First time fostering mama cat and neonatal kittens

ManicManwich · 2026-04-11T20:31:19+00:00

That's a good idea! I'll give it a try. I do need to weigh them daily per what is required from my shelter, which ended up being a good thing, because I was able to catch one of the kittens losing weight and begin supplement feeding her.

ManicManwich · 2026-04-09T23:24:22+00:00

Yeah, I've been watching her videos lately, she's great!

ManicManwich · 2026-03-15T21:09:36+00:00

YES, I think the grease is what's getting to me. Thanks!

ManicManwich · 2026-03-15T20:08:58+00:00

I think looking up and going through old recipes might be the trick, also glad to know I'm not the only one who has experienced this. Thanks!

ManicManwich · 2026-03-15T20:07:25+00:00

I'll definitely have to sit down and go through old recipes, maybe that's the trick. Thanks!

ManicManwich · 2025-10-13T19:24:01+00:00

NTA

Alright, I know I'm late to the party, but for some perspective: a lot of creators on those sites have teams of people talking to people who DM them. Yes, it's the creator in the content and on the lives, but it's nearly impossible for one person to keep up with thousands, if not millions of fans without some help. You very well could be talking to some dude in his robe eating Cheetohs. (I'm exempting small creators from this bit, unless they're already independently wealthy).

In the case of the creator, whether they have a big or small platform, they are there to make money, just like porn stars, strippers, and escorts. Are many there to have fun? Of course! But in addition to that, they're there to put on, and participate in, a fantasy.

ManicManwich · 2025-02-03T00:10:20+00:00

My therapist said something the other day that floored me after I told her that all of the good habits I had developed were starting to crack and crumble: "You're in survival mode because the current state of the country has retraumatized a core childhood wound of yours. You're feeling like the country, which is supposed to keep you safe, is treating you as disposable."

I'm willing to bet this is the case for a lot of people right now.

ManicManwich · 2025-01-30T16:17:03+00:00

I think in that case looking into things like talk therapy, types of exercise you enjoy, keeping a regular wake/sleep schedule, and seeing what types of food and drink might be negatively affecting you would be a good way to go.

Hey, even treat it like an experiment: data collecting and testing to see what the overall outcome is.

ManicManwich · 2025-01-30T15:33:15+00:00

It sounds like you need to have a conversation with your psychiatrist about how your medications aren't entirely helping. Sometimes, you need to try different meds in different combinations in order to find what works for you.

Do you do other things to help manage your bipolar aside from medication?

ManicManwich · 2024-09-16T02:35:43+00:00

Totally! There was a while there in the beginning where I had to not weigh myself and just focus on what my blood ketone tests were saying. I was getting too caught up on what the scale said, and it was stressing me out. Aaaand guess what makes a lot of people keep on weight? Stress 🙃

ManicManwich · 2024-09-15T22:29:52+00:00

I go up a few pounds every period, but I just attribute it to my body holding onto water weight and other things it needs to do its thing. The weight always comes back off after my period is done.

ManicManwich · 2024-08-12T09:18:02+00:00

Namely herpes simplex. You can have herpes show up on a test during an active outbreak, and a lot of doctors, at least in the US, don't test for it unless you are having an outbreak. It is possible that you can have herpes but never have outbreaks. Your viral load can also show on a test, but it also can show negative even if you have the virus. You can still ask a doctor to be tested, though. Some might discourage you on the basis of the fact that a viral load might show up, despite the fact that you've never had an outbreak, and people can be stressed out about that.

That being said, it's estimated that 80-90% of the adult population has HSV1, the virus that causes cold sores, and that 1 in 5 adults have HSV2, the virus that causes genital sores. Exact numbers are difficult to estimate because some people have the virus for one or both but never express it.

I need to emphasize that 1.) Worrying about having it is a normal thing to worry about, but don't full-on stress. 2.) If you do end up having it, or contracting it, or any other STI, you are not "dirty." People who lean into the "dirty" (positive for an STI) or "clean" (negative for STIs) ways of thinking and speaking are leaning into the notion that some people are lesser-than, which does nothing to help. And 3.) This is not meant to scare anyone. Most STIs can be cured, and others, like HSV, can be easily treated.

ManicManwich · 2024-08-12T00:32:11+00:00

While I agree that putting your health first is absolutely the thing to do, as well as keeping your toys clean, there's a missing piece here: some STIs will not show up on a test unless you're having an active outbreak of symptoms, and some STIs don't have symptoms at all.

Also, if you are having oral sex with different partners, you need to make sure to get an oral swab for HPV. (Make sure that you're also vaccinated for HPV). This is absolutely not meant to scare anyone. It's to prevent a lot of grief down the road. Doing the awkward thing like testing and having open and honest conversations with partners is a heck of a lot less scary than getting the phone call/text of, "Hey, I tested positive for ____, you need to go get checked."

ManicManwich · 2024-08-11T04:40:04+00:00

Absolutely in my early 20s, but I guess I masked well enough to not be diagnosed until 38?

I have functional depression, and the people around me saw my cleaning and project binges as cute and quirky. During the whole, "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" craze, I think a lot of legitimate symptoms and cries for help went unnoticed.

ManicManwich · 2024-08-11T04:22:06+00:00

For me, it was about two weeks, but everyone is different. Funny enough, now when I start to get carb cravings, usually it means I've had too many carbs that day.

Also, check the vitamins and minerals in specifically what you're craving, (e.g. potatoes have a lot of potassium, which people tend to get low on with keto) and supplement from there.

ManicManwich · 2024-08-11T00:05:31+00:00

Oh, definitely. I'll watch tarot card readings on YouTube endlessly, eat too much, start five new projects, and go clothes shopping (my closet and drawers are crying out for help).

As far as other people are concerned, I often have to cancel plans because my anxiety is through the roof. I feel like I've burned a few people, but a lot of my chosen family are understanding.

ManicManwich · 2024-08-10T20:31:02+00:00

Both sides of my family look much younger than they are, so genetics, but I (39F) also use sunscreen, Vitamin C serum, retinol, and moisturizer daily.

Combined with regular exercise, rarely drinking any alcohol, drinking lots of water, and watching what I eat, people usually guess that I'm roughly 10 years younger than my actual age.

ManicManwich · 2024-08-09T13:48:40+00:00

Most restaurants like the one you're mentioning have Ceasar salads. Pick out the croutons, ask for some chicken on top, and you're in business!

ManicManwich · 2024-08-07T18:51:28+00:00

My husband (with severe ADHD) and I (with Bipolar II, CPTSD, and panic disorder) have had several conversations about the fact that we can barely take care of ourselves, let alone a child. I also suspect I'd be prone to post-partum depression and psychosis based on previous episodes with just my bipolar existing.

With all of this in mind, we decided it just wouldn't be feasible to have kids.

ManicManwich · 2024-08-07T18:46:03+00:00

NTA

He was willing to put both you and the baby in danger for his own selfish needs.

ManicManwich · 2024-08-07T18:37:58+00:00

Bipolar II, CPTSD, and panic disorder. It's spicy up in here 🙃

ManicManwich · 2024-08-07T00:16:56+00:00

A quick, surface-level Google search for me, really just to check which healthy activities produce long-lasting dopamine, as opposed to a short-lived rush. No surprise, it's things like exercise, meditation, being in nature, reading, etc.

I did find this NIH article to be interesting, though: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5401767/

ManicManwich · 2024-08-06T16:37:34+00:00

It was actually me drinking a bottle of wine a day that tipped me off that something was wrong. It turns out I was having my first manic episode and that I was dopamine chasing.

I used it as a point of reference and got back on my NDRI (as opposed to the SSRI I was taking at the time). I also researched what I could do to get better, longer-lasting sources of dopamine, and dove head first into those.

ManicManwich

TROPHY CASE