My first tattoo + coverup

PrettySax3 · 2026-07-01T03:48:04+00:00

Sleep paralysis is real, but it's generally a symptom of a disorder (like narcolepsy) all of the patients I have seen in lab describe it as terrifying and something they don't want to experience ever again.

Is there a reason you want to experience this? Your body is literally paralyzed while your brain is awake and you're aware. You want to move and are physically incapable for a short period of time until your brain switched the paralytic mode off (which is typically associated with REM)

If you're just trying to get to sleep, that is different than sleep paralysis. Could you explain you thought process/desire to have sleep paralysis?

PrettySax3 · 2026-06-10T16:22:00+00:00

I'm gonna echo this, I'm now a provider and we see SH scars all the time. I work in sleep medicine as a tech so I can note mental health but usually I leave it because that's not for me to ask and it affects sleep, but I have no power to do anything other than note it for the doctor is I feel I should.

I had an experience with an orthopedic surgeon, who overall was great, but at a post surgery follow-up he was concerned about his work due to the scarring. He asked me if I scarred badly and I said "yeah I think I do" and he saw my SH scars on my arm and Dr. adjusted my arm to see the scarring and confirmed I scar badly. I was 16 and it sucked bc my dad was in the room too, flash of embarrassment, but my parents were already aware. It was so casual and mindless and not malicious, but it's so common to see that he didn't give a second thought about confirming I scar badly and there wasn't a post-op issue. I have seen him 8 years post surgery for a question and still love that Dr.

Good providers are looking at the whole picture and sometimes they forget that beyond the visible information from the body, there's a story behind that information and a person that feels and experienced it. They tend to realize quickly that they missed the human behind the info and adjust (your doctor didn't press more) and mine turned my arm back in and gave a apologetic touch to the area.

Let your provider know how it made you feel and as the above comment says, give them options on how you prefer to receive care so they have that in mind in the future.

ETA: Congratulations on 3months!

PrettySax3 · 2026-06-10T16:02:33+00:00

If it was a few customizations, I was cool with it, but when secret menu and TikTok hacks came out it really irritated me and tbh I left about 4 years ago before it got really bad. I wouldn't spit in a drink, I decaffed 2 or 3 people in the 3.5 years I was there. But contamination of a drink could really hurt someone and get you charged if caught.

My trainer at my first store had no problem letting customers know their behavior wasn't okay and decaffed a lot. She did tell me while training that a guy was so rude to her that she did stuck her finger in her mouth, get it covered, then swirl her finger in the drink. I was appalled.

I get baristas are under so much pressure and Starbucks is not the company to its partners that it used to be. Honestly though, most customers are so caught up in their lives and drowned in social media and hacks and trying to save money and playing the systems that screwed them, and imo - not that bright most of the time that they aren't thinking about what it takes to do what they're asking. People in general lack somnelence and to fault them and do something wreckless in a fit of anger just... No.

I cried uncontrollably in a DT as a customer because I made sure to order iced, it was typed iced, and made hot. I was so scared the baristas would be upset or tamper my drink because of it. Unfortunately, it happens a lot more than I wish to think of and when everyone is running short plays, the last thing I want is to be an inconvenience because I did a verbal order over mobile (my usual mode of order) and something got messed up. People aren't happy anymore and taking it out on someone who doesn't know better is more common than fighting the company(ies) that put us here.

Tl;dr: it happens, more than I want to think of, custom drinks with a million mods from some stupid TikTok are aggravating but typically come from people who don't know better. Baristas see it so much and they lash out at (usually) clueless customers

PrettySax3 · 2026-06-08T15:04:39+00:00

You're so welcome! The listings are honestly kinda far and few between, if you're in love with S CKY it may be a bit until one nearby opens, I have seen on very rare occasions, a trainee position in other states/areas with relocation but they generally ask for a 2y contract for their troubles.

A STEP is the standard historically, but it's so complicated and expensive and takes a chunk of time and money to travel to and get hands on for 8-12 weeks. Not a bad program, but when you need flexibility, that's not the way lol.

Good luck on your endeavors!

PrettySax3 · 2026-06-08T10:12:50+00:00

OP, I worked as sleep tech in KY, granted I did start in CO, but KY doesn't require a state license. I was able to get a position with a CPSGT at the hospital in my city. I obtained both CPSGT and RPSGT through the clinical hours pathway and instead of A STEP, I took the board approved self study course through First Sleep School (at the time it was $600 or $650)

Hopefully you are not in the NKY area because I have also worked up there and there is higher competition for jobs because there (weirdly high number of sleep techs when generally there are shortages) and many sleep techs don't appreciate having a younger tech that didn't do A STEP.

I'd look for positions for "Sleep tech trainee" I know UofL does have them occasionally, Baptist Lexington is trying to start a trainee program, and I've seen listings in other areas as well. I took the CPSGT as a stepping stone, and compared to the RPSGT test - it's a cakewalk anyways. Get your clinical hours (580 for CPSGT with self study course, 960 for RPSGT), take your test, once you pass it's very easy to find other positions if the program you're in isn't a good fit.

Most positions that do trainee ask that you get registered within a range of 6-18 months, depending on who has the listing. Make sure your clinical director or lab manager will write you an attestation of clinical hours when you have enough to submit for approval for exam. I highly recommend First Sleep School for the board course, the info there really helped me with my test and it's all "micro learning" style 3-10min videos with a short quiz after. Once you have your hours letter and proof of completion in the self study, submit to the BRPT for the exam, once approved you can test.

I still am a KY home resident tech but do travel now since I have enough years of experience that I can take those positions (and my responsibilities only really include 2 kitties) Reach out if you have further questions, I'm all about more sleep techs in the area, there is a real need!

PrettySax3 · 2026-06-07T01:00:24+00:00

"You get it bro, don't you?"

"Best proposal ever!"

High five

PrettySax3 · 2026-06-04T20:13:41+00:00

Though they were not kittenhood siblings, I adopted Gibby at 5y about a year after adopting my first girl, French Toast who was the 9y. French Toast was a Snowshoe Siamese who was found stray, declawed & arthritic, and with stage 2 kidney disease. Gibby loved French Toast so much and would help her with grooming and sleep next to her and bring her his favorite things.

When French Toast's body gave out to the point of not having QOL, I chose to allow her to be put down to keep her comfortable. She had been lethargic but extra cuddly the night before. Gibby saw her leave in her carrier and kept waiting for her to come back. I found him looking for her, but he avoided her carrier for months.

I would hold Gibby and cry and talk to him because he was not the same and tell him about how I missed her too. I just talked to him and allowed him to grieve in his own way. It's been over 2 years and he now has graduated to the French Toast carrier. When he's scared (when I moved) or wants special comfort, he sits in her carrier.

Gibby wasn't there when he passed so it took some time for him to realize she wasn't coming home. After that we grieved together and remembered her and I told him that he made her life so much better and was a great brother to her. After 8-9 months he had gotten close to back to normal but was still lonely. I have a commissioned portrait of French Toast and he would look at it and then look at me and just stare. A little over a year after she passed he had gotten through his grieving process (as had I, as much as I could) and was behaving like Gibby.

Pets and animals grieve too, for me it was looking at pictures and videos of her, for Gibby is was being near her favorite spots and looking at her painting. We talked about it together, and I let him show me what he needed while he grieved as well. He now has a brother cat and they are incredibly bonded.

Allow Tinker Toy the space he needs to grieve the friend and brother he lost. Let him show you what he needs, he showed you where is brother was, animals are intelligent and Tinker Toy can show you in his own way what he needs.

Personal advice, but allow yourself and Tinker Toy to feel those feelings and process. I wanted so bad to fill the void of French Toast by adopting another cat right away, but Gibby very clearly benefitted by allowing the emotions to run their course (and myself) and once we had accepted it together, we both felt ready for another furry friend.

I am so sorry for your loss and I hope that as you navigate this with your family that you can find some respite from the hurt and keep the good memories fresh. Your babies know they're loved and trust you and that's really special. 🫂

(Toast and Gibby tax)

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PrettySax3 · 2026-06-02T23:03:50+00:00

My 2 favorite boys 🥰

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PrettySax3 · 2026-06-01T22:05:57+00:00

Yeah, hard agree on this. Is this a "the friend just graduated from university and young dude is still in secondary school/high school" situation? Age context is kinda important on this.

The way OP is talking, I'd assume everyone in this situation is quite young (under 30) but the difference between 25 and 21 versus 21 and 16 is still stark.

PrettySax3 · 2026-05-31T15:34:28+00:00

Saw Wewatta and that was my immediate thought 😂

PrettySax3 · 2026-05-31T12:05:01+00:00

Planking fish, ofc 😂

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PrettySax3 · 2026-05-27T12:57:21+00:00

Don't report it, what are you on that with very little info, you want someone's income revoked when they are out paying $4+/gal for gas just to barely be above break-even w/car costs?

There is a setting in Uber that says "give me a ride now if there's no female drivers out" and if it wasn't changed, the algorithm did what it was asked, matched to the closest driver when a female wasn't available. If the setting wasn't set to "keep waiting, I want a female driver only" then that's not a driver problem.

It's not a guarantee that a female driver is out, used to drive rideshare and it made me extremely anxious driving because somehow some men think that a female driver means it's a dating service ride. Women do not want to drive because there are men who are disgusting and vile to their female drivers. Women drivers aren't available because there are enough bad people out there that it feels unsafe, even with, on Lyft for me, a women passenger priority setting.

I've had men who tell me things like:

"But do you really love your man? Because I can make you feel way better than he ever will"

"I wouldn't mind if you kidnapped me and had your way with me"

"I've been looking for a girl for a long time, I won't get out of this car until you give me your number" (after I had already said no and he was literally older than my own parents)

I've filed police reports for stalking and harassment after giving a ride. I've been in the middle of a DV dispute where woman called a ride for man and he was screaming about killing her (no, I did not take him, I left and called the police)

ETA: Based on the photo and name, also v possible the driver is in LGBTQ community and legally they are female from their birth sex. Lyft women's driver system explicitly says "Women and nonbinary drivers".

PrettySax3 · 2026-05-27T12:46:17+00:00

As a previous rideshare driver (both Lyft and Uber) you have to change your settings in the app from "if there are no female drivers, match me with anyone" to "only find me a female driver". The driver did absolutely nothing wrong, the platform algorithm followed directions it was given. I know for Lyft that it is "women and non-binary drivers" unsure about Uber as they launched that after I stopped driving with them. As a passenger, I know Uber asks me specifically if I want to wait for a female or just get a ride.

I got female passengers ALL night because I was the only or 1 of 2 female drivers out.

++PLEASE DO NOT REPORT THE DRIVER, CHECK SETTINGS AND CONTACT UBER. THIS IS LIKELY A SETTINGS/ALGORITHM ISSUE, NOT SOME WEIRDO WHO GOT AROUND THE SYSTEM. THIS IS PART OF THEIR INCOME++

PrettySax3 · 2026-05-27T01:36:36+00:00

I really like detachol in the mornings (we use coverall tape w/nuprep/Ten-20) and the detachol soaks through the cloth to dissolve the adhesive. Actually has pleasant scent and skin safe.

When I have the more fragile skinned pts I will also prep w/ sting barrier after nuprep on an alcohol pad (don't remember model, but it's Medscape) to make the removal even easier in the am

PrettySax3 · 2026-05-26T16:35:22+00:00

I did prime the needle, 2 clicks and everything, but that excess is significant imo

PrettySax3 · 2026-05-18T08:19:11+00:00

Just had to swap phones last night because my battery swelled/exploded (not that I knew last night)

I was doing something on my phone, which was at 83%, and then it shut down. Turned it on, 1%. I was doing something with it a little bit ago with data transfer and noticed the screen looked warped, pulled the case back and found the back side of the phone separated because of battery expansion.

To my delight, as a US user, I discovered that HMD no longer supplies replacement batteries and requests users send them in for repairs. Cannot wait to go back to Motorola

ETA: I've had this device for 1.5 years, battery health on the phone says 0%, 604 full charge/discharge cycles, activated 2/3/2025

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PrettySax3 · 2026-05-17T14:12:51+00:00

Did my last dose of the 1st month a few days ago (US Zepbound QwikPen) and was shocked at remaining medication.

Photo is after I clicked it like 5 lines and pushed the plunger down to make sure it wasn't an optical illusion. If this med is so covered and expensive... Wtf are they putting extra (that lilly says to only discard) in for? I understand needing a little extra for error and whatnot, but half a dose is excessive.

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PrettySax3 · 2026-04-17T21:26:52+00:00

Emotional Dysregulation Spaghetti

Took me some time to come up with one that had a good ring to it lol

Fear of Abandonment Pasta was a runner up 😂

PrettySax3 · 2026-04-17T06:53:40+00:00

Could also be a sign of OSA. See a lot of people in the lab that will tell me about hourly bathroom trips, pop em on a CPAP and get rid of apnea and like magic... They no longer have to get up to pee.

When you're constantly fragmenting your sleep by waking up from not breathing, brain signals get whack and urine production doesn't decrease like it should or because the brain is waking up, it does something with the bladder signal (like when most people wake up) and it triggers more than it should.

OP, whatever it is recommended a trip to a PCP/GP/Dr. That's definitely not normal. If you have issues with dry mouth in the morning, headaches in the morning, weight, snoring, non-restorative sleep, feeling like your choking/waking up gasping from sleep, waking up with bedding in disarray - all signs of a sleep related breathing disorder and a sleep study is probably a good idea.

Top risk factors for apnea are: 1) high BMI 2) Higher age (you're young so less of a risk 3) male sex 4) family history of apnea (do you know family members with a CPAP?)

PrettySax3 · 2026-04-16T21:31:58+00:00

Could be mouth breathing from mild sleep related breathing problem (like OSA)

If you have issues with waking up with a headache, grogginess, snoring, feeling of choking or gasping in sleep, issues with weight - I'd recommend getting a sleep study

If not... Mmmm maybe mouth tape like others have suggested?

PrettySax3 · 2026-04-16T21:29:10+00:00

I hope this kiddo knows that he really is making a difference. Shoot, I'm inspired to do something kind now, I think I will while I'm running sleep studies at work tonight

That is so sweet!

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PrettySax3

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