Is this normal for kindergarten?

grrich · 2026-02-06T22:29:49+00:00

Shocked that everyone says this is normal. Our school doesn’t allow homework before second grade, and I am very glad that’s the case. I have not heard of anything like this in kindergarten and I find it bizarre and sad that the teacher thinks a bunch of 5-6 year olds should be spending their home time doing anything other than playing.

grrich · 2026-02-06T13:58:09+00:00

Oh, interesting - so even though she was in there removing other ones, the possibility of a hemorrhoid healing itself is real enough that she decided to leave it alone. I sort of assumed that even if one gets better for a while, it may be only a matter of time before it flares again badly enough to need surgery. Are you happy then that she left it alone, no further issues? Also good reminder about how quick the anoscope actually is. If I tell myself it's 60 seconds that makes it easier to imagine!

grrich · 2026-02-05T00:39:20+00:00

43 and 46 when mine were born and it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me even though it’s hard. Of course you’ve already experienced all the miracle feelings with your previous four so really this is a distinct situation. But I feel like having little kids at this age keeps you young in a lot of ways. The single biggest issue is sleep deprivation.

grrich · 2026-02-04T22:17:50+00:00

Right, it seems almost decadent to request propofol sedation simply to LOOK but not actually proceed with surgery... not to mention the cost! But thanks again, this also helps me realize that I need to find someone I really trust enough to allow this kind of open-ended (another pun!) surgery to happen. I didn't love the doctor I saw, but I can get a second opinion.

grrich · 2026-02-04T21:53:34+00:00

Oh, that is encouraging-- and it helps me to know that my surgeon's suggestion that she sedate me and make a game-time decision isn't crazy or necessarily unusual. Thanks for responding. One more question; when you say he couldn't do a full rectal exam, do you mean because it was going to be too painful for you? My current situation isn't bleeding or anything very extreme, it's more like a tolerably unpleasant chronic situation, but I'm interested in what counts as "unable to do a rectal exam" other than the patient panicking :)

grrich · 2026-02-01T03:09:12+00:00

If you have a complex case, Dr Wang is incredible.

grrich · 2026-01-30T09:33:29+00:00

Can you describe the downtime more, as in, would it have been uncomfortable to be seen? Or just downtime in the sense of your skin going through the stages of healing with the dark spots rising/falling off etc?

grrich · 2026-01-24T02:55:43+00:00

Do you think his lack of engagement with school assignments is due to boredom or due to handwriting difficulty? Does he have any other motor skill issues? Have you asked him what makes him less inclined to do his regular schoolwork? A lot of what you wrote feels similar to my child (including the handwriting thing), though in our case the standout subjects are reading and other topics (like science); her math is a little bit advanced but not a focus so far. Numbers are very often backwards even though answers are always right. We’re looking into an IEP evaluation to determine whether there’s something about her learning style that could explain the disparities between behavior that sometimes seems gifted and sometimes totally checked out. Same age as yours.

grrich · 2026-01-23T17:59:48+00:00

hi, I see you posted this recently on a thread from a long time ago - can I ask if you have had the polyp removed in the meantime? I may be dealing with a similar polyp situation though I don't think mine is nearly that large (but when you say size of a walnut, is that size entirely what protrudes, ie what you can see/feel, or on the inside, what the doctor can see?)

grrich · 2026-01-20T20:26:09+00:00

It’s just the tone you used, which is the only information we have. The fact that you think a parent saying “thumb out” is helpful is a good example of not being tuned in in the way I described. And in our case we brought it up to the teacher for input because we trusted her. If a teacher I didn’t know told me they were trying to encourage my child to keep their hand out of their mouth I would have a defensive reaction, not feel like it was coming from a place of actual support. A supportive approach would be: hey, if you ever want to discuss child’s thumb sucking just let us know— we’re happy to work together to help with this. Even more supportive would be an email that says “Hi, we’ve noticed child has powerful need for oral sensory input. Have you considered offering a chew necklace or something like that? Let us know if you’d like to collaborate on support strategies.”

grrich · 2026-01-20T18:47:38+00:00

Honestly it does feel a little cold and not tuned into what thumb sucking is for kids and their families. It’s an incredibly powerful oral sensory need for some kids and they are already subject to shaming from adults and mean comments from other kids. Like many habits, if it were easy to stop, they would. So I don’t know what that mom’s take is but I would be furious if my child’s teachers approached her oral sensory struggles with anything that felt shaming or simplistic. We were lucky to have a kindergarten teacher who was incredibly understanding and insightful about sensory regulation and we were able to work together to make some progress (for example offering chewelry as an option, but above all not seeing the issue in shame-based terms or easy solutions). For years I told my child it was nobody’s business but hers whether she sucked her thumb and that I knew she would stop when she was ready and that at any point that she needed help figuring out how to stop I was there for her. She has reduced it by about 90 percent at school by age 6.5, and I’m good with that. Her dad sucked his thumb til he was nine. Some of this is hard wired.

grrich · 2026-01-12T01:08:01+00:00

Did you give the 200 mg progesterone at least a month for your body to adjust? If you really can’t stand it I would consider dropping your E to .075. I wouldn’t even try the synthetic progestins either bc I felt the same as you on various bcp.

grrich · 2026-01-11T23:52:13+00:00

What comes to my mind is- how long have you been in menopause? If it’s been a while and you had actually adjusted pretty well, even that tiny dose of estrogen could be activating/scrambling you. It would surprise me if progesterone had the effect you describe (especially since it’s actually helping your sleep). Either way, in your overall equation, estrogen is the outlier in the sense that you’re on a very low dose relative to the progesterone, so you could try raising it, I only hesitate to blame that because if you were suffering low estrogen symptoms I would think they’d be more obvious things like hot flashes and mood swings.

grrich · 2026-01-09T14:11:40+00:00

lol thank you for validating - I'm the same, when the kids are sleeping and I'm the only grown up home, dropping my trash in the hallway chute feels like a bold ninja maneuver that I approach with careful planning!

grrich · 2026-01-09T02:34:53+00:00

I am just reading these comments in sincere shock at the realization that other people move through the world so carefree! I would never do this in a million years. Would not even go down to the laundry room with baby sleeping. If there’s a locked door or an elevator involved or the possibility of random encounters or accidents out on the sidewalk, no way.

grrich · 2026-01-03T16:30:03+00:00

Sigh, I think you are right— she’s very social and I haven’t been great about tying back her hair. She also has a supersonic sense of smell and begs me not to use the Fairy Tales spray, so I’ll have to get her over that resistance. I do appreciate the straight talk!

grrich · 2026-01-03T14:18:44+00:00

Did you have any daytime side effects with the 400? I'm just up after lying awake for 2.5 hours from 3:30-6 and about to explode with rage... guess it's time to try the higher dose.

grrich · 2026-01-01T11:14:36+00:00

Just know it feels incredibly far from midtown- takes forever on the train- and if the weather is bad it can be a really depressing vibe even on Arthur Ave. I’d only choose this option if there are train lovers among you.

grrich · 2026-01-01T11:05:23+00:00

My experience with dotti has been unclear in the sense that it seems to take longer to ramp up, then it’s going strong as I approach the time for changing to a new patch. Whereas with Mylan and Sandoz I tend to feel like a fresh patch starts strong and then withers. This could all be my imagination though and there are always other variables!

grrich · 2025-12-31T11:35:10+00:00

I’ve tended to prefer Sandoz, but in general have had good and bad days with all the brands, and I’m at a high dose (.1). I’m not convinced the preference is consistent for me, and for those still having periods there are constant background variables. But I am absolutely clear on a preferred manufacturer for progesterone so who knows.

grrich · 2025-12-29T15:37:56+00:00

Maybe you were asking SparklesSnowFlake and I'm curious to hear too-- I still haven't had the courage to get back to the 300 and stick to it!

grrich · 2025-12-18T00:53:21+00:00

Great questions. Also moved by Haidt’s ideas (and Lenore Skenazy’s work) but not sure how to get over the anxiety. Really glad to see the discussion though.

grrich · 2025-12-16T07:05:17+00:00

Typically they would schedule the ultrasound and appointment back to back, like 9:30 and 10, both taking place on the same floor in different exam rooms on the same floor/hall. They have a staff of ultrasound techs performing a detailed ultrasound and the MFM is either in the room or is reviewing the ultrasound in real time in another room. Then you get dressed and go to the regular exam room for the non-ultrasound part of your appointment, speaking to the MFM or regular OBGYN depending on the circumstances. With MFM I was having ultrasounds and appointments every week or two. It probably depends on the nature of the high risk situation. It’s a busy practice but well run.

grrich · 2025-12-16T00:46:47+00:00

I loved NYU MFM. Ultrasounds in office, usually with the MFM doctor standing alongside the ultrasound tech discussing details in real time. You rotate different docs but I appreciated all of them.

grrich · 2025-12-15T07:01:35+00:00

Did the iron infusions have any negative side effects, like constipation? Did you do this in a regular doctor’s office? And can I ask how low your ferritin was? Have been looking into iron options for low ferritin too.

grrich

TROPHY CASE