OT: The thread formerly known as Mousecop.

[Der Jaeger]

Every time I go to Austin, its harder to leave. It's the perfect mix of suburbs and city, though, they have some traffic issues due to their basically unhinged growth the last decade.

Lots of great jobs, especially in tech, great food/bars/cultural stuff, reasonably affordable housing, etc.

If they didn't have ****ty for profit hospitals, my wife and I would probably be moving there this summer.

We'll eventually live in the northern suburbs. Leander/Cedar Park area. My kids played for the Stars hockey program in North Austin.

The city is a little too liberal for me, but it's got all the great stuff you mentioned, so it's a great place to live near. And we won't necessarily have to take I-35 to get downtown.

 

[Dubi Doo]

We went in for an Ultrasound today, and the Spina Bifida doesn't look to be an issue, but the scan did show Echogenic Bowel, which could be an indicator of Cystic Fibrosis (unlikely) or CMV (also unlikely since everything else looked fine). My main concern is that high AFP+Echogenic Bowel could be an early indicator of fetal death.

I stayed cool at work, but felt drained the entire day. I would have random surges of strong emotion, especially after my wife sent me the photo of the ultrasound of him. Teared up a bit. When we got home I called my mom, and said 'i just want to keep you updated'. The moment i heard the concern in her voice I lost it. I bawled harder than I ever had in my adulthood. Once I hung up I bawled more. My wife consoled me, and we cried together.

f***, this sucks. I've already envisioned playing hockey with him, having those special 'fatherly advice' moments, and going through the misery of Buffalo sports together. Oyyyeee

I tell you what, I really f***ing feel for Evander Kane. I remember saying 'i can't imagine going through that' once I heard the news that he lost his unborn child. Well, now I have, and it hurts. A. f***ing. Lot.

 

[Chainshot]

We went in for an Ultrasound today, and the Spina Bifida doesn't look to be an issue, but the scan did show Echogenic Bowel, which could be an indicator of Cystic Fibrosis (unlikely) or CMV (also unlikely since everything else looked fine).

My main concern is that high AFP+Echogenic Bowel could be an early indicator of fetal death. I stayed cool at work, but felt drained the entire day. I would have random surges of strong emotion, especially after my wife sent me the photo of the ultrasound of him. Teared up a bit. When we got home I called my mom, and said 'i just want to keep you updated'. The moment i heard the concern in her voice I lost it. I balled harder than I ever had in my adulthood. Once I hung up I bawled more. My wife consoled me, and we cried together.

****, this sucks. I've already envisioned playing hockey with him, having those special 'fatherly advice' moments, and going through the misery of Buffalo sports together. Oyyyeee

I tell you what, I really ****ing feel for Evander Kane. I remember saying 'i can't imagine going through that' once I heard the news that he lost his unborn child. Well, now I have, and it hurts. A. ****ing. Lot.

So I'm sitting here tearing up reading this. So sorry for the three of you to have to go through all of this. I know we're all pulling for this to work itself out in the best possible fashion for all of you. You'll always have a place to vent. We'll hear you. Best of luck to you and your wife and your son.

 

[Dubi Doo]

So I'm sitting here tearing up reading this. So sorry for the three of you to have to go through all of this. I know we're all pulling for this to work itself out in the best possible fashion for all of you. You'll always have a place to vent. We'll hear you. Best of luck to you and your wife and your son.

Some good news, the doctor called us back and said there's no link between AFP and Echogenic Bowel, so the AFP is no concern at this point. He also said his second child had Echogenic Bowel and turned out fine. The odds apparently are heavily in our favor.

I overreacted to some study I found online. We feel a lot better, but we're not in the clear yet. Thanks for replying. It does help a lot.

 

[Chainshot]

Some good news, the doctor called us back and said there's no link between AFP and Echogenic Bowel, so the AFP is no concern at this point. He also said his second child had Echogenic Bowel and turned out fine. The odds apparently are heavily in our favor.

I overreacted to some study I found online. We feel a lot better, but we're not out of the clear yet. Thanks for replying. It does help a lot.

You got it. We're all in this together.

 

[Mike McDermott]

We went in for an Ultrasound today, and the Spina Bifida doesn't look to be an issue, but the scan did show Echogenic Bowel, which could be an indicator of Cystic Fibrosis (unlikely) or CMV (also unlikely since everything else looked fine). My main concern is that high AFP+Echogenic Bowel could be an early indicator of fetal death.

I stayed cool at work, but felt drained the entire day. I would have random surges of strong emotion, especially after my wife sent me the photo of the ultrasound of him. Teared up a bit. When we got home I called my mom, and said 'i just want to keep you updated'. The moment i heard the concern in her voice I lost it. I bawled harder than I ever had in my adulthood. Once I hung up I bawled more. My wife consoled me, and we cried together.

****, this sucks. I've already envisioned playing hockey with him, having those special 'fatherly advice' moments, and going through the misery of Buffalo sports together. Oyyyeee

I tell you what, I really ****ing feel for Evander Kane. I remember saying 'i can't imagine going through that' once I heard the news that he lost his unborn child. Well, now I have, and it hurts. A. ****ing. Lot.

That’s horrible. Sorry to hear that. I’ve been there. If you need someone to talk, to or a sounding board, from someone who has lost one, my inbox is always open. I pray you don’t get to that point.

 

[Burgmania]

Every time I go to Austin, its harder to leave. It's the perfect mix of suburbs and city, though, they have some traffic issues due to their basically unhinged growth the last decade.

Lots of great jobs, especially in tech, great food/bars/cultural stuff, reasonably affordable housing, etc.

If they didn't have ****ty for profit hospitals, my wife and I would probably be moving there this summer.

At least I'll be navigating that traffic in style. I've got an Audi A4 waiting for me through Silvercar. If it weren't for the inroads I've made up here & family, I'd be down there in a heartbeat.

 

[Club]

We went in for an Ultrasound today, and the Spina Bifida doesn't look to be an issue, but the scan did show Echogenic Bowel, which could be an indicator of Cystic Fibrosis (unlikely) or CMV (also unlikely since everything else looked fine). My main concern is that high AFP+Echogenic Bowel could be an early indicator of fetal death.

I stayed cool at work, but felt drained the entire day. I would have random surges of strong emotion, especially after my wife sent me the photo of the ultrasound of him. Teared up a bit. When we got home I called my mom, and said 'i just want to keep you updated'. The moment i heard the concern in her voice I lost it. I bawled harder than I ever had in my adulthood. Once I hung up I bawled more. My wife consoled me, and we cried together.

****, this sucks. I've already envisioned playing hockey with him, having those special 'fatherly advice' moments, and going through the misery of Buffalo sports together. Oyyyeee

I tell you what, I really ****ing feel for Evander Kane. I remember saying 'i can't imagine going through that' once I heard the news that he lost his unborn child. Well, now I have, and it hurts. A. ****ing. Lot.

Damn man. I'm at a loss for words. Sending my love to you as well as your family :'(

 

[Mike McDermott]

13 hours until Endgame. Beyond excited.

 

[Jim Bob]

Some good news, the doctor called us back and said there's no link between AFP and Echogenic Bowel, so the AFP is no concern at this point. He also said his second child had Echogenic Bowel and turned out fine. The odds apparently are heavily in our favor.

I overreacted to some study I found online. We feel a lot better, but we're not in the clear yet. Thanks for replying. It does help a lot.

Never Google health stuff.

I am reading Principles by Ray Dalio via his app (Principles by Ray Dalio it's free) and he talks about how he had a health scare around potential esophageal cancer. He went to three different doctors and got three very different courses of treatment that were major life changing surgery to merely getting scoped and concerning pieces getting clipped every three years.

Hopefully everything works out. And while it is hard, try and just focus on what you can control. And once your baby is born, you will get a whole new set of things to freak out about.

 

[brian_griffin]

@Dubi Doo, I have a personal story I'll share via PM if you're interested, but if and only if you & your wife get further along AND you get 99% confirmation something is not right, or have a demise.

I'm not a medical professional, but my view is these genetic/prenatal tests, in general, especially ones which are suggestive/indicative or probabilistic as opposed to being definitive, must be designed to be overly conservative (and therefore overly worrying to the parents). Think about it from both an economic & legal viewpoint. Parents and insurance companies aren't going to pay for tests which don't flag risk factors, and there's money to be made with re-tests and follow-ups. On the legal side, imagine the furor if the tests were not conservative (i.e., ineffective or not discerning), and instead parents were "incorrectly" told the tests showed no issues / no potential issues, only to have a large fraction of full-term pregnancies / births which weren't "perfect"?

It may sound like I'm rationalizing your situation, (but hopefully not). The majority of pregnancies remain viable, and the viability rate is higher for intentional / known pregnancies (like yours). The overwhelming majority of pregnancies that go to term are healthy babies*. The majority of non-viable pregnancies / miscarriages result from chromosonal abnormalities. That was the case before these kinds of tests existed, and regardless of the results of such tests, or the heartache / decisions which can result from such tests. The advent of such tests themselves did nothing to change the underlying viability probabilities God / nature intended. As long as your wife is not too old, in decent health, and takes vitamins or at least folic acid, the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor for a full-term healthy baby. And even if she is older, in poor health, or poor nutrition, the odds are still exceptionally good for a full-term healthy baby.
(*Moreover, premature births aren't significantly more risky these days.)

The above is not meant to be insensitive to your personal situation / information, nor to your feelings & concerns. Hope you didn't read it that way, and hopefully your geneticist / obstetrician conveyed something similar to the above.

I'll still say a prayer for all three of the Dubi Doos for your collective health and peace of mind.

 

[Dubi Doo]

@Dubi Doo, I have a personal story I'll share via PM if you're interested, but if and only if you & your wife get further along AND you get 99% confirmation something is not right, or have a demise.

I'm not a medical professional, but my view is these genetic/prenatal tests, in general, especially ones which are suggestive/indicative or probabilistic as opposed to being definitive, must be designed to be overly conservative (and therefore overly worrying to the parents). Think about it from both an economic & legal viewpoint. Parents and insurance companies aren't going to pay for tests which don't flag risk factors, and there's money to be made with re-tests and follow-ups. On the legal side, imagine the furor if the tests were not conservative (i.e., ineffective or not discerning), and instead parents were "incorrectly" told the tests showed no issues / no potential issues, only to have a large fraction of full-term pregnancies / births which weren't "perfect"?

It may sound like I'm rationalizing your situation, (but hopefully not). The majority of pregnancies remain viable, and the viability rate is higher for intentional / known pregnancies (like yours). The overwhelming majority of pregnancies that go to term are healthy babies*. The majority of non-viable pregnancies / miscarriages result from chromosonal abnormalities. That was the case before these kinds of tests existed, and regardless of the results of such tests, or the heartache / decisions which can result from such tests. The advent of such tests themselves did nothing to change the underlying viability probabilities God / nature intended. As long as your wife is not too old, in decent health, and takes vitamins or at least folic acid, the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor for a full-term healthy baby. And even if she is older, in poor health, or poor nutrition, the odds are still exceptionally good for a full-term healthy baby.
(*Moreover, premature births aren't significantly more risky these days.)

The above is not meant to be insensitive to your personal situation / information, nor to your feelings & concerns. Hope you didn't read it that way, and hopefully your geneticist / obstetrician conveyed something similar to the above.

I'll still say a prayer for all three of the Dubi Doos for your collective health and peace of mind.

The cynical side of me does wonder if doctors are a bit more lenient in wanting further testing for the extra mula.

Anywho, my wife is a healthy 29 year old woman who has been taking all those prenatal vitamins for the past 2 years. We joked yesterday how crazy it is we're even in this predicament with how consistent she's been with all her vitamins.

Thanks for the words of support, people. I think I overreacted, but this is our first kid, so we both have been very on edge about all the testing that needs to be done. We just want to hear our son is healthy.

 

[Jim Bob]

The cynical side of me does wonder if doctors are a bit more lenient in wanting further testing for the extra mula.

I think it is more about not wanting to get sued for malpractice if they didn't order tests and something was wrong.

Thanks for the words of support, people. I think I overreacted, but this is our first kid, so we both have been very on edge about all the testing that needs to be done. We just want to hear your baby is healthy.

My experience as a father of three is like this:

- With the first kid you worry about everything
- With the second kid you worry about anything that is different from the first kid
- With the third kid you don't worry about anything because you have two spares

 

[Gras]

The cynical side of me does wonder if doctors are a bit more lenient in wanting further testing for the extra mula.

Anywho, my wife is a healthy 29 year old woman who has been taking all those prenatal vitamins for the past 2 years. We joked yesterday how crazy it is we're even in this predicament with how consistent she's been with all her vitamins.

Thanks for the words of support, people. I think I overreacted, but this is our first kid, so we both have been very on edge about all the testing that needs to be done. We just want to hear our son is healthy.

They worry about being sued, so they'll do all the tests to CYA.

 

[Mike McDermott]

So I am now under a month until my last day at my current employer since I’m taking a week off between jobs. Since I haven’t had more than 2 days off, in a week, in almost a year.

I am so burnt out. I can’t wait. I both need the time off and the change of environment, will hopefully do me a lot of good. My wife even stated how she thinks it’ll help my, sometimes grumpy demeanor.

 

[Dubi Doo]

So I am now under a month until my last day at my current employer since I’m taking a week off between jobs. Since I haven’t had more than 2 days off, in a week, in almost a year.

I am so burnt out. I can’t wait. I both need the time off and the change of environment, will hopefully do me a lot of good. My wife even stated how she thinks it’ll help my, sometimes grumpy demeanor.

As someone who went from a job they I hate to a job they enjoy I can tell you your wife is right (per the usual!). It's crazy how a job you loathe can have a ripple effect into your personal life.

 

[Chainshot]

I breezed through my final day of lectures for this semester yesterday, a bit oblivious to the magnitude of it. Most of my classmates, who I've spent the last two years with, will be graduating and departing. One of them, while walking out of the lecture hall about half of our classes were in, turned to us and said "later y'all, have a great life!". I'm not much on sappy, but I'm going to walk with them all in 9 days after 3 years of assorted tribulations.

This feels like the most challenging thing I have done. I'm not young and I went into a field of study that is punctuated by youth and high-achieving ectomorphs who thrive in the Florida heat. I broke a foot, broke my brain, broke a disc and probably worst of all, experienced the break of my family. And yet... here I am. Almost to the finish, with pride in the work I've done and grades I've received, confident in the relationships I've built with both students and faculty, and being boiled down to my essence as a human, having a new-found appreciation for who I am as a person.

 

[EichHart]

We spend more time at our job than at any other place. A job that you enjoy or don't complete loathe is so important to ones happiness and personally my mental health. As mentioned above it ripples to every avenue of my life if I do not enjoy the position or company I am with. There are always going to be bad and sometimes terrible days but the majority of the time I enjoy what I do.

 

[Crazy Tasty]

I breezed through my final day of lectures for this semester yesterday, a bit oblivious to the magnitude of it. Most of my classmates, who I've spent the last two years with, will be graduating and departing. One of them, while walking out of the lecture hall about half of our classes were in, turned to us and said "later y'all, have a great life!". I'm not much on sappy, but I'm going to walk with them all in 9 days after 3 years of assorted tribulations.

This feels like the most challenging thing I have done. I'm not young and I went into a field of study that is punctuated by youth and high-achieving ectomorphs who thrive in the Florida heat. I broke a foot, broke my brain, broke a disc and probably worst of all, experienced the break of my family. And yet... here I am. Almost to the finish, with pride in the work I've done and grades I've received, confident in the relationships I've built with both students and faculty, and being boiled down to my essence as a human, having a new-found appreciation for who I am as a person.

It’s been a trip reading about your journey. As one who didn’t finish college, you’ve almost inspired me to return, but at 42 and with a decent job currently, the motivation just isn’t there. Congrats on all of things you’ve accomplished as of late!!

 

[Chainshot]

It’s been a trip reading about your journey. As one who didn’t finish college, you’ve almost inspired me to return, but at 42 and with a decent job currently, the motivation just isn’t there. Congrats on all of things you’ve accomplished as of late!!

Thanks! I was almost 46 when I started. I'll be about week from 49 when I finish. I use this space to vent, probably more than I should. And to be grateful. I know a bunch of you in real life and there are some people here who have been tremendous resources for me on this journey and I am grateful for their support and friendship. I never thought when I was sitting in a musty apartment in Greensboro, NC in the fall of 1998 that I would still be here 20 years later and have people who have contributed to my quality of life out of participating here.

 

[Mike McDermott]

As someone who went from a job they I hate to a job they enjoy I can tell you your wife is right (per the usual!). It's crazy how a job you loathe can have a ripple effect into your personal life.

I don’t hate my job. It is just an industry where I deal with a lot of stupidity from both employees and the general public and requires lots of schedule shifting and always being available. I’ve done it for 18 years and I’m just ready for a change.

 

[Chainshot]

Early in our marriage, my now ex commented on how getting a job I enjoyed had "brought back the man I loved". I had two in a row that I did not enjoy and I did a terrible job of leaving work at work with both. Lessons learned. I the first 4 years or so at my 15-year position. Then it was a couple of sketchy years working for a first-time boss who has only ever been good at slashing staff and cutting payroll from my experience. Then came the economic downturn and years of dodging cuts, watching friends and quality colleagues getting walked out the door and the company doing some unsavory things while she struggled with health issues and her propensity for taking jobs that paid nothing.... so I shouldered on and it was terrible. I wish they had canned me with the round of cuts in 2010. Instead, I lingered for 5 more years and by the end of it, I was clutching so tightly and was a combo of disgusted and self-doubting that there really isn't any wonder the marriage blew up. Lesson learned.

 

[vcv]

So I am now under a month until my last day at my current employer since I’m taking a week off between jobs. Since I haven’t had more than 2 days off, in a week, in almost a year.

I am so burnt out. I can’t wait. I both need the time off and the change of environment, will hopefully do me a lot of good. My wife even stated how she thinks it’ll help my, sometimes grumpy demeanor.

Nah, you'll always be a curmudgeon. Embrace the dark side.

 

[Dreakon13]

Kind of a random question... but Bills related, so I dunno if it belongs here or the Bills thread.

My dad is having back surgery soon. I was going to lend him my Bluray player and some stuff to watch so he can keep his mind occupied during the recovery, but my mom said he wouldn't really use that and said he would rather have some stuff to read. In particular something Bills/football (maybe Sabres/hockey) related. Surprising, he isn't much of a reader but he loves the newspaper so I guess I could see it.

Would anyone have any recommendations of Bills-related books? Maybe something cool about the history of the team? Maybe even something Sabres or WNY sports in general? Preferably something a casual reader could get into (ie. not some 1000-page, tiny font encyclopedia... not that I'm aware of anything like that existing for the Bills lol).

 

[1972]

Find a good place to work that has a good Environment and stay there. There’s not a single job that isn’t going to have things that annoy you.