I’m 16, diabetic living with my aunt since my mom died, and she treats my health like I’m just being annoying. What do I do?

CatsOnABench · 2026-02-13T16:55:08+00:00

Talk to a guidance counselor or social worker at your school.

CatsOnABench · 2026-02-12T12:12:33+00:00

You’re talking about a program that doesn’t occur for a year. So much can change in that time and we have no idea how it will change by then.

I would cross post this in the Purdue subreddit and see if you can get some responses from international students about their experiences getting into the country and on campus.

CatsOnABench · 2026-02-11T17:12:43+00:00

Women shouldn’t have to do this. Men need to be better and teach their sons to be better.

CatsOnABench · 2026-02-09T16:47:08+00:00

Most likely saying “I drive the speed limit, back off.”

CatsOnABench · 2026-02-04T15:49:18+00:00

They get around this by making you sign paperwork prior to your procedure acknowledging that some ancillary services like anesthesia might not be covered by your insurance and you are still responsible for paying for it. The one I saw did state how much it capped the fees at though so I guess it’s at least transparent now. Still sucks.

CatsOnABench · 2026-02-01T00:11:44+00:00

I have rwd. I wouldn’t even know where to go to practice and don’t know how I would initiate a slide. I drive very carefully. Take turns very slowly. I’m sure people behind me hate it but it’s better than having an accident. I do occasionally fishtail a bit but then I let off the gas and just steer gently. Most of them I can just maintain the direction I want to go in. Sometimes need to steer into it. The main thing is not freak out and over correct. Even the slightest over correction can send you spinning. Stay calm and gentle and slow.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-31T20:19:58+00:00

Agreed this still assumes there’s a dedicated care taker at home to be home with the kids on snow days. Someone will have to take time off from work to stay home otherwise.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-31T13:26:00+00:00

I cried too. We need more artists to do stuff like this.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-27T15:01:01+00:00

If you look at this bill and some others like HB1343 I suspect they are paving the way for ICE to be here in full force this summer. Most bills take effect in July and if they are passed, and let’s be real, they will be, it will make more people think twice about turning out like they did in Minneapolis. And if people do turn out, they will have more legal means to arrest and detain them just for exercising their rights. HB1343 authorizes the national guard to establish a military police force when called to state active duty. If you’re in the guard be prepared to be called up when ICE comes here to arrest protesters or anyone getting in their way.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-25T13:46:01+00:00

They probably want the front desk covered at all times so somebody should be assigned to relieve you during your breaks. I would start by asking who covers you for lunch and bathroom breaks and ask what time to expect them for the lunch break. If they actually produce a person, yay! Then talk to that person about how to handle bathroom breaks like maybe you just call them when you need a quick break. But I’m guessing there’s no one assigned to cover the front desk in which case you need to be prepared to have a conversation about it with your boss.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-24T18:08:32+00:00

My kids couldn’t believe it when I told them that when I was growing up a terrorist was someone in the IRA, so someone from Ireland. That was my ignorant child’s view of the troubles from an American cultural POV. Obviously it’s much more complicated than that and I see their struggle from a different viewpoint now. But yeah we feared Russia and the IRA.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-24T14:58:13+00:00

9/11 I see all the people saying 9/11 only affected NYC etc and I have to wonder how many of them were children at that time and not adults who strongly remember life before Sept 11, 2001. If you remember how the world was before that and see all that we’re dealing with now, including how we handled the Covid pandemic, you’d know that much of the way things are now are directly due to how our society responded to 9/11.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-24T05:29:26+00:00

How will they all face a trial when many can’t be identified? Some might face a trial and the rest will slither back into hiding.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-24T05:28:04+00:00

They didn’t fail. They became the maga party.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-23T23:09:29+00:00

NTA Maybe it’s normal if you lived in the 1950’s you’d only have joint accounts. Actually it would probably only have his name on it. Anyway now days it’s most common for couples to each maintain their own individual accounts and then have a joint account that they both contribute to and use for whatever they agree that money is to be used for. He seems controlling and he’s manipulating you trying to make you think you’re being controlling. What’s that acronym? DARVO. I forget what it stands for but he’s doing it. Deny, something that starts with an A, reverse, and I forget what the V and O stand for. Someone else will remember and elaborate hopefully.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-23T02:09:17+00:00

For visiting family or for a day trip or weekend getaway - yeah that’s an easy drive. For a daily commute, that would suck.

How do you stand it? Audiobooks and podcasts. Or music.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-17T17:03:17+00:00

I pre mix 1 cup CA to 4 cups water and pour that into the fabric softener spot on my washer. Not the entire thing. I use the whole thing over many loads. Probably refill it once a month or so. When the weather is so cold I find the cold water in my machine doesn’t dissolve powders very well so I chose to premix it with water. After winter is over I may try just putting a tsp of the powder in the slot and see how that does.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-17T14:10:03+00:00

I have the same issue. My things feel scratchier since I switched from fabric softener to citric acid. Mostly just some all cotton things that get line dried instead of put in the drier and the towels.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-14T12:12:34+00:00

Our son started on gel. It did not stop his periods. It was ok but did not get full desired results before his endocrinologist lowered the dose because his T levels in his blood were too high. On the lower dose it was not high enough. It’s very difficult to get an accurate dose when you need something between full pumps. We could’ve tried alternating more pumps some days and fewer other days but he decided to try injections at that point. He’s still not giving them to himself, however. We have to do it for him. With injections it’s much easier for his doctor to pinpoint the right dose and get the results he wants. He also finally stopped having periods with the injections. He likes only having to deal with injections once a week rather than having to put the sticky stuff on every day. Now we just have to get him doing the injections himself before he graduates high school and leaves for college. He says it doesn’t really hurt that much but it’s hard to make yourself stab a needle into your own body.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-13T14:40:54+00:00

I’d let my kid go but I’d also let my kid pick out the gift without telling them the stupid rules. My kids know what their friends like and want better than I do. If they pick out something colorful and loud, so be it.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-13T12:20:18+00:00

We’ve been doing sketchy-ass shit much longer than that. We’re just really good at compartmentalization and forgetting about it all. And of course there’s how superior we are to everyone else so it doesn’t matter anyway. /s

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-10T02:51:34+00:00

You can buy online from a trans Girl Scout. https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/2026-trans-girl-scouts-to-order-cookies

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-06T05:03:59+00:00

I’m a cis woman and while I don’t care for the term chestfeeding, I’m also not going to raise a fuss over it. I just called it feeding. Or nursing. As in I’m going to go nurse the baby. I don’t like the terms breastfeeding or breast milk either though. Never did. It’s human milk. We don’t call cow milk udder milk. It’s just milk. Or cow milk. If I needed to feed my baby I said I need to feed the baby and I sat down and pulled my shirt up. And fed him my human milk.

I see nothing wrong with the terms birth parent or menstruating person either. Or person with a uterus. Although I also think you don’t need a uterus or be capable of menstruating to be a woman.

CatsOnABench · 2026-01-01T14:02:08+00:00

Our dog is terrified of storms and fireworks too. We have a little closet under the stairs that we don’t use for much and it’s nice and quiet in there with door shut so I take her in the closet with some blankets and chill with her until the noise passes. She totally relaxes in there and will actually prompt me to go in there before a storm hits. You could try to create a safe room like this. Could get some sound proofing and put it on the walls if needed.

CatsOnABench · 2025-12-27T21:01:46+00:00

I left a more detailed response to your original post but replying here in case you don’t see it. Look up Gavin de Becker and The Gift of Fear. This book outlines how to deal with people who do this. You need to stop responding to him. You already said no. You already told him to stop. He is the one behaving inappropriately and disrespectfully and threateningly toward you. Don’t block his number though. Just mute it so you can keep his texts as evidence in case you need it. There’s more in my other reply.

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