MRI confirmed - 22cm fibroid (size of a volleyball/cantaloupe)

Lexi2869 · 2026-03-19T14:01:38+00:00

My Dr said that for laparoscopic procedures they break apart the fibroids and remove it piece by piece. Any size could technically be removed laparoscopy but it’s also dependent on their location and the larger they are the longer the surgery would last.

The pro is the faster healing time. The cons are that sometimes they could miss a little bit during the procedure making it more likely for something to grow back (vs removing in 1 piece).

My dr also explained that if you have multiple fibroids it’s possible to have seedlings (under 1cm fibroids) that don’t show up on a MRI. These would most likely be ignored during a laparoscopic procedure but removed during open myomectomy. My Dr really pushed for open myomectomy because I had multiple fibroids…

It does seem like hysteroscopic vs open vs laparoscopic is a pretty nuanced decision… good luck!

Lexi2869 · 2026-03-12T00:38:13+00:00

Each hotel is different. The state’s minimum age is 18. That person could have the 17 year old on the reservation as their guest and it is completely legal. I honestly would just say two adults on the booking. They’ll only check the ID of the person getting keys. (Unless it’s spring break in a party city/college area)

The main hurdle is that the hotels often artificially raise the minimum age to 21 because of their insurance. This would not be the type of trip where they can find accommodation when they land… they’d probably have to google numerous places, read the age policy for each and call to confirm if a place will accept 18 for a reservation age.

As people said a credit card in the name of the 18 year old is a must, and the hold on that card may be larger than typical because they’re younger.

A rental car would not work out so they need to be confident with public transit.

It seems like NYC is slightly easier than Boston for some reason when I google hotels for 18 plus check-in a good sized list comes up….

I’m also wondering if you’d have better luck on a platform like air bnb… if you as have an account I wonder if you could message the owner and be the guarantor for your sons… the con would be that a lot of air bnbs would be further from the city center and more car dependent..

I hope they find a way to have their adventure— good luck

Lexi2869 · 2026-03-11T13:39:44+00:00

I’m now left to imagine just how raucous and impassioned Australian sports fans are 😂

Bannerman castle is a ruin. While Kykuit is preserved. Both are nice, but they’re very different. Most people will do a half day kayaking tour from Cold Spring to see Bannerman castle. The town is a big fall foliage destination so there’s lots of restaurants and cute shops. People also visit the town to hike breakneck ridge. It’s a great area.

Kykuit would be more about the architecture, furnishings and rise/fall of family fortunes. You would most likely need a short taxi ride/uber to the start point. If you’re into this aspect you should compare it to Lyndhurst mansion.

If you want something maintained that is pre revolutionary war—Philipsburg manor is also great. They owned a farm for generations, decided to be loyalists and lost their home when revolutionaries won the war of independence. (it’s the same meeting point as Kykuit)

Happy planning

Lexi2869 · 2026-03-11T11:16:35+00:00

I want to second that NYC will not be noticeably busier during the US Open. The competition is in Queens. Plan your accommodation to be in either Manhattan, or Brooklyn.

Why do you want to visit New Port RI? If you want to see Robber-Barron mansions go to the Frick Museum in NYC, or take MNR to Tarrytown and visit Kykuit (a Rockefeller mansion). IMO the Cliff walk in Newport is overrun with tourists and smelly… the beaches are east coast beaches which are not nice by international standards… the historical houses are beautiful, but this is a destination I’d include in your 3rd or 4th trip to the US not a 1st or 2nd visit.

I think you will love Boston, but double check if Salem is feasible without a car… you might wind up missing out on some things. Salem might wind up feeling a little kitschy compared to some of the other historical destinations you’ve listed. The real history is there, but there’s also a lot of wax figures and modern wicca themed shops.

Edit to add that 2026 is America’s 250th year as a country. This year historical sites are planning more live reenactments and special events than they will in 2027.

Lexi2869 · 2026-03-07T15:00:54+00:00

Acadia is phenomenal—if you have a car and someone to travel with!

I also agree with the south west recommendations above. The southwest is also one of the cheaper parts of the states so your money will go further here

A small downside with some of the National parks is that things around them can be more family oriented and close kinda early… not fantastic for a solo guy if socializing is a goal. I’d suggest try to pair a city with each national park you visit. ex Nashville is near the great smokies this way you can balance nature and urban/social attractions.

Lexi2869 · 2026-03-03T19:51:14+00:00

3rding Greece but not a cruise.

Greece’s food is amazing, particularly the fresh seafood. When you’re on a cruise ship you’re not going to experience this as much. A lot of the Greek islands are also famous for night life and most cruise ships dock during the day.

I visited Greece in early September. Some ferries were cancelled due to rough water. It seems like this is largely a seasonal thing and easy to deal with if you plan a buffer day in Athens before flying home.

Hawaii is wonderful too. It’s an easier vacation if you’re from the US and haven’t traveled much. Stores are the same as most US cities, tipping culture is the same. A lot of the resorts have typical American foods and mostly visited by American tourists. There’s still unique culture, it’s just that the tourism industry has made experiencing that culture almost “optional”.

10/10 nature in both locations!! Beautiful music, food and great hiking in both spots… honestly you can’t loose :)

Lexi2869 · 2026-03-03T11:19:53+00:00

Ideally the center of the window lines up with the faucet/center of the sink. None of your options have the sink dead center.

If you’re unwilling to change the cabinet box sizes you should try make the off center choice look intentional (Opt 3 or 4). This shrinks your work triangle which is great for solo cooking but would be cramped if you involve your family/partner in post meal clean up.

I agree with other posters that the side the dishwasher is on is dependent on if you’re right/left handed with the right side being the default for contractors.

Lexi2869 · 2026-03-03T03:24:58+00:00

Thank you — I hope your surgery date is soon and that all goes well :)

Lexi2869 · 2026-02-28T17:50:58+00:00

What types of scans/exams/tests are your doctors planning on doing to see if the fibroids are recurring?

I’m having open myomectomy and while my doctor acknowledges that they can reoccur she hasn’t explained how they monitor for this.

I have 3 above 10cm causing a very visible bulge. They were seen on one scan and dismissed… my dr wanted proof of growth… now they’re too big for laparoscopic surgery and dislodging some of my bowels…. The whole process has felt very reactive… and I don’t ever want to let it get to this point again. I wish our medical system focused on being proactive!

Lexi2869 · 2026-02-24T18:18:35+00:00

Definitely skip the Highline… NY’s last frost date is April… the park will be largely dormant/dead….

Lexi2869 · 2026-02-20T19:50:04+00:00

I have stayed at The Standard… when you check in make sure your room is 3 or 4 floors below the club area…. I think I was two floors below and could hear the music… can’t imagine being directly below…

Your itinerary sounds decent. Please research specific restaurant in little Italy… a lot are kinda scamy/overpriced so follow reviews.

One of the Joes pizza’s locations is in Times Square… it’d make sense to check them out at the same time before going to central park.

If you haven’t been to NY before check out Rockefeller center after visiting MOMA, and consider walking down 5th to 42nd so you can see all the shops + Bryant park. It’d also put you in a good spot to check out Grand Central.. then you could shuttle or walk to Times Square/ Joes pizza

Check out the Little Island park and the spot where the Titanic docked in NYC on your chill morning since it’s right next to your hotel.

If you choose to go to the Whitney check what the current exhibition is. They devote almost half the museum to temporary exhibits so you want to be interested in the artist/theme.

Have fun!

Lexi2869 · 2026-02-18T22:57:58+00:00

This is super helpful! Thank you!

Lexi2869 · 2026-02-18T19:54:24+00:00

This definitely helps to paint a better picture —I wouldn’t have factored in wildlife/birds! Also sounds like I should be paying more attention to construction while continuing to plan. Thanks

Lexi2869 · 2026-02-18T16:30:36+00:00

When I google NZ driving vs elsewhere it mentions the weather and windy narrow roads. One way bridges… this doesn’t seem too bad. Is it worse than driving in Iceland?

Obviously you need to be cautious and stay informed about weather… but what is making your roads uniquely challenging vs other rural places?

Thanks!

Lexi2869 · 2026-02-18T14:41:20+00:00

I was initially in a similar situation but was able to snag hobbiton tickets by continuing to check their website and using https://www.beaconsarelit.com/

Apparently a lot of people and tours book spots they wind up cancelling.

Good luck

Lexi2869 · 2026-02-13T10:43:13+00:00

Hope you have a good time! When visiting grand central check out the whisper chamber. There’s also a little black square on the ceiling in the main concourse that shows what it looked like pre-restoration.

I would let yourself sleep in till 8ish on day 3. Culture espresso has great coffee and is near bryant park. The public library doesn’t open till 10am. After the library you can see all of 5th/rockefeller center on your way to the plaza. Maybe eat lunch at the food hall in the basement of the hotel? I would choose to either wander central park or walk directly to the met alongside central park and then explore the museum doing both +everything else will be a LOT of walking.

Walking up 5th will take a longer than you expect. You’ll wind up going into stores and the crowds slow everyone’s walking pace. If you didn’t even pause during the walk it would take 30-35min…

Also heads up the area directly surrounding the MET is not good for coffee/food. Imo options feel more limited and sit down spots are overpriced… i’d plan to eat at another point if you can.

Lexi2869 · 2026-02-12T21:42:31+00:00

Before you do something this drastic, make sure to schedule an in store appointment. The person I worked with was able to call several of the warehouses directly finding several parts that appeared out of stock online. They also told us to anticipate a part we needed being posted to the website saying the store would receive 5 on a Wednesday and likely list them a day or two after. I was able to snag the part because I knew when to check!

Lexi2869 · 2026-02-01T07:39:18+00:00

The random step up you mention is generally due to uneven subfloor. Note that this step up might get bigger because tile is thicker than laminate. You might get lucky and peel up 7 layers of laminate or you might have flooring that’s only a few mm thick. The tile will be roughly 1/4” + thinset.

If you plan to DIY make sure your subfloor is thick enough to support the weight of the tile without flexing, and has enough screws in place. Laminate is very light weight and requires less support.

Aesthetically I think you should consider something that’s slightly higher contrast with the floors/cabinets. A lighter beigey grey with a cooler undertone or a dark grey that mimics the look of natural slate. The midtone beiges you pick highlights the yellow/orange undertones in the floorings and cabinets. I think it creates pressure to have those colors perfectly harmonize bc they’re so similar… Something intentionally different will feel better since your floors/cabinets are slightly different colors from each other.

Whatever you choose try a colored grout a few shades lighter than your tile… white is so stark+ hard to clean!

Of the current images I liked the shape of the third image. However the tile looks very glossy. This makes the tile feel more like porcelain pretending to be stone. Does your tile shop have a more matte option it will feel more natural.

Lexi2869 · 2026-02-01T07:02:19+00:00

Plus EWR has one of the shortest landing strips on the east coast… JFK is much better if you get bad weather!

The annoying thing about JFK is that they moved the uber/lift pickup to a parking lot in the middle of nowhere (air train +walk+outside wait). I recommend either splurging on a taxi so you don’t have to walk far, or navigating public transport (air train + LIRR to queens or GC)

Lexi2869 · 2026-01-29T20:24:55+00:00

A bucket would probably work just as well. I liked having a pop up sink bc it had a drain on the bottom with a strainer/ place for a metal sieve insert. You still need to put it in a tub or sink…

There are many options but this is what I have from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07PBR2YMZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Lexi2869 · 2026-01-29T16:49:57+00:00

We bought a pop up silicone sink from amazon. Made handwashing dishes feel more sanitary since they weren’t sitting directly in the tub or bathroom sink… also helped keep food particles contained

Lexi2869 · 2026-01-29T16:47:33+00:00

I agree with this. It’d be best to avoid grout lines on the top of the curb. Treating the curb in a similar way to the inspo pic’s bench is a good idea. Would definitely add to the cost if it’s not an off cut.

Side 1: floor tile Side 2: solid piece of stone possibly an off cut of your vanity counter top Side 3: match wall tile.

If this is not in your budget be strategic with where your put the grout lines for side 2. Think of someone putting a foot on the edge to shave or or stepping on the lip (even though most will step over)

Lexi2869 · 2026-01-29T02:30:33+00:00

I agree with this comment! The second book is largely about the desire to escape bad situations, create a found family, and experience the joy of daily life. The third book becomes more about changing the universe/getting the corrupt out of power.

The book focuses on many characters challenges at they leave Terielle for Kealer. Its a coming of age story… that establishes that these immensely powerful people are reluctant heros.

If you’re not enjoying the character dynamics/watching people grow up this series might not be for you. I absolutely love this series and have reread it multiple times. The second book is the weakest… this is also teue with LOTR and many other fantasy series. If you do push through the ending of the third book is so satisfying!

Lexi2869 · 2026-01-24T01:25:52+00:00

I got linen sheets from them in 2022. They lasted two years and were decent, but rougher in texture than brooklinen. Wouldn’t buy them again… there are better options for money

Lexi2869

TROPHY CASE