u/Idazrish

Thinking about starting a blog about my field. Not for money, just to share what I know and build some credibility.

But between AI summaries and everyone posting on LinkedIn, I’m not sure a blog still makes sense.

Anyone here blogging professionally right now? Worth the effort, or am I late to the party?

Trying to work out how many days to spend in Hurghada, Luxor and Cairo. We have 7 in total.

What split would you go for?

We have 7 days to split between Hurghada, Luxor and Cairo.

How would you split them?

I’m heading to Egypt in November and a dive center there does the basic Open Water over 4 days, with Advanced tacked on for 2 more days right after. Complete beginner here, never been underwater with a tank.

Is jumping into Advanced immediately after the basic course a good idea, or is it better to get a few relaxed dives in first?

Thanks

Sharing this in case it rings a bell for anyone, or in case someone who's walked this road can nudge me in the right direction.

It started simply enough: a burning sensation when I peed, during and after, always worse once night came. For months I went from one doctor to the next, working through antibiotic course after antibiotic course before anything actually turned up on a test. When it finally did, it was Mycoplasma genitalium, and a resistant strain, of all things. Clearing it took several rounds with a specialist, but it was eventually knocked out and confirmed gone by PCR.

The catch is that the burning stayed behind.

Everything I've tested since has come back clean, urine, cultures, the Mycoplasma PCR, chlamydia, gonorrhea, the whole STI panel. Even a cystoscopy turned up nothing, apart from a bladder neck that's a touch tight. By every measurement, I'm a healthy guy.

Some things have softened it: pelvic floor physiotherapy, reverse Kegels and breathing work, dropping coffee, moving to a standing desk, alfuzosine, and a few supplements.

But I'll be straight — I'm still not myself. I'm past the worst of it, yet I honestly couldn't tell you what's actually keeping it going. A trace of infection nobody's caught? The tight bladder neck? The pelvic floor? My nervous system overreacting? My best guess is it's a bit of everything tangled together.

So I'm still in physio, still taking alfuzosine, and still not all the way back.

If you've carried something like this for a year or more after Mycoplasma and stumbled onto anything that genuinely helped, I'd really value hearing it, drop a comment or send me a message.

(And if anyone's actually used MicroGenDX testing, I'd love to know your take, I keep flip-flopping on whether it's worth the try.)

My story:
Ongoing burning in penis/urethra for over a year — anyone else been through this?
Burning in Urethra & Penis After Urination for Over a Year
Still Burning After Negative Mycoplasma Test — What Else Could It Be?

Posting my story in case it helps someone, or in case someone's been here and can point me somewhere.

It began with burning when I urinated, during and after, always worse at night. I spent months bouncing between doctors and antibiotic courses before anything showed up. Eventually a test caught it: Mycoplasma genitalium, a resistant strain. It took several rounds with a specialist, but it was finally eradicated and confirmed gone.

The problem is the burning didn't go with it.

Since then, every test has been spotless — urine, cultures, Mycoplasma PCR, chlamydia, gonorrhea, the full STI panel. A cystoscopy was normal too, aside from a slightly tight bladder neck. On paper I'm completely healthy.

A few things have taken the edge off: pelvic floor physiotherapy, reverse Kegels and diaphragmatic breathing, cutting out coffee, switching to a standing desk, alfuzosine, and a handful of supplements.

But I'm being honest — I'm still not right. Better than my worst stretch, yet I genuinely can't tell anymore what's driving it. Leftover infection? The tight bladder neck? The pelvic floor? The nervous system? Probably some combination of all of it.

I'm still doing physio, still on alfuzosine, and still not back to 100%.

If you've been dealing with this for a year or more after Mycoplasma and found anything that actually moved the needle, I'd be really grateful if you shared it here or messaged me directly.

(And if anyone has experience with MicroGenDX testing, I keep going back and forth on whether it's worth trying.)

my story:
Ongoing burning in penis/urethra for over a year — anyone else been through this?
Burning in Urethra & Penis After Urination for Over a Year
Still Burning After Negative Mycoplasma Test — What Else Could It Be?

Started with burning during and after peeing, worse at night. Months of doctors and antibiotics, then I tested positive for a resistant Mycoplasma genitalium. It got eradicated, but the burning never left.

Every test since has been clean: urine, cultures, Mycoplasma PCR, chlamydia, gonorrhea, all STI serologies. Cystoscopy normal, just a slightly tight bladder neck.

What's helped some: physio, reverse Kegels + diaphragmatic breathing, cutting coffee, standing desk, alfuzosine, a few supplements.

Honestly though, I'm still not okay. Better than the worst days, but I'm still not even sure what this is , whether there's some infection left, or it's the tight bladder neck, or the pelvic floor, or the nervous system. Maybe a mix.

Still doing physio. Still on alfuzosine. Still not 100% fine.

If you're in the same boat, post-Mycoplasma for more than a year or two, and you found anything that helped, please write it here or message me directly. I'd really appreciate it.

(sometimes I think I should give MicroGenDX a try. Still not sure if it's worth it.)

my story:

Ongoing burning in penis/urethra for over a year — anyone else been through this?
Burning in Urethra & Penis After Urination for Over a Year
Still Burning After Negative Mycoplasma Test — What Else Could It Be?

Getting into freestyle BMX at 34. 179cm, 87kg, want to learn park + ride my local pump track. Looking at 21".

Eyeing the Cult Devotion 21, WTP Crysis 21, and WeThePeople Arcade.

Other models for beginners?

What would you recommend for a beginner? Thanks

Hi everyone,

I'm planning a trip to Hurghada, Egypt for the last week of August and the first week of September, and I'd love to get some recent recommendations.

For those who have been there recently, which PADI dive centers would you recommend?

I'd also appreciate any tips about diving in Hurghada around that time of year:

• Best dive sites?
• Live aboard vs day trips?
• Any dive centers to avoid?
• General local tips for first time visitors?

If you've had a great experience recently, I'd love to hear about it.
Thanks in advance for sharing your recommendations and experiences!