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  • Vibi
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    3 months ago

    Up and down! Definitely lonely and can’t seem to catch any of my friends when they’re free. I had my first laser session for my face a few weeks ago. I was disappointed that it only seemed to irritate my skin, but on Tuesday, when doing my morning skincare routine, hairs just fell from my face; had a full shadow with a few days growth waking up, and then about 85% of it just wiped away. Not sure how much of it will be growing back, but it was sooo exciting!

    • Elise@beehaw.org
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      3 months ago

      Be prepared for it to come back sometimes after it was totally gone, it can be a real bummer. But don’t let that spoil the good weeks, it’s gonna feel fantastic :))

    • OldEggNewTricks
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      3 months ago

      Oh yeah, same here. I had my first session last week - they gave me the anesthetic cream for free because I paid up front. Gosh, this must really hurt, thinks me, starting to get worried because there wasn’t time to put it on before starting. The lady kept stopping and asking if I could stand the pain, but it didn’t hurt at all (the SMELL though…). That made me worry the laser wasn’t working on my hair (I’m dirty blonde, although my facial hair is a bit darker).

      I can still see the shadow, but shaving this morning there was a lot less stubble than usual! There is hope!

      • Vibi
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        3 months ago

        Yes same! My appointment was so sudden - quickly shaved 30 minutes before going with no other prep. I was honestly surprised how much it didn’t hurt. They did explain that their laser had a fancy cooling tech which I definitely felt working. The first few times I tried to shave after were strange! My razor just wasn’t cutting the hairs since I don’t think they were really rooted. I learned that it’s pretty common, but no one really explained that to me!

  • dandelion
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    3 months ago

    Finally got my insurance company to update my name, and now I don’t have to out myself every time I talk to a medical provider on the phone, show up to an appointment, or pick up a prescription, etc.

    Not that I’m fooling anyone in person, but my voice seems to pass well enough on the phone and it can be awkward sometimes to explain I’m actually <deadname>.

  • Chloë (she/her)
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    3 months ago

    It’s been ok, I’ve been studying math since I need to catch up for when school starts again, it’s going to be hard but math is the only subject where I have a difficult time.

    • OldEggNewTricks
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      3 months ago

      You got this! Math in particular feels like beating your head against a wall for ages until one day you suddenly get it (I studied it at uni, and everybody struggles).

    • dandelion
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      3 months ago

      I felt the same way until I read Paul Lockhart, starting with his essay: A Mathematician’s Lament.

      Lockheart’s Measurement and Arithmetic were both joys to read.

      I also really enjoyed reading Morris Kline’s Mathematics for the Nonmathematician, which brought in relevant historical and humanistic context to the discoveries and major developments of mathematics, which then made me feel much more motivated to learn about the math (whereas in a classroom I would be given a formula or concept and then I had to memorize it for an exam with no sense of why the math was beautiful, important, relevant, etc.).

      It’s hard to repair the relationship to math, but I promise you it is possible.