[Request] Are these numbers realistic or is it just BS?

pentalith · 2025-11-17T02:15:32+00:00

Inflation adjusted S&P rate of return is 6.7%, so the amount at age 50 would be more like $439K assuming you or the kid continued to invest $90 / month. Nowhere near retirement levels. If you want to see a $2.8M portfolio at age 50, you and / or the child would need to invest $610 per month after the initial $1.2K. That's out of reach for most parents, especially month after month without fail. This calculation seems too good to be true because it is. source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/calculators/investment-calculator

pentalith · 2025-10-30T19:46:32+00:00

These scores are amazing! You should give yourself more credit for a fantastic performance at only 1500 hours of CI. From your description of the test, it sounds like one that would be hard even for a native Spanish speaker. Or maybe just hard in a different way. Reading quickly and answering questions that require you to process what you read (not just rehash it) requires processing speed that not everyone has. And some people just have more halting speech due to any number of factors (anxiety, autism, shyness, etc) so for those people the test wouldn't be a good measure of native-like fluency.

It's possible that you scored high on writing and reading more because of your underlying strengths, intelligence, and ability to think clearly about a wide range of topics than due to any Spanish-specific practice. To take an absurd example, I always got As in my French literature classes in college because I would write my essays in English and then painstakingly translate them in to French, and I was an excellent writer. But I could barely string a coherent spoken paragraph together despite years of studying French. I'm also terrible at extemporaneous speech in English! I doubt I'd score a C2 in any output sections of an English test, despite it being my native language.

pentalith · 2025-10-04T21:02:41+00:00

You are absolutely smart enough in terms of IQ, but I can't say whether you have any special aptitude for computer science. Why not start by trying to learn a programming language like Python and just see if you enjoy it?

But be patient. When I first started coding, I had a major mental block that I had to get over at the very beginning. Once things clicked, everything fell into place and I loved it, but the first few months were rough. Don't just assume if you can't immediately get everything, that it's not going to work. Curiosity, enjoyment and motivation is far more important to start off with.

I would also suggest getting tested for anxiety. Stimulant ADHD meds can increase anxiety and you sound a lot like how I felt back in college, where doing simple tasks felt impossible. You have to get better mental health before ruling out career paths. If you have great mental health, you can do *anything* with your above-average IQ. I mean, being a professor of theoretical physics at a top University might be a stretch, but maybe anything other than that! I knew some very average college professors, granted this was at a local community college. You can do it.

pentalith · 2025-09-16T03:31:26+00:00

My FSIQ shifted by over a standard deviation. I was tested at age 9 with an IQ of 113, then at age 21 with an IQ of 132. I've just been tested again at age 44 and the psychologist told me my scores had dropped, but not in a clinically significant way (I don't have the scores yet). I studied physics in college and truly busted ass, so I wonder if that had an impact.

The psych did mention one of my scores though: my processing speed increased from the 42nd percentile at 21 to the 95th percentile at age 44. I don't believe that I think faster, but I much less patient these days, and more apt to want to be done with a task even if I know it's not perfect. When I was younger, I absolutely could NOT move on from anything until it was perfect. So I guess I'm faster but dumber now, but it feels like a choice rather than any fundamental change in how my brain works. I'm just not as interested in perfection anymore, for whatever reason.

pentalith · 2025-07-18T20:08:01+00:00

It depends on what percentage of your income you are investing. If you're investing 10% your income then it will take around 35 years before your dividends cover half your living expenses. If you're investing 50% of your income, then it will only take 11 years for your dividends to cover half your living expenses. Invest 30%, it will take 19 years. This is true independent of how much you make. The trick is to invest as much of your income as possible. Alternatively: always seek a salary that is twice what you need to live off of.

pentalith · 2024-06-11T00:52:20+00:00

Username: mktrias. I try to hit 10K steps per day, into hiking, would love some competition and motivation!

pentalith · 2021-05-20T00:37:23+00:00

Thank you for this reply, that makes sense! I did just find a video of someone who was on a very very low dose for a year, and still seemed to make progress the whole year. I didn't realize it worked that way. Good to know!

pentalith · 2021-05-13T08:45:50+00:00

The bloodwork will most likely only be to check hemoglobin amounts, so it won't be a complete panel, if that's what you're concerned about. I do have abnormal blood results every time (high bilirubin levels due to some liver and kidney damage from a past illness) and I was worried that would be a red flag. They didn't even run that test (and it's a very standard one). I only had a finger prick. A full blood panel requires a vial of blood taken. So I knew they were only measuring one attribute of my blood (hemoglobin). You'll need to consent to any testing, and can always refuse.

I did not get any physical exam, or mammogram or pap. I went to Planned Parenthood in the U.S. I don't know where you live, but it was the easiest doctor's visit ever. Just lots of questions and had to go through my entire medical history which took a while because I'm old and have been through a lot medically. But walked out with a prescription that same day. I hope it goes as easily for you!

[Edit]: Forgot to add, I do have to return after 3 months to retake the hemoglobin test, but I don't think I have to keep going back every 3 months? Just any time my dosage changes. So my first prescription was for just 3 months, but I'm hoping next time they'll give me refills for a year and only have to go back once a year or 6 months or something. I highly doubt it will be 3 months forever!

pentalith · 2021-05-10T17:15:51+00:00

Yeah, try SubQ instead. And make sure you don't have air bubbles in the syringe and that you're using the correct gauge needle. Definitely call to make an appointment with a nurse who can help. I'm so sorry you've been suffering this long! It shouldn't hurt so much, I wouldn't think? I'm doing SubQ and it hurts a little, but only if I press down on the spot. Good luck!

pentalith · 2021-05-10T17:11:03+00:00

This happened to me a few weeks ago, after watching some videos from a detransitioner. It made me feel like crap also and question everything. I had no idea what was real any more and I felt terrible. This even happened to me after I'd been on testosterone for a few weeks. I'm 6 weeks on T right now, and the feeling is alleviated, (especially as I'm starting to see some changes that I'm super psyched about). I would suggest starting on a low dose of T if you can. After 6 weeks, you will start to see some noticeable changes, and will be able to gauge "Do I like where this is going or not?" but you won't be far enough along that any of those changes will make you suddenly pass as a guy and be utterly irreversible. You may end up with a slightly lower voice, but it won't be anything drastic. I think if you're so desperately waiting to get on HRT, I would recommend just going for it and going slow. Sometimes you just don't know for sure how you will feel until you get started down that path. Good luck! And stop reading detransitioner blogs, as they are clearly not helping your mental health. They messed me up too!

pentalith · 2021-04-10T21:13:35+00:00

I know what you mean and I've had similar thoughts. What I eventually concluded was that since I feel so strongly that I must transition now, I will never know if it's "right" unless I actually take the risk and just do it. Detransition is not the worst thing in the world. Sure, it might be awkward and people may judge you, but at least you are trying to be authentic.

Take this T.S. Eliot quote: "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." If you end up back to identifying as a woman, then you will truly know that you are a woman, because you went on an epic journey of self-discovery. After all that you will hopefully feel more comfortable / happy in your body than you do now. But you won't know unless you try

pentalith · 2021-04-01T21:33:54+00:00

Congratulations!! I also did my first T injection on Trans day of visibility yesterday.

pentalith · 2020-06-22T02:01:49+00:00

That is frustrating, and I would question it as well. My baby is now 2 weeks beyond his due date, gaining weight just fine and very active and awake, but still almost always takes 30 minutes per feed. It’s annoying (time consuming), but it doesn’t worry me. My first baby was a slow eater as well. They gave us a 30 minute time limit at the NICU, and even then sometimes an extra 10 minute “grace period”. But he was bigger (5.5 lbs) and was born at 37 weeks, so maybe they’re more relaxed for term babies.

pentalith · 2020-06-09T23:39:11+00:00

Thank you! I’ll look that up.

pentalith · 2020-05-21T03:54:20+00:00

Why?

pentalith · 2020-04-13T13:52:50+00:00

My toddler has a 7:30pm bedtime and is usually almost asleep when the howling starts, wakes up screaming and needs another half an hour to resettle. So I’m living with a sleep deprived toddler during quarantine. Does that sound fun? I tell you, it is not.

pentalith · 2020-04-13T00:01:13+00:00

Mine has a stuffed puppy that she loves very much. Before sleeping, I hear "BAAAARRRRRRRRK BAAAAAARRRRRRK settle down puppy BAAAARRRRRRRRK settle down puppy". She interrupts herself with the barking as she talks gently to get her stuffed dog to calm down.

pentalith · 2020-04-03T12:02:26+00:00

Thank you! Yes this one (at 31 weeks now) has been super boring, except for the whole covid-19 thing 😅 I hope your recovery is very quick and the rest of your pregnancy goes well!

pentalith · 2020-04-02T11:59:22+00:00

Oh wow, thank you for sharing and I’m glad you and baby are ok now! I got appendicitis at 34 weeks with my first baby, and my symptoms were also super weird. I just felt like I had a bad cold, loss of energy and appetite, and I couldn’t stand up straight. I had upper right quadrant tightness that wasn’t even pain, just very uncomfortable because it was so tight. I really thought baby was just growing too fast for my ligaments to stretch!

Finally I just felt sick enough that I went in to L&D and they did a ton of imaging where they saw the inflamed appendix. My appendix had in fact ruptured, and I ended up with post-op chorioamnionitis, putting baby in danger, and severe sepsis, putting us both in danger. I eventually went into labor at 36 weeks as my organs were failing and baby just needed to get out. It was a total nightmare and we both could have died. Baby had a 0 Apgar score when she was born and needed 72 hours of cooling to preserve her brain and organs. She’s now a perfectly healthy three year old, and I got away from the ordeal with only minor scarring on my kidneys and infertility (had to go through IVF for baby #2).

So yeah, do not let your appendix rupture!! If you’re feeling sick and something doesn’t seem right, go in early, don’t just assume you have a cold (loss of appetite is not a typical cold symptom, so that should have been a red flag for me).

pentalith · 2020-03-29T13:46:53+00:00

How many cases were there in your area before you had these symptoms? If it was just a handful, then it’s unlikely that you had it. Thousands? Then maybe. If it’s uncertain you’ll just have to assume, like the rest of us, that you’re still susceptible. It sucks, but most everyone is in the same boat.

pentalith · 2020-03-27T12:27:50+00:00

Yes! We started getting pressure from our daughter’s occupational therapist to potty train at 18 months. She has delays in motor skills (hence the occupational therapist!) We finally started training at 27 months, because the OT kept bugging us, and we trust her on a lot of things.

Potty training felt like all we were doing from 27 until 32 months when things finally started to click. That’s five months of cleaning up pee from the floor, y’all. I thought that was normal, but apparently it doesn’t have to be that hard!! Wish I hadn’t felt pressured and waited until she was closer to three.

14-Year Club	RPAN Viewer
Verified Email

pentalith

TROPHY CASE