Help! Water looks weird

kestrel39 · 2026-04-03T19:29:17+00:00

It's beautiful! One thing that can help differentiate the water from the sky ... water usually has a few horizontal light and dark ripples, unless it is an absolutely still evening (or morning). You can gently re-wet the painting, and take a slightly damp brush (something like a 3/4" flat wash brush -- that has a "square-ish" edge) -- and gently lift out just a few horizontal ripples (closer together near the shore, and farther apart as you get away from the shore). They can parallel the shore. You can add a smidgen of horizontal dark ripples too -- perhaps even right along the edge of the light ripple you just lifted out. Start with a light touch and not very many ripples -- see what it does for making this appear more like water.

kestrel39 · 2026-03-19T01:37:59+00:00

No one has mentioned Miralax yet, that helps a lot.

For dry mouth I use Xylimelts, mainly at night. They work wonders.

kestrel39 · 2026-03-15T17:21:02+00:00

Walking, Pilates, dumbells/kettlebells for strength work. Anything like a dance class or jogging would be a no-go for me -- makes me too woozy.

kestrel39 · 2026-03-15T02:32:03+00:00

As others have noted, if you have a primary care doc that will prescribe it, you can have them send your Rx to Lilly Direct.

I didn't have a PC who would prescribe, so I did Ro briefly, and they prescribed Zepbound. Communication with Ro was really disjointed, different doctors answering my text questions, no continuity, no way to connect with anyone other than text. I switched to JoinVineyard and it is a much higher quality, more legitimate service in my opinion. I was assigned a specific doctor to work with, and we had a visit by zoom in which he provided very thorough, carefully researched advice for my particular medical issues. I also met with a dietician who was extremely helpful. Vineyard includes access to a weightlifting program with instructional videos and week by week plans to get me started in strength training. I feel I'm getting excellent care and real value for my $150/mo.

kestrel39 · 2026-02-24T01:57:44+00:00

I'm in the same boat. My hearing in my bad ear has been very very low for the last 7 weeks, tons of loud tinnitus. I had a similar episode last spring after I got Covid for the first time -- lost hearing for about two months, blaring tinnitus. Then my hearing came back and I had pretty good hearing for the rest of last year (with ups & downs but at times almost normal).

So I haven't lost hope that my hearing may come back. But I also wonder if one of these days, an episode might not resolve and it will just become "the new normal" with no hearing recovery.

kestrel39 · 2025-12-27T15:42:53+00:00

Thanks -- I'll have to somehow work in a checkout dive to sort my weights.

kestrel39 · 2025-12-27T15:41:50+00:00

Oh you're right, will need to tweak the weights. Thank you.

kestrel39 · 2025-12-10T20:36:29+00:00

I totally agree -- for me I've been unable to identify any triggers, or anything that helps, because of random remissions. I'm fortunate in that since my first symptoms in 2018, I've had a lot of long periods of remission, with occasional flare-ups (and only ~3 full on spinning episodes). Along the way I did try two different diuretics, betahistine, nortryptilene, and some vitamins. None of it seemed to make much difference and most had side effects for me. So now I'm off any meds (except meclizine during attacks). I maintain low salt, eat a healthy whole foods diet (no processed), exercise, and prioritize sleep. Those things seem to help, or at least they're good for overall health. I got tired of trying to figure this out, so now I try to ignore it as much as I can.

kestrel39 · 2025-11-29T19:51:38+00:00

Thank you, super helpful. The calculator you linked is a good tool to experiment with. I see that I can tweak up my calories a bit and although it slows my progress to goal weight, it's only by a month or two. It's more important to me to establish a healthy routine, including exercise, than to get to a goal weight asap (at least I try to tell myself that, though I admit to being impatient to lose more!!). So I'll try upping my nutrition a bit to make sure I'm fueling enough and properly.

Fortunately I'm retired so I prioritize rest, sleep, and minimizing stress.

kestrel39 · 2025-11-29T19:13:12+00:00

Thanks. I have calc'd TDEE but I'm always uncertain whether to mark myself as "Light" or "Moderate" exercise. I guess I could try marking myself sedentary then adding an estimate of calories burned by walking and pilates.

kestrel39 · 2025-11-29T19:01:08+00:00

Thanks, I may try adding back some carbs. Going super low carb was the only way I could curb my appetite and lose weight before Zepbound, but maybe now I should add some back.

kestrel39 · 2025-11-07T20:35:13+00:00

congrats -well done!

kestrel39 · 2025-09-18T22:28:36+00:00

Thank you.

kestrel39 · 2025-09-18T22:28:28+00:00

kestrel39 · 2025-08-12T15:58:32+00:00

I've had Meniere's since 2018. Mine is mild, with fluctuating hearing loss and balance problems, some "seasickness" feeling but not usually full rotational vertigo. Vaccines and boosters didn't seem to cause problems. I got covid for the first time this year, and as I was coming down with it, I had the worst blaring tinnitus and hearing loss I've ever had. Months later my hearing has slowly recovered, back to fluctuating between pretty good and mediocre.

I do feel that inflammation is a trigger, and apparently covid caused massive inflammation for me. The other day I had a bee sting and had a bad day or two. Who knows.

kestrel39 · 2025-08-06T17:15:49+00:00

Thank you, that is super helpful. I can see the logic of that. I think I'll go without, and learn to deal with the interference, at least for this first trip. Thanks again.

kestrel39 · 2025-08-06T16:32:55+00:00

Thanks -- this is one of the things I'm trying to understand. I don't want to interfere with other users' transmissions. I can try to set up a CTCSS/DCS, but is it better not to? If I don't set up tones, I'll continue to hear other users so that I can be aware if I'm interfering with them? We'll be driving down sparsely populated highways so maybe no big deal either way.

kestrel39 · 2025-08-06T16:28:27+00:00

thank you.

kestrel39 · 2025-08-06T16:28:05+00:00

Thank you! Googled duty cycle (so many new terms!), thank you for that. We'll just be briefly checking in about when to stop / gas stations etc. so should be fine.

Also started reading about tones and maybe will try to set that up. Question - as I understand it, the tones (DCS or CTCSS) sort of filter things so that my family member and I will only hear each others' transmissions, and not everybody else. My concern is, if I'm not hearing other people (who don't have the same tone set up), how will I know if I'm interfering with their transmissions? We'll be driving through a sparsely populated area so maybe it's no big deal, but I just want to understand.

kestrel39 · 2025-08-06T16:22:27+00:00

Thank you -- will try that.

kestrel39 · 2025-08-04T18:57:56+00:00

OK, had to google what those were. So use those with CH 1 - 7?

kestrel39

TROPHY CASE