u/DruidWonder

I have been enjoying morning matcha mixed into lactose free milk. It's one of those pre-mix powders that contains the right mix of matcha and sugar. I heat the milk and then whisk in the matcha.

For some reason though I have been finding that it's causing loose stool and a lot of gas. It's not the milk, I think it's the matcha. When I eat plain matcha this doesn't happen, so I wonder if it's the sugar they add to the matcha mix?

I'm wondering if I should just make my own matcha mix to try? I'm not sure.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue. This is NOT a medical question, it's about the tea itself.

I'm not suicidal, this really is an astrology question. And I'm not asking for a personal reading either.

Basically my life has sucked especially since my Saturn return. Now I'm in my 40s. My Saturn return activated intense life or death illness that has plagued me for over a decade. My NN is on the 12th house side of the AC in Taurus. SN is conj Saturn in Scorpio in the 6th.

It's been a non-stop fight to survive. It feels like trying to bail out the ocean from destroying a sand castle I've built on the beach. The forces of my chart are constantly trying to dissolve my life and everything I attempt to create, including my life itself.

At what point is it okay to just give up and let the tide take you? I don't just mean metaphorical surrender. I mean the true death. I've now been diagnosed with cancer. It is technically curable but it's going to be a huge amount of pain and suffering, a radical reconfiguration of my body.

At what point do you just say... okey universe/life, I see that this whole thing is about me being undone. You win. Undo me. I let go and float down the river, to be dissolved into nothingness.

Because that's what it seems like life is trying to do, kill me in any way it can.

The 12th house is such a suffering house. Why bother living this way? It's like working at a company where if you work hard and do good, you just get rewarded with more work. Why struggle to survive if the reward is more suffering?

I don't really get the purpose of the 12th house anymore, besides just trying to destroy you. *Shrug*

41 M, dx with stage 2 right-sided colorectal cancer in the beginning of May 2026. Could be stage 3, hard to know without surgery, but we at least know it's local. I also have ulcerative colitis (UC). Here is my situation...

My cancer is dMMR/MSI-H (MLH1). The surgery team said they can't just do a resection because the reconnection may leak due to active colitis, so instead they must do a total colectomy (total colon removal) and ileostomy. Bowel biopsies from all other parts of my colon show no cancer, it's just at that right-sided spot. I think a total colectomy is drastic.

First oncologist I spoke to completely rejected the idea of neoadjuvant immunotherapy (IO) because it's "an absolute contraindication if you already have colitis." This is because colitis itself is a possible side effect of IO. However, she was unwilling to think creatively at all about how to maybe control the colitis so I could at least try IO. My right to try was rejected.

Second oncologist I spoke to was willing to do IO if I got on a biologic for UC that specifically suppresses a UC pathway in the bowel, but would have no effect on IO. He said a lot of IO patients use this biologic if the IO causes colitis. My UC is not currently severe. It's moderate in the rectum and mild in the rest of the bowel. Over time it continues to downgrade. Before my diagnosis, I was actually coming off prednisone because the flare was ending... but the hospital interventions made it all flare up again (IV antibiotics, colonoscopy, etc).

If they could offer me a resection, I would get that tomorrow... but I have decided to reject a total colectomy given that the cancer is MSI-H. I feel I should at least try IO to maybe save my bowel.

Here is the catch...

It took weeks to get approval for the biologic (Entyvio). I just got the first dose. Those few weeks were lost time. The loading doses for the biologic are week 0, 2 and 6. My UC has to get under control within that time for IO to be attempted. All the while, the cancer could be progressing. I am getting another CT scan (with two forms of contrast) on Monday to assess if there is progression. If there is no real progression, I will better about what I'm doing. If there is progression, then maybe I should just get surgery, I dunno. I was lucky to catch the cancer when it was still a local tumor... and this was because it was causing acute pain. Otherwise I would've had no idea.

I'm just wondering if anyone here has experience dealing with colorectal cancer through neoadjuvant therapy alone, especially MSI-H? I think if I didn't have the MSI-H mutation, I would just let them take my bowel. Furthermore, if IO doesn't eliminate the tumor but only shrinks it, I'll still be stuck with the same surgery options.

Could I please get some perspective? I know what I'm doing is not standard of care but my current medical team says it's an okay strategy. They just think it's sad that no surgeon would be willing to do just a resection.

41 M, dx with stage 2 right-sided colorectal cancer in the beginning of May 2026. Could be stage 3, hard to know without surgery, but we at least know it's local. I also have ulcerative colitis (UC). Here is my situation...

My cancer is dMMR/MSI-H (MLH1). The surgery team said they can't just do a resection because the reconnection may leak due to active colitis, so instead they must do a total colectomy (total colon removal) and ileostomy. Bowel biopsies from all other parts of my colon show no cancer, it's just at that right-sided spot. I think a total colectomy is drastic.

First oncologist I spoke to completely rejected the idea of neoadjuvant immunotherapy (IO) because it's "an absolute contraindication if you already have colitis." This is because colitis itself is a possible side effect of IO. However, she was unwilling to think creatively at all about how to maybe control the colitis so I could at least try IO. My right to try was rejected.

Second oncologist I spoke to was willing to do IO if I got on a biologic for UC that specifically suppresses a UC pathway in the bowel, but would have no effect on IO. He said a lot of IO patients use this biologic if the IO causes colitis. My UC is not currently severe. It's moderate in the rectum and mild in the rest of the bowel. Over time it continues to downgrade. Before my diagnosis, I was actually coming off prednisone because the flare was ending... but the hospital interventions made it all flare up again (IV antibiotics, colonoscopy, etc).

If they could offer me a resection, I would get that tomorrow... but I have decided to reject a total colectomy given that the cancer is MSI-H. I feel I should at least try IO to maybe save my bowel.

Here is the catch...

It took weeks to get approval for the biologic (Entyvio). I just got the first dose. Those few weeks were lost time. The loading doses for the biologic are week 0, 2 and 6. My UC has to get under control within that time for IO to be attempted. All the while, the cancer could be progressing. I am getting another CT scan (with two forms of contrast) on Monday to assess if there is progression. If there is no real progression, I will better about what I'm doing. If there is progression, then maybe I should just get surgery, I dunno. I was lucky to catch the cancer when it was still a local tumor... and this was because it was causing acute pain. Otherwise I would've had no idea.

I'm just wondering if anyone here has experience dealing with colorectal cancer through neoadjuvant therapy alone, especially MSI-H? I think if I didn't have the MSI-H mutation, I would just let them take my bowel. Furthermore, if IO doesn't eliminate the tumor but only shrinks it, I'll still be stuck with the same surgery options.

Could I please get some perspective? I know what I'm doing is not standard of care but my current medical team says it's an okay strategy. They just think it's sad that no surgeon would be willing to do just a resection.

Two weeks ago I broke my 11th rib doing something stupid. It's toward the spine where the rib joint is. I have never experienced pain on this level. I'm completely morphine dependent and stuck laying on my side in bed. I've been losing weight pretty rapidly as well because opioids kill my appetite and make me constipated.

The thing is, I do not find the opioids are working well for the pain. It takes it from 10/10 pain to maybe a 7. I can't take NSAIDs because of a gut condition, which I am also on prednisone for. Actually I think the prednisone made this broken rib possible.

Can anyone give pain suggestions for my situation? I sometimes just lay here screaming for hours. The ER would not offer a nerve block because they said my spine and discs are totally normal. I can't believe that morphine and hydromorphone are not helping.

I put so much voltarin on my back that I should take out shares from the company.

Thank you everyone in advance for your help. With gratitude.

41 M with colorectal cancer + colitis. Will be getting a total colectomy shortly. J-pouch is prob possible down the road but for now I'm looking at ileostomy.

How do I choose my stoma site? The stoma nurse wants to make an appt to mark the site. This seems like a huge decision.

I'm a very tall guy (6'4") so my ostomy bag is prob going to be big. I also have to consider things like... I'm a side sleeper... I hunch a lot... when I sit in chairs my abdomen tends to compress because I have scoliosis of my spine. I like to be shirtless at the beach, and swim. I like to weighlift and do ab exercises. I'm also not sure if I should do the site lower or higher, for concealment purposes. Should the bag be able to tuck in the beltline, or no?

I'm not really asking for medical advice, more lifestyle advice related to probably having this for the rest of my life.

The background is, I have a couple of major diseases that make me lose weight, but they are being dealt with. I was maintaining balance with those diseases, but then...

I don't know if it was sitting in my computer chair, or my atrophying back muscles... but I have had the worst pain around T12-L1 I have ever experienced in my life. 10/10 pain, 24/7. Strangely it doesn't hurt standing up or bending over, but I cannot sit or lay down. I haven't slept in 10 days and I can barely eat. There is no numbness or tingling, or referral. It's all local and focal, a pinpoint painful spot. I have morphine for my other diseases but I never take it due to side effects, but ironically the back pain has made me have to take it.

I've been to a chiropractor and an osteopath. A fracture is not suspected, it's some kind of pinched nerve from maybe a disc. I will talk to my MD this afternoon to ask the next steps. Should I go to the ER? What can they possibly do for me there besides refer me to physio? I swear to god this pain has ruined my entire life. All I do is lay in bed trying to catch up on sleep, but I can't because of the pain.

This is unreal. I have had back spasms before, mostly lumbar. This location is totally new and it's crazy making. I just want to rip out that part of my back. I hate it!!

I transferred video files from my old phone (a galaxy S8+). They open just fine on grapheneOS, the problem is that they appear as generic icons and not thumbnails... so I can't tell which vid is which.

How can I fix this?

I'm writing on behalf of my mother, who is 75. Just FYI, she is already under the care of specialists, we are just trying to understand her situation more. For the past 5 years, she has had an increasingly severe abdominal prolapse, including bladder pressure on her urethra. This has created incomplete bladder emptying, stranguria, and urinary urgency. She said when on the toilet, she had to move around in all kinds of different positions to ensure complete voiding.

Recently an OBGYN inserted a pessary. It has resolved the prolapse pressure on her urethra and now her bladder completely empties in a single urination. However, now when she has urinary urgency, large amounts of urine escape and she is effectively incontinent. She wears liners (not diapers) to catch the urine, but she says it has made her life very difficult. She compensates by avoiding drinking any beverages when she needs to leave the house, and is constantly vigilant for a washroom nearby.

The OB strangely recommended a complete hysterectomy to address the prolapse. However, the main concern now is that she can't actually hold her urine.

I'm wondering if the years of prolapse and stranguria has caused her to not engage her pelvic floor/kegal muscles enough, and the pessary is now exposing the weakness. Is it possible that now that the pessary is there, her muscles will have to adjust to the normal urinary flow again, and in time she may not lose urinary control? Or is this likely a permanent thing?

As of the latest Google bundle update, Gmail on my phone no longer connects to Google Play Services, so I am not receiving new emails. I've cleared cache and made sure all relevant apps are updated, it just doesn't work. I am stuck using Gmail in my phone's browser.

My phone is older, but I still have the necessary Android API to meet Google's requirements. No idea what to do at this point, but it's frustrating.

Any ideas?

As of the latest Google bundle update, Gmail on my phone no longer connects to Google Play Services, so I am not receiving new emails. I've cleared cache and made sure all relevant apps are updated, it just doesn't work. I am stuck using Gmail in my phone's browser.

My phone is older, but I still have the necessary Android API to meet Google's requirements. No idea what to do at this point, but it's frustrating.

Any ideas?

My UC is under control, and I'm tapering prednisone at a rate of 5mg per week. Just tapered from 25mg down to 20mg. (I was originally at 40mg weeks ago.)

The taper is really kicking my butt. I just have no energy for anything. My UC is fine, no bleeding, no relapse. It's more the adrenal aspect.

I know that a slower taper is one strategy to lessen the impact, but is that seriously the only method? Are there any supplements I could take? Vitamins? Any lifestyle stuff besides extra rest?

If anyone has any tips or tricks I'd love to hear.

I'm dMMR/MSI-H (MHL1) stage 2 right-sided colon cancer, 6cm tumor. Also have ulcerative colitis, but it's more or less under control right now. I am very confused about the options being given to me by doctors.

On the one hand, I am reading that PD-1 inhibitor immunotherapy could pretty much nix my tumor. Yet one oncologist rejected my referral for a consultation appointment "until I get surgery," and the colorectal surgeon I spoke to said that I need to get a complete colectomy and permanent ileostomy because my UC means that the cancer will just move somewhere else one day. However, all of the biopsies done in the rest of my colon outside of the tumor region show no dysplasia, including my rectum. Yes I know, autoimmune inflammation puts me at risk for further cancer... but again, I am MSI-H. Immunotherapy would address any hypothetical cancer in my entire bowel. Furthermore, the tumor I do have has not caused major structural changes that have permanently destroyed my bowel or something. No obstruction (yet), no severe colon wall invasion...

Basically, before the MSI-H report, I was preparing to get a permanent ileostomy. Now I am reading tons of stories of MSI-H patient having their tumors clinically resolve, even people who are stage 4-5. Or at the bare minimum shrink to the point that a resection is possible.

I don't understand why total colectomy and ileostomy is the only thing being offered to me when I am MSI-H with a stage 2 tumor? They won't offer me resection. It just seems... unnecessary. I'm in Canada if that makes a difference.

Is there something I'm not understanding here? I mean, I'll get an ileostomy if I have to, my life matters more... but if I can spare my organs then why wouldn't I? I do not want to live with a permanent ostomy if there's another option.

Phone was $1008 in my cart and then I saw $1200 at checkout thinking that was the total, and did a PayPal payment. Not realizing that the phone had actually gone up to $1200. Didn't know until I got my receipt saying I paid over $1400 total.

Customer service said this is a tech problem with price syncing. Their site "tech problem" is a scam to get you to pay more. It shouldn't be that hard for them to sync listing price with live price to prevent this miscommunication. I can only conclude they're hoping you'll pay more and keep the product.

Except I won't. I'm returning the phone for a full refund and never shopping at your online store again. Yes it was my fault for not double checking the total checkout price, but when the list price was $1000 and people who online shop are used to making quick transactions, it's understandable. I'm also reporting you to the Better Business Bureau. Goodbye!

I'm an old timer and new to this data hoarding thing. I have about 10 TB or less to my name, but it's scattered across a variety of cheap, lower capacity HDDs and one 2 TB SSD. I'm now looking at buying one large backup drive and consolidating it all... but I'm so lost as to which brand to choose and if I should choose SSD or HDD. I heard SSD can randomly fail which makes me nervous because my biggest current backup drive is one of those.

It would be something strictly for backups and not a drive I am using daily. Would also prefer an external drive.

There are so many companies out there, I just don't know. If I bought one and it failed in a year and I lost my dad I would be devastated.

Any advice on brand selection and type of drive? I can read reviews all day but at the end of the day I need experienced folks to weigh in. Thanks guys!

I'm in a terrible catch-22 right now. My stage two right-sided adenocarcinoma is MSI-H MLH1 so immunotherapy could be a real good shot at ending this nightmare. Unfortunately you need your immune system online for that, and I am currently on prednisone to try and control an ulcerative colitis flare that is being very stubborn. When I think my flare is under control and I lower the dose, the flare gets bad again. This is delaying starting treatment.

Total colectomy and ileostomy always remains an option. They will not offer me re-section because it's high risk in UC cases. They can take out the cancerous piece but when they rejoin the colon it may become inflamed, leak, and require emergency surgery due to active colitis.

It's so fortunate because my flare was 90% under control. I was having 2-3 solid BMs per day with no blood and I was starting to taper prednisone. Then I had tumor pain that landed me in the ER and that's how I found out I have cancer. They gave me two IV antibiotics at first when they thought it might be an intestinal abscess, then they did bowel prep + colonoscopy. The combo of everything just bombed my colon and now I am trying to control this flare again.

If I want to keep my bowel, I am back to square one... trying to get my UC under control. I don't even know how long is "safe" to go without starting cancer treatment. My blood markers for cancer are all very low. CEA is 4. The tumor is not threatening to cause obstruction -- yet.

This whole thing is so stressful. Part of me just wants the colectomy to get rid of UC + the cancer at the same time... but I recently met with an ostomy support group and I have been doing oodles of research. It seems like if bowel can be conserved instead of totally removed, then that is probably a better trajectory. I am only 41.

I will do whatever it takes to survive, but the MLH1 finding is too important to ignore.

Does anyone here have colon cancer + UC who can speak a bit to this? Or anyone really? I am not asking for medical advice... it's up to me to figure out the way forward. If I didn't have UC I think my cancer case would be a lot more straightforward. It's frustrating. Immunotherapy could be a really good shot at ending this tumor, but you can't be on prednisone + immunotherapy. I could maybe request a biologic for IBD to selectively suppress bowel inflammation, but I think that would also suppress the local immune system from doing its job? Not sure.

Thank you everyone in advance for your kindness and support.

I'm new to this community and grapheneOS.

I read recently that Google is about to roll out a new recaptcha system wherein you need to scan a QR code using their phone, and you can only do it if you have Google play services on your phone.

I'm on the verge of buying a pixel phone to get grapheneOS but I'm concerned this might make my browsing experience more difficult.

I'm not a developer and I don't know a lot about the tech side of things. Could anyone shed light on this for me? Thank you!

"Microsatellite Instability-High (MSI-H) / Deficient Mismatch Repair (dMMR)" colorectal cancer.

I haven't even seen a surgeon or oncologist yet (I am scheduled), I've just been gathering info from many sources. My pathology report shows "MMR abnormal, MSI-H / dMMR due to loss of MLH1." So my tumor is MSI-H.

I'm stage 2 right-sided colon cancer on CT, which of course could actually be early stage 3 and we wouldn't know. Tumor is 6cm in my cecum and distinct, but colonoscopy biopsies from all other parts of my colon show no dysplasia.

I only got diagnosed with cancer last week so this is all very new to me... and I am wary of Dr. Google. Could anyone here help me shed light on this finding? The initial GI surgeon I spoke to at the hospital when the discovery was made said I would be looking at total colectomy because I also have ulcerative colitis, but I heard that MSI-H might mean a different approach that is more organ-preserving. Ahead of the appointment, I have been mentally preparing myself for having to live with an ileostomy.

My UC is active but mild currently. Before the CRC diagnosis, my UC was actually recovering, but then the tumor pain was what led me to the hospital. The interventions in the hospital (antibiotics, colonoscopy prep, colonoscopy itself + the weird hopsital food) set it off again, but it's still not too bad.

Does anyone with more knowledge in this game have an idea? I'm not asking for a "what should I do" or medical advice. I mostly just want to know what this MSI-H thing means and what kind of research I should maybe do next to find out more. Also if anyone else here is dMMR/MSI-H and has a personal experience to share, I'd love that.

Sorry for the long post, I wanted to cover everything. Thank you so much!

I am not asking for medical advice, just wondering if anyone has encountered this issue.

I am a kidney stone former... nothing frequent, but I have dealt with painful stones in the past. I have been told to avoid veggies that are high oxalate, like beetroot, cruciferous veg, etc.

At the same time, I need to start juicing for another health condition. It's been recommended I just go with carrot, celery and cucumber to stay safe, but that's going to get pretty boring.

Just wondering if anyone else has a kidney stone issue and if juicing has ever triggered it. If so, how did you change your juicing routine to maximize nutrients while not contributing to stones?