u/antsunderthestairs

I've been thinking about it since his scary fall. I see now he's sitting out the tour with concussion as the reason. Is he going to be okay?

Sorry this is long, I'm feeling nervous. Tomorrow I'm going in for an oral challenge for shrimp (I mildly reacted after eating shrimp twice but my skin test was negative) and I'm slightly worried this allergy office might not be the most cautious one.

Online I'm seeing that oral challenges take 3 or even 4 hours, but they said I'd be there only for an hour. Also, the only instructions I was given was to stop antihistamines 48 hours ahead, but online I'm seeing up to 7 days recommended.

I also have read that you shouldn't eat any other food before the test, and that you shouldn't take NSAIDs (because they can exacerbate allergic reactions). I called the office to clarify and they said there are no restrictions on anything aside from the no antihistamine.

I have a condition that is treated with ibuprofen and will be in quite rough shape if I don't take it. I'd like to feel more confident about their assurance of no restrictions, but I'm concerned they just don't have good policy compared to other allergists.

TLDR

For your oral food challenge,

1. How long beforehand were you told to stop antihistamines?

2. How long were you kept there?

3. Were you allowed to eat other food or take NSAIDs before the appointment? Any other restrictions?

Wasn't sure what sub to post this in, let me know if there's a better one for this question.

I somehow got a whole bunch of tiny irritating hairs stuck in my thumb in the shape of a caterpillar. I only noticed when it started itching, and never actually saw a caterpillar but my husband said he had seen one near where we had been working, so that's all I have to go on. He said it was one of the woolly bears with black on each end and a bright yellow band in the middle. We're in Ontario, Canada.

Anyway, I had tried to pull the hairs out but they just broke apart, so I think the very tips are still inside my skin. It's been 3 days and I still have this red, bumpy patch there.

My question is will my body sort this out on its own eventually or do I need to go find a doctor to get whatever is left in my skin removed?

Is the colour of the sagari in the lower divisions a personal choice by wrestler? If so, do they usually use the same colour for their silk mawashi when they reach the top divisions?

I have heavy menstrual bleeding which is suspected to be the cause of my persistent iron deficiency that doesn't respond to iron treatment, so I'm looking at options for reducing the bleeding.

I am very fearful of dangerous side effects/complications of medical interventions generally, so I've been reading up on things and I've landed on the progestin only pill as looking like maybe the safest, least invasive thing to try first. I read that some people stop bleeding completely on it, but others get various different bleeding patterns.

Just looking to hear some firsthand experiences. If you do get bleeding with it, does it come out of nowhere or can you kind of feel it coming like you can feel when your period is about to start in the next day or two? Do you just have random unexpected leaks? I'm afraid I'll constantly be at risk of suddenly bleeding, anytime, anywhere.

Anyone had any side effects other than bleeding issues? Anyone taking it specifically for heavy bleeding or adenomyosis?

So just out of curiosity I was looking into why peonies are always covered in ants, the explanation being that they like the nectar (duh I guess) and that it's a relationship of mutual benefit as the ants protect the plant from pests like aphids. But I also know of a mutually beneficial relationship between ants an aphids, where the ants let the aphids be and eat their waste product while providing protection from predators. Is this a species-dependent thing, like only certain ants will do this with certain aphids or certain plants? Is it more common for ants to team up with plants against aphids, or with the aphids?