Pain in hip and rib with rash

Hi all, I am still quite early in the diagnostic process and am awaiting a surgical consultation. I am 20F, and have been experiencing locking/snapping since I was about 14. I am very late to seek a diagnosis as the pain only became constant and unbearable this year. Besides the constant clicking/locking I am now experiencing a dull ache in my hip/groin area.
I’ve received and MRI/CT which confirmed a small labral tear and an 8mm osteochondral lesion involving the right anterior acetabulum.
Recently I’ve noticed that on a pair of shoes I have worn almost every day for about 3 years, the right shoe is very worn down and has a hole in the back part that rests against the back of my foot. I didn’t think much of this until I noticed my left shoe is completely untouched in the same spot. I have also found another pair of sneakers I used to wear to work had the same wear on the right shoe.
This is pretty interesting, and I imagine it gives some explanation regarding my gait. I am definitely curious if this issue has been caused by my hip, or if my poor gait has caused a hip issue.
I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue, I am planning on discussing this with my surgeon, but would love to hear anyone’s personal experience.
*sorry for the dirty shoe pic lol

Hi, So, now i can say for sure i got rhinophyma. I think i will say something about my nearly 2 years journey and how all started. It is very hard to find something on the internet, so i hope it can be useful for some people. Well, so first my problems with redness on face started 15 years ago. I was misdiagnosed with sebderm, later with allergies, but never with rosacea. After 2, 3 years i gave up on all creams and started enjoing my life with sun. And boom, all redness disaperad, at summer my face was looking normal, per winter little bit red but it was not so bad. And then after 10 years, so 2 years ago i wake up one day with a swelling on my left cheek, and pain in this area. I have extremely sensitive skin and can feel even smallest changes. I went to GP and because redness was very small they said it is not dermathological.I was sure from begining it is some kind of phyma, but....i went to whole procedures. First CT scan and ENT visit...all clear.Then MRI, also shows nothing. It was september 2023 when i developed big butterfly red rash on my cheeks. And finally was directed to Dermathology. First doctor said he doesn't see nothing and this type of redness is normal, i could not believe it. Luckly i made revisit and seen another doctor. He examined me and said it is rosacea or lupus, but more like rosacea, prescribed me with ivermectin, metro and doxycyline 40 mg, also has done bloodtest for ANA and ENA to eliminate lupus. Tests came back negative but medications was not helping. At february they done biopsy from my cheek. It was the time( january, february) when i started to notice shape change on my nose. It bacame more boulbus, larger and more bumpy with more thickened skin on right side.At january i mentioned it to my derm but he started laughing and said for sure it is not rhino. Well, again doctors who are not listening patients, they do not understand that patient can see the changes and feel them. But whatever, my biopsy results came back and three weeks ago i had a visit with new derm.Biopsy eliminated lupus but shows skin thickening, and i again mention about my nose, she examinated it( first doctor who touch it) and said, yes skin is more thicker at this places, there is also diffrent skin texture and colour.It is early rhinophyma, she sent me for bloodtest to start isotretinoine, and after 2 weeks i got visit with diffrent derm, if the bloodtest will be ok and he will diagnose rhino as a second opinion i am starting isotretinoine/accutane. I am devastated. My mental is so low that i am afraid of mirrors, i reduced social contacts to minimum. But....couple more sympthoms that i got: 2 years ago on my nose developed two small tiny red spots, it never dissapeared. In this 2 years more of them appeared, always 2 close together. They not disapearing. Too small to squize them, even if i tried there was only blood. Feeling pressure on my nose all the time, right side is bigger and i can feel it is heavier. Itchy mostly on the tip of the nose. Of course bulbous shape, tip is larger, left side at the bottom, right side from the middle of the nose to the bottom, whole nose looks bigger. Oily skin,large pores on the nose. Redness, or more pinkish, more like big pink spots, not whole nose is pink, where the skin is overgrowing it is more like blindspots and skin is tough, when i touch it i can feel like a lizard skin. And the best, sympthom that i never found on the internet but maybe someone got it as well: I can hear, feel some cracking, poping sounds from my nose. First i thought it is from inside, but now i am sure it is skin overgrowing making this sound, maybe because it is pressing airtubes inside the nose, i do not know, but it is horrible. I wake up at night and can't sleep because of that sound. Ok, long post, but i tried my best to mark all the sympthoms.Hope it will help someone else to diagnose it asap. Good luck.

Long message/ narrative over the last two years which has been troubling me. Also, I don't know if my story really fit in here. Haven't used this app much. Apologies to the moderato admin of the community.
I'm 30 yo male. I got married on 19 Feb 22 and just completed 2 yrs. The last 2 years have been very difficult for me and I had thoughts of commiting suicide multiple times. Now, somehow those thoughts have stopped.
My legally wedded (28 yo as on date) has done nothing but tarnished my image in the society, my peers, juniors and seniors of the office. She shouted on me, threw things on me and even held knife on my throat.
My sex life was also never good in these last 2 years. I never forced her for anything or put any kind of pressure on her and yet she pushed when it came to my pleasure. I was very deliberate and concerned about her pleasure and always kept mine at a backfoot. After giving her a good orgasm, she always said that she's tired and asked me to move and that she wants to sleep. I always did it. Towards end of 23, I even found her tinder profile.
We were already under marriage counselo psychologist since May 22 (calling her 'A') and that too it was my wife who wanted to go for it. Post that in Dec 22, we went for another psychologist/ counselor (calling her 'B') as well. And my wife was reluctant to change her behavior.
She even put false allegations (of having an affair with another of her colleague) on one of my senior under whom she was working and shouted on him on multiple occasions including their official meetings. (Let's say her organization is Z and mine is A. I work along with this senior in organization A and he's also the boss of organization Z in which she works)
I've heard her talking bad and ill about me to others in her family and other known ladies here in the society. I also have those recordings when she's talking like that about me. Also, I have photos and videos of her WhatsApp chats where I caught her cheating on me with a considerable older man (got suspicious from Apr 22). I have her chats where they were sexting. When she got suspicious that I might know, she changed the platform to telegram and then to signal. But again, I was able to track her sexting on all the other platforms. Once I confronted her (Feb 23 on first anniversary), she never accepted her mistake and said that as per her she never did anything wrong. A few months later, I see another of her chats with her ex. Before marriage, she did tell me about her ex and said that never happened anything between them apart from holding hands. I kept an eye on the chats and I find that as late as 1 in the night they were on a video call which lasted close to an hour. A few days later when she was heading to her home (in Jun 23), myka, I see her text telling him that she wants to meet him and she's OK getting physical with him. And then confirms if the place to get physical will be the same like earlier, the corner seat in the theater. This got me very furious and I did not want her to come back. Which I made clear to her and her parents. Even then her parents never believed me and she was always the best manipulater and denied the same and denied this sort of talk which I claim had happened.
All this while, the counselor A, I've been in touch with her. When these things happened, I told her and my parents everything. Both, they asked me to give her another chance and after a series of conference call between me and my wife and counselor A being the moderator, finally she came back after close to 5 months, just before Diwali last year. And even that was painful. We flew to my parents place for diwali and again lots of things and fights happened. Post diwali, my parents shifted with me permanently. First week of Dec, she scratched my mother, then pushed and kicked and my mother fell badly hurting herself and sustaining injury in her flesh area of the ribs. It was very bad few weeks for her. Even the doc said her to get admitted thinking that even I'm with my wife in hurting my mother. She held on to my laptop, hugging it, which I had given my father to work on. My parents said, let us delete the files stored on it and then you can keep it and then words were exchanged and that is when she did all those things to my mother.
Since that day onwards, it's been 5 months that we are living separated. She's living in her home with her parents and me here with my parents. I've decided and made up my mind for a divorce. But I'm not sure even if I hold any ground to file a divorce. Also, the courts and law in our country mostly favours the opposite sex, the females.
Need advice/ help as to what should I do. Thanks in advance.

Hello,
I was diagnosed with Stage 1a testicular cancer earlier in the year. My pathology was 60% EC, with YS/Teratoma and with Rete Testis invasion, but no LVI. My doctor gave me a 15% chance of recurrence and recommended active surveillance. Today I received the results of my first follow-up: CT scan clear; no elevated markers and x-rays are clean.
Glory to God for my results. I want to share it here because, throughout the 3-month period, I had lower back pain and pain in my abdomen, above my hips. I was convinced there was a recurrence. Turns out, it wasn't the case. So for those who are worrying/feel some pain in that area, do not be overly pessimistic!
Christ is risen!

Hello all!
First I will admit that I have medical anxiety and am convinced I have cancer at least once a month. That said, I’ve been having epigastric pain and loose, thin stools since November. At first it sat in the center of my chest but for the past couple of months it’s sat in the middle to right below my left rib. I’ve had two CT scans, an abdominal ultrasound, endoscopy, and a colonoscopy. All have came back clean minus a 6mm simple cyst on my liver. My blood work showed mildly (in the 40s) elevated liver enzymes so they did a fibroscan to get for NAFLD. It was also normal. They officially diagnosed me with IBS and prescribed 40mg omeprazole once a day. Is it common to feel IBS related pain in that spot?

My doctors all seem to believe what I'm going through is a miscarriage, not ectopic. For the past 4 days I've had heavy clotting and period-like cramps, and have passed tissue. At the peak of it all, I was having contraction pains after I passed a very large piece of tissue. Things have calmed down a bit since then which was 2 days ago.
However, I'm having a lot of aches and pains all over my body, one of which in my upper arm near my elbow, which radiates down to my wrist/fingers. It's mostly on one side, but sometimes I get it in the other. I'm also getting random pains in my hips, ribs, back, butt, etc, but I mostly feel the pain near my elbow/wrists/fingers. It's all pretty dull. Of course I worry about ectopic because I know you can have shoulder tip pain, but I'm thinking these aches/pains are more because of going through a miscarriage is just really hard on your body. Any thoughts?

Long message/ narrative over the last two years which has been troubling me. Also, I don't know if my story really fit in here. Haven't used this app much. Apologies to the moderato admin of the community.
I'm 30 yo male. I got married on 19 Feb 22 and just completed 2 yrs. The last 2 years have been very difficult for me and I had thoughts of commiting suicide multiple times. Now, somehow those thoughts have stopped.
My legally wedded (28 yo as on date) has done nothing but tarnished my image in the society, my peers, juniors and seniors of the office. She shouted on me, threw things on me and even held knife on my throat.
My sex life was also never good in these last 2 years. I never forced her for anything or put any kind of pressure on her and yet she pushed when it came to my pleasure. I was very deliberate and concerned about her pleasure and always kept mine at a backfoot. After giving her a good orgasm, she always said that she's tired and asked me to move and that she wants to sleep. I always did it. Towards end of 23, I even found her tinder profile.
We were already under marriage counselo psychologist since May 22 (calling her 'A') and that too it was my wife who wanted to go for it. Post that in Dec 22, we went for another psychologist/ counselor (calling her 'B') as well. And my wife was reluctant to change her behavior.
She even put false allegations (of having an affair with another of her colleague) on one of my senior under whom she was working and shouted on him on multiple occasions including their official meetings. (Let's say her organization is Z and mine is A. I work along with this senior in organization A and he's also the boss of organization Z in which she works)
I've heard her talking bad and ill about me to others in her family and other known ladies here in the society. I also have those recordings when she's talking like that about me. Also, I have photos and videos of her WhatsApp chats where I caught her cheating on me with a considerable older man (got suspicious from Apr 22). I have her chats where they were sexting. When she got suspicious that I might know, she changed the platform to telegram and then to signal. But again, I was able to track her sexting on all the other platforms. Once I confronted her (Feb 23 on first anniversary), she never accepted her mistake and said that as per her she never did anything wrong. A few months later, I see another of her chats with her ex. Before marriage, she did tell me about her ex and said that never happened anything between them apart from holding hands. I kept an eye on the chats and I find that as late as 1 in the night they were on a video call which lasted close to an hour. A few days later when she was heading to her home (in Jun 23), myka, I see her text telling him that she wants to meet him and she's OK getting physical with him. And then confirms if the place to get physical will be the same like earlier, the corner seat in the theater. This got me very furious and I did not want her to come back. Which I made clear to her and her parents. Even then her parents never believed me and she was always the best manipulater and denied the same and denied this sort of talk which I claim had happened.
All this while, the counselor A, I've been in touch with her. When these things happened, I told her and my parents everything. Both, they asked me to give her another chance and after a series of conference call between me and my wife and counselor A being the moderator, finally she came back after close to 5 months, just before Diwali last year. And even that was painful. We flew to my parents place for diwali and again lots of things and fights happened. Post diwali, my parents shifted with me permanently. First week of Dec, she scratched my mother, then pushed and kicked and my mother fell badly hurting herself and sustaining injury in her flesh area of the ribs. It was very bad few weeks for her. Even the doc said her to get admitted thinking that even I'm with my wife in hurting my mother. She held on to my laptop, hugging it, which I had given my father to work on. My parents said, let us delete the files stored on it and then you can keep it and then words were exchanged and that is when she did all those things to my mother.
Since that day onwards, it's been 5 months that we are living separated. She's living in her home with her parents and me here with my parents. I've decided and made up my mind for a divorce. But I'm not sure even if I hold any ground to file a divorce. Also, the courts and law in our country mostly favours the opposite sex, the females.
Need advice/ help as to what should I do. Thanks in advance.

Hello all you beautiful people,
I had my surgery April 17th and ended up with a hematoma in the right breast. Left side is healing beautifully (that was the much larger breast). My right side is far more swollen and the nipple is a little puckered, which I’m not terribly concerned about. My issue is the increasing discomfort on the right side. I feel sore around the side, under my right arm (not the axilla) and in my ribs. It radiates down my back at times and gives me an ‘ouch’ when I breathe deeply. I had to give up a new job because there’s no way I can do any physical labor.
I just saw the doctor for my one month post op. I should have said something but I thought it was part of the healing process. It’s definitely worse now. I plan to call tomorrow but want to ask, is this typical? It’s not painful painful, maybe around a 3 most of the time.
🙏

The bright yellow terror

‘’Every now and then I would stare at the murky brown water below and see several small glimpses of bright yellow popping up from and then retreating down below the surface in rhythmic fashion. Like a dance routine. Bright deadly yellow. The rotting sweet stench of death still lodged in my nostrils.’’
I had happened upon these diary pages by mistake when I was digging through old boxes in my basement. My wife had insisted, finally, that I sort out and get rid of everything I didn’t need. Now here I was, confronted with a part of my past I had tried to suppress unsuccessfully for so many years. 24 years to be exact. 24 odd years of trying to understand what exactly happened in those days when I was trapped on a rooftop in Phuket during a deadly and disastrous natural catastrophe.
24 odd years of having to dodge around questions of my abject and unwavering fear of the ocean. Well, in truth, I guess being caught in a large tsunami and witnessing immense destructive forces of nature coming directly from the great wide ocean would be a fair excuse, but it was only half the truth. It wasn’t just the waves themselves that had terrified me.
Until now, I thought the water damaged remains of the diary I kept back then was lost. I even hoped it was. I never shared this story with anyone. Partly because the horror was too fresh in my memory back then and I wanted to focus on moving on with my life and by the time I felt my mind was stabilized I had no real interest in returning to that dark part of my past. Partly because the right words always escaped me.
Mostly because I was afraid people would think I was insane. I can no longer contain this, however. I need an outlet. I spend years running from it. But I guess I can’t lie to myself anymore. Someone once told me that writing can be therapeutic. Simply putting your thoughts down on paper, or in our times, more likely in word document, can help you compartmentalize trauma. So, I’m giving it a try. I can’t pretend the events of those days in Phuket didn’t cast a shadow over everything in my life that came after.
I often think of the beach days I missed with my son when he was a boy. Days where I should’ve done dad stuff. Thrown him into the ocean. Watched him laugh his little face of as he braved the waves. Helped him build sandcastles. Gone exploring along the sandy shores in search of beached treasure in the form little rocks and the odd piece of amber. I just couldn’t. Initially I had objected to the idea of him going at all. Naturally, my wife would hear none of that and I realized reluctantly, that my fear and trauma should not rule my son’s life. Instead, my wife would go, and I would always stay home. She understood, to some degree, what I had gone through and where my fear came from.
Only to some degree. My son did not, and I fear he resented my absence on those perfect sunny days, despite my efforts to make up for it with other activities. Both he and my wife certainly noticed how closed off I was about certain parts of my past. Secrets untold, especially those who are grounded in trauma, almost inevitably turns to toxic in our systems. I’m finally ready. I just hope it isn’t too late.
I won’t lie. I’ve always had a vivid imagination although I have never had trouble distinguishing between what is real and what is not. At least until my sense of reality was forever challenged. I know these things happened to me. I know what I saw and what I experienced was real. I just don’t have a truly rational explanation for it. Yet, I swear, there was something in the water that came with that tsunami. Something deeply, deeply unnatural. Something brightly and oddly yellow. I had no other word for it than the bright yellow terror.
I had travelled to Thailand, more precisely Bangkok late December 2000. 19 years old about to turn 20. I was on one of those infamous and increasingly popular self-discovery trips. I had caught the fever. Like so many other young hopeful adventurers at the time I had seen The Beach. I had read into the wild by Jon Krakauer.
I watched Dicaprio walk the sandy shores of paradise and read on in excitement and awe as Christopher McCandles set out to become one with nature and discover himself. Kill the false being within and all that. In simple terms, I thought I’d try and find my own slice of heaven on earth. Expand my horizon. Get to know some new people. Learn something about myself in the process perhaps. I wasn’t exactly fleeing from anything, that wasn’t it. I had a loving although cuddling and overprotective family. Especially my mom would worry about me constantly (and still does).
Yes, I admit it. My parents had paved the way for me at almost every step. Made sure I got into the right schools. Made sure I never needed for money. I guess I got tired of feeling dependent on them. I stopped taking their money and saved up for the trip myself. It was time I stepped up. It was time I threw myself into the world to see what would happen. Hell of a time and place I picked for that.
The following story is based on the surviving pages of the diary I kept during the time and my own memory.
Bangkok 23rd December 2000. 4 days before the tsunami.
‘’My first day in Bangkok. Quite overwhelming but in a nice way. No one here to save me. No one here to tell me what to do. Thailand is hot and humid and there’s something in the air. I think it’s adventure. I think it’s limitless opportunity. I met a monkey in a diaper and got thoroughly beaten and lost 100 bath in a game of connect four by some 10-year-old kid. Got scammed as well though, I will have to wise up and learn the ropes. Avoid the yellow taxis. Go for the Tuk Tuks. Well, lesson learned. I met a guy who told me all kinds of terrifying things about Australia. Robert. I’m meeting him in Phuket a couple of days from now.’’
You could probably imagine the excitement bubbling within me. For the first time on my own. 19 years old. Prime of my life. In a strangely new and exotic city. Possibilities seemed endless. I still remember vividly driving off with the wind in my hair in a tuk-tuk as Bangkok unfolded before me with all its oriental mysticism and surrounding cityscapes. To be fair, I had never even seen an honest to god palm tree before as they simply couldn’t grow in the northern climate I was from.
I got myself stationed in a decent guesthouse around Khaosan Road. Everywhere I looked it seems others had gotten the same idea as me. Backpackers littered the streets and in a strange way, I felt at home amidst this quiet chaos, amidst the crowds of hopefully likeminded explorers, far, far away from home. The humidity was hitting me though, it was something I would have to get used to. It felt like a wet hot invisible blanket. Khaosan Road was perfect for me. A meeting place for young backpackers, with tons of opportunities to plan further travels. I did after all, not plan on staying in Bangkok for too long. It was just a stepping point to other adventures.
It was still early, and the humidity was clammy as hell. I was in the mood to socialize and with no real plans I simply ventured out into the streets of Bangkok, circling around the area where my guesthouse was located. It wasn’t long before the first opportunity presented itself in the form of a taxi driver calling me over. He offered to take me on a tour of the city. Foolish and naïve as I was, I indulged him. I remember how the cab driver lit up a doobie, joint, spliff, devil’s lettuce whatever you want to call it.
You know it as soon as you breathe in the air. Don’t get me wrong, I smoked myself, but letting a clearly high person drive me around the busy Bangkok traffic did not seem like a good idea. I should probably have asked to be let out that very moment, but as the kind of timid, shy type of person I was plus the desire to just go along with whatever happened come what may made me stay. Unsurprisingly I was eventually led to a store, fitted for a suit a didn’t want, and then subsequently charged an obscene amount for the cab ride. I didn’t have the courage to refuse his unreasonable demand. Noteworthy mention. That same night I heard from a fellow traveler that just recently someone had been stabbed in an argument with a cab driver. I didn’t let it get me down or drive me off course, because as you’ve probably gathered by now, I didn’t have a course.
As day turned to night and when the sun’s rays slowly disappeared behind the rooftops of Bangkok, the city itself began to transform. As if a part of it which had laid dormant, hidden away from the light, started to emerge.
Neon lights advertising different bars, people making all kinds of promises of untold pleasures and sensations. Tourists ready to party. All now filled the streets. Some seemed all too aware of what they were looking for, others simply drifted around aimlessly, in search of something unknown, something to spice up their existence. I found a small seemingly cool place called The Hangover. I swear to god, I wish to this day I hadn’t. Maybe then I wouldn’t have set my course for Phuket. In any case, I went in and pushed myself through the crowds of rowdy and loud tourists and up the bar where I ordered a Pina Colada. Please don’t judge me. I just really like coconuts and the song is pretty good as well. Standing at the crowded bar and looking around, hoping something interesting would catch my eye. But most of all, I was hoping someone would just take the first step and come talk to me.
Someone did. His name was Robert, and he was from Australia. A tall skinny and no-nonsense older guy who seemed quite experienced with all things Thailand. He eventually invited me down to his group of friends at the far back end of the bar. Robert spared no time telling me about himself. He had worked all kinds of jobs, in all kinds of places. Most recently he had worked as a guide in Phuket. Among other things he had arranged rock climbing expeditions. I probably forgot to mention, I was big into rock climbing and generally all kinds of outdoor activities back then.
I already had quite the climbing experience despite my young age. As Robert talked about all the places he’d been, he made me feel like the novice I was. That was never his intention though, as I quickly learned. He wasn’t a bragger. He just knew what he was talking about and when he laughed, he did it with his entire face and in a way that made you laugh with him and feel comfortable.
Eventually the conversation naturally gravitated towards Australia. A place I had always wanted to visit. He looked at me for a second, as if to contemplate something. Then told me to watch out for locals trying to play pranks on me. I was naturally interested in hearing more and that’s when he told me about drop bears. Supposedly drop bears are carnivorous versions of Koalas residing in trees to then drop down on unsuspecting victims and viciously attack them. We laughed quite a lot, and I admitted I would probably have believed the stories as I was a fairly naive person and the idea of hostile subspecies of koalas didn’t seem that farfetched to me. It would be typical of past me to get punked around like that. Our conversation then shifted towards Australian wildlife and fauna and the horrors residing within its diverse and complicated eco system. He told me about a plant not uncommonly referred to as the suicide plant. Dendrocnide moroides or more commonly known as stinging tree, stinging bush or gympie gympie apparently has such a nasty and painful sting it made a man commit suicide simply to escape the pain. Another dangerous inhabitant was the box jellyfish he explained.
Their sting was about as deadly as it gets. A single sting to a human will cause necrosis of the skin, excruciating pain and, if the dose of venom is large enough, cardiac arrest and death within minutes. I have always found jellyfish equal parts fascinating and equal parts frightening. Beautiful but deadly creatures. In fact, the ocean, in all its grand wide-reaching glory had always horrified me to some extent. So much unexplored space. Who truly knows what could be lurking down there? Robert quickly assured me, that as long as you take your precaution the likelihood of getting stung by a box jellyfish was rather small. They had signs up warning people against them. Generally, do not ignore these signs. They are there for a good reason.
It was getting late and before we said our goodbyes Robert suggested I meet him in Phuket, more precisely in the Khao Lak area on the 28^th as that was the first day he would be able to. I thought why not? He seemed genuinely nice and knowledgeable. Just good company all around and he promised to show me the greatest climbing spots a bit away from the crowded tours. It was a start.
I would never meet Robert again. I don’t know what happened to him. Thinking back on those days leading up to the point the waves came crashing down always gives me an uneasy, sad, and melancholic feeling. The people I met in Bangkok talking about going south. Those I met in Phuket before it happened. I have no idea if they ended up as corpses floating through the murky brown waters or god forbid, victims of that unholy terror from the deep. I hope Robert wasn’t among those unfortunate souls who died or went… ‘’Missing’’. Although if I must pick one or the other. I would hope he died quickly.
Bangkok 24^th of December 2000. 3 days before the tsunami.
I woke up with a slight hangover. Christmas is commonly celebrated on this date in my country, so I was expecting some calls to go through on my brick sized Nokia at some point once all the good folks back home woke up. They were about 5 hours behind me and at 9 AM Bangkok time they would still be sleeping. I used the time to do some shopping before my trip to Phuket. I got plenty of rope, a couple of snap hooks and a harness. I knew they’d have all of this on the guided tours, but I liked to find my own spots to climb, and I had good sense and knowledge enough to not attempt anything too daring. By the way. For those uninitiated, snap hooks are used to make a quick, reversible connection on a system of ropes, or to connect a rope or cord to another component, like a lanyard medallion or barrier post. Essential if you want to go climbing. If you’ve ever gone ziplining it’s the thing that connects you safely to the zipline and lets you slight across.
After having done my shopping, I bought a bus ticket to Phuket intending on leaving that same night and went back to my hotel room. As exciting as Bangkok was, I felt it was more for people intend on partying and in all honesty, a bit too crowded for me. I was excited to move on and I could always come back if I wanted to. On my way into the reception area, I was stopped by a young hip looking dude looking for a cigarette. Now I don’t necessarily consider myself a perfect judge of character, but he had an easy-going way about him that immediately drew me in. Sometimes, you can just tell.
He had sort of a rugged look about him. Dirty blond half-long hair. His face I would best describe as boyish but something in his eyes betrayed him and revealed his age to be older than you would assume. His style was… Boheme I guess I would describe it as. Like something taken out of the 70s LA scene. I’m not a smoker. Never was. So, I couldn’t help him on that front. It didn’t matter he would find someone else he said. For a while we just casually talked. Apparently, he had come to Bangkok just a few days prior and seemed about as lost and without direction as I had been before deciding on taking my chances in Phuket. Alex was his name, and he would later save my life and help me understand what it means to forge a quick and unbreakable connection through shared trauma, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
He asked me if I wanted to go somewhere and get a beer. I thought why not? He was about my age and on his own as well. I told him I had to go make some calls and I’d be out in about an hour. Back the hotel room I quickly gathered all my stuff and packed it up, so it was ready to go. My climbing gear took up the most space. I figured if things went well with Alex, I might be able to persuade him in joining me at some point in Phuket. Even though I had set out for this trip to be about discovering myself and being on my own, I longed for some kind of company. Don’t we all? I called my parents up and we wished each other a happy Christmas. It was odd to think they were somewhere nearly half-way across the world celebrating Christmas while snow draped the landscapes there. Here I was, In hot and humid paradise. No, I did not miss the cold or the snow, but I did miss not being there to celebrate the holidays with my family. But it had been my choice to go during the holiday season and I did not regret it. I had saved up enough money and there was no point in waiting anymore. There would be many other holidays to celebrate in the future.
My 5-year-old nephew somehow got a hold of the phone. Not quite the conversationalist yet, it still felt good to hear his voice. Hearing his excitement over the prospect of celebrating Christmas brought me back to my own childhood. Decorating the Christmas tree, watching holiday cartoons and of course, opening presents. I finished my calls and went out to see if Alex was ready. He was already waiting for me and had apparently managed to score some cigarettes in the meantime. He had changed his outfit as well. Now wearing a faded black doors t-shirt. We talked a bit about Jim Morrison and the doors as we headed off down streets. We passed a myriad of small stands selling everything from electronics to colorful t-shirts and small bracelets with campy misspelled English catchphrases. We dodged the many intrusive offers and eventually found a small comfy looking bar with seats outside shaded by palm trees. We ordered a couple of beers and the conversation started flowing along quite nicely. Alex was 25 and from London It turned out. We also had a common interest in music. For a while he had busked as a street musician while working odd jobs here and there and had eventually decided to travel the world.
His first stop had been India where for a while he had lived on the rooftop of some abandoned building while attempting to learn the art of playing the sitar. I thought about that for a second. Living it rough on some rooftop in India. I don’t know why that idea intrigued me so much. Seemed like freedom to me, I guess. Sleeping under the wide-open skies. Looking down on the streets and watching people go about their lives. I guess I just liked the idea of doing something that seemed different from what I had ever done before. Living on a rooftop, if even just for a while, was definitely not something I had done before. There was the view as well, Alex reminded me. And it was free of course. We drifted off into long conversations about music I won’t bore you too much with, only to let you know we shared a passion for old school music like the doors and Jimi Hendrix as well as 90s shoegaze music like My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Slowdive. I had Slowdive’s Shine playing in my mind that day. All felt so dreamy at the time.
I eventually told Alex of my plans to go to Phuket and he was onboard almost immediately. I loved how easy it was here on the road. There was no ‘’well maybe’’, or ‘’let’s think about it.’’ In fact, Alex had been to Phuket before and knew of a place we could stay for free. Another rooftop of course, but he had already sold me on the idea. From there, we could plan our next step he said. ‘’our next step’’ I don’t remember vibing with someone that quickly before or since, but then I guess making friends is always easier when you’re young and easy going. I always seemed to attract good company without much effort back then. I chalk it down to my friendly and slightly shy demeanor. Seems it only becomes harder to make friends as the years pass though. At least for me it did.
We got a bus ticket for Alex and shopped a bit more. I got some first aid supplies. Bandages, plasters, that kind of stuff. Rock climbing is safe, mind you, but you can end up scraping yourself and I felt in general, being prepared for whatever might be a good idea if I was to live it rough on some rooftop. The bus-ride to Phuket took about 12 hours give or take. By going at night, we could sleep most of the way and be in Phuket early morning on the 25^th. The trip down was uneventful. We would take turns listening to music on Alex’s Walkman or talk about things we saw along the way. Like roadside bars and restaurants who were little more than a tin roof covering a few plastic chairs and brightly colored menu cards. Everything seemed simpler here, in the best ways possible.
No big flash, no fanfares or luxury. Nothing pretentious. Just a calm, laid back atmosphere and friendly smiles from the locals as we passed by. Alex told me he wanted to start a band blending elements of Shoegaze with classic rock and insisted I learn to play the drums as he had tried but found no luck. String instruments were more him he told me. I told him jokingly if he could come up with a good name, I might be down. He just nodded and looked out the window and started talking about how beef was a rare and more expensive ingredient in Thai cuisine, and I wondered about the sudden random change of subject. Although we had talked a lot during the short time we had known each other, Alex was still a mystery to me in many ways. Judging from all the things he told me he seemed like a person who dreamed big, but never really followed through
An unfinished education. Scribbles on pieces of paper that ended up gathering dust in his drawer instead of turning into a book. A band that never really took off because he lost interest or didn’t deem that it was good enough to get successful. He talked at length about leaving a legacy. It seemed to be something that concerned him. I guess he wanted to put his mark on the world. To be remembered. To live on in some small way. I had never really thought about it myself although I did have a fascination with historical people and the lives they lived. In fact, when I do read I mostly read biographies. I just never had any ambition like that myself. I don’t need the world to know my name, or sing my praises, or remember me. Good friends, family and a sense of freedom and adventure was enough. I had tried to ask Alex about his family and friends back home, but he seemed avoidant and always found a way to change the subject without really providing any meaningful information. At certain points, I sensed a carefully hidden sadness behind his otherwise optimistically youthful and bright blue gaze.
Phuket 25^th of December 2000. 2 days before the tsunami.
Alex woke me up. It was 9 AM and we had arrived at the Phuket bus terminal 1 near Phang Nga Road. We were here. Alex explained to me that the there were several derelict and abandoned buildings perfect for establishing a free of charge rooftop domicile in an area not too far from the resorts of Khao Lak. Phuket back then wasn’t exactly the overcrowded tourist spot it is today, but it was well on the way. I understood why. The scenery was beautiful. Long sandy beaches with small island dots in the horizon, begging to be explored. Giant limestone cliffs covered in green shrubs. It did seem like paradise to me, without being too far away from civilization. I guess despite my adventurous nature, I wasn’t quite ready at that point, to walk into the wild, which is why Khao Lak seemed perfect as a start for me.
We found the area Alex had talked about. Several derelict buildings were concentrated in a small area divided by a main street that if followed long enough, led to an area with shops and places to dine. We set our eyes on what looked like an abandoned apartment complex. It was derelict, rugged looking and it seemed clear at first that no one lived there. Its ghostly façade begged us inside to explore and we accepted the invitation. As we made our way in, through a busted window in the back, we quickly became aware that the place might not be as abandoned as we had initially thought. Several signs of squatters such as cooking utensils and sleeping mats lay scattered here and there. Alex quickly rationalized that it could just be other backpackers, or it could be the people had moved on. I shrugged and we decided to make our way to the roof. We made our way to the top floor and accessed a broken-down door that led directly out onto the roof. I must admit, besides excitement, I was somewhat hesitant. Any doubt I had disappeared when we first stepped onto the rooftop terrace. It was perfect. It seemed it had functioned as a balcony or space of sorts the inhabitants could make use of for gatherings.
The entire space was surrounded by a fence. Several palm trees shaded the northwest corner which was perfect for when things got too hot. In the middle a small shed or janitorial sort of building stood. We found some cleaning materials, brooms, some parasols in there as well as an old rusty grill. The view was great. We could see the large beachfront in the far distance surrounded by limestones. After inspecting the area and finding it to our liking we sat down, and Alex broke out a bottle of whiskey. Unaware of the horror that would later unfold here, we celebrated in the shade of the palm trees. We had found our place for a while. Our place.
After a while we decided to put some money in the local economy and shop for supplies.
Essentials: Water. Cigarettes. Booze. The devil’s lettuce. Cooking utensils. Although none of us was admittedly any much of a cook. But what the hell. Can’t be seen dining out every night when we were trying to live off the fat of the land so to speak. I know, ridiculous. We were squatters. Nothing more. But heck, we would move on if we became a problem for any one here. We weren’t trying to be a bother.
Optional but greatly wanted: A blow-up animal mascot. Maybe a dolphin if possible. Some new music for Alex’s walk-man. A guitar. Decorating artifacts of any kind to make our domicile more personal.
We more or less got everything we needed and started setting up base. Getting our hands on something funny to smoke proved the biggest challenge but Alex finally succeeded at a beachfront bar. Some friendly Norwegian dude who had connections apparently. He warned us against being too open about doing drugs, even if was ‘’just’’ marijuana. Thailand had a strict approach to drugs. We thanked him and he told us to just come back here at the bar if we needed more, he was usually around.
Afternoon was rolling around and there we were. Sitting atop Phuket. On our very own rooftop presidential suite. We decorated the place with a few things we found. Among them ‘’Arthur’’ our blow-up shark (they had no dolphins). Alex had come up with the name, I asked him why ‘’Arthur’’ but in what I had quickly come to know as typical Alex fashion he just shrugged it off. We just smoked a bit and drank some booze as the evening progressed and I told Alex about Robert and Australia and all the nasty things that could kill you there. I’m not sure why, but it had made an impression on me. Insects, rare poisonous creatures, stuff like that was nightmare fuel for me. Don’t even get me started on spiders. Alex was a bit more laid back on that front. He seemed most amused and interested in the suicide plant and wondered if some poor soul had ever mistakenly used it as toilet paper and we had a good hard chuckle over that idea. Poor soul indeed.
As night rolled on stars started popping up on a clear night the sky and I learned that Alex had a fascination with the universe. Particularly the idea of multiverses and infinite universes. What if somewhere out there we were looking back at ourselves. Slightly different but still us. Sometimes it seemed to me he longed to be anywhere else but where he was. Maybe trapped in the past he was so reluctant to share with me. Then we started talking about time. I don’t exactly remember why. I think he brought it up.
Anyway, Alex had a lot to say about time. Like how he believed our perception of time is tied to our experiences. For example, someone who spends their life not stepping up, not really taking risks or chances, just following along the stream, just following the routine, in essence, just killing time, might experience time as having moved fast when they look back, because there are simply less variety, less volume, less memories to look back on. We don’t remember routines, we remember breaking them, we remember doing new things, meeting new people, being in new places. It creates the illusion that gives time volume, that makes it seem fuller, longer. I liked that idea a lot. It made sense to me. Make sure you live life to the fullest and waste as little time as possible.
I told him about my 10^th grade math teacher and how he said something about time I will never forget. Our perception of time can be measured mathematically. For example, to a 4-year-old turning 5 the transition of a year will seem much longer than it will to a 24-year-old turning 25. Because 1 in 5 is a larger fraction than 1 in 25. It blew my mind. The longer you live, the faster time seem to pass. But I agreed with him, maybe the quality and variety of the life you live and the memories you make has an affect too. Alex made a ‘’boom’’ motion with his hands around his head and laughed. We were quite stoned at that point and well, some of you might know how being stoned sometimes throws you into these philosophical conversations. It was nice. I enjoyed the ease with which I could talk to Alex about all kinds of things.
At one point I asked him a hypothetical. If he could go back in time and change just one thing, what would he do. He fell silent. I once again sensed the sadness creeping behind his eyes. It was if he was about to answer, like he was sizing me up but then shot the idea down. Time travel is impossible, so why bother was his only response and I accepted that whatever troubled him in the past, was not for me to know even if my interest only grew stronger and stronger.
I told him about my family. My overprotective mother. My father and his desperate attempts to get me interested in cars. About my older sister and my nephew. Alex nodded and asked the usual polite questions. When the subject came to my little brother his interest seemed to spark significantly. How old was he? Was I good older brother? Did I look out for him? I didn’t think much about it at the time other than finding it curious how interested he seemed to be. When we finally settled in the for night, under the starry sky, I slipped into a nightmare. It was the same I had had years earlier when I was 16. Back then I was having a hard time adjusting to the new school I had started at and maybe because of that stress I was having nightmares coupled with sleep paralysis.
I would lie in my bed, paralyzed. On my side, facing the door to my room. I often had the light on outside of the room and it would shine in through the open door. This one time , I saw dark figure approaching. Optimistically I assumed it was my mom, coming to wake me up. Although as the dark figure approached, I quickly realized this wasn’t so. No words were uttered. The eerie figure just slowly came closer, until it was right by my bed side. It sat down and I realized it was an old woman or man. It was hard to tell, because its face was literally just a mish mash of wrinkled flesh. No eyes and no mouth either. But it mumbled through its mouthless face. Speaking in tongues.
I spent some considerable time afterwards wondering what it could have been trying to communicate to me. I know of course, this was all just my mind playing tricks on me. Yet, that experience was, I suppose, my first nudge towards believing there’s more between heaven and earth than we might know. It seemed aggressive in any case. My insides were screaming as I desperately tried to wiggle myself awake as I had sometimes successfully done during paralysis. I eventually woke up. Drenched in sweat. Back then though, I had actually been in my room, and in the dream the room had stood clearly for me as it actually looked in reality which only made it seem more real. This time, I woke up next to Alex, still drenched in sweat. Alex had woken up. I had screamed in my sleep apparently. He comforted me in an almost brotherly show of affection. It took me by surprise a bit. I appreciated it, though it only made me wonder about him even more. I would have to solve the mystery behind Alex I decided. I would have to truly gain his trust. Figure him out. And I did.
Phuket 26^th of December 2000. 1 day before the tsunami.
‘’Alex played the guitar a bit and I drummed up some beats. It needed some work, but not half bad. We came up with a name for our band to be as well. Subway sleepers. Based on Alex’s time sleeping in the subway of London. It was another hot perfect day on the rooftop. We talked about going climbing the next day and I can’t wait to show Alex the joys of rock climbing. Everything is peaceful here. No stress. Just living life. Smoking it up. Meeting new people. We talked some more with that Norwegian weed dude and invited him and a couple of his friends up to ‘’our’’ place for a party. Another near perfect day.’’
Looking at these diary scribbles is making me feel it all over again. The serenity of those calm worriless summer days (well it was winter back home but it felt like summer here. Strange that) leading up to disaster. Always calmest before the storm they say. This was our last day before everything changed. Before I got a lesson in humanity. In stress under crisis. Before everything I thought I knew changed forever in the meeting with something that surely shouldn’t exist in this world.

I was diagnosed with a cam-type femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and multi quadrant labral tear. I've been dealing with hip/groin/buttocks pain for months. The way I've tried to handle it is by doing PT and prescribed NSAIDs.
Sadly the pain continued and I was desperate because I wanted to lose some weight pre-surgery. I'm convinced that the only way to fix the problem (shaving the bone and repairing the labrum) is via surgery, but before getting to that point I at least wanted to see if there was anything I could do to alleviate the constant pain.
I was reading some of the previous posts here and noticed others had great results when it came to pain relief using Prolozone. Well, I went for it three days ago and each day I've felt better and better. Of course, I do have to give it some time to see if the relief is short-lived but according to others here, it could last. My hope is to use this gift of pain-free living to get in shape and get prepped for surgery to fix the underlying problem.
One thing I must mention, Prolozone therapy is becoming rare and I had to spend $500 for the shot at a clinic two hours away from where I live, and I live in a big city in the United States.
Happy to answer any questions regarding my experience and please share your experience with Prolozone.

Wondering if anyone else has experience this. So about a month ago after a leg lifting session in the gym, I experienced a sharp pinching feeling on the right side of my spine in my lower back. The pain wasn’t constant, it only hurt with each step from my right leg if that makes since. I took it easy for two weeks and the pain went away. Then, I went back to the gym and tried not to overdue it, but the pain came back. Again it’s not constant but it’s very sharp and pinchy and it’s only with each step.
I know that I need to increase my core strength and brace better while lifting. I’m planning on resting for the next 4 weeks doing only walking and some light upper body work. Once I my back is better I am basically going to start over with very light weights and make sure I’m properly engaging my core and being better about actually doing core strengthening days. I also plan on making sure im training my hip flexors and doing a lot of mobility work.
A lot of resources said doing core work would help relieve back pain so I did a functional core workout with light weight and no bending or anything. But right after the pain was back.
I’m assuming I have a pinched nerve or slipped disc. I’m not really sure. The pain is only in my back, it’s not shooting down my leg or anything and I’m not experiencing and numbness in my leg or anything.
Things that make it feel better are laying down flat. When I get up from laying down it feels ok. But after a few steps it comes back. Things that seem to trigger it are after sitting down. Once I stand up after sitting that’s when the pain it the worst.
I’m just feeling really discouraged. I love lifting and it makes me feel great. But I’ve been dealing with this for over a month now and I don’t know what I should be doing. Unfortunately I don’t have great insurance so going to the doctor really isn’t an option right now. Does any one have any suggestions on what I can do?

Hi everyone! I’ve had this fantasy so I figured I’d share with all of you.
This fantasy starts in the middle of the woods when I’m hiking alone. I get deep into the woods and then I run into a masked man. I try to ignore him and just walk past, but he grabs my wrist and pushes me against a tree. He pushes me to my knees against the tree and then unzips his pants and pulls out his cock. When I see it, my eyes widen in fear but I can feel myself start to get wet.
He pulls my hair and that causes me to cry out because of the pain. He uses that opportunity to put his dick in my mouth. He grabs a fistful of my hair and then starts roughly fucking my face.
I graze my teeth along his cock and he pulls out of my mouth, angry. He slaps me before pulling me out from in front of the tree and again pushing me on my knees, facing away from him on the side of the trail. He pushes my head down so my face is pressed against the dirt and my ass is up. He then pulls my shorts and panties down until they’re around my knees. I try to struggle, but he is too strong and keeps me pinned.
I’m embarrassed as he sees my soaking wet pussy. He says “Looks like you’re enjoying this as much as I am.” I start to shake my head, but he pushes my face harder into the dirt, stopping the movement. He pushes all the way into my pussy and I immediately start wiggling my hips, trying to get him out of me.
Barely wasting any time, the masked man starts roughly fucking me, still pushing my face against the ground. I stop fighting back as the pleasure overtakes me and I start moaning instead. My noises seem to spur the man on and he fucks me even faster. Soon, I start to cum and the man quickly follows with his own orgasm.
Once that’s done, I realize that he came in me and start trying to shake my head. He whispers in my ear “Have fun raising my rape baby.” Then he pulls out and lets go of me. I just collapse on the trail, ass still up in the air.
As I try to catch my breath and bearings, I hear footsteps coming towards me. I try to scramble up, but the person reaches me first and puts a hand on my back to keep me in the same position. “Looks like you’re all primed and ready for me,” the man said and I could feel him collecting some of the wetness from my pussy. He smears it over my ass hole and I try straightening my legs so my ass isn’t up in the air anymore. I just hear the man chuckle and the hand on my back leaves. I start to breathe a sigh of relief when he grabs my shorts and panties, pulling them off. I see my shorts get thrown into a nearby ravine before he grabs my hips and props me back up, pushing my face into the dirt as the last man had.
Tears are streaming down my face as the man pushes his cock into my ass. I scream in pain, but the man doesn’t stop. He sinks in to the hilt and starts fucking my ass, not caring about my pain. The man starts to groan as I whimper on the ground. My tears start coming faster as he fucks my ass roughly. I can feel his hips hitting mine and his balls slapping against my pussy. Before too long, his cock starts to twitch and he pulls out, coming all over my back. He lets me go and then I hear his pants zipping back up and footsteps sounding away from me.
I lay there for a minute, feeling shock and pain as the footsteps grow quieter. After a few minutes, I stand up and look around for my panties, remembering that my shorts were thrown to the bottom of a ravine. I didn’t find them, but I saw my phone nearby. So I grabbed it then turned and started running out in hopes that no one will see me. My crop top and bra were still in place, so at least I wasn’t fully naked. When I got near the trail head, I pulled out my phone and ordered an Uber.
Thanks for reading everyone! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If people like it, I’ll post a second part.

I went to this spa place for a “light massage” just to help with general blood/lymph flow. Yeah that didn’t happen. I had to ask many times to be gentler because the masseuse went WAY hard. I’ve had tons of massages and never had such a bad experience. Also had to be face down the whole time without anything under my hips or ankles which hurt terribly besides being pummeled by the lady lol Anyway day after I’m in so much deep pain in my lumbar spine. I have 2 disc protrusions: l4/l5/s1 after an adjustment 9 months ago. Have seen some improvement in pain (then plateau) up until now and I’m so sad. Any advice other than never go for massage again?

Any insight welcome. I (50F) had FAI surgery with labral repair January 2019. I had a few good years, but in late 2022 the pain came roaring back. It’s now affecting my activity level dramatically, my sleep, and my back. I’m lightly miserable >50% of the time. Long story short, I saw a surgeon in my health system and was found to have another tear. He said I don’t need a replacement and referred me out. So here’s the bulleted summary:
Surgeon 1: don’t need a replacement, see labral guy.
Surgeon 2/labral guy: repair or debridement, quick recovery.
Changed jobs, went to surgeon who did 2019 surgery: PT, then came back. Recommended labral reconstruction with cadaveric graft. Four weeks non weight bearing
Insurance now says out of pocket with original guy will be about $7k, despite my paying for broader network, which includes him.
Surgeon 4 in network/inner circle: recommended repeat imaging but without contrast this time and likely need total hip replacement.
Needless to say, I was stunned. Four surgeons, four different recommendations. At least they all agree that it needs to be fixed?!?
We have serious female longevity on both sides of my family. Reaching 90+ is not unreasonable. That’s a factor in my decision. OTOH, my quality of life is an issue. I’ve always been super active, running, weight training, HIIT, skiing, kayaking, etc. I know I will have future limitations regardless of which route I choose. I’m getting super restless.
If this group would be so kind as to share their insights/experience, I’d really appreciate. Please be candid. I don’t offend easily. Also, I am a nurse practitioner, but I work critical care and pulmonary. Ortho is 0% my wheelhouse. I do understand how to interpret research though, but I’m not finding anything that leans one way or the other.
Any insight and personal experience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

I’m on day 6 of stims for my second time. First time I had zero symptoms. It was a breeze. This time I am highly emotional and mostly weepy and already the nurse told me no exercise (I exercised up to retrieval day last time, just modified as the days went on). My abdomen is swollen and sore but I’m also having some back/hip pain. It hurts to bend and crouch, but also flexing for things like using the bathroom is surprisingly sore.
Does this align with your stim cycle?
And, can I use a heating pad on my back and/or abdomen?
I have sent a portal message, but would love to crowdsource in the meantime.

Hi everyone!
I’m hoping some of you will be able to give me some advice or share your experiences with me.
I’ll be 29 in a couple of weeks and I’m in some sort of pain all the time. I’m 5’ 1” and about 185lbs. I’m not the healthiest eater but not terrible either. I’m not super active with exercise but I do walk around at work even though I have a desk job. I have had a history of issues that I see a chiropractor for some of which are a tilted pelvis and ribs that like to pop out of where they’re supposed to be.
I’m on vacation and yesterday I was walking around with my husband and my feet, my ankles, my hips, my lower back, and my upper back all hurt so bad. I didn’t even do 10,000 steps. The other day my wrist hurt to put weight on for no apparent reason but is better now. Sometimes I walk down the stairs at work and get shooting pain in my ankles for a couple minutes. Sometimes my back will start to hurt just from taking my dog out to pee. When in doubt, something hurts.
My chiropractor does want me to get into some rehab and physical therapy but I’d have to go three times a week and it’s only available during my work hours so I can’t. I’m sure it would be helpful though.
I also get migraines and have stomach problems.
Does anyone have any other ideas or anything I should talk to my doctor about specifically? I’m way too young to be in this much pain all the time.
Thanks! 🙏🏻

This is my ranking of every Impractical Jokers episode starting when Joe left. I was going to wait until season 10 was over to post this, but I’m just gonna post it now, as I have no idea if season 10 is done or still going.
I’ll be referring to the episodes by their celebrity guests, but that’s only because that’s how IJ names their episodes. I’ll be judging the episodes as a whole, not just the guest.
I’m only doing mainline episodes, meaning no “sideline smacktalk” or shark week special.
25. Bobby Moinahan
In general, I like challenges where the Jokers have to convince a mark to go along with what they’re doing, but making it so both challenges had that goal made this episode monotonous. The telethon challenge was particularly disappointing, as I think there was a ton of potential to make the marks do a bunch of wacky things, but it wound up being “insult the customer” over and over.
The punishment also felt disjointed. Murr having to annoy and creep out wedding dress buyers was pretty standard, but making him eat his wedding band and then wear a wedding dress to the airport seemed really tacked on.
24. Jillian Bell
The “you’re fired” challenge was a swing and a miss. Not only is it not fun to watch the Jokers just act like jerks of their own volition, but the ruleset is backwards because it requires you to be a jerk and then you’ll lose if you do too good a job. I think this game could be easily fixed if they made the first half be a standard “refuse you lose” and then fire the mark and beg for your job.
The “one more minute” skit was pretty cringey (this is coming from someone who likes the skits more than the average IJ fan) and I much preferred the deleted skit shown on “Filming with the stars”
The punishment was really underwhelming.
The one saving grace was the “Boot and Rally” challenge, which isn’t one I’d want to see again, but was still entertaining because of how over the top it was, and because of how self aware they were that it’s not a good challenge.
23. David Cross
They basically copied and pasted one of the Rob Riggle skits for this episode. Even though the skits are the least important part of the show, it’s still kind of upsetting to see them get recycled.
The challenges were fairly average, with the exception of Max Zoda dragging down Sal’s turn.
I did like the punishment. The post-Joe episodes have been pretty dependent on physically painful punishments, but this one was pretty creative both in using various methods to torture Murr, and in doing it in a context where it seems acceptable.
22. Adam Pally and Jon Gabrus
The babysitting challenge was solid, and I like the choice to play beer pong with the guests instead of doing a skit. In fact, I think it would’ve been better to consistently show authentic interactions with the guests instead of skits. They could even make it a callback to the walking bits from season 1.
Sal’s shock punishment was also pretty entertaining. Although it is watered down by the abundance of physical punishments in this era of the show.
21. Paul Scheer
The two challenges were solid, but the punishment was pretty underwhelming. The overall idea is pretty funny after it’s explained, but the entertainment value dissipates after the first couple rounds.
20. Colin Jost
The ice cream challenge was an improvement over the “you’re fired” challenge from last episode. While it still involved the vague command of “act like a jerk”, they now made the mark a witness instead of a victim, and the Jokers were actually rewarded instead of punished for fulfilling that command.
This episode also opted to show a real interaction with its guest instead of a skit, which again, is a decision I like.
The love guru’s challenge was solid, with the best part being when the guy claimed to know about the relationship expert Murr and Sal made up.
The punishment was entertaining, but again, kind of diluted by how many physical punishments there have been recently.
19. Eric André Returns
Fairly underwhelming as an episode, but never to the point that I wasn’t enjoying it. The best part was Sal talking about his exploding wife.
18. Harvey Guillen
The lawyer challenge was alright. The best part was Q’s “potato chip or two” line, which highlighted the absurdity of how convoluted the contracts were
Having a challenge where each turn was at a different location was an interesting idea, but ultimately didn’t have much impact.
Q’s punishment was kind of underwhelming. When it started with him getting prosthetics, I was expecting him to look radically different and for it to be crucial to the punishment, so I was disappointed when Q was fairly recognizable and it wasn’t necessary for what he had to do. Though the punishment itself was still fun due to the energy Harvey gave it. Plus it had a surprisingly light hearted ending.
17. Paula Abdul
Most of the episode was middling. I was disappointed because I was expecting Paula to have a great dynamic with the Jokers due to them making a movie together, yet she wound up blending in as a guest.
The high point of the episode was the “get my wallet challenge”. I loved the twist of having Cha throw Q out instead of Dan, and I especially loved Q sabotaging Sal by giving him his wallet before the mark could get it. It was oddly nostalgic, as it was the kind of thing Joe would do.
16. Kesha
I really don’t like that they repeated Sal’s shock punishment, the seance setting made it just barely different enough to justify doing again.
However, the “fall in love” challenge was pretty fun, and the debate challenge with MJF was great. I’d love for him to work with the Jokers again.
15. Michael Ian Black
I liked the return of the texting challenge, and Murr chasing the greased up boy was ridiculous (in a good way).
The punishment was fairly standard, but Michael did a great job acting as the straight-man and adding to Sal’s embarrassment.
14. Kim Fields
Murr’s “fuck marry kill” conversation, Q’s mistletoe, and Q eating the dog treats were all fun moments. The punishment felt pretty old school (in a good way) and while Q calling a woman’s bitch briefly dampened the fun, the mood was saved by Murr’s impression afterwards.
13. Post Malone
I liked seeing the etiquette challenge brought back and I especially loved seeing the guy do a 180 after recognizing Murr.
The punishment was clever and Post did a great job fanning the flames between the customers and Q. Though I think it was an odd choice to end it as a man was calling 911 without showing how the situation resolves.
12. Eric Andre
The challenges don’t have any moments that particularly stand out to me, but they were consistently entertaining in a way where it always feels worth my time to watch.
This is a rare time where I’d say the best moment from an episode came from a skit, as I love the idea of Murr being a fictional character.
The one change I’d make is that I wish they cut the opening skit and instead spoke to the audience directly, explicitly acknowledging that Joe left and they would be changing things up. I feel like that would’ve made for a better transition.
11. John Mayer
I don’t like that this episode only had one challenge before the punishment, but I do like that the celebrity guest was involved in both the challenge and the punishment, which I wish was the case more often.
The challenge itself was also fun enough to make up for being the only one. I loved Sal randomly arm wrestling the investors, the constant utterance of “Bro” and Murr’s mark insinuating he hired prostitutes.
10. ALF
The ticket challenge was solid and the phone call challenge was great, especially Sal’s McRib story.
Making a fictional character the celebrity guest was a somewhat risky choice, but I think it worked out. They did a good job integrating ALF into the punishment, and I loved the detail of him thinking Q enjoyed the food.
9. Anthony Davis
I like challenges where the Jokers have to convince the mark to lie, so I really enjoyed the “playing hookie” challenge.
I did not like the second challenge though. I found Steve Byrne’s antics more annoying than funny.
This is made up for by the punishment, which I consider one of the best punishments in recent history. Allowing Sal to opt out of tasks at a price was a clever way of adding stakes and making the punishment standout. The final task in particular was genius, and while it could have been over the line, Anthony avoided that by giving the kid his own shoes.
8. Method Man
The punishment was just uncomfortable and not very fun to watch, but the episode makes up for it with the challenges.
The scientists challenge was great, and the “don’t smirk” challenge was possibly the funniest segment in the whole post-Joe era. I personally think the “no smirking” rule was a bit excessive, and a rule against laughing would’ve been plenty, but the content of the challenge was hilarious, and that’s what matters.
7. Bruce Campbell
The Rosanna Scotto challenge was alright, with the most interesting part being when customers defended dumpster diving.
The waiter challenge was great. I loved Murr’s “who’s paying?” bit and Q constantly trying to improve the women’s ribs.
The punishment was great and felt like something we’d get in the older seasons. For the Bobby Moynihan episode, I mentioned that parts of Murr’s punishment seemed tacked on, and that’s not the case here. Each step of Q’s punishment felt like a natural extension, and Campbell did a great job as the overly demanding director.
6. Bret Michaels
The Grocery Roll was a great challenge to kick off the COVID restrictions being lifted. Murr and Sal each had spectacular Pratt falls.
The hide and seek challenge was a welcomed return. While I wouldn’t want it to become a staple of the show, I think it’s a great game to throw in once every couple of seasons to shake things up. Sal genuinely wondering if he can breathe in the fridge, repeatedly trying to close the door on himself, and hurting his arm on the third attempt was very stupid in the best way possible.
Murr’s punishment was a mixed bag. The armwrestling, bowls of soup, and Paul Rudd showing up out of nowhere were all hilarious, but whenever a mark is furious and has their face blurred, I go from enjoying the discomfort to just feeling bad for everyone involved.
5. Rob Riggle
The taste test challenge was great, with Q’s mark being one of the funniest of season in recent history.
The workout challenge was even better and really recaptured the magic they had in earlier seasons. Murr’s “wrong/good” workout and Sal’s refusal to accept help were particularly great.
The punishment was also solid. Murr having to stay still while mostly naked was simple and effective, and they were able to create a wacky enough environment around him that there’s more to keep things entertaining.
4. Chris Jericho
This is the first episode that made me realize IJ can make great episodes.
The Joint Gravy challenge was absolutely hilarious. Especially Sal’s turn.
The focus group challenge was also great. I’d be happy if they made Jiggy… not the fourth Joker… but the official stand-in whenever they have a challenge where they need to pair up.
The two skits were both really good. The opener was grounded and reserved, while the mid-show skit was ridiculous in the best way.
While I’ve said that IJ has gone a bit overboard with the physical torture punishments, I think this one was well done. It was creative to let Q alternate between various painful tasks as he wanted, and I loved how he was dependent on Sal’s mom to end the punishment. I really wish she started getting involved in the show earlier, because she’s hilarious.
3. Kal Penn
Having to sell a product after coming in through the window was hysterical, both in concept and execution. All three turns had a completely different feel to them. Murr was slimy and confident, Q was overly enthusiastic, and Sal was completely desperate.
The eating challenge was similar to the “Boot and Rally” challenge to me, in the sense that it’s not something I’d want to see again, but it was made funny due to the Jokers being self aware about it not being a good challenge. Murr’s frustration at Q and Sal saying they’d just take the thumbs down was 10X funnier than if they actually attempted the challenge.
The punishment itself was solid. It’s a simple but effective idea, and revealing that it was Sal’s breath that stunk was a great ending.
2. Blake Anderson
They brought back two challenges that had each only been done once before, which could be risky, but worked out great.
The “phony fees” challenge was a welcomed return. Johnna did a great job making the charges seem legitimate, and the woman constantly praising Q was amazing.
The Yearbook challenge was also really good. The gag about them all being married to Melissa reminded me of the organic humor we got back when Joe was on the show.
The punishment was my favorite of season 10. It has a juvenile charm where I know what Sal’s doing is really dumb, yet am root for him to get away with it.
1. Brooke Shields
Brooke gave the same energy as a guest that I was hoping to get from Paula Abdul.
The opening skit was great, largely because of how well Brooke sold the role of a fangirl.
This was the first time we saw the celebrity guest participate in a challenge, and it was very fun to watch. The girl trying to dab while in a suitcase was hilarious.
The “Brooke of Love” punishment was genius. We’ve seen challenges that convert to punishments before, but it was always done on the fly and/or kept secret from the joker being punished. Having everyone know that whoever loses will be punished immediately was a really unique approach and I hope they do something similar in the future.
I also love the idea of a dating show where the guys are all trying to be as unappealing as possible. Sal’s rap, the return of Stanley Merkle, and the hushed trash talking (trash whispering?) were all fantastic. I know the show (usually) doesn’t repeat punishments, but I’d love to see the challenge be done again, even if it’s without the instant punishment at the end. It could be in the context of a dating show again, or it could be something like a job interview.

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Hello! I’m newly diagnosed with fibro and I also have other comorbidities (Nr-AxSpA, POTS, celiac). Yesterday I began having widespread body pain and feel like I got hit by a bus. The pain is so tender in my neck and hips, it hurts to touch. Does anyone else experience this? I feel like I can’t move my body, it’s so stiff and sore! I have never experienced pain like this and since I’m newly diagnosed I am unable to tell if it’s fibro, my arthritis, etc. I appreciate anyone’s anecdotal stories, thank you!

So finally have decided after years of gi issues that went into remission and have resurfaced after about 2 1/2 years to go to my GP for coeliac testing. I have explained my symptoms over and over again to other doctors in the past and been fobbed off with antibiotics and meditation that have done nothing. Also been told to stop being stressed 😥😫 by doctors ive seen for other things as I'm Anemic (iron) & my CRP/ inflammation levels keep coming back elevated.
Every time I just take a bite of wheat products, I get; stabbing stomach pains, excess wind, bloating so bad I look like I'm 4-5 months pregnant (according to several relatives/ friends), crying and or screaming from sleep or in the day (used to get this as a kid), lethargic (feels like I'm being weighed down/ panda like dark eye circles/etc) and fatigue (I've fallen asleep at uni lectures/ seminars/ workshops, on café or pub tables when out with friend's, on steps/ pavement near my university building several times, etc), loss of appetite but so so hungry but I can't eat, nausea/ vomiting, constipation & diarrhea in one day, balance issues, itchy skin rash on my wrist that isn't healing & first noticed it appeared in March 2024 after I ate/ touched some bread which sounds so crazy, joint pain/ stiffness exacerbated. Oh and the brain fog/ memory issues have been absolutely bad than usual ( I have Autism&ADHD)-> leaving bathroom doors unlocked (gave my housemate a shock this morning when on the toilet), leaving ovens on when leaving for uni, etc.
One of my best friends at uni who happens to be coeliac noticed I was really struggling last summer but said until I'm tested to keep eating the stuff however they have been so supportive and think I either have coeliac or smthg else. They've become one of my rocks. My mum is also very worried about me.
I'm very nervous around doctors, been in & out of them since I was born due to so many chronic health issues I have as well as being autistic/ ADHD, so I'm not sure what I will tell the doctor to ask them for testing or for them to believe me but I'm going to try my best and keep pushing. I'm 23 atm and it's affecting my sleep & daily routine. I don't expect medical advice as you're not medical professionals. Generic advice or a relating anecdote, would be good to hear x.

A few days ago, I stumbled upon a girl with whom my boyfriend had sex before we got together. He had other sexual partners before her, but this one was the last one before me, and I kind of obsess about her. First, she attends the same uni as we do, so I already knew who she was. Second, I find her really pretty and hot, and she also is a good singer and made a song with my bf when they were together (they weren't actually in a relationship but they used to fuck). I hate to admit it, but I stalk her on social media sometimes. On the beginning of the relationship, my RJ was much worse, and I fantasised about seeing her up close on the street. Fast forward to now, my RJ has been much better lately. However, when I least expected, there she was, all pretty and flushed, rushing to the subway. I immediately realised it was her, and my heart sank and started beating very fast. She walked past me, because she was walking at a faster pace, and I started walking faster not to lose sight of her. As I was walking behind her, my eyes were drawn to her bottom, her perfectly rounded and beautiful bottom. And her swinging, elegant hips as she walked. I immediately pictured my boyfriend naked with her, touching her naked body, inserting his penis into her. It was awful, it made me feel like shit. We entered the same train and I couldn't stop looking at her, couldn't stop admiring her beauty, how I couldn't compare. Her luscious lips (I get self conscious about mine because they are thin), I imagined my bf kissing them and putting his penis between them. The worst part of it all is that I didn't just imagine it, it actually happened, and not that long ago. This made me feel awful and I think no one understands the kind of pain it triggered. Thank you for reading, I just needed a safe place to vent.