There are a lot of factors that make celebrating my achievements and feeling happy for myself very difficult. The people I surrounded myself with in my first life (Pre-ADHD treatment) have already moved on, and the ones that remain continue to hold me back from success however they can.
I know now that none of them understand the struggles involved in the way that this subreddit and other neurodivergent communities do. So I felt like making a post to better solidify how far I've actually come. There is still a lot of work ahead, but there is finally a light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.
This is my 2nd life list of accomplishments of survival:

• 5 years ago, due to the stress from being at the peak of my first life, and the comorbidities I was not yet aware of, I lost everything I had going for me. High paying software job, solo condo living, 6 year relationship, multiple social circles, losing over 100lbs in weight). I nearly committed suicide, but I survived, quit my job, moved back in with parents, and started my mental health journey. This was the beginning of my 2nd life.
  
• Since then, I went through years of non-adhd psychiatrists, therapists, misdiagnosis', a plethora of medications, and unemployment, living off of $500/month income support. Also a toxic family dynamic of manipulation, invalidation, minimization, etc. (which I was completely unaware of at the time). I relied on my addictions of weed, gaming, porn, sexually impulsive acts, binge eating, and cutting myself to prevent suicide.
  
• I discovered Russell Barkleys "snapshot of ADHD symptoms checklist" 2 years ago, and it convinced my psychiatrist to put me on Vyvanse, which kickstarted my adhd journey. Since then, I have been sober from alcohol and caffeine to this day, and researching whatever I can about this disorder.
  
• Vyvanse effectiveness wore off after 4 months, and my parents gave me covid after they came back from a vacation. This happened at the same time that I was dealing with really bad side effects of suicidality/depression when trying out secondary medications. This was one of the lowest points of my life, and I reached an epiphany after watching this video. . I knew I had to get officially diagnosed instead of constantly guessing.
  
• I was officially diagnosed with severe ADHD combined-type in Aug 2, 2022 at 33 years old, and started the process of building a team of specialists.
  
• I found my current adhd-specialized therapist in October, and she has kept me alive while I was on the waiting list for an ADHD med specialist. I tried communicating with family about the risks of ADHD, about how its genetic, and how it could improve our lives dramatically. No one believed me or listened.
  
• finally got in with a med specialist in December, and the switch from Vyvanse to methylphenidate was a MASSIVE improvement to my brain and overall awareness. Unfortunately, these medication trials also unveiled/clarified my trauma responses, comorbidities, masking, and the years of emotional abuse and control my family/friends had over me.
  
• The past 5 months, I applied for disability benefit support, taxes, rTMS treatment (suggested by therapist). My med specialist gave up on me after I reached max dosage of methylphenidate, and I was still experiencing bad anxiety + emotional dysregulation. He said I had to figure it out with my psychiatrist.
  
• This last month has been HUGE. I finalized my medications, 80mg Biphentin for dopamine levels, 25mg atomoxotine for norepinephrine levels, I'm now 1 month sober from weed. I can now stay calm and be aware of manipulation occurring. I reached out to 2 newer friends I know I can trust and they offered me a bed if things get bad. I'm now aware of my family sabotaging my sleep. I am now aware that they monitor, eavesdrop on me constantly, and don't respect my boundaries, despite my constant attempts at communicating them. My food portions have halved. Morning, nightly, and exercise routines are slowly starting to stick. I'm going for walks on trails in PUBLIC, despite the rejection sensitivity and body dysmorphia.
  
• 2 days ago, I've been accepted into a 30 day rTMS treatment program. There will be tests, bloodwork, physical, motor functioning tests. I'm getting so much help and care that I've never been able to find before, and I haven't been this excited for my future in decades.
  

I'm finally breaking through. It's been so damn long and hard, but things are finally starting to pay off. I finally know what its like to have a sense of self and small amounts of confidence. I'm so excited to start experiencing life like other people, and pursuing my hobbies without the crippling fear of judgment and failure. My brain is finally healing.
I want to thank this subreddit immensely for helping me get through the times when I had noone else. Your love and caring advice and responses have carried me through a lot.
I will cherish every moment if I meet any of you out in the real world. Our resilience, inner strength, and inner beauty is unmatched, and I wish everyone the best of luck. Thank you so much for reading.

Hello and a very happy Friday to you! Ready for the weekend?
I am looking for that perfect blend of friendship and friend with benefits type of situation.
I want someone who enjoys a good morning or good night message. Someone who when I see a message from, I know my day will be getting better.
I am a single, white, 36/M from the US (pacific time), who is shy and reserved in person. I’m the type who overthinks most situations. I’m a people pleaser in many ways, but also beyond stubborn and despise change. I get stuck in my ways and my routine.
I’m a sports nut who simply can’t get enough. I am a foodie and a baker and love to laugh watching the likes of Curb. Veep, or Sunny over and over. I also have a soft spot for the likes of Below Deck (1. Sailing, 2. Med (minus Cpt. Sandy), 3. Regular, Southern Charm, Top Chef, Summer House. What are your tv guilty pleasures?
You?….well, again someone who is seeking a genuine friendship…but also someone who would enjoy flirty and some naughty as well. I adore the girl next door types. The ones who many feel are innocent and wholesome, but maybe deep down have another side to them as well. I have a preference for those without tattoos, or at least minimal (sorry!!! They are just not my cup of tea). Bonus points if you are a fan of lingerie.
I’d love to hear from you and would love to get to know you.
Talk soon!

I ran a lot of games lately that I either didn't enjoy playing solo of were absolute shite getting some social play going. I am playing on Ps4 Pro if that's any concern. You can bombarded with anything but sports and racing.

Still grateful that i have been quitting sports gambling for this long.
As i have passed 100 days. I don’t even feel any urges to do any type of bets.
Working full time as an engineer and getting paid 90k/yr. In addition. I do uber eats for side hustle to pay the gambling bet. Yeah, i do get fking tired coming home late after my side hustle uber delivery; however, i am still the happiest men in the earth because I don’t have to get stressed with outcome w or l on my sports bet. When i comeback home after long fking uber delivery, I just try to do some kind of reflection on my own. Why I am doing this uber eats, it is all because of this sports gambling mess. Life is so good without gambling. It took me 3 yrs to realize that i can def live without gambling for rest of my life.
Have a great weekend y’all.

https://imgur.com/a/0LGzVsK
Kaweco Sport (Green) - BB nib - $26 - inked once - no box included - gold nostalgic clip included
Kaweco Collection Sport (Lavender) - EF nib - $30 - inked several times - original box include - silver nostalgic clip included - converter included - Please see close ups of stains and aftermath of trying to clean it.
Jinhao 82 - EF - $8 - inked once
Jinhao 82 - F - $8 - inked once
Retro 51 x Rickshaw (Geometric) 2 pen coozy - $30 - Size small/short fits Retro 51 rollerballs, Kaweco Sport, Sailor Pro Gear Slim - Owned since May 2023; like new
Galen Leather Zippered Duo Slim Pen Case (Crazy Horse Brown) - $35 - Owned since October 2022; some light scratches on exterior and wear inside where pen rested.
Plus $5 US shipping
Can combine items for an additional $1 per item

When i was young i was extroverted and energetic always said stuff talked a lot, and while im less energetic for some reason (probably stress) i still talked a lot, i liked sharing. but people (family relatives) told me "Do you ever shut up?" and i felt offended and when i brought it up they just said it was a joke. I shared a lot of interests with some other family relatives and some of them just didn't seem interessed or just could care less, as i was showing a family relative a interest of mine they texted my mother saying "(My name) torturing with his stuff, help!" I felt slightly offended and my mother said "Escape" And they both said "oh it was a joke" but sometimes stuff can hurt me, since i'm a bit depressed but they don't know (atleast i think) i still used to be funny and energetic around my family relatives till recently. So everyone now just thinks i don't like to study, i only like games and i don't do any other type of activity in my life and just stays at home but i play sports and go bowling usually but noo, im just a guy who stays home all day doing nothing and who is a burden to his parents. My parents, i both love them much, and they support me but i think them constantly arguing and sometimes just not understanding me is a bit increasing my depression. I don't even have friends, None, except family and i get bullied/made fun of at school and now i have to move to a new school beacuse im moving, it's like it's gonna be new all over again it's gonna be terribile. Today, my parents had a hang out planned with their friends, they also asked me if i wanted to come, i chose to stay beacuse i didn't want to do anything social, my mom was getting ready till she came into my room and there i am, with my face to the pillow and she asked me if i was crying, she said she would stay if that made me feel better. i lied to her, i said "Don't worry i'm fine." And she went out and i felt even worse. and then a few minutes later she came back. asking me this time, if i was really okay and i heard it, she was tearing up a bit. i said i wouldn't cry and that i'll be fine and she went out. I shortly after cried again. Is there anything i can do to be a better son, a better guy with a social life and to feel better?

Some of my stats before I start: I am 17m, 190lbs, 6'. Typical athlete, including heavy lifting. I live in the greater Seattle area.
I would also like to give a ton of thanks to u/ThatYoungBusinessGuy for being very informative and supportive throughout my journey, providing me information that I would never have been able to obtain otherwise, even through extensive research online.
Discovery of varicocele:
Found out I had varicocele years ago, when I was about 12-14. I had a sudden pain in my left testicle that would only go away when I lifted my legs above my head. I looked online and had an inkling that it might be varicocele, but the pain just would not go away. Unfortunately, after I told my parents they panicked and took me to the ER, as we thought it might've been something like torsion. They gave me an US, confirmed that it was varicocele, and sent me home.
Progression of varicocele:
It started out G1/G2, only able to be felt. It soon progressed to G3 over time, yet it never really gave me any problems. Very infrequent pain (once every month for a few minutes at most), even after lifting. I would mention my varicocele every annual visit with my primary care doctor, yet they would mention each time that if it wasn't giving me any pain, it would be fine as its main effects were decreased fertility.
My varicocele would always be there, though. A huge constant bulge when standing up/showering/going to the bathroom, and a soft, squishy mess when lying down. Last year, in Fall 2022, my primary physician did give me the information of a urologist she recommends that works at the University of Washington, an amazing hospital/health center in Washington near Seattle. However, because my varicocele wasn't giving me many problems, I just went on with my life.
Urgency in fixing:
In March/April this year, it started giving me pain. Like, really bad pain, 6-7/10, which I've never felt from my varicocele before. My job included standing for long periods of time, so it made my time hell. This persisted for a week or so, and because I was going out of state for college in September 2023, I started to want to get my condition fixed as fast as possible. I scheduled a meeting in March/April with the urologist at UW my primary care doctor gave me. However, I was going out of town in late June and leaving for college in mid August, and because my first consultation could only be scheduled in late June with him, I scheduled a meeting with another urologist at another hospital, Virginia Mason.
Virginia Mason meeting:
I had my meeting in early April. Coming in, I wasn't set on whether I wanted surgery or embo. I knew I had a tight schedule, but I was willing to hear what my uro had to say.
He mentioned how he does the operation around 15 times a year, which was a cause of concern for me (you can check my post on my profile). On one hand, I wanted to get this over with, but on the other hand, I didn't really trust 15/year that much.
After having some doubts and wanting some clarification on the procedure (because he was kinda vague during our meeting), I scheduled a phone meeting with him on a Tuesday in mid April. He cleared up some specifics, but I still had a few concerns. I eventually decided to ask for a referral to an IR at UW to see if I could get embo.
IR meeting:
My meeting was scheduled for mid May. The IR explained it extremely clearly and was very kind. However, he kinda strawmanned the surgical approach (he claimed that the surgery would litigate the symptomatic veins in the scrotum, which is one type of procedure, but isn't the microsurgery which is what most urologists do).
He explained that he would embolize the entire gonadal vein (which is the ISV in males). He would do it with the sandwich method, where he would use coils and then a sclerosant foam, which would irritate and close of the vein while also trickling down into side veins and also irritating them. He mentioned that it would be more painful than using only coils, but might be more effective. I was extremely confident in him as although he only did this varicocele embolization surgery around 15 times a year, he does IR embolization in other body parts many many times per year. Very collected, calm, and experienced. We scheduled my embo for June 8th, which was just yesterday.
Operation day:
Checked in at 6:00am, got called in to prepare at 7:00am. They set up an IV, got me in a gown, and took my blood pressure. I met the nurse and IR before he went off to a 7:30 meeting. The nurse debriefed me, told me about the procedure/healing, gave me antibiotics through the IV, and told me that I would be given some calming medication and fentanyl for pain.
At 8:00am, I was wheeled into the operation room. There were two techs and two nurses at first. They got me prepped and hooked up to monitors, moved me onto the operating table, and hooked up my IV. They were all friendly and energetic people, joking around the entire time. The lead tech shaved my incision site (right groin area) and they set up all the radiation protection. I kept bringing my head up to look around (which was not something I was supposed to do, as it flexes the abdominal muscles) so the nurse gave me a thick cloth to prop my head up.
At around 8:30 the IR came in with a resident and a 4th year med student, they numbed the incision site, and set up a screen next to me which showed what the IR was seeing. I'm not 100% sure, but I think I was under a fluoroscopy machine (kinda like XRay?) where I could only distinguish my spine.
The screen next to me was meant for the doctors to look at when they turned around. I was able to watch the entire thing on the screen next to me. They first maneuvered the catheter to my gonadal vein, then guided a straight metal rod through the catheter. Once they reached what I assumed was the end of my ISV before it branched into the pampiniform plexus. There, they started coiling up the metal rod into coils. In the end, there were three large clumps of metal which consisted of all the coils (overall, there were 10-12 coils), with space in between where they put the sclerosant foam. Halfway through the procedure I could feel pain in my lower abdominal area, so the nurse gave me an extra dose of fentanyl.
Recovery:
I was scheduled to be in recover for 2-3 hours until 12:30pm, but I stayed there until around 3:00pm. When I was supposed to be discharged at 12:30pm, my heart rate dropped considerably (high 30s to low 40s) and my blood pressure dropped to 100 something. However, these issues were mainly due to hydration, and after hooking me up to saline for a few hours I was able to leave. The entire time, I was told to keep my right leg straight to prevent the entry vein from rupturing.
When I first left, pain on my left side was around a 2-3, while my incision site was around a 3-5 in pain level. The pain in my left side was mainly due to the sclerosant foam, which would leak from my ISV and cause general pain and irritation in the area. When I got home, I just lay down on my couch/bed the entire day.
As I'm typing this in my chair the next day, pain is 0-1 for both my left and right side. The incision site is still giving a bit of a problem when I walk around/stretch the area, but my left side is giving me the most problem. The pain on my flank/lower abdominal area is 0-1 normally, but a 1-2 when walking or coughing.
Varicocele status:
I feel so much better. It might just be placebo, but my left testicle is feeling much cooler than before. When standing, the varicocele is considerably smaller and feels hard. Considering that it takes 3-5 months for my body to adjust and redirect blood flow, the improvement after one day is incredible. No more fat ugly bulge when going to the bathroom, no more distant, aching pain. I was even surprised at how I am able to subconsciously notice a difference - I was used to feeling my underwear against my scrotum on the left side as a result of my enlarged veins, but with the reduction in size, I'm surprised at how much empty space there is and how much smaller my veins are.
​
Sorry for the long story/poor grammar. I quickly typed this up and just wanted to share my story here, especially because this subreddit (and especially YoungBusinessGuy) was a huge source of support and information for me. I'll provide updates after a few months (I have an ultrasound scheduled for Aug 8), but for now, I feel much better. I'm feeling possibly dilated veins on my right side, so I might be back, but hopefully I'll be able to put this in the past.

Hi guys! I am selling Diretide cache I & II as well as some Aghanim Cache. I am selling those sets because i have many extras and i don't play those heroes that much. Some of the sets are unbundled but still can be gifted, you can check my inventory to be sure. Buyer goes first no exceptions. If you don't trust me, i am okay with using a middleman. I have sold to many people before and i have many proof screenshots and recordings i can show. I can do discounts for bulk sales.
​

• In order to gift/trade the items we need to be friends at least 30 days.
• I will trade dota2/csgo/tf2 items and tf2 keys worth the listed item's price.
• Because i don't want to waste anyone's time i require %25 (Min.1$) of the price for reservation.
• Reservation fee will be subtracted from the items total price.
• If you want to reserve/buy an item comment on my steam profile and add me on steam.
• If you have any questions feel free to add/message me.
• Reservation fee will not be refunded if you cancel the order.

Here is my steam profile: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198113120433
My steamrep: https://steamrep.com/search?q=76561198113120433
​
DIRETIDE COLLECTOR'S CACHE I

Set name	Hero	Quantity	Price USD
Dark Behemoth (VERY RARE)	Primal Beast	0 LEFT (1 SOLD)	25$ ITEMS
Angel of Vex (RARE) (Comes with persona)	Invoker + Persona	2 LEFT (1 SOLD)	12$ ITEMS
Blue Horizons (RARE)	Marci	2 LEFT (1 SOLD,1 RESERVED)	10$ ITEMS
Dirge Amplifier	Undying	1 LEFT	3$ ITEMS
Forgotten Station	Terrorblade	2 LEFT (1 SOLD)	3$ ITEMS
Crimson Dawn	Phoenix	1 LEFT	3$ ITEMS
Trophies of the Hallowed Hunt	Ursa	1 LEFT	3$ ITEMS
Chines of the Inquisitor	Faceless Void	0 LEFT (1 SOLD)	3$ ITEMS
Spoils of the Shadowveil	Spectre	1 LEFT (1 SOLD)	3$ ITEMS
Starlorn Adjudicator	Dawnbreaker	0 LEFT (1 SOLD)	3$ ITEMS
Seadog's Stash	Clockwerk	1 LEFT	3$ ITEMS
Hounds of Obsession	Chen	2 LEFT	3$ ITEMS
Whippersnapper	Snapfire	0 LEFT (1 SOLD)	3$ ITEMS
Scarlet Subversion	Riki	0 LEFT (2 SOLD)	3$ ITEMS
Shadowleaf Insurgent	Hoodwink	0 LEFT (2 SOLD)	3$ ITEMS

​
DIRETIDE COLLECTOR'S CACHE II

Set name	Hero	Quantity	Price USD
Brands of the Reaper (RARE)	Anti Mage	0 LEFT (SOLD)	20$ (SOLD)
Grudges of the Gallows (RARE)	Treant Protector	1 LEFT	8$ ITEMS
Bird of Prey	Legion Commander	0 LEFT (1 SOLD)	3$ ITEMS
Darkbrew's Transgression	Alchemist	2 LEFT (1 SOLD)	3$ ITEMS
Transcendent Path	Oracle	1 LEFT	3$ ITEMS
The Wilding Tiger	Brewmaster	1 LEFT	3$ ITEMS
Dawn of a Darkness Foretold	Doom	1 LEFT	3$ ITEMS
Grand Suppressor	Silencer	1 LEFT	3$ ITEMS
Withering Pain	Clinkz	1 LEFT	3$ ITEMS
Sacred Chamber Guardian	Huskar	1 LEFT	3$ ITEMS
War Rig Eradicators	Techies	1 LEFT	3$ ITEMS

​
AGHANIMS COLLECTOR'S CACHE

Set name	Hero	Quantity	Price USD
Pyrexae Polymorph Perfected	Ogre Magi	(SOLD)	9$ (SOLD)
Days of the Demon	Axe	(SOLD)	10$ (SOLD)
March of the Crackerjack Mage	Rubick	1 LEFT	4$ ITEMS
Scales of the Shadow Walker	Phantom Lancer	1 LEFT	4$ ITEMS
Secrets of the Frost Singularity	Ancient Apparation	0 LEFT (1 SOLD)	3$ ITEMS
The Chained Scribe	Grimstroke	0 LEFT (1 RESERVED)	3$ ITEMS
Forgotten Fate	Mars	1 LEFT	4$ ITEMS

Ive been training for 3 years now and although on the pads my technique is exceptionally good and i can kick and punch really well in sparring i just cant compete. im 16 at 53kg and am sparring grown men who are 10-20kg heavier and i just can't. I try to kick and it just doesn't land well, i try to throw jabs and they just don't connect and all of my shots just aren't landing well. today in sparing i got kicked in the head by my cousin (accidentally )which i walked off pretty well and the next round got kneed really hard in the ribs cracking them. Ive just kind of had enough at this point. Although i absolutely adore the sport i just cannot compete in sparring and dont know what to do.
anyone else experience this and got any tips?

I have been considered for the better part of my life as unattractive -
When I was younger I hit puberty very fast and acne exploded all around my face - Other kids didn't understand it so naturally they made fun of it.
As I grew older the acne became ice pick scars I hardly even notice them anymore truly, but when one trial ends another begins - unfornately I didn't get the attractive gene like my younger brother who has a full set of hair (I am Bald), Tall (6, 3 - 5'5) and silky smooth skin, but it has allowed me to view the world in almost two different lenses because - regardless of anything I love my brother and see him as an extension of myself.
-
I can never speak on my brothers behalf and can only provide speculation at this point.
More times than not I noticed when my brother interacted with someone (even from a very young age) people would do their best to not give him problems - If anything they did their best to set him up with either a job, sport player, people would try to set him up with their (sister, daughter, friends) - I was witnessing humanity at its best, but when I would interact with the same people my brother would - I would get another reception:
- They would forget or call me by the wrong name
- They bring up my brother's height or hair and wonder how I am related to him or if I could help put them together for Whatever reason.
- If I was interested in a girl I would have to personally go sweep her off her feet if I wanted her time of day.
I realized I couldn't live the way my brother does even if I wanted to - Left me in positions where either I have to work harder than my college beside me or cut corners to merely get equal footing.
My brother is a positive easy to talk to guy and lets just say I am not.
He wonders why I am always so, "negative" but I see myself as realistic.
When people see someone they perceive as attractive - That holds value - It holds value to be seen and associated with attractive people and thus people will put their best foot forward with them.
This doesn't make attractive people's life easier because it opens the door to being targets, but this isn't about what side has the better life (Neither does).
Takes me back to a scene in, "Better Call Saul" Where Saul wants to be a good lawyer and not take a money bribe, but the potential clients don't want to be seen with someone who appears like a villian so they leave him with no real choice but to take the money that he had worked hard for, but unfornately didn't look the part to receive legally.
When I talk to people its like a business transaction because I know I have to prove my worth/value to them in order to be taken into a social group or relationship - This is how humans work: Who is putting what on the table.
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I didn't choose to look a certain way and to receive certain reactions from others - It is just how it ended up to be and it has made me realize what people really want from others and that is whatever will help themselves - Its not a bad thing or a good thing - Just reality and I am no where close to being a victim of it.
I skip the small talk because I know they could care less what I do on my own time - This isn't because I am' "ugly" that they care less, but they aren't as concerned with putting their best foot forward until something of value presents itself.
Maybe we are all born to look a certain way so we can act a certain way by stirring a specific response from others and thus allowing these experiences to mold us to who we are supposed to become for whatever part we play in the bigger picture of reality I guess.
There has to be heroes, but there has to be villian too.
People born to be heroes and others who had no choice, but to be the villian.
I don't want to paint a picture that my younger brother didn't have his trial and tribulations - He did, but this post isn't about if attractive people have a better life, but maybe we all have a set path decided even before birth - So, I used attraction since it is the easiest wait to help bridge my point.

Hey all you discers! I teach 7-12th grade, and I've started a disc golf club for those same grade levels. I play MA2 and am rated slightly above 900, so I have a good grasp of the rules and have decent form. However I want to help the kids as well as I can, so I need some advice for what kind of drills I can do with them to help teach them the basics. I'm also a little at a loss as for what to do during the off season. Maybe an indoor putting league? Not sure what else I can do inside.
I also get to design a 9 hole course on the high school property, which has some awesome wooded portions and open fields.
I look forward to your suggestions! Thank you in advance!

My mental landscape has been becoming more easy to access. This has been due to multiple reasons. Firstly it was thanks to the anxiety treatment I desperately needed. That was a combination of a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (written as affective mood disorder by CareDoc and ER visit 19th April 2022, before I then engaged in an anxiety workshop over three weeks, three sessions. The bipolar disorder diagnosis, and I don't understand why, it really changed my perspective on my past six years. It was like a switch in my self-perception that day. I stopped beating myself and feeling so down about the bad existential depressions and sense of being very lost and constantly empty/lonely inside. I started to see that it was things I had overcome as I slowly find different communities and spaces I can belong to, finally start to recognize ways I can be seen as a valuable person within the societies I am finding a home in)
Now I no longer feel so anxious and I'm no longer ripping myself to shreads with depressive feelings surrounding that anxiety! Especially because I am doing the leaving certificate (I had 6 months in school to prepare for exams spanning 7th June and 27th June since I was real fast-tracked since I began 13th December 2022 due to having dropped out school to attend online courses but those could never have panned out because I wouldn't be able to get to a university for a degree) and I've done very well in first three exams. I am REALLY GOING TO ACTUALLY HAVE A RECOGNIZED ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. I ACTUALLY FREAKING DID IT.
Very recently Rosabella has been cofronting a lot more often. That was due to joining a plural Discord space and I had managed to loosen my worries about how real the headmates all were to simply let Rosabella outward. This exercise of Rosabella being able to say simple words and phrases frequently and thus be able to hold limited conversation with others. This had a knock-on effect. I identified that mysterious and whispering voice that at times kept whispering to my ear, "it's ok..." in a loop and I believe that is a fragment of Oracle. Though if that's true it's been going on for several years which suggests something very interesting.
From an extended conversation with Chloe I did get to find out that it is true that Chloe experiences chronic psychedelic-like hallucinations, these are not to be mistaken with hallucinations from drugs but is more to signify that I think they might be vibrant/fluid in nature rather than the more distinct details I get very infrequently. (due to the neurochemical wackiness in my brain tbh) I had also recognized that Alula has synesthesia, though I do not know the type of synesthesia.
If anyone can give further helpful feedback/insights into this. I'd love to hear it.

A multi-level issue here and I don’t even know how to explain it all without a novel. I will TRY to keep it short. I just feel like I am getting zero wins, I leave work happy and come into a home that drags the joy out of me. I used to be a healthy balance of optimistic & realist, feet on the ground kind of guy. Now I find myself quick to anger, short bandwidth at work, and just all around more negative. I am at the end of my rope here and I am miserable. A man shouldn’t seek to be blissfully happy but he should seek to not be miserable.
I’m 36 (M), she’s 33 (F). Two SK’s 13 and 12. We have a beautiful son together who is incredible and perfect! But he and I are in a bad situation thanks to some poor decisions I’ve made. Or maybe I got duped I don’t know.
Met in Feb 2020, Married Nov 2021. I’ve always been picky and never met anyone good. She checked all the boxes. Aligned values, health, humor, she has hobbies, she had work ethic, wasn’t self obsessed, etc. She looked at me and listened to me like no one ever had. We’re both fit and she is gorgeous. It all felt right and great!
Didn’t meet her kids for 4 months, was weary about it but we felt like such a great match for each other that I wanted to try. The time spent with them of course was sparse since she usually came to spend time with me when they were at their bio dads. They were respectful and well behaved, very fun, when the time was spent. Anytime I went to their house it was spotless clean. Before we got married there were some red flags I chose to justify…she bit my head off a few times for stupid things. Kids were bad. Just some subtle clues. It’s hard to gauge the reality in those moments.
We get pregnant Feb 2022, planned. Things are still alright but this was the month some of the truth started coming out, honeymoon phase ends too soon. Kids become extremely messy, do the opposite of what their told, hyper desperate attempts for attention, interrupting, breaking things around the house, sneaking food not for them in their room, just suddenly all at once changing. This is BEFORE they found out we were pregnant (we waited 3 months to tell them which would be late April 2022). So I started worrying what was ahead but remained optimistic.
I make a very good amount of money, 7 figures some years. Which I never really brought up in a bragging manner, this wasn’t a sugar mama situation. I had a beautiful loft and nice things, but I don’t think any of them know the extent of the work I’ve accomplished. I own 2 e-commerce businesses and as of the last few years buy / sell commercial real estate. Her kids started asking for more and more things, demanding, expecting. Pitching fits when they don’t get them (I have to assume their dad is in their ear on some of this…). I bought us a beautiful home to live in…they weren’t living large when I met them.
Bio dad was invisible until March 2022 (she left him btw). The oldest brought us all these issues that were going on at her dads, which my wife reacted to by calling him and shouting (which seemed justified at the time). It started a complete war, he was constantly changing the rules and just creating chaos. Met a woman from Iraq who lived here for 20+ years but wanted to bring them to Iraq for their wedding. Ended up in court again. I PAID FOR IT ALL BECAUSE I WAS PRESSURED AND HAD NO CHOICE. She / we lost and they went to Iraq. They came back fine but all that damage was done. And then entire year of 2022, when it’s supposed to be a beautiful time of my first child, most days its 30-50% about the bio dad and all the conflict and chaos. That pure time was taken from me, from us. I don’t want to be selfish but I feel I am in last place.
TURNS OUT SD12 lied about everything that he was doing toxic or bad she got an iPhone on her bday and we read her texts where it all caved in. We confronted she admitted. Fast forward now we learned she is a compulsive liar and almost everything she says or does is a lie in effect. She is matching all the traits for antisocial personality disorder. She made up a SLEW of things about me (saying I screamed at her and verbally abuse her) to her dad and my mother in law. ALL untrue but it’s given me even more battles and riffs for my wife and I, her parents treat me differently now. Bio dad never mentioned it…I have to wonder if he knows it’s untrue and just rolls his eyes.
SD11 is a whole mess. I am not exaggerating the only things she speaks are bragging, whining, or being MEAN as hell…almost always interrupting and won’t stop talking even if she’s being fussed at for it. EVERYTHING she does is for attention even negative. She falls on purpose, she breaks things on purpose, she is ALWAYS sick, always coughing, she laughs overly hard at things that aren’t funny (no she’s not autistic). Even when you give her tons of attention for two weeks the well just gets deeper and then she needs MORE. It’s like a drug to her, completely untamable situation. She’s also very overweight, and knows how to get away with over eating. Yes it’s sad she’s doing it but I have no control so now I am venting on reddit about it. She eats very slow and gets 2nds 3rds 4ths over the course of 1.5 hours. She asks for dessert every night, the answer is NO, she asks again 5m later, NO, and the 3rd one another 5m later YES. If the answer continues to be no, she will wait until we’re asleep and sneak it upstairs. I have caught her in the act and told my wife, she blew it off. I counted her calories…she’s 4.5 feet tall and will regularly eat 3,500+ calories then whine all night about her stomach. She shits her pants at school, she does not have a medical condition we checked. Wife is aware and says “poor girl” because she’s very large but will only create solutions temporarily.
Bio dad is a pretty standard charismatic narcissist. Is nice, creates issues but acts like the other person is the irrational one, refuses to see his fault in the matter, doubles down, etc. He has no boundaries and knocked on our door and would walk in. I would have to tell him let’s go back outside. Eventually yelling at him and telling him to never do it again. One time during the Iraq chaos I come home to them yelling at each other in the yard and had to run up and tell everyone to shut up. Told my wife to go inside and followed her in. Then he left.
She then started a fight saying I should support her more, no one sees what she’s been through with him, etc etc. I felt like I was just a punching bag for her anger which is fine sometimes. She’d probably apologize later. I just nod and agree, wait some time then hug her…she says “I don’t know what the hell you’re doing…” then we don’t talk for 3 days. Completely stone walled. He says things to get under her skin, and gets the anger and reaction he wants (Narcissistic). When I tell her to approach it differently to get the result she wants, after some back and forth it ends in a fight. She says I don’t support her and I don’t understand what she’s been through and how hard it is.
I start bringing up issues about her kids, or the amount of time spent talking about their bio dad, in a calm and productive manner (I extensively researched how to positively communicate with an emotional wife, and either way was raised with good comm skills). Within minutes it’s “You don’t know shit about raising kids” and “You’re so mean and abusive”. As I try to de-escalate she finds anything and everything to latch onto that’s better…very standard crap like “OH so I’m derailing now…NO YOU’RE JUST NOT GETTING IT”.
No matter how big or how small the issue is, it turns into a massive blow out, she pulls out the most hurtful big guns she can think of. Issue is never resolved or communicated. I am stonewalled for 1 to 7 days. I never lose my cool and always think about the things I am going to say. It’s literally impossible to put my foot down calmly, irrationally, sweetly, anything. Because no matter what she plays mental gymnastics and as I am trying to de-escalate and get back on topic, while taking pretty hurtful blows, a door will be slammed and it’s all over. She finds a way to blame me and move on.
For the record I never bring up my money contribution to the matter, she quit work a few months before having our son, and hasn’t worked since. Which I prefer because she doesn’t have to and being a mom is a full time job and she has many side hustles on Etsy to keep her true to herself and centered (or so I think). This means I pay for A LOT of the SK’s stuff and with my situation the last 2 years I am really beginning to resent EVERYONE involved. I get no thanks, no appreciation. In fact during fights, despite never bringing up money, which has been a MASSIVE value adder for all of their lives, my wife tells me she doesn’t need any of it and it means nothing to her. WELL YOU ALL REALLY APPRECIATE THE SPOILS OF IT ALL. Even though I worked 12-14 hour days for 10 years to get where I am at, no handouts, it’s all devalued as a contribution to the marriage and written off. Sad.
After being stonewalled she will eventually hug me and say I don’t want to fight with you, I love you. And I will say me either, we don’t have to, I just want to work this out and we’ll be happier for it. I get either “I love you, I would never cause you problems or hurt you!” Or “I just want to enjoy our night / weekend whatever time it is together.” It’s never the right time. A lot of avoidance or kicking the can down the road. Then she is really sweet and great for 3-4 weeks, then it slowly goes back to biting my head off and getting a tone. I stay silent to keep the peace for a few weeks then I can’t take it anymore so I stand up for myself and stand my ground. Same thing happens over again.
Oh we went on a great lavish vacation early 2022, after the first one that was a nightmare…I was pressured into one more. And then I said no more for 3 years. Which turned into a massive MASSIVE fight with her telling me to move out at the end, then after a few days trying to act like that didn’t happen. Now I am being pressured into buying a new home since we outgrew ours.
So I am dealing with a marriage of very poor communication, AND I have the LEAST interesting kids ever (sorry but its true), they have zero skills, cannot have a conversation to save their life (all they do is ask me how my day was and when I answer with a sentence or more they just stare at me), no manners, no obedience, but they both act so sweet and cordial when I enter the home, and they immediately say sorry when we get onto them, but then they go right back to doing it. They lie, they fake things for attention, they can’t even walk behind us without bumping into us. Some of these things you’d expect from a 5 or 6 year old but now 10+. They are just really showing non pro-social behaviors and even seeing their friends leave them in the dust. And from the moment we had our son, I dislike them more...
My wife’s parenting style is a little reactive at times. She yells at them but doesn’t seem to understand root causes and how to go upstream to solve. She expects greatness but doesn’t know how to put in the time (their dad is a bigger issue). Her mom was really mean and toxic toward her growing up so with that it’s she really understand how to give and accept love or communicate calmly. Wife says all the time she doesn’t like the two girls, and how bad they are, and how hard she tries but no matter what they're awful. So she sees it. And when I try to make suggestions shes avoidant or it ends up in a fight. She’s an INCREDIBLE super mom to our son though. Which is great…
I realize this group is mostly women, and they will say her behavior is pre or post pregnancy. It’s not...there were watered down / held back situations that happened before all that. I even was considering leaving then we got pregnant. Yes it was planned but you can hold onto hope and have reality slapping you in the face at the same time.
Okay so it was a novel sorry. I am sad to think of leaving the marriage because we have an 8 month old who deserves better than this…I feel like I am putting in so much work into the marriage. I am reading books. I am in therapy myself which I have never done. I look at myself to see if I am the problem. I brought SO MUCH love and yes, financial value, to the relationship. I am getting none of that in return. She is keeping me on the line with temporary conditional love and wild sex that all gives me hope, I have always been above that but here I am. I feel like the root cause of my wife’s problems are solvable in time, but the step kids I dont know if I can do that any longer. It's just a tornado and theres been no growth. Thanks to those who read this much, I know it was chaotic.

Hello everyone, i am 22 and will do my A2 (from Croatia and it's a dumb law wich limits only to 35kw's, planning to buy a restricter for any of named out bike, because i don't want to buy and sell and buy again a new bike. I am finally and hopefully be able to buy my own proper bike, so i need help from you biking community :).
Budget is probably out of question due to everyone having different prices. I am looking for a used bike preferably 2006-2009 sports 600cc (i know my boundaries and can control myself due to not wanting to well die i suppose or get in any sort of accident). I've been at shops tried to sit on couple new bikes to see wether bike looks small under me wich was my main issue. I am 6'1/185cm and i fear of making the bike look like a toy, i rode a 125cc and i know the difference in power is mind boggling (at least from my point of view), and not something to mess with. My main targets were GSXR's (pretty neat looking bike), R6 for (being sporty and just beatiful in general like the GSXR), CBR's and Ninjas are also options. if you guys have any information, i will gladly accept it and be thankfull for it :). Thank you everyone.

Before Reading
This is an extremely emotionally vulnerable post for me to make.... for whatever is said or is not said in this post, I am in a really tough mental space coming out of the exam with a failed preliminary score, and though I need some advice, I'd appreciate the advice be constructive and kind...
Post Objective
I would like to summarize my study plan and strategies, as well as to provide some background on my preparation leading up to the USPTO Registration exam.
I would like to ask the community for advice on how to improve my score from a 61% to a passing score.
Stats
​

• B.S. Chemical Engineer
• M.S. Chemical Engineer
• Partial PhD (did not complete)
• Professional Engineer, Licensed
• 7 years Engineering experience
• Hours Studied: ~200
• Patent Course(s) taken: Patent Law Institute
• No. Times Taken USPTO Registration Exam: First Time

​

• Preliminary Score: 61%
• Started from absolute grass roots on patent law

___________________________________________________________________________
General
I spend thousands of dollars to take exam prep courses, and used almost all of my PTO to study for and take this exam. I felt well prepared, and still failed. This is a recap of what I have done to enable the best guidance moving forward.
"Researching" (i.e. "Googling") Successful Courses
My first step was to do what I suspect most of you are doing now. Check reddit, ask other practitioners how they studied/prepared, googled "best courses for 'patent bar'", etc. I personally have high stakes in this career transition, and for me the cost was worth the reward of the PLI course to mitigate the risk of failure. I am sure smarter people than me can perform fine without the "Gold Standard"
The PLI Experience
I began studying the chapters, reading the summarized PLI MPEP chapters before each lecture, making notes, and watching the lecture November 2022. I aimed to finish the lectures by spring (!40 hours lecture, plus another 40 hours in reading/note taking).
I took practice exams and quizzes and read every single example in The Binder. I took the quizzes until I could get 100%. I looked up and puzzled out the questions I got wrong, and iterated.
Once the course was over, I did the optional supplemental claim drafting material to get more exposure.
Finally, I started taking the practice exams to get a baseline for improvement. Again, I puzzled through each wrong answer before moving on.
The customized exams gave me the ability to break down the Number of Questions available to study over the Total Number of Questions. I generated what I thought was going to be a relatively accurate representation of what USPTO claims to prioritize in the exam. So I generated an excel sheet to help me organize my study.
https://preview.redd.it/wfulm7swr15b1.png?width=1044&format=png&auto=webp&s=55d76382dd42f43d2b18e40b1b3cb5a29d4d2bac
So I prioritized the MPEP chapter in the following order:
https://preview.redd.it/1c7w3ufxr15b1.png?width=1029&format=png&auto=webp&s=5e69e3d019c89f11001527440076649ec76b14ac
I took two weeks off work to study full time leading up to my exam, and to take my exam.
Before my full time study, I did all 132 "optional" Prime questions.
I then broke apart my days by question content and used the "study" feature to get immediate feedback, and ctrl+F in the respective MPEP chapter to flex that skill set.
I did between 200-300 exam practice questions a day, Monday-Friday my first week of study to get through ALL exam questions. The following week, I tapered down. I took a practice exam Sunday, another Practice Exam Monday, and another Practice Exam Tuesday. I got a ~69%, ~80%, and ~90% on the respective practice exams. Wednesday I went through questions throughout the day, timed, but not full exams. Thursday I did flashcards and relaxed.
I felt like I had really gotten the hang of the search tools within the MPEP chapters for questions I wasn't sure about, and I felt really confident after going through every single available practice question.
Patent Bar MPEP Q&A Podcast
On commutes, getting ready, or at the gym I would occasionally listen to this podcast to keep me fresh. It's nice for bite sized lessons and summaries of the MPEP. The ad content is a little annoying, but I don't mind. I will admit it was sometimes just background noise, not really a substantial study tool.
Study Calculator
I made a few different calculators to track my hours of legitimate study by category. I then assessed how I was progressing with time wrt the current day, the exam date, and how much time I should be studying daily on average. I blacked out some of the information because I am not sure how much content I can explicitly share on content. I don't think it would add anything you don't see on the PLI course, but you'll get the gist.
https://preview.redd.it/x7ffsoeyr15b1.png?width=1023&format=png&auto=webp&s=80546a6e87c0aaf4cbad0f9b5c2f161e7c63375c
Anki Flashcards
I made flashcards as I was reading the MPEP and PLI prep course material, I ended up making 1263 flashcards, and I'd go through them most days in the months leading up to the exam.
The Anki app has a schedule to get through all new or difficult flashcards so I basically set a "due date" for all flashcards to be before my full time study.
Preparing Myself for Failure
Failure is life, and I decided I needed to be at peace with taking this exam multiple times in spite of the above efforts. I researched the pass rates historically, and of course lurked the PLI and patent bar forums.... This of course freaked me out, but it prepared me to weigh the stakes, the rewards, and the realities. Now that the reality is that i have failed, I am feeling very lost as to where to go next. I have no more time to take off to study full time, and I don't know how to prepare myself more.
I do NOT think simply repeating the practice questions will help me... at some point the PLI just repeats a ton of content ...
Please, if there is any other prep course, source material, or anything I should consider. I would like to try again in September. I am highly motivated to leave my job and it has been difficult finding work in the patent field without this credential.
Closing Comments
If this is not allowed, or something is off putting with this post, please let me know, i'll be happy to take it down.

Hi everyone! I am a retaker and a 3x user with Themis. I have had quite a few issues with them, but they were paid for by my school so I'll take what I can get. I just sent an annoyed message to their customer service, but let's see how that will go.
I was reviewing the con law essay roadmap and it still had the Lemon test on it.
When I took Feb 23, the video outlines for con law also had a date of 2023 on the bottom. Now, when I access the video outline through the portal, it only shows me a 2022 version. How? Why? No idea. It makes no sense.
I am taking the bar in FL, and that is not even counting the FL specific issues I have had with them.
Has anyone else had these issues, and if so can you help out by letting me know what other discrepancies you have found? I just want to ensure I am studying the most up to date information.
Thanks,
A tired studier.
​
Best of luck to you all and thanks in advance for any answers :)

1. Alexa Nikolas opened up in 2019 about Jamie Lynn Spears and other Zoey 101 cast members allegedly bullying her on the set of the teen show. Nikolas was notably written out of the show after Season 2.
2. Another celeb accused of bullying on set is Lea Michele. After guest star Samantha Marie Ware accused Michele of racist bullying involving “traumatic microaggressions," Amber Riley seemed to support the claims after posting a GIF of her sipping tea, and Alex Newell also took to social media to support Ware's claims. Heather Morris later revealed there was a "hush hush" atmosphere about Lea's "scary" on-set behavior.
3. John Leguizamo says costar Steven Seagal bullied him and others during Executive Decision, and claims he even physically assaulted Leguizamo during the first day of rehearsals.
4. David Yost, who memorably played the blue power ranger in the '90s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, says he was bullied so badly that he had to leave the show, shortly thereafter experiencing a nervous breakdown. Yost claimed the bullying — including being called anti-gay slurs like the f-slur — was incessant, and came from creators, producers, writers, and directors. "Basically, I just felt like I was continually being told I was not worthy of being where I am because I'm a gay person. And I'm not supposed to be an actor. And I'm not a superhero," he later said, revealing the bullying caused him to become suicidal.
5. Decades after the '80s sitcom Charles in Charge, star Scott Baio was accused of sexual harassment by two of his then-teenaged costars: Alexander Polinsky and Nicole Eggert.
6. Eggert accused Baio of molestation during her time on the show, which began when she was 14. The abuse allegedly continued until Eggert was 17, with Baio telling Eggert if she told anyone, the show would end and they would all be out of jobs. Baio has denied any inappropriate touching and says they had a onetime consensual encounter when Eggert was 18.
7. Jerry Lewis was accused of sexual harassment after his death. Karen Sharpe, who appeared with Lewis in The Disorderly Orderly, said she was forced to model her wardrobe for Lewis. “He grabbed me. He began to fondle me. He unzipped his pants," Sharpe claimed. She says he then isolated her, asking that no one else speak to her on set.
8. Hope Holiday also accused Lewis of assault, saying that he brought her into his office and locked the door during her first day on set of The Ladies Man. “He starts to talk dirty to me, and as he’s talking, the pants open, and the ugly thing came out and he starts to masturbate," Holiday revealed.
9. In 2017, Trace Lysette accused Jeffrey Tambor of sexual harassment on the set of Transparent, describing one incident where he said, "I want to attack you sexually" before filming a scene, then "waddled over to me in his pajamas and put his feet on top of mine, and started these little, like, thrusts on my hip. They were discreet and insidious and creepy. I felt his genitals on me. And I pushed him off.”
10. Rebel Wilson recently opened up about "awful and disgusting" sexual harassment from a male costar, though she did not name who. "He called me into a room and pulled down his pants," she revealed, saying the costar then asked her to perform a sexual act. Afraid of retaliation and wanting to be a "professional," Wilson stayed on the project, though she said, "Definitely amongst industry circles, I made sure people knew what happened."
11. Lili Reinhart also says she was sexually harassed by an unnamed costar early in her career. "I was a teenager working on a project when I started to have a crush on a guy I was working with," she explained in a Tumblr post. "He was pretty significantly older than me, but I thought of myself as mature so it didn’t seem like a big deal." Reinhart says that he later tried to force himself on her. "I had to stop him and say, 'No, I don’t want that,' and 'I can’t do that.' I physically walked away from the situation before it could get any worse. I remember feeling like this was a scene right out of a horror movie."
12. Bill Cosby has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by a number of women — including The Cosby Show costars Lili Bernard and Eden Tirl. Bernard alleged that Cosby had drugged and raped her on multiple occasions in the '90s, while Tirl alleged that in 1989, Cosby touched her without consent in his dressing room. Cosby was convicted in 2018 on multiple counts of sexual assault (after being accused by over 50 women), though this was overturned in 2021.
13. Daniel Franzese (best known for playing Damian in Mean Girls) accused Bully costar Bijou Phillips of being an actual bully on the set of the film. “She body-shamed me and ridiculed me about my sexuality and physically assaulted me," he said, revealing he was scared to speak up and lose his job.
14. Geena Davis accused Bill Murray of making her lie in a bed while he used a massage device on her while they were costarring in Quick Change together, despite her saying no multiple times. She also said he verbally berated many in the cast and crew, including Davis herself. She's also discussed inappropriate behavior during the press tour for the film.
15. In fact, Murray has been accused of bad behavior by a number of costars, including Seth Green, who appeared with Murray on Saturday Night Live when Green was just 9. He was sitting on the arm of Murray's chair backstage when he says Murray picked him up, dangled him over the trash can, and said "the trash goes in the trash can." Green flailed until he hit Murray in the balls, causing Murray to drop him and Green to fall into the trash can, which fell over. Green then ran into his dressing room, hid under the table, and cried.
16. Murray has also been accused of “inexcusable and unacceptable” comments toward Lucy Liu during rehearsals for their film Charlie's Angels.
17. Eliza Dushku was fired from the series Bull after complaining about sexual harassment from her costar Michael Weatherly. Dushku detailed how she “found myself the brunt of crude, sexualized, and lewd verbal assaults" and "suffered near constant sexual harassment" from Weatherly. "This was beyond anything I had experienced in my 30-year career," she said.
18. While star Judy Garland herself never publicly stated these allegations, her ex-husband Sid Luft wrote in his memoir that the actors playing the munchkins on the set of The Wizard of Oz would put their hands up her skirt. Garland was 16, and many of the men were in their 40s.
19. And finally, according to the documentary Celluloid Crime of the Century and the book Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left, Sandra Peabody (who went by the name Sandra Cassel at the time) was horribly mistreated by her male costars on the set of The Last House on the Left. Marc Sheffler admitted to threatening to throw her off a cliff to try to rile her up for a scene (though in 2018 he stated she was not in real danger), and David Hess allegedly threatened to actually assault her in a rape scene they were about to film.

Link to article

Hey everyone,
I'm a 37-year-old guy and I got COVID about 14 months ago, right at the beginning of April. I had a slight fever for a day, but otherwise, it wasn't too bad. On the first day I started feeling better, I went for a 3-mile run (I used to run 3 times per week, around 10 miles) and towards the end and afterwards, I felt some mild pain in my lower hamstring/abductors on the right leg, near the knee.
The pain got worse as I continued running. I switched to using an indoor rowing machine, but it continued to worsen and started happening on my left leg as well.
The pain is strange. It's not the "good" type of pain you feel after a workout. It feels more like someone has injected poison into my muscles and tendons. It's hard to pinpoint exactly where the pain is located.
As I continued trying to exercise (now cycling indoors), the same pain started showing up in my quads, my right glute, and my right upper hamstring. It's as if a new muscle gets "activated" after a certain type of workout, and then it starts hurting and never goes away. The pain improves about 80% if I stop any type of activity for a few days, but it never fully goes away.
During this process, I also developed patellofemoral pain syndrome in my right knee, which I've had since October 2022. Additionally, I threw my back out on Christmas 2022 while doing some yard work. My knee is about 85% better but still not improving, and my back is the same. It's about 85% better but still hurts after a day of sitting. I feel like these issues are compensatory.
I've been doing physical therapy for 11 months now, but I haven't seen much progress. I keep hitting a wall, and my injuries resurface whenever I try to strengthen my legs and glutes, which is what I need to do to fix my back and knee.
I used to run 10 miles a week, and now I can't even walk around the block without significant pain. I've had bloodwork done to rule out autoimmune diseases, and I got a Lyme disease test, but nothing has been identified. I've seen a sports medicine doctor several times, and she is stumped. She says everything appears normal. Recently, my doctor recommended that I continue with physical therapy.
The depression is real. Exercise was how I reduced stress and enjoyed life. I can't go for walks with my kids now without pain. I've tried so many times to slowly get back into exercising, even just biking or rowing or swimming for 5-10 minutes at a time, but I get the same result, and it seems to get worse as time goes on.
Has anyone else experienced something similar to this? I don't even know if this is long COVID, but the timing seems too coincidental. Have any of you found anything that helps or managed to improve over time with similar symptoms? My theory is that something happened with the COVID and now my muscles can't get enough oxygen, although it's just a complete guess!
Thanks. It has helped following this sub and knowing I am not alone in my suffering!

The title is misleading. I actually LOVE my Oryx Pro. But if I could change anything, it would be this:

• It takes, no lie, THREE FULL MINUTES for the oryp10 to recognize my Apple Magic Trackpad II after a hard or soft reboot. I can manually enable it sooner, but that is not convenient. COUNTERPOINT: When it finally does recognize it, it works beautifully, well worth the money.
• When I reboot my machine, often times I need to reconfigure my external HDMI display so that it is oriented correctly. Usually it reverses the primary and secondary monitor positions.
• It doesn't always come out of suspend properly.
• Sometimes when I reboot, the external display is not recognized and I must unplug and replug the cable. Happens on HDMI and Thunderbolt.
• When I attach an external monitor I have to switch to NVIDIA GPU - this causes the fan to run CONSTANTLY. This does not happen on my $900 Dell when I attach an external monitor. I paid close to 5K for this laptop, you'd expect that attaching an external monitor would be a given. Not so on this machine. The problem is so bad that I sometimes I have to use noise cancelling headphones when i am in a conference call. Fucking embarrassing. I'm not even gaming at this point, just using the google business apps in a chrome browser. Also the system settings falsely imply that you can use an external monitor if you put it in hybrid graphics mode, did you guys test that? It doesn't work at all. Get your act together, System76.
• When I am not using an external keyboard, it is too easy to accidentally touch the touchpad and move my cursor to an undesirable location, causing me to type over words or insert text in the middle of a paragraph. The problem is so bad that I must use an external keyboard. COUNTERPOINT: This problem prompted me to purchase the very expensive System76 launch Heavy Mechanical keyboard, WHICH i LOVE!!! WELL WORTH THE INVESTMENT!!
• This laptop will not recognize my Apple Air Pods Pro II. This is a pretty mainstream product, it does not speak well about System76 that their flagship gaming laptop won't recognize one of the world's best selling ear buds.
• The fingerprint sensor does not work at all, why include one? Rookie move.
• The battery doesn't automatically start charging when you plug it in. In fact, it may not charge at all for days. When I use my laptop on battery and run it down to 25%, I want to be able to recharge the battery as soon as I plug it in. Not so with this product, it just sits there saying "not charging" until it decides it should start charging it, maybe today, maybe tomorrow, there is no pattern. (Tech support had no answer for this problem).
• No charging via USB C. What is this, the 2010's?

That's it for now. System76, ARE YOU LISTENING?
*running Pop!_OS
EDIT: Apparently I can't edit the title, it should read "A plea to address" not "A please to address"

Hello, my name is Yupphire and I'm currently looking for new players for BlendedSMP, my community-focused Minecraft server. I started this server back in 2022 so I could play Minecraft with my friends. After a several month long hiatus, I am happy to announce that BlendedSMP is BACK! We’re looking for new players that are at least 15 years old.
The server is set to go up on June 10th 4PM PST, so you have a little bit of time to get situated with your fellow server members before you jump in and play.

Why Join BlendedSMP?

The main draw of our server is that we use Geyser, which is a plugin that allows Java and Bedrock clients to play on the same server. Regardless of which version you and your friends have, you'll be able to play on BlendedSMP together (hence the name, BlendedSMP). If you're wondering what else is in store, here is a list of all the features BlendedSMP has to offer!

• We're on 1.20! You’ll be able to experience the new update on BlendedSMP!
• We use a variety of different hand-picked datapacks and crafting tweaks from Vanilla Tweaks, to enhance the Vanilla experience without the use of mods or other plugins. Because of our commitment to the Vanilla experience, you will never see plugins such as MCMMO or Vein Miner that drastically modify Vanilla gameplay.
• We use DiscordSRV to further connect the Discord server with the Minecraft server by allowing members of the Discord server to communicate with those on the Minecraft server, and vice versa.
• To prevent and undo potential griefing, we use CoreProtect so we can rollback any damage that was done in case of potential griefing.
• We have an active community that always welcomes new members.

Our Rules

The full list of rules is on our Discord server, but here's a shortened version for the sake of this post: - Be civil and respectful - Stay PG-13 (NSFW content is prohibited) - Server members must be 15 years or older (This is a new rule for this season, so you may still see some under 15s around if they were members of the previous season) - No griefing or stealing - No non-consensual PvP - No hacking or item duping - Client-side mods such as Optifine, Litematica, Minimap, etc are all allowed. If you're unsure if a mod you use would be allowed, contact me and ask. - While item duping is not allowed, TNT duping is fair game. This is because TNT duping dupes the entity, not the item - Try to stay within 2500 blocks from spawn (This rule won't be enforced, it's more of a guideline to create a more close-knit community) - Joining the Discord server is mandatory - Don't try to look for "loopholes" in the rules. Observe basic SMP etiquette.

How Do I Join BlendedSMP?

We have an application process you'll need to go through in order to be whitelisted on the server, which can be found in #whitelist-application in the Discord server. It simply involves you answering a few questions about yourself. The application is designed for us to get to know you and see if you're a good fit for our server. We don't expect an essay but we expect a few sentences at the very least.

JOIN THE DISCORD SERVER HERE: https://discord.gg/gG9mjFS5qD

Thanks for reading! We hope to see you soon on BlendedSMP!