In the modern age of sedentary lifestyles and office work, finding ways to improve productivity and prioritize our health has become paramount. One solution that has gained significant attention is the standing desk. This blog post explores the extraordinary benefits of incorporating standing desks into our daily routines, delving into how they can revolutionize our work experience and contribute to overall well-being. Discover the key advantages of standing desks and unlock the potential for a healthier and more productive work life.
Elevating Productivity and Focus: Imagine a workspace where you effortlessly maintain focus and achieve peak productivity. This is precisely what a sit stand desk offers. By providing an adjustable height feature, these desks allow for seamless transitions between sitting and standing positions. This simple change promotes better blood circulation, heightened alertness, and increased engagement throughout the day. Furthermore, by reducing sedentary behavior, standing desks help combat the mid-afternoon energy slump, leading to improved overall output.
Prioritizing Physical Health: Incorporating movement into our daily routine is vital for maintaining physical well-being in the face of sedentary work. Standing desks can be a game-changer in this regard. By encouraging regular periods of standing, they help alleviate the negative effects of prolonged sitting, such as back pain, neck strain, and poor posture. Additionally, standing promotes muscle activation, core strength, and increased calorie expenditure compared to sitting, fostering weight management and overall fitness.
Nurturing Mental Well-being: Our work environment plays a significant role in our mental health. Standing desks have been shown to have a positive impact in reducing stress levels and enhancing mood. The physical act of standing triggers the release of endorphins, the "feel-good" hormones that boost spirits. Moreover, the ability to adjustable height desk to personal comfort levels fosters a sense of autonomy and control, creating a positive work environment that contributes to overall mental well-being.
Designing an Ergonomic Workspace: Creating an ergonomically sound workspace is crucial for preventing work-related injuries and promoting long-term health. Standing desks play a pivotal role in establishing such an environment. With their adjustable height settings, they allow users to find the optimal alignment for their bodies, reducing strain on the neck, shoulders, and wrists. Furthermore, investing in specialized standing desks, such as L-shaped models, offers ample workspace and enhances multitasking efficiency, optimizing productivity while maintaining a healthy posture.
Unleashing the Potential of Electric Standing Desks: For ultimate convenience and adaptability, electric standing desk is a fantastic choice. With the push of a button, these desks effortlessly adjust to your preferred height. This feature is particularly advantageous for individuals with mobility constraints or varying preferences throughout the day. Electric standing desks offer a seamless transition between sitting and standing, allowing you to focus on your work while reaping the numerous health benefits they provide.
Integrating standing desks into our workstations has the potential to revolutionize our productivity and overall well-being. By allowing for fluid shifts between sitting and standing, these ergonomic workstations enhance focus, physical health, and mental well-being. Whether you opt for an adjustable height desk, an L shaped standing desk model, or an electric standing desk, the possibilities for optimizing your work routine are limitless. Embrace the transformative power of standing desks and unlock your full potential while maintaining a healthy and harmonious work-life balance.
To learn more about the benefits of Fezibo standing desks and how to implement them in the workplace, please refer to our previous blog post: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/fezibos-diverse-design-styles-features-031700158.html
https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/fezibo-s-diverse-design-styles-and-features-set-them-apart-in-the-standing-desk-market-1032171002 If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

The key ingredients in Male Extra are pomegranate ellagic acid and L-arginine HCL. Pomegranate ellagic acid is a potent antioxidant that helps boost nitric oxide levels in the body. Nitric oxide relaxes and widens blood vessels, allowing for increased blood flow. L-arginine HCL is an amino acid that also helps increase nitric oxide levels and blood circulation. Together, these ingredients work to widen blood vessels, especially those supplying blood to the penis. This results in stronger, longer-lasting erections. Male Extra also contains zinc, which helps support testosterone production and healthy sperm, as well as cordyceps, a natural aphrodisiac.

Living with diabetes can be challenging, as it affects various aspects of your health. It is essential to be aware of the impact diabetes can have on your body and organs to effectively manage the condition. In this blog post, we will explore the effects of diabetes on different organs and discuss the importance of seeking expert care at Livwell Clinic.

• Eyes: Diabetes can cause damage to the blood vessels in your eyes, leading to a condition called diabetic retinopathy. This condition can result in vision loss or even blindness if left untreated. Regular eye check-ups and timely intervention by a diabetologist can help in managing and preventing complications.
• Heart and Blood Vessels: Individuals with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. High blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral artery disease. Expert consultation and lifestyle modifications provided at Livwell Clinic can significantly reduce the risk and manage these conditions effectively.
• Kidneys: Diabetes can harm the kidneys, leading to diabetic nephropathy. It is a progressive condition that affects the kidneys’ ability to filter waste from the blood. Early detection and proper management by a diabetologist can slow down the progression of kidney disease and preserve kidney function.
• Nerves: Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication that affects the nerves, particularly in the feet and hands. It can cause tingling, numbness, and pain, impairing mobility and affecting quality of life. Regular monitoring and personalized treatment plans at Livwell Clinic can help manage and alleviate symptoms.
• Skin: People with diabetes are prone to skin complications such as dry skin, infections, and slow wound healing. It is crucial to maintain good skin hygiene, manage blood sugar levels, and seek professional guidance at Livwell Clinic to prevent and treat these issues effectively.
• Feet: Diabetic foot complications are a significant concern. Nerve damage and poor blood circulation can lead to foot ulcers, infections, and even amputations if not managed promptly. Regular foot care, early detection, and comprehensive diabetic foot care programs at Livwell Clinic can help prevent these complications.

Conclusion:

Living with diabetes requires proactive management and regular monitoring to prevent complications that can affect various organs in your body. Livwell Clinic, under the guidance of Dr. (Lt Col) Shashi Bhushan, provides comprehensive and compassionate medical care for individuals with diabetes. Dr. Bhushan’s expertise and holistic approach to patient care make Livwell Clinic an excellent choice for those seeking specialized diabetes management and prevention of organ-related complications. Remember, by seeking expert care and making necessary lifestyle changes, you can effectively manage diabetes and lead a healthy life.

Introduction

Hair fall is a common concern for many individuals, impacting both men and women of different ages. Experiencing excessive hair loss can be distressing, affecting self-esteem and overall well-being. This article aims to comprehensively understand hair fall, including its causes, prevention, and treatment options.

What is Hair Fall?

Hair fall, also known as hair loss or alopecia, refers to the shedding of hair from the scalp or other parts of the body. While it's normal to lose some hair every day, excessive hair fall can be a sign of an underlying issue. Understanding the causes of hair fall can help in identifying appropriate preventive measures and treatment options.

Common Causes of Hair Fall

Genetic Factors: Hereditary factors play a significant role in hair fall. If you have a family history of baldness or thinning hair, you are more likely to experience hair fall.
Hormonal Changes: Hormonal imbalances, such as those occurring during pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, or thyroid disorders, can contribute to hair fall.
Nutritional Deficiencies: Inadequate intake of essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and proteins can weaken hair follicles, leading to hair fall.
Stress and Lifestyle: Stressful lifestyles, lack of sleep, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption can disrupt the natural hair growth cycle, resulting in increased hair fall.

Types of Hair Fall

Androgenetic Alopecia: This is the most common type of hair loss, also known as male or female pattern baldness. It occurs due to genetic predisposition and hormonal factors.
Telogen Effluvium: Hair follicles enter the resting phase prematurely, leading to excessive shedding. This type of hair fall is often triggered by physical or emotional stress, illness, or medication.
Alopecia Areata: An autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, resulting in patchy hair loss on the scalp or body.
Traction Alopecia: Hair fall caused by excessive pulling or tension on the hair due to hairstyles like tight ponytails, braids, or extensions.

Diagnosing Hair Fall

Diagnosing the underlying cause of hair fall requires a comprehensive evaluation. The following methods are commonly used:
Physical Examination: A dermatologist examines the scalp and hair to assess the pattern and severity of hair loss.
Blood Tests: Blood tests help identify any nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, or underlying medical conditions contributing to hair fall.
Scalp Biopsy: In certain cases, a small sample of the scalp may be taken for microscopic examination to determine the cause of hair loss.

Preventing Hair Fall

Preventing hair fall involves adopting healthy habits and making lifestyle changes. Here are some effective preventive measures:
Healthy Diet and Nutrition: Ensure a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Include foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains.
Hair Care Practices: Use gentle shampoos and conditioners suitable for your hair type. Avoid excessive heat styling, frequent use of hair dyes, and tight hairstyles that pull on the hair.
Stress Management: Engage in stress-reducing activities such as yoga, meditation, or hobbies to promote overall well-being and prevent hair fall.
Regular Exercise: Regular physical activity improves blood circulation, which promotes hair growth and overall scalp health.

Treating Hair Fall

Treating hair fall depends on the underlying cause and severity. Here are some commonly used treatment options:
Medications: Prescription medications like minoxidil and finasteride can be used to promote hair growth and prevent further hair loss.
Topical Treatments: Applying topical solutions or foams containing minoxidil directly to the scalp can help stimulate hair growth and reduce hair fall.
Hair Transplantation: In severe cases of hair loss, hair transplantation procedures can be performed to transplant healthy hair follicles to the affected areas.
Laser Therapy: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a non-invasive treatment option that uses red light to stimulate hair follicles and promote hair growth.

Natural Remedies for Hair Fall

In addition to medical treatments, natural remedies can complement hair fall prevention efforts. Some natural remedies include:
Aloe Vera: Applying aloe vera gel to the scalp can help soothe inflammation, moisturize the scalp, and promote hair growth.
Onion Juice: Onion juice has sulfur compounds that stimulate hair follicles and improve blood circulation when applied to the scalp.
Coconut Oil: Massaging the scalp with warm coconut oil helps nourish the hair follicles, reduce protein loss, and prevent hair fall.
Green Tea: Applying cooled green tea to the scalp can help reduce hair fall and promote healthy hair growth due to its antioxidant properties.

Lifestyle Changes to Promote Hair Health

Apart from specific treatments and remedies, adopting certain lifestyle changes can contribute to healthier hair:
Avoid Excessive Heat Styling: Minimize the use of hot styling tools like flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers, as excessive heat can damage the hair.
Protect Hair from UV Rays: Wear a hat or use hair products with UV protection when exposed to the sun for extended periods to prevent hair damage.
Avoid Tight Hairstyles: Avoid hairstyles that pull tightly on the hair, as they can lead to traction alopecia and damage the hair follicles.
Avoid Chemical Treatments: Limit the use of chemical treatments like perming, relaxing, or coloring, as they can weaken the hair shaft and cause breakage.

Conclusion

Understanding the causes, prevention, and treatment options for hair fall is crucial in maintaining healthy hair and preventing excessive hair loss. By adopting a holistic approach that includes a balanced diet, proper hair care practices, stress management, and seeking professional advice when necessary, individuals can effectively address hair fall concerns and promote hair health.
FAQs
1. Is hair fall a normal occurrence?
Yes, it is normal to lose around 50-100 strands of hair per day. However, if you notice excessive hair fall or significant thinning, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist.
2. Can hair fall be reversed?
In some cases, hair fall can be reversed with appropriate treatment and lifestyle changes. It is essential to identify the underlying cause and follow a comprehensive approach.
3. Are natural remedies effective in preventing hair fall?
Natural remedies can complement preventive measures, but their effectiveness may vary from person to person. It is best to consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice.
4. How long does it take to see results from hair fall treatments?
Results may vary depending on the individual and the treatment used. It can take several months to see noticeable improvements in hair growth and a reduction in hair fall.
5. Can stress cause hair fall?
Yes, stress can contribute to hair fall. Managing stress through relaxation techniques and self-care practices can help minimize its impact on hair health.

So I got my blood work done pre and post-keto. Keeping in mind I'm not strict on keto - I try to keep low-carb/slow-carb whenever possible + add good fats as much as possible. I also eat normally when out with friends (gotta enjoy life!)
My blood work is great - triglycerides, fasting insulin, HbA1c, fasting glucose = all low. C-reactive protein super low, my doc says I basically have no inflammation in my body.
However my cholesterol keeps going up. It's gone out of range to what they consider "normal" or "healthy". I've googled around and found this is the experience for heaps of people on keto. But I'm looking for a comprehensive answer why.
I found a Dr Peter Attia video on how cholesterol measurements in standard blood tests don't provide the full picture and that we should ask for tests on Apolipoprotein B (Apo B). I'm not doing to ask my doc for that because he's pretty much senile and could barely figure out how to arrange for my blood work to be done in the first place, but that's another story.
Can someone please explain what's happening without skimping over the details? Do I need to modify my diet to be cleaner and focus on vegetables? Or is high cholesterol more nuanced than what a simple test can reveal?

I want to be able to go out and do things and not feel fatigued, panicked, etc all the time. I want to be able to go to the grocery store and do the dishes in the same day. I want to be able to go out to lunch and work in the same day. I regularly just start crying while running errands, mask and sunglasses help people not see.
I might have a pituitary tumor and I got my second round of blood work done today to check if it was an anomaly or if the next step is a cat scan and probably surgery.
Then I went to the grocery store to get stuff for healthy smoothies because I’ve been having a lot of trouble with solid food lately and while I am trying to lose weight, I’m not eating to the point where it’s less than 1k calories/day. There were a lot of people in the store and I live in a tourist town where there are a lot of obnoxious people visiting. I got really overwhelmed and at one point pulled my cart into a corner of the store where I wasn’t in anyone’s way. I started crying kind of audibly and gripping onto the cart really hard. Some guy in his 40s who was so sunburned he was peeling literally walked up to me (within two feet of my body, cornering me) and said “what’s your problem? Stop crying! You’re in paradise!” I just yelled in his face “I HAVE A FUCKING BRAIN TUMOR AND I’M IN SENSORY OVERLOAD. GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME.” After this I ended up sitting on the floor and putting my hands and arms over my head and face and continued crying.
Then this guy who never had to interact with me at all in the first place, could’ve left me standing in the corner in peace, went to the manager (who has known me since I was a fetus) and told her I had threatened him and I’m a danger to everyone and they should call the police. She came up to me and asked if I was okay and I told her what happened (sensory overload, the man approaching me, etc), and asked if I needed anything, and I just asked if I could stay there for a few more minutes to get myself together. She said yes and actually told the man off (don’t be an asshole to Caribbean hospitality workers, we WILL tell you to fuck off). I eventually got up, checked out, and left. While this was a somewhat validating experience I was also mortified because I bet the whole store heard me screech at this man.
I had parked on the upper level of the complex because the lower level was full and I had to go to the pharmacy on the upper level anyway. With my heavy grocery bags and how exhausting my meltdown was I decided to take the elevator instead of walk upstairs. Then an old lady with a cane called me lazy and said I should take the stairs as we were both waiting. I didn’t even say anything to her, I just started audibly crying again. As we stepped on the elevator.
I got home, I made my smoothie, and now I’m in bed crying. I was planning on folding clothes, taking a walk, and doing some other cleaning tonight but now I’m here lying in bed fucking sobbing and feeling completely exhausted.
I just feel so broken. I didn’t used to be this dysfunctional, this sensitive. I could just deal so much better. When I was 18 I’d go and go and go all day long but now, at 22, I feel like talking on the phone is one of 3 possible tasks for a day.

Hello uhm, Im Karl and I was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD back in kindergarten-2nd grade (about idk 5-7 years old), I have not gotten any real treatment for the stuff in my whole life besides concerta for about 4-5 years and some weird therapy early on. Current therapists and psych people have bounced me back and forth between BPD + some social anxiety or autism.
Recently (since I tried to do pretty much starvation fasting, but with water and electrolytes, and stopped my Latuda) things took a giant nosedive and I dont know what to do. Ill try to give a summary of history with food:

1. Early on (as a kid) it obviously didnt really matter much. Id need to eat 2-3 times the amount I do now for it to do anything.
2. Took concerta and idk the kinda stuff that happened between then and going off, was pretty stable with weight I guess, maybe on the larger end of healthy?
3. Stopped concerta in 5th grade, rapidly went from idk 150-170 lbs to 220 lbs in 1-2 years.
4. Continued all the way up until I hit 280-290 lbs, at which point idk, something happened and I got control over it for about 2 years. In those 2 years though the mental health rapidly declined, was in hospital 2 times for it, daily suicidal ideation, all that junk.
5. Stopped Latuda, rapidly went from 160 lbs to minimum 220 lbs now probably in less than a year.

Its majorly fucking with me and I dont know what to do. I also had to drop out of school, parents werent being nice to me but I got a GED diploma equivalent thingy. I cant really do anything else but for me rn the eating is the most important because it makes every day miserable.
Maybe the experience of it is important? Its like an addiction but not really? Its somewhat like stress (the eat-urge) but its not stress or anxiety? I can feel stress or anxiety at the same time and it can make me eat more or want to eat more but its not enough to make me eat by itself. I never really eat when hungry. This also existed in some way when on Latuda, cuz if I tossed a gum pack into the trash Id find myself digging thru it to get the pack and have more gum.
Also, I have to say if people comment or before it... all the stuff about "it needs to be accepted" and "people are just different sizes/shapes/etc" doesnt help me, it feels very invalidating and just.. irritates me beyond belief. I then have to I guess finally get to the big problem with this all in that I feel like Ive tried everything and theres nothing that works while doing what Id like...
I want to be able to fix these things. Or "fix" as in getting enough coping skills that are good enough for me that it doesnt really matter anymore. But the lists and the breaking tasks down and the mealplanning and all of it just doesnt work for me anymore. It feels like I got burned out with something, or that I require meds but I dont want to require meds. Is there any therapy that can give me the tools for this???? Im currently working with a community mental health place since I been in therapy for 6 years and 0 progress, and Im tired of the companies. But I am now really worried cuz I felt bad at therapy, felt like therapist maybe suggested that I didnt really have ADHD? I couldnt understand what she was saying or asking in relation to the adhd? All I remember is it stressed me out a lot.
I mean I know I can drink coffee and it barely affects me or I feel kinda good for 10 minutes then nothing (its kinda common to drink coffee in late afternoon cuz I have an excuse for sugar which helps with the food urge thingy). I couldnt handle concerta when I tried going back on it because it made my whole body throb and yeah that wasnt fun.
TL;DR eating problems I think are due to adhd/autism or the combo or something. Anxious with therapy, health problems, gaining weight, what do? Also does therapy even exist for this? One that works?
Chose flair cuz it feels like the closest to it I can get.

Hi All, been so frustrated with my health and it’s significant decline all of a sudden. I’m 34 and up until around 32 I was always super healthy in terms of immune system, only ever went to docs for well checks, same consistent weight.
Over the last 2 years I’ve gained almost 40 lbs with no significant changes in lifestyle that would account for it. To highlight how troubling it is, 9 months ago I did 75 Hard which is a hard program to follow but I completed it. Basically I went from working out sporadically to twice a day for 45 min for 75 days straight (no rest days), no alcohol for 75 days, no dessert for 75 days etc. You take progress pics throughout and from day 1 to 75 there was absolutely no noticeable progress. I even gained 2 lbs thru the course of it. I was extremely concerned at that point.
Went to see the doc, she seemed to ignore everything I’d been telling her about increasing the exercising, cutting out alcohol and still gaining weight. She said she wanted to check my blood work bc with the weight gain it put me at an obese BMI (I don’t necessarily look obese so my fiancé will say not to lose weight bc he likes the curves but the rapid weight gain is scary and I am overweight now for sure).
Long story short, my blood work came back completely normal. A1c, hemoglobin, TSH, cholesterol in normal ranges… she ordered a pretty comprehensive panel. Go back in to see her and she said, well everything’s normal, you need to cut out processed foods and exercise. I wanted to scream, like what have I just told you? I cut out alcohol, desserts, and had been busting my ass to workout every single day for 1.5 hrs. After the 75 day period I dropped to working out once a day and didn’t have alcohol again for another month or two. Not a big drinker anyway but will have a few on weekends. Still saw a steadily rise in weight gain.
I really feel there’s something else at play here. I just read Obesity Code and I wonder if I could have IR? My health has progressively gotten worse all around over the past 6 months especially - major depression (now in therapy, in medication), feeling sick to my stomach after eating nearly anything, increase in needing to pee, increased yeast infections, even dental problems when I was always told I have healthy gums. I went gluten free for 3 weeks and was feeling a bit better at first, then some days was not. After my trial I had a piece of pizza and nothing happened at all. I eat gluten now with no apparent side effects. All I know is that some days my stomach feels crappy, I have blurry vision and no energy. So I was disappointed that gluten intolerance was likely not the missing piece. Something else to note is that I’m pear shaped and naturally have a big butt, thighs and fat tends to go there. But now I’ve gained a ton in my lower stomach, not chest, arms, upper waist line or calves, so my mid section looks abnormally large compared to the rest of my body.
Things I’m currently doing: -intermittent fasting (and have been since Jan 2023) -logging food consumption, I eat anywhere from 1500 to 2200 calories and according to my Fitbit I burn 2400 to 3000 calories most days (higher on days I workout). No weight loss. -keeping a food diary to see if there are any correlations to what I’m eating and then feeling crappy. I have not found any consistencies. For example I could feel terrible after eating a yogurt at 2pm to break the fast. Try again the next week and I feel no symptoms after the same yogurt. Mostly when I’m not eating anything I feel better.
TLDR: is it possible to be IR with completely normal blood work? did my doc miss something? and advice for next steps as I’m so frustrated and feel like I’m at the end of my rope.

Sorry I don’t know if recovery content is appropriate for this subreddit I wanted to post about my recovery a tiny bit incase it helps a little bit. Basically up until about almost two years ago I used to be severly anorexic and bulimic. It was so bad that I actually had to go to psych residental because of it my senior year of high school. After that I had to go through php, iop, and eventually out patient( php-outpatient was eating disorder treatment). I was legit treatment resistent it was so bad. Even my ed treatment tream did not believe I would ever recover.I even developed an addiction to cough medicine,laxatives, and stimulant meds it was that bad. I struggled with anorexia, bulimia, and even dabbled in just binge eating in general. About a year ago I had a trip on dxm( cough medicine) that changed my life. In that trip I realized that I was transgender. Also during that trip I realized that if I have a guys body instead of a girl body I would be fine with being a normal healthy weight. Since then I have been transitioning from male to female. I also went on testosterone around the same time and the changes from it practically cured my body over night. Like it’s just the weirdest thing. I’m actually about 20lbs heavier and weirdly enough i’m actually content and comfortable with my body for the first time in my life. I just wanted to post this incase it actually helps somebody else out. I didn’t even think that I would ever recover. Even my ed treatment team never though I would recover. Basically tl;dr transitioning and going on testosterone cured me without going through ed treatment.

Hey everyone, long but maybe a helpful post incoming.
I wanted to share my experience in depth with getting ill very suddenly in October of 2022 (8 months in) so this will be a bit of a longer post. I’m posting this to see if there are some similarities out there, maybe if anyone had some advice for me or even just share some progress, treatments or approaches.
Also for anyone reading that’s having a hard time with symptoms & long covid, I am keeping positive and will keep this post positive too. I strongly believe we will find the mechanisms at work; there is already so much research, testing etc. going on so please try keep your head up there’s a lot of people in this and a lot are getting better too. I am 28, male, active and healthy before this and had little to no health problems prior.
What happened to me at the beginning:
Went on a weekend away with friends at a quiet Airbnb near a beach from Friday through to Monday. Stayed at the airbnb all weekend and had some alcoholic drinks, using the hot tub and just hanging out.
I woke up on Monday morning and immediately started to projectile vomit and could not keep even a sip of watefood down. Vomiting at all is a very rare occurrence for me even after drinking so this was immediately a red flag. After about 3 or 4 hours this eventually subsided during the trip home.
After feeling not the best (flu-like symptoms with upset stomach, hot & cold, sore lower back) for 2 days after arriving home; on Wednesday I felt a dissociation/spaced out feeling come on suddenly while working at home & had what I felt was similar to a panic attack (heart racing, cold hands and feet, lightheaded) and after lying down from this I was slammed with the worst headache I've ever had. And this is where all my symptoms started. I can’t remember exactly when I tested (maybe 2 or 3 antigen tests at home) for covid during this time but it may have been a few days or maybe even a week after this but it was a negative test so for a long time I did not suspect covid. I was leaning more towards a bacterial or virus from the hot tub initially.
What followed:
Below are the symptoms I’ve experienced since then, I also contracted covid at the end of February so I’m unsure if I had Covid twice, or a post viral syndrome from another virus or bacteria that was exacerbated by Covid. EBV, Cytomeglo and further virus testing has come back negative and reading symptoms I feel that there is a lot of similarity with long-covid symptoms mentioned by everyone here.
​

• Headache - almost constant (mild to severe) (severe sinus & tension type headaches, ice pick headaches & pain at back of head as well as front and temples).
• Neck & Shoulder Pain - almost always (sharp or dull)
• Back Pain - often - mostly lower with stomach pain & sometimes middle & upper back
• Fatigue - occasionally - this seems to be on the milder side, can get through days fine.
• Sinus Swelling - often - CT scan showing persistent sinusitis - post nasal drip often follows. this particularly sucks and is very uncomfortable.
• Brain Fog - often, slightly less - comes with sinus swelling at times.
• Heart Palpitations - less often than before, sometimes onset - throbbing feeling in head and all over - multiple ECGs & 24hr Holter Monitor showed nothing.
• IBS - often for the first few months, now more rarely - irregular stool (size, frequency), undigested, sore abdomen strikes suddenly and can cause intense abdominal pain and diarrhea.
• General feeling of Malaise - often
• Tinnitus - often - sharp noise occasionally, low level ringing often.
• Dry/allergic/irritated eyes - occasionally
• Hacking up phlegm - often, onset
• Dermographism - occasionally - only real visible symptom that I’m having
• Twitching - more often recently
• Chest tightness - occasionally - breathlessness, short of breath or dry cough
• Mouth Ulcers & Eye Styes - every month or so, much more common during illness

Newer Symptoms (After contracting Covid):

• Anxiety & Depression - occasionally - related to health condition, have had good mental health until this. very up and down in progression. feel waves of sadness throughout the day or week.
• Pain in testicles - sore for a period of time, has come back a bit - Epididymis on left testicle side swollen, scrotum tightening occasionally, testing showed nothing. This is quite limiting for exercise & running
• Paresthesia - rare - feeling of sunburned skin (stomach, forearms, top of hands, nose and back of neck) - itchy sensations around body. This has subsided since it happened first.
• Hands turning red occasionally - especially when walking.
• Pain in joints, spine, hands - often - arthritis like feeling

My experience:
I wanted to add how things have been for me personally. I feel like I’ve been through my own hell so far. In the first few months I was doing fine as I assumed it would get better in a few weeks, maybe next month, definitely before Christmas etc. while managing symptoms and hanging on to the words of my favourite google search “does post viral syndrome go away” which always brought me the answer I wanted “it is temporary”. During February my mother was diagnosed with cancer and as an only child I think this is where my mental health began to suffer. In March when my testicular pain began I seen another doctor who mentioned central sensitization and my mind and ability to cope plummeted. I was scared out of my mind and I began to wonder if I would survive and had relegated myself to permanent disability for life. I would get a lot of awful feelings out of nowhere, an impending doom sense that was pretty engulfing. Thankfully I have an incredible partner who has been with me every step of the way and she has kept me from some very dark places, I am extremely lucky to have her. I worked for the initial 6 months after getting sick (work from home job) and told my work straight up that I needed support and to role back my responsibilities. Unfortunately as my mental health declined around March I had to step away from work (thankfully insured for now) but was unable to properly look at my work screen, do complex tasks or manage my work without feeling sluggish and needed to step away every 10 or 15 minutes.
The medical side:
I have seen a number of doctors, specialists including 2 A&E visits. Listed below are who I’ve seen and what I’ve done in chronological order. Thankfully have a close family friend who specializes in virology and took my case on to dive into deeper. After tons of testing for what feels like every variation of medical issue, the only thing that has shown up from all the testing done was a very recent positive test for Anti-CCP-AKS which points to polyarthritis as a symptom not a diagnosis. I have a gamma camera scheduled & a colonoscopy too for the summer. In terms of medication I did about 2 months on Amitriptyline, it probably helped some symptoms but I gained a lot of weight so stopped, I have found it hard overall to tell what helps and what doesn’t. One day I’ll try something I think “oh this helps” and then a few days later I’ll suffer symptoms while trying it out. I have tried my best to avoid taking medication and stick to supplements only.
Tests:

• Multiple Bloods - Initially B cells found, Anti-CCP-AKS (Positive at a low level)
• Urine - Normal
• Physical - Normal
• CT - Normal
• Chest X-ray - Normal
• Ultrasound of Abdomen, Scrotum, Thyroid, Bladder - Normal
• MRI of Brain - Normal

Diagnosis per doctor

• Food Poisoning (Walk-in GP)
• Acute Onset Virus (Urgent Care Clinic)
• Tension Headaches (Urgent Care Clinic)
• Bacterial Sinusitis (Walk-in GP)
• Viral Sinusitis (Walk-in GP)
• Post Viral Syndrome (Urgent Care Clinic)

Specialists diagnoses

• Post Viral IBS - (Gastroenterologist)
• Nothing to offer (Mentioned Central Sensitization is controversial) - (Neurologist)
• (Suspected) Central Sensitization (Internal Medicine - Referred)
• Post Viral Syndrome from unspecified Virus (Internal Medicine - Family Doctor who is following up)

Here’s what I’ve been supplementing & doing to support.

• High water consumption
• Vitamin B, D
• Omega 3 (3000mg daily)
• Magnesium (600mg daily)
• Probiotics (Align 1 capsule per day)
• Coconut water, multi-vitamin & electrolytes

Overall I feel a bit better but having plenty of attack/relapses/waves or whatever we want to call them. I find the biggest help is sleeping or resting as much as possible, hot showers and eating right. I’m happy to answer questions and see what compares. I would love some more advice on supplementation as I know its basic at the moment.

Hello all! First the question. I would like to know if anyone has had anything remotely happen with neuropathy and/or retinopathy while not having diabetes, but being prediabetic and with controlled BP and sugar levels. I have also lost 30 lb since July 2022 (approximately 15% body weight).
More details and what happened with apologies for the long message.
My blood pressure is now on the lower side (100-is over 70 is consistently, and no higher than 110 over 80 and I even saw 90 over 60 - now my dr. wants me to lower my BP meds but I haven't just yet).
However, about 10 days ago, on the previous weekend, I started to have burning/pain on the left side of my face and scalp around and behind my temple and ear and radiating up to the middle of my forehead. At the same time, I suddenly saw a dark shaddow with my right eye, especially if I was in bright light outside and then I was inside (I first thought I had too much mascara obstructing my upper eye vision.
I've been diagnosed with pre-diabestes (A1C 5.8) in July 2022 and with high blood pressure a long time ago (2011 I believe). For a few years, my blood pressure wasn't really controlled well, but it has been well controlled for the past year or so. I've been on medication for that before, but my blood pressure was still often elevated and I finally got it right a couple of years ago, after switching doctors.
I've been on Ozempic since about December 2022. I have lost about 12 lb before Ozempic and the rest since Ozempic, up to 30 lb as of today. My BMI is now around 27 ish. If I lose 15 more lb it will be 25. I stayed on the 0.5 mg of Ozempic until about 3 weeks ago when I upped to 1 mg because I wasn't losing any more weight. I had lost 6 lb in 3 months instead of approximately 1lb per week before that. The side effects on 0.25 and 0.5 mg were very mild, mostly constipation. The side effects on 1mg were pretty bad. The first day I've been very nauseous and exhausted and I had to go to bed at 8pm. I wanted to give up but I was told they go away so I took another 1 mg shot last week. It just seemed that the burning in my scalp had went down and once I took the second dose it came back very badly. Now it's down again, I would be due to take my dose today but I haven't yet.
Yesterday, I've had my annual eye exam, and they found what they call a cotton wool spot on the retina of my right eye, the one with the spot I've been seeing. I don't see the spot right now, I haven't for a few days. It wasn't there at last year's exam in March, before the pre-diabetes diagnosis. It is a sign of neuropathy. It's often due to high blood pressure and/or diabetes. They say they go away on their own in a couple of months but it is a sign of a systemic issue.
Well, that freaked me out! I thoguht I had everything under control. My last A1C was 5.4, my blood pressure is low if anything, I lost 15% of my body weight. Because my mother and grandmother both had strokes and died in their early 70s, I decided I'll avoid that exact fate by controlling my cardiovascular risk. Now I feel I have no control. I should not have symptoms when I don't even have diabetes and my BP is under control.
I would like to hear if anyone has had anything remotely similar happen with prediabetes and if anyone could give any opinions of any kind on how I may control the damage in the future. As of today, I don't see a spot out of my eye, and the pain is very localized to a small spot on the temple and barely noticeable. But if I take Ozempic and it comes back? Could that be the reason I have these issues?
I read some articles on the paradox of treatment-induced worsening neuropathy and retinopathy when blood sugar levels are rapidly improved by treatment. I wonder whether becuase of the coincidence of these with when I increased my Ozempic dose, it could be that. If it's that, should I stop taking Ozempic, or lower my dose? Should I switch to Metformin or take nothing? I won't see my PCP until October and I'll have the follow up at the eye dr. in August to see if that spot resorbed. Now I'm just freaking out and feel out of control! Thanks a lot for any advice!

I (32f) have never struggled with my weight until taking antidepressants. My current BMI is 27.5. Growing up and in my 20s my weight hovered around the underweight/normal border. Over the past ~7 years I've taken 4 different antidepressants for severe anxiety and depression, which I've had since I was a kid. On each one I lasted about 18 months before the weight gain would get to be too much for me, and I would stop taking them. The weight would fall off of me, but I would be suicidal. Then I would start a new one. That is the current cycle I'm stuck in. Currently I've been on Venlafaxine for 1.5 years and I am the heaviest I have ever been. I am getting married in 3 months and I don't want to get married at this weight, it doesn't feel like my body (my future spouse loves my body no matter what it looks like, this is completely a me problem).
I found a doctor who wants to prescribe Wegovy for me and she tested for every possible co-existing condition she could think of. Frustratingly, all of my stats are amazing. I eat super healthy, I exercise 6 days a week (lifting weights, running, rock climbing, yoga), and I have an active job. My A1C and glucose are low, my blood pressure is low, my cholesterol is normal, thyroid normal, no sleep apnea, no PCOS. It feels like I have to become more unhealthy just so I qualify for the med and then get back to a healthy weight. Either that, or get off antidepressants and go back to feeling suicidal.
Dr. says I need a comorbidity to get the medication approved by my insurance. If I were to try to pay out of pocket for just the next 3 months ($3000 I think?) what are the chances I would have decent results by the time my wedding gets here? Obviously I want to do this for more than just the wedding, but that is most definitely weighing on me. Thanks for listening.

Okay, right. First off, we can all agree that epididymitis is fucking shit. It took me to some horrible places, put my life on hold for way too long and ended up causing me to become depressed. I’m sure you can all relate. Please do read every point here, not just because it took me ages to write, but because a combination of everything is what is required to get over this cunt. I’ve had epi three times now. The first, chronically for 18 months which started in 2016, the second more acutely for 3 months in 2022. And the third time a month ago, which i’m just getting over (thank god). Everything I have learnt after the first time has helped me get rid of it quicker the next. FYI: Most of what I have written below is regarding first time I had Epi. The next two times I had it, I used all of the below points to speed up the recovery.
A bit about my pain The pain was in my left testicle, running down my left groin (sometimes I would feel pain in my right groin, but never right testicle) The pain at first was sharp, I couldn’t touch my balls, they were so, so painful. The pain was consistent, there was no real let up. After a few months, the pain became this dull ache. Which stayed for 16 months until I got rid of that. How did I get epi each time? Quite laughably from sitting down to piss. Seriously, don’t do it. You don’t push all of the urine out and it backs up; causing a UTI infection which will wipe out everything down there. I got prostitus along with epi the first time - horrible. I should have learnt the first time, but I get drunk and then lazy at 3am waking up to piss in the night. Urologists - I had 6 ultrasounds, they never found a thing. Urologists are at a loss with Epi, they believe in throwing antibiotics and pain medication at it. There is a great book called ‘Headache in the Pelvis’ - written by a urologist who actually got epi, thank god one of them did so that they could understand what we all go through and begin to work out how to deal with it. I recommend purchasing it and checking it out. Antibiotics - First time of epi i was on ciprofloxacin. In my opinion this didn’t clear it up. Was on them for 6 months, Dr’s just kept throwing them at me hoping it would solve it. It didn’t. The last two times i’ve been on Ofloxacin.This has been a game-changer, and it’s the NHS recommended antibiotic to treat it. This worked. It cleared the infection, but there was pain afterwards from all of the inflammation and this can take some time to heal. I suspect a lot of people here will have treated the initial infection, but be living with the pain it causes afterwards. I will detail how I managed the pain below. But first off, get these antibiotics as I know they now work. Antibiotics pt.2 - Strangely, I find that the antibiotics would hurt me after a while. Almost as if my body couldn’t break them down or tolerate them anymore, they seemed toxic to me. The pain gets worse the longer I’m on them. I’m not sure why but after a week of a two-week long course I was feeling bad down there. I found that after I completed a course the pain would start to reside into a more niggling, uncomfortable type of pain. IMO, the infection is defeated, but the damage it has done is now there. Ibuprofen & Paracetamol - Great at first, but taking these daily for me was making the pain worse. Again, not sure why, but if you’re taking them everyday to deal with the pain, give them a break and see how you feel. I would take one before bed the last two time’s i’ve had epi. Don’t over do them, I feel they’re toxic to your body after a while. Gabapentin - I was put on this pain medication the first time I had epi, was on it for 12 months and it did a great job in masking the pain, I thought I was cured until I stopped, and it was still there. The side effects of this medication was atrocious, it made me vacant and seriously depressed. It was a double edged sword, stick with it and be a shell of myself but pain free, or get off them and face the pain of epi. I’m currently on an SSRI treating the damage they did now. And feeling a lot lot better mentally. Back to the you before you got epi. The Mental Side - Epi totally took over my mind. I was in pain all day long, I couldn’t stop thinking about the area that the pain was coming from - all down the left side of my groin and into my left testicle. I believe that dwelling on it just continues to reinforce the pain, creating a sort of mental loop that you can’t break out of. There are times when you will be distracted from epi, briefly. And the pain isn’t there. This is proof to me that a part of this problem comes from it becoming ingrained in your mind. You’ve got to make a real attempt to stop thinking about it, not easy I know, but this one takes practice. When you feel the pain coming on, do something to distract you. Stress - At the time, epi aside, I was in a bad relationship and unhappy with my work situation. These external factors were causing me a lot of stress. I’m 100% sure that these negative feelings only continued to make the pain feel worse. They say stress affects the mind and body, and I totally believe that it does. I ended up getting out of my relationship and changing my job, and honestly, I began to feel better, the pain certainly decreased. Try and change external factors that are causing you problems. I’m not trying to say that the pain is all in your head, but a part of it is, try and change external factors that you can. It did wonders for me. Sitting and The Underwear Trick (sounds like an indie band name lol) - My worst enemy. I couldn’t sit for longer than an hour without the pain becoming excruciating. I have finally found a way to deal with this. I believe that tight underwear is restricting blood flow and damaging the pipes and all the rest of it that flows down the side of your groin into your balls. Roll up a sock and put it into your waistband on your hip. So that your underwear and pants aren’t pressing tightly into your groin. This one trick reduced my pain massively, it stopped my balls from swelling up and going all tight (you know what I mean). I believe it allowed my balls to heal quicker, with everything flowing to them as it should be. Wearing Lots of Underwear (not for me) - Apparently this is supposed to help, but it didn’t for me. The tightness was cutting off circulation and stopping my balls from healing - i’m sure of it. When I wear underwear, I combine it with the sock trick above, so that my balls are supported but the waistband isn’t restricting any flow into them Tennis Ball Trick - I got this one on here, rubbing a tennis ball firmly into the left and right side of your groin for 30 seconds at a time (don’t overdo it obviously). I got rid of the dull ache in my testicles from doing this about 5-6 times. Don’t ask me how that happened, I don’t know. But that numbing pain down there went away. Pelvic Floor Stretches - These did help, initially. I was 100% pain free for 3 weeks after starting them. There’s some great YT videos, have a look. I’m not sure why but the pain did return, and the moment it did I began to believe that the stretches didn’t work. As soon as my mind thought that, no matter how many more I did, it didn’t help - this is again a reason I believe epi pain is part a mental thing. When you stop believing in a treatment, it’s game-over. Water - Drink lots, it flushes your system. Caffeine - Would make the pain worse, I had to cut out caffeine completely. Shit I know because I need it to function, but worth cutting it. Alcohol - I had to cut down, I noticed after a night of drinking that the pain was worse the next morning. I think with it increasing the amount of times you need to piss, that this was probably hurting things. Sex & Masturbation - First time I had epi I was having sex about 3 or 4 times a week, it didn’t help. Try taking a break from this and wanking. I have found that the last two times i’ve gotten over epi, by cutting this down to almost nothing, i’ve recovered much much quicker. Nutritional Pills - Tried a lot that were recommended, never did much for me. I still take the Cranberry ones when it comes back, apparently it’s good for UTI’s. Lying Down - Part of the reason I first got rid of epi was because I started working from home. I stopped sitting down and decided to try working basically from my bed, more or less lying down with my laptop on me. This helped dramatically, I believe that the break it gave my balls from being sat on a chair and all the pressure on them and my groin was enough to get rid of the pain symptoms. It was the last thing I tried the first time I got epi, and it worked incredibly well. Think of your balls as an open scab, sitting on them everyday was basically just picking at the scab. Only when I gave my body the proper conditions to heal and took all the pressure off the area did the pain start to fully wear off. Gym & Sports - The first time I had epi I continued to gym, but the last two times I’ve cut out strenuous activity completely, I believe that taking it easy is another way to heal your body quicker. Do Not Lose Hope - I am proof that you can have Epi for a long time and still beat it. Pick yourself up, do it again and get back to living the life you had before this fucking mess. Don’t let it drag you into a dark place, remember, there is a mental side to this that you’ve got to stay on top of. If I remember anything else, I will post it in the comments. Cheers!

Hi Helpful REDDIT Humans,I wrote this letter, below the numbered points, for the Betterment of the Group, along with the input of my co-workers. I uploaded this letter to the Town Hall site for the February 10th, 2023 meeting for reduced hours or think out of the box for the retainment of staff. We are burnt out and no one is listening. I don't even think they even read the letter we submitted below. I modified some of this for protection. We are a Union workplace, I have not involved the Union.

1. We followed up a month later in March to Mike, Jeff, Liz and our manager Kelly (who likes to please leadership) and asked if they have come to any decisions, and also said if we could set up an appointment with any of them and it was CRICKETS.
2. Two weeks later we followed up again and invited any of them to our floor to talk to us. Again, met with CRICKETS. No one is replying to us.
3. We sent a 3rd follow-up a week later and asked to meet or they come to our floor. This time I included the National President of our company.
4. We finally got a response when we sent it the the National guy!!!! The state Leadership, Mike and Jeff and Director Liz were not happy about this and We finally got a response that said that we have been spoken to by management several times over the last few months regarding there will be no changes to the FTE. This is how they are going to retain nurses for the current shortage.
5. I replied that he received misinformation and no one came and talked to us. I asked 10 of my co-workers if they recall anyone talking to us about reducing hours or working 4-10's and no one recalls anyone coming to our floor.
6. Director Liz comes down to our floor the next day for our 0720 huddle unannounced huffing, puffing and pissed. She has her arms crossed and said she s here to talk but nothing is going to change. So we asked if we can try out 4-10 hours shifts. She said yes, but no reduction in FTE or the use of PRN's (as needed nurses).
7. I asked my manager Kelly for a blank schedule with how many nurses a day we need for the week, we took all the vacation requests for June and made it work using 21 nurses and no PRN staff!! We needed only 4 PRN nurses for the end of June to grant everyone the time off they asked for!!!!!
8. I submitted it to Director Liz and AGAIN had to follow-up a week later of what they thought. I asked my manager how the meeting went and she said they are running the numbers and I told her to please send this information out because the staff, at this point is demoralized. She did and it has been 2 weeks.
9. THIS IS WHERE WE NEED HELP. They just want us to go AWAY. This is very dysfunctional and neglectful. What is our next step? It has been 4 months of this.

​
THIS IS THE INITIAL LETTER WE SENT IN FEBRUARY:
To: Mike - Regional President Jeff, MD - President, Executive Medical Director From: Gastroenterology Staff - RN’s and MA’s Re: Flexible Schedules to Reduce Burnout and Increase Quality of Life Hello Mike and Jeff Thank You for holding this Town Hall meeting for the Region employees. We would like to take this opportunity to share with you our thoughts, ideas, feelings, and concerns regarding our life here in GI. Please know, GI is a wonderful place to work, our team is dynamic and patient care is fulfilling. As healthcare professionals, we are always looking for ways to improve patient safety and member satisfaction, improve our efficiency and make Kaiser Permanente Thrive. Our concern and frustration are that the required full-time employment (FTE) is unThriving many of us into the ground. It is demoralizing and makes it challenging to create a work-life balance. We have tried going the normal route of speaking to our managers. We have been told by Kelly our manager, that GI leadership says to talk to the Union, and we have spoken to the Union ad nauseam about this. A petition was circulated in the three GI departments to garner support for addressing FTE, which is below and shared with Nate our Union representative. Nothing has come of it. Union Reps have spoken to Steve, who is Kelly's Boss and it ends there, we have no idea if he presents it to Liz, who is the Ambulatory Surgery Center Admin. We are trying a new route, going from the top down. Our People Pulses reflect our dissatisfaction on several levels, but we never get to go over them as a Department to see if we can make improvements and talk about issues. We feel as though we are not Seen or Heard. Company has approximately spent $160,000 training Eight nurses that have left for three 12 houfour 10 hour shifts or went PRN THIS YEAR. Because Five/8 hour days are not sustainable. It takes approximately 2 months to train a nurse to get them up and running and a year or two to feel seasoned in GI. It is very stressful for the department to keep training people only to have them leave because the FTE is a 1.0 and then they realize the required hours are not sustainable. At the end of our workday, and work week we have very little time or energy to take care of family, home responsibilities and ourselves. As RN’s and MA’s our jobs in GI are very dynamic, physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. Physically we are constantly moving beds in and out of rooms, adjusting beds and patients for each case, getting patients ready for their procedures, making beds, and restocking supplies. During procedures some patients require a great deal more hands-on, applying pressure on the abdomen to help the doctor advance the scope through the colon, upper endoscopies may require us to hold hands, and or bracing the patient to help the DR. perform the procedure. Mentally we always have to be on. We are always assessing patients. Pre-oping patients many skills and assessments. During intra-op we are constantly assessing patients for safety and ensuring patient comfort, documenting the many patient assessments, and medication administered all while taking biopsies, cauterizing polyps, inking sites in the colon, dilating the esophagus, getting through tortuous colons, etc.
Also, many of the patients are anxious/angry or are being diagnosed with cancer and other GI diseases, all of which require extra care and can be emotionally draining. Our many work demands are unique to this department. Demands, that make us both love our job and also a need to create a balance of self-care to help us fulfill the Kaiser Permanente Mission. Quite simply, many of us are burnt out: There is increased absenteeism - which costs Company $ Increased employee turnover - which cost Company $ Increased employee workplace stress between employees - which costs Company $ Decreased employee trust, loyalty, motivation and morale - which costs Company$ Decreased employee productivity - which costs Company $ Harm to Company's Reputation and decreased respect for the organization’s mission and vision - which costs $ Please consider that St. Joe’s has openings for part-time work with benefits. GI in Oregon has 4/10 hour shifts, so does GI in California, California barely has a lot of 1.0’s, So it can be done, and it has been done at Kaiser in the past. Please consider changing the required FTE to 0.8 for Full Time/and the flexibility for 4-day/ 9-hour shifts, and 4-day /10-hour shifts for the RNs, and MAs. This would be beneficial and the staff would have the flexibility to schedule healthcare appointments for themselves and their families, get their car fixed, take their pets to the vet, increase their quality of life, and decrease stress. As we prioritize patient care, we also want all of our coworkers to have the ability to take care of themselves and their families. We have attached a screenshot of the seniority lists at all three GI locations. I think it's important to mention the inequality of FTE distribution across the three locations- Franklin has a much higher number of over all 1.0's, 13 total. All the 1.0 staff are getting resentful of fellow co-workers' lower FTE. Franklin alone has lost 5 - 1.0 just that have left Franklin GI this year. People who left (or are leaving) that were 0.6-0.8 FTE who then had their positions posted as a 1.0: Robin 0.7 last day 3/3 Heidi 0.6 People who left due to being unhappy with a 1.0 FTE in GI: Matthew - moved out of state Sara - went to KASC Lone Tree - 3/12’s Sara - went to KASC Franklin - 3/12’s Jane - went to Minors Lone Tree - 4/10’s Anna - went to Minors Rock Creek 4/10’s Jason - left for reduced hours outside of Kaiser Heidi - just gave her notice and is going to Ortho PRN Chanda-left procedures to do fibroscans With a 10-hour day shift this would allow us to; call patients, scrub schedules, and have a list of patients that can come in the next day when we see an opening. For example, a doctor had 3 cases fall off that cost Kaiser $3,000 - $1,000 per 30 minutes. We have about a 11 percent no show rate at Franklin, we could improve that by calling patients and filling in the gaps if the patient cancels with another patient. Scrubbing the schedules and increasing profits for Kaiser..there are so many ways we can be more dynamic and profitable. We can start a little earlier to set up our rooms, right now we have 15 minutes. Since Kaiser is coming down on the Doctors to do more and more and more, they are coming into our rooms earlier and earlier because Kaiser is making them do more in the same amount of time. It’s RUSH, RUSH and RUSHing all around. Please let us know how we can help support our case for a .8 FTE and/or 4 ten hour shifts. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter as it is very important to many, if not all of the RNs in the Colorado GI departments. If this doesn’t make it to the Town Hall, would you please respond to us regarding your thoughts about our letter, People Pulse, and maybe a visit to our Unit? It would mean a lot to hear a rationale instead of deaf ears and the word NO all the time, Or we can’t change it, because your schedule revolves around the Doctor’s schedule. Why is it so hard to TRIAL and/or TRY DIFFERENT schedules out to see if it makes an improvement? Thank you for your time and for listening to us, GI Colorado The letter below was from GI, circulated July 2022 Dear Company, We, the Employed Registered Nurses (RNs), Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) and Local 7 Healthcare Professionals, are respectfully requesting that full time employment (FTE) hours be reconsidered.
As committed employees of Company, we share the mission to deliver quality health care to every member. Our training to assess and care for our patients demands we be at our best with every patient contact, prioritizing patient safety and wellbeing. Currently new Registered Nurses are being hired at a 1.0 FTE, whereas RNs in the past have been hired at .9 and there are long term RN’s that are employed at a .8, .7 and .6 FTE. A five day, forty-hour work week does not allow for a balance between work and life, and limits flexible scheduling options for many RN and APP positions.
Kaiser invests a considerable amount of time to train newly hired RNs, and APPs. These new hires are initially excited to be a part of a respected and prestigious organization. They soon learn that the demands and inflexible scheduling are not conducive to creating a balance between career and family responsibilities or interests outside of work. We are hearing from our colleagues that they will not apply for a position that requires a forty-hour work week. We are losing good people to other organizations so that they can maintain a work life balance. As RNs, APPs, Local 7 Healthcare Professionals who value our careers as health care providers for Kaiser Permanente Members, we respectfully request that full time employment be flexible and part time positions be offered to allow for a work life balance. We are available to have an in person meeting to discuss this in further detail. Thank you for your serious consideration, GI https://www.thepermanentejournal.org/doi/10.7812/TPP/05-092 Some takeaways from the article: “If we’re not taking care of ourselves, then how can we take care of our members future and to our reputation,” from the late Bernard Tyson. He goes on to say, “They are critical to our future because we depend upon people to deliver our health care. Sure, technology and well-calibrated equipment are also key tools in health care delivery, but it’s the people who bring the experience to life for our members and key stakeholders. Plus, in order for us to be respected in our field and viewed as America’s health leader, we must walk our talk.” Supporting a work environment that promotes employee health, wellness, and work-life balance is directly aligned with KP and Labor Management intentions and goals. KP leaders will continue to demonstrate our commitment to the wellness of our workforce by caring and respecting the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of employees and physicians.” Work-Life Balance: Care Instructions - https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org › health-wellness As America’s health leader, we must walk our talk. https://www.theskimm.com/money After dealing with labor shortages and employee burnout, companies are taking things up a notch with work perks in 2023. And we’re not just talking about lunch stipends or ping-pong tables in the office. It’s called proactive rest. And it’s more than just taking your vacation days. Because waiting until you’re burned out to take care of yourself is so 2022. What is proactive rest? Proactive rest is how some companies are stepping up to prevent employee burnout at work, according to a Gartner workplace trends report. Instead of only relying on PTO, workplaces are adjusting their policies to give their employees breaks and flexibility. It's similar to active recoveries in fitness — rather than taking a full day of rest from working out, you might opt for a walk or some stretching instead. At work, proactive rest might look like: No-meeting blocks. When your company designates certain hours or days for no meetings. Flexible lunch breaks. Meaning, employees can choose when they take their breaks. Mandatory breaks. And that could be in addition to lunch. It may look like “wellness time” for you to take naps in the afternoon. Four-day work weeks. As in, getting the same amount of work done in fewer days — with no pay cuts. Office closures. That could mean a week-long company-wide break or summer Fridays. So you can switch from “TGIF” to “TGIT” from June through September. View post on Instagram Why is proactive rest important? Prioritizing rest can help companies boost productivity. It may sound counterintuitive, but a Gartner survey found a 26% increase in performance at companies that incorporated proactive rest. Plus, it could incentivize people to apply for jobs at these companies — and even slow turnover rates. Because burned out employees are more than three times likely to look for new jobs. For employees, burnout is still extremely common. And being able to get ahead of it can help avoid having to recover from burnout later on. Building rest into the work calendar can help encourage employees to actually use it. Because Americans aren’t the best at taking their PTO, even when it’s offered. And they typically put in extra hours: The average employee worked nine unpaid hours per week in 2022. If it sounds like hustle culture, it is. While it may be helpful for climbing the corporate ladder, it might come at the expense of your mental health. View post on TikTok theSkimm Companies are taking extra measures to keep employees’ mental health in check in 2023. Because free office snacks just aren’t cutting it anymore. And having the freedom to take care of yourself now can prevent you from struggling down the road.

I think this is a post that many need to read.
For a brief backstory, I am 24F, been going to OTF religiously since November of 2020. I have my CPT, GFI, and Nutritional Coaching certificates through ACE. I even worked for OTF for about a year before I moved states. I absolutely love OTF and have no complaint about my time there the last 3 years.
In the last year, I have actually fallen into a trap of feeling guilty when I can't make it into OTF at least 5 days a week. It affected my mood and self-image drastically, to the point that I would change all of my plans for the week just to fit in my classes, even if it kept people waiting for me to get back and ready to get to what we had planned. On top of this, I was in a caloric deficit when I shouldn't have been, and I refused to eat dessert or drink any alcohol simply because I was afraid of my hard work going to waste.
I moved states in May and started a job that requires I work on-site 40 hours a week in an office (I have a separate degree in Healthcare Administration). I was terrified of not being able to go to classes anymore, being off at 5 I either have to go after making dinner (7pm is the latest class here), OR I have to go at 5am (which means I can't see my husband in the morning because I'd have to go straight to work after class).
I had a conversation with my husband after breaking down about this when we first moved into our apartment, and he really made me realize just how obsessed I have been with OTF, and we made some adjustments to make me feel better while still hitting my goals. Being in an apartment with a gym, I understand this is easier for me than it may be for others, but I think this could help whether you're in the same boat as me or simply can't afford OTF unlimited (if you have another gym nearby):

1. I downgraded my membership to 8/month and motivate myself to use my apartment gym 2-3x a week. I use templates from this subreddit to pre-plan my workouts, even switching between 2G and 3G.
2. I made a google spreadsheet of the floor exercises I am confident in doing on my own, all that I have learned during my time at OTF and a few additions using gym equipment OTF doesn't have. I have the spreadsheet separated by Lower body, Upper body, Abs/Core, and Full Body. The night before I workout, I highlight a few in each category that I want to work on and stick to it once I get there.
3. I follow the exact template from early intel for the tread and rower (My apartment just got a rower, same one as OTF uses) and then I do my own floor exercises since my gym doesn't have a TRX or BOSU ball. I like this because I can have my own "focus" as far as strength training.
4. My husband comes with me to workout 1-2 times each week when I go to my apartment gym and I get to help him correct his form (he does his own strength training). It really is a whole new bonding experience and we have fun hitting the gym together, plus our commute is literally two doors over, lol.

This change hasn't been easy as I still feel somewhat bad about not being on my "normal" schedule, but these changes have helped me realize that I am fully capable of getting an effective workout outside of OTF if I put a little extra effort into planning, and I still get to go 2 days a week to get my group fitness class fix without breaking the bank and maintaining my mental health.
I have to remind myself that no matter how fit I get, no matter the amount of OTF workouts I complete, no matter the amount of workouts I skip, no matter what strict meal plan I try to stick to, there will come a time when I simply won't remember or care. The majority of us don't need to live to workout, we workout to have the ABILITY to live healthy and fulfilled lives.
I hope this comes across as positive advice to those who took the time to read it!

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Hey everyone! The title really explains the gist of it, but I'll give more details here.
I've had a lot of performance anxiety since we started dating, and I haven't been able to maintain an erection during sex. It's been a few months now. We've tried nearly everything, and I can tell he's getting frustrated, which is definitely adding to the stress of being unable to do it.
A friend of mine is a sex therapist and she has repeatedly told me to try viagra to get over the initial performance anxiety. I was against it for a while myself because I didn't think I needed it. I'm young, fairly healthy, and I know I have a high sex drive... so why wouldn't I be able to do it on my own? Unfortunately, I think every time we've tried and failed, it just adds to this horrible anxiety that I'm never going to be able to do it with him. Finally, I did my own research and it seems like a lot of people have used it for this reason, so I decided I wanted to give it a try (I haven't yet).
Part of the reason I was also so hesitant was because he was, and is, vehemently against it. I've tried to bring it up a few times and its always met with a hard "No, you don't need it," and that's it, but the frustration for both of us is causing a huge rift in the relationship. Everything else about it feels like a perfect relationship, but the lacking sexual intimacy is a huge strain for both of us.
I don't want to secretly take it without him knowing, but the emotional toll of being unable to perform is killing us both. I know why he's against it. The reason the sex is so important to him is because its a validation for him. I don't want to go into detail why that's the case because that isn't my story to tell, but I completely understand why. He's also mentioned before that, because we hadn't been able to do it, he thought I didn't find him attractive. That killed me because I think he's incredibly attractive, I constantly think about and get hard imagining the sex, but it just feels like my body is working against me when it comes down to actually doing it.
The reason I'm posting here is to look for any advice about the situation. I don't think the answer is taking it secretly. Not only do I not want to hide the fact I'm taking it from him, but I think if I did it and he found out, that would be the end of it. So no, I think he needs to be on board with it too, but how do I even approach the subject when he's so against even talking about it? Or is there something else I could be doing as well?
For clarity's sake, we've tried many different positions. He's tried to guide it in with his hand, we've tried masturbating prior to putting it in. And the foreplay beforehand is amazing, we both agree, and we've done it for an extended period of time before trying to penetrate but it'll just go soft when it comes time to actually do it.
Thanks for taking the time to even read this, I appreciate it!
tl;dr: I've had performance anxiety since the start of the relationship and can't stay hard during sex. My boyfriend is against me taking Viagra to help wean off the anxiety and refuses to have a discussion about it. How do I go about having that with him, or is there something else I could do?

Hi everyone,
I'm in my twenties, and I'm trying to find a suitable workout routine for my unique health situation and could really use your advice. For some background, I have chronic lower back pain and mild asthma. These conditions, unfortunately, keep me from many sports and other activities, but that doesn't mean I'm unable to keep healthy (which I also try to do with my diet). So, I'll start with what I have done and look for new suggestions that can be useful for me and ""healthier"" people as well, heh.
My doctors have cleared me for most types of exercises with the right precautions, but I often find myself uncomfortable and anxious with some routines due to my health concerns. For instance, I've tried running, but it causes significant discomfort due to my asthma. Also, weightlifting is off the table, as it puts too much stress on my back.
Still, there are some types of exercise that don't give me that much trouble. I've found swimming to be wholesome! It's low-impact and really helps with my breathing. Yoga has also been therapeutic, particularly for my back pain. I can also do light cycling, and I've started to enjoy some Pilates sessions.
Other than these, I've also looked into how to boost metabolism, and this one explains it best. Basically, regular exercise can significantly improve metabolic health, and even standing more during the day as opposed to sitting can positively affect it, which means people with even more severe conditions should never give up! Having a good metabolism is important for everyone, not just for those with health issues. This applies regardless of age, health status, or fitness level, as it affects body composition and energy levels.
Anyway, I'm especially interested in exercises that can be done at home, as I find it easier to manage my conditions here, but I'm open to all suggestions.
TL;DR: Please share experiences and recommendations on workout routines for those who've faced similar health issues. Maybe you've found exercise that I haven't considered yet? Sure hope so!

Hi everyone,
I've been posting on the dedicated threads recently, about my recent sense of achievement on my results, and I thought that I could create a bigger post with an overview of my progress so far. Brace yourselves, it's probably going to be a long post. Sorry in advance.
The beginnings:
I actually started weightlifting at the beginning of 2018. I was fresh out of my PhD, where I had gained 10kgs thanks to a burnout and anti-depressant medication. This was followed by a bad breakup where I lost those 10kgs in one month as I just could not eat. I went from 55kgs to 65kgs at my heaviest, back to 55 kgs. While in the end, I was happy to be back at what I considered my regular weight, I was very much skinny fat: https://i.imgur.com/5dJPvCt.jpg
In April 2018, I enrolled in the gym next to my new job. Started with a short program for my back paired with a few cardio classes, then transitionned to weightlifting, following PHUL(power, hypertrophy, upper lower, 4 days a week). At the time, I had gone back to 58kgs after a month with my parents and wanted to go back to 55kgs, so I was cutting and eating 1600 cal a day.
I was kind of consistent, until mid 2019. Went back to 56kg at my lowest and looked like that:
https://imgur.com/N2eKGPn
https://imgur.com/UoJi2aD
https://imgur.com/Qtjfih5
​
Then, I suffered an overuse injury in my hip, and everything went to hell. Combined with Covid, moving to a different country, doing online classes and project to try to shift carreers, I neglected a bit the gym.
​
2022-2023: 11 months of treating the gym like a job
In July 2022, coming back from our holidays, I decided I wanted to focus again on weight lifting after weighing myself at 63 kgs, which was really close to my all time heaviest. At started back on a cut, aiming for 1500 cal a day and at least 100g proteins (but really aiming for 120g), going to the gym 4 days a week with my trusted PHUL, without being able to squats because of my old hip injury which never really healed and liked to flare up for no reason.
I tried to be cautious, but still injured my shoulders along the way, so I had periods where I focused more on legs, and others where I focused more on upper body, depending on which part of my body needed extra nursing. From july 2022 to end of september 2022, I went back to 58 kgs. At some point in the middle, I started to add stationary bike everyday and it really helped me shed the weigh faster.
In October, we moved to a different town. For one month, the kitchen was split in two apartments, so we ate out a lot of the time and I stopped tracking calories, still going to the gy, thinking that it would be a good opportunity to lean bulk.
It wasn't a lean bulk. It wasn't dramatic, but between this and the end of the year, I ended up taking a month out of the gym in December and went back to 61.5 kgs at the beginning of January 2023. I decided that to ease back into my routine, I would start by going back to the gym and count my calories, without restricting. Trying to go for 2 months of maintenance, before going for 3 months of cut for summer.
I was kind of disapointed at first as after 2 months of what should have been a recomp, I didn't really looked different, but I kept on going. Mid January, I invested in a fitbit watch, and it really helped me be more active in general by encouraging me to walk my 10 steps a day, logging my water and food consumption and be more mindful of my sleep hygiene.
I effectively maintained at 61.5kg in January and February, eating at 2100 cal a day. In March, I cut to 1500 cal a day, started doing 45 minutes of stationary bike after each gym session and the weight just dropped like a stone. I was thinking that it was a bit too quick, so Iauthorized myself to eat a bit more, upping at 1700 to 1800 most of the days for the 2 next months, and ended my cut a few days ago at 58 kgs:
Here is a summary of my appearance throughout the 11 months: https://i.imgur.com/2k7E3QS.jpg
I now have:

• abs: https://i.imgur.com/f29WoiC.jpg
• big shoulders: https://i.imgur.com/Olw13IV.jpg
• big arms: https://i.imgur.com/1n51HNt.jpg https://i.imgur.com/igkfJmW.jpg
• big back: https://i.imgur.com/kcNRcNi.jpg
• kind of a booty: https://i.imgur.com/QXrdoJ9.jpg

What I did:
I took a bit of time to find my preferred program and frequency for the gym, but ultimately, I settled down on a Pull/Push/Legs split, going to the gym 6 days a week. This one specifically.
​
Now, I usually spend 30 minutes warming up and doing mobility exercises to minimize the risks of injuries, then for the first big lift of the day, I would make a pyramide to work up to ny working weight to the day and warm up the joints for the specific moves. Except for a few occasions where the ego lift got the better of me, it's worked pretty well to help me lift injury free since I started doing that. However, I end up spending at least 2 hours just for the lifting session, which is followed then by my 45min to 1h15min (depending on the series I watch during my bike session) of cardio. Definitely too much time and I need to find a way to cut a bit of time. Now that I am not cutting anymore, I am cutting the cardio: not everyday, and not for as long.
My lifts have progressed, even thought I was cutting and I am now at:

• Benchpress: 42.5 kgs for 5*5 reps
• OVH press: 27.5 kgs for 5*5 reps
• Deadlifts: 75 kgs for 5*5 reps
• Squats: 40 kgs for 5*5 reps
• Pull ups: can rep 4 strict pull ups

My squats are very weak compared to my other lifts, but because of old injuries from 2018, I had been unable to squat pain free for years, even with just my body weight, so I am actually very happy with this number. Now that I am eating more, I hope it will go up and catch up with the others.
Nothing really impressive, but I am quite proud and stronger than I've ever been.
​
What I learned/Impact:
Tracking my weights, calories and heart rate in addition to my menstural cycle haa been eye opening to me on the impact my cycle has on me.
For example:
Weight loss and period
Resting heart rate and period
When I started doing cardio, my resting heart rate dropped dramatically. However, when it started rising again, I was worried and thought that I was overtraining or something. Turns out, not only do I have water retention around my ovulation and periods, my resting heart rate is also very much cycling and is at its lowest at the end of my period and at its highest a few days before them. And I don;t even know why I was surprised. A week before my period, I am always plagued by fatigue and spend just so much time in bed! Turns out it's not just in my head, or me being lazy. I actually have physical symptoms that explains it.
I have also learned to work around my injuries to keep training, while leaving my problematic joints/muscles resting, which helped me be more consistent and i think it really helped with the results I can see now. I have lost of little painful things that are slowly starting to disappear:

• the sole of my left foot was really painful and prevented me to run for the longest of time: now that I do calf raises without using my hands to stabilize my self, my left ankle that I had strained a few years ago is getting stronger and this pain has disappear.
• my hyperlaxed wrists are finally strong enough for me to do push ups where i was previously able to hurt myself carying the laundry or brushing my hair.
• as mentionned. earlier, I can finally squat pain free after years of instant pain each time I would attempt a body weight squat.
• I used to have worrying chest pain where I would be unable to take deep breaths without pain, which looked to me like I had a pinched nerve in my shoulder that would run through my whole chest (medical exams didn't show anything): now that my chest and back have more muscles, i haven't feel this in months).

And finally, of course: My confidence is through the roof. I'm very happy with the way I llok right now and very happy with the sun allowing me to finally only wear minishorts and crop tops XD.
​
Now what?
It's been a week since the end of the cut. I'm aiming to eat 2000 to 2100 calories a day, still going to the gym 6 days a week for 1h30/2h00 and scaling back on the stationary bike to only 35 minutes maybe everyother day. My weight is already up to 59kgs, but I'm guessing it's just the water retention of eating more carbs and more in general. If I maintain at 59kg for the next months, it will be good enough for me. At the end of summer, I'll try to bulk again until march of next year for a new cut and I hope bigger muscles for next summer :).
​
I hope this was interesting for you. If you have questions, dont hesitate. And again, sorry for the length of the post!
​
Edit: Struggles with others' perception:
I forgot to add a part that I also wanted to discuss: how people are perceiving my fitness journey.
For the most part, people have been supportive and why wouldn't they, right? It's always a good thing when you decide to tackle your lifestyle and decide to be healthy, right?
I have atually struggled with the reaction people have been having.
I've mentionned my mother on the subreddit who has been calling me to tell me to not defile my body because she doesn't wan ta muscular daughter with veins popping everywhere. I know she means well and have 0 idea of how hard putting on muscle is as a woman, so I'm not really mad at her, but oh boy! That's one of the most violent thing she's told me since I've been an adult. Fortunately, she's kind of the only one having had this reaction.
The ones that annoy me the most are the people that are taking my cut as an attack on them and how they eat somehow. Like people constently making notes of what I should or should not eat "since i'm on a diet". They're close family and I don't want to start a war, but it's okay: I'm an adult, I can take care of my diet on my own and it turns out, I have been budgeting my calories to be able to enjoy this nice family meal in peace. And even if it wasn't the case, I would still eat the nice family neal and enjoy the occasion. One day overboard is just that to me: one day. But well...
And finally, the most subtle of them all: my partner who probably doesn't even notice he's doing it. While he is very encouraging of me working out and putting on muscle, each time i mention maintenance or bulk, he always downplays the bulking part and "reminds me" that it's also okay to not eat too much. Which really infuriates me when I am negotiating with myself over adding half a tablespoon of oil on my salad when he is pouring half a bag of parmesan cheese on his pasta. I KNOW what he means. But he should also know by now that if I want to grow my glutes and hamstrings that he likes so much, I need to fuel the machine! And now that I have recomped a bit he has 0 filters to point out every part that used to look bigger and are now new insecurities that I didn't know I should have ( apparently, I am the reverse "fat girl with the nice face", I have a double chin before reaching the second half of the healthy BMI.
To finish on a positive note: Since eating more, I have been in a way better mood as I am not hangry anymore, so I really hope that this change will make him see that he doesn't need to micromanage my diet.
Edit 2: My approach to nutrition
I realised I could have been more detailed about how I approached nutrition. My absolute priority has been to reach at least 100g of proteins a day while staying under my calorie goals. My go to were protein bars in the morning, just before my gym session (I am guilty of using this as a carrot to drag my as to the gym some mornings when I have no motivation XD), cottage cheese with blueberries as afternoon snacks, scoop of proteins in my porridges (savory or sweet) and hard boiled eggs. It was easier for me to reach my calorie goals once it started to be warmer and I wasn't as tempted to go for the hot lasagnas in my supermarket on my way home.
I would say that I was loosely counting on the sense that I would weigh and count things that were calorie dense and not bother you for fruits and vegetables as I consider that the vitamins they provide is more important than the few calories over my limit. I was also counting on the daily cardio, mainly to be able to be more lax with my counting. Since starting on this journey I have almost completely cut alcohol. I wasn't a big drinker before (only binging during night outs) and after a few months of not drinking, I was really not enjoying neither the taste, nor the awful recovery the day after. Now I'm just not interested anymore. Nothing pleases me more than enjoying a night out with friends and still enjoy my morning the day after.
I had 4 cheat days during the last 3 months : my sister in law's baby shower, my birthday, our 10 years anniversary and a weekend at a friends in the mountains. My philosophy was to enjoy the days and company. Count everything. Try to overshoot when I estimate. Acknowledge and move on.
If I was injured and knew I had to dial back the training for a few days, I would eat 2000 calories for a few days to help my body heal. Not sure if it was really necessary, but it was a nice change of pace.
I think the worst part for me was the last few weeks of May. As seen on the graph, my weight shot up more than usual between my ovulation and my periods which were late. It was really frustrating to see the weight so high while still in a caloric deficit, but the flush after that was all the more satisfying.