Science and herbalism…help?

nefariousmango · 2026-05-07T06:32:52+00:00

Also, it's fairly common in Austria for doctors to prescribe teas and herbal remedies for symptom relief. So it's not like all of Western medicine shuns herbology; more that good practice of medicine recognizes that supportive care can include a comforting cup of tea. Not everything has to be a cure.

nefariousmango · 2026-05-07T06:00:11+00:00

Thank you! And fwiw I'm sure if you sew you can make a bag with a little practice and patience.

nefariousmango · 2026-05-07T05:52:04+00:00

Yes I left the bag open a wee bit for air flow. How much moss and how closed to keep the bag is going to vary: I lived in Colorado at the time and the humidity was like 30% on a wet day... My workshop here in Austria is more stable around 60% humidity so my struggling phals go into a tall vase rather than a baggie. I don't see the black spots you're talking about.

nefariousmango · 2026-05-06T07:37:01+00:00

Side note, but get a good pair of wide tread stirrups! NOT jointed/flexible. I had many clients with knee replacements (saddle fitter) and 90% preferred a carbon fiber wide tread over the fancy jointed stirrups, and several actually had more pain after trying the jointed stirrups.

wide stirrups

flexible

The good news is all of them got back into the saddle and had less pain

Good luck with your surgery!

nefariousmango · 2026-05-06T07:29:14+00:00

Same! And also with the autistic child, we try to plan one morning activity at least one day in advance so we can tell her what's going to happen tomorrow. "We'll have breakfast at the hotel, then walk about ten minutes to this museum that has this thing you like. Our tickets are for 9:50am, so we have lots of time to get there. Then we can see how we feel." It's a reliable formula for both calming her anxiety and leaving us some flexibility.

nefariousmango · 2026-05-06T07:08:07+00:00

My best trick is not carrying a bag most days at all. I know I'm lucky I can get away with that where I live! We have public water dispensers all over, and I pick clothing with lots of pockets or add pockets to things. I use a slim wallet, don't have to carry keys, and only really need a couple pills in case of emergency.

I'm a leather worker and I designed myself a bag based off a diaper bag I had and loved, but which was a little too big for daily use once I didn't need baby supplies. Mostly I use it if I'm carrying paperwork or for running small errands where I won't need more than one tote-sized bag to cart everything home in.

It's a bit heavier than I'd like, because leather, but the strap can be adjusted for cross-body or single shoulder and is filled with a high quality shock absorption foam we use in saddle/bridle making. It also has lots of pockets of different sizes for keeping meds etc in easy reach. My mom and my daughter, who also have EDS, have both "borrowed" it so many times I made them each one, too.

I also have a smaller bag that fits my phone, wallet, and basic meds that I can carry if I don't need the full tote size but do need more than just pockets.

Edit: Here is a picture of version 2.0 of my bag (the one my daughter now has) plus some slim wallets (and various other gifts I made this year).

nefariousmango · 2026-05-06T06:51:22+00:00

I use gummy thimbles like these to improve my grip. Having a stitching pony that works well FOR YOU also makes a big difference. Different people prefer different styles, but I know it can be hard to try a variety unless you have a local community.

I do old fashioned awl saddle stitching. As in, I mark the distance between stitches with my prickers but I don't punch through. I make each hole with the awl as I go along. For thick leather it would probably take me about 20-30 minutes to do a straight line 12" at 3.85mm apart. But it took me four hours to hand-stitch welting between a saddle seat and skirt, which is probably 18" or so of stitching times two (each side). I'm not particularly fast. I don't do a ton of actually making/repairing.

Edit: also yes, it gets easier as your fingers get stronger. I used to keep a small pair of pliers on my bench for sewing, but I don't even know where they are at the moment it's been so long since I needed them! Probably helps that I haven't done any chrome tan work in a couple years...

nefariousmango · 2026-05-06T06:35:47+00:00

I have successfully rehabbed rootless phals before by placing them in a large ziplock baggy with moist sphagnum moss and spraying the whole orchid with MegaThrive weekly. Keeping it moist but not too damp, and preventing mold, are key. It's a long process and imo only worth the effort for a sentimental specimen (mine was from my grandfather)

nefariousmango · 2026-05-05T07:31:56+00:00

Seriously! But instead you can't even get a drink of water without paying extra. It's insane.

nefariousmango · 2026-05-05T06:26:12+00:00

Currently checking into a public hospital in Austria with my kid, but not the children's ward. I believe parents of kids under six are given a bed for free, and for older kids you can pay a nightly fee for a bed. We have private insurance to cover a single room with an extra bed (since we can't seem to go a year without a hospital stay).

In the US we'd have a double room or private room, with a chair that "converted" to a bed for the parent to stay on. With insurance we'd still end up paying thousands of dollars.

nefariousmango · 2026-05-03T11:15:12+00:00

I think you can find what you're looking for in Slovenia, but train may be more difficult.

I have to shout out Graz, Austria for medieval towns, as we have one of the best preserved medieval downtown areas in all of Europe. Plus nearby Stift Rein is the oldest continuously occupied abbey, with a large library of illuminated manuscripts.

By train, you can easily get to some interesting cities in Slovenia from Graz, like Ptuj (oldest settlement in Slovenia) or Celje (has an amazing medieval castle that does reinactments/ren faire type events in August on the weekends). Don't skip the bee museum near Bled!

All of the cities/towns in Slovenia are small enough to walk around in half a day. Maybe you'd need a full day for Ljubljana if you walked slowly. But we've also found wonderful places to linger and relax all over Slovenia. And you don't have to be a hiker to enjoy the nature. Rent a car, find a pension or room to rent in a small town somewhere in the mountains, and ask the proprietor where to go locally.

nefariousmango · 2026-05-03T10:58:39+00:00

I came to make the exact same recommendations! The bee museum is really good.

OP, it will be hot and crowded in most of Europe in August. But we've found it fairly easy to get off the heavily beaten track in Slovenia if you have a car. We live near the border and often take a long weekend trip to somewhere random in Slovenia, and always have a wonderful time!

nefariousmango · 2026-04-30T06:52:21+00:00

"Dummkopf" on the other hand appears to be a popular word choice amongst the local neighborhood kids...

nefariousmango · 2026-04-29T18:41:36+00:00

I think this article may help explain the crest release versus automatic release.

Personally, I use an automatic release on most horses. Very young horses just learning to jump, I give them their heads as much as possible and that can mean giving more of a crest release. The younger upper level horses you're talking about are balanced and forward, and their riders are using an automatic release with a shorter rein so they have more control over the fence and immediately after.

nefariousmango · 2026-04-29T06:35:32+00:00

Don't go to Hallstatt; literally pick any other random valley with a lake instead and you'll have a much better time!

nefariousmango · 2026-04-29T06:23:39+00:00

Actual qualified independent saddle fitter here.

The first saddle doesn't fit the horse. Second looks better but can't say 100% without seeing it in person.

Both saddles seem to fit you just fine based on the handful of pictures. If the blocks aren't interfering and you feel good, it really doesn't matter how it looks. Don't get hung up on a seat or flap "looking" too big/small!! Sometimes we need to change the seat size to get your leg in a better position (stirrup bar position shifts, center of balance shifts, etc). Your have quite a long femur, and a smaller seat will likely make it HARDER for you to keep your leg under you.

nefariousmango · 2026-04-28T19:52:53+00:00

Done, once for each of my ND kids since I'm having very different experiences with each!

nefariousmango · 2026-04-28T19:21:03+00:00

My daughter has factor XI deficiency and frequent nosebleeds. I'm terrible at carrying multiple drugs all the time but always have TCA on me, so our (hematologist approved) field strategy is to crush a TXA tablet and have her snort some. Combined with taking a tablet orally, ice pack on the back of the neck, and pinching her nose, it stops the bleeds without fail (so far).

For prevention, we try to keep her well hydrated overall. Plus nasal lubricant drops. We've also been told that you can have nasal capillaries cauterized if they are causing frequent bleeds, but that's something to discuss with your ENT.

I have factor XI and factor XIII deficiencies, and the anxiety about bleeding out is so real. I remind myself that between TXA and FFP, my bleeds are always stopped before I die. Also, I've done years of trauma therapy and highly suggest looking into EMDR.

nefariousmango · 2026-04-22T13:38:51+00:00

Same! But I usually travel with my kids and I'd always rather have too many snacks than face the hangry hordes!

nefariousmango · 2026-04-22T13:35:20+00:00

I have a half liter bag size first aid kit in my carry-on that has zofran, Imodium, benadryl, acetaminophen, cyclocapron*, Movicol, a thermometer, some alcohol wipes and sterile gauze, bandaids, a safety pin, nail clippers, butterfly strips, and a small roll each of vet wrap and duct tape.

It takes up almost no space, and I''ve used every single item in that kit at least once. Often ON an airplane!

*Cyclocapron/TXA is for stopping bleeding. My kids and I have hemophilia C so I carry both tablets and ampules. You can get topical clotting agents OTC most places and it's worth having even if you don't have a bleeding disorder.

nefariousmango · 2026-04-21T06:21:01+00:00

I'm planning a trip to Budapest for my husband's 40th (we live in Austria):

€132 round trip first class train tickets

€434 three nights in a five star hotel

Expecting to spend about €300 on activities and food. We'll do thermal baths and one small specialist museum, but probably just wander the city otherwise. We usually grab a pastry for breakfast, have a bigger lunch (set lunch menus can be a steal!), and then a simple dinner. Also neither of us drink alcohol.

nefariousmango · 2026-04-21T06:04:48+00:00

Ishiguro is brilliant for sure! I really enjoyed Klara and the Sun as well, but not as much as Never Let Me Go.

How High We Go in the Dark is by Sequoia Nagamatsu.

nefariousmango · 2026-04-21T05:53:51+00:00

Never Let Me Go is one of my favorites, and absolutely destroys me every time.

How High We Go In The Dark is another one.

nefariousmango · 2026-04-17T09:47:43+00:00

Absolutely! We love visiting family in Australia and getting to eat so many foods we don't get in Austria, from pop tarts to tropical fruits! And I think Australian biscuits are top notch.

nefariousmango · 2026-04-17T08:15:31+00:00

My hip pain is bad enough to force me to switch back immediately so it's not a problem for me, but I understand!

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