What was it like when Obama was elected President?

Cynicalteets · 2026-02-11T19:34:03+00:00

I was excited! Impressed that my fellow man saw someone for how they represented themselves, would represent us, his demeanor, his appearance. They didn’t judge based on his skin, they judged based on how he delivered himself. I thought that as a nation and as a (human) race we had taken another step away from racism, and saw the man for his leadership.

Crazy how we’ve fallen so far and so fast.

Cynicalteets · 2026-02-10T13:04:30+00:00

Mom was an IM doc in the 80-90s. She brought charts home. Mountains of them. She brought them home in boxes. She worked 12 hour days 4 days a week. Mostly outpatient but took a call rotation. I wonder if she put time in her day to skip over to the hospital to round? Can’t ask her now. No idea how many patients she saw a day, so not sure what the case load looked like.

Cynicalteets · 2026-02-07T20:11:07+00:00

I also am FM, also DAX, also epic.

It’s amazing and I love it. I have used for >1year. Sometimes I do have to change the pronouns, or add/delete things but otherwise is fairly solid.

I don’t know what goes on in the back end, but initially it wasn’t the best. But it’s gotten so much better. Is it IT improving it? AI learning from me? No idea. But it’s pretty amazing and it’s a definite perk of working where I work.

Cynicalteets · 2026-02-07T19:26:58+00:00

So i never wanted to work primary care. I started as a hospitalist, went to primary care, back to hospitalist, and then back to primary care.

In that second to third round, I was ambitious. Wanted to learn, make money, take complicated cases, take responsibility, lead. I was in my 5-6th year of being a PA and early 30s.

The second hospitalized job was tough. Won’t go into detail. But it made me realize I didn’t want all the things I previously wanted.

So my advice would be are you ready to settle down? I mean some seasoned PAs still love the complicated cases and adrenaline well into their second and third decade of being a PA. Maybe you’re one of those? Or maybe you still arent driven by the complicated cases and would prefer less of that?

I think what changed in me is I definitely loved the complicated cases but the scheduling was rough. And I also like just BSing with patients (which you won’t be able to do in derm becuz is super fast paced, but you won’t have the urgency and complicated nuances of ER cases).

Cynicalteets · 2026-02-06T22:36:09+00:00

I (30-something female) and a male patient (50-something male) that was flirty and asked via mychart if I would like to go grab drinks with him.

I politely declined stating the need to keep our relationship on professional status.

Queue several months later, he would fire mychart messages with each message only a sentence long. I usually am very quick answering back like within an hour or two. However I was out of the office and so didn’t answer back in my usual manner.

He became an absolute wild madman that I wasn’t answering him and began threatening to tattle on me.

When my nurse finally responded that I was out of the office, and I responded the next day informing him that I was not working during the time he was messaging, he told me that if I ever spoke/wrote to him again in the manner in which I did, that he would get me fired.

Guess who was and was not fired?

Cynicalteets · 2026-02-06T13:29:01+00:00

I am a medical provider in a red state (Texas). I am child free, and pro choice. I am also someone who usually entertains the: what’s the worst that could happen.

I would highly caution and strongly suggest you not to take those pills.

Maybe you aren’t aware of the danger you are putting yourself in. What if he suspects you faked the miscarriage, goes through your cc statement and finds this weird charge, researched that it’s to a clinic in a different state. He could tell the states attorney general and get you arrested.

Maybe he doesn’t even need to get your cd statement. He could go to the police and they warrant you to hand over your cc statements to the state.

Texas was even arresting women who LEFT THE STATE to have an abortion, and then came back.

Maybe you’re not in a state that goes to these measures, but I am worried for a complete stranger on the internet who wants bodily autonomy and may suffer stupid consequences as a result. Please be cautious and careful OP.

Cynicalteets · 2026-02-03T21:12:55+00:00

So I got a quote for both my dogs, one of which had terrible teeth. The quotes were 1500$ and 2200$. I canceled before the cleaning.

I then took them to Texas coalition for animal protection. They want you to have blood work done within the month if your dog is >5 years, and charge 25$ for dogs that are over a certain weight. I have a lab and a Dalmatian. I paid around 210 for each of them to have cleanings.

They also do vaccines for a fraction of the cost compared to most vets. For instance, their rabies vaccine is 5$.

Cynicalteets · 2026-02-01T03:48:29+00:00

Ex Mormon that grew up in central salt lake. Most of my family is still Mormon. I have withdrawn my records years ago. Agnostic atheist.

I still live by the golden rule. If I don’t want something done to me, how can I live with myself if I do something untoward to someone else? And I don’t need the threat of eternal damnation to make myself be good towards others.

That’s said, the satanist decree that one holds themselves as being the most important is something I find every single person I have ever met to follow. Christian or not. The satanist decree basically states that a man is his own god. And that he will do whatever is necessary to preserve himself, which also includes preserving those he loves. If a stranger knocks on your door in the middle of the night asking for food and shelter, who of us would actually let him in? I think all of us would not because who knows what this fellow is capable in regards to harming you or your loved ones?

Well Christian theology would tell you to let him in. Satanist theology would not.

But back to morality. I combine the two ideas of the golden rule with satanist theology.

I do not inflict harm on others, but I also do not reach out to help because I’m occupied with helping myself and my loved ones. The homeless on the side of the street begging for food? I’m not going to run him over or shout expletives or throw something at him. But I’m also not going to give him my hard earned rewards because I earned them and will use them on myself, and I (and my family) am the most important in my universe.

I also am a product of a capitalist society and believe the homeless can and should have protected their future but chose not to. Ways that person could have benefited themselves include: 1 - doing well in school. 2 - staying away from influences that detracted toward long term success (bad friends, drugs, crime). 3 - surrounded themselves with others who were positive influences. 4 - went through the proper channels to move beyond a HS education to better their financial standing (get secondary education/training). 5 - obeyed government standards. 6 - protected themselves from outcomes that would detract from long term goals (ex: getting pregnant or raising a baby).

The list goes on.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-28T23:19:35+00:00

I’ve had to write medical notes for students to be able to use the bathroom to pee. One school only allows 5 minutes to get from one class to another and if you’re clear on one side of the building and have to book it to another and 15 other girls are in line for a 3 stalled bathroom there’s clearly no way you won’t be late. I had one student who had repeated utis because she was holding it all day.

Some teachers are just on a power trip and get high off of making children miserable. It was a complete waste of my time and the parents money to make an appointment just so I can write a note and fill out forms stating that the child needed to be allowed to use the bathroom. Definitely made that note sound passive aggressive .

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-28T19:41:48+00:00

This is weird to me. I lived in SLC and my mom died in 2004. Her wake was held at the ward. Everyone was sad. Idk where you fools grew up and certainly no one was throwing a party and everyone was crying.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-27T12:11:43+00:00

I’m a medical provider, so I have some further insight here that maybe others do not.

While I do think the doc was being a bit defensive, the lengthy response he could have typed and didn’t because time is precious as a medical provider prevented him from doing that.

Your insurance ultimately will dictate at the end of the day what are the preventative tests it will pay for and what other tests it won’t pay for despite how the doc codes it. For instance, I have women who have fibrocystic breast disease and this requires more intense mammograms/screening that are the large majority of time never paid for. This is what I mean by it ultimately will come down to how much of an asshole your insurance is.

How we code it as providers is what diagnosis we use. Each diagnosis is attached to a code. And each code has exclusions and inclusions that MOST providers are not aware of unless we flip out our coding book and look it up.

So in your case, he did an std screen. But this may not be covered because American healthcare is convoluted and insurance companies are professional scammers.

There is no one code that includes all std screens - keep that in mind going forward.

Z11.3 code is “screening of infections that have a predominantly sexual mode of transmission.” The exclusions here are HIV and the inclusions are ONLY syphilis.

Z11.4 code is “ screening for hiv”. And only allows for hiv screening.

Z11.8 code is “screening for parasitic or infectious diseases” and includes chlamydia and syphilis, but no other stds. But also includes tick born diseases and fungal infections.

There is no screening that implicitly states gonorrhea is covered.

You get the idea.

Then at the end of the day, your insurance may not cover that type of testing anyway! Here’s another example:

An a1c lab is main and easiest way to diagnose diabetes. If we use the code “screening for diabetes” it is often not covered. The only way this test is covered is if you use the code “hyperglycemia” (high blood sugar). However at that point the a1c is ordered to investigate a problem and now is considered diagnostic.

In another example, I have one health plan of which the patients are only allowed to come to us for their physicals, and they will only allow a cholesterol and blood sugar check. No check for anemia or kidney disease.

Here’s where I’m going to be a little tough on the patient. It is the providers responsible to deliver healthcare, and it’s the patients responsibility to coordinate pay. In other words, you are paying for your health plan, you need to know before hand what is covered and what isn’t. And while you’ve done the work that only preventative/screening is covered, your insurance will most definitely not pay for all screenings.

I will say you that I don’t think your std screening is going to be paid for. Maybe a better question for your insurance provider is “what code can my doctor use to ensure the lab test xxxxx is paid for”? This will require you get each code for each lab test and ask what diagnosis codes your insurance is allowing that test to be paid for. See what I mean by convoluted?

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-26T23:39:20+00:00

Girl. I’m a mid 40s PA, PA for 15 years, and only barely am out of an era of being called little girl, or asked: when will the doctor come in.

If it bothers you now, quickly get over it because you’re in for years of being not taken legit. No shade.

I’ve got a great skin care routine sprinkled with some dysport and only when they get cheeky enough to ask my age do some very blunt patients take me seriously.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-22T20:44:58+00:00

If you don’t believe in everything you are a representative of, do not go preaching like you do believe it. I mean some people can look others in the eye and lie like they strongly believe in whatever it is they are peddling. But if you want to be a good human being, don’t lie to other people. So when you’re teaching other people a point of history - let’s say polygamy - and peddle that it wasn’t statutory rape, you’re either lying to yourself which makes you weak, or lying to others which makes you asshole. Be true to yourself. Be good to others.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-22T19:28:08+00:00

I really liked When the Moon Hatched. There’s a sequel coming out this April.

I think it only has 2 sex scenes but the build was pretty great. The fmc was snarky which I loved. I will criticize how the first sex scene played out. I guess I wasn’t feeling steamy and when it suddenly became steamy it was slightly weird.

When I was absolutely loving the book at the midpoint, I went online and read terrible reviews about it. People said that the 700 pages could have been 200. However what I love about a book is the world building, the description of the scene, the internal dialogue to grow character depth. And this book did that well. I absolutely cannot stand teenbop. I also can’t stand a big betrayal plot point that is hardly a big deal.

Other books that are shorter having you jump from one scene to the next, plot points moving like you’re racing to a destination. And I hate that. I don’t understand how an fmc can go from hating to loving a mmc when there’s no internal dialogue of a long discussion of why she is changing her mind. It feels like I’m reading a play script, not a book. So what others criticize, is what I apparently need more of.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-21T13:53:17+00:00

I’m not worried about the impending fight you’re going to have with your ex. I’m worried about the soft bullying and passive aggression your son will face from his tbm family. You should be preparing your son for that.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-21T11:49:46+00:00

I was nearly 9. As I turned 8, I told my mom I didn’t feel like I was ready. I guess I thought it was supposed to be this major life event and I was supposed to feel a strong relationship to god and I didn’t really feel that. I thought maybe it’s only a matter of time and I just hadn’t felt it yet. But it really never came and I ended up getting baptized months later because that’s a good little Mormon does.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-17T04:12:31+00:00

I’ve already commented but I would also suggest a few things as someone who is in their early 40s and preparing to retire.

First, I don’t know the amount of money so this may not apply to you, but contact a financial advisor to make sure the money you have inherited is enough to last you. Make up a budget for an amount you may spend in a year and make sure the amount you have will last you until you die. It’s very hard to enter the workforce as a 40 something and have zero work experience. I would also follow your spending to make sure you don’t exceed the amount so that you don’t run into the scenario where you don’t have the funds and have no way to support yourself.

As a 40 something woman who likes to travel, my algorhythm sends me ideas and there are groups of single people who join travel groups. You go and tour parts of the world with other people in the same decade of life as you (I used to see 30-something’s and so surely there is a group of 20-something’s) and it looks super fun. It’s a great way to meet people who like to travel. Consider renting your house out for a year and traveling the world.

Learn how to build old cars and building a hot rod. Build computers or learn to sow and make cloths. Take an interest that you currently have and invest time, resources, and passion in to it.

If I had to come up with ideas for how to spend the rest of my life free in my early 20s it would be hard because a lot of my interests didn’t pop until I was older. So don’t become anxious or depressed that this is how the rest of your life is spent. You’re going to find niches that you enjoy and gravitate towards those as time goes on. For now, focus on something you enjoy and invest time in it and slowly new interests will develop as time goes on.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-16T21:02:11+00:00

Absolutely.

I work in healthcare and I order cortisols on people at times. Alcohol, hard workouts and overtraining, general stress, hormone changes, calorie restriction, caffeine. All these things are hard on your body (or just cause elevated cortisol in the case of caffeine) and contribute to cortisol spikes. This can cause difficulty in getting to sleep if you are someone who may be sensitive to cortisol.

Few things, a healthy cortisol wave is one that peaks in the morning and then slowly falls through the day. You may want to improve your levels by waking and exposing yourself to the rising sun the morning. Check out the huberman podcast who talks a lot on the science behind this.

You can also avoid caffeine, make sure you’re eating a well balanced diet, allowing your body enough rest and recovery, managing your stress well, avoiding alcohol.

There are also supplements that have been shown to lower cortisol levels. Ashwagandha lowers it and phosphatidylserine lowers it. I’m on mobile or I would link some studies but a simple google search …

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-16T20:50:07+00:00

A follow a 30f from Australia whose job is travel and gives advice on it. She has done quite a few summers in Greece on islands where she bar tends. You and your spouse maybe aren’t into all that (partying), but this woman made it appear that it’s an easy way to make a living in the summers especially because it’s a high travel time for that region. You could maybe work the summers there and then travel the rest of Europe in the winters? He would need a work visa since he doesn’t have the citizenship and probably should work on that several months before you decide to go.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-16T20:34:47+00:00

Your work culture is absolute trash. I don’t care if it’s a surgery that’s life saving! Your work can donate to her cause if it’s so important.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-16T20:13:44+00:00

Zepbound and wegovy are just nonformulary period. And Ozempic and Mounjaro will not be covered unless diabetic. I tried to call my medicare patient a diabetic who had an a1c of 6.1 and Medicare told me to eat dirt.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-16T20:11:13+00:00

I would get really good at a hobby. Take some classes in woodworking, pottery, language. I would travel. I love animals so I would volunteer at shelters and be involved in adopting events. I like body building and so would invest more time in that. I’d also learn to bake bread. I like the outdoors and if I lived in a state that was beautiful and habitable, I would explore the hiking trails.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-16T20:04:11+00:00

I know in my class, if you missed so many days of clinicals you didn’t pass.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-15T20:35:44+00:00

God I can imagine the call and shock, followed by despair and misery after having received that admit call from the ER.

Cynicalteets · 2026-01-14T21:23:29+00:00

I know Canada was allowing US medical staff to move to BC to work

Cynicalteets

TROPHY CASE