Trying to help my mom get her new phone set up and customer service with Tracfone hasn’t been much help, except to tell us that we can’t use her new iPhone because they don’t actually support eSIM with bring your own phone.
Anyway, I switched her to Mint mobile, but getting her old number transferred has been difficult. We are unable to get any texts or calls using her old number. So, when we text NTP to 611611 it says “Sorry, this service is not available for your service plan.” I assumed because the text is being sent from her temporary Mint mobile number? Has anyone obtained a transfer PIN in another way? Any ideas would be appreciated, she really wants to keep her old number! Thanks in advance!

hi, i’m a week post op (DI w/ grafts), got drains and graft covers removed today. i only found out today that i have metal staples for my incisions, as opposed to dissolvable stitches/staples, and i have to go back in a week to get the staples removed. has anyone else had this? i’ve searched around online and can’t really find anything aside from people saying that staples shouldn’t be used so it’s a little nerve wracking haha. if you’ve had the same thing, how was it? was your recovery any different?

Hi all,
Wasn’t really sure where to post this so I went for the largest horse sub I could find hoping to get advice from experienced trainers.
I’ve got a 5/6 year old mustang gelding. He is super sweet, gentle, and pretty much a dead head at home. There have been a couple instances where he’s spooked on my property, but not very often and definitely not to a major extent. I love him to pieces and really want to get him through this.
He’s always been on the spooky side, a very (VERY) cautious kind of fella. But once he gets familiar with a place he settles down and doesn’t cause a lot of trouble. Usually. Of course there are instances where he has freak outs, but he’s a mustang, and if that wasn’t enough it’s already in a horses nature to take flight if something scares them. All this to say that he has always been a spooker, but tends to do better when I’m with him and is fine when he’s at home.
He is very well trained, has all the buttons, and I’ve trained him for barrel racing, pole bending, and goat tying. As I stated before, he performs great at home. He runs fantastic, he gets excited when it’s time to do his job but nothing too over the top (a little hopping and prancing). But he’s a completely different horse away from home. He gets extremely nervous and jittery, I really don’t feel comfortable leaving him tied to a trailer at a race whereas he can stand tied at home all day long. His biggest issue is the alleyway.
It’s important to note that he has only been racing for almost two years, and I’ve only hauled him to one arena. Every race we have attended has been at the same arena. He is very familiar with the place. There are two different events we attend at this arena: a youth rodeo with a larger pattern and a barrel race with a small pattern. The youth rodeo is where he has to enter the alleyway and run through it from outside the arena. At the barrel races, the arena is sectioned into two spaces, so we can actually sit inside the arena and he does not have to go through the alleyway. He is perfectly fine at the barrel race, it is at the youth rodeo where he has issues.
Like I said, at home he gets excited but nothing too horrible. But at the rodeo? Oh my word guys, he is HORRIBLE. Incredibly dangerous behavior around an alleyway. I try to ride him in and he rears to his fullest extent, side stepping, ducking/turning sharply and as fast as possible, rearing and then turning WHILE he is on his back feet. He’ll walk up straight, I think I almost have him in, and then he’ll shoot his front feet out and almost do a downward dog to stop himself, then turn as sharply as possible. He has almost fallen over on top of me many times, and also almost trampled a group of people that were crowding the alleyway. I do my best to keep my nerves in check, but I’m human so my adrenaline is pumping right before I enter the arena. I realized that that was on me, and that it was too dangerous for me to be on him while entering the alleyway, so I started walking him in and getting on once we were inside. This actually worked fine the first few times, but this little shit is too smart for my own good and he figured it out. He has started to display the same behaviors he did when I was riding him into the alleyway, except now I’m on the ground where I don’t have as much control (I’m a fairly sticky rider, but my hands can’t stop a 1000 lb rocket donkey from running away if he wishes).
Here’s the kicker: he wasn’t always like this. He may not have had the fastest time at his first race, but he went into the alleyway like a dream(with some prancing and hopping but nothing bad at all, just excited to do his job). He behaved perfectly from March 2023-September 2023. Then at finals in October 2023, he started his alleyway nonsense. I thought it was a one time thing, maybe he had a bad day, whatever it’s fine. During the off season, we practiced at home and he was totally fine. The next race where he had to enter the alleyway was February 2024. He started the same alleyway nonsense again and hasn’t stopped, but performs fine at home.
You want an even bigger kicker, you say? When I haul him to the arena when no race is going on (I mean the arena is totally empty and we are the only ones there), he behaves like he does at home. Excited and a little bit prancy, but nothing dangerous!
He isn’t injured, his saddle fits fine, and he rides in a hackamore.
It’s ironic because his thoroughbred bro is the hottest horse around and wants to go go go, but still does better with the alleyway than the mustang does!
This guy is so so smart, and has loads of potential. He literally learned the patterns I taught him in a couple months. He is one of the smartest horses I have ever seen. I want to haul him to more races, but I can’t/won’t do that unless he stops this behavior.
I’m a young trainer (using the word loosely and only because I trained my horses how to race) so I don’t have a lot of experience. The crowd of horse people that I have access to are pretty toxic and honestly most of them probably don’t know better than I do. I’ve been googling a lot but haven’t really found anything that would help him. If anyone has ideas or knows about a resource that could help me please drop some knowledge!
Also please note when giving training advice: this horse hates being manhandled. He responds best to pressure and release and a very patient handler. He does NOT do well under excessive pressure like whips, they make him worse.
Thanks everyone :)

Hello,
I have never used Reddit before, I just listened to Reddit stories, so I am not familiar with how this works.
But I am really desperate rn, I 18F am currently being ghosted I think by my Bf (19M). We have been dating for 2 years and spending almost every second together. But I am currently on the other side of the world travelling for 3 months but I have only just arrived a few days ago. Therefore, we have a time difference. For me it's already in the morning whereas it's in the middle of the night for him. I woke up particularly early today because I am not used to sleeping without him. So I decided to call him because it was around 12am for him and he was still up. He was gaming with his friends and felt bothered by me calling him which led me to become annoyed so we got into a fight about priorities and how I feel like he prefers his friends/games over me (a really frequent topic). The fight got really out of hand with me crying and accusing him of a lot of things and also talking about breaking up (our relationship has been rocky for a while) if he doesn't want to spend time with me. I must admit that the way eacted was too much. At some point I told him to go to sleep because it was getting really late for him and I felt like we weren't going anywhere with our discussion. But he ended up sending one last voice message which ended up really upsetting me so I told him again we should break and how unwell I felt in a quite rude manner and since then he hasn't messaged me. However, I kept texting him because I started freaking out about him just leaving so suddenly without even saying so. He would read the messages but not respond to any calls or messages and he would always only read them after a couple of minutes. This made me really panic to the point of hysterical crying and shaking and it's been like this for 2 hours now and still no response but he keeps reading the messages. I have apologised profusely at this point and told time how much I love him and how bad I feel
about the way I acted but still no response at all. Even
as I sent some voice messages of me clearly really
distressed begging him to just simply respond
because I am also starting to get worried about his
wellbeing since he has never done anything like this
before.
I am still really freaked out and I don't know what's
going on or what to do and I have absolutely no one
to talk to as I am in a foreign country with a different
time zone and all of my friends are asleep.
Any advice would be really appreciated, I am just so
confused and helpless right now...

Since the 4o model, responses don't feel the same. I often use the voice chat on my S24, and before the conversation used to flow pretty naturally. But now, it feels like a chat bot just narrating a bulleted list and creating topic headers. Gpt says something and makes a list, and I respond or ask for further clarification, and it spits out a whole ass bullet point breakdown that could fill an entire page or 2. I now find myself almost always interrupting the lengthy, bland list, and doing a quick scan of the text.
People also used to get a kick out of it. It would blow the mind of those less familiar or out of the loop, but not it just narrates a list, very matter of factly, and in a bland/dry way, as well as generally speaking in a more formal and "corporate PR" style.

Girlfriend asked me to do something
I just want to see if anyone has gone through this before because I had two exes do this before. My first ex gf was of five months and my second ex gf was of a year and a half.
My ex (1.5 yrs) wanted me to write her a letter once a week. And I would write the letter and put it in an envelope and draw cute pictures on it and stuff. And without even reading it she goes “I feel like you’re only doing this because I asked you to not because you actually want to”
My other ex (5 mo) wanted me to call her everyday. And after telling her that I can do that. She said the same line.
This statement always made me confused me because I feel like communicating her needs is a good thing but then when she says this I feel like it’s a trap. Yes I’m doing because you asked me to but I’m also doing it because I want to. I feel like there are so many times in relationships where you do things you don’t want to do but you only do it cuz you love the person .
Have you guys ever been through this or heard the phrase before?
Tldr: basically have you ever heard the phrase “I feel like you’re only doing it because I asked you to not because you actually want to” how do you feel about it?

I hear the dripping again. The constant, drip, drip, drip of water. I blink my eyes open and try to focus to make sure I'm not in another nightmare. It sounds like another leak; this one might be the last. The last time I will hear it before the horrible conclusion to this ordeal. The last time hearing that telltale noise, before the true nature of that loathsome portal is revealed and whatever hideous dimension hiding on the other side breaks through completely.
The sound is growing louder, each drop has an exaggerated tone. It sounds like small explosions all trying to collapse the ceiling and engulf me in the dark abyss that I have already once been forced to endure.
I just can’t believe this could really be happening, it just can’t! It swallowed people up, the portal behind that damn leak. I don’t know what to do.
Just a short while ago my only problem would have been the water damage to my belongings. Indeed, such a mundane problem as a leak in the ceiling would just be a minor issue, nothing to fear except the repair bill. Yet I'm afraid it is a bit beyond that now. I shouldn't have waited this long I should have just left. Yet where could I have gone? Maybe I should have paid more attention to who I was talking to and what they were saying. All too late now I suppose.
I have been living in this apartment for close to six months. I had moved into this dingy complex, to a small studio apartment after I lost my job and had to find a part time position at significantly less pay. I tried to stay optimistic but even before the terrible reality of what I was stepping into was clear, I was still on hard times. I could barely afford this decrepit room as it was, and I had no family or friends to speak of that I might be able to move in with so my options were essentially non existent.
Considering the dire situation, I found the cheapest accommodation I could and what I found was my home and hell for the last six months, number 316 at the Greenfield Heights apartment complex. The amenities included paper thin walls to hear all the drug deals gone wrong, domestic violence and constant sirens of emergency vehicles blaring from all sorts of incidents. Topped off with a nice turn-down service of package and mail theft to boot. All of these problems though, feel small compared to the true horror of what the place had in store for me.
No, it wasn't exactly a paradise, but I had to find the cheapest place I could. I was barely making a fraction of what I was before at my old job, and I needed somewhere to get back on my feet. I told myself it was temporary and once I could get a better job I would get out of here.
When I had first arrived to look at the place, I had arranged a simple walk through with the landlord Mr. Jacobs a very unpleasant fellow who always looked perpetually angry and was constantly shouting in the halls and at the few miserable looking staff who worked here. We walked up two flights of stairs passing a wall of profanity laden graffiti tagged along almost the whole length of it leading up to where my future home was to be.
Mr. Jacobs opened the door and the rattling handle nearly fell off in the effort. We stepped inside and the dank room stank like a tomb. The tiny apartment was depressing and when he went to turn on the main light nothing happened. He scoffed and muttered a string of colorful language and grumbled that.
“Someone will bring a new light bulb; I told Rodney to check earlier that lazy piece of shit.”
I didn't want to press the matter since he looked pissed off, so we went in, and he showed me what little there was to see of the tiny apartment. We had to rely on the dim light of the bedroom to see elsewhere, since the main light was out. Despite leading the walk-through, it looked like Mr. Jacobs was distracted, he was looking at the ceiling in the corner of the tiny living room with a concerning grimace on his face.
He stared at it for a while and paused the tour, I found it a little weird. He finally looked back at me as if noticing that I was watching him stare at the ceiling and he shrugged and asserted that.
“You are going to want to get some buckets, when it rains heavily that part of the ceiling leaks. Can't seem to find out how since there's no leak on 416 above but bad luck on this one, I guess, that's the only reason the price is so low.” He shot me a grin that I could only describe as enthusiastically malicious. After the brief walk-through Mr. Jacobs turned around and asked very bluntly.
“You are not a troublemaker, are you?” His eyes narrowed and he looked very threatening suddenly. I assured him of my earnest intent and need for a place to stay, and he softened briefly, at least I think he did, it was hard to tell with him. He regarded me one more time and said.
“Good we don’t need more troublemakers, too many questions, always snooping around. If you have any questions try to figure it out yourself, this isn't the Ritz we don't take care of everything for you. You are going to have to make do as is. Something really bad like a fire then you can call, but for minor shit, best to just figure it out yourself. Rents due on the 1st by the way, no exceptions and no grace period anyone who bums out on their debt gets their asses kicked out next day, fuck tenant laws!”
He shot me another wicked smile and returned downstairs leaving me with the keys and just assuming I had agreed to move in. I was dumbfounded by the combination of his upfront hateful attitude and the subtext of certain things he had mentioned. What in his mind was a troublemaker? And what happened to those who asked too many questions? I couldn't believe I was going to have to live here.
In a better position I would have left immediately but it was either here or homeless. All the other places I had looked were too expensive, so I left and began packing my things. The whole situation was awful, but I had no choice, I moved in the next weekend.
Moving day was as bleak as my mood. It had been raining on and off again all day and seemed to start heavily just in time to when I was moving my boxes, almost as if to spite me. I started taking my stuff upstairs to my new room.
As I was taking the first box up the stairs, I thought I heard a gunshot. I rushed on in nervous tension and as I was approaching my door, I heard a voice call out in a tone that was actually friendly.
“Excuse me, it looks like you dropped something.”
I was surprised to see a woman standing in the hall with a look of friendly concern. As I looked down to see I had indeed dropped something from the broken box I was trying to carry upstairs.
“Hi, I'm Maxine, I am your neighbor in 315.”
I introduced myself and was relieved to have found a friendly face for a change.
“Hey there, I’m Greg, nice to meet you.” I held out my hand and she looked uncomfortable briefly and declined the handshake.
“Sorry, I’m getting over a cold I shouldn't, but it is nice to meet you.” She said with another disarming smile.
I was relieved to see someone who didn't look they were minutes away from killing me or someone else. Though the paranoid part of my brain was begging the question why such a seemingly nice person was stuck here. I considered asking her but figured it would be rude to pry about her situation, she might have been like me and just on hard times. I was embarrassed when I realized I was just standing there after saying hello and stumbled for words, but she spoke first.
“Well, it was nice meeting you Greg, stay safe and try not to let your spirits get down. It’s easy in this place but nothing bad lasts forever.” She smiled and waved goodbye. I looked down to make sure the box was secure and when I looked up to say goodbye she was already gone. I wondered how she was so fast. Nevertheless, I felt slightly more hopeful that things might be okay after all.
Another hour of moving boxes and my knees were on fire but the meager possessions I had were finally stuffed haphazardly into the tiny apartment. I was dead tired, but it was only 4 pm. I figured I had earned a nap though and went into the tiny closet that was supposedly a bedroom. No furniture fit besides my old mattress that took up the entirety of the space.
I laid down and started drifting off, the peaceful sound of rain started to get heavier and then I heard a new sound which woke me from my doze. A tiny dripping sound coming from the main room. I remembered what Mr. Jacobs had said about heavy rain and a leak and I got up quickly to make sure the water was not landing on all my boxes and getting everything wet.
I looked up in the corner of the room and sure enough there was a steady dripping onto one of the boxes below. I poked around and found the dishes box and took out a few pieces of tupperware and a bowl and set one underneath the leak. I thought for a moment about calling Mr. Jacobs but then remembered how he had given up on fixing this leak and realized it would do no good. I turned around to go back to bed when I heard an odd tearing sound like wallpaper being stretched to breaking point. When I turned around there was nothing there. I figured it was just my nerves and I went back to bed.
I slept for about two hours and despite the brief rest I had a vivid nightmare of drowning in a dark lake with no shores on any side. It was horrible, just sinking into a black watery abyss.
I was embarrassed as I woke up with a scream, but relaxed as I realized it was just a dream and no one likely heard or cared that someone in 316 was screaming anyway. I figured the rain and that damn leak had got me thinking about water and my negative mood may have contributed to a nightmare, so I brushed it off and went about trying to organize the chaos of boxes in some logical manner for this small space.
Later that night I had a cup of ramen for dinner and turned in early. I read a bit before bed, almost as if trying to postpone sleep for fear of sinking into that fathomless abyss again when I slept. Eventually I started to get comfortable and thought I may fall asleep when it started again.
Drip, drip, drip.
The leak had resumed, it sounded faster than before, and I thought it was strange that I could hear it so vividly. I got up to see if maybe it had overflowed or something and I was not prepared for what I saw.
The ceiling where the leak was had an odd lambent light near the center, kind of like a black light. It seemed to be pulsing in time with the drops of water. There was an odd type of density in the air too, like it was too heavy and thick. It was maddeningly humid as well despite the cold atmosphere of the room and outside. I was confused and kind of scared by the bizarre display. I just kept thinking to myself it is only temporary, as soon as I can leave I will, I can make it through anything short term.
I took a step further into the living room and noticed a wet spot on the floor. There is no way it could be all the way over here, the bowl on the floor was not even full yet. I suspected a leak might also be over in this spot now, so I looked up and screamed out loud. There was what looked like a face pressing through the ceiling with drops of water seeping from the thing's mouth. I turned to run and tripped on the wet floor and toppled over bashing my head into a wall and almost losing consciousness.
I was trying to stagger to my feet after getting knocked senseless and the memory of the face reminded me of my peril. I got to my feet and looked up in tense expectation. There was nothing there. No leak, no face, no glowing shifting portal. The only evidence of anything was a small wet spot on the ceiling about nine inches across. At that point I thought for sure that depression over my situation was causing me to go crazy and see things. I desperately wished I could be somewhere else just then, but it was late at night, and I needed sleep. I couldn't afford a hotel obviously, so I left my room and went outside to the parking lot to sleep in my car.
Another week went by with poor work hours, barely any food and bad sleep. Though the one bright side was the surprisingly good weather. Days went by and no odd events took place in my apartment. It was a struggle but at least with a little sunshine there was no leak to conjure up such terrible nightmares like what I had experienced before.
I ran into Maxine again on the way to the laundry room and couldn't help but ask if she knew of anything having happened in my room before I moved in, like anyone having seen anything weird or the like. She shifted uncomfortably and looked down, pausing as if not wanting to answer.
“I'm sorry, I don't know much. I had not been here for very long when the last person in 316 had left. I say left but I heard there was an accident of some sort. There was a lot of commotion and I had heard some strange rantings from the man before it happened.”
She took a breath to steady herself after the stress of recounting the story and looked away.
“I was away at work when it actually happened, apparently he had been found dead in the apartment, some say he killed himself, drowning. From what I heard he was a bad man, there are a lot of bad men that live here. The things that have happened that never got reported and the people that got hurt or worse, well.....” She looked away sorrowfully for a moment and resumed.
“Well, you wouldn't want to know. A coward like that would try and kill himself but I think something akin to justice may have caught up to him, something that this place might need more of. When you live with the stain of hate and violence it leaves something behind and perhaps sometimes the world finds a way to wash it away and right the wrongs. Anyway, I don't like to think about it. I have to run I have to get ready for work, sorry I couldn't help more I hope you stay safe and stay dry, you wouldn't want to get swept up too.”
She turned a corner and I saw a fallen cardigan. I bent down to pick it up and it felt wet, like it had been washed already. Not too weird if she just did laundry but her footprints were soaking wet as well. I grabbed the garment and rushed round the corner shouting out.
“Hey Maxine, you dropped this.” But she was gone. The wet footprints randomly stopped as well. How did she stop leaving them if her feet were wet?
A few more months passed with no leaks and only a few nightmares. My luck turned sour again for different reasons though. I suffered a severe back injury at work. Since it occurred while working, I got some workers comp so I wouldn't lose all my income. I did have to take time off of work, so I was forced to stay in my apartment all day and night recouping. To make matters worse it was getting into the season for spring showers and the forecast was heavy rain for the next week.
I was not quite bedridden but walking and bending over was very uncomfortable, I considered taking a drive somewhere, anywhere but here, but I couldn't manage the stairs again today and I knew I at least needed to actually rest for one or two of my days off.
So I was stuck in the apartment, watching the clouds gather and the skies darken. I placed several dishes under the leak spot in anticipation and I swigged some energy drinks and coffee. I would rest but I disliked the idea of sleeping any more than I had to, since I still feared those disturbing dreams in the water.
I tried to distract myself by watching some old DVD’s since I had no streaming services to watch. As I started to relax around late afternoon, I was shocked back into a frenzied paranoia when the storm kicked up in intensity and knocked the power out. I tried not to panic and knew I had some candles or a flashlight or two somewhere. I would have to get up though so I figured I would stay in the bedroom. I used my phone flashlight to find a candle and matches and hurried back to the bedroom just as the leak restarted and the drip, drip, drip was heard filling the bowls left out. I felt silly fleeing the leak like it was dangerous, I didn't know why that dream had affected me so much, but it felt wrong.
I sat in the dark and waited for the power to return but it did not, I fought sleep but even in my paranoid state I started to drift off. I was content that the door was closed at least, and it slightly muffled the sound of that constant dripping.
I awoke to the sounds of running water, the drip was replaced by a torrent that almost sounded like a waterfall. I was too afraid to move, but I had to see if my room was being flooded. I got up painfully and stepped down into ankle high water. Oh God this is bad, I thought immediately as I moved to the door to see what had happened, I heard a singular splashing noise, almost like someone stepping through the water.
My heart froze as I stopped just short of opening the door and focused on the sound. I heard the splashing again; it was definitely footsteps. I didn't know what to do I tried to think who might break in, a robber? Maybe it was about the flooding, maybe it was Mr. Jacobs after all?
I grabbed the candlestick and lit the candle. If I needed to, I might be able to use it as an improvised weapon, if it could be a murder weapon in clue then why not? I cautiously opened the door and there was a backwash of even more water on the other side, it almost knocked me off my feet. I stumbled through the door, struggling in the cold water, I knew it was impossible, but it felt like there was a current running through it, like I was standing in the mouth of a river. I finally stepped past the door and into the living room and almost dropped the candle into the oddly surging waters. The sight before me was both amazing and terrifying. The water was moving, it was flowing into a whirlpool that was at the center of the room but as it neared the center it inverted and seemed to be spiraling out from the ceiling rather than the pooled water on the floor in a sight that blatantly disregarded all laws of gravity.
The spectacle was so amazing I almost forgot the footsteps I had heard and until they resumed. My gawking was broken, and I saw large bursts of water splashing toward me. I heard an ear-splitting cry like the wail of a banshee and suddenly the ceiling where the leak was coming from, and the current epicenter of the vortex started to glow and after a moment it turned deep red and a new horror occurred.
The face I had seen in what I had hoped was a nightmare before was back. The ceiling seemed to shimmer now, almost translucent and I saw the horrible features of a hideous form. White pupil-less eyes stared down at me and a gaping screaming maw began filling with water tinged with red? No, it wasn't water, it was blood. The vortex began spewing blood all across the room and as I turned to flee in horror I was wrenched from my feet by the invisible force in the water and dragged kicking and screaming into the heart of the vortex. My last conscious sight that night was being pulled up into my own ceiling and into the bleeding maw of that avatar of bloody nightmare.
I woke up in the black abyss. The water was still mixed with blood, but there were no creatures. I was somehow buoyant and floated along in the shore less sanguine ocean. I drifted along unable to sink or to fully rise up. After what felt like an hour of drifting, I heard splashing and all of the sudden the sound got louder and louder. I looked around and saw the source of the noise, bodies were falling from the sky into the bloody ocean. First a few, then dozens then hundreds. A literal storm of blood-soaked featureless bodies came crashing into the water. I tried to evade them, but I could not dodge them all and I was buffeted by the limp forms of countless bodies until I was pummeled below the surface of the water. I couldn't breathe and as I tried to surface one of the bodies grasped my wrist and opened its eyes. On its previously featureless face, it now had oddly pulsating white pupils and it burst what appeared to be stitching on its mouth in order to scream under the water.
The sight and shock of that horrible scene woke me and I realized I was laying on my back in my apartment again. The flood water was lapping at my face, and I was breathing in and choking on the water on the floor. I lurched up as soon as I regained control of my body, spitting water and gagging from the quasi drowning I had endured. The water looked normal, no blood from what I saw, but the water itself was not a delusion or some trace of insanity it was there.
It was a bad scene, tons of my things were submerged, and the water damage was extensive. Somehow it had risen to almost two feet high. I had to do something, I didn't expect much from this place, but this was a severe enough situation that the crotchety old bastard Mr. Jacobs was going to have to fix something whether he liked it or not or they would be getting a lawsuit in short order. I figured some lawyers would take easy cases they knew they would win with no retainer needed if they got paid more at the end. So, it would not be a bluff I was dead serious, I almost drowned in my own apartment!
I staggered to the door and managed to open it, draining tons of water out into the hall, but I didn't care, I just needed some fresh air. My back was on fire, but nothing would stop me. I heard a voice calling out to me, it was Maxine.
“Hey are you okay? I saw all the water and hadn't seen you around is there flooding there?”
She asked with an odd look, almost like she knew the answer but didn't want to let on.
“Yes there is, it is pretty bad actually I was just about to call Mr. Jacobs to do something about it.
”Greg....” She paused for a moment then continued.
“You didn't see anything in there did you? In the water? Like something or someone familiar?” I was confused by the specific nature of the question. I was put off and unsure how she knew I might have seen something.
“I am not sure what I saw, why do you ask?” I responded.
“No reason, just be careful it can be dangerous if you do. Don’t worry if it is not where you belong, you won't get pulled in forever. Just be careful though, you don't want to risk it.” A flash of morbid glee was evident on her face for a split second and then it was gone. I was starting to feel uncomfortable.
“Pulled in? How do you know about the leak? And if you do what's behind it?” I ask with mounting suspicion evident in my voice.
“You know Greg, in many cultures the path between the world of the living and the dead is separated by only the slightest barrier, often a literal or symbolic body of water. Whether the river Styx, the lake of fire, the waters reflected at the feet of a Torii gate, it is often just potent waters. Like all bodies of water, when they are contained somewhere there can be leaks. Sometimes the water is not the only thing that seeps out.” She stopped speaking for a moment and fixed me with an intent stare that made me feel very strange. I did not know what she was talking about? Was she saying that portal leads to some sort of afterlife? Like heaven or more likely in this case hell?
“Did you just say....” And she cut me off, saying.
“Oh if Mr. Jacobs finally goes over there to fix your ceiling let him know I had a concern I needed to express to him as well, it's been waiting for a long time.” She smiled again in a creepy way that disturbed me.
“Ah yeah sure I guess I can do that.”
“Thanks! See ya later and hope you feel better, those accidents can be rough best not sleep on your side and to drink lots of water, the right kind though.” She winked at me and departed, and I was at a loss for what just happened. How did she know I had gotten hurt I didn't tell her, and what was that thing about the right kind of water?
My anxiety about the situation was increasing and I was disturbed by Maxine’s questions too, maybe she was not so sweet and trustworthy after all. After far too long being ignored and dealing with the first sodden, now moldering cloths boxes and other personal effects Mr. Jacobs finally scheduled a time to drain the last remnants of water and do something more concrete about fixing the leak.
I was waiting patiently for his arrival and there was a loud banging at the door. I greeted Mr. Jacobs and he grunted at me and without looking at me walked past and looked up at the hole in the ceiling. He had an odd air of what almost looked like fear or concern on his face.
After he walked in another larger person in coveralls and holding a toolbox did as well. There was a large tarp or something that seemed odd to bring to this sort of job, it almost looked like a big sort of bag. They were both looking at the hole in the ceiling and Mr. Jacobs turned on a dime and stared me down.
“It’s just been water leaking down, nothing else right?” I thought the question was odd and I hesitated to answer since I was thinking of those vivid nightmares. I think he may have noticed that because his face sank, and he glowered at me looking significantly angrier and more dangerous than before. Before I could answer he shouted at me.
“What did you see?! Did something come out of the hole? Was it a person?” He looked manic and deranged, and I looked at the other man in the coveralls and he stood silent holding a sledgehammer that had appeared in his hand and watching the confrontation unfold.
“I....I don't know I just saw the leak, what is going on what do you think I saw? My neighbor asked me the same thing earlier.” Mr. Jacobs eyes narrowed.
“What neighbor? I haven't had tenants in 315 or 317 in over a year.”
I was confused, maybe I had heard Maxine’s apartment number wrong, but how could she be my neighbor if she was not in one of those. This must be some kind of mix up, I figured.
“My neighbor Maxine she said she lives in 315; I just saw her the other day and she asked if I had seen something as well.” At the mention of the name Mr. Jacobs face turned white.
“You said her name was Maxine!? She said that? You saw her?!” He was screaming at me asking more questions about Maxine like she was on Americas most wanted.
“What does she have to do with this? I don’t know what the hell is going on.” I admitted.
Ignoring my question, Mr. Jacobs began pacing and holding his hand to his head. The man in coveralls spoke for the first time.
“Jack, we have to go, let's find the body while the leak and portal are still here and dispose of the loose end.” I gasped at the admission of both a body and that I was apparently a loose end to some sort of crime.
“I fucking know, alright make it quick, we are going to have to do two so let's go before more people start coming home and we risk someone hearing.”
I fell back against the wall in shock as the large man hefted the sledgehammer and started stomping toward me. I was unarmed and injured; I didn't know what I could do but suddenly the lights went out again.
The door slammed shut and as the three of us stood there in stunned silence a slow drip began to trickle from the ceiling. Each drop splashing off of the low standing pool of water. The large man went to the door and tried to open it but to no avail.
“Jack what is going on?!” The man shouted to Mr. Jacobs.
“I don't know just use the hammer. Kill him and then bust us out of here. Or just give it to me and I will fucking do it.”
They were going to kill me!? I had to think of something quick, so I stammered out.
“Wait! I don't know what is going on you guys, you don't want to kill me I really don't know anything. Let's just get out of here before the water gets much worse, I think something bad is going to happen.”
As if on cue the dripping stopped and a torrent of water was disgorged from the hole in the ceiling, which now held a horribly familiar glow and was pouring a blood red liquid into the apartment. There was a giggle followed by a blood curdling screech and the man in the coveralls with the hammer was wrenched up off his feet and dragged kicking and screaming into the water. Mr. Jacobs and I both watched as his entire head was forced under the water by some unseen force, The man was being drown and as he looked like he might kick up a splash of water landed next to him revealing a brief outline of a female form the eyes were white and it had a horrible smile on its face. Its unnaturally long hand was wrapped fully around the man's throat and was effortlessly throttling him.
Mr. Jacobs saw something or someone he recognized in the violent mist and started sobbing and begging for mercy.
“I didn't mean to, please. It was an accident. I would have been locked up. I couldn't lose everything, I had to.”
I sat in stark terror as the falling water from the ceiling became a storm. The millions of droplets highlighted the attacker, her form was terrible yet oddly mesmerizing. She strolled along towards Mr. Jacobs who was grasping at the door handle and tugging uselessly at it. He reached for the hammer when he was pulled toward the figure by a moving tendril of bloody water.
“Just a little bath Jack that's all it won't hurt......much.” He tried to scream but his head was submerged in the bloody water. I saw the sentient waves of ruinous liquid grasp each of his appendages and tear him limb from limb in a bloody explosion.
I screamed and stumbled away wading through the water into my bedroom and desperately pulled on the window to escape that way. I heard splashing footsteps and a soft pretty tune being sung by an ethereal voice. Then I heard a giant crash and saw a portion of wall collapse along with more of the ceiling and the sight before my eyes almost drove me insane.
There was a vortex of bloody water sucking the maimed bodies of those men into the hellish portal where the leak originated and at the center was the bloody figure smiling at me and waving a hand as I finally got the window to budge and fall out. I stepped outside and tried to descend the fire escape, but the surface was too slippery, and I fell. I screamed and plummeted down and thought I would land on my head and die. Yet as I fell my descent slowed and to my shock and horror, I realized the rainwater was mixing with the water from my apartment flowing out of the window and I was being pulled back up into my room. I tried to scream but I felt water fill my mouth. At some point in the nightmare ride I blacked out again.
That was the last thing I remembered before I found myself here again. As I listen to the leak once more, I wonder if it could have all been a bad dream? The water, the leak, the portal it is all too much it couldn't have been real. I will go into my dingy living room and see the water dripping into the bowl and realize it was all just a terrible dream.
Yet when I sit up, I notice an odd breeze and when my eyes focus in the dark, I see lights in the sky........the sky?
The ceiling is gone! I don't know what is going on here, but I know I have to get out of here now. I hear splashing footsteps again over the ever-present dripping and see in the sky now the light of the monstrous portal opening in the very clouds above!
It is too much I leap from the fire escape again. Somehow in my mad haste I survive descending the fire escape and I sit here now writing this impossible story in my car that I have been living in nearly a week after the fact.
I heard on the news the reports of a structural collapse at my apartment and the landlord being unavailable for questioning, presumed missing along with another man who worked at the apartment as a special contractor. I thought about Mr. Jacobs and the man in the coveralls and shuddered when I remembered them being drawn into that unholy portal in the ceiling.
Apparently, it had not been the only disappearance in the building either. Around a year ago there was a missing person's report for a Maxine Valoroso. I remember how Mr. Jacobs reacted to her name, and it made me wonder what really happened here before I moved in.
I don't know who or what Maxine was, maybe she was the same person in the report, changed somehow. Best I can guess Mr. Jacobs had known something about her disappearance, maybe he had killed her and somehow, she came back for revenge. She mentioned the water washing away people's violent lives and I shuddered when I considered her smile when talking about the last person in 316 and the overdue message she had to send to Mr. Jacobs. I didn't know if she was a ghost, a demon or what. I also don't know the extent of her reach or if she is satisfied with just those men and who knows how many others she had washed away from that room with that dread portal.
I suppose it doesn't matter to me anymore I am never going back there. I gave all my belongings up for lost and the building was condemned anyway after the landlord disappeared and the ceiling collapsed in several sections of the building. I think there are are terrible things they will discover if they ever really investigate the building. Perhaps they will find bodies, perhaps the bodies are all gone, sucked into that watery abyss, that eldritch gate to hell whose opening started with a simple leak.
If something like that can happen I just don't know, I don't know if anyone is safe anymore.

My friend and I went to Mexico in April, and we visited a waterpark. We had a waterproof case so we could take our phones in the water. My friend kept asking for pictures, and while I didn't want any, she did. She asked for one, and while taking it, the shutter button wouldn’t click so I just took her phone out of the case to take the picture.
The next day, her phone screen went white, and it wouldn’t charge. She freaked out and demanded that I buy her a new phone. We went to a repair shop, and I spent $350 to get the screen repaired. It seemed like everything was fine after that.
Fast forward to today (June 4), she sent me a text saying her phone showed a notification about water being detected in the charging port and that it couldn't charge. Now, she's saying I need to buy her a new phone.
I feel like I did my part by taking it to a repair shop and covering the cost. Is it really my responsibility to buy her a new phone months after the incident? I don't have a grand to spend on a new iPhone 14 for her.
AITA?

Hi guys, I’m new to this community, but have been enjoying this art style for a long time. More specifically because of old school text based games and social media, like forums, messenger, and such. It was and still is an important piece in internet culture. So, my love for it, I’ll say its linked to the nostalgia. But besides that, what do you guys find appealing and charming about representing images with text characters? <3

hi,
i am an 18F in a bit of a difficult situation. i hate to be one of the people who posts these things but i am just really confused. there is this guy (19M) i have liked on and off multiple times, and recently, he has started to act like he likes me. some examples include: 1. initiating all conversations in-person 2. making fun of me consistently 3. not dry on text (though he left me on read in our last conversation the conversation was already ending though). 4. told me that he is completely over this girl that he used to like, and the last time they talked was a few months ago. these are the most tangible signs. please help me and thank u guys sm!! :)

DAY: JUNE 4 2024
6-4-2024

SUMMER HOLIDAYS AREN’T ALL FUN AND GAMES FOR CHILDREN’S FITNESS

As summer break kicks off in the U.S., researchers are asking parents to pay closer attention to their children’s screen time, as new research shows that too many are indulging in excess time online. While the summer holiday break is often considered a time of fun and relaxation for school children, a respite from routine comes an increase in sedentary behavior and screen time, and in turn, poorer health and academic outcomes. University of South Australia researchers have conducted the first ever review of studies
6-4-2024

NEW STUDY HIGHLIGHTS RISKS OF MUSCLE-BUILDING SUPPLEMENT USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS

A recent study from the University of Toronto has revealed critical insights into the use of muscle-building supplements (such as whey protein and creatine) among adolescents and young adults in Canada. The research, published today, provides a comprehensive analysis of the prevalence, influences, and associated risks of muscle-building supplement use, highlighting important implications for health care, public health, and policy-making professionals. The work is published in the journal Performance Enhancement & Health. Analyzing data of 912 participants from the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors, a national study focused on
6-4-2024

STUDY FINDS METHODS TO QUIT SMOKING EFFECTIVE REGARDLESS OF MENTAL HEALTH HISTORY

A survey studied how mental health relates to methods people use to quit smoking, also known as smoking cessation aids. While the number of adults who smoke cigarettes has declined globally, people with mental health conditions are more likely to smoke and to do so more heavily. Because of these differences in tobacco use, the researchers theorized that the effectiveness of smoking
6-4-2024

THERE IS NO ‘LESSER EVIL’ WHEN IT COMES TO TOBACCO USE, SAYS DOCTOR

From the traditional cigarette to the modern electronic cigarette, from the communal hookah to the discreet pinch of smokeless tobacco, each has proven to be detrimental to a person’s health. Dr. Jon Ebbert, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, discusses why there is no “lesser evil” when it comes to tobacco use. Smoked tobacco has the strongest association with cancer, and it goes beyond cigarettes. “Hookah, which is a smoked and inhaled tobacco, has a similar cancer risk because it’s the process of smoking and inhaling those
6-4-2024

SCIENTISTS EXAMINE HOW STRESS KNOCKS OUT COGNITIVE RESERVE

While mentally stimulating activities and life experiences can improve cognition in memory clinic patients, stress undermines this beneficial relationship. This is according to a study, titled “Cognitive reserve, cortisol, and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers: A memory clinic study”, from the Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Researchers in the late 1980s found that some individuals who showed no apparent symptoms of dementia during their lifetime had brain changes consistent with an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s disease. It has since been postulated that so-called cognitive reserve might account for
6-4-2024

EATING MORE FRUIT MAY REDUCE YOUR RISK OF DEPRESSION

Globally, depression is a major public health concern. According to the World Health Organization, it is the largest contributor to non-fatal burden of disease, with more than 80% of this burden represented across low- and middle-income countries. A growing body of evidence suggests that dietary behaviors—in particular higher consumption of fruit and vegetables—may be important in reducing the risk of depression. New research led by Postdoctoral Fellow Annabel Matison from UNSW Sydney’s Center for Healthy Brain Aging (CHeBA) published in the Journal of Affective Disorders has for the first time
6-4-2024

WHY THE KETO DIET SHOWS PROMISE

Eline Dekeyster: “I want to implement scientifically proven ketogenic interventions safely in healthcare.” Can the development of these mental health conditions be influenced by the ketogenic diet? Increasingly, research suggests it might. “For those it helps, it can be life-changing,” says neuroscientist Eline Dekeyster. The turnout of more than 700 attendees, both live and online, at Eline Dekeyster’s lecture on nutrition and the brain signals how popular the topic is. Not surprising, according to the neuropsychologist. “Many people struggle with mental
6-4-2024

RESEARCHERS DETERMINE HOW MANY WOMEN TAKE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS DURING PREGNANCY

A new study investigating the safety of medication during pregnancy has found that about 60% of women are prescribed a medication during pregnancy. The study, published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, was led by Professor Gareth Baynam, from UWA Medical School and head of the Western Australian Register of Development Anomalies (WARDA). “Pregnant women have traditionally been excluded from research examining the safety of medications, which has resulted in a lack of adequate data,” Professor Baynam said. In the study, 30% of women used a medication that was classified by
6-4-2024

CUCUMBERS SOLD IN 14 STATES RECALLED OVER SALMONELLA CONCERNS

A company recall has been issued for cucumbers sold in 14 states because of possible contamination with salmonella. In a notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Florida-based Fresh Start Produce recalled the vegetables, which were shipped from May 17 through May 21. The cucumbers were sent to retail distribution centers, wholesalers and food service distributors in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, the company said. Mini cucumbers and English cucumbers are not included
6-4-2024

PHYSICIANS DISCUSS THE RISKS AND BENEFITS OF ADVERTISING

As social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have risen in popularity, so have direct-to-consumer advertisements for drugs like Ozempic, whether it be pop-up advertisements or social media influencers promoting products to their followers. Now, more and more people are asking their doctors to prescribe them drugs they have seen in advertisements, prompting three chief medical residents—Lynne Rosenberg, MD, Samantha Thielen, MD, and Evan Zehr, MD—in the University of Colorado Internal Medicine Residency Program to deliberate: Is this a beneficial or harmful occurrence? The answer, they discovered, is complex and
6-4-2024

POPULATION SHIFTS, RISK FACTORS MAY TRIPLE US CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE COSTS BY 2050

Driven by an older, more diverse population, along with a significant increase in risk factors including high blood pressure and obesity, total costs related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) conditions are likely to triple by 2050, according to projections from the American Heart Association. At least 6 in 10 U.S. adults (61%), more than 184 million people, are expected to have some type of CVD within the next 30 years, reflecting a disease prevalence that will have a $1.8 trillion price tag in direct and indirect costs. The new data comes
6-4-2024

INTERNET ADDICTION AFFECTS BEHAVIOR AND DEVELOPMENT OF ADOLESCENTS, STUDY FINDS

Internet addiction influences multiple neural networks, which can affect the behavior and development of adolescents. Adolescents with an internet addiction undergo changes in the brain that could lead to additional addictive behavior and tendencies, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The findings, published in PLOS Mental Health, reviewed 12 articles involving 237 young people aged 10–19 with a formal diagnosis of internet addiction between 2013 and 2023. Internet addiction has been defined as a person’s inability to resist the urge to use
6-4-2024

MEDICAL SCHOOL ISN’T TEACHING DOCTORS MUCH ABOUT NUTRITION, ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS

Nutrition is a key determinant of health. But American physicians aren’t receiving effective training to counsel patients on the topic, according to a new paper from University of Georgia researchers. Current medical training focuses on weight and body mass index (BMI), exacerbating anti-obesity bias and increasing the risk of eating disorders, the authors said. And it doesn’t give future doctors adequate education on how to encourage healthier eating habits. “Mainstream medicine is still very focused on linking weight to health,” said Kearney Gunsalus,
6-4-2024

NEW POLICY RECOMMENDS AI TECH SHOULD AUGMENT PHYSICIAN DECISION-MAKING, NOT REPLACE IT

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical health care has the potential to transform health care delivery but it should not replace physician decision-making, says the American College of Physicians (ACP) in a new policy paper, titled “Artificial Intelligence in the Provision of Health Care,” published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The paper offers recommendations on the ethical, scientific, and clinical components of AI use, and says that AI tools and systems should enhance human intelligence, not supplant it. “AI has the potential to aid in solving some
6-4-2024

RESEARCHERS SAY BRAIN TUMORS ARE FATAL WHEN THERE IS A DOUBLE GENE MUTATION

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare hereditary cancer predisposition disease characterized by bone marrow failure as well as endocrine and physical abnormalities. A key clinical feature in those affected is a high risk of cancer. The reason for this is that certain genes involved in the repair of DNA damage do not function properly in the disease. This includes the BRCA2 gene. The greatest risk of cancer is observed in affected patients when there are harmful changes in both copies of
6-4-2024

BEFORE HE BOARDED THE RESCUE BOAT, THEY HANDED HIM THE BILL

Vincent Wasney and his fiancée, Sarah Eberlein, had never visited the ocean. They’d never even been on a plane. But when they bought their first home in Saginaw, Michigan, in 2018, their real estate agent gifted them tickets for a Royal Caribbean cruise. After two years of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, they set sail in December 2022. The couple chose a cruise destined for the Bahamas in part because it included a trip to CocoCay, a private island accessible to Royal Caribbean passengers that featured a water park,
6-4-2024

ACCESS TO FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS MAY IMPROVE SLEEP OUTCOMES IN OLDER ADULTS

Older adults who utilize food assistance programs to reliably access quality food may fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer than their peers who do not use such programs, according to a new study by researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences. Ashley Flores, who anticipates earning her doctorate in nutritional sciences from Penn State in August, and Muzi Na, associate professor of nutritional sciences, led this study. The results were recently published in Nutrition Journal. The national rate of food insecurity in
6-4-2024

NEW STUDY REVEALS HOW FAT IN MUSCLES COULD INCREASE RISK OF CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASE AND UNHEALTHY AGING

Scientists at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Australia are calling for greater awareness of a fat deposit located in skeletal muscles. A new study explores how an accumulation of this hidden fat called intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) and its associated cells can drive a range of diseases, including muscle loss, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Lead author Dr. Osvaldo Contreras, of the Sydney-based Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, says the dangers of IMAT had been overlooked for
6-4-2024

EXPLORING HOW PARENTAL DECISIONS ON VACCINES CAN BE SWAYED BY SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is so rife with misinformation regarding childhood vaccinations, health care professionals need to be prepared to provide adequate information and support parents to ensure informed decision-making, a new study has found. Led by nursing and midwifery researcher Dr. Susan Smith from Flinders University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the study looked at the significant role social media plays in shaping parents’ perceptions and choices regarding childhood vaccinations. The paper, “Exploring social media influences on vaccine decision-making in parents: a netnography,” is published in the journal Therapeutic Advances
6-4-2024

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN TELEMEDICINE AND IN-PERSON CARE

A patient sits in the living room of her apartment in the Brooklyn borough of New York during a telemedicine video conference with a physician on Jan. 14, 2019. Patients can now see an array of doctors without leaving their recliner thanks to telemedicine. But that doesn’t mean trips to the office should end. Finding the right balance between virtual and in-person visits can be a key to getting good care.
6-4-2024

COMBINING BIOMEDICAL DATA FROM BREAST CANCER PATIENTS COULD LEAD TO ‘GROUNDBREAKING DISCOVERIES’

Studying combined data from the UK Biobank, a unique record of patient information from more than half a million Britons, could help make “groundbreaking discoveries” in the understanding and treatment of breast cancer, say researchers. Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death of women globally—accounting for 685,000 deaths in 2020—but some forms of the disease are more deadly than others. Understanding the unique characteristics of different variants of the disease could help doctors to diagnose and classify patients and develop new, more personalized therapies. The UK Biobank
6-4-2024

WHEN MOTHERS AND CHILDREN TALK ABOUT PROBLEMS, RESEARCH SAYS ENVIRONMENT MATTERS

Talking to their parents about daily stressors can help adolescents deal with their problems. This is particularly important during the transition to middle school, when youth often are faced with new peer and academic challenges. But does it matter where these conversations take place? That’s the topic of a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The findings are published in The Journal of Early Adolescence. “We were interested in the environmental settings for mother-youth conversations. Where do they typically happen, and what are the preferred locations? We wanted
6-4-2024

SURVEY SHOWS SHIFT IN LANGUAGE AROUND MENTAL HEALTH OVER 79 YEARS

A new survey of nearly 340,000 texts spanning 79 years shows that generic terms in mental health have shifted away from words like “disease” and “disturbance” and toward “psychiatric” and “mental health,” with “mental illness” becoming the most-used term. Nick Haslam and Naomi Baes at the University of Melbourne in Australia present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health on June 4. The authors state
6-4-2024

AUTISM SCREENING TOOL GOES GLOBAL

Researchers at Flinders University are excited about the world-wide uptake of their early screening tool for children suspected of having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The early screening tool, known as Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC), is already available in Australia and is now available free of charge to low-resource countries such as Indonesia, Mexico, China and Guayaquil (Ecuador). A study published recently in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders investigated the effects of translating and culturally adapting the screening tool for a Spanish-speaking population in Ecuador. “ADEC is
6-4-2024

LAWSUIT CLAIMS POPPI SODA NOT AS GUT-HEALTHY AS COMPANY SAYS

The popular prebiotic sodas known as Poppi may not be quite as good for your gut as the company claims. In a class-action lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Kristin Cobbs said she bought Poppi drinks because of their labels, which say they are prebiotic sodas and feature the slogan, “Be Gut Happy. Be Gut Healthy.” But, Cobbs said she later found the drinks contain only around 2 grams of the prebiotic agave inulin fiber, which she said isn’t enough to make any difference in
6-4-2024

• 6-4-2024ETHNIC MINORITIES EXPERIENCE STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION IN ACCESSING LONG COVID CARE
• 6-4-2024PSYCHEDELIC DRUG MDMA FACES FDA PANEL IN BID TO BECOME FIRST-OF-A-KIND PTSD MEDICATION
• 6-4-2024RESEARCHERS INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL OF SMART HOMES TO AID IN AGED CARE
• 6-4-2024US HEALTH OFFICIALS ADVISE USING ANTIBIOTIC AS A ‘MORNING-AFTER PILL’ AGAINST STDS
• 6-4-2024ROMANIA’S PIONEERING LAW ESTABLISHING THE RIGHT TO PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
• 6-4-2024COCHLEAR IMPLANTS AID MENIERE DISEASE OUTCOMES, STUDY SHOWS
• 6-4-2024EXCLUDING PARTISANSHIP QUESTIONS FROM HEALTH SURVEYS COULD LEAD TO INEFFECTIVE POLICY, SAY RESEARCHERS
• 6-4-2024US PREVENTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE RECOMMENDS EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS FOR SENIORS AT RISK FOR FALLS
• 6-4-2024STUDY FINDS MATERNAL OBESITY IN MICE INCREASES MICRORNA LEVELS IN THE HYPOTHALAMUS IN OFFSPRING, LEADING TO OVEREATING
• 6-4-2024SCIENTISTS CALL FOR HOLISTIC CARE OF MENTAL HEALTH THAT COMBINES PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING
• 6-4-2024SOME CHILDREN WITH SEVERE BEDWETTING SEE RESOLUTION AFTER DISCONTINUING ABSORBENT PANTS
• 6-4-2024SCIENTISTS REVEAL HOW A POTASSIUM ION CHANNEL REPROGRAMS ENERGY PRODUCTION IN CANCER CELLS
• 6-4-2024STUDY SHOWS DIABETES TIED TO HIGHER PREVALENCE OF OVERACTIVE BLADDER
• 6-4-2024EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS FOR SELF-HARM SKYROCKETED BETWEEN 2011 AND 2020, STUDY FINDS
• 6-4-2024NEW DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION ALGORITHM MAY HELP PERSONALIZE PARKINSON’S DISEASE TREATMENT
• 6-4-2024FREEZE RESPONSE IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS IS ACTUALLY VERY USEFUL, STUDY SHOWS
• 6-4-2024NEW STUDY REVEALS NEURON-SPECIFIC RESPONSES TO ELECTRIC STIMULATION
• 6-4-2024AQUABLATION, HOLEP MAY PROVIDE UNIQUE BENEFITS FOR MEN WITH BENIGN PROSTATE HYPERPLASIA
• 6-4-2024NEW MOLECULAR TOOL SHOWS HOW TELOMERES RELATE TO HEART HEALTH
• 6-4-2024AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY CURBS SPREAD OF FUNGI CAUSING SERIOUS BLOOD INFECTIONS
• 6-4-2024CREATIVE APPROACH, DIVERSIFIED INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL ROLES CREATE ON-RAMP FOR NON-TRADITIONAL HOSPITAL STAFF
• 6-4-2024STANDARDIZED PREOPERATIVE, SURGICAL, ANTIBIOTIC PRACTICES IMPROVE ORTHOPEDIC, COLORECTAL, ABDOMINAL SURGERY OUTCOMES
• 6-4-2024PROGRAM SUPPORTING PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND PARENTING SKILLS OF MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH ADHD PROVES EFFECTIVE
• 6-4-2024WEARABLE BRAIN IMAGING PROVIDES A PRECISE PICTURE OF CHILDREN’S DEVELOPING BRAINS
• 6-4-2024RESEARCHERS DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY THAT MAY ALLOW STROKE PATIENTS TO UNDERGO REHAB AT HOME
• 6-4-2024RESEARCHERS COMPLETE FIRST TRIAL OF BLACK PATIENTS WITH EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER
• 6-4-2024FIVE-MINUTE TEST LEADS TO BETTER CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN THE PRIMARY CARE SETTING
• 6-4-2024ORGANS-ON-CHIP READY TO HELP SNAKE VENOM RESEARCH
• 6-4-2024STUDY SHOWS THAT OPPORTUNITY COSTS INFLUENCE WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
• 6-4-2024STUDY FINDS FIRST-LINE BIPARAMETRIC MRI LESS COST-EFFECTIVE THAN PSA FOR PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING
• 6-4-2024FINDINGS FROM STUDIES PRESENTED AT DIGESTIVE DISEASE WEEK
• 6-4-2024ON-DEMAND SEBETRALSTAT SPEEDS SYMPTOM RELIEF IN HEREDITARY ANGIOEDEMA, CLINICAL TRIAL FINDS
• 6-4-2024US MATERNAL DEATH RATE REMAINS MUCH HIGHER THAN OTHER AFFLUENT NATIONS, SAYS REPORT
• 6-4-2024FDA APPROVES FIRST LIQUID, NONSTIMULANT ADHD TREATMENT
• 6-4-2024ATLANTA-BASED FOUNDER SEEKS TO HELP WOMEN GAIN CONTROL OVER INCONTINENCE
• 6-4-2024NO CAUSAL ASSOCIATION SEEN FOR MENIERE DISEASE, MIGRAINE
• 6-4-2024SURVEY FINDS 9.6 PERCENT OF MEDICAL VISITS TOOK PLACE VIA TELEHEALTH IN 2021
• 6-4-2024STUDY SHOWS BODY MASS INDEX IS STRONGLY LINKED TO ADIPOSITY FOR CHILDREN AGED 8 TO 19 YEARS
• 6-4-2024TENNESSEE GIVES HOSPITAL MONOPOLY AN A GRADE, EVEN WHEN IT REPORTS FAILURE
• 6-4-2024TRIAL SUGGESTS CHEMO BEFORE, AFTER SURGERY COULD HELP THOSE BATTLING ESOPHAGEAL CANCER
• 6-4-2024BIOTECH TO TEST NEW THERAPY FOR STROKE
• 6-4-2024DOCTORS DEVELOP MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURE TO AVOID DRILLING A ‘BURR HOLE’ IN THE SKULL TO TREAT CLOT ON THE BRAIN
• 6-4-2024PHASE III TRIAL SHOWS DONIDALORSEN CUTS ATTACK RATE IN HEREDITARY ANGIOEDEMA
• 6-4-2024AI TOOL HELPS MONITOR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN AND IDENTIFY NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS
• 6-4-2024RESEARCHERS SHOW HOW DOPAMINE PATHWAYS CONTRIBUTE TO COMPLEX NEURAL CIRCUITS THAT CONTROL GOAL-DIRECTED BEHAVIOR
• 6-4-2024RETROSPECTIVE STUDY SHOWS AI DETECTS MORE BREAST CANCERS WITH FEWER FALSE POSITIVES
• 6-4-2024LARGE-SCALE STUDY SUPPORTS VALIDITY OF IMPULSIVITY AS A PERSONALITY TRAIT
• 6-4-2024THE CHICKEN AND EGG PROBLEM OF FIGHTING ANOTHER FLU PANDEMIC
• 6-4-2024NEW INSIGHTS INTO T AND B CELLS OFFER HOPE FOR AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE SUFFERERS
• 6-4-2024MICRONUTRIENTS MIGHT HELP BOTH WOMEN WITH ANTENATAL DEPRESSION AND THEIR BABIES: STUDY
• 6-4-2024RESEARCH SHOWS GLP-1 RECEPTOR AGONIST DRUGS ARE EFFECTIVE BUT COME WITH COMPLEX CONCERNS
• 6-4-2024PROTON THERAPY DEMONSTRATES ADVANTAGES OVER TRADITIONAL RADIATION THERAPY IN PHASE III HEAD AND NECK CANCER TRIAL
• 6-4-2024NEW STUDY HIGHLIGHTS POTENTIAL OF COVALENT RADIOLIGANDS IN CANCER TREATMENT
• 6-4-2024NOVEL SOFTWARE COMBINES GENE ACTIVITY AND TISSUE LOCATION TO DECODE DISEASE MECHANISMS
• 6-4-2024NEW TEST DETECTS MORE CASES OF CERVICAL CANCER
• 6-4-2024NEW CURATIVE THERAPY BRINGS HOPE FOR THE TREATMENT OF NODDING SYNDROME
• 6-4-2024NEW ROLE OF TUMOR SUPPRESSOR STAT3? DISCOVERED IN LEUKEMIA
• 6-4-2024NEW MICROSCOPY METHOD SHOWS BLOOD VESSEL GROWTH IN SKULL INJURIES
• 6-4-2024RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY FIRST STEP IN ALLERGIC REACTIONS, PAVING THE WAY FOR PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES
• 6-4-2024EXPLORING BRAIN STIMULATION WITH 3D ULTRASOUND TO TREAT NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES AND CONDITIONS
• 6-4-2024US HEALTH DEPARTMENTS EXPERIENCE WORKFORCE SHORTAGES AND STRUGGLE TO REACH ADEQUATE STAFFING LEVELS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
• 6-4-2024USING NETWORK MODELS TO INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SKULL AND BRAIN
• 6-4-2024NEW ULTRA-SENSITIVE BLOOD TEST PREDICTS RECURRENCE OF BREAST CANCER, MONTHS OR YEARS BEFORE RELAPSE
• 6-4-2024RESEARCHERS USE SPATIAL MULTI-OMICS TO INVESTIGATE LIVER ZONATION AND ROLE OF GPR35 IN DISEASE REGULATION
• 6-4-2024PAIN SCALE TOOL NOT EFFECTIVE IN DETECTING PAIN IN CANCER PATIENTS, SAYS RESEARCHER
• 6-4-2024ORAL NUCLEOSIDE ANTIVIRAL IS PROGRESSING TOWARD FUTURE PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS
• 6-4-2024NEW METHOD OFFERS FASTER, MORE ACCURATE PATHOGEN IDENTIFICATION, EVEN IN COMPLEX DNA SEQUENCES
• 6-4-2024GENETIC CHANGES IDENTIFIED AS KEY TO CHILDHOOD LUPUS
• 6-4-2024RESEARCHERS PUBLISH FIRST COMPUTATIONAL INSIGHTS INTO COLONIC MOTILITY TO AID UNDERSTANDING OF ULCERATIVE COLITIS
• 6-4-2024MOLECULE PRODUCED IN GUT CAN HAVE PROTECTIVE EFFECT AGAINST FLU, STUDY SHOWS
• 6-4-2024PROTEOMICS UNCOVER SEXUAL DIMORPHISM AND IMMUNE CHANGES IN AGING MICE WITH WERNER SYNDROME
• 6-4-2024CPR WILLINGNESS GROWS IN THE US, BUT THE NEED TO ACT REMAINS
• 6-4-2024MOBILE APP HELPS PREDICT FUTURE DEPRESSION IN PREGNANT PEOPLE
  
• 6-4-2024PERSONALIZED OXYGENATION COULD IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS
  
• 6-4-2024SOCIETAL AND BIOLOGICAL FACTORS BOTH CONTRIBUTE TO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19
  
• 6-4-2024INFLIGHT ALCOHOL PLUS CABIN PRESSURE CAN LOWER BLOOD OXYGEN AND RAISE HEART RATE, EVEN IN THE YOUNG AND HEALTHY
  
• 6-4-2024HIGH EXCESS DEATH RATES IN THE WEST FOR 3 YEARS RUNNING SINCE START OF PANDEMIC DESPITE CONTAINMENT AND VACCINES
  
• 6-4-2024FACIAL THERMAL IMAGING AND AI CAN ACCURATELY PREDICT PRESENCE OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE
  

20M contemplating apologizing to ex 19f
Hi, about a year ago I split things off with my ex and have been contemplating reaching out to her to apologize for shitty things I did in our relationship. I’m not trying to make excuses for my actions but it was my first semi-serious relationship (dated for about three months) I ever had and there was a lot of things I definitely did wrong.
I broke things off because I knew that I wasn’t mature enough to date her and that our relationship wasn’t going to work out, we argued pretty regularly about things and I thought there was just way too much drama between us. I tried being friends with her after and naively thought everything would be fine. We kept in contact for about a month until she told me she still had feelings for me. I told her I wasn’t in a position to be in a relationship and that she deserved someone who treated her with the respect, kindness, and love that she deserved and that I couldn’t be that person for her.
We went back and forth after that and it led to us fighting and arguing over text for almost an entire day until it ended with me blocking her.
I haven’t talked to her since, but recently looked at her social media accounts and have seen posts alluding to me and to me it’s clear that what I did in the past still affected her.
I wrote out a message saying how I’m sorry for how I treated her that I planned to send her, but I feel unsure about sending it or not. I feel very guilty about the way I handled our relationship and want to apologize, however I also don’t wanna escalate anything and am afraid sending a message to her might just do more harm than good. Im still very naive relationship wise and part of me just thinks it would it be weird or wrong to reach out and apologize, or if it’s even worth it when we only dated and knew eachother for less than 5 months?
tldr: shitty relationship ended poorly between me (20M) and my short term girlfriend (19F) about a year ago. From her own social media it seems our relationship still affects her and I want to reach out to her to apologize for my wrongdoings but fear it may do more harm than good.

*sorry for the typo sa title (more than 1 year)
I'm [25F] and my boyfriend [30M] we both live in QC, he has been unemployed for more than a year and is having a hard time finding a job. How to motivate him and/or check up on him?
Hi! My boyfriend has been unemployed for more than 1 year now and is having a hard time finding a job / getting hired and we've been together for almost two years na. Honestly, I hope he doesn't see this because I don't want him to think I'm doubting him. I'm just wondering fellow redditors, if you know someone who graduated from UP and went to elementary school in DLSU GH and HS in Ateneo , but is stuck in a slump like him? I know school should not matter but I can't help but wonder why he can't land a job despite that kind of background. I myself did not graduate from Big 4 schools both undergrad and law school but I have a nice paying job.
I want to know what are the right words to say to him without offending him or sounding demanding. Because I feel like this is a sensitive topic to us, he often apologies for not being able to take me on dates. And I don't mind naman talaga being the one who pays for everything. But I guess na hhurt yung pride/ego niya (?)
And lately napapansin ko hindi na siya nahihiya humingi sakin ng pambili ng pod sa vape, items sa Dota and even his other essentials. Again, I don't mind naman talaga pero sana mas umeffort pa siya mag hanap ng work.. so yun nga, how do I motivate him and what do you thing is the right approach?
Thank you po!

Im writing this because I just want to release a little bit my pain.
Context: I met this boy in November 2021 he was my first boyfriend. I was 26 he was 23. I’m a trans girl fully transitioned 🐱 . At the beginning it was like a movie . Everything I always wanted in a partner all my standards were met . I’m strict because I fear to look stupid . It make sense that after all that time without a real connection with anyone it was finally him . I could be myself , he was not a weirdo(like tons of men attracted to trans girls ) his family was wealthy but he was super down to earth he was Romantic during his trips he sent me postal letters telling me about his days even if we talked online while he was away that detail will always stay with me .he was accepted to study aboard in Sweden for summer 2022. I knew it was going to be over by then so in my head I wanted to have a good summer he wanted to keep the relationship long distance and I thought it was cute. But everything changed the day I met his parents for his brother birthday. I was skeptic to meet his family since I never done it before. But he convinced me that everything was going to be okay. The night went well I survived I told myself . That was until the next day that he called me crying . His mom did not accept I was trans (he knew about it but we never talked about it ) and told him the worse things about me . Like I was not human like I didn’t had a mother that loved me too . After that he changed. I was not his dream girl anymore I felt I became a burden since he had to hide it every time he came to see me. I never been humiliated like that . Then a month later he broke up with me . I always been super prideful so I took the L and I told him I wasn’t going to deal with bigotry obviously I was hurt but I rather die before he sees me in pain . Then the next day he came crying to me my house saying how sorry he was that being without me was more painful than listening to his parents . I took him back again he was leaving I wanted to end up in good terms . But those last months weren’t the same . His vision of me changed . I could Feel it. And the worse part is that those months were one of the happiest of my life . Ngl this may sound superficial I did enjoyed getting access to his wealth (boats , cottages , expensive restaurants) but I genuinely liked him . At the end I wrote him a text message expressing how I felt about how humiliating the whole situation was and how stupid I felt for believing in him . He got upset and said hurtful things to me but saying sorry right after . I’m a regular time I would had snap back but he was leaving so again for sake of peace 😭The last day before leaving overseas after tears we said goodbye. I was preparing myself for the breakup I made him unfollow me from instagram and Snapchat and told him that I was better for us not to speak (I was expecting him doing it anyways but he didn't) n that was the least time I heard from him. After I deleted all his photos , texts everything and started dating again . I met someone cool a month after that brought me the material side I like but I ghosted him after because there was not spark . It wasn't him . So I gave my self a break to heal n I haven't dated anyone since then it's being 2 years 😭 For the first months after he left I felt's relieved the anxiety and the tension about his family was gone but the more the time passed the more I became bitter about the whole situation. For the past year and a half he came to watch my instagram stories every month (without following me) and I post like once in a month so that gave my heart hope that everything we lived was real that I was special if he was stalking me like that even my friends once and he actually had feelings for me . Hoping he would reach out but he never did . So I blocked him thinking it would help me but it’s being 6 months and I still feel the same😭 And the thing is I knew he was leaving so it was going to end anyways but it didn't had to be so ... humiliating.. making feel like I was not enough being terrified of meeting someone new .. traumatized Why do I have to live traumatized and they got to live a happy life ? N the worse is that I'm grateful for him he's not a bad person I know that . But I wish I can hurt them back I'm just angry I got to feel like this and he’s going to live the life I always wanted. It's being 2 years and it hasn't been a day I don't think about it . I still burst in tears . I can't anymore.

Keeping it vague so I don't incriminate myself, but I met this girl a while ago and we were going really strong for a couple weeks. We seemed really compatible, talking about a future relationship and stuff and being really intimate, although we didn't have sex. Then she suddenly messaged me saying she wasn't really comfortable, and we haven't really seen each other since save for one or two nights. Otherwise, she's kinda just been brushing me off when I try to gauge her interest in this. We still text, and she said she wants to talk to me at some point. Given the context I don't think she wants to break it off and there is a lot going on for both of us right now. I'm also not going to waste my time pursuing something that's not gonna happen. I guess my plan recently has just been to reflect whatever energy she gives me and wait until we get an opportunity to talk. Whenever we are actually together it feels so natural, but now that we really only text there's just no energy. Any advice is appreciated.
P.s. coming from retrospect, if you're in the beginning of a relationship with a girl, keep texting to a minimum. If your relationship with someone is fully irl, it makes it so much more genuine and takes less effort to keep it going. Plus you don't have to deal with the will/when will she text me anxiety train.

hi
I'm on the west coast of Canada, moved here from England several years ago and currently looking for some interesting ppl to b friends with (or end up blocking lmao).
I have a beautiful lil cat, like tiktok, gaming (PC), working out and having deep convos around life, your exes, chicken wings and what kinda pizza is best.
I love sending/receiving voice notes/calls as I think it helps build rapport faster than text so would prompt to move to discord once we pass the vibe check.
hmu with what ur biggest toxic trait is? (it's a fun ice breaker and helps me judge you... jk, or am I?)

Hey everyone, due to the environment I was raised in, I (an adult) now struggle with attention issues. Won’t get too much into it but recently had someone tell me pretty bluntly that I talk about myself too much. Honestly didn’t even realize this but now I wonder how much other people have noticed and secretly don’t like it when i’m around.
Since then, I have been working really hard on not saying I, me, or my, But I do feel like I need an outlet (not many friends) and thought it would be helpful to share my days in detail on here as a journal type thing. All the good, bad, and ugly. Please feel free to share yours so we can all give each other the attention we need!
Tuesday June 4th: - it was a long day. I was with my least favorite client and while it went fine and was chill, I can tell she hates when i’m with her. For awhile I was trying really hard to build the rapport and it was getting better but then her teacher wanted us to be the ones to redirect her phone use so that along with the fact that i’m not there too much anymore has caused me to lose the rapport with her.

• my supervisor even knows I don’t like being there so she tries her best to put others with her. I was supposedly gonna be taken off the case but i’m still on. Makes sense because I live close by.
  
• it makes me sad that her and I never meshed but i’ll do better with my next kiddo. She honestly doesn’t even try anymore and it’s frustrating.
  
• it was my first day with my four year old client at his new daycare. I was at the old one and it was so cute but they just moved to a new facility so it was his first day as well.
  
• This place is far away from where I live and then we go to his house afterwards so it’s such a long day. But I got anxious because I was late due to my car being in the shop, there was no parking unless you pay or get it validated and i didn’t know how to do that so I parked far away on the street and texted my supervisor and boss that I was lost. Felt kinda stupid since it was actually not that confusing if I had just walked straight but didn’t think I was allowed to lol.
  
• my Kiddo has the best parents. They are really sweet and so great at teaching their kids how to behave. The daycare took us close to 20 minutes to get back when it was previously 1/2 the amount of time. Plus we shortened session at home so i don’t know if we are going to change the hours since session at home was basically 30 mins long (supposed to be an hour and a half) and I was a half an hour late to daycare since I got lost.
  
• we’ll probably have to change the hours or cut daycare all together. But I guess it went by fast since session was shorter. His parents know he’s tired by the end of the day. He was pushing more with me today which was somewhat good to see and we worked through it. His teachers and parents already utilize coping strategies and functional communication so he is able to control his emotions better than I can haha. It’s really neat to see parents actually parenting for once.
  
• so my day went like: my school client from 9:25 to 1:25, home to grab my car, then a 35 min drive to my client’s daycare for an hour, 20 mins drive back to his house for an hour, then an hour drive back home. I. Am. Done.
  

- my friend from the barn texted me last night thanking me for the cake i brought and made plans to give me a free jumping lesson on Friday which is great because I wasn’t sure she wanted to really be around me anymore. She also texted today about the cake again haha. Everyone at the barn liked it so i gotta get the brand for them tomorrow.

• tomorrow i’m with my favorite client again and off at 1:27 so i’ll go ride the pony.
• HOW WAS EVERYONE’S TUESDAY!! GOOD, BAD, OR UGLY? TELL ME ALL THE THINGS!!

Hi - thanks for reading. I'm a 29yo male, white hispanic, 6'1 and 188lbs. I eat fairly healthy (have to to keep my prediabetes at bay) and exercise 6 days/week (3 cardio 3 resistance).
About six months ago I have a concerning bout of sensation loss on my right side. I got up and jogged a bit to run it off, which worked. But when I say loss of sensation, my hand and a little of my face went absolute zero sensation like immediately. Came back 10 or so minutes later like nothing had happened.
About 2 months ago, it happened again - just walking through the grocery store. Felt my right hand go numb and the right corner of my mouth. I started to freak out a bit - my face looked fine in the mirror, but it hit me that I might be having a stroke. I immediately got into the car and drove to the hospital, even though my symptoms had subsided by the time I got there (2 miles tops). I had full control of my arm, I drive stick. So finding the gears and stuff was fine, didn't feel weak or anything. Just zero sensation.
Get to the hospital, they admit me overnight and do a CT, MRI, angiogram. Everything clean as a whistle. A neurologist looked it over for concerns of brain tumors/MS, found no masses and no demyelination. They sent me home with basically a "we can't tell what's wrong but you're not gonna die right now."
I saw my primary, he said more or less it could just be a weird nerve pinch or something and not to worry. We did a general blood work up and all my numbers look great. Even my glucose looks markedly better the last few months.
Last weekend it happened again, with some vision abnormality this time. I had symptoms onset as I was in the hospital - CT again, MRI again, angiogram again. Everything fine. ER doc brings up that it could be severe anxiety - but it isn't something I've ever struggled with before.
I see a neurologist on Thursday this week but I'm getting worried. Could it be something as simple as nerve issues or something in my neck? I'm beginning to get this omenous feeling like I'm going to die pretty young and it's starting to freak me out.

Hi,
I know this question has been asked before but after reading previous posts I still have a little confusion surrounding Caucuses.
From what I have gathered Caucuses are largely symbolic/unofficial and are used to somewhat sort DSA members in their varying ideologies.
I read over many of the different Caucuses principles and purely based on their statements of purpose I would say I agreed with the North Star statement the most and agreed with the Red Star statement the least.
However, from further reading, it seems that the North Star caucus is one of the smaller caucuses and is also more likely to be comprised of older members.
If I were to join a Caucus what would this mean for me? Is it worth it for new DSA members to join a caucus, or are they best suited for members who have already been active for several years? What role do Caucuses play and what responsibilities/implications does joining one entail?
Like I said North Star's statement speaks to me the most, but I am also interested in hearing what other people think. I have seen people on this subreddit recommend Red Labor.
I am quite new to DSA so thank you for your patience with my questions. Your input is highly appreciated.

Hi I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this but I just feel really hopeless and don’t know who to talk to about this.
My partner has been dealing with an alcohol addiction for several years now. We have been dating for four years, 3 of those years were long distance and I never truly noticed his addiction until we moved in together this past year.
When I would come home from work he would be acting weird, not his normal self. He would try to start dinner but would ruin the food. He would also start tasks and not finish them. After coming home to this for months, I lost my temper and told him I can’t stand him drinking before I get home. I told him I would leave him if he did this again and he would stop for awhile but just pick up the same behavior. Finally after I screamed and cried at him about how much I couldn’t stand his behavior he told me he is an alcoholic.
I know I did not handle this well at all but after he told me that I have been trying to be more supportive and his friend offered to be his sponsors at AA meetings. Everything was set up for him to go and he tell us he was would go but then he would make up an excuse on why he couldn’t make it. He would stop drinking for a couple days and swear he was just going to quit cold turkey and that he didn’t need the meetings. But this wouldn’t last and he would just go back to his drinking behavior.
I finally had it today, we let our cat outside in a harness and sometimes she can get out of it if you are not watching her. Well she has escaped twice now because he wasn’t watching her and he was drunk. Today was the second time and I was so angry at him. She did come back but I was not sure if she would the second time. I don’t know what to do anymore. I have told him how his drinking effects me and makes me stressed out, but it doesn’t seem to register to him that his behavior is causing our relationship to crumble.
I will say his work is really stressful and his mom is dealing with cancer so I know he has a heavy burden. Maybe he feels like drinking is the only he can cope with work and his mom’s illness. How can be more supportive and let go of my anger towards him?