Dr morse's healthy circulation upper body
[Porter] Bergeron won't play in St. Louis, either. Six days without a game (Thursday vs. Toronto) gives him a chance to get as healthy as possible. Montgomery said he's dealing with upper- and lower-body issues.
2023.04.01 21:49 Ok-Damage8659 [Porter] Bergeron won't play in St. Louis, either. Six days without a game (Thursday vs. Toronto) gives him a chance to get as healthy as possible. Montgomery said he's dealing with upper- and lower-body issues.
submitted by Ok-Damage8659 to hockey [link] [comments]
2023.04.01 21:14 Cutecutter1 To Patients, Herpes Can Be Devastating. To Many Doctors, It’s Not a Priority.
Thought this group would find this article from the NYT interesting. Here's a link to the article but I c/p it below.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/18/well/herpes-treatment-stigma.html
Feb. 18, 2023
Leer en español
Billions of people live with the infection, but there has been scant progress for treatments and tests.
When Lauren went to her doctors with stinging clusters of sores on her genitals, she assumed the pain was from a urinary tract infection. But at the OB-GYN, her doctor swabbed the bumps and told her that the rash was herpes. “No,” she remembered responding. “It’s not.
At the time, Lauren, who asked that her last name be withheld in order to talk about personal health issues, was a 19-year-old college student. She was in a two-year monogamous relationship with her second-ever sexual partner — a guy who occasionally dealt with an errant blister on his lip.
They hadn’t known that oral herpes could induce cold sores, and that HSV-1, the virus that causes oral herpes, could be transferred to the genitals. Lauren’s boyfriend was convinced that she had cheated on him, and he broke up with her, she said
Lauren became withdrawn and almost failed out of college. “You think, Why does anything even matter anymore?” she said. “I’m never going to date. I’m never going to have a boyfriend.”
That was in 2013. Over the last decade, Lauren has had only a few additional outbreaks, none as painful as her first. The mental strain — the depression she fell into after the diagnosis, the fear that future partners wouldn’t accept her — has been, by far, the hardest part of managing the disease. “It attacks your self-worth,” she said.
Herpes is extremely common: The World Health Organization estimates that 3.7 billion people live with HSV-1, some oral and some genital. And cases like Lauren’s, where HSV-1 spreads to the genitals during oral sex, have sharply increased over the past two decades, said Dr. Jonathan Zenilman, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who specializes in sexually transmitted infections.
But herpes isn’t a top priority for researchers, said Dr. Larry Corey, a professor and virologist at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle who has studied the virus. It isn’t even the top priority among those who study sexually transmitted infections, he added. “The disease has been sort of ignored by both the pharmaceutical industry as well as the medical research establishment,” he said.
There are several potential reasons for this, experts theorize, including the relatively mild physical symptoms for most patients, clinicians’ reluctance to discuss sexual health and how hard it is to develop a vaccine for herpes.
“The fact that a lot of the toll is psychological makes physicians not that interested in it,” said Dr. Anna Wald, a clinical virologist and a professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
There has been little progress on more accurate tests, vaccines or additional treatments over the last few decades, Dr. Wald said. Part of the challenge is that the herpes virus can hide inside neurons that are shielded from the immune system, making the body’s immune response insufficient at eradicating the virus, she said — that’s why herpes remains in a person’s body for life. Vaccine attempts, so far, have not stimulated an immune response that can control the virus or prevent infection, she said.
If a patient does not have symptoms, doctors typically diagnose herpes with an antibody test that is frequently inaccurate. Up to half of positive commercial test results could be false, according to past research. There is another antibody test, called the herpes Western blot, that scientists consider the gold standard in diagnosing herpes — but the test is only available through the University of Washington, which can be cumbersome and expensive for patients to obtain. Testing is typically reliable when a patient has symptoms; doctors can swab a lesion and run a highly sensitive molecular test.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force doesn’t recommend routine genital herpes screenings for people without symptoms, in part because false positive rates are so high. On Tuesday, the task force reaffirmed its recommendation. In a related paper, a group of doctors wrote that the recommendation was, in part, based on “psychosocial harms” associated with false positives on herpes tests.
And so the virus continues to spread essentially unchecked — exacerbated by just how ineffective the most widely available tests for herpes are, said Terri Warren, a nurse practitioner who has researched herpes.
As cases circulate, patients are left grappling with a diagnosis that can be psychologically devastating, Dr. Zenilman said.
“You can control the symptoms,” he added. “But lots of people feel stigmatized, dirty.”
Those who contract HSV-1 may develop blisters on or around their mouths or, in some cases, on their genitals. HSV-2, the other predominant strain, is usually characterized by one or more lesions around the genitals or the rectum. In the United States, around one in six people between the ages of 14 and 49 has genital herpes, and over half of adults have oral herpes.
Antiviral medications help reduce the amount of the virus a person sheds, lowering the chance that someone with herpes will pass it on to a sexual partner. Some patients take antivirals daily; others only take medication when they have an outbreak. But the risk of spreading herpes is never zero. The disease lingers in the body, putting the onus on patients to disclose their diagnosis to anyone with whom they have intimate contact.
When Lauren started dating after her diagnosis, she found herself staying in relationships for longer than she might otherwise, scared nobody else would want to be with her. “I thought I was going to die alone,” she said.
Brittany, 29, who asked that her last name be withheld in order to discuss her personal health, only thinks about her HSV-2 when she scrolls through a dating app. In the two years since she was diagnosed, she’s only had one outbreak. Still, when she looks at each profile, she wonders how the man would respond to learning about her diagnosis. “I just worry so much that people are going to judge me,” she said. “That no matter how I present it to them, I’ll still face rejection. That weighs heavily on me.”
Some men have told her, flat-out, that they would never date someone with herpes, but what bothers her, too, are the ones who say, “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me,” she said. “I wake up every day and I’m fine.”
Scientists have worked on herpes vaccines in fits and starts since the 1970s, said Dr. Harvey Friedman, a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine who has studied the disease for over 40 years. But past attempts have failed, for reasons researchers are still trying to uncover.
Because herpes has been around for so long, the viruses have evolved alongside us, making them more difficult to eradicate, said Christine Johnston, an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine who has studied herpes.
There are new vaccines under development. Dr. Friedman is working with BioNTech on an HSV-2 vaccine candidate that was given to the first human subject in December. But none are in late-stage clinical trials, said Dr. Ina Park, a professor of family and community medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and author of “Strange Bedfellows: Adventures in the Science, History, and Surprising Secrets of S.T.D.s.” “There’s nothing anywhere close to prime time,” she said.
“It’s one of the biggest secret societies in the world,” said Ms. Dawson, a novelist and writer who often speaks publicly about her experience with herpes.
Courtney Brame, 34, started the herpes education advocacy organization and podcast Something Positive for Positive People after his own HSV-2 diagnosis. He’s seen how the disease “completely shatters a person’s identity,” he said, partly because of how central sexuality can be to someone’s self-worth. “They don’t feel like they have anything to contribute to a relationship now, just because they have herpes,” he said. “It’s like, ‘Who’s going to want me now that I have this?’”
Mr. Brame has seen this in his own life. He was once messaging a woman on Tinder who brought up her struggle with chronic asthma; when he disclosed his own chronic condition, she stopped responding. But more often than facing rejection, when he shares his diagnosis, he said, he gets a different response: Women share that they, too, have herpes.
Herpes stigma stems in part from the idea that people with the infection have done something “wrong,” Dr. Park said. But you can exercise every precaution and still get it, she added — condoms do not entirely prevent transmission, and you don’t even need to have penetrative sex to contract the virus.
Though condoms can reduce the risk of transmission, not everyone with herpes will use a barrier method in long-term, monogamous relationships. In 2021, Something Positive for Positive People conducted a survey of over 1,000 people diagnosed with herpes; around 66 percent said a partner had consented to sex without a condom or other barrier method. And there is little research on how the virus spreads between women who have sex with women, Dr. Park said.
Medical providers, in general, often don’t receive extensive education on talking to patients about sexual health, Dr. Johnston said. When it comes to herpes in particular, “health care providers can be really insensitive about it and minimize it,” she said. “This is thought of more as a nuisance than a serious infection.”
“Clinicians don’t want to deal with this,” Ms. Warren said. “It involves people talking about sex. They’re crying, they’re going to have to talk about various specifics like is oral sex OK, is anal sex OK — I don’t think they want to go there,” she said.
Without support from doctors, or medical innovations to cure the infection, people with herpes are left “dealing with two viruses at the same time,” as Ms. Dawson put it. “You’re dealing with the physical symptoms of the virus,” she said, “and you’re dealing with the mental strain.”
Dani Blum is a reporter for Well.
submitted by Cutecutter1 to Herpes [link] [comments]
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/18/well/herpes-treatment-stigma.html
To Patients, Herpes Can Be Devastating. To Many Doctors, It’s Not a Priority.
📷By Dani BlumFeb. 18, 2023
Leer en español
Billions of people live with the infection, but there has been scant progress for treatments and tests.
When Lauren went to her doctors with stinging clusters of sores on her genitals, she assumed the pain was from a urinary tract infection. But at the OB-GYN, her doctor swabbed the bumps and told her that the rash was herpes. “No,” she remembered responding. “It’s not.
At the time, Lauren, who asked that her last name be withheld in order to talk about personal health issues, was a 19-year-old college student. She was in a two-year monogamous relationship with her second-ever sexual partner — a guy who occasionally dealt with an errant blister on his lip.
They hadn’t known that oral herpes could induce cold sores, and that HSV-1, the virus that causes oral herpes, could be transferred to the genitals. Lauren’s boyfriend was convinced that she had cheated on him, and he broke up with her, she said
Lauren became withdrawn and almost failed out of college. “You think, Why does anything even matter anymore?” she said. “I’m never going to date. I’m never going to have a boyfriend.”
That was in 2013. Over the last decade, Lauren has had only a few additional outbreaks, none as painful as her first. The mental strain — the depression she fell into after the diagnosis, the fear that future partners wouldn’t accept her — has been, by far, the hardest part of managing the disease. “It attacks your self-worth,” she said.
Herpes is extremely common: The World Health Organization estimates that 3.7 billion people live with HSV-1, some oral and some genital. And cases like Lauren’s, where HSV-1 spreads to the genitals during oral sex, have sharply increased over the past two decades, said Dr. Jonathan Zenilman, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who specializes in sexually transmitted infections.
But herpes isn’t a top priority for researchers, said Dr. Larry Corey, a professor and virologist at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle who has studied the virus. It isn’t even the top priority among those who study sexually transmitted infections, he added. “The disease has been sort of ignored by both the pharmaceutical industry as well as the medical research establishment,” he said.
There are several potential reasons for this, experts theorize, including the relatively mild physical symptoms for most patients, clinicians’ reluctance to discuss sexual health and how hard it is to develop a vaccine for herpes.
“The fact that a lot of the toll is psychological makes physicians not that interested in it,” said Dr. Anna Wald, a clinical virologist and a professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
There has been little progress on more accurate tests, vaccines or additional treatments over the last few decades, Dr. Wald said. Part of the challenge is that the herpes virus can hide inside neurons that are shielded from the immune system, making the body’s immune response insufficient at eradicating the virus, she said — that’s why herpes remains in a person’s body for life. Vaccine attempts, so far, have not stimulated an immune response that can control the virus or prevent infection, she said.
If a patient does not have symptoms, doctors typically diagnose herpes with an antibody test that is frequently inaccurate. Up to half of positive commercial test results could be false, according to past research. There is another antibody test, called the herpes Western blot, that scientists consider the gold standard in diagnosing herpes — but the test is only available through the University of Washington, which can be cumbersome and expensive for patients to obtain. Testing is typically reliable when a patient has symptoms; doctors can swab a lesion and run a highly sensitive molecular test.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force doesn’t recommend routine genital herpes screenings for people without symptoms, in part because false positive rates are so high. On Tuesday, the task force reaffirmed its recommendation. In a related paper, a group of doctors wrote that the recommendation was, in part, based on “psychosocial harms” associated with false positives on herpes tests.
And so the virus continues to spread essentially unchecked — exacerbated by just how ineffective the most widely available tests for herpes are, said Terri Warren, a nurse practitioner who has researched herpes.
As cases circulate, patients are left grappling with a diagnosis that can be psychologically devastating, Dr. Zenilman said.
“You can control the symptoms,” he added. “But lots of people feel stigmatized, dirty.”
How herpes got sidelined
Herpes can be severe in certain cases: Babies can contract neonatal herpes from their mothers, putting them at risk for severe complications and even death. For people who are immunocompromised, outbreaks can be more prolonged and painful. In the vast majority of cases, though, people will have very mild symptoms, and many will have none. That’s part of the reason the infection is so pervasive: People pass it onto partners without knowing they have herpes.Those who contract HSV-1 may develop blisters on or around their mouths or, in some cases, on their genitals. HSV-2, the other predominant strain, is usually characterized by one or more lesions around the genitals or the rectum. In the United States, around one in six people between the ages of 14 and 49 has genital herpes, and over half of adults have oral herpes.
Antiviral medications help reduce the amount of the virus a person sheds, lowering the chance that someone with herpes will pass it on to a sexual partner. Some patients take antivirals daily; others only take medication when they have an outbreak. But the risk of spreading herpes is never zero. The disease lingers in the body, putting the onus on patients to disclose their diagnosis to anyone with whom they have intimate contact.
When Lauren started dating after her diagnosis, she found herself staying in relationships for longer than she might otherwise, scared nobody else would want to be with her. “I thought I was going to die alone,” she said.
Brittany, 29, who asked that her last name be withheld in order to discuss her personal health, only thinks about her HSV-2 when she scrolls through a dating app. In the two years since she was diagnosed, she’s only had one outbreak. Still, when she looks at each profile, she wonders how the man would respond to learning about her diagnosis. “I just worry so much that people are going to judge me,” she said. “That no matter how I present it to them, I’ll still face rejection. That weighs heavily on me.”
Some men have told her, flat-out, that they would never date someone with herpes, but what bothers her, too, are the ones who say, “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me,” she said. “I wake up every day and I’m fine.”
Scientists have worked on herpes vaccines in fits and starts since the 1970s, said Dr. Harvey Friedman, a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine who has studied the disease for over 40 years. But past attempts have failed, for reasons researchers are still trying to uncover.
Because herpes has been around for so long, the viruses have evolved alongside us, making them more difficult to eradicate, said Christine Johnston, an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine who has studied herpes.
There are new vaccines under development. Dr. Friedman is working with BioNTech on an HSV-2 vaccine candidate that was given to the first human subject in December. But none are in late-stage clinical trials, said Dr. Ina Park, a professor of family and community medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and author of “Strange Bedfellows: Adventures in the Science, History, and Surprising Secrets of S.T.D.s.” “There’s nothing anywhere close to prime time,” she said.
‘One of the biggest secret societies’
When Ella Dawson, 30, contracted genital HSV-1 in college, she started to post openly about her diagnosis on social media. To her surprise, people came out of the woodwork to share their stories — friends, relatives, even a cashier who worked at the grocery store on campus. Many told her that they had never disclosed their diagnosis to anyone other than a sexual partner.“It’s one of the biggest secret societies in the world,” said Ms. Dawson, a novelist and writer who often speaks publicly about her experience with herpes.
Courtney Brame, 34, started the herpes education advocacy organization and podcast Something Positive for Positive People after his own HSV-2 diagnosis. He’s seen how the disease “completely shatters a person’s identity,” he said, partly because of how central sexuality can be to someone’s self-worth. “They don’t feel like they have anything to contribute to a relationship now, just because they have herpes,” he said. “It’s like, ‘Who’s going to want me now that I have this?’”
Mr. Brame has seen this in his own life. He was once messaging a woman on Tinder who brought up her struggle with chronic asthma; when he disclosed his own chronic condition, she stopped responding. But more often than facing rejection, when he shares his diagnosis, he said, he gets a different response: Women share that they, too, have herpes.
Herpes stigma stems in part from the idea that people with the infection have done something “wrong,” Dr. Park said. But you can exercise every precaution and still get it, she added — condoms do not entirely prevent transmission, and you don’t even need to have penetrative sex to contract the virus.
Though condoms can reduce the risk of transmission, not everyone with herpes will use a barrier method in long-term, monogamous relationships. In 2021, Something Positive for Positive People conducted a survey of over 1,000 people diagnosed with herpes; around 66 percent said a partner had consented to sex without a condom or other barrier method. And there is little research on how the virus spreads between women who have sex with women, Dr. Park said.
Medical providers, in general, often don’t receive extensive education on talking to patients about sexual health, Dr. Johnston said. When it comes to herpes in particular, “health care providers can be really insensitive about it and minimize it,” she said. “This is thought of more as a nuisance than a serious infection.”
“Clinicians don’t want to deal with this,” Ms. Warren said. “It involves people talking about sex. They’re crying, they’re going to have to talk about various specifics like is oral sex OK, is anal sex OK — I don’t think they want to go there,” she said.
Without support from doctors, or medical innovations to cure the infection, people with herpes are left “dealing with two viruses at the same time,” as Ms. Dawson put it. “You’re dealing with the physical symptoms of the virus,” she said, “and you’re dealing with the mental strain.”
Dani Blum is a reporter for Well.
2023.04.01 21:00 RanfoMedia Fully recovered in just under 3 months, from a fibula fracture near the ankle
This is gonna be a long post but I wanna make this thread for those who have had just had a similar injury to mine and are feeling depressed, like there's no end in sight. I might delete this thread after a while, but we'll see. So I'm gonna try and make this easy and clean to read and break it up in sections.
TL:DR? It sucks now, but you will bounce back. 50% of that will be on you too because you cannot be complacent once you're allowed for partial or full weight bearing. You gotta put in the work to get better, but you will be back to normal. I promise you.
Break Day: Jan 2nd, I was biking on a trail I usually go to in my city with this awesome new Specialized Sirrus X3 I just got two months ago and was still breaking it in. I got to a small walk bridge that had a 70 degree left turn. I was going 18km/h which is my average speed. I overcalculated the turn by being too cocky and swayed my body to make the turn at my speed because I was feeling edgy that day. Thing is, the tires are not built for that on this type of bike. They're not MTB tires or wide enough to grip for those kinda turns.
So I began to lose control and fight or flight mode kicked in because there was a small river with rocks next to me on my right side that I didn't wanna fall into. Somehow in this fight or flight mode response, my feet locked on the pedals and somehow, that broke my fibula. I could feel this dull ache getting more painful by each second until I fell off on my left side. The pain felt like a nasty ache combined with pulling a muscle, a good 8.5/10 on the pain scale. I was in shock. I couldn't breathe once I fell. I never had this type of shortness of breath before. I had to get up immediately because I didn't know wtf just happened.
Getting up was that same pain, increased to a solid 10, but I got up fast and it went back to 8. Now, for my next challenge. This trail I was on? It wasn't close to any road. I couldn't get an ambulance there because there was no access for them to come there. I had to power through and walk. Either direction had a steep 90 degree incline up. I was not looking forward to that. I called my mom to come meet me by a checkpoint in the road near that trail so we can go to my car and then head to the ER. Walking absolutely hurt. I was trying so hard to fight the pain but had to stop every 5 minutes to relax. A guy on a bike then stopped and gave me this massive ProTip that I didn't think of doing in the moment because I was in shock. He said I should lower my saddle and peddle off the floor with my foot and leave my bad foot hanging in the air. That worked! Unfortunately, I couldn't do that when I got to that steep 90 degree hill climb. Thankfully this was all concrete so I had grip but it hurt like HELL climbing that. But there was no other way to do it. And keep in mind I'm a big guy too. 270lbs at 5,11. I probably made this injury worse walking on my broken ankle. But, you kinda have no choice in situations like this and you gotta make the best of it.
Anyway, we head to the ER. They x-ray me and tell me I'll possibly need surgery and that it'll take 4-6 weeks to heal the bone, but it is a fracture through and through. This is what a fibula fracture looks like. It's hard to see unless you zoom in and the doctor did say he's seen a lot worse than that, but it still sucked that I might need surgery. So he booked me to see an ortho specialist the very next day and got a temporary cast put on my leg. The one thing I noticed on the night I was sleeping after my ankle break was that I was peeing a lot. More than usual during the night. It was crazy. Maybe from the pain and shock wearing off? Anyway.
Jan 3rd: Time to see the specialist. He looked my foot and x-ray and confirmed I need surgery with a plate and screws. My world turned upside down when I heard that because the surgery was still sort of up in the air before this visit. I was hoping I could just heal in the cast because he did say he's seen a lot worse. That gave me some peace of mind. But it wasn't meant to be. Surgery it is! I got a call the same day to book me in for the 9th of Jan early in the morning. This is my first major surgery ever at the ripe young age of 33. I thought this would never happen to me, but here we are. I was so nervous because I watched a stupid movie called Awake where this guy has a major cardiac surgery and he becomes conscious while under general anesthesia and he can feel everything being done to him but can't move until it's over. That movie has legit created that fear in me since I watched it over a decade ago.
Jan 4th to 8th: I'm still processing the accident, find it hard to accept that I've ruined my life. If only I didn't go fast that day. Kept repeating that in my head, because this was on me. This ankle break was my fault and even now as I'm fully recovered I still can't forgive myself for being so careless. It's a lesson I will take to my grave with me. The lesson of taking things for granted. This stupid ankle break cost me my job that I was about to start on the 15th. It was a good gig too. Three weeks of work, one week off because it was in the film industry. It was a 9 month contract from Jan to September and would be renewed if the series got renewed. I loved it because the one week they give off would be great for me to get back on cycling, dating or doing more freelance work as a side hustle in addition to this job. But of course that job required me to be on my feet and that was impossible at the moment. Great. Fuck me, right?! It can't get any worse, right? Wrong. I also had to miss my best friends wedding the very next Sunday, a day before my surgery. I also had to cancel a date I had that was promising with someone I was talking to on Hinge. It's like blow for blow at this point. I'm just rolling with the punches.
This was a very rough week for me. The mental pain from being depressed, feeling useless and ruining my life is so much worse than the physical pain because physical pain is temporary but mental pain leaves the most amount of scars on your psyche that can last a lifetime. I was crying every night for hours on end thinking this is it. I've ruined my life. How am I gonna recover from this? The biggest worry for me was now I would have to eat through my savings until I could walk again for in-office work. And it's not like I didn't apply to work from home jobs, because I did just that for weeks on end with no luck. I was either overqualified or I didn't have the skills for it. Overqualified for a data entry job? Are you kidding me?!
So I spent this week just wallowing in my sorrow and googling for hours on end this type of injury, recovery time, surgery complications and browsing this very sub looking at success and recovery stories. This sub has really given me a peace of mind and has a really good supporting community. I love you guys. I wouldn't have been able to make it mentally without you. But I also owe everything to my mom who cared and supported me in this fucked up moment of my life. She got me through this and I wanna get a vacation birthday present when I find a job. It's the LEAST I could do.
Jan 9th: Surgery Day. I'm getting processed in the hospital and I'm nervous as all hell. I keep thinking of that stupid movie, even tell my mom I love you as I get wheeled away to the operating room in case something bad happens during mid-surgery. The other worry for me was aspiration. You know why tell you to not eat or drink anything, even water, for 12 hours prior to your surgery? Because you can get aspiration from having food and liquid in your stomach coming up and choking you. There's a very small chance of dying because of that and if you don't die, your lungs and esophagus get damaged from the doctors trying to save you from choking on your own vomit. So I had that running through my mind as I enter the operating room.
But it all went well. I woke up remembering nothing during the surgery because I was a medical coma from the anesthesia. The only thing I remember is the mask being put on and being told to think happy thoughts. It worked. And let me tell you, waking up felt so incredibly good. It's like I had the best sleep I've ever had in my entire life. It was so calming. Even breathing slow felt so damn good. I kept thinking I wanna be in this state 24/7. If this was an over the counter drug, I would be addicted to it instantly. They made me wait two more hours in the hospital to see that all my vitals are stable and then they released me and gave me a script for 50 Percocets.
Jan 10th to Mid March: Post surgery x-ray I'm part robot now! I'm part of the X-Men academy! It was time to stop feeling sorry for myself on this road to recovery and kept myself busy by working on passion projects from home and applying to remote jobs. I kept saying to myself, "it could have been worse" and that helped. The crutches I got took some time getting used to but luckily I have good upper body strength from working out at home and I returned to that. I even debated getting a knee scooter but two weeks into the crutches, I already got used to it. Plus it's not like I was going anywhere outside so I didn't need it! One thing that really helped me getting around the house was a computer chair on wheels. I used my good leg to peddle myself to the kitchen, washroom and back.
The first three days after surgery were the worst for physical pain. They gave me nerve blockers but they started wearing out around the same day of surgery, but at night time and I was reluctant to taking Percocet because it's an opioid and I was scared of being addicted to it. Plus, it also gives you constipation. In the end, I took them for 3 days because the pain won my will to resist the drugs. They were very helpful. I got good sleep and they kinda felt really awesome. It's hard to describe but it they kinda numb you. You don't feel dizzy, but sort of buzzed. It's similar to an alcohol high but different still. I took them for 3 days then switched to aspirin because my pain was going down by a lot after that. But I would say the post-surgery pain was way worse than the ankle break pain. A solid 9 or 10/10 in those first three days. I felt like my leg was on fire and even my bones were sensitive to any movement, it was so weird. But I powered through. And you will too. But just know, the pain always wins. Take the painkillers.
I was starting to get used to my predicament, but the most difficult part was the shower. Because I had to be non-weight-bearing for the next 3.5 weeks until I got my boot, the shower was a pain in the ass because I couldn't get my cast wet at all. So I bought this plastic set of bags from amazon and putting that on and off, plus getting a medical chair to sit in the shower, which was already a small space, was a massive pain in the ass. But you adapt. You get used to it. You find a routine and shortcuts in your misery and it works. I kept doing my upper body workouts and walking with my crutches so I could get some circulation going because the swelling was INSANE.
Now I'll admit that I didn't elevate my leg always like I should have so that's on me. I just can't sit in bed for hours, it drove me crazy in the first week doing that. I needed to move or be at my computer keeping my mind busy or I'd be depressed and crying again. Feeling useless is one of the worst feelings you can possibly imagine. I needed to stay busy. I thought playing videogames all day would help but that just made my depression worse. It doesn't help. Maybe if I was younger in my teens that would have been a godsend but when you're eating through your savings, your biggest worry is getting employment. So I kept gaming to a few hours at night and that helped.
Mid Feb: The cast is off and now I enter into my boot. Those classic aircast boots with the pumps on the side. I still had 3 weeks left of being non-weight bearing but the boot was a damn godsend! The cast was worse for me because it felt like a torture device. It got so hot in the cast and of course the itching. I was so desperate that I even bought a plastic scratching kit for casts that have reach. You're not supposed to do that but I couldn't help it. The cast is great because you can take it off during the day and keep it on during the night. I didn't inflate it all the time because that shit hurt like hell and made my swelling worse. So I just tightened the straps a little and only used the pumps when I had to go outside for something. I had the boot on in my sleep because doc was afraid I might toss and turn and snap my hardware. We don't want that! But I slept on my side with pillows and it worked out fine. At this point I was just counting down the days until I could walk again.
Early March: Follow up X-rays look great! My bone has healed well and I was cleared for full weight bearing and to start physio. I still had to be in my boot and walk with the support of crutches. That was a weird and interesting feeling but it felt so good to be able to walk again. I cried in joy. It felt like pins and needles at first. My mind was super reluctant to step on my feet even in the boot. It's crazy how your mind works, getting you accustomed to not using your foot and being scared to use it again when you absolutely can. But I tried it out. Slow and steady wins the race. That's what my physiotherapist said. He wasn't too happy that I didn't start physio earlier because I was talking to someone here on Reddit who had an ankle break in three places, way worse than my injury, yet started physio 4 weeks after their surgery.
But anyway, physio went great. After the first initial session, I took my boot off and started walking barefoot but with the support of the crutches. Definitely had pains in my foot I never thought I would get but that's because it was asleep for so long and your muscles atrophy. I kept walking around, doing leg stretches to get the blood flowing and got a little more religious about icing my ankle. That helped. My next PT session really helped me with a few stretches. By this point, I could walk without the crutches. It felt so freeing getting this freedom back. I listened to the physiotherapist and did those stretches at home and they really helped a ton with pain relief and getting my range of movement back in my ankle.
He told me to take it easy but I couldn't do that because I needed a job. I didn't overdo it because I didn't want to cause any more damage but I did extra workouts on top of the stretches he gave me and pushed myself. Now the pain was going all the way to my knee and back of my knee, all around really. My next physio session, he was more concerned with that than my ankle because I was making fantastic progress on my ankle. He said this knee pain was residual collateral damage from being stationary for so long. Makes sense really. So he told me to start using my stationary bike and also walking in the swimming pool, in addition to the stretches' and icing I was already doing. This helped A LOT. Because you're almost in Zero G weightlessness in the water, you can do a lot more. So I walked and swam some laps and day by day, I was recovering.
I pushed myself one day by walking outside for an hour. It hurt like hell in my knee, but I needed to get used to being back to normal-ish. After that walk, I wanted to face my fear and do stairs next. I have stairs in my building so I used that as practice and of course held on to the railings. I felt more pain going down the stairs than going up the stairs, but I did a few reps just so I could get a sense of what my leg can do and not do and see what works.
Next physio session, he recommended I get some trainers and showed me specific models from Asics to get for stability and support. Up to this point, I had some cheap Walmart running shoes, but soon as I got the proper shoes on, it was like night and day. He also said my progress was night and day.
March 31st: My last x-ray! My surgeon is extremely happy as am I. He said it looks fantastic and if the hardware bothers by my one year anniversary of the surgery, I can remove it. The recovery time will be helluva lot faster than when you get the hardware. I think I might do that and get it removed. I'm walking right now and I feel like I'm at 95% back to normal. The other 5% being that my ankle is not where it was pre-accident and I only get pain in a small corner of my knee now than what I had even two or three weeks ago. The swimming pool, stretches and stationary bike are super duper helpful for my recovery. I feel like I can even go cycling outdoors now, which I very much want to.
Crazy, right? You'd think I'd ditch the bike altogether but it's not the bike's fault. It's a tool. I used this tool carelessly. That will ALWAYS be on me. The reason I cycle is so I can lose weight and I hope I can do a century this year. That's my challenge for this year. Of course, I still get swelling in my ankle when I'm standing on my feet for a few hours but my doc said this would be normal for the next 6-8 months and even when the temperature changes, because of the type of metal in my hardware. Whatever, no big deal. I'll just ice it and be good to go again. The pain I get in my ankle now is exclusively from the hardware rubbing up against the skin. So if that continues after January 9th, 2024, I'm gonna get this hardware taken out but I am definitely keeping it and framing it as a memento of this dark period in my life and hopefully this taking things for granted lesson prevents me from breaking any other bones in the future.
Present day and final thoughts: I have one more PT session two Mondays from now and then my PT said I'll only need maybe one per month because he's very impressed with my recovery. Hell, I'm very surprised I recovered so well because reading the threads here, people go to PT twice a week but I only ever did it once per week. But my PT guy is extremely good. He goes above and beyond the one hour mark that you pay for and I remember from my first few sessions lasting almost 3 hours straight without charging for me it. He really gives a shit and I'm gonna give a shit too by offering him photography and video services, on the house, for anything he needs.
I'm still jobless at the moment, but I have three or four promising leads that I have yet to hear back from. This was another blow for me. Losing my job at the stat of all this. I remember during my recover I had a very promising job lead. They liked me and they were even OK with me being in the boot and on crutches. The job was in my city too which was a huge time and money saver. But they kept stringing me along telling me how much they like me out of the small pool of candidates of the final interview, only to ghost me in the end. That was another big blow to my mental health. I really thought I had it in the bag. Everything went well with all the interviews and even the HR lady at my final interview had an ankle break 10 years ago so I thought that for sure would get me job because we can relate to each other on that level. I suspect she wanted me there but the other lady who would be working on my team decided against it. Still sucks being ghosted though. For a corporate company, they could have at least told me it was a no. I even emailed them to follow up but they still ghosted me. Very unprofessional.
But there's no sense looking back, I'm only looking forward now. I'm applying like crazy on Indeed and Linkedin and hopefully these 4 leads go to something but I'm not gonna put in all the eggs in one basket because of my previous experience of being burned. I just hope I get something because this month will be the last month I can cover my bills. After that, my mom said she would help. I don't wanna get to that point. I hate that feeling of uselessness. I wanna pay for my own shit. I'm a grown ass man goddamnit!
But I owe her a big vacation, I couldn't get through this without her. I love her to death. Well, that's it. This is the end of the post. Thanks for bearing with me. If you read this all the way through, you're a trooper but I suspect you have nothing better to do because you're still in recovery so thanks for reading! I promise you, you WILL bounce back from wherever you are in your recovery. It is normal to be angry, to cry, to be depressed, to feel useless and lose all hope. Those feelings will come in waves and they will pass too once you accept your situation. Keep your mind busy. Do chores, work on a computer, do whatever you did before the accident to keep your mind busy and time will fly and you'll be back on your feet before you know it. Plus, this makes a really good party story to tell or one for your grandkids! Certainly makes a great dating story! Surgery scars are sexy!
And thanks to this kick ass sub for pulling me through my darkest days and giving me peace of mind and calming my worries. I have never seen a more supporting community than this one and I've been on and off on Reddit for a decade now. Seriously, you guys all fucking rock. I love you.
submitted by RanfoMedia to brokenbones [link] [comments]
TL:DR? It sucks now, but you will bounce back. 50% of that will be on you too because you cannot be complacent once you're allowed for partial or full weight bearing. You gotta put in the work to get better, but you will be back to normal. I promise you.
Break Day: Jan 2nd, I was biking on a trail I usually go to in my city with this awesome new Specialized Sirrus X3 I just got two months ago and was still breaking it in. I got to a small walk bridge that had a 70 degree left turn. I was going 18km/h which is my average speed. I overcalculated the turn by being too cocky and swayed my body to make the turn at my speed because I was feeling edgy that day. Thing is, the tires are not built for that on this type of bike. They're not MTB tires or wide enough to grip for those kinda turns.
So I began to lose control and fight or flight mode kicked in because there was a small river with rocks next to me on my right side that I didn't wanna fall into. Somehow in this fight or flight mode response, my feet locked on the pedals and somehow, that broke my fibula. I could feel this dull ache getting more painful by each second until I fell off on my left side. The pain felt like a nasty ache combined with pulling a muscle, a good 8.5/10 on the pain scale. I was in shock. I couldn't breathe once I fell. I never had this type of shortness of breath before. I had to get up immediately because I didn't know wtf just happened.
Getting up was that same pain, increased to a solid 10, but I got up fast and it went back to 8. Now, for my next challenge. This trail I was on? It wasn't close to any road. I couldn't get an ambulance there because there was no access for them to come there. I had to power through and walk. Either direction had a steep 90 degree incline up. I was not looking forward to that. I called my mom to come meet me by a checkpoint in the road near that trail so we can go to my car and then head to the ER. Walking absolutely hurt. I was trying so hard to fight the pain but had to stop every 5 minutes to relax. A guy on a bike then stopped and gave me this massive ProTip that I didn't think of doing in the moment because I was in shock. He said I should lower my saddle and peddle off the floor with my foot and leave my bad foot hanging in the air. That worked! Unfortunately, I couldn't do that when I got to that steep 90 degree hill climb. Thankfully this was all concrete so I had grip but it hurt like HELL climbing that. But there was no other way to do it. And keep in mind I'm a big guy too. 270lbs at 5,11. I probably made this injury worse walking on my broken ankle. But, you kinda have no choice in situations like this and you gotta make the best of it.
Anyway, we head to the ER. They x-ray me and tell me I'll possibly need surgery and that it'll take 4-6 weeks to heal the bone, but it is a fracture through and through. This is what a fibula fracture looks like. It's hard to see unless you zoom in and the doctor did say he's seen a lot worse than that, but it still sucked that I might need surgery. So he booked me to see an ortho specialist the very next day and got a temporary cast put on my leg. The one thing I noticed on the night I was sleeping after my ankle break was that I was peeing a lot. More than usual during the night. It was crazy. Maybe from the pain and shock wearing off? Anyway.
Jan 3rd: Time to see the specialist. He looked my foot and x-ray and confirmed I need surgery with a plate and screws. My world turned upside down when I heard that because the surgery was still sort of up in the air before this visit. I was hoping I could just heal in the cast because he did say he's seen a lot worse. That gave me some peace of mind. But it wasn't meant to be. Surgery it is! I got a call the same day to book me in for the 9th of Jan early in the morning. This is my first major surgery ever at the ripe young age of 33. I thought this would never happen to me, but here we are. I was so nervous because I watched a stupid movie called Awake where this guy has a major cardiac surgery and he becomes conscious while under general anesthesia and he can feel everything being done to him but can't move until it's over. That movie has legit created that fear in me since I watched it over a decade ago.
Jan 4th to 8th: I'm still processing the accident, find it hard to accept that I've ruined my life. If only I didn't go fast that day. Kept repeating that in my head, because this was on me. This ankle break was my fault and even now as I'm fully recovered I still can't forgive myself for being so careless. It's a lesson I will take to my grave with me. The lesson of taking things for granted. This stupid ankle break cost me my job that I was about to start on the 15th. It was a good gig too. Three weeks of work, one week off because it was in the film industry. It was a 9 month contract from Jan to September and would be renewed if the series got renewed. I loved it because the one week they give off would be great for me to get back on cycling, dating or doing more freelance work as a side hustle in addition to this job. But of course that job required me to be on my feet and that was impossible at the moment. Great. Fuck me, right?! It can't get any worse, right? Wrong. I also had to miss my best friends wedding the very next Sunday, a day before my surgery. I also had to cancel a date I had that was promising with someone I was talking to on Hinge. It's like blow for blow at this point. I'm just rolling with the punches.
This was a very rough week for me. The mental pain from being depressed, feeling useless and ruining my life is so much worse than the physical pain because physical pain is temporary but mental pain leaves the most amount of scars on your psyche that can last a lifetime. I was crying every night for hours on end thinking this is it. I've ruined my life. How am I gonna recover from this? The biggest worry for me was now I would have to eat through my savings until I could walk again for in-office work. And it's not like I didn't apply to work from home jobs, because I did just that for weeks on end with no luck. I was either overqualified or I didn't have the skills for it. Overqualified for a data entry job? Are you kidding me?!
So I spent this week just wallowing in my sorrow and googling for hours on end this type of injury, recovery time, surgery complications and browsing this very sub looking at success and recovery stories. This sub has really given me a peace of mind and has a really good supporting community. I love you guys. I wouldn't have been able to make it mentally without you. But I also owe everything to my mom who cared and supported me in this fucked up moment of my life. She got me through this and I wanna get a vacation birthday present when I find a job. It's the LEAST I could do.
Jan 9th: Surgery Day. I'm getting processed in the hospital and I'm nervous as all hell. I keep thinking of that stupid movie, even tell my mom I love you as I get wheeled away to the operating room in case something bad happens during mid-surgery. The other worry for me was aspiration. You know why tell you to not eat or drink anything, even water, for 12 hours prior to your surgery? Because you can get aspiration from having food and liquid in your stomach coming up and choking you. There's a very small chance of dying because of that and if you don't die, your lungs and esophagus get damaged from the doctors trying to save you from choking on your own vomit. So I had that running through my mind as I enter the operating room.
But it all went well. I woke up remembering nothing during the surgery because I was a medical coma from the anesthesia. The only thing I remember is the mask being put on and being told to think happy thoughts. It worked. And let me tell you, waking up felt so incredibly good. It's like I had the best sleep I've ever had in my entire life. It was so calming. Even breathing slow felt so damn good. I kept thinking I wanna be in this state 24/7. If this was an over the counter drug, I would be addicted to it instantly. They made me wait two more hours in the hospital to see that all my vitals are stable and then they released me and gave me a script for 50 Percocets.
Jan 10th to Mid March: Post surgery x-ray I'm part robot now! I'm part of the X-Men academy! It was time to stop feeling sorry for myself on this road to recovery and kept myself busy by working on passion projects from home and applying to remote jobs. I kept saying to myself, "it could have been worse" and that helped. The crutches I got took some time getting used to but luckily I have good upper body strength from working out at home and I returned to that. I even debated getting a knee scooter but two weeks into the crutches, I already got used to it. Plus it's not like I was going anywhere outside so I didn't need it! One thing that really helped me getting around the house was a computer chair on wheels. I used my good leg to peddle myself to the kitchen, washroom and back.
The first three days after surgery were the worst for physical pain. They gave me nerve blockers but they started wearing out around the same day of surgery, but at night time and I was reluctant to taking Percocet because it's an opioid and I was scared of being addicted to it. Plus, it also gives you constipation. In the end, I took them for 3 days because the pain won my will to resist the drugs. They were very helpful. I got good sleep and they kinda felt really awesome. It's hard to describe but it they kinda numb you. You don't feel dizzy, but sort of buzzed. It's similar to an alcohol high but different still. I took them for 3 days then switched to aspirin because my pain was going down by a lot after that. But I would say the post-surgery pain was way worse than the ankle break pain. A solid 9 or 10/10 in those first three days. I felt like my leg was on fire and even my bones were sensitive to any movement, it was so weird. But I powered through. And you will too. But just know, the pain always wins. Take the painkillers.
I was starting to get used to my predicament, but the most difficult part was the shower. Because I had to be non-weight-bearing for the next 3.5 weeks until I got my boot, the shower was a pain in the ass because I couldn't get my cast wet at all. So I bought this plastic set of bags from amazon and putting that on and off, plus getting a medical chair to sit in the shower, which was already a small space, was a massive pain in the ass. But you adapt. You get used to it. You find a routine and shortcuts in your misery and it works. I kept doing my upper body workouts and walking with my crutches so I could get some circulation going because the swelling was INSANE.
Now I'll admit that I didn't elevate my leg always like I should have so that's on me. I just can't sit in bed for hours, it drove me crazy in the first week doing that. I needed to move or be at my computer keeping my mind busy or I'd be depressed and crying again. Feeling useless is one of the worst feelings you can possibly imagine. I needed to stay busy. I thought playing videogames all day would help but that just made my depression worse. It doesn't help. Maybe if I was younger in my teens that would have been a godsend but when you're eating through your savings, your biggest worry is getting employment. So I kept gaming to a few hours at night and that helped.
Mid Feb: The cast is off and now I enter into my boot. Those classic aircast boots with the pumps on the side. I still had 3 weeks left of being non-weight bearing but the boot was a damn godsend! The cast was worse for me because it felt like a torture device. It got so hot in the cast and of course the itching. I was so desperate that I even bought a plastic scratching kit for casts that have reach. You're not supposed to do that but I couldn't help it. The cast is great because you can take it off during the day and keep it on during the night. I didn't inflate it all the time because that shit hurt like hell and made my swelling worse. So I just tightened the straps a little and only used the pumps when I had to go outside for something. I had the boot on in my sleep because doc was afraid I might toss and turn and snap my hardware. We don't want that! But I slept on my side with pillows and it worked out fine. At this point I was just counting down the days until I could walk again.
Early March: Follow up X-rays look great! My bone has healed well and I was cleared for full weight bearing and to start physio. I still had to be in my boot and walk with the support of crutches. That was a weird and interesting feeling but it felt so good to be able to walk again. I cried in joy. It felt like pins and needles at first. My mind was super reluctant to step on my feet even in the boot. It's crazy how your mind works, getting you accustomed to not using your foot and being scared to use it again when you absolutely can. But I tried it out. Slow and steady wins the race. That's what my physiotherapist said. He wasn't too happy that I didn't start physio earlier because I was talking to someone here on Reddit who had an ankle break in three places, way worse than my injury, yet started physio 4 weeks after their surgery.
But anyway, physio went great. After the first initial session, I took my boot off and started walking barefoot but with the support of the crutches. Definitely had pains in my foot I never thought I would get but that's because it was asleep for so long and your muscles atrophy. I kept walking around, doing leg stretches to get the blood flowing and got a little more religious about icing my ankle. That helped. My next PT session really helped me with a few stretches. By this point, I could walk without the crutches. It felt so freeing getting this freedom back. I listened to the physiotherapist and did those stretches at home and they really helped a ton with pain relief and getting my range of movement back in my ankle.
He told me to take it easy but I couldn't do that because I needed a job. I didn't overdo it because I didn't want to cause any more damage but I did extra workouts on top of the stretches he gave me and pushed myself. Now the pain was going all the way to my knee and back of my knee, all around really. My next physio session, he was more concerned with that than my ankle because I was making fantastic progress on my ankle. He said this knee pain was residual collateral damage from being stationary for so long. Makes sense really. So he told me to start using my stationary bike and also walking in the swimming pool, in addition to the stretches' and icing I was already doing. This helped A LOT. Because you're almost in Zero G weightlessness in the water, you can do a lot more. So I walked and swam some laps and day by day, I was recovering.
I pushed myself one day by walking outside for an hour. It hurt like hell in my knee, but I needed to get used to being back to normal-ish. After that walk, I wanted to face my fear and do stairs next. I have stairs in my building so I used that as practice and of course held on to the railings. I felt more pain going down the stairs than going up the stairs, but I did a few reps just so I could get a sense of what my leg can do and not do and see what works.
Next physio session, he recommended I get some trainers and showed me specific models from Asics to get for stability and support. Up to this point, I had some cheap Walmart running shoes, but soon as I got the proper shoes on, it was like night and day. He also said my progress was night and day.
March 31st: My last x-ray! My surgeon is extremely happy as am I. He said it looks fantastic and if the hardware bothers by my one year anniversary of the surgery, I can remove it. The recovery time will be helluva lot faster than when you get the hardware. I think I might do that and get it removed. I'm walking right now and I feel like I'm at 95% back to normal. The other 5% being that my ankle is not where it was pre-accident and I only get pain in a small corner of my knee now than what I had even two or three weeks ago. The swimming pool, stretches and stationary bike are super duper helpful for my recovery. I feel like I can even go cycling outdoors now, which I very much want to.
Crazy, right? You'd think I'd ditch the bike altogether but it's not the bike's fault. It's a tool. I used this tool carelessly. That will ALWAYS be on me. The reason I cycle is so I can lose weight and I hope I can do a century this year. That's my challenge for this year. Of course, I still get swelling in my ankle when I'm standing on my feet for a few hours but my doc said this would be normal for the next 6-8 months and even when the temperature changes, because of the type of metal in my hardware. Whatever, no big deal. I'll just ice it and be good to go again. The pain I get in my ankle now is exclusively from the hardware rubbing up against the skin. So if that continues after January 9th, 2024, I'm gonna get this hardware taken out but I am definitely keeping it and framing it as a memento of this dark period in my life and hopefully this taking things for granted lesson prevents me from breaking any other bones in the future.
Present day and final thoughts: I have one more PT session two Mondays from now and then my PT said I'll only need maybe one per month because he's very impressed with my recovery. Hell, I'm very surprised I recovered so well because reading the threads here, people go to PT twice a week but I only ever did it once per week. But my PT guy is extremely good. He goes above and beyond the one hour mark that you pay for and I remember from my first few sessions lasting almost 3 hours straight without charging for me it. He really gives a shit and I'm gonna give a shit too by offering him photography and video services, on the house, for anything he needs.
I'm still jobless at the moment, but I have three or four promising leads that I have yet to hear back from. This was another blow for me. Losing my job at the stat of all this. I remember during my recover I had a very promising job lead. They liked me and they were even OK with me being in the boot and on crutches. The job was in my city too which was a huge time and money saver. But they kept stringing me along telling me how much they like me out of the small pool of candidates of the final interview, only to ghost me in the end. That was another big blow to my mental health. I really thought I had it in the bag. Everything went well with all the interviews and even the HR lady at my final interview had an ankle break 10 years ago so I thought that for sure would get me job because we can relate to each other on that level. I suspect she wanted me there but the other lady who would be working on my team decided against it. Still sucks being ghosted though. For a corporate company, they could have at least told me it was a no. I even emailed them to follow up but they still ghosted me. Very unprofessional.
But there's no sense looking back, I'm only looking forward now. I'm applying like crazy on Indeed and Linkedin and hopefully these 4 leads go to something but I'm not gonna put in all the eggs in one basket because of my previous experience of being burned. I just hope I get something because this month will be the last month I can cover my bills. After that, my mom said she would help. I don't wanna get to that point. I hate that feeling of uselessness. I wanna pay for my own shit. I'm a grown ass man goddamnit!
But I owe her a big vacation, I couldn't get through this without her. I love her to death. Well, that's it. This is the end of the post. Thanks for bearing with me. If you read this all the way through, you're a trooper but I suspect you have nothing better to do because you're still in recovery so thanks for reading! I promise you, you WILL bounce back from wherever you are in your recovery. It is normal to be angry, to cry, to be depressed, to feel useless and lose all hope. Those feelings will come in waves and they will pass too once you accept your situation. Keep your mind busy. Do chores, work on a computer, do whatever you did before the accident to keep your mind busy and time will fly and you'll be back on your feet before you know it. Plus, this makes a really good party story to tell or one for your grandkids! Certainly makes a great dating story! Surgery scars are sexy!
And thanks to this kick ass sub for pulling me through my darkest days and giving me peace of mind and calming my worries. I have never seen a more supporting community than this one and I've been on and off on Reddit for a decade now. Seriously, you guys all fucking rock. I love you.
2023.04.01 21:00 yellowumbrella Best Leg Workouts for Men - Leg Strengthening Exercises
 | submitted by yellowumbrella to HealthyZapper [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/3yk0tc15b7k61.jpg?width=2121&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5566b8b5a339a1760daa29486a488e2d76f21c9a There are a few immutable rules that govern the workout world: Monday is International Chest Day, don't ever curl in the squat rack, and you should never. Skip. Leg Day. Okay, not everyone at the gym follows these commandments-and that's fine. They shouldn't! Maintaining a healthy, productive strength training routine takes more than just pledging a meathead's devotion to unwritten decrees from some Schwarzeneggian deity. But that last rule is one that you should actually follow, at least in spirit. Unlike the bro reasoning of the first two guidelines, your lower body should never be ignored when it comes to your exercise routine. Give those glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves and other leg muscles as much love as you can handle. After all, your whole body will benefit from training legs. Since you'll often be pushing some of the biggest muscle groups in your body with multi-joint movements, you'll be getting your core involved, too-and your upper body often has to actually secure the load. Moving big weights and putting major strain on your body takes gets the metabolism going, too, so you'll be set up to torch calories and burn through fat. But you don't need to stay restricted to the squat rack on leg day, or even to big barbell movements, for that matter. While those types of exercises are absolutely effective, there's more to lower body training than just hitting the heavy weights. For balanced programming, you should be mixing up implements, switching up your planes of motion, and yes, even sprinkling in some isolation exercises from time to time. Really, your leg training is only as limited as your imagination. Here are some of our favorite leg exercises you can use to build a stronger, healthier lower body. Sure, there are other variations of this exercise out there (more on that shortly)-but when you say the word "squat" to just about any lifter, they're probably going to assume you're talking about this one. The back squat is a classic for a reason: there are few better, simpler ways to train the major muscle groups of your legs. The exercise is also an entry point to other variations, so it helps to get the OG form down pat. As we previously stated, there are an endless variety of barbell squat variations. Few, if any, will give you more bang for your buck than the front squat. The front-loaded nature of the move is going to push you to develop shoulder, ankle and hip mobility, and here's the best part of all: Your entire core has to be firing the entire time to protect your spine and make the move possible. It's an ab workout wrapped in a leg workout. Not far behind the front squat is the classic bodyweight squat. This is a great leg move that can go anywhere with you, and it's trickier than you may think. Most people make the mistake of thinking squatting is about your knees and don't sit back as much as they should. Learn to sit back and you'll attack your glutes and hamstrings more. Bodyweight squats level up more than you think, too: Add a pause or pulse in somewhere, and you're creating challenge without necessarily adding weight. Consider this the king of all posterior chain-focused exercises, and a great way to pack muscle onto your entire body. Whether you're doing it sumo style, conventionally, or with a trap bar (a underrated deadlifting method and one of the best ways to do it), you'll be hammering your core, training your back and your forearms more than you think, and, most importantly, you'll be challenging your hamstrings and glutes with serious load. This is destined to be your strongest lift in the gym. First off, it's fun to swing a weight around. Secondly, when you do it with a good-form kettlebell swing, you're hammering your core, driving your heart rate through the roof -- and piling size, strength, and power into your hamstrings and glutes. A well-done kettlebell swing builds serious lower-body explosiveness, and the oomph you get from it translates beyond the weight room, too, adding to your vertical leap, broad jump, and other more athletic moves. This one's a must-have in your leg day library. That's right: We're not falling in love with the stationary lunge too early. The walking variation is superior due to the fact that the trail leg can "step through" to the next rep. That trains the glutes more effectively and keeps the lift more dynamic in nature. On top of this, the knees take less stress forces due to less need to constantly start and stop or change direction. Start by learning basic lunge mechanics, which you can do right here. Consider this move your ultimate squat tutor. If you're struggling to achieve good squat depth or keep your torso in the proper upright position, doing goblet squats is a perfect way to solve those issues. You'll learn good mechanics, and start to understand your ideal body position for a squat. One more secret, too: Holding that heavy weight high in a goblet squat will fire up your core a ton too. Bulgarian Split Squat Few exercises build leg strength while simultaneously challenge your balance and your leg mobility as much as Bulgarian split squats. Elevating your rear foot onto a box or bench instantly creates a challenging stretch for your quads and hip flexors on your back leg, and it places more of a balance challenge on both your front leg and your hips. It's a great way to build mobility toward a deeper squat. Overall, you'll smoke your quads and glutes while also sparing yourself unwanted back pain. Sure, you want to ostracize this movement as being "not functional enough", consider the tremendous benefits. First, it's a great way to hit the quads with plenty more isolation than most squat variations can deliver. More importantly, it's a joint-saving lift for lifters with their share of battle scars (think back, hip, and knee issues. Should the leg press be the backbone of your workout? Should you load it up with titanic amounts of weight and ego-lift? No. But don't run away from the machine, either. This is a prime hamstring builder, using free weights that you can really load up. It's as simple as that. Perhaps the best part of the Romanian deadlift is how it prioritizes a controlled negative (or eccentric) contraction, a changeup from most leg moves (and exercises in general sometimes), which push you to focus only on lifting the weight and never challenge you as you lower the same weight. Your hamstrings deserve love too, and this exercise will give it to them. You'll also give your glutes some attention, too. They key here is bracing with your core, owning your hip hinge, and keeping your back from rounding. Make sure that you work your way up with the load-think about pushing your butt back, rather than folding at the hips. Lunging backwards rather than forwards stabilizes the front knee. You also get to focus on the all-important posterior chain, which includes your glutes and hamstrings, instead of relying so much on your quads and hips. But a reverse lunge gets even more intense once you add a deficit by standing oni a plate or a slight platform. Now, you're leading leg and glute work even harder to drive back onto the box, but it still all happens in a safe way. This is a great way to bear plenty of load to challenge the glutes and hamstrings, without having to fear excessive low back or spinal stress. Since the force angle is horizontal and not vertical relative to the body, this is a tool for both healthy lifters, and those on the mend from a back flare-up. Even better, you can do hip thrusts more frequently than some other leg exercises, since your upper body doesn't have to bear as much strain. This one's a glute-developing go-to. Think of the glute bridge as a variation on the hip thrust that requires only a load (think barbell or resistance band) and floor space. You're hitting the glutes from a slightly different angle compared to hip thrusts, and involves a shorter range of motion that's even more isolated to the glutes. Plus you don't have to fidget around with a bench to find the best position. If you're struggling to learn hip thrusts, step down to this and enjoy it. Bonus: You can do it anywhere, even in your living room if you're just using bodyweight. One of the king hamstring developers, take advantage of this piece of equipment if it happens to be in your gym. Your hamstrings have two key roles: They bend your knees, and they also help extend your hips (essentially aligning hips and torso). Your hamstrings have to focus on both things during glute-hamstring raises. Perhaps the best part: This one only requires bodyweight to drive your hamstrings to bionic levels. Also known as the "natural" glute hamstring raise, this is a fair alternative when in a poorly equipped gym. The secret comes in the negative rep. Accentuating the eccentric by lowering yourself as slowly as possible to the ground taps into the strongest muscle fibers your hamstrings possess, and won't fail to improve their strength. Not only is this great for leg development, but it's even better for injury prevention; eccentric hamstring strength is key in decelerating the body. The classic step up, when actually done with good form, is a hidden weapon for knee health, hip and glute strengthening, and unilateral stability. The key is stepping up with good form, keeping your glutes tight, and your knees turned out, not in. Do so, and you're blending strength, flexibility, and balance into one move -- and a worthwhile move no matter whether you're a bodybuilder, CrossFitter, or general strength enthusiast. If you want to be an athlete, you have to be strong not only when operating on two legs but also when operating on one. And few leg exercises will challenge you on one leg quite like the single-leg deadlift. You'll hone balance, and coordination on this one, and you'll build more core strength than you think as you work to stay in balance and keep your hips square on every single rep. When is a sprint not merely a sprint? When you're trying to sprint uphill. Whether you're doing that on a treadmill or on an actual hill, you'll be hammering your glutes and quads, and you'll naturally be honing better sprint form, simply because of the challenge of the angle of the hill. Make sure you sprint for no more than 20 seconds at a time, though (with solid rest in between). Go much longer than that, and you're basically just running uphill instead of actually sprinting. More and more gyms have sleds and performance turf inside; if yours does, you should take advantage. But that doesn't just mean pushing and pulling the sled. Attach some bands to the sled for support, lean against it, and push it in reverse. You'll be forced to extend aggressively at the knees, a key function of your quads. Expect major quad burn. |
2023.04.01 20:46 Grocery-Super Nail Fungus: How to Naturally Cure Nail Fungus in 30 Days: Natural remedies, homeopathy for toenail fungus
 | Nail Fungus: How to Naturally Cure Nail Fungus in 30 Days: Natural Remedies, Homeopathy for Toenail Fungus is an excellent guide for individuals who suffer from nail fungus. Nail fungus is a common condition that affects many people, and it can cause significant discomfort and embarrassment. This book provides a comprehensive understanding of nail fungus, including its causes, symptoms, and treatments. submitted by Grocery-Super to market_phi [link] [comments] The book begins by defining nail fungus, also known as onychomycosis. The author explains how nail fungus is caused by fungi and how it can affect the finger or toenails. The symptoms of nail fungus include discoloration, crumbling edges, and nail thickening. The author emphasizes the importance of not ignoring nail fungus and seeking treatment as soon as possible. Toenail fungus treatment book 💠 Learn more: How to Naturally Cure Nail Fungus in 30 Days: Natural remedies, homeopathy for toenail fungusThe book then delves into the primary risk factors for nail fungus. The author explains that age, slow growth, poor circulation, weak immune system, genetic disorder, heavy perspiration, walking barefoot, poor ventilation, or certain medical conditions can increase the likelihood of developing nail fungus. This knowledge can help readers identify if they are at risk of developing nail fungus. The author then provides an overview of standard medical treatments for nail fungus. These treatments include various oral and topical medications, laser treatment, and removal of the affected areas. While these treatments can be effective, some individuals prefer to use natural remedies and homeopathy for toenail fungus. 💠 Related content: Toenail Fungus Treatment Reviews The author offers 30 home remedies that can help treat nail fungus naturally. These remedies include apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and Listerine mouthwash. The author explains how to use each of these remedies effectively and provides tips on how to incorporate them into a daily routine. In addition to natural remedies, the book also provides information on cleansing and antifungal diets. The author explains how certain foods can help prevent the growth of fungi in the body and recommends incorporating these foods into the diet. The book also includes tips for preventing the return of nail fungus. 💠 You may want to take a look at some of the best treatments found over the net and over-the-counter: Toenail Fungus Treatment Best Over Counter Overall, Nail Fungus: How to Naturally Cure Nail Fungus in 30 Days: Natural Remedies, Homeopathy for Toenail Fungus is an excellent resource for individuals who suffer from nail fungus. The book provides a comprehensive understanding of the condition and offers both standard medical treatments and natural remedies for individuals to consider. The author's emphasis on prevention and long-term management is particularly useful, as nail fungus can be a persistent problem. Anyone looking for effective, natural ways to treat nail fungus should definitely consider reading this book. 🔺 An anti-fungal serum made with premium natural ingredients: 👉 These Special Oils Fight Fungus Resistance And Support Healthy Nails And Skin 🌿 |
2023.04.01 20:11 AIllinois What It Takes To Improve Your Posture At Any Weight
Improving your "look" at any weight is often suggested to be about "good posture".
This advice at first appears to be true and then becomes so hard to attain.
When I was 50 pounds heavier than I am today, I began to ask myself "why? Why am I unable to improve my posture?".
Looking into my own childhood revealed that I "had always" had scoliosis and it degenerated to diagnosably prohibitive levels even during childhood. A lot of men do not think of women as being eligible for the Army and that may be related to the persistent ineligibility of women for COMBAT Army duty. What a scoliosis that severe meant is that I was not eligible for military service of any kind! Even an intelligence officer who stood around or worked at a computer all day needed to have a straighter 'more successful' spine than I had!
So I was rejected from military intelligence work when I turned 18 and then forgot about it!
During my major weightloss push, I remembered what I had been told: what I had was completely degenerative and I would never be able to stand straighter than I was at 18 AND they encouraged me to "prove them wrong" AND not expect reconsideration for military.
For several years, I was fortunate to be wealthy in my career and explored myriad chiropractic, physical therapy, and licensed yoga. It all worked to make me feel more in pain and completely immobilize and partially or fully paralyze me (alebeit short-term or temporary and episodic!)
Today, I write this while standing! I still limp, my back hurts chronically more than ever, and I am more mobile than I remember being since elementary school!
And I look better!
Look better AT ANY WEIGHT by focusing on holistic body improvement! Don't beat yourself up if you just look slouched and weak pectoral all the time! For me, it was upper-back immobility that preventing me from sitting upright and NO AMOUNT of healthy weight loss was making me look the way I wanted in the torso.
Keep working out while losing weight: They all say, around here, that "you can't outrun a bad diet" and they also say "diet isn't everything." They mean it! It works! Exercise + Diet = Holistic Lifestyle Improvement + Weight Loss.
Words of Wisdom: If you get up and exercise*, even if your GOAL is not weight loss, it is going to help you toward your weightloss goal**.
*DISCLAIMER: "exercise" defined by healthy exercise, exercise within your own limit, exercise defined by your own ability, exercise defined by your current ability.
**QUALIFICATION OF CLAIM: x calories "out" from healthful exercise CAN ALWAYS HELP even if it is just REDUCING weight gain by x/3500 lbs... REDUCING weight gain will help you toward your ultimate goal\***.
***loseit
submitted by AIllinois to loseit [link] [comments]
This advice at first appears to be true and then becomes so hard to attain.
When I was 50 pounds heavier than I am today, I began to ask myself "why? Why am I unable to improve my posture?".
Looking into my own childhood revealed that I "had always" had scoliosis and it degenerated to diagnosably prohibitive levels even during childhood. A lot of men do not think of women as being eligible for the Army and that may be related to the persistent ineligibility of women for COMBAT Army duty. What a scoliosis that severe meant is that I was not eligible for military service of any kind! Even an intelligence officer who stood around or worked at a computer all day needed to have a straighter 'more successful' spine than I had!
So I was rejected from military intelligence work when I turned 18 and then forgot about it!
During my major weightloss push, I remembered what I had been told: what I had was completely degenerative and I would never be able to stand straighter than I was at 18 AND they encouraged me to "prove them wrong" AND not expect reconsideration for military.
For several years, I was fortunate to be wealthy in my career and explored myriad chiropractic, physical therapy, and licensed yoga. It all worked to make me feel more in pain and completely immobilize and partially or fully paralyze me (alebeit short-term or temporary and episodic!)
Today, I write this while standing! I still limp, my back hurts chronically more than ever, and I am more mobile than I remember being since elementary school!
And I look better!
Look better AT ANY WEIGHT by focusing on holistic body improvement! Don't beat yourself up if you just look slouched and weak pectoral all the time! For me, it was upper-back immobility that preventing me from sitting upright and NO AMOUNT of healthy weight loss was making me look the way I wanted in the torso.
Keep working out while losing weight: They all say, around here, that "you can't outrun a bad diet" and they also say "diet isn't everything." They mean it! It works! Exercise + Diet = Holistic Lifestyle Improvement + Weight Loss.
Words of Wisdom: If you get up and exercise*, even if your GOAL is not weight loss, it is going to help you toward your weightloss goal**.
*DISCLAIMER: "exercise" defined by healthy exercise, exercise within your own limit, exercise defined by your own ability, exercise defined by your current ability.
**QUALIFICATION OF CLAIM: x calories "out" from healthful exercise CAN ALWAYS HELP even if it is just REDUCING weight gain by x/3500 lbs... REDUCING weight gain will help you toward your ultimate goal\***.
***loseit
2023.04.01 17:29 Massive_james3747 What is GlucoBerry?
GlucoBerry is a dietary supplement that has been clinically tested and formulated to support healthy blood sugar levels and unclog blood sugar drain.
Its unique blend of natural ingredients has been specifically designed to combat insulin resistance and improve kidney function.
GlucoBerry is vital in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels by supporting natural hormone levels and glucose tolerance.
Additionally, the GlucoBerry supplement helps to detoxify harmful elements from the kidneys. GlucoBerry is a dietary supplement that contains a powerful blend of herbs, vitamins, and other natural ingredients.
The primary ingredient in the supplement is a proprietary blend of Maqui Berry extract. GlucoBerry is formulated to maintain a proper glycemic index and improve blood sugar drainage.
The GlucoBerry formula contains a powerful blend of herbs, vitamins and other 100% natural ingredients. The main ingredient is a proprietary blend of Maqui Berry extract, which contains delphinidin, a phytonutrient that is effective in reducing blood sugar levels.
It also reduces inflammations. This means that GlucoBerry users can enjoy their favorite sweet treats without worrying about their blood sugar levels
GlucoBerry was formulated by a physician named Dr. Mark Weis. It is manufactured by a company called MD process. The product is made in an FDA- registered, GMP- certified facility.
He came across the Harvard research and decided to formulate a supplement based on this promising new therapeutic finding. He aimed for ultimate blood sugar support.
https://www.goglucoberry.us/glucoberry
submitted by Massive_james3747 to u/Massive_james3747 [link] [comments]
Its unique blend of natural ingredients has been specifically designed to combat insulin resistance and improve kidney function.
GlucoBerry is vital in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels by supporting natural hormone levels and glucose tolerance.
Additionally, the GlucoBerry supplement helps to detoxify harmful elements from the kidneys. GlucoBerry is a dietary supplement that contains a powerful blend of herbs, vitamins, and other natural ingredients.
The primary ingredient in the supplement is a proprietary blend of Maqui Berry extract. GlucoBerry is formulated to maintain a proper glycemic index and improve blood sugar drainage.
The GlucoBerry formula contains a powerful blend of herbs, vitamins and other 100% natural ingredients. The main ingredient is a proprietary blend of Maqui Berry extract, which contains delphinidin, a phytonutrient that is effective in reducing blood sugar levels.
It also reduces inflammations. This means that GlucoBerry users can enjoy their favorite sweet treats without worrying about their blood sugar levels
GlucoBerry was formulated by a physician named Dr. Mark Weis. It is manufactured by a company called MD process. The product is made in an FDA- registered, GMP- certified facility.
He came across the Harvard research and decided to formulate a supplement based on this promising new therapeutic finding. He aimed for ultimate blood sugar support.
How Does GlucoBerry Work?
According to GlucoBerry Review, The GlucoBerry product works by regulating your body’s natural hormone balance and balancing your blood sugar levels. It also aids in the detoxification of your kidneys. It also improves your overall energy levels. In addition, The GlucoBerry also works by restoring wholesome insulin levels in the body. The formula is created by Dr. Mark Weis, who claims that it helps restore the levels of a protein called SG2, which facilitates the drainage of blood sugar. High blood sugar can be harmful to your health and may even impair your eyesight, weight, and heart. In order to restore the SG2 levels, GlucoBerry combines natural fruit and herb ingredients that dissolve the sticky gray protein and strengthen the kidney’s ability to filter out excess sugar. It also contains antioxidants that help keep the kidneys functioning properly and allow them to remove excess glucose. One of the key ingredients of GlucoBerry is its Maqui Berry extract. This is an ingredient packed with antioxidants and a substance called delphinidin. This ingredient is proven to balance blood sugar levels, which can be an important factor in preventing diabetes. It is also rich in antioxidants and supports weight loss and inflammation. It also contains chromium, a mineral that is essential for blood sugar balance. Diabetics often have low levels of chromium, which can contribute to poor blood sugar management. This formula has undergone specific clinical trials and was shown to improve blood glucose and insulin after a meal. Its manufacturer, MD Process, discloses all ingredients and dosages upfront. It promotes a healthy glycemic index and increases the kidney’s ability to remove excess glucose. Moreover, it improves blood sugar drainage, which helps its customers enjoy sweet desserts without the risk of a spike in blood sugar levels. The blood sugar drain is a mechanism that allows your body to flush out excess sugar from your body. Your body does this through the kidneys, which can reduce your risk of developing chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity. However, if the blood sugar drain is clogged up, your body can’t properly eliminate the excess sugar. This is because of a sticky gray protein that clogs the drain, causing your body to send the sugar back to your bloodstream instead of removing it from the body. Fortunately, the makers of GlucoBerry have discovered a way to fix this problem by adding a number of all-natural ingredients that are backed by scientific evidence and research to facilitate improved kidney function and health.https://www.goglucoberry.us/glucoberry
2023.04.01 17:23 DentalSage Dental Implants and Tooth Replacement Options Best Dental Clinic in Yelahanka Dental Sage
 | submitted by DentalSage to u/DentalSage [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/hq5umvv1jara1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=03387a9eda2415822dbf6c6c460ec5512d8c66e2 Missing teeth can have a significant impact on a person's oral health, function, and appearance. Fortunately, there are several options available for tooth replacement, including dental implants. Here's what you need to know about dental implants and other tooth replacement options: Dental Implants: Dental implants are a popular and effective option for tooth replacement. They are small, titanium posts that are surgically implanted into the jawbone. Once the implant has fused with the bone tissue, a custom-made crown is attached to the top of the implant, creating a natural-looking and functional tooth. Dental implants are durable, long-lasting, and can help to prevent bone loss in the jaw. Fixed Bridges: A fixed bridge is another option for replacing missing teeth. This involves placing a bridge of two or more artificial teeth that are attached to the surrounding teeth with dental crowns. Fixed bridges are a good option for patients who have healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth. However, they may require more maintenance than dental implants and can sometimes damage the supporting teeth. Partial Dentures: Partial dentures are removable appliances that are designed to replace one or more missing teeth. They are made of a gum-colored plastic base with artificial teeth attached to it. Partial dentures are typically held in place with metal clasps that attach to the remaining natural teeth. While they are a more affordable option for tooth replacement, partial dentures may be less stable and comfortable than dental implants. Complete Dentures: Complete dentures are used to replace all of the teeth in the upper or lower jaw. They are typically made of acrylic resin and are custom-fitted to the patient's mouth. While complete dentures can help to improve a patient's ability to chew and speak, they may be less stable and comfortable than dental implants. When considering tooth replacement options, it is important to talk to your dentist about your specific needs and preferences. Your dentist can help you choose the best option for your individual situation and provide you with information about the benefits and drawbacks of each choice. With the right treatment plan, you can restore your smile and improve your oral health and function. To know more visit: https://www.dentalsage.co.in/ or contact us by calling 076196 48784 to schedule an appointment for your oral health needs. |
2023.04.01 15:32 Shanx203 When u hook up with text too much..
 | submitted by Shanx203 to ExpectationVsReality [link] [comments] |
2023.04.01 11:29 testtest20232023 Vitamin C twice a day or Vitamin C at AM and Retinol ad PM?
Hi I‘m relatively new to skincare stuff, but I‘ve seen some very interesting and informative threats here.
My skin:
I‘m 33m by the way and most of the time I have dry or dehydrated skin (I drink much to less over the day). Sometimes I have a bit oily skin and some blackheads on the nose and a bit bigger pores on the forehead. My skin peels itself from time to time between upper lip and nose and on both sides of the nose.
My routine:
Currently I‘m using a skincare routine from Dr. Hauschka for dehydrated skin which made my skin feeling velvety soft.
Due to my tired (too less sleep) and dull skin I integrated Vitamin C 10 serum days ago into my AM and PM routine which gave my skin a really healthy glow.
Four days ago I switched from Vitamin C to Retinol serim for my PM routine. And now I‘m fearing that for this healthy glow it‘s better to use Vitamin C twice a day instead of both active.
I have to add maybe that‘s because I had a really hard week at work after vacation including much to less sleep, not so healthy food and much too less water.
Do I even need Retinol? I don‘t have problems with wrinkles right now (except for a bit on the forehead and under the eye but that‘s maybe from too less water).
PS: I use Hyaluronic serum after Vitamin C and Retinol serums respectively.
Thanks for you help!
Edit: Typos. I‘m not a native speaker. 🙈
submitted by testtest20232023 to Skincare_Addiction [link] [comments]
My skin:
I‘m 33m by the way and most of the time I have dry or dehydrated skin (I drink much to less over the day). Sometimes I have a bit oily skin and some blackheads on the nose and a bit bigger pores on the forehead. My skin peels itself from time to time between upper lip and nose and on both sides of the nose.
My routine:
Currently I‘m using a skincare routine from Dr. Hauschka for dehydrated skin which made my skin feeling velvety soft.
Due to my tired (too less sleep) and dull skin I integrated Vitamin C 10 serum days ago into my AM and PM routine which gave my skin a really healthy glow.
Four days ago I switched from Vitamin C to Retinol serim for my PM routine. And now I‘m fearing that for this healthy glow it‘s better to use Vitamin C twice a day instead of both active.
I have to add maybe that‘s because I had a really hard week at work after vacation including much to less sleep, not so healthy food and much too less water.
Do I even need Retinol? I don‘t have problems with wrinkles right now (except for a bit on the forehead and under the eye but that‘s maybe from too less water).
PS: I use Hyaluronic serum after Vitamin C and Retinol serums respectively.
Thanks for you help!
Edit: Typos. I‘m not a native speaker. 🙈
2023.04.01 11:02 almostcrackedegg Breast Augmentation doubts
Hi, I’m planned for SRS and BA in a little over a month. (finally after a long struggle, I’m so happy) Regarding Breast Augmentation, I’m still not 100% sure, I hope to explain my reasons below.
I could use any thoughts or experiences you might have!
—--
So, I am 170 cm / 5’7. I weigh 58 kg, 23 years old and have been on HRT for 3+ years. I barely have boobs.
I’ve gained 4 kilos in the last few months, up from 54kg, and believe I can gain some more. Doing a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation, I can get up to 72 kg and still be considered healthy. This could potentially mean there is some room for breast growth. (I’m not sure this is a good way to do things though!)
I’m not sure if this (14kg) would make a noticeable difference. Again, from these 4 kilos my boobs didn't grow at all.
If anyone has any experience with this, I could really use the help!
I’m pretty sure that even if I do gain all that weight and my boobs grow a bit, they would still be small for my frame and body. I just don’t think I have the genetics for it.
It’s unfortunate, I’d definitely prefer natural grown boobs over implants. I’m scared implants won’t feel like my own, but I’ll be reading up on other peoples experiences with this.
If I wasn’t trans, I wouldn’t mind having small boobs at all (assuming I still have a slender body type). I’m not sure if that is possible, being trans, without the upper body looking too big and hips too small. Maybe this is all in my head? perhaps it’s not that big of a deal? Let me know if you have thoughts!
---
Every now and then, I stuff my bra so that I have a size that I feel looks okay for my body proportions. This is 250cc, a size I tried on at the intake with the surgeon. And it feels great! I really like how it actually looks like I have boobs, even in most clothes.
In the case I do decide that I want implants, I figure I should go with a size that is best for my body, proportionately. Is there any proven way to calculate what the best boob size would be, given chest circumference and total height and maybe other factors? Or is it really just trying out different sizes and seeing how they look?
Thank you for any replies, I could really just use any thoughts and different viewpoints :)
submitted by almostcrackedegg to MtF [link] [comments]
I could use any thoughts or experiences you might have!
—--
So, I am 170 cm / 5’7. I weigh 58 kg, 23 years old and have been on HRT for 3+ years. I barely have boobs.
I’ve gained 4 kilos in the last few months, up from 54kg, and believe I can gain some more. Doing a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation, I can get up to 72 kg and still be considered healthy. This could potentially mean there is some room for breast growth. (I’m not sure this is a good way to do things though!)
I’m not sure if this (14kg) would make a noticeable difference. Again, from these 4 kilos my boobs didn't grow at all.
If anyone has any experience with this, I could really use the help!
I’m pretty sure that even if I do gain all that weight and my boobs grow a bit, they would still be small for my frame and body. I just don’t think I have the genetics for it.
It’s unfortunate, I’d definitely prefer natural grown boobs over implants. I’m scared implants won’t feel like my own, but I’ll be reading up on other peoples experiences with this.
If I wasn’t trans, I wouldn’t mind having small boobs at all (assuming I still have a slender body type). I’m not sure if that is possible, being trans, without the upper body looking too big and hips too small. Maybe this is all in my head? perhaps it’s not that big of a deal? Let me know if you have thoughts!
---
Every now and then, I stuff my bra so that I have a size that I feel looks okay for my body proportions. This is 250cc, a size I tried on at the intake with the surgeon. And it feels great! I really like how it actually looks like I have boobs, even in most clothes.
In the case I do decide that I want implants, I figure I should go with a size that is best for my body, proportionately. Is there any proven way to calculate what the best boob size would be, given chest circumference and total height and maybe other factors? Or is it really just trying out different sizes and seeing how they look?
Thank you for any replies, I could really just use any thoughts and different viewpoints :)
2023.04.01 11:01 almostcrackedegg Breast Augmentation doubts
Hi, I’m planned for SRS and BA in a little over a month. (finally after a long struggle, I’m so happy). Regarding Breast Augmentation, I’m still not 100% sure, I hope to explain my reasons below.
I could use any thoughts or experiences you might have!
—--
So, I am 170 cm / 5’7. I weigh 58 kg, 23 years old and have been on HRT for 3+ years. I barely have boobs.
I’ve gained 4 kilos in the last few months, up from 54kg, and believe I can gain some more. Doing a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation, I can get up to 72 kg and still be considered healthy. This could potentially mean there is some room for breast growth. (I’m not sure this is a good way to do things though!)
I’m not sure if this (14kg) would make a noticeable difference. Again, from these 4 kilos my boobs didn't grow at all.
If anyone has any experience with this, I could really use the help!
I’m pretty sure that even if I do gain all that weight and my boobs grow a bit, they would still be small for my frame and body. I just don’t think I have the genetics for it.
It’s unfortunate, I’d definitely prefer natural grown boobs over implants. I’m scared implants won’t feel like my own, but I’ll be reading up on other peoples experiences with this.
If I wasn’t trans, I wouldn’t mind having small boobs at all (assuming I still have a slender body type). I’m not sure if that is possible, being trans, without the upper body looking too big and hips too small. Maybe this is all in my head? perhaps it’s not that big of a deal? Let me know if you have thoughts!
---
Every now and then, I stuff my bra so that I have a size that I feel looks okay for my body proportions. This is 250cc, a size I tried on at the intake with the surgeon. And it feels great! I really like how it actually looks like I have boobs, even in most clothes.
In the case I do decide that I want implants, I figure I should go with a size that is best for my body, proportionately. Is there any proven way to calculate what the best boob size would be, given chest circumference and total height and maybe other factors? Or is it really just trying out different sizes and seeing how they look?
Thank you for any replies, I could really just use any thoughts and different viewpoints :)
submitted by almostcrackedegg to Transgender_Surgeries [link] [comments]
I could use any thoughts or experiences you might have!
—--
So, I am 170 cm / 5’7. I weigh 58 kg, 23 years old and have been on HRT for 3+ years. I barely have boobs.
I’ve gained 4 kilos in the last few months, up from 54kg, and believe I can gain some more. Doing a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation, I can get up to 72 kg and still be considered healthy. This could potentially mean there is some room for breast growth. (I’m not sure this is a good way to do things though!)
I’m not sure if this (14kg) would make a noticeable difference. Again, from these 4 kilos my boobs didn't grow at all.
If anyone has any experience with this, I could really use the help!
I’m pretty sure that even if I do gain all that weight and my boobs grow a bit, they would still be small for my frame and body. I just don’t think I have the genetics for it.
It’s unfortunate, I’d definitely prefer natural grown boobs over implants. I’m scared implants won’t feel like my own, but I’ll be reading up on other peoples experiences with this.
If I wasn’t trans, I wouldn’t mind having small boobs at all (assuming I still have a slender body type). I’m not sure if that is possible, being trans, without the upper body looking too big and hips too small. Maybe this is all in my head? perhaps it’s not that big of a deal? Let me know if you have thoughts!
---
Every now and then, I stuff my bra so that I have a size that I feel looks okay for my body proportions. This is 250cc, a size I tried on at the intake with the surgeon. And it feels great! I really like how it actually looks like I have boobs, even in most clothes.
In the case I do decide that I want implants, I figure I should go with a size that is best for my body, proportionately. Is there any proven way to calculate what the best boob size would be, given chest circumference and total height and maybe other factors? Or is it really just trying out different sizes and seeing how they look?
Thank you for any replies, I could really just use any thoughts and different viewpoints :)
2023.04.01 10:59 AsparagusLittle953 Keloid Specialist in Gulbarga
Dr. Niteen Dhepe
Keloids are enlargements of the skin generated by the skin overproducing collagen to fix a wound. Keloids can occur anywhere on the body, however, they are more frequent on the chest and upper chest. If left untreated, keloid can spread. They can be bothersome at times, particularly at night.
By administering intense light energy to the appropriate skin layer, laser therapy for keloid treatment removes the fibrosis collagen fibers. This allows us to progressively reduce the size of the keloids and prevent their growth.
Dr. Niteen Dhepe from Skin City has years of experience in keloid treatment and keloid removal for patients who seek keloid treatment. Keloids are treated in a customized way for each patient with keloid scar development. We usually recommend non-invasive treatment in the majority of keloid cases which include steroids, laser therapy, pressure therapy, and injections.
Our Keloid Specialist in Gulbarga, team is committed to providing our patients with the specialized medical treatment they require to properly remove their keloids and improve the appearance of scars at our cutting-edge facility. If you have keloid scars, Dr. Niteen Dhepe, a renowned keloid treatment specialist, can help you have them eliminated. Please call our office right away to schedule a consultation for keloid removal therapy!
Book an Appointment
submitted by AsparagusLittle953 to u/AsparagusLittle953 [link] [comments]
Keloids are enlargements of the skin generated by the skin overproducing collagen to fix a wound. Keloids can occur anywhere on the body, however, they are more frequent on the chest and upper chest. If left untreated, keloid can spread. They can be bothersome at times, particularly at night.
By administering intense light energy to the appropriate skin layer, laser therapy for keloid treatment removes the fibrosis collagen fibers. This allows us to progressively reduce the size of the keloids and prevent their growth.
Dr. Niteen Dhepe from Skin City has years of experience in keloid treatment and keloid removal for patients who seek keloid treatment. Keloids are treated in a customized way for each patient with keloid scar development. We usually recommend non-invasive treatment in the majority of keloid cases which include steroids, laser therapy, pressure therapy, and injections.
Our Keloid Specialist in Gulbarga, team is committed to providing our patients with the specialized medical treatment they require to properly remove their keloids and improve the appearance of scars at our cutting-edge facility. If you have keloid scars, Dr. Niteen Dhepe, a renowned keloid treatment specialist, can help you have them eliminated. Please call our office right away to schedule a consultation for keloid removal therapy!
Book an Appointment
2023.04.01 10:57 almostcrackedegg Breast Augmentation doubts - MtF
Hi, I’m planned for SRS and BA in a little over a month. (finally after a long struggle, I’m so happy). Regarding Breast Augmentation, I’m still not 100% sure, I hope to explain my reasons below.
I could use any thoughts or experiences you might have!
—--
So, I am 170 cm / 5’7. I weigh 58 kg, 23 years old and have been on HRT for 3+ years.I barely have boobs.
I’ve gained 4 kilos in the last few months, up from 54kg, and believe I can gain some more. Doing a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation, I can get up to 72 kg and still be considered healthy. This could potentially mean there is some room for breast growth. (I’m not sure this is a good way to do things though!)
I’m not sure if this (14kg) would make a noticeable difference. Again, from these 4 kilos my boobs didn't grow at all.
If anyone has any experience with this, I could really use the help!
I’m pretty sure that even if I do gain all that weight and my boobs grow a bit, they would still be small for my frame and body. I just don’t think I have the genetics for it.
It’s unfortunate, I’d definitely prefer natural grown boobs over implants. I’m scared implants won’t feel like my own, but I’ll be reading up on other peoples experiences with this.
If I wasn’t trans, I wouldn’t mind having small boobs at all (assuming I still have a slender body type). I’m not sure if that is possible, being trans, without the upper body looking too big and hips too small. Maybe this is all in my head? perhaps it’s not that big of a deal? Let me know if you have thoughts!
---
Every now and then, I stuff my bra so that I have a size that I feel looks okay for my body proportions. This is 250cc, a size I tried on at the intake with the surgeon. And it feels great! I really like how it actually looks like I have boobs, even in most clothes.
In the case I do decide that I want implants, I figure I should go with a size that is best for my body, proportionately. Is there any proven way to calculate what the best boob size would be, given chest circumference and total height and maybe other factors? Or is it really just trying out different sizes and seeing how they look?
Thank you for any replies, I could really just use any thoughts and different viewpoints :)
submitted by almostcrackedegg to asktransgender [link] [comments]
I could use any thoughts or experiences you might have!
—--
So, I am 170 cm / 5’7. I weigh 58 kg, 23 years old and have been on HRT for 3+ years.I barely have boobs.
I’ve gained 4 kilos in the last few months, up from 54kg, and believe I can gain some more. Doing a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation, I can get up to 72 kg and still be considered healthy. This could potentially mean there is some room for breast growth. (I’m not sure this is a good way to do things though!)
I’m not sure if this (14kg) would make a noticeable difference. Again, from these 4 kilos my boobs didn't grow at all.
If anyone has any experience with this, I could really use the help!
I’m pretty sure that even if I do gain all that weight and my boobs grow a bit, they would still be small for my frame and body. I just don’t think I have the genetics for it.
It’s unfortunate, I’d definitely prefer natural grown boobs over implants. I’m scared implants won’t feel like my own, but I’ll be reading up on other peoples experiences with this.
If I wasn’t trans, I wouldn’t mind having small boobs at all (assuming I still have a slender body type). I’m not sure if that is possible, being trans, without the upper body looking too big and hips too small. Maybe this is all in my head? perhaps it’s not that big of a deal? Let me know if you have thoughts!
---
Every now and then, I stuff my bra so that I have a size that I feel looks okay for my body proportions. This is 250cc, a size I tried on at the intake with the surgeon. And it feels great! I really like how it actually looks like I have boobs, even in most clothes.
In the case I do decide that I want implants, I figure I should go with a size that is best for my body, proportionately. Is there any proven way to calculate what the best boob size would be, given chest circumference and total height and maybe other factors? Or is it really just trying out different sizes and seeing how they look?
Thank you for any replies, I could really just use any thoughts and different viewpoints :)
2023.04.01 10:22 Defiant-Ad8244 Strange wound on sphynx
 | Hello Reddit, submitted by Defiant-Ad8244 to sphynx [link] [comments] This is my first time posting here so I apologize if I haven't gotten it to the right place. My 2-year-old sphinks just went in for a booster for his rabies shot. After his first rabies shot we noticed a large lump and swelling around the injection plate and we were really concerned. We talked to our vet about it and they said that we should avoid getting an updated vaccination if it all possible just because the reaction concerned her. A year later they're telling me that it's fine to get the vaccination and he will be okay. They gave him a shot of Benadryl to help with any allergic reaction or swelling. The thing is, he's still got the bump and the swelling but he also had a wound on the other side. His injection sites were his upper thighs near the hip. This wound is on the exact same spot opposite of where the injection was. It started out is just a red discoloration but has grown, changed color and then scabbed over. I think it's healing okay but I still have no idea where it came from. They told me that he received no injections on that side of his body. I've been taking pictures of it as it heals and I'm concerned it's going to leave a scar. I've never seen anything like this on any of my pets before and the circumstances under which he acquired this strange injury have me very concerned. Has anyone else seen anything like this on their sphinxes? Am I overreacting? I'll include some photos that I've been taking. It's been about 2 weeks since the booster. Any and all advice or help is welcome, our boy is our entire world and we just want him to be healthy and safe. |
2023.04.01 09:08 BlueFishcake Sexy Space Babes - The Video Game
The gas giant loomed large in the viewport, ballooning as the ship coasted toward it, the colorful blue hues of its swirling bands reflecting the glow of the system’s star.
Darren could make out the bright, scarred surface of an ice moon drifting lazily past, framed against the rivers of flowing hydrogen and helium. Silhouetted against the Jupiter-mass object was their destination – Halfpoint Station.
Having come from Earth, which was still a backwater when compared to many of the Imperium’s more developed worlds, the sheer size and grandeur of the structure took his breath away.
It was hard to gauge its true scale in the vacuum of space where there was no atmospheric haze, and there were no landmarks for reference, the unfiltered light creating harsh shadows. As they drew nearer, however, he was able to pick out some of the massive fuel tankers that swarmed its ports like clouds of gnats.
Those vessels put anything created by Humanity to shame – their purpose being to dip into the upper atmosphere of the gas giant, harvesting its resources to fuel the ships that made their berth here.
Calling it enormous was an understatement. It must have been nine miles tall, the main hull of the station forming a long, relatively thin vertical shaft. Surrounding that shaft were half a dozen rotating rings, each one connected to the central column by spokes, the pinpoints of innumerable windows glinting as they slowly turned.
At its apex was a dome of immense proportions, sitting proudly atop the structure, the crystalline material that made up its transparent hull glittering in the starlight. Inside, he could make out glimpses of regal skyscrapers and patches of parkland – an entire city encapsulated in a habitat that had a breathtaking view of the planet.
Darren pursed his lips as he looked down at the device on his wrist, the tiny display showing the familiar text of an article he must have read at least a dozen times by this point.
Halfpoint Station was situated on the outskirts of the Imperium’s sphere of influence, a region of space known only as the Periphery. This put it soundly outside of Purp jurisdiction, but the place still saw a lot of traffic, as the station was right in the middle of a relatively well-traveled shipping route between the three big powers.
While it had started its life as little more than a place to fuel up and get resupplied, being located outside any of the major spheres of influence had its benefits, and the station had garnered a bit of a reputation for its more permissive policies. Now, it was said to be populated by hired guns, smugglers, gamblers, and anyone else who might appreciate discretion.
The Human frowned as he looked out the window once more and tried to reconcile the gleaming edifice before him with the dark reputation the article in his hands presented.
He didn’t have long to dwell on it before the pilot’s crackly voice came through a hidden intercom in the cabin, informing the passengers that they were commencing docking procedures.
The woman spoke in accented Shil. What that accent was, Darren had no clue, but he knew it wasn’t the same one spoken by his professors – linguistic or mechanical.
He glanced around at his fellow travelers, seeing a few species that he didn’t recognize, along with the more familiar Shil’vati. The aliens were easily identifiable by the purple hue of their skin, their sharp tusks, and their seven-foot height.
Several of them returned his gaze, some curious, some covetous.
Males were rare in the Imperium.
Hell, males were rare, period.
By the standards of most races out in the galaxy, Humanity were the strange ones for having an equal number of men and women. Even six years into the occupation, most were still struggling to adapt to the new paradigm brought on by that reality.
Darren was no exception.
Still, he managed to ignore the stares, turning his attention to the smart display on his wrist, bringing up his itinerary. He was headed to Hab-Ring Five, and the only information that he’d been given beyond that were some coordinates to who-knew-where.
He sighed, wishing – not for the first time – that he might have a fellow first timer to converse with.
Unfortunately, that was a pipe dream.
The lack of other Humans on his ship wasn’t surprising. The Imperium had only recently relaxed enough to begin authorizing travel visas allowing Humans to leave Earth, and his kind were still a rarity on the Galactic stage.
As to why he was out here out in the ass end of space?
He’d been offered a job.
He was an engineer by trade, at least according to his degree, and he specialized in the combination of alien and Human technology. It might seem like an oddly specific skillset, but it was one that was in high demand, as just about every industry on Earth was trying to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Imperium’s literal space-age technology.
It was complicated work, but he was quite good at it, if he said so himself – and his professors seemed to agree. His gift had catapulted him through university and had apparently landed him a very lucrative offer to take up a position on Halfpoint.
How they’d heard of him, he wasn’t too sure. Nor did he truthfully know exactly what the job entailed. Apparently, he was to be briefed on-location.
Regardless, off-world work was a rare opportunity for any Human, let alone one fresh out of school, and visiting an alien space station was a lot more interesting than backpacking around Europe for a year.
Whatever happened, it was going to be an adventure.
The ship matched velocity with one of the rotating rings, the structure at least half a mile tall in its own right, covered in tiny windows that made it look like a whole city block had been condensed down into the shape of a donut.
Now that he was a little closer, Darren could see that the station was actually far from pristine. Its hull was pocked with haphazard repairs, the newer sections shining brighter than their older counterparts, its armored panels pitted with little craters from space debris and micro-meteorite impacts.
The ship lined up with a docking port, and an umbilical walkway began to extrude from the ring, reaching out towards them. It looked like the jib of a crane, covered over with a flexible material that bore a suspicious resemblance to a grey tarp.
Surely it wasn’t actually a tarp? No, it had to be some kind of alien supertech – too advanced for him to recognize at a glance.
Right?
His thoughts did little to reassure him as the umbilical connected to the shuttle’s airlock with a tangible thud.
Shaking his head, he retrieved his travel bag, then made his way down the aisle to join the queue of passengers who were waiting to disembark. More of them crammed in behind him, and he tried to ignore their uncomfortable proximity.
He hadn’t actually spent a lot of time around aliens during his schooling. One of his professors had been a Shil, but she had been professional to a fault and had always kept a healthy distance from her students.
Of course, she had still managed to be rather intimidating despite that, her head seeming to scrape the ceiling every time she stepped into the classroom. However, Darren was rapidly discovering that being surrounded by women who stood head and shoulders above him was a different experience altogether.
It was nothing to get worked up over, though. He just needed to-
The Shil standing behind him pressed close – uncomfortably close – Darren swearing that there was room enough in the aisle for her to keep her distance. Suddenly, he felt a sharp twinge in his rear.
Had she just...pinched him? No, it had to have been a mistake.
He turned to glance over his shoulder, looking up at the towering Purp. “Sorry, Ma’am, I must have bumped into you.”
Her sly smile faded as she furrowed her brow in confusion. Before she had time to formulate a reply, the intercom above the exit beeped.
“Oh, looks like we’re moving again!” Darren chimed as he began to follow the queue. “Sorry!”
He followed the procession of towering women into the passenger ship’s airlock. Both of the pressurized doors were open, and before him stretched the umbilical. The worryingly thin material that protected them from the deadly vacuum of space was wrapped taut around a metal frame, and the walkway beneath his feet was made up of a simple grate.
After a short walk, they emerged into a cavernous dock area, so large that it was more like standing in some kind of indoor stadium than anything that could be compared to a space station. There were stacks of shipping containers and unidentifiable machinery everywhere he looked.
It was a challenge not to stop and examine the equipment, each new sight piquing his interest, each strange device begging to be investigated. As he followed the other passengers to the far end of the room – his head on a swivel – he almost bumped into one of the containers. To his surprise, it was floating a foot off the ground, suspended on an anti-gravity cushion.
It was funny – no matter how many times he saw it, it never stopped being surreal to see something just…float.
As he stooped to look beneath it, an irritated dockworker leaned out from behind it to yell at whoever was in her way. She stopped when she saw him, raising a skeptical eyebrow. She was a Rakiri, if Darren remembered correctly. She resembled a towering werewolf, a pair of cat-like eyes peering out from beneath her black fur, her facial features strangely leonine. She was clad in dirty, yellow coveralls that hung loosely from her broad shoulders, exposing the ragged tank top that she wore beneath it. Tufts of her dark coat poked out around the faded garment, giving her a surprisingly fluffy appearance.
“You lost, boy?” she asked as she shooed him out of her path. “Stay behind the yellow warning markings unless you want to get that cute butt smushed,” she added with a nod toward the deck. She continued to push her heavy container, moving it effortlessly on its gravity cushion.
More dock workers were assembling to stare at him, perhaps having never seen a Human before. Or perhaps it was because he was male? It was hard to tell. Either way, a small crowd of yellow-clad women saw him off, a couple of them hooting at him and waving. Not sure if this was some kind of alien greeting, he shyly waved back, eliciting laughter from them after a moment of surprise.
One started to make her way over to him before a menacing growl from her superior made her freeze in place sheepishly. Darren took that as his cue to move on – he didn’t want to get anyone else in trouble by being in the way.
He arrived at a security gate, and after being asked to show his visa, he was subjected to a very thorough – and in his opinion unnecessary – pat-down. Once he was cleared, he emerged into the station proper. He stepped out of the way of the women behind him, then set his travel bag down on the metal deck, taking in the alien sights and sounds for a moment.
Far from being a sterile, clinical environment, he found himself in a bustling bazaar worthy of any city back on Earth. It scarcely felt like he was standing inside a station at all, what passed for the ceiling so high above his head that he could barely make out the crisscrossing support beams and maintenance catwalks.
It was styled like a cramped street, too small for cars, almost like the city center of some old European town had been reimagined in an industrial style. Civilian quarters that resembled apartment blocks rose up towards the ceiling, connecting to it in some places, likely leading up to higher levels of the station.
In every nook and cranny – anywhere there was room – the denizens of the hab-ring had set up little stalls where they were hawking their wares to the tourists who had just boarded. Colorful awnings fluttered in the artificial breeze from the air recyclers, and insulated cables that had been patched from the station’s systems trailed along walls and floors, powering streetside food stands and colorful neon signs.
Speaking of the denizens, they came in all shapes and sizes. Darren had never seen so many varieties of alien in one place before. He could make out a few Shil and Rakiri, but most were unknown to him, the varied hues of their skin and clothes creating a bustling sea of color.
He checked the device on his wrist again, pulling up the coordinates that his new employer had forwarded to him. This was indeed Hab-Ring Five, and he’d been given what passed for an address in this strange environment. Hefting his bag once more, he made his way into the throng, having to dodge and weave between the towering aliens. Many of them barely seemed to register his presence, probably due to his comparatively small stature, though some seemed to stop and stare in confusion.
Well, I suppose Humans are pretty new on the galactic scene, he thought to himself.
The scents of strange, alien food assailed him as he navigated the cramped streets, a few of the criers singling him out. They had sharp instincts, he’d give them that. It seemed the locals could smell a tourist at thirty paces.
Maybe it was all the staring he was doing?
Eventually, he arrived at his destination, glancing up from his display to see a dingy bar. It was open to the street, built into an overhang at the base of one of the many buildings, little more than a long counter with a few stools. Above it was a blinking neon sign in a script that he couldn’t read. As he made his way inside and struggled up onto one of the tall stools, the small handful of patrons who were sitting off to his left paused their conversation to examine him.
They were Nighkru, their goat-like horns and the bruise-purple hue of their skin giving them away. Their silver eyes were striking, almost seeming to glow in the dim light of the bar, as reflective as those of a cat. Their clothing was all tight leather and straps, their skin strategically exposed in places to show off their stunning bioluminescent tattoos, the swirling patterns trailing down slender limbs and across toned midriffs.
He kept his gaze aimed forward, knowing that their kind didn’t think much of the Imperium to which he now belonged.
…Then again, that was true for pretty much every race that wasn’t a part of the massive interstellar empire. Say what you would about the Purps, but they knew how to make an impression.
The bartender walked over to him, leaning on the counter as she looked him up and down skeptically. It was another Rakiri like the dockworkers, her feline nose twitching as she took in his scent.
“You lost, or do you want something to drink?” she asked.
“No thank you, I’m waiting for someone,” he replied sheepishly as he lowered his eyes to his device again.
He was right on time, but as he looked around, there was no sign of his contact. He was supposed to meet them here, right?
The Rakiri shrugged her furry shoulders, then left him to his own devices, moving over to the small group of Nighkru.
Perhaps one of them was his contact?
He certainly hoped not. While he didn’t have anything against a person enjoying themselves with a good drink after hours, it wasn’t a good way to make a positive first impression on a prospective employee.
Fortunately for him, the surprise on one of the trio’s grey skinned faces when she happened to blearily peer in his direction dashed that possibility. Just a trio of young women out for a drink.
Unfortunately for him, after a few hastily whispered words to her friends, the group made their way over to him.
“Don’t see many males round these parts,” one of them said, her faux leather getup creaking as she planted her hands on the bar to his left. Another leaned on the counter to his right, the third posting up behind him.
“A Human, too,” the woman to his right added with a sly chuckle. “Now, what’s a Human doing all alone out on the Periphery?”
“I didn’t think the Purps were letting their pets off the leash.” the one behind him snickered.
“I don’t know,” the first said with an exaggerated shrug. “Maybe he snuck out in search of a real woman? I think we’ve all heard how Humans can be.”
That set the three of them laughing.
All the while, Darren wasn’t sure where to look, turning his head left and right as he struggled to pick a Nighkru. He settled on the woman to his left, having to lift his head to meet her gaze, those reflective eyes shining like a pair of silver coins.
“I...uh...was actually supposed to be meeting someone here.” he stammered, a little of his anxiety bleeding through.
The Nighkru gave him a warm smile that wasn’t reflected in her eyes, leaning a little closer. He tried to pull away reflexively but found another Nighkru waiting for him, something rather soft pressing against his back.
“Well, I don’t see anyone else in here but me and my friends,” one of them said as she tutted dramatically. “Maybe they stood you up?”
“Poor form, that,” the one behind him whispered into his ear. He lurched in his seat, surprised by her proximity. “Leaving a pretty young thing like you hanging.”
The first one nodded, as if that was a piece of sagely wisdom. “I know – how about my friends and I give you a personal tour of the station to make up for it?” she asked, reaching out to brush a piece of errant fluff from his collar. “We’ll even carry your luggage for you – we’re nice like that.”
She signaled to one of her compatriots with a curt nod, who then plucked his travel bag off the deck.
“Oh, that’s really not-”
He tried to stand, but he was cut off as two of the women placed their hands on his shoulders, pushing him back down into his seat. Their touch was gentle, but firm, letting him know that he wasn't going anywhere.
Darren looked to the Rakiri bartender for help, feeling more than a little overwhelmed by the turn of events, but she was staying out of it. She was feigning disinterest, cleaning a glass with a rag that didn’t look clean enough for the job.
It was clear that he wouldn’t be getting any help from her.
Was this really going to be his first experience on the station – kidnapped by a gang of alien grifters?
Just as he was getting ready to – likely ineffectually – start swinging like his life depended on it, he heard a voice ring out in a language he didn’t recognize.
The Nighkru turned their heads as one, and he followed their gaze, seeing another of their kind step in from the street. Her skin had the same twilight hue, her silvery hair pulled back into a long ponytail that trailed behind her as she strode towards them. She wore a jet-black body suit that left little to the imagination, so tight that it might have been sewn onto her, the garment open at the front to expose a chiseled midriff and the beginnings of her cleavage. Her eyes were mesmerizing, his gaze drawn to the glowing tattoos that served to accentuate them.
Oddly, unlike the trio surrounding him, she had no horns.
The stranger walked with purpose, her heels clicking on the deck, her hair swishing behind her as she came to a stop to stare down the three other women. They were already backing off, the Nighkru who had taken his bag setting it back down gingerly beside his seat. Did they know this person? They seemed so wary of her.
“Maybe we’ll see you around,” one of them whispered, her hand lingering on his shoulder for a moment before she followed her friends out into the street.
Once they were finally out of sight, Darren breathed a sigh of relief and turned to thank the newcomer. Before he could utter so much as a word, she beat him to the punch.
“You shouldn’t wander around Halfpoint alone,” she said, skipping the preamble. Her voice had a melodic tone, one that was almost musical to Darren’s ears. She planted her hands on her hips, scrutinizing him with a skeptical expression. “You’re just asking for trouble.”
“I’m just...waiting for someone,” he replied. “Thank you, by the way. I’m-”
“Do you have a weapon on you?” she asked, cutting him off. “A handgun under that jacket? Defense spray? A pocket knife?”
“What? No,” he replied, his brow furrowing. “Why would I have a gun?”
Even with a few inches of titanium-alloy plating between everyone aboard and a messy death by explosive decompression, using a firearm on the station seemed risky.
She snorted derisively, almost as though she couldn’t believe his reply.
“For your sake, I hope that whoever you’re waiting for is smarter than you are,” she said with a roll of her silver eyes. “This isn’t Earth, boy. There are no Shil Marines around to babysit you. Next time you want to play tourist, go somewhere closer to home.”
With a flick of her long hair, she turned about, vanishing into the crowd once more to leave him sitting at the bar in confusion.
Darren felt another hand on his shoulder and turned to see an Edixi wearing grease-stained overalls standing behind him. The tool belt that hung loosely about her hips let him know that she was a mechanic before she’d even had time to open her mouth.
Her kind were evolved for an aquatic environment, and although they were fully amphibious, they retained many of their ancient features. Their bodies were smooth and streamlined, with lean, lightly-muscled frames that made them look like Olympic swimmers. Her eyes were a striking ocean-green, and her azure skin was patterned with faded tiger stripes, darkening as it neared her extremities.
“You’re the new engineer, right?” she chirped excitedly.
“Darren Fogle, pleased to meet you,” he confirmed as he extended a hand. She took it, shaking it eagerly, and he noted that her fingers were webbed.
He was a little surprised by how smooth her skin was. Given the sharklike appearance of the Edixi – and her vocation – he’d expected it to be rough and scaly. Maybe cold and slimy, too. By contrast, it was warm and soft, her small scales smooth like a snake’s rather than sharp like those of a fish.
Odd.
“Oh, it is. It very much is. The boss told me to fetch you,” she said before turning back towards the street. “Don’t get lost, you hear? There are some rough types around these parts.”
Yes, she could say that again. He stooped to pick up his bag, then hurried after her, trying not to lose sight of her in the crowd. He also belatedly realized that she hadn’t told him her own name.
Was that an Edixi thing or was she just in a hurry?
The mechanic led him through the streets, which seemed to be arranged in a kind of grid pattern, always flanked by the towering hab-blocks. It was as challenging as ever to navigate when so many of the station’s inhabitants stood a head taller than him. It made him feel like a bug that was trying to avoid being stepped on.
He could only assume he’d get used to it. His guide seemed to have no problem getting around, and she was a few inches shorter than him.
Their destination was some kind of service elevator – a large platform that seemed designed to carry heavy cargo up from the docks, wide enough that a couple of trucks could have parked on it side by side. There were still a few cargo containers stacked off to one side that hadn’t been unloaded yet.
He watched as the woman hit a touch panel beside the double doors, and they began to slide shut, the platform lurching as Darren felt it start to rise. There was no grinding of machinery, no vibrations, only a sensation of getting heavier. It was obviously gravity-manipulation tech. It wasn’t too surprising – the Shil seemed to use it for just about everything, so it wasn’t too strange that the rest of the universe did as well.
Convergent technological development, he could almost imagine his Shil instructor saying as they started to descend. Good tech is good tech.
The hab-ring’s many levels flashed by one by one, until finally, the elevator slid to a smooth stop. Darren followed the happily humming mechanic out into a garage, his eyes lighting up as he took in his new surroundings.
Were those… mecha?
The bay’s walls were lined with bulky harnesses that were obviously designed to hold the machines in place, a few of the berths already occupied by half-disassembled vehicles.
They were!
“Real life mecha,” he mumbled.
As a mechanic, he wasn’t ignorant of the genre. After all, what kind of engineer didn’t hold a soft spot for giant stompy robots? Of course, as an engineer, he also held an inherent disdain for anyone that actually thought said machines were even remotely practical outside of the realm of fiction.
The Square Cube Law was a harsh mistress.
The long and short of it was that if you doubled a machine's height while keeping it the same shape, you ended up with four times the muscle power moving eight times the mass. As a result, instead of having the same relative agility as the original, the double-sized machine actually had only half.
That was why ants could lift so much relative to their weight. If you scaled one up, you’d end up with a much less impressive power to weight ration.
And, the problem only got worse the bigger you went. Giant robots would be slow, cumbersome, and they would inevitably suffer from exploding ankles if they tried to move too fast. They’d also sink in just about any terrain that was even slightly porous.
All in all, mecha were a cool concept with absolutely zero real world applications.
Which was why he was so stunned to see some in real life. Sure, the Shil military liked to use exos, but they were really just power armor by any other name with thrusters attached. Besides, the only reason those things could skip around like they did was because they had anti-grav generators…
His thoughts trailed off as an idea occurred to him. He jogged over to the nearest machine, peering up at the twenty-foot humanoid monstrosity. Its legs had been detached, leaving only a bulky torso covered in half-stripped sensory equipment, lenses and scanners visible where their protective covers had been removed. The cockpit was open, revealing the pilot’s seat, along with the surrounding neural interface cables that hung loose like the entrails of some mechanical beast. Its weapon attachments were empty, but it was nonetheless an awe-inspiring sight.
Sure enough, there were two oversized humps on the back. One was clearly for the thing’s fusion engine – and the other must have held the anti-grav generator.
“Darren?” the mechanic asked, having only just realized that he wasn’t behind her. “Aren’t you coming?”
“Y-yeah,” he said, jogging for a few paces to catch up. “That’s a mecha!”
The blue-hued alien nodded slowly. “Yes?”
“A mecha,” he reiterated.
Which prompted another slow nod. “You’ve never seen a gladiator mech before?”
“No.”
“Didn’t they tell you what job you’d be doing?” the mechanic asked, cocking her head in a rather adorable manner.
“No?” This time it was his turn to cock his head.
Several emotions seemed to fly across the alien’s face. He saw surprise, confusion, and dismay before she finally settled on irritation.
“Typical,” she grunted. “Just… follow me.”
AN: https://youtu.be/a3Xp1WhRQ9Q
submitted by BlueFishcake to HFY [link] [comments]
Darren could make out the bright, scarred surface of an ice moon drifting lazily past, framed against the rivers of flowing hydrogen and helium. Silhouetted against the Jupiter-mass object was their destination – Halfpoint Station.
Having come from Earth, which was still a backwater when compared to many of the Imperium’s more developed worlds, the sheer size and grandeur of the structure took his breath away.
It was hard to gauge its true scale in the vacuum of space where there was no atmospheric haze, and there were no landmarks for reference, the unfiltered light creating harsh shadows. As they drew nearer, however, he was able to pick out some of the massive fuel tankers that swarmed its ports like clouds of gnats.
Those vessels put anything created by Humanity to shame – their purpose being to dip into the upper atmosphere of the gas giant, harvesting its resources to fuel the ships that made their berth here.
Calling it enormous was an understatement. It must have been nine miles tall, the main hull of the station forming a long, relatively thin vertical shaft. Surrounding that shaft were half a dozen rotating rings, each one connected to the central column by spokes, the pinpoints of innumerable windows glinting as they slowly turned.
At its apex was a dome of immense proportions, sitting proudly atop the structure, the crystalline material that made up its transparent hull glittering in the starlight. Inside, he could make out glimpses of regal skyscrapers and patches of parkland – an entire city encapsulated in a habitat that had a breathtaking view of the planet.
Darren pursed his lips as he looked down at the device on his wrist, the tiny display showing the familiar text of an article he must have read at least a dozen times by this point.
Halfpoint Station was situated on the outskirts of the Imperium’s sphere of influence, a region of space known only as the Periphery. This put it soundly outside of Purp jurisdiction, but the place still saw a lot of traffic, as the station was right in the middle of a relatively well-traveled shipping route between the three big powers.
While it had started its life as little more than a place to fuel up and get resupplied, being located outside any of the major spheres of influence had its benefits, and the station had garnered a bit of a reputation for its more permissive policies. Now, it was said to be populated by hired guns, smugglers, gamblers, and anyone else who might appreciate discretion.
The Human frowned as he looked out the window once more and tried to reconcile the gleaming edifice before him with the dark reputation the article in his hands presented.
He didn’t have long to dwell on it before the pilot’s crackly voice came through a hidden intercom in the cabin, informing the passengers that they were commencing docking procedures.
The woman spoke in accented Shil. What that accent was, Darren had no clue, but he knew it wasn’t the same one spoken by his professors – linguistic or mechanical.
He glanced around at his fellow travelers, seeing a few species that he didn’t recognize, along with the more familiar Shil’vati. The aliens were easily identifiable by the purple hue of their skin, their sharp tusks, and their seven-foot height.
Several of them returned his gaze, some curious, some covetous.
Males were rare in the Imperium.
Hell, males were rare, period.
By the standards of most races out in the galaxy, Humanity were the strange ones for having an equal number of men and women. Even six years into the occupation, most were still struggling to adapt to the new paradigm brought on by that reality.
Darren was no exception.
Still, he managed to ignore the stares, turning his attention to the smart display on his wrist, bringing up his itinerary. He was headed to Hab-Ring Five, and the only information that he’d been given beyond that were some coordinates to who-knew-where.
He sighed, wishing – not for the first time – that he might have a fellow first timer to converse with.
Unfortunately, that was a pipe dream.
The lack of other Humans on his ship wasn’t surprising. The Imperium had only recently relaxed enough to begin authorizing travel visas allowing Humans to leave Earth, and his kind were still a rarity on the Galactic stage.
As to why he was out here out in the ass end of space?
He’d been offered a job.
He was an engineer by trade, at least according to his degree, and he specialized in the combination of alien and Human technology. It might seem like an oddly specific skillset, but it was one that was in high demand, as just about every industry on Earth was trying to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Imperium’s literal space-age technology.
It was complicated work, but he was quite good at it, if he said so himself – and his professors seemed to agree. His gift had catapulted him through university and had apparently landed him a very lucrative offer to take up a position on Halfpoint.
How they’d heard of him, he wasn’t too sure. Nor did he truthfully know exactly what the job entailed. Apparently, he was to be briefed on-location.
Regardless, off-world work was a rare opportunity for any Human, let alone one fresh out of school, and visiting an alien space station was a lot more interesting than backpacking around Europe for a year.
Whatever happened, it was going to be an adventure.
The ship matched velocity with one of the rotating rings, the structure at least half a mile tall in its own right, covered in tiny windows that made it look like a whole city block had been condensed down into the shape of a donut.
Now that he was a little closer, Darren could see that the station was actually far from pristine. Its hull was pocked with haphazard repairs, the newer sections shining brighter than their older counterparts, its armored panels pitted with little craters from space debris and micro-meteorite impacts.
The ship lined up with a docking port, and an umbilical walkway began to extrude from the ring, reaching out towards them. It looked like the jib of a crane, covered over with a flexible material that bore a suspicious resemblance to a grey tarp.
Surely it wasn’t actually a tarp? No, it had to be some kind of alien supertech – too advanced for him to recognize at a glance.
Right?
His thoughts did little to reassure him as the umbilical connected to the shuttle’s airlock with a tangible thud.
Shaking his head, he retrieved his travel bag, then made his way down the aisle to join the queue of passengers who were waiting to disembark. More of them crammed in behind him, and he tried to ignore their uncomfortable proximity.
He hadn’t actually spent a lot of time around aliens during his schooling. One of his professors had been a Shil, but she had been professional to a fault and had always kept a healthy distance from her students.
Of course, she had still managed to be rather intimidating despite that, her head seeming to scrape the ceiling every time she stepped into the classroom. However, Darren was rapidly discovering that being surrounded by women who stood head and shoulders above him was a different experience altogether.
It was nothing to get worked up over, though. He just needed to-
The Shil standing behind him pressed close – uncomfortably close – Darren swearing that there was room enough in the aisle for her to keep her distance. Suddenly, he felt a sharp twinge in his rear.
Had she just...pinched him? No, it had to have been a mistake.
He turned to glance over his shoulder, looking up at the towering Purp. “Sorry, Ma’am, I must have bumped into you.”
Her sly smile faded as she furrowed her brow in confusion. Before she had time to formulate a reply, the intercom above the exit beeped.
“Oh, looks like we’re moving again!” Darren chimed as he began to follow the queue. “Sorry!”
He followed the procession of towering women into the passenger ship’s airlock. Both of the pressurized doors were open, and before him stretched the umbilical. The worryingly thin material that protected them from the deadly vacuum of space was wrapped taut around a metal frame, and the walkway beneath his feet was made up of a simple grate.
After a short walk, they emerged into a cavernous dock area, so large that it was more like standing in some kind of indoor stadium than anything that could be compared to a space station. There were stacks of shipping containers and unidentifiable machinery everywhere he looked.
It was a challenge not to stop and examine the equipment, each new sight piquing his interest, each strange device begging to be investigated. As he followed the other passengers to the far end of the room – his head on a swivel – he almost bumped into one of the containers. To his surprise, it was floating a foot off the ground, suspended on an anti-gravity cushion.
It was funny – no matter how many times he saw it, it never stopped being surreal to see something just…float.
As he stooped to look beneath it, an irritated dockworker leaned out from behind it to yell at whoever was in her way. She stopped when she saw him, raising a skeptical eyebrow. She was a Rakiri, if Darren remembered correctly. She resembled a towering werewolf, a pair of cat-like eyes peering out from beneath her black fur, her facial features strangely leonine. She was clad in dirty, yellow coveralls that hung loosely from her broad shoulders, exposing the ragged tank top that she wore beneath it. Tufts of her dark coat poked out around the faded garment, giving her a surprisingly fluffy appearance.
“You lost, boy?” she asked as she shooed him out of her path. “Stay behind the yellow warning markings unless you want to get that cute butt smushed,” she added with a nod toward the deck. She continued to push her heavy container, moving it effortlessly on its gravity cushion.
More dock workers were assembling to stare at him, perhaps having never seen a Human before. Or perhaps it was because he was male? It was hard to tell. Either way, a small crowd of yellow-clad women saw him off, a couple of them hooting at him and waving. Not sure if this was some kind of alien greeting, he shyly waved back, eliciting laughter from them after a moment of surprise.
One started to make her way over to him before a menacing growl from her superior made her freeze in place sheepishly. Darren took that as his cue to move on – he didn’t want to get anyone else in trouble by being in the way.
He arrived at a security gate, and after being asked to show his visa, he was subjected to a very thorough – and in his opinion unnecessary – pat-down. Once he was cleared, he emerged into the station proper. He stepped out of the way of the women behind him, then set his travel bag down on the metal deck, taking in the alien sights and sounds for a moment.
Far from being a sterile, clinical environment, he found himself in a bustling bazaar worthy of any city back on Earth. It scarcely felt like he was standing inside a station at all, what passed for the ceiling so high above his head that he could barely make out the crisscrossing support beams and maintenance catwalks.
It was styled like a cramped street, too small for cars, almost like the city center of some old European town had been reimagined in an industrial style. Civilian quarters that resembled apartment blocks rose up towards the ceiling, connecting to it in some places, likely leading up to higher levels of the station.
In every nook and cranny – anywhere there was room – the denizens of the hab-ring had set up little stalls where they were hawking their wares to the tourists who had just boarded. Colorful awnings fluttered in the artificial breeze from the air recyclers, and insulated cables that had been patched from the station’s systems trailed along walls and floors, powering streetside food stands and colorful neon signs.
Speaking of the denizens, they came in all shapes and sizes. Darren had never seen so many varieties of alien in one place before. He could make out a few Shil and Rakiri, but most were unknown to him, the varied hues of their skin and clothes creating a bustling sea of color.
He checked the device on his wrist again, pulling up the coordinates that his new employer had forwarded to him. This was indeed Hab-Ring Five, and he’d been given what passed for an address in this strange environment. Hefting his bag once more, he made his way into the throng, having to dodge and weave between the towering aliens. Many of them barely seemed to register his presence, probably due to his comparatively small stature, though some seemed to stop and stare in confusion.
Well, I suppose Humans are pretty new on the galactic scene, he thought to himself.
The scents of strange, alien food assailed him as he navigated the cramped streets, a few of the criers singling him out. They had sharp instincts, he’d give them that. It seemed the locals could smell a tourist at thirty paces.
Maybe it was all the staring he was doing?
Eventually, he arrived at his destination, glancing up from his display to see a dingy bar. It was open to the street, built into an overhang at the base of one of the many buildings, little more than a long counter with a few stools. Above it was a blinking neon sign in a script that he couldn’t read. As he made his way inside and struggled up onto one of the tall stools, the small handful of patrons who were sitting off to his left paused their conversation to examine him.
They were Nighkru, their goat-like horns and the bruise-purple hue of their skin giving them away. Their silver eyes were striking, almost seeming to glow in the dim light of the bar, as reflective as those of a cat. Their clothing was all tight leather and straps, their skin strategically exposed in places to show off their stunning bioluminescent tattoos, the swirling patterns trailing down slender limbs and across toned midriffs.
He kept his gaze aimed forward, knowing that their kind didn’t think much of the Imperium to which he now belonged.
…Then again, that was true for pretty much every race that wasn’t a part of the massive interstellar empire. Say what you would about the Purps, but they knew how to make an impression.
The bartender walked over to him, leaning on the counter as she looked him up and down skeptically. It was another Rakiri like the dockworkers, her feline nose twitching as she took in his scent.
“You lost, or do you want something to drink?” she asked.
“No thank you, I’m waiting for someone,” he replied sheepishly as he lowered his eyes to his device again.
He was right on time, but as he looked around, there was no sign of his contact. He was supposed to meet them here, right?
The Rakiri shrugged her furry shoulders, then left him to his own devices, moving over to the small group of Nighkru.
Perhaps one of them was his contact?
He certainly hoped not. While he didn’t have anything against a person enjoying themselves with a good drink after hours, it wasn’t a good way to make a positive first impression on a prospective employee.
Fortunately for him, the surprise on one of the trio’s grey skinned faces when she happened to blearily peer in his direction dashed that possibility. Just a trio of young women out for a drink.
Unfortunately for him, after a few hastily whispered words to her friends, the group made their way over to him.
“Don’t see many males round these parts,” one of them said, her faux leather getup creaking as she planted her hands on the bar to his left. Another leaned on the counter to his right, the third posting up behind him.
“A Human, too,” the woman to his right added with a sly chuckle. “Now, what’s a Human doing all alone out on the Periphery?”
“I didn’t think the Purps were letting their pets off the leash.” the one behind him snickered.
“I don’t know,” the first said with an exaggerated shrug. “Maybe he snuck out in search of a real woman? I think we’ve all heard how Humans can be.”
That set the three of them laughing.
All the while, Darren wasn’t sure where to look, turning his head left and right as he struggled to pick a Nighkru. He settled on the woman to his left, having to lift his head to meet her gaze, those reflective eyes shining like a pair of silver coins.
“I...uh...was actually supposed to be meeting someone here.” he stammered, a little of his anxiety bleeding through.
The Nighkru gave him a warm smile that wasn’t reflected in her eyes, leaning a little closer. He tried to pull away reflexively but found another Nighkru waiting for him, something rather soft pressing against his back.
“Well, I don’t see anyone else in here but me and my friends,” one of them said as she tutted dramatically. “Maybe they stood you up?”
“Poor form, that,” the one behind him whispered into his ear. He lurched in his seat, surprised by her proximity. “Leaving a pretty young thing like you hanging.”
The first one nodded, as if that was a piece of sagely wisdom. “I know – how about my friends and I give you a personal tour of the station to make up for it?” she asked, reaching out to brush a piece of errant fluff from his collar. “We’ll even carry your luggage for you – we’re nice like that.”
She signaled to one of her compatriots with a curt nod, who then plucked his travel bag off the deck.
“Oh, that’s really not-”
He tried to stand, but he was cut off as two of the women placed their hands on his shoulders, pushing him back down into his seat. Their touch was gentle, but firm, letting him know that he wasn't going anywhere.
Darren looked to the Rakiri bartender for help, feeling more than a little overwhelmed by the turn of events, but she was staying out of it. She was feigning disinterest, cleaning a glass with a rag that didn’t look clean enough for the job.
It was clear that he wouldn’t be getting any help from her.
Was this really going to be his first experience on the station – kidnapped by a gang of alien grifters?
Just as he was getting ready to – likely ineffectually – start swinging like his life depended on it, he heard a voice ring out in a language he didn’t recognize.
The Nighkru turned their heads as one, and he followed their gaze, seeing another of their kind step in from the street. Her skin had the same twilight hue, her silvery hair pulled back into a long ponytail that trailed behind her as she strode towards them. She wore a jet-black body suit that left little to the imagination, so tight that it might have been sewn onto her, the garment open at the front to expose a chiseled midriff and the beginnings of her cleavage. Her eyes were mesmerizing, his gaze drawn to the glowing tattoos that served to accentuate them.
Oddly, unlike the trio surrounding him, she had no horns.
The stranger walked with purpose, her heels clicking on the deck, her hair swishing behind her as she came to a stop to stare down the three other women. They were already backing off, the Nighkru who had taken his bag setting it back down gingerly beside his seat. Did they know this person? They seemed so wary of her.
“Maybe we’ll see you around,” one of them whispered, her hand lingering on his shoulder for a moment before she followed her friends out into the street.
Once they were finally out of sight, Darren breathed a sigh of relief and turned to thank the newcomer. Before he could utter so much as a word, she beat him to the punch.
“You shouldn’t wander around Halfpoint alone,” she said, skipping the preamble. Her voice had a melodic tone, one that was almost musical to Darren’s ears. She planted her hands on her hips, scrutinizing him with a skeptical expression. “You’re just asking for trouble.”
“I’m just...waiting for someone,” he replied. “Thank you, by the way. I’m-”
“Do you have a weapon on you?” she asked, cutting him off. “A handgun under that jacket? Defense spray? A pocket knife?”
“What? No,” he replied, his brow furrowing. “Why would I have a gun?”
Even with a few inches of titanium-alloy plating between everyone aboard and a messy death by explosive decompression, using a firearm on the station seemed risky.
She snorted derisively, almost as though she couldn’t believe his reply.
“For your sake, I hope that whoever you’re waiting for is smarter than you are,” she said with a roll of her silver eyes. “This isn’t Earth, boy. There are no Shil Marines around to babysit you. Next time you want to play tourist, go somewhere closer to home.”
With a flick of her long hair, she turned about, vanishing into the crowd once more to leave him sitting at the bar in confusion.
Darren felt another hand on his shoulder and turned to see an Edixi wearing grease-stained overalls standing behind him. The tool belt that hung loosely about her hips let him know that she was a mechanic before she’d even had time to open her mouth.
Her kind were evolved for an aquatic environment, and although they were fully amphibious, they retained many of their ancient features. Their bodies were smooth and streamlined, with lean, lightly-muscled frames that made them look like Olympic swimmers. Her eyes were a striking ocean-green, and her azure skin was patterned with faded tiger stripes, darkening as it neared her extremities.
“You’re the new engineer, right?” she chirped excitedly.
“Darren Fogle, pleased to meet you,” he confirmed as he extended a hand. She took it, shaking it eagerly, and he noted that her fingers were webbed.
He was a little surprised by how smooth her skin was. Given the sharklike appearance of the Edixi – and her vocation – he’d expected it to be rough and scaly. Maybe cold and slimy, too. By contrast, it was warm and soft, her small scales smooth like a snake’s rather than sharp like those of a fish.
Odd.
“Oh, it is. It very much is. The boss told me to fetch you,” she said before turning back towards the street. “Don’t get lost, you hear? There are some rough types around these parts.”
Yes, she could say that again. He stooped to pick up his bag, then hurried after her, trying not to lose sight of her in the crowd. He also belatedly realized that she hadn’t told him her own name.
Was that an Edixi thing or was she just in a hurry?
The mechanic led him through the streets, which seemed to be arranged in a kind of grid pattern, always flanked by the towering hab-blocks. It was as challenging as ever to navigate when so many of the station’s inhabitants stood a head taller than him. It made him feel like a bug that was trying to avoid being stepped on.
He could only assume he’d get used to it. His guide seemed to have no problem getting around, and she was a few inches shorter than him.
Their destination was some kind of service elevator – a large platform that seemed designed to carry heavy cargo up from the docks, wide enough that a couple of trucks could have parked on it side by side. There were still a few cargo containers stacked off to one side that hadn’t been unloaded yet.
He watched as the woman hit a touch panel beside the double doors, and they began to slide shut, the platform lurching as Darren felt it start to rise. There was no grinding of machinery, no vibrations, only a sensation of getting heavier. It was obviously gravity-manipulation tech. It wasn’t too surprising – the Shil seemed to use it for just about everything, so it wasn’t too strange that the rest of the universe did as well.
Convergent technological development, he could almost imagine his Shil instructor saying as they started to descend. Good tech is good tech.
The hab-ring’s many levels flashed by one by one, until finally, the elevator slid to a smooth stop. Darren followed the happily humming mechanic out into a garage, his eyes lighting up as he took in his new surroundings.
Were those… mecha?
The bay’s walls were lined with bulky harnesses that were obviously designed to hold the machines in place, a few of the berths already occupied by half-disassembled vehicles.
They were!
“Real life mecha,” he mumbled.
As a mechanic, he wasn’t ignorant of the genre. After all, what kind of engineer didn’t hold a soft spot for giant stompy robots? Of course, as an engineer, he also held an inherent disdain for anyone that actually thought said machines were even remotely practical outside of the realm of fiction.
The Square Cube Law was a harsh mistress.
The long and short of it was that if you doubled a machine's height while keeping it the same shape, you ended up with four times the muscle power moving eight times the mass. As a result, instead of having the same relative agility as the original, the double-sized machine actually had only half.
That was why ants could lift so much relative to their weight. If you scaled one up, you’d end up with a much less impressive power to weight ration.
And, the problem only got worse the bigger you went. Giant robots would be slow, cumbersome, and they would inevitably suffer from exploding ankles if they tried to move too fast. They’d also sink in just about any terrain that was even slightly porous.
All in all, mecha were a cool concept with absolutely zero real world applications.
Which was why he was so stunned to see some in real life. Sure, the Shil military liked to use exos, but they were really just power armor by any other name with thrusters attached. Besides, the only reason those things could skip around like they did was because they had anti-grav generators…
His thoughts trailed off as an idea occurred to him. He jogged over to the nearest machine, peering up at the twenty-foot humanoid monstrosity. Its legs had been detached, leaving only a bulky torso covered in half-stripped sensory equipment, lenses and scanners visible where their protective covers had been removed. The cockpit was open, revealing the pilot’s seat, along with the surrounding neural interface cables that hung loose like the entrails of some mechanical beast. Its weapon attachments were empty, but it was nonetheless an awe-inspiring sight.
Sure enough, there were two oversized humps on the back. One was clearly for the thing’s fusion engine – and the other must have held the anti-grav generator.
“Darren?” the mechanic asked, having only just realized that he wasn’t behind her. “Aren’t you coming?”
“Y-yeah,” he said, jogging for a few paces to catch up. “That’s a mecha!”
The blue-hued alien nodded slowly. “Yes?”
“A mecha,” he reiterated.
Which prompted another slow nod. “You’ve never seen a gladiator mech before?”
“No.”
“Didn’t they tell you what job you’d be doing?” the mechanic asked, cocking her head in a rather adorable manner.
“No?” This time it was his turn to cock his head.
Several emotions seemed to fly across the alien’s face. He saw surprise, confusion, and dismay before she finally settled on irritation.
“Typical,” she grunted. “Just… follow me.”
AN: https://youtu.be/a3Xp1WhRQ9Q
2023.04.01 09:00 skenone Not to sure what this is. Bit of a story, my new workout split, some questions and some reading. ENJOY!
A bit about me: I’m 25 years old, 78kgs and 171cm. I have been going to the gym for around 7 years, lifting heavy in the higher rep ranges with hypertrophy being the main focus. Whilst I’ve always loved it, I found myself longing for the athleticism and cardiovascular fitness of when I was in school. It bummed me out that I looked in considerably good shape but would get out of breath climbing up a few flights of stairs. I meal prep every week and have done for the last 4 years or so, I eat 1-3 meals a week that are not prepped but usually still pretty healthy. (Obviously when on holidays this isn’t the case) Occasionally, when focusing on getting more lean I have got into the habit of running 5kms, 3 times a week. Thus meaning I would gym in the AM and run in the evening. Whilst it’s great, it would always leave me very burnt out and my recovery from gym would suffer. I decided maybe I’ll try give BWF a crack. I used to rock climb when younger and I like the idea of learning new skills that involve technique and balance. I’m also a big fan of stretching and mobility.
So at this point you may ask “what the hell are his goals?”, well currently;
The new “split” “Rules” to keep in mind when making the new split included; Sunday is a rest day no questions asked. The gym will only be visited once a day. “Why is that?” Whilst twice a day is possible, I have a very strict schedule and don’t have time for a second visit without sacrificing more important things on my priority list. Another reason, as mentioned in the first paragraph, is when I was running and going to the gym on the same day I was experiencing burnout. I was not recovering and was finding it all feeling like a chore. Gym is something I love and something I want to look forward to. Finally there must be 2 days of cardio per week. So now the question, how do I fit 2 days of cardio whilst also being able to punish my muscles and get enough sets in. I originally was thinking full body workouts but I don’t think I would recover fast enough and I like focusing on the push pull and hammering legs on its own brutal day. After all this thinking the outcome I decided, keeping all goals in mind was the following (abs are done every day but leg day)(layout = Sets x Reps):
Monday - Push + Mobility/stretching
Now, after all that rambling, I have some questions for you lot in regard to the “split” I devised and my goals;
submitted by skenone to bodyweightfitness [link] [comments]
So at this point you may ask “what the hell are his goals?”, well currently;
- Be fit (in a cardiovascular sense)
- Learn to handstand
- Maintain muscle mass
- Get stronger
- Increase flexibility
- pull-ups 5x5 15kgs
- Dips 5x5 20kgs
- Weighted push-up 5x5 20kgs
- Squat 5x5 100kg
- Military press 5x5 50kgs (trash)
The new “split” “Rules” to keep in mind when making the new split included; Sunday is a rest day no questions asked. The gym will only be visited once a day. “Why is that?” Whilst twice a day is possible, I have a very strict schedule and don’t have time for a second visit without sacrificing more important things on my priority list. Another reason, as mentioned in the first paragraph, is when I was running and going to the gym on the same day I was experiencing burnout. I was not recovering and was finding it all feeling like a chore. Gym is something I love and something I want to look forward to. Finally there must be 2 days of cardio per week. So now the question, how do I fit 2 days of cardio whilst also being able to punish my muscles and get enough sets in. I originally was thinking full body workouts but I don’t think I would recover fast enough and I like focusing on the push pull and hammering legs on its own brutal day. After all this thinking the outcome I decided, keeping all goals in mind was the following (abs are done every day but leg day)(layout = Sets x Reps):
Monday - Push + Mobility/stretching
- Military press 5x5 (2min rest)
- Weighted dip 5x5 (2min rest)
- Pike push-up 5x5 alternating Pseudo plank push-up 3x5 (90 seconds rest)
- Weighted pull-up 5x5 (2min rest)
- Weighted horizontal row 5x5 (2min rest)
- Perfect chin-up 5x5 (2min rest)
- Skill 15mins
- Cardio 30mins
- Squats 5x5 (2.5min rest)
- Deadlifts 5x5 (2.5min rest)
- Seated calf raises 3x8-12 superset with standing calf raises 3x8-12 (90 seconds rest)
- Military press 3x5 alternating with Weighted pull ups 3x5 (90 seconds rest)
- Pike pushups 3x5 alternating with Weighted dips 3x5 (90 seconds rest)
- Weighted pushups 5x5 (90 seconds rest)
- Skill 15mins
- Cardio 30mins
Now, after all that rambling, I have some questions for you lot in regard to the “split” I devised and my goals;
- Do you think I will be hitting my shoulders and chest enough to maintain muscle mass and improve strength, perhaps even too much? I guess this would be a question for already developed BWF users that do a similar amount of days each week.
- Should I be working on my “Skill” more than twice a week? I could potentially do it on Monday instead of the mobility, effectively giving me 3 days of skill work and 3 days of mobility work a week. Is this enough? what would you suggest from personal experience?
- What types of cardio (lower the impact the better) do you find most effective in your training? I had something along the lines of Rowing, Cycling or Stair machine (obviously all on seperate days) and finishing with some sprints. But id like to know from people who take their cardio quite seriously which they find most effective and enjoyable.
- Is there any way you would suggest reordering my split keeping in mind the “rules”?
- Id like to hear thoughts on the number of sets and the exercises picked, the numbers I have used are basically butchered up from my previous PPL routine with slightly less total volume.
2023.04.01 08:25 Dranoopjhurani What are the different types of arthritis?
 | There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related disease. The most common types are osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and Gout. In osteoarthritis, the protective cartilage inside the joint wears away. This makes the movement of affected joints difficult and painful. The intensity of osteoarthritis pain may vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe. In Rheumatoid arthritis, the joints and other organs are attacked by the body’s immune system. Normally the immune system protects the human body from invaders like viruses, and bacteria. In rheumatoid arthritis, it becomes overactive and attacks healthy tissues. In people with autoimmune diseases like RA, persistent inflammation breaks down the joint and damages it permanently. A gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis but it does not cause body-wide inflammation like RA. In Gout, uric acid crystals are the roots of the problem. Excess uric acid can form crystals in joints. This results in painful joint inflammation. Gout usually strikes the large joint of the big toe, but can also affect other joints. submitted by Dranoopjhurani to u/Dranoopjhurani [link] [comments] Knee Replacement is surgery of accuracy and perfection. Dr. Jhurani is one of the most experienced and Best Knee Replacement Surgeons in Jaipur, India. Nowadays, knee problems are common. Many people are suffering from different kinds of knee or hip joint pains. Two types of problems are popular in knee replacement treatment such as partial knee replacement or knee replacement. Both have similarities in one thing is that they occur in the knee, meanwhile creating a lot of pain in your knees, due to which you can’t move, walk or run. There should not be a second thought that will lie in your head about the best surgeon or best orthopedic transplant in Jaipur, undoubtedly it’s Dr. Anoop Jhurani, the best surgeon who can perform the perfect knee replacement or partial knee replacement in Jaipur. Total knee replacement is a different case. Mostly occur because of age factors, injuries, or any other childhood disease. In a partial knee replacement, some bones or tissues are going to be replaced, if they are damaged or inactive. Majorly, it happens due to arthritis. What are the different types of arthritis? |
2023.04.01 07:46 bestbodyliftsurgery Give your upper body a toned and sculpted look with board certified Surgeon
 | submitted by bestbodyliftsurgery to u/bestbodyliftsurgery [link] [comments] An upper body lift may consist of one or several procedures, including arm lift, breast lift (or gynecomastia), or back lift (surgery to remove fat rolls). An upper body lift creates a tighter, smoother body contour and improves your profile. www.bestbodyliftsurgery.com Book a consultation today 35+ years of experienced & Triple American board certified plastic & Cosmetic surgeon Call or WhatsApp: +91-9958221983, 9958221982 Email: [email protected] #upperbodylift #doctors #hospitals #delhi #plasticsurgery #bestsurgeon #CosmeticSurgeon #fitnessmotivation |
2023.04.01 07:34 Mermaid11100 My Physical & Mental Disphoria List
[ Due to inspiration from another recent post, I decided to write my own Disphoria List. (my mother tongue is german and therefore the list is also written in the language and "only" translated with google, so maybe ignore grammar or term errors) ]
Here is a list of many physical and mental disphoria issues that have always bothered me, some to this day, or that I identify with can. I decided to just make this list for myself because I was adamant that I had to do it. Maybe it's also, to write something off my soul, that I've been carrying around with me for too long.
Physical disphoria:
- Ever since he was little he had a rather slender body, without many conspicuous typically male muscles, not even after he had come of age. At the time, I found this an embarrassing aspect because I didn't come across as "man enough" for everyone. Even when I started ~18. I had started privately with muscle building training (bodybuilding) for at least 15 years, nothing had ever developed and I stayed that way. Today, as a woman-to-be, I'm even glad that nothing has changed and that I have a more feminine body. Another muscle building training would be an absolute no-go for me and would NEVER be an option!
- My hair was rather curly and thin only in early childhood, but as I slowly grew up, the hair became thinner and fell out more and more, which means that I now have "private hairline corners", but that doesn't bother me anymore that I , since I became a woman, I only like to wear wigs anyway (I have always liked long hair), which means that my "real" hair underneath has become unimportant to me and the mostly long hair of the wigs has now become a "part of me" became.
- I am now also very happy that I never really had "typical male hair" on my body, only isolated spots and not very dense. Now that I'm a woman, I find hairy parts of my body "disturbing" and unfeminine anyway, so I shave them off regularly whenever I can and HATE the task every time. I really hope that the new hormones will slow down hair growth.
- As a young woman, my height is a bit bothersome to me. Even without shoes, I find myself "a bit" too tall to pass as a woman. Since I can't walk well anyway (I limp), I make myself a little smaller anyway, because I have to balance with my knees.
- I feel my hands are neither too big nor too small to really call them feminine. I can't put it better.
- I feel my voice, not very feminine, but not masculine either. Earlier in the still old represented gender I only pressed the voice down with a lot of force to appear as a "real man". Since I've also hardly been able to talk to anyone longer in recent years, I almost have the feeling that I've "forgotten" how to talk and I think I have to start something from scratch in order to first learn to talk and then first to take care of feminization of the voice. I just want to make it so that my voice is "somewhat" perceived as feminine, that it also corresponds to my otherwise completely feminine appearance. If there was a magic pill or an electronic chip that you just had to swallow, I would take it NOW,
- Every time I see myself in the mirror without a wig, I hate my only male face. I don't even look if I can avoid it. Only with a wig can I see myself at least somewhat as feminine in the mirror image. It doesn't matter to me whether there's make-up or not.
- Luckily I have had rather thin legs since I was young. The bodybuilding training at that time didn't help here either, fortunately!, now that I want to have more feminine legs anyway. At least they match my skirts visually!
- Unfortunately, I have a rather typical male upper body shape (everything straight). I would love to somehow have a few "feminine curves" that I can also pass as female in terms of body structure. Even a minimal difference with a narrow waist and slightly wider hips would be enough for me.
- Even during my compulsory school years, I was more interested in participating in the exercises with the girls (gymnastics, skipping, tightrope dancing, leapfrog,...) than in being forced to participate in all the "brutal" boys' (ball) sports .
- Pants I found my whole life very annoying and uncomfortable. I always got a permanent feeling of "restricted movement" from them. Due to my not healthy musculoskeletal system, I was always sore and scraped because of all the pants. Now that I'm a woman, I love wearing dresses and skirts with full conviction and I can move much more freely! (Pants really only in extremely bad weather or temperature conditions.)
- Finally: my feet! Oh how I hate those giant male "Bigfoot"! So I am extremely limited when it comes to choosing women's shoes of any kind. Since "normal" women's sizes end a few sizes earlier than my actual size. I can only occasionally fall back on "oversizes", even if they don't match my taste optically. I would love to have them surgically removed and replaced with very small, slim women's feet, but that's just a dream!
Mental disphoria:
- Nowadays, when people call me my old "dead" name, or with wrong pronouns/salutation (He/M..), I can understand if it happens "just" once or unintentionally, but if it happens repeatedly ,
- I used to be “allowed” to show neither emotions nor weakness in society, otherwise you would immediately become a “sissy” and be rejected. But since my decision to switch, I've let my feelings out openly and I'm not ashamed to shed light tears.
- Whether in childhood, adolescence, or even before my TG path, when I was mostly just among boys/men, I never felt comfortable and rather out of place. Everything about them bothered me: their mostly insulting sayings/jokes, their general often arrogant manner and behavior, or even just their bad smells! I would have loved to hand it over back then. Only when I was together with mostly only girls/women did I feel comfortable and safe and there was a feeling of connection even then. Especially it smelled much nicer! Of course it all made sense nowadays and I understand what my intuition wanted to convey back then!
- It hadn't bothered me before, but when I was younger, when I loved playing video games (like every kid I guess) where there was charactecharacter selection in the game, I ALWAYS wanted to control only one female charactecharacter . I always found them much prettier and I could just identify with them better. However, if there was only one male character in games, I wanted to find a way to change it to female, or even swap it out. Now that makes perfect sense too.
- When I slowly started my TG path or was still considering whether I could really be a trans woman, I had done many tests (mostly online) that were titled such as. "What is your gender?", "Are you perhaps transsexual?" or "Are you male or female?". I had always hoped from the start that the results would evaluate me as "female" or "transsexual". When the word "male" came out, "You might be transsexual" or similar ambiguous results, I was very offended or offended.
- My "old self", as a (slightly) "choleric" tended to freak out. Since I have now openly accepted and lived out my feminine side, which has always been dormant in me, I have noticed to my amazement that I have become much calmer, more compassionate, more sociable and gentler. I've become a real elegant lady and I'm very grateful for that.
- I finally have the feeling that I can now live and enjoy my "true" character in full control and not just (act) play a "put-on" character like I used to slip into a costume with a mask.
- For almost 2 years I have been (at least) mentally walking this path to becoming a perfect woman and I can say with absolute(!) certainty that I want to stay/be like this,
- I have absolutely no shyness or fear of hormone therapy (which I am pursuing on my own; no surgery planned!) and I really do hope that the new estrogens will achieve at least the minimal effect that I wish for to make me personally "100% woman " to call.
- Even when I was very young, I was (even if only secretly) very enthusiastic about series and films in which characters from fairy tales and even mythical creatures appear, such as e.g. Fairies, (female) werewolves and vampires, and especially mermaids! and I wanted so badly to be her! I could only identify with these exclusively female creatures. Male versions of such beings, if they also exist in the opposite sex, would not have made me happy at all. Even now, at an advanced age, I freely admit that I still love all these mythical creatures very much!
- I realized even before I made the decision to change my life into that of a true woman that I was very interested in all kinds of transformation comics or stories. I just love reading/watching it to this day a lot, like a male character e.g. takes a pill, goes into a machine, or has an operation to completely transform into a biological girl/woman! Especially for me it has an added attraction when this character not only takes on the opposite gender, but also becomes a not-fully-human species (mythical creatures)!
- I hate ever being considered male! I was and am the most feminine person you can imagine.
- No matter if at that time eg. with friends in front of the shared video game console, or at other gatherings of any kind, where mostly boys/men were present and there were always derogatory remarks or insulting jokes about women, it just made me very angry every time. Now I understand why too! (Because I was a woman inside myself back then!)
- I wish I could learn to control dreams so I could dream of being a true biological woman, at least in this dream world!
- Today's society, unfortunately still mostly controlled by men, scares me to this day! I would so much rather live in a world where there were ONLY women! (Like some Si.Fi.Fantasy movies)
- I am so thankful to have chosen the path of a trans woman! If for some reason I didn't get hormones, I would feel completely down forever!
- I would love to have a relationship where I would be fully respected, accepted and treated as a woman. I really want to go completely from "The One Who Protects" to "The One Who Is Protected"! (Even if only figuratively speaking)
- Everything that I used to want to feel as "cute" or "enchanting" I had to "bury" and hide inside myself. That was very bad for me, because I didn't want to like things that were "typically girly". Now I can show it openly
- Since we're on the subject of "cute", if someone had previously called me "cute", where I still had to fake my "false self" to the outside, I would have had to express massive annoyance, but if someone called me that now , I would be so happy about it and my heart would beat faster with great joy. (Unfortunately, this has only happened once so far, but only because my face was hidden in the FFP2 mask while wearing a girly (Japanese) school uniform ("Cosplay"). I would like such a case, even if I'm just wearing normal everyday feminine clothes and my face is showing.
- In general, my whole interest in films/series/books/..ect.. has changed since I decided to live my "real self". Where action, thriller, violence, science fiction, horror, etc. used to be important to me, it's now comedy, romance, fantasy, drama, love, etc.... at least everything that's more "quiet". (Exceptions prove the rule.)
So, these are items on my list of disphoria that have come to mind so far. I hope that perhaps other people reading this will relate to one point or another, to experience with me a sense of togetherness and the knowledge that I/we are not alone. Thank you for reading!
submitted by Mermaid11100 to MtF [link] [comments]
Here is a list of many physical and mental disphoria issues that have always bothered me, some to this day, or that I identify with can. I decided to just make this list for myself because I was adamant that I had to do it. Maybe it's also, to write something off my soul, that I've been carrying around with me for too long.
Physical disphoria:
- Ever since he was little he had a rather slender body, without many conspicuous typically male muscles, not even after he had come of age. At the time, I found this an embarrassing aspect because I didn't come across as "man enough" for everyone. Even when I started ~18. I had started privately with muscle building training (bodybuilding) for at least 15 years, nothing had ever developed and I stayed that way. Today, as a woman-to-be, I'm even glad that nothing has changed and that I have a more feminine body. Another muscle building training would be an absolute no-go for me and would NEVER be an option!
- My hair was rather curly and thin only in early childhood, but as I slowly grew up, the hair became thinner and fell out more and more, which means that I now have "private hairline corners", but that doesn't bother me anymore that I , since I became a woman, I only like to wear wigs anyway (I have always liked long hair), which means that my "real" hair underneath has become unimportant to me and the mostly long hair of the wigs has now become a "part of me" became.
- I am now also very happy that I never really had "typical male hair" on my body, only isolated spots and not very dense. Now that I'm a woman, I find hairy parts of my body "disturbing" and unfeminine anyway, so I shave them off regularly whenever I can and HATE the task every time. I really hope that the new hormones will slow down hair growth.
- As a young woman, my height is a bit bothersome to me. Even without shoes, I find myself "a bit" too tall to pass as a woman. Since I can't walk well anyway (I limp), I make myself a little smaller anyway, because I have to balance with my knees.
- I feel my hands are neither too big nor too small to really call them feminine. I can't put it better.
- I feel my voice, not very feminine, but not masculine either. Earlier in the still old represented gender I only pressed the voice down with a lot of force to appear as a "real man". Since I've also hardly been able to talk to anyone longer in recent years, I almost have the feeling that I've "forgotten" how to talk and I think I have to start something from scratch in order to first learn to talk and then first to take care of feminization of the voice. I just want to make it so that my voice is "somewhat" perceived as feminine, that it also corresponds to my otherwise completely feminine appearance. If there was a magic pill or an electronic chip that you just had to swallow, I would take it NOW,
- Every time I see myself in the mirror without a wig, I hate my only male face. I don't even look if I can avoid it. Only with a wig can I see myself at least somewhat as feminine in the mirror image. It doesn't matter to me whether there's make-up or not.
- Luckily I have had rather thin legs since I was young. The bodybuilding training at that time didn't help here either, fortunately!, now that I want to have more feminine legs anyway. At least they match my skirts visually!
- Unfortunately, I have a rather typical male upper body shape (everything straight). I would love to somehow have a few "feminine curves" that I can also pass as female in terms of body structure. Even a minimal difference with a narrow waist and slightly wider hips would be enough for me.
- Even during my compulsory school years, I was more interested in participating in the exercises with the girls (gymnastics, skipping, tightrope dancing, leapfrog,...) than in being forced to participate in all the "brutal" boys' (ball) sports .
- Pants I found my whole life very annoying and uncomfortable. I always got a permanent feeling of "restricted movement" from them. Due to my not healthy musculoskeletal system, I was always sore and scraped because of all the pants. Now that I'm a woman, I love wearing dresses and skirts with full conviction and I can move much more freely! (Pants really only in extremely bad weather or temperature conditions.)
- Finally: my feet! Oh how I hate those giant male "Bigfoot"! So I am extremely limited when it comes to choosing women's shoes of any kind. Since "normal" women's sizes end a few sizes earlier than my actual size. I can only occasionally fall back on "oversizes", even if they don't match my taste optically. I would love to have them surgically removed and replaced with very small, slim women's feet, but that's just a dream!
Mental disphoria:
- Nowadays, when people call me my old "dead" name, or with wrong pronouns/salutation (He/M..), I can understand if it happens "just" once or unintentionally, but if it happens repeatedly ,
- I used to be “allowed” to show neither emotions nor weakness in society, otherwise you would immediately become a “sissy” and be rejected. But since my decision to switch, I've let my feelings out openly and I'm not ashamed to shed light tears.
- Whether in childhood, adolescence, or even before my TG path, when I was mostly just among boys/men, I never felt comfortable and rather out of place. Everything about them bothered me: their mostly insulting sayings/jokes, their general often arrogant manner and behavior, or even just their bad smells! I would have loved to hand it over back then. Only when I was together with mostly only girls/women did I feel comfortable and safe and there was a feeling of connection even then. Especially it smelled much nicer! Of course it all made sense nowadays and I understand what my intuition wanted to convey back then!
- It hadn't bothered me before, but when I was younger, when I loved playing video games (like every kid I guess) where there was charactecharacter selection in the game, I ALWAYS wanted to control only one female charactecharacter . I always found them much prettier and I could just identify with them better. However, if there was only one male character in games, I wanted to find a way to change it to female, or even swap it out. Now that makes perfect sense too.
- When I slowly started my TG path or was still considering whether I could really be a trans woman, I had done many tests (mostly online) that were titled such as. "What is your gender?", "Are you perhaps transsexual?" or "Are you male or female?". I had always hoped from the start that the results would evaluate me as "female" or "transsexual". When the word "male" came out, "You might be transsexual" or similar ambiguous results, I was very offended or offended.
- My "old self", as a (slightly) "choleric" tended to freak out. Since I have now openly accepted and lived out my feminine side, which has always been dormant in me, I have noticed to my amazement that I have become much calmer, more compassionate, more sociable and gentler. I've become a real elegant lady and I'm very grateful for that.
- I finally have the feeling that I can now live and enjoy my "true" character in full control and not just (act) play a "put-on" character like I used to slip into a costume with a mask.
- For almost 2 years I have been (at least) mentally walking this path to becoming a perfect woman and I can say with absolute(!) certainty that I want to stay/be like this,
- I have absolutely no shyness or fear of hormone therapy (which I am pursuing on my own; no surgery planned!) and I really do hope that the new estrogens will achieve at least the minimal effect that I wish for to make me personally "100% woman " to call.
- Even when I was very young, I was (even if only secretly) very enthusiastic about series and films in which characters from fairy tales and even mythical creatures appear, such as e.g. Fairies, (female) werewolves and vampires, and especially mermaids! and I wanted so badly to be her! I could only identify with these exclusively female creatures. Male versions of such beings, if they also exist in the opposite sex, would not have made me happy at all. Even now, at an advanced age, I freely admit that I still love all these mythical creatures very much!
- I realized even before I made the decision to change my life into that of a true woman that I was very interested in all kinds of transformation comics or stories. I just love reading/watching it to this day a lot, like a male character e.g. takes a pill, goes into a machine, or has an operation to completely transform into a biological girl/woman! Especially for me it has an added attraction when this character not only takes on the opposite gender, but also becomes a not-fully-human species (mythical creatures)!
- I hate ever being considered male! I was and am the most feminine person you can imagine.
- No matter if at that time eg. with friends in front of the shared video game console, or at other gatherings of any kind, where mostly boys/men were present and there were always derogatory remarks or insulting jokes about women, it just made me very angry every time. Now I understand why too! (Because I was a woman inside myself back then!)
- I wish I could learn to control dreams so I could dream of being a true biological woman, at least in this dream world!
- Today's society, unfortunately still mostly controlled by men, scares me to this day! I would so much rather live in a world where there were ONLY women! (Like some Si.Fi.Fantasy movies)
- I am so thankful to have chosen the path of a trans woman! If for some reason I didn't get hormones, I would feel completely down forever!
- I would love to have a relationship where I would be fully respected, accepted and treated as a woman. I really want to go completely from "The One Who Protects" to "The One Who Is Protected"! (Even if only figuratively speaking)
- Everything that I used to want to feel as "cute" or "enchanting" I had to "bury" and hide inside myself. That was very bad for me, because I didn't want to like things that were "typically girly". Now I can show it openly
- Since we're on the subject of "cute", if someone had previously called me "cute", where I still had to fake my "false self" to the outside, I would have had to express massive annoyance, but if someone called me that now , I would be so happy about it and my heart would beat faster with great joy. (Unfortunately, this has only happened once so far, but only because my face was hidden in the FFP2 mask while wearing a girly (Japanese) school uniform ("Cosplay"). I would like such a case, even if I'm just wearing normal everyday feminine clothes and my face is showing.
- In general, my whole interest in films/series/books/..ect.. has changed since I decided to live my "real self". Where action, thriller, violence, science fiction, horror, etc. used to be important to me, it's now comedy, romance, fantasy, drama, love, etc.... at least everything that's more "quiet". (Exceptions prove the rule.)
So, these are items on my list of disphoria that have come to mind so far. I hope that perhaps other people reading this will relate to one point or another, to experience with me a sense of togetherness and the knowledge that I/we are not alone. Thank you for reading!
2023.04.01 06:37 KetoXplode6556 GlucoBerry Reviews Benefits, Advantages, How to use, Where to Buy (2023 Update)
GlucoBerry Reviews Benefits: GlucoBerry™ is the result of extensive research by professionals at John Hopkins University. These experts discovered a relationship between healthy blood sugar levels, insulin, and kidney blood sugar drain. Based on this research, Dr. Mark Weis, a practicing medical doctor, crafted a natural dietary supplement to help one attain a healthy blood sugar level.
What is GlucoBerry?
GlucoBerry is a blood sugar support supplement with remarkable therapeutic effects. They enable the kidneys to eliminate excess sugar from our bodies by cleaning the grey mucosal substance that blocks the route. One capsule is recommended daily to achieve the desired result.
Click Here To Buy Now From Official Website Of GlucoBerry
submitted by KetoXplode6556 to u/KetoXplode6556 [link] [comments]
What is GlucoBerry?
GlucoBerry is a blood sugar support supplement with remarkable therapeutic effects. They enable the kidneys to eliminate excess sugar from our bodies by cleaning the grey mucosal substance that blocks the route. One capsule is recommended daily to achieve the desired result.
Click Here To Buy Now From Official Website Of GlucoBerry
2023.04.01 06:27 Business-Jelly-8546 "I think you should get plastic surgery to suit my fantasies, even if we aren't officially dating."
I'll start by saying, I no longer associate with this man and am in a happy healthy relationship with the best man ever now whom I intend to marry. But this one has scarred me for a while.
TLDR at the bottom.
About two years ago, I met a man (29M) who we'll call Sam. I (28F) had just gotten out of a tumultuous and borderline abusive relationship with a man I'd been with for 3 years and was leery about starting a relationship at all. Sam was in the process of a divorce, living with his soon to be ex wife but about to get his own place and had 2 children.
We had a lot in common and initially just bonded over music, reading, and video games. He was sweet, funny, and different than any other man I've ever dated. We vented about our exes and our lives a good bit.
There were red flags GALORE with this man and I'm an idiot who didn't see them because I just didn't want to. He was fun to talk to. Besides the aforementioned red flags he also: didn't speak kindly of his 12 years with his ex (they were high school sweethearts), talked about his kids like they were the biggest chore and sucked all of the joy out of his life but would always amend it with "I'd do anything for my children.", And (this I realized afterward) he was a sex addict. But, because I'm an absolute moron, I liked that he was different than my ex. Sam seemed Cultured, bookish, and nerdy. And I thought the distain he had for his ex stemmed from her, allegedly, cheating on him. And who am I to judge what kids are like? I had none of my own yet.
Because we met online, a lot of our initial conversations were done over text or over the phone. Literally a week into talking he tried telling me he loved me. I told him I wasn't comfortable with moving that fast because we were both getting out of serious relationships and he wasn't even fully divorced yet. So he agreed that it was too quick and didn't mention it again for a while.
He said a lot of things like "you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." And "my ex wife is going to be so jealous when she sees you." I told him that made me uncomfortable because I don't want to be seen as some kind of weird trophy to make his ex jealous. He swore it had nothing to do with that.
Then he started talking to me about all of the porn he liked and started showing me some pretty intense bondage stuff. I had been interested but had never really done anything that adventurous. I told him so but he insisted we could learn together because he hadnt tried any of it either.
I noticed that a lot of the women in the porn he would send me had gigantic fake boobs. I thought that might just be a coincidence because ya know...porn. But I was a little self conscious because I genetically don't have perfect boobs and they're rather small, especially at this time because I had lost so much weight due to being upset about the breakup I had just recently suffered. I had never sent him nude pictures or anything before we met because I was so self conscious about it. I told him I had body image issues and had previously suffered an ED. and he said he understood, because in his words "being raised by an Asian mother who scrutinized everything about him" didn't really make him super confident either. He generally made me feel like I had nothing to worry about.
The night we finally met, about a month later, we had planned to go out for drinks. After I got in his car, he insisted we skip drinks and go back to his newly acquired apartment. I told him I wasn't sure about that but he was really insistent about it. So we went back to his apartment. The whole ride there he kept saying how beautiful I was and how I was so out of his league. and I'm sure you can surmise what happened when we finally got to his apartment.
Before we even started I told him I was nervous about being with another person because my ex and I had been together for 4 total years. He was really comforting and said he understood because I'd be the first person he had slept with outside of his 12 year relationship/marriage.
Afterwards, he told me he loved me again and I told him I still wasn't ready for that and his response was "Well I love you. And I know I do. You don't have to say it back. but I want to keep telling you I love you." we talked about life and what we wanted out of our future. he stated he didn't really want anymore kids because the ones he had were enough. I told him I really wanted to be a mom. And it was becoming more and more obvious as this conversation progressed that we weren't as compatible as I initially thought. I don't know why we hadn't spoken of these things yet. Maybe because we were to busy talking about the things we actually did have in common.
I went home and the next morning, he started acting really strange. Very one word response-ish. I honestly didn't care too much because I was now reflecting on the red flags and regretted sleeping with him at all. He said he wanted to call me when he got off work and I said alright. I had already decided there and then that I had gotten the "ick" from him at some point. Like i did not see the handsome, witty, smart guy I thought he was. I only saw the guy who talked about how his ex wife sucked, his kids ruined his life, and tried to force this premature "love" thing on me.
During the phone call he said "I've been having some really intrusive thoughts. And I feel bad about them." And I just said "oh? What's wrong?" He sounded really down and I was curious as to what could be so pressing that he wanted to call to talk about it.
He said "I've been thinking and I think you should get a boob job. I want you to get a boo job."
It was like a punch to the gut. Every fear I'd had about my body confirmed. Every hate I had for myself validated by this man who wasn't even my boyfriend and I'd only known for a month.
I burst into tears and he said he was "sorry" and that he didn't like thinking these things. And that he'd "pay for it", meaning he'd pay for me to my breasts augmented to suit his fantasies.
At that, I snapped. I said something along the lines od "Well I think you should be a better father to your kids. And that you were probably a bad husband. I think you're actually a pretty terrible person all around. And I was going to tell you I don't want to see you again before you ever said you wanted me to change my body. There isn't enough money in the world to fix you being a piece of shit." And hung up.
He texted me and told me I was an awful person and a hateful b-word. He told me he knew he wasnt a great dad but how dare I judge him because I don't have children of my own. Eventually he stated he was going to kill himself.
I was tired of the manipulation and blocked him. I heard through the grape vine he made a poetry page on Facebook and wrote terrible cringe poems that may or may not have been about me.
TL;DR: A guy I knew for a month tried to love bomb me and then, after knowing about my body image issues, tells me he thinks I should get a boob job and he'll pay for the procedure.
submitted by Business-Jelly-8546 to offmychest [link] [comments]
TLDR at the bottom.
About two years ago, I met a man (29M) who we'll call Sam. I (28F) had just gotten out of a tumultuous and borderline abusive relationship with a man I'd been with for 3 years and was leery about starting a relationship at all. Sam was in the process of a divorce, living with his soon to be ex wife but about to get his own place and had 2 children.
We had a lot in common and initially just bonded over music, reading, and video games. He was sweet, funny, and different than any other man I've ever dated. We vented about our exes and our lives a good bit.
There were red flags GALORE with this man and I'm an idiot who didn't see them because I just didn't want to. He was fun to talk to. Besides the aforementioned red flags he also: didn't speak kindly of his 12 years with his ex (they were high school sweethearts), talked about his kids like they were the biggest chore and sucked all of the joy out of his life but would always amend it with "I'd do anything for my children.", And (this I realized afterward) he was a sex addict. But, because I'm an absolute moron, I liked that he was different than my ex. Sam seemed Cultured, bookish, and nerdy. And I thought the distain he had for his ex stemmed from her, allegedly, cheating on him. And who am I to judge what kids are like? I had none of my own yet.
Because we met online, a lot of our initial conversations were done over text or over the phone. Literally a week into talking he tried telling me he loved me. I told him I wasn't comfortable with moving that fast because we were both getting out of serious relationships and he wasn't even fully divorced yet. So he agreed that it was too quick and didn't mention it again for a while.
He said a lot of things like "you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." And "my ex wife is going to be so jealous when she sees you." I told him that made me uncomfortable because I don't want to be seen as some kind of weird trophy to make his ex jealous. He swore it had nothing to do with that.
Then he started talking to me about all of the porn he liked and started showing me some pretty intense bondage stuff. I had been interested but had never really done anything that adventurous. I told him so but he insisted we could learn together because he hadnt tried any of it either.
I noticed that a lot of the women in the porn he would send me had gigantic fake boobs. I thought that might just be a coincidence because ya know...porn. But I was a little self conscious because I genetically don't have perfect boobs and they're rather small, especially at this time because I had lost so much weight due to being upset about the breakup I had just recently suffered. I had never sent him nude pictures or anything before we met because I was so self conscious about it. I told him I had body image issues and had previously suffered an ED. and he said he understood, because in his words "being raised by an Asian mother who scrutinized everything about him" didn't really make him super confident either. He generally made me feel like I had nothing to worry about.
The night we finally met, about a month later, we had planned to go out for drinks. After I got in his car, he insisted we skip drinks and go back to his newly acquired apartment. I told him I wasn't sure about that but he was really insistent about it. So we went back to his apartment. The whole ride there he kept saying how beautiful I was and how I was so out of his league. and I'm sure you can surmise what happened when we finally got to his apartment.
Before we even started I told him I was nervous about being with another person because my ex and I had been together for 4 total years. He was really comforting and said he understood because I'd be the first person he had slept with outside of his 12 year relationship/marriage.
Afterwards, he told me he loved me again and I told him I still wasn't ready for that and his response was "Well I love you. And I know I do. You don't have to say it back. but I want to keep telling you I love you." we talked about life and what we wanted out of our future. he stated he didn't really want anymore kids because the ones he had were enough. I told him I really wanted to be a mom. And it was becoming more and more obvious as this conversation progressed that we weren't as compatible as I initially thought. I don't know why we hadn't spoken of these things yet. Maybe because we were to busy talking about the things we actually did have in common.
I went home and the next morning, he started acting really strange. Very one word response-ish. I honestly didn't care too much because I was now reflecting on the red flags and regretted sleeping with him at all. He said he wanted to call me when he got off work and I said alright. I had already decided there and then that I had gotten the "ick" from him at some point. Like i did not see the handsome, witty, smart guy I thought he was. I only saw the guy who talked about how his ex wife sucked, his kids ruined his life, and tried to force this premature "love" thing on me.
During the phone call he said "I've been having some really intrusive thoughts. And I feel bad about them." And I just said "oh? What's wrong?" He sounded really down and I was curious as to what could be so pressing that he wanted to call to talk about it.
He said "I've been thinking and I think you should get a boob job. I want you to get a boo job."
It was like a punch to the gut. Every fear I'd had about my body confirmed. Every hate I had for myself validated by this man who wasn't even my boyfriend and I'd only known for a month.
I burst into tears and he said he was "sorry" and that he didn't like thinking these things. And that he'd "pay for it", meaning he'd pay for me to my breasts augmented to suit his fantasies.
At that, I snapped. I said something along the lines od "Well I think you should be a better father to your kids. And that you were probably a bad husband. I think you're actually a pretty terrible person all around. And I was going to tell you I don't want to see you again before you ever said you wanted me to change my body. There isn't enough money in the world to fix you being a piece of shit." And hung up.
He texted me and told me I was an awful person and a hateful b-word. He told me he knew he wasnt a great dad but how dare I judge him because I don't have children of my own. Eventually he stated he was going to kill himself.
I was tired of the manipulation and blocked him. I heard through the grape vine he made a poetry page on Facebook and wrote terrible cringe poems that may or may not have been about me.
TL;DR: A guy I knew for a month tried to love bomb me and then, after knowing about my body image issues, tells me he thinks I should get a boob job and he'll pay for the procedure.