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I'm starting to train for a 10k race in 2 months from now. I haven't run all winter. Is it better to try to slowly increase the km I'm running or should I concern myself more with the pace, that is, the minutes per km. I'm trying to get out there 3 times a week. I workout the other 3 days a week. Because the indoor running track has been closed, this is the first I've been out to run in the winter and I've never started training so late.
posted by Tziv at 3:52 AM - 0 answers

I skipped my adderall today to catch up on sleep and surprisingly felt the best I have in weeks. I'd been planning to taper off, but now I want to just stop completely. Are there physical risks with that? [more inside]
posted by Gravel at 5:22 PM - 7 answers

Me and my (non romantic) Partner need to overhaul our diet and exercise habits. Please help make this easy (lol). Difficulty level : body positivity, crohn's, moving, mental health, trauma, pandemic, etc. [more inside]
posted by FirstMateKate at 8:55 AM - 26 answers

I've made a lot of progress in dealing with anxiety and depression. But the struggle with my BIG EMOTIONS is still a big part of my life. I want to know how to accept who I am, instead of beating myself up for not being [insert vague idea of what a normal person is like, that I can't even imagine]. I need some guidance on how to think about myself as an anxious person in a more compassionate and accepting way. How to stop framing it as being "broken" or unbalanced or wrong. This is tough to do because the anxiety and depression makes me feel so broken, unbalanced, and wrong. [more inside]
posted by Zumbador at 3:28 AM - 20 answers

YANMD but I'm surveying for personal experiences to help me decide if this problem is worth venturing to a walk-in clinic during a pandemic. Every day, after I eat lunch and dinner, I experience a debilitating crash in energy. It's often so extreme that I could not stay awake to save my life. I never had this issue pre-pandemic. Is this within the realm of normal (getting older? covid blues? winter?) or should I be concerned? [more inside]
posted by keep it under cover at 9:08 PM - 23 answers

During the day, my neck (and back) feel totally fine, however I wake up from acute neck pain 1-2 times per night. The pain happens when I'm turning my head from one side to the other, as I'm changing sleep position (I generally sleep on my back or either side). It goes away after I've finished changing position, but it's still bad enough to wake me up. [more inside]
posted by unknowncommand at 2:07 PM - 5 answers

My parents in Massachusetts got their first Moderna vaccine shot 27 days ago. Today their 2nd appointment got canceled for March 3 and MIT Medical isn't sure when they will get more Moderna... How to find an appointment for a specific shot? [more inside]
posted by creiszhanson at 12:36 PM - 9 answers

My therapist is retiring, or moving on from being a therapist. I got an email from her about this and my last appointment with her will probably be next week. I am mostly okay with this, though somewhat apprehensive. Mostly I'm trying to think of what I have NOT thought about. If this happened to you, what would you have liked to know going into it? What would have helped? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:55 PM - 2 answers

I just got my period and I'm supposed to get my 2nd vaccine dose in 24 hours. I usually take ibuprofen and tylenol, alternately, for period pain. Is one of these better? Should I stop? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 1:59 PM - 9 answers

I will be flying to visit family on the 11th day after my second covid shot. My parents (mid/late-70's) will be fully vaccinated at that point. They live in a small unit and have offered to let me sleep on their couch. Is there a rough estimate of what the risk I'd introduce to them would look like? [more inside]
posted by shocks connery at 10:58 AM - 9 answers

At the recommendation of my psychiatrist, I would like to try using a mushroom to help me continue working through some big and tough stuff that has happened over the last three years. In a perfect world, I would like to do this under the care of an experienced therapist but for *reasons* I suspect that will not be possible. How do I lay the foundation for a positive self-guided or partner-guided experience in my own home? [more inside]
posted by jeszac at 9:42 AM - 11 answers

... And I'm starting to feel my reverse SAD kick into gear. What are some strategies to deal with seasonal affective disorder brought on by hot weather? [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 9:23 AM - 19 answers

So the kid has had braces on for over 2.5 years now. We were supposed to be done six months ago. But that timeline has come and gone and the orthodontist, who was supposed to be in charge of all of this, has semi-retired and doesn't return our calls or requests to contact us. Even our family dentist is shaking his head. How do we close this out? More details inside. [more inside]
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:52 AM - 14 answers

After years of putting it off, I made an appointment to see a doctor about my anxiety this week. What should I say to the doctor? What is it like to see a doctor for anxiety? More questions inside. [more inside]
posted by VirginiaPlain at 6:50 PM - 13 answers

It looks like it's time for a new doctor for our ninety-year-old relative. How can we find a good one? We haven't been able to find a gerontologist in the area by web searching. They need to be located in or near Laurel, Maryland, or in Howard County. She has good private health insurance and savings. Maybe we should be open to concierge care, although we hate the unfairness of the whole idea. [more inside]
posted by chromium at 11:56 AM - 4 answers

It may be premature and a self-diagnosis, but I believe I've developed agoraphobia/anthrophobia of a sort while on lockdown. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:42 AM - 14 answers

I have Hashimoto's since about 10 years. During the last three years the hormone replacement therapy seems to not work any more: despite ever increasing dosage and taking the meds faithfully, the symptoms persist. Searching various Hashimoto's fora a large number of people describe similar problems and often claim that treating "Adrenal Fatigue" is the answer. [more inside]
posted by 15L06 at 2:45 AM - 11 answers

My sister (48) was diagnosed with glioblastoma three weeks ago and given 1-2 years. [more inside]
posted by Dragonness at 10:42 PM - 19 answers

Two years post-surgery, I have developed a long incisional hernia around my umbilicus. Surgeon wants to mesh it, remove my belly button (common site for infection), and stitch me up. Until she gets in there, she won't know where the mesh will actually be attached. She warned of ongoing issues including chronic pain and a need to redo the surgery later. I am after personal experiences of incisional hernia repair, and recovery tips. Can you help? [more inside]
posted by Thella at 4:51 PM - 6 answers

I've had chronic iron deficiency for many years, and am scheduled for another round of IV iron starting a week from now. When I get really low it starts to cause anxiety. I was doing fine on the anxiety front but I just had the most godawful 12-day period and lost a ton of blood and it seems to have been the last straw. What can I do about anxiety that's purely physical? Meditation, watching All Creatures Great and Small with my dog on my feet, etc., don't have any effect at all, because it's not actually a mental thing.
posted by HotToddy at 11:51 AM - 21 answers