is for a massive failure on the bike to lead to an injury, that'd be the hardest way to learn. Sweating as we haul our bikes through station platforms instead of drinking lemon sours by the ocean seems like a decent enough pounding to get me to learn some maintenance skills. We arrived at the bus terminus and made our way up and over a train station and down to a platform to catch a train to tsuruoka. Both the departing station and arriving station were both super hard to get our bikes though, and people really liked staring at us as we struggled. There was just one chance in this city, one shop that looked to be equipped to fix bikes like ours. Would it be open today, we'd have to go there to find out. Riding the kilometer to the shop through the little city tucked in between two mountain ranges, we arrived to find the store was closed, but there was a biking team loitering around after finishing a ride. We greeted them and asked them about their team and if they knew anything about the shop. They indicated that they were closed for lunch and they'd be back in a while. Small town stuff. We decided to follow suit and went to find some lunch ourselves. A short walk and a nice chinese restaurant serving lunch meal sets later (I got shrimp in a chili sauce) we headed back to find all but one of the bike team members had left and an old man and a lady were there eating rice balls on a bench outside the shop, which had an open door now. Music was drifting out, so we poked our heads in. Nobody was inside, so we asked the guy from the biking team if he knew where the mechanic was, to which he indicated the old guy was the mechanic, much to our embarrassment. The old fellow jumped up and finished his rice ball and started right away after what our issues were. The spoke replacement was an easy one so he took the wheel inside and started on that. I was relieved, but still very stressed so I decided to sit down and clean my bike for the first time. I recalled my first engineering job where I was taught that the first step to repairing a machine was to clean it, and until you could manage that you didn't belong around tools. Bryce likewise tried to do some maintenance as well. I'll finish this story tomorrow, it's supposed to rain in the morning and I can catch up then. |
2024.05.19 14:32 Miserable_Stick_4225 Finally writing about my graduation (long)
(Ftm) I gave birth on may 5th. It was honestly funny because I was scheduled for an induction at 8 in the morning but my water broke around 4am. I was getting up from bed to go to the restroom and hadn't even gotten up from the edge and my water broke all over the bed and when I got up it was still dripping out. We went to the hospital a bit after 2 hours. They told me I was around 2-2.5cm. I got some painkillers but they didn't help. I got more painkillers given by a needle which helped alot for an hour or two. When I was 3-4cm I got to go to the birthing room. It was alot more comfortable with more space and I got to try the tub for pain relief. The midwife helped me get in it and I layed in the tub for a while breathing through my contractions. I waited for her to be back to help me out and I dried myself and layed back on the hospital bed. She asked about getting an epidural when it was getting too painful for me and I said maybe. She called the doctor into the room to do it. She also put a kanyl to my hand and drops to keep increasing the contractions because they were decreasing. After the epidural was done I was not in any pain at all and slept multiple hours. I was 6cm dilated at this point. The rest of the birth didn't take long. I remember that at the end I felt alot of pressure on my butt. I wasn't really sure if I would give birth then. It started getting more painful so we called them into the room and she said I was 10 cm dilated. I was surprised because it was only 6cm last time. She asked if I wanted to start pushing and I said yes. She called another person into the room to take the time of birth. She felt on my stomach for the contractions and told me when I need to push. I pushed for 13 mins. The midwife put her on top of me after she was born. My stomach hurt alot from that. I was exhausted. The night was bad because she was crying alot and they asked if we wanted them to take care of her and we said yes. Its been great after that though! First days were just exhausting. (I got also my pee emptied out twice during the labor because they said it might help the process.), (also used laughing gas for pain relief and stress relief).
submitted by Miserable_Stick_4225 to pregnant [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 14:24 Fancy_Arm_7448 Side Effects After Stopping?
Has anyone here experienced any side effects after stopping semaglutide? Unfortunately my husband lost his job and our insurance so I had to stop taking Wegovy when I ran out a few weeks ago. I had been on it for a year. I never experienced any unpleasant side effects during that year taking it but the past two weekends I have been dealing with bloating, painful stomach/abdominal cramps, diarrhea, etc that start on Friday (when I used to take my shot) and only start after I have eaten. It lasts all weekend to some degree and then stops until the next weekend. I’m pretty puzzled by it and am just wondering if there may be a link to me stopping the shots. I reached out to my doctor but haven’t heard back yet. Thanks for any advice you might have!
submitted by Fancy_Arm_7448 to Semaglutide [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 14:20 Packsnackbackpack Can I take Sinemet-free weekends?
I’m wondering if anyone only takes Sinemet as needed, and just deals with PD without it when they can.
My MDS doesn’t understand why I’d want to not take it constantly, as he saw my scores go down when I was on 1.5 pills of c/l 3x a day for a month. When I went in for the appointment, I thought he was going to tell me they weren’t working. Yes I could type a little better but I don’t feel on/off periods. I just notice “hey I am a little less shaky when I unload the dishes” or “hey my shoulder is slightly less painful today” There’s never a great surge of relief, I never get my handwriting back, and tbh a stress free day and a good night sleep seems to do the same thing for my PD stiffness. So really, if the results aren’t impactful to me, I don’t see why I should take it all the time?
I went 24 hours without C/L last weekend and didn’t notice any difference. I don’t type on the weekends. So this work week I waited until noon each day when my hand started sucking and took a dose with a little bit of impact to finish up the work day. Seemed fine. Yesterday, I had lunch in the sun with an old friend if not seen in awhile, browsed shops with no agenda alone, and painted when I got home. Felt great.
So like, if it’s a stress free day or I don’t need my fine motor skills, why take it?
MDS said I could stop C/L cold turkey, but when I googled I found warnings saying not to. I’m not thrilled with him in general/there’s no trust there (getting a new one this winter). Anyway, curious if anyone takes as needed or if you’ve heard it’s dangerous to do so.
Specifics re: my general symptoms if needed: I have rigid dominant YOPD with action tremor that’s worse with cold/big feelings. My main issues are tremor when texting/unloading the dishes, slow typing, and reduced mobility and moderate pain in my affected hand/arm/shouldeneck (right/dominant). Toe taps are slow and fatigue makes me feel the PD in my leg but no gait issues yet. Possibly related to something else, or possible that the disease is moving along a little quickly: both hands always have sore joints and feel swollen, and I have nerve pain down the backs of both legs/feet. Yes I had an abnormal DATscan.
Thanks!
submitted by Packsnackbackpack to Parkinsons [link] [comments]
My MDS doesn’t understand why I’d want to not take it constantly, as he saw my scores go down when I was on 1.5 pills of c/l 3x a day for a month. When I went in for the appointment, I thought he was going to tell me they weren’t working. Yes I could type a little better but I don’t feel on/off periods. I just notice “hey I am a little less shaky when I unload the dishes” or “hey my shoulder is slightly less painful today” There’s never a great surge of relief, I never get my handwriting back, and tbh a stress free day and a good night sleep seems to do the same thing for my PD stiffness. So really, if the results aren’t impactful to me, I don’t see why I should take it all the time?
I went 24 hours without C/L last weekend and didn’t notice any difference. I don’t type on the weekends. So this work week I waited until noon each day when my hand started sucking and took a dose with a little bit of impact to finish up the work day. Seemed fine. Yesterday, I had lunch in the sun with an old friend if not seen in awhile, browsed shops with no agenda alone, and painted when I got home. Felt great.
So like, if it’s a stress free day or I don’t need my fine motor skills, why take it?
MDS said I could stop C/L cold turkey, but when I googled I found warnings saying not to. I’m not thrilled with him in general/there’s no trust there (getting a new one this winter). Anyway, curious if anyone takes as needed or if you’ve heard it’s dangerous to do so.
Specifics re: my general symptoms if needed: I have rigid dominant YOPD with action tremor that’s worse with cold/big feelings. My main issues are tremor when texting/unloading the dishes, slow typing, and reduced mobility and moderate pain in my affected hand/arm/shouldeneck (right/dominant). Toe taps are slow and fatigue makes me feel the PD in my leg but no gait issues yet. Possibly related to something else, or possible that the disease is moving along a little quickly: both hands always have sore joints and feel swollen, and I have nerve pain down the backs of both legs/feet. Yes I had an abnormal DATscan.
Thanks!
2024.05.19 14:08 BiasMushroom Under Pressure (A NoP Fic Ch 67) Part 10
Nature of Humanity Ch 67 A NoP fic
Under Pressure Part 10
A Fanfic of u/SpacePaladin15’s work “The Nature of Predators.” Thank you for the story!
___
Memory transcription subject: Silvera, Factory 13 Manager
Date [standardized human time]: November 4th, 2136
If it wasn't for the clearly artificial sky above my head someone could possibly convince me I was outside in a new park. The neon blue screen with a white dot to represent the sun was nothing like the actual pale gray visage a mile above. Yet, it did have an enjoyable warmth to it.
A smooth artificial wind swept through the saplings ensuring that they would develop healthy stress wood. It also pleasantly cooled the fur of anyone in here, providing a nice little respite from the heater simulating the sun's unbearable hatred of us. Fuck you fake sun!
Any flora used to decorate the park would be exotic to Frozen Mountain, even if it came from the nearby tundra, but my humans decided to do something interesting. While they had covered most of the ground with a soft short-growing Terran clover, they chose to make the rest of the decorative plants functional. All of the saplings were different types of fruit trees that, when mature, would be free for anyone to harvest as much as they want. Even the decorative topiary isn't hardy tasteless plants, but berry bushes that would provide a variety of sweet treats relatively soon.
Agurcorp was more than happy to allow its failed startup out here to be turned into a local park. Well, so long as they didn't have to pay for this expensive mistake of theirs. The Mayor was all too happy with this, especially since my humans were happy to let him have all the credit so long as they got to design the park. With voting season right around the corner, the Mayor that ‘Brought life to this blighted land’ was a shoo-in to get re-elected. Or would be if he also wasn't ‘The idiot who allowed predators into the city.’
With everything that's happened I am still a bit surprised at everyone currently enjoying the park. A small herd of Venlil are exercising in the open field. A family of Gojids are walking along the cobblestone path. All the while, some humans are playing a very weird game of throwing a round plastic plate into chain nets. It's almost as if this city didn't have two separate riots on the same day.
The sound of wheels traveling across a bumpy path caught my attention. I glanced across the way to see an embarrassed-looking John driving an electric wheelchair over to me. His eyes locked onto mine before quickly switching to the ground. He tried to laze in a chair designed to enforce good posture and looked rather silly as he adjusted himself.
He came to a stop just a foot away from where I sat, “Hey Silv… I, uh… I don't actually need the wheelchair but Mikvia threatened to break my legs if I didn't use it, so I'm just humoring her.”
Oh, don't freaking tell me. Why are humans like this… “John… you were hospitalized with a punctured lung. Sure, doctors have some miracles they can perform these days, but you know you shouldn't be stressing yourself by walking.”
He huffed, “Please, I'm fine. Really. It wasn't as serious as everyone is making it out to be.”
I thumped my hind paw against the ground, “John.”
He threw his hands into the air with a huff, “I'm in the damn wheelchair ain't I? Gawd…”
He grasped his nose before calming down, “I apologize. Shouldn't have raised my voice like that. I mean… I am using the wheelchair and not lifting stuff. Doctor's orders. They even said getting out in this park would be fine. Said it might even help!”
We let out a deep sigh together. I hopped down from my bench and back up onto his lap, “Let's go for a ride… while we figure… us out…”
I could see John's guard drop as the exhaustion crept back onto his face, “...alright...” He pressed his controls forward, and we slowly began our first lap of the park.
John wrapped one of his lanky ape arms around me like a fleshy seatbelt and I laid my head on his chest appreciating the contrast of his warmth with the cool artificial breeze. I could have slept like this. The beating of his heart was rhythmic, and his deep breaths sounded a bit like waves washing up on a shore.
I even heard his heart quicken as I cleared my throat, “So… we aren't really dating are we?”
His exhaustion was quickly replaced with unease as he started to fidget a little, “I'm sorry…”
I held his hand and stared into the ocean blue eyes of his, “Don't be sorry. I think we were both drunk when we agreed to go on a date…”
He shook his head, “I still should have said something before then.”
It wasn't like I couldn't have taken the initiative and talked to him sooner too, “I know you were going through a lot. Actually, I know you still are… I'm really only able to guess but… Are you one of the types that thinks Xeno-dating is weird?”
He looked ashamed as he scrambled to smooth things over, “I- No- well, yes- but- it's just… ok. Let me start over… alright… yeah… so… uhm… the thing is… how do I put this… it sounds bad… well, it is bad… it’s just…”
My tail wagged involuntarily at the rather cute display of embarrassment radiating from John. I leaned in and let him have a doey-eyed look to help heap the embarrassment on.
It felt like John tried to stop the next words from rolling out of his mouth, “Sometimes I have trouble thinking of you all as people.”
John came to a complete stop as I just stared at him wide-eyed. My brain struggled to grasp what he was saying and the implications of it. He cringed and covered his face with his hands, “Gawd, that sounds horrible. It's just… It's not as bad with you and the others… I talk to y’all a lot. It's easier for it to click that you are people too.”
I was desperately trying to see this from his angle, “Wha- why does this happen in the first place?”
His hands drug down his face trying to drag the flesh with it, “I think it’s cause you are always naked. Like your back brace helps a little bit, but still everything else is… That and I hear your voice and the chip in my head then gives it meaning. Like its disjointed. Then it's the way your body language works and- and- fuck. Just…. Fuck me man. I don't even think that's all that's wrong with me. It’s just… like you look, sound, and smell like animals. It's just not really what my mind had in place for aliens. So- like- ugh! Why can't I just explain it!?”
It's difficult to explain, but his words connected to a deep sad memory, “It's like everything is just too… slightly wrong…”
It felt like I had been whisked back decades to my own childhood. I could still smell the bleached halls of the Venlil orphanage on Nevis. My heart whimpered when the Sivkits who came to adopt me shuddered with fear and disgust. Their strange voices sounded slow as they spoke a strange version of Klipic. Like hearing a pale imitation of yourself, try and pretend to be just like you.
My eyes locked with his as I carried on “It’s like you look at them and a part of you knows what they are, but your brain just snaps back to… to what you think reality is.”
I could see a glimmer of hope well up with his tears, “Y-you know? I-Iv've felt like such a monster! How can I- How can I look them in the eyes when they took me in and say- say- that I can't see them as people sometimes!? After everything they've done for me?! They want to adopt me and I- I- I can't even!”
I wrapped my arms around his neck as he buried his face in mine. It felt like he could crush me with his arms, yet they held me gently. What was causing me pain was this damn back brace. The blasted thing was trying to force my arms down while it hunched me over. I wiggled out of John's embrace and ripped the freaking thing off and chucked it as far as I could before burying myself in his embrace again.
We held each other as he drew in shuddering breaths and let his emotions flow out. John’s grip eventually began to loosen and we both took a moment to calm down. I gently tugged at the shirt covering John's torso, “So… Us not wearing clothes constantly is… disconnecting for you?”
He nodded his head, “Y-yeah… It’s like… every person I have ever known wears clothes. Animals never wear clothes and at most wear like a collar or harness if someone owns them. Then a few months ago, a bunch of nudist aliens show up and… well, my brain lops them into the animal category and the translator isn't helping.”
I glanced down at my body and suddenly felt… exposed, “So now that I am no longer wearing clothes…”
He cringed, “You look more like a large rabbit thing than a person… when you had the brace on it helped a little, but you were on all fours… When you were wearing your weather suit and had your hood off, It felt like you were a person, just different.”
An idea crossed into my skull, “Ok then… so your brain attaches personhood with a level of nudity, body plan, and familiarity… take your shirt off and give it to me- Don't give me that look! I know you’re male and are far less sensitive about people seeing your nipples. So gimme.”
He begrudgingly took off his shirt, revealing a pelt of fur that caught me off guard. I shook off the confusion as I slipped his shirt overhead and stuck my arms through the sleeves. It immediately tried to slip down my body and off. Mostly due to how large the hole for his head is, but also due to my utter lack of true shoulders. Another gift of my freak mutation. The ability to walk upright as well as sprint on all fours like a fucking Arxur.
I bunched up the collar and knotted it on itself, solving the slipping issue. With a small twirl, I spun in a circle, “So how is this?”
A smile formed on his face, “You look adorable!”
I happily flicked my tail, “Is that girlfriend adorable or pet animal adorable?”
His grin beamed with happy, mischievous energy, “Little sister adorable.”
I stomped my hind paw again, “Wha- why?!”
He held out his arms and I hopped back into his embrace, “Its cause it's my shirt. Jamie would wear my clothes sometimes, and they were so baggy on him, and well… on you that's practically a sundress! … you’d look really nice in like… a yellow sundress with like a straw hat.”
My mind tried and failed to make an image to match his description, “Hrm… well… I wouldn't know where to even start getting a… sundress.”
John carried on like clothes shopping was a normal intergalactic thing, “You would have to go to a tailor and have it custom-made. Like you already had to adjust my shirt cause you don't have shoulders like we or the Gojids do.”
We sat in a comfortable silence as John started the wheelchair back on its path. I almost fell asleep in his arms before I asked, “So… Are we dating?”
John didn't hesitate to bend over and freaking bite the top of my head! I, rather fruitlessly, slapped my paws against his face as fast as I could and only managed to elicit a laugh from him. Jumping up, I got a mouth full of his cheek in my teeth.
I made sure not to crush as I mimicked what he had done to me back, “Ah! The turns! They've tabled! I'm sorry! We're dating! Augh!” I spit out the lump of flesh between my teeth and sat down rather proudly.
It was only then I looked around to see most of the nearby groups staring at us. As well as three silver suited flame whack jobs walking our way. One of them held up his paws to try and seem as big as possible, “YOU! PREDATORS! DON'T MOVE!”
John growled at them, “YOU FUCKING IDIOTS. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?”
The trio froze in their steps and reached for weapons they didn't have. The boldest one took another step forward and shouted, “SHUT UP PREDATOR!”
John held his issued jacket up, letting the reflective emblem of the guild shine for all to see, “I WORK WITH YOU NUMB NUTS! I'M JOHN! ADOPTED SON OF YOUR FUCKING CHIEF! RING ANY BELLS?”
The trio halted in their tracks and the most skittish of them turned a one-eighty on their paws and began to walk away. The boldest one’s paws slowly dropped, “J-John?! I- I've never seen you without the mask or artificial pelt… wait! You're supposed to be in the hospital!”
Johns voice grew cold, “They said I could go out around the park so long as I mostly stayed in the chair. If it pleases you, you can talk to Loke. He's right over there with his wife and two kids. I bet he'd be thrilled to learn you three are going around accusing people of being predators.”
The bold moron took a fearful half step back, “D-d-d-d-don't twist my words! You bit her and she bit you back! I have witnesses! That's predatory!”
John leaned back and stroked the fur on my cheek, “No, it’s erotic.”
I could see the gears turning in the bold one's head grind, “What.”
John pressed his lips into my neck, “Ya know… sexy. It’s like… gently grooming your significant other's neck from behind but more playful.”
They looked revolted, “That's disgusting.”
John cocked his head to the side like a confused Gojid, “That’s odd.”
The look of revulsion quickly transitioned back to confusion, “What?”
A smirk grew on John's face as his fingers massaged into the sore muscles on my back, “It's just, that’s exactly what your mom said last night, but she grew to like it.”
I slapped my paws to my mouth to avoid laughing as the rage flared up in the bold one's eyes, “WHAT!?”
I let out a happy purr as John began to work at my sore muscles and utterly humiliate the idiot bothering us, “Yeeeeah. You weren't supposed to find out like this, but I'm your dad now.”
Their ears pinned back in rage, “You're lying to me.”
John waved a hand at our surroundings, “We are in a hermetically sealed park. There is no way for any significantly threatening animal to get in here. You are only here looking for trouble and I assure you, this will be looked into. Go clean your nose and keep it clean. Understood?”
They both tucked their tails, “Understood, sir.”
John nodded his head and calmed his tone, “Dismissed.”
As the trio of troublemakers left, we sat in relative silence as John continued to work away at the stress in my muscles. If you proved this was how humans prepared their food before eating it, I would argue that it's still worth it.
His rough voice messaged my ears, “Hey Silv?”
I stretched and enjoyed the pops my spine made as it took its natural shape, “Hrm?”
A hint of curiosity hung in his voice, “Why did you understand what I meant? Shouldn't… You've lived with aliens being a part of everyday life for… Like… ever right?”
I slumped against John and thought. Dredging up old memories that I almost wished I didn't have, “It was… a very long time ago. My doctor told me I was making up false memories to cover up a traumatic event and make it to where I was normal and everyone around me were the weird ones…”
I could hear John doubt my doctor's claims, “That sounds… fishy.”
Despite John's odd word choice, the meaning still fit perfectly, “It feels like it, but I just have no proof. I swear to you, I remember running along a beach, with my parents on two legs. Every Sivkit I knew as a child walked on two legs. It’s like… well…”
I grabbed John's hand to stop it from distracting me, “One day I woke up, and I was unbelievably cold. I thought I was a corpse. There was this strange… tentacle thing with bulgy eyes standing above me. His words didn't match his lips, but I understood him. It was terrifying.”
“He scooped me up and started running. Said I was in grave danger, and he was going to keep me safe. I didn't trust him one bit. He jumped into some strange ship and told me I had to be very quiet. The bad people would attack us if they heard either of us talking.”
“Eventually, he crashed the ship into something and pulled me out of it. I was surprised to see we had been on a submarine that entire time. That and the sky was the wrong color. I didn't even have an opportunity to think about it as he carried me to a weird looking vehicle that once again surprised me as a giant wall turned into a window.”
“I had never even heard of spaceships before, and I watched as we went up and just moved into space like it was nothing. He tried to calm me down, but he told me my parents were dead. I- just remember sobbing in his tentacles for hours. Eventually, I calmed down enough for him to play with me.”
“For a few days it was just me and him. Then we met up with another ship, and he left that one to drift in the void. He said we were meeting his friend Aylin on Nevis… a Venlil colony not too far from here, actually. I got to meet more aliens on that ship but Kalova- sorry that was the name of the Kolshian who took me out here. Kalova didn't want me to talk about anything to anyone. Said to just say I was his adopted daughter, and he just got a job on Nevis managing the new colony.”
“He never saw it. I didn't know what they were at the time but the Arxur attacked. They were trying to raid the colony and the Gojids and Venlil where desperately trying to protect it. I remember the alarm going off the second the ship’s captain announced we were leaving FTL. Kalova sprinted through the ship carrying me. He placed me in an escape pod just before that terrible lizard spotted us. He pulled the lever and my pod jettisoned down to the surface.”
“I was in that pod for three days before the Venlil found me and put me in an orphanage. Every time I met other Sivkits… they made my skin crawl. There's something wrong with all of them. I swear to you, we Sivkits are supposed to walk on two legs. We also aren't supposed to be that… stupid. Between how they talk being just… off, and the fact what they said was often either retarded or downright wrong, I couldn't ever feel like one of the so-called Grand Herd.”
“Eventually, I aged out. Graduated college, top of my class. And started working out here when they began to rebuild my plant after it burned down. That’s all there… Well, there is more, but It's not actually relevant to your question.”
John leaned down and kissed the top of my head, “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
I groomed the tip of his nose in return, “You're welcome. … Hey John?”
I could see a small bit of… hope in the back of his eyes, “Yes Silv?”
“Can you tell me about your past?”
He frowned as memories came back to him, yet he smiled still. “Yeah… it’s not a happy story either.”
I pressed myself into him, “Well… we can both be sad together, at least.”
John's hands began to absentmindedly work through my fur again, “Yeah… That doesn't sound as bad.”
___/\___
Important question, do you want a chapter dedicated to John retelling his story? Or would you like it smash cut out in favor of more of their first real date? I am not sure how I want to do it and am happy with both, so please let me know.
John and Silvera finally had the relationship talk! Woooooo! John's confessed something he'd rather never bring up, but knows he needs to address to start living a happy life with his new family. Aaaaand, It's time for Silvera’s tragic backstory! (Trademark pending). Strange names though, right? Kalova… weird how John's old boss has a missing brother with the same name as an alien Ivan the Arxur knows! And Aylin… strange they share a name with Talen's dead wife! Man that's just weird!
Special thanks to u/JulianSkies for proofreading! Seriously it felt like my eyes were melting out of my skull and your feedback was everything I needed!
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Under Pressure
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Under Pressure Part 10
A Fanfic of u/SpacePaladin15’s work “The Nature of Predators.” Thank you for the story!
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Memory transcription subject: Silvera, Factory 13 Manager
Date [standardized human time]: November 4th, 2136
If it wasn't for the clearly artificial sky above my head someone could possibly convince me I was outside in a new park. The neon blue screen with a white dot to represent the sun was nothing like the actual pale gray visage a mile above. Yet, it did have an enjoyable warmth to it.
A smooth artificial wind swept through the saplings ensuring that they would develop healthy stress wood. It also pleasantly cooled the fur of anyone in here, providing a nice little respite from the heater simulating the sun's unbearable hatred of us. Fuck you fake sun!
Any flora used to decorate the park would be exotic to Frozen Mountain, even if it came from the nearby tundra, but my humans decided to do something interesting. While they had covered most of the ground with a soft short-growing Terran clover, they chose to make the rest of the decorative plants functional. All of the saplings were different types of fruit trees that, when mature, would be free for anyone to harvest as much as they want. Even the decorative topiary isn't hardy tasteless plants, but berry bushes that would provide a variety of sweet treats relatively soon.
Agurcorp was more than happy to allow its failed startup out here to be turned into a local park. Well, so long as they didn't have to pay for this expensive mistake of theirs. The Mayor was all too happy with this, especially since my humans were happy to let him have all the credit so long as they got to design the park. With voting season right around the corner, the Mayor that ‘Brought life to this blighted land’ was a shoo-in to get re-elected. Or would be if he also wasn't ‘The idiot who allowed predators into the city.’
With everything that's happened I am still a bit surprised at everyone currently enjoying the park. A small herd of Venlil are exercising in the open field. A family of Gojids are walking along the cobblestone path. All the while, some humans are playing a very weird game of throwing a round plastic plate into chain nets. It's almost as if this city didn't have two separate riots on the same day.
The sound of wheels traveling across a bumpy path caught my attention. I glanced across the way to see an embarrassed-looking John driving an electric wheelchair over to me. His eyes locked onto mine before quickly switching to the ground. He tried to laze in a chair designed to enforce good posture and looked rather silly as he adjusted himself.
He came to a stop just a foot away from where I sat, “Hey Silv… I, uh… I don't actually need the wheelchair but Mikvia threatened to break my legs if I didn't use it, so I'm just humoring her.”
Oh, don't freaking tell me. Why are humans like this… “John… you were hospitalized with a punctured lung. Sure, doctors have some miracles they can perform these days, but you know you shouldn't be stressing yourself by walking.”
He huffed, “Please, I'm fine. Really. It wasn't as serious as everyone is making it out to be.”
I thumped my hind paw against the ground, “John.”
He threw his hands into the air with a huff, “I'm in the damn wheelchair ain't I? Gawd…”
He grasped his nose before calming down, “I apologize. Shouldn't have raised my voice like that. I mean… I am using the wheelchair and not lifting stuff. Doctor's orders. They even said getting out in this park would be fine. Said it might even help!”
We let out a deep sigh together. I hopped down from my bench and back up onto his lap, “Let's go for a ride… while we figure… us out…”
I could see John's guard drop as the exhaustion crept back onto his face, “...alright...” He pressed his controls forward, and we slowly began our first lap of the park.
John wrapped one of his lanky ape arms around me like a fleshy seatbelt and I laid my head on his chest appreciating the contrast of his warmth with the cool artificial breeze. I could have slept like this. The beating of his heart was rhythmic, and his deep breaths sounded a bit like waves washing up on a shore.
I even heard his heart quicken as I cleared my throat, “So… we aren't really dating are we?”
His exhaustion was quickly replaced with unease as he started to fidget a little, “I'm sorry…”
I held his hand and stared into the ocean blue eyes of his, “Don't be sorry. I think we were both drunk when we agreed to go on a date…”
He shook his head, “I still should have said something before then.”
It wasn't like I couldn't have taken the initiative and talked to him sooner too, “I know you were going through a lot. Actually, I know you still are… I'm really only able to guess but… Are you one of the types that thinks Xeno-dating is weird?”
He looked ashamed as he scrambled to smooth things over, “I- No- well, yes- but- it's just… ok. Let me start over… alright… yeah… so… uhm… the thing is… how do I put this… it sounds bad… well, it is bad… it’s just…”
My tail wagged involuntarily at the rather cute display of embarrassment radiating from John. I leaned in and let him have a doey-eyed look to help heap the embarrassment on.
It felt like John tried to stop the next words from rolling out of his mouth, “Sometimes I have trouble thinking of you all as people.”
John came to a complete stop as I just stared at him wide-eyed. My brain struggled to grasp what he was saying and the implications of it. He cringed and covered his face with his hands, “Gawd, that sounds horrible. It's just… It's not as bad with you and the others… I talk to y’all a lot. It's easier for it to click that you are people too.”
I was desperately trying to see this from his angle, “Wha- why does this happen in the first place?”
His hands drug down his face trying to drag the flesh with it, “I think it’s cause you are always naked. Like your back brace helps a little bit, but still everything else is… That and I hear your voice and the chip in my head then gives it meaning. Like its disjointed. Then it's the way your body language works and- and- fuck. Just…. Fuck me man. I don't even think that's all that's wrong with me. It’s just… like you look, sound, and smell like animals. It's just not really what my mind had in place for aliens. So- like- ugh! Why can't I just explain it!?”
It's difficult to explain, but his words connected to a deep sad memory, “It's like everything is just too… slightly wrong…”
It felt like I had been whisked back decades to my own childhood. I could still smell the bleached halls of the Venlil orphanage on Nevis. My heart whimpered when the Sivkits who came to adopt me shuddered with fear and disgust. Their strange voices sounded slow as they spoke a strange version of Klipic. Like hearing a pale imitation of yourself, try and pretend to be just like you.
My eyes locked with his as I carried on “It’s like you look at them and a part of you knows what they are, but your brain just snaps back to… to what you think reality is.”
I could see a glimmer of hope well up with his tears, “Y-you know? I-Iv've felt like such a monster! How can I- How can I look them in the eyes when they took me in and say- say- that I can't see them as people sometimes!? After everything they've done for me?! They want to adopt me and I- I- I can't even!”
I wrapped my arms around his neck as he buried his face in mine. It felt like he could crush me with his arms, yet they held me gently. What was causing me pain was this damn back brace. The blasted thing was trying to force my arms down while it hunched me over. I wiggled out of John's embrace and ripped the freaking thing off and chucked it as far as I could before burying myself in his embrace again.
We held each other as he drew in shuddering breaths and let his emotions flow out. John’s grip eventually began to loosen and we both took a moment to calm down. I gently tugged at the shirt covering John's torso, “So… Us not wearing clothes constantly is… disconnecting for you?”
He nodded his head, “Y-yeah… It’s like… every person I have ever known wears clothes. Animals never wear clothes and at most wear like a collar or harness if someone owns them. Then a few months ago, a bunch of nudist aliens show up and… well, my brain lops them into the animal category and the translator isn't helping.”
I glanced down at my body and suddenly felt… exposed, “So now that I am no longer wearing clothes…”
He cringed, “You look more like a large rabbit thing than a person… when you had the brace on it helped a little, but you were on all fours… When you were wearing your weather suit and had your hood off, It felt like you were a person, just different.”
An idea crossed into my skull, “Ok then… so your brain attaches personhood with a level of nudity, body plan, and familiarity… take your shirt off and give it to me- Don't give me that look! I know you’re male and are far less sensitive about people seeing your nipples. So gimme.”
He begrudgingly took off his shirt, revealing a pelt of fur that caught me off guard. I shook off the confusion as I slipped his shirt overhead and stuck my arms through the sleeves. It immediately tried to slip down my body and off. Mostly due to how large the hole for his head is, but also due to my utter lack of true shoulders. Another gift of my freak mutation. The ability to walk upright as well as sprint on all fours like a fucking Arxur.
I bunched up the collar and knotted it on itself, solving the slipping issue. With a small twirl, I spun in a circle, “So how is this?”
A smile formed on his face, “You look adorable!”
I happily flicked my tail, “Is that girlfriend adorable or pet animal adorable?”
His grin beamed with happy, mischievous energy, “Little sister adorable.”
I stomped my hind paw again, “Wha- why?!”
He held out his arms and I hopped back into his embrace, “Its cause it's my shirt. Jamie would wear my clothes sometimes, and they were so baggy on him, and well… on you that's practically a sundress! … you’d look really nice in like… a yellow sundress with like a straw hat.”
My mind tried and failed to make an image to match his description, “Hrm… well… I wouldn't know where to even start getting a… sundress.”
John carried on like clothes shopping was a normal intergalactic thing, “You would have to go to a tailor and have it custom-made. Like you already had to adjust my shirt cause you don't have shoulders like we or the Gojids do.”
We sat in a comfortable silence as John started the wheelchair back on its path. I almost fell asleep in his arms before I asked, “So… Are we dating?”
John didn't hesitate to bend over and freaking bite the top of my head! I, rather fruitlessly, slapped my paws against his face as fast as I could and only managed to elicit a laugh from him. Jumping up, I got a mouth full of his cheek in my teeth.
I made sure not to crush as I mimicked what he had done to me back, “Ah! The turns! They've tabled! I'm sorry! We're dating! Augh!” I spit out the lump of flesh between my teeth and sat down rather proudly.
It was only then I looked around to see most of the nearby groups staring at us. As well as three silver suited flame whack jobs walking our way. One of them held up his paws to try and seem as big as possible, “YOU! PREDATORS! DON'T MOVE!”
John growled at them, “YOU FUCKING IDIOTS. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?”
The trio froze in their steps and reached for weapons they didn't have. The boldest one took another step forward and shouted, “SHUT UP PREDATOR!”
John held his issued jacket up, letting the reflective emblem of the guild shine for all to see, “I WORK WITH YOU NUMB NUTS! I'M JOHN! ADOPTED SON OF YOUR FUCKING CHIEF! RING ANY BELLS?”
The trio halted in their tracks and the most skittish of them turned a one-eighty on their paws and began to walk away. The boldest one’s paws slowly dropped, “J-John?! I- I've never seen you without the mask or artificial pelt… wait! You're supposed to be in the hospital!”
Johns voice grew cold, “They said I could go out around the park so long as I mostly stayed in the chair. If it pleases you, you can talk to Loke. He's right over there with his wife and two kids. I bet he'd be thrilled to learn you three are going around accusing people of being predators.”
The bold moron took a fearful half step back, “D-d-d-d-don't twist my words! You bit her and she bit you back! I have witnesses! That's predatory!”
John leaned back and stroked the fur on my cheek, “No, it’s erotic.”
I could see the gears turning in the bold one's head grind, “What.”
John pressed his lips into my neck, “Ya know… sexy. It’s like… gently grooming your significant other's neck from behind but more playful.”
They looked revolted, “That's disgusting.”
John cocked his head to the side like a confused Gojid, “That’s odd.”
The look of revulsion quickly transitioned back to confusion, “What?”
A smirk grew on John's face as his fingers massaged into the sore muscles on my back, “It's just, that’s exactly what your mom said last night, but she grew to like it.”
I slapped my paws to my mouth to avoid laughing as the rage flared up in the bold one's eyes, “WHAT!?”
I let out a happy purr as John began to work at my sore muscles and utterly humiliate the idiot bothering us, “Yeeeeah. You weren't supposed to find out like this, but I'm your dad now.”
Their ears pinned back in rage, “You're lying to me.”
John waved a hand at our surroundings, “We are in a hermetically sealed park. There is no way for any significantly threatening animal to get in here. You are only here looking for trouble and I assure you, this will be looked into. Go clean your nose and keep it clean. Understood?”
They both tucked their tails, “Understood, sir.”
John nodded his head and calmed his tone, “Dismissed.”
As the trio of troublemakers left, we sat in relative silence as John continued to work away at the stress in my muscles. If you proved this was how humans prepared their food before eating it, I would argue that it's still worth it.
His rough voice messaged my ears, “Hey Silv?”
I stretched and enjoyed the pops my spine made as it took its natural shape, “Hrm?”
A hint of curiosity hung in his voice, “Why did you understand what I meant? Shouldn't… You've lived with aliens being a part of everyday life for… Like… ever right?”
I slumped against John and thought. Dredging up old memories that I almost wished I didn't have, “It was… a very long time ago. My doctor told me I was making up false memories to cover up a traumatic event and make it to where I was normal and everyone around me were the weird ones…”
I could hear John doubt my doctor's claims, “That sounds… fishy.”
Despite John's odd word choice, the meaning still fit perfectly, “It feels like it, but I just have no proof. I swear to you, I remember running along a beach, with my parents on two legs. Every Sivkit I knew as a child walked on two legs. It’s like… well…”
I grabbed John's hand to stop it from distracting me, “One day I woke up, and I was unbelievably cold. I thought I was a corpse. There was this strange… tentacle thing with bulgy eyes standing above me. His words didn't match his lips, but I understood him. It was terrifying.”
“He scooped me up and started running. Said I was in grave danger, and he was going to keep me safe. I didn't trust him one bit. He jumped into some strange ship and told me I had to be very quiet. The bad people would attack us if they heard either of us talking.”
“Eventually, he crashed the ship into something and pulled me out of it. I was surprised to see we had been on a submarine that entire time. That and the sky was the wrong color. I didn't even have an opportunity to think about it as he carried me to a weird looking vehicle that once again surprised me as a giant wall turned into a window.”
“I had never even heard of spaceships before, and I watched as we went up and just moved into space like it was nothing. He tried to calm me down, but he told me my parents were dead. I- just remember sobbing in his tentacles for hours. Eventually, I calmed down enough for him to play with me.”
“For a few days it was just me and him. Then we met up with another ship, and he left that one to drift in the void. He said we were meeting his friend Aylin on Nevis… a Venlil colony not too far from here, actually. I got to meet more aliens on that ship but Kalova- sorry that was the name of the Kolshian who took me out here. Kalova didn't want me to talk about anything to anyone. Said to just say I was his adopted daughter, and he just got a job on Nevis managing the new colony.”
“He never saw it. I didn't know what they were at the time but the Arxur attacked. They were trying to raid the colony and the Gojids and Venlil where desperately trying to protect it. I remember the alarm going off the second the ship’s captain announced we were leaving FTL. Kalova sprinted through the ship carrying me. He placed me in an escape pod just before that terrible lizard spotted us. He pulled the lever and my pod jettisoned down to the surface.”
“I was in that pod for three days before the Venlil found me and put me in an orphanage. Every time I met other Sivkits… they made my skin crawl. There's something wrong with all of them. I swear to you, we Sivkits are supposed to walk on two legs. We also aren't supposed to be that… stupid. Between how they talk being just… off, and the fact what they said was often either retarded or downright wrong, I couldn't ever feel like one of the so-called Grand Herd.”
“Eventually, I aged out. Graduated college, top of my class. And started working out here when they began to rebuild my plant after it burned down. That’s all there… Well, there is more, but It's not actually relevant to your question.”
John leaned down and kissed the top of my head, “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
I groomed the tip of his nose in return, “You're welcome. … Hey John?”
I could see a small bit of… hope in the back of his eyes, “Yes Silv?”
“Can you tell me about your past?”
He frowned as memories came back to him, yet he smiled still. “Yeah… it’s not a happy story either.”
I pressed myself into him, “Well… we can both be sad together, at least.”
John's hands began to absentmindedly work through my fur again, “Yeah… That doesn't sound as bad.”
___/\___
Important question, do you want a chapter dedicated to John retelling his story? Or would you like it smash cut out in favor of more of their first real date? I am not sure how I want to do it and am happy with both, so please let me know.
John and Silvera finally had the relationship talk! Woooooo! John's confessed something he'd rather never bring up, but knows he needs to address to start living a happy life with his new family. Aaaaand, It's time for Silvera’s tragic backstory! (Trademark pending). Strange names though, right? Kalova… weird how John's old boss has a missing brother with the same name as an alien Ivan the Arxur knows! And Aylin… strange they share a name with Talen's dead wife! Man that's just weird!
Special thanks to u/JulianSkies for proofreading! Seriously it felt like my eyes were melting out of my skull and your feedback was everything I needed!
___/\___
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2024.05.19 13:51 Smilesalot4114 Rapidly deteriorating systemic issues over 6 days - begging anyone for help
Sharp headaches are now waking me up out of sound sleep with sharp arm pains from armpits to hands like someone is squeezing them, pins & needles on both, in addition to similar leg pain, bulging veins in hands and legs.
I took 4 days of a combo birth control pill to start IVF & this began with mild headache, diarrhea, nausea, tinnitus, dry mouth, enlarged leg veins, leg skin felt burning sensation on fire, severe restless legs, dry skin, hot flashes, elevated rhr & bp. 6 days ago I stopped after the leg items began & it felt like an allergic reaction, noticed immediate improvement in skin on fire feelings, diarrhea and headache but everything else I listed is same or worse. RHR & BP have come back down to normal but other symptoms have not. Duplex US Tuesday ruled out leg DVT then, told to wear compression socks, try magnesium and Benadryl - nothing's working and I'm getting worse.
I don't ever get headaches. Friday a severe right sided headache happened, started with tight feeling on both sides of the neck with temple/eye socket/head then jaw pain. Right eye vision went slightly blurry and eye felt pressure. Saturday afternoon similar headache experience, then 12 hrs later after taking Benadryl I was sound asleep when it happened again, waking me up at 2am except now with sharp pains / pins & needle feelings and major pressure on both arms for 15m wirh intermittent leg pains like the arms too. Fitbit says pulse ox was only 92% tonight, never happened before.
I'm only sleeping 2-4hrs a night and am terrified of what's happening. This is fucking insane that 4 pills have caused this kind of reactions? Please, anyone, any suggestions?
36/f, 210 lbs, 5'5" on Nexium, Flonase, and levothyroxine.
submitted by Smilesalot4114 to AskDocs [link] [comments]
I took 4 days of a combo birth control pill to start IVF & this began with mild headache, diarrhea, nausea, tinnitus, dry mouth, enlarged leg veins, leg skin felt burning sensation on fire, severe restless legs, dry skin, hot flashes, elevated rhr & bp. 6 days ago I stopped after the leg items began & it felt like an allergic reaction, noticed immediate improvement in skin on fire feelings, diarrhea and headache but everything else I listed is same or worse. RHR & BP have come back down to normal but other symptoms have not. Duplex US Tuesday ruled out leg DVT then, told to wear compression socks, try magnesium and Benadryl - nothing's working and I'm getting worse.
I don't ever get headaches. Friday a severe right sided headache happened, started with tight feeling on both sides of the neck with temple/eye socket/head then jaw pain. Right eye vision went slightly blurry and eye felt pressure. Saturday afternoon similar headache experience, then 12 hrs later after taking Benadryl I was sound asleep when it happened again, waking me up at 2am except now with sharp pains / pins & needle feelings and major pressure on both arms for 15m wirh intermittent leg pains like the arms too. Fitbit says pulse ox was only 92% tonight, never happened before.
I'm only sleeping 2-4hrs a night and am terrified of what's happening. This is fucking insane that 4 pills have caused this kind of reactions? Please, anyone, any suggestions?
36/f, 210 lbs, 5'5" on Nexium, Flonase, and levothyroxine.
2024.05.19 13:42 fidelitynetbenefits Gassy Brussels Griffon
Hi all,
I have a 6lb, 8 year-old Brussels Griffon who has had stomach sensitivities his whole life.
The food (and brand) he has been eating for several years (Castor & Pollux Organix Chicken & Rice) has recently been discontinued and so we’ve switched to Just Food For Dogs Chicken & Rice.
Twice in the past two weeks he’s had what seems to be bad cases of gas, with very loud stomach gurgling causing him to lose his appetite, walk backwards in pain etc. until he’s able to get it out. The poops are somewhat normal (soft but not diarrhea) and in the case of today (the second occurrence) he’s eaten, but I’m at a loss as to what the source could be and how to help him :(
Because he’s had similar stomach issues (4-5x per year) in the past we have Cerenia and depending on the severity of the issue, we will use it to help settle him. I haven’t given it to him today.
I experimented with some probiotics the week before his last similar situation (last week) - Visbiome and then Proviable capsules when the Vis ran out and he seemed to work well with the paste, so tried the other - and I thought they might have something to do with his issues, but seven days later and without them, he’s having the same issue - though thankfully more mild.
He eats two main meals a day with several “snacks” of his food throughout day, adding up the suggested portion from JFFD. At the moment he eats nothing other than his food. When he’s feeling better, he’ll have the occasional blueberry, carrot, or apple piece, but he never eats human food and we watch him like hawks on the street/in our kitchen - he never gets into anything that could give him garbage gut. He drinks a small amount of water per day and gets a bit more in his food.
For reference, he does not have IBD (though he has had raised bile levels in the past), hasn’t ever had pancreatitis with these issues, no parasites etc.
He is on Omeprazole for his suspected COMS and Pentoxifyline for Vasculitis (which we are weaning him off of as his ear margin hair has grown back.) He was on Colbalequin for borderline B12 deficiency but he hasn’t had it for a week to limit the medicines he’s on. He does take Glandex as well. Preventatives are Vectra3D and Interceptor.
A big note here is that he loves to lick (primarily his parents), and is definitely taking in a lot of excess air…
Given his case and history, what would you all recommend moving forward?
I would love to continue a good/ideally organic food regimen but he was on hydrolized protein in the past and it seemed to work for him - should we switch back?
How can we help mitigate the gas? Massaging him seems to help but ideally he wouldn’t have it at all!
Anything stand out we should change? I would do anything for this little guy.
Thank you so much for your help and all that you all do for our little guys!
submitted by fidelitynetbenefits to AskVet [link] [comments]
I have a 6lb, 8 year-old Brussels Griffon who has had stomach sensitivities his whole life.
The food (and brand) he has been eating for several years (Castor & Pollux Organix Chicken & Rice) has recently been discontinued and so we’ve switched to Just Food For Dogs Chicken & Rice.
Twice in the past two weeks he’s had what seems to be bad cases of gas, with very loud stomach gurgling causing him to lose his appetite, walk backwards in pain etc. until he’s able to get it out. The poops are somewhat normal (soft but not diarrhea) and in the case of today (the second occurrence) he’s eaten, but I’m at a loss as to what the source could be and how to help him :(
Because he’s had similar stomach issues (4-5x per year) in the past we have Cerenia and depending on the severity of the issue, we will use it to help settle him. I haven’t given it to him today.
I experimented with some probiotics the week before his last similar situation (last week) - Visbiome and then Proviable capsules when the Vis ran out and he seemed to work well with the paste, so tried the other - and I thought they might have something to do with his issues, but seven days later and without them, he’s having the same issue - though thankfully more mild.
He eats two main meals a day with several “snacks” of his food throughout day, adding up the suggested portion from JFFD. At the moment he eats nothing other than his food. When he’s feeling better, he’ll have the occasional blueberry, carrot, or apple piece, but he never eats human food and we watch him like hawks on the street/in our kitchen - he never gets into anything that could give him garbage gut. He drinks a small amount of water per day and gets a bit more in his food.
For reference, he does not have IBD (though he has had raised bile levels in the past), hasn’t ever had pancreatitis with these issues, no parasites etc.
He is on Omeprazole for his suspected COMS and Pentoxifyline for Vasculitis (which we are weaning him off of as his ear margin hair has grown back.) He was on Colbalequin for borderline B12 deficiency but he hasn’t had it for a week to limit the medicines he’s on. He does take Glandex as well. Preventatives are Vectra3D and Interceptor.
A big note here is that he loves to lick (primarily his parents), and is definitely taking in a lot of excess air…
Given his case and history, what would you all recommend moving forward?
I would love to continue a good/ideally organic food regimen but he was on hydrolized protein in the past and it seemed to work for him - should we switch back?
How can we help mitigate the gas? Massaging him seems to help but ideally he wouldn’t have it at all!
Anything stand out we should change? I would do anything for this little guy.
Thank you so much for your help and all that you all do for our little guys!
2024.05.19 13:30 Teach8870 15 year old dog is suddenly acting dizzy and wobbly
Dog, 15 years, Jack Russell Terrier, Male, 17 pounds
Has kidney issues and is on a prescription diet which seems to help. Takes gabapentin 25mg every 12 hours for leg shakiness and arthritis pain. It has sensed to work well for him. He had a Lyme disease diagnosis a couple years ago and took antibiotics for 28 days.
He has been acting normal lately with minimal issues up until yesterday. Before, he had a pretty good appetite and had no issues with walking or jumping. He does sleep a lot and have bad teeth, but the vet and I discussed the risk of anesthesia at his age and decided it was best not to worry about his teeth.
Yesterday, he was fairly normal in the morning, but things got worse as the day went on. He went out to use the bathroom in the morning and ate a little breakfast as usual. Later in the evening, I noticed he wouldn’t get up from where he was laying. I picked him up to carry him outside and he immediately sat down, which is very unusual. He wouldn’t budge. I brought him back inside to try to feed him, and he wouldn’t eat anything. This isn’t that unusual because his appetite isn’t always on schedule and he sometimes eats later in the evening. However, he wouldn’t eat anything at all when I tried, including his absolute favorite treats. I just assumed his stomach was hurting because that happens sometimes.
A little later I try to take him out again, and when I place him on the ground, he immediately falls forward. I pick him up and he is swaying and very wobbly. His eyes also look strange - kinda blank. For the rest of the evening he doesn’t eat and doesn’t move much. I forced the gabapentin and he did drink a bunch of water.
Into the night, he woke up and I took him outside. He walked some and was still very shaky and off balance, but he didn’t fall. He tried to poop and looked like he struggled because of his balance. I noticed he did manage a small amount and it was diarrhea. He would squat and strain and nothing would come out. Also, he would struggle to hold himself in the squat position for too long. His back legs seemed hard to bend. This happened again later in the night as well and he drank a bunch more water.
This morning he is still just laying in his bed. He won’t eat. He isn’t panting or anything, and his head isn’t tilted down (I read about old dog syndrome online when checking symptoms).
I tried to think if anything weird had happened to cause a concussion. I remembered opening the bathroom cabinet and it hitting his head. He walked into it as I was swinging it open. This probably happened around 2 in the afternoon or so. I don’t think the impact was hard enough to cause a concussion, but I’m unsure because he did shake his head after it happened.
So I’m not sure if it’s a concussion or stroke or something different.
I know that it won’t be long before I have to make the choice to euthanize. I’ve known this for about a year now and have just been carefully watching his behavior and assessing his quality of life.
Is it time to do it now?
submitted by Teach8870 to AskVet [link] [comments]
Has kidney issues and is on a prescription diet which seems to help. Takes gabapentin 25mg every 12 hours for leg shakiness and arthritis pain. It has sensed to work well for him. He had a Lyme disease diagnosis a couple years ago and took antibiotics for 28 days.
He has been acting normal lately with minimal issues up until yesterday. Before, he had a pretty good appetite and had no issues with walking or jumping. He does sleep a lot and have bad teeth, but the vet and I discussed the risk of anesthesia at his age and decided it was best not to worry about his teeth.
Yesterday, he was fairly normal in the morning, but things got worse as the day went on. He went out to use the bathroom in the morning and ate a little breakfast as usual. Later in the evening, I noticed he wouldn’t get up from where he was laying. I picked him up to carry him outside and he immediately sat down, which is very unusual. He wouldn’t budge. I brought him back inside to try to feed him, and he wouldn’t eat anything. This isn’t that unusual because his appetite isn’t always on schedule and he sometimes eats later in the evening. However, he wouldn’t eat anything at all when I tried, including his absolute favorite treats. I just assumed his stomach was hurting because that happens sometimes.
A little later I try to take him out again, and when I place him on the ground, he immediately falls forward. I pick him up and he is swaying and very wobbly. His eyes also look strange - kinda blank. For the rest of the evening he doesn’t eat and doesn’t move much. I forced the gabapentin and he did drink a bunch of water.
Into the night, he woke up and I took him outside. He walked some and was still very shaky and off balance, but he didn’t fall. He tried to poop and looked like he struggled because of his balance. I noticed he did manage a small amount and it was diarrhea. He would squat and strain and nothing would come out. Also, he would struggle to hold himself in the squat position for too long. His back legs seemed hard to bend. This happened again later in the night as well and he drank a bunch more water.
This morning he is still just laying in his bed. He won’t eat. He isn’t panting or anything, and his head isn’t tilted down (I read about old dog syndrome online when checking symptoms).
I tried to think if anything weird had happened to cause a concussion. I remembered opening the bathroom cabinet and it hitting his head. He walked into it as I was swinging it open. This probably happened around 2 in the afternoon or so. I don’t think the impact was hard enough to cause a concussion, but I’m unsure because he did shake his head after it happened.
So I’m not sure if it’s a concussion or stroke or something different.
I know that it won’t be long before I have to make the choice to euthanize. I’ve known this for about a year now and have just been carefully watching his behavior and assessing his quality of life.
Is it time to do it now?
2024.05.19 12:53 Practical_Hope_1209 AITAH for hitting my drunk mom?
Hi! I wish I could use my personal account but because some people I know are aware of my user, I wanted to post anonymously. :)
So, my mom (49F) is someone who is very sweet and kind. She's pretty patient, might be a little strict, and pretty smart. I (20F) do like being around her presence and like to hang-out in the smallest of ways. In fact, we have hung out earlier in the day to go shopping in the mall. However, the problem is that she is a huge alcoholic and is in recovery, but she occasionally still drinks and is extremely lightweight, so one shot and she's gone. And when she's drunk, she does get very aggressive and very annoying quickly. There has been times where she's taken things too far, such as kicking me out when I was a young teenager for a night knowing that I didn't have anywhere else to go, thrown things at much such as makeup powder, and has once abandoned me in the middle of nowhere and drove off while drunk. Yes, I will get to that in a second.
But after these, she usually apologizes when sober and tries to make up for it by attempting to stop drinking or talking to me like an adult. I eventually just let it go because I try my best to understand.
Tonight was just insane though. Genuinely.
It all started with the fact that she had left her phone in this family friend's car and she was proposing the idea for her to drive because she was worried that the friend would snoop around it (yeah, It's stupid). Me and my sister (19F) were shooting the idea down because we both didn't want her to get into trouble for drunk driving so I was able to hide her car keys. I was calmly explaining to her that she cannot drive and that maybe she should sleep it off so we can get it in the morning. Instead, my mom kept denying and instead was insisting that she can use our phone to call the family friend. We did try, but there was no answer and for some reason, my mom couldn't accept that truth. She was getting angry and degrading us by calling us "stupid" and "useless." Then after so much insisting, she suddenly lunged at my sister to grab her phone and was fighting her for it.
I'm not sure if it was the unpredictability or the instinct to protect, but I instantly grabbed a hold of my mom's wig and attempted to pull her off of my sister. My mom was yelling at me in pain and anger, which caused her to punch me in my stomach and she was essentially attacking both me and my sister for not only the phone, but also her keys. Every time she laid a hand on my sister successfully with smacks, I hit her and pulled on her wig more to make her stop. This got out of control so bad that my mom had pulled out a knife on us and kept screaming at me specifically to give her the keys. Every time I rejected her, she would begin to charge at the bedroom my sister would end up hiding in or she would begin to catch up to me.
This did get worse because eventually me and my sister would lock my mom out of the bedroom and she would be non-stop trying to break it open just because she wanted her keys. She used a hammer at some point and I'm shocked that the door didn't break from there, but we were scared. We did record everything that we could and threatened to call the cops, and yes, it was a stupid thing we said since we didn't actually want to have my mom in trouble again with the law over her obnoxious behavior.
To put an end to it all, after almost two hours of having to hold the door, my mom had wandered out and it had to come down for me and my sister to attempt finding her in the middle of the night. Turns out that she faked wandering over and had just hid somewhere or something because by the next hour we came back from looking, my mom was passed out on the couch.
As I'm writing this I've been barely able to get any sleep and it's probably because my heart is pumping like crazy. Me and my sister did definitely make a plan to move out as soon as we save up enough money for an apartment because of how insane this all was.
I know this is so stupid but I can't help but feel horrible for having to ruin my mom like this and hitting her. I've always heard the concept that if someone is aggressive while drunk, it's best to not provoke them further or to fight them back. I also wish that I could've handled this situation better than having to resort to violence. I don't know if I should apologize profusely for it or even acknowledge it at this point. I feel bad because I know my mom drinks for the sake of her mental health and I get it since we both suffer from depression, but I'm pretty conflicted.
EDIT: I totally forgot to add context to the whole idea of my mother abandoning me in the middle of nowhere when I was younger and her getting in trouble with the law, she did end up facing consequences for it because it turns out she had hit another car for her reckless drunk driving. Luckily, no one was hurt.
submitted by Practical_Hope_1209 to AITAH [link] [comments]
So, my mom (49F) is someone who is very sweet and kind. She's pretty patient, might be a little strict, and pretty smart. I (20F) do like being around her presence and like to hang-out in the smallest of ways. In fact, we have hung out earlier in the day to go shopping in the mall. However, the problem is that she is a huge alcoholic and is in recovery, but she occasionally still drinks and is extremely lightweight, so one shot and she's gone. And when she's drunk, she does get very aggressive and very annoying quickly. There has been times where she's taken things too far, such as kicking me out when I was a young teenager for a night knowing that I didn't have anywhere else to go, thrown things at much such as makeup powder, and has once abandoned me in the middle of nowhere and drove off while drunk. Yes, I will get to that in a second.
But after these, she usually apologizes when sober and tries to make up for it by attempting to stop drinking or talking to me like an adult. I eventually just let it go because I try my best to understand.
Tonight was just insane though. Genuinely.
It all started with the fact that she had left her phone in this family friend's car and she was proposing the idea for her to drive because she was worried that the friend would snoop around it (yeah, It's stupid). Me and my sister (19F) were shooting the idea down because we both didn't want her to get into trouble for drunk driving so I was able to hide her car keys. I was calmly explaining to her that she cannot drive and that maybe she should sleep it off so we can get it in the morning. Instead, my mom kept denying and instead was insisting that she can use our phone to call the family friend. We did try, but there was no answer and for some reason, my mom couldn't accept that truth. She was getting angry and degrading us by calling us "stupid" and "useless." Then after so much insisting, she suddenly lunged at my sister to grab her phone and was fighting her for it.
I'm not sure if it was the unpredictability or the instinct to protect, but I instantly grabbed a hold of my mom's wig and attempted to pull her off of my sister. My mom was yelling at me in pain and anger, which caused her to punch me in my stomach and she was essentially attacking both me and my sister for not only the phone, but also her keys. Every time she laid a hand on my sister successfully with smacks, I hit her and pulled on her wig more to make her stop. This got out of control so bad that my mom had pulled out a knife on us and kept screaming at me specifically to give her the keys. Every time I rejected her, she would begin to charge at the bedroom my sister would end up hiding in or she would begin to catch up to me.
This did get worse because eventually me and my sister would lock my mom out of the bedroom and she would be non-stop trying to break it open just because she wanted her keys. She used a hammer at some point and I'm shocked that the door didn't break from there, but we were scared. We did record everything that we could and threatened to call the cops, and yes, it was a stupid thing we said since we didn't actually want to have my mom in trouble again with the law over her obnoxious behavior.
To put an end to it all, after almost two hours of having to hold the door, my mom had wandered out and it had to come down for me and my sister to attempt finding her in the middle of the night. Turns out that she faked wandering over and had just hid somewhere or something because by the next hour we came back from looking, my mom was passed out on the couch.
As I'm writing this I've been barely able to get any sleep and it's probably because my heart is pumping like crazy. Me and my sister did definitely make a plan to move out as soon as we save up enough money for an apartment because of how insane this all was.
I know this is so stupid but I can't help but feel horrible for having to ruin my mom like this and hitting her. I've always heard the concept that if someone is aggressive while drunk, it's best to not provoke them further or to fight them back. I also wish that I could've handled this situation better than having to resort to violence. I don't know if I should apologize profusely for it or even acknowledge it at this point. I feel bad because I know my mom drinks for the sake of her mental health and I get it since we both suffer from depression, but I'm pretty conflicted.
EDIT: I totally forgot to add context to the whole idea of my mother abandoning me in the middle of nowhere when I was younger and her getting in trouble with the law, she did end up facing consequences for it because it turns out she had hit another car for her reckless drunk driving. Luckily, no one was hurt.
2024.05.19 12:48 sootybearz UTI and possible kidney infection 4 weeks now
Around 4 weeks ago I started to get some pains around mid and lower back area on right hand side. This seemed to then spread and I felt the pain both sides as well as on the front and down sides. Started to then get shivers about 4 days in then 6th day really bad shivers, no heat in my hands, even numbness on one of my forearms, night sweats, headaches, nausea feeling etc. On checking urine that day at start it was quite cloudy and dark and over the day I was running to toilet quite a bit.
Next day I’d had enough and as it was weekend went to out of hours docs for NHS and was told after dip test they found “plus one” for white blood cells in urine, this was after about 6 toilet breaks already that day and drinking around 1.5 litres of water so maybe things were diluted. They didn’t do any culture tests etc as out of hours only have so many options. I was put on antibiotics for a week which took away the worst / weirder of the symptoms to the point that I was only left with the pain and pain was primarily on right side again but not always. Was getting it just above belly button on both sides at one time or another but again mainly right front and back.
The day after finishing the first antibiotic pain started to build again so went back to out of hours again 2 days after they ended as it was a bank holiday weekend. They gave me another week course but asked me to go to gp right away next day. I did so and brought a urine sample, at this point id finished the first antibiotic about 2.5 days before and had started the second set and had a full days dose the day before. They did a culture test from that day. Anyway the urine sample didn’t grow anything during the culture test which may be down to the antibiotics as I’d finished the first set some days ago and started second set day before - I really don’t know - but apparently pus was found in the sample. What amount I’m not sure.
I continued to take the second antibiotic course and towards the end I felt the pain reducing further. The day after it finished I was quite hopeful it was dealt with as pain had subsided so much and I was actually peeing without having to push, normal feeling was back in my lower abdomen- but it was short lived as the day after that it got a bit worse again and continued to do so.
Those second antibiotics had completed last sunday, I left it till Friday to go back to the doctors because I wanted a proper urine sample without antibiotics affecting it. I went in Friday, when I took the sample there was stuff floating everywhere, the worst I’d seen so far. Even though the doctor did a dip test and nothing showed so I’m freaking that they won’t detect what it is. Doctor then gave me a 3rd antibiotic, I’ve taken two and a half days now and still feel a bit numb down below, hesitations at times going toilet so having to push a bit, and pain up around back and kidney areas and around and below navel. All these symptoms had mostly vanished for a short spell after the second antibiotic but back again.
At this point even though I’m not even halfway on this 3rd but different set I’m thinking going private to a urologist who could see me Wednesday. I tried taking d mannose Friday for day and a half but pain around kidney area seemed to get worse so stopped so I can tell if it’s infection related or simply taking that also.
Anyone got any words of wisdom to give, I feel like being on antibiotics a week at a time and then having a few days or more till next one is allowing things to go back to square one again. I’m really hoping I can just get over this now quickly somehow. Supposed to be taking a week holiday with the family in 8 days but starting to lose hope and don’t know if it’s great idea being away from local doctors etc.
Antibiotics so far:
Nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim (I think), cefalexin (currently on)
submitted by sootybearz to TwoXChromosomes [link] [comments]
Next day I’d had enough and as it was weekend went to out of hours docs for NHS and was told after dip test they found “plus one” for white blood cells in urine, this was after about 6 toilet breaks already that day and drinking around 1.5 litres of water so maybe things were diluted. They didn’t do any culture tests etc as out of hours only have so many options. I was put on antibiotics for a week which took away the worst / weirder of the symptoms to the point that I was only left with the pain and pain was primarily on right side again but not always. Was getting it just above belly button on both sides at one time or another but again mainly right front and back.
The day after finishing the first antibiotic pain started to build again so went back to out of hours again 2 days after they ended as it was a bank holiday weekend. They gave me another week course but asked me to go to gp right away next day. I did so and brought a urine sample, at this point id finished the first antibiotic about 2.5 days before and had started the second set and had a full days dose the day before. They did a culture test from that day. Anyway the urine sample didn’t grow anything during the culture test which may be down to the antibiotics as I’d finished the first set some days ago and started second set day before - I really don’t know - but apparently pus was found in the sample. What amount I’m not sure.
I continued to take the second antibiotic course and towards the end I felt the pain reducing further. The day after it finished I was quite hopeful it was dealt with as pain had subsided so much and I was actually peeing without having to push, normal feeling was back in my lower abdomen- but it was short lived as the day after that it got a bit worse again and continued to do so.
Those second antibiotics had completed last sunday, I left it till Friday to go back to the doctors because I wanted a proper urine sample without antibiotics affecting it. I went in Friday, when I took the sample there was stuff floating everywhere, the worst I’d seen so far. Even though the doctor did a dip test and nothing showed so I’m freaking that they won’t detect what it is. Doctor then gave me a 3rd antibiotic, I’ve taken two and a half days now and still feel a bit numb down below, hesitations at times going toilet so having to push a bit, and pain up around back and kidney areas and around and below navel. All these symptoms had mostly vanished for a short spell after the second antibiotic but back again.
At this point even though I’m not even halfway on this 3rd but different set I’m thinking going private to a urologist who could see me Wednesday. I tried taking d mannose Friday for day and a half but pain around kidney area seemed to get worse so stopped so I can tell if it’s infection related or simply taking that also.
Anyone got any words of wisdom to give, I feel like being on antibiotics a week at a time and then having a few days or more till next one is allowing things to go back to square one again. I’m really hoping I can just get over this now quickly somehow. Supposed to be taking a week holiday with the family in 8 days but starting to lose hope and don’t know if it’s great idea being away from local doctors etc.
Antibiotics so far:
Nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim (I think), cefalexin (currently on)
2024.05.19 12:46 Sin-God A New Chain: Routine
The church's earliest visitors on Sunday are a group of kind-hearted do-gooders. And Lucas is there too.
The group, including Lucas, is diligently doing last-minute preparations, carefully and skillfully tending to the food they expertly prepared yesterday. Every single person involved in the work does their part with impressive ease and earned confidence. Lucas's careful contributions, both his direct, visible work, and the boons conferred by his presence allow them to do their work with newfound ease, confidence, and remarkable luck. Lucas occasionally makes minor missteps, but those are due more to the drawbacks he is enduring than anything he actually does. And every time he makes a mistake it's so minor a few deft movements are enough for him to overcome them. All the while he is texting Hannah and is visibly excited to volunteer, even though his motives are still quite selfish.
Lucas wisely does not take a leadership role here. The diligent figure follows the lead of his more experienced peers, and his endless, untiring contributions are enough to allow the group to be ready in an hour, completing work that normally takes them two or three thanks to the various perks Lucas grants them, as well as his actual, material contributions. When the group is ready, Lucas suggests they all swap stories about what led them to volunteer here.
The five volunteers and the pastor encourage the newcomer to go first, and he deftly weaves a tale that incorporates bits and pieces of the backstory he constructed for himself at his job. He explains that he grew up as the only child of a family in a small town and that he has been volunteering in minor capacities his whole life. He tells his new friends the same fanciful lies he told his coworkers and is a bit shocked when he gets the "Storytelling" skill. After that, his companions share their own stories with him. The pastor goes first, explaining that when he took over the church not one charitable act was occurring here and in only a few short years the pastor has massively changed that. The others all share various stories about how they've needed food before, or known people who needed a meal, and so they wanted to make sure that if someone needed a meal they could get it. The stories stir Lucas's heart, and he feels a pang of sincere admiration for his new friends. That said the pragmatic figure is not someone who is so kind-hearted that he'd lose sight of his larger objectives here.
While his companions share their stories he activates "Rogue", but focuses the skill on his hands. This decision almost completely cloaks his hands, rendering them invisible just long enough for Lucas to pour healing magic into the soup. He pours all of his magical energy into the stuff, exhausting himself but that is a minor inconvenience given one of his handy toys and especially when he receives a notification alerting him that he has gained an "Overcharge" skill; the ability to empower something by putting more into it.
As soon as everyone finishes their stories there is just enough time for the group of volunteers to go and get ready for the first of the arrivals at the kitchen. When Lucas is out of view of everyone he reaches into his inventory and pulls out his nifty arcane potion and downs it. The instant that the golden liquid touches his lips his power begins to flow back into him, suffusing his very soul. Minutes later the lad is welcoming guests and visitors to the church. People excitedly greet him, stunned in two different ways by his appearance.
Firstly there is the fact that Lucas is stunning, aesthetically. No matter one's preferences, no one can honestly deny his wholesome movie star looks, and no one tries to. But here, in the soup kitchen, that's the less important part of his appeal. The more important aspect of his appearance is his newness. Many of the people who appear early are people who come to the church regularly, and they recognize everyone there but him. This gives the young volunteer a chance to make several new admirers, and he navigates these social interactions with aplomb. The figure, at this point, doesn't even rely on his perks, having grown accustomed to his new life and reality.
As the figure encourages the visitors to come and grab food he is extremely pleased when he feels time freeze the first time someone tastes the food he made. This is due to the fact that he is making progress towards his quest to become a "White Mage" the formal name given to the "Healer" class he received a quest to become earlier this week, The quest asks him to heal 100 people, and this marks one of the first times he has made progress towards it. The figure smiles internally as he deactivates the notification that froze time and continues the important work he's been assigned; welcoming guests and working to log in the information they're willing to give about themselves. To achieve this task the eager go-getter has a clipboard and is stationed near the entrance to the part of the church that houses the kitchen where the chefs made the food. Every time someone new eats the food he spelled to be restorative the figure has to deal with paused time, but only the first time someone lifts some of the ensorcelled food to their lips, and each time his excitement at the prospect of obtaining a new class grows more intense.
For the first hour only long-term, regular members of the church's congregation, and their hungry friends, come to the kitchen. The pastor is one of the figures serving them food, while Lucas continues the important work he was asked to do. During this time 22 people make their way through the kitchen, greeting Lucas with excited smiles and happily volunteering the same information they've volunteered before to other individuals tasked with doing Lucas's current work. The young jumper listens to distant conversations even as he writes down the information of various individuals. He smiles internally whenever he overhears someone saying that the food tastes different somehow, better than it has before. Such individuals also sometimes notice how immediately the pain they're in lessens, their old aches and pains fading and in some cases disappearing altogether. They don't know about the magic that is repairing their bodies, the sacred energies that course into them with every faint bite or spoonful of food they eat. Also during this time the chef gains more experience
Lucas doesn't consciously know this but his decision to pour all of his magic into the food has supercharged it. If not for his decision to infuse the food with healing magic again time, coupled with the diffuse nature of the soup would have weakened the healing properties of the magic, but Lucas's choice to suffuse the food with as much magic as he could in short order before the hungry congregants and community members began to arrive has sanctified the food and empowered it's naturally restorative and fortifying properties almost making it something like a potion of sorts.
More people begin to arrive during the second hour of the meal serving period. Some of these people are brand new, and of them a handful gawk at Lucas. These individuals, include homeless youth. teen parents, and college students can't resist the urge to take in the cool glass of water on a hot day that is the charming volunteer. His ability to feign kindness and his almost but not quite eerie sense of their emotional states is enough to allow them to develop crushes, platonic or otherwise, on the figure. And in the space of the hour 40 such individuals come through and eat more of Lucas's cooking, enough to allow him to level up his chef class one more time. He eagerly takes a new class ability, one that allows him to grant food he cooks very minor buffs, though he finds that it's not retroactive.
During this time the pastor gives a very brief address to the crowd of gathered individuals, and introduces Lucas to everyone though Lucas has already been social enough and diligent enough to do that himself. Lucas eagerly thanks everyone for joining them today, and during this time he experiences a very subtle glitch where he says a word but no one notices it. The young adventurer simply ignores the glitch, but not before noting that it's the first one he's experienced in a public situation.
During the last forty five minutes of the meal more people come through, and this group is the oddest and the largest. These folks are the irregulars; people who occasionally need the meals the kitchen provides but who don't love prospect of coming to the kitchen. This group numbers a total 45 of individuals, and by the time they eat the effects of the food are less miraculous, but still solidly strong. At the same time when the next to last person to eat grabs a spoonful of soup and lifts it to her lips she is unknowingly responsible for time freezing and Lucas gaining a new class, The excited hero immediately changes classes and gains a boost to his intelligence and charisma as a result of it as well as just enough experience to boost the power of "Support", making this the first time that a perk of his has been directly strengthened to a quantifiable extent.
"Support" is the most subtle of Lucas's perks other than "The Devil's Own Luck". This perk makes him a more effective leader and teammate, and boosts the efforts of his c;lose-by allies by the equivalent of a "+2", until just now, modifier in TTRPG terms and weakens the efforts of his c;lose-by enemies by "-2", or now "-3". In layman's terms all of the efforts of his allies by a tiny but noticeable margin and weakens the efforts of his enemies by an equal amount. The perk also allows for buffs or debuffs to affect all allies or enemies in close proximity to each other, but Lucas has not had many chances to buff allies or fight enemies. One effect this perk has had is that it allows his friends to cook food that is more delicious, more filling, and healthier than their past efforts. Another effect of it is that it has helped those who eat said food to ingest it more easily and thus allows them to eat it without fears of stomach pains. New spells also appear in the hero's mental grimoire, ones that offer minor buffs or debuffs to friends and enemies, targeting their attributes, but none that consider Lucas a viable target.
The hero delights in his new class and is excited to have the chance to grow as a healer and support provider but the day isn't done. When the last of the crowd leaves Lucas and the rest of his friends stay behind to clean up. Lucas is eager to put his newly enhanced perk to the test, and during these efforts Lucas gains the "Cleaner" class, a class whose initial benefits to him include a boost to his senses and to his skill with anything intended to be used to clean something. During the cleaning, Lucas does not quite gain enough experience to level up, but he knows that he will in time.
Eventually Lucas bids his new friends farewell and makes his way to the gym. He works out somewhat intensely during this time, gaining a series of new skills in the form of swimming and boxing, thanks to his time engaging in a decently stimulating jaunt around the lap pool, followed by his participation in a class that revolves around self-defense. Thanks to "Master of All" and his decision to swap classes to "Fighter" he manages to level up both his "Mage" and his "Fighter" class, opting to give himself a boost to his endurance as a class skill for "Fighter", and a boost to the rate at which he regenerates arcane energy as his class skill for "Mage". It is during this time that Lucas figures out that for his classes to level up he needs to gain class-based experience, but this is the first time that he has seen that he can level a class up without having the class equipped, there just seems to be some relative debuff to the experience gained by the classes he doesn't have equipped. This insight boosts his intelligence, the realization itself serving as a sort of training of the attribute.
By the time Lucas returns to his apartment he is immensely satisfied with the day he has had. The moon is visible in the night's sky when he steps into his apartment he is ready to spend the rest of the day honing his skills and gaining valuable experience. He immediately starts this off by using some of his magic to mess with some of his possessions, positioning and repositioning them as he pleases with telekinesis. For the first time the figure shuts his eyes and practices his telekinesis by feeling alone, an exercise which results in the acquisition of a strange new skill: Extrasensory Perception, or ESP. The figure excitedly practices this skill, even as he levels up his "Spatial Magic" skill and gains an expensive new spell: "Minor Teleport". This particular spell lets him teleport objects he can see and hit with a small magical ray, causing light, small objects he hits to appear in his hand. The mage's skills with this are enough to allow him to hit a kitchen knife with it and teleport it to him without any issues. Lucas's mind fills with possibilities as he takes in the wicked potential of this spell. Still, the spell costs enough that he can only cast it once or twice without waiting for his pool of arcane energy to recover which limits it's usefulness somewhat but that's only a short term problem.
Monday rolls around and when it does Lucas is delighted to find that he is familiar enough with his surroundings that he settles into a routine. The jumper almost immediately throws himself into his work the minute he arrives at the office and he quickly grinds the day away. The only notable event is his realization that Amy is developing a crush on him, something he notices during lunch when he is eating with her and their small cadre of colleagues, when she eagerly asks him about volunteering. On Monday afternoon the lad goes to the gym and works out, taking another dancing class and leveling up the class partway through the workout. He gains a class skill which allows him to more easily persuade anyone who sees him perform a few dances, which he realizes probably won't be very useful in this jump but might mean something later on in his "Chain" as his employer called it several days ago.
The figure spends part of the night leveling his rogue class and gaining skills associated with it thanks in part to his "Rogue" perk and his new spells. He sticks to public places, and stays out just long enough for some shopping outlets and malls to close. He limits his targets to small objects like keys and wallets with his magic, and occasionally targets people with debuffs. He also levels "Observe" enough that he can learn the moods of living things just by using the skill, When his rogue class levels up he snags a new skill which boosts the effectiveness of his actions when he is unseen by the people he is targeting. He also snags a title: "Arcane Sneak", which boosts his magical regeneration when he is unnoticed by people or in the immediate aftermath of him using magic to take something that belongs to someone else.
The next month and a half passes in a blur, and Lucas develops a decently strict schedule he sticks to. On Mondays he trains a specific class, not necessarily rogue but definitely something. On Tuesdays he works out, including taking Zumba, a boxing class, and swimming. On Wednesdays he does meal prep and stays at home honing minor stuff. On Thursday he does some sort of volunteering, and on Fridays he actually relaxes and does something like writing or website design. The weekends are filled with volunteering and city exploration.
During this time his classes, other than chef, dancer, and mage, are slow to level up. He actively practices magic, he is a regular chef, and he turns a passive admiration he once had for dancers into something he is surprisingly passionate about. He also begins to volunteer at the hospital he visited, spending a few hours every Saturday in a small room in the back of the hospital looking through paperwork and doing stuff he didn't anticipate a hospital volunteer doing. Still, he quickly racks up trust and admiration from the few hospital staff members who know of him, thanks to his ability to just not complain, coupled with his stunning effectiveness at what he does.
As he begins to approach the two month mark he is a level 10 chef, level 12 dancer, and a level 6 mage, and a level 3 fighter, rogue, and white mage, as well as a level 4 cleaner. It turns out that each class levels a bit differently, which has inadvertently skewed his leveling but he's become an advanced enough chef that his food can be actively beneficial or detrimental and that there is now a 5% reduction in how long it takes him to cook something. He can also now gain modifiers to his interactions with people who've eaten several dishes he's made, provided they enjoyed them. His dancing is similarly useful, and he is a much better mage now than he once was. The figure can also cast spells and use an ability that prevents something from getting dirty, or magically cleanse objects. Despite all of this he remains a level 1 human, having not gained any experience that would level him as a member of his species; it seems that for him to gain such experience he needs to engage in combat and even when he's sparred with people he doesn't fight them to unconsciousness.
He leaves his apartment on the last Monday in October with a smile on his face, ready to begin a new work week.
submitted by Sin-God to JumpChain [link] [comments]
The group, including Lucas, is diligently doing last-minute preparations, carefully and skillfully tending to the food they expertly prepared yesterday. Every single person involved in the work does their part with impressive ease and earned confidence. Lucas's careful contributions, both his direct, visible work, and the boons conferred by his presence allow them to do their work with newfound ease, confidence, and remarkable luck. Lucas occasionally makes minor missteps, but those are due more to the drawbacks he is enduring than anything he actually does. And every time he makes a mistake it's so minor a few deft movements are enough for him to overcome them. All the while he is texting Hannah and is visibly excited to volunteer, even though his motives are still quite selfish.
Lucas wisely does not take a leadership role here. The diligent figure follows the lead of his more experienced peers, and his endless, untiring contributions are enough to allow the group to be ready in an hour, completing work that normally takes them two or three thanks to the various perks Lucas grants them, as well as his actual, material contributions. When the group is ready, Lucas suggests they all swap stories about what led them to volunteer here.
The five volunteers and the pastor encourage the newcomer to go first, and he deftly weaves a tale that incorporates bits and pieces of the backstory he constructed for himself at his job. He explains that he grew up as the only child of a family in a small town and that he has been volunteering in minor capacities his whole life. He tells his new friends the same fanciful lies he told his coworkers and is a bit shocked when he gets the "Storytelling" skill. After that, his companions share their own stories with him. The pastor goes first, explaining that when he took over the church not one charitable act was occurring here and in only a few short years the pastor has massively changed that. The others all share various stories about how they've needed food before, or known people who needed a meal, and so they wanted to make sure that if someone needed a meal they could get it. The stories stir Lucas's heart, and he feels a pang of sincere admiration for his new friends. That said the pragmatic figure is not someone who is so kind-hearted that he'd lose sight of his larger objectives here.
While his companions share their stories he activates "Rogue", but focuses the skill on his hands. This decision almost completely cloaks his hands, rendering them invisible just long enough for Lucas to pour healing magic into the soup. He pours all of his magical energy into the stuff, exhausting himself but that is a minor inconvenience given one of his handy toys and especially when he receives a notification alerting him that he has gained an "Overcharge" skill; the ability to empower something by putting more into it.
As soon as everyone finishes their stories there is just enough time for the group of volunteers to go and get ready for the first of the arrivals at the kitchen. When Lucas is out of view of everyone he reaches into his inventory and pulls out his nifty arcane potion and downs it. The instant that the golden liquid touches his lips his power begins to flow back into him, suffusing his very soul. Minutes later the lad is welcoming guests and visitors to the church. People excitedly greet him, stunned in two different ways by his appearance.
Firstly there is the fact that Lucas is stunning, aesthetically. No matter one's preferences, no one can honestly deny his wholesome movie star looks, and no one tries to. But here, in the soup kitchen, that's the less important part of his appeal. The more important aspect of his appearance is his newness. Many of the people who appear early are people who come to the church regularly, and they recognize everyone there but him. This gives the young volunteer a chance to make several new admirers, and he navigates these social interactions with aplomb. The figure, at this point, doesn't even rely on his perks, having grown accustomed to his new life and reality.
As the figure encourages the visitors to come and grab food he is extremely pleased when he feels time freeze the first time someone tastes the food he made. This is due to the fact that he is making progress towards his quest to become a "White Mage" the formal name given to the "Healer" class he received a quest to become earlier this week, The quest asks him to heal 100 people, and this marks one of the first times he has made progress towards it. The figure smiles internally as he deactivates the notification that froze time and continues the important work he's been assigned; welcoming guests and working to log in the information they're willing to give about themselves. To achieve this task the eager go-getter has a clipboard and is stationed near the entrance to the part of the church that houses the kitchen where the chefs made the food. Every time someone new eats the food he spelled to be restorative the figure has to deal with paused time, but only the first time someone lifts some of the ensorcelled food to their lips, and each time his excitement at the prospect of obtaining a new class grows more intense.
For the first hour only long-term, regular members of the church's congregation, and their hungry friends, come to the kitchen. The pastor is one of the figures serving them food, while Lucas continues the important work he was asked to do. During this time 22 people make their way through the kitchen, greeting Lucas with excited smiles and happily volunteering the same information they've volunteered before to other individuals tasked with doing Lucas's current work. The young jumper listens to distant conversations even as he writes down the information of various individuals. He smiles internally whenever he overhears someone saying that the food tastes different somehow, better than it has before. Such individuals also sometimes notice how immediately the pain they're in lessens, their old aches and pains fading and in some cases disappearing altogether. They don't know about the magic that is repairing their bodies, the sacred energies that course into them with every faint bite or spoonful of food they eat. Also during this time the chef gains more experience
Lucas doesn't consciously know this but his decision to pour all of his magic into the food has supercharged it. If not for his decision to infuse the food with healing magic again time, coupled with the diffuse nature of the soup would have weakened the healing properties of the magic, but Lucas's choice to suffuse the food with as much magic as he could in short order before the hungry congregants and community members began to arrive has sanctified the food and empowered it's naturally restorative and fortifying properties almost making it something like a potion of sorts.
More people begin to arrive during the second hour of the meal serving period. Some of these people are brand new, and of them a handful gawk at Lucas. These individuals, include homeless youth. teen parents, and college students can't resist the urge to take in the cool glass of water on a hot day that is the charming volunteer. His ability to feign kindness and his almost but not quite eerie sense of their emotional states is enough to allow them to develop crushes, platonic or otherwise, on the figure. And in the space of the hour 40 such individuals come through and eat more of Lucas's cooking, enough to allow him to level up his chef class one more time. He eagerly takes a new class ability, one that allows him to grant food he cooks very minor buffs, though he finds that it's not retroactive.
During this time the pastor gives a very brief address to the crowd of gathered individuals, and introduces Lucas to everyone though Lucas has already been social enough and diligent enough to do that himself. Lucas eagerly thanks everyone for joining them today, and during this time he experiences a very subtle glitch where he says a word but no one notices it. The young adventurer simply ignores the glitch, but not before noting that it's the first one he's experienced in a public situation.
During the last forty five minutes of the meal more people come through, and this group is the oddest and the largest. These folks are the irregulars; people who occasionally need the meals the kitchen provides but who don't love prospect of coming to the kitchen. This group numbers a total 45 of individuals, and by the time they eat the effects of the food are less miraculous, but still solidly strong. At the same time when the next to last person to eat grabs a spoonful of soup and lifts it to her lips she is unknowingly responsible for time freezing and Lucas gaining a new class, The excited hero immediately changes classes and gains a boost to his intelligence and charisma as a result of it as well as just enough experience to boost the power of "Support", making this the first time that a perk of his has been directly strengthened to a quantifiable extent.
"Support" is the most subtle of Lucas's perks other than "The Devil's Own Luck". This perk makes him a more effective leader and teammate, and boosts the efforts of his c;lose-by allies by the equivalent of a "+2", until just now, modifier in TTRPG terms and weakens the efforts of his c;lose-by enemies by "-2", or now "-3". In layman's terms all of the efforts of his allies by a tiny but noticeable margin and weakens the efforts of his enemies by an equal amount. The perk also allows for buffs or debuffs to affect all allies or enemies in close proximity to each other, but Lucas has not had many chances to buff allies or fight enemies. One effect this perk has had is that it allows his friends to cook food that is more delicious, more filling, and healthier than their past efforts. Another effect of it is that it has helped those who eat said food to ingest it more easily and thus allows them to eat it without fears of stomach pains. New spells also appear in the hero's mental grimoire, ones that offer minor buffs or debuffs to friends and enemies, targeting their attributes, but none that consider Lucas a viable target.
The hero delights in his new class and is excited to have the chance to grow as a healer and support provider but the day isn't done. When the last of the crowd leaves Lucas and the rest of his friends stay behind to clean up. Lucas is eager to put his newly enhanced perk to the test, and during these efforts Lucas gains the "Cleaner" class, a class whose initial benefits to him include a boost to his senses and to his skill with anything intended to be used to clean something. During the cleaning, Lucas does not quite gain enough experience to level up, but he knows that he will in time.
Eventually Lucas bids his new friends farewell and makes his way to the gym. He works out somewhat intensely during this time, gaining a series of new skills in the form of swimming and boxing, thanks to his time engaging in a decently stimulating jaunt around the lap pool, followed by his participation in a class that revolves around self-defense. Thanks to "Master of All" and his decision to swap classes to "Fighter" he manages to level up both his "Mage" and his "Fighter" class, opting to give himself a boost to his endurance as a class skill for "Fighter", and a boost to the rate at which he regenerates arcane energy as his class skill for "Mage". It is during this time that Lucas figures out that for his classes to level up he needs to gain class-based experience, but this is the first time that he has seen that he can level a class up without having the class equipped, there just seems to be some relative debuff to the experience gained by the classes he doesn't have equipped. This insight boosts his intelligence, the realization itself serving as a sort of training of the attribute.
By the time Lucas returns to his apartment he is immensely satisfied with the day he has had. The moon is visible in the night's sky when he steps into his apartment he is ready to spend the rest of the day honing his skills and gaining valuable experience. He immediately starts this off by using some of his magic to mess with some of his possessions, positioning and repositioning them as he pleases with telekinesis. For the first time the figure shuts his eyes and practices his telekinesis by feeling alone, an exercise which results in the acquisition of a strange new skill: Extrasensory Perception, or ESP. The figure excitedly practices this skill, even as he levels up his "Spatial Magic" skill and gains an expensive new spell: "Minor Teleport". This particular spell lets him teleport objects he can see and hit with a small magical ray, causing light, small objects he hits to appear in his hand. The mage's skills with this are enough to allow him to hit a kitchen knife with it and teleport it to him without any issues. Lucas's mind fills with possibilities as he takes in the wicked potential of this spell. Still, the spell costs enough that he can only cast it once or twice without waiting for his pool of arcane energy to recover which limits it's usefulness somewhat but that's only a short term problem.
Monday rolls around and when it does Lucas is delighted to find that he is familiar enough with his surroundings that he settles into a routine. The jumper almost immediately throws himself into his work the minute he arrives at the office and he quickly grinds the day away. The only notable event is his realization that Amy is developing a crush on him, something he notices during lunch when he is eating with her and their small cadre of colleagues, when she eagerly asks him about volunteering. On Monday afternoon the lad goes to the gym and works out, taking another dancing class and leveling up the class partway through the workout. He gains a class skill which allows him to more easily persuade anyone who sees him perform a few dances, which he realizes probably won't be very useful in this jump but might mean something later on in his "Chain" as his employer called it several days ago.
The figure spends part of the night leveling his rogue class and gaining skills associated with it thanks in part to his "Rogue" perk and his new spells. He sticks to public places, and stays out just long enough for some shopping outlets and malls to close. He limits his targets to small objects like keys and wallets with his magic, and occasionally targets people with debuffs. He also levels "Observe" enough that he can learn the moods of living things just by using the skill, When his rogue class levels up he snags a new skill which boosts the effectiveness of his actions when he is unseen by the people he is targeting. He also snags a title: "Arcane Sneak", which boosts his magical regeneration when he is unnoticed by people or in the immediate aftermath of him using magic to take something that belongs to someone else.
The next month and a half passes in a blur, and Lucas develops a decently strict schedule he sticks to. On Mondays he trains a specific class, not necessarily rogue but definitely something. On Tuesdays he works out, including taking Zumba, a boxing class, and swimming. On Wednesdays he does meal prep and stays at home honing minor stuff. On Thursday he does some sort of volunteering, and on Fridays he actually relaxes and does something like writing or website design. The weekends are filled with volunteering and city exploration.
During this time his classes, other than chef, dancer, and mage, are slow to level up. He actively practices magic, he is a regular chef, and he turns a passive admiration he once had for dancers into something he is surprisingly passionate about. He also begins to volunteer at the hospital he visited, spending a few hours every Saturday in a small room in the back of the hospital looking through paperwork and doing stuff he didn't anticipate a hospital volunteer doing. Still, he quickly racks up trust and admiration from the few hospital staff members who know of him, thanks to his ability to just not complain, coupled with his stunning effectiveness at what he does.
As he begins to approach the two month mark he is a level 10 chef, level 12 dancer, and a level 6 mage, and a level 3 fighter, rogue, and white mage, as well as a level 4 cleaner. It turns out that each class levels a bit differently, which has inadvertently skewed his leveling but he's become an advanced enough chef that his food can be actively beneficial or detrimental and that there is now a 5% reduction in how long it takes him to cook something. He can also now gain modifiers to his interactions with people who've eaten several dishes he's made, provided they enjoyed them. His dancing is similarly useful, and he is a much better mage now than he once was. The figure can also cast spells and use an ability that prevents something from getting dirty, or magically cleanse objects. Despite all of this he remains a level 1 human, having not gained any experience that would level him as a member of his species; it seems that for him to gain such experience he needs to engage in combat and even when he's sparred with people he doesn't fight them to unconsciousness.
He leaves his apartment on the last Monday in October with a smile on his face, ready to begin a new work week.
2024.05.19 12:40 Blazingzurafa Don’t know what to think or do neuroendocrine tumour
M26 I was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in my appendix after appendectomy for possibly appendicitis when I was 21. After going through a multitude of test I was told that the cancer was what they call stage 0 and very slow growing and I didn’t need any further treatment. Since then I’ve had nothing but health issues, was on antipsychotics for a year for my anxiety which was out of control, have had stomach pain constantly, horrible cramps and bloating, etc. around 3 years ago I started having bouts of severe diarrhea with blood/mucous was sent for a a colonoscopy and ct which showed nothing so why was told it was ibs and possibly crohn’s. for the past 2 years I’ve had chronic fatigue, horrible acne and skin infects, last year I started getting what appears to be tonsil stones/tonsillitis (it’s been rough). After my most recent bout of diarrhea I got another ct along with stool sample, 24hr urine and blood test. My 24hr urine showed a highish 5-HIAA and just found out my ct showed a nodule on my liver, I know I’m jumping to conclusions and still need to wait for more information but can’t help feel that this and potentially carcinoid syndrome could explain everything I’ve been going through. Don’t know to be relieved or upset, I’m filled with anxiety and barely able to sleep. Does anyone here have or know anything about appendix cancer or carcinoid syndrome.
submitted by Blazingzurafa to neuroendocrinetumors [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 12:36 sootybearz UTI and possible kidney infection 4 weeks now
UTI / possible kidney infection around 4 weeks
Male 45 UK. UTI, possible (but I’d guess from pain around there) kidney infection. Advice needed
Around 4 weeks ago I started to get some pains around mid and lower back area on right hand side. This seemed to then spread and I felt the pain both sides as well as on the front and down sides. Started to then get shivers about 4 days in then 6th day really bad shivers, no heat in my hands, even numbness on one of my forearms, night sweats, headaches, nausea feeling etc. On checking urine that day at start it was quite cloudy and dark and over the day I was running to toilet quite a bit.
Next day I’d had enough and as it was weekend went to out of hours docs for NHS and was told after dip test they found “plus one” for white blood cells in urine, this was after about 6 toilet breaks already that day and drinking around 1.5 litres of water so maybe things were diluted. They didn’t do any culture tests etc as out of hours only have so many options. I was put on antibiotics for a week which took away the worst / weirder of the symptoms to the point that I was only left with the pain and pain was primarily on right side again but not always. Was getting it just above belly button on both sides at one time or another but again mainly right front and back.
The day after finishing the first antibiotic pain started to build again so went back to out of hours again 2 days after they ended as it was a bank holiday weekend. They gave me another week course but asked me to go to gp right away next day. I did so and brought a urine sample, at this point id finished the first antibiotic about 2.5 days before and had started the second set and had a full days dose the day before. They did a culture test from that day. Anyway the urine sample didn’t grow anything during the culture test which may be down to the antibiotics as I’d finished the first set some days ago and started second set day before - I really don’t know - but apparently pus was found in the sample. What amount I’m not sure.
I continued to take the second antibiotic course and towards the end I felt the pain reducing further. The day after it finished I was quite hopeful it was dealt with as pain had subsided so much and I was actually peeing without having to push, normal feeling was back in my lower abdomen- but it was short lived as the day after that it got a bit worse again and continued to do so.
Those second antibiotics had completed last sunday, I left it till Friday to go back to the doctors because I wanted a proper urine sample without antibiotics affecting it. I went in Friday, when I took the sample there was stuff floating everywhere, the worst I’d seen so far. Even though the doctor did a dip test and nothing showed so I’m freaking that they won’t detect what it is. Doctor then gave me a 3rd antibiotic, I’ve taken two and a half days now and still feel a bit numb down below, hesitations at times going toilet so having to push a bit, and pain up around back and kidney areas and around and below navel. All these symptoms had mostly vanished for a short spell after the second antibiotic but back again.
At this point even though I’m not even halfway on this 3rd but different set I’m thinking going private to a urologist who could see me Wednesday. I tried taking d mannose Friday for day and a half but pain around kidney area seemed to get worse so stopped so I can tell if it’s infection related or simply taking that also.
Anyone got any words of wisdom to give, I feel like being on antibiotics a week at a time and then having a few days or more till next one is allowing things to go back to square one again. I’m really hoping I can just get over this now quickly somehow. Supposed to be taking a week holiday with the family in 8 days but starting to lose hope and don’t know if it’s great idea bejng away from local doctors etc.
Antibiotics so far:
Nitrofurantoin trimethoprim (I think) cefalexin (currently on)
submitted by sootybearz to AskDocs [link] [comments]
Male 45 UK. UTI, possible (but I’d guess from pain around there) kidney infection. Advice needed
Around 4 weeks ago I started to get some pains around mid and lower back area on right hand side. This seemed to then spread and I felt the pain both sides as well as on the front and down sides. Started to then get shivers about 4 days in then 6th day really bad shivers, no heat in my hands, even numbness on one of my forearms, night sweats, headaches, nausea feeling etc. On checking urine that day at start it was quite cloudy and dark and over the day I was running to toilet quite a bit.
Next day I’d had enough and as it was weekend went to out of hours docs for NHS and was told after dip test they found “plus one” for white blood cells in urine, this was after about 6 toilet breaks already that day and drinking around 1.5 litres of water so maybe things were diluted. They didn’t do any culture tests etc as out of hours only have so many options. I was put on antibiotics for a week which took away the worst / weirder of the symptoms to the point that I was only left with the pain and pain was primarily on right side again but not always. Was getting it just above belly button on both sides at one time or another but again mainly right front and back.
The day after finishing the first antibiotic pain started to build again so went back to out of hours again 2 days after they ended as it was a bank holiday weekend. They gave me another week course but asked me to go to gp right away next day. I did so and brought a urine sample, at this point id finished the first antibiotic about 2.5 days before and had started the second set and had a full days dose the day before. They did a culture test from that day. Anyway the urine sample didn’t grow anything during the culture test which may be down to the antibiotics as I’d finished the first set some days ago and started second set day before - I really don’t know - but apparently pus was found in the sample. What amount I’m not sure.
I continued to take the second antibiotic course and towards the end I felt the pain reducing further. The day after it finished I was quite hopeful it was dealt with as pain had subsided so much and I was actually peeing without having to push, normal feeling was back in my lower abdomen- but it was short lived as the day after that it got a bit worse again and continued to do so.
Those second antibiotics had completed last sunday, I left it till Friday to go back to the doctors because I wanted a proper urine sample without antibiotics affecting it. I went in Friday, when I took the sample there was stuff floating everywhere, the worst I’d seen so far. Even though the doctor did a dip test and nothing showed so I’m freaking that they won’t detect what it is. Doctor then gave me a 3rd antibiotic, I’ve taken two and a half days now and still feel a bit numb down below, hesitations at times going toilet so having to push a bit, and pain up around back and kidney areas and around and below navel. All these symptoms had mostly vanished for a short spell after the second antibiotic but back again.
At this point even though I’m not even halfway on this 3rd but different set I’m thinking going private to a urologist who could see me Wednesday. I tried taking d mannose Friday for day and a half but pain around kidney area seemed to get worse so stopped so I can tell if it’s infection related or simply taking that also.
Anyone got any words of wisdom to give, I feel like being on antibiotics a week at a time and then having a few days or more till next one is allowing things to go back to square one again. I’m really hoping I can just get over this now quickly somehow. Supposed to be taking a week holiday with the family in 8 days but starting to lose hope and don’t know if it’s great idea bejng away from local doctors etc.
Antibiotics so far:
Nitrofurantoin trimethoprim (I think) cefalexin (currently on)
2024.05.19 12:32 ladybuglvrr Truth or Dare
As the last rays of summer sun faded into dusk, I stood at the threshold of a new chapter, my heart racing with anticipation and a touch of apprehension, as I prepared to embark on my first day as a senior in high school. The familiar scent of freshly cut grass mingled with the crispness of autumn in the air, signaling the end of carefree days and the beginning of a journey filled with new challenges and opportunities. With my backpack slung over my shoulder and butterflies fluttering in my stomach, I took a deep breath, ready to step into the halls of academia, where friendships would deepen, memories would be made, and the path to my future would unfold before me. As I walked down the main hallway to my first period class, a girl I had never seen before bumped into me, as she was walking hurriedly down towards the cafe. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” She exclaimed, as she bent down to pick up one of my binders. “Watch where you’re going, good God.” I huffed back. “Geez… it was an acc-“ I cut her off- “You look familiar… have I met you somewhere before?” “Umm. I don’t think we’ve ever met before. Maybe you should get your vision checked.” she replied back, annoyed. “Whatever, asshole.” I sighed. “Excuse me?” She said, raising an eyebrow.” I could’ve sworn I had seen her somewhere before… maybe I was losing it. “Look, this is going to sound really, really weird, but in the near further, you’re going to be asked to play a game. You HAVE to say no, or really bad things are going to happen…” I took a step back, looking the girl up and down. “You sound schizophrenic. I’m going to class.” I said, turning back towards my classroom door. As I turned to walk away, her words echoed in my mind, a strange sense of foreboding creeping over me. But dismissing it as nonsense, I pushed through the classroom door, eager to start the day and put the strange encounter behind me. The day passed in a blur of introductions, syllabi, and catching up with friends. Yet, despite my attempts to shake off the odd encounter, the girl's warning lingered in the back of my thoughts like an unsettling whisper. As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, I found myself retracing my steps through the bustling halls. Glancing around, I caught sight of the mysterious girl disappearing into a throng of students.Curiosity gnawed at me, and against my better judgment, I followed her, weaving through the crowd until I spotted her slipping into a secluded corner of the school courtyard. Approaching cautiously, I cleared my throat, "Hey, um, sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to come off as rude." She turned to face me, her expression guarded yet somehow relieved. "It's fine," she said, her tone softening. "I understand. It's not easy to believe something so... unbelievable." I frowned, puzzled by her cryptic words. "What do you mean?" Taking a deep breath, she met my gaze squarely. "I know this sounds crazy, but I need you to listen to me. That game I mentioned earlier—it's real. And it's dangerous. People are disappearing, and I think... I think you're next." My heart skipped a beat as her words sank in, sending a chill down my spine. "What do you mean I'm next?" “I have to go. It’s Friday, I need to go pick up my little brother from school. We can talk on Monday… just, trust me.” She said, rushing towards the parking lot. As the days passed, I found myself haunted by the girl's warning, the memory of her urgent plea lingering like a ghost in the back of my mind. But try as I might to push it aside, the sense of impending doom only grew stronger with each passing moment, a shadow looming ever larger over my once-ordinary life. Sunday morning rolled around, and I was still as anxious as ever, when suddenly an option appeared in front of me. “Would you like to play Truth or Dare?” It read. I sat there for a second, absolutely dumbfounded, thinking I had completely lost it. The two options, lingering in front of me. If I were to complete all of the dares and truths, I would win.. whole million dollars!? “The dares couldn’t be that bad, especially for a million dollars, right?” I thought to myself, hovering the “yes” option. As the option appeared over her head, my heart pounded in my chest, a sickening sense of dread settling over me like a suffocating blanket. But as the stakes grew higher and the dares more dangerous, I found myself unable to resist the lure of the prize dangling just out of reach. One by one, I completed each dare. Confessing my love to my crush, licking a toilet bowl, chugging a bottle of vinegar… everything seemed, moderately alright.. the thrill of the challenge mingling with the gnawing fear that clawed at the edges of my mind. But as the night wore on and the dares grew increasingly sinister, I began to realize the true cost of my greed. Although, I had more important things on my mind. Friday once again rolled around, and the most popular guy in our school, Jackson, had invented me to his house party. This was absolutely a dream come true, but, how was I supposed to tell my mother I was going to a random frat boys party? As 6:00pm rolled around, I grabbed my keys and told my mother I was going to a movie with my friends. As she was about to reply, a new option for Truth or Dare showed, stating, “tell your mother where you’re really going.” At this point, I knew I was screwed. “Are you sure?” My mother asked. “Actually, I was invited to a party by Jackson, the new football teams quarter back.” I said, shuffling my feet. “Do you think I’m crazy? Absolutely not, you are staying home tonight!” My mother shouted back. Maybe it was for the better, after all, mother knows best, right? As 8:00 rolled around, I was sitting on my bed reading, as a new dare showed. “Sneak out and go to the party.” It read. “Well… shit. I’m screwed either way, at this rate.” I muttered, taking the screen off of my window. I grabbed my keys from my desk, and climbed out into the fresh, cold air. I made it to the party about 15 minutes later. As I took my boots off, and walked through the front door, I noticed my friend Samantha sitting next to Jackson with a group of others, drinking out of shiny, red cups. Jackson came up to greet me, handing me a strange smelling concoction. “Here, I’m sure you’ll like this!” Jackson said, cheerfully. “I’m sorry.. I’m not much of a drinker. It’s not good for you.” I stated, slightly uncomfortable. “Oh come on… look, everyone’s drinking! This is my special, everyone loves this. It has extra lime in it!” He yelled back, trying to make himself heard over the loud music playing from a speaker in the kitchen. “Alright… just a few sips, I guess.” I said, shyly taking the cup from his hand. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all, it was quite citrusy, and I love sour things. As the night went on, I continued to drink the mysterious beverages from Jackson. All seemed fine, until around 11:45pm. In a blur of flashing lights and pounding music, it happened. Someone spiked my drink, sending me spiraling into darkness as my world shattered into a million jagged pieces. When I awoke, disoriented and groggy, I found myself trapped in a nightmare of my own making. Bound to a small wooden chair, surrounded by four other girls, each one bearing the same haunted expression of terror etched into their pale faces. As the reality of our situation sunk in, a cold wave of despair washed over me, the harsh truth of my actions crashing down around me like a tidal wave. And as I stared into the darkness, the option still hanging over my head like a cruel taunt, I knew that the game was far from over. But as the hours stretched into days, and the terror of our captivity threatened to consume us whole, I clung to the fragile hope that somehow, someway, we would find a way to escape the nightmare that had become our reality. The only times we had seen the light of day, was when Jackson brought food and water down to us. And as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, we fought tooth and nail against the forces that sought to break us, forging bonds of strength and resilience that would carry us through the darkest of nights. And though the scars of our ordeal would never fully heal, we emerged from the depths of hell stronger than we ever thought possible, united in our determination to reclaim our lives and rewrite our own destinies. As the days stretched on in our captivity, each one blurring into the next in a haze of fear and uncertainty, a glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon in the most unexpected way. One day, as I sat huddled in the darkness, my mind drifting back to the events that had led me to this nightmare, a strange option materialized before my eyes, shimmering like a mirage in the desert of my despair. "Lifeline, Time travel: Go back to the first day of school," it read, its words pulsating with an otherworldly glow that seemed to beckon me closer. For a moment, I hesitated, the weight of my past mistakes bearing down on me like a crushing weight. But as I stared into the depths of the option before me, a flicker of determination ignited within me, burning bright against the darkness that threatened to consume me whole. With a trembling hand, I reached out and pressed the option, the world around me fading into a swirling vortex of light and color as time itself seemed to bend and warp around me. Within in the blink of an eye, I found myself standing once again at the threshold of a new chapter, the familiar sights and sounds of the first day of school washing over me like a balm for my weary soul. “Wait a minute” I thought to myself. “Isn’t it that in all of those time travel movies, doesn’t your past self seeing your future self create some sort of paradox? Or singularity? Or the end of life as we know it…?” I knew then I had to disguise myself before approaching my past self. As I put on glasses, and changed my clothes in the locker room, I scurried around trying to find some sort of hat. “Ugh, finally!” I exclaimed, grabbing a beanie that was left is someone’s open locker. “I have to go find myself.” I said, bolting out of the locker room door. As I ran through the halls, I had accidentally bumped into a girl, walking the opposite direction of me. As I apologized profusely, bending over to hand her one of her purple binders, she looked at me puzzled. “Wait a minute, have I met you before?” My heart sank. “Umm. Maybe you should get your vision checked.” “Whatever, asshole.” She muttered under her breath.
submitted by ladybuglvrr to FictionWriting [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 12:23 sootybearz UTI / possible kidney infection around 4 weeks
Male 45 UK. UTI, possible (but I’d guess from pain around there) kidney infection. Advice needed
Around 4 weeks ago I started to get some pains around mid and lower back area on right hand side. This seemed to then spread and I felt the pain both sides as well as on the front and down sides. Started to then get shivers about 4 days in then 6th day really bad shivers, no heat in my hands, even numbness on one of my forearms, night sweats, headaches, nausea feeling etc. On checking urine that day at start it was quite cloudy and dark and over the day I was running to toilet quite a bit.
Next day I’d had enough and as it was weekend went to out of hours docs for NHS and was told after dip test they found “plus one” for white blood cells in urine, this was after about 6 toilet breaks already that day and drinking around 1.5 litres of water so maybe things were diluted. They didn’t do any culture tests etc as out of hours only have so many options. I was put on antibiotics for a week which took away the worst / weirder of the symptoms to the point that I was only left with the pain and pain was primarily on right side again but not always. Was getting it just above belly button on both sides at one time or another but again mainly right front and back.
The day after finishing the first antibiotic pain started to build again so went back to out of hours again 2 days after they ended as it was a bank holiday weekend. They gave me another week course but asked me to go to gp right away next day. I did so and brought a urine sample, at this point id finished the first antibiotic about 2.5 days before and had started the second set and had a full days dose the day before. They did a culture test from that day. Anyway the urine sample didn’t grow anything during the culture test which may be down to the antibiotics as I’d finished the first set some days ago and started second set day before - I really don’t know - but apparently pus was found in the sample. What amount I’m not sure.
I continued to take the second antibiotic course and towards the end I felt the pain reducing further. The day after it finished I was quite hopeful it was dealt with as pain had subsided so much and I was actually peeing without having to push, normal feeling was back in my lower abdomen- but it was short lived as the day after that it got a bit worse again and continued to do so.
Those second antibiotics had completed last sunday, I left it till Friday to go back to the doctors because I wanted a proper urine sample without antibiotics affecting it. I went in Friday, when I took the sample there was stuff floating everywhere, the worst I’d seen so far. Even though the doctor did a dip test and nothing showed so I’m freaking that they won’t detect what it is. Doctor then gave me a 3rd antibiotic, I’ve taken two and a half days now and still feel a bit numb down below, hesitations at times going toilet so having to push a bit, and pain up around back and kidney areas and around and below navel. All these symptoms had mostly vanished for a short spell after the second antibiotic but back again.
At this point even though I’m not even halfway on this 3rd but different set I’m thinking going private to a urologist who could see me Wednesday. I tried taking d mannose Friday for day and a half but pain around kidney area seemed to get worse so stopped so I can tell if it’s infection related or simply taking that also.
Anyone got any words of wisdom to give, I feel like being on antibiotics a week at a time and then having a few days or more till next one is allowing things to go back to square one again. I’m really hoping I can just get over this now quickly somehow. Supposed to be taking a week holiday with the family in 8 days but starting to lose hope and don’t know if it’s great idea bejng away from local doctors etc.
Antibiotics so far:
Nitrofurantoin trimethoprim (I think) cefalexin (currently on)
submitted by sootybearz to CUTI [link] [comments]
Around 4 weeks ago I started to get some pains around mid and lower back area on right hand side. This seemed to then spread and I felt the pain both sides as well as on the front and down sides. Started to then get shivers about 4 days in then 6th day really bad shivers, no heat in my hands, even numbness on one of my forearms, night sweats, headaches, nausea feeling etc. On checking urine that day at start it was quite cloudy and dark and over the day I was running to toilet quite a bit.
Next day I’d had enough and as it was weekend went to out of hours docs for NHS and was told after dip test they found “plus one” for white blood cells in urine, this was after about 6 toilet breaks already that day and drinking around 1.5 litres of water so maybe things were diluted. They didn’t do any culture tests etc as out of hours only have so many options. I was put on antibiotics for a week which took away the worst / weirder of the symptoms to the point that I was only left with the pain and pain was primarily on right side again but not always. Was getting it just above belly button on both sides at one time or another but again mainly right front and back.
The day after finishing the first antibiotic pain started to build again so went back to out of hours again 2 days after they ended as it was a bank holiday weekend. They gave me another week course but asked me to go to gp right away next day. I did so and brought a urine sample, at this point id finished the first antibiotic about 2.5 days before and had started the second set and had a full days dose the day before. They did a culture test from that day. Anyway the urine sample didn’t grow anything during the culture test which may be down to the antibiotics as I’d finished the first set some days ago and started second set day before - I really don’t know - but apparently pus was found in the sample. What amount I’m not sure.
I continued to take the second antibiotic course and towards the end I felt the pain reducing further. The day after it finished I was quite hopeful it was dealt with as pain had subsided so much and I was actually peeing without having to push, normal feeling was back in my lower abdomen- but it was short lived as the day after that it got a bit worse again and continued to do so.
Those second antibiotics had completed last sunday, I left it till Friday to go back to the doctors because I wanted a proper urine sample without antibiotics affecting it. I went in Friday, when I took the sample there was stuff floating everywhere, the worst I’d seen so far. Even though the doctor did a dip test and nothing showed so I’m freaking that they won’t detect what it is. Doctor then gave me a 3rd antibiotic, I’ve taken two and a half days now and still feel a bit numb down below, hesitations at times going toilet so having to push a bit, and pain up around back and kidney areas and around and below navel. All these symptoms had mostly vanished for a short spell after the second antibiotic but back again.
At this point even though I’m not even halfway on this 3rd but different set I’m thinking going private to a urologist who could see me Wednesday. I tried taking d mannose Friday for day and a half but pain around kidney area seemed to get worse so stopped so I can tell if it’s infection related or simply taking that also.
Anyone got any words of wisdom to give, I feel like being on antibiotics a week at a time and then having a few days or more till next one is allowing things to go back to square one again. I’m really hoping I can just get over this now quickly somehow. Supposed to be taking a week holiday with the family in 8 days but starting to lose hope and don’t know if it’s great idea bejng away from local doctors etc.
Antibiotics so far:
Nitrofurantoin trimethoprim (I think) cefalexin (currently on)
2024.05.19 12:21 LastWeekInCollapse Last Week in Collapse: May 12-18, 2024
Record temperatures, record migration, record emissions, record displacement, record PFAS……start building an ark.
Last Week in Collapse: May 12-18, 2024
This is Last Week in Collapse, a weekly newsletter compiling some of the most important, timely, useful, soul-crushing, ironic, stunning, exhausting, or otherwise must-see/can’t-look-away moments in Collapse.
This is the 125th newsletter! You can find the May 5-11 edition here if you missed it last week. You can also receive these posts (with images) every Sunday in your email inbox with Substack.
——————————
Flash flooding in northern Afghanistan killed 300+ people and destroyed 1,000+ homes. Hundreds of thousands of others have been affected. Last month, similar floods in the region killed 70+. Four died in Texas storms last week as well.
Venezuela is suffering from record wildfires, which so far this year have burned about 5M acres—almost the size of Sardinia. Some experts think indigenous people started the blaze as an attempt at forest clearance, which quickly got out of hand. “Institutional failures” compounded the disaster when the ailing government responded with an inadequate number of poorly equipped firefighters. Another study from last week examined the impact of wildfires on soil health.
Flooding and “cold lava” killed 50+ in Indonesia, injuring dozens and displacing several thousand. Cold lava is a mixture of water and rocks tumbling down the side of a volcano. Meanwhile, an actual volcano erupted in Indonesia, sending smoke & ash 5000m high; further eruptions are possible soon.
The Swiss Re Institute published a 37-page report last week about natural disasters in 2023—and how much damage, in USD, they caused. The largest catastrophe was the February 7.8 earthquake in Türkiye & Syria, which killed 59,000+ people and caused $163B+ in damage. The report is full of interesting graphics & data about natural disasters.
France is growing more concerned about a dam on Lake Geneva, controlled exclusively by Switzerland. The Rhône River, which begins in Switzerland and flows south through France, is shrinking in summers as climate change melts Switzerland’s remaining glaciers.
The Tonlé San River has been dammed in Vietnam, lowering the level in Cambodia and sometimes drying the river downstream entirely. Meanwhile, China’s lychee harvest is getting blasted by rain, impacting the world’s largest source of lychee. And, once again, Saudi Arabia is suffering flooding in its inland regions. 7 dead in historic flooding in Iran.
The eminent climate scientist James Hansen posted that, since “human-made aerosols and their cooling effect are in decline,” the cooling effect of La Niña will be counterbalanced by these rising temperatures. He also identifies a “large anomaly of increased absorbed solar radiation at midlatitudes in the Northern Hemisphere” responsible for rising temperatures there. CO2 levels are rising faster today than they have at any point in the previous 50,000 years…and a study of millennia-old trees determined last summer was the hottest worldwide in 2,000+ years…
Record nighttime May temperatures were tied in the Philippines and Vietnam. A couple Indonesian cities broke records for May temperatures. And a number of southern African states saw more records drop. And Toronto saw a record tied for the number of days reaching 14 °C (57 °F). A heat wave has returned to Bangladesh. Flooding in Cali (pop: 2.9M), Colombia.
The University of Washington was ordered to stop a geoengineering project that scientists sere conducting from the deck of a decommissioned aircraft carrier. The experiment ejected aerosolized saltwater in an attempt to reflect solar radiation. A comparative study in Nature Communications of a number of carbon pricing found that, yes, carbon pricing does work to reduce the total CO2 emitted.
It’s that time of the year again. Wildfires in Canada grow, some of which are moving towards the tar sands—forcing thousands to evacuate. 39 of the total nation’s blazes are “out of control,” resulting in air quality alerts in the United States. Meanwhile, across the Caribbean, water shortages have become the new normal, and residents (and tourists) are finding their old consumption habits hard to change. St. Lucia has declared a water emergency. In Myanmar, water shortages worsen, particularly as related to the spiraling conflict.
At least ⅛ of Europeans live in a place at risk of extreme flooding—so says a 175-page report from the European Environment Agency posted on Wednesday. The number of people living in flood-risk coastal areas in the EU & UK is expected to jump 24% by 2050. The graphics-packed report also considers how flooding will impact healthcare facilities, mental health, wastewater treatment plants, the spread of disease, cyanobacteria, permafrost thaw, and much else.
A 74-page working paper which is not yet peer-reviewed claims that earlier estimates for how much GDP would be impacted by another 1 °C temperature rise is way less than it would be in actuality. The paper claims the real cost (in USD) is about 6x greater. They claim “global temperature has much more pronounced impacts on economic activity than local temperature” and that extreme weather is mostly behind the projected decline in productivity.
——————————
Epidemiologists are worried about how climate change in Africa may extend the life of disease-bearers like ticks and mosquitoes. Other epidemiologists are worried about how cattle may become a permanent reservoir for H5N1. Growing traced of bird flu have been found in wastewater testing in the U.S., but investigators think it may be runoff from infected dairy farms.
Obesity, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure rates today globally are 50% higher than in 2000—though researchers claim that air pollution still poses a larger threat. Of a study participants in Hawai’i, 75% had respiratory issues, probably from the Maui wildfires last year.
The 2024 World Migration Report is out, and its 384 pages are not as apocalyptic as one might think. However, internally displaced people are at their all-time highest. India, Mexico, Russia, China, and Syria lead the world in emigrants; another document contains the definitions for who exactly constitutes a migrant. Unfortunately much of the data relied upon ends in 2022. Data from this year, not included in the above report, indicates a 40% jump in traffic through the Darien Gap compared to the same time period in 2023.
Some analysts believe “Peak China” may be over, signaling a period of economic tapering-off, as well as a growing militancy. Increasing U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods are continuing to separate the two economies. The Netherlands finally formed a provisional government, though its proposed immigration & farming policies have set it at odds with the EU.
The Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank, released a 46-page report on potential climate risks to the banking system’s resilience. As far as I understood, most of the risk lies in extreme weather events and the risk to insurance agencies.
Part of southeast England experienced an outbreak of Cryptosporidium, a diarrhea & vomiting illness, highly contagious, which can last weeks. At least 22 cases have been reported. Meanwhile, the CDC is issuing warnings about the more dangerous strain of monkeypox circulating in the DRC, although cases are currently limited to Africa.
North Carolina’s Senate voted to ban mask-wearing last week, under the reasoning that it would make police identification of protestors difficult. An fMRI study found lasting neurological changes in COVID survivors; they “had significantly higher cognitive complaints of mental fatigue and cognitive failure….even two years after recovering.” Experts say a summer rise in COVID cases is coming to the United States.
A study on The Canadian/American Great Lakes found that PFAS levels are increasing in the 3 largest lakes (Superior, Huron, and Michigan), while decreasing in the other two (Erie, Ontario). The study also found that precipitation is the primary means by which the Lakes are accumulating PFAS, since the chemicals are small & stable enough to move through the water cycle. Meanwhile, in England’s Lake District, a telecom failure resulted in raw sewage being pumped into England’s largest and most famous lake, Windermere, on-and-off for 10 hours; and a major British water CEO took a $4M USD pay package last year. And a look into the Chicago River’s health found that microplastics & trash are endangering health & biodiversity.
——————————
An assassination attempt by a lone wolf on Slovakia’s PM left him in critical condition, but likely to survive. 11 civilians were slain by cartel fighters in a few battles in Mexico. Violence continues to spiral out of control in Goma, DRC.
In Haiti, everything worsens indefinitely. Guns have reportedly entered from Florida, a phenomenon which officials call an “iron river.” Police have been put on the defensive against the growing might of the gang warlords.
A brawl broke out in Taiwan’s parliament. An Iranian plot was allegedly foiled to smuggle weapons into Jordan to destabilize the pro-U.S. regime.
Dozens more died in Sudan from escalating violence around Darfur. People are warning about “a disaster on top of a disaster” and the possibility of Sudan splitting apart. Others have called it “hell on earth” as 1,000+ refugees cross the Chad border every day. Disease and malnutrition are growing, while famine encroaches upon 9M helpless victims of the conflict—but the world’s attention is elsewhere.
The U.S. Army Engineers completed constructing the pier in Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. Some 600,000 Gazans have been displaced from Rafah already, and fighting has escalated against Hamas militants in northern Gaza.
Taliban forces skirmished with Pakistani soldiers for about 90 minutes last week. Taliban attacks in Pakistan, and counterattacks have resulted in a kind of ambient disruption for the rocky border zone.
Violent protests—and counteroperations—are continuing in New Caledonia (pop: 270,000), a Pacific island part of overseas France. The riots, which have killed 6 people so far, began after metropolitan France proposed a plan to expand voting rights beyond indigenous residents. A state of emergency has been declared amid worries about a spiral of violence taking hold.
As the Sahel dries out, experts are concerned about the links to rising terrorism in the region. The Sahel accounts for over 40% of global terrorism deaths—according to the analysts’ understanding of “terrorism.” Mali in particular has reportedly become home to 41 new, different non-state armed groups (NSAGs) since 2007. A contested election in Chad resulted in the consolidation of theinterim leader’s power.
Russia made several gains in the suburbs of Kharkiv, seizing several settlements which some analysts doubt they will hold. Putin claims they aren’t really trying to take Kharkiv anyway… Russia also made small progress in the Donbas—although they suffered their largest one-day casualties since the start of the war. The U.S. allocated another $2B to hasten the delivery of weapons to the front lines. The next weeks will be crucial on the front. Switzerland has invited 160+ nations to send delegates to a peace summit intended to design a path to making peace in this War.
——————————
Select comments/threads from the subreddit last week suggest:
-Brazil’s flooding was really, really bad, judging from this post and its accompanying images. Across just one of Brazil’s 26 states, 600,000+ people have been made homeless, 100+ have died, and the storm season isn’t over yet. Some of the flooding isn’t expected to subside for another month.
-How specifically might climate change make humanity extinct? This thread crowdsources a number of plausible ways, from ordinary famines to nuclear war and even a massive deoxygenation process. I tend to think it will be a consequence of an eventual nuclear exchange, followed by extended famine and disease.
Got any feedback, questions, comments, complaints, upvotes, doom prophets to follow, hugelkultur guides, directions to off-grid bunkers, ark schematics, etc.? Check out the Last Week in Collapse SubStack if you don’t want to check collapse every Sunday, you can receive this newsletter sent to your (or someone else’s) email inbox every weekend. What did I forget this week?
submitted by LastWeekInCollapse to collapse [link] [comments]
Last Week in Collapse: May 12-18, 2024
This is Last Week in Collapse, a weekly newsletter compiling some of the most important, timely, useful, soul-crushing, ironic, stunning, exhausting, or otherwise must-see/can’t-look-away moments in Collapse.
This is the 125th newsletter! You can find the May 5-11 edition here if you missed it last week. You can also receive these posts (with images) every Sunday in your email inbox with Substack.
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Flash flooding in northern Afghanistan killed 300+ people and destroyed 1,000+ homes. Hundreds of thousands of others have been affected. Last month, similar floods in the region killed 70+. Four died in Texas storms last week as well.
Venezuela is suffering from record wildfires, which so far this year have burned about 5M acres—almost the size of Sardinia. Some experts think indigenous people started the blaze as an attempt at forest clearance, which quickly got out of hand. “Institutional failures” compounded the disaster when the ailing government responded with an inadequate number of poorly equipped firefighters. Another study from last week examined the impact of wildfires on soil health.
Flooding and “cold lava” killed 50+ in Indonesia, injuring dozens and displacing several thousand. Cold lava is a mixture of water and rocks tumbling down the side of a volcano. Meanwhile, an actual volcano erupted in Indonesia, sending smoke & ash 5000m high; further eruptions are possible soon.
The Swiss Re Institute published a 37-page report last week about natural disasters in 2023—and how much damage, in USD, they caused. The largest catastrophe was the February 7.8 earthquake in Türkiye & Syria, which killed 59,000+ people and caused $163B+ in damage. The report is full of interesting graphics & data about natural disasters.
“Last year, economic losses from natural catastrophes reached USD 280 billion, meaning that 62% of the global losses were uninsured….the insured losses surpassed USD 100 billion for the fourth consecutive year….annual insured losses will grow by 5–7% over the long term…today’s insured losses could double in 10 years….There were 142 insured-loss inducing catastrophes in 2023, a new record. Most were of medium severity, which we define as events resulting in losses of USD 1–5 billion….Over the last 30 years, we estimate that natural catastrophe insured losses have grown by 3 percentage points more annually than the global economy (in inflation adjusted terms)...”Flooding and heat waves are impacting Brazil’s oranges, responsible for about 70% of the world’s supply. One food analysts declared that the “era of cheap food is over”—in the UK, at least. That may be one reason why UK residents took record food bank packages last year. Madagascar is struggling to adapt to a future with far less rainfall.
France is growing more concerned about a dam on Lake Geneva, controlled exclusively by Switzerland. The Rhône River, which begins in Switzerland and flows south through France, is shrinking in summers as climate change melts Switzerland’s remaining glaciers.
The Tonlé San River has been dammed in Vietnam, lowering the level in Cambodia and sometimes drying the river downstream entirely. Meanwhile, China’s lychee harvest is getting blasted by rain, impacting the world’s largest source of lychee. And, once again, Saudi Arabia is suffering flooding in its inland regions. 7 dead in historic flooding in Iran.
The eminent climate scientist James Hansen posted that, since “human-made aerosols and their cooling effect are in decline,” the cooling effect of La Niña will be counterbalanced by these rising temperatures. He also identifies a “large anomaly of increased absorbed solar radiation at midlatitudes in the Northern Hemisphere” responsible for rising temperatures there. CO2 levels are rising faster today than they have at any point in the previous 50,000 years…and a study of millennia-old trees determined last summer was the hottest worldwide in 2,000+ years…
Record nighttime May temperatures were tied in the Philippines and Vietnam. A couple Indonesian cities broke records for May temperatures. And a number of southern African states saw more records drop. And Toronto saw a record tied for the number of days reaching 14 °C (57 °F). A heat wave has returned to Bangladesh. Flooding in Cali (pop: 2.9M), Colombia.
The University of Washington was ordered to stop a geoengineering project that scientists sere conducting from the deck of a decommissioned aircraft carrier. The experiment ejected aerosolized saltwater in an attempt to reflect solar radiation. A comparative study in Nature Communications of a number of carbon pricing found that, yes, carbon pricing does work to reduce the total CO2 emitted.
It’s that time of the year again. Wildfires in Canada grow, some of which are moving towards the tar sands—forcing thousands to evacuate. 39 of the total nation’s blazes are “out of control,” resulting in air quality alerts in the United States. Meanwhile, across the Caribbean, water shortages have become the new normal, and residents (and tourists) are finding their old consumption habits hard to change. St. Lucia has declared a water emergency. In Myanmar, water shortages worsen, particularly as related to the spiraling conflict.
At least ⅛ of Europeans live in a place at risk of extreme flooding—so says a 175-page report from the European Environment Agency posted on Wednesday. The number of people living in flood-risk coastal areas in the EU & UK is expected to jump 24% by 2050. The graphics-packed report also considers how flooding will impact healthcare facilities, mental health, wastewater treatment plants, the spread of disease, cyanobacteria, permafrost thaw, and much else.
“Europe has seen devastating floods following record rainfall, droughts of magnitudes not experienced in hundreds of years, continuing sea level rise, and increasing lake and sea temperatures….permanent water stress already affects 30% of people in southern Europe….since 2018, more than half of Europe has been impacted by extreme drought conditions….Climate change is expected to increase mercury bioaccumulation in the marine food chain due to rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification and permafrost thawing….Depression, anxiety and PTSD may persist for years after a flooding event….Under the changing climate, northern Europe is becoming wetter in general, but drier in summer. Southern Europe is becoming drier, especially in winter. For central-eastern and western Europe, the trend is less clear…” -selections from the reportMilan suffered flooding last week, the worst May flooding in 170 years. Early spring in the UK has disrupted migratory bird species and their usual patterns.
A 74-page working paper which is not yet peer-reviewed claims that earlier estimates for how much GDP would be impacted by another 1 °C temperature rise is way less than it would be in actuality. The paper claims the real cost (in USD) is about 6x greater. They claim “global temperature has much more pronounced impacts on economic activity than local temperature” and that extreme weather is mostly behind the projected decline in productivity.
——————————
Epidemiologists are worried about how climate change in Africa may extend the life of disease-bearers like ticks and mosquitoes. Other epidemiologists are worried about how cattle may become a permanent reservoir for H5N1. Growing traced of bird flu have been found in wastewater testing in the U.S., but investigators think it may be runoff from infected dairy farms.
Obesity, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure rates today globally are 50% higher than in 2000—though researchers claim that air pollution still poses a larger threat. Of a study participants in Hawai’i, 75% had respiratory issues, probably from the Maui wildfires last year.
The 2024 World Migration Report is out, and its 384 pages are not as apocalyptic as one might think. However, internally displaced people are at their all-time highest. India, Mexico, Russia, China, and Syria lead the world in emigrants; another document contains the definitions for who exactly constitutes a migrant. Unfortunately much of the data relied upon ends in 2022. Data from this year, not included in the above report, indicates a 40% jump in traffic through the Darien Gap compared to the same time period in 2023.
“The last two years saw major migration and displacement events that have caused great hardship and trauma, as well as loss of life….There have also been large-scale displacements triggered by climate- and weather-related disasters in many parts of the world in 2022 and 2023, including in Pakistan, the Philippines, China, India, Bangladesh, Brazil and Colombia….disinformation tactics are increasingly being used by nefarious actors with negative impacts on public, political and social media discourse on migration….Forced displacement is the highest on record in the modern era…overconsumption and overproduction linked to unsustainable economic growth, resource depletion and biodiversity collapse, as well as ongoing climate change (including global heating) are continuing to grip the world….the risk of further conflict has not been higher in decades, as military spending reached a new record high of USD 2,240 billion in 2022…” -excerpts from the introductionAnother report, focusing on internal displacement, came out last week; its 69 pages show a cross-section of about 47M people displaced by natural disasters (56%) or armed conflict (44%). Most of the disasters were storms & flooding, and most of the conflicts were civil wars of some form. This report also provides detailed region-by-region analyses—with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 46% of global IDPs.
“Conflict and violence triggered 13.5 million movements, the highest figure for the past 15 years….Disasters and conflict are presented as different triggers, but their impacts can overlap, often leading to repeated and/ or protracted displacement….Drought triggered 331,000 displacements in Somalia….Floods triggered 550,000 displacements in Ethiopia….Conflict and violence triggered 3.8 million displacements in DRC in 2023, a slight fall from the record four million in 2022, but still the second-highest figure globally after Sudan….nearly two-thirds of the internal displacements recorded in 2023 originated from Khartoum state. More than 39 per cent of the state's inhabitants were forced to flee, leaving entire neighbourhoods empty….Criminal and communal violence triggered nearly three-quarters of Nigeria's 291,000 conflict displacements….” -selections from the spotlight on sub-Saharan AfricaExperts are concerned about the mental health impacts that climate change has on our minds. Hotter temperatures reportedly increase depression & aggression. Wildfires and storms can cause PTSD. Workers feel stress and desperation as their usual industries are impacted. And air pollution influences ordinary brain processes in many ways.
Some analysts believe “Peak China” may be over, signaling a period of economic tapering-off, as well as a growing militancy. Increasing U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods are continuing to separate the two economies. The Netherlands finally formed a provisional government, though its proposed immigration & farming policies have set it at odds with the EU.
The Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank, released a 46-page report on potential climate risks to the banking system’s resilience. As far as I understood, most of the risk lies in extreme weather events and the risk to insurance agencies.
Part of southeast England experienced an outbreak of Cryptosporidium, a diarrhea & vomiting illness, highly contagious, which can last weeks. At least 22 cases have been reported. Meanwhile, the CDC is issuing warnings about the more dangerous strain of m
North Carolina’s Senate voted to ban mask-wearing last week, under the reasoning that it would make police identification of protestors difficult. An fMRI study found lasting neurological changes in COVID survivors; they “had significantly higher cognitive complaints of mental fatigue and cognitive failure….even two years after recovering.” Experts say a summer rise in COVID cases is coming to the United States.
A study on The Canadian/American Great Lakes found that PFAS levels are increasing in the 3 largest lakes (Superior, Huron, and Michigan), while decreasing in the other two (Erie, Ontario). The study also found that precipitation is the primary means by which the Lakes are accumulating PFAS, since the chemicals are small & stable enough to move through the water cycle. Meanwhile, in England’s Lake District, a telecom failure resulted in raw sewage being pumped into England’s largest and most famous lake, Windermere, on-and-off for 10 hours; and a major British water CEO took a $4M USD pay package last year. And a look into the Chicago River’s health found that microplastics & trash are endangering health & biodiversity.
——————————
An assassination attempt by a lone wolf on Slovakia’s PM left him in critical condition, but likely to survive. 11 civilians were slain by cartel fighters in a few battles in Mexico. Violence continues to spiral out of control in Goma, DRC.
In Haiti, everything worsens indefinitely. Guns have reportedly entered from Florida, a phenomenon which officials call an “iron river.” Police have been put on the defensive against the growing might of the gang warlords.
A brawl broke out in Taiwan’s parliament. An Iranian plot was allegedly foiled to smuggle weapons into Jordan to destabilize the pro-U.S. regime.
Dozens more died in Sudan from escalating violence around Darfur. People are warning about “a disaster on top of a disaster” and the possibility of Sudan splitting apart. Others have called it “hell on earth” as 1,000+ refugees cross the Chad border every day. Disease and malnutrition are growing, while famine encroaches upon 9M helpless victims of the conflict—but the world’s attention is elsewhere.
The U.S. Army Engineers completed constructing the pier in Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. Some 600,000 Gazans have been displaced from Rafah already, and fighting has escalated against Hamas militants in northern Gaza.
Taliban forces skirmished with Pakistani soldiers for about 90 minutes last week. Taliban attacks in Pakistan, and counterattacks have resulted in a kind of ambient disruption for the rocky border zone.
Violent protests—and counteroperations—are continuing in New Caledonia (pop: 270,000), a Pacific island part of overseas France. The riots, which have killed 6 people so far, began after metropolitan France proposed a plan to expand voting rights beyond indigenous residents. A state of emergency has been declared amid worries about a spiral of violence taking hold.
As the Sahel dries out, experts are concerned about the links to rising terrorism in the region. The Sahel accounts for over 40% of global terrorism deaths—according to the analysts’ understanding of “terrorism.” Mali in particular has reportedly become home to 41 new, different non-state armed groups (NSAGs) since 2007. A contested election in Chad resulted in the consolidation of the
“If governments are continually unable to solve regional issues, the people will be at the whim of any terror group that has a basic organization. It serves these groups’ interests to promote insecurity where they can and create security where they want. A “hearts and minds” campaign in the Sahel could lead to long-term and locally supported insurgencies in a land that is currently rife with civil strife.” -from the articleSome wargamers concluded that a Trump victory in 2020 would spell the end of NATO, or at least the end of its utility. Vladimir Putin replaced his minister of defense with a top economic advisor, just before going to Beijing to reaffirm their friendship with “no limits.” Some say Putin is planning on a forever war. Some say NATO is gearing up for one, too.
Russia made several gains in the suburbs of Kharkiv, seizing several settlements which some analysts doubt they will hold. Putin claims they aren’t really trying to take Kharkiv anyway… Russia also made small progress in the Donbas—although they suffered their largest one-day casualties since the start of the war. The U.S. allocated another $2B to hasten the delivery of weapons to the front lines. The next weeks will be crucial on the front. Switzerland has invited 160+ nations to send delegates to a peace summit intended to design a path to making peace in this War.
——————————
Select comments/threads from the subreddit last week suggest:
-Brazil’s flooding was really, really bad, judging from this post and its accompanying images. Across just one of Brazil’s 26 states, 600,000+ people have been made homeless, 100+ have died, and the storm season isn’t over yet. Some of the flooding isn’t expected to subside for another month.
-How specifically might climate change make humanity extinct? This thread crowdsources a number of plausible ways, from ordinary famines to nuclear war and even a massive deoxygenation process. I tend to think it will be a consequence of an eventual nuclear exchange, followed by extended famine and disease.
Got any feedback, questions, comments, complaints, upvotes, doom prophets to follow, hugelkultur guides, directions to off-grid bunkers, ark schematics, etc.? Check out the Last Week in Collapse SubStack if you don’t want to check collapse every Sunday, you can receive this newsletter sent to your (or someone else’s) email inbox every weekend. What did I forget this week?
2024.05.19 12:20 AfternoonOne13 My boyfriend (26M) discussed our fight with his parents, now they think I (28F) am not good for him.
This is my first post here. My partner and I have been together a little over a year. We’re both in the military, but he has been deployed since January and will come back in July. A week ago he was allowed to come back for a week as a holiday leave.
We were planning on moving in together after he got back from his deployment, but due to my roommate moving out and me not being able to afford the rent on my own we agreed that I should look for an apartment for the both of us and he would move in with me after his deployment. In February I found an apartment to which he also agreed after seeing it on video, and I moved in by myself in April. I was able to take some furniture from the old apartment, but we still needed some essentials like a couch, chairs and dining table. We agreed on these items online and through video call and already ordered them since I would already be living at the apartment.
Our big fight happened two weeks before his return over the dining table. For context, we live on the second floor and there is no elevator in the building. When the table arrived the delivery company refused to carry it upstairs (for insurance reasons apparently) and it was too heavy to carry it by myself. Luckily I got help from my neighbors, but it was still a hard task as the table is made out of massive wood. I then set up the table by myself and immediately video called my partner to show him the table. After I showed him the table from all angles he declared he didn’t like it and I should pack it back up and send it back. Barely recovered from all the heavy lifting we just did I told him I wasn’t keen on going through that again, and suggested we wait until he got back for his holiday so that he could see the table for himself and then send it back together if he still wanted to do so. The return policy was 30 working days and he would be back way before that. He said he didn’t want to wait so he could immediately order a new table so that it would arrive in time before he got back for his holiday, that way the apartment would be completely “ready” for his arrival. The discussion got out of hand after that, I reminded him that I had taken care of everything in the apartment so far and told him I didn’t appreciate his attitude, that I felt like he was taking the easy way out being away and coming back to an apartment that was completely ready without having to lift the finger. He said I was being difficult and didn’t think that he was asking a lot, he said if the roles were reversed, he would take care of everything because that’s what partners are supposed to do. We discussed some more back-and-forth, but the main points were that I didn’t feel appreciated for all the work I had done for the apartment so far and he didn’t feel the need to be appreciative as he saw this as normal within a relationship.
The next day, he talked to his parents and reported back to me what they said, I never asked for this information. His mom apparently completely agrees with him, she thinks I’m being unreasonable and is of the opinion that if you’re in a relationship, you do everything for each other without questioning it. His dad said that he didn’t want to see him make the same mistake that he made with his ex by staying in a relationship that’s not good for him. They also said some things about me personally, like how it’s noticeable that I grew up an only child and feel like I need to have everything my way. This hurt me a lot as I thought I had a good relationship with his parents. I went on holiday with them multiple times and never noticed any tensions. The remark about me being an only child is especially painful as they know my brother passed away when I was a child. He said he thinks his parents are wrong about the part of me being not good for him, but agrees with everything else they said. Honestly, at that point I wondered whether I was making a mistake with moving in together, but I decided it would be best to wait until he got back for his holiday and discuss everything face-to-face.
His mom came over a week later to bring all his clothes and stuff that he still had at their place, his aunt was there as well. I could feel a cold vibe from his mom, but his aunt was being very friendly and she even brought me a small housewarming gift. When they were getting ready to leave, his aunt already went to sit in the car while his mom hovered by the doorway. She then said that she still likes me and feels bad about the whole situation, she said it was all a big misunderstanding and said she wanted to talk it out soon.
Last week, I picked up my partner from the base for his leave. When we arrived at the apartment he was in awe of it. We talked it out and he told me that he regrets discussing our fight with his parents, he said he wanted to make a point and he admitted exaggerating the story to make me look bad. He said that he will do everything in his power to restore my relationship with his parents, as their approval of me is extremely important to him. On Monday we said our goodbyes again for the last phase of his deployment, but I can’t help lying awake at night ruminating over everything that happened the last few weeks. I’m scared this ordeal has completely spoiled the relationship with my inlaws, but I also feel like my trust has been broken. I’ve had multiple relationships, but I’ve never seen myself grow old with someone before I met him. I’ve never had a child wish or wanted to marry, until I met him. I sincerely love him and want to build a future with him, I do believe he feels the same as he has always said he dates to marry and we even already discussed a timeline of getting married and starting a family.
I’m scared that my partner will one day feel like he has to choose between me and his family, and that’s a choice I will not put him through. Am I being unreasonable? Has anyone ever been in a similar situation? I just need some perspective. His mom also still hasn’t reached out to talk about what happened, even though she said she wanted to. Should I be the one reaching out to her? I feel like an apology is due from her side, therefore I don’t think I should be the one to reach out.
TL;DR! - He discussed our fight with his parents, they said some not so nice things about me. I’m having mixed feelings about my relationship now.
submitted by AfternoonOne13 to relationships [link] [comments]
We were planning on moving in together after he got back from his deployment, but due to my roommate moving out and me not being able to afford the rent on my own we agreed that I should look for an apartment for the both of us and he would move in with me after his deployment. In February I found an apartment to which he also agreed after seeing it on video, and I moved in by myself in April. I was able to take some furniture from the old apartment, but we still needed some essentials like a couch, chairs and dining table. We agreed on these items online and through video call and already ordered them since I would already be living at the apartment.
Our big fight happened two weeks before his return over the dining table. For context, we live on the second floor and there is no elevator in the building. When the table arrived the delivery company refused to carry it upstairs (for insurance reasons apparently) and it was too heavy to carry it by myself. Luckily I got help from my neighbors, but it was still a hard task as the table is made out of massive wood. I then set up the table by myself and immediately video called my partner to show him the table. After I showed him the table from all angles he declared he didn’t like it and I should pack it back up and send it back. Barely recovered from all the heavy lifting we just did I told him I wasn’t keen on going through that again, and suggested we wait until he got back for his holiday so that he could see the table for himself and then send it back together if he still wanted to do so. The return policy was 30 working days and he would be back way before that. He said he didn’t want to wait so he could immediately order a new table so that it would arrive in time before he got back for his holiday, that way the apartment would be completely “ready” for his arrival. The discussion got out of hand after that, I reminded him that I had taken care of everything in the apartment so far and told him I didn’t appreciate his attitude, that I felt like he was taking the easy way out being away and coming back to an apartment that was completely ready without having to lift the finger. He said I was being difficult and didn’t think that he was asking a lot, he said if the roles were reversed, he would take care of everything because that’s what partners are supposed to do. We discussed some more back-and-forth, but the main points were that I didn’t feel appreciated for all the work I had done for the apartment so far and he didn’t feel the need to be appreciative as he saw this as normal within a relationship.
The next day, he talked to his parents and reported back to me what they said, I never asked for this information. His mom apparently completely agrees with him, she thinks I’m being unreasonable and is of the opinion that if you’re in a relationship, you do everything for each other without questioning it. His dad said that he didn’t want to see him make the same mistake that he made with his ex by staying in a relationship that’s not good for him. They also said some things about me personally, like how it’s noticeable that I grew up an only child and feel like I need to have everything my way. This hurt me a lot as I thought I had a good relationship with his parents. I went on holiday with them multiple times and never noticed any tensions. The remark about me being an only child is especially painful as they know my brother passed away when I was a child. He said he thinks his parents are wrong about the part of me being not good for him, but agrees with everything else they said. Honestly, at that point I wondered whether I was making a mistake with moving in together, but I decided it would be best to wait until he got back for his holiday and discuss everything face-to-face.
His mom came over a week later to bring all his clothes and stuff that he still had at their place, his aunt was there as well. I could feel a cold vibe from his mom, but his aunt was being very friendly and she even brought me a small housewarming gift. When they were getting ready to leave, his aunt already went to sit in the car while his mom hovered by the doorway. She then said that she still likes me and feels bad about the whole situation, she said it was all a big misunderstanding and said she wanted to talk it out soon.
Last week, I picked up my partner from the base for his leave. When we arrived at the apartment he was in awe of it. We talked it out and he told me that he regrets discussing our fight with his parents, he said he wanted to make a point and he admitted exaggerating the story to make me look bad. He said that he will do everything in his power to restore my relationship with his parents, as their approval of me is extremely important to him. On Monday we said our goodbyes again for the last phase of his deployment, but I can’t help lying awake at night ruminating over everything that happened the last few weeks. I’m scared this ordeal has completely spoiled the relationship with my inlaws, but I also feel like my trust has been broken. I’ve had multiple relationships, but I’ve never seen myself grow old with someone before I met him. I’ve never had a child wish or wanted to marry, until I met him. I sincerely love him and want to build a future with him, I do believe he feels the same as he has always said he dates to marry and we even already discussed a timeline of getting married and starting a family.
I’m scared that my partner will one day feel like he has to choose between me and his family, and that’s a choice I will not put him through. Am I being unreasonable? Has anyone ever been in a similar situation? I just need some perspective. His mom also still hasn’t reached out to talk about what happened, even though she said she wanted to. Should I be the one reaching out to her? I feel like an apology is due from her side, therefore I don’t think I should be the one to reach out.
TL;DR! - He discussed our fight with his parents, they said some not so nice things about me. I’m having mixed feelings about my relationship now.
2024.05.19 12:20 Calm-Respond-7564 I hate this life, just looking for some support from you fuckas on this early early miserable morning
Alcohol is a trap!!!!! I keep wanting to taper but I keep fucking it up because I have to drink to feel normal and I try my best to do it slow and steady. Then once I’m feeling normal it’s such a relief that I speed it up a bit and even tho I very rarely black out or stumble these days, I’m in that loop of not really sleeping and hitting 3AM with eyes wide open, fear, racing heart, slight shakiness and some nausea. My body is generally sore. I have made the mistake of telling people who care about me that my alcoholism is a lot more severe than they realized but instead of using that to stay accountable, I just buckle down on the sneak drinking. I tell myself that “tomorrow” I’ll sweat and tremble it the fuck out but there’s always something that I need to do.
I’m completely exhausted. Alcoholics push through so much pain and discomfort, it’s dumb, wtf!! it really is a disease isn’t it?
Someone relate and talk to me in the comments so I don’t collapse with loneliness and panic!!! Chairs degenerates!!!!!
submitted by Calm-Respond-7564 to Crippled_Alcoholics [link] [comments]
I’m completely exhausted. Alcoholics push through so much pain and discomfort, it’s dumb, wtf!! it really is a disease isn’t it?
Someone relate and talk to me in the comments so I don’t collapse with loneliness and panic!!! Chairs degenerates!!!!!
2024.05.19 11:57 Blazingzurafa Don’t know what to think or do neuroendocrine tumour
M26 I was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in my appendix after appendectomy for possibly appendicitis when I was 21. After going through a multitude of test I was told that the cancer was what they call stage 0 and very slow growing and I didn’t need any further treatment. Since then I’ve had nothing but health issues, was on antipsychotics for a year for my anxiety which was out of control, have had stomach pain constantly, horrible cramps and bloating, etc. around 3 years ago I started having bouts of severe diarrhea with blood/mucous was sent for a a colonoscopy and ct which showed nothing so why was told it was ibs and possibly crohn’s. for the past 2 years I’ve had chronic fatigue, horrible acne and skin infects, last year I started getting what appears to be tonsil stones/tonsillitis (it’s been rough). After my most recent bout of diarrhea I got another ct along with stool sample, 24hr urine and blood test. My 24hr urine showed a highish 5-HIAA and just found out my ct showed a nodule on my liver, I know I’m jumping to conclusions and still need to wait for more information but can’t help feel that this and potentially carcinoid syndrome could explain everything I’ve been going through. Don’t know to be relieved or upset, I’m filled with anxiety and barely able to sleep. Does anyone here have or know anything about appendix cancer or carcinoid syndrome.
submitted by Blazingzurafa to cancer [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 11:56 Smilesalot4114 Birth control induced mcas?
Is it possible that 4 days on BCP, after being a long hauler previously, caused mcas?
Took BCP for 4 days, off it for 6 now.
Current Symptoms that started 10 days ago: Anxiety, depression, increased temperature, diarrhea, increased BP (119/77 to 143/86) & RHR (68 to 74), stronger tinnitus, severe RLS at night only sleeping 1-2 hrs at a time, leg pains over veins, bulging veins in legs mainly but also hands, psoriasis flare and expansion on ankles and elbows, dry skin that felt on fire on my body, legs that felt like fire ants were crawling on them, dry mouth, headache, noticeable veins over whole body and insomnia. So many of these overlapping with my previous LC experience.
About Me 36/F 5'5" 208lbs, PCOS, psoriasis, hypothyroid, reflux, Gastroparesis, dry eye, infertility and IDWA. On Nexium, synthroid, prenatal, CoQ10, D3, B12, omega 3s, and miralax 2x/day.
2021 infection after 3x moderna, tinnitus, pots, exertion intolerance, post viral Gastroparesis, dry eye, brain fog. 4 months post infection had GB removed, helped symptoms a lot. 2022 and 2023 boosters went totally fine, no issues. Modified diet, worked w/post covid clinic & by 2023 besides tinnitus & GP, felt great and was cleared by every specialist at age 35 to try for a baby.
2023 Conceived and lost 3 pregnacies in a row. First in Sept at 10w miscarriage, then had COVID 3 weeks later - took paxlovid and it helped tremendously, didn't feel like any symptoms worsened. Next December and Feb. By the 2nd pregnancy I was severely iron deficient from my limited GP diet & pregnacy (ferritin 4, iron sat 21%, iron 30, abnormal mch/MCV) and I feel that contributed to the 2 later losses, first was random genetic. IV iron Infusions necessary bc didn't tolerate oral with GP, did 4 and just finished 4/30 - getting updated iron bloods Monday.
Now Stopped BC 4 days ago when it became unbearable & went to PCP, they're baffled as the extreme leg and vein stuff doesn't fit bc side effects. Sent me & no DVT on duplex US, told stop BC, wear compression socks, take magnesium, elevate, watch BP. I wake up at night with knee and below feeling hot, woke up shaking one night. BP and RhR 5 days out have started to stabilize 🙏 but even now I still experience side of neck tightening, yesterday and today had major sharp headaches when I never get headaches in my life and one eye blurry - it went to my teeth and then my left eye felt a bit of pressure and now is slightly blurry despite my eye drops. Tonight I was sound asleep when I was woken up at 3:45am by a sharp headache and pins & needles from my armpits to my hands, then pressure that lasted 15-30 mins. Are these migraines?
I can't believe 4 fucking pills did this all to me. Is this mcas? Autoimmune? Hormonal? Dr ruled out DVT with us but that's it so far.
Any help or suggestions of what to look into. extremely appreciated. 🙏
submitted by Smilesalot4114 to MCAS [link] [comments]
Took BCP for 4 days, off it for 6 now.
Current Symptoms that started 10 days ago: Anxiety, depression, increased temperature, diarrhea, increased BP (119/77 to 143/86) & RHR (68 to 74), stronger tinnitus, severe RLS at night only sleeping 1-2 hrs at a time, leg pains over veins, bulging veins in legs mainly but also hands, psoriasis flare and expansion on ankles and elbows, dry skin that felt on fire on my body, legs that felt like fire ants were crawling on them, dry mouth, headache, noticeable veins over whole body and insomnia. So many of these overlapping with my previous LC experience.
About Me 36/F 5'5" 208lbs, PCOS, psoriasis, hypothyroid, reflux, Gastroparesis, dry eye, infertility and IDWA. On Nexium, synthroid, prenatal, CoQ10, D3, B12, omega 3s, and miralax 2x/day.
2021 infection after 3x moderna, tinnitus, pots, exertion intolerance, post viral Gastroparesis, dry eye, brain fog. 4 months post infection had GB removed, helped symptoms a lot. 2022 and 2023 boosters went totally fine, no issues. Modified diet, worked w/post covid clinic & by 2023 besides tinnitus & GP, felt great and was cleared by every specialist at age 35 to try for a baby.
2023 Conceived and lost 3 pregnacies in a row. First in Sept at 10w miscarriage, then had COVID 3 weeks later - took paxlovid and it helped tremendously, didn't feel like any symptoms worsened. Next December and Feb. By the 2nd pregnancy I was severely iron deficient from my limited GP diet & pregnacy (ferritin 4, iron sat 21%, iron 30, abnormal mch/MCV) and I feel that contributed to the 2 later losses, first was random genetic. IV iron Infusions necessary bc didn't tolerate oral with GP, did 4 and just finished 4/30 - getting updated iron bloods Monday.
Now Stopped BC 4 days ago when it became unbearable & went to PCP, they're baffled as the extreme leg and vein stuff doesn't fit bc side effects. Sent me & no DVT on duplex US, told stop BC, wear compression socks, take magnesium, elevate, watch BP. I wake up at night with knee and below feeling hot, woke up shaking one night. BP and RhR 5 days out have started to stabilize 🙏 but even now I still experience side of neck tightening, yesterday and today had major sharp headaches when I never get headaches in my life and one eye blurry - it went to my teeth and then my left eye felt a bit of pressure and now is slightly blurry despite my eye drops. Tonight I was sound asleep when I was woken up at 3:45am by a sharp headache and pins & needles from my armpits to my hands, then pressure that lasted 15-30 mins. Are these migraines?
I can't believe 4 fucking pills did this all to me. Is this mcas? Autoimmune? Hormonal? Dr ruled out DVT with us but that's it so far.
Any help or suggestions of what to look into. extremely appreciated. 🙏