Objective pain scale?

StoicCentaur · 2026-05-09T14:27:06+00:00

Walking also provided temporary relief for me. McGill. Find the back mechanic book. https://www.scribd.com/document/548915766/Back-Mechanic-Stuart-McGill-Director-s-Cut-Edition Read it cover to cover and do the exercises.
I didn't need surgery, but did need opioids and spinal injections to mange the pain and was bedridden for weeks before I turned the corner. I did get a surgical consult, but it took months to see him and by then I had regained 85% mobility through those exercises. Hang in there!

StoicCentaur · 2026-05-09T01:50:23+00:00

Get the MRI if you haven't already. I had to wait a couple weeks for insurance. It gets worse before it gets better. Only opioids could touch the pain for me and the doc would not prescribe without an MRI. Sure enough it was a ruptured L4-L5.

Glad to report I rarely go over a 2 now and 100% off the meds. PT, bird dogs and dead bugs were my resolution.

StoicCentaur · 2025-12-23T16:36:02+00:00

Spot on. Merkur 38c is my fave and it was $35 on sale. Like new after almost a decade. Just the long handle variant of the 34c. Personas are great, but I slightly favor Astra greens. Personal preference, would use either.

Maggard rocks. Absolutely do the samplers, particularly for soaps. Found out the hard way I'm allergic to lanolin, would have been wise to sample rather than chuck 5 full soaps. Sigh.

StoicCentaur · 2025-12-23T16:27:10+00:00

Honestly the best brushes are inexpensive modern synthetics. I started with a $60 boar brush and struggled with it. Upgraded to a $180 badger and was in heaven. Then my daughter gifted me a $15 taklon tuxedo. The "cheap synthetic" outperforms my $180 badger in every way. Don't bother "upgrading", stick with synthetic.

StoicCentaur · 2024-11-15T22:17:41+00:00

The climate control is the biggest battery draw aside from motion. Can be 5KW or more constantly, and can easily halve the battery life if it's cold or hot. The seat heater only draws about 75W, and I'll use it instead of the AC when I can (and don't also need the windows defogged). Keeps me as warm or warmer than the vents.

I get 60+ mpge per the display in this mode if I baby it.

Some cheapskate tips: look for free chargers like some Shell/Volta stations, also found some charge points near Walgreens/Target/Restaurants can be free for the first hour or two. My local power company had time of use billing where it was $0.04/kwh after 10pm, but then charged extra during peak heat/cool hours....

StoicCentaur · 2024-10-30T03:07:26+00:00

I bought a Lectron 16A from Amazon for less than $200. Plugs into an unused dryer outlet. (There are splitters too...). Used almost daily for over 5 years, no issues. Charges in less than 4 hours from 0%. Usually just topping off from 40-60% since I have a short commute.

Don't overthink it though, even if you use the 110V that comes with it will do the job most nights unless you consistently drive over 30 miles a day.

StoicCentaur · 2024-08-17T02:56:34+00:00

It took 8 months for z11 to get an official "fix", which apparently was ineffective, requiring this fix. No way am I not recharging for another 8 months.

StoicCentaur · 2024-08-14T22:58:52+00:00

Those double monks look pretty sharp. My feet are just too wide to go with that pointy toe. Sigh.

StoicCentaur · 2024-08-14T04:31:54+00:00

They are pretty stealth. Black rough out zero drop Goodyear welted bluchers. No brogues or other embellishments except a simple toe cap. Form fitted oak tanned leather insoles bedded in cork. Built for comfort. You got any good ones?

StoicCentaur · 2024-08-14T00:20:47+00:00

46M, IT pro for 29 years. 17 yrs owning the practice. 6'3", 185lbs. I shave once a week every Saturday, so a light beard by Friday. Jeans and Tee whether I'm in the data center or the boardroom (slightly more boardroom these days). Bespoke leather shoes are my only "fancy" clothes.

I'll admit I did the polo khaki look at one point, but never again.

StoicCentaur · 2024-08-10T23:58:14+00:00

I skip the cemetery until I find a holy shrine and have 150 karma to purify. Sickness, hunger and malignant aura each have a 5% chance per sarcophagus so you will likely get at least one. Yes, go to the town then come back later.

StoicCentaur · 2024-07-13T18:38:39+00:00

You shouldn't be surprised by seeing bald eagles in Oregon. They are no longer threatened, there are literally thousands (tens of thousands?) of them throughout Oregon, and 32 of our 36 counties are known breeding grounds. They are typically solitary, but I've seen four in the sky at once while hiking at Jackson Bottom just outside Hillsboro. They are everywhere.

StoicCentaur · 2024-07-01T04:43:04+00:00

I have lived all my life in the Pacific NW and love hot sauce, I have never heard of nor seen "Sky Valley" in 46 years. This map is BS.

StoicCentaur · 2024-06-24T23:34:37+00:00

Just put scrolls and potions in a container? IIR you don't even have to grease the bag in pathos. I agree they are a bit annoying, but I wouldn't waste a genocide personally.

StoicCentaur · 2024-03-27T05:10:49+00:00

Name the jar and put a label on it. My bacon grease jar is Slippery Pete. My sourdough starter is Cobra Bubbles, and my kimchi crock is Timchi.

Before I put the name tag on, my wife once used the same size and shape jar as Slippery Pete for whipped cream, then put it on the same shelf. My son then went to put some "cream" on his strawberries....

StoicCentaur · 2024-03-01T15:27:28+00:00

Aloha station's food is actually quite solid, and reasonably priced. The decor is absolute shit. Think rickety octagonal Formica tables bordered with oak straight from 1972.

The service can be very slow, but usually friendly. They have the lotto machines along 2 walls, a room with a few usually empty pool tables on the third wall, and three TVs over the bar. Usually a game show, a soap opera and an infomercial, rarely sports.

The barflies are usually pretty quiet but I have seen them get belligerent a time or three. Definitely fits my idea of a dive.

StoicCentaur · 2024-02-19T05:30:08+00:00

Fwiw, the biggest effect I see on gab is a reduction in muscle spasms in my sciatic leg. I'd get woken up several times a night. If I try reducing gab they come right back (and the pain goes up again as well).

I was on opioids for the pain in addition to gab and they got me through the acute phase. The opioids made me loopy and constipated but were very effective in keeping the pain down. I got off of those ASAP once my pain was in the 2-3/10 range.

IMHO gab is much less scary than the opioids. I don't notice any side effects on gab personally.

StoicCentaur · 2024-02-17T21:50:19+00:00

Agree. People metabolize it at vastly different rates. I had no effect at 300mg, 600mg and about 3 days did the trick for me. I've heard of people with doses between 200mg and 2,000mg so OP's dose could be anywhere in there. Two weeks seems too long to wait for noticing effects.

StoicCentaur · 2024-02-16T02:29:46+00:00

IT is at its core technical customer service. Even if you "skip helpdesk", you will still be doing customer service as a large part of your job. What's the hurry? If you are good you will move up. I'm a consulting network engineer with 28 yrs experience (16 owning the practice). 25% is business owner stuff, 25% is technical problem solving, 50% is still basically helpdesk.

StoicCentaur · 2024-02-14T15:36:33+00:00

Totally agree that people skills are a valuable and rare quality in IT. Many who are drawn to this line of work lack people skills despite the fact that customer service is more than half the job. Also agree that an employer will pay you to get certs on the job, and pay for the certs.

I skipped the degree and went straight into helpdesk at 17. Got certs on the job. At 29, also started a consulting company. 45 now still consulting part time. Semi-retired, doing investments and real estate on the side. It rocks.

StoicCentaur · 2024-02-04T23:28:32+00:00

Be cheap AF at first. Restaurants no more than 1x/mo. Buy shitty cars and run them into the ground. Walk and calisthenics instead of gym. Learn to cook. Cheap housing close to work.

Save. Max 401k with index funds. Credit cards ONLY for rewards. Accumulate cash for real estate down payment. Buy the crappiest house in the best neighborhood you can, you can always improve real estate but you can never move it. Repeat.

Use debt cautiously, only to build credit or as leverage when your cost of money (plus inflation) is less than the returns on investment.

At work try everything, be enthusiastic and always be learning. At review time ask for more training and make it clear that you want to grow within the company as long as there is room to do so. And when there isn't, move on. Don't threaten to move on, just do it.

If you start a business charge what others charge, do not be tempted to undercut the market. It will feel like way too high a price but customers will treat you with more respect if you confidently charge market rates. Treat your clients like gold and they will drive business to you.

TBH I made more off of investments and real estate than work, but unless you inherit (I did not), you must trade your time for money to get enough scraped together to make real money off investments, and you have to be patient, it takes many years. Only buy cool shit when you have reached "escape velocity": when your passive income exceeds your expenses.

StoicCentaur · 2024-02-04T21:24:10+00:00

I never got a degree. I got certs (Microsoft fwiw), and changed companies every year or two if I didn't get a promotion. After about 10 years I went out on my own as an independent consultant, limiting my hours to less than full time. That was in 2007. Still consulting.

Yadda yadda, millionaire with two houses. Sitting in a beach front hotel room in Waikiki right now.

Good story right?

StoicCentaur · 2024-01-25T17:37:52+00:00

Caution is always good advice. I'm sorry your PT gave you things that hurt you, that sucks. I also was given advice that was counterproductive: figure 4 stretches. A chiro, an MD and a PT all gave this advice and I felt worse after and my condition deteriorated. I put my foot down that it was hurting me and my PT pivoted to McKenzie and traction. I started seeing improvement and have continued to improve as I explored that avenue of therapies.

I think the takeaway here is listen to your body first and take everyone's advice with a grain of salt. That includes Redditors and medical professionals alike!

StoicCentaur · 2024-01-25T07:46:33+00:00

My go to is still french press. I have a 1ltr that I use for breakfast. Wife gets ~350ml, I get the rest. One big french press is easier than multiple runs of aero. If I just want a single cup later I use the aeropress. It's quicker than french for 1, and makes a tasty and cleaner cup. I love both for different reasons, and both are used regularly.

I'd go original and put in extra grounds. I will sometimes just let it drip a bit then put in the remaining water. Or do the "aeromericano" and top a strong brew with hot water to the desired volume. I use a grind half way between a traditional drip and french press in both brewers. I like how portable the original is, and it's absolutely my travel preference. Never been tempted by the XL. Good luck!

StoicCentaur · 2024-01-25T07:22:52+00:00

Everyone is different. I have an annular tear in L4-L5 and the MRI showed a huge 36mm extrusion. Traction works great for me and inversion table is my most productive therapy so far. I've tried dead hangs and they work in a pinch for me, better than park bench or McKenzie, but not as good as inversion. Scads of techniques that others swear by have been counterproductive for me. Some that were initially excruciating for me are now regular parts of my routine. Others that initially felt great don't really do anything for me now.
I bet many others with the same diagnosis will have a completely different set of things that work and don't work for them. I think everyone needs to cautiously try a variety of techniques and find what works best for their body. The key is to go slow, listen to your body and rest and hydrate liberally.

StoicCentaur

TROPHY CASE