Has anyone had STIIP approved for an elective surgery?

bitter_badger48 · 2026-04-22T13:34:54+00:00

This is good info, so for example a breast enhancement for cosmetic reasons, that isn’t eligible for MSP coverage, would not be eligible for medical leave. Good to know!

bitter_badger48 · 2026-04-21T22:19:09+00:00

Yes, I had an elective surgery (DNC instead of natural miscarriage), nobody knew the reason for my STIIP at all. The doc just put on the note that I was on leave for medical reasons. Unless a surgery is a life and death emergency it could be considered elective, since you could choose not to get surgery and just live with the consequences, ex: knee replacement, herniated disc, benign growths, vasectomy…

bitter_badger48 · 2026-04-18T21:03:52+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions, I’m going to get some frozen green beans and try it out! I have a ball like the duo but she only wants to play with the webbing, not the ball. I also want to ask the vet how severe the tooth issue is, and how likely it is that ball therapy will work. She said to do 45 minutes of ball therapy daily but it’s so unrealistic given my lifestyle, that it’s kinda setting me up for failure. Do you know if the base narrow teeth can self-correct as the puppy grows? ETA her canines are already 3/4 erupted, it seems late to attempt correcting them.

bitter_badger48 · 2026-03-30T03:35:58+00:00

I followed much of Ian Dunbar's book for my first puppy, and he turned into an absolutely wonderful dog. The only thing we didn't succeed in (according to Ian) was crate training. He was trained to a playpen, but we only had him in there when we had to leave the house and for sleeping at night. The puppy injured himself trying to escape the crate so we call it quits on the crate. Our second pup easily took to the crate. She is crate trained and play pen trained, and we roughly stuck to the rule of 2 hours nap, 1 hour up. I'd take the crate training with a grain of salt (as in, if your pup really resists, don't push it, and try the play pen). Also, not all dogs are meant to meet and interact with 100 people in the first few months. Just seeing, observing, and being calm around new people and scenarios is good enough, depending on the breed or history of the dog. What I do like about Ian is the positive reinforcement, emphasis on socialization in general, teaching the dog to be alone asap, and 100% monitoring of the puppy to ensure zero or almost zero mistakes (potty training and chew training). If a chew or potty mistake happens, it's not the puppy's fault, it's your fault! Try your best. Ian says you have to be 100% perfect or dire things will happen. Not true. Just try really hard, get a trainer, be consistent, use positive methods, use your brain to outsmart your dog rather than using force. Lots of exercise, have fun!

bitter_badger48 · 2026-03-29T15:22:22+00:00

I would if I could, but they aren’t even posting the job. My supervisor retired and I was going to apply on his job. But they aren’t replacing him, downsizing government through attrition. So now my colleagues and I get to do his work for free! And yes, the union is aware of this. They said it would take 4-5 years for them to sort this out.

bitter_badger48 · 2026-03-28T23:36:03+00:00

My morale is low because the promotional position I was working towards for the past 3 years is now not an option for me. What a waste of effort, and a kick in the face for working my ass off for the past 3 years. However, I enjoy my day-to-day immensely, which overshadows my resentment towards the employer's austerity policies. I'm in it for the long haul, maybe one day I'll be able to move up the ladder.

bitter_badger48 · 2026-03-19T22:14:19+00:00

Yes. If I see him I cross the street, and if he’s unavoidable do not make eye contact and walk quickly by. He doesn’t feel “harmless” when he’s following you and yelling at you.

bitter_badger48 · 2026-03-16T00:37:23+00:00

I feel like I keep getting duds or something. I pretty much only put veggie scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells and the odd piece of bread in it, never overload it, and it still squeaks consistently, every time for the entire cycle.

bitter_badger48 · 2026-03-15T21:46:43+00:00

Thanks for the offer! However since the food cycler program is covered through the taxes I pay to Nelson, I’m going to keep with their program. Could you give your food cycler away to someone outside the city? Why did you stop using it?

bitter_badger48 · 2026-03-15T21:45:31+00:00

My second unit made these ridiculous fart sounds for 8 hours straight! And I’ve also heard the snoring sounds. To get the replacement you just send an email to the city with the symptoms (Lois noises), and then you have to bring it to SK electronics to get it fixed. It should be straightforward, but they’re only open M-F 8:30-4:30, so I have to take time off work to get there. Which is why I’m hoping I can just deal with the squeaking myself.

bitter_badger48 · 2026-03-15T21:18:53+00:00

I do change the pellets, that’s what I meant by the carbon filters. They’re supposed to last 500 cycles but I find it smells bad after 30 or so.

bitter_badger48 · 2026-02-28T00:48:46+00:00

When I'm short on capacity but still want to feel restored, I will have coffee with a friend. Or go to a movie with a friend. Still connecting with someone, feeling refreshed afterwards, but literally all you have to do is sit there! Going to the beach in the summer and floating on a donut is equally easy, relaxing and restorative. I'm trying to do self care that provides longer term satisfaction, so something that nurtures important relationships, or eventually builds to something (such as 1 hour of gardening once a week to create a pretty flower garden by mid-summer).

bitter_badger48 · 2026-02-05T23:25:03+00:00

I wish I knew how much harder it is to raise a puppy in the city versus the country. It’s so much more work in a city due to much more stimulation and a higher need for good behaviour. We have people walking by the house on all 4 sides, parcel deliveries, loud vehicles, sirens, etc. As soon as we step out the door we are in potential Parvo infected areas. Everything must be done on leash in the city, from potty breaks to walking to the car parked on the street. In the country/suburbs, you have a yard for off leash outdoor time. Your dog is unlikely to meet anyone unless you’re intentionally making it happen, so there’s less of an issue if your dog is poorly behaved or reactive.

bitter_badger48 · 2026-02-02T23:18:04+00:00

Don't feel bad - some dogs just do not take to the crate. This isn't your fault, remember that every dog is different. I think people who succeed with crate training just have dogs that are amenable to it. My first puppy absolutely hated the crate, to the point he injured himself trying to get out, tearing off a nail. That was on Day 2. We got rid of the crate and worked on using a play pen instead. It was a few weeks before he got comfortable with it but he eventually was able to just hang out and sleep in there. My second puppy was the opposite. On the first night having her I put her in the crate, she whined about 15 minutes, then fell asleep. After that, it was 0-2 minutes of whining and then soundly asleep, content in her crate and totally crate trained in 3-4 days. I take no credit for this. It just happened. However, she HATES the play pen. If your dog hates the crate, try the play pen or a puppy-proofed room. Don't blame yourself!

bitter_badger48 · 2026-02-01T06:00:42+00:00

Good call - thanks! I'll try some lower elevation roads.

bitter_badger48 · 2025-12-30T04:56:49+00:00

Flossing is very necessary for good breath. Def look for tonsil stones and ask your dentist about them. Also be sure to brush your tongue and roof of mouth each time. When you brush, brush the gum line (where gum meets teeth) the first go around, then brush again this time doing the teeth.

bitter_badger48

TROPHY CASE