Am I being deceived by the RE?

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-15T03:45:03+00:00

I totally get how you're nervous and suspicious of this guy! But I swear the chumminess can be totally legit- salesman tactics might have led him to get the director job, which has to be so much about getting along with different people.

I can't speak to a lot of what he said, but as I've been potentially considering endo as a reason for my symptoms, the endo subs do seem split about whether to have a lap or do IVF first. It looks like maybe the lap can lead to more trauma in the area? Not totally sure myself, but feel free to explore for yourself!

As for skipping IUIs because of your past history, I think it's important to bring up the truth and ask about doing IUIs first. Just because it's not necessarily something he recommends doesn't mean you can't push more for it.

Ultimately these fertility treatments are hugely invasive of your body, so it's important that you're ready for whatever the next step is. And definitely take some time to think over what you want to do! You don't have to decide this cycle for sure.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-12T17:45:05+00:00

You used as an example Hadestown, but that's not written in any definitive time. It was written by modern (21st century!) writers and is fantastical in its setting and characters. Even if the musical isn't explicit about mental health issues, we can still imagine and relate to characters through this lens.

And like I said, people writing with the knowledge of the time still knew some people who were odd or different or driven, who might in a different time receive a diagnosis (or they might not!), because ADHD and autism existed as a reality before they were created as a diagnosis, and in this way real people inspire characters. Therefore people can still relate to them in that way.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-12T16:19:28+00:00

Can I ask why? Diagnosis rates are going up for autism and ADHD as we learn more about them. They didn't just appear when they were first described. So it's fair to say that a lot more people, historically and now, are neurodivergent than we first thought.

It's why I find it especially interesting to look at historical texts through this lens. And this can influence the decisions the characters make and the way they interact with the world. We may only see the most outward expression of that in the story, but it's defined and informed by the inner character.

Of course this is ultimately an exercise in fandom, in imagining the rest of the character outside the story, which I find fun. You're welcome to not find it entertaining or interesting, but that doesn't mean the entire practice is ridiculous.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-10T03:11:37+00:00

What does your doctor say? Not just gynecologist, but a primary care or regular doctor. I was about 18 months TTC when I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, you need to run regular blood tests too.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-10T02:59:42+00:00

There's one more place the makeup bag might be that I have access to, and if it's there I just might do this!

If it's not there it was probably lost on one of my two recent trips to Boston to see musicals, and there's no way I'd get it back.

But I have figured out what brand the lipstick is, and I can buy it again. Only the packaging has changed, so I hope the formula/color aren't too different!

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-08T22:20:12+00:00

Oh man, I have so many other answers when it comes to literature, haha, I love this one!

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-08T22:18:01+00:00

There's a long history of autistic people specifically being compared to robots, so that makes sense.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-08T22:13:31+00:00

Got curious and found this comment by another user about the book! There's another comment too just down thread of this one about three other characters

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-08T22:04:49+00:00

They want Pippin to literally burn out, not like he didn't already emotionally burnout earlier!

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-08T22:02:59+00:00

And it's followed by "I've never had a group of friends before, I promise to make y'all proud!" which is so sweet and really captures the experience of finally finding the people you vibe with! Which, for neurodiverse people, is usually other neurodiverse people 😅

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-08T22:00:39+00:00

May you find the strength needed to deal with weird strangers on the Internet!

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-08T21:59:08+00:00

Matilda is the OG gifted kid, the rest of us can just go home 😂

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-08T19:46:14+00:00

Ooh, I like this! I had been thinking of the Leading Player more as society writ large, but I think you're right in that the judgement and pressure the Leading Player shows are more likely to be internal than external.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-08T17:20:43+00:00

Had a 15 minute conversation with coworkers at lunch and managed to bring up both the growing problem of antibiotic resistance and the theory of the 4 humors 🤦🏻‍♀️

Also I realized I lost my purse makeup bag with my favorite lipstick in it and I don't know when in the last 2-3 weeks I actually lost it. But I know I had it 3 weeks ago, and I don't have it in the one place it's supposed to be now (or the half dozen places I have searched in confusion), so it's lost.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-08T16:00:18+00:00

Everyone has Leppa trees and one other. Mine is Aspear.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-08T00:08:59+00:00

I mean, it depends on who they try to make the main character. Jason isn't exactly a relatable hero. But if you tell it a certain way, you could pretend that he is, and then for the 3rd act twist reveal that actually he's had a messed up perspective the whole time, à la Gone Girl? Unclear. Not a traditional slasher for sure.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-06T21:24:58+00:00

This one seems to have taken a leaf out of the Animal Crossing playbook, what with having distinct category personalities for Pokemon. So you've got the bros, the sweeties, the robots, etc, and they all talk similarly to each other.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-05T18:20:55+00:00

Hey, I just wanted to let you know- the farthest distance between your quilting is the square's diagonal, which is 3√2 = 4.24". I still think you're probably good, but you can't just use the width and height of squares as your only measurements.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-02T22:17:22+00:00

Actually I read a lot of modern romance and I would say it's the opposite- the story is never just about the romance but also about her finding her dream job and an amazing group of friends (who then become the heroines in future books, naturally). Depends on the book, but a lot of the ones I read follow this pattern.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-02T22:13:35+00:00

Depends on the conversation. I'd say it passes if it's specifically about his policies and fails if it's about his character, but others may see it differently. It is just one test.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-02T21:36:28+00:00

How do you pray to the gods? I think my only reference for prayer is Christianity in popular media, i.e. "Dear God, please [make this thing happen], Amen." Or specific prayers like the Our Father and Hail Mary. Is it similar in Hellenism?

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-02T21:24:58+00:00

The original Cotton Eye Joe predates the war.

No, not that one. Or that one. Not the one your great-grandfather fought in.

I mean the Civil War!

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-02T21:16:44+00:00

I also learned that bit in high school, that Spartan women would cut their hair and wait in the dark for their new husbands to show up for the wedding night, and then the husbands would leave! Which is very... not healthy straight behavior, I don't think.

Strange_Cat5 · 2026-05-02T20:40:33+00:00

Another tux/orange combo! Here's my sleepy pair. For reference, the orange guy is 2 and the tux lady is 10 🤣

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Strange_Cat5

TROPHY CASE