There are times when Hospitals don't know what they are talking about ...
I had to go in yesterday (sever bought of the runs plus nausea and sweating) for over night observation.
They found my potassium levels were .2 above normal max and just decided to tell me to stop taking most of my supplements. Several of which I take for different reasons than normal (like a blood pressure med I take cause it's side effect helps circulation, and I have bad circulation problems). I can understand being told to stop taking my potassium pills but to stop ALL Non Essential 'herbal or natural supplements' in such a broad stroke really irritates me. (I am aloud to take vitamins but they just listed every other supplement I take as 'Do Not Take'. No explanation or anything other than in the paper work one of the broad strokes for to much Potassium is to stop all that sort of thing. No reason WHY is given.
Ironically 2 of these supplements are prescribed by my doctor to help with certain health conditions I have and to stop taking them, even for a few days, will have long term Bad health concerns.

You have the right to ask questions and expect honest answers. In your case, I suggest having the answers put on paper.

Dice rolls are not the be all, end all.  I hope I never DM like that.  I've got three separate games from three different DMs, and this is what I'm dealing with (all with level 1 characters):

1)  First night out of town, one watch didn't roll high enough on perception, so he fell asleep and all our backpacks and clothes were destroyed, and food and water taken or destroyed.

2)  First hour out of town, we come face to face with a water elemental.

3)  IN TOWN, a rampaging dinosaur shows up right in front of where we need to go.  Try to calm it, need five successes to three fails or it charges, arbitrary DC.

The universe is apparently telling me that I shouldn't be playing all these games at once.

In reply to DaCuseFrog (msg # 1282):

Actually, the problem is not how many games you are playing but how many games you are not leaving ;).

Play lots of games, as many as you can reasonably play.  Then politely leave the ones that don't fit your style with many thanks and a masterful write out.

On your way through, try and get rmails for good players you can invite to future games until you have a good troupe.  Then you can start your own, or when you find a promising game invite them all and blow the GM's mind.

Goes off to follow his own advice....
This message was last edited by the user at 18:27, Mon 03 Sept 2018.

Just when you think you've gotten through with storm season, some last-minute apple-hole like Tropical Storm Gordon shows up.  Gorram it, I did not want another late birthday present like this.

Somebody wake me up when September ends, please.

Look Doc, when I go to my OB/GYN asking about a disorder I have likely had for 20+ years, have nearly all the symptoms for, one of which is obesity (and none of which are pleasant), and you mention the fact that I have gained weight, do you think that I am somehow unaware of this fact?  I mean, I'm the one buying my clothes.  I know my damn size.  She's talking about the weight I've gained as if I've managed to miss that development.

Doc, I have tried and am continuing to exercise. I am working on my diet. I am QUITE aware that a goodly portion of my weight gain is due to my lifestyle rather than this disorder.  But I would like to get some kind of grip on my body chemistry that you and my GP have managed to miss for over two decades!  If the tried and tested medication regimen I'm asking for can just give me a little bit of help and assist in shedding some pounds just so I can see some marginal improvement to give me hope and renewed inspiration, then I would like those medications without the judgment or lecture.

Asking for help in this manner is emotionally difficult, and do you know how I handle emotional stress?  If you guessed stress-eating, then you're right.  Making me more stressed and shamed about my weight is actually extremely counter-productive.

As least she got me the meds. *scowls*

When you read something that's so crazy, it actually makes you question if the writer was the crazy one, or if it's you that's crazy for reading it that way, because who the apple-tart would write that? Like, really... what did I even read??? I'm just so at a loss for words and more at a loss for how to respond. O_O

@Isida: The doctor thing...
I had the same doctor for a few decades, because I have some anxiety in dealing with the medical system. Said doctor, every visit, would harangue me about my weight for the entire session, then leave. Even when I was there for, say, an ear infection. Just browbeat me about my stress eating and obesity, and walk off, telling his nurse to write me a prescription. So... Yeah. I feel ya.
My doctor got to the point that he didn't ... give me details. All he wanted to do was belittle me for my weight. He didn't tell me about a medical condition that, if caught early, can be reversed. He didn't tell me anything other than 'you need to lose weight.' I won't go into detail about the condition, but I didn't know anything about it until about a decade after it started. Far too long to reverse it. I've been in the ICU twice for it in the past two years (and the ER one more time than that.). The guy. Was. A. Sucky. Doctor.
I know this is going to sound bombastic, but I pretty much beg of you. Find another doctor. Find someone who can work with you on whatever issues you have. Find someone who doesn't piss you off so much you stop going. Look at me as a cautionary tale of what happens when you just assume you have to stick with the same useless sack of blueberries. I can almost guarantee, if you can do it, it will make your life better.

Was this a rant, a response, or a little of both?  I've read some crazy stuff in my day, and written my share of it, too (I'm a doggerel poet, and when I'm in my cups anything is likely to leak out my pen.)

Care to tell us more about what particular brand of crazy has you going askew?

I go through doctors like cars. Every few years I get a new one - or a specialist and always get a second and third look by other doctor that's not a referral.

Some are like classic cars and you keep and trust them for a long time. Others are as you need them. Like a mini van great when you have kids, good for a large family - totally sucks if your 18 or going through a mid-life crisis.

Not looking to make lite of it, .... but my general care doctor been with her maybe 15 years now. I still ask tons of questions, double check the meds prescriptions and if I don't like what I hear I get a second and even third doctor to confirm. Mind you I think she's the best doctor I have ever had. Just need to do these things, they are human and make mistakes. Not saying its ok - just RL.

My issue - these doctors that say your covered and send a bill after the service. Like they didn't know what was covered.

Many times doctors don't know.  They're not the right people to be asking about that stuff.  Most doctors have someone in their office, an office manager or claims processing assistant or some such, who knows the ins and outs.  It might be better to consult them on any insurance-related issues, or to discuss matters with your insurance company's support team.

This is as it should be:  doctors should be focused primarily on implementing the right path of care to meet your needs, not the day-to-day paperwork that gets it paid for.

The crucial difference comes in finding a doctor who doesn't feel he or she needs to be omniscient to hold your trust and confidence.  My present physician is such a man.  He has stopped a consult to ask his office manager, "Hey, we have an insurance question, could you come here a minute?"  Her knowing the ins and outs of this stuff saves him from having to store all that along with all the stuff about medicine he has to carry around.

That's amazing. Absolutely amazing. So many medical professionals I've dealt with aren't... I don't know if it's that they're not aware enough, or not confident enough, to admit they -don't- know something. To find someone who can reach out for other experts? Great stuff.
(Worked for a while in a medical library. It was strange to see how skittish doctors were about actually reaching out for more resources on something they were working on. As if their colleagues finding out would lead to some social or professional problems.)

A vent of it's own to be sure. It's an awkward thing. A friend wrote a story, supposedly fictional, but it's not quite, since I know them well enough to place the events mentioned and the people. Some of the content is a bit questionable, both for what it is about and for the underlying question of whether it's the actual fictional part, or the real part. If it's fictional, it's in bad taste. If it's non-fictional-- well, there are other very real world implications to that and I'm not sure which I'd rather it be. I am certain, I don't want to be around when those related to these events discover them either way. And I'm quite sure I don't want to be the direct messenger to them. But yet, I seem to be the only one to note these blatant parallels, so I question how this can be. Surely, I am not the only one who's paying attention? Or, am I just seeing something that isn't there? Difficult questions to answer without knowing more... and I'm not sure I want to.

In reply to Kessa (msg # 1292):

Me?  Unless I was directly involved in the story I'd dust off my sandals and go my way.  Sounds like too much sturm und drang at my age.

I know your situation is likely different than mine, though, so that advice (as such) probably isn't much help.

If you are directly involved in the story, you gotta figure out what the various relationships involved with you are worth, and act based on that.  Note that not acting may still be the best default course of action.

If any of this is legally actionable where you live, (and I don't need or want to know), you need the advice of competent legal counsel, of course.

Look, you can't claim you like the holidays and then abdicate all responsibility for decorating and event planning onto me, nor suddenly claim you're "too tired" for our shared events because I made you do 30 minutes of work to get things ready.  It doesn't work like that.  I am not wanting to do all the planning, purchasing, crafting, organizing, and decorating so you can just enjoy the "fun part", then leave me to break down and return everything to storage to boot.

This is all pretty much the conclusion I've come to as well. I have no obligation to attend this issue on my own behalf, but I have elected to pass word on to an intermediary so they can form their own judgments and come to their own conclusions, having vastly more knowledge and investment in the situation than I. That in itself may not be the best course of action, but quite frankly, it's no fun to be ignorant of a situation that's going to come back to bite you either way. Fingers crossed it works out better than I foresee. Relationship wise, there are things I would not do and then there are other things I would not tolerate others doing and I do believe this situation falls into both categories. As you say, I am too old for this... and they ought to be as well.

Iselda, the person you describe has not yet reached, in this respect, the preschooler age.

In reply to Kessa (msg # 1295):

Third reply to Kessa, so I'll be brief.

Just remember, now that you have set something in motion respecting this situation, that the road to Perdition is paved with good intentions.  Be careful out there.

Not feeling very thankful this holiday - just learned today that my stepdads dog has cancer of the limnoids. It does not look good for the pup. He is barely 8 years old, this is not a good way for him to go.

Okay have nice holiday Thursday.  Draw back I have to work lack Friday.  Me- not really a big deal since I don't like shopping like that anyhow.  At work doing my job.  One of my co-workers gets to come in as well.  Hates it and spends day whining.  negative check 1.  We have modified assignments but gotta get them all done in time we work.  To me this is not a problem I believe...later I find it is.  Some things we have to prep up in advance.  More we can do the better off we'll be as now people coming in want to take care of their insurance. I explain this to my co-worker who again whines and says 'I can do that monday'.  I reply 'No we need to do it today so we can do the other things Monday and not be so crazy and we can actually go to lunch and not stress'.  I explain this 3 blood orange times!  negative mark 2.  Got so bad had our supervisor explain it to her.  Supervisor goes home early.  which is okay because besides the one comment spends day in his crystal office watching football highlight reruns on his cellphone.  By this time coworker has dawdled about whining.  gone on lunch and 4 bathroom breaks in 5 hours.  its a secret so everyone knows she sneaks off and makes phone calls and text messages.  so I am doing most of the work.  however as soon as supervisor leaves...she disappears for nearly 30 minutes.  okay strike 3.  when she finally resurfaces I remind her we only have so much time and all of this stuff must be done.  I look over 5 minutes later she is doing something totally unrelated to what we have to do.  I remind her again.  neg mark 4.  I'm calling it good.  15 minutes before shift is up I go to the bathroom, go to the locker room check out and go home right on time.  quite a few things not done.  I go home she is still there.  our time clocks record thins.  Mine is going to show I went home on time.  hers won't and that work was not done.  I called my supervisors boss and texted what happened.  I can do a lot of work but I am not gonna over work because some co-worker does not want to work.  And here is the kicker...If she had not whined and actually done the work promptly, we both could have been out in 4 hours and she could have done her Black Friday shopping and everyone would have been happy.  Come Monday...she can do EVERYTHING we didn't get done and her normal work.  I'm not going to help her.

My sister and I were caught up in the mass panic on the Strip after the Mandalay Bay incident. Fortunately it turned out we were never in any danger, but she is understandably dealing with some post traumatic mental health issues (compounded by general life stress).

To put it bluntly, it's like she's become obsessed with me. I recognize that this is more than likely an anxiety thing and wanting to make sure I'm safe, but it's weird and sometimes exhausting.

She is always calling me up to get me to come over. No other family members, just me. When I'm there she'll beg me to stay over, regardless of what I explain I have going on in the morning, trying to convince me by saying it's okay, she'll wake me up before she leaves. She's told me I can move in with her if I want in a very joking manner, but I think she's hoping I'll take her up on it one of these days.

She's on medication (last I checked), but it feels like she's not doing the things she needs to get better. When she calls, she has almost always been drinking. She won't go to a therapist through work, because the last one they sent her to she didn't like- and she didn't ask if there were any other options available. Her doctor obviously knows what's going on, but my sister hasn't mentioned the post-traumatic aspect because she didn't think of it until my mom actually brought it up; either way, I don't know if she spoke with the doctor about therapy. Honestly, I suspect she cancelled her last doctor's appointment because I wasn't available to go with her.

To be clear, I've dealt with some serious mental health issues of my own and have some continuing education credits in mental health issues. I know it's the mental illness, not her, but it's hard feeling like the only support she has (or is using) and like I'm letting her down when really I just need to take care of myself on a particular day.

In reply to acera (msg # 1300):

Ouch, I totally feel what your saying. It's exhausting being someone elses 'go to' to feel safe. She needs theripy of some kind. But getting it for her will probably be like pulling hen's teeth. YOU may need some theripy just because your dealing with her needy self.

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 1301):

I recently started a new role at work so I’m now on salary with benefits that actually include access to life coaching and/or therapy, etc. and am definitely looking into it once my benefits package comes in. I’m glad someone else can relate to my situation.

It might be worth sitting the sister down next time she insists on you staying over and gently going over the fact that with your experience and limited training, it looks like her mental wounds are infected rather than healing, and that - frame it as a you thing - you're afraid that if you try to do a therapist's job (as badly as an ameteur doing physical surgery) you might harm her, and if you don't get the time to yourself you need for your issues, you won't be able to give her any support at her worst, and those things are scary for you because you love her.

I got into a similar situation as a teenager, with no support network whatsoever...it ended very badly because a) the other party came to see me as a 'saviour' and then hated teen-me for not being able to make severe addiction/mental health issues vanish and b) I was effectively enabling the behaviour/prolonging the damaging period of the issues via my sincere but clueless attempts to help. It was only the shock of me cutting all contact for the sake of my own survival that jolted that person into enough self-awareness to begin recovery.

So...I think you should try to be honest, reassure her that she is loved and valued, but be firm about boundaries (knowing exactly how much to take/where to stop often makes people feel safer, too) and looking after yourself. Is my two pence.

Maybe make a deal:

You'll spend X amount of time with her if, and only if, she regularly sees a therapist...with no skips (save physical illness).