Messages

31

General Discussion / Re: The $%*! frustration thread

« on: June 24, 2009, 12:29:25 am »

Ouch. But it seems you're keeping it in check and not letting it hinder you, so that's wonderful. Good luck! My friend has rheumatoid arthritis, but she's not letting it depress her or lower her outlook and motivation in life either.

Thanks, Zeality! If anything, lupus gives me an excuse to show off my brilliant "Lupus Patient (And Rocking It!)" t-shirt.

In the LDS church, men and women are under massive pressure to get married from age 19 and on. Typically, men go on missions for two years and return at age 19 or 20, at which point they need to find their eternal soul-mate as soon as possible. Likewise, women had better get attached to someone quick, because being even 22 or 23 without being married is approaching old maid status. In marriage, they're sealed for all time and eternity (unless they have a divorce of course, ha), and the female is immediately expected to start producing babies for the faith and become a homemaker who supports the male in all his priesthood endeavors.

It's a very sick mindset, and it's especially screwed up because of the dating rush that goes on and the usual immaturity of the parties involved. It's interesting that he's harassing you, though, because Mormon boys are told to date within the faith and find a nice, wholesome Mormon girl. If someone goes outside the faith, they're either not good churchgoers, or they're absolutely convinced they can convert you.

Either way, ugh. Be careful, and don't hesitate to use legal deterrents if it comes to that. I've known two girls who've had stalkers, one of which whom suffered for two years over it because of his constant harassment. I'm preaching to the choir, I know, but never give them a chance or let them in. Ewww.

Lucky for me, the creep is leaving for his two-year mission in August. Here's to hoping he gets shipped somewhere far, far away from me! I'm not surprised about the Mormon obsession with marriage you mentioned; he constantly goes around parading ideas like  "A woman is not complete without a man; marriage is the ultimate happiness!", "You can't accomplish things in life single!"  He has insinuated to me many times that he'd like to marry me when he returns from his mission. It's very alarming, as well as disturbing, because I've told him countless times I'm not even remotely interested in him and don't even consider him a friend. I've told him to stop contacting me, yet I find my inbox filled with messages about how he "can't live without me", and that the pain from me rejecting him has given him a "near-fatal heart condition". (Yeah... and I'm Tammy Faye Baker and originate from the planet Saturn!) I've been ignoring him as well as his messages, hoping it will detour him. They say silence can often speak the loudest, so I'm hoping it will work.

I also find it interesting he's targeted me; I'm very outspoken about my views, and I certainly don't look or act like a wholesome Mormon girl. If he continues to harass me, I will definitely step in and take legal measures to stop him. I'm so sorry to hear about your friends and their ordeal!

As for marrying young, especially with Mormons, I never understood the merits of it. I've heard of a lot of Mormon couples getting married and starting a family before they've even entered or finished college, and have no reliable or stable source of income on top of it all. It's like children taking care of children; I find it quite disturbing. I wonder how many of these couples end up in divorce?

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General Discussion / Re: The $%*! frustration thread

« on: June 23, 2009, 11:31:37 pm »

This is random, but speaking of the LDS religion... I'm currently being harassed by a Mormon guy (that I barely even know or have spoken to) who claims he is "deeply, profoundly and madly in love" with me. Very creepy; he's like a borderline stalker. He's definitely been frustrating me lately. I wish he'd leave me alone! He has a very patronizing attitude towards women and believes the ideal woman is submissive and religious. Why he has interest in me, a very independent agnostic with Jewish/Catholic roots, I'll never understand.

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General Discussion / Re: The $%*! frustration thread

« on: June 23, 2009, 11:18:02 pm »

I have a friend with a similar condition (although not so extreme on the blood side of things), and she also takes medication that affects her liver in combination with birth control for cramps. I'm just curious; is there a chance of, or are you hoping to eventually phase off the medication? My friend's committed to it as a serious personal goal, but it sounds like an incredibly difficult challenge.

Oh, my condition wasn't caused by a medication. I have a disease that is a form of lupus, which attacks my liver; basically, my immune system is confused and is attacking my healthy liver cells as if they were unhealthy or intruders. The process damages my liver and causes hepatitis, as well as a variety of blood and joint issues. The disease comes in flares, meaning there are periods when the illness is active, and then periods where the illness goes into remission and I am well. They still don't know what causes the immune system to turn against the patient's own body, so sadly, I have no idea what caused it. Lupus is strange in that it affects 9 times more women than men; they think it might be hormone related. I started getting symptoms around December of '07 and was finally diagnosed in October '08. It's common to develop the disease around your late teens and early twenties, which is when I was diagnosed. There is still no way to treat it; the main treatments now are corticosteroids and immuno-suppresants, both which have some very bad long-term side effects. When I'm in an active phase, I get a large injection of prednisone as needed until my ASTs and ALTs (liver enzymes) in my blood go down. (My rheumatologist takes a very conservative approach to treatment, which I appreciate thoroughly!)

So basically, the reason I can't take medications that are metabolized through my liver is because of my autoimmune condition. I can take medications that are filtered by the kidneys, but medications like Tylenol tend to be quite hard on the liver. Because of my liver condition, my doctors don't let me take any harsh, liver-metabolized medications unless I absolutely have to because of the risk for extra damage. Whew, that was a long-winded explanation! Sorry for the ramble!

If some of the reactions I usually get here are any indication, a lot of people are afraid of "overdoing it" :/ but I think what matters is a serious commitment to doing something positive, or having dreams, whether personal or grand. It's sort of a cliché that most people start out as children with idealistic dreams and hopes to change the world, and then lose it as they become gradually embittered and disillusioned. For me, it was the opposite; I didn't give a damn about what happened to the world as long as I fulfilled my selfish goals. But over the last few years, I matured a lot, lost my religion and irrational beliefs, came to adore humanism and believe in humanity's capacity to better itself and its environment, opened my mind incredibly to new experience, and realized that improving the human condition, working against things like sexism and ignorance, and actually believing in myself and working for ideals instead of wistfully wishing for them were dear to me and wonderful courses in life. That, combined with a desire to live a life of no regrets and a lot of mental training have produced a real commitment and dream. I honestly wouldn't get much out of life if I just took some kind of career path, enjoyed what pleasures came my way, and simply had a family for its own sake. I want to make some kind of difference, and achieve some kind of burning dream. I guess I couldn't make some kind of flashy declaration like the one about combating sexism if I weren't seriously going to back it up with lifelong action.

All I can say is that I'm thoroughly impressed. It's something that I need to do as well; I have a lot of convictions, but I've been bad about getting out there and utilizing action for change. Wistful wishing will get me nowhere, that's for sure! I'm inspired now.

Dang, clotting issues suck. Hats off to you for being able to put up with that!
For times when you can't use the birth control, go on a little sewing project. Get some fleece and sew a pillow out of it. Before you close it, fill it with flax seeds. You can microwave this bean bag until it's hot and press it against your stomach/neck/whatever hurts. The warmth helps alleviate pain, and the smell that the seeds gives off takes care of headaches and the like.

Thanks, Zephira! That sounds like a great idea; I love to sew, I'll definitely try it. I know my school nurse back in high school used to have these amazing home-made pillows filled with rice; she heated them up in the microwave and they felt amazing!

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General Discussion / Re: The $%*! frustration thread

« on: June 23, 2009, 10:40:25 pm »

The main thing that bothers me about my period is that I can't take pain relievers. I have an auto-immune condition that effects my liver, so basically any drug that is metabolized through the liver I am not allowed to take. Drugs like Tylenol and Advil are hard on a damaged liver, so I basically have to grin and bear it. I was put on birth control to help with the cramps, and it helps tremendously but I can only be on it when my blood tests come back within a normal range for various clotting factors, like platelets, prothrombin time, etc. Auto-immune conditions often cause clotting issues, and birth control increases clotting as well. I've had to go off of birth control a few times because of it. Stinks!

Also, hang in there, Temporal Knight! You know you are not a failure. I've been through some very rough times with my family as well, and I found that you can never underestimate the importance of your friends. Turn to them; they will support you! If you can't find support from your family, perhaps turn to a trusted teacher or school counselor. When my family situation was very bad back in high school, I turned to my teachers and friends and they were completely there for me. Just know you're not alone and that you probably have more support than you even know! In the end, it's how you feel about yourself that matters. You are your best ally, and do your best to keep reinforcing to yourself what you already know: that you are not a failure and that you are certainly not worthless. Hang in there!

As for Zeality... why can't there be more men like you in this world?

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General Discussion / Re: The $%*! frustration thread

« on: June 23, 2009, 10:08:28 pm »

Oh, it's more like 5-6 days of pain for many women. But it's great to see men who are supportive of airings of female grievances! ZaiChik, I completely agree with your rant; I hate it when it happens to me as well. Usually if it strikes randomly, it always happens on the day I have no supplies in my purse to deal with it.

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General Discussion / Re: Pictures Thread

« on: June 23, 2009, 09:58:23 pm »

I'm actually a fan of medium to short hair on guys, but I have short hair myself. I have an inverted bob that barely grazes my shoulders. But I think different looks suit different people; variety is definitely the spice of life!

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Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Re: Chronoholic?

« on: June 23, 2009, 09:18:09 pm »

I don't drink, but that's incredible! Very creative, too. I love Frog's and the fact it resembles him.

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General Discussion / Re: Stuff you LOVE, baby

« on: June 23, 2009, 09:12:36 pm »

I am extremely happy about Nick at Nite adding "Malcolm in the Middle" to the line-up! Now it has three of my favorite shows, "Home Improvement", "The Nanny" and "Malcolm". All we need now is "Golden Girls"!

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General Discussion / Re: Pictures Thread

« on: June 23, 2009, 09:09:01 pm »

Thanks for all the cat compliments, everyone! Also, Zephira, your black cat is absolutely adorable; like a big ball of fluff with eyes. I notice cats like warm places as well; I think that's why mine likes to sit on my laptop so frequently!

I also second the suggestion that Krispin is one handsome, suave fellow! I'm sure the new hair will look great. You can't go wrong with dark and curly at any length!

40

General Discussion / Re: Dream Sharing

« on: June 22, 2009, 01:56:12 am »

Most of my dreams are inane or amusing; I don't tend to have nightmares a lot. My most recent "unpleasant" dream went something like this:

I was at the mansion of one of my favorite sitcom celebrities; they were throwing a big pool-party, and lots of other famous people would be there. I was incredibly excited, because a schmuck like me managed to be invited! I went inside the mansion's bathroom to change into my bathing suit and proceeded to step into the shallow end of the pool. I saw Charles Shaughnessy across the pool, and raised my arms way above my head to wave enthusiastically at him. He responded to me with a look of horror! I had forgotten to shave! My dream-self was so humiliated. I then managed to redeem my reputation by showing off my ability to breathe underwater. (Which I don't have in real-life, obviously. )

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Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Re: Enemy Types In Chrono Cross, Discuss the Names?

« on: June 20, 2009, 09:27:25 am »

Wow, I never knew any of this! Thank you for the information. This will certainly come in handy for me.

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General Discussion / Re: Pictures Thread

« on: June 20, 2009, 09:16:24 am »

Zephira has been unmasked! As everyone expected, she is gorgeous. I like your dress a lot!
Also, Leena Zeal, you have stunning eyes and lips. La Bella is also gorgeous! Your cat looks quite a bit like mine; I have a gray tabby as well.


That's my cat... in the laundry basket!


I woke up one morning and found her sleeping between my feet. What a strange cat! (And yes, I unfortunately have the same size feet of a 10-year-old.)

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General Discussion / Re: Who's a nerd? I'm a nerd... (Chrono Tattoo)

« on: June 20, 2009, 09:04:20 am »

Your tattoo is absolutely gorgeous, La Bella! I love those vibrant colors. I bet you'll meet a lot of Chrono fans with that tattoo, especially at the beach or pool!

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Site Updates / Re: Month That Could Have Been -- Chapter 7; Alpha Leakers Banned

« on: June 20, 2009, 09:00:43 am »

Wow, I hopped on this wagon a bit late. I was oblivious to any of this going on... it's a shame things have unraveled the way they have. I don't know many of the members who were banned, but I did get to talk with Teaflower a few times and thought she was a very lovely girl. Very sad to hear about all this unfortunate news!

On a positive note, I'm really enjoying the CT videos on Youtube. I've been a bit sick lately, so it's actually been nice to sit back and watch all the work being done for me! I've actually quite enjoyed CE in this format, since I'm currently in a state of laziness and lethargy. I'm currently on Part 21, and very glad I didn't have to go through the Snaking Forest on my own!

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General Discussion / Re: Stuff you LOVE, baby

« on: May 27, 2009, 06:56:20 pm »

Greece is absolutely an amazing place to go; I especially liked Crete! It's beautiful and the supposed birthplace of Zeus - what's not to like? I have always been a greater fan of Italy, though, but that's mainly because I'm a massive geology nerd.

Also, congrats on your NLE score, Tea! I have fond memories of my days taking Latin, haha! Did you take the Latin AP test or participate in Latin Club?