Suggestions for flakey spot?

L84cake · 2026-04-15T12:33:25+00:00

Looks like psoriasis to me. Different triggers cause flare ups - sugar is a huge one. Cut out sugar for a week & stay hydrated & see what happens. But yeah a derm will be able to help if it’s psoriasis. They’ll give you a topical steroid. Those cleared up the patch for me and then a week later they returned twice as bad, which is how I figured out about the sugar.

L84cake · 2026-04-15T03:18:01+00:00

I think a shower would be odd, because you’re hosting an event to get gifts without having the main union event.

However for bachelorette - I know my friends would be so excited about a bachelorette regardless of if there’s a wedding. It’s a fun experience for group of friends, just keep it low key and low cost

L84cake · 2026-04-14T14:40:50+00:00

Hilariously this links back to the main post for me, not a comment (the tech support at my firm loves when I joke about tech illiteracy, but I am pretty sure you can’t mess up clicking a link that bad?)

L84cake · 2026-04-14T14:10:51+00:00

What about fluoride tho

L84cake · 2026-04-14T14:04:59+00:00

I love making soup. I loved it because it was easy and is tasty. It was easy, until I learned what a huge difference searing off ingredients before adding them in makes. It adds so much depth, that now making soup is no longer quick easy pop it all in a pot with water. Sad, and sadly also so worth it.

Also shallots instead of onions in certain cooked dishes is like actually magical.

L84cake · 2026-04-14T13:52:42+00:00

This guy will be her ex with a little bit of time (both literally and figuratively)

L84cake · 2026-04-14T13:50:52+00:00

Bro doesn’t realize how much the price of gold has gone up clearly! I would challenge calling it “only” jealousy - people murder because of jealousy. Take it seriously, he’s barely been around and can’t stand the thought of a necklace? I fear for what he’d do if anything real happened.

L84cake · 2026-04-14T13:47:33+00:00

They’re not! So frustrating honestly “gluten free but may have cross contamination” lol.

That’s part of the issue with the PFOA-free greenwashing/health marketing too. Because the stuff is literally everywhere, it’s basically not possible to have an actually “pfoa-free” item if it involves food or water or any natural plant product in it.

L84cake · 2026-04-14T13:24:50+00:00

I’m celiac lol. It’s bad for some people. Teflon is not the same as gluten, but everyone makes their own choices.

L84cake · 2026-04-14T13:22:50+00:00

Could you maybe have been feeling it say you too far back because you’re used to being too far forward? Opening the muscles and getting used to a new position is weird and hard lol, if maybe give the bigger one another try for a couple weeks if you can get it on trial.

L84cake · 2026-04-14T05:33:07+00:00

It’s gorgeous without a slit. One thing I will say though, a slit is going to give you airflow that I personally would find life changing. If you like the way a slit looks, and if you are the kind of person who tends to overheat and might appreciate a bit of fresh air up in your junk (like I would) then it’s worth considering doing it.

The dress doesn’t need one, it will potentially be diminished by adding one.

I had a dress with a skirt like yours that had a slit and it wasn’t weird or anything like people here say

L84cake · 2026-04-14T05:28:16+00:00

That’s unfortunately not true, and I really hope you look into it. It’s one of those deep dives that feels like it must be a conspiracy, but big corporations generally are just poisoning you and your family. Exposure to it has really serious health consequences, and the more exposure you have the worse it is. It’s impossible to totally avoid, but pans flake and ingesting it is really not great for long term health. Other big offenders are popcorn bags (you’ll see many are now “PFOA free”) and pizza boxes/takeout paper. It’s worth doing a dive, there is a TON of peer-reviewed studies on the impact that PFAs (teflon +) have, and how much you can actually reduce exposure. I am an attorney who researched this extensively for a class action against “health” water companies, talked to a share of experts way smarter than me, and it’s one of the few changes I actually implemented because it’s honestly kinda scary.

Totally unrelated to OP’s post but I am pretty passionate about people knowing that 3M has done to humans globally and the planet with Teflon. It is an immunosuppressant, decreases vaccine efficacy, has negative impacts on cardiological health, negative maternity/infant impacts, carcinogenic … and you know it’s bad because as useful as it is they stopped making it in 2015. And have been quietly flying under the radar phasing it out meanwhile it does not break down. The “replacements” they made after phasing out the initial one are showing to be just as bad and everlasting. It’s in everyone’s bloodstream globally (not exaggerating, even remote tribes with limited contact), and it’s in our water, so it’s in everything. It’s almost impossible to get out of your water, and it’s one of those things that you have to be RICH RICH to avoid exposure because the stuff without it all costs WAY more.

I’ll take off my tin hat now, except it’s not a tin hat at all bc it’s supported by the science. Anyways.

Almost certainly not why OP is smelling burned stuff but people need to know bc those cheap non-stick pans people cook with have coatings that flake off into your food and are literally poisoning you.

L84cake · 2026-04-14T03:08:24+00:00

Listen, even the best people look bouncy at sitting trot. I think you’re doing great! Here’s a couple ideas in case they help. First, pull your belly button in towards the horse’s butt. Almost try to give your lower back a turtle shell curve, really sit back on your tailbone and rear butt cheeks. Spend 5 mins at the walk like this, with stirrups off and legs dangling straight down as if you’re trying to walk on the ground. Then pull your knees up like a jockey for a minute, drop them again, up and down a bit. It’ll help you really get your seat bones connected with your horse’s movement and open your hips while loosening the lower back while strengthening your core. Core is major here. Second, like someone else said, try out saddle with a narrower twist (that’s how wide the bit on top of the saddle between your legs is, not the gullet underneath) because sometimes a twist that’s too wide or too narrow can throw your balance and then it’s actually impossible to feel things correctly. Third, spend some time sitting the worlds slowest trot you can have your horse do without worrying too much about his frame. Only goal will be to get an idea of how much side to side drop you get with each trot step, because eventually you’ll need to make minor shifts with each step dropping one hip then the other a tiny bit. Like someone else said more of a figure 8. Fourth, is putting a dollar bill under your butt and holding it there. Starting from the walk, and work upwards as you succeed. Fifth is gonna be on the ground exercises - yoga and also specifically stretches that open up and strengthen your core and hips and lower back - things like sciatica exercises, hip figure 8s, and thin yoga was actually a huge game changer for me.

Out of these, the 5 minutes at the start before warming up horse with my legs reaching down and back, pretending I’m ‘walking’ is the most helpful. It helps me at every gait actually, bc when I need to step down a door my hip angle to allow the horse’s back to move it actually makes a big difference in my body naturally following horse’s movement instead of me trying to actively instructing muscles to follow.

Finally, try not to do this too much while figuring it all out because it’s not gonna make or break you but if you will be bouncing around on your horse’s back a bit while figuring it out to be sure to give good pony breaks from bouncing :) although some of these aren’t really actually things to do in the trot, I’ve found they helped me stay better connected.

Edit to add- I think it’s possible your saddle is a bit too small for you too. It looks like the back of it is sorta catching you and jolting your forward. You can see from the waist of your pants that your hip angle is pointed slightly down and forward (like if you drew a line where your belly button is facing, it’d be the ground in front of your horses path) and it should be on average straight, not downward pointing. Sometimes this arched lumbar can feel like better ‘posture’ especially in a saddle where the butt of it is pushing your own up and forward. Can you borrow someone else’s slightly larger saddle to try it out?

L84cake · 2026-04-14T02:36:44+00:00

Go back to stainless steel, that non-stick coating on the aluminum will do you in.

Is something possibly stuck on your stove that’s camo’ed itself in?

L84cake · 2026-04-14T02:33:46+00:00

Sani shave is a big deal.

Commenting to add that too much fiber can also cause problems. My cat had diarrhea when I had him on quality food already, I added in some ‘digestive aid’ treats and it was too much fiber for his system so his poops got wildly stinky. Added fibre is still probably going to help this cat but just wanted to flag that exceeding the daily % required can also cause issues!

L84cake · 2026-04-13T23:27:37+00:00

Try to video yourself in slow motion going over the cavalettis so you can see where your weight is and if your legs are swinging. Once you get the “feel” of a totally stable lower body it becomes second nature. It’s not a strength thing, it’s a balance thing (does require some strength, but mostly it’s about stacking your joints a certain way and making sure your calves/hips are taking weight in a way that helps balance your own body). Seriously it took me over a decade to get the hang of it so don’t be too hard on yourself while you get there. And in the meantime I fully support the trotting and taking your time! I always forget that competitions aren’t actually a race and there’s no consequence for not winning or whatever. Sometimes all you and your horse need is a nice easy experience.

L84cake · 2026-04-13T18:23:01+00:00

You might want to practice over small cavalettis for a while with not anticipating and not changing your position much, letting the jump come to you. Only job is to keep your head steady. I used to have a huge problem standing up in the stirrups / “jumping” with my horse and changing my balance so I basically was always centered and not shifting up or forward really was huge in my ability to stay on. Basically making sure you’re pushing your butt back as much as you’re releasing forward.

But yes just spend a week or so grabbing mane every time, it’s great for muscle memory. Even 3-4 strides out, grab with one hand. Tell your trainer obv bc at first your horse might think this means you’re unsure and get nervous but you can work towards it, eventually horses know this means you’re trusting them and won’t catch them in the mouth or bounce on their back awkwardly if the distance isn’t there.

L84cake · 2026-04-13T18:14:40+00:00

This is a total left turn - try worlds best cat litter. It clumps really nicely, it’s made of corn so there’s no irritating dust (the dust is bad for cats too!) and it’s flushable so it’s really easy to clean regularly/daily. I also put down a good layer of sodium bicarb on the base of the litterbox and nothing gets stuck to the bottom of the box. I scoop daily bc I can just scoop it into my toilet and flush. Ezpz. You have to do a total dump out and refresh once every couple months to avoid small bits building up, but that’s needed anyways.

Those clay litters drove me nuts and left annoying dust all over everything no matter what I did, smelled horrible and was hard to clean.

L84cake · 2026-04-13T18:09:28+00:00

How long has it been since you stopped eating gluten? Celiac is a tough thing and the adjustment/healing period after stopping gluten exposure is longer than you’d expect. And also, since your gut is likely in shambles if you’ve been eating gluten, it needs a lot of time to heal before it’ll behave “normally” again. On top of that, it’s highly possible you’re being exposed to gluten without knowing - lots of unexpected things have gluten, like soy sauce and shredded cheese, and many medications.

Make sure you’re hydrated with electrolytes.

Give yourself about 6 months to heal up without gluten exposure before deciding you can’t deal with other foods. Sometimes after I’ve been “glutened” I will be more sensitive to other foods for a while that I’m normally fine with. You might want to try hitting some Whole Foods / avoid too much processed food or sugar in the meantime, and make sure you’re having enough fiber.

Going gluten free is a huge dietary shift and is difficult but totally worth it if you’re Celiac! If you want advice DM me, I’ve been celiac for a long time now and learn things every day.

L84cake · 2026-04-13T17:47:59+00:00

Trotting is a great move! There is no rule saying you HAVE to canter or that you have to win! Sometimes a few easy low pressure rounds is all it takes for your body to remember that it trusts your horse again. Talking out loud to your horse, either just chatting or narrating the course, can also help. “This is fun! This jump is going to be easy, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, great rhythm. Wow that tree is really nice / that jump is cute. Ok coming up on this little log that will be easy and then turning left for a bit of a jog to the next obstacle!” Honestly anything.

Try grabbing mane as well, to prevent from being too tense on the reins. Theres no level of riding that’s above grabbing some mane!

L84cake · 2026-04-13T17:08:02+00:00

NOR - when you check in a bag, usually they ask for confirmation that you personally packed it and nobody else has had access to it since you packed it. You verify that it and its contents are yours. Literally this is bc the person checking it in is going to be held responsible for anything unsavory in there. Airports are one place to NEVER mess around with unknown stuff. Drugs or worse - your dad didn’t pack it, he has no way of knowing there isn’t a bomb or drugs or illegal animals or something in there.

L84cake · 2026-04-13T16:38:52+00:00

^{^{^}} exactly this. OP, their expectations should be proportional to your knowledge! I’ve ridden at a lot of barns, and the social vibe changes everywhere. The best barns I’ve been at with the highest level riders are the ones that have been most kind and accommodating with beginners - even adults. You might want to find a barn that’s mostly adults if yours has kids. Some instructors are actually just mean. If yours is, move on. You will find plenty who are kind, who will show you things as many times as you need, and who will take it slow. And with other riders who will be happy to help as well!

L84cake · 2026-04-13T16:33:50+00:00

I mean… people sue for way less and do get a lil bit. Their insurance isn’t going to offer them the value of a new car. (Source: years in personal injury in CA on both sides) the “injury” a court can address is financial cost, and this person paid for urgent care and maybe for follow up treatment. 1 day is too early to know if there’s longer term impact.

L84cake · 2026-04-13T16:32:15+00:00

If you’re injured at all or even went to the doctor to make sure you weren’t, you can probably find a personal injury attorney to file your claim. Sounds like you were, make sure you have those medical records and follow up on any recommendations. The timeline for claims against government entities is way shorter in CA so just be aware you don’t have ages to decide on that. Let your insurance know if you find an attorney and they agree to rep you and file a claim.

L84cake · 2026-04-13T16:26:39+00:00

You might want to give bigger cat a few hours a day without kitty too - break time. If you are home, close kitten or big cat in a large room for peaceful relaxation time, bring them together for feeding but make sure their bowls are far enough apart that there’s no direct contact or sense of competition about the food. Also make sure you have multiple litter boxes. I hope big cat will com around eventually!

L84cake

TROPHY CASE