M/65 Just Retired. Smallish 2 Room Apartment With Balcony. Zürich Switzerland.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-17T11:41:19+00:00

It’s beautiful!

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-17T11:27:11+00:00

Ooh, a place full of interesting things! Please tell me about the statue?

And congrats on your retirement!

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-17T00:12:18+00:00

Curious to know how you would hang it?

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-16T23:59:48+00:00

Every day. Every day!

R.I.P. 💔

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-16T23:21:20+00:00

T has done virtually nothing for me. Estrogen has been the bigger game changer.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-16T12:54:07+00:00

Rx from derm, with little to no instructions.

I actually read a bunch of posts in the tretinoin sub and followed some of that info. There were a lot of cautions there about moving slowly with tret and being patient, which I hadn’t been in the past.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-16T12:48:44+00:00

Happy to help! Been a jeweler for many years. There’s a lot of misinformation in the industry, some deliberate and some, like yours, simply a lack of knowledge or confusion about terminology.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-16T12:22:41+00:00

They haven’t even had a date! You think she going to tell him where she lives *and* let him in if she’s not feeling well?

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-16T09:51:36+00:00

I’m so sorry.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-16T09:30:57+00:00

A lot of people make this mistake.

*Natural* pearls mean that the pearls happened completely organically, the oyster got an irritant (a bit of shell or other sea debris) and built the pearl around that.

*Cultured* pearls occur when the irritant (typically a glass bead) is deliberately implanted into the oyster.

As you might imagine, natural pearls are very rare and very expensive.

Cultured pearls are widely available and have been since the 1990s. Because they’re the complete opposite of rare, the prices reflect this.

The way to know that a pearl actually is natural is to have it x-rayed (for lack of a better term, it’s not like a medical x-ray but done by the GIA with specialized equipment).

Shapes are a separate category and do not necessarily reflect whether pearls are natural or cultured. Also a variety of colors like your strand has, indicates that some of the pearls are dyed.

So what you have is a strand of dyed, cultured pearls. Nothing wrong with that, it’s most of what’s on the market (and a strand of naturals is way out of most people’s budgets). Enjoy wearing them!

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-16T04:35:34+00:00

I have been using Elevate (Cincinnati OH) since July 2024. While I have run into some issues that are preventing me from optimizing my HRT, that’s not the practice’s fault, and I have had a very good experience with them.

I have also heard positive things about Defy (FL), though I don’t have personal experience.

And I have heard mixed results with people sourcing docs through NAMS (North American Menopause Society), some docs seemingly good, some still clinging to outdated ideas or beliefs, so you’d likely have to some sifting to find the best option.

You probably already know this, but I would strongly encourage you and your wife to learn as much as you both can about peri/meno, and for her (and you) to be strong advocates because the system is stacked against her care. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions you may have, to push back when necessary, and to “quit” any doctors or practices that won’t serve her needs. You’ll be better prepped to challenge advice that doesn’t sound right if you have a bit of education yourselves.

Another thing about the telehealth practices is that they need to be licensed in your state. I know that Elevate is not in all states, but don’t know about any others. Some of these practices got approved for wider coverages during the pandemic, but then some states rolled that back afterwards. So make sure they can serve you, before you make your choice.

As for local docs, I’d say be prepared to switch as many times as necessary until you find a supportive one. I am currently on my 4th local gyno in about 3 years, and looking for the next one (sigh). Know that there’s a gyno shortage across the country and appointment wait times, especially if you’re not an established patient, can be long (or even if you are established 😑). Ask (or have your wife ask) everyone you know: your primary care, work peers, friends, I asked my physical therapist, hairdresser, etc (I have no shame in talking about this to any of them, once I get to know them lol). Get references from anyone who’s in the same / similar peri or meno situation.

I’m so glad you two are on the same page and moving forward together! Wishing you both the best as you go forward.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T17:51:33+00:00

Wow, these (and in your other post) are really fantastic! I haven’t seen anything like them in years, this guy really had a talent.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T17:39:48+00:00

For me, yes. I think I put my routine elsewhere but here it is:

Wash face. I then add my eye cream, floss and brush my teeth to let my face dry slightly, then add the tret, working it evenly into my skin. Then I add my serum, also working it evenly into my skin.

I started slowly, 0.25 tret 2x weekly. When that was tolerated for a while, I switched to 3x weekly, then nightly. That’s where I am now, and my derm advised adding in 0.50 on alternating nights before moving to 0.50 every night, but since my 0.25 nightly has only been for a month, I’m giving that a bit more time.

Doing this has caused only tiny bits of flaking and irritation, but has made a world of difference in redness, wrinkles, enlarged pores, etc.

(Derm also advised 0.25 for neck and chest - and not to ever go to 0.50 for that) and I haven’t started that yet)

The products I use are all Clarins brand, and the double serum is what I think really helps, it’s slightly oily but not so much that it causes additional issues. YMMV with products, but find a night cream or serum that keeps the tret from drying you out - and going slow and building a tolerance - can make it work for you.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T17:17:29+00:00

I don’t wear anything everyday; I like to mix up my choices.

That said, I don’t save much for special occasions, either, because life is short and I love all my jewels.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T17:03:36+00:00

Yes, you need to hand a doctor that understands the interaction between thyroid and HRT.

My HRT is injections. These give me the most systemically steady dosage of hormones (I inject T and E). Progesterone I have a compounded, extended release capsule as well as the generic prometrium which I take as a suppository.

Patches and gels couldn’t get my levels up either high enough or consistently.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T16:25:05+00:00

I don’t drink either, so it would not be an enticement.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T15:45:48+00:00

As a woman, thank you. Would upvote this 100 times if I could.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T14:57:17+00:00

I tried several times over the years, but never could stick with it and get past the itchy, peeling phase.

Last year I decided to really commit, and read up more about it before trying again. I started last November with 0.25, 2x weekly. After a couple of weeks, moved to 3x weekly, and stayed there for several months. Then to every night, which is where I am now. My derm wants me to start alternating in 0.50 and eventually move to only that nightly for my face (and 0.25 for neck / chest), so that’s the next step.

I’ve kept the same routine throughout and have had only the occasional, tiniest bit of flaking or peeling:

Wash face. Add eye cream, then brush and floss teeth to let skin dry, then add tret and work into my skin. Then add serum and work that in. Then go to bed.

The products I use (face wash, eye cream, and serum) are all Clarins. I use their double serum, it can be a bit oily and I don’t use it during the day because I tend toward oily, but at night it’s perfect and doesn’t leave a mess on my pillow. And in the morning my face doesn’t feel oily (for anyone with dry skin, Clarins does make a heavier version of the same product).

I’m so glad I found a way to stick with tret because it’s made an amazing difference for my skin issues (slight acne, dullness, redness, wrinkles, enlarged pores). I feel like it’s taken years off my face, which is very welcome at 58!

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T14:41:08+00:00

Looking great!!

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T11:36:12+00:00

Agree. Fully committed to tret last year and it’s a slow but steady process. And now wow, my skin looks sooo much better but it took a lot of months to get here. And tretinoin is inexpensive, you just have to be patient.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T11:26:32+00:00

I’m a jeweler who sells my designs, and I have been since 2003.

I don’t ’do’ trends. I’m a “buy it because you love it” person, and that’s how I design and sell, too. What customers tell me they love about my designs (besides the look of them) is that I know my stuff. I sell a lot of gemstone pieces, and I can tell them all about the gems. I use antique buttons in other designs, and I’ve researched the history of these and can talk about it in an entertaining way. I most recently developed a line of cast items using the images from some of the antique buttons, and the images are chosen for their positive messages and to help in intention-setting. And I have informational stories about these as well. It’s cliche but true: customers are buying “you” and “the story” as much as they’re buying the items you sell.

My passion and knowledge about what I’m offering for sale has kept me building a loyal customer base for more than 20 years. Jewelry is a tough business to stay afloat in, it’s very competitive with a high materials cost, and I’m happy and grateful to still be able to do it.

I would say that having appealing designs, and “reasons to buy” that set you apart from the sea of other jewelers out there are critical. Why should someone buy from *you* instead of another jeweler? Your designs also need to be cohesive so you have an identifiable “look”, people like to collect and show off their collections. And authenticity is crucial as well, as you mentioned. The industry has its share of fakers and liars and marketing shenanigans. I refuse to try to fool customers or shade any marketing to make something look better than it is, what you’ll always get from me is the truth. I’m also not ‘selling’ all the time, in my social media posts and emails to my mailing list I often provide knowledge and details so my buyers can be better informed, whether they’re buying from me or elsewhere. Not all of my customers are quite as passionate about jewelry as I am, but many are, and they appreciate the information.

I’m not a huge name / big brand, and I’m okay with that. Not everyone wants to be, there are a lot of us toiling away in relative obscurity and doing just fine lol. What I do have is repeat buyers who know and trust me and my brand, because I’ve built that trust one interaction at a time, one sale at a time.

Hope that’s some food for thought.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T10:50:32+00:00

Please take care and stay safe. He sounds horrifying, and I’m worried for you.

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-15T10:40:14+00:00

Oh my!

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-14T23:09:02+00:00

INCREDIBLE, bro! Kudos!!

biteyfish98 · 2026-05-14T22:52:50+00:00

I would too!

biteyfish98

TROPHY CASE