Ochsner urgent care - covington photos
A place for all things Transgender in Ontario, Canada
2016.03.29 03:37 happywithus A place for all things Transgender in Ontario, Canada
We are open to anyone who is trans, questioning, family, partner, and ally from Ontario, Canada, to meet, talk, share experiences and ask questions.
2010.08.18 01:25 orangepotion Epilepsy
The mission of epilepsy is to provide a community forum for people who are affected by epilepsy. We exist to share ideas about the direction of epilepsy research, available treatment options for all seizure disorders, SUDEP, and to overcome the challenges and stigma created by epilepsy through lively discussion in a safe supportive environment.
2014.05.30 01:37 Life skills and healthy coping mechanisms for the ASD community.
Aspergirls is a place to share advice and tips for topics related to autism and self-improvement. We help with questions/struggles related to autism and life skills, personal growth, healthy coping mechanisms, etc. We are a support community, please remain civil at all times when posting here. Thank you!
2023.06.10 03:19 powdersurfing Are these tick bites and should I be concerned?
 | Hey everyone, a couple weeks ago I was putting the docks in, then noticed a tiny rash on my arm a few days later, about the size of a small pea. Didn't think anything of it, put some peroxide and hydrocortisone on it, and then a couple days later it looked more like a tiny bullseye. I started going down a Google rabbit hole and got a bit nervous that it could Lyme disease, but I never pulled a tick off of me... Kept an eye on it and it never grew, bullseye-d any more, or changed size. A few days later it healed up but left kind of a weird ring scar. Then about a week later I found the same sort of "bite" on me, this time on my hip, but I hadn't been in the woods or the same place as last time, so I was a bit puzzled. Went to urgent care and was hoping to get a straight answer - they said that it could've been a tick bite but they weren't convinced. Again, I never pulled a tick off of me and it never changed in size. I think it's just the ring around it that kind of worries me, but I haven't had any symptoms, like fatigue, joint pain, headache and/or fever. Wondering if anyone else has dealt with anything similar, I'm just looking for some reassurance and advice more than anything. Appreciate the help! submitted by powdersurfing to minnesota [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/old69o07e35b1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=95f2ca072d214e22401034543f0a8e197c66cc36 https://preview.redd.it/ie1mhatie35b1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fdf85ee3693cf6afccd1cf8ef344ffd7d192e30 https://preview.redd.it/z2000emje35b1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5279a2650883588a830b65d2dbb74ee1b11d397e https://preview.redd.it/pqcrtewle35b1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f523bc6587310a3faa422ae1231d18423b729a1 |
2023.06.09 22:50 Inevitable_Top4288 Feeling Better; My Win against Depersonalization
First of all, my symptoms of depersonalization have all but gone away. I had a very acute experience, but I wanted to post this as a hopeful story for others who were looking for reassurance like I was (Throwaway account for anonymity, and I'm 22f).
We are all different, and my experience won't necessarily correlate to yours, but just know there's a lot of people out there who know what's it's like to feel what you're going through, and It's going to be okay.
The first part is my long story, but at the end I have the techniques I was encouraged to practice and what ultimately helped me.
So my backstory:
I started feeling really weird on May 23rd. Dizzy, fatigued, and a little out of it. I was shopping at the time, and while in the store, I had the sudden realization of pressure around my head and the odd sensation of being drunk (yet I had nothing alcoholic the entire day).
I brushed this off and tried to go about my daily life, still feeling this weird sensation but trying my best to ignore it - convinced that this is due to lack of sleep or something I ate.
It culminated on the next Tuesday, May 30th. I was out after work to spend time with my two friends at a bar in downtown, which also had a bowling alley attached. I went up to the busy, packed, and hot patio and got a sudden hit of all my symptoms then and there; I retreated inside and tried to tell myself I was feeling okay. But I wasn't.
I eventually called it and left earlier, convinced I was suffering a brain condition that was impacting my ability to be in the present. The previous week had been full of trying to both deal with my symptoms and simultaneously ignore them. Short-term memory loss, impairment, over-stimulation from the environment, dizzyness, light-headedness, and unnerving disconnectedness from my body.
I spent that late evening at an urgent care facility, got my blood work and urine tests - convinced I was going to die (and no word of a lie - this now makes sense with my diagnosed anxiety). The doctor told me I should speak to a counselor, and not believing his rushed diagnosis, I went to the ER the next day. Low and behold, a very kind doctor spent time with me to reassure my vitals all checked out fine, go over my bloodwork in proper detail, and that I was exhibiting no symptoms of physical concern. The next week would be one of "watchful waiting", to see if it would get worse or bettdr. This is where it started to hit that it may be related to my mental health.
I spoke with a behavioural health nurse the next day, and she spoke with me of some coping mechanisms for when I feel this symptoms amplify. From June 1-4. I was afraid to leave my house, in fear of triggering my symptoms and the crushing disconnectedness that comes from depersonalization.
I made small outings, and made a mantra to repeat to myself if I felt that way: "I am safe. I am healthy. This to, shall pass. The way I feel is momentary, and is due to anxiety". During these outings my symptoms would go into overdrive, and I would actively try to practice those techniques.
I started walking more, going for 30min - 45min to get some steps in. I journalled, tried to practice mindfulness, and get control over my feelings - and even simply identify what I was feeling, putting words to emotions.
As soon as I enacted this, I start feeling marginal improvements. Perhaps it was due to feeling some more control, I couldn't tell you, but I had hope. I joined a gym shortly after, and tried prioritizing activity in my day to day life, which is now something I will continue to take forward with me.
I was lucky in that I have a very supportive family who I was able to talk to about this, a loving boyfriend, a flexible and understanding boss, and limited financial worries due to living at home. I'm not taking this for granted.
I first experienced depersonalization after I once smoked too much of a joint 4 years ago, and that wasn't fun. This previous experience was particularly scary as I had no change in my daily routine or consumption of anything recreational, so my anxiety went through the roof once I noticed it wasn't going away on its own.
I believe my recent experience can be attributed to the culmination of stress, lack of sleep, recent passing of a family member (due to a stroke), lack of activity, and increased self-deprecating thoughts I had about myself.
What helped me:
Coping Techniques
submitted by Inevitable_Top4288 to Depersonalization [link] [comments]
We are all different, and my experience won't necessarily correlate to yours, but just know there's a lot of people out there who know what's it's like to feel what you're going through, and It's going to be okay.
The first part is my long story, but at the end I have the techniques I was encouraged to practice and what ultimately helped me.
So my backstory:
I started feeling really weird on May 23rd. Dizzy, fatigued, and a little out of it. I was shopping at the time, and while in the store, I had the sudden realization of pressure around my head and the odd sensation of being drunk (yet I had nothing alcoholic the entire day).
I brushed this off and tried to go about my daily life, still feeling this weird sensation but trying my best to ignore it - convinced that this is due to lack of sleep or something I ate.
It culminated on the next Tuesday, May 30th. I was out after work to spend time with my two friends at a bar in downtown, which also had a bowling alley attached. I went up to the busy, packed, and hot patio and got a sudden hit of all my symptoms then and there; I retreated inside and tried to tell myself I was feeling okay. But I wasn't.
I eventually called it and left earlier, convinced I was suffering a brain condition that was impacting my ability to be in the present. The previous week had been full of trying to both deal with my symptoms and simultaneously ignore them. Short-term memory loss, impairment, over-stimulation from the environment, dizzyness, light-headedness, and unnerving disconnectedness from my body.
I spent that late evening at an urgent care facility, got my blood work and urine tests - convinced I was going to die (and no word of a lie - this now makes sense with my diagnosed anxiety). The doctor told me I should speak to a counselor, and not believing his rushed diagnosis, I went to the ER the next day. Low and behold, a very kind doctor spent time with me to reassure my vitals all checked out fine, go over my bloodwork in proper detail, and that I was exhibiting no symptoms of physical concern. The next week would be one of "watchful waiting", to see if it would get worse or bettdr. This is where it started to hit that it may be related to my mental health.
I spoke with a behavioural health nurse the next day, and she spoke with me of some coping mechanisms for when I feel this symptoms amplify. From June 1-4. I was afraid to leave my house, in fear of triggering my symptoms and the crushing disconnectedness that comes from depersonalization.
I made small outings, and made a mantra to repeat to myself if I felt that way: "I am safe. I am healthy. This to, shall pass. The way I feel is momentary, and is due to anxiety". During these outings my symptoms would go into overdrive, and I would actively try to practice those techniques.
I started walking more, going for 30min - 45min to get some steps in. I journalled, tried to practice mindfulness, and get control over my feelings - and even simply identify what I was feeling, putting words to emotions.
As soon as I enacted this, I start feeling marginal improvements. Perhaps it was due to feeling some more control, I couldn't tell you, but I had hope. I joined a gym shortly after, and tried prioritizing activity in my day to day life, which is now something I will continue to take forward with me.
I was lucky in that I have a very supportive family who I was able to talk to about this, a loving boyfriend, a flexible and understanding boss, and limited financial worries due to living at home. I'm not taking this for granted.
I first experienced depersonalization after I once smoked too much of a joint 4 years ago, and that wasn't fun. This previous experience was particularly scary as I had no change in my daily routine or consumption of anything recreational, so my anxiety went through the roof once I noticed it wasn't going away on its own.
I believe my recent experience can be attributed to the culmination of stress, lack of sleep, recent passing of a family member (due to a stroke), lack of activity, and increased self-deprecating thoughts I had about myself.
What helped me:
- recognizing that I have anxiety
- journaling
- practicing mindfulness
- getting more activity in (started with small walks and then I joined the gym for some classes and such)
- getting lots of sleep!!
- talking with my loved ones about how I felt
- finding articles that described what I was feeling (so I know I wasn't alone)
Coping Techniques
- Deep breathing. Simply breath in really slow and fill up your diaphragm, and breath out. Calm yourself if you're feeling your heartbeat quicken.
- Five Senses. If you're feeling your symptoms worsen, check in with your environment. What are five things you can see? What are four things you can hear? What are three things you can physically feel? What are two things you can taste? Just go through as many times as needed to help ground your self.
- Positive Thinking. If you're feeling yourself spiral and your anxieties deepen, quit those thoughts mid-air and start talking to yourself - tell yourself you'll be okay. This is only momentary. Anything that will help you.
2023.06.09 22:34 Mission-Opossum Mystery disease + apathetic doctors - where to go from here?
Hey all, first time posting here with a combo of a vent post and one seeking advice.
Some context: Like many of us here, I have a wacky body. Occasional heart palpitations or sharp chest pain, but echogram was normal. Severe and persistent stomach pain/bloating/ramping/diarrhea/nausea, but a normal colonoscopy. Flaky scaly rashes and ulcer-y bumps around my mouth, but negative for herpes. SO fatigued, doctor said I was dehydrated. You get the point.... so many tests and all of them are "normal."
Finally, I went to urgent care for severe and worsening joint pain and was told again by the doc I was "probably dehydrated." Went to my PCP and she ordered a comp metabolic panel, c-reactive protein, hemogram/plts, TSH, hepatitis, lipid panel, HGB A1C, x-rayed my spine and ankle, and FINALLY had a positive ANA. Rheumatoid factor + ESR all the more specific tests also come back negative. Was told she had "no further suggestions and a positive ANA on its own doesn't necessarily mean anything." I pushed a little harder because clearly something is wrong, and I had a positive HLA B27. However, SI joint X-ray is normal.
I'm just so baffled because I'm having all the symptoms of something autoimmune but all the tests that might give more insight are coming back negative. Does anyone have any advice on:
submitted by Mission-Opossum to Autoimmune [link] [comments]
Some context: Like many of us here, I have a wacky body. Occasional heart palpitations or sharp chest pain, but echogram was normal. Severe and persistent stomach pain/bloating/ramping/diarrhea/nausea, but a normal colonoscopy. Flaky scaly rashes and ulcer-y bumps around my mouth, but negative for herpes. SO fatigued, doctor said I was dehydrated. You get the point.... so many tests and all of them are "normal."
Finally, I went to urgent care for severe and worsening joint pain and was told again by the doc I was "probably dehydrated." Went to my PCP and she ordered a comp metabolic panel, c-reactive protein, hemogram/plts, TSH, hepatitis, lipid panel, HGB A1C, x-rayed my spine and ankle, and FINALLY had a positive ANA. Rheumatoid factor + ESR all the more specific tests also come back negative. Was told she had "no further suggestions and a positive ANA on its own doesn't necessarily mean anything." I pushed a little harder because clearly something is wrong, and I had a positive HLA B27. However, SI joint X-ray is normal.
I'm just so baffled because I'm having all the symptoms of something autoimmune but all the tests that might give more insight are coming back negative. Does anyone have any advice on:
- Where to go from here? I have an appt for rheumatology but it's not until September and I'm not sure if there's anything else I should suggest or ask about before then (with the caveat that I know y'all aren't doctors so I'm not necessarily asking for medical advice)
- Pain management in the meantime
- How to advocate for yourself and not feel crazy when doctors are constantly blowing you off
2023.06.09 22:00 dominocat_ Being told you're "not old enough" for x y or z treatment?
I'm in England, and 53
I'm wondering what people's experience of being told "you're too young for ... treatment" is? I have two experiences of this -
First, was ten years ago when scoliosis was causing so much pain & mobility issues, doctors were talking about spinal fusion. The first orthopaedic surgeon I saw told me "I was too young for a fusion" to which I replied "what do you expect me to do while I'm waiting to be old enough?" Oddly enough, he didn't answer... 18 months later, I had a spinal fusion after I asked for a second opinion.
Second, was recently. The scoliosis has meant that I've leant heavily on my right leg over the years, and now have arthritis in my right knee. My GP said "You're too young for a knee replacement" and suggested self referral to a level 1 physio. A few weeks later, my knee gave way and I ended up in Urgent Care, with a consultant referral to the level 3 physio at the hospital.
My original question stands - if we're too young, what are we supposed to do while we're waiting to be old enough?? (spoiler: the answer isn't "suffer" ;) )
Is this an NHS thing? A sort of gaslighting to see how much we'll moan?Do you get this in other countries? Specifically countries like the US where insurance is the norm?
I'd love to hear other people's thoughts and opinions.
edit to add age :)
submitted by dominocat_ to ChronicPain [link] [comments]
I'm wondering what people's experience of being told "you're too young for ... treatment" is? I have two experiences of this -
First, was ten years ago when scoliosis was causing so much pain & mobility issues, doctors were talking about spinal fusion. The first orthopaedic surgeon I saw told me "I was too young for a fusion" to which I replied "what do you expect me to do while I'm waiting to be old enough?" Oddly enough, he didn't answer... 18 months later, I had a spinal fusion after I asked for a second opinion.
Second, was recently. The scoliosis has meant that I've leant heavily on my right leg over the years, and now have arthritis in my right knee. My GP said "You're too young for a knee replacement" and suggested self referral to a level 1 physio. A few weeks later, my knee gave way and I ended up in Urgent Care, with a consultant referral to the level 3 physio at the hospital.
My original question stands - if we're too young, what are we supposed to do while we're waiting to be old enough?? (spoiler: the answer isn't "suffer" ;) )
Is this an NHS thing? A sort of gaslighting to see how much we'll moan?Do you get this in other countries? Specifically countries like the US where insurance is the norm?
I'd love to hear other people's thoughts and opinions.
edit to add age :)
2023.06.09 20:05 Banaanisade Health care is failing me horribly right now.
Writing here if someone has tips, but I don't have the energy to recap my whole life's story as I'd usually do, so I'm just going to preface this with short details.
I'm a long-term disabled mental health survivor of childhood abuse with CPTSD, diagnosed with GAD, MDD, and DID. I am between therapists after my previously good one became emotionally distant and incapable of providing me the working relationship I needed with therapy (essentially, I was doing all of the work of therapising myself on my own), and though I found a good replacement I'd like to begin working with who is eager to commit to a long-term therapeutic relationship for my needs, I cannot get the cost covered and all sources are bouncing me back and forth claiming it's not their business to be dealing with. Apparently it is nobody's.
My mental health has been collapsing as of late - I've just spent two weeks eating dry toast and struggling to prepare one meal a day, not showering, not cleaning up, and giving my pets the bare minimum of food and a bed to sleep in. This all came to a head with my dog developing a benign neurological condition that nevertheless required an urgent vet visit, and at that point, my depression and lack of energy has turned to straight-up constant panic, fight/flight, I can't deal with anything right now from the fear of everything, I wake up constantly overnight whenever my dog shifts, I am shaking all of the time, my chest hurts from my muscles crushing my sternum.
I have a prescription for sedatives, well, had; I tried to check out my last bottle of pills to use as prescribed, to take one per day for three days before breaking for one day in order to calm my body's "stuck" fight/flight response. They were prescribed for me for this purpose, as I tend to end up with psychotic symptoms when my brain becomes unable to return to base level.
Turns out, my prescription has expired, and since I did not pick up my last bottle due to not needing the medicine at the time, I have none left. This isn't a problem - prescriptions are renewed quickly, so I sent the request in yesterday.
Today, it was rejected. My doctor told me last time he wants me to "wean off" the medication, because he believes it's not "healthy" to "rely" on them as a back-up when I'm afraid.
I have no treatment. I am not a patient anywhere at this moment. I have no means to access treatment at this time. I have no emergency resources aside from urgent care, which I cannot afford to get to. I've ordered a bottle of CBD oil (legal in my country), which I've never tried before and have no idea if it'll work for me, but I'm looking at a weekend with stress levels that have me borderlining hyperventilation at all moments. I'm nauseous from fear and I cannot calm down, and I have no idea what to do. I was counting on the prescription being renewed today and as it wasn't, I'm not only frightened by the fact that I have been refused the last resort I have always been able to count on when things get very bad - but all resorts, as I have nowhere to go or anybody to turn to now.
I don't know what to do. Please send suggestions. I'm so scared.
submitted by Banaanisade to mentalhealth [link] [comments]
I'm a long-term disabled mental health survivor of childhood abuse with CPTSD, diagnosed with GAD, MDD, and DID. I am between therapists after my previously good one became emotionally distant and incapable of providing me the working relationship I needed with therapy (essentially, I was doing all of the work of therapising myself on my own), and though I found a good replacement I'd like to begin working with who is eager to commit to a long-term therapeutic relationship for my needs, I cannot get the cost covered and all sources are bouncing me back and forth claiming it's not their business to be dealing with. Apparently it is nobody's.
My mental health has been collapsing as of late - I've just spent two weeks eating dry toast and struggling to prepare one meal a day, not showering, not cleaning up, and giving my pets the bare minimum of food and a bed to sleep in. This all came to a head with my dog developing a benign neurological condition that nevertheless required an urgent vet visit, and at that point, my depression and lack of energy has turned to straight-up constant panic, fight/flight, I can't deal with anything right now from the fear of everything, I wake up constantly overnight whenever my dog shifts, I am shaking all of the time, my chest hurts from my muscles crushing my sternum.
I have a prescription for sedatives, well, had; I tried to check out my last bottle of pills to use as prescribed, to take one per day for three days before breaking for one day in order to calm my body's "stuck" fight/flight response. They were prescribed for me for this purpose, as I tend to end up with psychotic symptoms when my brain becomes unable to return to base level.
Turns out, my prescription has expired, and since I did not pick up my last bottle due to not needing the medicine at the time, I have none left. This isn't a problem - prescriptions are renewed quickly, so I sent the request in yesterday.
Today, it was rejected. My doctor told me last time he wants me to "wean off" the medication, because he believes it's not "healthy" to "rely" on them as a back-up when I'm afraid.
I have no treatment. I am not a patient anywhere at this moment. I have no means to access treatment at this time. I have no emergency resources aside from urgent care, which I cannot afford to get to. I've ordered a bottle of CBD oil (legal in my country), which I've never tried before and have no idea if it'll work for me, but I'm looking at a weekend with stress levels that have me borderlining hyperventilation at all moments. I'm nauseous from fear and I cannot calm down, and I have no idea what to do. I was counting on the prescription being renewed today and as it wasn't, I'm not only frightened by the fact that I have been refused the last resort I have always been able to count on when things get very bad - but all resorts, as I have nowhere to go or anybody to turn to now.
I don't know what to do. Please send suggestions. I'm so scared.
2023.06.09 19:05 No_Competition4897 [HIRING] 25 Jobs in TN Hiring Now!
2023.06.09 18:50 No_Competition4897 [HIRING] 25 Jobs in TN Hiring Now!
2023.06.09 17:58 The_Omniphage [QCrit] Adult Sci-Fi Action Thriller - HOUNDS OF GAIA (70k, 2nd attempt)
Hey all,
Thanks for helping me out with my first attempt. As you can see, a lot has changed about this 2nd one, including the name of the book itself and almost the entirety of the query letter. I took the feedback to heart and I hope this one hits the mark a bit better by providing more of a character angle and focus.
----
QUERY LETTER
Dear [READER],
Foxhound never cared much about the gaps in her memory. Sure, it bothered her—not knowing who she was or where she came from. But being a Contractor, a kind of spacefaring mercenary, helped keep her mind off things. Rather than dwelling, she’d rocket around the farthest reaches of the solar system, earning a steady paycheck hunting down ne’er-do-wells and enjoying a semblance of freedom most folks in the outer colonies couldn’t dream of. So when she receives an urgent request from a humanist cult aboard a city-sized starship claiming to have a brutal, bone marrow-eating serial killer in custody, she accepts the gig. She figures the contract to transfer the prisoner back to Earth is just another well-paying job that’ll keep her mind off things.
Upon discovering that the suspect in custody is an orphan girl—one that could pass for the merc’s much younger doppelgänger—she decides it’s time to get some answers. But before she can piece together who the girl is, how their lives intertwine, and who orchestrated their implausible rendezvous, a group of violent prisoners aboard Foxhound’s starship breaks free. As the once-peaceful cultists take up arms in response, Foxhound teams up with her mechanized AI assistant and two of the cult’s wayward members to stop the barbaric escapees, elude the grasp of the cult’s enigmatic, radicalized leader, and protect and extract the mysterious, potentially dangerous girl.
HOUNDS OF GAIA (70,000 words) is a sci-fi action-thriller with horror elements set thousands of years into humanity’s lonely future. The book will appeal to lovers of sci-fi in the tradition of S.A. Barnes (Dead Silence), Edward Ashton (Mickey7), and James S.A. Corey (Leviathan Falls).
[REDACTED BIO, 80 WORDS]
----
FIRST ~300 WORDS
Prologue
Location: Unknown
Survive.
Move.
Survive.
Observe. Examine. Analyze. Extrapolate.
React. Retreat.
Survive.
Dodge. Guard. Protect.
Faster.
Advance. Attack. Annihilate.
Survive.
Slash. Maim. Rip. Crack. Devour.
Digest.
Satisfy. Nourish. Sustain.
Evacuate. Escape.
Survive.
♁
“Where the hell is everybody?” Corporal Vasquez, a senior officer of Deadwood Mining Corporation Security, said out loud to no one in particular.
In his four years working for DMC-Sec’s boots-on-the-ground District Management Team, he had never seen a security substation so empty. Even for Deadwood—one of the smallest backwater mining asteroids, floating around the Kuiper Belt so far beyond the reach of the sun’s rays—it seemed unusual, concerning even. There wasn’t even an officer stationed at the reception desk.
“How should I know?” replied his captive, a gaunt, worse-for-wear man known around the station only as “Fink.”
“Wasn’t talking to you.” Vasquez shoved Fink, sending the bald, slender man shoulder-first into one of the security substation walls.
“Hey, watch it, man,” the prisoner whined, righting himself. He shook his wrists, jingling the cumbersome cuffs that kept his arms secured behind his back. “Kind of at a disadvantage here.”
In the short time they had been together, Vasquez had already begun to understand why some of his fellow officers chose to use violence as a means of keeping the rabble around the station in check. It wasn’t his style. In fact, it was a point of pride to Vasquez that he never bent the rules when it came to enforcing what limited laws there were on Deadwood, but Fink had pushed him to his limits through sheer annoyance and indignation.
Vasquez had picked up Fink while undercover on a human trafficking sting. The skeletal man hadn’t been the target, and the corporal had blown his cover by bringing him in, but Vasquez simply couldn’t ignore the flagrance with which Fink had approached him. Worse, Fink was offering up children for sale. The conversation between them had lasted mere minutes before Fink was in cuffs and Vasquez was marching him back to the security substation for processing.
submitted by The_Omniphage to PubTips [link] [comments]
Thanks for helping me out with my first attempt. As you can see, a lot has changed about this 2nd one, including the name of the book itself and almost the entirety of the query letter. I took the feedback to heart and I hope this one hits the mark a bit better by providing more of a character angle and focus.
----
QUERY LETTER
Dear [READER],
Foxhound never cared much about the gaps in her memory. Sure, it bothered her—not knowing who she was or where she came from. But being a Contractor, a kind of spacefaring mercenary, helped keep her mind off things. Rather than dwelling, she’d rocket around the farthest reaches of the solar system, earning a steady paycheck hunting down ne’er-do-wells and enjoying a semblance of freedom most folks in the outer colonies couldn’t dream of. So when she receives an urgent request from a humanist cult aboard a city-sized starship claiming to have a brutal, bone marrow-eating serial killer in custody, she accepts the gig. She figures the contract to transfer the prisoner back to Earth is just another well-paying job that’ll keep her mind off things.
Upon discovering that the suspect in custody is an orphan girl—one that could pass for the merc’s much younger doppelgänger—she decides it’s time to get some answers. But before she can piece together who the girl is, how their lives intertwine, and who orchestrated their implausible rendezvous, a group of violent prisoners aboard Foxhound’s starship breaks free. As the once-peaceful cultists take up arms in response, Foxhound teams up with her mechanized AI assistant and two of the cult’s wayward members to stop the barbaric escapees, elude the grasp of the cult’s enigmatic, radicalized leader, and protect and extract the mysterious, potentially dangerous girl.
HOUNDS OF GAIA (70,000 words) is a sci-fi action-thriller with horror elements set thousands of years into humanity’s lonely future. The book will appeal to lovers of sci-fi in the tradition of S.A. Barnes (Dead Silence), Edward Ashton (Mickey7), and James S.A. Corey (Leviathan Falls).
[REDACTED BIO, 80 WORDS]
----
FIRST ~300 WORDS
Prologue
Location: Unknown
Survive.
Move.
Survive.
Observe. Examine. Analyze. Extrapolate.
React. Retreat.
Survive.
Dodge. Guard. Protect.
Faster.
Advance. Attack. Annihilate.
Survive.
Slash. Maim. Rip. Crack. Devour.
Digest.
Satisfy. Nourish. Sustain.
Evacuate. Escape.
Survive.
♁
“Where the hell is everybody?” Corporal Vasquez, a senior officer of Deadwood Mining Corporation Security, said out loud to no one in particular.
In his four years working for DMC-Sec’s boots-on-the-ground District Management Team, he had never seen a security substation so empty. Even for Deadwood—one of the smallest backwater mining asteroids, floating around the Kuiper Belt so far beyond the reach of the sun’s rays—it seemed unusual, concerning even. There wasn’t even an officer stationed at the reception desk.
“How should I know?” replied his captive, a gaunt, worse-for-wear man known around the station only as “Fink.”
“Wasn’t talking to you.” Vasquez shoved Fink, sending the bald, slender man shoulder-first into one of the security substation walls.
“Hey, watch it, man,” the prisoner whined, righting himself. He shook his wrists, jingling the cumbersome cuffs that kept his arms secured behind his back. “Kind of at a disadvantage here.”
In the short time they had been together, Vasquez had already begun to understand why some of his fellow officers chose to use violence as a means of keeping the rabble around the station in check. It wasn’t his style. In fact, it was a point of pride to Vasquez that he never bent the rules when it came to enforcing what limited laws there were on Deadwood, but Fink had pushed him to his limits through sheer annoyance and indignation.
Vasquez had picked up Fink while undercover on a human trafficking sting. The skeletal man hadn’t been the target, and the corporal had blown his cover by bringing him in, but Vasquez simply couldn’t ignore the flagrance with which Fink had approached him. Worse, Fink was offering up children for sale. The conversation between them had lasted mere minutes before Fink was in cuffs and Vasquez was marching him back to the security substation for processing.
2023.06.09 17:22 FuzzyMany3926 New Urgent Care Opens June 12!
submitted by FuzzyMany3926 to coeurdalene [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 16:09 burnside38 TIFU by donating $15,041 to a poor community in Bangladesh instead of the $150 donation I intended + UPDATE
I am NOT OP. Original post by u/lazybear90 in tifu
Hi all. This is my first time posting here, please let me know if I made any mistakes.
Trigger warnings: none I think
Mood spoiler: overwhelmingly wholesome
Original post: May 26, 2023
This happened in February of last year, but my friends have been telling me I need to post this story online … so here goes nothing:
My wife and I (both 31 years old, at the time) moved into a new three-unit apartment building in San Francisco. One of our neighbors is a 70-something year old retired veteran, we’ll call him Joe. For context, Joe is a white American guy and he’s also a devout Hindu priest. One day I run into Joe in my hallway, and he tells me about this charity he manages for a community in Bangladesh. I wanted to support my neighbor and the charity, so I ask Joe to send me the GoFundMe link.
The next day at work, I go on the GoFundMe page and donate $150. Or so I thought. Moments later, I get a text on my phone warning me of an unusually large transaction on my credit card. I’m confused and swipe to open the text message. It says I have made a payment of $15,041 to GoFundMe. Immediately I’m sweating. How could I have donated FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS? I spend the next 10-15 minutes retracing my steps, and finally I realize my credit card starts with the numbers 4 and 1. It seems I had accidentally started typing my credit card information while my cursor was still in the donation box, and just like that 150 became 15041. Yikes.
I call GoFundMe’s support line in a panic, and when I finally connect with a human I explain what happened. “No need to worry”, he tells me, they will initiate a refund of the transaction which should process in 3-7 business days. That’s a huge relief. But then I ask the agent if the charity will be able to see the donation on the GoFundMe page until it is refunded. “What do you mean?” the agent asks me. “What do YOU mean what do I mean?” was my response. “Will they be able to see the $15,041 donation?!” Unfortunately, yes, the agent tells me. They will be able to see it until the refund process is complete. I tell him that’s a big problem, as the entire GoFundMe had hardly raised that much at that point. Surely they will notice their fundraiser doubling overnight?
My plan was to knock on Joe’s door the following morning to give him the full story, so that he could pass it along to his contacts in Bangladesh. But when I woke up the next morning, I looked at my phone and saw I had 40+ notifications on Facebook. Someone had sent me a friend request, had liked many of my old posts, and had sent me many messages. Immediately I was concerned when I saw that the individual messaging me had a Hindu name, but I never could have imagined what I saw when I opened his first message…
The man had sent me a video of himself from Bangladesh, surrounded by dozens of impoverished and hungry people holding bags of food, thanking me BY NAME (Michael) for my generous donation. A big round of applause for Michael. At this point, I’ve leapt out of my bed and I’m pacing. Part of me wants to scream, part of me wants to crack up laughing. I start swiping through the man’s messages, and it is picture after picture after picture of poor Bangladeshis thanking me for my kind donation. Literally hundreds of photos of frail, elderly, disabled, and malnourished individuals holding signs with my name. Thank you, Michael. Thank you, Michael. I've uploaded a portion of the video, and a few photos, for you guys to see here: https://imgur.com/gallery/tROXniV
Editor's note: Photo descriptions
1: a screenshot of the GoFundMe page with Michael's $15,041 donation made and highligted.
2: a video of people holding food bags, and a man in the middle saying thank you to Michael.
3: two men with their food bags, with a sign that says "Thank you dear Michael for your kind help".
4: eight people with their food bags and a sign that says "Thanks dear Michael for your kind".
5: a lot of people gatherered, holding their hands in the air with their food bags at their feet.
6 through 11 contain different people with their food bags and one of the previous signs.
12: several people gathered for a selfie taken by the man from the video who thanks Michael.
13: same picture as 5.
14 and 15: more people with their food bags and the same signs.
Needless to say, I couldn’t live with myself just donating $150 after seeing how the community responded to the $15,041. I decided the least I could do was to add a zero, and so I donated $1,500 once the original donation was refunded. The charity’s host was incredibly gracious and understanding, and he explained to me that $1,500 goes very far in Bangladesh for urgent food relief. Here is the charity’s new GoFundMe link if you want to check it out: https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-food-relief-assistance-in-bangladesh
Ultimately I think the whole experience was a win-win. I helped a great cause, and I got a funny story out of it.
TL;DR: Some impoverished folks in Bangladesh thought I had sent them $15,041 but it was an accident and I had to request a refund for most of it.
EDIT: Many are asking why there is no $1,500 donation listed in the fund’s donation history. I donated to an old campaign link for the same charity. It is readily findable online, if you feel compelled to search for it.
Update post: June 2nd, 2023 (one week later)
PHOTO Updates: https://imgur.com/a/8Rv1LoZ (I assume the first of many photos to come in the following months)
Editor's note: Photo descriptions
1: Several Bangladeshi children holding plates waiting to get food, some are holding signs that say "Thanks Reddit". Caption: Thank you Reddit! These are just the first few photos I've received from the team leader, I'm sure there's so much more to come.
2: Similar to 1.
3: Similar, but with a sign that says "All this thanks to Reddit".
4: Similar to 3.
5: Women holding a sing that says "All this thanks to Reddit" with bags filled with fruit at their feet.
6: Same as 2.
7: A screenshot of the GoFundMe showing the number of donations prior to the Reddit post (26). Caption: Donations prior to my Reddit post ($12,500 or so, at that time)
8: A screenshot of the GoFundMe after the post. $63,301 were raised by 2.1K donations!
Caption: Donations as of this posting.
9: It's a conversation between Michael and the Team Leader (TL for short) in Bangladesh (named Shohag Chandra Das). The conversation is as follows:
Michael: I posted the story of my accidental donation on Reddit, when I donated 15,041 when I meant to donate $150.
TL: If I would know by your kindness what is the full form of Reddit.
Michael: People thought it was so funny and it went viral. Reddit is a community social media website. The story got 30,000 views, and the GoFundMe link was shared with everyone.
TL: Yes we 17 team members of Bangladesh realief Are now can hope to see a new future streagth We were hoping our program will be closed due to fund lacking
Caption: Messages from the local team leader in Bangladesh.
10th photo to 13th photo: More screenshots. I'll transcribe them here:
TL: Four emojis with a sad face and a tear. I have no words to praise you that what results your little gesture has brought for millions of needy boldest people in Bangladesh. AND DEAR SIR MILLIONS OF THANKS FOR YOUR KIND EFFORTS BY SHARING THiS FOOD DISTRIBUTION POST IN rebbit.com ,,its a strenghts for thousands of needy people and hungry children even we are seeking permanent sponsor to bear the cost of 20 accurate orphanage children for their rejoining into the school because they have lost their father now they are unable to manage the cost of educationg fooding ect ,,but no one was agreeing for this educational projects. Rebbit.com
TL: millions of thanks for your kindness dear sir i saw you have done it Michael sends a link to Reddit.com.
TL: Then this results has come. And million of thanks to you dear sir, to message me after looking this greatest news.
Then TL proceeds to send Michael lots of other photos of Bangladeshi people containing them eating, them holding their food bags and selfies.
TL: 17 total team members working in 4 districts under BR. But I have sent some pictures we are working in Bogura Office. But in 4 districts 17 young boys and girls doing part time jobs in our institute. Dear Sir. I am informing you because our institute getting a strong shape world wide.
14: A screenshot of the original GoFundMe page showing the $1,500 donation Michael ended up doing. With this text "My original $1,500 in donations on the old campaign page, since a lot of people were looking for this".
Caption: Some people were looking in the donation history on the campaign's new link to verify I actually made the $1,500 donation I claimed to have made in my story. The $1,500 donation (pictured) was made via the OLD campaign link
Last week, I posted one of my life's most embarrassing stories on TIFU, about the typo that caused me to donate $15,041 to a Bangladesh charity instead of the $150 donation I intended. At the time of my Reddit post, the charity’s latest campaign had approximately $12,500 from 26 total donations. My neighbor, the organizer of the charity, had told me the charity was running on fumes and looking to cancel some of its programs.
Of course I had hoped some Redditors might read my story and decide to help the charity, but I NEVER could have expected the overwhelming reaction nor the incredible generosity of the Reddit community. “Watch this post blow up, and a shit ton of Redditors donate” was one of the first comments the post received on Reddit. And that is exactly what happened. Over Memorial Day Weekend, the charity raised over $55,000 from over 2,100 new donations.
On Saturday, I had to explain Reddit to my 77-year-old neighbor and to the charity’s team leader in Bangladesh (he called it Rebbit, as you can see in my pics). They were absolutely blown away by the reaction – truly they view it as a miracle. I received the following message from my neighbor: “Without a doubt, this is the biggest wave of support to arrive since we started! Doors that were closed can now be opened. Plans that were parked can now be put in motion. There is much we can now accomplish. All due to your idea to post (in a funny way) on what happened a while ago. Abundant resources require an equal level of responsibility. No less. I am committed to see that these funds are applied carefully and continue to make a difference to those who need it most.”
Sometimes things just seem to work out for a reason. One Reddit donor commented, “Michael may have screwed up his donation, but hopefully his TIFU on Reddit has fixed that somewhat.” Thanks to Reddit, the Bangladesh community will receive roughly 4x the amount of the original donation I had refunded.
TL;DR: My embarrassing story of an accidental $15,041 donation (and refund of $13,541) goes viral on Reddit, Redditors raise over $55,000 for needy in Bangladesh!
EDIT: Holy cow someone just donated $5,000! Thank you, Anonymous!! Hopefully you didn’t mean to donate $500… it could happen to anyone. Charity link in comments and original post, if anyone else is interested!
Editor's note: If this gets posted I will be really happy that my first BORU post was this level of wholesome.
Reminder - I am not the original poster.
submitted by burnside38 to BestofRedditorUpdates [link] [comments]
Hi all. This is my first time posting here, please let me know if I made any mistakes.
Trigger warnings: none I think
Mood spoiler: overwhelmingly wholesome
Original post: May 26, 2023
This happened in February of last year, but my friends have been telling me I need to post this story online … so here goes nothing:
My wife and I (both 31 years old, at the time) moved into a new three-unit apartment building in San Francisco. One of our neighbors is a 70-something year old retired veteran, we’ll call him Joe. For context, Joe is a white American guy and he’s also a devout Hindu priest. One day I run into Joe in my hallway, and he tells me about this charity he manages for a community in Bangladesh. I wanted to support my neighbor and the charity, so I ask Joe to send me the GoFundMe link.
The next day at work, I go on the GoFundMe page and donate $150. Or so I thought. Moments later, I get a text on my phone warning me of an unusually large transaction on my credit card. I’m confused and swipe to open the text message. It says I have made a payment of $15,041 to GoFundMe. Immediately I’m sweating. How could I have donated FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS? I spend the next 10-15 minutes retracing my steps, and finally I realize my credit card starts with the numbers 4 and 1. It seems I had accidentally started typing my credit card information while my cursor was still in the donation box, and just like that 150 became 15041. Yikes.
I call GoFundMe’s support line in a panic, and when I finally connect with a human I explain what happened. “No need to worry”, he tells me, they will initiate a refund of the transaction which should process in 3-7 business days. That’s a huge relief. But then I ask the agent if the charity will be able to see the donation on the GoFundMe page until it is refunded. “What do you mean?” the agent asks me. “What do YOU mean what do I mean?” was my response. “Will they be able to see the $15,041 donation?!” Unfortunately, yes, the agent tells me. They will be able to see it until the refund process is complete. I tell him that’s a big problem, as the entire GoFundMe had hardly raised that much at that point. Surely they will notice their fundraiser doubling overnight?
My plan was to knock on Joe’s door the following morning to give him the full story, so that he could pass it along to his contacts in Bangladesh. But when I woke up the next morning, I looked at my phone and saw I had 40+ notifications on Facebook. Someone had sent me a friend request, had liked many of my old posts, and had sent me many messages. Immediately I was concerned when I saw that the individual messaging me had a Hindu name, but I never could have imagined what I saw when I opened his first message…
The man had sent me a video of himself from Bangladesh, surrounded by dozens of impoverished and hungry people holding bags of food, thanking me BY NAME (Michael) for my generous donation. A big round of applause for Michael. At this point, I’ve leapt out of my bed and I’m pacing. Part of me wants to scream, part of me wants to crack up laughing. I start swiping through the man’s messages, and it is picture after picture after picture of poor Bangladeshis thanking me for my kind donation. Literally hundreds of photos of frail, elderly, disabled, and malnourished individuals holding signs with my name. Thank you, Michael. Thank you, Michael. I've uploaded a portion of the video, and a few photos, for you guys to see here: https://imgur.com/gallery/tROXniV
Editor's note: Photo descriptions
1: a screenshot of the GoFundMe page with Michael's $15,041 donation made and highligted.
2: a video of people holding food bags, and a man in the middle saying thank you to Michael.
3: two men with their food bags, with a sign that says "Thank you dear Michael for your kind help".
4: eight people with their food bags and a sign that says "Thanks dear Michael for your kind".
5: a lot of people gatherered, holding their hands in the air with their food bags at their feet.
6 through 11 contain different people with their food bags and one of the previous signs.
12: several people gathered for a selfie taken by the man from the video who thanks Michael.
13: same picture as 5.
14 and 15: more people with their food bags and the same signs.
Needless to say, I couldn’t live with myself just donating $150 after seeing how the community responded to the $15,041. I decided the least I could do was to add a zero, and so I donated $1,500 once the original donation was refunded. The charity’s host was incredibly gracious and understanding, and he explained to me that $1,500 goes very far in Bangladesh for urgent food relief. Here is the charity’s new GoFundMe link if you want to check it out: https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-food-relief-assistance-in-bangladesh
Ultimately I think the whole experience was a win-win. I helped a great cause, and I got a funny story out of it.
TL;DR: Some impoverished folks in Bangladesh thought I had sent them $15,041 but it was an accident and I had to request a refund for most of it.
EDIT: Many are asking why there is no $1,500 donation listed in the fund’s donation history. I donated to an old campaign link for the same charity. It is readily findable online, if you feel compelled to search for it.
Update post: June 2nd, 2023 (one week later)
PHOTO Updates: https://imgur.com/a/8Rv1LoZ (I assume the first of many photos to come in the following months)
Editor's note: Photo descriptions
1: Several Bangladeshi children holding plates waiting to get food, some are holding signs that say "Thanks Reddit". Caption: Thank you Reddit! These are just the first few photos I've received from the team leader, I'm sure there's so much more to come.
2: Similar to 1.
3: Similar, but with a sign that says "All this thanks to Reddit".
4: Similar to 3.
5: Women holding a sing that says "All this thanks to Reddit" with bags filled with fruit at their feet.
6: Same as 2.
7: A screenshot of the GoFundMe showing the number of donations prior to the Reddit post (26). Caption: Donations prior to my Reddit post ($12,500 or so, at that time)
8: A screenshot of the GoFundMe after the post. $63,301 were raised by 2.1K donations!
Caption: Donations as of this posting.
9: It's a conversation between Michael and the Team Leader (TL for short) in Bangladesh (named Shohag Chandra Das). The conversation is as follows:
Michael: I posted the story of my accidental donation on Reddit, when I donated 15,041 when I meant to donate $150.
TL: If I would know by your kindness what is the full form of Reddit.
Michael: People thought it was so funny and it went viral. Reddit is a community social media website. The story got 30,000 views, and the GoFundMe link was shared with everyone.
TL: Yes we 17 team members of Bangladesh realief Are now can hope to see a new future streagth We were hoping our program will be closed due to fund lacking
Caption: Messages from the local team leader in Bangladesh.
10th photo to 13th photo: More screenshots. I'll transcribe them here:
TL: Four emojis with a sad face and a tear. I have no words to praise you that what results your little gesture has brought for millions of needy boldest people in Bangladesh. AND DEAR SIR MILLIONS OF THANKS FOR YOUR KIND EFFORTS BY SHARING THiS FOOD DISTRIBUTION POST IN rebbit.com ,,its a strenghts for thousands of needy people and hungry children even we are seeking permanent sponsor to bear the cost of 20 accurate orphanage children for their rejoining into the school because they have lost their father now they are unable to manage the cost of educationg fooding ect ,,but no one was agreeing for this educational projects. Rebbit.com
TL: millions of thanks for your kindness dear sir i saw you have done it Michael sends a link to Reddit.com.
TL: Then this results has come. And million of thanks to you dear sir, to message me after looking this greatest news.
Then TL proceeds to send Michael lots of other photos of Bangladeshi people containing them eating, them holding their food bags and selfies.
TL: 17 total team members working in 4 districts under BR. But I have sent some pictures we are working in Bogura Office. But in 4 districts 17 young boys and girls doing part time jobs in our institute. Dear Sir. I am informing you because our institute getting a strong shape world wide.
14: A screenshot of the original GoFundMe page showing the $1,500 donation Michael ended up doing. With this text "My original $1,500 in donations on the old campaign page, since a lot of people were looking for this".
Caption: Some people were looking in the donation history on the campaign's new link to verify I actually made the $1,500 donation I claimed to have made in my story. The $1,500 donation (pictured) was made via the OLD campaign link
Last week, I posted one of my life's most embarrassing stories on TIFU, about the typo that caused me to donate $15,041 to a Bangladesh charity instead of the $150 donation I intended. At the time of my Reddit post, the charity’s latest campaign had approximately $12,500 from 26 total donations. My neighbor, the organizer of the charity, had told me the charity was running on fumes and looking to cancel some of its programs.
Of course I had hoped some Redditors might read my story and decide to help the charity, but I NEVER could have expected the overwhelming reaction nor the incredible generosity of the Reddit community. “Watch this post blow up, and a shit ton of Redditors donate” was one of the first comments the post received on Reddit. And that is exactly what happened. Over Memorial Day Weekend, the charity raised over $55,000 from over 2,100 new donations.
On Saturday, I had to explain Reddit to my 77-year-old neighbor and to the charity’s team leader in Bangladesh (he called it Rebbit, as you can see in my pics). They were absolutely blown away by the reaction – truly they view it as a miracle. I received the following message from my neighbor: “Without a doubt, this is the biggest wave of support to arrive since we started! Doors that were closed can now be opened. Plans that were parked can now be put in motion. There is much we can now accomplish. All due to your idea to post (in a funny way) on what happened a while ago. Abundant resources require an equal level of responsibility. No less. I am committed to see that these funds are applied carefully and continue to make a difference to those who need it most.”
Sometimes things just seem to work out for a reason. One Reddit donor commented, “Michael may have screwed up his donation, but hopefully his TIFU on Reddit has fixed that somewhat.” Thanks to Reddit, the Bangladesh community will receive roughly 4x the amount of the original donation I had refunded.
TL;DR: My embarrassing story of an accidental $15,041 donation (and refund of $13,541) goes viral on Reddit, Redditors raise over $55,000 for needy in Bangladesh!
EDIT: Holy cow someone just donated $5,000! Thank you, Anonymous!! Hopefully you didn’t mean to donate $500… it could happen to anyone. Charity link in comments and original post, if anyone else is interested!
Editor's note: If this gets posted I will be really happy that my first BORU post was this level of wholesome.
Reminder - I am not the original poster.
2023.06.09 14:42 VirtuousFool_ Instrument of Ill-Fate: A LitRPG Adventure [Chapter 02]
First
Cold soil crunched under his boots, and dust and ashes flew on the frenzied winds, coating his cloak. The thunder rumbled, yet not a single drop of rain fell. This desolate land bore no trace of life. The churning clouds formed a vortex high above, while a chilling gust swept relentlessly across the land, frigid like the most haunting night of the fall.
Zaire ran, stumbling along the frigid path, occasionally casting wary glances over his shoulder. The absence of any pursuer didn't calm him down even a little. Only barren and desolate terrain, with the ominous outline of the black mountains and the swirling clouds, reigned in his sight. No soul could be found in this forsaken land.
However, an intangible presence pursued Zaire, an entity both eerie and malevolent, its deranged cries reverberating in his ears. Even as he rushed onward, the pursuer seemed to draw nearer, cloaked in madness. A step away from claiming him.
In his desperate dash, Zaire tumbled to the ground, the chill of impending horror creeping up his spine.
"You cannot hide," the voice hissed, its tone murky and ghastly. "Not then. Not now."
Zaire sensed the abyss beckoning below, threatening to engulf him, its unseen tendrils grasping at his limbs. His body convulsed, his muscles seizing under the weight of impending doom. The voice called out once more, luring him deeper into the drowning abyss.
As his willpower began to succumb, tears streamed down Zaire's face, his trembling fingers desperately clawing at the frigid earth. It felt cold and unyielding, slipping from his grasp.
Zaire awoke.
Zaire jolted upright, gasping for breath. Tremors racked his body, while his spine remained cold, drenched in a clammy layer of cold sweat. A searing pain lanced through his mind as if a sharp blade pierced his thoughts.
Gasps clawed their way out of his parched throat, as he stared into the thick darkness looming over him. Common sense assured he was safe, that it was all a dream, a wretched nightmare, but Zaire’s heart didn’t stop racing. The harrowing terror etched to his very core, it all held true in his mind.
Gathering his strength, Zaire sat up and leaned against the cold wall beside the bed. His body was weakened and weary, but he managed to calm his heart after going through the breathing exercise his mother taught him.
His heart stopped racing, but the foreboding feeling lingered in his mind.
Zaire rose from his bed, the creaking of the old furniture accompanying his movement. Proceeding cautiously, he made his way to the bathroom. He eventually found a lamp on the way, emanating a faint glow as he ignited it, tracing the switch upwards.
Guided by the lamp's glow, Zaire entered the bathroom and spotted a bucket of cold water nearby. Zaire seized it, acting on an impulse, and poured the entire contents of the bucket over his head. That brought some semblance of peace within him.
All worry and pain subsided, save for the unfamiliar chillness in his right palm. He put his attention on the palm to find a black tear mark across the palm. He peered deeper into it, pondering what could be the cause of that when a voice transmitted to his mind, followed by shimmering system text, glittering in a green light, stunning him completely
[Synchronisation completed.]
[Congratulations! You have awakened Emerald Aether.]
A surge of warmth coursed through his body. The relentless throbbing in his head softened, and just as Zaire prepared for the authenticity of this development, an influx of unknown information surged through his mind.
[Preparing the user interface…]
____________
Name: Zaire O'Leons
Title (s): Faithless
Route: None
Hidden Route: Mage (Restricted) - Level 0 (Progress: 0%)
Rank: None
Fate Points: 1000 Free Attribute Points: 0
Attributes
Health: 200 Aether: 2 Control: 370
Physical Power: 12
Mental Power: 27
Magic Power: 0
Constitution: 14
Intuition: 20
Resistance: 14
Abilities:
[Aether Binding]
Skills/Spells: None
__________
"This is real!?" Zaire muttered, his voice filled with disbelief. He unconsciously drew his palm towards the shimmering system window, attempting to grasp onto its ethereal shimmer. However, his fingers phased through the holographic text, though the text didn't dissipate.
"Did my second dip into the Ascendant Pool work?" Zaire cracked into tears, collapsing onto the damp tiles of the bathroom floor. Unconsciously, he clenched his palms into fists, pressing them against his face as the system window vanished into thin air.
Zaire opened his palm once again and peered into the cracked tear mark, only to witness the same System window expanding before his eyes. To dispel any doubts or delusions, he repeated the process of clenching and unclenching his palm, each time successfully opening and closing the system window.
He wasn't done checking out the system. Having waited his entire life, and even an extra year compared to others, he began to read its contents. He reached the end of the contents pretty easily, but his excitement was far from quenching. Zaire peered deeper into each tab, hoping to get more explanations of them.
Multiple system windows materialised before his eyes, expanding to unveil detailed information about various aspects of his existence.
[Title: Faithless
A soul adrift, untethered, faithless in the winds of doubt.]
[Rank: None.
Progress: 0%
Your previous circumstances hadn't let you accumulate or cultivate Aether. Now you’re ready to take your first step in Aether Binding.]
[Fate Points: 1000.
Fate points are gifted when an individual affects the world. Your existence in this Route world has influenced its fate. You have gained 1000 points from that.
PS: Acts of blasphemy against the orthodox and unorthodox gods will get you bonus fate points.]
Zaire stopped, his eyes lingering on the last line. Fate Points were the most necessary points to learn and grow Spells, Skills, and Abilities. He was delighted to gain 1000 points on awakening, which was an above-average number as far as he was concerned, but he wasn’t so sure about the last line.
Pissing in the temple doesn’t seem like something that will gain me fate points, not that I ever do such a thing. Even if he was Faithless somehow, his mother brought him up better to be considerate of people’s faith and belief. He simply wouldn’t do something unfaithful to her just for some momentary gain.
Of course, ignoring what he did to gain his Route yesterday.
That brought him back to the description of Faithless. That line was completely vague and meant nothing as far as he was concerned.
Zaire ignored all the tabs with information on all the attributes, as they were self-explanatory. He moved on to his abilities.
[Aether Binding:
Your Hidden Route Mage enables you to bind Emerald Aether and cultivate them.
Level: None (Progress: 0%)]
Zaire couldn’t help but sigh, finding only 2 points in Aether. With that, he couldn’t even try to learn the simplest spell. But his dejection didn’t remain for long. It was merely the start.
"I'd strip the freaking moons from the sky if I have to," Zaire said, clenching his palm into a fist.
“Zai, are you in the bathroom?” Ella’s voice broke him out of delight, bringing him back to reality.
“Yes,” Zaire replied, and got out of there, unaware that he was about to get an earful for his stunt at the temple.
He found her standing just a few paces away from the bathroom door. Tall, towering over him even though she was barely a few inches taller than him.
“How are you feeling?” She asked, her eyes scanning him.
“I’m good,” Zaire answered, his voice laced with delight. “Never felt this good in my life.”
Annoyance flashed across her face as she heard him. “Are you really alright?” she asked again.
“Yes.” His drenched form wasn’t making his case any easier.
“Fine, wipe yourself and change, we need to discuss something urgently.” Ella walked away, her demeanour showed she was particularly irritated.
Zaire had a bad feeling about this. Hoping that his success might quell her stifled fury, Zaire shouted at once: “Mum, I succeeded, I awakened my Aether.”
Ella stopped, turned and peered at him with narrowed eyes. “What are you talking about?” she questioned. “My [Inspection] tells me no such thing.”
“What!?” Zaire blinked, stupefied. Was it because it was a Hidden Route
“Zai,” Ella’s voice softened as she came forward to soothe him, “I understand why you did what you did. But in life, you need to accept the truth as it is.”
“Mum, I’m not really—”
Ella silenced him by embracing him, unbothered that he was drenched. “My boy, I understand.” Ella’s voice was soft and soothing, a stark contrast to her usual behaviour. “After I’m back from the trip, I’ll bring you to a special place. There will be people who can help you. Of course, you can’t be a mage, but you can be as strong as any regular Ranger or Knight, and even surpass me.”
Zaire didn’t struggle in her embrace and listened to her carefully. It seemed there was no way for him to prove his credibility as a mage unless he could cast a spell. But Zaire was still a few steps away from there.
“Wait, are you going somewhere?” he asked.
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but Faye awakened Dream Aether,” Ella said, releasing him of the embrace. “You know what that entails.”
“She has to join the Empire’s Academy,” Zaire said as realisation dawned on him.
“And ten years of service in the empire after graduation,” Ella added.
The rules were pretty strict for those that awakened Emerald, and Dream Aether, though the same rule applies to those with Gold, Red, or any other type of Aether if they joined any of the Empire’s academies. Of course, fighters with Red Aether had to qualify in the tests to be admitted into the academy, unlike in the cases of Emerald and Dream Aether, the number of people awakening them was so scarce that they admit whoever awakened them. While the churches had special demands for those with Gold Aether.
“Your sister is torn between delight and sorrow that she will be leaving,” Ella continued. “But you know her, she’s inclined to learn more about Aether and her power. And I cannot stop her, or the Empire, from taking her.”
Zaire nodded. “When are you two leaving?”
“Now,” Ella said. “The screening process has already started, but the people in the Snowfeather Academy will take her even if it takes two days for us to reach there. Go to your room and get ready quickly. The carriage will leave within half an hour."
Ella busied herself with the preparations. She had been making their meals before finding Zaire in the bathroom.
"Mum," Zaire eventually replied, "I think I’ll remain home."
Ella paused, turning to face him fully. "Are you certain?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
Zaire nodded.
"You'll be fine, won't you?" Ella inquired. "I suppose Faye will understand, although she'll be disappointed."
"Yes, Mum.".
submitted by VirtuousFool_ to HFY [link] [comments]
First
Chapter 02: Awakening
Zaire's heart pounded within his chest as he sprinted, his eyes fixed on the shattered skies, unleashing thunderous roars and jagged bolts of lightning.Cold soil crunched under his boots, and dust and ashes flew on the frenzied winds, coating his cloak. The thunder rumbled, yet not a single drop of rain fell. This desolate land bore no trace of life. The churning clouds formed a vortex high above, while a chilling gust swept relentlessly across the land, frigid like the most haunting night of the fall.
Zaire ran, stumbling along the frigid path, occasionally casting wary glances over his shoulder. The absence of any pursuer didn't calm him down even a little. Only barren and desolate terrain, with the ominous outline of the black mountains and the swirling clouds, reigned in his sight. No soul could be found in this forsaken land.
However, an intangible presence pursued Zaire, an entity both eerie and malevolent, its deranged cries reverberating in his ears. Even as he rushed onward, the pursuer seemed to draw nearer, cloaked in madness. A step away from claiming him.
In his desperate dash, Zaire tumbled to the ground, the chill of impending horror creeping up his spine.
"You cannot hide," the voice hissed, its tone murky and ghastly. "Not then. Not now."
Zaire sensed the abyss beckoning below, threatening to engulf him, its unseen tendrils grasping at his limbs. His body convulsed, his muscles seizing under the weight of impending doom. The voice called out once more, luring him deeper into the drowning abyss.
As his willpower began to succumb, tears streamed down Zaire's face, his trembling fingers desperately clawing at the frigid earth. It felt cold and unyielding, slipping from his grasp.
Zaire awoke.
Zaire jolted upright, gasping for breath. Tremors racked his body, while his spine remained cold, drenched in a clammy layer of cold sweat. A searing pain lanced through his mind as if a sharp blade pierced his thoughts.
Gasps clawed their way out of his parched throat, as he stared into the thick darkness looming over him. Common sense assured he was safe, that it was all a dream, a wretched nightmare, but Zaire’s heart didn’t stop racing. The harrowing terror etched to his very core, it all held true in his mind.
Gathering his strength, Zaire sat up and leaned against the cold wall beside the bed. His body was weakened and weary, but he managed to calm his heart after going through the breathing exercise his mother taught him.
His heart stopped racing, but the foreboding feeling lingered in his mind.
Zaire rose from his bed, the creaking of the old furniture accompanying his movement. Proceeding cautiously, he made his way to the bathroom. He eventually found a lamp on the way, emanating a faint glow as he ignited it, tracing the switch upwards.
Guided by the lamp's glow, Zaire entered the bathroom and spotted a bucket of cold water nearby. Zaire seized it, acting on an impulse, and poured the entire contents of the bucket over his head. That brought some semblance of peace within him.
All worry and pain subsided, save for the unfamiliar chillness in his right palm. He put his attention on the palm to find a black tear mark across the palm. He peered deeper into it, pondering what could be the cause of that when a voice transmitted to his mind, followed by shimmering system text, glittering in a green light, stunning him completely
[Synchronisation completed.]
[Congratulations! You have awakened Emerald Aether.]
A surge of warmth coursed through his body. The relentless throbbing in his head softened, and just as Zaire prepared for the authenticity of this development, an influx of unknown information surged through his mind.
[Preparing the user interface…]
____________
Name: Zaire O'Leons
Title (s): Faithless
Route: None
Hidden Route: Mage (Restricted) - Level 0 (Progress: 0%)
Rank: None
Fate Points: 1000 Free Attribute Points: 0
Attributes
Health: 200 Aether: 2 Control: 370
Physical Power: 12
Mental Power: 27
Magic Power: 0
Constitution: 14
Intuition: 20
Resistance: 14
Abilities:
[Aether Binding]
Skills/Spells: None
__________
"This is real!?" Zaire muttered, his voice filled with disbelief. He unconsciously drew his palm towards the shimmering system window, attempting to grasp onto its ethereal shimmer. However, his fingers phased through the holographic text, though the text didn't dissipate.
"Did my second dip into the Ascendant Pool work?" Zaire cracked into tears, collapsing onto the damp tiles of the bathroom floor. Unconsciously, he clenched his palms into fists, pressing them against his face as the system window vanished into thin air.
Zaire opened his palm once again and peered into the cracked tear mark, only to witness the same System window expanding before his eyes. To dispel any doubts or delusions, he repeated the process of clenching and unclenching his palm, each time successfully opening and closing the system window.
He wasn't done checking out the system. Having waited his entire life, and even an extra year compared to others, he began to read its contents. He reached the end of the contents pretty easily, but his excitement was far from quenching. Zaire peered deeper into each tab, hoping to get more explanations of them.
Multiple system windows materialised before his eyes, expanding to unveil detailed information about various aspects of his existence.
[Title: Faithless
A soul adrift, untethered, faithless in the winds of doubt.]
[Rank: None.
Progress: 0%
Your previous circumstances hadn't let you accumulate or cultivate Aether. Now you’re ready to take your first step in Aether Binding.]
[Fate Points: 1000.
Fate points are gifted when an individual affects the world. Your existence in this Route world has influenced its fate. You have gained 1000 points from that.
PS: Acts of blasphemy against the orthodox and unorthodox gods will get you bonus fate points.]
Zaire stopped, his eyes lingering on the last line. Fate Points were the most necessary points to learn and grow Spells, Skills, and Abilities. He was delighted to gain 1000 points on awakening, which was an above-average number as far as he was concerned, but he wasn’t so sure about the last line.
Pissing in the temple doesn’t seem like something that will gain me fate points, not that I ever do such a thing. Even if he was Faithless somehow, his mother brought him up better to be considerate of people’s faith and belief. He simply wouldn’t do something unfaithful to her just for some momentary gain.
Of course, ignoring what he did to gain his Route yesterday.
That brought him back to the description of Faithless. That line was completely vague and meant nothing as far as he was concerned.
Zaire ignored all the tabs with information on all the attributes, as they were self-explanatory. He moved on to his abilities.
[Aether Binding:
Your Hidden Route Mage enables you to bind Emerald Aether and cultivate them.
Level: None (Progress: 0%)]
Zaire couldn’t help but sigh, finding only 2 points in Aether. With that, he couldn’t even try to learn the simplest spell. But his dejection didn’t remain for long. It was merely the start.
"I'd strip the freaking moons from the sky if I have to," Zaire said, clenching his palm into a fist.
“Zai, are you in the bathroom?” Ella’s voice broke him out of delight, bringing him back to reality.
“Yes,” Zaire replied, and got out of there, unaware that he was about to get an earful for his stunt at the temple.
He found her standing just a few paces away from the bathroom door. Tall, towering over him even though she was barely a few inches taller than him.
“How are you feeling?” She asked, her eyes scanning him.
“I’m good,” Zaire answered, his voice laced with delight. “Never felt this good in my life.”
Annoyance flashed across her face as she heard him. “Are you really alright?” she asked again.
“Yes.” His drenched form wasn’t making his case any easier.
“Fine, wipe yourself and change, we need to discuss something urgently.” Ella walked away, her demeanour showed she was particularly irritated.
Zaire had a bad feeling about this. Hoping that his success might quell her stifled fury, Zaire shouted at once: “Mum, I succeeded, I awakened my Aether.”
Ella stopped, turned and peered at him with narrowed eyes. “What are you talking about?” she questioned. “My [Inspection] tells me no such thing.”
“What!?” Zaire blinked, stupefied. Was it because it was a Hidden Route
“Zai,” Ella’s voice softened as she came forward to soothe him, “I understand why you did what you did. But in life, you need to accept the truth as it is.”
“Mum, I’m not really—”
Ella silenced him by embracing him, unbothered that he was drenched. “My boy, I understand.” Ella’s voice was soft and soothing, a stark contrast to her usual behaviour. “After I’m back from the trip, I’ll bring you to a special place. There will be people who can help you. Of course, you can’t be a mage, but you can be as strong as any regular Ranger or Knight, and even surpass me.”
Zaire didn’t struggle in her embrace and listened to her carefully. It seemed there was no way for him to prove his credibility as a mage unless he could cast a spell. But Zaire was still a few steps away from there.
“Wait, are you going somewhere?” he asked.
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but Faye awakened Dream Aether,” Ella said, releasing him of the embrace. “You know what that entails.”
“She has to join the Empire’s Academy,” Zaire said as realisation dawned on him.
“And ten years of service in the empire after graduation,” Ella added.
The rules were pretty strict for those that awakened Emerald, and Dream Aether, though the same rule applies to those with Gold, Red, or any other type of Aether if they joined any of the Empire’s academies. Of course, fighters with Red Aether had to qualify in the tests to be admitted into the academy, unlike in the cases of Emerald and Dream Aether, the number of people awakening them was so scarce that they admit whoever awakened them. While the churches had special demands for those with Gold Aether.
“Your sister is torn between delight and sorrow that she will be leaving,” Ella continued. “But you know her, she’s inclined to learn more about Aether and her power. And I cannot stop her, or the Empire, from taking her.”
Zaire nodded. “When are you two leaving?”
“Now,” Ella said. “The screening process has already started, but the people in the Snowfeather Academy will take her even if it takes two days for us to reach there. Go to your room and get ready quickly. The carriage will leave within half an hour."
Ella busied herself with the preparations. She had been making their meals before finding Zaire in the bathroom.
"Mum," Zaire eventually replied, "I think I’ll remain home."
Ella paused, turning to face him fully. "Are you certain?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
Zaire nodded.
"You'll be fine, won't you?" Ella inquired. "I suppose Faye will understand, although she'll be disappointed."
"Yes, Mum.".
2023.06.09 13:45 SaintedDemon69 r/RockTheSub will be going dark in support of the protest against Reddit's decision to increase the pricing for its API
The community of RockTheSub will join the protest against Reddit's decision to increase the pricing for its API. From June 12th - 14th, this sub will be going dark. We strongly condemn this decision as it threatens to eliminate many beloved third-party mobile apps and restricts access to quality-of-life features not available in the official Reddit app.
In addition to the concerns mentioned earlier, it's crucial to highlight the impact that Reddit's API changes will have on unsighted communities. Many visually impaired individuals rely on third-party apps to access Reddit, as these apps often offer enhanced accessibility features and compatibility with screen readers. By increasing the pricing for API calls, Reddit is effectively cutting off an essential lifeline for these communities, limiting their ability to engage, contribute, and participate in discussions. This decision further exacerbates the accessibility gap and hinders inclusivity, undermining the principles of an open and diverse Reddit community. We stand in solidarity with these communities and emphasize the urgent need for Reddit to reconsider its API pricing changes.
The two-day blackout serves as a starting point rather than the ultimate goal. If Reddit does not show signs of rectifying the situation by the 14th, we will leverage the community support and momentum we have garnered to take further action.
- The Mods
submitted by SaintedDemon69 to RockTheSub [link] [comments]
The Situation
On May 31, 2023, Reddit announced a significant price increase for calls to their API, effectively rendering third-party apps like Apollo, Reddit is Fun, Narwhal, and BaconReader nonviable. This change not only affects mobile users but also undermines other ways of customizing Reddit, such as Reddit Enhancement Suite or the use of the old.reddit.com desktop interface.Who is impacted?
The implications extend beyond user experience, as many subreddit moderators rely on tools only available outside the official app to maintain on-topic discussions and combat spam in their communities.In addition to the concerns mentioned earlier, it's crucial to highlight the impact that Reddit's API changes will have on unsighted communities. Many visually impaired individuals rely on third-party apps to access Reddit, as these apps often offer enhanced accessibility features and compatibility with screen readers. By increasing the pricing for API calls, Reddit is effectively cutting off an essential lifeline for these communities, limiting their ability to engage, contribute, and participate in discussions. This decision further exacerbates the accessibility gap and hinders inclusivity, undermining the principles of an open and diverse Reddit community. We stand in solidarity with these communities and emphasize the urgent need for Reddit to reconsider its API pricing changes.
What is "Going Dark"?
"Going dark" refers to the act of subreddit moderators making their subreddit private or read-only in protest of changes or policies on Reddit, such as a recent pricing change for the API. By restricting access to their subreddit, moderators aim to draw attention to their concerns, demonstrate their dissatisfaction, and encourage Reddit administrators to address the issue or reconsider their decision. It is a voluntary action taken by moderators to collectively protest and raise awareness within the Reddit community.What comes next?
RockTheSub and numerous subreddits will be going dark from June 12th to 14th to protest this policy change. Some will resume after 48 hours, while others may permanently disappear unless the issue is adequately addressed. The poor tools provided by the official app hinder moderators from fulfilling their responsibilities effectively. We participate in this protest because we love Reddit and believe that these changes will hinder our ability to contribute to the communities we care about.The two-day blackout serves as a starting point rather than the ultimate goal. If Reddit does not show signs of rectifying the situation by the 14th, we will leverage the community support and momentum we have garnered to take further action.
What can you do?
As a user, there are several actions you can take:- Complain: Message the mods of reddit.com, who are the site admins. You can also message reddit or submit a support request. Additionally, voice your concerns in relevant threads on reddit, such as this one. Leaving a negative review on their official iOS or Android app and signing your username in support of this post are other effective ways to express your dissatisfaction.
- Spread the word: Advocate for the cause on related subreddits. Create memes, generate buzz, and make it spicy. Vent your frustrations to your cat. Encourage any subreddit moderators you know to join the coordinated mod effort at ModCoord.
- Boycott and promote alternatives: On June 12th through 13th, refrain from using Reddit and instead use your preferred non-Reddit platform to voice your support.
- Be respectful: While this situation may be upsetting, resorting to threats, profanity, or vandalism will be counterproductive. Please make every effort to remain calm, polite, reasonable, and law-abiding.
- Join the coordinated effort at ModCoord.
- Create a sticky post expressing your support. You can use or modify the template provided here and crosspost it to ModCoord.
- The Mods
2023.06.09 11:33 realgees Gnawing pain center abdomen below ribs
Hi!
Background: 32F 12 weeks postpartum. developed cholestasis in week 38 of pregnancy and delivered at 39 weeks. Cholecystectomy in 2021. I posted a while back [https://www.reddit.com/AskDocs/comments/12l2n4y/mrcp_results/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1] and ended up having a small stone 3 mm stone visualized and removed from my common bile duct via an EUS-ERCP. I’m told I developed inflammation in my bile duct after (maybe cholangitis with no infection) and was hospitalized for 3 days with high LFTs that eventually went down. Currently taking pantoprazole and famotidine as needed + birth control.
Current predicament:
3 questions: 1. Any suggestions for what could be going on? 2. Are there additional tests I should request? 3. Is it normal to have that size bile duct after having my gallbladder out? The ER practitioner was “surprised” it was that size given my prior surgery.
Thanks in advance! Let me know if there is any other detail I can provide!
submitted by realgees to AskDocs [link] [comments]
Background: 32F 12 weeks postpartum. developed cholestasis in week 38 of pregnancy and delivered at 39 weeks. Cholecystectomy in 2021. I posted a while back [https://www.reddit.com/AskDocs/comments/12l2n4y/mrcp_results/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1] and ended up having a small stone 3 mm stone visualized and removed from my common bile duct via an EUS-ERCP. I’m told I developed inflammation in my bile duct after (maybe cholangitis with no infection) and was hospitalized for 3 days with high LFTs that eventually went down. Currently taking pantoprazole and famotidine as needed + birth control.
Current predicament:
- I was fine for a couple weeks after the discharge but for the last few weeks I’ve had some peculiar symptoms that may be unrelated.
- It started with random twinges in my RUQ and dull ache around my lower right ribs.
- Then progressed to bloating and a gnawing pain below my ribs possibly after eating? Doesn’t matter the food.
- Also recently some more noticeably sharper, but not unbearable, pain right in the center below my ribs. May be worse at night but hard to say.
- I’ve had my LFTs tested almost weekly since the ERCP to confirm my numbers were better and all are back to normal with the exception of a slightly elevated total bilirubin the last couple weeks of 1.5 & 2.14 mg/dl that could be attributed to Gilbert’s
- Went to an urgent care on 6/7 since I can’t get in with my GI doctor for a while to make sure everything was ok and they sent me to the ER which showed a normal CT and ultrasound with my bile duct measuring 2 mm
- Repeat MRCP scheduled for Tuesday
3 questions: 1. Any suggestions for what could be going on? 2. Are there additional tests I should request? 3. Is it normal to have that size bile duct after having my gallbladder out? The ER practitioner was “surprised” it was that size given my prior surgery.
Thanks in advance! Let me know if there is any other detail I can provide!
2023.06.09 10:40 CChajk Should I go back to the doctor?
Age: 31F
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 140lbs
About 4 weeks ago, I developed this neck pain in the back of my neck, around the hairline. It’s very painful and some days very difficult to even rotate my neck. My neck feels tight as well but I assume it’s from the tension of the pain. It radiates from the spot causing headaches, primarily triggered in the back of my head. Tender to the touch, almost about where the occipital glad would be, about the bottom of my skull.
I can rotate my head with pain but the rotation is limited to a degree. Looking up is the least painful, turning left or right requires shoulder movement if I go beyond about 45*, looking down is extremely painful at first but after a few seconds it tones down.
First 2 weeks:
I tried many methods to alleviate this pain: - Changed out 4 pillows, including changing out for the couch pillow and then no pillow (which made it hurt more) - Slept on alternating sides, stomach and back - Slept on the couch - Applied stretching/yoga practices, including PT for my shoulders/neck/jaw - Ice Pack - Heating Pad - Combination of the two alternating - Drank more water, lemon water, cranberry juice, apple juice (hoping to try and flush out my system or whatever - Changed my diet to include more dark greens and added milk/nuts to my diet - Meditation - Hot/Cold Showers - Became more mindful of how I clean my teeth - took many different otc medicines: Allieve, Tylenol, Motrin, Flonase, Zyrtec, Musinex - Eye drops like Visine and an anti itch eye drop (was trying to “clear out” sinuses I guess?) - Muscle rub (really just help tone down the tension) - Hand massager - Physically rubbing/massaging it
Most of them helped a little bit but wasn’t affective.
Other symptoms: - ear pain in the right ear, even a sense of fullness (which was checked by an audiologist and clears of any noticeable fluids or blockage) ear was healthy - slight jaw pain (probably from the neck pain) - small, minor rash on the hairline and somewhat higher, which became itchy later on - pain in between my shoulder blades (probably because of stress) - neck stiffness
Prior to the end of the third week:
I went to a walk in/urgent care clinic and was seen by a nurse practitioner. She did a basic examination and touched my neck/checked for heat. To my knowledge the rash doesn’t have any noticeably raised bumps and is quite light in colour. She checked my ears and saw no issues. She checked my mouth and noticed my tonsils seemed a little inflamed/swollen.
She prescribed me with 4 medications: - Meloxicam 7.5 mg (helps but temporary) - Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg (helps but temporary) - Methylprednisolone 4 mg for 6 days (idk if it helped but it taste awful,lol) - Ketoconazole-hydrocortisone (which I didn’t pick up yet because my insurance doesn’t cover it and I don’t get paid until June 9); tried to substitute it for a hydrocortisone cream otc, itch relief cream and a triple antibiotic cream, allowing each one a few days to “work”
Current medications/otc: - Metformin HCL 500mg (for PCOS) - Norgestimate and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets - Biotin 1000 mcg - Super Vitamin B-Complex - Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mcg
Recreational marijuana smoker Barely drink (1 wine glass about every two weeks, average) No other substances I’m fairly active (30minutes walks/day minimum)
I was exposed to Covid back on Mother’s Day but tested negative 3 times over a 72 hour window, 4 days from contact totaling, 7 days)
No recent tramas or new locations I visited other then the healthy center at the university. No new contacts either.
I’ve also been diagnosed with PCS but the latest concussion would have been about three years ago.
submitted by CChajk to AskDocs [link] [comments]
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 140lbs
About 4 weeks ago, I developed this neck pain in the back of my neck, around the hairline. It’s very painful and some days very difficult to even rotate my neck. My neck feels tight as well but I assume it’s from the tension of the pain. It radiates from the spot causing headaches, primarily triggered in the back of my head. Tender to the touch, almost about where the occipital glad would be, about the bottom of my skull.
I can rotate my head with pain but the rotation is limited to a degree. Looking up is the least painful, turning left or right requires shoulder movement if I go beyond about 45*, looking down is extremely painful at first but after a few seconds it tones down.
First 2 weeks:
I tried many methods to alleviate this pain: - Changed out 4 pillows, including changing out for the couch pillow and then no pillow (which made it hurt more) - Slept on alternating sides, stomach and back - Slept on the couch - Applied stretching/yoga practices, including PT for my shoulders/neck/jaw - Ice Pack - Heating Pad - Combination of the two alternating - Drank more water, lemon water, cranberry juice, apple juice (hoping to try and flush out my system or whatever - Changed my diet to include more dark greens and added milk/nuts to my diet - Meditation - Hot/Cold Showers - Became more mindful of how I clean my teeth - took many different otc medicines: Allieve, Tylenol, Motrin, Flonase, Zyrtec, Musinex - Eye drops like Visine and an anti itch eye drop (was trying to “clear out” sinuses I guess?) - Muscle rub (really just help tone down the tension) - Hand massager - Physically rubbing/massaging it
Most of them helped a little bit but wasn’t affective.
Other symptoms: - ear pain in the right ear, even a sense of fullness (which was checked by an audiologist and clears of any noticeable fluids or blockage) ear was healthy - slight jaw pain (probably from the neck pain) - small, minor rash on the hairline and somewhat higher, which became itchy later on - pain in between my shoulder blades (probably because of stress) - neck stiffness
Prior to the end of the third week:
I went to a walk in/urgent care clinic and was seen by a nurse practitioner. She did a basic examination and touched my neck/checked for heat. To my knowledge the rash doesn’t have any noticeably raised bumps and is quite light in colour. She checked my ears and saw no issues. She checked my mouth and noticed my tonsils seemed a little inflamed/swollen.
She prescribed me with 4 medications: - Meloxicam 7.5 mg (helps but temporary) - Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg (helps but temporary) - Methylprednisolone 4 mg for 6 days (idk if it helped but it taste awful,lol) - Ketoconazole-hydrocortisone (which I didn’t pick up yet because my insurance doesn’t cover it and I don’t get paid until June 9); tried to substitute it for a hydrocortisone cream otc, itch relief cream and a triple antibiotic cream, allowing each one a few days to “work”
Current medications/otc: - Metformin HCL 500mg (for PCOS) - Norgestimate and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets - Biotin 1000 mcg - Super Vitamin B-Complex - Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mcg
Recreational marijuana smoker Barely drink (1 wine glass about every two weeks, average) No other substances I’m fairly active (30minutes walks/day minimum)
I was exposed to Covid back on Mother’s Day but tested negative 3 times over a 72 hour window, 4 days from contact totaling, 7 days)
No recent tramas or new locations I visited other then the healthy center at the university. No new contacts either.
I’ve also been diagnosed with PCS but the latest concussion would have been about three years ago.
2023.06.09 09:42 Ill_Position_1710 Urgent Care Report: 05/31 - 06/02/23
submitted by Ill_Position_1710 to u/Ill_Position_1710 [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 08:23 daddyj11 Day 2 in hospital
Tale as old as time.
Just completed a marathon 3 weeks ago following 8 months marathon training. Did a ‘moderate’ CrossFit workout with 50 Kipling pull-ups on Sunday (Day 0). Had the most amazing pump I’d ever had.
Day 1, unable to open my arms completely but it wasn’t too bad (likely 150 degrees). Attribute to tendons. Sore all over in back muscles as expected. Figured it was doms.
Day 2 actually have trouble getting out of bed. Google my symptoms and see that eccentric pull-ups are number 1 cause of exertion rhabdo. Talk to my partner who recommends waiting a day. Sleep, urine and food have been fine. Just fatigue and soreness/tightness.
Day 3 actually wake up feeling great. Able to open my arms completely. However by 9am this changes and I’m feeling my self grow weak mentally, focus etc. Go to urgent care and describe my symptoms. They want to send me home with muscle relaxers but after Google and this group I request a Ck blood test.
Results are 10,600 and I’m admitted immediately that afternoon with a double IV (400ml/hr). One is normal IV and the other has dextrose? Start feeling better within a couple hours. I pee 1 litre every 2 hours (I’m also drinking water but didn’t know my bladder was this big).
Hospital day 1: levels drop to 7000. Now just one IV at 500 ml an hour. Tightness actually has increased a bit. Feel amazing overall though.
Hospital day 2: levels grow to 8500, so they aren’t discharging me. Same IV regime. Dr doesn’t seem concerned by the other tests, just wants a consistent downtrend before they release me.
Will update this as I go just for future knowledge as well as describing my return to activity.
Lesson learned - being a Google dr might actually be a good thing.
submitted by daddyj11 to rhabdo_survivors [link] [comments]
Just completed a marathon 3 weeks ago following 8 months marathon training. Did a ‘moderate’ CrossFit workout with 50 Kipling pull-ups on Sunday (Day 0). Had the most amazing pump I’d ever had.
Day 1, unable to open my arms completely but it wasn’t too bad (likely 150 degrees). Attribute to tendons. Sore all over in back muscles as expected. Figured it was doms.
Day 2 actually have trouble getting out of bed. Google my symptoms and see that eccentric pull-ups are number 1 cause of exertion rhabdo. Talk to my partner who recommends waiting a day. Sleep, urine and food have been fine. Just fatigue and soreness/tightness.
Day 3 actually wake up feeling great. Able to open my arms completely. However by 9am this changes and I’m feeling my self grow weak mentally, focus etc. Go to urgent care and describe my symptoms. They want to send me home with muscle relaxers but after Google and this group I request a Ck blood test.
Results are 10,600 and I’m admitted immediately that afternoon with a double IV (400ml/hr). One is normal IV and the other has dextrose? Start feeling better within a couple hours. I pee 1 litre every 2 hours (I’m also drinking water but didn’t know my bladder was this big).
Hospital day 1: levels drop to 7000. Now just one IV at 500 ml an hour. Tightness actually has increased a bit. Feel amazing overall though.
Hospital day 2: levels grow to 8500, so they aren’t discharging me. Same IV regime. Dr doesn’t seem concerned by the other tests, just wants a consistent downtrend before they release me.
Will update this as I go just for future knowledge as well as describing my return to activity.
Lesson learned - being a Google dr might actually be a good thing.
2023.06.09 08:10 UKFostering14 Short-Term Foster Care: Providing Stability and Support
 | UK fostering submitted by UKFostering14 to u/UKFostering14 [link] [comments] Every child deserves a supportive and secure environment where they can grow and succeed. Unfortunately, there are occasions when it becomes essential to temporarily separate children from their birth families. In these situations, short-term foster care is extremely important in giving these kids stability, support, and a loving environment. The idea of short-term foster care, its significance, and how it benefits the children and foster families involved will all be covered in this blog post. What is Short-Term Foster Care?The temporary placement of children in foster families for a brief length of time is referred to as short-term foster care. It is intended to offer a secure environment for kids who can't stay with their biological families for a variety of reasons, like parental illness, jail, or emergency situations. While efforts are made to reunite children with their relatives or locate them in a more permanent placement, short-term foster care aims to fulfil the children's urgent needs.The Importance of Short-Term Foster CareThe safety of vulnerable kids is greatly enhanced by short-term foster care. In a period of change and uncertainty, it provides them with a secure and encouraging environment. Short-term foster parents support children's development of trust, healing from trauma, and acquisition of vital life skills by offering stability, love, and care. The basis for the child's future success and well-being is laid by this support.Benefits for Children in Short-Term Foster CareThere are many important advantages for children who are temporarily placed in foster care. Their physical, emotional, and educational needs are first and foremost satisfied in a supportive and safe atmosphere. Because of their steadiness, they can concentrate on developing themselves as people. Children in short-term foster care have the chance to develop wholesome bonds with kind carers, which may have a favourable effect on their emotional health overall as well as on their self-esteem, social skills, and ability to communicate.Benefits for Foster FamiliesChildren gain from short-term foster care, but foster families also reap many benefits. Foster families have the chance to significantly alter a child's life by opening their homes and hearts to those in need. They like seeing a child develop in their care, knowing they were an important part of the child's life by giving it stability and love through a trying period. Foster families also frequently experience a sense of fulfilment and personal development as a result of the bonds they develop with the kids and the support systems they establish within the fostering community.The Role of Short-Term Foster Care in the Child Welfare SystemThe larger child welfare system, including short-term foster care, is extremely important. It serves as an essential link between children's short-term safety requirements and long-term plans for their well-being. When kids go into foster care, their situations are evaluated, and the right resources are put in place to meet their specific needs. While these evaluations are being completed, short-term foster care offers a stable option for placement, enabling experts to make defensible choices about the child's future.How to Become a Short-Term Foster ParentA method that makes sure people or families are well-equipped to offer a caring environment for children in need is required to become a short-term foster parent. The general stages to becoming a temporary foster parent are as follows:Study & Learn: Start by looking into nearby foster care agencies or organisations. Find more about the criteria, rules, and training courses that are available to potential foster parents. Informational Sessions to Attend: Participate in the informational workshops or orientation meetings that foster care organisations host. These discussions offer insightful information on the foster care system, children's needs, and foster parents' obligations. Background checks and a full application: Fill out the required application papers and submit to background checks, including house inspections, criminal record checks, and checks for child abuse registries. These examinations are necessary to guarantee the security and welfare of children put in foster care. Take part in training and evaluation: Participate in pre-service training courses offered by the foster care organisation. Various subjects, including child development, trauma-informed care, communication techniques, and understanding the foster care process are covered in these training sessions. A home study assessment may also be carried out to see whether you are suitable to be a foster parent. Collaborate with Foster Care Agency: Work closely with the foster care organisation to finish any documentation that is needed, supply references, and take care of any other obligations. To promote a smooth transition into fostering, keep lines of communication open throughout the process. Attend Supportive Services and Support Groups: Utilise the foster care organization's supportive services, counselling, and support groups. These services offer priceless advice, help, and a network of foster parents who can connect and support one another. Prepare Your Home: Make your home a secure, child-friendly place. Make sure that all safety precautions are in place, including childproofing, secure drug and material storage, and fire safety requirements. Welcome a Child into Your Home: You will be connected with a kid in need of short-term foster care once your application has been accepted. The foster care organisation will give details about the kid, their history, and any particular need. Get ready to receive the child with open arms, love, and support in your house and family. Provide Care and Support: Children in foster care are given a secure and supportive environment by foster parents in short-term placements. To safeguard the child's well-being, respond to their physical, emotional, and educational requirements and collaborate closely with the specialists handling their case. Supporting Children in Short-Term Foster CareChildren in short-term foster care deserve a compassionate and persevering attitude to be supported. Here are some effective methods for offering assistance:
ConclusionChildren who are momentarily separated from their birth families depend heavily on the security and support that short-term foster care may offer. While efforts are made to either reunite them with their families or locate them in a more permanent placement, it offers a supportive atmosphere where children can recover, grow, and thrive. Being a short-term foster parent is a fulfilling experience that calls for commitment, compassion, and a desire to give children in need a loving home.You may have a positive influence on a child's life by starting a short-term foster care journey and giving them the stability and support they require during a trying time. Children can benefit from your dedication and concern by developing resilience, vital life skills, and enduring memories. If you're thinking about being a temporary foster parent, start the process right away. Investigate neighbourhood foster care organisations or agencies, go to informational meetings, and start the licencing process for foster parents. Even though the path has its difficulties, the rewards are tremendous. We can improve the lives of vulnerable children by working together. Create a safe and caring environment for kids so they may grow and develop by beginning your rewarding path into short-term foster care right away. |
2023.06.09 06:29 TigerClassic417 Help dealing with waiting
Throwaway account because I don't really want to be identified.
I need help dealing with pain while I await diagnosis, so asking anyone who knows good stretches or relievers that aren't daily painkillers for advice. I don't know that I have AS but I have a family member with it, and pretty much every family member on one side has lupus, RA, or another of that disease family. My mid back hurts and I woke up to agonizing (9/10) tailbone pain one night and an x-ray showed "some possible" arthritic damage. I was given painkillers and kicked out of urgent care.
I don't know how long it will be til I can see a specialist or if they'll care when I do. Our government care system (Canada) has completely disintegrated and they are not disclosing wait times, only that "you'll get a call". I'm tired and things are tough at work, my boss doesn't like me and being unable to get up for my 40 minute commute so I can go and eat shit at work isn't helping. Urgent care keep telling me nothing is wrong/I have muscular pain and take these painkillers, but I have to crack my back every 15 minutes and I have to wear insoles or I can't walk. What can I do? Are there home remedies that help? I've read that there are stretches but don't know where to look. Is cracking my back potentially dangerous? I've considered faking cauda equina so I can get imaging done at a hospital because that's auto MRI territory.
EDIT: I forgot to mention I have had blood tests - ANA negative, no blood cell abnormalities, no metabolic issues. High C-reactive protein one time, low the second time. Always high alkaline phosphatase, which I also had 5 years ago and the dr shrugged; liver enzymes otherwise normal. No viruses (hep/HIV/HTLV). Was screened for tick bite diseases after fever, took antibiotics + 3 weeks' complete exhaustion, no tick disease, very slightly low WBC.
submitted by TigerClassic417 to ankylosingspondylitis [link] [comments]
I need help dealing with pain while I await diagnosis, so asking anyone who knows good stretches or relievers that aren't daily painkillers for advice. I don't know that I have AS but I have a family member with it, and pretty much every family member on one side has lupus, RA, or another of that disease family. My mid back hurts and I woke up to agonizing (9/10) tailbone pain one night and an x-ray showed "some possible" arthritic damage. I was given painkillers and kicked out of urgent care.
I don't know how long it will be til I can see a specialist or if they'll care when I do. Our government care system (Canada) has completely disintegrated and they are not disclosing wait times, only that "you'll get a call". I'm tired and things are tough at work, my boss doesn't like me and being unable to get up for my 40 minute commute so I can go and eat shit at work isn't helping. Urgent care keep telling me nothing is wrong/I have muscular pain and take these painkillers, but I have to crack my back every 15 minutes and I have to wear insoles or I can't walk. What can I do? Are there home remedies that help? I've read that there are stretches but don't know where to look. Is cracking my back potentially dangerous? I've considered faking cauda equina so I can get imaging done at a hospital because that's auto MRI territory.
EDIT: I forgot to mention I have had blood tests - ANA negative, no blood cell abnormalities, no metabolic issues. High C-reactive protein one time, low the second time. Always high alkaline phosphatase, which I also had 5 years ago and the dr shrugged; liver enzymes otherwise normal. No viruses (hep/HIV/HTLV). Was screened for tick bite diseases after fever, took antibiotics + 3 weeks' complete exhaustion, no tick disease, very slightly low WBC.
2023.06.09 05:51 jlytheraven Tick. Bite. Mystery. Esophagitis?
Age - 22
Sex - Male
Height - 5’10
Weight - 141
Location - Central Massachusetts
Current medications - SSRI
About a month ago I went on a long three day walk with some friends through rural Massachusetts. Most of it was spent on the sides of highways but some of it was on pastures and through farms. We briefly spent a few hours in a cabin which we found some ticks in but none of us seemed to get bit.
One full day after staying in that cabin I found a swelling bite on my arm, probably around 4-5 inches in length. I did not think much of it as approximately 1 in every 5 mosquito bites I get has a bit of similar reaction (swelling, bigger than usual rash, stinging sensation). However, once I got into work 2 or the med students I worked with saw it and immediately suggested I go to urgent care. I did and waited two hours before having to leave for reasons. I planned on going again the next day but the bite was basically fully healed. The redness was still visible but there was no swelling, stinging, hardness, and barely even itching.
I flew home a week later when I showed the photos to a couple of doctor friends that recommend I go to urgent care again in case of Lyme disease. They would not at UC see me as the bite and rash was all gone.
I am am currently taking 50mg of doxycycline twice a day but my esophagus is hurting constantly. It feels like I have spicy tortilla chips stuck in my throat which makes it hard to fully breathe and especially swallow.
I was wondering what you would recommend? Should I attempt to get a blood test for Lyme disease? Just stay on antibiotics? Both? Neither? What do you think?
Thank you :)
submitted by jlytheraven to AskDocs [link] [comments]
Sex - Male
Height - 5’10
Weight - 141
Location - Central Massachusetts
Current medications - SSRI
About a month ago I went on a long three day walk with some friends through rural Massachusetts. Most of it was spent on the sides of highways but some of it was on pastures and through farms. We briefly spent a few hours in a cabin which we found some ticks in but none of us seemed to get bit.
One full day after staying in that cabin I found a swelling bite on my arm, probably around 4-5 inches in length. I did not think much of it as approximately 1 in every 5 mosquito bites I get has a bit of similar reaction (swelling, bigger than usual rash, stinging sensation). However, once I got into work 2 or the med students I worked with saw it and immediately suggested I go to urgent care. I did and waited two hours before having to leave for reasons. I planned on going again the next day but the bite was basically fully healed. The redness was still visible but there was no swelling, stinging, hardness, and barely even itching.
I flew home a week later when I showed the photos to a couple of doctor friends that recommend I go to urgent care again in case of Lyme disease. They would not at UC see me as the bite and rash was all gone.
I am am currently taking 50mg of doxycycline twice a day but my esophagus is hurting constantly. It feels like I have spicy tortilla chips stuck in my throat which makes it hard to fully breathe and especially swallow.
I was wondering what you would recommend? Should I attempt to get a blood test for Lyme disease? Just stay on antibiotics? Both? Neither? What do you think?
Thank you :)
2023.06.09 05:13 wildkatz56 Hidradenitis Supprativa and Arthritis
Pre information to my rant and ask for help - I was diagnosed with HS about 15 years ago, also have a pilonidal cyst and lots of knee, back, and shoulder pains. I have had corticosteroid shots in my knees, shoulders, SI joint, and one wrist. I have to buy specific shoes due to plantar faciatis.
I was on remicade every 6 weeks for HS when I started having unexplained pain in the joints of my hands, ankles, fingers, toes, wrists, and jaw as well as escalated pain in my shoulders, knees, and hips. I also developed a trigger finger. This pain was mostly during week 5 and 6 before my next infusion. I was also having HS flares happening during this time. Several trips to the ER and urgent care for steroids and anti inflammatories as well as missing work because I couldn't even unbutton my own pants. They run blood that shows elevated inflammatory markers, but not an elevated rheumatoid marker. PCP sends me to rheumatologist who says it's not rheumatoid arthritis based on blood work and there's nothing he can do for me. My infusion gets moved to every 4 weeks which helped a lot with my HS flares, but now I'm having sporadic joint pain, sometimes several days a week.
I ask for second opinion from a rheumatologist in a nearby large city who does x-rays and then an MRI based on those, thinking it is ankylosing spondylitis (which my grandfather had). They call with the MRI results and say that there is damage to the SI joint and can I come in to discuss medication options. I take this to mean that the tests confirmed ankylosing spondylitis. Follow up appointment today and the 2nd rheumatologist says it's just inflammation from my HS, because I have a cyst in my anal region, and a sprain of my gluteal muscle. She said my SI joints do show degradation, but no active inflammation, and I need to have the dermatologist get my HS under control and the pain will stop.
Has anyone had a similar experience? I'm feeling frustrated, unheard, and that nobody believes my pain. I don't know if I should go off my remicade to see what happens. Any information would be appreciated.
submitted by wildkatz56 to Hidradenitis [link] [comments]
I was on remicade every 6 weeks for HS when I started having unexplained pain in the joints of my hands, ankles, fingers, toes, wrists, and jaw as well as escalated pain in my shoulders, knees, and hips. I also developed a trigger finger. This pain was mostly during week 5 and 6 before my next infusion. I was also having HS flares happening during this time. Several trips to the ER and urgent care for steroids and anti inflammatories as well as missing work because I couldn't even unbutton my own pants. They run blood that shows elevated inflammatory markers, but not an elevated rheumatoid marker. PCP sends me to rheumatologist who says it's not rheumatoid arthritis based on blood work and there's nothing he can do for me. My infusion gets moved to every 4 weeks which helped a lot with my HS flares, but now I'm having sporadic joint pain, sometimes several days a week.
I ask for second opinion from a rheumatologist in a nearby large city who does x-rays and then an MRI based on those, thinking it is ankylosing spondylitis (which my grandfather had). They call with the MRI results and say that there is damage to the SI joint and can I come in to discuss medication options. I take this to mean that the tests confirmed ankylosing spondylitis. Follow up appointment today and the 2nd rheumatologist says it's just inflammation from my HS, because I have a cyst in my anal region, and a sprain of my gluteal muscle. She said my SI joints do show degradation, but no active inflammation, and I need to have the dermatologist get my HS under control and the pain will stop.
Has anyone had a similar experience? I'm feeling frustrated, unheard, and that nobody believes my pain. I don't know if I should go off my remicade to see what happens. Any information would be appreciated.
2023.06.09 01:52 SaintedDemon69 r/UriahHeepBand will be going dark in support of the protest against Reddit's decision to increase the pricing for its API
The community of UriahHeepBand will join the protest against Reddit's decision to increase the pricing for its API. From June 12th - 14th, this sub will be going dark. We strongly condemn this decision as it threatens to eliminate many beloved third-party mobile apps and restricts access to quality-of-life features not available in the official Reddit app.
In addition to the concerns mentioned earlier, it's crucial to highlight the impact that Reddit's API changes will have on unsighted communities. Many visually impaired individuals rely on third-party apps to access Reddit, as these apps often offer enhanced accessibility features and compatibility with screen readers. By increasing the pricing for API calls, Reddit is effectively cutting off an essential lifeline for these communities, limiting their ability to engage, contribute, and participate in discussions. This decision further exacerbates the accessibility gap and hinders inclusivity, undermining the principles of an open and diverse Reddit community. We stand in solidarity with these communities and emphasize the urgent need for Reddit to reconsider its API pricing changes.
The two-day blackout serves as a starting point rather than the ultimate goal. If Reddit does not show signs of rectifying the situation by the 14th, we will leverage the community support and momentum we have garnered to take further action.
- SD
submitted by SaintedDemon69 to UriahHeepBand [link] [comments]
The Situation
On May 31, 2023, Reddit announced a significant price increase for calls to their API, effectively rendering third-party apps like Apollo, Reddit is Fun, Narwhal, and BaconReader nonviable. This change not only affects mobile users but also undermines other ways of customizing Reddit, such as Reddit Enhancement Suite or the use of the old.reddit.com desktop interface.Who is impacted?
The implications extend beyond user experience, as many subreddit moderators rely on tools only available outside the official app to maintain on-topic discussions and combat spam in their communities.In addition to the concerns mentioned earlier, it's crucial to highlight the impact that Reddit's API changes will have on unsighted communities. Many visually impaired individuals rely on third-party apps to access Reddit, as these apps often offer enhanced accessibility features and compatibility with screen readers. By increasing the pricing for API calls, Reddit is effectively cutting off an essential lifeline for these communities, limiting their ability to engage, contribute, and participate in discussions. This decision further exacerbates the accessibility gap and hinders inclusivity, undermining the principles of an open and diverse Reddit community. We stand in solidarity with these communities and emphasize the urgent need for Reddit to reconsider its API pricing changes.
What is "Going Dark"?
"Going dark" refers to the act of subreddit moderators making their subreddit private or read-only in protest of changes or policies on Reddit, such as a recent pricing change for the API. By restricting access to their subreddit, moderators aim to draw attention to their concerns, demonstrate their dissatisfaction, and encourage Reddit administrators to address the issue or reconsider their decision. It is a voluntary action taken by moderators to collectively protest and raise awareness within the Reddit community.What comes next?
UriahHeepBand and numerous subreddits will be going dark from June 12th to 14th to protest this policy change. Some will resume after 48 hours, while others may permanently disappear unless the issue is adequately addressed. The poor tools provided by the official app hinder moderators from fulfilling their responsibilities effectively. We participate in this protest because we love Reddit and believe that these changes will hinder our ability to contribute to the communities we care about.The two-day blackout serves as a starting point rather than the ultimate goal. If Reddit does not show signs of rectifying the situation by the 14th, we will leverage the community support and momentum we have garnered to take further action.
What can you do?
As a user, there are several actions you can take:- Complain: Message the mods of reddit.com, who are the site admins. You can also message reddit or submit a support request. Additionally, voice your concerns in relevant threads on reddit, such as this one. Leaving a negative review on their official iOS or Android app and signing your username in support of this post are other effective ways to express your dissatisfaction.
- Spread the word: Advocate for the cause on related subreddits. Create memes, generate buzz, and make it spicy. Vent your frustrations to your cat. Encourage any subreddit moderators you know to join the coordinated mod effort at ModCoord.
- Boycott and promote alternatives: On June 12th through 13th, refrain from using Reddit and instead use your preferred non-Reddit platform to voice your support.
- Be respectful: While this situation may be upsetting, resorting to threats, profanity, or vandalism will be counterproductive. Please make every effort to remain calm, polite, reasonable, and law-abiding.
- Join the coordinated effort at ModCoord.
- Create a sticky post expressing your support. You can use or modify the template provided here and crosspost it to ModCoord.
- SD
2023.06.09 01:20 Saint_Buttcheeks Are we even insured?
So my spouse’s benefits supposedly kicked in a week ago. She called her insurance company to get the member ID because we still haven’t received the cards yet and she needed to go to the doctor. The insurance company said she wasn’t in the system and to reach out to her HR department.
She calls HR and they say, “yup, you’re insured. The insurance company’s system is slow. If you need to go to the doctor, just submit the bill to them.” A week goes by. She calls the insurance company again. “Sorry you’re not in our system. Call HR”. She once again calls HR. They say, “No, they’re wrong. Your insured” and gives her a screenshot stating that she as well as our entire family is insured. Mind you, there is no member ID or group number or anything. Just names and statuses.
She asked HR if she can at least have the member ID. “Oh sorry you have to call the insurance company for that.” She calls the insurance company. “No you get that from your HR department.”
What. The. Hell!?!
Meanwhile she’s battling this sinus infection and urgent care won’t see her unless she pays them $300. What the hell do we do?
EDIT - We were able to get the member ID. Wife reached out to the HR liaison to get it, however BCBS had her as inactive in the system. So hopefully that all will be corrected soon. Thanks everyone for your input!
EDIT 2 - So she stopped by the urgent care, gave them the member ID and was told they can’t verify her insurance. She called BCBS and after a 40 minute wait on hold was told they simply didn’t process her paperwork yet and probably won’t for another week or two. Meanwhile, her employer sent the paperwork over to them on May 17th. The insurance company told her she’ll just have to pay for it out of pocket and that’s that.
This is beyond frustrating. She’s paying for insurance she can’t use because BCBS just hasn’t gotten around to processing paperwork they’ve had for three weeks.
submitted by Saint_Buttcheeks to HealthInsurance [link] [comments]
She calls HR and they say, “yup, you’re insured. The insurance company’s system is slow. If you need to go to the doctor, just submit the bill to them.” A week goes by. She calls the insurance company again. “Sorry you’re not in our system. Call HR”. She once again calls HR. They say, “No, they’re wrong. Your insured” and gives her a screenshot stating that she as well as our entire family is insured. Mind you, there is no member ID or group number or anything. Just names and statuses.
She asked HR if she can at least have the member ID. “Oh sorry you have to call the insurance company for that.” She calls the insurance company. “No you get that from your HR department.”
What. The. Hell!?!
Meanwhile she’s battling this sinus infection and urgent care won’t see her unless she pays them $300. What the hell do we do?
EDIT - We were able to get the member ID. Wife reached out to the HR liaison to get it, however BCBS had her as inactive in the system. So hopefully that all will be corrected soon. Thanks everyone for your input!
EDIT 2 - So she stopped by the urgent care, gave them the member ID and was told they can’t verify her insurance. She called BCBS and after a 40 minute wait on hold was told they simply didn’t process her paperwork yet and probably won’t for another week or two. Meanwhile, her employer sent the paperwork over to them on May 17th. The insurance company told her she’ll just have to pay for it out of pocket and that’s that.
This is beyond frustrating. She’s paying for insurance she can’t use because BCBS just hasn’t gotten around to processing paperwork they’ve had for three weeks.