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I apologize for my bad English but here it is Yesterday me and my girlfriend had a date we always have one in Friday or Saturday and for me that day was one of my worst days. For a little back story I live with my family and my mother sufers from a very rare disease that made her fall to hard in depression so hard that was in need of pills to even can smile or talk to us she was a great mother to us and still is the best as much as she can I love her with all my heart but her disease has left her rotate in a bed unable to eat smoke or do anything by herself leaving me and my family devastated with our new responsibilities to take good care of her. We did in the most part for the past years I did all the work while the rest of my family was going on with their life's without considering how exhausted I was with all that and fall in deep depression but I could let anyone to notice keeping everything to myself and never talk to anyone besides that I study nursing and work inside misery but it's making me happy helping people. Anyway back to the problem the day of our date I wasn't very talking or wasn't say anything at all she asked me if I was OK I said not so much she knows how I struggle to talk to others about that I told her that I don't wanna talk about it and in the entire ridde home she got mad and annoyed at me that made me feel worse We talked I told her but still was weird between us so after our date I left her home told her thank you for her help and go home. I send her a massage apologized for ruin her date and said dw about it but she still was annoyed. We left It there and went to sleep till today she wasn't very talkative was sleeping all day We talk for a little in night and she went to sleep again what can I do?

So I’m a nursing student and I know what I want to do but I don’t know the title (or if it’s even an actual job) and unsure or the extra skills I would need to get there.
Basically I want to work internationally establishing hospitals/ new training specifically in areas experiencing outbreaks of disease/ natural disasters. Alongside this I want to campaign for better health access for all and contribute research findings to help shape health policies.
I’ve tried conducting my own research but I’m not really finding a difinitive answer. I know volunteering with charities like DWB would be a good start and 100% will be signing up once qualified but other than that I’m a bit stuck. Any help/ advice would be greatly appreciated 🥰

Hello all!
TLDR; are BCBAs trained in psychiatric conditions. And how to work together for a common goal when I feel the BCBA is stepping out of her scope of practice and in to mine as a nurse.
First post here, and I had a specific question I wanted some guidance on. I am a nurse working on a pediatric inpatient psychiatric unit working specifically with kids with autism or developmental delays. The hospital has recently hired on a new BCBA who I believe is practicing above her scope of competence. I am not sure how much education BCBAs get specifically in psychiatric conditions or the diagnosis and treatment of such disorders. I think a lot of what she is doing is good, but these kiddos often have co-occurring diagnoses and I don’t think she’s taking these psychiatric diagnoses in to account when making her behavior plans and interventions. She is also instructing nurses on things that a definitely NOT in her scope of practice. Such as administering of emergency medications and seclusion and restraint. Which is occasionally necessary to prevent serious Injury to patient peers and staff. This new BCBA is good at her job, but she tends to shut down her staff who have good ideas (no idea is good unless it’s hers). And completely dismisses staff when they bring up things that have worked for a specific patient for a specific behavior in the past. She can be difficult to work with in that regard. I don’t really know how to professionally tell her “stay out of my lane” 😅

Nursing vs school counseling
I’m a former science teacher that has considered both careers. I am currently finishing off my prerequisites for nursing and doing great but I also have a chronic autoimmune disease that I’m afraid will exasperate as I age (currently 31). I applied to a counseling program online last year and I got in but decided to defer for a year to consider both options and I got in. The pay is similar to both based on the kind of work I’m considering in both fields but I can’t decide. Both help people but one is more physical labor while the other is more mental and paperwork. Both professions: Help people
Nursing: I’m hoping I could do either be a pediatric oncology, hospice, or home health nurse Downside is the turnover rate for nursing is big and that worries me about getting a degree in a profession that many people quit.
counseling: in Texas school counseling programs include the LPC license so if you wish to pursue working outside of schools you can and you can also work from home and have your own business. You also don’t have the physical demands from nursing that many people say has ruined their bodies. Instead this job has the mental demands. If I were to do this I’d like to work with kids until I become fully licensed and then switch to Grief counseling.
I’m having so much trouble deciding but if any of you are or know of someone in these professions let me know what you all think.

Hi all,
I’ve been in a messy situation with our property management company for the last bit. We’ve had reoccurring mold issues with a litany of other things. Long story short, the LL refused to break our lease sans penalty even though they failed to rectify the mold situation in under 10 days, per AZ law. I have a toddler in the home, which is why I’m even considering going to court. As far as I understand, we are legally in the clear to walk away from our lease, as the company has already voided it with their noncompliance.
Do we have a leg to stand on with this? I’ve copied a draft of an email detailing everything out that we will be sending to a lawyer officially and to the local LL office. We literally just want our lease done and our deposit back. They offered us a single night in a hotel and to finish the work in 3 days. However, an ozone treatment alone takes 7 and they have to remove several walls, a shower, and the toilet to start to rectify this.
We have all our work orders, medical documents and bills, and photos of the home assembled and ready to go.
All this to say, besides addressing our lawyer with this and praying, what next? We’re staying with family ATM and we are no longer in the home to limit the exposure. I figured I would ask here because I’m going out of my mind and I needed some loose answers.
—-EMAIL DRAFT——
(PROPERTY MANAGERS),
We tried to reach _____ on 5/10/2024 via phone and were not able to get through.
After learning that breaking our lease on the grounds of mold hazards was denied, we want to reach out again to detail the severity of the safety and environmental issues in the home we rent from (property company).
Over the last year, beginning one month after move-in, our daughter has had asphyxiating episodes severe enough that her lips turn blue. After the first incident, we immediately took her to the ER, where an EKG and several tests on her lungs were conducted. As all tests came back clear, we were advised the issue may be environmental. Since that consultation, our daughter experiences persistent hives all over her body, some the size of a hand. Treatments for various skin diseases have been unsuccessful. She had a full allergy panel run this week, which came back negative. She has been placed on antibiotics, steroids, and homeopathic remedies, all of which failed to stop the hives and the chronic congestion and ear infections. After several rounds of failed tests and treatments, pediatricians and nurses have supported the initial assessment of environmental causes.
The hives and blue lips only stop when we are outside of the home. I left home last month with my daughter. All issues resolved immediately and for the entire two weeks we were out of the home. Upon our return, the issues, including hives and breathing episodes, immediately returned. Our pediatrician will be examining her again next week to confirm environmental causes. We all have persistent congestion, headaches, and fatigue.
We conducted an air quality test on 05/09/2024, which confirmed the presence of mold in the home, further corroborating that the home is causing our daughter’s illness.
We have worked to bring attention to the mold issue from the time of the move-in consult, which at the time was only visible in the shower area. A formal work order was processed for the base of the shower on 03/22/2023 for “discoloration,” and it was not completed until 05/09/2023. That is 48 days between the request and completion of the work order. The moldy caulk replacement request was submitted 04/17/2023 and completed 05/17/2023, coming to 30 days for remediation. The request to repair drywall, which was soft-to-touch, was submitted 04/17/2023, and was not completed until 06/21/2023, which is 65 days between request and completion. We deep clean the bathrooms weekly, dry the showers thoroughly after every use, and open windows and run fans to provide proper ventilation. The repair provided by (property company) was insufficient to prevent mold recurrence.
On May 10, 2024, the mold remediation technician confirmed extensive water damage and mold growth in both bathrooms upstairs. He confirmed that several walls, the shower, and the toilet would all have to be removed and replaced. This consultation came 6 days after it was scheduled, which was an additional 10 days after we submitted the work order, coming to 16 days from notification to consultation, and nearly double the legal requirement of 10 days from notification to remediation.
Unfortunately, mold remediation is not the only repair in our home that we have waited unreasonably long for. Persistent issues include:
-Oven: When the gas technician arrived at the home to turn on utilities, the technician refused to connect the gas line, as the stovetop ignition took an extended amount of time to light. He provided a paper warning notifying us of the hazard. When (property company) was notified, it took 7 work orders from 2/8/2023 to 3/24/2023 (44 days) to receive a replacement oven.
-Dryer Vent: Upon move-in, the dryer vent was clogged and we were cautioned not to plug in our dryer, as this was a fire hazard. (property company) was notified on 2/7/2023 of the issue. Work orders were repeatedly canceled for this issue. 4 work orders were placed before a technician was sent on 3/24/2023 (45 days). This was improperly completed, and the issue persisted. We paid for a Samsung technician to come to our home to verify the dryer was functional, and he confirmed again the dryer vent was the issue. 08/15/2023 (189 days) another work order was submitted, and these orders were canceled, nearly daily. (A property company technician) would show up to our house, only to let us know the work order was not approved repeatedly. After speaking to the head of maintenance and several property managers, the work order was pushed through on 09/07/2023 (212 days). The dryer vent remains a persistent issue to the point that we clear it weekly.
-Windows: 6 windows in the home do not remain open. It became a safety issue when our 21-month-old daughter began to pull at them and they started slamming shut. I notified (property company) on 2/27/2024. The work orders are open as of 5/10/2024 (93 days), with only three windows repaired. Nearly all the windows in the home had missing or damaged screens upon move in, which we documented.
We cannot trust that (property company) will complete the mold remediation within 3 days, as quoted to us 5/10/2024, due to the history detailed above. One night in a hotel will neither safely accommodate us until the remediation of the hazardous mold issue, nor repair the damage done over the last 15 months to the health of us and our daughter.
Similarly, we cannot trust that the damage will not continue upon our return to the property, given the track record for repairs stated above.
We as tenants have performed our due diligence both to request reasonable repairs through (property company) and to exhaust every avenue of medical intervention for our daughter. Every step of the way we have acted in good faith and have not only maintained the property, but increased its condition. Since we have video of our initial walk through, two days before move-in, we’d be happy to invite you in to show the positive difference we have made on the property. Furthermore, you’ll be welcome to see the extent of the hazardous mold situation first hand.
We are reasonably requesting a termination of our lease agreement, sans penalty, and the return of our security deposit for now. We are within our legal right to request this, as we are well outside of the state-mandated, ten-day timeline for total remediation. (See Arizona Landlord and Tenancy Act, A.R.S. 33-1324 and A.R.S 33-1361, which specify the mold must be remediated by the landlord within ten days of formal notice by the tenant, or the tenant reserves the right to terminate the lease without penalty).
As the quoted mold remediation costs over $2,000, we are unable to fix it on our own within the bounds of the law. Arizona law dictates repairs must be 1/2 a month’s rent or less than $300 for a tenant to pay for and invoice the property owner. Otherwise, we would have conducted repairs properly a year ago.
We would prefer to resolve this matter peacefully and conclude this chapter of our lives. If you would like to further discuss this matter, please reach out to (myself and husband). We are requesting all communication be through email at this point.
If we are unable to reach an agreement on our lease, our lawyer is prepared to reach out and handle the case moving forward.

Just hoping to find anyone in my situation. Anemic my whole adult life. Finally got approved for iron infusions 6 years ago and for 3 years did great. New insurance required a referral for infusions and my Primary said nah. And gave me liquid iron. My iron stores stayed low the whole time, even tripling the dose. Last August, at age 48(f) I went to the ER with chest pain. Positive troponins, off to the CathLab. I was an on and off smoker for years so I was worried what they’d find. Well, no blockages, coronaries clean, but a Myocardial Bridge in the middle of my LAD. Had an echo, elevated LV pressure and Enlarged Left Atrium. I was anemic again on presentation to the ED. So they sent me home with Lipitor and Aspirin and set me up with gyn and hematology. Hematology gave me iron infusions, Gyn told me I needed a hysterectomy due to finding an ovarian mass. Got that surgery in November. Not cancer. Felt a million times better walking 5 miles a day within a week of being cut open vertically. Wished I could run! Then 2 1/2 months after surgery I began to feel weak and dizzy on my walks. Then was getting weakness in my arms and felt like I was going to pass out. New doc told me I had low Vit D and B12. Replaced those with supplements. Tiredness and fatigue got worse and worse. Saw GI, she said you had surgery, you’re going to be tired for a long time. A week before my 6 month follow up with my cardiologist, I had crushing chest pain at rest, it resolved after 2 nitro doses. A few days later I had chest pain immediately following a burst of activity, nitro rescued again. I thought I was anemic again and setting my bridge off. Cardiologist stopped Lipitor and told me I needed a stress echo, he mentions CHF and/or microvascular disease. He started Ranexa to prevent angina episodes, and now I feel my heart pounding in my chest, it literally makes my shirt move with every heart beat. Some of the weakness has gone away with stopping the Lipitor, but now he’s got me worried about developing post MI CHF. My only symptoms are lightheaded and dizzy spells, feeling breathless but great pulse ox and no swelling. I guess I’m just looking to vent while I wait for my stress echo to be done in 4 weeks. Anyone with similar experience?

My professor gave us NO lecture or material to help us in answering these questions….we are not research experts or have any experience at all. Please someone help me with these short 5 homework questions :S

1. Suppose you are interested in risk factors for type 2 diabetes. You test 20 factors. In your cohort BMI has p-value of 0.04, all of the rest have p>0.05. Is the effect of BMI statistically significant?

Answer choice: Yes at face value. OR No, after correction for multiple comparisons.

1. Suppose there’s a study of factors for blood pressure in a university hospital. The hospital has over 4.5 million outpatient visits. Suppose you are testing if a factor is associated with an increase in systolic blood pressure.

For reference, >140 consider hypertensive, 120-139 is pre-hypertensive, and <120 is normal blood pressure.
This particular dichotomous factor has an effect size= 0.0001 (i.e it increases systolic blood pressure 0.0001), with p-value= 0.001. Is this clinically and/or statistically significant?
Answer choice: It is clinically significant and not statistically significant OR It is statistically significant, and probably not clinically .

1. Your colleague ran a feasibility and acceptability pilot study for their Blood Pressure Evaluation and Action for Treatment Initiative, affectionately termed “BEAT IT”. There are n=20 individuals, where they tested out their new intervention. Everyone received the intervention. It reduced blood pressure by 10 points in women age 40-50. You work adolescence. Do you think the results will generalize to your population?

Answer choice: Yes OR No

1. A college comes to you for advice on a totally different analysis. They are looking at a depression (range 7-35) that has median=8, mean=13. Which would be more appropriate to describe individuals’ depression?

Answer choice: Median OR Mean

1. Your colleague is interested in an intervention for individuals with hypercholesterolemia. They are interested in both high cholesterol in individuals age 40-59, which has a prevalence of 15.7% ( https://www.cdc.gov/mmwvolumes/69/wmm6922a5.htm )

AND familiar hypercholesterolemia, a genetic disorder caused by a defect on chromosome 19 and the LDL receptor gene that affects 1 in 150 people ( https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/disease/fh/FH.htm ).
They want to know in which study will the odds ratio and relative risk be similar, and which one will they be different. What can you tell them?
Answer choice: For a rare (i.e familiar hypercholesterol), the relative risk and odds ratio will be approximately the same. For a common (i.e high cholesterol individuals 40-59), not so much. OR For a common disease (i.e high cholesterol individuals 40-59), the relative risk and odds ratio will be approximately the same. For a rare disease (i.e familiar hypercholesterol), not so much.

The agina restricts blood flow to the heart muscles, so less oxygen reaches the heart muscles, sk heart muscles are unable to go through as much aerobic respiration which therefore causes tiredness and weakness due to the lack of glucose and oxygen present. This also causes less muscle contraction due to lack of oxygen and build up of lactic acid. The stents(whatever they called it in the exam) open up the coronary arteries so more blood is able to flow into the heart muscles, so more oxygen reaches heart muscle and heart muscles are able to respire more frequently.

Infant Male Circumcision: An Ethical Dilemma
Male circumcision (AKA male genital mutilation) is a controversial topic with people debating the proposed medical benefits, social impact and perception, cultural expectations and norms, religious practices, and moral/ethical standards. Circumcision involves excising the foreskin of the penis. Four main topics of contention relating to male circumcision include cleanliness, tradition, aesthetic, and social acceptability (Murray and Allen). Personally, I think the debate boils down to the ethical concerns regarding the violation of bodily autonomy. An infant cannot consent to the permanent modification of their sexual organs. Just as female circumcision is wrong and a clear violation of human rights, so is the male equivalent. I am passionate about this topic because I do not believe it should be up to the parents to decide what happens to their son's penis and I detest any and all arguments suggesting religious or cultural justifications.
What is circumcision and what does the procedure entail? Circumcision, when performed on an infant male, requires the infant to be restrained "on his back on a board called a circumstraint, [preventing] the child from moving" (Solomon, 219). Then, the foreskin is separated from the glans which is "done by inserting a hemostat into the non-retracted foreskin, and then turning this probe-like device around the circumference of the glans" (Solomon, 219). An "incision line" is made along the foreskin using a "scissor-like clamp" and the foreskin is cut and peeled away from the glans. "The procedure is painful, and due to the risk of infant overdose, many circumcisions in the United States are performed with either minimal or no anesthesia" (Solomon, 219). The result is a screaming, crying, and traumatized baby who had to experience having a section of their most sensitive body part forcefully surgically removed, typically without pain relief or control.
Many proponents of male infant circumcision proclaim that a circumcised penis is more hygienic. "If left unclean, the foreskin can develop infections from trapped bacteria and secretions," says a participant from a data analysis study regarding opinions on male circumcision (Murray and Allen). According to Thomas E. Wiswell, evidence shows that "infants who are not circumcised have a higher rate of UTIs during infancy, and that adults are more likely to have penile cancer and certain (but not all) sexually transmitted diseases later in life" (Solomon, 220). The issue with claims of improved hygiene lies with the notion that circumcision is the only way to maintain proper cleanliness and that without the procedure, infections are more likely to occur. This concern is disingenuous and oversimplified and suggests that parents are incapable of teaching their children how to properly care for their normal (and healthy) body parts without drastic measures such as genital mutilation. The idea of lopping off parts of the body in the name of cleanliness is laughably ignorant and fallacious. I personally think that the purported benefits of circumcision (reduced risk of penile cancer, HIV, HPV, STDs, and UTIs) are irrelevant when discussing the ethical complications of overriding a person's right to bodily autonomy (Solomon, 220). According to a booklet from The Duke University Health System, evidence shows that circumcision does reduce the risk for UTIs and penile cancer, however, "it also mentions that both of these conditions are rare and that proper hygiene 'likely prevents penile cancer as much as circumcision does,' and "it does not give a similar non-amputation prevention tip for UTIs" (Solomon, 224). Arguments in support of infant male circumcision with the reasoning of cleanliness are rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of how hygiene works and rely merely on the convenience of a permanent and largely unnecessary cosmetic surgical procedure to fix a simple case of willful ignorance and general laziness.
Tradition and religion are very important to many people and help them feel connected to their ancestors, loved ones, and communities, but should not ever be used as an excuse to override bodily autonomy. A participant in the aforementioned analytical study, mentioned that, "most parents decide to circumcise their baby boys merely because their religious faith dictates it, because the father was circumcised, or because it's a traditional practice common to a majority of males in this country" (Murray and Allen). This mindset is particularly common for people of the Jewish faith, where the procedure is considered a rite of passage and has been performed on boys for generations. According to the study, "other participants shared they support the freedom of individuals to make decisions based on their own beliefs and that they respect differing religious perspectives on circumcision" (Murray and Allen). The major point missed by the participants in said study is that the "freedom of individuals" to make religious-based decisions unabashedly overrides the individual freedom of the infant males who have no say in what happens to their bodies. I support religious freedom up until the point it affects people other than the individual making the choice. A big part of freedom of religion is freedom from religion- that is, the right to be protected from other peoples' beliefs and not have them dictate your own life. There's a huge difference between raising your children in a particular faith and mutilating their bodies because your holy book demands it. Genitals are such a private and intimate thing and I can hardly think of anything more violating than someone else choosing to alter my genitals when I am at my most vulnerable state because of their own selfish commitment to tradition or faith.
When it comes down to popular opinion, studies show that "the pervasive concern with social acceptability" is a major factor for whether or not parents decide to circumcise their sons during infancy, despite knowing the valid medical concerns in regards to the purpose and safety of the procedure (Murray and Allen). According to the analytical study already referenced, "social factors may be equally or more important than medical factors for parents during the decision-making process" (Murray and Allen). That leaves us with an important question that must be asked: what kind of parent makes permanent medical decisions regarding their child's health and body based significantly on the expectations and perspective of society? If American society said that females were more attractive without their labia and clitoris, would medical professionals be allowed to perform routine female circumcision (read: genital mutilation) simply because it were socially acceptable and even expected? Or should actual medical justifications be the only reason any sort of surgery on minors should ever be performed? Many- if not most- proponents of infant male circumcision make the choice for personal reasons and without properly understanding the risks and consequences of the choice they're making on behalf of their vulnerable and helpless baby boys. "Despite [the] lack of discussion or formal education on the topic, most of the emerging adults did express strong opinions in favor of circumcision based on their personal experiences and social interactions" (Murray and Allen). Parents who circumcise their sons are doing so with more respect to appearances than their own son's physical and mental wellbeing. The fear of society's disapproval and fear of rejection and bullying from peers is not a sufficient reason to permanently alter a child's body without their consent. Elective cosmetic procedures such as lip-filler, botox, breast augmentation, and rhinoplasty (nose jobs) are not rationalized and performed on non-consenting children, so why is circumcision any different? The answer is because of cultural and social acceptability.
It is also important to understand where the practice of circumcision came from and why it has become so popular. "Infant circumcision was recognized in the United States around 1900" (Ahmed and Ellsworth). The theory connecting germs and disease resulted in a widespread "germ phobia" and an increasing concern and "[suspicion] of dirt and bodily secretions" (Ahmed and Ellsworth). "The penis was deemed 'dirty' by association with its function, and as a result, circumcision was seen as preventative medicine to be practiced universally" (Ahmed and Ellsworth). Historically, "circumcision was also viewed as a method of treating and preventing masturbation" (Ahmed and Ellsworth). This is why context matters: circumcision derives not only from religious/cultural tradition, but also excessive paranoia surrounding germs and cleanliness and a desire to control another's sexuality. Even historically, the practice focuses on violating bodily autonomy and taking away a person's right to choose.
When considering a potential medical procedure (especially one that permanently alters the body), it is absolutely vital to fully understand the risks and benefits of said procedure before making the choice to go through with it. There is a pervasive problem with parents nonchalantly deciding to let doctors cut off their son's foreskin for superficial, self-serving, and unethical reasons and without proper regard for the genuine risks and potential complications. It's important to face the reality that routine infant male circumcision is an elective cosmetic procedure that is unnecessary the majority of the time and that the few purported benefits can equally be achieved through safer, less permanent and less invasive means. "The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has noted benefits of circumcision but has not suggested requiring the procedure" (Murray and Allen). Many arguments against circumcision are routinely "brushed off using a number of rationalizations" (Murray and Allen). There are many potential complications that can and have occurred to infants during this unnecessary surgery. Acute complications include "bleeding, hematoma, urethral laceration, incomplete circumcision (removal of too little tissue), penile degloving (removal of too much tissue), infection/sepsis, and injury to glans and frenulum," while late complications include, "penile skin bridge, preputial adhesions, poor cosmesis, meatal stenosis, buried/concealed penis, trapped penis, and urethrocutaneous fistula" (Ahmed and Ellsworth). Additionally, "circumcision, like any surgery, carries the risk of death" (Solomon, 230). Is even a very small risk of death or permanent disfigurement to a previously healthy baby boy worth a "clean-looking" penis or adherence to religious dogma? I don't think so. Physical damage, dismemberment, and death aren't the only risks involved with infant male circumcision. Opponents of the practice also mention "loss of penile shaft mobility, the loss of the protective covering of the foreskin, and decreased sexual sensitivity" (Solomon). Overall, the suggested "health benefits are fairly minor and routinely overstated" (Solomon). With these things in mind, the only right choice to make is to respect your child's right to choose for himself when he is old enough. Instead of risking his life and comfort for what is essentially a cultural and social ritual, teach him how to properly care for his body- don't mutilate it.
In conclusion, the numerous risks involved with routine infant male circumcision make the surgery not only unnecessary, but logically unsound and irresponsible in cases where there is no legitimate medical justification. If a parent is willing to risk such serious consequences for their infant child in the name of convenience, tradition, faith, or fear of social perception, it begs the question whether or not they are competent to make such permanent life-altering decisions for their innocent and vulnerable child. At the end of the day, any alleged benefits procured from the removal of the foreskin in non-consenting minors is overrode by the obvious unethical violation of bodily autonomy and the many serious (while uncommon) risks and complications that can occur during the unnecessary cosmetic procedure. The excuses of "hygiene, tradition, religious belief," and/or "aesthetics" and "social acceptability" are entirely moot in the face of ethical considerations and the crucial and imperative importance of the right to choose what happens to our own bodies.
Works Cited
Ahmed, Asma, and Pamela Ellsworth. “To Circ or Not: A Reappraisal.” Urologic Nursing, vol. 32, no. 1, 2012, p. 19, https://doi.org/10.7257/1053-816x.2012.32.1.19. Accessed 11 Oct. 2022.
Murray, Michelle M., and Katherine R. Allen. “Emerging adults’ perceptions of male circumcision in the United States: Facts, fictions, and future plans.” American Journal of Sexuality Education, vol. 15, no. 2, 11 Mar. 2020, pp. 180–200, https://doi.org/10.1080/15546128.2020.1737290.
Solomon, David. “Informed Consent for Routine Infant Circumcision: A Proposal.” New York Law School Law Review, vol. 52, no. 2, Oct. 2007, pp. 215–45. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=31268614&site=ehost-live.

Passing on everything I have from 6 months of studying. Thank you so much to the community for all of your tips. Here are mine.
Studying
My first 2 months studying was spent reading the book all the way through and writing down notes, which many had warned me do not do that. I didn't listen and of course I did not retain anything, but since I did not have a background in fitness I kept failing my daily Pocket Prep tests so it really killed my confidence whenever I failed a test and I felt like I had to keep reading.
However, I should have realized reviewing failed test questions is the primary study tool in itself. Pocket Prep was very helpful since it gave me an explanation of the answer and the page numbers in the book (I bought the physical book) so I could go back and read about it. Once I completely switched my studying method to only taking practice tests my knowledge retention skyrocketed. Within a month I was depressed about getting 40%-50% scores to getting up to 85%-100% scores.
Sorry, I'm going to sound like a Pocket Prep shill, but it truly changed the game for me. I was taking 10-question quizzes whenever I was waiting in line at a store, in my car, brushing my teeth, before I go to bed, and even when I was out drinking with friends (we made it into a game). It's so much more convenient compared to sitting down and taking a full 100 question practice exam.
With that being said, Pocket Prep questions were way harder than the actual exam itself. Some may find that pointless, but for me it really helped me master a lot of these concepts and on test day I was very confident at figuring out the multiple choice trick answers.
My last month before the exam
The 3 non-proctored open book exams were so valuable. You absolutely should be using all 3 attempts as a study tool. I ran through the entire exam closed-book and only relying on my knowledge. After answering every question I screenshot the question and put it on a word doc.
I submitted the first exam, got an 84%, and spent an entire day studying every single question from that word doc. I did that for the other two exams and subsequently got a 100% and a 93% and I took both of those 2-3 days before the test.
Exam Day
Do NOT cram or take any practice tests on exam day. Save your brain for the actual test because you do not want to fatigue your brain before the test. It is what it is now and no amount of cramming will help you at this point so make sure every action you do is dedicated to self-care. I got a work out in, ate a light breakfast (one that I eat every day), and kept myself busy to channel my anxiety to other tasks.
The Exam
Everyone has said it and it is true: The actual exam is slightly more difficult because they change up the wording compared to the practice exams, non-proctored exams, and Pocket Prep. This is why you need to master the concepts through practice tests.
Here is what I got for you:

• You better understand concentric/eccentric muscle actions especially with a hip hinge and/or squatting motion.
  
• They will not outright ask you about the OPT Model. They ask you more like "if you want power adaptations then what phase should you consider?". I honestly thought all of the OPT model questions were very easy and straightforward.
  
• Know the 4 P's of marketing. I'm surprised I got like 5 of these questions. For the most part just know the names of all 4 Ps and generally their definitions.
  
• Remember maintain financial, contract, appointment, and tax records for up to 4 years (I got this question all the time on practice exams too)
  
• Special Populations: I got a few questions about training for clients with chronic lung disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Definitely study the charts for special populations like how clients with hypertension should avoid prone/supine positions or using valsava stuff like that. I didn't get any questions on 1 RM intensity so focus more on how do we safely train these clients.
  
• Know your BCTs. Got around 4-5 questions about BCTs like motivational interviewing, identifying coping responses, and improving self-efficacy.
  
• Of course the Transtheoretical model (Stages of Changes) is huge on this test. I always had a tough time trying to answer a question deciding between Contemplation and Preparation cause they can sound pretty close to each other.
  
• I was so mad about the 1 heart question I got. It asked about which heart chamber receives deoxygenated blood and of course I studied it was the right atrium, but the answers they provided were "aorta, left atrium, left ventricle, pulmonary artery" so I got f'ed there.
  
• You need to memorize the Overhead Squat Assessment movement impairments and all of their overactive/underactive muscle imbalances. I got a question on every single movement impairment. Seriously, every other day you should be writing down every overactive/underactive muscle for each movement impairment. This will also help you understand muscles for the next part of what I say.
  
• Also got questions about overactive/underactive for pushing/pulling assessments.
  
• Definitely review static stretching. Questions will definitely revolve around stretching overactive muscles especially when it comes to upper crossed and lower crossed syndrome.
  
• Cardiorespiratory assessments: Know all of the characteristics about the YMCA 3-minute step test (12 inch step, 96 steps/minute, measure RHR over 60 seconds). Definitely understand which cardiorespiratory assessments work best for which type of population.
  
• So so so many questions on resistance training. Of course! That's the whole point of this entire course. They phrase a lot of these questions as "What verbal cue would you give to a client for a ball squat?" Just remember knees stay in line with 2nd and 3rd toes and you'll be good for a decent amount of them.
  
• Definitely review and honestly practice a lot of these resistance training exercises in the gym. Prior to test I was like they'll never ask me about dumbbell scaption...and yet it stared me in the face and I had no idea cause I brushed it off all the time during my studying. They pull questions directly from the green Technique boxes.
  
• Definitely know the muscles for frontside and backside mechanics cause you will get questions about triple flexion and extension
  

That is all I got. Take practice tests. Practice all of the moves in the book in the gym. You all will do amazing.

I am an RN, i want to leave aged care and dred the thought of the politics at my local hospital with its awful bullying repuation. Soooo i thought maybe i could work independently as an RN and do community nursing under myaged care - nope, 9k application and need to be a corporation. ok, so maybe NDIS, they pay for everything right?, nope, not registered nurses, i could do personal care as a normal support worker (most of whom have zero training in my town), but i dont want to compeltely give up nursing. Is there a way to be a independent Registered Nurse in Australia? general duties by all means, like meds, chonic disease management, wounds, def wounds. Because i cant seem to find a way. people are broke, they cant afford outright costs without some sort of subsidies from somewhere. Is anyone an independent RN in aust? How???? please share. please excuse the poor typing, its nearly 3 am, i cant sleep, i cant shut my brain off.

Hi guys. My elderly siamese has diabetes, liver disease, hyperthyroidism, asthma, and arthritis. Despite this, he lived an EXTREMELY happy and active life—with lots of love and care from us—until a couple of weeks ago, when he developed DKA. We were able to bring him out of that with emergency intervention, and now he’s on insulin twice daily.
I made an appointment for euthanasia tomorrow. I am torn about it.
I just… sense… that it won’t be long until a natural death. But what if I’m wrong? He is on an appetite stimulant, but he eats with enjoyment and has been gaining weight. He can’t feel the insulin injections, so they don’t bother him. He can still jump a little bit. He still loves listening to his special music (jazz!), sitting in his special spot, and being with (and held by) his special people. Cognitively, he is vibrant and present.
At the same time, he is anxious, restless, a little depressed, and just… diminished. He has a lot of health problems, obviously, which require a lot of care. He is tired of the vet. He is struggling more and more to get around due to increasing back leg weakness. This morning I thought he was actively dying, although he is now behaving normally.
I love him so much. He is my best friend. And I really mean that. I don’t want him to suffer an extended degeneration or a painful natural death. He even gave me a look this morning that said “I think I will be leaving soon.”
But what if I’m wrong? What if he could live another happy month watching the birds and listening to jazz? He is still fully “with it” if you look into his eyes. And he has defied the odds many times.

Been crying over an hour. Akala ko this will be fine. Akala ko this would be a good start. But fuck, pare pareho lang kayo kantot ang hanap.
I’ve been seeing this guy for a while now. He’s good to be true so I feel like this is just a test. He’s a respectable doctor in our field. Lahat ng staff and nurses respect him so much, even my mom (dahil friends sila). We’ve been talking and hanging out, and honestly sobrang light niya kasama. I got no identities to keep. Sobrang soft spoken. Matalino at mabait.
But God really works wonders. The prayer ”Lord, if he’s not for me, remove him in my life” never ever disappoints. I was never hesitant whenever he wanna offer me a ride on the way home, or sa bagong malilipatan ko kahit anong oras na because I trusted him way too much.
I don’t know what happened pero I think the divine intervention and the Holy Spirit just take control over me. Good thing I am vocal and confronting isn’t that hard for me especially when setting boundaries, and now sinabi niya initially na he was thinking about it— me as his constant fck buddy. Akala ko talaga kaya ko na mag risk ulit. Well, fuck!
Tang ina niyo. Please stop messing my peace. Hindi ko deserve maging parausan. I want someone who I could confide with—my safety pin.
Tang ina niyo nakakagalit kayo putang ina niyo. Matino naman akong babae. Putang ina ayoko na ulit sa mga lalaki putang ina. Masaya naman ako maging single kaya wag na kayo pumasok sa buhay ko kung hanap niyo lang eh someone na pwede kayo maging gago.
Fuck you I don’t deserve this. :(

...and I didn't know where else to go for it. You've probably all felt the same and heard the same countless times, so I sincerely apologise for the cliche(s), but I am in dire need of an outlet. I don't expect this post to get any engagement, I just need to get it out of my system. Please don't read this if you're in a bad place - I would hate to upset or trigger anyone.
I'm 22 years old, 2 weeks away from finishing university, and diagnosed last month on the 18th April. I went to the GP complaining about a stinging pain at the urinal, mostly following exercise (already TMI, sorry!). I'd also for MONTHS naively attributed my rapid weight loss to insufficient calorie intake to sustain my fitness regime, and everyone close to me had been commenting on it since OctobeNovember 2023; nothing quite like the male urge to refuse to go to the doctor's when something is very blatantly wrong. Next thing I knew I'd spent the next day plugged into an IV drip with DKA and a T1D diagnosis, and almost missed my cousin's wedding.
I'll start with the bits that aren't so terrible. My partner (22F) is a medicine student; she has been absolutely wonderful, and because of her I've been so much less afraid and upset, as well as a convenient source of revision for her studies. I'm also an avid gym-goer and just ran my first half-marathon, and - while I'm acutely aware that I'm in my 'honeymoon period' - I've found that days spent exercising are days with better BG control, and the reduction of risks for long-term complications from exercise has motivated me even further, in a weird and defiant way, to keep going with my daily workouts and keep pushing myself. My friends and family have also been very supportive, and the diabetes nurse has been very impressed with how quickly I've adapted to my new normal. I immediately ended my 5-year habit of going for a couple (or half a dozen) cigs after a couple beers the day after my hospital visit - I'd rather not speedrun the long-term complications - and I've been drinking far less than I used to regardless. I've also already been calorie counting and making nutritious, home-cooked meals to fuel bulking season, so the carb counting hasn't been too much to get used to. Finally, because I at least want to take the opportunity to do my bit for society, I've even signed myself up for a clinical trial for an immunosuppressant psoriasis drug that they hope prevents further onset of T1D. I'm very lucky to be in such a situation in the grand scheme of things.
But there are many days that really, really fking suck, no matter how positive I try and approach it. Days where my diet and exercise were the same as yesterday but my BG control goes out the window for some godforsaken reason. Constantly opening up the FreeStyle Libre app and obsessing over the number and which way the arrow is pointing. Enjoying a beer or a bar of chocolate and immediately regretting it once my BG won't get back under control for the next few hours, then overdoing it on the pre-bed biscuits when my BG is low and waking up to see the Big Red Bar on the 'Time in Range' tab having increased. There are days where I keep dipping into hypos and can't get my BG up until I've had about 5 jelly babies, at which point it skyrockets again, not to mention the time spent dossing about on a public bench like a dickhead waiting for my BG to come back up again. Then there's the guesswork when going out for meals, or just getting the rapid injection timings right, and the minor humiliation that comes with injecting yourself in public before doing something as simple as enjoying a snack. And I know they say you can eat what you want so long as you inject enough insulin, but my experience of indulgence so far has mainly been BG levels so wildly erratic you might as well reclassify my organs as a theme park.
And then, the worst bit of all, is the fear. All the many, many complications that the nurses, bless their hearts, try to discuss in as vague terms as possible, but the internet elaborates upon in horrifying detail. I know I'm young, that I'm fit and healthy, and that I should be grateful to have developed T1D after my rebellious and self-destructive teenage years. But I still feel like my youth, as fleeting as it already may be, has been prematurely snatched away, with the punishment for disobedience and irresponsibility being further disability, or another hospital trip, or death. I want to still enjoy my life, or to not care, but I am forced to. I must log my food. I must monitor my blood glucose. I must attend regular check-ups, and phone calls, and walk out of the pharmacy with a bag of prescriptions larger than my weekly grocery shop. I must eat well and exercise. Or I lose my eyesight, or my feet, or I end up with a coma, or have a seizure, or get stomach cancer, or cardiovascular disease, or whatever else I have to look forward to. I'm not a spiritual or religious person, but T1D feels like some kind of sick joke, and I'm not laughing with it. I'm quite afraid, actually, and I wish someone could tell me with certainty that this is all just a minor inconvenience and I've got nothing to worry about. But I know that's not true, and the best I can do is have less fun than everyone else for the rest of my life and hope and pray that I don't become a statistic. I desperately want to be back to fking normal.
I apologise for how dark that got. I have upset my family talking about the more morbid side of things, and I at least hope that this post helps someone through virtue of relatability. Alternatively, I am genuinely very sorry if I've upset any of you. I needed to get this out there, and hopefully focus on the positives from here on out. Thank you for reading if I've still got you.

This is my first post on this sub. I’m a 22 year old college student. Need answers with school coming up in 3 months. I dealt with a kidney stone that ended up turning into a kidney infection. Around 2-3 weeks after still dealing with the infection and all my symptoms getting worse, I started leaking out protein in my urine. There was countless foam bubbles in the toilet and they started finding protein and blood in my urine over 5 times each. I woke up to my eyes being puffy and swollen every morning. This all started off in august of 2023 as similar to giving birth penis pain. Then it turned into the lower back left and right side and below my ribs in my sides/ abdomen sharp aching shooting killer pains, nonstop peeing essentially every 30 minutes or so, uncontrollable chills/shivering no matter how many layers I’m wearing, headaches that went on for at least half of my day, pooping and peeing blood, intensely itching all over my body but especially my ankles and calfs for hours in a row, I started getting rashes all over my body, and aching leg and calf pain in both legs. I developed iron deficiency anemia and RLS 2 weeks after the infection had not gotten better. I experienced erectile dysfunction for the first time. My urine on a daily basis for months was dark brown/red. Fast forward to 9 months later. My egfr is 125. I’m having tremors, basically nonstop muscle twitching in my calfs, and calf pain/tightness. I dealt with the lower back pain and pain below my ribs in my sides damn near everyday from august until late March of 2024. I could barely walk or move my lower back hurt so bad. My calf muscles are twitching like crazy and if it’s not there then it’s my eye, eyelid or another part of my leg. I’ve been to countless doctors visits. I’ve read of people on this sub dealing with stubborn kidney infections that took months to get under control. I need a for sure answer from someone. If my egfr is 125 and my 24 hour urine came back clear, there is absolutely no way it could be kidney disease or failure, right? My doctor and I agree I’ve had basically every symptom that is characteristic of a kidney problem. I’m wondering if there’s some type of kidney damage that isn’t significant enough to show up in egfr that could still be causing the symptoms I’m having. One of my friends diagnosed with ckd that tell me they know I’m having kidney problems. I’ve heard that probably around 50 times at least. Since my 2nd trial of antibiotic initiation cephalexin the pain in my kidney areas that haunted me for months has disappeared. The living in hell feel like I’m having a heart attack at least 50% or my day chest pain/pressure in the upper left side of my chest has gotten better. I was referred to a nephrologist because the urologist found blood and protein in my urine. The first time she said my egfr is normal and that I’m fine. I walked and endured worsening pain everyday for over 6 months. I saw the neph again in March. I told her the same symptoms are still going on and I’m getting worse not better. She went back through all my test results and pulled the 15+ combined protein and blood in urine and said that meets the criteria for doing a kidney biopsy. The papers from the visit said I had a biopsy scheduled in the next month. Then she tells me were not doing it anymore. My pcp said if it was up to her she would do the biopsy, but it obviously isn’t and is instead up to the nephrologist. I’m in a tough spot, I went to the doctor so many times trying to figure out what’s wrong with me that they already tested me for basically everything and anything else it could be. August will be the mark of me returning to school and officially a year of these symptoms going on and I would really like to have it all figured out by then. If anyone could chip in and give their two cents I would greatly appreciate it. I don’t know where to go from here. I just want to get my college degree and be working a job again. I’m really wondering if the same kidney infection that had me basically bed ridden all day everyday and took 6+ months to see improvement caused permanent irreversible damage to my kidneys. I went to at least 50 doctors and at least 25 of them said they think I have a kidney infection. I was at a mental institution dealing with the mental effects of this. The nurse told me I had bloodin my urine before they tested it, they could see it with the naked eye. The rn there then told me that with my uncontrollable shivering and everything else going on “you have a kidney infection” I’ve been to countless at least 10 hospital visits where I walk in explain my symptoms and the dr says it sounds kidney infection right away but the standard urine test results and multiple urine cultures have come back negative everytime. I accidentally stumbled upon this sub posting in kidneydisease and getting referred to here. I now think it kind of sounds I have an embedded uti and biofilms I need to attack. I was just put on cephalexin in the beginning of April and everything got better I just stopped taking it and 3 days later my chest pain and shivering/chills are back. Please someone give me advice