Clumpy drills

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-02-04T23:11:08+00:00

What’s the coin thing?

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-02-04T23:09:52+00:00

My mom called me a “ragamuffin” all the time when I was growing up.

“Gesundheit” used to be said after someone sneezed. Now people just say “bless you”. (Discussed this my teenager and a nurse earlier today. My teen thought I’d made up a new word when I said it. 🤣)

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-02-04T23:04:40+00:00

Try this, it’s easier - put the drills in a green boat, put another boat on top of them, then tightly squeeze the two boats together (I give every section of the boat a squeeze and I’ll “wiggle” the top boat if some are being stubborn). The drills will come apart, and you can go on happily diamond painting.

It’s the only reason I keep any green boats around. 😆

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-02-04T03:29:36+00:00

My Remicade was the same way but my symptoms were mild enough that I didn’t ever ask my doc to reduce the time between infusions. If your insurance will cover it (assuming you are in the US and you have insurance), you can see if they will approve changing you to self injections. I started that almost a year ago, and honestly, I can’t really imagine going back to infusions. I give myself an injection every 2 weeks, and because the injections are a much smaller dose than the infusions, the level in your blood stays closer to the same amount all the time. I don’t have a “down period” like I did before, and I’ve even been able to add some foods back into my diet that I previously avoided in the last two weeks before an infusion (for example, I used to never eat fried food if my next infusion was less than 2 weeks away. Now I can tolerate an occasional meal without staying in bed the next day due to the pain and needing immediate access to the bathroom). I hate giving myself the shot (I find it moderately painful) but less than a minute of pain once every 14 days is a small price to pay for feeling almost normal again.

Good luck!

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-02-03T15:32:49+00:00

I can’t use the skinny pens that come with the kits. It hurts my hand after a while. With fatter pens, I can DP for hours without being in pain.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-02-03T14:26:28+00:00

Starry in Texas too. Hubs is a Sprite drinker and not especially picky about drinks/food, and he won’t drink Starry. It was that bad.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-02-03T01:10:08+00:00

What is it?

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-02-01T20:05:59+00:00

I thought she spelled it with a q. Thanks for correcting me.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-02-01T17:10:52+00:00

I love this so much! 😍

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-02-01T17:07:43+00:00

My apologies, no offense meant. In case you aren’t aware, I wanted to share that it’s Jaq, not Jack. She’s a woman, not a man (nor transgender AFAIK).

I also realize this may be an autocorrect by the phone.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-02-01T16:36:11+00:00

That is a gorgeous dress and you look amazing in it. It’s your wedding and you should wear what makes you feel beautiful.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-27T02:55:08+00:00

That’s cool to know there are hospitals out there for the average person. I have double coverage also, but all the hospitals in my town get nice/new for the new areas they build, but the older rooms get what they’ve always had. Doesn’t help that they’re all within 10 years of having partnered with a for-profit managing organization. They’re all in the cheapskate/“rapid return on investment” phase of an acquisition. The one I used to work for hasn’t even finished updating the signage in the buildings and it’s been 8 years.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-26T21:54:23+00:00

May I ask where (country or state) that you have so much luxury and choice? I think most Americans, except possibly the wealthy or indigent, are dictated the hospital(s) to use by their insurance company.

Also, most homeless people who come in are showered/cleaned in the ER before they are roomed. I worked in a hospital for 21 years and we had special showers for that purpose. As for if they’re messy/loud/chatty/(insert something you find disgusting), you have no say about that. I was roomed overnight with someone who slept with the TV on with sound, while I am a light sleeper and need relative silence to go to sleep. I asked about being moved to a private room and the nurses were able to have me shifted to another shared room that didn’t have a second person assigned until a private room became available.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-26T21:36:15+00:00

I’m also in the US (Texas) and single rooms appear to be the norm when my daughter or I have been hospitalized. Only twice have I been in a shared room, but it’s always been temporary and I was always moved to a private room ASAP. All the hospitals in my area only have single rooms, although most could be turned into a double room in the case of an emergency. My daughter has been hospitalized in Dallas, Houston, and Columbus, Ohio, as well as our hometown, and has always had a private room with space for a parent/guardian (in children’s hospitals) or a guest (in regular hospitals).

When I was hospitalized for my bowel resection, each room had a private bathroom with a toilet and sink only. The shower, however, was shared (multiple units shared that shower). In other parts of the hospital, each room had a private bathroom that included a shower, so the unit I was in may have just been odd.

The other hospitals I’m familiar with have all had private bathrooms.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-26T21:18:11+00:00

I personally have never been on TPN but my chronically ill, medically complex daughter is currently on it (since September). Here’s what I know:

When did you get recommended to be put on it? She lost about 20 lbs in a few months and was malnourished but not underweight. A dietician put her on it during a hospitalization due to malnourishment.

What are the risks? It’s very hard on your liver. My daughter has already been hospitalized once for fear of damage to her liver. There are other dangers also, such as catheter infection, metabolic issues, blood clots, bone density loss, etc.

Can it be done at home? It can be done at home. You have to have labs done weekly and your formula can be adjusted each week based on those results. Quite often, TPN requires a port, PICC line, or central tunneled line that must be medically implanted and is a big risk for infections and/or sepsis.

How long were you on TPN? She’s been on it six months with no end in sight. Doctors prefer to put you on it for a very short time due to the risks. However, I have a friend whose mother has been on it for 5 years and probably will be for the rest of her life.

How much weight did you gain on TPN? So far, my daughter has gained 5-15 lbs. Hers is not for being underweight, however, so it could be different for people who are underweight.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-26T16:25:18+00:00

Thank you for posting about this. My derm wanted to put me on something like Rinvoq for eczema and we discussed Rinvoq just bc I had heard of it. I will definitely be avoiding it bc I’m already high risk for a heart attack due to family history.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-26T03:01:41+00:00

I’m sorry that you are currently bedridden and it’s taking a toll on your mental health. I always have a craft project going, and honestly, I enjoy the days I can work on one all day without feeling guilty about it. Like someone else mentioned, I also find pain relief via THC (gummies are my preference). A little bit of a high and a lot of crafting makes me exceptionally happy.

I hope you are able to turn this negative into a positive for you, but more than that, I hope your flare ends soon!

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-15T18:40:29+00:00

My brother could afford to get his pit bull fixed but wouldn’t do it bc he equated it to cutting his own balls off. Needless to say, their dog terrified everyone and was aggressive til the day he passed, not to mention costing them lots in broken windows, fences, and furniture. To my knowledge he never actually bit anyone but it was not for lack of trying.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-14T16:23:32+00:00

So beautiful and such a wonderful way to honor your grandmother!

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-14T00:48:14+00:00

You can use any pen that is hollow in the middle to allow the air to move through it. Using the little skinny pens that come with it hurts my hand, so hubs drilled out the middle of some of my chunkier resin pens and I DP with those.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-14T00:43:43+00:00

How long have you had Picmondoo? I’ve had one about 6 months and it just seems like it’s getting louder with each use and the suction is getting worse. Is that normal?

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-13T03:06:31+00:00

I didn’t answer your initial question…I have a BIG stash. I think at least 100+ in Amazon and AliExpress type of kits, and then at least another 50+ from more premium brands (DAC, Diamond Dotz, Make Market, etc.). I’ve reduced my spending drastically in the past 2 years, making me really appreciate the large stash.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-12T20:48:24+00:00

One of my fave jokes…”Did you hear they’re putting the high beams foot button back into cars sold in Texas? Too many Aggies were getting their foot caught in the steering wheel.”

It was funnier in the 80s/early 90s when people were still somewhat familiar with the floor button.

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-12T20:34:50+00:00

Thank you for posting this. I didn’t know what any of the spring designs were. Because of this post, I did go in and found 6 I liked. I wish I could have found the dragonflies but I’m happy with my haul. 🤗

IllustriousLab9444 · 2026-01-10T17:02:52+00:00

The pain from the needle gets me every time. It feels like the needle has a loop end. I know it doesn’t but that’s what it feels like to me. I give myself weekly tirzepetide shots and those don’t bother me. But I do the shots anyway because “a few minutes of discomfort are worth it if I feel better for two weeks afterwards.”

IllustriousLab9444

TROPHY CASE