u/LasVegasBoy

I have a question about the news that SpaceX is going to do the IPO thing, initial public offering. I don't really understand much about stocks or how they work.

I have a few questions though. What exactly changes once they do the IPO? Does this mean it will go from being a privately held company, to being publicly held? Does this also mean Elon might lose control, or lose majority stake in the company, and lose decision making power? Could he get fired? Also, what are the positive and negative consequences of going IPO? If they go public, is there any risk the company and the decisions made will be held hostage by a group of rich executives who could end up making greedy or wrong decisions and destroy or add red tape to the innovations, ruin the work culture, slow or complicate decision making, and it ends up ultimately ruining something that was once good?

Short version of my story: Had severe costo pain in rib, got a combination anesthetic/steroid shot under fluoroscopy at a pain clinic, pain was 100% gone 6 days later. Still pain free a month later.

Long version:

I've had chostochondritis flare ups for a long time never fully understanding where the pain was coming from. Sometimes the pain lasts days, weeks, or months. The pain always starts suddenly after doing something to aggravate it. It can be from something as simple as rolling over in bed to shut off my alarm. One time I did that very thing, and it triggered a pain episode that lasted 5 months.

I've had my doctor do Holter monitor tests, MRI's (which always come back negative), EKGs, all with no findings. On my most recent flare up, I finally asked my doctor to refer me to a pain clinic. It was the best decision I ever made! I was in so much pain it hurt to breathe, to sleep on my side, do get in and out of my car, everything just hurt! I showed the doctor at the pain clinic where it hurt, and was scheduled for a intercostal anesthetic/steroid combo injection. Went in the next week to have it done. Layed down on the table, they turned on the fluoroscopy system to do live x-ray imaging as they advanced a needle thru my chest to make sure they didn't puncture the lung, and sent me home.

Felt immediate pain relief, but not completely which was from the anesthetic. Then, that wore off, pain was a little worse the next two days, then by the 6th day after the steroid took full effect and all my pain was gone. It is literally the ONLY thing that has ever worked for my costo pain, and each time I get a flare up, I'm going back to have the same thing done again. The needle poke was a little painful, but I am very used to needles and am not scared of them. They DO offer sedation for patients who struggle with big needles, but I opted not to go that route.

Now, I am not advocating that everyone who has costo to rush out and get the same thing done. I realize it was not a "natural" solution, and I fully realize the pain relief may be temporary until underlying causes are addressed. I am doing some stretching now to help prevent future attacks and not have to rely on medication for relief. I am only sharing this because it did in fact work to relieve the pain, and not just some of the pain, all of the pain!

Anyone else who takes this route, talk to your doctor first, and make your own decisions.