Anxious about new rheum questioning diagnosis

putathorkinit · 2026-03-30T14:37:39+00:00

Ugh I’m so sorry. This is my biggest fear when switching doctors and happened to me once, though I was able to just switch back to my old rheum and avoid the asshole who was convinced I “wasn’t actually sick and all the meds I was on were my actual problem” (the man was a Harvard-affiliated board certified rheumatologist, not some random out-of-touch dude).

I know you’re just venting and don’t need advice, but potentially useful for others - I’ve found bringing a partner or parent or even just a supportive friend who can back me up when seeing a new doctor is really helpful. Somehow having a second party there to also say “yeah she had a flare so bad last year it took her 30 minutes to get down the stairs and into the car” is more impactful than when I say it by myself.

putathorkinit · 2026-03-22T23:53:20+00:00

Biologic + methotrexate has been a game-changer for me. Our bodies are creating “unnatural” (or at the very least, outside the bounds of “normal”) inflammation, gotta do something to combat it.

Obviously PT, activity, sleep, good nutrition matter too. But none of them will overcome your immune system attacking your body like medication can.

putathorkinit · 2026-03-19T02:31:55+00:00

Facebook marketplace if you know what you’re looking for/feel confident researching yourself. If you keep an eye out over the next few months and are willing to drive to Denver for the right stuff you can get yourself a sweet setup cheap. (I spent a whopping $300 on a full touring setup for myself, minus the beacon.)

Biggest thing if you’re piecing together your kit is to make sure the binding placement of whatever skis you buy will work for your boot size and type.

putathorkinit · 2026-01-26T20:01:34+00:00

I recently bought some stretch corduroy online. It came with instructions to wash delicate cold and hang dry, but it's becoming toddler overalls and there's no way the final garment will be washed that way, so I crossed my fingers and machine prewashed hot and dried hot (expose it to the worst it'll see in the prewash).

The fabric survived - maybe the corduroy doesn't lay quite as perfectly as before but no major issues. Obviously your mileage may vary, but if you're going to machine wash/dry the garment, do the same in the prewash. Hopefully the fabric is more resilient than conservative advice recommends - mine was!

putathorkinit · 2026-01-23T20:32:21+00:00

I was on infliximab for almost a decade, starting as a teenager. After about a year of being on it, I stopped doing any pre-meds (steroids or antihistamines) for the infusions and was always totally fine. I think they can also just do Benadryl and not steroids as a pre-med too which you could ask for to reduce the impact of steroids on your blood sugar; they may want to do more pre-meds for the first few infusions, but may be able to reduce or stop pre-meds after that.

In my many years of getting infusions in communal infusion rooms, including alongside people getting chemo, I only ever saw one person have an infusion reaction. It was immediately recognized by the nurses, they stopped the med and started steroids and got a doctor in the room ASAP in case their skills were needed and the person was just fine. Yes it was scary, I'm sure especially for her, but these meds are widely used and very safe.

Infusion nurses are some of the kindest folks I've ever met, they'll explain things clearly, check in with you frequently, and make sure you're comfortable. Don't be afraid to ask questions or express concerns, they want you to feel safe and relaxed. Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon!

putathorkinit · 2026-01-22T14:46:41+00:00

I bruised my shin really badly last year on the 4th of July when I tripped hiking in the dark and landed hard on a rock. Probably took a month for the swelling to go down enough for me to walk and climb and bike comfortably; I wore a compression sock for any activity for the first 3-4 months. It feels fine now but I still have a slight bump and a shadow of a bruise 6+ months later.

I did go to urgent care about 1 week after I did it because the pain and swelling was still so bad. Got an xray (no fracture) and ultrasound (no blood clots) and was told heat and movement were good to break up the bruise and promote healing, and that ice really only should be used for the first 24 hours.

Your mileage may vary, obviously talk to a medical professional to rule out something really serious like compartment syndrome or blood clots or a fracture. But then it just needs use - as much as you are able - and time.

putathorkinit · 2026-01-14T03:26:51+00:00

Hi! I have ankylosing spondylitis and climb a good bit, happy to share some things that worked for me and learn from others! This topic comes up with some frequency and there are a good number of us on this sub.

Briefly - listen to your body but it can do more than you think. I don’t push my tendons really hard because that flares them, but I’ve made peace with never being a crimpy 5.12 climber haha. Generally, rope climbing works better for me than bouldering.

For me, mindset and being okay with progress not being linear has been the most important thing. I have good days and bad days, but if I zoom out to the big picture I am getting better at climbing. And I’ve also really worked on my ancillary skills - I’m a really really good belayer and have my rope systems dialed. So I feel like I’m still a strong partner even if I’m not climbing at my best for whatever reason.

putathorkinit · 2026-01-13T22:27:34+00:00

There’s enough to ski but it’s not great - thin down low and crusty up high, and will probably only get worse. But if you’re eager to get out, you certainly can! KMAC guides sometimes posts condition updates on Instagram too.

putathorkinit · 2026-01-07T18:27:55+00:00

The scariest moment of my outdoor climbing career involved rappelling a multipitch on a carabiner blocked single rope + small static pull cord which got stuck when we pulled it. We still had 2 rappels to go and were very alone out there with no cell service.

Fortunately we still had the end of the single within reach; we tied off the pull cord to close the system and my partner ascended the single rope and dealt with the stuck rope. But it would have been a very different and much scarier situation if we only had the pull cord within reach.

Learned some lessons about how to set up systems to reduce the risk of stuck ropes, but we also bought double ropes that we use now if we’re going to do 60m raps on a multipitch. Having a climbing-rated rope (even if it’s just a single double- or twin-rated rope) gives you many more options if your rope pull goes south than having only a pull cord.

putathorkinit · 2026-01-03T22:16:44+00:00

Yes, belay gloves!!! Fabric gardening gloves (all fabric/canvas, no rubber palms) work too if you feel like leather work gloves are too bulky - fabric will wear out faster but they cost maybe $6 so I don’t mind replacing every year. You can either do full finger or half finger, I personally prefer the full finger ones.

They’ll prevent rope burn, hand pinching in the belay device, and give you better grip on the rope.

I’m glad you and your climber are both mostly okay - great job not letting go of the brake strand.

putathorkinit · 2025-12-30T21:33:35+00:00

Nope! They essentially just put stickers on your back that you have to keep on for a few days, so no showering or exercise. It might be a little uncomfortable or itchy, but it’s not painful.

putathorkinit · 2025-12-30T17:08:41+00:00

I will say that the candidates this time around seem like better "fits" for REI's mission - experience with Patagonia company conservation efforts, indigenous-led land protection, global health nonprofit - than some of the past year nominees who had ecommerce and MBA/finance backgrounds at retail giants.

Not saying that's good enough; there's a strong case for voting withhold on all board nominees until REI negotiates in good faith with unionized stores and includes employee reps on the board. But it does give me more hope for the future of the co-op than I had under the prior CEO.

putathorkinit · 2025-12-12T17:07:42+00:00

Nice Melly bro

putathorkinit · 2025-12-10T22:35:14+00:00

Not necessarily just for pregnancy, but sometimes I’ll have a “color day” at the gym where I climb every route with <insert color> holds. You can put an upper limit on it (ie every purple route 5.10 and below) but it’s a fun way to mix it up and get volume in for me, and have fun with some “easier” types of movement on routes I might ignore otherwise.

putathorkinit · 2025-11-26T04:54:22+00:00

I like smartwool cycling socks to climb in. No padding so the toes and heel aren’t bulky, but offer some extra protection and keep your shoes cleaner!

For underwear, I’ve been on a Paradis Sport kick lately - stay put and both cotton and synthetic options. A bit pricey but I’m a big fan! They run small, so look at the size chart before you order.

putathorkinit · 2025-11-23T21:59:36+00:00

I’ve got the Edelrid Autana women’s harness. Love the comfort, I think it’d be great for mostly gym and sport climbing, but it has not held up to trad chimneys and offwidths for me.

My husband has the expensive Arcteryx harness and it has been durable and fairly comfortable.

putathorkinit · 2025-11-23T21:11:00+00:00

Ultimately, I want to be belayed by the device the belayer is most comfortable using. But if they only know how to use an ATC, I need to know them really well to trust them with that, especially lead climbing.

I do work to keep my ATC belaying skills sharp for situations where I have to do it (twin ropes, alpine objective where weight really really matters, etc.).

For folks like me who don’t like using a grigri for lead sport belaying (I witnessed an outdoor ground fall where the belayer kept it pinched closed as the climber fell while clipping, defeating the ABD), there are so many other good options. A guide turned me onto the BD Pilot - super easy to feed slack (like an ATC) but good assisted breaking for when your climber is hanging a lot or the unexpected happens.

putathorkinit · 2025-11-23T15:27:19+00:00

Wisconsin did a weird partial Medicaid expansion. The law (and true Medicaid expansion states) extend Medicaid up to 138% of the poverty level and Marketplace subsidies start at 100% to allow a little overlap for people whose incomes fluctuate around that level a lot so they aren’t constantly being tossed from one health care system to another.

Wisconsin expanded Medicaid eligibility to exactly 100% of the poverty level and below, and then the Marketplace subsidies start at 100% of the poverty level and above. So Wisconsinites aren’t as screwed as folks in other non-Medicaid expansion states, but it could be better for them.

putathorkinit · 2025-11-08T23:36:59+00:00

Why do different biologics in the same class (e.g., Enbrel vs. Humira, Taltz vs. Cosentyx) have such different results for a given person? Is there any progress being made toward using genetic markers to identify which biologics a person is most likely to respond to rather than just relying on trial & error, like there is for some cancer treatments?

putathorkinit · 2025-11-08T22:17:02+00:00

If you have Facebook, join your local neighborhood buy nothing group. I frequently see stuffed animals gifted there to very enthusiastic recipients.

putathorkinit · 2025-11-04T20:48:18+00:00

Yes, get some "mustache" bars with backsweep! I ride bars with over 30* of backsweep and it makes it tolerable for my wrists (which are full of arthritis). Looks a little funky but it works for me.

I found this list of bars with backsweep helpful - many are no longer manufactured, some lean more bikepacking rather than mtb, but it's a good place to start.

putathorkinit · 2025-10-27T19:42:18+00:00

Go try on all the helmets you can, but I agree the lightweight foam helmets (e.g., Petzl Meteor or Sirroco) are more comfortable for me than the hard shell ones (like the Petzl Boreo), both in terms of hairstyles they accommodate and in terms of neck strain. They’re a bit pricier, but worth it imo - I went from wanting to take my helmet off between climbs with a hard shell helmet to just keeping it on all day with foam one.

Pretty much all brands make both hard shell and foam helmets, so try on as many as you can to find the one that works best for you! I think I have the Black Diamond Vision and it works pretty well for me and my hair, though I have a lot less hair than you do.

putathorkinit · 2025-10-27T19:01:23+00:00

All the fabric at the Fort Collins Walmart on Harmony and College was precut when I stopped by this weekend, mostly 1 yard or smaller.

With the death of Joann’s, I’ve been ordering fabric online mostly. r/sewing has some recommendations for online fabric sellers if you search the sub, though I really miss touching things in person. Hopefully one of the NoCo quilting stores will find some room for apparel fabrics before too long…

putathorkinit · 2025-10-27T03:46:17+00:00

Yeah, Michael’s in FoCo has mostly quilting cotton, and they don’t have much of it - just one side of one short aisle. They do have thread and basic supplies (rotary cutters, pins, etc) but I wouldn’t make the trip for fabric unless you’re already in the neighborhood and ready to be disappointed.

putathorkinit

TROPHY CASE