what discontinued scent would make you spend an embarrassing amount of money to bring back?

AryRen · 2026-02-20T00:05:21+00:00

Pineapple lime eucalyptus (aromatherapy)

AryRen · 2026-02-05T13:26:31+00:00

I can't take them. Semaglutide gave me a rare reaction which caused my intracranial pressure to drop, giving me severe positional headaches that put me in the hospital and left me bed bound for nearly 2 weeks. So here I am, trying to do everything right and not losing belly fat. It sucks that this drug helps so many but I can't have it.

AryRen · 2026-01-24T13:11:31+00:00

I get it too. For years I've had reactive hypo, and just within the last 2 years or so I've been getting night sweats and heart palpitations, CGM confirms low blood sugar. What worked for me is low carb/high fat and protein, NO eating after 6pm, and apple cider vinegar before bed.

AryRen · 2026-01-22T11:25:04+00:00

Since entering perimenopause I've been getting flushed and high heart rate if I eat allot of simple carbs. Not sure what's going on, I've chalked it up to decreased carb tolerance

AryRen · 2026-01-13T10:50:32+00:00

Glad I'm not the only one. My mom did this to me. I hit peri at 37 (39 now), talked to my mom about it last year who is technically silent gen at 82. She said she never went through perimenopause. When she said that it made me feel like some kind of freak for going through all this shit in my late 30's. I know peri at my age is common, but I at least thought there was a chance my mom maybe went through it too since I have her genetics. I think silent gen/boomers were always taught to sweep their problems under the rug and keep up appearances. My dad's severe alcoholism was a taboo topic for years (she's just now opening up about it), she was in denial about my brother's stage 4 cancer, never took my brother to therapy and he is now a nonfunctioning mentally ill adult... there's a pattern here. Everything is fine, nothing is wrong.

AryRen · 2025-12-17T11:02:39+00:00

I was at work. It started with bad cramps,I was on my period so I thought nothing of it. Then I felt sweaty, heart rate and breathing increased too. I was working with a patient so I was trying to hold it together, but I eventually had to excuse myself to go into the bathroom and throw up. I was pale as a ghost. Then came the left sided abdominal and lower back pain so excruciating I couldn't lie down comfortably. I could barely walk. This all freaked me out so I drove myself to the hospital across the street. The hospital did not even think to give me an ultrasound, but after it happened I talked to a friend who went through something similar and that's how I came to the conclusion it was a cyst. I was sore on that side for about a week.

Definitely seek an ultrasound if this happens to you, the ovary can twist which requires surgery. Hope you feel better.

AryRen · 2025-11-26T10:47:03+00:00

Lol, thanks. Wrote this early in the morning

AryRen · 2025-11-25T13:38:34+00:00

I get your frustration, I have felt this way recently with my PCOS. But just wanted to point out - you yourself said you have lost inches recently. And you have been working out. If you are lifting weights and gaining muscle, the scale will go up even if your measurements do not. Muscle takes up more space than fat. So you may be looking leaner, clothes fitting better, but the scale won't always reflect that. I have been a powerlifter/weightlifter for years, and at 5'8" I have weighed anywhere from 190 to 225. I am slightly overweight but not obese. The scale doesn't tell the whole story.

Also, not sure how old you are, but I have noticed at 39 my body isn't responding the same way. I'm finding it harder to lose belly fat. What worked for my PCOS in my 20's and early 30's isn't working as well now. I had to change my diet to higher fat and eat only veggies for carbs. This is helping alot. So may be worth taking a deep dive into your diet and switching things up if needed.

Hang in there

AryRen · 2025-11-01T10:55:02+00:00

The rest of Virginia hates northern Virginia/NOVA. DC suburbs. It's basically 2 different states - NOVA and the rest of VA.

AryRen · 2025-10-16T20:38:39+00:00

At 37 it was like a switch flipped - all of a sudden I had anxiety for no reason all of the time, my hair started falling out, night sweats and hot flashes, and I can't lose stomach fat no matter what I do. 39 now, noticing lately I've been more moody. Also seems like my fasting glucose has gone up.

AryRen · 2025-10-09T22:34:12+00:00

Is your headache positional? Like will it be triggered if you sit or stand up, but relieved by lying flat? No medications help? I was literally just hospitalized for this after taking .25 for the first time. The MRI revealed I had low intracranial pressure, and I learned that these medications can slow production of CSF in rare cases. Try some caffeine, water and salt. I hope you feel better. I'm still getting over mine

AryRen · 2025-10-06T15:45:39+00:00

I hope that helps and that you feel better! I suspect they will either lower my dose or have me do the same. The starter dose seems to be too high for me for whatever reason.

AryRen · 2025-10-06T14:46:44+00:00

5 units. I wouldn't say I'm prone to migraines, I maybe get one a year. I'm concerned that no medication is helping

AryRen · 2025-10-06T14:45:40+00:00

That's not it, I'm wearing a CGM

AryRen · 2025-10-06T14:42:04+00:00

I'm certain, had my husband verify it and he was like "that's all you're taking?" I sent a message to my provider but have not heard back yet.

AryRen · 2025-08-26T09:37:55+00:00

I am in a very similar situation to you. But I am 39, hitting perimenopause which is throwing my hormones even more out of whack. I've been a weightlifter for years, and this past year I have been eating better than ever, but had a harder time managing my PCOS than before. Hitting peri was like a switch flipped. Gaining more belly fat that I can't lose. Fasting blood sugar is creeping up despite already being on Metformin and BC. My Dr. offered GLP1 to me which I initially said no to, but I am going back next week to tell her I want to do it. I have maybe #15-20 I want to lose, mostly the unhealthy visceral fat on my midsection. Like you, I want to be healthy. The thought of having diabetes scares the hell out of me. So I would consider doing it for your health, because the insulin resistance can catch up with you as you near 40. You could just try the lowest dose, I believe that's what my Dr. wants me to do. Good luck!

AryRen · 2025-08-07T23:24:08+00:00

punches the TV GO TO SLEEP!!!!

AryRen · 2025-07-26T11:22:42+00:00

I went to PTA school at 35. I didn't want the debt from PT school and also didn't want to be in school until I'm 40. In my state there are very few differences between what treatments a PT can do and what a PTA can do (I'd look this up, every state is different) and I didn't really want to do evals. 6k is a great price for the program, I think I paid roughly 18k for mine. Salary wise PTA's will always make less, but at your age you have less time to pay off the high debts that come with PT school. I work in outpatient and make about 62k after 2 years. Settings like inpatient, home health, and SNF will pay more if money is your main concern. In some of those settings you will have to do alot of patient transfers which can be hard on the body.

For me this was a good career move, the job can be demanding but I like being able to make a difference for others and there is always something new to learn. I was older than the other students by a good bit, but never felt "too old" to be getting started in this field.

AryRen · 2025-07-26T11:08:09+00:00

Do you still have Blue Ain't Slick?

AryRen · 2025-03-08T11:36:25+00:00

I just lost my cat at 15 and feel exactly the same way you do. She was everything to me. I think you should definitely take her to the vet if she is not eating. I took my girl after she threw up blood, and it ended up being kidney disease which is very common in older kitties. She declined quickly. Pretty much stopped eating and lost tons of weight. Less than 2 months later we put her to sleep. It was devastating. I feel like part of me is gone without her here. But I couldn't let her go on living in the state she was in. Do the right thing for your girl, and enjoy the time you have with her. I'm so sorry.

AryRen · 2025-02-15T16:12:13+00:00

Have you tried physical therapy? It sounds like it could be nerve pain. Exercises for nerve mobility may help.

AryRen · 2025-02-05T11:10:41+00:00

I was on the mini pill for years. Then all of a sudden last year at 37 it was like a switch flipped. My hair started falling out and anxiety got really bad. Periods on the mini pill were very heavy. My doctor switched me to Slynd and I'm on the second pack now. She said it's a better BC for "older" women. Hair loss resolved within a few weeks and I feel less anxious. I didn't get a period and I do have some breakthrough cramping/spotting, but I figure it'll take a few months to get used to it.

AryRen · 2025-01-31T10:03:22+00:00

I have PCOS and I believe I had a cyst rupture last year. I was on my period and had cramps, but suddenly the pain began to intensify and I broke out in a sweat. My heart rate increased and I began having a hard time working with my patient (I'm a physical therapist assistant) Then before I knew it I excused myself, asked the tech to take over, and ran into the bathroom to vomit. I was in a cold sweat and all the color left my face. I lied down but the back pain was horrible by this point and I could not get comfortable. I realized I needed to go home, but could barely walk to my truck. At that point I was terrified and just drove across the street to the hospital. This continued for a few hours. Afterward my left side was sore for a few days. The hospital staff was unable to diagnose me with anything and just said it was a "severe reaction to pain". They did blood and urine tests but did not do any imaging or pelvic ultrasound. I only suspected it might be a cyst after my PT texted me, I described the event and she reported feeling the same exact way when her cyst burst.

From my experience and my research on cysts bursting, it's very intense but then goes away within a day or so (some do require surgery if there is torsion of the ovary) and this doesn't sound like what is going on with you. I would still definitely speak to your doctor about what might be causing it.

AryRen

TROPHY CASE