#DIY horse treats

[sandra-hippologic]

Top Treats for all Horses in Clicker Training

Here are some ideas that never crossed my mind, but these are all tested on real horses and real clicker training. For all horses: healthy horses, but you an also find treats for laminitis/ EMS /IR horses, too.

Are you curious what other people use as reinforcers (food rewards) in their horse training? I asked around in my clicker community. Here are some ideas that never crossed my mind, but these are all tested on real horses and real clicker training. For all horses: healthy horses, but you an also find treats for laminitis/ EMS /IR horses, too. Personally, I like dry, chunky reinforcers that are…

[darkstarofchaos]

Okay. Now my more in-depth thoughts about the latest EarthSpark drop. I'll be going more plot point by plot point than episode by episode, so all my thoughts about a particular character or plot device will stay together. And of course, spoilers ahead.

I guess I'll start by giving BreakBee shippers my sympathy. For a minute there, I thought Breakdown was actually going to switch sides. And the fact that he didn't would have made a lot more sense if the Decepticons had ever had any positive interactions after being freed. But outside of a couple pairs, they only ever seemed to (barely) tolerate each other, so Breakdown's line of "they're my family" rings pretty hollow. Turns out you need to actually treat your villains like people for emotion-driven beats to make sense. Who would have thought?

Once again, the Decepticons were the most disappointing part of the show. Like, I thought Shockwave's thing about the Decepticons being more trustworthy under his command was going to go somewhere, but no. Next episode the Cons appear in, they just bail. No more Decepticons for us Con fans, because now there are only two left known to still be on the planet. And one of them is back in jail. Which could go somewhere interesting now that the bots are forced to deal with him directly instead of humans overseeing imprisonment, but I don't even know if the show is getting any more episodes, so I'm not gonna bother hoping.

Also, I was undecided last night about whether Shockwave was actually a better leader than Starscream or not, because we see almost nothing of his command. Now that I've slept on it, though, I think he was actually a worse leader. Because he did the equivalent of bet one's life savings on a horse race. Only the life savings in this case was the freedom of his troops (who are stuck with no known means of acquiring energon, by the way). Betting your freedom on a race isn't logical, it's stupid. The logical thing to do would have been to refuse to bargain, because unless the kids and Bee decided a comic wasn't worth releasing the Cons over, Shockwave had all the power. So yeah, with nothing else really known about his leadership, I have to say he's terrible at it.

Moving on from the Decepticons, this family has no boundaries OMG. The movie night episode was a nightmare to sit through, because everything about it was so unhealthy? Quirky family movie night! With no empathy, no communication, and no lesson being learned. Robbie never once tells anyone to stop trying to "help", he just passive-aggressively takes it. And as usual, that stupid emotional connection thing is nowhere to be found when it's inconvenient to the plot, because no one ever picks up on the fact that they're upsetting Robbie. This kind of humor does not have a place in a show that's supposed to be about family, especially when there's no lesson about setting boundaries or thinking about others instead of yourself involved.

Episode 3 was a nightmare Twitch had. That's why everyone was so weirdly dependent on her, and why things grew progressively more absurd as time went on. That's my headcanon and I'm sticking to it. Also, I'm not convinced magnets work that way, but it seems to be within the realm of plausibility based on a search for DIY magnets, so sure.

On that note, I'm still salty that Nightshade isn't being allowed any standalone episodes, but this batch was almost entirely ensembles, so that's fine, I guess. At least someone actually referred to them using their pronouns, unlike the last batch. But I would like to know what they've been up to lately, because I would swear they didn't have that stereotypical "scientist constantly uses technical words" speech pattern before.

Okay, frustration and tedium done, let's talk about Prowl. Actually, first we need to talk about Optimus and Megatron, because they appear first, but hey, we made it to the Prowl episodes. Otherwise known as my main reason for watching this batch.

Starting off, was Optimus always this... Mean? Like, don't get me wrong, I like an Optimus who has flaws and isn't just a saint, but I would swear he was nicer in S1. I mean, he yells at Megatron for not following his orders when Megatron didn't even do anything. He was literally just standing there, in the place Optimus left him. And in both this episode and the next, Optimus is constantly snapping at him? I kinda like the dynamic, but it feels OOC based on Optimus' character from S1. I don't remember following orders being this important to him, and I don't think we've seen anything that would lead to him putting more emphasis on it now?

I dunno. I spent those couple episodes being torn between, "I like this take on Optimus" and "pretty sure he wasn't like this before, though".

Anyway! Prowl.

I generally liked Prowl. I wish he'd been a little more socially awkward, but overall, he's almost exactly what I would have hoped for: brusque and rude when you first meet him, and rather blunt in his speech, but fundamentally a good person, and pretty okay when you get to know him. Also, he's a flying car, which is awesome. He gets to join Tracks in the cool bots club.

Was really hoping he and Optimus would have a more antagonistic relationship, though, for exactly the reason Megatron said: Optimus needs someone to question him, and he needs to listen. And Prowl does question Optimus on a couple things, but it doesn't matter because he decides Optimus was right in the end. And that's the biggest issue I have with him, because he adjusts to the status quo way too quickly. Mistrust of Megatron? Gone. Concerns about relying on human children in life-or-death situations? Gone. Four episodes and the one reasonable Autobot is already drunk on the Kool-Aid.

Like. He's right about the kids. These ancient war veterans rely way too much on literal children. Sure, they have special powers that make them uniquely qualified to solve the kind of problems that keep cropping up, but the correct response isn't, "I guess you were right, child soldiers are fine in this context". The correct response is "Who the fuck put this kind of responsibility on children." Prowl was right and I am so mad that he just shrugs and accepts it in the end.

And yes, I know this is a kids' show, and that kids' shows like to have kid characters doing cool things. But "these kids are the only ones who can do what needs to be done" and "these kids shouldn't have to be in that position" are storylines that can coexist. You can put them in a position where they're forced to take on too much responsibility while acknowledging that it's a pretty messed up situation. But no, Quintus was a good person, so obviously there's nothing wrong with him choosing a pair of kids for whatever!

Moving on.

I don't remember how the Hate Plague was handled originally, but as far as EarthSpark's handling goes, I have. Issues. The biggest of them being that this is an actual disease with cells you can study under a microscope, so how in the world does contact with an infected bot lead to instant and guaranteed symptomatic infection? And why is it defeated by cold water of all things? The instant transmission would make more sense if it was some sort of energetic virus or something, but the old "spray them in the face with water to snap them out of it" trope? Really?

Loved the thing with Izzy, though. I hated every scene she was in and was surprised she didn't end up being evil in her debut episode, so it was a massive relief that she ended up being evil and we don't have to see her ever again. Technically we could see her again because she's in Autobot custody and stuff, but whatever, I never want to see her again.

The Quintessons were disappointing. Again, I don't know if there will even be any more episodes, so maybe the writers had to rush to wrap up the storyline, but considering they were being foreshadowed all the way back at the end of S1, the payoff was just. So boring. As usual, everything revolves around those stupid cybersleeves, and I'm beginning to miss the days of TFP when almost every episode after S1 was a scavenger hunt.

Speaking of TFP, that Starscream? That was late TFP Starscream. That was not the Starscream we met in ES S1. Considering he's been completely isolated with no apparent access to fuel and no company except a couple of dead bodies for weeks or months, it's completely understandable that he's not doing well, but they really threw away everything that made this Starscream stand out, didn't they?

I have nothing to say about the Chaos Terrans. They're alive again, yay. Please tell me the magic resurrection key is gone now, because nothing makes me stop caring like the ability to just restore the dead on a whim.

Overall thoughts. I don't know if this batch was actually better than the last batch, or if it just felt that way because my standards were lower. But as far as enjoyment, I honestly like S2a better. I unironically liked the body swap episode, I perked up every time Starscream was onscreen (until the last 20 minutes), and I was at least interested in what was going on, even if I was mentally yelling at the characters half the time. But watching these episodes, I was bored. If Prowl hadn't been a steady presence after his introduction, I don't know if I would even have finished the episodes, because I just didn't care. The Hate Plague was laughably simple to cure, the Quintessons showed up just to blow up, and things were just happening to the characters instead of because of them. Aside from one or two episodes, there were no plotlines initiated by the characters.

EarthSpark has truly lost its spark.

[preciadosbass]

20/8/24 [4X DIYS — draft from yesterday, key + significant photos at end]

nobody asked, but regarding yesterdays journal - i actually went to sleep at 3 because i got distracted with patrick stump gifs. i was supposed to just be looking for a few blue coloured ones [raa having a colour themed blog is so annoying // there’s so many cute gifs of musicians that aren’t blue/black and i cant change the colour and therefor cant use them =(] but lost track of time. meaning i was absolutely exhausted when i woke up [8:30]

after waking up, i went outside to say goodmorning to boris and scrolled on scenemo/alt diy tiktoks until i got a message from N ‘apologising’ for yesterday. i say ‘apologising’ because i know they didn’t mean it, and they also said they deleted the photos of me immediately. which isn’t true as i saw them press the send button and then put their phone away. they wouldn’t have had time to delete them before whoever saw them, saw them. this means my mum has told her mum, which i’m super embarrassed about. i don’t like people knowing i’m upset about anything they’ve done/someone they know has done. i’m just still worried about it because i know those photos looked so bad and they sent them to so many people. and now, it dosent matter if they get rid of them because whoever those people were have already seen them. i’m so humiliated.

anyway, i carried on scrolling on scenemo/alt diytok until 10:40 when i finally got dressed while listening to my sleeping with sirens live cd. today i wore my purple asking alexandria shirt, a pair of striped purple and black tights, blue ripped shorts, knee high converse, my my chemical romance [danger days] zip up hoodie, my can tab bracelet, a falling in reverse bracelet, and dark blue skull bracelet, a two row studded cuff, diy kandi + elastic bracelet, sleeping with sirens and panic! at the disco bracelet, and last but not least a spiked kandi cuff. [photos at end]. i haven’t made kandi jewellery in a while because i’ve run out of beads, but once i start seeing my other prevision again, i’ll buy some more. today i’m going to reptile experience/possibly going on a long car ride with my dad so i can listen to music full blast without worrying about anyone hearing.

i couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that there’s stupid photos/videos of me going around to strangers. i know it seems like i’m overreacting, but having photos taken of me is such a big deal in my mind and this whole situation makes me feel like the world is ending. i hate seeing my own face and knowing that other people do aswell. the thought itself disgusts me, i only like pictures of my outfit and sometimes that’s too much. after getting dressed, i did my hair and then went outside with boris at 11:20. the weather was being weird and one second it was boiling hot, and the other freezing. but that’s just the uk for you.

i stayed with him until 11:50 when me and my mum left to go out. boris has started meowing everytime i come out to see him and it’s really really cute. i also took a few videos of him before getting in the car. on the way to reptile experience, i listened to early fall out boy + american beauty/american psycho fall out boy, and a little bit of letterbox tradgedy. when we arrived, everyone was having their lunch so i went into the reptile room and said hi to boris #2 [the bearded dragon] and the other visible animals. i also took a few photos of various animals to put in this journal/this weeks recap [photos at end]. along with observing all the other stuff in the room, like the stuff for the horses/ponies.

once everyone in the other room had finished their food, me and my mum went out to the kitchen/sofa area where the rodents live. S [the lead crew member, she’s lovely], put out some ripped up pieces of newspaper and treats for rat enrichment and set all 4 on the table everyone was sat around. we were told not to pick them up [i think it’s because everyone apart from me was really young and rough with the animals], and just let them come to you. i watched as they had their snacks and scurried around the table and sofa that was just by where i was sat.

three came up to me all at once and hoarded around my bracelets. S said it was due to the shininess of the can tab one, and maybe the smell. i let the rats crawl over my arm/lap/wrist and took a few photos. while doing so one in particular kept on sniffing my phone camera lens so the videos look really silly XD — i took a few bits of the newspaper for an upcoming collage as i found a few paragraphs of writing about true crime and that’s one of my interests. [this feels weird to write, i just find the psychology aspect of it interesting]. once the rats were put away and the enrichment was cleaned up, S & A [the other crew member, the one that makes me feel sick of jealousy due to his looks etc] took out pinecones, some lard, and some birdseed.

i already knew what was coming so i moved my bracelets further up my arm and tied bits of string to a few secreted pinecones. we were then told that we were making bird feeders. i covered the pinecones in lard and then rolled it in a sunflower seed based mix as it had the darkest colours. i made five as S said i could make two for the farmer’s gate and three to take home, yipee // once i was done, i looked at a few of the drawings on the wall. a lot of them were illustrations of five nights at freddy’s animatronics. which gave me an idea to also draw animatronics on small bits of card and line them wherever there’s an empty part of my wall. at 1:40, we walked round to the farmer’s gate and hung the pinecones around the wood. [picture at end] S gave me two that had already been made by various people attending, so when we went back round to the buildings and it was time to leave i got to take home the five that id made!! we headed for home at 2:11 after thanking all the workers. on the way back i stopped off to get low cal boba [photo at end cuz it looks just as good as it was]

in the car, i sorted through the photos taken there into an instagram collage to add to the end of this journal + my weekly recap. [photo collages at end]. i also listened to quite a lot of panic! at the disco’s vices and virtues. we [me and my mum] arrived home at 3:20. i didn’t end up doing for the drive with my dad because it would’ve been around 7 hours in the car, and that’s too long for me to be away from boris in the car unless i’m going away. and even that’s a stretch. i stayed outside with boris until 3:50 when i decided i’m going to put up my bird feeder. i took the pinecones outside and called my mum out to try and work out where i should hang them/what i should hang them from. my mum spawned this plant holder thingy and asked me if it’d be any good. i didn’t have another option and it was an alright improvisation so i went into my room to work out what part of the garden’s bank i can see from through my window.

once i’d worked out a suitable place for it to go, i brought it up to the bank and supported the legs with a few bits of scrap wood planks. then i hung the five pinecones along the frame of the flowerpot part. [photo at end] i finished within -10 minutes and then went back inside to my room. when i first got in, i took my stuff out of my bag to give my dad his battery pack and accidentally got scrap bits of purple-like wood all over my bed. id snapped them up yesterday while at the creek for an idea i had. i thought i might aswell make it now, so collected them off my blanket and got my hot glue gun ready. the idea was to glue them around the metal tin that a candle rests in. which is stupid, because this particular wood is the most flammable in the uk so i most likely wouldn’t even be able to burn it. anyway, i collected a few more bits of stick from the garden and lined them around the tin. i finished at 4:30 and took a few pictures of the finished product. [photo at end]

once again, something else useless i settled on making, but at least it looks cute. i watched two youtube videos :[the rest of ‘Q&A time !!! :D’ by nico vamp, ‘a day in the life | fake 🩸 + pictures’ by maya malice, and then almost two more videos from the same youtuber [[‘a day in the life + randumness :3’, & ‘my problem with scenecore’.]] while listening to the last video listed, i made a collage with receipts from charity shopping on thursday + the bits of newspaper i collected today. i hid a secret message in there [its just ‘meow’, photo at the end] and put together the word ‘empierces.’ which means to pierce. get it? like pierce the veil? anyone?? [photo at end — finished at 6:35]

then i listened to the entirety of falling in reverse’s new album [again] — while doing so, i drew lolbit, RWQFSFASXC, and the puppet from five nights at freddy’s on some card. i put it along the side of my doorframe beside pictures of kellin quinn and pete wentz. [theyre so bad you don’t get a photo] then i went outside with boris at 7:35. he was being his usual polite and cute self and i could also tell he was very happy because he was dribbling at ton xp // he let himself in at 7:50 so i didn’t get to spend much time with him on the driveway, but i followed him inside, checked he had food, and wrote 4 paragraphs from this journal. after finishing that little bit of writing, i saw frank iero’s new instagram post + story like WTF IS GOING ON I FREAKED OUT. LIKE WHATS HAPPENING AT MIDNIGHT FRANK?? i went to see him [boris] again at 10 after looking through scenemo/alt tiktok and letting my phone charge a little.

he stayed out with him my for barely any time before he let himself inside to eat. i came inside with him, and during this one of my cousins pulled up to our house as he got me some of my safe food because otherwise i won’t have anything at all to eat tomorrow and it’ll be really easy to faint if the weather isn’t perfect. him and my mum spoke about the holiday that me and my immediate + extended family are going to. he left at 10:45 and then i had a bath. i usually don’t mention washing [etc] as it’s a boring thing to write about/the same everytime. its not like with the questions about boris or when i wake up because that changes. i’m just mentioning it today as there’s nothing i can fill in the spaces of this journal with.

then i collected a few green day [billie joe armstrong] gifs and went up to my sisters room because i swore she was playing the hello zepp saw themetune on keyboard. it turned out she was, i watched her play it and then came back downstairs again. while i was on the sofa, she started playing something else and asked me if i recognised it. it was numb by linkin park, but i got it to confused with another song of theirs that sounds similar at the start. i went up because she wanted me to watch her play it and she followed on the song with ‘centuries’ by fall out boy.

after she’d finished, i went back downstairs to get myself some icy water, speak to boris, and then do my teeth before having a nap. i put on a timer for 10 minutes because i said i’d check up on him every once in a while but when i woke up it was bright outside and my phone was in the same place i left it before my nap. it turned out i never woke up and never got to say goodnight to boris so i freaked out when i realised. i would’ve gone to sleep at 1.

🗝️ — boris/my cat, prevision/keyworker i have to see instead of being taken back into mainstream education, questions about boris/i ask my parents questions about my cat to verify he's okay + will be okay in the morning. its a compulsive thing and i'm hopefully going to be tested for OCD in the future.

[santacarlacarousel]

Which of the Lost Boys do you think is the most likely to…

1. Treat your house like their house? 2. Hand-make you a birthday present? 3. Make you laugh when you are sad? 4. Give you a nickname or be the first to do so? 5. Know how to perform a magic trick? 6. Talk during a movie? 7. Appear in a music video? 8. Impulse buy an inflatable dinosaur suit? 9. Fake their birthday at a restaurant for free cake? 10. Cheat at a board game? 11. Fake a foreign accent? 12. Pet a dog?

Which of the Lost Boys do you think is the most likely to… 

1. Treat your house like their house? All of them tbh I think the real reason you’re not supposed to invite vampires in is because they’ll never leave. You invite these guys over once and they’ll just constantly be popping up to use your hairdryer or something. 

2. Hand-make you a birthday present? I feel like Marko would, like, hand-carve a linocut to make you a custom patch for your jacket. (I know most of his patches aren’t the diy variety but some, like his anarchy symbol, are)

3. Make you laugh when you are sad? I feel like this might be the dark horse answer here, but Dwayne. I think he’s the most likely to actually notice that you’re sad and then do something to change that. 

4. Give you a nickname or be the first to do so? Paul, for sure, considering he’s canonically calling Michael “Mikey” minutes after meeting him lmao. It probably wouldn't be the most original nickname, but he'd be calling you a diminutive of your real name right away.

5. Know how to perform a magic trick? Do vampire mind tricks count? If so then David lmao but if we mean like a stage magic trick, somehow my answer is Marko. Maybe he can use his pigeons like doves.

6. Talk during a movie? Paul and Marko would absolutely chat incessantly all throughout the movie and it would drive David and Dwayne nuts. 

7. Appear in a music video? All of them are hot enough to be in a music video but I feel like Paul would want to be in a music video the most. 

8. Impulse buy an inflatable dinosaur suit? LMAOOOO thank god inflatable dinosaur suits didn’t exist yet in 1987 or they’d have been a fucking terror. Paul buys it, Marko wears it. 

9. Fake their birthday at a restaurant for free cake? The rest of the boys all tell the restaurant it’s David’s birthday and he’s kind of mad because it’s embarrassing but also kind of not because free cake.

10. Cheat at a board game? I don’t think any of these boys have followed a rule ever in their lives. Board game night at the cave hotel would be legendary, they’d all be cheating in a different way and get so mad at each other. Star would be in the background rolling her eyes at them. 

11. Fake a foreign accent? Marko tbh.

12. Pet a dog? I feel like David probably pets Thorn when no one else is looking.

[tehloserprince]

I was tagged by @santacoppelia - thank you! 🥺🧡

1. were you named after anyone? Michael Jordan, ha ha. No, really, my mom's a huge fan. She's followed his career ever since his UNC days. I love telling people that's how I got my name. For the record, although I have an obligatory fondness for my hometown team and a nostalgic love for the Bulls in their Jordan Era, I'm currently a Bucks fan.

2. when was the last time you cried? It's really difficult for me to cry. It's such a relief at times, tho. I cried a few weeks ago, when I realized my special needs dog was having some epilepsy-related issues. I've mostly accepted that I'll probably never see him with a grey muzzle, but I really hope we can share more time together. There are still so many things I want to show him.

3. do you have kids? Nope. Sorta did, once, but I don't really talk about that much. It was a good experience, and I still love/think about her. But my kids are all the critter variety these days ;) I enjoy hanging out with my friends' kids, but they're all growing up too quickly :/ What even is time

4. what sports do you play/have you played? I never really played anything professionally, but I liked soccer, basketball, and running when I was younger. I got into boxing and Muay Thai when I was a little older, and also did a lot of hiking. Unfortunately I'm crippled, so I'm limited in what I can/should do. I try to go on lots of walks with my pup and swim whenever I can. Sometimes I still wrap my hands and hit the bag, which is fun.

5. do you use sarcasm? No, never. (/s obvs)

6. what's the first thing you notice about people? The way they treat other people - especially the most vulnerable - and animals. Physically, eyes and smile. I'm more impressed by people who can be genuinely kind without ulterior motivation.

7. what's your eye color? Hazel.

8. scary movies or happy endings? Depends on my mood! In terms of scary films, gore feels lazy and boring to me. I need a film to get inside my head in order to be scary. But I'm a sucker for happy endings too, which is a lot of projection on my part, ha ha.

9. any talents? Err. Uh. Writing, I guess? Remembering a lot of random info? Friends are consistently surprised that I'll remember so many little details, especially if it's like ... me surprising them with something they mentioned liking at some point. Funny enough, I'll frequently forget why I walked into a room these days, but I'm glad some parts of my memory still excel! I'm also told that I'm extremely patient, if that counts as a talent.

10. where were you born? Charlotte, NC.

11. what are your hobbies? Writing, reading, watching movies and television shows (mostly with the BFF), random crafts, DIY home improvement stuff (I painted my entire house despite my health worsening over the years and I'm very proud of that), canine behavior/training, and playing video games. I don't have as much time for games, but I still enjoy it. Started a new game of Red Dead Redemption 2 this winter, and I've been spending hours just roaming the land with my horse.

12. do you have any pets? Ha, yes! I do a lot of animal rescue and have some life goals related to that, so hopefully I'll always be surrounded by critters. My beloved dog (Skippyjon) passed away in 2022 (old age and CHF). I had a cockatiel for 21 years - a birthday present when I turned 8. We basically grew up together, and the house is still way too quiet without him. I had other dogs (Smokey and Locke), and a lot of fish. In college, I had an "illegal" hamster, Kai (Kaizoku). He was fat and wonderful. I chose him because he squeezed past his siblings, sat in their food dish, and started shoving food in his mouth. King behavior tbh. I had a rat named Stevie in my late 20s. Currently, I have a deaf special needs dog (Oscar aka Ozzy), a cat that I hand-raised because she was found abandoned shortly after birth (Swayze), and a rabbit (Shasta aka Bad Bunny). At some point, I decided that all my rabbits would be named after soda brands, ha.

13. how tall are you? About 5'10".

14. favorite subject in school? Literature, Spanish, Philosophy, sometimes History, Classical Studies, Art. Anything that wasn't math, because I always struggled with that.

15. dream job? If I could make a living off of writing and spend a lot of my time doing animal rescue, I'd be content. Even if I was wealthy, I'd ultimately pursue a simple, cozy life without a lot of fanfare. I'd love to have more money to invest in animal rescue and local community welfare (kids should always have basic necessities imo). Maybe someday ...

Tagging anyone who feels like doing this! Feel free to reblog or tag me if you wanna let me know that you did it. Thanks, this was fun :3

[alanshee-keeper-of-realms]

Okay so for the last few days I've sat down to write this out, I have this queued to answer the blow out post of Diisdoodles

An ex friend who I thought of like family, a person I actually physically met, a person who now focuses on themselves

I repeat beating the dead horse I listened to them, from that Friday I listened and stayed away ranting in the Server we shared as is my coping mechanism. I rant nonsense because it is my insecurities I know and come to my senses eventually and calm down. I do it rhetorically if I am ranting

1. They weren't 17 when we met June 2021 they'd just turned 18 and was going into senior year of Highschool. I have gotten removed from several servers over former shipper habits, nowadays its rare for me to ship, seeing as everyone treats it like it's reality when it's not.

2. The White Supremists joke, ah that that was because every character they have had white skin, also they really hated acknowledging racism just ask em they removed it because others were uncomfortable with it in their writing,

3.That was without the context I laugh because I come from a toxic environment, my parents expect me to act a certain way and get angry if I try to tell them off, they are getting better however if you get pissed at this then yall are hypocrites, you cannot look at me and say your own families have behaved themselves no matter the race or culture, I'm talking everyone. Humans are Humans and we pick on each other, no matter how much we try to pretend we are innocent, we are not,

4. Oh this one hurt, representation is sick and twisted? Simone was dark already she's an Adult worker I even toned down for their sake. She's supposed to represent that money isn't everything Violet wasn't supposed to be a lawyer in the beginning she was supposed to be a doctor but did you know they have a phobia of hospitals so I purposely changed that for them so I wouldn't be triggering them

They're the ones who came up with the AUs min ideas, hey Dii remember Santa? A monster that feeds on the Fears of others and killed others because they couldn't escape said fears and starved to death

Or how about Echo, who is corrupted by the Wind Element and his own hatred for Zane becoming a Serial Killer? Simone was along for that ride corrupted by him,

And then that wind element moves on into another and turns them into a psychopath? Cause God the amount of tearing apart and gore in those would make Stephen King proud,

5. You see yourself as the Leader in everything. Why don't you step down from your high horse and realize being a Leader means you see everyone as equal

Your sheltered suburban 400k lifestyle is showing, a Leader doesn't step on others to make themselves look better,

A leader doesn't see another trying to create with their stuff and tell them no

I may have been using Nindroid Canon at the time, but I was trying to cater to you. I was trying to suggest things to add a bit to it

Did you forget to tell everybody how you muted those channels because you couldn't handle me having Realm 14?

6. Oh I am still mad about everybody else it's just you I'm vocal about because you traumatized me that much.

Though.she.be.little and General Yasur were apart of the trio,

Though.she.be.little gave bullshit excuses, who takes an RP so seriously like you have to change it thats ridiculous! I actually felt pretty damn guilty for forgetting their Sexuality and would still apologize for that to this day

General Yasur just baffles me. Honestly, I asked if I could vent and they said yes. I need clarification I need bluntness I need someone to rant to to keep that side out of the public. I found out how cold and not understanding they are towards mental issues after I asked for clarification and got blocked.

We were friends for longer than Diisdoodles I remember talking to them in 2018, and now they were so quick to shut me out.

7. You're really looking for an angle here, no I don't I have friends who are proshippers so if you're saying I should judge someone not on their personality and who they are but by their fictional shipping habits

Seriously dipped your toes into the Anti pool have we?

When I made that comment about you I apologized immediately and like I said in a prior post tried to explain my mindset but again you took it to heart

I don't care wtf you are doing I'm neutral and just here to read fanfics and support my fandoms, not get dragged into bs drama that reminds me of the Dems and Repubs fighting

8. No I don't because those people drive me nuts I can get hard headed about certain subjects but I'm no expert and clearly have no power

Came crawling to you? Full of ourselves again are we if I knew this would've happened looking for a friend

I would've never joined your stupid ass server

I remember the exact day I brought up the borg siblings, and you are immediately interested and wanted to hear more and even asked to put Chloe into an idea of an AU you had

And you kept on going. All I know you saw now is a meal ticket, easy street, yank these guys, and take off.

9. Felix is Transgender is it bad I wanted some rep and not have this Nindroid walk around hunky dory after being misgendered? Dysphoria is real and it's horrible.

10. You NEVER included anything at all the reason I mentioned it so much is because you avoid these subjects if your gonna be a show runner get your head out of your ass and be inclusive

None of them ever experienced anything you always had a fairy tale sheltered ending

God reading Harker made me wince because she was like an abused Housewife under Echo

Oh honey it's okay your murdering people but it's okay

Even children's shows push the envelope better!

11. It's because unlike you I didn't have someone to actually teach me this is the part I will admit I fucked up, I do have these and I am a lot more reactive then most

That kinda happens when your 2 years old sitting on the edge of the bed watching your caregivers abuse each other,

My brain learned to feign and shove the emotions away to survive no not an excuse, I know I did damage but I didn't know my emotions and that's why this keeps rearing up,

Didn't you do the same with this post I am writing about, however? You reacted to something that, by the normal sense, isn't a big deal

That picture its posted on Facebook it's on my Tumblr from Way Earlier like, no there is no reason, DMs when I feel angry I'm going to put walls up and show you your wrong, especially when I don't trust you to tell the truth.

You lost my trust the day you created lilac should I show everybody your plagiaristic side because I never got an apology for that

Now if I posted your Address or Name now that would be a big deal, yes my readers I know that very personal information

Diisdoodles in tern knows mine,

Makes me shake my head whenever they go off on a rage this is what the 5th or 6th time you've thrown a Temper Tantrum when people don't act like you want them to. Because to me it was all about you it was all about your Nindroid Canon

it was all about helping you create these worlds do I have no right to feel frustration that I can't create anything I want to do without you throwing a temper tantrum and muting channels that you want nothing to do with because it's not your stuff.

12. Wow with even I literally can remember the line I said that may make you think that I was arguing oh because Even is this way I thought that she would be this way, that's not arguing it's called overexplaining and I do it a lot because narcissistic parent it's how I get myself out of trouble, but it causes more trouble than it is worth especially when you have a person that takes everything to heart like you.

You say I couldn't handle being told no

way to put words in my mouth I don't fucking care honestly even isn't my character never was never will she be nor was Pandora or brat or Charlie

I never copied any of these guys afterwards not like how you did with mine

Quit trying to make yourself look better by telling lies because you removed me from all the servers and hide behind a block. Gee, it sounds to me like you really want this to be one-sided.

As for the final thing I love how you don't mention the fact that I literally asked you guys if you were okay with me talking about that fanfic because I knew it was dark.

I wrote it when I was 14 going through SA myself, yeah that makes it a ton worse but I love even more that you left out that context because we were all on voice chat and I don't recall sending it to you but the link is still up to this day because you know what I never delete things no matter how much a fandom changes shifts or whatever I just give them a warning about the stuff on my page.

It sounds to me like you have issues that you need to sort out because this whole post has just been seemingly about making yourself look better that's all I saw this as

That's all it's ever been about you got into some anti friends who are now side-eying you because of our former friendship and now you want to make yourself look better and God forbid if I post that picture because that shows your lying about your place in our relationship

And honestly that's such cowardice it's not even funny

Next time put some context because you know what I'm not afraid to put some context for people to read you just think about yourself in the long run and not others

You want to talk about white privilege look at yourself in a mirror didn't even have a fast food job they worked for Daddy as a secretary and had their own schedule live in a $500,000 house could go out and buy Legos whenever they wanted they could even within 2 weeks buy a $500 plane ticket to fly from where they live up to the city where the convention was being held for a weekend

Should I tell them about your car and what you wanted to do with it

And how much that actually fucking terrified me that I would hear that you got into an accident knowing that it was on purpose and that possibly the person that I see like a sibling or saw like a sibling was dead.

You're not the only one who is traumatized and you need to acknowledge that.

[rabidwerewolfie]

TONIGHT IS THE NIIIIIIGHT!!!!

It's Trunk Or Treat night!! (Always the Saturday before Halloween) I have been preparing for this for at LEAST 2 weeks now and REALLY stressing over it the last few days.

Originally my plan was super simple. Crochet about 50 jellifish, stick them in a bowl, and hand them out like the usual candy. But then I was life "Oh, you know what would be fun? A fishtank." "Oh, you know what would be fun? If I brought my cart." "Oh, you know what would be fun?"

And I have "Oh you know what would be fun"d myself into a VERY elaborate and work-intensive display including a horse, cart, a unicorn horn headband, and lots and lots of yarn.

Also I need to find my Jellyfish Queen costume.

I made a halter and decorative sash for the damn horse, a black tie for Sutter Cain, my OWN jellyfish costume is DIY from a few years ago, I made the 50 jellies, and I'm going to sacrifice my brand new skein of blue-blend yarn to give a more watery appearance (A LOT of imagination will still be required) to the cart for the jellies to "swim" around in.

I'm nervous, but excited, and very jittery. I'm hoping the kids like the jellies instead of candy. I know I would if *I* was in their place, because all everyone else has IS candy and a cute little jellyfish toy is both cute (imo) and lasts a little longer.

BUT you can never tell with kids. PLUS I hope I made enough. We are expecting ABOUT 40 kids so I made 50 jellies just to be safe. I'm going to feel so bad if I run out.

STILL!! Barring that, I am REALLY looking forward to tonight's festivities and I think it's going to be a lot of fun!!! I sure hope it is, this will be my very last Halloween with this community.

[xoxoendlessvibes]

100 WAYS TO HAVE FUN WITHOUT ANY FRIENDS🍸

billiondollahbaby:

 I cut a lot of toxic people out of my life last year, including family and friends that I’ve known forever and now I’m at a point where I don’t really have any friends. I’m not gonna lie, it was very hard to do. But once I learned how to spend time with myself and actually have fun, I appreciated the process, this took me a couple of days to make, so I hope you guys really enjoy this!

Heres 100 ways to have fun without having any friends:

Treat yourself to a full body massage every month

Go ice skating or learn to ice skate at your local ice skating ring

Regularly get your nails done or do them yourself 

Go to a concert to one of your favorite artists or as many as you can

 Get dressed up and visit a museum or art gala that you’ve never been to

Treat yourself to a facial or do one yourself at home 

Binge on Netlfix while snacking on some delicious sushi and wine

Go to a bookstore, find yourself a comfortable spot, and read a book, or journal your thoughts

Take your bike for a ride around the area while blasting some of your favorite music

Pack a basket with some drinks and sandwiches and have a picnic at the park  

Learn a new language, you can teach yourself or attend clubs for people that are also trying to learn

Style your hair, do your makeup, and take a bunch of selfies for the gram

Go to a lantern festival 

Take a trip somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit

Learn to play a new instrument

Enroll in a gym class that interests you

Follow local food guides on Instagram and try out different foods at the places they recommend

Get a new piercing

Get your dream tattoo

Go to the gun range 

Purchase a DNA ancestry kit and learn more about what makes you who you are

Attend as many plays as you can

Volunteer in something that you’re passionate about

Go swimming or learn how to swim

Take yourself out to the movies

Write and publish a book

Buy yourself a new summer dress or bikini and wear it to the beach

Tackle your fear of heights and go sky diving

Visit a cat cafe or animal shelter

Go shopping 

Learn how to make a new recipe

Take aerial silk classes

Take ballet lessons

Redecorate your bedroom or apartment 

Set the mood, light up candles in your room, dim the lights, and try out new sex toys

Get your hair done or buy a cute wig that you’ve always wanted

Cosplay

Attend a convention

Attend a Paint and Sip class, you get to paint art and drink at the same time

Explore local spots in your city as if you were a tourist

Take up martial art classes

Go to the arcade

Play video games

Visit an aquarium

Watch the sunset or sunrise

Binge watch Korean dramas

Buy yourself some chocolate and flowers because why not

Create your own makeup 

Go on a hike

Go glamping/camping

Go to a music festival

Train and run a marathon

Go on a local yacht cruise

Visit pop up shops and bazaars

Go horseback riding or learn how to ride a horse

Go to the zoo

Go surfing or learn how to surf

Ride a plane around your city

Adopt a pet

Buy new toys for your pet and play with them some more

Take a pole dancing class

Attend a TED talk

Stargaze

Purchase lingerie and pose for yourself in the mirror

Go roller skating or learn how to roller skate

Have a photoshoot by yourself or hire someone to do a photoshoot for you

Attend a fashion show

Attend a circus

If you’re into spooky stuff, go to a paranormal tour and dinner adventure 

Go to a sports game

Attend a comedy show

Take part in murder mystery dinners

Crash a wedding

Go the farmers market

Tackle a puzzle

Go the drive in theatre

Create new clothes out of your old ones or transform ones from the thrift store

Go sledding or learn how to sled

Play mini golf

Make pottery

Go indoor skydiving

Try karaoke

Go snorkeling or learn how to snorkle

Try karaoke

Try Go Kart Racing

Create YouTube videos

Go to a rodeo

Place a bet at a horse racing event

Start your own blog and make extra cash from it 

DIY crafts

Go on a drive through wild safari

Play an extra in a film

Go skiing or learn how to skii

Attend a book signing event of one of your favorite authors

Go to an estate sale in a wealthy neighborhood

Learn a new skill online

Go to karaoke night at a bar

Enter a contest

Listen to a podcast

Join a support group

SHOP THE STORE

[nikjmiles]

Drive Smart: The Hidden Costs and Top Picks for Savvy Car Buyers-FEATURE from Test Miles on Vimeo.

When purchasing a new family vehicle, it's easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of price tags, shiny features, and fuel economy stats. But if you want to truly maximize your investment, it's time to flip the script and consider those sneaky hidden costs that can take a toll on your budget. We're talking insurance, ownership costs, and the all-important resale value. These factors, often brushed aside, can make or break your financial peace of mind. The Analytical Approach to Car Buying Picture this: you're at the dealership, heart racing as you eye that sleek new ride. Your right brain—the emotional side—is in full control. But wait! It's time to engage your left brain—the analytical side. How much will insurance spike with this new car? What about repair expenses down the road? And crucially, what will it fetch when you're ready to sell? These questions are your secret weapon in making a savvy, forward-thinking purchase. Resale Value: The Unsung Hero Consider the end of your car’s lifecycle first. Brands like Lexus and Toyota are rock stars in the resale value game. These cars hold their value better than many competitors, making them smart buys. For off-road enthusiasts, a Toyota Land Cruiser or a Lexus GX isn’t just a rugged choice; it’s a financially sound one. These vehicles keep your budget intact and boost your confidence on every terrain. Tech and Performance: The BMW Benchmark Let’s talk tech. BMW is leading the charge with cutting-edge technology. The BMW X5 Plug-in Hybrid stands out, marrying stellar performance with exceptional value. With over-the-air updates, you save trips to the dealer, ensuring your software is always up-to-date. Imagine sitting in your car, ready for a trip, and finding the latest updates installed overnight. Now that’s convenience. And performance? BMW’s M Cars are legends on the track and road. Would it surprise you to know the best-selling M car is the all-electric i4 M50? This car shatters preconceptions about electric vehicles, delivering thrills and efficiency in one sleek package. Electric Dreams: Ford and Chevy Leading the Way Considering electric? Opt for a manufacturer with a solid service network. BMW’s 366 dealerships across the US make servicing and charging a breeze. If you’re eyeing a Ford, the Mach-E GT and Rally are fantastic choices, priced at $54k and $60k respectively. These models will satisfy both your practical and performance needs. Don’t overlook Chevy’s electric offerings. The upcoming Equinox EV is expected to drop below $30k with federal tax incentives. For something more robust, the Silverado EV boasts a range of 440 miles, a blistering 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, and the innovative Mid-Gate feature. This allows you to expand the bed to 10 feet long—perfect for those unexpected DIY projects. My quick demo of this feature racked up over a million views on social media! KIA: The Dark Horse of Value For value hunters, KIA is hard to beat. Their all-electric EV9 is winning awards left and right, offering 300 miles on a single charge and starting under $60k. KIA’s upcoming lineup, including the EV3 and a potential pickup truck, promises exciting times ahead. With a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty, KIA combines reliability and affordability like a pro. Future Forward: BMW’s Bold Moves Finally, let’s indulge the left brain with BMW’s upcoming treats. From the fun and stylish SKYTOP model to the rumored M5 wagon, and the versatile Neue Klasse Sedan, BMW is set to redefine driving excitement and practicality. The Bottom Line The secret to getting the best value in a car isn't just about style, tech, or fuel economy. It's about looking at the full picture: ownership costs, resale value, and long-term reliability. Engage both sides of your brain, and you’ll drive away not just with a car, but with a smart investment. Ready to drive smart? Keep these tips in mind, and your next car purchase will be a triumph of both heart and mind.

[raincitygirl76]

One of the things I love about Young Royals as a show is that being horny is not shown as something dirty. The show consistently affirms that sexual desire, and safe sex between enthusiastically consenting partners are not things anyone should feel ashamed of. If anything, characters having the ability to express their strong feelings for each other through the medium of mutually pleasurable sex is an actively good thing.

And the show doesn’t just do this with Wilmon. We see it with Sara and August in S2 as well. They giggle together over August’s inability to get a condom wrapper open, August tries to go down on Sara before he gets off himself. Sara shows up in August’s room smelling like horse and he wants to have sex with her anyway. They then both giggle in a subsequent sexual encounter in which she does NOT smell of a horse.

The only sex that the show treats as dirty and/or shameful is sex that’s joyless, when one or both participants isn’t having a good time. See the infamous intimacy scene between sexually selfish August and poor Felice in 1.04. That sex was not mutually satisfying. And while it was consensual, it fell far short of the bar of enthusiastic mutual consent.

August was using Felice’s body for his own sexual pleasure. And worse, actively preventing her from giving herself a reacharound, and therefore hopefully achieving a DIY orgasm. DIY because August clearly had no intention of giving Felice a reacharound himself.

That’s the only intimacy scene that doesn’t show intimacy and sexual desire as potentially positive forces in people’s lives. And it’s quietly revolutionary. Not just to say, “You don’t have to feel ashamed of being horny for your partner”, but to go much further and say, “Sexual desire is perfectly natural and normal for allosecual people. And indeed it can be liberating to explore that desire with someone who desires you just as strongly.”

Excuse me for being crude (not really), but the way Simon is always gagging for it when it comes to Wilhelm never fails to make me INSANE.

Simon knows Wille is willing to give up everything for him, and he’s literally never had that kind of devotion, he’s never had someone put him first like that, and I fucking love that it just makes him horny like yes king get off on true love

[sendgiftsphilippines000]

Chocolate gifts are the best gifts

Finding a gift that is perfect for that unique individual can be troublesome, particularly when there's strain to make it great. Anyway, looking for a gift doesn't need to be such a task! On the off chance that you dislike meandering around the shops for quite a long time searching for the perfect present, then you can definitely relax; there is a more straightforward way. You can now purchase everything and anything on the web and have it conveyed to your door inside two or three days, so there truly is no compelling reason to worry about looking for presents; simply make an effort not to leave it as late as possible.

The simple aspect is shopping on the web, yet picking the ideal gift is the critical step, so let me offer you some guidance on some incredible gift ideas that work for everybody, whatever their character. Everyone has a sweet tooth craving; therefore, what is a better present than a chocolate gift? Whether you're purchasing for somebody who's a genuine chocolate darling or somebody who simply enjoys a periodic sweet treat, then there's a chocolate box for them! Regardless of whether you're shopping for someone with special dietary needs, for example, a diabetic, gluten or dairy sensitivity, or even a vegetarian, buying chocolate online is simple.

You can send chocolate gifts to companions, friends, and family members straightforwardly by requesting them on the web and selecting the best box, chocolates, and wrapping to make the best gift for them. With so many chocolate gifts available on the web, you can buy anything from small curiosity gifts to extravagant chocolate gift boxes, so whatever your budget or needs, you'll find something to please.

If you adore English chocolates and high-quality chocolates, there are a few extraordinary places you can shop online from private ventures that are specialists in giving extravagant chocolates that will be truly wonderful for whoever receives them. One of my favorite spots to purchase chocolate gifts online is Helen's Chocolates, a little shop in the Lake Region. They stock flavorful chocolates and can make them into expert boxes or sell their very own line of chocolate boxes, ideal for that unique individual. You can also look for unusual and amusing gifts that are sure to make someone smile.

Probably the best chocolate gifts I've seen are chocolate boxes themed around various side interests; these are perfect for adding an individual touch to your present. These chocolate gifts are suitable for a wide range of people and their hobbies. They are themed around football, horse riding, golf, fishing, cultivating, silly make-up, motorbikes, DIY, planting, and for those who enjoy a brew, there is a chocolate gift set shaped like a 16 ounces and pasties! Assuming you're purchasing for somebody with explicit interests, this could be the most ideal gift for them.

If you need something more unique and possibly more decadent, there is a huge selection of chocolate boxes to buy online, with many flavors to choose from. Such gift boxes are also available for those who consume dairy-free or sugar-free chocolate. Remember, if you want to make your gift extra special, you can always purchase customized chocolates for various occasions, which are again available to arrange on the web.

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[gomistore]

4 DIY Backyard Chicken Enrichment Plans (With Pictures)

If you’ve ever owned chickens, you know that the people who label them feather brains have never owned or been around chickens themselves. In fact, these creatures are intelligent, curious, and love to explore the environment they live in. This also means that you shouldn’t just purchase chickens and expect them to fend for themselves. Instead, you need to make sure that you enrich your chickens by giving them things to do and keeping them from getting bored. Bored chickens tend to be more aggressive and less healthy than active chickens. If you’re unsure what to do for your chickens, we’ll give you some of the best DIY backyard chicken enrichment ideas we found in the list below.

The Top 4 DIY Backyard Chicken Enrichment Ideas

1. Nesting Boxes by BackYard Chickens Materials: Wood, Nails, Carpeting Tools:  Hammer Difficulty Level:  Moderate These nesting boxes are perfect for keeping your chicken’s eggs safe until you can gather them. However, these boxes aren’t just for holding eggs. Chickens love hiding places, and this set of nesting boxes will have plenty of nooks and crannies for your chickens to hide. You can even get creative with a maze of nesting boxes so that your chicken has plenty of space to explore. This is a great way to increase your chicken’s environmental enrichment. As for getting creative with the boxes, try turning a covered cat litter box, a climbing tree, or a cat house into a nesting box. 2. Perches & Ladders by Rural Sprout Materials: 10 tree branches of varying sizes Tools:  Saw, rope, scissors, zip ties, drill, screws Difficulty Level:  Difficult One of the most common forms of exercise for a chicken is perches and ladders. Chickens love perching on anything, and though you wouldn’t believe it, they will enjoy climbing the ladders also. Chickens spend most of their time walking around pecking on the ground, but they can be taught to climb the ladders and sit on the perches. Try creating a jungle gym of perches and ladders with different heights and angles to encourage exercise. Make sure you offer some treats to your chickens to encourage them to climb the ladders the first few times, then they’ll start to do it on their own. 3. Feeding Puzzles by Chesire Horse Materials: Nylon net, food Tools:  Hanging hook Difficulty Level:  Easy Feeding puzzles are available from retailers, but you can build your own with just a nylon net, food, and a hanging hook. This is one of the easiest backyard enrichment ideas on our list. Normally, these types of puzzles are advertised for dogs and cats, but they work great for chickens as well. Take your nylon bag and hide the treats for your chickens inside. Put it on a hanging hook, and direct your chickens to the bag. It won’t take long before your chickens are happily pecking away at the puzzles to get the treats inside. 4. Mirrors & Bells by Fresh Eggs daily Materials: Mirrors, bells Tools:  None Difficulty Level:  Easy Mirrors and bells are usually reserved for small birds that live inside, but your chickens can enjoy them as well. You can take bells and hang them from your chicken’s pen or even let them roll around on the ground. However, it’s essential to make sure the bell isn’t small enough for your chicken to swallow because, as you probably already know, chickens will eat anything. Mirrors are perfect for your chickens to admire their reflections in, and trust us, they will if given the chance. They also catch the light and set off flashes that will keep your chicken entranced and pecking at its own reflection for quite some time.

Conclusion

If you want your chickens to be healthy and non-aggressive, you need to provide them some enrichment, whether it’s with food, habitat modifications, or toys. The projects we detailed are more affordable than commercial options, and most of them take less than an hour to complete. Featured Image Credit: EF Photography, Shutterstock Read the full article

[zerliebt]

Thanks for the tag my beloved rat <3 <3 

1. Were you named after anyone?

My mom swears I wasn’t but I am very suspicious about holding the same first name as her beloved childhood GUINEAPIG!! >:( My middle name is the name of my grandmother and I love it dearly! 

2. When was the last time you cried?

A few weeks ago, in the middle of a restaurant, when I received a very special gift. 

3. Do you have kids?

No, and I don’t plan on having any! I know the whole “cool aunt” thing is a joke but it’s genuinely something I aspire to be in the future. 

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

A bunch, but I mainly did horse riding (volting and dressage), ice skating, ballet, and swimming! :’) Nowadays I only go to the gym and play tennis for fun from time to time. 

5. Do you use sarcasm?

As much as the next person, but I tend to avoid self-deprecative or inauthentic comments. 

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Attitude, the way they hold/present themselves, and how they treat others. 

7. What’s your eye color?

A muddy green-brown! 

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Scary movies with happy endings 🤝

9. Any talents?

I'm a pretty decent cook and extremely good at navigating through crowds! I also have a good memory, and am great at organizing, and learning new things! I think my best talents are a) my ability to get genuinely excited for myself and others, and b) being able to bring people together! 

10. Where were you born?

Germany, but I spent most of my early childhood in the states. 

11. What are your hobbies?

Oh man, I’m notorious for having too many rotating hobbies; I love video games, board games, and tabletop, going out to dance, cooking and baking, various DIY projects, doing my own gel nails, weightlifting, hiking, growing plant cuttings, reading, going for walks, writing, throwing dinner parties, making snail mail letters, listening to podcasts, and I love going to comedy shows! I’m also part of my friend's non-profit environmental organization and I’ve recently gotten into clay sculpting and practicing my drawing skills! I’m also learning Japanese! 

12. Do you have any pets?

Yes! A cat named Augustus and I love him so so much! 

13. How tall are you?

More or less 5’6” (same as you rags!!! kiss me rn!!) 

14. Favorite subject in school?

English because the teacher let me read my books during the lessons. 

15. Dream job?

After visiting a monastery in third grade I wanted to become a nun because I liked the food there and, I quote: “don’t like boys anyway” lmaooo 

No Pressure tags: @abyssbull @astraluminaaa @bleuu-moon @devcica @maiamars

THANK YOU FOR TAGGING ME EMILY @lemon-bats 🥰🥰

1. Were you named after anyone?

To the best of my knowledge no, at least for my real name! My internet name, Rags, I actually just ended up snagging from one of my OCs - a washed up rockstar named Cosimo Ragatz, who was a recovering drug addict that founded an indie record label with his wife.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Oh god, it was some time last week?? So much real life stuff had piled up and I think it was honestly some kind of mini-break or smth, god only knows. But I’m feeling better now lol.

3. Do you have kids?

ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY NOT LMAO. My mom passed when I was young and I raised my younger siblings, I’ve done my time in the child rearing mines and I’m never doing it again.

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

For a really long time I rode horses and I was a really good three day eventer. I also really loved archery and swimming. I also rode dirt bikes too, and I’d love to get back into it!! 🥰🥰

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Yes indeed!! But I’m not sure that I use it as much as I used to. Not for any particular reason, I don’t think dgheh.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

I’m boring and predictable and I pretty much always notice height first 😂😂 I do also notice face shapes and noses, though!!

7. What’s your eye color?

Dark brown that leans pretty close to black dfhjd.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Each have their own benefits and negatives!! A time and a place for everything 👏👏

9. Any talents?

I’m a good writer, and I’m pretty good at accents! I also like to think I’m the funniest asshole in any given room at any time 😂😅

10. Where were you born?

Commonwealth of Virginia babeyyyyy 🦩 there aren’t cardinal emojis, but I’m still barely south enough to be southern lol.

11. What are your hobbies?

I like posting video games, writing, playing dnd, a lil bit of digital art. Painting my nails. Dfhjd. Running outta stuff here, uhhhh. Panicking trying to remember my meds, but that’s more a full time occupation lol.

12. Do you have any pets?

Four dogs (a cocker spaniel, a border collie, a pit bull, and a boxer lab 🥰🥰), some barn cats, and a little grade paint horse named Rooster who’s a complete ASSHOLE.

13. How tall are you?

5’6” or 5’7”, it depends on how tall I want to feel that day dghjd

14. Favorite subject in school?

History and English!!! I really wanted to be a historical researcher for a career when I was in school and I still think about it. I would’ve liked to study Appalachian history from pre-Civil War to present.

15. Dream job?

LOL 😂😂 historical researcher, possibly an author, or a rare and antique jewelry shop owner siiigh. I really fell in love with fine jewelry at my last job, and I would DIE to be able to do it again, but in a much more niche fashion.

No Pressure tags: @smoggyfogbottom @brilliantblasphemer @dotcie @kastlequill @skinnyazn @snail-eggs @lunarvicar @siriusleee 💖💖

[giveemhales]

I have been reading stucky fics for a couple years now, and 2020 gave me the opportunity to read even more. Plus, I got back on tumblr and got to see the many great things the fandom has to offer. So I want to celebrate some of my favorites of the year!

Over 8000 stucky fics were published on ao3 this year, so I am obviously leaving out some great fics (I still have literally hundreds on my to read list I just haven’t gotten to yet). But even if I didn’t get to read all of the fics, I read some great ones and want to share.

Here are my favorite stucky fics published in 2020. I hope you find something new to read, and thank you to all of the content creators for making the year more bearable!

My top 20 stucky fics of 2020 (sorted by length):

Trojan Horse by @galwednesday (2k, shrinkyclinks, bucky and steve creating chaos and saving the day, fluff and humor) (you don’t need to read the other stories in the series, but you should bc they’re great)

hit me baby one more time by @deisderium (10k, assassin!steve, assassin!bucky, enemies to friends to lovers, angst and fluff)

Take You for a Ride (On my Garbage Truck) by @goodbyeblues-ao3 (modern setting, garbage man!steve, programmer!bucky, but steve thinks he’s homeless, bucky is a disaster, misunderstandings, fluff and humor)

we freak on the cam by @howdoyousleep3 and art by PrettierAndYounger (21k, camboy!bucky, porn star!steve, fluff and smut)

The Warmth of His Hands by @fauvistfly and art by @capdeady (21k, modern setting, baker!bucky, bucky does pottery, rich steve, artist!steve, finding love through tiktok, mistaken identity, angst and fluff)

Love Me Tender Like What Keeps Me Well by @thiccbuckybarnesfic (24k, historical AU, a/b/o dynamics, alpha!steve, omega!bucky, marriage of convenience, miscommunication, steve being guilty and a dumbass, mpreg, angst and fluff and smut)

sharpen your teeth (tell yourself it’s just business) by @voxofthevoid (24k, canon divergence, bucky treats steve as his mission, emotional manipulation, angst with a happy ending)

Taste the way you bleed by @trenchcoatsandtimetravel and SinpaiCasanova (Bladerunnerblue) (27k, canon divergence, werewolf!steve, vampire!bucky, arranged marriage, memory loss, angst and fluff and smut)

Don’t Give it a Hand, Offer it a Soul by @captaintoomanybattles (30k, winter soldier!steve, shield agent!bucky, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending)

A Noble Steed by @leveragehunters and art by @artgroves (37k, shrinkyclinks, royal bucky, warhorse!bucky (less weird than it sounds), curses and magic, angst and fluff)

Coming Up Easy by @musette22 (45k, author!bucky, teacher!bucky, DIY youtube videos, strangers to lovers, mutual pining, (light) angst and fluff and smut)

Change Your Stars by @trenchcoatsandtimetravel and art by @histoires-eternelles (52k, a knight’s tale AU, medieval AU, identity porn, tournaments, mutual pining, prince!bucky, sort of knight!steve, angst and fluff)

Crooked Little House by @magpiemurph and art by @maichan-art (59k, shrinkyclinks, modern setting, magical realism, supernatural bucky, enemies to friends to lovers, angst and fluff and humor and smut)

Heavy Lies The Head by @odette-and-odile and art by @inflomora-art (59k, fantasy AU, prince!bucky, guard!steve, mutual pining, curses, angst and fluff and smut)

The large and the smol of it by @kalee60 (63k, shrinkyclinks, but also shrunkyclunks, identity porn, de-serumed steve, WS!bucky, mutual pining, angst and fluff and humor and smut) (sequel is also great)

While Our Bones Keep Looking Back by @emptydistractions12 (64k, a/b/o dynamics, alpha!steve, omega!bucky, canon-divergence, angst with a happy ending)

Hellhound on my Trail by @blondieewritess and art by @potterspink (70k, shrinkyclinks, hellhounds, supernatural bucky, angst with a happy ending and horror)

Crash and Burn by @hanitrash (74k, shrunkyclunks, a/b/o dynamics, alpha!steve, omega!bucky, dating apps, identity porn, angst and fluff and humor and smut)

Who Prays for the Devil? by @bourneblack (79k, shrinkyclinks, mafia AU, coffee shop AU, disabled steve, mob boss!bucky, secret identity, angst and fluff and smut)

A Year and a Day by Julie_dAubigny (burningbrightly) (94k, medieval AU, a/b/o dynamics, alpha!steve, omega!bucky, courtesan!bucky, fake/pretend relationship, mutual pining, slow burn, tournaments, angst and fluff and smut)

+3 WIPs I’m excited to (hopefully) see more of in 2021:

What Lies They Told Us by @darter-blue (4k, mobster AU, mob boss!bucky, nurse!steve, enemies to lovers, angst with a happy ending (... I assume))

The Way I Feel For You by @becassine (20k, shrunkyclunks, a/b/o dynamics, alpha!steve, omega!bucky, bucky is a disaster, fake/pretend relationship, mutual pining, angst and fluff and humor)

Captain of Death by @starstruckmyths (105k, mafia AU, mob boss!bucky, fighter!steve, protective bucky, memory loss, forced fighting, angst and fluff and smut)

[sourwormsaresour]

Headcanons on the type of pets La Squadra would own?

Holy shit this was too fun to make, especially with giving the pets names.

Sorbet and Gelato have their own Crusty-White-Dog™ that's a Maltese Terrier named Armani. The dog hates and barks nonstop at everything deemed threatening (aka, everyone and particularly the rest of La Squadra) and yet those two will claim she's the sweetest thing in the world. True to her name, they deck her with Armani branded clothes, either specially made dog fashion or they had a DIY done to make it look like an Armani outfit- down to the bright pink leash she wears dripping in the Armani logo. She eats the finest dry kibble and only drinks Ferrarelle Sparkling water; she will know the difference if you switch it up. She's the epitome of "I demand pets but only do so with your eyes" to everyone. Despite loving Sorbet and Gelato the most, she demands all their attention on her and she will cockblock those two if she catches them being affectionate to each other instead. Despite having a nice bed, she always sleeps between the two of them and will whimper if they kick her out of the bedroom so they can get intimate. Those tear-stained eyes always look like they've seen everything, despite being constantly babied by her owners. If Armani could, she would kill everyone.

Risotto, the biggest man in Vento Aureo, has a little Syrian hamster he called Ace. He thought that a pet with a shorter lifespan would allow him the perfect balance of having a pet but not being very attached to it compared to pets that live longer- he was wrong. If you ever come into Risotto's office as he worked, either you are greeted with Ace running around in his green hamster ball, walking around Risotto's desk as he worked, or running in the hamster wheel behind the desk. Ace's tank is an old Aquarium tank Pesci gave to Risotto that is now full of soft bedding, toys, and Risotto frequently cleans it. There are days where Risotto just spends hours watching his hamster walk around the room, eating little treats, and staring at Risotto with its beady eyes. It's gotten to the point where you can't walk into Risotto's office without noticing a lone sunflower seed or piece of bedding on the ground that Risotto didn't notice until you pointed it out. Every time Ace passes from old age, Risotto buys a new Syrian hamster and calls that one Ace. He hasn't kept track of how many hamsters that came and went so far, but treated every one of them as if they were the first Ace. He takes pictures of Ace doing the most relatively boring things and will share them with his members.

Illuso got a Sulphur-crested cockatoo named Scapino as a joke. He thought they didn’t require much attention but later felt bad when he found out that they need specific proper care. He proceeds to care for it as if it was his child. Illuso taught his bird how to speak and swear at people, specifically swearing at Formaggio and occasionally at Ghiaccio. This man will shower his bird with the best treats (expensive nuts, dried fruit, chicken bones) and has a special bar for it to perch on when they're in the shower together. This bird has free reign all over Illuso's place and wears a little anklet thing to verify that it has an owner should it escape. The two of them have spa days together and it’s one of the most wholesome things in the world to witness. Scapino will actually join Illuso on missions too, staying in the mirror world the whole time, and it provides him some comfort from his social anxiety. Sometimes Scapino sits on his shoulder as he walks. Illuso trained it to stay and hide in the mirror world so that it wouldn’t fly away or blow his cover when he’s working. But the bird will fly around in there and will watch anyone that’s getting murked in front of him with no remorse and commenting on it too. Imagine you’re dying in the mirror world and your last moment is this fucking bird looming over you going “night night, motherfucker”. JESUS CHRIST. 

Prosciutto used to be on the whole “pets are unnecessary” train but he had considered looking at breeders for the best quality dog. And then one rainy day he found an abandoned Portuguese Water Dog puppy in an alleyway and at Pesci’s insistence took it in. Turns out the puppy was bought by a rich family for their kid but then abandoned when the kid wasn't interested in it anymore. Prosciutto insisted that the dog was going to stay for one night and then sent to the pound first thing in the morning. It's been years now and the little dog is now a big fluffy good boy named Pon Pon. The second biggest chunk of Prosciutto's paycheck is for this dog; I'm talking grooming services with paw-ticures, an all-organic raw diet, the nicest beds that even a human would wish they can sleep on. Pon Pon is properly trained with all the basics and tricks, because Prosciutto doesn't want to deal with a misbehaving dog, but it will use puppy eyes against the old man now and then. He give you the best smiles if you call him a good boy and if you glance at the right time you can see Prosciutto smile for a brief moment. Had he lived longer, he would have made Pon Pon famous on Facebook like Boo the Dog. Prosciutto will also not admit that this dog has helped him get laid a few times, because every person he did bring home always got a kick out of Pon Pon.

Ghiaccio has a pet snake- an albino ball python named Bianco. Ghiaccio was also on the “pets are unnecessary” train too but mainly because he can't stand loud pets (i.e. Illuso and Sorbet and Gelato’s pets). When Risotto suggested he get a snake, Ghiaccio looked into it, researching and meticulously setting up the proper enclosure  and found himself going to a local reptile expo to find Bianco for sale. He’s fascinated by his snake to say the least, and would use leftover containers or Tupperware for Bianco to spend more money on proper equipment or food. Ghiaccio is really involved in online reptile forums and frequently debates with people on topics such as the best substrates to use, whether live rodents are better than frozen, ethics of breeding certain species, etc. He often gets worried when Bianco becomes picky and Ghiaccio would spend sleepless nights trying to get his baby to eat. Ghiaccio would walk around with his ball python wrapped around his neck or lets him slither around in his room under supervision but he mostly leaves him alone in the enclosure. There are times where he would claim he has the best, smartest pet and everyone just rolls their eyes like “yes the white fettuccine that got stuck in a toilet paper roll an hour ago is so smart”. But they let him rant about it. It’s kind of cute to say the least.

Pesci is the definition of people whose entire LIVELIHOOD is making his room into an aquarium. His room is full of strictly maintained, cleaned, and decorated tanks full of various types of aquatic animals. I’m talking Dwarf Puffers (Antonio, Portia, Jessica, Bassiano, and Solanio), Albino Gold Axolotls (Moe, Larry, and Curly), Red Ear Sliders (Franco and Ciccio), Clown Fishes (Browser, Mario, Toadstool, and Koopa), Brazilian Sea Horses (Tom and Jerry), a Blue Betta Fish named Valentina in a 30+ gallon aquaponics tank that grows a variety of plants each season- to name a few. He rebuilt his entire room to keep everything running and even had Melone help him set up timers for lighting and temperature control. Pesci will cry if you somehow made the pH level off by 1 or did not care for his animals properly when he’s away. He’ll even lecture you about bad tank setup. He's a prominent member of the aquarium  community in Italy and will regularly redecorate each tank to suit the year and mood. This is where he’s spending his cut on the 20 million lira job: caring for his mini aquarium room. He occasionally gives away his pets’ offsprings for extra money (he doesn’t breed but sometimes he ends up having a ton of baby animals he can’t take care of) and would have been a YouTuber for his fish content. Now that I think about it, Pesci reminds me of my mutual @nexter2nd. Please go follow them.

Melone has a Holland Lop bunny and you cannot change my mind. He actually had a pet bunny growing up, another Holland Lop named Echo and Grep, and his current one is named Sudo; all three are named after UNIX commands. He has a large dog crate he diy-ed to be a roomy enclosure in his room for her that he cleans frequently but also allows Sudo free reign of the room when she wants to go out. Because of his job, he makes sure all his wires are covered so his bunny isn't tempted to chew them and watches his bunny diligently whenever she roams around. Easter time is when the denim jacket, pastel bows, and flower crowns come out and Melone makes sure to take a lot of photos. He also housetrained his bunny and taught her a few tricks, similar to how he trained Echo and Grep years ago. Sudo is spoiled in terms of getting a lot of pets, new toys, and feasts on the finest veggies and delicious hay. Melone also makes sure the first thing he teaches his Juniors is to not harm the bunny. Surprisingly, he's against breeding Sudo and has her neutered. This is mainly because he doesn't have the time to breed and raise more bunnies but also he hates the idea of selling the grown bunnies off afterward. 

You know that Formaggio has a cat: the little Russian Blue cat named Sweetie Baby. Sweetie Baby was a kitten that he found outside his home. The little thing was the sole survivor of its litter and nearly starving to death, so he took her in thinking he will bring her to the shelter when she recovers; that cat now lets him live in HER apartment rent-free. Despite feeding her cheap dry food and constantly shoving her into bottles, he treats her like a queen otherwise. He will dress her up in little outfits (much to her annoyance) and often would be too aggressively affectionate towards her. Still, there are moments where she would cuddle with him during the later nights and allow him to put on one iced-out bow he just spent a quarter of his paycheck on. Walking to his apartment and even the backdoor of La Squadra’s HQ means carefully walking through the stray cats mewling at your feet, because Formaggio will feed any cat he sees. Initially, Risotto wanted the cats gone, but then he finds out the cats doubled as security when he watched some robber attempting to break in but getting their eyes scratched off instead.

[mythicalshoes]

My (unprofessional) guide to FMT

CHAPTERS:

1. [Considering Fecal Transplants]

2. [Donor Selection]

3. [What is a “Perfect Donor”?]

4. [Risks of FMT]

5. [Get Your Donor Tested!]

6. [Fecal Transplant “Disposable Materials Method”]

6.1 [Preparation]

6.2 [Preparing the FMT solution]

6.3 [Administering FMT]

7. [What to expect after FMT]

8. [My Personal Story]

8.1 [Symptoms Before FMT]

8.2 [Symptoms After FMT]

9. [My FMT Timeline]

CONSIDERING FECAL TRANSPLANTS

I want to start this guide by saying three things. 1) I am not a doctor or any kind of expert. 2) I am a long-time IBS and chronic illness sufferer who found relief using FMT therapy. 3) The following guide is just my own opinions, experience, and research that I’m posting for informational purposes only, because I get messaged constantly on social media with the same questions over and over and I thought it would be convenient to put my answers into one big guide.

I am not advocating for anything and I’m not trying to sell anything. I am not affiliated with any company. I’m a 31-year-old chronically ill female who draws pictures for a living. Again, this is only my own limited knowledge/experience and I am NOT a medical expert, so take everything in this guide with a grain of salt.

With that said...

If you’ve reached the point where you’re considering putting someone else’s poo into your colon, then you’ve likely exhausted all other options. Typically the people who seek FMT have debilitating and hard-to-treat health issues that aren’t responding to the usual therapies. Me? I was on death’s doorstep and doctors had no answers for me. They had officially given up and left me to die from some unspecified GI issue that made my life completely unbearable. That’s why I turned to FMT, but everyone’s story is different. First off, FMT did not totally cure me, but it did improve a lot of my health issues to the point where my quality of life is tolerable again. Some people see more success than I did, some see less. So, temper your expectations going forward.

FMT is sometimes marketed as a miracle cure that can fix any problem, but there’s little evidence to support this. When researching FMT, please pay attention to the source and don’t be misled by people who have a horse in the race. That is, anyone who charges for FMT material or runs an FMT clinic is not going to be 100% honest about what this procedure can and can’t do for you. They will exaggerate for the sake of profit. Stick to actual peer-reviewed studies and real science, not sketchy anecdotes from strangers, Facebook posts, and testimonials from randoms.

Ironically, you’re better off trusting a regular gastroenterologist than a doctor who works for a dedicated FMT clinic for profit. These “FMT clinics” are always shady, in my experience. They often pay random people to post fake testimonials on popular forums like Reddit and Facebook and take down any negative reviews. Don’t trust any post that recommends a particular doctor or clinic, there’s a high chance that it’s a paid shill.

There is scientific evidence to suggest that FMT might be an effective therapy for:

C.difficile, IBD, and IBS

Despite what these FMT clinics claim, there is NO evidence to suggest that it is effective for:

Autism, mental health issues, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, weight loss, or literally anything else. FMT may or may not really help those issues, but nothing has been proven and the science behind it is poorly understood at this time. It’s up to YOU to protect yourself from crooked doctors, shills, and scammers trying to profit off your illness and desperation.

If you can find a legitimate gastroenterologist or infectious disease specialist to perform FMT for you, this is advised. But because of current FDA regulations, this can be nearly impossible. This is why so many people turn to “DIY FMT”, or performing the procedure themselves. This method is not advised as it can be unsafe. But for those suffering debilitating health issues with no other answers, they often decide they have nothing to lose and try it anyway.

If you find yourself in a position where your quality of life is miserable and doctors have tossed up their hands, then read on. But it is strongly advised that you seek medical advice from a certified medical doctor and try all of their recommendations for your condition FIRST before considering FMT. FMT, especially the DIY method, should be an absolute last resort. It is not without risks.

DONOR SELECTION

The hardest part of getting a fecal transplant is not the procedure itself, it’s finding a suitable donor. Even the companies that supply FMT donations to hospitals reject around 99% of applicants because they don’t meet the standards. Your chance of finding a perfect donor on your own are slim to none.

But depending on your condition, your donor may not have to be 100% perfect. Plenty of patients have reported success with donors who are just “good enough”. This is highly individual and the mechanics are not well understood, so what results you get is basically a roll of the dice.

Some everyday people and even medical doctors who own FMT clinics sell samples from “healthy, screened” donors online to anyone who is willing to pay. I strongly advise against using their services, because there is absolutely no guarantee about the quality of the product you’re getting. You’re literally buying frozen feces online from a totally unknown source. It could be dog poop for all you know, you just can’t prove what you’re actually getting from these sellers because there is no industry to regulate it. Just because someone has a medical license does not mean they have your best interest at heart. Please be VERY wary of anyone selling FMT material online. A safer alternative is to use someone you know and trust personally, even if they’re not a perfect donor on paper.

WHAT IS A “PERFECT” DONOR?

Ideally, your donor should meet the following criteria: Under 40 years of age, fit and athletic, not overweight or underweight, no significant health issues, no significant mental health issues, birthed vaginally and breastfed, no antibiotic use within the last year, no history of IBS or other bowel disease, no history of cancer, no missing organs, takes no medication, no significant allergies, little to no food sensitivities, eats a clean and healthy diet with little to no fast food or junk food, no risky behaviors, non-drinker and non-smoker, no history of drug use, in a long-term monogamous relationship, no STDs, consistently produces 3-4 type stools on the bristol chart. Current studies suggest that the donor’s sex or relation to you doesn’t make a difference. Their general health is most important.

Obviously there is no one on earth who will meet all of those points, so your best bet when choosing a donor is to try and meet as much of that criteria as you can. Got a healthy teenage niece on the basketball team? Got a fit grandson who plays baseball? Those are good places to start. Kids and teens should be considered first, as they haven’t had time to rack up a bunch of health issues.

Ultimately, your donor should be an honest person who you trust.

RISKS OF FMT

Fecal transplants are still new in the world of western medicine. They’re proven effective for c.difficile infections, but little else. The long-term effects are poorly understood and their benefits are often over-stated.

The human microbiome (that is, the bacteria in your gut) is responsible for many, many more processes in your body than just digestion. As scientists study this field more, they discover that the microbiome is also heavily involved with the immune system, the brain, aging, allergies, and much more.

This is why finding a healthy donor is so critical. Anything that is wrong with your donor can potentially be passed on to you, including things you may not suspect such as allergies, mental health issues, and a predisposition to cancer. When screening your donor, you must question them thoroughly and consider all allergies, food sensitivities, and family histories of disease they have. If your donor is not trustworthy, then you’re wasting your time, hence why you should use someone you know rather than a random stranger.

In addition, seemingly healthy people can also carry harmful bacteria and parasites without even knowing it. These harmful bugs may not cause problems in their body, but can potentially wreak havoc in yours. This is why you must…

GET YOUR DONOR TESTED!

Donors should be thoroughly screened using blood and fecal tests to rule out any infectious diseases. C.difficile spores, STDs, dormant e.coli strains, parasites, viruses, and more can hide in plain sight even if they aren’t causing symptoms in your donor. Your body is different, and there’s no guarantee that these diseases won’t spring to life once you become their new host.

The best way to get your donor tested is to find a doctor who is understanding about your issues and is willing to cooperate. They will help you get all the tests you need. There are also companies which sell various tests online, but they can get very expensive very fast. The company OpenBiome, which provides FMT material for hospitals, screens their donors for the following:

BLOOD TESTS…

-Complete blood count with differential

-Hepatic function panel (AST, ACT, ALP, bilirubin, albumin)

-HIV

-Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C

-Treponema pallidum

-HTLV I and II antibody

STOOL TESTS…

-Clostridium difficile (c. diff) toxin b, PCR

-Salmonella, shigella, campylobacter, vibrio

-Shiga toxin EIA with e. coli 0157 culture

-H. Pylori

-Ova and parasites

-Giardia

-Cryptosporidium

-Cyclospora

-Microsporidia

-Rotavirus

-Norovirus, real time PCR

-Adenovirus, EIA

-Vancomycin-resistant enteroccus

-Extended-spectrum beta lactamase

-Carbaperemase producing gram-negative rods

NASAL TESTS…

-MRSA

-Covid-19

You should aim to get your donor tested for all of these things if possible. If that isn’t possible due to cost or some other reason, remember that you are taking a big risk and you must weigh if that risk is worth it to you. Some of these viruses and bacteria can cause serious illness and be fatal. Keep that in mind and please do not skip out on testing if you can help it. Even companies like OpenBiome have experienced deaths and serious illness in their patients after FMT because they did not screen thoroughly enough.

Once your donor has been screened, you can move on to performing the fecal transplant.

FECAL TRANSPLANT “DISPOSABLE MATERIALS METHOD”

There are currently 4 methods of administering FMT: freeze-dried pills, nasogastric tube, colonoscopy, and enema. In studies, all of these methods show similar rates of success. Anecdotally, different patients seem to see different degrees of success depending on method. If pills aren’t effective for one person, colonoscopy may be, and so on. Each method has its own risks and benefits. Compared to the others, the enema method has the least amount of risks overall.

This particular method of FMT is an enema-based method which uses 100% disposable materials, making cleanup fast and easy and ensuring the most hygienic experience possible. This is the method that I personally use and have found positive results with. Everyone is different and it may or may not work for you.

SUPPLIES

1gal Ziploc bags

Disposable Fleet enema bottle, emptied and rinsed (standard size)

Plastic funnel (the end should be small enough to fit into the Fleet bottle)

Cheap plastic bowl

Plastic liner to fit the bowl

Fine mesh strainer (you can find these at the dollar store or very cheap on Amazon)

Toothpicks (for unclogging enema bottles, if needed)

Disposable well-fitted gloves

Plastic spoon

Disposable mask (optional, but recommended)

Goggles or glasses (also optional, but recommended)

Garbage bags

Paper towels

Timer

Bristol stool chart

Diagram of the colon

Distilled water (should be new and unopened. Do not use distilled water which has been opened for longer than 2-3 days, it can grow bacteria)

PREPARATION

Starting 1-2 days before your FMT, eat a low-fiber diet to slow down digestion. This will help you retain the FMT solution longer. Some people take Immodium to achieve this, but only do this if the diet method doesn’t work. (If you are doing FMT to cure active c.difficile, do NOT take Immodium as it can cause toxin buildup).

Some people take laxatives to clear their colon before performing the FMT. Personally I find this counter-productive as it makes it harder to hold the solution. A plain water enema may do the job, but neither laxatives or enema are necessary for everyone. In my experience, they didn’t make a difference.

PREPARING THE FMT SOLUTION

This process is ideally done within 10 minutes or less, as the longer the donor’s fecal sample is exposed to air, the more helpful microbes will die. Keep this in mind, but don’t panic and please work carefully. Doing the procedure safely is more important than doing it quickly.

Open a window or two and make sure the room has good airflow. (Don’t skip this step, even if it’s cold outside. This will protect your lungs from the bleach vapors and your nose from the poo smell...)

Put on your gloves, mask, and eye protection. Then, make a 1:9 solution of Clorox bleach:water and use it to wipe down your work surface. The bleach will nuke all bacteria. Let air-dry, then wipe with a damp paper towel and dry. Lay a garbage bag over your work surface. Have an opened trash can nearby. All of your equipment should already be sterilized (a dishwasher is good for this. Do not run your FMT supplies with dirty dishes, run them alone with bleach.)

Lay out your supplies and do a couple imaginary practice-runs so that when the time comes, you won’t waste time fumbling around too much.

Your donor should defecate into one of the disposable bowls lined with plastic. Keep urine and other bodily fluids out of this bowl. While they’re doing that, microwave about 1 litre of distilled water for 1-2 minutes or until it’s about human body temperature.

Once you have the fecal sample, compare it to the bristol stool chart. It should resemble numbers 3 or 4. If it does not, it’s best to throw the sample out and try again later. Using a bad sample can alter the outcome of your FMT. Your donor may have to adjust their diet to get the desired color and texture. Darker and firmer seems to be better in experience.

If the sample is good, scoop it into a Ziploc bag using your plastic spoon. Add some of the distilled water you just microwaved, force as much air out of the bag as possible, and then mush the sample around until it has the consistency of paint. It should be thin enough to run through your strainer, but not too watery. Remember that oxygen kills microbes, so be gentle and don’t agitate the bag too much, just enough to get the desired result. You should also make sure the water is not too hot before adding it in because this will also kill microbes.

You will now have a “raw slurry”, and it must be processed through your mesh strainer to filter out all the undigested fibers and pieces that may clog your enema bottle. If possible, tape a second Ziploc bag to the bottom of your strainer to make this process easier. Use your spoon to stir the slurry around in the strainer and add more water if necessary.

Your second Ziploc bag will now contain a more watery solution. Pour this solution into the Fleet enema bottle using your funnel until it’s filled all the way to the top. Put the cap on tightly. Toss all your soiled supplies in the trash bin and change your gloves.

ADMINISTERING FMT

Spread a garbage bag on the floor (linoleum is preferable) and lay down on it. You will want a pillow, blanket, timer, and some kind of entertainment nearby because you’re going to be down here for a while. Bring your filled enema bottle, some paper towels, a trash bag, and a toothpick with you.

Now it’s time to insert the enema bottle. If you’re female, you have to be extra careful during this process because if the enema tip makes contact with your vulva, it can cause vaginitis or a UTI, so just insert it in any way that’s most convenient for you. Once it’s in, lay down on your left side or back and squeeze in the full contents (or as much as you can).

If the solution won’t go in, try changing the angle of the nozzle because it may be pressed up against the wall of your colon. Please be very gentle and don’t force anything or you can hurt yourself. If the solution still won’t go through, the enema tip may be clogged. Use your toothpick to unclog it and try again. This process may take several minutes, just try to be patient while you empty the bottle. Once it’s empty, wipe yourself with the paper towels, remove your gloves, and throw everything in the trash bin.

Lay on your left side and set your timer for 20 minutes. Look at your diagram of the colon as you massage your abdomen to work the solution through. The diagram will help you understand where the solution needs to go. After 20 minutes, flip over onto your belly. After 20 more minutes, flip to your right side. After 20 more minutes, flip to your back. After this point, put your feet on the wall and try to be upside-down if your health will allow. (Don’t do anything too acrobatic without your doctor’s permission!)

After you’ve been upside-down for a while (as long as you can physically stand it), you’re free to get up and go about your day if you like. The excess water should have absorbed into your colon by now, so the solution shouldn’t be too hard to hold in. But if it is, you may want to remain laying down as much as possible for the rest of the day.

Ideally, you want to hold in the solution for at least 24 hours. If you’re not able, that’s okay too. I’ve heard success stories from people who held it for less than an hour, so don’t lose hope. You can try again in the future if needed.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER FMT

Some people notice effects within an hour or two, some may not notice anything for weeks. In my case, I didn’t notice any changes at all until about a week after the FMT. Suddenly my stool began to smell and look more like my donor’s and my IBS symptoms were lessened. This effect became stronger and stronger over the course of a week, and after 2 weeks they hit their peak. I felt fantastic and had zero IBS symptoms whatsoever. I could suddenly tolerate some foods that I couldn’t tolerate before FMT.

These benefits lasted for about 2 months, then slowly began to wane. The benefits returned after a second FMT, which again, took 2 weeks to fully kick in. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that more FMTs within a short amount of time may “seed” the gut with microbes better and cause the effect to stick around longer, but again, these are just anecdotes I’ve read from patients. According to clinical studies, most patients sustained some kind of benefit from FMT for at least a few months. Some did not. Your experience may vary depending on your donor quality, donor compatibility, and your own body.

In my case, I noticed only positive benefits from my FMTs and no negative side effects. However, anecdotes and clinical studies both mention that some people have negative side effects which are usually temporary and self-limiting. Bloating, low-grade fever, diarrhea or constipation, excess gas, and nausea are commonly listed.

If you experience excessive watery diarrhea, vomiting, blood in stool, or high fever, these are not normal side effects and you should seek medical attention immediately. You may have picked up a harmful pathogen from your donor (see the “Get Your Donor Tested!” section).

Remember, your results are only as good as your donor and their sample. Bad donor = bad results. Sometimes even donors which look good on paper may not be a good fit for your needs. FMT is not without its risks and the science behind the human microbiome is still in its infancy. We do not yet know the long-term effects of FMT, but we do know that it’s possible to inherit allergies and other health issues from your donor via FMT, so weigh these risks carefully if you’re considering this procedure.

I hope this guide was helpful to you. Once again, this is only one random person’s experience, so take it with a grain of salt and consult a licensed medical specialist before considering any type of alternative medicine. “Alternatives” are just that—alternatives for when the first line of treatment fails. Traditional medicine failed me, so I wrote this in hopes that maybe it can help others who are in a similar position.

MY PERSONAL STORY

I’ll try to keep it short and to the point. I’ve had IBS since I was a kid. Tons of food sensitivities, sickly, just not healthy overall, but at least I was functional. This all changed when I was 27-ish. I took antibiotics for a UTI and my health quickly spiraled into hell. I developed POTS. I contracted c.diff. I was stuck in a wheelchair for almost a year. My weight dropped to 93 pounds. I went from healthy normal female to 99-year-old zombie basically overnight, and doctors could not figure out why. I had every test under the sun, and nothing was found. I suffered for several years before considering FMT.

Symptoms before FMT:

General malaise, exhausted all the time.

Random low-grade fevers.

Random GI inflammation that caused nausea, diarrhea, bloat, early satiety, and abdominal pain that would often be so severe that I’d contemplate suicide.

Intolerance to basically every food. All I could tolerate was white rice, bananas, and white bread. Any kind of fiber caused intolerable abdominal pain and diarrhea. Even when I just ate “safe” foods, I still felt bad.

Random hot flashes and violent limb convulsions, especially at night. These were not seizures, I was fully conscious when they happened.

General low-level inflammation throughout my whole body, but especially my GI tract, with seemingly no trigger.

Symptoms after FMT:

All of the above symptoms were reduced by at least 80-90% and some disappeared completely. 2 weeks after my first FMT, I could suddenly tolerate agave syrup, green beans, sweet potatoes, and salmon, all of which would have caused me major pain before.

The low-grade fevers and convulsions just stopped completely. My energy levels improved significantly. I still can’t tolerate a large amount of veggies/fiber, but a small amount goes over fine. Before FMT, I literally couldn’t eat a single steamed green bean without horrible pain and diarrhea the next day. My appetite still isn’t great, but it’s better than before. I could only tolerate 800-1000 calories a day before FMT, now I’m eating around 1400-1900. I no longer wake up every morning with abdominal pain and urgency. Stool quality went from 5-7 on the bristol chart to 1-4.

I got incredibly lucky with my donor quality, but he still wasn’t perfect. Over 40 years of age, history of drug use but no current use, sensitivity to corn, and some minor allergies were his biggest drawbacks. Otherwise he was a healthy, fit, athletic individual who ate only clean and whole foods and had no history of antibiotic use in his life.

My results will not be your results. My donor is not your donor, and my body is not your body. If you do decide to perform a DIY FMT for whatever reason, I cannot guarantee that you will see the same results I did. Again, I’m only putting this personal anecdote out here for informational purposes.

MY FMT TIMELINE

8/1/2021 : 1st FMT. Noticed relief in autoimmune symptoms (tremors, sweats, headaches, runny nose, low energy) within 8 hours. 2 weeks passed with no further improvements and I thought the FMT failed, but did notice stool color, consistency, and smell slowly changing to match donor stool. Within 2 weeks, stool quality had completely changed from yellow and unformed to brown and formed. GI pain had disappeared and I felt incredible. Could now tolerate some vegetables, poultry, salmon, and protein shakes which made me very sick pre-FMT.

9/29/2021 : 2nd FMT. GI symptoms began creeping back about 2 months after first FMT, presenting as mild pain in the mornings before bowel movements. Performed 2nd FMT and symptoms once again disappeared within 2 weeks. Felt great.

10/30/2021 : 3rd FMT. GI symptoms began creeping back about 2 months after second FMT, presenting as mild pain in the mornings before bowel movements. Accidentally spilled donor material during enema process and caused a BV (bacterial vaginosis) infection. Took topical Metrogel + Fluomizin which helped but didn’t cure the infection. BV would persist for the next year, with symptoms fading and flaring off and on, kept under control with occasional doses of boric acid suppositories (like one capsult every 1-2 months). Besides my clumsy mistake, the FMT was a success and GI symptoms once again were under control within 2 weeks.

11/8/2021 : 4th FMT. Decided to perform one FMT a week for a while to see if the effects would “stick” longer than 2 months. Had some mild GI issues for a week after this one, possibly because I was still struggling with the BV and the massive stress that came with it.

11/23/2021 : 5th FMT. Nothing remarkable to report. Sustaining GI symptom relief.

1/31/2022 : 6th FMT. Symptoms began creeping back from the 5th FMT, once  again presenting as bloat and GI pain with bowel movements. FMT cured them within 1 week this time instead of 2 weeks.

3/13/2022 : 7th FMT. My donor started drinking a homemade probiotic drink he made from fermented beets. Not sure if that was the cause, but this FMT provided 4 months of relief instead of 2 and I felt better than ever. Able to tolerate sourdough bread which I couldn’t even tolerate pre-cdiff.

7/13/2022: 8th FMT. Started eating protein cookies with pea protein around 6/12/2022, which is aggravating to the GI tract. I had tolerated these cookies pretty well pre-cdiff and decided to try them again, but they eventually gave me problems even back then, so I stopped eating them for years. Was doing great until I added these to my diet, then started experiencing old symptoms of colon inflammation (GI pain, constant bloat)

Not sure if the seventh FMT would have lasted longer if I didn’t add these damn things to my diet, they just seemed to knock me off course. Was also under MASSIVE amounts of stress as I had just moved into a worse living situation to take care of my dying mother. I was feeling better than ever until I started eating these. I feel this 8th FMT didn’t make much difference in my condition, I was still having constant bloat and mild to moderate GI pain with most bowel movements. Donor’s sample was much softer and more yellowish than I prefer and I should not have used it, as I have had better results with darker, firmer samples. Lesson learned.

9/1/2022 : 9th FMT. I felt like the 8th FMT was a failure because for the first time, I didn’t notice much (if any) improvement in symptoms afterwards. Symptoms were still much milder than they were before my very first FMT, but still bothersome enough to affect my daily life. My donor and I were living in an RV instead of an apartment by this time, so our ability to cook was limited, therefore my donor’s diet changed substantially. I feel that the failure was caused by a negative change in my donor’s diet (more processed foods) + massive amounts of stress about our poor living situation. Both donor and myself were under a ton of stress which negatively affected both of our gut microbiomes.

Didn’t notice very much improvement after 9th FMT either. Maybe a little more improvement than the 8th, but not much. Sample seemed alright, not ideal but better than 8th in color and consistency. Actually had my very first episode of diarrhea since my first FMT last year, probably triggered by eating too much bread in one day + stress (diet still quite limited). This episode happened about 2 weeks after 9th FMT and I’m not sure if it was related or not, as 2 weeks is when I usually feel improvements. After this episode I started to feel slightly better overall, so who knows. Currently struggling with mild to moderate bloat that comes and goes, and mild to severe GI pain with BMs. These things seem to be triggered by stress and our current living situation is extremely stressful due to poverty, caregiver fatigue, and poor living conditions. Despite these issues I still feel much better than I did pre-FMT overall, which is really a testament to how unbearably awful I felt a year ago.

1/23/2023: Haven’t done my 10th FMT yet because the 9th eventually did kick in after a few weeks and it’s still going strong 4 months later! Stress and diet are the two main things that trigger my IBS these days, as opposed to before FMT, when minor things like seasonal allergies and weather could trigger me. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, it takes more to trigger an episode now. There are still many, many things I can’t eat without extreme pain, but my IBS episodes are much shorter and less intense since my first FMT. I can tolerate a slightly higher volume of foods and more variety than before. My diet currently consists of white rice, white bread, bananas, salmon, chicken, green beans, and sweet potatoes. Sometimes I can tolerate sourdough bread, Orgain Clean Protein shakes, or a bowl of plain pasta. Still no automimmune-type symptoms since my first FMT, which is amazing.

3/17/2023: 9th transplant still going strong! I’m eating 1500-1800 calories a day and actually managed to gain a couple pounds. I haven’t branched out and tried to eat anything new. Just sticking to safe foods until I get to at least 105 pounds. I’m 98 pounds currently.

6/14/2023: Still haven’t done my 10th transplant because the 9th is STILL working 9 months later! I’m up to 1800-2000 calories a day and my weight is finally back in the triple digits--103 pounds! I’ve been feeling great overall. Too much fiber still bloats me and gives me colon pain. My diet is still mostly bread, bananas, and rice, but I am eating a lot more meat now. I have chicken or salmon once or twice a week with no negative effects. Before FMT, I could hardly tolerate meat once a month and I would feel super bloated for days afterwards. Once I reach my 105 pound goal I want to try branching out with more foods.

7/31/2023: Did FMT #10, not because symptoms were returning but because I got a random UTI and had to take Macrobid for 7 days. Did the FMT the day after I took the last Macrobid capsule to hopefully prevent cdiff from returning.

8/11/2023: Did FMT #11 because the Macrobid gave me BV, which I was treating with boric acid suppositories, and accidentally inserted a capsule into my urethra so I had to go back on Macrobid for 5 days to prevent a new UTI. So, that’s 2 rounds of antibiotics and 2 FMTs in 2 weeks. I’m praying the cdiff and UTI both stay away for good. I might do another FMT next week just as an extra precaution.

9/7/2023: FMT #12 yesterday because I began having diarrhea/appetite loss and feeling generally unwell for a week prior with no apparent trigger. Fearing the Macrobid may have triggered a cdiff relapse, I decided to do another FMT to be safe. Within 1-2 hours my appetite returned and I felt so much better. Now it’s the next day and I feel totally fine. I went from being sick in bed to doing yard work in a matter of hours. I’ve done this 12 times now and I’m still absolutely amazed by the results every time. It is seriously like a miracle.

So far so good on the UTI, it has not returned yet. As for the BV, I’ve been treating it with boric acid using one capsule every 2-3 days. I plant to continue this regimen for a month. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try a round of Fluomizin followed by 2 weeks of boric acid, which is what seemed to kick it into remission last time.

1/28/2024: FMT #14 was a couple days ago. My digestion has been fantastic up until a week ago, when I started having loss of appetite, bloat, and diarrhea. This was possibly triggered by stress, diet, or some other infection, I don’t know. I have been eating meat 3-4x a week with no problems since October, but I think I overdid it with fiber and meat last week and my gut freaked out. So far the FMT has taken the edge off my symptoms, but I’m not 100% yet. If it doesn’t kick in within 2 weeks I’ll do another one. This happened on short notice because my symptoms were so unbearable, and my donor didn’t have time to prepare. Normally he eats a specific diet for a few days beforehand.

The BV has been miserable since I took Macrobid for the UTI, way worse than before. I suspect the Macrobid killed off the last of my natural lactobacillus bacteria in the vagina. Boric acid and Fluomizin helped temporarily but it came back with a vengeance. Since Metrogel did nothing, I suspect the “BV” is actually AV (aerobic vaginitis) which is extremely hard to treat, even with antibiotics.

My new plan is to treat it with probiotics instead, similar to the way I treated my gut with FMT. I will take a week or 2 of boric acid, followed by 3 days of Fluomizin to clear out problem bacteria, and then insert Femdophilus Advanced 10bil capsules daily to hopefully add lactobacillus and crowd out the bad stuff. Yes, I’ve seen 2 OBGYNs about this...both of them were worse than useless. I tested negative for BV as usual (which is common for BV sufferers because the tests are crap), so they told me the infection was all in my head and I should just “ignore it”...Despite the fact that two general practitioners actually inspected my vagina and said “yep, that definitely looks infected, go see an OBGYN”. So yeah, doctors being as worthless as ever, forcing me to take matters into my own hands yet again. :/

I suspect the AV is contributing to how bad I feel right now. I have classic UTI symptoms but tested negative for UTI repeatedly. AV can cause similar symptoms. Symptoms are constantly feeling hot but temperature is normal, random chills, , constant urge to pee but little comes out, fatigue, headache, GI upset, just feel generally unwell. This is similar to how I felt with the UTI but I’ve tested neg twice now. I am also suspecting diabetes as both of my parents are diabetic, which can also cause these symptoms. Considering my diet is mainly rice and bread, I wouldn’t be surprised. Anyway I’ll get tested for various things and report back.

1/29/2023: So, I was right this whole time. Vaginal test came back positive for enterococcus faecalis, and it’s severe. Doctors have been jerking me around, not listening to me, and giving me the wrong tests for 2 years, but I finally have a freaking diagnosis. The bad news: this type of infection is basically impossible to treat. It will require ampicillin and/or gentamicin, which will definitely bring the cdiff back and probably won’t even cure the faecalis. Currently using probiotics vaginally and trying to get an appointment with someone competent. If the probiotics don’t work, I will have no choice but to try the ampicillin and take it alongside Vancomycin. I will be doing FMTs during and after this course to help prevent cdiff. That’s really all I can do.

3/9/2024: FMT #14 fully kicked in after 2 weeks and I’m fine now digestion-wise. It also cleared up my UTI/general illness symptoms after a few days. I’m a little less fiber-tolerant this time around, but things are slowly improving. I used to eat 11g of fiber every day with no issues, now I’m back down to 7g. Sometimes I can get away with a maximum of 9g if I take it down to 6g for a couple days after. Something to note: my stool donor had some kind of food poisoning between this FMT and the last one, and hasn’t been tolerating certain foods as well since then. I suspect that’s why this FMT was slower to take and not as dramatic, though it still really helped me.

As for the vaginitis: I haven’t taken the Penicillin/Vanco I was prescribed yet, I’m saving that as a last resort. Probiotic suppositories have definitely improved symptoms massively. I don’t know if they’re necessarily “killing” the enterococcus infection, but they might be suppressing its levels because my AV symptoms basically don’t exist as long as I take the probiotics. Odor is completely gone, burning is absent most days or barely noticeable, excess discharge is way down.

I want to talk about this vaginal infection on this page too because the way I’m treating it uses the same principle as my FMT: crowding out harmful bacteria with desirable bacteria. But can store-bought probiotics have the same effect as natural bacteria? That’s what I want to find out.

The probiotics I’m using are Jarrows Femdophilus (1billion), Jarrows Femdophilus Advanced (10billion), Swanson FemFlora (9.8billion), Swanson gasseri (3billion), Swanson plantarum (10billion). I carefully selected these products because they don’t contain prebiotics or other additives that can cause issues in the vagina. They also contain vaginal-specific strains, the most important of them being l.crispatus which is present in the Femdophilus Advanced I take them out of their original capsules and put the powder into pure vegetable capsules so they dissolve faster.

After experimenting for 6 weeks, here’s my verdict so far: Femdophilus Advanced has the most dramatic effect, but can become irritating if overused. It produces a yellowish “fruity” smelling discharge. Swanson FemFlora didn’t seem to help much, but Swanson gasseri had a noticeable positive effect and causes a white “sour” smelling discharge (not unpleasant, it’s more like a plain yogurt smell, which is what a healthy vagina should smell like due to lactic acid). I only added the Swanson Plantarum recently so it’s too early to say, but it also seems to have a positive effect in keeping AV symptoms away. The regular Femdophilus also helps symptoms, but it works better when I combine it with other probiotics. I think some of these strains work synergistically with eachother. All of them have positive effects alone, but those effects are noticeably boosted when I combine them. I will continue to experiment and report back what I find.

One last thing to mention: I somehow developed a small abscess on my labia minora about a month ago, right before I started the probiotics. I’m 99% sure I probably cut myself while shaving and it got infected, likely from the damn enterococcus bacteria. It’s very small so it took me a long time to notice it, it’s just a lump below the skin that hurts to the touch. After a month it hasn’t really grown or improved, so I set an appointment to possibly have it drained next week. I’ll report back on that too. I’m praying I won’t have to take antibiotics. If I do, I’ll just bite the bullet and take that penicillin/vanco I was prescribed for the AV and follow it up with several FMTs. That’s about all I can do. It’s amazing (and incredibly frustrating!) how one problem can cascade into a bunch of other issues.

I will post about my probiotic regimen later when I get stabilized. I’m still experimenting with it right now and finding out what works best. There is this delicate balance between “too much” and “not enough” I’m trying to maintain, and my period seems to throw the whole thing out of whack which just complicates things.

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