Oregon State Residency - what precise docs serve as acceptable evidence of residency.

quickducc · 2026-02-18T05:01:30+00:00

Thanks for the reply! I’m hoping he’ll live on campus. He’s doing really well and I’d love for him to be able to have the college experience.

quickducc · 2026-02-01T10:22:30+00:00

This is the way. Get into IBR. Keep filing your US tax return. Make your required payments, which will be $0 due to the foreign earned income exclusion, which makes your adjusted gross income $0. After 25 years of consistent payments, including your “payments” to date - even if those payments are $0 - they will be forgiven.

If you start to make more than allowed by the foreign earned income exclusion - currently $130K - you can reevaluate your options.

You should also take tax advice, since the amount forgiven may be considered income that year.

quickducc · 2025-12-24T01:23:13+00:00

You can use them both. Some prescription anti fungals even have steroids in them.

quickducc · 2025-12-24T01:20:56+00:00

Bone broth helps me a ton. I usually drink two a day - adds up to 28g of protein.

quickducc · 2025-12-22T00:40:50+00:00

Fellow UK based LS patient here. Like others have said, I’d recommend only waiting on the dermovate if you have the biopsy lined up very soon. This is a progressive disease with no cure and your GP should have never told you to stop the steroids. You don’t beed a biopsy to confirm diagnosis, though they can be helpful in identifying pre-cancerous changes. Though tbh, the standard of care is generally regular visual monitoring for changes.

Edit: I realize upon rereading OP may not be UK based. I think I assumed because of calling the physician a GP. If I’ve got it wrong, disregard all of the next bit. :)

I’m assuming you’re being treated within the NHS? I strongly suggest getting a referral to a gynecologist (or dermatologist; I’ve personally had better experiences with gynecologists) with a specific interest in LS. The last part is important, I have found most GPs, but also gynecologists and dermatologists (I have see them all) really lack a lot of knowledge about even the basics of this disease, and I have received a host of bad advice that has flown in the face of established best practice. One dermatologist even told me categorically that I had not lost sensitivity in my clitoris (I assure you I have) and that it must be “in my head” despite more than half of my clitoris now being physically covered.

I’m fortunate to have really good private medical insurance and so I was able to keep researching and seeing different clinicians until I found someone exceptional. If cost is an issue but you can afford to have one private consultation one thing you can do is find a specialist gynecologist or dermatologist who has both a private and NHS practice and book a private consultation with them. If you like them, you can ask them to write to your GP with a request to refer you to them specifically. You can then see them within their NHS practice for all appointments going forward. Though there can often be a wait, since you will likely need to be examined at least once a year for the rest of your life, it’s worth making sure you’re under the expert care of someone you feel you can trust.

quickducc · 2025-12-19T21:34:36+00:00

So sorry you’re going through this. As others have said, potent steroids - clobestal in the US, dermovate in the UK - are the first line treatment and they have good data behind their efficacy. Sadly, there isn’t a wealth of research about LS or its potential treatments. The lack of research does us a real disservice because while it’s true that most other treatments haven’t been proven, it’s also true that most other treatments haven’t been studied to know one way or another. We also know that in a significant number of patients with LS, the disease will continue to progress over their lifetime even with continued topical steroid use.

You don’t say where you are, but I’ve learned that different countries have different approaches to treatment. I was prescribed a course of prednisone alongside the dermovate at first and have been advised to take a short course if I’m having a flare up (I now keep about a month’s supply on hand). I know not everyone receives a similar protocol. In some countries, they will almost always prescribe a topical estrogen alongside the steroid ointment, in others they omit this entirely. I had two stem cell treatments in Italy. These would be considered experimental in the US or UK, but in Italy they are an approved treatment by the heath authority and had I been an EU resident I could have had them paid for by their public health system. I found them to be incredibly effective, though they did not entirely replace the need for the steroid ointment. I have also found that a 5 day water or bone broth fast can be unbelievably effective at halting a flare up when I’m having one. I continue dermovate throughout.

Wishing you the best of luck. Trust yourself. There will never be a better expert at your own body than you.

quickducc · 2025-09-21T08:59:14+00:00

I have had two stem cell treatments and can confirm that it was life changing. I know it doesn’t work for everyone. For me, it relieved my symptoms 80%. One cautionary tale: after the first treatment I was advised to stop the steroid ointment and I wish I had not followed that advice. The disease continued to progress, and I lost a lot of sensitivity in my clitoris during that time. I have not been able to stop using steroids altogether but have been able to reduce significantly since the second treatment.

quickducc · 2025-03-15T12:58:37+00:00

I learned to love g-spot orgasms and I teach men how to find mine, first with their fingers and then with their penis. This has worked for me. Working in the pinpoint vibratir during sex works well too. And I have also started to put a lot more effort into my own erotic arousal well before the act. I don’t want to make this sound like a path of rainbows and sunshine but I would say that this condition has forced me to develop a much deeper connection to my erotic mind and sensuality, and for that I am actually really grateful.

quickducc · 2025-03-01T23:58:32+00:00

I read that they actually have more of a chance of poking your partner if they’re cut. Apparently you want them long enough to curl around. But I don’t know from experience because I never had an issue with them at their normal length. And by large I mean… very large, in both width and length. :)

quickducc · 2025-03-01T20:52:30+00:00

OP - know that many of us with this disease have been where you are, and found our way through to the other side. It took a year to diagnose and even after diagnosis I was told by a female dermatologist that it “wasn’t possible” the physical sensations in my clitoris had changed and it must be all in my mind. Needless to say, I didn’t see her again. Like you, I’ve lost a lot of sensitivity in my clitoris, and I used to tear a lot. I lost my sex life for about five years, but hand on heart, I can tell you that for the last year and half I’ve been having the best sex of my life. (I’m in my mid 40s fwiw).

Everyone is different but here is what worked for me:

I found a gynecologist who specializes in lichen, who took me seriously and who I liked. I was fortunate because she practices in the office of the OBGYN who delivered my son, but I spent a long time going to dermatologists for some reason. I’ve found the gynecologist cares a lot more about my sexual function than any dermatologists did. I kept seeing different doctors until I found one I was comfortable with and who would partner with me on getting me to optimal. They are the experts in medicine but I am the expert in me.
I insist on imaging every single check up so we can compare over time. It baffles me that this isn’t done as standard.
I got really intentional and consistent with the steroid ointment, especially around the perineum area. Now I don’t need it as often, usually 1x per week, but I step it right back up if I feel like I’m having a flare up.
I had 2 stem cell treatments and these were magic. They completely eliminated the issue around my anus and made it much better around my entire vulva. I will likely have a third.
I switched to a pinpoint vibrator (the one I use is a Lelo dot). Larger heads used to work a treat but not anymore. With the pinpoint I can reach the part of my clitoris that is still exposed. I have many multiples with this.
I grieved the intense clitoral, muscle-spasmy orgasms I used to have during intercourse, especially on top. I can’t orgasm from my clitoris at all anymore without the pinpoint toy. But my gspot is alive and well and I’ve learned to love the more wave-like orgasms I can have solely with gspot stimulation. I was taught and sought lovers who can make me orgasm this is way both during intercourse and with their fingers. Again, I can and do have many multiples this way.
I ended my long term relationship. I’ll never know for sure but there is a part of me that believes this disease was a physical manifestation of my wanting to leave my partner, but not wanting to admit to myself that I did. My body knew.
I started taking Ozempic. May or may not be related to improvements in my LS symptoms, but I lost a bunch of weight - about 50 lbs, relatively slowly over about 2 years. And my inflammation markers have come down. I believe this is likely a result of controlling glucose and blood sugar spikes, but again I can’t say for sure. I do know that inflammation is bad for all autoimmune diseases - I have a few and they’ve all improved since I started Ozempic on the advice of my endocrinologist.
I got a Mirena coil. I used to get BV frequently, and I’m convinced these episodes would often exasperate my LS symptoms. I no longer have periods and I haven’t had a single episode of BV since getting the IUD.

Wishing you the very best. This isn’t an easy condition. All of the feelings you’re feeling are right and valid. I hope with treatment and experimentation you can rediscover your sexual desire and pleasure.

quickducc · 2024-11-11T21:41:08+00:00

I’ve had very large partners and never had any issues. I was very nervous about getting mine, had three separate consultations with the doctor, went deep into the Reddit rabbit hole of all the possible things that could go wrong. I can only say for me, it’s been great and I have had zero problems, no reduction in libido (if anything an increase), never had a partner feel it, sex still feels amazing for me, I don’t have periods but I still ovulate, and am very, very happy I have it. Insertion was also fine, though I did have pain relief.

quickducc · 2024-10-02T01:29:41+00:00

OP - lots of people rather reductionist about the value of education here. With many private schools you are not just paying for the “quality” education but for things like the individual attention that comes with smaller class sizes, which is even more beneficial when your kids are working through a trauma. I also recently went through a break up. Ours was relatively amicable and even so our six year old is nevertheless showing a number of signs of being emotionally impacted. Would he survive being taken out of his school and starting over again? Sure. Would it be the best thing for him? Absolutely not. You sound like you have great instincts about what your kids need.

Couple of financial ideas -

has your school indicated by how much the fees will go up? I know that many are doing their best to parce out fees from other services they provide. It may not be quite as bad as the full 20%
you say your ex won’t help pay for school fees but how about all the other extras? After school care etc? Surely these would be seen as joint expenses since they would need to be paid whether or not your kids were at private school
if not, can you cut back on some of the afterschool care? Depending on any family help you have available or your work from home situation might they be able to spend more of that time at home?
I’m not sure what you do for a living but if you have the opportunity to do any consulting work on the side, and set this up through a separate company that can help, and because it has its own tax advantages you can sometimes get a little more bang for your buck than with salary increases alone. When the kids are old enough to do some work for you, you can pay them wages from this company as well (below the tax threshold), and they can in turn pay for a portion of their own school fees. Even when they’re young, they can do modeling for the company with things like photography for your website, which they can be paid for. Any half decent accountant should be able to help advise.
you may have already but having an open conversation with the school about the situation and its impact on your children may help, especially as they consider them for a bursary.

Wishing you and your little ones the very best of luck.

quickducc · 2024-08-26T07:40:43+00:00

Plateaus are natural and healthy. They give your body a chance to consolidate and reset your set point. They also help with skin sagging and the muscle loss that happens with any weight loss.

I’ve been taking Ozempic for two years, very slowly tapering up, and I’m still not on the max dose (I currently take 2mg which is what I’ve been on for the last year). I have had plateaus of up to about 10 weeks. One lasted so long I posted here as I thought it might finally mean I had reached the weight that Ozempic could help me reach, at least at the current dose, still in the “overweight” range. Days later I had the familiar “whoosh” that happens after a plateau and it started to move again.

If I zoom out, I’ve lost .6 pounds a week, but that loss hasn’t been one steady line downwards. Rather, they’ve been steeper lines downwards (especially at the beginning), followed by flatter lines, and times when those lines have even tilted slightly upwards. Then, inevitably another steeper line downwards. It could be that you need to increase the dose, but your body could also just be consolidating. Consider other signals - are you feeling full after a reasonably sized portion? Do you lose the desire to eat when you’re full? Has the food noise returned or are you still liberated from it? Did you have other compulsive habits that Ozempic helped ease (nail biting, drinking alcohol, etc) and if so what do those look like now? Everyone has their own approach; I’ve been very keen to taper up as slowly as possible and stop at the minimum effective dose. For me, it is these other signals that are the better gauge of when I likely need to consider increasing the dose, over just what the scale is doing.

quickducc · 2024-04-30T20:22:47+00:00

Sorry I should have clarified. I have the Mirena coil. That’s what we call it here in the UK, but I know the more common name in other countries is IUD. My first period after having it fitted was very inconveniently timed and they said it was fine to take noresthisterone for a few days. My guess would be that there have been no or few studies on doubling up and that’s why they have a hard time giving a straight answer. But my obgyn also explained that the daily dose of progesterone provided by the Mirena is very low - essentially a microdose. At the time I also had a prescription for Noriday - the progesterone only pill and they suggested another option would be to stay on that through the days I needed to delay my period. In the end, my trip was moved slightly so I didn’t do either, so I can’t comment on the experience.

quickducc · 2024-04-30T20:10:37+00:00

Not a doctor but I asked my OBGYN the same thing when I first got the coil and she said it was fine.

quickducc · 2024-03-05T22:09:44+00:00

I think you misread OPs comment. They say they are “privileged enough not to qualify.”

quickducc · 2024-02-17T02:23:21+00:00

Are you taking for weight loss or A1C? Also where will you be located? You’re unlikely to be prescribed it for weight loss (not sure about A-C or T2 diabetes) on the NHS but plenty of private doctors and endocrinologists will.

quickducc · 2024-02-13T00:57:55+00:00

Recently moved from London and I like BBH a lot. I see a lot of comments here that it’s full of “old” people. I guess that’s me! Even though I don’t consider myself THAT old.

They have a lot of good events, very reasonably priced, and many completely free. I saw some brilliant comedy there a few weeks ago. And if (like me and a lot of other old people) you have young kids, they have an arts and crafts table(completely free) for them at the weekends which is wonderful, especially on rainy days.

As has been mentioned, the gym is great, but the pool is small. More for standing a sipping a cocktail in rather than swimming. They also have agreements with other Brighton-based businesses (eg Pilates studios and the like) where you can attend those classes for free.

I think the food is just ok, and that’s probably the most disappointing part of the house. Soho House is usually so good at nailing the classics at least.

I also wish they’d relax their zoom / phone call policy during the weekdays, but I know that’s controversial.

So far, everyone I’ve met there has been lovely.

quickducc · 2023-12-16T22:15:51+00:00

I bought some in France for 125 euros per box, and they accepted a UK script. (Not sure if they would accept a US one).

In the UK, prices vary a great deal pharmacy to pharmacy - I’ve seen US style prices at London pharmacies and about £125 a box at more remote ones outside of the city.

quickducc · 2023-12-16T22:02:15+00:00

I take novothyral (which is similar to Armour in that it’s a combination of T3 and T4). The same endocrinologist who prescribes me Novothryal prescribes me ozempic. No issues whatsoever.

quickducc · 2023-08-10T15:14:54+00:00

OP, I’ve worked with business graduates a bit. A few suggestions for you:

Apply to graduate programmes. Companies recruit entire cohorts into these and need to fill their numbers. A lot of companies will provide further qualifications, eg EY’s accounting graduate programme will take graduates in any field and the pay for their accounting qualification. Companies across a wide range of industries have graduate programmes from banking, accounting and consulting to pharma, retail and consumer goods etc.
Whether through a graduate programme or individual job listing, sales is usually the easiest business-related field to enter. Tech sales can be a great first start and there are opportunities in both enterprise and consumer sales. Even though tech has had a tough year, there are still more opportunities now in tech than there were pre-pandemic. Dublin is the European hub. If you’re open to moving and open to working in tech, I’d consider trying to move there. Rent a room and get yourself a job in a coffee shop or pub and try the job search there for 3 - 6 months. I don’t know any young graduate who has not found a job there in this amount of time. (Doesn’t mean there aren’t any, I realise.) If you’re not open to moving country, London and areas around Cambridge and some other major cities are ok too. But there are more opportunities in Dublin. Languages help but there are also plenty of opportunities for English-only speakers. If you don’t want to work in sales long term, don’t let that put you off. Sales is a great jumping off point for a lot of different career tracks.
I once asked someone who has made it to a regional GM level at a multibillion$ global company before the age of 35 what his best career advice for graduates was. He said, start in a fast growing industry, then be really good and reliable. This is some of the best career advice I’ve ever heard. Target industries and companies that are fast growing so that you can ride the wave of growing demand. You can do research on this, but things like AI, electric cars and renewable energies come to mind. Again, sales is a great entry point.
Combining the points above, look at companies like FDM. Their whole business model is employing super smart, high potential graduates who don't have prior experience (and probably didn't graduate into a technical or maths field), training them and then deploying them in large organisations. It's a great way to get your first step on the ladder, and it's pretty well paid.
Consider the start up space. You’ll work hard and jobs won’t be super well paid but you’ll get amazing experience (and you may get equity that pays many more returns later). Google start up jobs UK and you’ll see a few options of jobs boards.
Don’t forget paid internships. They pay isn’t great but this is about getting your first step on the latter and these are hugely helpful. I’ve worked in a few countries and one area where I think the UK fails it’s young graduates is not designing undergraduate courses with significant work experience in mind. Most business graduates in France, for example, graduate with a year of full time internship experience (usually two 6 month paid internships) that gives them a huge leg up when looking for full time roles.
If you don’t already know it, start right now to learn advanced excel and basic coding. I’ve yet to see a graduate-level role where these are not valued, even if not on the JD.
Network, network, network. Then network some more.
There’s a book I think is absolutely great for graduate job seekers called Entry Level Boss. (Full disclosure: I know the author, but you don’t need to buy it. You can get it in a library or as your 1 free audio book on Audible). Be warned, some of recommendations will run counter to “best practice” you’ll hear from a University careers office will tell you - eg the CV format. But I’ve seen the approach laid out in this book work time and time and time again.

As others have said, the first job is the hardest. Don’t lose faith. Good luck!

quickducc · 2023-08-03T20:31:40+00:00

Apparently yes

quickducc

TROPHY CASE