u/ObjectiveProblem45

I am 26F, never got the HPV vaccine. I was thinking about getting it, but then I didn’t realize it was 3 or so doses? Also was reading something about getting it up to age 26? I’ll be 27 in October.

Is it worth getting at this age?

Thanks!

for the love of God, what are these tiny green flies??? they resemble fruit flies but they are literally neon green with red eyes. I’ve searched but google seems to be useless. i’ve noticed they always come out in summer, but lately they’ve been out of control in my bedroom at night. They tend to just land on the bed, but I kill a couple every few minutes. I’d imagine they’re harmless but my God are they annoying. and before you ask, no I don’t have any rotting fruit or food in my vicinity…

tips on getting rid of them would be appreciated as well!

I am 26F and making this post about my mother who is 56. I will start off by saying our lives have not been simple by any means, largely related to family issues that go back to before I was even born. Basically, my mother has always been pretty private and reserved, no real friends, social life, hobbies, etc. She's all work, and no play, and unfortunately kind of raised me and my siblings to be that way.

We have been caring for our sickly grandparents (her parents) for the past decade, but it got really bad 2 years ago, where they needed constant assistance. My grandfather got a stroke and couldn't move at all, on top of heart failure and other stuff, so basically it was like caring for a life-sized toddler (love him to death, don't get me wrong). My mom was also juggling a full-time and extremely demanding job that was an hour drive away, and it was just a lot. She lost her job almost 2 years ago, then my grandfather passed last fall, and it's like she fell into a depression that she refuses to pull herself out of. I was also in grad school and working part time, so it's not like it wasn't tough for me as well. Plus, my dad suddenly fell ill and had to have emergency open-heart surgery a few weeks after my grandfather died. I have never in my life experienced such chaos at home, financial pressure, pressure to step up for my siblings and also manage the house and everything, when my mom decided to take a massive step back.

Fast forward to now, almost 2 years out of a job, and things finally feel like they have settled a bit. But she still does not want to go back to work. She's been stressing about not having health insurance, not being able to cover basic bills, etc. and I'm also worried about her mental health, since she spends most days at home, not really socializing much or doing any productive for that matter. When she does go out for errands, I find that she's very defensive and argumentative with workers and people, like she's forgotten how to communicate. I understand that it has been a difficult year, and she's still grieving (as am I), but life goes on. On top of that, I recently quit my job to start med school in a month, and instead of being excited, I am anxious and worried about family expenses and stuff that I honestly shouldn't be worried about at this age. I can't even think about enjoying my last few weeks of freedom, because it's like I'm taking care of my mother, who isn't even that old, disabled, incapable, etc. Another issue is that she has become sort of codependent, where she only wants to go out with me. And if I am leaving to go someplace, she automatically wants to join.

I hope I don't sound selfish, but I am miserable and fed up. Having zero friends, zero opportunities to venture out and explore on my own, zero boundaries at home is not for the weak. Unfortunately, I don't know how else to proceed or make some changes.

I am 26F and making this post about my mother who is 56. I will start off by saying our lives have not been simple by any means, largely related to family issues that go back to before I was even born. Basically, my mother has always been pretty private and reserved, no real friends, social life, hobbies, etc. She's all work, and no play, and unfortunately kind of raised me and my siblings to be that way.

We have been caring for our sickly grandparents (her parents) for the past decade, but it got really bad 2 years ago, where they needed constant assistance. My grandfather got a stroke and couldn't move at all, on top of heart failure and other stuff, so basically it was like caring for a life-sized toddler (love him to death, don't get me wrong). My mom was also juggling a full-time and extremely demanding job that was an hour drive away, and it was just a lot. She lost her job almost 2 years ago, then my grandfather passed last fall, and it's like she fell into a depression that she refuses to pull herself out of. I was also in grad school and working part time, so it's not like it wasn't tough for me as well. Plus, my dad suddenly fell ill and had to have emergency open-heart surgery a few weeks after my grandfather died. I have never in my life experienced such chaos at home, financial pressure, pressure to step up for my siblings and also manage the house and everything, when my mom decided to take a massive step back.

Fast forward to now, almost 2 years out of a job, and things finally feel like they have settled a bit. But she still does not want to go back to work. She's been stressing about not having health insurance, not being able to cover basic bills, etc. and I'm also worried about her mental health, since she spends most days at home, not really socializing much or doing any productive for that matter. When she does go out for errands, I find that she's very defensive and argumentative with workers and people, like she's forgotten how to communicate. I understand that it has been a difficult year, and she's still grieving (as am I), but life goes on. On top of that, I recently quit my job to start med school in a month, and instead of being excited, I am anxious and worried about family expenses and stuff that I honestly shouldn't be worried about at this age. I can't even think about enjoying my last few weeks of freedom, because it's like I'm taking care of my mother, who isn't even that old, disabled, incapable, etc. Another issue is that she has become sort of codependent, where she only wants to go out with me. And if I am leaving to go someplace, she automatically wants to join.

I hope I don't sound selfish, but I am miserable and fed up. Having zero friends, zero opportunities to venture out and explore on my own, zero boundaries at home is not for the weak. Unfortunately, I don't know how else to proceed or make some changes...

I am 26 and recently noticed that whenever I cough, sneeze, or laugh too hard while sitting cross legged, a bit of urine escapes. At first, I didn’t think anything of it, but lately it’s been happening too frequently for comfort. Specifically, when I was driving and had a coughing fit, it literally felt like I was peeing myself. Once I was able to get to a restroom, my undies were indeed soaked. So now I’m wondering if my pelvic floor is weak or something? Never gave birth before, but I used to deadlift years ago…

I am an incoming M1, trying to decide whether to commute or live on campus. I currently live at home with parents and 3 younger (loud) siblings, about 25-30 mins from the med school I will be attending. My main concern is not being able to properly socialize/network/immerse myself. I tend to be pretty reserved/introverted, and it doesn't help if I am physically distanced. I just completed an SMP at this same school, and the past year was terrible in terms of the social isolation, limited study time at home, and immense difficulty even leaving my house, especially when classes were online.

My dad recently underwent a life changing procedure and has been dealing with some health issues, while my mother has become very clingy and demanding of what she thinks is "free time" for me. At one point, she was just scheduling doctors appointments, errands, etc. on my only 2 days off every single week, expecting me to be heavily at home involved despite me expressing difficulty balancing studies and other things. Long story short: I like my alone time, and even study slightly better on my own BUT me being home/around my family = constant interruptions and being guilted into family obligations, zero downtime, and absolutely no socializing/leisure.

I am worried about the toll this will take on meeting people, making quality friendships, and studying/collaborating. I commuted in undergrad as well, and the same thing happened, where I was just very removed from friendships, campus events, networking, etc. The cycle only became worse in grad school, with my parents kind of expecting me to just leave the house for class and come straight back. I am 26 and would love to experience living alone, though financially this is probably not an option. I always said I would live on campus for med school, but now I am having second thoughts given the short commute and ~$14k extra in tuition to share a space with others. I realize roommates could be just as problematic as living at home, depending on the individual. Plus, there is the option for anywhere from 2-4 roommates.

All in all, I am pretty overwhelmed with making these decisions in such a short time. Asking any adult in my life would only yield a simple "stay at home, of course - why is this even a question?"

I would greatly appreciate some advice!!

So recently (like maybe in the past 2-3 weeks), I’ve noticed a slight burning/stinging sensation after removing my makeup with the Garnier micellar water. I’ve been using it for about a year now, no issues. I’m wondering if its due to tretinoin which I recently started using for maybe a month now.

Some sources on the internet have said that’s an indication of a compromised barrier, though I haven’t noticed any sort of crazy skin reaction.

So I will be attending a med school that is only 25-30 mins from home. With all the distractions at home, I plan on living on campus, at least for the first year, to network, etc.

I have a few weeks to figure out the details, but would greatly appreciate some tips for living between 2 places. I already know I’ll be home/back and forth a lot, and it’s not like I’m moving across the country or even states. But I guess some suggestions for keeping stuff both places/managing clothes, skincare, etc would be helpful! :))

So I'm in a bit of a pickle. Basically, I have no friends beyond coworkers, classmates, and even they are questionable at this point.

Idk why, but no one invites me places or seems interested in anything beyond surface-level conversation. I wouldn't call myself an introvert, though I tend to be on the more reserved side. But I ask questions, express interest in others, listen with intention... and yet no one gives me a second thought.

I have a group of girls at grad school who I bonded with the first few months, and then as I continued working part-time while they spent most of their time studying together, I guess I missed out on a lot. Now they hang out regularly outside of school, call/text each other, even made plans in front of my face today, without including me. Some might say f-them, these probably aren't your friends or people you want around you anyway. I also will not stay where I am not wanted, nor beg for the bare minimum. But this also happened in college. And in high school. And (you guessed it) middle school. It's like I will start out fine, make acquaintances, but then that's it. It never progresses any further than "hey, how are you?" when they see you and that's about it. Even worse, no one stays in touch, asks to hang out, etc. Just a bunch of dead-end friendships.

I have also given friendship apps a try, and it's pretty much the same thing... dry texting and awkward conversation with little reciprocation. Only 1 "friend date" made it off the app, and unfortunately that fizzled out after a few months due to other reasons (but hanging out a few times in person was a record for me!)

I've given this A LOT of thought, because wtf could be so wrong with me? Yes, I was raised kind of sheltered, and yes I had overprotective parents who were scared to let me go to so much as a birthday party in kindergarten. And yes, I am not necessarily the most talkative nor emotionally trusting person.

I just find it incredibly difficult to make/maintain friendships that aren't surface level. It's like I can't "advance" to the next level of depth when I meet someone. Not sure if I'm not picking up on social cues, or not having the right conversations, or maybe my body language suggests I'm not interested (I literally smile and wave at people I recognize, and they will wave back and that's it). Even trying to stay in touch over text or social media, I lowkey feel annoying and boring, so I most of the time I don't end up reaching out to anybody (speaking of, what do you even text your friends about?) Clearly, there is something I am missing.

Sorry for the long read, but would love to hear your thoughts!!

(Not sure if this is the right community but figured I'd give it a shot)

I am 26F currently in grad school, and on track to starting med school in a few months. I've been working towards this forever, it feels like. However, in the past year or so, I've taken on a massive amount of responsibility at home. I had a grandparent pass away last fall after a long struggle with HF, a stroke, and couple other conditions, which took an emotional toll on my mother (first time I saw her cry ever). She also got laid off a few months prior, so I was picking up shifts to cover whatever expenses possible, while studying and trying to maintain a 3.8 GPA. Those months, trying to keep it together, not quit my job, support my family and siblings, were easily the toughest in my life. This was made worse as many of my school friendships and connections fizzled out due to me not being on campus much.

In the midst of this, my father began having health issues and had emergency open heart surgery, which was thankfully successful, but left him unable to do much, including driving for a few months. Again, I stepped up, as the oldest (and only) daughter, at the expense of grad school life.

Long story short, for the past year, I have been driving my parents around literally EVERYWHERE. They both somehow have 3-4 doctors appointments a week (which they schedule on both of my days off). I have expressed how overwhelming and frustrating it is not being able to rest, sleep in, go get a coffee with a friend, visit campus, hell go on a date if I wanted to, on any given day, like most other people my age. I have also expressed to my siblings (age 18-23) that it is not fair to me and we need to split the responsibility, as I need to focus on my academics and career, but they are honestly not very mature. This is also the story my life, as the only girl, where most of the expectations fall on my shoulders.

It's not like my parents are disabled or anything. My mother (56) is chronically stressed and anxious, and gets confused/distracted pretty easily, so most of the time I just throw my hands up, and end up accompanying her to all her appointments ,errands, etc. My father (72) is actually eager to drive, though we haven't allowed him much since his surgery.

I have noticed a sort of codependency, mainly from my mother. If I say I need to go somewhere (alone), she gets sort of sad and tries to guilt me. I will be moving for school in a couple of months, but I am conflicted about this and my parents being out and about on their own. Am I crazy or is this situation crazy??? Like I really need space and freedom, but obviously don't want to push them away, especially if they need assistance.

Sorry for the long read. Would greatly appreciate some thoughts!!

Passed an accident in Elmsford last Tuesday around 7:45pm at the entrance to I-287 E. Just curious if anyone knows what ended up happening?