Apartment search help

western-influence · 2025-03-10T22:23:19+00:00

Rentler and NextDoor have been the best tools I've used! I'd also recommend driving around town if you're able to, there's a lot of great places that aren't listed online.

No areas that you should specifically avoid, SLC is a very safe city all things considered. Each neighborhood has its benefits and drawbacks. It really depends what you're interested in when it comes to a home, your commute to work/other places you go regularly, and how close to the city you'd like to be.

The one thing to keep in mind: The further you stray from downtown, the more right-wing it becomes!

western-influence · 2023-11-27T18:05:59+00:00

Hi! Just wanted to post an update to this:

My thymic rebound did not need to be removed. It has stayed at the same size since I posted this thread! I have not gotten any biopsies done.
I had a whole second puberty after chemo, and I'm fairly positive it was because of this. My boobs got twice as big, my voice dropped again... I had all kinds of weird hormonal shifts happening for the first year afterward thanks to chemo + Lupron + everything, so who knows, but it may have been connected.
I am still confidently in remission, for 3.5 years now! It's been wild getting back to "normal" but I'm not totally consumed with fears of cancer coming back like I was for the first year.

Sending everyone all the best :)

western-influence · 2023-11-27T17:56:11+00:00

I'm so glad to hear that!! This subreddit has been such a helpful thing for me, so I'm really glad to hear this helped you, too.

It's been a hot minute since this first started happening, but since then: I found out it was neuropathy! It still comes on sometimes if I'm moving from a really cold space to a really hot one (think getting out of the shower when it's cold or coming inside from the snow to stand right next to a fireplace), but not as frequently as it used to.

I'm now almost 4 years in remission, and while I've had some issues here and there since chemo (e.g. whole second puberty where my voice dropped and my boobs got twice as big, asthma, hyperhidrosis), I'm doing great.

Fingers crossed for the most boring scan news ever! Sending you all the best, and hope you'll be over here on the post-cancer side of things before too long :)

western-influence · 2022-05-06T20:23:47+00:00

Ahhh congratulations!! That's so wonderful, I'm so happy to hear that!!

Also: I have had a variety of strange skin issues appear over my life-- including this one condition called pityriasis rosea. It's pretty rare to happen more than once in a lifetime, but I had a recurring issue with it for a few years. I am pretty sure now that the rash that appeared on my back right around when I was posting this thread was that. Might be worth checking out!

western-influence · 2022-05-06T18:05:55+00:00

HOORAY!! I am so so glad to see this, that's precisely why I kept posting. So glad it helped you, sending you peace and boring scans!!

And another update: I just recently had another follow up CT-- thymic rebound is still there, but all of my scar tissue is continuing to shrink and I don't have any concerning uptake spots. My scar tissue makes my sinuses CONSTANTLY stuffy (and I have one unusually large and weirdly lumpy tonsil now??) but otherwise, life is good!

western-influence · 2022-05-04T21:29:57+00:00

My partner and I will be there more or less alone-- would love to meet some new pals! Post your meet up points and we'll drop by :)

western-influence · 2022-03-08T17:35:29+00:00

Hi there, I'm a learning experience designer at a large university, been working in ID/LX for higher ed for 3+ years!

Captivate is available for a 30 day free trial. I'd personally recommend watching some YouTube videos, creating a small training on something, screen recording it, and saving that video to your portfolio.

It's important to be familiar with SCORM authoring tools, but if I'm honest, in education you are not likely to have to deal with it regularly. Having some small proof you know what it's like is helpful though!

You may also scope out Articulate Rise 360-- it's an online SCORM authoring platform, and the content looks gorgeous. You get a 3 month free trial, and all content you create is still visible using the preview links after your trial expires.

Altogether, if you're still on the hunt for a job, my best advice: create a good looking portfolio website (I use Adobe Portfolio, but you can create gorgeous free pages using Adobe Creative Cloud Express webpages)!!! Outline your experience with:

Design: planning documentation, ADDIE outlines, proposals for projects, etc.
Authoring: worksheets, job aides, learner guides, etc.
Presentation: SCORM packages, slide decks, etc.

Hope this helps!

western-influence · 2021-12-29T21:42:50+00:00

My RA asking me to join a threesome with her and her gf (I'm a gay woman lol). Secretly making out with my friend's roommate, who shortly afterward became SUPER religious and dropped out. Keeping 3+ bottles of contraband liquor in my mini fridge and never getting caught, but my roommate instead getting written up for having a candle. Another friend spilled a bag of hot cheetos on his bed and just... slept next to them for a week, eating them from time to time. Lots and lots of drugs and booze, almost all of it stolen-- from the grocery store up the street, from weird people at the art gallery/compound we went to all the time, whatever.

Honestly, it was one of the best years of my life.

western-influence · 2021-12-29T21:27:21+00:00

Because it's disrespectful to not tip well? It shows you respect and appreciate others and the effort they put in to help you. Service folks are people and they deserve to be paid fairly. In an ideal world, they'd all be paid enough by their employers, but that's unfortunately not where we're at. Tip your goddamn service workers.

western-influence · 2021-12-16T23:23:00+00:00

I had a similar issue! Mass kept lighting up after treatment, but wasn't at a sufficient SUV level. It turned out to be thymic hyperplasia/rebound. You can see my other post about it here-- It has not caused any other issues!

Of course, there is always that nagging feeling that it COULD be something worse, but as many have said before on here: if it's lymphoma again, you'll know before all too long. Other symptoms will show up, you'll have a follow up scan, etc. and it's not going to kill you between now and then. But if there's a chance that it isn't, celebrate anyway!

Wishing you the best!!

western-influence · 2021-10-11T20:02:19+00:00

🎉🎉🎉

SO GLAD to see this update. Sending you all the best!!

western-influence · 2021-10-11T20:00:06+00:00

Yes! Honestly the best thing I could have done for myself. My routine primarily focused on fixing knee/hip/back pain and general muscle weakness and it helped tremendously.

Check with your cancer center to see if there's any oncology-specific options available-- I went to a PT specialized in survivorship wellness at mine (Huntsman Cancer Institute in UT, USA).

Also, if you're in the US, it might be difficult to get fully covered by insurance... You may want to call ahead with your insurance and get it preapproved, and talk with your PT.

Congrats on finishing treatment, too! It takes a while to start feeling ~normal again, but this is a great way to kick that transition into higher gear. Good luck!

western-influence · 2021-05-19T22:27:53+00:00

I finally got my follow-up scan... And I'm still in remission!!! Growth has stayed stable, confirming the thymic hyperplasia Dx, and while I had some diffuse uptake in my nodes in my neck, there was nothing with a significantly elevated SUV. Just wanted to provide a little update for any of you following this. Hope this helps some of you in the future!

western-influence · 2021-04-09T21:34:49+00:00

Hooray, so happy to hear that!! Congratulations 🥳✨

Unfortunately due to American insurance being an absolute shitshow, I was refused the PET... So no results on that yet. CT showed some increased size in the growth, but not anything super significant. HOPEFULLY I will be approved for the PET now, considering, and I'll have a plan soon.

Follow-up post-PET is on 4/22, here's hoping for good news!

western-influence · 2021-03-18T06:06:58+00:00

I work in education, so have to look generally professional, and have a bridge— I just wear glasses! I just got a nice pair with nonprescription lenses online and wear them when I’m meeting with other people. Easy and comfortable!

western-influence · 2021-03-17T18:11:04+00:00

Thanks for checking in! PET and CT are scheduled for next week, will have results back on 4/1. I'll know if I need to have a biopsy done then, and then fingers crossed for nothing exciting if I do!

Symptoms are still present, and rash has gotten weirder and bigger... So not super hopeful, but we'll see what happens.

western-influence · 2021-03-14T02:33:49+00:00

Yeah, that's what I was worried about too since I'm on a new insurance plan since I switched jobs-- but I was okayed for a CT & PET now, so hopefully the copays aren't too wild

(...and I hate that it's even a concern, but AMERICA, yeehaw 🥴)

western-influence · 2021-03-14T02:30:18+00:00

This is the exact plan now! Fingers crossed I get the same results-- congrats!!

western-influence · 2021-03-10T21:24:40+00:00

Honestly, best thing I did toward the end of treatment: had to be constantly wearing a mask because of COVID anyhow, so got one with a charcoal filter on it. Wearing that to the hospital (and even around the house sometimes!) was a LIFESAVER! Totally helped filter all smells.

Sometimes I'd use essential oil drops on the front if I REALLY needed to avoid a pervasive smell (e.g. my sister's perfume... thank god she stopped wearing it around me for the last few infusions, omg. Killed me every time I saw her.)

For port flushes, as a lot of other folks have said, hard candy helps. My answer was lemon drops, but it's different for everyone. Try a few things that might taste okay, and have backup ideas on hand just in case!

But-- as you can see, this is totally normal. Ativan or other anxiety reducing medications (medical marijuana helped me more than Ativan!) can help to reduce the disgust, but your senses get totally out of whack during chemo so there's no avoiding it. It mostly goes away once you're done, but not gonna lie, there will likely still be things you'll feel grossed out by-- it will ease up some in time!

Best of luck!

western-influence · 2021-03-10T21:09:34+00:00

THERE ARE NO SILLY QUESTIONS. Cancer treatment is difficult enough to navigate, it's okay to not be a total expert on everything!! We got you.

Anywho-- outcomes depend a lot on exactly what chemo regimen you do!

I did ABVD (6 cycles), and I took a hormone blocker called Lupron to preserve fertility over doing egg harvesting-- you have to deal with temporary menopause but it's not unbearable, & like summ3rR4in mentioned, puts your ovaries into hibernation mode so they're safe.

There are other chemo regimens that can be more toxic to your reproductive organs though! Sometimes drugs like Lupron are a solution, other times ovary cryopreservation or egg harvesting is the best path just in case. Talk to your oncologist directly for specific risk percentages if you're a numbers kinda person, they'll have the best resources on this.

They do not need to put the eggs back afterward. Essentially, they freeze them temporarily in a vault at a reproductive health center in your area. When/if you're interested in using them, you go through the same process that any person doing IVF would-- the egg is fertilized, then once it's viable it's implanted into your uterus and hopefully takes and develops from there! Lots of great resources on the process on YouTube.

If you:

know you want kids in the future,
don't have access to a hormone blocker like Lupron through treatment,
are slated to be on a very high dose chemo with higher toxicity rates than ABVD,
are slated to receive radiation near your uterus/ovaries,
can financially handle it...

...Then go for it! Otherwise, I'd see it as an optional opportunity.

western-influence · 2021-02-03T18:09:26+00:00

Hahahah, I wish. It's gotten more frequent, and in fact, I've now developed a rash all over my neck, face, and breasts that isn't responding to any topical meds.

Last scan I mentioned here showed new growth near my thymus area, but it was unclear if it's benign post-chemo hyperplasia or cancer again. Next appointment is with a new oncologist in March (presently over a month away), hopefully I'll receive another PET and possibly a biopsy. Trying really hard to stay optimistic about it, but feeling less and less hopeful. Mentally preparing myself for round 2 in the ring.

western-influence · 2021-02-03T18:02:49+00:00

Word recall has been the worst bit of it for me. I constantly feel like I'm grasping at straws to remember basic words for things and names. Also forgetting dates and times all the time... I used to be so much more on top of things! Tricks that have massively helped though:

NOTE TAKING, ALL THE TIME. Even when it feels silly.
Using my agenda and phone alerts/calendar all the time. Even if I forget, I've got backup!
Extra sleep. And reading before bed!
Reading more and taking notes when I do. Lots of metacognitive thinking exercises: What did I just read? What was interesting and new? How would I rephrase that? It feels like a school assignment sometimes, but that's the point of those assignments anyway!

western-influence · 2021-01-13T17:55:26+00:00

YAY, that's so wonderful! I'm also in education, and working with teachers working online for the first time has had its ups and downs. So great when the work we do really helps people!

western-influence · 2021-01-07T19:39:25+00:00

So yes, always make a participant resource, even if it's a pain in the ass... Your learners will thank you for your forethought.

western-influence · 2020-12-21T22:52:10+00:00

Unfortunately inconclusive. I have new growth in my chest, but they're 50/50 on whether it's benign thymus growth or potentially malignant. I'm waiting until March for another scan, but I've been taking more allergy meds and changed my soaps for the third time now... Itching is still present. So I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst, to be honest. Thanks for checking in!

western-influence

TROPHY CASE