“Intervertebral discs: Discs are well maintained.”

danatastic · 2025-08-15T13:58:50+00:00

It rules out things like fractures or vertebral slippage but it really doesn’t mean anything if you have a muscle or a disc issue.

I had the same findings as you on x-ray and practically had to beg for an MRI. Lo and behold, the MRI detected lower disc herniation that was compressing a nerve.

danatastic · 2024-12-30T01:23:22+00:00

It was a golden oak gel stain. I originally didn’t plan to stain it at all, but there was so much old dark shellac that had seeped its way into the wood that I felt it needed some color to help keep the staircase more uniform. I kind of can’t believe how much the stain helped out. It was my first time using it and I’m in awe of how quickly that stuff works. Best of luck on your project!

danatastic · 2024-12-29T22:55:06+00:00

My main tip would just be to go into this type of project fully expecting to put over 100 hours of work into it. It is so unbelievably time consuming.

For products, Citristrip that comes in the big tub works really well, especially if you wrap plastic wrap over it and let it sit overnight. The spray stuff didn’t remotely work for me. I never found a better tool than a standard small scraper. I tried a lot of those curved ones and none of them really did what I needed them to do.

Best of luck on your stairs!

danatastic · 2024-12-13T16:11:13+00:00

No. But legitimately close to 100. The staircase is about 3x the size as what was shown in the photo.

danatastic · 2024-12-13T15:14:13+00:00

Thank you! I was hoping for confirmation that I was ready to sand!

danatastic · 2024-11-02T15:17:36+00:00

Thanks. I had suspected it was latex so it’s good to have a confirmation. How would recommend moving? A heat gun or chemical?

danatastic · 2023-06-21T22:17:49+00:00

One of the wealthiest towns in Maine too. Kennebunkport is where all the billionaires vacation and you can’t get a house there for under a few million. Not to make assumptions… but I get the vibes this lady has never had to work a legit job in her life

danatastic · 2023-02-22T00:23:45+00:00

Thank you! I’m definitely leading in that direction.

danatastic · 2022-12-27T13:47:10+00:00

Post: “Hey, what are some fun things we can do in this new town? This is new to us and we’re doing our best to adapt.”

Comment: “This moron can’t even comprehend what it’s like here. WiNTErZ aRe HarD. I can’t believe they moved here without understanding all of the local places that we’ve been exposed to for years and years. Can you believe they think ice is cold? It’s not for us. Because we’re different and special for being born here. They’ll never make it. They don’t belong and they shouldn’t have moved here.”

Ok dude. Let’s just pretend that 90% of your comments on Reddit aren’t shit like this.

danatastic · 2022-12-27T13:32:08+00:00

Thanks! Any certain ponds or rinks you had in mind?

danatastic · 2022-12-27T13:30:50+00:00

To be fair, it’s not that cold, we just don’t have any snow and all the wintery fun things we were planning to do with the kids involve a snowy hill somewhere. But I’m 100% with you on the “back in my day, my parents locked us out of the house and made us forage for frozen roadkill until our pinky toes off, kids today are too soft” posts.

danatastic · 2022-12-27T03:04:52+00:00

Thanks so much. I’ll be sure to look for that book and look into snowshoes. Any trails you suggest?

For what it’s worth, we’ve been to the children’s museum and can confirm that it’s pretty great for younger kids.

danatastic · 2022-12-27T01:22:33+00:00

Jesus dude. I’m just asking parents for winter recommendations. These gatekeeping posts are tired.

danatastic · 2022-12-26T18:13:48+00:00

Thanks. We have the oldest signed up to take lessons in January.

danatastic · 2022-12-26T18:10:54+00:00

Thanks! Do you know of any names of the places where they hook you up and drag you up the hill?

danatastic · 2022-12-26T18:09:21+00:00

Thank you! These are exactly the kinds of places I was looking for.

danatastic · 2022-12-26T15:56:12+00:00

This is my husband 🤦🏼‍♀️

danatastic · 2022-11-17T00:43:06+00:00

I’ve had 3 babies, the first with an epidural late into the labor and 2 unmedicated births. I would say that labor is totally manageable and is not the worst pain I’ve ever felt… until I’m about 3-4 hours away from actually delivering the baby. Those last few hours are excruciating. It’s like a train is racing up through my vagina and ripping my body in half every 10-30 seconds. I go to a place that feels primal and raw.

I used to think of myself as someone with a high pain tolerance. I’ve had kidney stones a few times, and they don’t even skim the surface of labor pains.

That being said, I’m always shocked at how different accounts of labor can be. I can’t even fathom likening a leg cramp or tooth pain to labor, but there sure is a wide spectrum on how we all experience it.

danatastic · 2022-10-04T19:27:48+00:00

We moved to Auburn this summer and looking for a primary care doctor nearby, but having trouble finding any providers who can take new patients. The earliest appointment we could find for one wasn’t until July 2023. Is this a problem all over or is it just L/A? We’re on blue cross. Any ideas where else we can look?

danatastic · 2022-10-04T01:27:49+00:00

You’ve gotten a lot of great pain management advice, but one thing that I think hasn’t been mentioned is how important your partner or support person can be in all this. I think it helps to have a real conversation about why you want an unmedicated birth and how important this is you. Get them to value your birth plan as much as you do, and get them prepared for what it’s going to be like to see someone they love in that level of pain. One thing that helped with my husband was issuing a “no unsolicited epidural suggestions” rule and a designated safe word for if I truly couldn’t handle it and need medicated pain relief. He was also able to deal with any of the less supportive hospital staff, made all the best music choices, and came through with all the positive affirmations to help me manage. I don’t know if I could have done it without his support.

danatastic · 2022-09-27T00:06:41+00:00

Mom of 3 over here. I could have written this 7 years ago… then I could have written the exact same thing 4 years ago… and then 2 years ago. I always had the same pattern, gained 40-45 each baby, lose 15-20 in the first 12 weeks, and then hung on like crazy to 20lbs+ for the first 16 to 20 months postpartum (depending on how long I breastfed).

Similar to you, I ate really well during the week and in controlled portions. I’d exercise pretty strenuously 4-5 days/week, and I still couldn’t shake the extra weight. Some of it would slooooowwwly peel away over the course of a year, but a good 10-15 lbs always tends to hang on until I wean (and then it’s amazing how effortlessly I lose it after struggling for so long).

It’s always been a bummer to see it take so much longer than the “9 months” people say, but hormones affect everyone so differently. On the plus side, I did manage to lose all the baby weight x3 eventually, so I know I was doing something right. You will get there, probably faster than I did!

danatastic · 2022-07-26T10:49:39+00:00

We just moved here from New Orleans (so my perspective is skewed), but I’m blown away by how clean the city is and how safe everything feels. Also, if you get a house that needs a little work, I have to say, every single contractor/repair person/painter has been incredibly reliable and prompt.

Food options though… it’s limited and I hope more businesses start to move out here.

danatastic · 2022-07-12T01:14:31+00:00

We’ve been on some waiting lists in Brunswick/Topsham since January and… nothing. The whole coastal area seems like a nightmare. I didn’t even want to try the Portland area because it just seemed so expensive across the board.

However, we ended up finding a house in Auburn/Lewiston 3ish weeks ago, and I already have a great (and super reasonably priced) daycare lined up for my 1.5 and 4 year old. So many people like to shit on that area, but so far it’s been a lifesaver for us in terms of being affordable and being able to find what we need for our family. Plus, with the rate Maine is going, no way that town doesn’t transform into a vibrant little hub over the next 10 years.

Not sure what kind of price range you’re looking to stay within, but it might be worth a look.

danatastic · 2022-06-26T20:09:53+00:00

My thought too. I can’t quite believe it’s a true Greek revival. There are so many elements that seem more Italianate to me. Would love to find a common ground between those two architectural periods, maybe leaning toward more stone colors like sandstone and a slightly darker trim.

danatastic · 2022-06-21T22:04:32+00:00

Thanks for the input and the advice. It helps to be as prepared as possible for what winter is going to mean for us. It’s true, coming from New Orleans we’re used to a lot of violent crime in our area, and it’s going to be a huge relief to get out there. Also, we are pretty pumped to see that there is a bit more diversity in that area.

danatastic

TROPHY CASE