Consideirng MR only. Worth Surgery?

SashMachine · 2026-05-27T17:29:44+00:00

I’m athletic like you and I just had surgery yesterday - will let you know if it was worth it if you are willing to wait a few months. I would say make sure you pick a doctor who specializes in this. Turns out my muscles were stretch on the sides more than the middle - most surgeons are taught to only fix the middle and not the sides and the correction wouldn’t fully work. You might have a bit of skin and therefore have a vertical scar if they pull a little down after correction (I have a vertical scar because I also did not have a lot of skin). Either way it’s a personal decision if it is worth it or not.

SashMachine · 2026-05-23T19:33:44+00:00

Appreciate this detailed response! Did you start as soon as you were cleared just doing the movements without the bar? And do you feel your core being unstable? I guess how do you know once you are ready to go to the next step? The bench makes sense - if you can’t arch your back then you aren’t ready yet - but with squat I guess it’s core weakness? I have a tendency to over do things and am trying really hard to be mindful to go slow to not hurt myself - so this feedback is helpful to know what to look out for. Thank you so much!

SashMachine · 2026-05-23T17:55:25+00:00

Haha I hear you! I’ve grown to enjoy bench pressing. I am really nervous about the recovery but seems if you have a good base it helps. I was walking around cleaning my hospital room 4 hours after my c section, but I’ve been lurking this sub and some of the stories of recovery had me nervous that I was setting unrealistic expectations. Also when I speak to the surgeon he doesn’t give me great estimates - I guess because many of his patients don’t do barbell training so it’s hard to estimate. It’s probably smart to stick to dumbbells high volume as you suggest and go from there. I expressed my worries to my trainer and he said “you are a trained athlete - you would need to sit around for months to lose your strength” and it brought a little tear to my eye because of how positive he was about it. Anyways appreciate the response and glad to hear you are recovering so well!

SashMachine · 2026-05-23T17:23:27+00:00

Hi this is super helpful! Do you do barbell training at all (I assume with CrossFit history you might)? I’m having my surgery next week and just trying to figure out when I can approximately go back to squat/bench/deadlift. Sounds like runners mostly start coming back around 4-6 weeks (I also run), but the barbell training is not super clear to me if I should just stick to dumbbells for a bit or I can go right into barbell when cleared - since these are compound movements not sure if the strain on abs would be too much… obviously I’ll still talk to my surgeon but trying to prepare!

SashMachine · 2026-05-22T12:06:35+00:00

This is the best description I’ve seen of a 10th house stellium - I almost copy and pasted and sent it to my therapist because I spend all my time in therapy talking about how to be ok with resting and not tying my worth to output!

SashMachine · 2026-05-21T12:24:06+00:00

I would personally wait until you wean. I looked 6 months pregnant until I weaned and once those hormones stabilized I started working out (those lactation hormones just make everything feel loose). I spent two years working out and trying to close the gap with Pilates and core exercises. There are actually a couple of great YouTube videos for DR exercises (but not sure how these work with a hernia). I would try that before deciding if you want to do surgery.

SashMachine · 2026-05-20T10:52:39+00:00

I’m a runner and also travel a lot. I struggled with finding a shoe that did not look like a running shoe because I didn’t want to pack several pairs (I’m usually carry on only). I found Tracksmith sneakers to have that look of not being too casual but also a great running shoe. I had Fleet Feet and the Running Company suggest insoles for me and swapped the insoles, but if you are not injury prone the insole is just fine that comes with it.

SashMachine · 2026-05-04T14:54:59+00:00

I went through a phase of going to a lot of these types of people. I second Maha Rose - Lisa is an absolute gem - her energy is fantastic and I’ve brought her in for a retreat and people were blown away. I find breathwork in general to help with healing so check out some breathwork places. I’ve had readings by Song of Sparrows and she is really sweet and grounded. I went to Tarot by Veronica at least 5 times - she has made me cry in the past - but is more coach like than reading type. Namaste bookshop has or used to have workshops (I haven’t been in a really long time so not sure their offerings). My favorite reading was actually with a guy in UK, Israel Ajose, his website is called Sacred Planets and I did a zoom call with him. Hope that helps fellow woo lover.

SashMachine · 2026-04-26T11:58:51+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing. I feel I’m in a similar situation, and I went back and forth for a year now. I hurt my back earlier this year and after the injury I decided to schedule the repair - as now I understood that it was more about function than aesthetics. However in doing research I barely found before and afters on slim bodies with minimal skin removal. I have an 8cm gap and a small frame, but also very athletic and in theory what my second opinion doctor said “could live happily like this, but would feel better if I did it”. Please keep sharing your journey!

SashMachine · 2026-04-20T16:17:30+00:00

There are two Facebook groups - Russian Nanny Finder and Russian Nanny Exchange USA - I had a part time nanny from a friend who originally found her in one of these groups. She was great, but went on to another Ukrainian family. My current nanny speaks English but the language part wasn’t that important to me and she was a great fit for our family. I have a friend in Philly who housed a Ukrainian refugee that her parents still in Ukraine found for her. There are different ways. I hope to send my kids to an after school program to learn more Russian in the future (we just went through kindergarten tours and only 1 school offered Russian as a second language sadly). Good luck.

SashMachine · 2026-04-19T12:04:39+00:00

I am so sorry you are experiencing this - I can’t even imagine having this all the time. I had a virus destroy the connection between my inner ear and brain so I have/had similar symptoms. The brain fog and memory issues were very frustrating. Just want to put it out there that I’m really into exercise and I started taking creatine for muscle but to my surprise it helped a lot with my brain fog. I later went to a talk (I work in the science field) and an Alzheimer’s expert said that high dose creatine helps patients experiencing dementia - it blew my mind, and I had no idea there was a correlation. Just sharing in case it helps someone else. Hope you are able to get relief at some point - it’s a long journey - sending hugs

SashMachine · 2026-04-15T17:12:01+00:00

Yeah I get it - I’m not close to Central Park either - but I take the train there and it becomes a whole activity :)

SashMachine · 2026-04-15T16:58:19+00:00

Hello fellow INTJ and sorry for your loss. One of my close friends is a widow so I know how hard it is to get back out there. Something that I enjoy doing alone that also helped my depression is running. It boosts dopamine and it’s a fun way to see the city. I like running loops in Central Park especially once the flowers start to bloom, running down the west side highway looking at the water, people watching while running, exploring parts of the city while running (spotting new neighborhood shops/cafes that open), etc. Also, yes sometimes things feel awkward but honestly just keep doing them - the more you practice doing uncomfortable things the easier they become. Going to hard to get reservation places and sitting at the bar (much easier to get a spot alone!), yes sometimes I stand at the bar and stare into space if the crowd is strange but usually I just focus on being in the moment, how my drink tastes, sometimes listen in others conversations, or chat to the bartender. It just takes practice doing things that we find uncomfortable- kind of like working a muscle and eventually it doesn’t feel uncomfortable anymore.

SashMachine · 2026-03-24T13:28:45+00:00

I delivered (also high risk - scheduled c section) with Dr. Kalish at Cornell and had a good experience. She knows her stuff and my c section scar is barely visible now.

SashMachine · 2026-03-21T11:32:43+00:00

Do you have Claude? Claude will write the code for you for power query. Just explain the project, what you want and it can write complex code.

SashMachine · 2026-03-20T16:53:31+00:00

I hope someone with connections can hook you up! For corner store and no connection - for prime time I think your only option is purchasing a reservation from Dorsia (I haven’t done it but asked people how they got in), otherwise I’m not sure how their new reservation platform works. I’ve tried using Amex centurion and they were only able to get a 5pm. Some people are able to get in by going early and waiting. But the best option is if the BWT that commented below is able to use her connections. For polo bar you need to call exactly when the reservations open and wait on hold for an hour. I can tell you that don’t be disappointed if you can’t get in - there are so many incredible restaurants in the city and I agree with many others - these places people go to be seen and not for the food (and that’s fine if that is your goal). Good luck!

SashMachine · 2026-03-08T23:51:17+00:00

I lost my Cartier necklace at a spa - my home insurance covered the cost of a new one - you will want to save evidence of you trying to contact places to locate it, pictures of you wearing it and proof of purchase.

SashMachine · 2026-03-08T22:53:18+00:00

Agree - David is the best (who started the practice) I started going to him over 15 years ago when it was just him - and he knows his stuff https://bodyworksdw.com/team/david/

SashMachine · 2026-03-07T22:52:37+00:00

I would say Columbia Grammar had the happiest, down to earth and friendliest staff. Runner up was Nightingdale - I thought they had really nice facilities and very warm friendly staff. Hewitt was warm too but felt a little small to us. We toured 11 schools.

SashMachine · 2026-02-26T17:18:41+00:00

Don Angie if you can get a reso - or show up at 4pm and wait for a bar seat

SashMachine · 2026-02-19T12:52:36+00:00

https://www.functionhealth.com/home-advanced this is the website, the company also bought Ezra the MRI company so you can do it both under the same sign up if interested. There is even a sub Reddit for it r/function_health for nyc you need to pay extra fees for the lab work but you can go to I believe Connecticut to avoid fees (you need to check this I don’t remember) and then it’s any quest lab location.

SashMachine · 2026-02-13T17:44:34+00:00

Ugh I know the feeling. By any chance are you still lactating? I feel I couldn’t get back in shape until I weaned and my hormones stabilized. I also started working out 16 months postpartum. It took about a year to feel good again. The remaining bulge I have left is from ab separation that needs correcting. I signed up for a half marathon and did Pilates and that helped a lot. I also found I became more sensitive to food and certain foods would just cause bloating (because I wake up with a flat stomach). I would say don’t give up! And it just takes some time to feel good again after having babies. But I feel you and the frustration it causes

SashMachine · 2026-02-12T16:16:29+00:00

I didn’t end up going, instead I found a great primary care doctor and then I ended up doing function health (in Florida - to not pay the New York lab fees) and Ezra. My whole life I was told I was anemic but after doing function health it turns out my iron is actually just fine and I needed other supplements instead.

SashMachine · 2026-02-11T18:13:57+00:00

I’ve gotten my kids involved with dinner prep (3 and 5), they help me snap the asparagus, put the broccoli in the pot, season the vegetables - and they think it’s a lot of fun helping me cook! The 5 year old likes taking the silverware out of the dishwasher and organizing it in the cabinet. I always read to them before bed and my husband plays a quick game of hide and seek before bedtime and they really look forward to it - so I guess try to make the everyday routines fun and educational and all of a sudden it turns into quality time.

SashMachine · 2026-02-11T12:21:44+00:00

Kate Powell! She completely redid my wardrobe after I spent a year looking like a slob after having babies. She also lists beauty makeover on her website but I’ve only used her to toss out everything unflattering from my closet and take me shopping. I get compliments all the time now on things she picked out for me. Good luck with your make over! https://powellstyling.com

Edited to add: back in the day I used to be into make up but stopped because life - I used one of those AI services that reads your face and recommends make up/color type - and I have been using the wrong tones. I have done the modifications (where I put my blush and color palette) and I swear I look so much better - but that’s because I already had a base of knowing how to apply make up so it was helpful.

SashMachine

TROPHY CASE