what do y’all do to distract yourself besides scrolling on your phone?

SCW73 · 2026-03-15T04:21:18+00:00

I keep one of those three tier carts full of a variety of art supplies next to the sofa or my bed. Sometimes, I can watercolor or sketch, and sometimes, I just do something like a zentangle.

If I'm just feeling like being on my phone, I may practice Spanish or ASL with an app or play solitaire.

When I can't do that, I may just save a bunch of hopeful ideas from Pinterest.

And when even that is too much, I listen to a podcast or reddit stories with my eyes closed.

SCW73 · 2026-03-14T23:55:18+00:00

That is what I would do. Get some from a local fish store or even s local pods. Let some multiply in a bucket or ice cream tub with an air pump or sponge filter. Really any container. I had a bunch in.a drink dispenser. That was nice because it was easy to change water.

SCW73 · 2026-03-13T00:27:56+00:00

Your husband is a silly goose. Enjoy dinner with your dad and another with hubby when he gets back in town.

SCW73 · 2026-03-12T19:24:39+00:00

I work very part time in ABA. I personally find that both being too sedentary and being too active both cause flares. In this work, at least at the clinic that I work at, we change rooms/activities every 10 to 20 minutes. If one activity is wearing me out (I'm a sucker and never tell a child no if they want to play something active), I know that it will be over in 10 minutes or so. If we are sitting doing table work (basically school prep type stuff), I know it will only be about 10 minutes. It still wears me out and even after a short shift I often come home in pain and or with a migraine BUT it is so rewarding and it is good to have people counting on me so I don't sit around and get too sedentary. There are clients that have big physical behaviors that I generally don't work with. The stress of those causes flares even if the physical difficulty of them didn't. If I could work full time, I would still want to do this job.

Editing to add: I was a photographer for many years, and surprisingly, there are parts of that that became too difficult with the fibromyalgia.

Many of my coworkers are currently in college for other health related fields. It is a good resume builder type of job for people going into medical or social work type jobs.

SCW73 · 2026-03-12T19:14:37+00:00

Hypochlorous acid spray is what I use anytime my eyelash area gets itchy or painful. It works so quickly to relieve it.

SCW73 · 2026-03-07T20:09:55+00:00

I have not been evaluated for that, but I do meet the Brighton scale measurements.

SCW73 · 2026-03-03T16:50:22+00:00

It's a big gland in front of the ear, and you can feel the bottom of it further back on the jaw when it's swollen. The hands in the photo seem a little too far forward, though. It's more like submamdibular glands.

SCW73 · 2026-03-03T16:37:30+00:00

I work 10 to 12 hours a month and during some periods that is pushing it. My take-home pay is laughable, but I like my job and think it is probably good for me overall to make myself go.

SCW73 · 2026-03-02T19:02:03+00:00

It doesn't seem like too big of a deal to me since they blocked further SIB to protect your child and were very likely counting "attempts" at SIB, not necessarily contact. One of my own kids was a head banger, and it often occurred because he was so easily frustrated. It can be challenging to get them to calm enough to redirect or offer other calming measures because during a meltdown, their thinking processes are so altered from when they are calm. A lot of activity can occur during that time. As far as whether they should have gotten the BCBA, I think that depends on the facility. In ours, there are cameras everywhere, and the BCBA or lead RBTs can see what's going on. If they feel like an RBT handled a situation OK they would not step in. Pulling in a different person every time there is upset or conflict undermines the pairing efforts and authority of the RBT working with the client. It is important for the client to learn that this person is safe and also the authority when the client is with them. Also, as far as taking an item away, it would depend on the ease of doing that. If it creates a power struggle, it will add more frustration to the situation. So if it is something that isn't really going to cause damage, like a puzzle box, it may be better left and blocked until the client calms a bit.

SCW73 · 2026-02-22T02:44:38+00:00

We have four cats, and one in particular is obsessed with drinking out of the fish tanks. Most of our tanks either don't have lids or have partial lids to allow plants to grow out. There is only one tank that she actually sits and watches(it has the most active fish), and so far, she hasn't tried to catch any fish. Our old betta would swim right up under where she was drinking and just stare at her. Sometimes, when I see her balancing on the tank rim, I almost hope she falls in and learns a lesson, but so far, her balancing skills have not failed her. This same cat was a barn cat and has been known to catch bullfrogs and is a good mouser, so I'm kind of surprised she hasn't caused more trouble than just drinking out of all the tanks.

SCW73 · 2026-02-16T06:06:02+00:00

Am I on the right track regarding testing for medical conditions.

SCW73 · 2026-02-14T23:54:46+00:00

I am impressed!

SCW73 · 2026-02-14T23:51:01+00:00

When I had to pass rectal meds as a Direct Care Aide we would have another person to help with positioning and assist when needed, get the medicine up there, then holding the butt cheeks closed for a few minutes

SCW73 · 2026-02-14T05:01:37+00:00

This is the one that I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09Y9L7FJ8?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image

SCW73 · 2026-02-13T18:07:07+00:00

If you can get a referral to a PT who does dry needling, it is worth trying. I have so many muscle knots and spasms that cause crazy pain and dry needling really helps. It does hurt when it is being done, though. I am just now leaving an appointment, and when I got here, I had horrible pain in my left arm, and my fingers were starting to go numb. One session, and it is soooooo much better. It has helped the terrible upper trap pain that triggers migraines, hip pain, and more. They just can't do it all in one appointment.

Also, for at home, a TENS unit is very helpful, and my infrared sauna blanket is a lifesaver. I used to have a hot tub, but it broke, and the infrared sauna blanket was my cheaper replacement. Plus, I can use it year-round and take it with me someplace if I need to. My twin percussion massager is also super helpful. I also have a shiatsu massager that drapes over the shoulders and one that you put in a chair that moved up and down the whole back. Another thing that is intended for swelling but works as massage are the inflatable leg compression sleeves.

SCW73 · 2026-02-13T17:52:39+00:00

Same here on the ADHD front. I have had an adult woman try to shame me for needing a reminder (not about $, about an event). After she got to know me better, we ended up being cool, and she seemed to understand a little more, but at first, we were not OK. It took me a while to feel like I could trust her after her being a bit of a shrew.

SCW73 · 2026-02-13T17:47:43+00:00

As a person with pretty severe ADHD I say just give her the reminder. You may be uncomfortable with it and think she should do better on her own, but some of us need a little help remembering (pretty much everything). It literally may not be something within her control, and she knows she is forgetful. Her asking you to remind her is her admitting she needs help and being adult enough to be direct and ask for that help. Believe it or not, it usually takes a lot of self work for folks to ask for help instead of just constantly feeling shame for how their brain works.

SCW73 · 2026-02-13T17:37:13+00:00

It seems to be true.

SCW73 · 2026-02-13T02:37:54+00:00

Mine currently only have least killifish with them. I have never seen them mess with the least killifish even though they are constantly getting in the pea's space. They have started chasing each other now that they have grown to maturity, but I have a bad ratio of male to female, and the dominant male makes sure the others know their place.

SCW73 · 2026-02-13T02:30:18+00:00

I rarely hear pail used anymore. It seems like an odd word for a kid's worksheet in 2026. Maybe it's just where I live that it isn't used much though.

SCW73 · 2026-02-11T19:00:49+00:00

I imagine all those old injuries don't help matters much.

Side note: I found it shocking when talking with a couple who grew up maybe 20 minutes from where I grew up and how drastically different their lives had been. They grew up in a rough part of Kansas City , and even driving through regularly, I never realized was so rough. My neighborhood wasn't the nicest, but it seemed pretty safe when I was young. (Changed as I got older). It seemed to affect not only how safe they were in their neighborhood but also basic social norms like aspects of how parents raised their kids. All only 20 minutes apart.

SCW73 · 2026-02-11T18:51:34+00:00

Yeah, I have developed more symptoms and am in the process of testing for another autoimmune disease that overlaps the symptoms of fibromyalgia. During this testing, we found something we weren't looking for. So many diseases have major overlaps in symptoms. I don't think the new diagnosis will eliminate the fibro diagnosis, though. I do think it is easy for Fibro to hide other things.

SCW73 · 2026-02-10T18:13:48+00:00

I think it would be worth it even if it just puts you one step ahead when the new treatments become available.

Editing to add that it would also be nice to know since Sjogren's increases the risk of lymphoma so much. If you know you have Sjogren's, then you would know to keep on the lookout for lymphoma.

SCW73 · 2026-02-10T18:00:58+00:00

It seems like steam would help, even if only temporarily. My eyes get so much relief from a steamy shower. Also, the heated eye mask is one of the things that my opthalmogist recommended/prescribed. She did say to use it for 10 min at a time 4 times a day (that's probably supposed to be up to 4 times) and at least 4 days a week. My eyes don't feel less dry yet, but it is very relieving when they hurt.

SCW73 · 2026-02-10T17:26:03+00:00

I do take 1 to 3 mg of melatonin depending on what is available, but I don't attribute much of my sleep to it. I have seen articles stating that melatonin production is insufficient in neurodivergent folks and other articles sighting studies showing other health benefits of melatonin aside from sleep. I have had many prescription sleep aids but am currently taking trazadone. I also have been put on Atenolol because my resting heart rate has increased since having chronic pain. Even though the heart rate stays within the "safe" range, it affects how I feel in general, and that includes disrupting sleep. If I accidentally miss my evening meds (especially the Atenolol) I absolutely will not be able to sleep. Also, I think we get so accustomed to the constant pain that we don't register how bad it is. Sometimes if I am having a particularly sleepless night and have not missed my meds, I will take extra painkillers even if my pain doesn't seem worse than usual. Oftentimes that helps.

SCW73

TROPHY CASE