u/FreckledCackler

I've posted before as a helicopter daughter and y'all have been helpful. My Dad has a history of adhesions and obstructions and has been taking Dulcolax every other day for a few weeks without the relief it used to bring him. He's on a low residue diet but doesn't really eat 4-6 smaller meals vs 3 and I think is getting more relaxed with his diet (i.e. eating raw berries bc they grow in the yard, small quantities of alcohol, eating out frequently etc). No symptoms he's verbalizing besides smaller, less frequent movements.

I'm a little concerned taking it regularly could do more harm than good over the long term. He told his PCP he'd been taking it "every few days" but nothing more was said. I'm a little nervous bc a surgeon friend said PCPs aren't very helpful re: obstructions. Should I recommend he contact the general surgeon team from his last hospitalization five months ago or just wait for more problematic sx?

I'm attending a meeting/party for a family friend who I recently reconnected with who is reaching her 40 years. I want to take her something thoughtful to commemorate this and was hoping you all might share some ideas with me. I'm in another 12 step program and consider myself a Double Winner but don't have a ton of experience in AA meetings. Thanks for any suggestions. Also understand if I'm overthinking it 😂

Randomly came across a book signing happening near me on a topic that interested me. Full disclosure - I haven't read it yet - but from the discussion tonight with the author it looks like a book folks in this sub might be interested in.

He's a psychotherapist and the book is research-informed and tackles attachment theory as it relates to phone addiction. Check it out!

My Ferritin was 18 in December, it is 44 now. I ran a marathon in March. For six months I've taken Nature Made 65mg Iron every other day with Vit C supplement and waited 2 hours for coffee. I had minimal GI side effects. Every other day a multivitamin with Cheerios and berries and waited an hour for coffee.

In mid-March Ferritin was 27. I finished a marathon early March so figured between March-June my Ferritin should go up at a higher rate. I was hoping for higher but am pleased with the 44.

The question: I'm going to give my system a little break from the supplement and try to maximize iron absorption nutritionally. Do you think I should do that, test Ferritin before marathon training to see if Ferritin has held or increased, then test after marathon, to see if it decreases? Or supplement during training as a precaution? I'd like to avoid supplements if I can just to give the gut a break. Even thought GI side effects were minimal, I'm sure they still slowed digestion.

A big thanks to this sub. You all helped me advocate, gave advice and encouragement, and because of you I'm not bummed the 44 isn't higher. And a big hug to those battling lower numbers without success or infusion approvals or with dismissive doctors.

My story is years of low-end-of-"normal" Ferritin my doctor didn't mention until I asked despite fatigue & hair loss. At that point she suggested a multivitamin, but I didn't realize absorption issues with coffee so basically shot myself in the foot for a year. I've been plant based for 2.5 years so try to have more iron than the typical RDV.

Anyway fast fwd to last December, my doctor was very dismissive, so I created my own plan, and sent it to her for her "ok". The humble Nature Made 65mg Iron every other day with Vit C supplement and waited 2 hours for coffee. I got lucky without GI side effects. Being plant based may have helped with that. Every other day a multivitamin with Cheerios and berries and waited an hour for coffee.

In mid-March Ferritin was 27. I finished a marathon early March so figured between March-June my Ferritin should go up at a higher rate. I was hoping for higher but am pleased with the 44.

A question for any distance runners: I'm going to give my system a little break from the supplement and try to maximize iron absorption nutritionally. Do you think I should do that, test Ferritin before marathon training to see if Ferritin has held or increased, then test after marathon, to see if it decreases? Or supplement during training as a precaution? I'd like to avoid supplements if I can just to give the gut a break. Even thought GI side effects were minimal, I'm sure they still slowed digestion.

Someone here shared their standard diet recently which included a bowl of (I think) edamame, cauliflower, carrots, kale, onion, mushroom 2x a day (along with something like overnight oats).

They deleted their post unfortunately, maybe too many questions/chatter.

But to that person, I made a version of the veggie bowl last night. Subbed spinach for kale and stir fried it with a small amt oil rather than steamed (but prepared edamame separately) I have dubbed it the Reddit Bowl. I'm excited to get into a groove and try to do this mostly daily. I overcomplicate how much variety I need. (But just 1x/day to start. 😅)

When training I can add potatoes and tofu, or wrap it up. Options are endless. Thanks healthy internet stranger!

Wasn't sure what to tag this as, but just heard on the press conference they're concerned about environmental aspects of rotting animal byproducts from the warehouse burning. And possibly putrid smells coming soon. Nasty.

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Just another reason to be glad to be vegan.

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Stay safe.

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Idk what flair to put but I found it funny/refreshing. A dude my bf hasn't seen in ages asked my guy about kids while they were drinking. Drinking alot. He's there pounding drinks talking about how kids are the best thing he ever did. Bro my guy is 47, doesn't want kids, leave it alone.

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My guy let it go much easier than I would have, but that's also because he hasn't been on the receiving end of relentless interrogation. As a 44F I'm mostly through it/almost on the other side, so for some reason it really cracked me up that this dude was drunk pushing a newborn on a 47M. Really does never stop. I realize it will keep coming, even as past tense - why didn't you, blah blah blah

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The happiest folks in marriage, as parents, whatever it is, they never seem to have to push their lifestyles.

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I (44F) started going to Al-Anon in 2021 and went pretty regularly until mid-2024. It changed my life and I am forever grateful. Had service positions, went to online and in person meetings. Got a sponsor and worked through most of the steps. I went sporadically after mid-2024 after some parental health emergencies and have recently dropped off entirely.

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I've been feeling the need to go back, honestly for social reasons more than any other. Which is maybe how my HP is speaking to me. All my Alanonic tendencies (codependency) were at the foundation of basically all my friendships, understandably. I either need to re-do step 4 or make new friends or get honest with old friends which I have no interest in doing. The mother-martyr thing is so toxic and feels near universal and I've enabled people dumping on me forever, but there I go with my judgment. The idea of using program as my social network feels weirdly culty to me, but maybe I have no choice. It also feels strange because there are so many horror stories about addiction and I'm like boohoo-ing about adult female friendship.

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I stopped drinking myself six months into Al-Anon. I could probably go to AA, Al-Anon, and CoDA. Is this my future? Programs? I feel like I only knew how to make friends as both a people pleaser and a sarcastic shit talker. Whatever people needed me to be. I feel like I don't have the energy for all the honest conversations I need to have, my friends are too busy for those real convos anyway, and I'm also too lazy for program.

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This inner work is brutal sometimes. Guess I'm curious if folks relate and if you found success with modifying old friendships or primarily making new ones. Or a mix.

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Did mods remove the post about the noise overnight? Just saw someone's front door cam footage on Next Door that captures the sound and flashes and wtf? Saw elsewhere Pasadena PD found nothing.

Anyone know what it was?

I finally checked the lil Sunday market out yesterday and loved it. I wish I could have tried everything and will absolutely be back.

I saw on a previous post they're moving to Burbank? I'm not on IG and probably need to just set up an account for vegan events and fare but until then, does anyone have more info they'd be willing to share? Thanks!

In a bit of a rut professionally, and personally. But at the end of the day, continue to be grateful to be CF and to even now know that term, for so long I had labeled myself childless and it was disempowering.

Have seen some things recently including a father unable to build in a 20 minute walk to his commute to get to a train, followed by a 10 minute walk to office, so is forced to drive. I don't blame him at all, but his life is so different from mine - I can't fathom not being able to build in 30 minutes of walking into one way of a commute.

Saw a joke about a parent eyeing their kid's uneaten food at the same time as the dog eyed the same scraps and had a flashback to years of babysitting as a teen where I'd be absolutely feral devouring leftover mac & cheese etc after kids went to bed. I was so dysregulated and had no clue 😂

One of the things I'm on the struggle bus with is setting new boundaries with parent friends who only know me as a people pleaser. I made major charges 4.5 years ago (sobriety, and later becoming plant based) but some of the growth has only really taken root in recent years and they've been too consumed to know the difference. I've gotta take responsibility for my part in the foundation of the relationships and am avoiding it for now. One day. Still, their chaos, anxiety, discontent is unfortunate and makes me so eternally grateful to be free.

Just some rambles and gratitude this morning. I've got alot of work to do, alot of community to build, but I'll get there one day at a time. And every one of those days being CF makes it easier to work on me.

I used to really excel at, what I thought was, networking. Some of it was/is genuine, but the people pleasing/charm tactics were really where/why I thrived. I feel so much less motivation to network in professional environments. And I'm worried I'll lose my edge in interviews and at work. How have you navigated this?

Showered early, cleaned the bathtub, now listening to the birds. Will eat something soon. What's your routine?

I've contemplated sleeping later and just waiting hours to eat/caffeine at work, but feel like that's asking for trouble with a) low blood sugar and b) having to poop at work. I prefer handling my morning business at home if possible, which is slower to happen because of said iron. So I get up super early to do this routine.

Anyway, good morning from the time between. Silver linings are I realize I can be just fine without coffee first thing and I have made time for meditation, chores, etc. I guess if my commute or routine needs to change, I'll have to reassess. All things considered, I'm extremely lucky this is the main thing I'm currently navigating health wise, but damn sometimes I miss rolling out of bed and having a lazy cup of java. Maybe I'll treat myself this weekend and skip the iron supplement on the day it falls or iron-rich breakfast first thing (on alternating days).