Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with yuck

So Sick of Being Sick

rollbiz — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:59:36 -0800

Any thoughts on whether this is viral/something you've heard of going around, or whether it might be time to find a new doctor soon? From about the 20th to the 25th, I had what was easily identifiable as a bad cold or flu. Mostly head symptoms, stuffy/runny, weak, so on. Maybe a bit of a fever, maybe not (lost my thermometer but definitely woke up sweaty a few times). Then, thankfully, I started to feel better...until suddenly I didn't.

Last Wednesday, I started to feel really lousy but in a different way. Cough but not really a productive one, dizzy/lightheaded, fatigued, nausea (no vomiting), no appetite. More concerning was that I had a bit of pain and soreness in my left chest, shoulder, and arm. I would also feel like my heart was thudding after even small amounts of physical activity, although my pulse didn't seem to be wildly high when I would check. I started to worry that it could be a heart attack, so I went to the ER. Tests (EKG, blood enzyme, CT scan) all came back fine. Was also feeling anxious, but probably because I was working myself up about something potentially being seriously wrong with me. No fever.

The following night, I woke up from a dead sleep feeling really anxious and like my heart was pounding, and what felt like a slight tightness in my chest. Went back to the ER, and a couple more EKGs and blood tests later, they tell me I'm still fine. Also, still no fever.

Went to see my doctor today, and he basically told me he doesn't know what's wrong with me but that he feels comfortable the major stuff is ruled out. Sent me on my way and told me to come back in four months, but didn't really address what to do (and when) if I keep feeling like this (to be fair, I didn't think to ask). Again, no fever.

As it stands, I still have no appetite (I can eat but have no desire to), mild to moderate nausea on and off, dizzy and sort of lightheaded and out of it on and off. Headache on and off. Chest/arm/shoulder soreness and pain on and off, still mostly on my left side. My nose has been a bit stuffy in the last few days, but nothing like it was when I had the traditional cold symptoms two weeks ago. I still have no fever. Sometimes the symptoms are stronger, sometimes they're not bad. Sometimes eating seems to help, sometimes it seems to make things worse. Activity of almost any kind seems to make things worse.

Any thoughts? Any word going around about people having similar sickness, particularly without a fever (I'm in MA)? Any thoughts on how long I should let this continue before I try to approach my doctor (or maybe a different one)? You are, of course, not my doctor.

Can I eat this fruit?

morganw — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 13:56:19 -0800

Can I eat these nectarine-plum cross fruits from my back yard? I'm a "eating from your own yard" newbie.

I have 5 trees of a nectarine-plum cross, infected with peach leaf curl (previously about that). They seem to be doing the thing that some stone fruit trees do when stressed and express fruit biennially, but this year they're making a lot. So much that I got behind culling the fruit where they were growing too close together & broke a few branches.

I took some when they weren't ripe & they were very sour & not sweet enough to cut the tart. Now, I'm finding ripe ones that haven't fallen or rotten- yay! But to someone used to commercial produce, they're weird.

This one has the peach leaf curl fungus on it. Can I just cut the skin off & the fruit underneath will be OK?

This one has weird skin from touching leaves and branches and other fruits while it grew. Ignoring the actual voids/cuts in the skin, is this going to be nothing more than odd texture? (I didn't eat this one because I don't think it was ripe yet, but is fruit without voids but with scaly areas OK?)

This one (and another, taken with flash) has weird stuff happening to the pit. What is that?

This one has a visitor (squick alert). The trees haven't been sprayed with any insecticide, just some liqui-kop last fall in a vain attempt to curtail the leaf fungus. I didn't eat this one, but included it so we'd have some idea about what kind of infestation might be in other fruits.

This one has weird brown coffee-ground-sized stuff left behind when the pit is removed. What is it? I rinsed it & scraped at the ¿decomposed pit? a bit & ate it anyway. It was super-yum.

This one looks pretty good but what's that clear-ish area inside? After seeing the larvae, I'm getting worried about eggs of some creature. Ewww! But hey, it's nature, right? Fruit isn't made in a plastic injection molding machine.

The last two look like a worse version of the "clear spots" where there are actual voids. Nothing's wriggling in there, but it's kinda yucky thinking about what this might be.

In which Magsie the Cat will continue to urinate in the laundry receptacle

item — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:38:02 -0800

Why does our kitten believe that dirty clothes hampers and toilets are one and the same? Our approximately four month old kitten, Magsie, will occasionally pee in our laundry hampers. Understandably, my girlfriend and I do not approve of this behavior. How do we get her to cease?

She was a rescue - we found her behind the house in one of our flowerpots when she was about a month old. She took to us really quickly, and now she's extremely well-adjusted: sweet, social, energetic, everything one could ask for in a kitten. She doesn't seem to be harboring any anxieties, but who knows? She has access to all parts of our house and is the recipient of much love and attention. Maybe she's spoiled - please don't judge us. She is an only cat.

This has been asked before, back in the AskMe's prehistoric days, but it didn't really seem to be resolved. This is the only thing she does that she shouldn't be doing. It happens once every few weeks. Will we have to keep our closet doors shut at all times or just have to learn to live with pee-soaked hampers? We'd rather get to the root of the problem.

I know pictures will be demanded, so here you go.

Subverting My Attraction to Negative Passive People

aabbbiee — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:38:08 -0800

I find myself in a pattern of getting into long-term relationships with people who end up displaying massive passive-aggressive tendancies and negativity. I always think I've found someone who is going to be a great, equal partner and I just end up in the same relationship again and again. I'm a bi woman, age 33. Names have been changed here.

I have a pattern in my relationships. I am attracted to shy introverted people, people who seem to have lots of passions and interests when I'm getting to know them, and who turn out to be passive, negative people prone to passive-aggressive tendancies. I like making the first move in the beginning, but then I want it to turn into a relationship of equals in a team. Of course this doesn't happen. It turns into a situation where I look like I'm in the lead, in control, but really I'm the mind-reader for a 'partner' who sits in the back, not actually steering the car but bitching if it doesn't go the way s/he wants. I don't recognize this passive-aggressivity for months, usually, by which time I have convinced myself that it's a totally reasonable way to live. I'm a serial monogamist, and my adult relationships last awhile.

I know this will be long, and I'm sorry, but I feel like it's necessary to illustrate my points with this background info:

I dated Brian at the end of college and it was my first long-term relationship. He was extremely passive-aggressive and kind of an asshole about it, if that makes sense. We broke up and I met Megan, who I dated and eventually married for awhile. At first, she seemed totally different than Brian because she had all her shit together, was very passionate about different issues, etc. etc. But eventually it became insanely obvious that I was dating a female version of Brian. Okay, she was less of an asshole. The same negativity, the same avoidance of issues, the same guilt trips. No, I don't know why I married her. It ended a few years later, after lots of therapy (both individual and couples; my individual therapist advised me to end it).

After that, I started dating online for a bit. Nothing worked out, but I met a guy I liked a lot immediately. I had a huge crush, but we didn't end up dating because he started dating someone else at the exact same time that I met him. We became very close friends despite my crush/his relationship. A few months into our friendship, it suddenly clicked that he was a totally negative, passive-aggressive person. My crush ended immediately on this discovery. I now look back on that with some relief that he and I didn't start dating, because I would have been miserable. We remain close friends, but I am always happy that I can be objective about his issues as his friend, and not be invested in them as his partner. But why didn't I see the passivity at the beginning? I just don't know how I missed it.

I stayed single until fall 2010 when I fell for a new guy, Mike. We went hurtling into a relationship that had a great honeymoon period. We talked and joked a lot about our passive-aggressive exes, and I was just relieved at how easy it was to be with him. But the relationship clearly curdled for him after Christmas. He didn't tell me, though, even though I was sensing it and getting a little crazy. He flat-out denied that anything was wrong and I actually apologized for confronting him (!). Then, the other week, he abruptly ended it. The weeks between the confrontation and the breakup were filled with lots of negativity and passive-aggressive comments from him, and lots of mind-reading on my part while trying to make him happy. Now I'm just upset with myself for not trusting my gut and for being a general doormat.

I know that everyone is passive-aggressive at some point or another. I'm sure I am as well, but I do really try to subvert my tendancies because I hate it so much in others. I really try to identify what I want and ask for it clearly, and I would really like to be in a relationship with someone else who does this as well. I am not a perfect angel. I work on my control issues, though I feel like I am attributed a lot more control issues than I actually have since so many of my relationships were controlled by the passive other party sitting in the backseat. But as the more positive, optimistic partner with the plans and the action, I look like I do all the controlling. I hate that people might think this, and I think it makes me even more of a doormat in my relationships and even more susceptible to passive control by someone else.

I have seen therapists, and I do want to see one to talk through all of this stuff in the next few weeks. However, the cost is prohibitive even with my health insurance. I also think this is probably a problem that other people have faced, and I'd like some layperson advice, especially from those with experience. I'm up for book suggestions as well. I didn't see any other AskMeFi dealing specifically with passive-aggression.

Has anyone else found themselves in a pattern of attracting/being attracted to shy introverts that end up being passive aggressive, negative people? What did you do about it? How do I learn to be attracted to positive, active people?

How to make a fruit yogurt out of pencil shavings?

uauage — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:58:40 -0800

Today I overheard a guy saying that there's a Japanese patent to make fake fruit bits out of wood chips, by texturizing and adding artificial flavors, and that that's how they make fruit yogurt. Is this true in any way?

Entomology-Filter - Help me identify some worms that reside in my backyard.

Argyle — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:29:16 -0800

Entomology-Filter - Help me identify some worms that reside in my backyard. In my backyard is our food digester (a Green Cone Solar Digester to be exact). It’s not a composter, it is meant for food to be digested by bacteria. The general use is placing food scraps and other organic stuff inside and bacteria eat it. We have a little shaker of 'bacteria starter' that we use.

Somehow, the worms showed up. They devour most things within 24 hours. It looks to be a hellish environment of hundreds of worms covering the entire bottom of the digester.

My question is: What exactly are these worms and do they do anything but make more worms? Is there a flock of butterflies about to appear?

I warn you NOT to click on these images if you are eating or planning to eat anytime soon or are squeamish or have any other condition that pictures of a redonkulous amount of worms would be bad.

The bottom of the digester.

Close up of the worms.

Thanks!

Something's Fishy in Here.

freshwater_pr0n — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 10:04:32 -0800

What steps can I take, and what products can I use, to successfully eliminate silverfish from my house for good? In particular, how can I store (truckloads of) books so that silverfish can't snack on them? What else will they eat once the books are gone?

Proper etiquette for the showers/ hot tub at the YMCA?

bradth27 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:40:07 -0800

What is the proper etiquette for the showers/ hot tub at the YMCA? I have been using my local YMCA for a few months now, and have so far not used the showers or the hot tub.... but I would love to do so. My question is this - what's the dress code? naked for the shower? naked in the hut tub? bathing suit? I have no idea. I don't mind being naked around other men, I just don't want to be the naked man who's doing it wrong. I know, it's a silly question. but still.

Icky nail infection in NYC: Derm recommendations in midtown?

Anonymous — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:10:26 -0800

Manhattan dermatologist who can see me this week to handle an out of control icky infection (classic manicure-from-hell scenario)? The closer to Grand Central-ish, the better! So when I first noticed my fingernail was infected - due to the throbbing and rapid expansion of a whiteness growing beneath the nail plate - I went to see an urgent care doc in midtown who put me on antibiotics and advised hot soaks in water, betadine, and hydrogen peroxide.

It's been weeks and despite religious adherence to this regimen (although I *have* perhaps made it worse by wearing bandaids which trap moisture), my nail is thisclose to falling off. I googled this and apparently it may be that yeast have invaded.

Anyhoo, I'd like to have a real dermatologist take a look at this ASAP before it gets any worse. Can anyone recommend a plain old medical dermatologist in midtown (40s or 50s) that might take me this week?

I'll be doing my fair share of calling around but I have literally zero time from 8am to 7pm.

Thanks so much for your help!

smelly cap, smelly cap

roger ackroyd — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:06:54 -0800

The baseball cap I wear at the gym gets soaked in sweat. And now it smells like mildew. Help. It wasn't too expensive, so worst case scenario I'll throw it in the wash with some white vinegar. But are there other, gentler options?

poo, poo everywhere.. nor any drop to... oh never mind

taff — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 05:37:12 -0800

we have two recalcitrant boys. dodgie, the seven year old border terrier, and wedgie the six year old toy poodle. we also have a newly crawling baby. and a back yard. and a clothes line. basically.... my boys keep pooing where they always have. in the back yard, wherever they like..... but mostly under the clothes line. and inevitably, i walk in it. it's not special. (my google-fu failed... you have no idea how hard it was to find the right terms to plug in!)

so.... i want to keep dodgie and wedgie from pooing under the clothes line.... in fact, i'd love to keep the boys pooing in a specific place to the side/back of the yard... but doing it with physical barriers like a fence is not possible...

and sadly... it's not possible to sit and watch and wait and do some kind of behavioural conditioning. is there something i could spread on the grass to make them not go there, or something to make them go where i want them to go?

between grass mowings.... dodgie does get a bit precious and walks like a geisha on the morning, dewy grass when he goes out for his morning wee. wedgie is much more pragmatic and trots out like a gay, young foal.

i think that covers it... oh... they're not locked in at night... or in fact ever. and they're walked many days of the week... but mostly save their poos for home.

oooh...and i'll give an elephant stamp to anyone that knows what i can put over my lawn to facilitate disintegration of the existing poos.... some are not easily visible. i've been a bad dog owner and since the baby.... we'll.... we're the complete neglect cliche...

What's the music used in films to represent spiders?

hoverboards don't work on water — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 09:36:31 -0800

What instrument is used to make the fast, tinkly, skin-crawling picking-on-a-harp high-pitched sound effect that accompanies spiders and other insects in movies? Is it in fact a harp?

I seem to recall it being used in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in the "It's not fortune cookies" scene. I know it's been used in The Simpsons many, many times. I'm struggling to come up with a definite example, but c'mon... you must know what I mean.

Also, any ideas who first used this sound effect?

Fowl Most Foul

maryh — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 16:51:52 -0800

Fowl-Most-FoulFilter: I just roasted a chicken, and it came out ghastly. What the &?*#@ did I do wrong? I make roast chicken fairly often, maybe every other week, and it usually turns out fine. I didn't really do anything different this time; I brined it in a large bowl for about 4 hours, rinsed it off & let it air dry in the fridge for about 8 hours, then roasted it at 350 degrees for an hour & twenty minutes (for a 4 lb bird.) When it was done, I let it sit uncovered for 20 minutes, and at that point it looked pretty good - The skin was slightly crispy and browned, it smelled good, we couldn't wait to dig in. But that first bite of white meat.... Ugh. Instead of being moist, it was soggy as if I'd been stewing it all afternoon, and it tasted like it been stewed, too. Just way beyond yuck. The only thing I can think of is that I oiled the skin a little before I seasoned it, but just lightly. Its been an hour and the husband & I haven't been afflicted with vomiting or cramps, so I don't think it was a bad bird. But why did it go so wrong?? I loves me some chicken, but this was bad enough to make me doubt my cooking-fu (and I'm not exactly a chef to start with.)

Why do I hate beer?

robbie01 — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 16:06:53 -0800

I hate beer. What's wrong with me? I've never been a big drinker (didn't do much acclimation in high school) but beer is disgusting to me. I'm aware, of course, of the world's obsession with the beverage, but I just don't get it. It's bitter, there's too much of it per serving in a bar, and it just tastes bad. To me. Is there something wrong with my taste buds? Could I be overly-sensitive to bitter flavors?

I've tried several varieties of beer (pale, dark, canned, bottled, cheap, expensive, national brands, microbrews, seasonals), and they all have that same basically bad flavor. I understand there is something called the "IBU", which is a measure of how bitter a beer is, but even something very low on the scale is just terrible to me.

The thought of someone coming home after work and popping open a beer to drink is confounding.

It's not that I desire to drink more beer, though sometimes I feel a little awkward being the only one drinking soda, water (or even mixed drinks, which I also have a tendency to dislike intensely), but I figured the world must be in on something that I'm just not getting, or has everyone just learned to acquire the taste because it's generally the cheapest, most ubiquitous method of getting drunk?

i used to love food, but it's all over now

luriete — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 12:10:28 -0800

What has happened to my love of food? I used to love food. All kinds of food. I was a huge food aficionado - a foodie - a gourmet. I would cook and eat out constantly, looking forward to eating at great restaurants in every new city I visited. My mouth watered at the mention of foie gras, Katz's, Nobu, toro, heirloom tomatoes, tartare, sweetbreads, artisan cheese, fresh caught rockfish, shrimp salad. You name it, I loved it.

In the last two months, though, I am rarely hungry and am often naeuseated even by the idea of food. It's difficult to motivate myself to eat, and I find myself eating mediocre salads and crummy sandwiches at the cafeteria at work rather than walk a block for a bowl of pho or a perfect cheeseburger or mushroom salad. I don't want to talk about food, and I've put aside issues of Saveur and Cook's Illustrated without even browsing them. I seem to have an unpleasant chemical taste in my mouth all the time - and good food often doesn't even taste pleasant. Perfectly ripe avocados with lemon and salt taste coppery and metallic, a plate of previously-delicious rillettes made me want to puke, and homemade lemonade is disgusting. A sushi and robata dinner at Kirala that I had forced myself to look forward to felt like a waste of energy. Nothing tastes good, and nothing makes me want to eat. I ate at Les Halles the other night, and found myself disappointed - not with the food, which I am sure was fine, but with my own enjoyment of it. I could not be motivated to like it. There was no pleasure what I could see (and hear other people enjoy) as a perfect tartare or duck confit. Even beer and cocktails taste like crap to me now, and I've stopped drinking anything but water almost completely.

What in the hell is wrong with me and how do I fix it? My health is otherwise fine; I am 34, male, and maybe 15 lbs overweight. I am very happily married, not depressed, and I enjoy my job. But my greatest love of all was food - and now it's gone.