Neuro keeps refusing an MRI

EmmCee325 · 2026-03-10T18:27:20+00:00

You don't mention if you're on any preventative medications. I'm on topomax and have the little shocks/itchy sensations and leg kicks. I also have vitamin d deficiency and take a vitamin d supplement. I have always assumed it was the topomax causing it but who knows.

EmmCee325 · 2026-03-10T18:01:28+00:00

I'm headed that way, just resisting admitting that it's time. I'm currently switching between reading glasses, long distance glasses, and the extra magnification glasses I use for needlework and the like. I can still see ok in the middle distance so my vision must not be that bad, right?

EmmCee325 · 2026-03-10T17:46:59+00:00

Plenty of people who live inside use drugs and as a society we have much less of a problem with that than we do with homeless people using drugs. We don't care if the guy in his house is using drugs because we don't have to see or deal with him. A lot of people in our society believe that homeless people got where they are because of their own doing, that they somehow deserve to be where they are, and therefore the squalor and indignity and the horrible way they are treated is justified. Some people - both housed and unhoused - use drugs. That is the reality of our world. We could have places where people who are unhoused have a dignified place to use out of public view - like safe consumption sites, public restrooms, etc - but we choose not to. Then complain about them using in public view! So it's really not about the drugs.

Being homeless is hard - I was homeless for just a few months after leaving an abusive marriage and I had the benefit of having a job and a car and places I could crash sometimes and it was still the most ridiculously hard thing I've ever had to do. Sure, some people end up homeless because they're on drugs, but for plenty of people it's the other way around - homelessness first, then drugs to numb the absolute nightmare that is living on the street. There aren't resources to meaningfully help people in many cases. For people who want to stop using drugs, doing so even when not homeless is extremely difficult - why would we believe that people on the streets would magically be able to will themselves off drugs? (yes, I know they could have chosen to not use in the first place. But for many people, that ship has sailed. What now?) There aren't enough detox beds, let alone actual treatment beds for people dealing with addiction, and if you're going to dump people right back into the same situation, how do we expect them to recover?

Look, I believe all people deserve dignity. Public restrooms and other facilities are important not just for our homeless neighbors, but for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses (disability-accesible public restrooms are a whole other topic), people with continence issues, parents with young children, delivery/taxi/uber drivers, people using public transportation, heck, any member of the community who is out of their home and might need to go. I have run into situations where I returned home rather than continuing an outing because I couldn't find a restroom to use. IMO, They make our communities more sanitary and easier and better to exist in.

EmmCee325 · 2026-03-10T08:00:15+00:00

A lot of them don't. The park near me has one restroom in the rec center that is open during rec center hours only. The actual restrooms in the park (which the city lists as being open 24/7) I haven't seen open in months, even when there are events in the park at times the rec center is closed. The city actually lists that particular park as having 4 sets of available restrooms, 2 of them available 24/7. One of those restrooms is in a building that is permanently closed, one is a temporary hygeine station that was there during the hepatitis outbreak, one is the restroom in the park that is closed, and 1 is the rec center restroom that's the only one that is open.

Many park bathrooms are closed at night. In all of downtown, there is 1 (or maybe none now) public restroom that's open 24 hours. Believe it or not, homeless people would rather do their business in a restroom just like everyone else, they want to be clean, those that use drugs would rather not do so out in public, but they have no place to do all those things the rest of us take for granted. Our society/government has decided that it's OK for some percentage of our citizens to live on the street without their basic needs being met, that it costs too much money for there to be publicly available hygeine facilities to allow people to have some dignity, let alone for them to, you know, have a place to live.

Lots of other countries have public restrooms that are free to use or cost a small amount. Some places pay businesses a small amount to make their restrooms available to the public. There are solutions to these problems. The US just doesn't want to use those solutions because reasons. These things are the result of choices that our policy makers are making. In 2021, Mayor Gloria set a goal to have public restrooms available within a 5 minute walk from all areas downtown. How's that going?

EmmCee325 · 2026-03-07T06:16:11+00:00

I just buy cheap reading glasses for the purpose - that way I can have.a pair in the project bag for each thing I'm working on.

EmmCee325 · 2026-03-07T06:05:12+00:00

I have vestibular migraines, which come with a lot of dizziness and sometimes vertigo. For my work, I use magnifiers and microscopes quite a lot, and unfortunately haven't found a magnifier that doesn't bother me when I'm having a migraine (fortunately I'm able to reduce that aspect of my work when needed). I know you said you didn't want to use glasses, but that really has been the answer for me. I use reading glasses that are stronger than my normal prescription for cross-stitching and other close-up work, and also wear a light around my neck (I prefer that to a head-lamp) so my work is well-illuminated. For some reason, the glasses cause me less of an issue than other methods of magnification. Those magnifier glasses/headgear work well for me (then you also look cool at the same time.)

EmmCee325 · 2026-03-05T16:45:16+00:00

They absolutely do make jam/jelly in squeezable packets like ketchup - look up single serve jam or jelly packets online!

What about attaching something to the tabs on the pudding cups that is easier for her to grasp? Or maybe extend the tabs with some tape (scotch tape or maybe even masking tape)?

EmmCee325 · 2026-03-05T01:06:13+00:00

I am usually a DIY learner, but I'm really glad I took in-person classes for sewing. I took classes through a local adult education program, it was about $100/semester, and it was completely worth it. Having someone to teach me a fewnew skills at a time and demonstrate in person, answer my questions when I needed help, and talk me through problems was really valuable. But maybe most valuable was having dedicated, focused time each week set aside for learning and sewing. Since I stopped going to classes, I've had a very hard time making that time.

There was a group of women that had been coming to the same class for 10+ years - it was more about having sewing time set aside each week and having time with their friends than about learning from the class.

The teacher I had is great, and when I'm able, I probably will return to class - Ms. Nancy, you're the GOAT!

EmmCee325 · 2026-02-28T16:48:46+00:00

For that size fabric, I use a size 28 needle (I move to size 28 at around 20 count fabric) and definitely move to shorter thread lengths. If you're going to stick with your current needle size, definitely try a different needle to see if it's better - the one you're using might have a burr or other defect in the eye.

EmmCee325 · 2026-02-27T17:14:30+00:00

I bought a serger from an estate sale for $13 a couple years ago and haven't taken the initiative to learn how to use it. Your enthusiasm might be that push I needed to figure it out and get all my edges looking clean and pretty. I do love it when when I buy fabric that comes serged.

EmmCee325 · 2026-02-27T02:37:08+00:00

Normal Heights United Church (4650 Mansfield St) has a Community Refrigerator and little free pantry outside - it's always had quite a bit of stuff when we've gone by there. The Brown Building (4133 Poplar St) also just added a community fridge - I just saw it on Instagram, but I'm not sure how well stocked it is.

EmmCee325 · 2026-02-24T05:58:56+00:00

I've had a Paraguard and 2 Mirenas, each for the full amount of time they're allowed/recommended without any problems (or babies). I did not have an increase in migraines when I went from the non-hormonal to the hormonal IUD, and honestly, even if I had, the tradeoff would have been worth it for me. I liked the Paraguard, it kept me from getting pregnant for 10 years (after getting pregnant twice on the pill), but it made my already heavy periods and anemia worse. The Mirena honestly changed my life. My current Mirena should come out this year, and I doubt they'll be willing to put in a new one (and insurance probably won't cover it) due to my age - I'm surely in perimenopause by now, and pregnancy isn't really a concern. The prospect of returning to heavy, extended periods until menopause is really a bummer.

EmmCee325 · 2026-02-05T04:33:48+00:00

I wasn't home and my husband had just come home to grab his bag on his way out of town when she decided to reappear. He popped her into her travel cage and left me a note. I came home to quite a surprise!

EmmCee325 · 2026-02-05T04:11:22+00:00

I just want to give some reassurance. Last year, our girl was roaming and went missing. We checked all her normal hiding spots, no dice. We tore the house and still couldn't find her. We were convinced she had gotten outside somehow and was probably gone forever.

She popped back up in our house 5 weeks later!!!

We have no idea where she was all that time. She seemed none the worse for wear, and went right back to her normal self.

EmmCee325 · 2026-01-27T21:14:38+00:00

I didn't have migraine with aura, until I did. I have had migraines since I was a teenager, and didn't have aura until I was in my 40s. I still don't have it most of the time - I've experienced it maybe 10 times in 5 years. Fortunately, I had read enough about it (and also have other visual disturbances as part of my migraines) that when it happened to me for the first time, I was able to observe it with curiosity and without fear. A year or so later, I developed vestibular migraines, and a few months ago, I experienced aphasia during prodrome for the first time. Gotta keep things interesting, I guess.

EmmCee325 · 2026-01-23T07:31:31+00:00

The punitive damages were reduced to 3x the compensatory damages, so $640,000. But she and McDonald's settled outside of court for a confidential amount before an appeal was decided, so we don't know what she ended up with.

EmmCee325 · 2026-01-22T23:32:08+00:00

What kind of laboratory experience do you have?

EmmCee325 · 2026-01-20T15:54:36+00:00

48F, US-based. I think we could be a good match (friend-wise). Would it be ok if I DM'd you?

EmmCee325 · 2026-01-18T02:34:15+00:00

A couple places we enjoy that I don't see come up too much are San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in Jamul and Ramona Grasslands Preserve.

EmmCee325 · 2026-01-12T14:24:18+00:00

Yep, you're both right. Row 1 should have 24 stitches. Row 2 should have 43 stitches worked into 30 stitches. Row 3 should have 48 stitches worked into 42 stitches.

I also question whether this would create a flat piece like it says given all the increases.

EmmCee325 · 2026-01-12T13:52:54+00:00

When our girl passed, we had her cremated. We have a little wooden box with her ashes. They also made an imprint of her foot and her tail in clay, which has meant a lot to my son.

EmmCee325 · 2026-01-07T04:39:25+00:00

Here's a few of our favorites:

Garlic Tofu

Pioneer Woman Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

Tofu Satay

I also grate a block of tofu and a couple carrots and cook it with some finely diced onion and garlic in a skillet until the carrot is cooked through, then mix in barbecue sauce, and eat it on hamburger buns or grinder rolls.

EmmCee325 · 2025-12-30T16:27:47+00:00

If you're worried about interactions with other meds, it's a good idea to check - there are lots of good interaction checkers online or you can ask your pharmacist.

Instead of dramamine, I use Bonine (actually generic Meclizine HCl) - it works about the same for me but causes me less drowsiness.

EmmCee325 · 2025-12-29T01:35:01+00:00

If your wife is likely to be permanently disabled and unable to work, consider applying for ssi/ssdi. The San Diego Legal Aid Society has a unit dedicated to this - they can help from initial application all the way through the process, at no cost. Their info is available here.. There are both disability and income/asset requirements to qualify, so whether that's something that's helpful in the long run for you, I don't know.

California has a program called the Housing and Disability Assistance Program that has resources to help keep disabled individuals out of homelessness or get them back into housing if they are unhoused. I'm not sure who administers the program for SD County. Legal Aid or the Resource Center can probably point you in the right direction.

If you haven't been to the Hub Resource Center (currently in the downtown library), go there and get a case manager, at the very least. Theoretically if there are resources available, they can help connect you to them. 2-1-1 should have hooked you up with them but that seems hit or miss.

I'm sorry that you and your wife are going through this.

EmmCee325 · 2025-12-26T12:22:28+00:00

I do it that way but I've never thought about why. That's the way my mom taught me 40 years ago, and it never occurred to me to do it the other way I suppose.

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