u/Local-Age8413

I thought some of the insider accounts in this article were pretty compelling. I feel for the employees dealing with all of this uncertainty and ethical concerns right now, especially considering the industry-wide hiring freezes. I'm nervous about the future of EA just as someone who plays The Sims, I can't imagine how stressful it is as an employee.

To start, I think its objectively a good decision that they aren't making any more packs for the Sims 4. The game can't handle the content already in it, and frankly most of the gameplay mechanics they introduced never even worked that well. It was time to stop making new content.

Having said that, I still find myself feeling...sad. The release cycle of new packs was honestly really fun. I liked watching the trailers and the reviews from creators with early access. Its something I've looked forward to periodically for the better part of a decade now, and I am a little upset that its not happening anymore.

The thing I'll miss the most is getting new collections of CAS and build mode items. I mostly make sims and builds to upload to the gallery, so I don't use CC, which made getting a new wave of clothing or furniture a few times a year really exciting. Now we're not getting new CAS or build content outside of potentially a few items from login rewards or maker packs (which I won't be buying for obvious reasons). It really sucks for my playstyle, especially since I think the CAS options are still very lacking, especially for men and children.

I'm certainly not going to be playing Project X with everything we've heard about the direction EA is going with the series, and I'm DEFINITELY not playing Project René after my abysmal playtest experience with it. So, I guess this is it for new Sims content for me. What a sad concept :/

So I (22F) first got my kidney stone diagnosed on June 1st. About 7mm, halfway through my ureter. They sent me home with some medications to manage the pain, and I was told urology would follow up with me eventually. In the mean time, I have been unable to work, and have had to put off a bunch of deadlines for my masters program. Finally today, I got an appointment with the urologist.

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Based on my last ultrasound, I have some swelling in my left kidney, and some crystals and blood in my urine. He recommended I come in for a ureteroscopy, because it likely won't pass on its own.

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He said he was going to put me down as a "semi-emergency" for the surgery. This means that I will have to fast until the evening on Monday, at which point I MIGHT get a call to come in for surgery, which I would have to go do immediately. If I don't get a call by the time they close, I can eat dinner, and then I have to fast all day on Tuesday. Rinse and repeat until there's a day where nobody has a bigger emergency than me.

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I'm mostly just frustrated about not knowing when the surgery is going to be, and having to prepare to get surgery every day until it finally happens. I'm also frustrated because the clinic is 40 minutes away and I don't drive, and an hour notice isn't enough time to have a family member come pick me up. I guess I'll be paying for an Uber there.

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Anyone else have a similar situation with their surgery?

22f, got diagnosed with a 6.8mm kidney stone on Monday. The pain and nausea have been pretty much constant ever since.

I'm a graduate student, and currently I'm supposed to be working on a research internship and my thesis proposal. Unfortunately, those are both tasks that require a lot of focus and concentration, which the constant pain has made really difficult. I've essentially taken the entire week off because all I've felt up to doing is curling up in bed. I'm grateful that my supervisor has been so understanding, but idk how much longer I can get away with not working.

I've been given naproxen to help with the inflammation. I'm sure it is doing something for the pain, but the pain is always noticeable even with it. I've also been given percocet, which does eliminate the pain, but it also completely shuts me down for a couple hours. I try not to take it unless the pain gets unbearable, because I don't really like how it makes me feel. For like a couple of hours every other day, the pain does get mild enough that I feel up to getting out of bed, but I need to spend that time showering, washing dishes, and doing other stuff to keep myself alive.

I'm mostly frustrated about how long the process has been for anything medical. I got diagnosed at the ER on Monday, and they said they would refer me to a urologist. I only finally got a call from the urologist on Friday, and that was just to tell me that she would call back next week to schedule me an initial virtual appointment, where we would schedule another ultrasound, and see if I need further medical intervention from there. Given my experiences with the medical system, this sounds like it will be a lengthy process.

I'll probably ask about other options for pain management at my first appointment with the urologist, so I can hopefully get something effective that won't just put me to sleep. I really want to be able to get back to my life again. I'm so sick of laying in bed!!!

22F, went to the emergency room on Monday with the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. They did an ultrasound an found a 6.8mm stone about halfway through my ureter. The doctor told me that typically 7mm is the threshold where they need intervention to remove, so they were going to have me try to pass it naturally. I was given prescriptions for naproxen, percocet, and tamulosin, and sent on my way.

I'm starting to get really nervous, because everyone I've spoke to that has experienced kidney stones has been horrified hearing the size of mine. Especially considering I'm a petite 22 year old woman, I feel like I shouldn't have been told to try and pass it naturally. I should probably get a second opinion, but I'm so bad at navigating the medical system that I don't even know who to contact about it. Does anyone have any advice for my situation?