This gonna be a long one but I figured id share my story after lurking here for a while to let everyone know that making good money, creating independence, and enjoying your business can all happen in a short amount of time!
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I was a young lad back at the age of 17 trying to figure out what i was going to do with my life. I was barely getting through school, was more interested in working and making money. I was on a program where my senior year i only attended school 3 days a week and only went until 12:00pm. This gave me the opportunity to go work my awful part time jobs at car washes and car dealerships detailing cars. It was at this time i thought i could start a little side gig selling mobile detail service in my neighborhood. It took off and i started really getting client and making some money but nothing that would justify full time work when i graduated. I also did not really enjoy the work. I was always good with my hands, i worked on my own cars, built my own ramps and what not when i rode BMX bikes growing up and walls always able to create and see drawings in my head for assembly and put them to paper. I was set to graduate halfway through my senior year so i could start working.
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My Father has been in the commercial glazing industry for his entire life, at the time of my graduation he had been at a very large midwest privately owned commercial glazing company as a project manager. He hesitantly despite knowing about my pot smoking and partying habits got my foot in the door and got me an interview and a job in the fabrication shop fabricating the glazing systems to go out into the field for install. I started out as the low guy on the pole just freshly turning 18, getting put with the grumpy ass old men to assemble frames and caulk all of the system dams for water control. I hated it. After about 2 months i got the opportunity to run the fabrication and assembly for a small commercial storefront project with 2 helpers in the shop. This meant i got all of the cut specifications, field an assembly drawings, and details. I essentially had to start with raw full length stock materials and cut, layout and install the clips and brackets, build the frames, caulk and weap, pack and ship the project. This is when i realized that i could actually do something with this because by this time i had essentially learned the ins and outs of every commercial glazing system on my own in my freetime from product manuals so i could at least set myself apart from the other guys in the shop. I finished the fab job 2 weeks ahead of schedule without any mistakes that had to be corrected in the field. I worked in the shop for another 2 weeks and the operations manager decided i should go to the field to learn the installation process since i had progressed quickly.
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I started in the field the same way i did in the shop, they where testing me to see if i could handle the vulgar, raw, and miserable world of commercial construction field work. I spent 3 months on a large curtainwall and storefront installation project. I started by caulking dams on curtain wall that had to be stick built in the field. I then go promoted to setting glass and running oil covered vinyl all day to hold the glass into the system. They then bumped me up i got to sit in a boom lift all day and caulk ssg glazing systems. I at this point met a girl in a the state i was from on vacation and because things weren't going well at home and i kind of hated what i was doing i decided to move there.
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I moved to this new state and secured a position at a company that built and installed their own residential and commercial glazing systems. Conservatories, folding glass walls, skylights, and more. The position i took was a field laborer traveling to install conservatoires throughout the northeast. I started with a crew of roughneck guys and quickly found my pace and was learning the system quickly, managing my tasks on my own, and the big thing was i became the go to guy for layout with the foreman. I really enjoyed layout and was damn good at it. After 7 months traveling i didn't like being on the road and by coincidence got a call when i was in Maine that next week from the management team that they wanted to bring me into their massive fabrication and manufacturing facility to better learn the system and the preparation process for everything before it got to the installers.
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I went home and started working in the assembly department, essentially all of the parts for the structures where cut, pre drilled and prepped and the assembly team built the structures in the facility to ensure everything was going to work in the field. this really gave me the full up and up on the entire process of the system they produced and used. After 2 months i was brought in and offered a position in estimating.
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I joined the estimating team and spent 6 weeks learning every in and out of their entire product lineup, pricing structure, how to assemble professional estimates and proposals and i learned intermediate level AutoCAD drafting. I essentially would get a project on my desk and draw the structure as it was to be built in cad then used the drawings to create my takeoff and bid the job. i did this for 6 months before i realized how awful the management, staff, turnover, and moral was within this organization. I made the dumbest move i could have ever made and left a job paying 70k a year to an uneducated almost 20 year old with no other employment lined up.
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i did end up securing a position as a senior pm at another small commercial glazing company that set me up for failure by allowing their estimator to underbid every large project but ridiculous amounts of money before i arrived without anyone noticing. so every job that cam across my desk was a disaster from the get go. I spent 9 months putting out fires, managing gc relationships that where toxic due to the position i was put in etc. But i did learn critical project management procedures and how to deal with emergencies on the fly and client management in tough scenarios.
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Fast forward a bit and i moved back to my old state with said girl and take a job at a failing commercial glass company as a field/shop laborer and stayed for 3 months. I Left and took an opportunity to try residential glazing by installing custom glass shower doors, i ran my own truck did 3 installs a day with a helper and did this for 9 months. I had an opportunity come up to work with one of those 1 day bath install companies that advertise religiously. I had just built my first home, my fiance was unemployed and i needed more cash badly.
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I met with their operations manager and it was all layed out that i would be an employee but only would be payed a percentage of the cost of the sold job for the bathroom upon completion of install. I essentially had all control in my hands to make as much or as little as i wanted but it was all up to me. Despite the lack of a safety net i took the risk and accepted the offer. i trained with another installer for 2 weeks and set out on my own. Typically these companies sell these jobs for 8-11k depending on the exact scope and accessories. 2 man teams where typically doing a job in 12 hours or basically a day in a half and the jobs where all over the state. I thought there had to be a more efficient way to do it because i got 10% of the job sold price as my pay. by the time i paid for a helper, my fuel, and what not 800-1100 in 2-3 days wasn't enough. I let my helped go and decided i was going to do it on my own. After spending weeks trying new methods to get faster and create a better product i was doing install on my own in 8-10 hours and clearing 3-4k a week gross before taxes and fuel expenses. I was hungry to be successful and finally make good money. This continued for about 5 months until they hit a sales dead period and there wasn't enough work to keep all 4 install crews busy but maybe 1 job a week and i approached my operations manager about another opportunity in the company. Patio conversions
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Essentially this was a window and door, bath, and conversion company. These conversions consisted of taking existing covered porches and patios and turning them into 3 season or 4 season rooms. so you got the whole package. layout, framing, insulation, windows and doors, electrical, hvac, and interior and exterior finishes. these job paid big. on average a job takes 5-10 days and pays out 8-16k dollars to the installer. of course i had a couple helpers but i was absolutely crushing it after only a couple of months. This is where i really started to learn the ins and outs of commercial construction.
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One day i was approached on a Facebook page about a gentleman with a residential remodeling company near me that was looking for an operations manager. they specialized in high end luxury remodels and also made their own cabinets. I met with him and decided even though the operation seemed small and mismanaged i could make it work. I took a pay decrease so i could work less hours and be home more as my fiancé had just had our daughter and the other company didn't even let me off to go to the appointments.
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What i didn't know was that the owner of this business was the slimiest most Narcisitic, ego fueled person i have ever met in my entire life. He was running a GC business with the expectation that every sub, employee, etc was going to be a LEGEND and create only the most perfect unmatched quality product when given low Quality materials, piss poor planning, awful schedules and communication, etc. I quickly learned that i was going to be burned if i didn't think of something quick because the castle was under siege and i saw what was coming. i am 21 at this time. Well inevitably the following week i as an operations manager trying to keep a sinking ship afloat and out in the field tearing up tile from an under slab plumbing leak from before i was at this place, trying to rebuild an entire kitchen in 3 days by myself and i just was over it. Told him that i was putting in my notice and was done. I get called into the office that Friday and was told i was being let go, i was given a personal check for my weekly salary of 1000 dollars and made to sign a non compete and hold harmless agreement if i wanted my pay. i was paid as a 1099 under the table so he wasn't responsible for costs associated with employees. Basically i set myself up to get screwed. i signed everything took my check and left. Check bounces, im broke, he wont pay and im jobless with a fiance and a 6 month old. This was the lowest i had ever felt in my life and i literally was about to loose everything.
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It was at this time my wheels started turning and i realized that all of these residential companies i worked for had multiple things in common. The client communication was terrible, their execution was terrible, and their image was awful. They looked all shiny and great during the sales process but as soon as they had a contract and a check the client experience didn't matter. So i thought to myself, i know construction now, i now a fair amount project management and business operations, and i see a hole in the market. so i started my company with the little money i had left. i registered with the state, bought a logo from someone on fivver, made a facebook page, a wix website, and started marketing.
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This was great but it takes time to pickup traction and get jobs, i wasn't going to make money being a handyman so i needed supplemental income with flexibility in my schedule. I connected with a local fence contractor who was small and needed and installer who got paid by the linear for building fences. The money was decent but the work was hard and labor intensive. But it gave me a chance to hire a couple guys and teach them how to do it so i could start jobs and leave the jobsites to run estimates for my company. After many free estimates and 1:00 am mornings in the office writing quotes i just wasnt getting the jobs i needed. I needed a way to make sure someone wasn't tire kicking before i spent time and money doing a free estimate. So i started charging $200.00 for an in home consultation and bid package which would be credited to the client in full if they used us for the project. This was not well received due to me not being able to present it correctly in the pitch over the phone but when i did holy shit it worked like a charm. my conversion rate on estimates went form 16% to over 65% in a matter on 3 months.
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I started getting good big jobs in good neighborhoods, i started finding really great subs and built my list. I started building brand image, internal documents, repeatable procedures for every job etc. this went on for a year and a half and i finally made 85k take home my first full year in business. Then the covid thing happened.
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I thought everyone is freaked out and doesn't want us in their homes for estimates etc. how do i difference myself and create a luxury experience for clients without being intrusive during the lockdowns. i had started modeling basic things in SketchUp and new there was a lot of opportunity in 3d rendering. so i shifted our model and we became a design build firm. So essentially we are selling a design and rendering package to clients with a bid so that they can see what their project would look like before we ever go under contract. The rendering sells the job no matter the cost as long as you have the correct client base and are pre qualifying well.
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I had a friend i grew up with that had gotten an architecture degree and was doing SketchUp 3D modeling, renderings, and 2D architectural drawing sets for a shed company as a freelancer and we can up with pricing and decided i was going to pursue this model. So i learned how to be a sales wizard and started selling $1,500-$5,000 design packages over the phone before i ever stepped foot in someones home. we designed and went through the process and send them a price. if they use us they get a full credit applied to the job for the amount of the design if not they own the drawings and information. I was making 50% GP on designs for jobs that never sold just to go out and measure and spend some time going through it with my designer. Our close rate on paid design bids sent went to 86%. This was the end of year 2 going into year 3
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Year 2 Gross Revenue was $364k
Year 3 Gross Revenue was $597K
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This is all on my own using subs, no in house staff, off the shelf management software, no paid marketing. Just Facebook groups, referrals, and subs.
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In June of Year 3 I streamlined my process. I farmed out all business management (bookkeeping, Payroll, Phones, Etc.) and created a concrete repeatable process and procedure system that would be used on every job to ensure consistent management and quality. I hired a project manager and got him trained to manage all of the subs and all aspects related to the field and installations.
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I am Proud to say that at June 1 of 2023 at 26 years old with only one Employee we have contracted and collected deposits on $848,000.00 worth of work, our schedule is booked until the middle of September and we are on track to hit just over 1.1 mil in total revenue at an average gross profit of 47%.
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I have no formal training in business management, project management or anything to get me to this point. i have spent countless hours researching, reading, failing, and fixing everything in my business. its a cut throat game but if your willing to work your ass off and never quit, do amazing work, and make sure you prioritize client experience start to finish you will have people waiting years for you to do their job.
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We are booked through April of 2024 for outdoor projects. Find a hole in the industry in your service area and take full advantage and change the remodeling or building game so us contractors can be looked at as professionals who have earned our ability to enjoy what we have worked for instead of drunk hacks in a shitty pickup.
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Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk, get to work!

I had some foot issues a few years back and my pediatrist said I have to wear extra supportive shoes or the problems will return. So I been wearing my running shoes (Brooks Beast) the past few seasons and they've been great at keeping me healthy and on the field. As you can imagine, the downside is slipping in the dirt.
Do y'all know of any molded baseball cleats that have really sturdy foot support? For reference, the soles on my Brooks running shoes are so stiff they can't really be bent in half.

“MOM!” I screamed till my lungs held no air and my throat bled, I raced across the field and grasped the sheet metal roof with my entire palm, cutting my flesh and shredding my skin against the hot sharp edges. I pulled with all my might, raising the roof barely an inch before I collapsed in tears and reached for my moms hand. Her eyes were cloudy and tears ran down her face. “Its ok my son, its all gonna be ok, you need to find your father now” I nodded and wrapped my arms around her head “Ill be right back mama, dad can get this off of you, im sure of it” A jeep raced by and stopped with a screech as the tires left small skids along the tarmac, the base captain stood up from the drivers seat and screamed to me “Lets go! We gotta get you outta here” I leapt into the back sat and clung to the pole, standing atop the back seat as the captain slammed his foot against the pedal and raced across the runway. “No good on the escape cap, I gotta get my dad, my moms trapped under the barracks” He looked back at me for a second and I looked down to him, my hair flowing in the wind and sweat pouring down, mixing with the blood that ran down my cheek. “Good god kid how are you even standing right now?” I veered and scanned the horizon, my eyes falling upon a set of distant lights dancing across the sky. I pointed up to the darker of the two massive vehicles that were locked in mid air combat “Up there, thats dads machine, whos he fighting?” The base captain looked up and leaned forward squinting his eyes and falling silent as he did. He stopped the jeep and sat there, mouth open, eyes glued to the sky. I shook him and repeated the question. “Yo, theres no time for this, who is that?” The captain shook his head and spoke calmly “Theres plenty of time kid, none of us are surviving this…here” He reached down and grabbed a folder from the passenger glovebox, the wind flipping the top as he handed me the bundle of papers. I flipped through until I recognized a file photo. It was almost the exact same design as my fathers machine, the most powerful in the world, but it was darker, and there had been a skull painted on the visor of the mechs gigantic head. It held a long flat edged blade and from the look of the picture, it was taken only seconds before the gory demise of whoever took it. “So the reapers made his way to american shores. So what? This changes nothing. Dad can take him” I leapt out of the jeep and made a beeline for the nearest hangar as the captain shouted from behind me “Hey kid! Get back here, what the hell do you think youre doing?” I barreled into the hangar doors, taking no time to feel the pain my shoulder was now in from having smacked the thick metal door. I wrenched with all my might and threw open the rolling entrance shutter. The lights flickered on as the eyes of my own machine stared back at me, offline and still in desparate need of repair “Im getting in, no time for chitchat captain I need you to give me startup” He shook his head as he leapt out of the jeep and walked toward me “Youre only 11, getting in that machine could kill you, or worse it could actually start up and become a big ass metal coffin. Do you think your parents would want that?” I spoke under my breath for a moment “Better a metal coffin covered in weapons then a wooden one covered in bullshit” He huffed at me “God where do you get this nerve…Oh wait…right…son of the admiral…Alright screw it, were dead either way, get up in the cockpit” I smiled at him and pulled myself into the chest high compartment, sitting in the seat and buckling the main cross belt. “Strapped in captain, starting sequence, can you disconnect me?” He nodded and sprinted around the back of the machines tall legs, pulling the various diagnostic cables and wrenching the stilts from its knees. I looked at the gaff tape I had put inside, following the sequence I had mapped out when i first got the machine, switching the core on and letting the fans spin up. The captain yelled over the noise as the machine whirred to life and stood up. I heard his voice come through the internal speakers “Damn, guess your repairs actually got somewhere. Listen, your internal batteries only good for about 15 minutes, get your mom and then swing back here, if you want any semblance of a chance then youre gonna need a rechar-” I pushed the gears forward and exploded out of the hangar, banking right and hitting the air brakes. The machine flipped forward and threw the wings into gear, sending me rocketing across the tarmac, now 100 tons heavier and 2000 times stronger. I slid to a stop next to my home barracks and knelt down, letting the scanners pinpoint my mother and allowing the hydraulics ample time to adjust before gently grabbing the roof of the building, and pulling up slowly. The captains jeep screeched to a halt next to me as he raced from the car and knelt down beside my mother. He inspected her body for a moment before falling to his knees entirely. I threw the roof and opened the hatchway, launching out of the cockpit and hitting the ground hard next to them. “Shes ok right?” The captain shook his head and put his hand on my shoulder, the smoke stung my eyes as the various fires filled the air with toxic fumes. “There wouldnt have been anything to do, she took too much force from the collapse, im sorry” I shook my head as tears flowed from my eyes “Shes just fucking with us. Mom! Wake up! Youre funny like this but nows not the time weve gotta go and help dad” I shook her shoulders, first gently, then more forcefully as I tried to wake her. I flipped her and her glossy lifeless eyes stared at the sky, still crying. “Shes gone kid, im so sorry” I let out a sob as I knelt down and put my head on her chest “Its not your fault, its mine, I shouldnt have left her, we should have never been attacked” He put a hand on my shoulder and gently rubbed my back “I should have been more aware, im the captain here, its my job to be aware” I rose and gently put my palm over her eyes, closing them with my hand and taking a deep breath through stifled sobs. “You do your best, all the time, its why we respect you. I need you to watch after my mom now, I need to go help dad make sure this doesnt happen to anyone else” He stood up and put his hands up, pushing me back softly and speaking in a low tone “No way kid, you need to grieve, i cant let you back in there in the condition youre in, Ill pilot, or ill call reinforcements, youll be no match” I smiled and moved past him “Id rather bite it in the sky with my dad then sit here and stare at my mom, I cant idle captain” He nodded and bit his lip in thought “Ok…ok…then maybe I can help better. Here, face me” I turned toward him and took a deep breath “We dont have time for this man come o-” He yelled “Face me soldier” I turned fully and stood at attention, my face inquisitive “Ok, ok, what” He brought his hand up to his torso “Ensign Rath, repeat after me and follow suit” I brought my hand up to my own torso and made a fist just as he did “Yes sir” He smiled wide and spoke with authority “I, Ensign Rath” I nodded and repeated “I Ensign Rath” “Accept the rank of Lieutenant O3” I smiled wide and nodded “Accept the rank of Lieutenant O3” He nodded and continued “And vow to use the weapons this rank has been assigned to take on the greatest of threats” The plan clicked in my mind and I continued to follow suit “And vow to use the weapons this rank has been assigned to take on the greatest of threats” As I finished he saluted me and spoke solemnly “It is with great honor and harrowing guilt that I now present you the rank of Lieutenant O3 in the united states naval defense office. I present you with temporary access to the associated weapons in upgrades, and I now release you into the arms of whichever god you so worship, Suit up, and fight like the warrior spirits that have fallen before you” I shook his hand and nodded, feeling pride replace my guilt as I saluted and turned toward my machine. I leapt into the cockpit and stood tall, the captains voice came over my internal speaker “Im heading to valhalla, Hit the skies and get in the fight, ill send a support pack in 2 minutes with 2 hours of extended run time and all the other things youll need to throw down alongside your father. This bases continued operation now relies on the two of you, I know youve had limited training, and some of the controls might even be too far for you to operate properly, but youre a warrior now” I took off into the air, engaging my thrusters and cutting through the clouds like a fiery razor. As rain hit my screen and the distant clap of thunder rolled through, I scanned the surroundings for my father and his machine. I didnt have to look long till he barreled into me while recovering from a glancing blow. “RATH WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING UP HERE” My fathers booming voice shook my brain and rattled my core “Im here to support” He raised his shield and deflected another swing from the reaper, filling the sky with sparks as the flat blade cut across his defense “Get out of here now, where is your mother?” I fell silent as he grabbed my machine with his own and jetted away “Rath! Answer me, why isnt she watc-” I heard him realize, I could feel his heart sink as we stopped in the midst of an anvil cloud, and i could barely see his form in front of me. When a pilot takes his hands off the controls, the machine typically centers its arms to avoid unintended movement, and I could only see the silhouette of his wings as a deep breath came over my intercom “Im so sorry my son, I should have been down there” I shook my head and spoke softly “Then wed all be dead pops, just like the captain you were doing your job as best as you could. Weve got all the time in the world to mourn later, but right now weve gotta make sure this bastard cant pave the way for his friends” I felt the support pack collide with my machine and the cockpit lit up bright as I watched my uptime increase “You make a fair point son, alright, normally id tell you to hit the ground but today I suppose we'll make an exception. Did you receive proper clearance?” The packs armor crawled along my frame and locked in, covering the various dents and scrapes that had been so characteristic of my mech. The improved wings swung into place and I heard the lift fans spin to max. I moved my throttles forward and emerged from the cloud, the full shroud of my machine now dispersed and the new world open to me. “0-3 lieutenant Rath reporting for duty sir, happy to serve alongside you” He spoke calmly “Congratulations my son, your mother would be beyond proud” I reached behind me and remove the tall mace that came standard with almost all lieutenant support packages, but as the flat bulky blade came into view, I noticed a strange sigil on the shielding of the weapon. “Hey dad, any clue what this thing is?” I turned the mace toward him and he flew close “A gift from your mother, you werent supposed to see it for several years but it seems she finished it early. It was a sort of bug that used to be all over the place around here…called a butterfly. You loved them as a baby” I nodded and smiled “Ok, I wanna use this gift for a long time, you think we can beat this guy?” He huffed “Me and you? Were gonna turn him into a monument and stick his armor on display for the world to see” The sky split with lightning as the reaper crossed our paths and came to a stop just a few hundred yards away. As his machines deadly red eyes glowed antithesis to the bright morning sky, a foreign voice filled my cockpit. It held a thick baltic accent, and I knew it could only belong to one man. “You armor is shiny, new, you are young, inexperienced. I let you live, you escape, you till your friends, I kill you later, once you make others fear me” When I had built my machine, I had done so from scratch. I had added and removed things I felt would make me stronger then others, and while I was no heavier due to improved armor, I had still clocked in as the fastest machine in history. The rotors in my arms couldnt survive more then a few hits, the joints in my wrist werent durable enough to deliver full power trikes, but the engines that drove me could surpass all known aircraft and every recorded vehicle in land or air. “Come kill me now, I wanna see your face when I cut your armor in two” He grunted loudly and screamed at me as he flashed across the sky, drawing his blade and splitting the sunlight with speed. I held still and took a deep breath, before swinging, making contact with his arm and spinning mid air. I watched as the skull icon shattered beneath my mace and the sword glanced well below my feet. My father followd the strike with his own mace and drove his engines forward, propelling them both back into the lower sky. I tailed close behind, remembering the eyes of my mother as life escaped her body. With tears in my eye I screamed back “Youl pay today, and youll go broke!” I swung again and again as my father drove the two mechs faster and faster. I pulled the head from the reaper as my father pummeled it. I held it by a braid of cables and met my father in the air over and over. We blocked blows and chipped away, moving faster and faster as my arms grew sore and my voice grew hoarse.I felt my fathers full strength meet my own as we punched at the same time. My mechanical fist shattered inside the reapers torso and I heard a scream as his comms went silent. We watched together as his armor fell from the sky and exploded upon impact, sending a shockwave across the surface as the sound of the boom finally reached us. “Son, take her in for a landing, I know that seemed quick but youre most likely nearing your suits limit” I looked at my counter and noticed a dark red second screen, I had 1 minute and 45 seconds so I turned the engines off and entered a freefall, plummeting toward the earth before pulling them full plast and hovering just above the bases concrete landing pads. I watched my father gracefully swing downward and rocket toward the ground, spinning his feet once he hit the grass and disengaging his wings. His machine came to a halt just a few feet from his designated hanger and I dropped my own armor the ground, kneeling and leaping from the cockpit as i did so. I collapsed as I hit the pavement and my father came running over. He caught me before I could hit the ground and held me up by my arm. He was bloodier then I was but still moving with unparalleled strength. I coughed as he helped me hobble toward the runway before the captain parked next to us in his jeep and helped get me into the seat. My father sat in the passenger seat and leaned his head back, closing his eyes as I did the same. “You did good today son, get some rest and well take care of everything, youre too young for all of this, I'm so sorry” I took a deep breath and curled up in the back seat “Me too dad…me too”

Hello everyone! I actually have some news now! I have been looking into posting this on royal road for those that are jumping ship from Reddit, so look out for that anywhere within the next two to seven days. Also, I’ve been thinking about setting up a Ko-fi account for a while for those that would like to support me in my writing efforts. For those that wouldn’t like to do that, I’m still going to put these out at the rate that I have, so don’t worry about that. Well, with all of that said, I hope that you enjoy this installment of The Armored Terran!
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Venus
One IED. That’s all it took for the entire galaxy to fall to chaos. In the wake of our secret getting out onto the internet, governments across the stars have been clamoring for some kind of explanation to the pictures that have been circulating.
It had only been an hour. I had requested an emergency meeting of the Galactic Community’s Senate from the current speaker of the House, which had fortunately been approved, and was going to happen in less than ten minutes. It was my hope, along with the hope of United Terra that I could get the various nations of the galaxy off humanity’s back, and to hopefully have the galaxy respect us.
I had been cleared to share certain information with the senate but was told that under no circumstances was I to reveal the position of our solar system. Not like it’ll stop any of those aliens out there from trying to get that information. I thought bitterly as I sat at my desk on top of the desk that my mech was sitting at. I stared up to it, lost in thought. I wonder what would have happened if we just introduced ourselves to aliens without the mechs? Would we have had the same results?
I stayed like this for a bit until I was shaken out of my introspection when the door to my office was opened. I saw the familiar faceplate of one of my guards. “We have five minutes ma’am, and it’s going to take us three to get there.”
I nodded. “I’ll get suited up in a minute.” I stood up from my desk and collected the tablet that had my talking points on. I sent a message to my mech via my implant, and it lowered its hand down to my level so I could stand on it with ease. Once I was secure it lifted me up to the cockpit, where I sat down. The automated mech was a recent innovation, using AI that we hadn’t even considered using since the uprising that was put down almost two centuries ago, despite the cold feet that people got whenever AI was mentioned. To counteract this, it still relied heavily on the neural commands of the user to function as intended. Humanity had learned its lesson once and wasn’t keen on repeating it.
With a sigh I closed myself into the metal coffin and stood up from the desk, made my way to the door and opened it. The first thing that I saw was my two guards flanking the doorway, with weapons that were large even in comparison to the mechs wielding them. The second thing that I noticed was the hallway. Although the room that I was in was designed by humans, just scaled up like everything else, the hallway was a different story. It was designed by the Mudillo, a species that looked rather like your average star nosed mole that you would find on Earth, except for being ten stories tall. There was not a single sharp angle in the entire hallway, with the exception being the doorways. And as I was escorted through the facility by my guards, that summarization of Mudillo architecture continued to be true. We finally walked into the Senate chamber, a massive bowl like structure that was close enough to the surface of the planet to get natural sunlight to shine through the glass ceiling. Every chair was occupied by a representative from every species in the Galactic Community, except for one. That one was for me.
The room was practically buzzing with conversation as we entered, but all of that was immediately silenced as soon as the aliens noticed us. I silently made my way to the seat, where I sat down and waited for the meeting to start. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on me. The representatives around me were trying to get my attention but was quickly shut down by one of my guards giving them a single glare.
Thankfully, the meeting started quickly enough, as signaled by Buzraz, the Mudillo representative, walking to the center of the room and tapping the microphone a couple of times to get everyone to focus on him instead of me. He gave me a brief nod before starting. “Esteemed representatives of the Galactic Community’s Senate, I call the fifth emergency session of the Senate to order. The first and only business for this session is brought to us by the Terran Representative. Representative Rowe, you have the floor.” I stood up and made my way over to the podium at the center of the room.
I cleared my throat as I started to speak. “Esteemed members of the Senate, I come before you to address the rumors that have surrounded Terrans for the last hour or so, as images have circulated the internet claiming what Terrans look like under the suits that we wear.” And with that I pushed the microphone down to the lowest it could go, and I opened the hatch. I squinted as I stepped onto the open hand of the mech to the gasps and spirited whisperings of the other representatives. The whispering only increased in volume as I was lowered and stepped onto the podium and up to the mike. “As you can see, the rumors are correct. These mech suits that we have made has made it possible to walk with our galactic peers.” I took a deep breath. “Now, I’m sure that you all are wondering why? Why would United Terra lie to the Galactic Community for over two and a half years now? If they were lying about this, then what else could they be lying about? To answer those questions, I will ask you a question. If you had spent your entire history wondering if aliens existed, how would you feel if you found out that aliens did exist?” I paused for a moment. “Then imagine, for a moment how you would feel if you found out that the smallest alien out there was easily five times larger than you? Keep in mind you have no idea if they view size (or lack thereof) as weakness, or if they will even view you as sapient in the first place. Humanity hid what we were because we didn’t know how you aliens would react to us in the first place. The lies end today, however. In the spirit of transparency with the Galactic Community, after this meeting, anyone who is curious about who we are and why we do the things that we do can find a webpage detailing Terran history, physiology, and psychology.”
The whispering reached the level of a dull roar, prompting the Mudillo representative to speak up. “We will have order in this senate, the Terran ambassador still has the floor.”
I nodded in appreciation again. “And now I have a warning to give.” Everyone looked shocked. “To the representative of the Yaleya Conclave,” I turned so that I could look them in the eye. “You declaring war on United Terra and her people will not go unpunished. I promise you that when we are done with you, you will learn to fear those that you think you can take advantage of.” I turned back to the rest of the Senate. “And to the rest of you, the lack of an official response from any of your governing bodies has left United Terra disappointed. To you we issue an ultimatum, United Terra has been a prolific trade partner with most of the species here, along with providing most of the foreign aid to those that need it. Unless your government officially condemns the actions of the Yaleya Conclave, and introduces sanctions against them, United Terra will withdraw all trade and foreign aid from your respective nations.”
And with that the entire room erupted into chaos as I sealed myself back into my mech.
----------------------
Alex
I sat there in stunned silence as the room descended into chaos. That Venus woman really did play the nuclear card right out of the gate. I looked up to Aeva to see that they were equally shocked. “Well if I thought politics was boring before, I certainly don’t think that now!” I said with a chuckle.

Hailey Rose’s boyfriend, Rico Hernandez, is being inattentive despite her obvious advances, so she turns her attention to roommate Max Fills, who’s gaming. When Hailey flashes her big natural tits, Max is immediately turned on, leading to sneaky sex right under Rico’s nose. Although Max busts a big load that drips from Hailey’s pussy, she slips away undetected to wash off in the shower. Max, though, isn’t done, and he follows her in and starts fucking her again. A hot, wet shower fuck gets interrupted when Rico comes in looking to join Hailey, only for her to distract her boyfriend with a blowjob while Max keeps fucking her behind the shower curtain, undetected. Hailey knows how to multitask and get what she wants, but the question is whether she can get away with it."

I'm about 8 weeks, almost 9. I have literally had every weird symptom in the book. The classic nausea + vomiting was rough but suddenly I've been experiencing that nasty metallic taste on and off. Not to mention the pregnancy rhinitis. The post nasal drip HURTS and my nose is so stuffed up I've become a mouth breather for the past few days. I've also been feeling so depressed which I've read is normal and I'll definitely mention it at my first prenatal appointment on Thursday. The random leg cramps, the food aversions (i hate everything except mcdonalds fries and mashed potatoes, and apples and pineapples). My nose has been bugging me so much and I sleep with 2 fans on because I sleep super hot, but the dry air is NOT helping at all. I wake up every hour to pee and dry heave. When I lay down I bloat IMMEDIATELY.
I used to be a big drinker and it was honestly a social crutch for me at times (most times). Without it I feel less interesting and very left out in social situations. I've been DD for my partner and his friends a couple times and while we were out at the bars I literally went to the bathroom and cried because I felt so left out.
This sucks ): And my partner works long hours so I feel very alone during the week. My living situation also sucks because I was the only person cleaning (my partner helps of course) but the other people in our house are complete slobs and the smells make me want to cry and throw up every time I walk into the house. We're currently looking for apartments but we live in a very expensive area and I only work part time.
I just wanted to get this all off my chest because I feel like no one understands how horrible I've been feeling.

So, I wanted to just share some good ole positivity and happiness. (I'm a transfem nonbinary, they/them. (for the sake of context, I'm AMAB, hate having to clarify.))
I've been with a funk and bout of depression since I moved to a safe state, mainly due to several personal losses I had before and during it, then amplified with me moving WITH my transphobic and homophobic family.
I wanted to post that I found good. I found the motherload I was gravedigging for. Digging through a gravesite of my personal past, trauma, and deadname'd history and archival footage. It was hinted at early on, with a padded bra from my best friend, then furthered with a decrease in labour request from family. (Yes, my family demands I help with anything that involves: reaching, lifting, shoving, moving, pulling, and helping.) And now, I have presents for my incoming birthday pouring in (quite a few my own) and I am feeling better. I'm also getting my own Blahaj to support me! The joys of euphoria and feeling more authentic and myself. Still not on HRT, or antidepressants, or anything, which of course sucks, but I'm still happier knowing that it's getting better and I'm feeling better.
From being in a depressed, nearly autopiloting my life to save myself from the pain, to now feeling everything in a happier sense and no longer caring about anything that my family does to me. Since, they have both lessened and I've begun seeking out bouts of anger if they interrupt my peace. Seems to work just fine for me. Thanks for reading! Have a cookie! Or if you'd prefer, I also have some pudding. Take your pick!

So I am a guy and I got raped last year by my first girlfriend and it really affected me I am asexual which means that I don't want sex and she told me she was okay with it and still loved me and said she would never pressure me into anything and when I was hanging out with her she slipped drugs in my drink and when I woke up I was in her car naked and she was on top of me and she wouldn't get off until she finished it was the worst thing in my life and with me being socialy awkward already and then this the only woman I can talk to is my one friend and my mom besides that I can't talk to anyone else recently my friend had a party and she had a lot of her girl friends over and I was a little uncomfortable and because I was the only single guy there they were giving me attention and eventually one girl hugged me from the back without asking or anything and I didn't know I said I was fine and was going to the bathroom I ran into the woods by her house and cried for hours luckily no one saw me and my parents came to pick me up as soon as they could they don't know about me being raped before i don't know why i am like this i don't want to be i just cant interact with any woman that isn't family without thinking about what my first girlfriend did yo me

I've been lurking for a while, and haven't posted much but felt compelled to post here as everyone has been quite helpful. I hope someone can help me navigate this crap circle I'm in.
For five years, I've been married to my high school girlfriend. Our story seemed like it was straight out of a fairytale. We are blessed with two beautiful children and I thought our life together was perfect. Until a few days ago, when my world shattered into a thousand pieces.
While going through our shared iPad for the kids' school work, I found some messages that left me numb. The texts were between my wife and my brother of all. Apparently they've been doing this for weeks, if not months. The reality that they'd been carrying on this secret affair for months, right under my nose, crushed me. I feel blindsided, betrayed and want to puke when I think what has been happening.
When I confronted my wife, she started to get angry about me not trusting her. I showed the ipad and broke down and confessed. Her remorse was evident, but it didn't stop there. She admitted to being unfaithful with not just my brother, but then said she was close with my other friends too. Like WTF?!?! These were my friends for many years. I feel like my trust has been violated on multiple levels, and I don't know who to believe anymore.
Since then, I can't sleep. My mind is filled with questions about every decision I've made, the trust I've placed in people, and the state of my marriage. I'm lost and confused, I feel like a ship that has it's mast torn off and I'm in a sea of bullshit.
I'm at a loss as to what to do now or how to move forward. I suppose finding a lawyer, saving the texts is what I should do first. This is absolutely surreal.

Hello bestie
I'm sorry I couldn't be around for when you were driving home :(. I got the signal messages, I hope you had fun and that your mom had a good birthday dinner. I knew you'd find a way of having a burger in the end :)
It was a good evening. Michael called on the way home from work and said he was kind of too tired to go out to dinner, and I tried hard not to pout cause I know work things have taken their toll. He said, go to Amy's and collect the kids from her, and she can come here this evening if you want, I'll get take out or something.. I said okay, and I did, but she kept me waiting, and I was all grumble grumble in my mind.
Finally got back home with A and kids to find a bunch of people in the backyard. Pot luck party so no cooking by Olivia (yay) and everyone took their own dirty dishes home (YAY). And we all just ate and drank and talked and there was a cake. K was highly praised for keeping the secret and Josh and Ryan were caught swiping wine from the fridge. And I made peace with Ryan's dad (his wife forced him to apologize hehe).
Anyway I just woke up desperately needing a glass of water so I am writing you from the kitchen. I will take to you more soon :) ily, hope you are sleeping tight

This is the first time I’ve ever posted anything I’m mostly on here to read but this I’m just over it…so basically my Gma is a literal chain smoker and it’s bad. Doctors have told her to stop smoking for years but she doesn’t care. One time she was on oxygen and still was sitting in bed smoking while hooked up. ITS INSANE! Anyways she moved in with my aunt and we figured this should get better but NOPE that didn’t happen because of course…well my aunts on vacation and me and my bf are watching her house and animals while she’s gone, but gma is here but all she does is watch TV and smoke and lay in bed all day.
Well if you’ve ever been around older people who smoke you know their attitudes about smoking is that they don’t care what anyone else thinks and are selfish about it. Well at least mine is….anywho my aunt doesn’t allow smoking in the house because she’s also a smoker but likes her house to still smell good and what not. Buuuttt my gma on the other hand will only comply when she’s here (which is dumb but whatever), so with her gone and just us here she has decided that it’s okay to smoke in her room and open a window…if you don’t know cigarette smoke travels through cracks very well.
Me and my bf are playing video games in the living room and all the sudden I’m smelling her cigs…I have a strong nose so it’s easy to smell things that are faint…so I ask my bf do you smell that and he goes yeah Wth. So I’m like okay maybe she just lit one and forget she couldn’t do that in the house….Yeah I was waaayyy wrong….a few minutes later she walks out and grabs the chair she uses for when smoking outside and takes it to her room…now I’m thinking two things, 1. She’s lost it and is gonna stand on it or 2. She’s also lost it and gonna use it for sitting next to the window… well DING DING DING it was 2. 🤦🏽‍♀️
After about 5 minutes my head is killing me and my eyes are burning and I’m like okay this is ridiculous so I go in there and I’m like “umm gma are you smoking in here?” She just looked at me and goes “yeah…what’s the issue” I go “umm you know your not allowed to smoke in the house right, I can’t smell it in the living room” she goes “okay…so what” I’m like “well can you go outside an smoke so it’s not killing my eyes and brain?” She goes “well bullshit you can’t smell it my doors shut, and if you have a problem just go to bed and you won’t smell it anymore.” Now all I just said was “hmm well I can smell it and it’s killin my head and eyes and I would like to not smell it but I can but okay whatever” and I left and that was that…
Now it’s hurt my feelings because of the way she said it to. But it’s just sad that she’s rather just ignore my aunts rule and smoke up the house it just doesn’t make any sense but ugh my whole life she’s never cared about anyone else’s feelings about it and it’s just we’re being ridiculous because she can’t smell it. 🤦🏽‍♀️
But thats the end of that rant…thanks for coming 🤷🏽‍♀️🤞🏽

I, 52 M, was chased and beat up by a very terrifying black man. For background context, my son and I were working the night shift at a local fast food restaurant in our city. It was only us two. On our first night we saw on the news of a serial killer escaping prison and being in our area. At first, we didn’t think anything of it because we were two people. However, strange things started to occur. My son was tasked to catch and kill the rat in the bathroom. After he did it, someone pulled into the drive thru with the car description the serial killer had. He asked for the dead rat. This scared the shit out of both of us, but my son had already threw it away. We gave the man a different order and he left. The next night was even worse. We spent most of it mopping and taking orders through the drive thru when someone called the phone and asked for us to come outside and help with his car. We walked outside and sure enough across the street was a shadowy figure next to his “broken” car. We hesitantly started to walk across to him and at about half way he started to chase us. Honestly scared the fuck out of me. My son and I ran back in and locked the door. We hadn’t heard or seen him for the rest of that night. The third day was when things got out of hand. We were taking orders as usual when we heard glass break. Our first reaction was to get the fuck out of there and call the cops, but the manager called. He got a notification that glass broke and told us to check it out, but just in case to grab the gun in the safe behind our employee of the month picture. As we did there was another man standing at the front entrance. I quickly grabbed the gun and prepared myself. I shot at the man at the door but nothing happened. I used up 3 of the 4 rounds i had when all of a sudden i got jumped by the black man. He brutally attacked me, almost killing me. After he thought he killed me, he ran through the wall and attacked my son next. All i saw was black and I woke up in the hospital. My son got mad at me for not shooting at him but I was honestly scared shitless at the fact a scary black serial killer no less was attacking me. What should i do now?

My mum is the problem. My dad just allows the behaviour and has been absent on multiple occasions to just avoid fighting in my household. These days I notice he just says things to me to keep my mum not wanting to burn the house down because of my behaviour. They have two different parenting styles and both of them clash and I am the one who ends up at the brunt of both of them because I am always in trouble for something. I always get confused because my parents say one thing, I do that and then suddenly they change their mind and its against our culture. My mum constantly changes her mind every day and I feel like Im walking on eggshells with her. She uses me as her therapist and now that I dont talk to her, she uses my brother.
I would like to know if I just gaslight myself and I am experiencing something or I'm just a bad kid. I dont know how to stand up for myself and it seems like every decision Ive made so far is just a result of pleasing my parents or a result of my parents control. I also have been with my boyfriend for the past year and my mum does not respect me or my relationship because she keeps talking about my marriage to other people. The way my parents treat and talk to me, and the rules they have enforced on me is affecting my relationship. My dad said to me today that my parents will choose who I am marrying. But I want to marry my boyfriend. So im at a loss of what to do without losing my family. But I am aware I might have to go NC in order to be happy. For some context this is what I do in the house or did until I told my mum I wanted some boundaries. I vacuum the whole house (double story 5 rooms) and mop the floors. Make the lunch for me and my brother (M16) when school is on. Study all day every day and come home by 4pm in weekdays. I hardly went out before I had a boyfriend and now he helps me go out every weekend to experience new things. I help with dinner always. I use my petrol to do her little drop offs to whoever she needs to drop things off at. I don't talk back. I don't make noise. I pay for my petrol. Now I just vacuum and mop, make my own lunch cos my brother is 16 so why should I. Still study however extremely burnt out with my grades slipping because of this every day stress and overthinking/anxiety, still use my petrol. But now I’ve added clean the toilet me and my brother share because he pees on the seat. Here is a list of things I have done since turning 18 that have enraged my mum - got my own bank account - got a long term part time job - got my license to drive without a supervisor - got a MacBook with my own money - bought new clothes with my own money - received a scholarship that paid for my years tuition + accomodation (which she told me to decline so I did) - put my food in the fridge cos I couldn't finish it - text my friends on my phone (she must know every person I text) - FaceTime my friends during covid lockdown - see my childhood friend who lives down the street - didn't talk to her after she told me my friends are trash and that she wants me to retire her and finish paying her mortgage - didn't talk to her after she told me I have no focus on life or vision or any ability to get into the course I want to because im dumb and don't take her advice - suggest to swap something she bought me for something my preference (which was cheaper so she would get a refund too) because she bought me something not my style even tho she said she always thinks about what I would like when I have never owned anything like that in my life - go to my cousins house for a family get together she didn't want to go to but I went with my dad - ask her to pay me back the $400 she owes me that she used from my savings for idk what (she has also kept my tax refund for the past 2 years and I just found out (almost around 600 dollars) - tells me I dont spend time with the family but when I come down to spend time she falls asleep or plays on her phone - tells me my friends wont help me and they are just driving this family apart because they are brainwashing me -got my first boyfriend at 20 who is 26 and has a well paying job, has a car, a really really nice lovely family who always includes me in all their family functions, always is kind and respectful to my family. He has absolutely no red flags, but he is Korean and my parents hate him because of his age and he is not indian. To be fair I have done some things which weren't too good and broke my parents trust however, its been exactly two years since and they havent communicated to me about what I should do to help them trust me and I dont know what to do.
Things I have done include - snuck a boy into my house multiple times - hung out with my high school friends that they didn't like -left all those friends and now just have my boyfriend so when I hang out with them my mum asks why cant I spend time with my friends -got into a second year course which gives me job security when I graduate, I will be employed from final year -tell my parents the day of that im going out -turned off my Find My location -dont tell them about my life or talk to them -vaped Im tired of standing up for myself because I keep saying the same thing and nothing changes. I am 20 so I dont have to live here and I dont know what I am scared of. I think I am just scared of not knowing how to move out. Or scared of how to tell my parents Im leaving. I financially support myself in my house, I pay for my petrol, my education, my lunch and all school resources. I do not ask for money or any kind of assistance the only thing my parents provide me is with the car they gave me, dinner and the house over my head. I have about 10K in my savings with 2.2K in my spending. How do you guys suggest I go about navigating this situation

For me most drugs I’m fine with taking once in awhile. Nicotine and kratom have been worse but are there alternatives? I’ve tried kava but it makes me tired and I don’t feel like socializing. But I feel like the main reason I keep relapsing is because I get so bored and I go out to a kava bar everyday so I want to socialize but it’s hard for me to NOT consume something. For example, I don’t drink much anymore but when I go to a bar I NEED to be holding a glass or can(even if it’s empty), once I put it away then I buy another drink. I need something I can just be sipping on that kinda helps anxiety.
I want to quit but it’s so hard because I get bored, convince myself that since I’ve always been depressed that it’s not the kratom. Plus if I’m sober I’m like “well it’s safer than alcohol”. Yet once I take it I remember how YEAH I was depressed but I had hobbies, I had interests besides only caring about finding a relationship.
Not to mention I mostly hang out at a kava bar and a kratom bar cuz most my friends do and it’s a place I can go daily to chill for hours. Not many places except regular bars are like that and I just can’t stand being home so I feel the need to be out till like 11pm at night.

What is Lasik Surgery?

Lasik surgery is a type of refractive surgery that corrects vision problems by reshaping the cornea, the clear front part of the eye. During the procedure, a laser is used to remove a small amount of tissue from the cornea, allowing it to better focus light onto the retina and improve vision.

The Benefits of Lasik Surgery

1. Improved Vision

The most obvious benefit of Lasik surgery is improved vision. Many people who undergo the procedure are able to achieve 20/20 vision or better, allowing them to see clearly without the need for glasses or contacts.

2. Increased Confidence

For many people, wearing glasses or contacts can be a source of insecurity. Lasik surgery can help boost your confidence by giving you the freedom to go about your day without worrying about your vision or the need for corrective lenses.

3. Save Money in the Long Run

While Lasik surgery can be expensive upfront, it can actually save you money in the long run. Consider how much you spend annually on glasses, contacts, and eye exams. Over time, the cost of these expenses can add up. With Lasik surgery, you’ll no longer need to pay for these things, making the procedure a worthwhile investment.

4. Improved Athletic Performance

If you’re an athlete or enjoy outdoor activities, you know how cumbersome glasses or contacts can be. With Lasik surgery, you’ll no longer have to worry about your vision impairing your performance or getting in the way of your favorite activities.

5. Better Night Vision

Many people who undergo Lasik surgery report improved night vision. This is because the procedure can reduce or eliminate visual distortions such as halos or glares, allowing you to see more clearly in low-light situations.

6. Quick Recovery Time

One of the benefits of Lasik surgery is a relatively quick recovery time. Most people are able to return to their normal activities within a few days of the procedure, making it a convenient option for those with busy schedules.

7. Long-Term Results

Lasik surgery provides long-term results, with many people maintaining their improved vision for years after the procedure. While some people may require touch-up procedures in the future, the results of Lasik surgery are often permanent.

8. Better Quality of Life

Perhaps the most significant benefit of Lasik surgery is the improved quality of life it can provide. With clear vision, you’ll be able to enjoy life to the fullest, without the burden of corrective lenses or impaired vision holding you back.

Women always reject me because i;m ugly so recently i got a cat she is so affectionate and nice towards me no female has ever treated me this well. The truth is ive developed some deep feeloings for her and when we were snuggling on the couch i couldnt help but kiss her on the nose/mouth. Im not sure she liked it but i did. I also felt sexually aroused and id never od anything like that to a cat but the truth is i really love her. has anyone helse had tis happen?

I can't get in to see a neurologist (which I desperately need) without a referral from my GP who is the most unhelpful unwilling person- I just don't know what to do. I moved to Utah from NY to get to a healthier home environment (which has helped my allergies & asthma improve slightly) but not enough to be able to live decently. I really need help, my quality of life is so low I can hardly do anything each day- maybe one task a day if I'm lucky.
***I have diagnosed narcolepsy (was diagnosed when I was around 17, I'm 30 now. 17 is the age ALL my health got worse.
I also have diagnosed chronic allergic asthma which is extremely unpredictable and is my main problem aside from Narcolepsy, I cannot breathe well on a good day and on a bad day I'm in the hospital. I went to National Jewish Hospital in Denver to try and get help with my crazy asthma and allergies and they were not only useless but they were dismissive of all of my issues and they made it clear that did not have any desire to help me. This is the second time I've tried to get help at "the best hospital in the world for asthma" and that just isn't the case. They really are garbage, they do not set up a team for you like they say they will, they do not give you any help with resources or staff or anything. You're supposed to have a manager person who helps you with the process- I never saw mine (even though I looked for her and called her several times).
I should add that I am also pretty disabled due to my bad breathing. It's not easy for me to run around looking for somebody and the lack of care and urgency from the doctors (and staff in general) of my situation really was upsetting and the fact that then my main two doctors I saw there were giving me drastically CONFLICTING information( they both said the other dr. was wrong) They're supposed to have a team for you that communicates with you and with each of your doctors so that these things DON'T happen. We'll they don't do any of that. I was left pretty much alone to figure out everything myself. If you were planning on going there for help- I wouldn't recommend it. I wasted months of time waiting to get in for an appointment for 2 weeks I stayed there (they do not offer inpatient so this was out of my own pocket money) and then after we received no help and I went home with the promise from my dr that he would at least get the dupixent going for me without any question. (He in fact got irritated when I asked if ther4e was something I could do to speed up that process or make it easier) he wanted me to do nothing specifically he told me to wait for him. I did that, and got mega screwed. I spent months waiting for my dr. there (Dr. Alum) to get my new medication approved.
Months later with no contact after trying to reach them, I called again and much to my own dismay this time I got his secretary who said that they had lost all the paperwork I filled out that makes it possible for them to go ahead and START getting approval for the Dupixent through (through insurance). I explained that not only did I fill out everything right there in his office, but if they had lost it why didn't they immediately call me when they had realized there was no paperwork. (They didn't give me any answer). Finally she put him on and he was very upset (not sure why) and demanded we refill out the paperwork (we being my partner and I) which we did refill it and send it over. I just asked that he be sure he received it this time, and he supposedly did. He never once apologized or even acknowledged that he or his staff made a mistake, that they lost my paperwork, or made me wait an insane a mount of time. Doing nothing.
He then confused me even more and flipped to instead saying that I had never filled anything out, which by then I was so tired I just asked him to please hurry and to start ASAP now that he does have the paperwork and I apologized. ON top of that he said he never told me he could prescribe me any of my regular asthma meds out of state (which he did said he would be able to do this, I made sure he would be able to do this even before going to the hospital over the phone I made sure otherwise there would be no point in going there. I was told there should be no issue.)
Well there was an issue because without the prednisone I end up hospitalized so this isn't something I take lightly. I MADE SURE. AND He said it would be no issue. Well months later he's decided it is an issue and he clearly no longer wants to help me at all. He just decided to no longer be of any help. I don't understand. I've never had such a confusing upsetting time.
Currently I'm VERY lost as to what to do from here. I'm thinking I need to shift care over to my gp (who is not very good either *sighs*...she really doesn't understand anything about the asthma AND sleeping disorder combo and how its important to look at BOTH as well as my allergies. It's not one thing I have it's important I find a set of drs that can help me with asthma AND narcolepsy. SO far no doctors even BELIEVE ME that it's an issue. What am I supposed to do? I also need a referral to even get in to see a neurologist. IF my GP doesn't believe I need one- how am I supposed to bypass that? Get a new GP? (I'm willing to do this)
​
but I need in nutshell

1. somebody to be able to give me and dupixent (ITS BEEN APPROVED by my insurance but now I have no place to give it to me. After the first injection I should be able to have it mailed to me through CVS Caremark- I did this when I was taking NUCALA))

​

1. to find somebody who can regularly prescribe me prednisone when I run out (I hesitate to begin with a new dr because lots of drs don't understand why I'm on pred. so much- and its because that's how bad things are and over years of different meds I figured out that to keep me out of the hospital the only thing that works right now (especially in spring/summer) is low dose prednisone. (like 20mg a day unless it gets worse then I'd need to take more) but I am very aware this is not idea. That's why I'm trying to ge5t more help. This isn't livable and on top of everything I am completely miserable and have almost no quality of life for my age. I cant do anything without needing an inhaler. I cant see friends, I have no social life, I cant go out anywhere- I have no immune system I get sick very easily, every little task even a shower winds me so I have to sleep after (that's also the narcolepsy mixing w the asthma)

NO doctors are willing to take me seriously or to help me. What am I doing wrong.
I think maybe its an issue that when I go to appointments I can seem visually put together? But that's just what I've learned to do to cope over years. I often do tear up in appointments because of how much all of this hurts. My life is disappearing and I have not had a chance to live yet. I am scared of dying because of this. And what's torturing me most is that I know I could be getting better care. I could have somewhat of a life if I could get the right doctors to help me.
I'm so lost and sad.
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He not only "forgot" to start getting the Dupixent approved but he then continued on to LIE and say that he never said he would help me with that and that he would never be willing to prescribe anything out of state. (When I made it clear I was out of state at the beginning of all of this, otherwise why would I bother going there if I knew they wouldn't treat anyone out of state. SO this means now my entire situation has been made WORSE by going to National Jewish hospital for evaluation.
Now I cannot get my regular inhalers or prednisone prescribed by Dr Alum even though he swore he would be able to prescribe the prednisone (which is the only thing keeping me out of the hospital)
I have been having to get new prescriptions from old drs who say this is a one time only thing- or from urgent care.
I cannot live this way. I need help and no doctors are taking me seriously.
I have been told hundreds of times I am a very difficult case and that I am somebody who cannot have a life without meds. I need doctors who know about asthma and doctors who know about sleeping disorders. I can't live with this pain anymore.
I also do not have a good family support system- my family watched me get sicker for years and did nothing when I was little so- help from them is kinda not possible. :/
Thank you so much for reading, anyone who has. If anyone has any words or advice or anything please let me know. I am so desperate for ideas. I feel like the medical world doesn't care about me. I have almost died several times- and have been on ECMO life support before (all for asthma) the recovery process from those attacks is brutal- it takes months and is very disheartening. I had asthma all my life but the life threating attacks didn't begin until around age 16 when we lived in a house infested with black mold (and other bad allergens) I lived with that mold for several years since I couldn't get out/had no resources to move out and I'm sure that did damage to my lungs. (My parents were in denial and still are)
I don't want to die from this. I know it's preventable. I'm not a bad patient either(at least I really don't think that's the issue), I'm polite, I'm kind even if they are not towards me, I try and be as nice as I can even when I'm suffering (though maybe that's the issue? Maybe I need to say that even if I look put together it's just a mask I've learned over time to cope?
I just have not gotten anywhere good with this in years and my life is slipping away. Please help if you know anyone or if you yourself has chronic asthma or narcolepsy or anything similar what have you found works for you? How did you find doctors? I never imagined it would be like this. I'm sobbing I'm so afraid things won't get better and I'll die.
It at least feels a little better to vent but I know people don't like to read vents much :/
I know this seems like more asthma related but Narcolepsy also affects all of this. It just exacerbates any struggles you have. I experience lots of sleep paralysis and I am largely unmedicated for Narcolepsy. I really need help with that I need to start finding meds that work for me and I know it will take a while so I need to get in with a Neurologist ASAP.
Maybe worst case I could get a neurologist referral from urgent care?

They crept in. It was pitch black and stone quiet. They were suddenly starting to regret this dare. Stupidly, only one brought a flash light. The aggressive darkness and inky black yielded with grudging compliance but always seeming to push back. They moved cautiously onward amid the dust and cobwebs. The floor creaked. They breathed in tight, quick breaths. You could hear a pin drop.
Suddenly, there was a deep moan. "OOOOOOOOUUUUU". It seemed from below them. The house had been abandoned for years. Who or what could make such a sound? The boys looked at each other, but continued on, hearts pounding in their chests.
As they proceeded into the kitchen they encountered a swarm of flies. Buzzing and beating their necks and faces, they rushed and stumbled to the door, not stopping to see what they were truly feasting on. They slammed the door behind them. Maybe a body? But no way were they going back to find out. And again came the sound, "ooooOOOOOooooOOUUU" but louder this time, and closer.
They proceeded through the dark into the dining room. They saw a fully set dining table covered in cob webs. Dust-covered regal-looking glasses, goblets and silverware adorned the table. Spiders climbed on ivory plates. Clearly a house of privilege and set for a grand feast which never happened.
Or, perhaps, met a fatal end?
They pushed on. But again that unearthly howl.
"oooooOOOOOOOOOOOUuuuuUUUUuuUUOOOOooo".
They found the basement staircase, and from below, the sounds seemed to be emanating. Could they proceed? Would they? Did they dare? Two of the boys looked at each other, faces filled with worry.
But the third said, confidently, "We're going down there." Not wanting to seem the weaker, the other two boys steeled themselves and nodded.
The stairs creaked and groaned evily under their feet. The rickety banister shook in angry defiance. Insects and vermin scattered underneath them with every step. They were descending into hell, they knew, but none would turn back.
And the sound: "oOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUuuuuUUOOOO". Now loud enough to fill not only their heads but seeming to claw at their very souls!
Now at the basement door! The antique, crying squeak of the hinges eeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEee made the boys wince and almost cover their ears. But they had to know. WHAT is making that horrible, terrible sound?
"ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUoooooUUUUUUUOOOOOOO"
In the center of the basement lay an unholy coffin! A twisted artistic expression of murder, decay and disease! Brutish, incorrect lengths had been forced together, buckling the wood and bulging the steel at points, as if death, itself, were attempting to escape. It was festooned with beast-like emblems and decrepid artifacts: skulls, antlers, skins, totems, and drenched in the color of blood!
It was TRUE! The house really was haunted!
"OOOoooOOOoOOooOoOouuUUUUUuuuuUOOuouOUO"
Now the boys realized with sheer horror that the insane moaning was definitely coming from the coffin!
Before the boys could turn and run, the coffin began to shake! They froze.
Then it suddenly LIFTED off the ground! They gaped in terror!
Shaking violently and rising, the coffin started to turn. It turned and turned, and gained speed. It was spinning in the air before them! A mix of terror and fascination gripped them. Unable to look away. Unable to run. It spun faster and faster AND FASTER!
"OOOoooOOOoOOooOoOouuUUUUUuuuuUOOuouOUOOOOOOOoo"
The first boy with the knife slashed in the air in front of him, as if to stab away at the evil! Then he dropped the knife and ran back up the stairs, never to be seen again.
The second boy with the gun fired warning shots at the ceiling BANG! BANG!, but then thought better of it, dropped his gun and also ran up the stairs, and also was never to be seen again.
The third boy stood there calmly, reached into his pocket and popped a cough drop into his mouth. He sucked on it for a bit.
And the coffin stopped.