GAAAAAHHHHHH Mk.VI: The Return of the Son of the 50ft GAAAH that struck back!

[Cora Courcelle]

Sorry you have had this bad news, but try not to get too far ahead of yourself; wait for the test results, there is always a chance that they could be negative but obviously that's so much easier for me to say than for you to do.
Whatever the result I'm sure we'll all be sending positive thoughts.

[James Harrison]

after some simple questions, he tells me he suspects early parkinsons, and ordered a specialized scan for some time in the next few weeks

Oh no.  That's.... that's a bad hand you've been dealt there.  I'm so sorry. 

[J. Wilhelm]

Austin American Statesman:

"NHC Map Shows Most of Texas in Hurricane Beryl's Path."

Me:

What do you mean "Most of Texas??"

[rovingjack]

had a DaTscan early today, have to wait til next week to hear back if it confirms the diagnosis.
keep going over it in my head, fearing things I did either voided the scan or make it more possible that it's confirmed.
couldn't sleep. scan is of a sleep deprived brain.
the position I was strapping into for 45 mins left the back of my head feeling like my skull feeling like a helmet with two golfballs inbetween helmet and head... left me shaking in pain for the last 10 mins, did the shaking mess up the imaging?
I went there fasting, but was told i didn't need to be, and i could eat anything while i waited 3 hours, I had a ham and swiss croissant and boston creme donut with chocolate glaze... now i wonder if chocolate, sweets, or cheeses... common triggers of migraines, which are brain related functional disorders, might muddy the scans.

I hate this whole situation, but more than that I hate how my brain is handling it.

[von Corax]

I spent all morning picking an order which was due to go out at 1 o'clock. I was one pallet short of finishing, around 12:45, when I got the message from my supervisor: "That order is going out tomorrow at 5:00. Stop picking it and pick the 2 o'clock order instead." I said, "No, it's lunch time. The 2 o'clock order is someone else's problem."

[Madasasteamfish]

Struggling to deal with relocating for work. I've found somewhere to rent, and they seem happy to go ahead, but apparently I'm waiting for my previous leech landlord to respond to a request for a reference so as I have a hope of having the logistical capacity to attend the asylum next weekend 

[von Corax]

I spent all morning picking an order which was due to go out at 1 o'clock. I was one pallet short of finishing, around 12:45, when I got the message from my supervisor: "That order is going out tomorrow at 5:00. Stop picking it and pick the 2 o'clock order instead." I said, "No, it's lunch time. The 2 o'clock order is someone else's problem."

Got to work at 5:00 this morning and the order was exactly as I had left it - one pallet unpicked and two lines short. (They routinely submit orders for which we don't have product.) I dug out the last pallet, loaded the trailer, loaded two more pallets that had just been packaged this morning, and then waited three hours for permission to ship the load ten pallets short when it was supposed to leave around the time I started work.

This is not an unusual situation where I work.

[Cora Courcelle]

Reading theses makes me soooooooo glad I've retired!

[rovingjack]

had a DaTscan early today, have to wait til next week to hear back if it confirms the diagnosis.
keep going over it in my head, fearing things I did either voided the scan or make it more possible that it's confirmed.
couldn't sleep. scan is of a sleep deprived brain.
the position I was strapping into for 45 mins left the back of my head feeling like my skull feeling like a helmet with two golfballs inbetween helmet and head... left me shaking in pain for the last 10 mins, did the shaking mess up the imaging?
I went there fasting, but was told i didn't need to be, and i could eat anything while i waited 3 hours, I had a ham and swiss croissant and boston creme donut with chocolate glaze... now i wonder if chocolate, sweets, or cheeses... common triggers of migraines, which are brain related functional disorders, might muddy the scans.

I hate this whole situation, but more than that I hate how my brain is handling it.

sparing the story of fighting to get confirmation it was even done and days having to call and argue with people to get files sent where they needed to be. and the terrible way they delivered the news...

brain scan 'normal' no signs of Parkinson's or parkinsonism conditions found.

It should be good news, but 2 months after being diagnosed with parkinson's my flairs/episodes of shakiness are way more obvious when they happen, I'd pretty much recovered from symptoms milder than this before spring (makes me suspect adrenal-cortisol effects, and maybe some somatiform aspects). And I'm less trusting of anything any doctor says after the misdiagnosis that stopped all attempts to test for other influencing factors.

I'm mostly just burnt out, with a dollop of rage. Imagine being told on your birthday you've got stage 4 pancreatic cancer ('use Google for any questions, okay bye') and sitting with that for 2 months waiting for the second opinion of how bad and treatment options. while your symptoms get worse, doctors stopped looking at things to help you because it's all the cancer, arguing for week about tests and files (that honestly would have been faster and better handled if I went to the offices demanded my records in person and drove them to the nessecary place myself). And then after all that you get woken up by a phone call that you should get a different specialist since 'their best doctors' aren't sure what's wrong (when pushed they confirm that means - because tests reveal no signs of cancer).

  you! I wanna break  ... maybe certain peoples femurs.

[Cora Courcelle]

had a DaTscan early today, have to wait til next week to hear back if it confirms the diagnosis.
keep going over it in my head, fearing things I did either voided the scan or make it more possible that it's confirmed.
couldn't sleep. scan is of a sleep deprived brain.
the position I was strapping into for 45 mins left the back of my head feeling like my skull feeling like a helmet with two golfballs inbetween helmet and head... left me shaking in pain for the last 10 mins, did the shaking mess up the imaging?
I went there fasting, but was told i didn't need to be, and i could eat anything while i waited 3 hours, I had a ham and swiss croissant and boston creme donut with chocolate glaze... now i wonder if chocolate, sweets, or cheeses... common triggers of migraines, which are brain related functional disorders, might muddy the scans.

I hate this whole situation, but more than that I hate how my brain is handling it.

brain scan 'normal' no signs of Parkinson's or parkinsonism conditions found.

It should be good news, but

But it is good news. It has eliminated a terrible, debilitating disease from your potential diagnosis.

[von Corax]

My primary desktop computer croaked last night. This is the one I use to surf and code, and the one that does the automatic backup for Brass Goggles.

I have ordered a new PSU which should arrive tomorrow.

[von Corax]

New PSU arrived and was installed last night. Nightly backups are once again happening.

[LukeHogbin]

Submitted my welfare application form with all the paperwork in the beginning of the month. Had to poke the people at the department of social services why it hasn't been processed yet. Received a return e-mail that it has been processed today. (And I submitted it on Aug 2nd)

Guess who's entirely without money. And at this rate, I'll only get welfare near the end of SEPTEMBER.

[Justin Time]

...my flairs/episodes of shakiness are way more obvious when they happen, I'd pretty much recovered from symptoms milder than this before spring

Have you had your thyroid checked? Thyroid trouble is often overlooked in the US and the blood work (TSH & T3 levels) to check it MUST be during the manifesting of symptoms. I cannot stress that enough; if you aren't having a shaking episode when blood is drawn, the test will be useless.

Sleeplessness, racing thoughts and tremors are very common symptoms of hyperthyroidism which can be genetic or come about due to extreme or constant stress.  The thyroid is dismissed by many "Doctors" as "minor", but if a thyroid problem is left untreated it can become very serious, even fatal.

Not trying to freak you out, just the facts as I've personally experienced them.

JIT

[rovingjack]

...my flairs/episodes of shakiness are way more obvious when they happen, I'd pretty much recovered from symptoms milder than this before spring

Have you had your thyroid checked? Thyroid trouble is often overlooked in the US and the blood work (TSH & T3 levels) to check it MUST be during the manifesting of symptoms. I cannot stress that enough; if you aren't having a shaking episode when blood is drawn, the test will be useless.

Sleeplessness, racing thoughts and tremors are very common symptoms of hyperthyroidism which can be genetic or come about due to extreme or constant stress.  The thyroid is dismissed by many "Doctors" as "minor", but if a thyroid problem is left untreated it can become very serious, even fatal.

Not trying to freak you out, just the facts as I've personally experienced them.

JIT

I've mentioned it to docs who schedule a single blood test for weeks or months later.
I've a half sister who recently got diagnosed with hashimotos.
I brought it up because in the thick of my 2 month severe sleep deprivation we I had unrelated procedures which came with fasting blood sugar tests that came back just above 100, I have some hand shakes, I am 6'2" walked 2 miles a day and ate less than 1500 calories a day, sometimes less than 900 calories. yet I gained 15 pounds in the last year. fatigue, panic attacks, digestive upset, muscle and bone pain, temperature intolerances (both cold and heat)... and a few other issues. But there's a boat load of dismissal being given to me.
I'm not saying it is or isn't thyroid or my cinnamon being recalled for lead levels after I'd used it all, or post COVID stuff, or an undiagnosed underlying condition... But something is wrecking my ability to function, and it's real.

[Justin Time]

... But something is wrecking my ability to function, and it's real.

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time. The medical community really sucks sometimes. "It's just nerves, try to calm down" or "it's all in your head" were always my favorite things to hear from doctors

If you can, get your "doctor" to give you an undated, physical lab sheet that you can keep on you and take to a lab any time you have symptoms. That was the only way they finally diagnosed my Graves Disease with Hashimoto's Syndrome (my thyroid was seriously effed up).

Sorry if this comes off as sticking my nose in too much.

JIT

[The Bullet]

Bureaucracy!!!!

In Germany you have to yupply proof for your whole life when you have worked where.
This goes into the calculation of your pension.
This agency is really "polite", sending letters like
Missing times
2000, June 1st to 5th
2004, August 1st to september 1st
and mostly setting a date for delivery within two weeks.
Sometimes they ask for single days or other short time while one was switching jobs.

In March 2023 my wife had to supply a whole bunch of these (after having supplied the whole set a few years ago. So simething must have gone missing. Copied everything, sent the copies by recorded mail, phoned the agency a week later.
"Yes, everything is here, the case is closed".
OK, so we thought.

Last week my wife needed a statement from just this agency for another government agency.
She called them and asked for the official paper (called Rentenverlauf).
"there is still an open case. We cannot send it to you unti the case is closed..."
WTF?
Then it was my turn
After several hotline-bots I finally got a human being on the line.
This man was very helpful and asked me to call back the next day (he even gave me the direct number).
Next day he confirmed that all relevant papers had been received in MArch 2023.
So why was the case still open?
Original statement:
"It seems that they have not been processed on our side."
WTF?
Setting close deadlines for receiving documents but then leaving them on a pile for one and a half years?
He said he would put them into highest priority so we will receive the statement within a week.
Hope this will work.

[Sorontar]

A minor but annoying inconvenience for me. I have a D&D character who is a punk bard with background in stonemasonry. I want to write a backstory for him being a bit of prankster/stirrer who tends to talk his way about of anything. I even have a McGuffin - iron pyrite or fool's gold. The problem is that I know little about it so it is taking me a while to sort out the plot. I know that it isn't as malleable as gold (it's much harder), but it will shatter if hit with good hammer. I know that because of that hardness, it is good for firelighting and was used for early flintlock/wheellock firearms. I know it is normally too small to shape or carve into anything meaningful (my bard is a creative soul who likes to go his own way when doing stone masonry).

So I am trying to think of why would my bard have small/large bag of pyrite on him? While he isn't an alchemist (that is another party member's back story who hadn't met him at the time), I would like to think he had some idea of how could use the pyrite in something new, but I can't think of what. He knows some fools think it is gold, but he has to have his own purpose for it.  He likes big noises and would not be afraid to go a little bit overboard when working with stone, but gunpowder is rare in his world and related firearms are not readily available.

Any suggestions?

Sorontar

[rovingjack]

with background in stonemasonry... iron pyrite or fool's gold...

Any suggestions?

well it's kinda crunchy in that way that ceramic magnets are, no ductility really, and it tends to form crystal clusters. The crystals were used in Marcasite jewellery, especially popular in Victorian times. the broken ends have dull grey color and a lot of rubbing or tumbling will produce a blackish pyrite dust. like most fine powders this could be blown through a strong flame to make a spectacular puff of flame. and when burnt smells of burnt matches (the gas it makes is technically toxic but you'd have to burn a lot of it to make somebody sick).
by some minor chemistry you can very easily turn it into inks, wood stain, and textile dye/mordants. Most of this chemistry was known before 500ce.
ferrus sulfate, made from pyrite, if I remember correctly can be used to color certain stone and cements a yellow color. which might be where a mason learned a bit about it to begin with.
an alchemist could use it to make sulfuric acid which has a billion and one uses and is one of the cornerstones of chemistry.

[Madasasteamfish]

In a word SPAMMERS!

In more depth, for the past day or so I've been getting bombarded with spam emails (Over 20 just this morning) that are somehow getting past my spam filter, all in the same vein (my computer is apparently infected with multiple viruses, which of course they've detected but my antivirus hasn't).

Just get some originality 

[Sir Henry]

Hopefully if they're all very similar, you can update your spam filter to include one of their key words/phrases and scupper the blighters.

However, I'll see your spammers and raise you - medical publishers!

Quite a few months ago one of the cancer research groups I'm patient representative for had a paper published in the British Medical Journal. This meant that my name and email address were published with it and ever since I've been getting 20 - 40 emails a day asking me to publish my research in their journals.

At first they were only asking £3000 per piece (for my first book that's what they paid me as an advance, not vice versa) but after a while it changed to "reduced fees" and finally "free publication". I did try to explain that as my latest research was into the geometry of curved tessellation when applied to 8th and 9th century sacred geometry, they probably wouldn't be interested, but it didn't even slow them down.

Then I started getting invitations to be an editor, or an attendee or speaker at conferences. And the scope of my expertise started to spread; I was now being invited to publish/speak on a glorious range of subjects, from gynaecology to robotics, colonoscopies to elbotics, none of which I know the faintest about.

There is one slight upside - there is a slight (and diminishing) enjoyment to be had starting your day reading emails to "Esteemed Doctor Henry" or "Renowned Professor Henry".

[Sorontar]

I went to update my laptop and it died :^(
It now no longer manages to load up, I think because it is out of memory.
I can get the company techs to fix it for me next week, when I actually have a "lull" at work, but I was hoping to not have to go into work. I also have this desktop machine in the mean time, but this is my backup solution and it doesn't have all my files and software (though a lot is on the cloud).

So it is more a frustation and a distraction.
Sigh.

Sorontar

[Cora Courcelle]

I may not be around for a bit as both myself and my Dearly Beloved are having some health issues but I've not abandoned you and hopefully it won't be too long before things are resolved.
In the meantime look after yourselves.

[rovingjack]

Found out today that my closest friend is gone. And I've been trying to strike a balance between checking in on him and not bothering him too much for the past half year, but it seems I didn't get the balance right. he's not responded to any of my texts or calls in over a month. I assumed he was busy. I suspect he did it to himself.

[Sir Henry]

I may not be around for a bit as both myself and my Dearly Beloved are having some health issues but I've not abandoned you and hopefully it won't be too long before things are resolved.
In the meantime look after yourselves.

My very best wishes to you and your DB. I hope normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Similar situation here.