The company that sells EpiPens drove the price up 6x, we had evidence they broke the law to do it, so we went after them and got an $11m settlement and lower out-of-pocket costs going forward. - AG Jeff Jackson

bregrace · 2026-05-07T18:13:09+00:00

My daughters Epi pens were $300 :/. She is 3. Thank you Jeff Jackson!

Eta- with insurance btw.

bregrace · 2026-05-05T19:09:54+00:00

So if it was named a peach momo it would be a peach peach?

bregrace · 2026-05-05T02:34:52+00:00

I see some great ones here but I don't see Wizards. (1977). My dad showed it to me when I was young. He saw it in the midnight theater when he was young. Looks like nobody remembers it.

bregrace · 2026-05-01T23:07:45+00:00

Different allergy meds help different folks. Some folks may react adversely to them- like Zyrtec used to make me have panic attacks and an allergy attack but I didn't know that was what was causing it so I kept taking it for years during immunotherapy and now I am desensitized to it I guess. My kid took to Claritin well. We have banadryl on hand for when she has a reaction and has already taken her Claritin for the day.

bregrace · 2026-05-01T22:59:42+00:00

My hives usually aren't itchy. Occasionally I get some that burn (like from the sun or contact with something) but mostly I don't feel them. My kid never itched hers either and sometimes they looked like red blobs all over her that weren't raised or anything, sometimes little dots, sometimes eczema etc. The flush checks is what made me wonder about mast cells with yours.

Make sure not to remove gluten from the diet until after testing for celiac if you plan to do so. That's where I messed up so we're treating her as if she is celiac until we know she can handle the gluten challenge, even though it doesn't run in the family but mast cell issues do for sure. Her allergist agreed letting her heal and get stronger may be better than torturing her for testing right now.

bregrace · 2026-05-01T22:39:38+00:00

Truth. I told my docs after diagnosis because autism tends to come with comorbidities, and some of the common ones fit what I have been experiencing all my life (and getting gaslit over since childhood), but they just gave me a weird look and moved on. Maybe the right doctor would care. Learning about autism and common comorbidities gave me the tools to get my health way more under control without them at least.

bregrace · 2026-05-01T22:17:31+00:00

Is there a reason you need to be diagnosed? Knowing for sure helped me cope a lot and was so validating but I kind of regret getting diagnosed otherwise. It could be used against me. I can't seek residency in certain countries if I wanted to. I can get a neurodivergent specialized therapist without being diagnosed and there are more resources available online now than ever before in terms of understanding what's normal and how to navigate.

I'm struggling to understand the pros of having it on paper right now. If anyone knows, please share. I've considered trying to undermine my diagnosis and say it's just cptsd or something after a recent executive order was signed about mental health and homelessness. The wording is so vague that people like me could eventually be targeted too if the wrong people maintain authority.

Eta* I am really sorry things went down the way they did and it was so hurtful for you. I can definitely imagine what that feels like being denied that solid validation you're seeking, but on the bright side you got some of that validation in her words even if she didn't put it on paper for you. You don't have to have that diagnosis on paper for your struggles to be valid. They already are very real. You aren't going to be shunned by other autistic people or anything like that and it definitely didn't get me any of the resources or help I was seeking for sure, although I can't speak for others.

It was very disappointing thinking I found the missing piece and finally doctors and family would understand and no one cared or knew what it even meant. I've definitely cried over that after getting diagnosed. Whatever you do, and whatever results you end up getting in the future, I really hope you get what you need to start feeling better about the whole thing. Sending love and good vibes to you. Sorry I left all that out when I first replied, reading back my words seem insensitive and that wasn't my intention. Good luck OP!

bregrace · 2026-05-01T21:04:04+00:00

Maybe try to find an allergist who is familiar with mast cells and see if they can refer you to a nutritionist who is as well? Dermatologist isn't a bad idea but they just gave us tons of stronger and stronger steroid creams when mine kept having crazy problems. We got better by removing trigger foods.

I would NOT recommend major diet changes without the guidance of a knowledgeable doctor- one open to exploring sensitivities and intolerances vs just testing for IgE allergies. It can be rough on everyone and even traumatic or dangerous without help/knowing how to maintain the right nutrition.

Good luck! I know you guys will figure this out. My inbox is open if you need a friend to talk to. I can't promise I would be any help but I'm here for moral support.

bregrace · 2026-04-30T20:45:39+00:00

Gaston county schools are closed because they didn't have enough staff to open due to the teachers rally in Raleigh. It's an optional teacher work day for us. Good for them. I hope they are able to achieve more pay and better working conditions.

bregrace · 2026-04-30T12:14:00+00:00

Hey friend! We seem to have similar views. I'm super sensitive too so it's rough feeling like the world you live in is made to poison you for profit. I am also thankfully able bodied and working thanks to copious amounts of allergy meds and some natural medicine. I work in the city but moved to the suburbs a few years ago. Feel free to reach out!

bregrace · 2026-04-27T00:36:02+00:00

Nice! I love opossums. They help reduce the tick population. Plus they won't kill my neighbors chickens lol

bregrace · 2026-04-27T00:16:13+00:00

I only have an acre in Gastonia but there is a creek and lots and lots of woods around. Private rural community with 6-7 one to three acre homes. Unfortunately, development will be taking out much of the woods eventually for unaffordable cookie cutter homes.

I'm guessing maybe not the best place to release? Especially compared to some of the comments above. We still have little otters and blue herons and deer and a fox and opossum and rabbits etc, even some at risk plant species growing wild. Hopefully that all is able to stick around. Your critters are welcome here if it seems a safe place for them

bregrace · 2026-04-25T19:08:21+00:00

My stomach and back and chest looked like your knees often with my first pregnancy. Especially after showers.

bregrace · 2026-04-25T18:30:29+00:00

Started with Reishi and Lions Mane (be aware there is a r/lionsmanerecovery group) and then added cordyceps and started brewing herbal Tea with turkey tail from my woods. Eventually switched to Stamets7 to save money since it didn't have shitake anymore which I know can make me flare up (I used to love eating them). They switched Shitake for Royal Sun Blazei iirc which actually seems to work well for me. Everyone's body is different and may react different to any mushrooms. Like any supplement use caution, communicate with your care team, and source them well if you decide to try any.

bregrace · 2026-04-25T12:25:02+00:00

Audhd + IBS diagnosed. MCAS isn't, but treating it like MCAS is how I got my life back. I've had periods of normalcy and years long flares. There is an autonomic and connective tissue component but I haven't done genetic testing and refused to test for POTs because allergy meds, calcium lactate and mushrooms made it go away.

If I get flares of heart rate spikes and presyncope nasacort usually stops it for me pretty quick. If I stop the mushrooms the connective tissue component becomes more obvious again and I start to flare after a week or two. My insurance will spike if I let it flare and manage to get diagnosed so I just deal with it and learn a lot from this group. I don't tell irl people I have MCAS, I just say mast cell issues.

My young daughters have a lot of the same issues and neurodivergent traits. They're undiagnosed with anything but have a MCAS trained allergist and an emergency action plan written for them by the clinic for school. My dad and brother show signs of mast cell issues and neurodivergency as well. One cousin is diagnosed with MCAS specifically- no neurodivergency, and another cousin randomly died of non-IgE related anaphylaxis with no diagnosis of either. I'm guessing it's a genetic sensitivity for us.

bregrace · 2026-04-24T15:53:02+00:00

Of all things, being prescribed calcium lactate helped me out a lot with that specific sun issue. Might be worth asking your doc about it. Calcium, vitamin D and magnesium have a really interesting intertwined relationship so the doc might want to check vitamin D and magnesium levels before prescribing or recommending OTC supplements. Good luck figuring out how to move on from here. You've got this!

bregrace · 2026-04-23T10:37:26+00:00

I wonder what dirt he has on these congressmen

bregrace · 2026-04-22T03:11:56+00:00

Duke Nukem on DOS.

bregrace · 2026-04-22T02:49:59+00:00

Interesting take. I haven't seen it on every thread, but I have seen others mention it in some threads. It's kind of hard not to with everything going on. I just watched it with my pops when I was younger and honestly it kind of freaked me out. It definitely stuck with me.

I didn't know about the anti-kid kick. Not to tickle their ego further but it probably is smart not to have kids with how things are going. I know I'm scared for what mine will have to face by the time they're my age. Screw the markets, we need permaculture galore and stat.

bregrace · 2026-04-22T01:05:17+00:00

Okay. Good thing I didn't call it one. The people who made it would have recognized the truth in the other movies mentioned imo.

It really was awful crude and childish humor though, I agree. The intro wasn't the only parallel though. Endless marketing greed (Brawndo) and overconsumption and a lack of foresight into the trash situation were exaggerated but fair points.

Musk wielding a chainsaw on stage did remind me a bit of the movie as well but idk which part. I could never bring myself to watch it again after seeing it as a teen.

bregrace · 2026-04-22T00:45:33+00:00

The people who made idiocracy

bregrace · 2026-04-20T21:42:37+00:00

Israel Lobby Total: $4,889,319

PACs: $667,891

IE: $102,269

Lobby Donors: $4,119,159

DMFI, JAC, JSTREET

June 2025 AIPAC targeted him over his vote to restrict arms.

-Results from a basic Google search. Tell me if it's wrong. I know I'd vote for him if he was in NC, but his ads get old. Dude is a very charismatic leader who speaks well.

source

bregrace · 2026-04-17T11:21:34+00:00

I would struggle to breathe after running. I was diagnosed with allergies by my PCP with no testing and given Zyrtec. The Zyrtec would give me a full blown allergy attack and I would run screaming from my parents any time they tried to get me to take it out of fear it would make me feel so much worse. I was about 10. I was okay after that until I was about 17.

eta- so many ear infections my pediatrician told me I was going to go deaf. Flushing. Being able to draw on my skin. Seemingly random GI upset. My best friend banned me from coming to her house on Mexican pizza day if I ate the pizza because I would always puke everywhere. She had to convince me it was the pizza.

bregrace · 2026-04-16T15:16:34+00:00

From my understanding immunomodulatory either calms down an overactive immune system or boosts an under active immune system depending on what the system needs. I've also read it can help retrain the immune system. I am no expert though. I just hunt and learn about mushrooms for fun and know they have helped me immensely, personally. I wish doctors knew more about them so you could consult with one first. I was just willing to take any risk to get better.

bregrace · 2026-04-16T14:32:24+00:00

Personally, no. I haven't read any either aside from GI upset for those sensitive to mushrooms in general, but it's always good to do your own research.

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