Night shift nurses 5

Hi everyone, the title of the post sounds like a title for a scholarly article or novel, but I really just couldn’t think of how else to put it.
For some context, I’m fairly new to this community. I underwent an emergency D&C this past Wednesday after having an incomplete MA which unfortunately, led to me hemorrhaging. It was terrifying and traumatic. I lost a lot of blood. Apparently I made it into the “rare complications” club where this happens to less than 1% of people who have an abortion, per the nurse who put me under sedation. This was not only my first abortion, but it was also my first pregnancy. I was 7 weeks, with a supportive and loving partner, making a decision as difficult as you all very well know.
Since the D&C, I thankfully am feeling much better and have been able to process everything more in terms of my emotions. It was hard to do that after the MA when I was still feeling all the pregnancy symptoms but unsure as to why. The day after the D&C I felt like myself again. The nausea, heart burn, food aversions - every single symptom I had was gone. Even my breasts weren’t as tender as they had unbearably been.
This experience, thankfully, made myself and my partner of 4 years even closer than we ever have been. I’m very grateful for that. He’s been incredible throughout this entire process and has held my hand every step of the way. So, yesterday, as I’m feeling relatively back to my normal self minus some fatigue - I look at my partner, feel those butterfly feelings, and my immediate thought was, How in the fuck can you be horny after what you just went through? What is wrong with you?
I immediately felt confusion, guilt, shame, and an uncontrollable desire to feel close to him. I started googling: “sex drive after abortion” “is it normal to be horny after an abortion?” “Why do I have such a high libido after an abortion?” I really didn’t find much in the topic beyond a few Reddit posts and some old forums. It made me feel even more guilty, that clearly MOST women don’t want to be touched at all after something like that, but I couldn’t control what was going on with my body.
For me, my libido was fairly average prior to all of this, but for some reason yesterday I could not control my sex drive. It was driving me crazy for hours. I didn’t want to tell my partner because I was ashamed and embarrassed to be feeling how I was. I also know he’s been processing everything too and I felt like if I made a move he would be upset by it because why wouldn’t he be? That’s the normal response. I’m the odd one here and I’m the one who went through the damn thing, right?
Easy fix! I’ll just have some sexy self-care time, right? As long as nothing goes in and I just keep it external, I should be all good right? Come to think of it, the nurses and doctors didn’t mention anything about it. What does goggle say? Nothing, really. Mostly just websites and forums saying no PIV for a week or two. Nothing about masturbation. Will I be okay? Will my uterus fall out? What if I start bleeding even heavier? Will it hurt? Will it slow down healing or speed it up? Why am I even thinking about any of this at all?
Just more guilt. More self-shaming. More anxiety, more fear, and at this point - I’m STILL horny. Screw it. I didn’t read anything saying don’t do it, so let’s just do this, but wait until my partner takes a shower so he doesn’t know. And that’s what I did. I waited until he was in the shower so I could do it in secret because I felt that much shame and that much guilt. I was worried, but my sex drive was so high I truly didn’t care in the moment. That is, up until the moment where I hit the big O and there was some cramping. It scared the shit out of me. But. It was mild, barely anything, and the big O was probably the biggest I’ve had in a long time.
Immediately after I felt relaxed, relieved. Then I went to the bathroom and after having mostly spotted since the D&C, my stomach dropped when I saw bright red on the toilet paper. Look at what you did. What’s wrong with you. You’re going to bleed out again because you were horny? It will be your fault, again.
I spent most of last night scared, worried, scrolling google for answers, and feeling horribly guilty. However, I woke up this morning alive and well, back to the super light barely noticeable spotting. Then about half way through the day, the butterfly feelings returned. IM HORNY AGAIN?! WHY?!?
Without going through all the details, I went through the whole entire cycle I did yesterday again today. Now, I’m here typing this extremely long post. If you’re still here reading, I really appreciate that. I doubt I’m alone in my experience and feelings as it’s far more rare to have a singular, independent thought or feeling that no one else on the planet has ever had. However, I don’t see this experience talked about much and I’m not sure the reasons, or maybe I just wasn’t looking in the right places to begin with. But, I want you to know if you have felt this or are feeling this way after your abortion - it’s okay.
I know my hormones are raging. I know I just went through something horribly traumatic and it’s normal to have anxiety after going through something like that, along with the complications. I also know that everyone’s libido after this experience will drastically vary from person to person. I’m trying to remind myself not to feel guilty after that and if what I went through isn’t a shameful thing, then why am I shaming myself for any feeling I have afterwards or if I want my body and mind to feel good again with a little sexy time self-care?
Anyways, that’s it. Stay strong out there. You got this. Feel what you feel and don’t be ashamed for it either way.

so ever since my breakup i’ve been experiencing this weird thing on and off when i’m going through the emotional roller coasters while healing. these last couple of nights it’s flared up again and it’s disrupting me a lot 😭 so basically, while i’m asleep (and i mean literally dead asleep) i’ll start experiencing feelings of anxiety or i’ll have that very intense pit in my stomach and it won’t go away until i wake up (and even then it won’t go away completely until i actually get out of bed and start doing breathing exercises). i want to know if there’s anything i can do to ease this because it’s making it so i only average about 3-5 hours a night (if that), it’s literally the most uncomfortable feeling in the world and it makes me wanna rip myself to shreds tbh. anyone relate to this and have any suggestions?

This is my first time here. Situation I am describing is a very known situation at many households. But this is happening to me AGAIN and AGAIN.
So, I have an ailing Father in law, completely paralyzed with tracheostomy tube, feeding tube and a catheter, whom we are caregiving in a Tier 2 City since 5+ years, I work from home . I have suffered a missed miscarriage and had a D&E after that in September 2023 at around 12 weeks marks. SInce then we are trying and not had a success. My sister-in-law lives in same city so she comes to support the care. I am a secondary caregiver as I am the only one who is earning. My husband is on career break as the Staff is not permanent & load of caregiving is huge. My mother in law expired in 2020.
My sister in law since marriage was a person I always had doubts on. I make friends for life once I get to know them, but here even if the dynamic was weird, I gave her lots of benefit of doubt & she proved me wrong always. She and my MIL were best friends. They had never included me the way a daughter in law should have been included. So because of my mothe r in law, the home was always under her control. Whenever I used to come, I was being indirectly commented on our stuff lying here and there(we were not having any room, so obv it was to be taken in and out of bags), SIL used to say in a really really bad tone blabbering and going here and there " why do people bring stuff if they don't know how to place" the etc. in short I was never allowed to even touch or know things in house. It has to be done by my sister in law always. For smallest of things, she was always given preference. Please don't take me wrong, but I am from a home where we are 2 sisters and obv I was being trained to handle all the things so that I never ever become dependent. And here I am in a household, where I am being told, "you won't be able to do this" to everything I wanted to attempt. All what I had to do is cooking, which I didn't know much. Btw I was the only working lady that time.
Anyway I don't want to go to my MIL's drama because that was HORRIBLE and I thank God every day for relaxing me!
This is not the first time SIL has done maligning/ bitching, she has been involved to malign the image. It has never happened anywhere that people don't come to talk to me, because I generally listen to the problems and I am amicable! I have lived in Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, but it is only here that I couldn't foster any relationships with anyone! It always was a thought in me which I didn't know had a solid cause. I caught her tarnishing my image on camera (we kept it for FIL) blabbering things like : "She has eaten crab" (Kekde khati hai) which I haven't, I have had fish 2-3 times in my whole life, these guys are purely vegetarian, which I was as well, but I had just shared it with her as a thing! "She is putting pressure on my brother so that we have a fight, and now he came to beg sorry that I did a mistake"(Ary masi, ese hi koi nai karta, jab tak upar se pressure nai aata , and aaya tha maafi maangne fir, ki mujhe maaf kar do, ye to chahti hai ki humari ladai ho jaye and toot jaye relationship) (which I never ever do, I come from a joint family and such adjustments are inbuilt in my nature)
When my husband and herself caught covid, they were isolated, I was at my mother's place and rushed back to support them and fully supported them for 2 weeks managing my work alongwith. Later on during 3rd wave of covid, I had covid and I didn't even was asked for! I missed my parents a lot! She gave the most vile response in that conversation with her Masis. "She got Covid!, She got covid!, Now she will make sure to come to our father's room" (That had broken me that time) (Ab ho gaya usko!, ho gaya!, Ab to aur ayegi papa ke room me) (with an intention to kill him)(I have been dealing with a tough situation where it affected my marriage the most and I had to voice my needs to them as noone was paying any attention to my needs and I wanted to have a family of my own during that time. It was 2020-21, I was 33)
I was a scared bird, I was so so scared of confrontation previously that she exploited a lot out of me. Their home is in a place where people have never gone out of the city so the thoughts are so weird when they see me doing it! For example : employing a maid! Now Imagine ! Her masis are equally involved. When my mother in law was dead, and the rituals were happening, people flocked and populated our home. MIL had 5 sisters, all of them bombarded in the tiny home! and then one of them started saying, "We didn't even get tea! She gets up at 7!"
I am harmless creature, who has never picked up fights, She is argumentative and of a nature where she has to win always which is through talking. I avoid it. If I talk, by hook or crook she will manipulate so that things are in her favor and last sentence is hers. She even called my parents and said "aap logo ko thoda encourage jitna karte ho aur karna chahiye" without my knowledge , and they were speaking for me! and I was at a different city. That was my tipping point! I came back, ignored her for 3 days finally bursting on her. She argued that "are they nothing for me", I said you are not allowed to call without my knowledge, you have to go through ME!!
Coming to problem:
My sister in law just had a baby who is 6 months now. after my miscarriage! 2-3 days before, she left her phone at our place,and asked to forward a number from her mobile. My husband forwarded it and then sifted through her chats. He got into a chat with their cousin sister where my sister in law described me as
"I stopped you to go and made her (me) to go because she puts evil eye on my kid and my baby has stopped drinking milk, you are of pure heart, but not everyone is like that, we dont know what's going on in other's mind"
"Ary behna! Bura mat maniyo, wo nazar lagati hain HAMESHA, Ab bechari doodh bhi nai peeti dhang se, tera dil to saaf hai, lekin sabka nai hota"
I was aghasted by this chat comment. All I gave was a genuine love for the purest soul who is infront of us!
All I do is my job in the only room at this house. Previously I was so disturbed that I took psychologist's support! Can you believe it! SIL problems to psychologist!! And After she had a baby, she became better I thought so, so I forgave her and interacted, went to her home as well. Then I backtraced and found another incident where I could connect the dots:
I was deliberately asked to prepare tea while at her home, her masi were also there, and her masi said, Let me prepare the tea, and she said I want to have her from only her hands!! (While in kitchen I found it weird but I gave her space and didn't come out), Later in remembered that she was feeding her baby! HOW PATHETIC! I am so so hurt by such things happening around me! One of her masi, couldn't bear children and "her nazar" has been talk of town always, another masi she was seperate from all sisters and minded her own business, she has "money" according to all of them(which is for sure hard earned and they are jealous that she earned, kept up with sasural, she didn't give a f**k to such chalak sisters ) her nazar is considered "killing/deadly"! She has been a very kind person when I met ! So when I heard about them from SIL I couldn't believe she is saying all that about her own masi! and now when I heard something about me all I could think of is 20 years in future people will still not talk to me because I put nazar! I thought of confronting her husband as he is humble , talking to her is exhausting and I feel talking doesn't bring any conclusion. I thought of never going to their home, I don't know how feasible that is, so my action plan is to never handle her baby and comment on her like : "dont put your baby with me, she will get nazar" . Or if her husband asked why are you not coming, then I will reveal. But I don't know I am getting anxious, something has shifted inside me for good.
I know this is a difficult phase of my life and I am trying for pregnancy can't leave this place until his father's death. I had been away from family in past and that made me more depressed and abandoned as my husband is crazy for his father and he left everything for him! So I couldn't even ask him during all these years of my needs. He was faced by his mother's death and an ailing father so naturally he had a reaction. I had survived a very very difficult phase alone, we both had different journeys for past 4 years. God has been very kind that my job was there throughout to support my family!
Any suggestions on how to deal are appreciated.

so ever since my breakup i’ve been experiencing this weird thing on and off when i’m going through the emotional roller coasters while healing. these last couple of nights it’s flared up again and it’s disrupting me a lot 😭 so basically, while i’m asleep (and i mean literally dead asleep) i’ll start experiencing feelings of anxiety or i’ll have that very intense pit in my stomach and it won’t go away until i wake up (and even then it won’t go away completely until i actually get out of bed and start doing breathing exercises). i want to know if there’s anything i can do to ease this because it’s making it so i only average about 3-5 hours a night (if that), it’s literally the most uncomfortable feeling in the world and it makes me wanna rip myself to shreds tbh. anyone relate to this and have any suggestions?

so ever since my breakup i’ve been experiencing this weird thing on and off when i’m going through the emotional roller coasters while healing. these last couple of nights it’s flared up again and it’s disrupting me a lot 😭 so basically, while i’m asleep (and i mean literally dead asleep) i’ll start experiencing feelings of anxiety or i’ll have that very intense pit in my stomach and it won’t go away until i wake up (and even then it won’t go away completely until i actually get out of bed and start doing breathing exercises). i want to know if there’s anything i can do to ease this because it’s making it so i only average about 3-5 hours a night (if that), it’s literally the most uncomfortable feeling in the world and it makes me wanna rip myself to shreds tbh. anyone relate to this and have any suggestions?

When Quicktalon finally woke up, his heart leaped to his throat as he noticed that the sun was beginning to set. A gruff voice chuckled to his alarm before he could act on his sudden panic, “Sit down, you crazy ostrich. You’re fine. Achira has been taken care of, the fire lit, and your dinner is near the fire to keep warm.” Quicktalon froze at the new voice, slowly turning towards the owner of this new visitor, but his eyes seemed to have been playing tricks on him. His brother Fleet was nearby and changing his sister’s bandages.
“Fleet?” he asked softly, his eyes still wide at seeing his battle-scarred brother. “H-how are you here?! The search party for the missing Drakes and Dragons left months ago!” he exclaimed, a grin growing as happy tears began to warm his eyes. It had been far too long since he had last seen his brother. “Well, we were on our way back from the most northern searches, and we found a few traces of what could have happened, but we need to send out another search party after we Rest and replenish our supplies. But I have heard the great news!” Fleet said as he hugged his brother, “ I’m so proud of you!” He exclaimed, pulling his brother into a hug, “I can’t believe you’ve grown so much from that little drake who never left our grandmother's side and always got into scrapes from running too fast.” He laughed softly.
Quicktalon chuckled at his brother’s lighthearted jesting, “ Grandmother always made healing fun and exciting, and I wanted to be able to follow in her talon steps and help those who helped us when we were little drakelings.” He said with a smile, “But now, I have a chance to truly save dragonkind from this dangerous threat, hopefully with getting this information out to the world and traveling to Scholar’s Whispering Peak, I can also get more information on what happened to our Grandmother and hopefully what had happened to our parents all those years ago.”
A smile ghosted Fleet's lips. He knew that something had happened to his grandmother; they had the signs and were Grandmother her. But the more his troop searched, and the more evidence was uncovered, the more serious this strange tail became. He hadn’t mentioned it yet to their pack leader. Still, Drakes across the savanna were going missing, some dragons and even the notoriously hidden Arctic dragons.
Dozens of Dragons of all kinds were going missing. The Sea Orcs were the only ones who witnessed this strange occurrence. They were too big for anything to happen to them, but the cause of the disappearing dragons needed to be uncovered and solved before the giant sea dragons began to disappear. But Fleet couldn’t ruin his brother’s excitement and joy over this. So, for now, he kept quiet and continued praising his brother for his magnificent discovery.
“I need to start getting ready. I’ve got a big trip ahead of me. I need to pack plenty of supplies and ensure I have enough to trade for a thick fur cover to protect me from the freezing temperatures at the summit of the Scholars Whispering Peak.” Quicktalon said, “I can’t wait to be able to spend more time with you and Achira as soon as she fully recovers from the effects of the viper.” He explained with a soft chuckle, “ but I will be back soon, hopefully before winter settles over the lands, which, with it being the middle of New Life, I should have time to make it to the coast and get assistance through the ocean and onto the nearest coastline on the other side.”
Fleet looked concerned at the plan his brother had just explained. " Are you sure that is safe? I’ve met traveling Sea Orcs and been told how long and perilous a journey across the sea can be for Drakes and Dragons of our size!” Fleet explained fear etched deep into his face as he couldn’t imagine his little brother in the middle of a raging and violent sea. “ It would be better to travel on land. You’d get there much safer and without the risk of your research getting ruined from the sea's moisture.”
Quicktalon took a moment to consider. Is a trip like that more manageable? Would it be safer to traverse land rather than sea? “Are there any maps I can get? Can you help me figure out a quick and safe journey from our home to the Scholars Whispering Peak? If the sea is too dangerous, I will need to figure out a different way to get to the scholars and hopefully get there before the snow season starts.” He said, “Do you know if the pack to our North sells maps of the continent and trade routes I could follow?” He asked while moving to a chest with chunks of gold and jewels he could trade for a map. He even wrote quick instructions for effectively healing and removing the venom from the bite of an Orid Viper. Fleet watched as his brother gathered enough items for trade; each pack had different trade requirements depending on the situation and status.
“Do you remember what they ask for trade?” Quicktalon asked as he set his collected gems and precious metals into a small side pouch strapped to his front right upper forearm. Fleet thought momentarily and tried to remember when his troop had last passed through the pack to the North. “ I believe they take both jewels and food, so we might want to stop and catch something for them to eat on our way over to the North Pack,” Fleet said as he sharpened his dull talons on a nearby rock, “ a water buffalo perhaps would be a good trade-off.” He said, “with the upcoming heat wave, they might appreciate more food for their youngins.”
“Then it's settled. Let's head to the North Pack and trade for a map for a trade route to Scholars Whispering Peak.” Quicktalon said, ensuring his research was set somewhere safe and out of the way of any potential spills or papyrus-eating worms. “Let’s go. The hottest part of the day is over for now, and the animals should be coming back from mid-day hibernation so we can snag a water buffalo on the way to them,” Quicktalon said while moving to give his sister healing wound a quick check-over. Once everything was in good shape, Quicktalon and Fleet left the medical hut. They began their journey to the North Pack and hopefully snagged a water buffalo on the way toward their destination.
Both brothers carefully left the medical hut and began looking around Earthquake to tell him where they were heading and their plan for QuickTalon to get to the Scholars Whispering peaks before winter hit. It wasn’t too hard to find the elder drake, as he was once again leading the younger drakes in battle practice for the potential war that seemed to be whispering on the horizon. “WATCH YOUR TALONS! FOR MOTHER DRAKE’S SAKE HEATSTROKE, DUCK! USE YOUR FIRE!” Earthquake shouted, drilling the almost grown drakes in new and much faster battle techniques. “Things must be getting worse if Earthquake is so worried about what’s been happening. It worries me.” Fleet murmured to QuickTalon, fear and worry evident on his face as he watched the young drakes practice their battle maneuvers as if they were currently fighting the actual enemy.
The mock battle went on for what felt like an eternity before Earthquake called for the young drakes to take a break and get a drink of water. “ Freshen up! Get a drink and take a moment to breathe! You must keep practicing if we ever need to go to war against this new and unknown enemy!” He commanded while walking over to see what QuickTalon and Fleet wanted to discuss. “ Welcome back, Fleet, and I’m happy to see that your search troop all came back with no casualties.” He said in greeting, “But what can I do for you both? I can see that there is something you both wish to tell me.” He said while peering down his snout at the younger of the group, “We plan to head to the northern pack and trade something of value for a trade route map to the Scholars Whispering Peaks. The initial route is dangerous, and the humid air could ruin my research.” QuickTalon explained, “With the scorching season rolling in, we thought bringing a water buffalo to trade for a map would be helpful.”
Earthquake seemed impressed by the current plan, “ while that is a good idea, the Northern Pack have been plagued recently by attacks from humans, or at least what seems to be left of that species; if you want to help, I’m sure food, water and medical attention will benefit them most.” He explained, “ but you both have my permission to go to the Northern Pack, just come back here, and I’ll help get you an assistant to stand in your place as a healer until your return.” Earthquake said, a smile gently ghosting across his snout, “now go on little ones, the sun is getting ready to set, and the water buffalo will be out to graze and drink at the nearby watering holes.” “Yes, sir, we will be back within three days,” QuickTalon said with a nod as he and his brother were dismissed and permitted to head off toward the Northern Pack.
With the dry dirt and plants crunching under their talons, QuickTalon turned and followed Fleet toward the Northern pack. “If humans are attacking them, what should we do if we see one?” QuickTalon asked after a long pause in the conversation, “Well,” Fleet started as if trying to recall a memory, “ my commander said that if you see a human, to kill on sight. While most humans are not dangerous to us as adults, they still threaten our young and elderly.” He explained, “Although I have yet to see a human, I have heard conflicting reports and statements about humans. Some are nice and have been seen helping others and the environment we live in, and some are on constant paths of destruction, burning, and taking like the worst of us dragons. Filled with greed and the never-ending satisfaction that they will never have enough stuff to put into their horde, they kill everything on their path to get what they want.”
QuickTalon’s eyes widened in both fascination and absolute horror at what he was hearing, and he had never realized that something so small and without fire or claws or just something to defend itself could be so destructive. “ But, is there a way to tell which ones are good and bad? Surely all of them can’t be rotten, can they?” He asked, jumping in fright when a breaking twig cracked nearby. “I’m sure there is, but for now, we’ve been told to just kill on sight.” He said softly, “ I know you want to help save the world, but you must remember, QuickTalon, that not everyone can or wants to be saved. You will need to know when to save yourself, and don’t let those who want to drown pull you under with them.” He said, eyes staring off into the distance, seeming to be looking at or hearing something out in the distance that only he could see. Quicktalon wasn’t sure how to respond to his brother’s worries. He was worried that his brother might know something more about this dangerous situation than he did, but he knew that he needed to keep his head clear and his eyes forward during this difficult time. “Brother, I know you are worried and want to find Grandmother, but spiraling off into the unknowns and the shadows will not help us find her. I believe in you and the others, but you need to take a breath and remind yourself where you are and your focus.” Quicktalon said, listening intensely to his surroundings while following his brother North. “ We will find Grandmother and the other missing Drakes, but for now, we need to rest our worried minds to start with a clean slate in the morning. If we let our brains become muddled, we could miss important details. So for now, let's just rest our heads and worry about finding a water buffalo and getting a map.”
Fleet sighed deeply, “You’re right, brother. Worrying about all the what-ifs has been muddling my mind. I’ve been so stressed over all of the potential possibilities I have lost the main focus of my mission. To bring the lost and the missing home.” He said, shaking his head ever so slightly as if trying to clear his head from the dark thoughts that had muddled his brain for many years. “ But I agree, let us get that water buffalo and trade for the map. Once we return and rest, my troop and I will follow you to the first trading post and head toward the North. Perhaps we might meet again on your journey.” Fleet hummed softly before snapping his gaze towards the direction of something he had heard. “Shh, I hear something!” He whispered while dropping into a low crouch and moving almost silently through the tall brush and grass toward the sound he had heard.
Quicktalon did the same and followed his brothers' movements. The grass hissed and crunched softly under their talons as they approached the top of a small hill. With careful movements, the brothers peered over the hill. The water buffalo migration had begun, and thousands of bison were resting around the large pond. “ The migration.” Quicktalon murmured, “Would it hurt if we managed to grab a few bison for the Northern pack?” He asked, “ I don’t know how many drakes are in the Northern Pack, but with the hot season approaching, maybe it would help to bring them a few bison to preserve before the migration leaves?” He asked if he knew they needed to preserve the circle of life, but he had no idea what the status of this other pack could be since it had been at least forty years since he had last seen the pack at the semi-annual Drake packs meet-up.
“Perhaps, although I don’t want to end up overwhelming the Northern pack with food. But I agree, with the scorching season approaching, packs will need as much food as possible.” Fleet murmured while slowly dropping into a hunter's crouch, “ I will go for the two deep in the water. You grab the one heading out.” He instructed, to which Quicktalon agreed. He adjusted his satchel and ensured his research was safe before waiting for his brother's signal. With a hiss, Fleet shot over the hill, running as fast as he found towards the two water buffalo in the water. Grunts, groans, and high-pitched bellows filled the air as the water buffalo panicked and ran away from the large drakes.
Thunderous hooves and cries filled the air as the buffalo pushed and shoved into each other while fighting to escape the predators. Quicktalon narrowed his eyes, planted all four talons to the ground, and lunged at the water buffalo. The bison bellowed in fear and swung its head, trying to gore Quicktalon with its horns, but with a sharp turn of his body, he narrowly managed to avoid the deadly horn and sink his teeth into the back of the buffalo’s neck. The buffalo’s wails increased before being silenced with a loud crack, its body falling limp in Quicktalon’s jaws and its head rolling loosely. Loud splashing drew the younger drakes' attention; the second water buffalo ganged up on his brother. With a roar of anger, Quicktalon dropped his fresh kill and thundered through the water toward the second buffalo. The second buffalo barely had time to react before Quicktalon threw himself on the bison’s back and began pulling on its horns to steer it away from his brother.
The bison bellowed angrily and bucked as hard as possible, trying to throw the younger drake off. But Quicktalon held on tight, and with an angry snarl, he gripped the horns tightly in his talons, and with a harsh twist and a loud snap, the bison’s neck was broken. The bison collapsed into the water with a splash. Quicktalon was breathing hard as he tried to catch his breath after such a stressful moment. Fleet growled as he finally managed to take down his water buffalo, “ Fleet, are you okay?” Quicktalon asked, moving through the water, the muddled water sloshing around his talons.
“ I—I’m okay, I just… need to catch my breath.” Fleet panted as he caught his breath. I don’t know why that was so difficult. It shouldn’t have been.” He panted while pushing himself up and moving to collect the two limp water bison. “Let’s get these to the North Pack. We are almost there.” He said while letting Quicktalon assist him with lifting the two freshly killed bison onto his back. “Alright, but as soon as you need to take a break, let me know,” Quicktalon said as he walked over to the water buffalo he killed and hoisted it onto his back.
Fleet nodded in agreement, and the two began the final leg of their trek toward the Northern pack. Crickets began to chirp and sing as the sun set, lighting the sky in a brilliant mixture of pinks, reds, and oranges. Quicktalon smiled, stared at the beautiful sky, and grew even more excited when the fireflies lit up and danced around the land. “ You’ve always enjoyed this time of year, haven’t you?” Fleet asked with a smile, “ I do. The beautiful sunsets, the lightning bugs, and the soft songs of crickets. It always brings me joy.” Quicktalon replied with a happy smile in return. “Whenever I am scared, I think of nights like this to help calm me down.” He explained with a soft chuckle, “Grandmother even painted me a painting of one of these nights. I still treasure that painting the most.” He said, reminiscing about when his grandmother gifted him the painting of his favorite sunset.
“We will find her, Quicktalon, I promise,” Fleet said as he gently shouldered his brother with a soft sigh. “ I know, Fleet, but I’m still worried. She vanished without a trace.” He said softly, shifting the weight of water buffalo on his back to accommodate for the extra weight. “ I believe you brother, but, I still cant’t believe that someone or something like this could have happened.” He murmured, “although I do hope that we can figure out what has happened and we can bring our grandmother home.” Quicktalon said as he tried to enjoy his favorite evening.
Fleet nodded, “ well, we are almost to the Northern Pack, hopefully they have something that can help.” He said, nodding his head towards the approaching lights in the distance, “ good, hopefully they can help.” Quicktalon sighed before a set of drakes in heavy armor thundered towards them, anger written on their faces. “HALT!” One of the guards roared. “W-whats going on?” Quicktalons asked, unsure of why the guards were so angry. “ Your grandmother and her pack of drakes destroyed our village!”

so ever since my breakup i’ve been experiencing this weird thing on and off when i’m going through the emotional roller coasters while healing. these last couple of nights it’s flared up again and it’s disrupting me a lot 😭 so basically, while i’m asleep (and i mean literally dead asleep) i’ll start experiencing feelings of anxiety or i’ll have that very intense pit in my stomach and it won’t go away until i wake up (and even then it won’t go away completely until i actually get out of bed and start doing breathing exercises). i want to know if there’s anything i can do to ease this because it’s making it so i only average about 3-5 hours a night (if that), it’s literally the most uncomfortable feeling in the world and it makes me wanna rip myself to shreds tbh. anyone relate to this and have any suggestions?

so ever since my breakup i’ve been experiencing this weird thing on and off when i’m going through the emotional roller coasters while healing. these last couple of nights it’s flared up again and it’s disrupting me a lot 😭 so basically, while i’m asleep (and i mean literally dead asleep) i’ll start experiencing feelings of anxiety or i’ll have that very intense pit in my stomach and it won’t go away until i wake up (and even then it won’t go away completely until i actually get out of bed and start doing breathing exercises). i want to know if there’s anything i can do to ease this because it’s making it so i only average about 3-5 hours a night (if that), it’s literally the most uncomfortable feeling in the world and it makes me wanna rip myself to shreds tbh. anyone relate to this and have any suggestions?

Hello everyone! My name is Anna, I am 22 years and from the Netherlands (but casting my web worldwide as I will explain later). I’m blonde, quite tall with 5’7” and I am quite active. I love to go snowboarding, wakeboarding, and you can often find me in the gym or on the treadmill.
Right now I am finishing my undergrad in life sciences. Once I’m done later this year I have two deep wishes. 1) I finally want to visit Asia! I love traveling but never made it there. 2) I want to spend a few weeks in the USA exploring different cities because I’d love to do my postgrad somewhere there. I studied one semester in the UK which was incredible and I hope to do this again but now in the USA.
As to what ‘type’ I’m into it’s quite broad. Well I am generally attracted to older guys, or at least guys who are mature enough to know what they want and have a good conversation. I’m not gonna put an exact number on it but if you could be my dad we’re still ok, if you could be my grandad probably not lol. I’m also usually not really into K-pop type of guys who are all stylised and perfect. I’m more into guys next door, like someone who could be your friendly neighbour or someone you run into in the supermarket lol. Also - not a must - but I like guys with a bit of meat around the bones.
More details about me. I guess I’m a typical Dutch person lol. I love cheese, I cycle everywhere, and I can be quite straight to the point (if it’s too direct you can totally just tell me straight to my face). I also looove spicy food. Last month I tried Sichuan food for the first time and my mind and taste buds were blown away. I've also started trying to learn Mandarin last year but it's damn hard.
If you’re interested to just get to know each other then please reach out. Since I do have a few travel plans I’d be happy to talk to people all over the world because you might become my reason to visit your city or country haha. As a few conversation starters, here are some suggestions:

• What’s your name and age?
• Can you describe your looks and body type?
• Which country in Asia should I absolutely travel to after graduation and why?
• What’s your favourite subreddit on here?
• What are your kinks if you have any?

That’s it for now!
Oh yeah I’m a night owl by the way lol so time difference might not be that much of an issue
PS. If your response to a long post like this is "hey" then we're probably not going to be a match.

Hi!
I am in the early stages of mapping out a trip for 5 families with 9 kids among us (one 4 year old, five 8 year olds, two 10 year olds, and one 11 year old) for next April. Just to note: yes, we’re crazy — but we are also great travelers! We all did Paris together last fall and it was a blast!
We know for sure that we are doing Oahu for a few reasons: (1) military connection - visiting friends who are stationed there and also a desire to see Pearl HarboUSS Arizona; (2) Disney resort for a few days, as it’s a bit of a tradition with our travel group. We’re a but split on the second island. I am advocating for Big Island, for a completely different vibe from Oahu, but others are making great cases for Maui or Kauai- I know we can’t go wrong however we choose.
I hope to use this sub as a resource throughout planning, so in this very initial stage, here are my first few questions:

• what would be your “can’t miss” on each island with kids these ages?
  
• on Oahu - we’ll probably spend the vast majority of the trip here. I’m envisioning 2 full resort days at Aulani and a day at Pearl Harbor. Drive up to Hale’iwa, stopping at Dole on the way. Would also like a day at PCC and a day at Kualoa. I don’t want to change hotels every evening, so would it make sense to make the North Shore a “home base” for Hale’iwa/PCC/Kualoa? Other specific places to look at for places to stay? Would you add on a day in Waikiki/Blow Hole? Swap meet in Honolulu?
  
• on Big Island - I’d really like to stay at Volcano Village for two or three nights. If we’re only staying on BI 3-4 days, should we just plan on staying there the whole time? Skipping out on Kona? What other than HVNP should we try seeing on the east side?
  

THANK YOU for all tips, tricks, and help with the fun ahead!

So I’m not sure how familiar everyone is when it comes to wegovy, but if you don’t know, wegovy is a weight loss injection that suppresses appetite and slows down digestion so you feel fuller for longer, which is grand. However it comes with side effects, most common being n/v.
So I’ve been on it for about 3-4 months, I knew there was a chance it would set me off, but honestly I hated being overweight so much, I wanted to try anything (have done everything else, it never sticks)
Now I noticed that on my current dose, if I’m not careful, and eat too much/too close to bedtime, the food in my stomach takes forever to digest and leaves me feeling nauseous all night.
I managed to avoid doing that, until today. Today was my cheat day and I got it in my head that I have to eat as much of the junk I bought as possible. Normally I stop eating by 5-6pm, NOPE, I was bloated and full but just had to keep nibbling my snacks until 10pm, because I can’t help myself.
So I just woke up (it’s 3am) and yep, my stomach feels awful, I can feel the food weighing it down still, and it aches and I feel n*.
I do think the n* is mostly anxiety, but unfortunately the anxiety won’t go away until the annoying still full sensation does.
Which again is my own damn fault. Sometimes I wish I had more self preservation, like why did I do this to myself?
I have been managing to fart some of the discomfort away (tmi sorry, I don’t know if anyone else does this or is this just me?)
But yeah if anyone is awake and able to talk to distract me, id be very grateful.

Hey everyone - 29M, non smoker, drink casually, no drug use, no medications, no prior medical history
I was discharged after 6 nights in the hospital for rhabdo. CK levels peaked at 144,000 and I was discharged at 17,000. I have bloodwork tomorrow so hopefully I'm down below 5,000.
My main concern is getting back into activities. I love to surf, play golf, run and workout. I got rhabdo from lifting weights after a 5 month break because I was training for a half marathon that took place in April. ER doctor told me to give it a couple weeks and take it slow but I found that to be a very vague response. Any insight on when I can/should return to activity is appreciated!

I’ve been struggling with progressively worsening brain fog and fatigue for the last 5 years of my life and I’m not sure what to do because my options feel very limited. For context I am 18, and the brain fog would have started in the summer of 2019 when I was 13 or 14. It was a pretty sudden onset, and has been consistently getting worse over the 5 years. It’s such a noticeable progression that I can think back just 3 months and it was wildly better than it is now, and 1 year feels like night and day compared to now. Dieting/eating a healthy diet, drinking more water, exercise, taking a break from screens, etc. doesn’t seem to affect it at all. The general feeling of it is as if someone filled my mind with mud and is now squeezing what little space I have to think. I struggle with forgetting words, and my ability to do math has been completely crippled. Lately I have also been getting sluggish and getting a general weak feeling. My biggest issue is the almost dream like state I am constantly in, as if my eyes can see just fine but everything is distant and blurry in my mind. It makes it nearly impossible to relax and my brain feels constantly strained like somebody is pinching and prodding at it. My running theories are that it is either a sinus problem, a sleep problem or a hormone imbalance of some kind. It does feel like someone is pinching my forehead so maybe it’s a build up of pressure? I feel pretty hopeless because the people in my life aren’t taking it as seriously as I am, and I’m genuinely concerned about my future. I would really appreciate any suggestions because maybe someone has seen something similar. The fact it keeps getting worse scares me.

Thought I’d write up a few tips about going to a baseball game in Yokohama with a young kid. I know it’s super specific, but I thought it might be helpful for families thinking of including a baseball game in their itinerary! While some of these tips are specific to Yokohama Stadium, some may apply to other stadiums as well. I'd love to hear abut other very family-friendly stadiums!
We’ve gone to games at Yokohama Stadium (DeNA Baystars) several times with a 4-5 year old kid. I actually know very little about baseball, but I love going to games in Japan!
First of all, Yokohama Stadium is super family friendly. There’s a stroller check, momaro nursing “pods,” and changing pads in the women’s restroom (no idea about the men’s). Plus toilet stalls with baby chairs to keep them secure while mom uses the facilities. Lots of kids and toddlers attend the games, including plenty of infants in baby carriers. It’s very clean, safe, and comfortable. The fans are respectful, and the crowd management feels very safe.
There’s a great park area (jungle gym, sandbox, etc) just outside the stadium, and it’s easy to pop in and out during the game (reentry allowed until the 7th inning). You’ll see lots of parents with their kids out there during the game (we swap during the game when kid gets bored).
The food is great for kids! Standard french fries and karaage, but also shumai, gyoza, etc since it’s close to Chinatown and the area is known for it. My kid particularly loves mikangori— shaved ice with canned mikans on it. And FYI in addition to the standard “beer girls,” there are also girls selling Baskin-Robbin’s ice cream roaming the aisles; you can just flag them down from your seat!
Buy souvenirs before/during the game! If you want to, it’s super fun to get all the cheering gear to use during the game— mini bats to hit together to make noise, a towel with a favorite player (or mascot) to wave, etc. Almost everyone in the park wears some sort of team gear (hat, jersey, etc), it can be fun to hype them up with some gear before going into the park. My kid adores the Baystars mascot DB Starman and you’ll see tons of cute toys. We picked up a Sanrio collab toy this time around— Kuromi in Baystars gear!
Things to be aware of with kids:
Day games are HOT. Wear a hat, sunscreen, and stay hydrated. Bring a mini fan and neck cooletowel if you can. Lots of parents take kids out on the backside of the stadium to chill in shade and snack during the game. Honestly we’ll probably switch to night games now that kid is a little older and can stay up later.
You can bring food and drink in— just no cans or bottles. However I find the food in the stadium reasonably priced, only find long lines during certain times, and there are vending machines everywhere. But definitely saw some families bringing in McDonalds!
Be sure to check the website to see if there’s any special event going on for that game. For example this weekend there’s a DJ/food truck event on the field after the game. My kid was so excited to be able to walk around on the field.
If your kid likes cheerleading, the cheerleaders have a website where you can see their performance schedule (before games, etc). It’s very popular with kids, and the girls are really nice when they do community events! We like to watch their performance outside the stadium before the game, then play a bit on the playground before finally heading into to watch the game.
If your family likes live sports, I’d really consider including a baseball game on your itinerary, it’s really a lot of fun, even if kid doesn’t have the patience to watch a whole game. 5 year old happily spent 4 hours or so watching the game, eating, checking out souvenirs, and playing in the park, etc. Yeah, as a parent I didn't get to watch the whole game, but that was fine, it was a fun outing in any case.