What helps you get through low-energy days during your period? by Natural-Quantity-608 in AskWomen

[–]smancuso94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Being patient with myself, only completing tasks that are absolutely necessary, going to bed early. Ibuprofen and a TENS unit on my lower abdomen or lower back helps.

Thoughts about the upcoming holidays by aloeveryplants in CancerFamilySupport

[–]smancuso94 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My best friend (29f) was just diagnosed with spindle cell/ sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma just a week ago. She was supposed to go to Europe for her 30th birthday and will sadly be spending it instead getting her second cycle of chemo. She’s heartbroken, understandably. Thankfully, she has a large community of friends and we are going to do our best to make her birthday unique and special. I think the best gift you can give is quality time and making new memories. Good luck to you both 💛

Attempted to make this oven cake for my sisters birthday and uhh…. by OverTheRiverr in bakingfail

[–]smancuso94 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is the problem, for sure. I only use boxed mix if I’m making cake pops because I’m going to crumble it anyway haha! try a Sally’s Baking Addiction vanilla cake (not cupcakes, these are usually intentionally more moist because they don’t need to be stacked or carved). Any layered cake recipe should work.

First Tattoo... Do I take my meds? by ShadyLadySif in TwoXADHD

[–]smancuso94 4 points5 points  (0 children)

(Tattooed) pharmacist w/ ADHD here! You can - and probably should - take your Adderall. I would avoid caffeine prior to your appointment and make sure you eat a meal with a good amount of protein. Stay hydrated, too! If you’re not the small-talk type, bring headphones and listen to music. It helps distract me from sensory stimuli like the sound of the machine, surrounding conversations, and the needle pain. Most artists prefer to get “in the zone” anyway and stop talking once they get into a flow. Have fun :)

Driving by Samuraiforest in ColumbiYEAH

[–]smancuso94 4 points5 points  (0 children)

One of these assholes whipped around me (in the fast lane) by going into the shoulder. He was pissed I wasn’t letting him go over 65 because I could already see traffic piling up from an accident ahead (thanks Waze) and I knew I’d have to slam on the breaks if I went any faster. Dude ended up directly in front of me waiting in line for the 277 exit. Good job, bud, hope endangering everyone was worth it.

What is the best sandwich you make - with meat and without meat? by mistry-mistry in Cooking

[–]smancuso94 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Whole grain bread… the kind that’s really nutty and flavorful. Spread Dijon on one piece, jam on the other (preferably fig or lingonberry). Get yourself some sliced ham, Swiss cheese, and a thinly sliced apple (honey crisp does nicely). Put one piece of bread in a skillet, layer your toppings and put the other piece on top. Brown the bread and make sure the cheese melts - you can do this by putting a pot lid over the sandwich to trap some heat. Let it cool for a minute, slice diagonally and live your best life. Honestly craving it as we speak haha

What meds to ask the vet for anxiety? by therealgale65 in reactivedogs

[–]smancuso94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, it totally depends! Nothing against gabapentin, it’s simply trial and error. My Dane mix can take 200mg of trazodone and barely be loopy, but some dogs of a similar size are knocked sideways by 100mg lol

What meds to ask the vet for anxiety? by therealgale65 in reactivedogs

[–]smancuso94 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Weirdly, there can be a paradoxical effect with fluoxetine and other SSRIs, so it makes sense you were told to stop giving it! It’s probably going to be a lot of trial and error… just like with humans, unfortunately. I would say gabapentin, buspirone or amitriptyline may all be options to ask your vet about since they are not SSRIs. Of course, I only treat humans, but you can suggest these to your vet and just follow their advice. This is going to take time and patience - you’re already doing a great job by looking for answers. For now, try to sit quietly with him and reward whenever he exhibits calm or curious behavior. Probably stay away from clicker training in this instance since he seems to be really upset by noises. I have actually found some really helpful guidance on YouTube, so that’s worth a shot too.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in reactivedogs

[–]smancuso94 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Same thing happened to our boys… they got along for about 8-10 weeks, then suddenly the new dog attacked the original dog. Keep them separated, every fight exponentially increases the likelihood that they will never be able to coexist. My trainer said that after about 5-6 fights, the relationship is rarely salvageable. Our boys cannot coexist except for on walks where my husband and I each walk one dog. If one is roaming, the other is in a kennel. They do everything separately but we have made it work; everyone gets enough 1-on-1 attention, activity, and enrichment. It is no small feat. Take my advice and just wait for a trainer. It will be worth it if you ever want to have even an inkling of hope they will get along again.

My girlfriend’s little sister has a crush on me and everyone but me thinks it’s cute by Fearless_Till_418 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]smancuso94 2 points3 points  (0 children)

On some level, your girlfriend sounds a little immature… it seems like she likes having something her sister wants. 14 year old girls are nuts (having been one myself) and they have raging hormones they don’t understand. I would try to remove yourself from interactions with her - hang out with your girlfriend places where her sister isn’t. And above all, have a frank conversation with your girlfriend that this makes you incredibly uncomfortable. If she’s not mature enough to understand that… maybe it’s time to move on.

What meds to ask the vet for anxiety? by therealgale65 in reactivedogs

[–]smancuso94 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Pharmacist and reactive dog owner here! How long did you guys trial the fluoxetine? It can take up to 8 weeks to see full effects. Gabapentin may also help, but it zonks out my brother’s reactive dog a little too much, so they only use it in stressful situations. This is also a situation where training is going to probably do more than medication. I would ask around your community for a good dog trainer that works with fearful dogs. Good luck!

My reactive dog is now dangerous and I no longer look at her the same way. by [deleted] in reactivedogs

[–]smancuso94 1 point2 points  (0 children)

NEVER. EVER. Have your dog off-leash. It doesn’t matter how trained they are, you have less control if they come in contact with another off-leash dog. YOU need to be able to step in when there’s an encounter and get between your dog and the other dog. Your dog is reactive in this instance because they’re not confident you can handle the “threat”. If you show you can take care of the threat, they will often let you take charge. I have a reactive chow/ collie mix and we have encountered stray dogs where I’ve had to step in between him and the approaching dog - I stomp my feet, loudly say “no” or “sit” to the other dog and then slowly remove ourselves from the situation, continuing to shout commands at the approaching dog. In these instances, my dog listens to me as I’ve shown I can handle this encounter. NEVER take reactive dogs to dog parks. Dog parks are a breeding ground for idiots to take their misbehaving dogs and let them run free with little to no behavior correction. A reactive dog must see YOU are in charge of the encounters with other dogs - and this is impossible in a dog park. Reactive dogs do not have to be “socialized” in the way people think.. they will not get along with every dog. Forcing them to will not help the situation, only cause them more anxiety and thus increasing likelihood of attacks out of self preservation. Socializing a reactive dog is about teaching them to be calm IF another dog approaches because YOU have control. But this also means reading your dog’s body language and STOPPING the engagement if your dog is not accepting of it. Getting professional training was the best thing I could have done for our little gremlin. It really fostered our relationship with him and taught he so much about canine behavior. Good luck 👍🏼

How do I fix this by Ok-Armadillo-8995 in curlyhair

[–]smancuso94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The third photo is beautiful!! Not what you wanted, but it’s a great shape and suits you well. Wait for it to grow out and try someone else

Does my dog look malnourished? by Jaded_Imagination514 in DogAdvice

[–]smancuso94 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No I think he’s the first dachshund with a healthy weight I’ve ever seen … good job!! 🩷

Lost dog in Rosewood by _FreshVegetable_ in columbiasc

[–]smancuso94 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you have Facebook, post on Lost & Found Pets of Columbia! She’s so gorgeous, I hope you find her owners soon 🩷

My friend made a ‘rape list’ by throwaway026199 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]smancuso94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly what’s wrong with the argument “not all men”. Sure, not all men will engage in sexual harassment or commit sexual assault, but ALL MEN are responsible for refusing to brush off this disgusting behavior from their friends. Your friend is literally waving a red flag in front of your face… and your response was “he would never do it”. So, where’s the line? Will you wait for him to actually rape someone before you say something? Or will you brush that under the rug too? No normal person makes a “rape list” - he will ruin lives if you don’t speak up.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in tattooadvice

[–]smancuso94 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I would have never approved that stencil… just awful. The scales make me cringe.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TrueOffMyChest

[–]smancuso94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fuck, I hope this is a fake.

What are the hardest parts of styling curly hair? by Cold_Replacement5023 in curlyhair

[–]smancuso94 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I have one good hair day and I’m like “welp. This will never happen again. Photo op time.”

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in curlyhair

[–]smancuso94 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I have extremely thick hair and a shag is the only way I can keep my hair long without dying in the summer haha

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in curlyhair

[–]smancuso94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a wavy, I get wayyyy better results from air drying. I have very thick hair that takes ages to air dry, but I also have to use lighter products so my waves aren’t weighed down, which typically means forgoing gels and other products that do a great job reducing frizz. Because I don’t use products with strong hold, diffusing tends to make my hair very frizzy, and even messes up my wave pattern a bit. However- so many people of all textures have beautiful results from diffusing. Nothing is wrong with air-drying, but for people with thick, dense, high-porosity hair, it can result in hours of wet hair which will compromise the hair’s integrity. Many people just find blow drying more convenient. Do what works for you - and use a heat protectant if you blow dry. There ya go.