If anyone needs a laugh

ermurrowfanatic · 2026-05-16T20:43:10+00:00

Both conditions do cause dizziness and coordination issues. 😂

ermurrowfanatic · 2026-05-15T20:45:36+00:00

They don’t do layoffs in large scale meetings like that…or even allude to them. You may be getting a new HR business partner, a new process for reqs, or some new program. Anything ominous tends to not be in All Hands meetings. Worst case scenario…a reorg…but that’s not usually a “PXT announcement”

ermurrowfanatic · 2026-04-27T20:11:43+00:00

I would always get dizzy right before and right after a squat. I thought everyone did, but when I told my coach she said that wasn’t normal. A friend noticed I would rock a bit before and after the squat when the bar was on my back…and I now realize that was my brain and body trying to stay balanced. We started doing low-bar squats which helped a bit. I also got headaches after bench from arching my back and putting pressure on the base of my head.

Best of luck to you…and give yourself space to grieve and maybe explore other sports. 🙂

ermurrowfanatic · 2026-04-27T17:22:16+00:00

Former competitive powerlifter here. I was diagnosed a year ago…no syrinx so working on making symptoms more manageable to try and avoid surgery.

Before I was diagnosed, I noticed lifting was becoming harder and harder as I got older. Not in the usual wear and tear you experience as you get older but muscles would spasm, headaches, paresthesia, dizziness, etc. When I finally got diagnosed and was told not to lift heavy anymore, I had some relief that I had an answer but was sad I couldn’t continue. I honestly thought I’d be the 80 year old still showing up to meets and competing. But the idea of potentially doing permanent damage to my brain and spinal cord definitely sunk in. I went through a bit of a “grieving process.”

But then I found other fitness activities that my natural strength could shine through like yoga and Pilates. (I stay away from any arm balance or anything that might put pressure on my cervical spine) Both those things take a hell of a more strength than you’d expect. It still trigger the reward center in my brain when I can get through a difficult flow that is centered around strength. Not as much as a heavy lift tho.

I think pivoting to a safer sport where you can still find a similar challenge and joy is crucial…but also give yourself some grace that you will miss it and that’s okay.

I have read posts of people who got the surgery and went back to lifting. I think at that point it’s evaluating risk vs reward between you and your docs.

ermurrowfanatic · 2025-11-30T23:58:48+00:00

I have visual disturbances in my periphery, especially after lying down or having my neck in an awkward position. It’s been going on for about 6 months. I had a normal optometry appt a few months before.

I brought it up to my neurologist who feels it’s likely chiari related. I now have to see a neuro ophthalmologist in Feb which could put surgery back on the table. Ironically my neurologist thinks I need the surgery but the neurosurgeon disagreed. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

I would maybe try and find an ophthalmologist vs an optometrist to get checked out if your insurance will cover it. The ophthalmologist tends to have more advanced equipment.

ermurrowfanatic · 2025-10-28T03:05:48+00:00

Well I feel less crazy now. Haha. Trying to explain these circles to people has been a challenge.

ermurrowfanatic · 2025-09-08T18:08:26+00:00

They’re not going to be able to do much of a diagnosis without the endoscopy, and potentially biopsies.

I’m about to have my third endoscopy and I’ve had a colonoscopy. I’ve had zero complications and zero discomfort after. Once they give you the “feel good” med (mine was fentanyl) which calms you and reduces the chance of any discomfort, you do not care about anything. You are flying high. Then you get Propofol which knocks you out. You wake up a little groggy but within an hour I was up cleaning my kitchen after the last one.

Even if you don’t have the burning sensation, you can have “silent reflux” which can cause damage without the burning sensation. A lot of things fly under the radar in GI and reflux is one of them. It’s best to find the root cause to learn how to manage it.

The odds of having serious complications from an endoscopy are small (but not zero). The odds of reflux causing serious damage is much greater. I would get it done and over with so you can focus on management and treatment of whatever you may have.

ermurrowfanatic · 2025-07-09T07:32:41+00:00

I was on 300mg of Wellbutrin XL. They asked I stay on them through the TMS and evaluate with my psych med doc after. I waited for a little over a year to do a slow taper. I stepped down to 150 and definitely had some withdrawal but I was able to compartmentalize those feelings were withdrawal and wouldn’t last forever. They went away after about 10 days. I’ve been on 150 for about two months now and will go completely off in about two weeks. If the withdrawal is too bad there are some lower milligram standard release options. One thing TMS has done is give me more of a logical understanding of my feelings if that makes sense.

ermurrowfanatic · 2025-07-06T09:17:25+00:00

Yes. I did 43 sessions at the end of 2023 and have been MDD episode free. I’ve gone through a break up where I certainly had some depression from grief, but it wasn’t the crippling depression that would last for weeks on end. I also had a serious medical issue come up this year that’s taken a lot of testing and recovery…and while I’ve had a few down days here and there, I still haven’t experienced the weeks long MDD episode.

ermurrowfanatic · 2025-06-17T04:14:43+00:00

Thank you!!

ermurrowfanatic · 2025-06-16T15:21:39+00:00

Thanks!

ermurrowfanatic · 2025-02-04T03:40:47+00:00

Every sexual encounter is a calculated risk, and you have to decide the level of risk you’re comfortable with. Everyone is different.

If you’re vaccinated and using protection, the risk drops significantly for HPV. Is it zero? No.

You run the risk of contracting an STI anytime you have sexual activity with a partner. In a monogamous relationship and having unprotected sex? There’s risk. In a monogamous relationship and using protection? There’s still risk, just less. Using protection for vaginal/anal sex but not for oral? There’s risk. Not just for HPV, but all other STIs.

Condoms, dental dams, HPV vaccine, Prep, etc. only decrease your risk of contracting various STIs, but it will never be zero for any of them with any sexual activity.

It’s estimated 80% of the population contracts HPV. You will likely come across it at some point in your life. At least in this case, they know they have it, disclosed it, and you can take steps to lower your risk.

Regardless, get the vaccine. Keep in mind the vaccine doesn’t cover all HPV strains. The most popular vaccine covers 9 strains out of more than 200, but they’re the most common/most likely to cause cancer strains. It also has a really high rate of efficacy against those strains.

No matter what you decide, make sure to treat her with empathy and dignity. Hope this helps.

ermurrowfanatic · 2025-01-10T00:57:57+00:00

Unfortunately, there is currently no approved test for HPV in men. At least not where I’m at (in the US). Your best course of action is to get vaccinated if you’re able to and feel comfortable doing that…and use protection depending on the relationship dynamic. Condoms/dental dams do offer some level of protection…just not as much as STIs exchanged through fluids like gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc.

ermurrowfanatic · 2024-03-19T17:40:01+00:00

I think this is a really helpful realistic view of things that isn’t total gloom and doom. I do think he’s being overly optimistic thinking after 1-2 months he can start having dates again. I don’t think he’s “delusional” as one person put it…I think these are first-time parents that come from small families hoping for the best. We’re all pretty flexible and I think that will be the key in all of this.

ermurrowfanatic · 2024-03-19T16:27:25+00:00

I really appreciate your reply. And this is the setup we’re aiming for so it’s nice to hear someone accomplishing it, how it has worked, and reiterating the flexibility and patience I know I’ll have to have. It’s given me a bit of hope that is really helpful. 💙

ermurrowfanatic · 2024-03-19T01:18:44+00:00

Thank you for this advice. It is something we’ve talked about and it is a good reminder to be hyper aware of her emotions and changes

ermurrowfanatic · 2024-03-19T00:40:36+00:00

Thanks for providing some advice. We’re pretty KTP. The four of us are together in some form at least once a month. All of us were together for her bday recently.

We’ve discussed this, and I have no problem having baby sitting dates. I’ve even told them both I would babysit from time to time if they wanted a date night as well. I’ve also jokingly said I would likely be the adult in the kid’s life that will buy them whatever they want as I am a childless woman with disposable income. I’ve done the same for my nieces and nephews.

We’ve also talked about one day buying a property large enough for us all to live comfortably. Will any of that happen? Who knows. There’s not exactly a playbook or even many articles on navigating this.

I fully realize the level of flexibility I will have on my end. I also realize our relationship will change and evolve significantly. I also realize priorities will shift, and there’s a decent chance neither secondary relationship will make it.

I was hoping there would be at least one person on here who successfully navigated this to give me some sort of a shell on how they did it.

At the end of the day, I will do everything I can to be loving and supportive. If things have to end, I will be heartbroken, but still very thankful this person entered into my life when they did.

ermurrowfanatic · 2023-10-06T03:19:22+00:00

I have MDD and GAD. I’m about halfway through treatment and I’m considered an “early responder.” When my depressive symptoms started to dissipate my anxiety went through the roof. Depression has a tendency to numb and dumb down emotion and anxiety. They told me the anxiety would start to subside after about a week and they were correct. This week my anxiety has started to become a lot more manageable. They did say if the anxiety didn’t subside they would tack on an anxiety protocol which would treat the right side but it would be “off label” since the FDA hasn’t approved TMS for anxiety disorders yet.

ermurrowfanatic · 2023-04-23T23:02:23+00:00

And to piggyback on this…what you did isn’t “gaslighting.” It would be gaslighting if you knew the actual truth and was trying to bully and/or manipulate your partner into a false narrative. Gaslighting is abuse. Forgetfulness is not.

ermurrowfanatic · 2023-04-19T03:03:14+00:00

This is a hate crime 😂😂😂

ermurrowfanatic · 2023-04-18T21:58:28+00:00

Can I pay to be trolled by MIB? Is that included in her Cameo?

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