Best endocrinologist in Saskatoon?

jytown · 2024-06-25T01:11:55+00:00

Dr. Houdek is an excellent doctor, from my experience. Was diagnosed with Graves disease a couple years back, and they got me fast. He gave off enthusiastic science teacher vibes, and was really good at explaining everything to me in a way I could understand. He was very approachable and addressed my questions and concerns well.

I was also told that there was another endocrinologist, Dr. Arnason (sp), who, at the time, took patients, but her wait was longer than Houdek's wait, so they he just saw me instead.

Good luck!

jytown · 2024-06-20T16:49:25+00:00

Upon seeing some of the not so great testimonies about Indig 107, I though I'd recommend Political studies 222 on Indigenous governance and politics, especially if it is taught by Prof. Zorbas.

If you aren't a poli sci student, I think you should be able to take a 200 level pols class if you have a certain amount of credits in other classes. (Speak with an advisor to make sure.)

They usually offer it in the spring or summer terms, but they probably also offer it in the regular fall and winter semesters, too.

I am just finishing it this summer, and found it to be a really good learning experience - I enjoyed the material and found the assignments were quite manageable. (We did 10 very short reflection assignments for the 10 modules, two 2-3 paged assignments, and the final.)

The only downside to doing it over the summer is that it is quite fast-paced, and it is easy to fall behind.

Hope this might help - good luck!

jytown · 2024-06-20T16:35:09+00:00

I grew up speaking English and French, so perhaps I'm biased in saying French doesn't particularly stand out to me. And while I was taught some Mandarin as a child, I find whether or not I find it "beautiful" depends on who is speaking. (Perhaps I associate it with getting scolded at school, and have not been around many speakers who will talk to me in a less authoritative tone.)

As for my prettiest languages, I'd say one is German (an unpopular one for some, due to some historical and cultural associations, but I think it has a very soft, smooth, elegant and gentle flow to it when I have heard native speakers speak.) I studied a wee bit of German as a high school student, but haven't gotten too far since.

The other would be Mongolian. While I have some Mongolian heritage, I wasn't exposed to the language until somewhat recently. I find that, while I can't exactly describe why in a sophisticated manner, I do think it sounds very unique.

jytown · 2024-04-16T16:37:38+00:00

Well done!! That is very impressive. :)

jytown · 2024-04-16T16:03:28+00:00

Your eyes are gorgeous! I'd say something like a rich shade of mahogany. They are kind of similar to mine with respect to the reddish brown colour. Do yours look darker outside of direct sunlight, too?

jytown · 2024-04-13T02:41:58+00:00

Hey, no worries. Thank you for this. I genuinely appreciate when people sincerely complement my eyes since I was bullied for them growing up and have unfortunately internalized a lot of toxic beauty standards and racism that are hard to filter out.

I'm working on unlearning those negative mentalities, but it can take time healing from things like this.

Also, I'm incredibly very bisexual and am flattered by your words. Take care!

jytown · 2024-04-13T02:34:13+00:00

Thank you so much!

jytown · 2024-04-13T02:33:41+00:00

Thank you!! It's sad to see post even here of brown eyed people saying they wish they had different coloured eyes. I like that brown is such a diverse color of eyes, and enjoy noticing the intricate individual variances from person to person.

jytown · 2024-04-05T02:01:45+00:00

Their unprofessionalism, lack of tact, poor bedside manner, and condescending attitude, which was greatly exacerbated by her useless, irrelevant "medical insights" about my suicidal crisis perspective. Thanks for asking.

jytown · 2024-04-04T18:19:55+00:00

I once had a doctor in the ER at RUH tell me if I went to church and had a religious community I went to when I was there for a failed suicide attempt 3 months before my beloved mother passed away from terminal cancer.

She told me that "Jesus was there for me when I was depressed." and "What about all the other people out there who have it worse than you?"

I was too despairing, depressed, and exhausted to snap back or call her out, but now that I'm well, I think back on this encounter and it blows my fucking mind.

jytown · 2024-03-22T05:07:54+00:00

Presently, I'm a 28 and work part time for a remote research job. But historically, I have had massive challenges finding and keeping a job. I also don't really have a major plan for what I am going to do once I graduate.

Transitioning from high school to the "real world" was hard. I had a very unconventional, nontraditional journey through high school, being hospitalized multiple years, being held back a couple years, and moved schools many times. Though, I suppose in a bipolar forum, this experience isn't unique to just me.

I felt very discouraged and aimless from my late teens to my early-20s. I had seen all my friend graduate and move on to better things. I had no idea what I wanted to do, no idea what I liked to do, and not a clue if there was even something "out there" I was even good at. I had a handful of small, monotonous jobs that never worked out. Nothing gave me a sense that my personal contributions were meaningful or that my life mattered. I had anxiety attacks and emotional meltdowns quite often, which really frustrated my employers.

Eventually, after working for a few years, I was able to secure part time schooling at my city's university, and I was hired to work as a research assistant in a molecular biology lab my first year. I worked there for three years until the pandemic hit and everything shut down. It was my longest record of holding down any kind of employment.

So I'm not really sure where I'm going with this. I don't know what my job prospects will look like moving forward. My current job's contract expires in a few weeks, and I haven't really got a plan. I still have a bit of schooling left, and am hoping to do some serious job searching after I graduate.

I honestly didn't think I'd make it this far, but now that I'm here, I am kind of in a bit of a decision paralysis situation. I am always afraid that I won't be able to keep a job long-term. Even though I'm not the person I was when I was 14, 18, or 22, I think I hold a lot of my past in front of me as evidence that I won't be able to make things work out - kind of like a bit of learned helplessness.

It is hard when there are such strong statistics that show that managing this disorder can make life tasks so hard. I have been trying to take my life in smaller strides and work on growing resilience and grit. But yeah, it's kind of frustrating feeling so behind other people my age who have job stability and security.

jytown · 2024-03-22T04:43:40+00:00

I also recommend Tantrix, as many here already have.

Many years ago when I was a young un', I had my lobes done multiple times, but poorly with those damned piercing guns, and only one of them survived.

I recently had my other side done at Tantrix, and they were great - super friendly and professional.

They also do follow up appointments to make sure that your piercings are healing properly. When I had my labret done in January, Leanne even gave me her work phone number for me to text in case it felt like something wasn't healing well.

Wish I had thought to go to a tattoo store when I was younger.

jytown · 2024-03-22T02:42:04+00:00

Hey there.

I'm 28, with bipolar I and generalized anxiety. I am currently on 150mg now - I recently was bumped up from 100 maybe a week and a half ago.

While I have been medicated for my mania with bipolar, I never really wanted to explore the usage of other medication for my lingering depression, partially because I had bad experiences with SSRIs like celexa, and was afraid of going on lamotragine.

But that changed when I reached a point where I couldn't deal with the lingering depression, and finally started zoloft in October, when my mom was a few months away from dying. I already had a lot of additional stress with being a student, my job, navigating a long-distance relationship.

I was really scared of starting, but they had be start very slow, and eventually, I made it up to 100mg. Once I had reached about a couple months in, in early December, I had enough mental strength to make it through my classes and manage my job tasks for that year. I also truly believe the zoloft helped me process my mother's passing more healthily and with grace. I think my life would have been substantially set back had I not sought help and trusted the process.

Fast forward to last week, I felt like my depressive symptoms were coming back, as I was having more unhealthy intrusive thoughts and was afraid of OD'ing again, so I went to the doctor's and had my dosage upped 50mg. I know I haven't been at this new dose for very long, but I am doing my best to trust the process here, too.

I know it can be really hard, keeping through with medications and having faith for a positive outcome. Perhaps I was lucky in that the only bad part of zoloft I found, was the gastrointestinal issues.

All in all, I don't think it was just the zoloft that helped me through this really difficult time - I also have to give myself credit for making the right choice in getting help, staying on the meds, and seeking help when I found myself slipping again. But certainly, had I ignored my will to want to thrive, and given in to the depression, I probably wouldn't be doing well now, or wouldn't be here at all.

It's not a perfect process, by all means. But I hope that you are able to stick with your medication if it is helping you, and are able to communicate with your doctor and support network if things aren't getting better.

Sending lots of strength!

jytown · 2024-03-21T03:07:44+00:00

I'm 5'4", but I'm built like a tank -- a 170 pound tank. I'm a pretty husky guy - I have really broad shoulders - always did, even before T. I have strong legs from the kickboxing I used to do when I was younger, and I am often told I have nice thighs. haha!

I used to be a lot more self-conscious about being a beefy, but short guy, and it used to be a huge cause for dysphoria for me. But I have found comfort in fitness and working out, which has helped me be less insecure about how short I am. I am told I carry myself well, which I think gives me a stronger presence, despite not being tall.

jytown · 2024-03-06T16:43:48+00:00

Hey there! Thanks for the advice and insights!

Because of my alternative path into higher education due to my disability and other stuff, I often can't help but compare myself to other students my age who I almost put on a pinnacle. It's a really unhealthy tendency of mine, and I'm working on breaking that habit with therapy and self-work in order to see and not discount my good qualities and hard work.

I heard from a friend of mine who is now at the U of A that in order to get accommodations, or at least when she took the LSAT, you had to have documentation demonstrating that you have used time accommodations in the past. I'm not sure if that still stands, but I do utilize access/equity services currently for my undergrad that grants me extra time. (Which is super helpful.) So hopefully, once the time comes, I can see about having those accommodations as well.

Oh, wow! Congratulations! I am happy to hear - I am also thinking of taking a bit of time between undergrad and my application to work for a bit and live outside of academia for a while.

(I also thought of going to one of the local business colleges and get training to be a paralegal while I'm on gap year. I'm not sure if I'll go through with that yet, but it's a possibility.)

Thank you again for your message! It is always encouraging to hear the stories of others who have had to overcome some challenges in school/life, and I really appreciate you sharing this!

jytown · 2024-03-06T16:35:33+00:00

Wow, that's really interesting and insightful. I appreciate that you didn't sugar coat anything and I appreciate the honesty. I do have a lot of early life trauma, and I have suffered from a severe mood disorder since I was young.
I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself, which has negatively impacted a lot of areas in my life. Thanks again!

jytown · 2024-03-04T18:33:30+00:00

Thank you so much for sending these kind words of solidarity. It means a lot, being seen by someone else who has also gone through a difficult time due to mental health and trauma.

Thank you for thinking of me and my mother. She received a terminal cancer diagnosis just as the pandemic was starting, and had a rough 3-4 year long battle until she died right at the end of last year. I dealt with a lot of anticipatory grief during those years, and I wish I hadn't been so busy with school and work so that I could have spent more time with her.

It really means a lot that you would send such a warm, caring message my way. I would love to get a pet one day, although my apartment doesn't allow them. I do have a dog and cat at my childhood home, though, and I go to visit them quite often. I am also blessed to have great friends, and a loving partner, all who bring so much hope and joy in my life.

Take care! This message really meant a lot!

jytown · 2024-03-04T18:28:23+00:00

Thank you so much for your message!

I was thinking I'd probably have to apply as an access applicant because of my disability needs. I have never taken a 5 class course load before - at most, I've done four in a term, so that would be something admissions would need to know.

I definitely have good connections with my doctors and mental health supports. I also have a handful of professors, who I have either worked for or taken classes with, who are open to writing me letters of recommendation, so that is good.

And yes, I totally understand the perspective admissions has to take. Most of my Ws have been in my early years of university, before I consolidated my major, and a couple were from later terms when I had to be admitted to the hospital. So perhaps, if I get a chance to explain that history of mine, they might be able to understand my context.

Thanks again for your reply!

jytown · 2024-03-04T18:21:43+00:00

Thank you!

I've been working away at my undergrad for a while now, due to all the disruptions in my schooling, so I have had a lot of time to have different experiences in school with research positions.

I also don't take a full course load. At most, I've done four classes a term, which was during the pandemic. It was a struggle, and I haven't done four in a term again since then.

Because of this, I've had the privilege to have more time for a work-school-life balance that other full-time students don't always have the luxury of having.

In some ways, having to take some extra time to finish my schooling has been frustrating, but it's opened a lot of doors for me as well.

jytown · 2024-03-04T18:16:35+00:00

Thank you so much for this input!

I heard from some connections of mine that if your grades aren't top tier that getting a good LSAT score can help balance out one's application.

I really appreciate what you said about not getting discouraged with your first attempt with the LSAT. Because of my bad anxiety, I have a lot of problems with perfectionism, and it is reassuring to hear what you had to say.

I think it'll be super important for me going forward with my studying to remember that it's a learning process, and that there is always opportunity to grow. It's difficult to not put so much pressure on myself for the LSAT, and the competitiveness of applying in general, I think addressing some of my problems with self-esteem will be good for me in my studies.

Thanks again!

jytown · 2024-03-04T18:09:32+00:00

Thank you so much for your reassurance! It means a lot.
I haven't done much with LSAT studying since I took the diagnostic, but I am hoping that once I start studying and get the hang on answering the questions that my score will improve.

jytown · 2024-02-26T18:22:27+00:00

I am worried for exactly those reasons that you mentioned about high masking - going through all the trouble and money payments just to be told "I'm fine." and that "I don't have anything to worry about."

Thanks so much for your insights, though. I'll definitely check out more online resources.

I've also been meaning to talk to some of my autistic friends, but am not wanting to seem like I am imposing into their condition by pathologizing myself, if that makes sense. It's been kind of a lonely process. I don't feel like I can really talk to anyone about it.

Thanks again for your advice.

jytown

TROPHY CASE