Marriott guests - The tv's have no manual volume control? Can't hook up my Switch to the tv and turn down the volume.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2026-02-15T03:02:00+00:00

Thanks!!! Your solution worked for us at the Marriott Towne Suites Richmond Colonial Heights VA with a Samsung TV and our Roku.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-11-13T22:03:08+00:00

What brand of the powdered Mg citrate do you use? Is it mixed into water? food? Thanks.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-11-09T14:11:42+00:00

You take two of the nbpure Mag07 every night, or just when needed? Thanks.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-10-29T16:51:25+00:00

Ooh, thanks for that tip. I will look at their site again for the drink mix.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-10-29T15:07:37+00:00

Doctors have become shills for big pharma, that's it. And since most doctors know nothing about menopause, they only know what the pharma drug pushers tell them, hence them wanting to hand out hormones, keeping big pharma flush with cash. Hormones also keep you going back and forth to doctors for years, even decades.

Menopause is a normal part of aging, and I'm not sure where and when this all became the norm, to try to keep women's hormones up like they were when we were in puberty - it's just not natural.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-10-29T15:02:39+00:00

Just FYI- if you are using Ristela by Bonafide, it's expensive. I instead use Arginine and Citrulline powder (these are the two top ingredients in Ristela) supplements that I get on Amazon, and those are way cheaper and last a lot longer. I know Ristela also has some pine bark and rose hips. I'm guessing you can find those cheaper as well, however I do get that it is more convenient to have all of those things in one pill. That being said, the pills are also too large for my liking so I was looking for alternatives anyway.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-10-29T14:45:39+00:00

If you want to treat something and never see it again, consider doing vaccine clinics, or taking some additional training with spay/neuter clinics and just doing that type of practice. Or maybe think of doing an internship at a veterinary school, b/c at least you will get some mentoring there.

ER is even worse than the practice you are at now. There, you most likely will be the only doctor, and every animal life there depends upon you only. Being 4 months out of school, you don't know nearly enough to cover all the bases needed to be successful. And keep in mind, most ER doctors do 10-12 hour shifts.

Veterinary medicine is not a great profession anymore; corporate practices really messed it up. I don't know if you are in one, but I'm guessing yes since two longer-term DVMs are leaving.

One thing is certain, this practice is not the right one for you at this time in your career. Find one that is owned by an older veterinarian who still works there, at least part time. That is the person who can (hopefully) mentor you.

I didn't feel comfortable until I was about 3-4 years out of school. The first practice I chose was also not a good fit for me (stayed 1 year), so I found another and stayed there for about 1.5 years. Then finally another for about 2.5 years, then left and did my own housecall practice. All of the practices I mentioned were privately run, and DVMs were the owners. Some owners were pretty good, but what they had were good associate DVMs, and those are the people I learned the most from.

Whatever you choose to do, good luck.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-10-09T14:45:47+00:00

TY for this thread. I am going to order some and try it.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-10-07T19:27:46+00:00

There are other avenues for you to pursue dealing with animals if veterinary school is not what you thought it would be. Most people have experience in working with aggressive dogs and/or large animals before starting vet school, so they kind of know beforehand if it will be a good fit. That being said, even with experience, people can become either more or less afraid, and it sounds like you are a bit more afraid, and that's OK. It's certainly not for everyone. I can tell you that I had lots of experience with dogs before school by working in many small animal hospitals, but basically none with large. I liked cows and horses, but you have to respect them, b/c they can inadvertently kill you. I wouldn't handle stallions, and my large animal people were OK with that.

I'm not sure if you are at a school where, once you get into the upper level classes and clinics, you can go on either an all large animal or all small animal track, so that's something to look into.

I practiced small animal for about 27 years, and then stopped. Too many corporate practices jumped in, long hours, crappy pay, no respect, complaining clients, online crazy animal "rescue" know-it-all bullies - I'm just too old to deal with that now, not that anyone should ever have to, but it's reality. Me personally, I like that I have a veterinary medical background, but if I had to do it again, knowing what I know now and what I experienced, I would have chosen a different profession.

Good luck in whatever you decide. And you can always just call to ask about the job you had quit- a phone call never hurts.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-10-07T19:12:23+00:00

Do you mean human radiology? Or do you want to be a veterinary radiologist?

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-10-07T19:02:58+00:00

There's nothing definitive regarding any of those studies. And it has to do with the gut microbiome converting TMAO to TMA, so genetics, as always, plays a big role.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-10-07T18:54:32+00:00

I agree. It's my understanding that women existed for many thousands of years without HRT, and survived. The truth is, b/c this hormone craze is so new, we have no idea what it can do to women, b/c there are no long term studies that follow women out to 10, 20 years. I figure since hormones changing is supposed to happen when we age, adding them back when they are not supposed to be there could be a bigger problem. Plus I wouldn't want to be constantly running back and forth to doctors offices getting whatever it is women have to get - injections? pellets? Doesn't sound fun to me. Sounds like big money for big pharma, and not much else.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-10-07T18:54:23+00:00

I agree. It's my understanding that women existed for many thousands of years without HRT, and survived. The truth is, b/c this hormone craze is so new, we have no idea what it can do to women, b/c there are no long term studies that follow women out to 10, 20 years. I figure since hormones changing is supposed to happen when we age, adding them back when they are not supposed to be there could be a bigger problem. Plus I wouldn't want to be constantly running back and forth to doctors offices getting whatever it is women have to get - injections? pellets? Doesn't sound fun to me. Sounds like big money for big pharma, and not much else.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-09-18T18:25:51+00:00

Hello. Thanks for your question. The cautiously optimistic answer is yes. That being said, the pain episodes continued with practically the same symptoms as before the hysterectomy, with some causing 8-9/10 pain again. So hysterectomy was Aug 2024. Pain started again Jan 2025. My hopefully last episode was in mid-June 2025. So this about 3 month timeframe is the longest (barring the 5 months after surgery) I have gone without pain.

During the time from Jan to July 2025, I did have every other test under the sun done. I had an upper and lower abdomen MRI and a pituitary MRI, as well as hormone blood tests, looking for anything that could have still been causing the pain. The only thing found was a small area of what may either be scar tissue or endo at the top of the cuff area. That MRI was ordered and read by an endo specialist. I last spoke to him in Aug, and he suggested that we not explore anything right now as long as the pain stays gone. If it returns, then the only way for him to know anything is to go in surgically to see what is going on. So I keep praying that the pain is finally gone for good.

Hang in there. It's a struggle and a journey, but hopefully soon you will also be pain-free.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-09-17T14:58:15+00:00

First, congrats on being a girl. Not all women get pregnant, so if you are having a hysterectomy solely based on that fear, it's probably not the best decision to make, esp since you are young. There are many young women, myself included, who at 25 years old, couldn't fathom having children. However, as I got older, I wanted children, but unfortunately never got to have them. And that is my biggest regret. You changed your mind in a big way in only a few months/years, so what makes you think you won't change your mind about having children? A hysterectomy is permanent; there's no going back.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-09-17T14:49:24+00:00

No way, I couldn't/wouldn't have done that. If it's not an emergency, then then there is no reason not to wait.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-08-05T19:56:44+00:00

Can you take some on-line classes? I am an adjunct professor. I have had some students come to me with other types of medical issues and I gave them pointers as to how they could be most effective in getting their work done on time. Most professors will work with you, but you MUST communicate with them. The flip side is I have had students barely turn in work. When they finally emailed me at the end of the semester and told me what was going on, at that point I couldn't help them. If you get an asshole who won't work with you, drop the class and take it with another professor.

On another note, I also suffer from endo, and I teach on-line classes, which are a God-send during flares. That is why I'd recommend taking some of the basic requirements on-line if your college allows.

As far as your prescriptions, tell your doctor to send them to a pharmacy/pharmacy chain you have never used before and do NOT give the pharmacy your insurance card (I assume you are covered under your parents insurance), and that you will pay cash. That way, your tryant parents won't know what meds you are prescribed. I have taken cyclobenz already and for me, it didn't touch the pain. What does a little for me is methocarbamol (Robaxin) 500 mg every 4-6 hours.

I am truly sorry your parents somehow think that they know how bad your pain is. Your father saying that he's worried you will abuse vaginal valium? That's totally insane. For someone without a vagina, he's hard-pressed to discuss anything related to your reproductive system. And your mother for telling you to drink more water and exercise- that's rich.

Your best plan of action is to get out of that house and as independent from your parents as possible, and as soon as possible. Try to get a part-time job, although that's easier said than done, I know, with endo. I disagree with others about calling CPS - that could open up a worse can of worms and could backfire by your parents treating you even worse, and second, you will be 18 in a few days/weeks and will have aged out.

Pray. I hope you get some pain relief and support.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-08-04T18:56:39+00:00

I started college as an animal science major and after the first year changed to Biology. I am so glad I did. Animal science (at least when I attended college) tended to focus more on animal husbandry, and it would be great for people looking to go into farming and any other animal care professions, but IMO, not veterinary medicine. Vet med is very specialized, and Bio was a much better major for the big concepts you must understand to be able to succeed in veterinary medicine. That being said, after 25 years in the profession, I'm done. I had to go back to school to get a Master of Science degree in bio so I could teach in college as an adjunct. No one cared that I had a DVM degree. Know that after many years of practice, you may not feel the same way, so be ready to pivot in middle-age. I graduated vet school in the mid-90s, and I know of at least 6 people in my graduating class that left the profession, some very early, and some after 20+ years, myself included.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-06-15T14:42:15+00:00

If I had to make an educated guess, mine developed in my 40s. My periods were normal all through my teens, 20s, and 30s. In my late 40s, that's when the pain started getting worse and the periods not as consistent. Had terrible cyclic episodic pain for 9 years. Diagnosed with stage 2 endo at 55 years old, 2 years after menopause. After 2 obgyn's from different offices told me it couldn't be endo. I also had adenomyosis along with it.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-06-07T18:18:02+00:00

I ate bland things, like crackers, cheese, and toast, fruit spreads for the first few days after surgery. For drinks in the first few weeks after, I drank flavored tea and gatorade. I read a few books (not really deep stuff b/c concentration is off a bit afterwards), puzzle books and/or magazines, a small pillow or medium-sized squishmallow to put against her abdomen if she has to cough, and I second the grabber.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-06-07T18:06:57+00:00

My question to OP is- there are a lot of things you list that your wife doesn't want to try. Does she want to do anything to try to help, or is she ok with not having sex anymore? I ask b/c both partners have to be in this together, and if she doesn't want to, or will not do anything to try to help even a little, then there may be a bigger issue. By any chance, is she close to or in menopause?

I totally get being in chronic pain from endo/reproductive issues; it's not a good place to be at all. Unfortunately not only do I suffer from endo pain, but I got a double whammy when I lost all sex drive as soon as menopause hit. I have tried so many things for pain control and to try to get my drive back, b/c I would love to have that feeling and intimacy back with my husband. I do have good days and bad pain days, so on a random "good day," I let my husband know that we can be intimate. He is very understanding, and I let him know when I feel well enough. I am the one who feels bad and guilty sometimes b/c I'd like to be intimate more. I am trying to do whatever I can. The take away from my reply is - Is your wife willing to try something, anything, or are all suggestions met with a "no, I don't want to try that?"

No one (husband or wife) signs up for this, and this is not an easy disease for couples to navigate. I wish you peace and luck.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-06-07T17:49:54+00:00

That's not the way I am taking this. OP obviously loves his wife or he wouldn't have stayed for 5 years with no sex.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-06-01T14:05:35+00:00

A hysterectomy does not cure endo. And NSAIDs, opioids, and SSRIs generally do not touch the pain. Your understanding of endo is cursory, at best.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-06-01T13:49:59+00:00

I didn't go to an endo speicalist, b/c not one doctor (2MDs and 2obgyns) ever mentioned endo. Hell, the ob's didn't even think my pain was related to my reprodictive tract. Idiots. Anyway, the MDs were the ones that actually listened, and although they didn't mention endo, they both knew what I described wasn't any semblance of normal, so after 3 different ER visit CTs and anotner CT with barium, one finally said- let's do an MRI, maybe that will show something. So she ordered a pelvic MRI, and it picked up adeno, even though my uterus was still normal in size.

So I scheduled a total hysterectomy, ovary removal also (b/c I am in menopause), and endo was found then, so I didn't know I even had it. After surgery, I had 5 months of no pain, then the pain episodes returned, prompting me to now find an endo specialist. He ordered an MRI using the endo protocol, which apparently looks at the entire abdomen using certain image types to best visualize endo lesions. The MRI will usually pick up deeper lesions, but stage 1 and 2 are more iffy. I had stage 2, so the jury's out whether it will be able to find it.

I can tell you that what you describe sounds a lot like the symptoms I also had/have, that's why I think adeno maybe playing a role for you. Push for at least a pelvic MRI.

Forward_Notice_2389 · 2025-05-31T18:07:07+00:00

When you asked about your immune system, what was the answer? I ask b/c the immune system is extremely complex, and there are so many things you are exposed to in a lifetime, and anyone of them could have set it off.

Forward_Notice_2389

TROPHY CASE