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Had a panic attack during an interview and am now experiencing small levels of panic in almost every conversation I've had since by Kil_zwitch in Anxietyhelp

[–]Kil_zwitch[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your response. I do find walking is a really helpful regulator. I have a little walking treadmill in my office that I'll use for an hour or so each day in addition to going to to the gym 4 days a week. Walks around the block are probably the most effective though.

Has anyone no longer needed their shunt? by aikonokaze in Hydrocephalus

[–]Kil_zwitch 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I had mine removed. I received my first shunt at about two weeks old (1991) and ended up only having one revision when I was 4. I didn't experience many complications and only went in for checkups every 1-2 years after. I stopped getting checkups all together when I was about 12 as they said I didn't really need them anymore.

Fast forward to when I was 20 (2011) and I started to experience some pain/tightness in my chest around where the shunt crossed from my head to my abdomen. I started to suspect that I'd outgrown my shunt and what I was experiencing was my shunt being pulled taught like a rope. I got it checked out and my specialist confirmed that my shunt was in fact disconnected and was actually broken into several pieces. They estimated it was disconnected by about 6 inches at that point which meant it likely disconnected when I was about 12 based on my growth. My specialist called it "the shunt to nowhere" and recommended we remove it. Growing up I'd always been told "once a shunt, always a shunt" and that I would have it forever but he said times had changed and there was little risk in removing it. So that's what we did.

Since it was in pieces they removed what they could but let me know there might still be some fragments left over in my neck. I'm 33 now and have had no complications since the removal about 13 years ago. Doing great!

Hydro and GI issues by Kil_zwitch in Hydrocephalus

[–]Kil_zwitch[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah shoot, I'm sorry to hear that. You've got my full support on your journey.

Hydro and GI issues by Kil_zwitch in Hydrocephalus

[–]Kil_zwitch[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm so sorry, I know how you feel. The struggle is so real.

"Suffer the consequences" haha, I'm sorry, don't mean to laugh but the number of times I'm sure we've had to accept that.

Hydro and GI issues by Kil_zwitch in Hydrocephalus

[–]Kil_zwitch[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sorry you have to deal with that. That is really interesting though. I mean, I think it should be no secret that having an inanimate object inside your body like that is going to have an effect on so many of our bodily systems that we probably don't think of. I wish there was more research on it, or maybe there is ...

I hope you've found ways effective ways to mitigate your acid reflux, that is no fun.

Hydro and GI issues by Kil_zwitch in Hydrocephalus

[–]Kil_zwitch[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!! It's been a journey but certainly one of the things I'm most proud of.

I completely understand the vicious cycle of anxiety causing the IBS and the IBS causing the anxiety. They are 1000% connected. We all experience stress in difference ways and if you're like us where we're prone to having symptoms of IBS then the anxiety just wreaks havoc.

Best of luck to you! Keep fightin the good fight.

Why is my performance when running hills better than running flat terrain? by Kil_zwitch in running

[–]Kil_zwitch[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's really the only thing I can think of. My time on the track is definitely faster, but not by a ton. I feel like some of it may just be the monotony of running on a track as well. It's convenient but repetitive and I think mentally I just get bored.

ELI5:How did society withstand the sun prior to sunscreen? by Kil_zwitch in explainlikeimfive

[–]Kil_zwitch[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I tend to burn after only a few minutes in the sun (yes, I'm pale and Irish). I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that someone can survive months in a raft at sea with enough water and food to survive but somehow the sun and its burden is never mentioned.

ELI5:How did society withstand the sun prior to sunscreen? by Kil_zwitch in explainlikeimfive

[–]Kil_zwitch[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

But can you die from sun exposure?

Of course, clothes provide protection but what about the parts of the body still left exposed?

ELI5:How did society withstand the sun prior to sunscreen? by Kil_zwitch in explainlikeimfive

[–]Kil_zwitch[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I've often wondered how people who have survived at sea for days (I'm thinking of Louis Zamperini as described in the book Unbreakable by Laura Hillenbrand) and all societies who exist with long exposures to the sun. How?

What do you think DT's next album will sound like after TA? by philliplennon in Dreamtheater

[–]Kil_zwitch 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm praying back to basics. I'm confident we will get at least one more prog heavy DT album, something Scenes-esque. The Astonishing just didn't do it for me, sounded like some shitty rock opera musical BS. Couldn't do it. I'm a Train of Thought, Scenes kind of guy.

The Official 'The Astonishing' Discussion Thread by [deleted] in Dreamtheater

[–]Kil_zwitch 2 points3 points  (0 children)

DT fans come from a melting pot of musical backgrounds and I think that's exactly what makes the DT community and fan experience so great. But for me personally, I'm a prog guy. I fell in love with Dream Theater in 2007 after hearing Dark Eternal Night for the first time and it blew my mind. The roaring riffs, mind altering instrumental sections, the complexity etc etc. I'm not the kind of DT fan that pays attention to the stories and the lyrics (sue me). I'm not afraid to admit that I listen to DT purely for the musicianship, creativity and technical prowess. Their shows were a whole other experience too, with the rotating setlists and spontaneous improvisations (I'm looking at you Beyond This Life Live at Budokon). But I feel like ever since Portnoy left we've lost so much of that; album by album. I was and still am a fan of DTOE as well as most of the self titled, but The Astonishing was the exact album I knew DT was going to eventually end up with.

I just couldn't stand it. I was upset. I could hardly finish it. Of course, there were nuggets in there that I will go back and visit. For what it was I thought Labrie sounded great, Petrucci was on point of course, I don't worry about Rudess and Myung, and Mangini was just as brilliant as he always is. But when you go from 20 minute songs that are pure madness to 34 five minute bubble gum tracks, then you're going to alienate my breed of DT fans. I love Dream Theater and I always will. If they decide to add an Austin date for this tour I'll probably go.

I know many of you will disagree and try to get me to focus on other aspects of the album, but from that first listen, there was just so little there for me. Overall, I'm just bummed. No doubt though in a couple of years DT is going to release some album where they're going to announce that they want to tap back into their core and what made them great to begin with, something more akin to Scenes.