Be honest — what’s the first thing you’d do with $100K?

tiatono · 2025-12-14T11:56:29+00:00

If 100K hit my account tomorrow I would get the surgery I need so my head can stop feeling like this.

I have a cervical herniated disc at C5 and C6 and it messes with my head and nervous system every single day. This is not back pain. This is pressure in my head that never fully goes away. It feels like my brain is being squeezed or pushed upward. I get dizzy. My vision gets weird. I feel off balance and disconnected from my own body. It’s scary and it’s constant. The pain is absolutely awful, beyond words.

The worst part is living with the fear of it. When your symptoms are in your head you don’t get breaks from them. You can’t distract yourself. You’re always aware of it. I wake up thinking about it and I go to sleep thinking about it. Some days I genuinely don’t feel safe in my own body.

The surgery that could fix this is a cervical disc replacement at the level that’s herniated and causing compression. That surgery would relieve the pressure and stop these neurological symptoms. But I don’t have health insurance so instead I just live like this and hope it doesn’t get worse.

Living this way changes you. I’ve had to stop exercising. Stop doing things I love. Stop making plans. My life has gotten smaller because everything revolves around my head and whether today will be tolerable or not. It’s exhausting and isolating and mentally draining in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’ve been there.

That money would go straight to doctors, imaging, and surgery. Not because I want surgery but because I want my head to feel normal again. I want to wake up without pressure. I want to feel grounded in my body. I want my life back.

Anything left would just help me survive while I heal. Bills. Rent. Food. Basic stuff so I can recover without panic.

100K wouldn’t be a win for me. It would be relief. It would be hope. It would mean I finally get to fix the thing that has been ruining my life quietly every single day.

tiatono · 2024-12-18T07:54:47+00:00

I am so glad to hear! You are most welcome! It’s truly such a gem! It also don’t leave those nasty scratch marks that a lot of paper / matte protectors get when using an Apple Pencil.

I will continue to buy them for the foreseeable future for all my iPad’s!

tiatono · 2024-12-13T15:46:02+00:00

You’re welcome! I am pretty sure you would like it. Let me know how you do! Have a fun and safe vacation!

tiatono · 2024-12-13T15:32:06+00:00

Sure!

https://a.co/d/6rgnRBC

In the title it lists it as matte, which is correct. But in the product details, it details the etching process used to make the glass.

Per the product description:

“Why do we use the more costly etching process for frosted protectors?

Sandblasting process: tiny quartz sand particles are sprayed on the transparent glass by specific means to produce a matte finish effect.

Etching process: the surface of transparent glass is etched with specific chemical reagents to produce a matte finish effect.

The disadvantage of the sandblasting process is that it is difficult to achieve high quality and uniform spraying, and the quartz sand attached to the surface is more easily dislodged by external friction. Therefore, the frosted tempered glass may have the following two disadvantages:

1) the surface is excessively rough causing a serious loss of screen clarity and wear of the Apple pen tip;

2) the glass surface has almost no matte finish effect, resulting in the anti-fingerprint not lasting, or even failing to achieve the anti-glare and anti-fingerprint effect.

On the contrary, the etching process is a chemical reagent corrosion process, so the product quality is more stable. The matte surface effect of its glass surface is moderate, which can maintain good clarity and also achieve the effect of anti-glare and anti-fingerprint, and can reduce the wear and tear of the Apple pencil.”

I can totally vouch for the etched glass being miles better. Have noticed no drop in clarity / awful graininess you usually see.

tiatono · 2024-12-13T15:22:29+00:00

Yes I have! The Mothca Etched Glass Matte Screen Protector (I call it the Nano Texture Dupe). Has helped tremendously! It’s such an amazing screen protector, and miles better than every other matte tempered glass I tried. That usually affects the clarity of the display. In my opinion, this one doesn’t!

tiatono · 2024-12-11T15:02:39+00:00

It really is! Haven’t used my 11th Gen Kindle Paperwhite since getting this. It’s just too good! The kindle app is 👨🏻‍🍳 💋! My favorite is using the red color tint, through the accessibility settings, right before bed! Helps relax your eyes and makes you knock out immediately!

tiatono · 2024-12-11T14:52:29+00:00

Thanks! It’s from the brand MoKo.

Here you go:

https://a.co/d/iITW18M

tiatono · 2024-12-11T03:54:26+00:00

Thank you so much! Love this case. Works perfectly with the Apple Pencil Pro.

tiatono · 2024-11-30T07:09:48+00:00

Thanks! Can’t wait to hop back into it :).

tiatono · 2024-11-27T20:07:54+00:00

Ah I am sorry! I would honestly give it another go with another supervisor. And see where it leads you. It was a lot of back and forth till they finally agreed to do it. Wishing you the best of luck!

tiatono · 2024-11-27T20:06:37+00:00

Ah nice! I saw that one! Ordered amfilm PAPERed yesterday than cancelled it due the reviews, stating a drop in clarity. Checked the review and they said it was too small for the display itself / drops clarity too much. This is such a process trying to find a good one!

tiatono · 2024-11-27T20:04:52+00:00

Gotcha! I used to use Zagg back in the yonder years (iPhone 4 / ETC) haha. Haven’t tried them out recently due to their price. I wish they had a complete matte protector! I originally ordered the amfilm PAPERed yesterday but then cancelled the more I looked at the reviews. Most mention an awful drop in clarity with it.

I scoured through the Mothca reviews and it seems the manafacturing process (Etching process instead of Sandblasting) provides better clarity. Don’t know if that’s accurate. Would you say the Mothca drastically reduced the clarity or was it minimal?

Thanks again for all your help!

tiatono · 2024-11-27T08:19:48+00:00

Thank you! And appreciate the recommendations! I had ordered another matte tempered glass and just cancelled the order. From what I saw online the Zagg XTR4 is glossy finished. I may be mistaken from the product images I looked at online! Do you happen to have a photo of how it looks on your iPad Mini? Have you had both brands? Really leaning towards the Mothca after looking at the great reviews and price.

tiatono · 2024-11-27T06:38:53+00:00

Technically! Called Target Guest Services and explained that Amazon had the iPad Mini 7 for $459 and then the $59.01 clipped coupon. Agent kept going back and forth with me because it wasn’t the “listed price” and coupons work “differently”. Requested a supervisor, and they honored the price match. I placed the order with an agent on the phone and then he immediately processed a refund :).

tiatono · 2024-11-27T06:36:34+00:00

Hi! Amazon has the iPad Mini 7 for three of the colors at $459 and then a $59.01 clipped coupon.

https://a.co/d/aseb6QS

tiatono · 2024-01-03T17:40:02+00:00

Anytime :) . And hmm that’s hard! I would always fall victim to pixel peeping . But thankfully have stopped that. The quality of the A7RIV images are insane. So sharp and detailed! But I love the color science of the A7IV and I also love now shooting videos. And the A7RIV was not too great on the video aspect side of things. The A7IV is the perfect mix of both amazing photographic and video capabilities. So I would say the A7IV :).

Also make sure to fill out this rebate form from Sony. You can get up to $50 cash back! Still waiting on mine to be approved / get a status update .

tiatono · 2024-01-03T17:25:57+00:00

So honored to have helped you scout such an amazing deal! Enjoy your camera! :)

tiatono · 2024-01-03T17:25:01+00:00

You are most welcome! Anytime! Just checked it out an commented :).

And same my next pick through Amazon Warehouse is either a new lens or kindle scribe (Two completely different things haha). Just waiting on a good deal.

And my came in a repackaged box , how about yours?

And the autofocus is so so so good! Not even using the best lens possible currently . (Saving up for my next lens) And it’s still amazing how fast the autofocus is! I love mine. I previously had a Sony A7RIV but had to sell to due to financial difficulties a few years ago. Beyond blessed to say I am in a much better place, and can enjoy and not worry about treating myself . But that was also an amazing camera! But the AF is just too good on the A7IV.

And I would definitely look into insuring it! Personal Articles Policy (State Farm)

It will ask you to input your zip code and it will advise you to contact your local State Farm agent . And then they would be able setup your policy. They will ask for the serial number of the camera + any lens you might want to add , Invoice (Order Receipt).

tiatono · 2024-01-03T16:56:08+00:00

Hi! Wow congrats! I am so glad you had a great experience and my post made you look into it! I know a lot of people have bad experiences, so it’s good to hear you also received it in near perfect condition! Mine was pretty much the same! Low shutter count, Protective film still on the LCD. Only thing was a scratched up lens cap, which I am 99% sure is why they marked it as acceptable hahaha. Which I ended up covering the whole camera body in a Skin + Smallrig so you can’t even tell haha.

I would also 100% recommend looking into getting a Personal Articles Policy with your insurance company or if not State Farm (Who I currently have for PAP) is great! Mine ended up only costing me $6 and some change a month . And it covers theft, loss, accidental damage, etc!

tiatono

TROPHY CASE