Even if it ends up NOT being ankylosing spondylitis exactly - you should know that there are some hereditary factors that predispose to AS but also to other, similar conditions which are collectively called “inflammatory spondyloarthropathies.” Given your brother’s diagnosis you probably have a higher chance of one of these conditions because of your shared genetics. So yeah absolutely ask another physician until someone investigates your symptoms!
It’s really interesting to me that you have provided this additional clue because ankylosing spondylitis was literally the first thing that popped into my head reading your story. I agree with others that your story sounds much more than typical aging symptoms and you should seek the opinion of another physician.
But how the information was presented matters, especially when people are unfamiliar with the topic.
He wouldn’t admit it. He would find something to blame on Vance (probably wouldn’t be a strain) and then “You’re Fired!” and the red hats would chuckle and never miss a beat.
No going off-grid is a substantially larger investment than most people can afford. To be off grid you have to be able to make enough electricity even on cloudy, short winter days. That means your system must be massively oversized for your needs during most of the year. You also need adequate batteries to store energy for overnight.
Instead people get enough solar to offset some or all of the electricity they use - but on average over time. So they produce a ton during the day and then draw from grid at night.
Interesting read, thanks for sharing.
Do you have scoliosis?
Don’t get me wrong I’m 100% behind renewable energy but do you seriously not understand someone saying ‘hey I like this beautiful natural scene without machinery all over?’
I disapprove of the gentleman on the right’s manner of firearm handling.
I’m trying but I’m in a new place and the past few years every time I start to make a friend….
It turns out they love fascism.
Excellent write up and information, thanks! I too was oblivious to evaporative coolers when I was younger (grew up in a place with high humidity) and encountered them as an adult after moving to a drier place. They are surprisingly effective when maintained and conditions are right. I love the thought of using one to cool the AC radiator to increase capacity for cooling.
Not sure if this is a joke. For years my phone was the only one paired with the Bluetooth on my wife’s car as I like to play music when I drive it but she couldn’t be bothered to mess with it and listens to the radio. That doesn’t mean that I am usually the driver in the car though as she usually drives it. It was paired for the few times she wasn’t in the car and I had to use it.
Deep Rock Galactic.
Rock and Stone, Miner!
+1 for this. My allergies aren’t as bad as you have described but I moved to an area with wildfires (smoke!) and bought a couple of HEPA filters that also have activated charcoal and I absolutely can tell a big difference with them in allergy season.
“We need a one size fits all solution!” screams the person who hasn’t discovered yet that people’s needs can be wildly different.
I agree that the situation with private/religious/home schooling does need reform but to say it should not be allowed at all is a bridge too far.
I tried to place my gifted child in public schools and they were like “Sorry but they have to go in the grade that matches their age” despite the fact that they had mastered most content from 2nd grade by the time they were 1st grade age. So my options were let my child academically languish for a few years while they didn’t learn a work ethic because they already know everything - or put them in private / home school to keep them growing academically.
I can only hope this hastens Ticketmaster’s demise but I’m probably being naive.
The breach was first revealed on Tuesday on a forum called BreachForums where the group said they had data of 560 million Ticketmaster customers, including credit card numbers and ticket sales.
(Emphasis mine)
“Easy things tend to become hard, and hard things tend to become easy.”
This was said to me by my mentor when I was contemplating a very difficult career choice. I have found a lot of truth in it through various areas of my life. The most striking has been watching people I knew when I was much younger who always look for the easy way out of whatever life throws at them. Over time I’ve watched how this catches up to people and makes life much harder for them because they never plan, never save, never deny themselves in the moment.
Damn you really nailed it. This is something that has bothered me a lot but I’ve never found a good way to explain it. Your analogy is perfect.
Doctor here. 👋 I just wanted to give my experience. I had to do eight years of schooling/debt, THEN I had to do 6 years of post graduate training (internship, residency, fellowship).
Now the post graduate years are paid like a job but not at a physician salary rate so paying on student loans during that time was next to impossible for me because I was in a high cost of living area. So my interest continued to compound during that time. It sucked.
As for the OP I just want to say that part of the reason I expect a higher salary is because I gave up 14 years of my life - most of my youth - in training to get here. Those 14 years were immensely valuable and I often regretted going down this path because of all the things I gave up instead. The training was incredibly difficult and time consuming. I lost touch with all my friends, had to move repeatedly, etc. It was absolutely brutal and felt endless. That’s part of what those paychecks are paying for.