Viveca

So I invited a friend to go on my senior trip to Paris/London with me. That night I started to worry that she would feel left out if she came to Paris and London because it’s a trip that’s already planned out and ready. So I decided to give her the option of going to her favorite place in the world, Disney World in Florida. It’s a lot cheaper for her, it’s her ideal vacation and we would go by ourselves where with the Paris London trip we’d be with my mom and grandmother. Anyways, I brought up the idea and everything to her and she seemed interested. Well later that day I got a message from her where she said that she didn’t want me to have to give anything up. That’s where it gets awkward. See, if I’m still going to London/Paris...whether she chooses Disney or not. But she didn’t understand that and I don’t know how to reassure her without sounding self centered.  I tried to multiple times but she just hasn’t gotten the hint. Now of course, I could just not say anything and go on my trip without a word, but I really want to post pictures and doing that would be just cruel if she thinks I didn’t go. I’m just stuck! 

So I invited a friend of mine to come on a pretty big trip. It’s my senior trip to Paris & London. I originally thought it’d be fun and we’d have a great time but now I’ve kinda changed my mind. I know. I’m an absolutely terrible person and there’s a special space in hell just for me. But I do want to go on a trip with her! She’s a huge Disney nerd and I really really want to go to Disney world with her instead of the Paris/London trip. I just think we could have so much fun! The Paris/London trip is so serious and I want our trip together to be fun and goofy. So the question is, how do I bring up going to Disney with her instead of Paris/London? And should I? 

So a couple days ago, I used the bathroom like normal but when I was done, I still kinda felt like I needed to pee. For me, an anxiety sufferer, that’s not totally unusual so I didn’t think a anything of it. It stuck around for maybe an hour until I had to go again and once I did that it went away completely. That symptom kept returning and is still around but goes away when I don’t think about it. I’m having no pain when I use the bathroom and my urine doesn’t smell, so I’m unsure. I had a UTI about a month or so ago, but I felt pain with it. That’s why I’m confused. I’m sure everyone will say “just go get checked out.” Well the problem is, the last time I went to the doctor for this I was in the waiting room for nearly four hours and I had to explain my symptoms over and over again for them to understand.  I don’t have time now to wait for four hours! I am extremely busy. I also discovered that I’m allergic to the average UTI  medication so lord knows what kind of process that will take. I don’t think it’s a UTI because it doesn’t feel the same way my last one did but I need a second opinion. 

So I have one symptom of a UTI, a need to go to the bathroom after I go. It doesn’t last very long, maybe an hour after I use the bathroom but for that hour it’s kind of annoying. I don’t have any other symptom, no pain or smelly urine. Just the urgency and it’s not even terrible, just slightly. I had a UTI a little over a month ago and I had the three symptoms. It started maybe 3-4 days ago, which is around the time my life got very stressful, so I can’t tell if it’s a coincidence or just my anxiety causing this. My anxiety is known to make me pee a whole bunch so I don’t know. I’m sure everyone will say to just go to the doctor but last time I did that I ended up in the waiting room for four freaking hours. And it wasn’t even busy at all! I was one of three people in the waiting room. That was during summer break and it was an inconvenience then let alone right now where I have little to no free time. I’m also allergic to the medication they typically prescribe for UTIs so that makes the process more difficult. 

So a little over a month ago I was diagnosed with a UTI. I took my antibiotics and within a week I was all good. Well yesterday I went to the bathroom but I still felt like I needed to go. But that’s it! I have no pain or a weird smell like last time, just the urgency. And if I wait a couple minutes then go again that urgency goes away. It’s super weird. The problem is, I just discovered I’m allergic to the medication you take for a UTI. Last time I went to an urgent care thing, it took four hours and hundreds of dollars just for them to tell me that yep I had one, which I knew. And that was during the summer. I have no time to spend hours waiting on a confirmation and figuring out what meds I can take. 

So I started antibiotics for my UTI on Sunday paired with some off brand pain reliever like AZO. When I took the antibiotic and the pain reliever I felt awesome and had no issues. Well I stopped at the 2 day mark with the pain reliever and I’m feeling some discomfort. My antibiotic ends tomorrow and I’m still feeling a little iffy. I still have the symptoms of feeling like I need to go to the bathroom even after going however it’s much less intense than it was. It’s also slightly uncomfortable to use the bathroom. I would go back to the doctor to check but I just went to urgent care and it took them literally almost four hours to complete my ten minute visit. That’s time I definitely won’t have this week because classes start. So am I supposed to be completely cured or will I still have some symptoms even after my antibiotic ends?

So I have some similar symptoms to a UTI and I’ve kind of decided that’s what I have just a very mild case. I’m one of those people who when they’re sick tends to not tell anyone and just waits it out. This time however I’ve been reading that waiting can cause kidney problems and with school literally next week I’d rather avoid that. The problem is I’m a super private person and telling my mom my concerns is so out of character and not my thing. That will freak her out more than the UTI. I am also not a fan of doctors. I had some traumatizing events with my pediatrician including being locked in a room all alone when I was six and having a surprise external vaginal exam when I was nine or ten. The doctor literally put her hand down my leggings and felt me up, maybe that’s normal but at the time I was humiliated. So telling my mom I need to go to the doctor is really going to scare her. Especially because it’s been nearly six years since I last saw a doctor. It is really going to stress her out when I tell her because she’s a teacher and with school right around the corner, this is the last thing she needs. So how do I approach the situation in a way that will let her know that at this point it’s nothing serious and it will be over in a week or so?

Ok so I just got back from a vacation and I’m having strange things that have to do with pee. First of all, when I was on the plane I had some really bad stomach problems. Like really bad. I felt terrible. So when I got home most of my time was spent in the bathroom. When I started to feel like I still had to pee I didn’t think too much about it because sometimes that happens to me if I’ve...overworked my nether regions. Still being paranoid I googled my symptoms (I know I know stupid) and a UTI popped up. Reading the symptoms I really only had two. Constant need to pee but only a little came out. So I waited a bit and drank a lot of liquids until finally I got rid of the need to pee sensation. I went more times after that with no sensations but I peed one more time before bed with no issues and no sensations and slept. However I just woke up feeling like I needed to pee and at first it went normal but then I got the sensation again. This time I attempted to try hard to force it and that resulted in painful urination. Which is freaking me out a bit. I’m still on my period so a lot more symptoms I may have are also consistent with period symptoms like peeing blood or cramps. My problem with a UTI diagnosis is that my symptoms aren’t consistent. They don’t happen every time and always end up going away after a time. I had a UTI as a child and if my memory serves right I had symptoms every single time I went. It was horrible and this doesn’t feel like that.

So for the past few months my dog has had this quarter sized bump on the side of his nose. it started probably the size of a nickel but hasn’t grown in a month or so. He was with a family friend at the time it showed up so we have no way of knowing if he got into something. He doesn’t seem to have any trouble breathing but he has started sneezing more. We didn’t think too much about the sneezing because he was diagnosed as having

bad allergies to things such as fleas or pollen. So sneezing wasn’t something he was unknown to do. I’m also hesitant to call it a lump because it’s not like a separate thing, it just seems to be a part of him like your kneecap or knuckles. It’s very hard and has no mobility like most tumors I’ve seen on animals. However we lost a dog a few years ago to a series of quick moving, cancerous tumors so we are very concerned. He has an appointment with a vet in a couple days but obviously if someone recognizes it as something more serious we will rush him somewhere else. Another important thing to add is he’s done some hacking/gagging sounds for a few weeks without productive phlegm or throw up. So just for a recap these are the symptoms/signs we see:

-hard bump on side of nose

-bump has no mobility

-hasn’t grown in probably 3-4 months

-it is tender if we touch it hard but he can scratch it fine

-may have caused sneezing and runny nose

-doesn’t seem to affect breathing

-no bumps or lumps anywhere else

-recently has started hacking withou any phlegm

So I’m in a real pickle and it’s completely my fault. I completely forgot about my period up until today and I leave tomorrow for a vacation. It’s currently midnight and I leave at 6 am. So no time to go by one before I leave. Now I do have pads which will work for nights out and regular activities however I will be swimming and I’ll need a tampon for that. Now maybe a makeshift tampon will work for just laying out but I’m worried that when I swim that makeshift tampon will get stringy and visible. Maybe a paper towel would work better...hmmm. Ok anyways does anyone have any tips of the trade??

PS the place I’m going is pretty private and no stores are around for miles.

PPS I am the only girl besides my mom who is going on this trip and me and my mom don’t have the best relationship so asking her is out of the question.

Ok so four way stops really scare me. I get the first come first serve rule, when that happens I’m fine. But what I don’t understand is what to do if someone arrives simultaneously with me. I mean if we’re facing one another and both going straight obviously it doesn’t matter because we won’t hit each other. But what if the person facing me is turning. Do I wait? Or do I go? I don’t understand the furthest right or left rule because to me it seems that me and the person facing me have different rights and lefts. So how do we tell? I’m sure it sounds dumb but I don’t understand that part. It’s the one part of driving that I have never been able to understand and luckily I haven’t run into many four way stops where I live but there is one I always avoid at busy times. I’d like to not feel so scared when I pull up on it so if anyone can help me I’d appreciate it. And not only when they face me but if they’re next to me or on the other side facing the car on my right.

I’m going to start this off by saying I’m not against dress codes. I believe that shorts should be an appropriate length and tops shouldn’t expose too much. That applies to guys too especially nowadays. So before someone makes a comment like “stop complaining” or “just follow the rules” understand that I’m not against reasonable dress codes just ones that don’t make sense.

Anyways this is the situation. Last year my school got a new principal. And before school even started he began to create new rules and change things. That was hard especially for those of us who have gone to this school forever. Tradition is important in my town and newbies coming in was hard. But I was respectful to the rules. Even the shorts rule. He really pushed the finger tip rule, to an exact. Even a fingernail shorter was not allowed. Basically I wore jeans all year because I found it hard to find shorts that worked since I have long legs. Well a couple days ago the school announced that the shorts rule was changing. Shorts have to come past fingertips, nearly to your knees. Any ladies out there know that for teenage girls this is hard. Of course for older women shorts like this exist but teenage girls aren’t going to want to wear shorts that aren’t flattering. This new rule has upset many many parents but nobody is willing to make a statement. I think that the school should say “Athletic shorts only. No jean shorts” that would be reasonable! What do you think? I ran out of characters sorry.

So I’ll explain sort of a backstory on this real quick. Last year we went to Hawaii for the first time. We walked into it thinking it was a once in a lifetime trip and we wouldn’t be back. But we all loved it so much that my parents decided to make that our family trip. Except this time around I feel embarrassment instead of excitement. What will people say about the fact that I’m going to Hawaii two years in a row? I haven’t even told my friends yet. They didn’t like when I talked about Hawaii, it made them mad so lord knows how they’ll talk about me when I say I’m going back. To make matters worse, my sister plays on a traveling volleyball team and we’re going to lots of different states, one just days apart from Hawaii. I’m also going to Europe for my senior trip but I know my best friend will be pissed off about it. I wish I could talk to my friends about these trips I enjoy without feeling guilty. Telling my friends about this second trip to Hawaii feels like I’m telling them something horrible. I don’t feel like I brag about my trips besides to show them pictures but my other friends do that too and nobody gets upset! Does anyone else feel this anxiety about telling friends about trips? Is it normal?

I’m going into my senior year and since I was probably 13 I’ve planned to go somewhere in Europe for my senior trip. Well recently when I’ve brought it up my mom seems very unhappy and cranky. It’s every single time I’ve asked her about it or tried to talk about fun things. I’ll say things like “this looks fun” and show her the activity but I get a plain smile. No excitement at all. I thought at first it was because of how expensive it was which seemed to make sense. But we are about to go to Hawaii ($$$) and she gets so excited when I talk about that trip. Sure, maybe the beach is more her style than historical monuments or things but whenever the trip is something me or my brother like, she always put on a fake smile. I’ve even confronted her about it. At the very beginning I told her that if she wasn’t wanting to go that it ok. I plan to go back anyways so we could make the trip some place simpler. She really didn’t react to that suggestion. It’s such a stark contrast to my grandmother (she’s coming too) who is rattling off ideas and learning French for this trip. We spent like an hour one night talking about it while my mom sat there on her phone not getting involved. It could be that she’s stressed about planning things but she doesn’t have to do that alone! My grandmother has been all over the world, recently too, so she knows the do’s and don’t s of abroad travel. Every logical explanation i come up with I end up getting rid of. I just don’t know what her deal is.

I’m in love with this name for a girl. I think it’s adorable and cute but can also be sophisticated when she’s older. I also think it can work a little spunky if that’s more the way she rolls. I’m just in love. But I’m having a dilemma with the spelling. I love Leighton, it’s my first choice. I’m not so much worried about it being pronounced wrong, I’m more worried people will think I’m dumb for spelling it that way. Kind of like Reagan instead of grammatically correct Raegan. I’m not against Layton, I just don’t love the look when it’s written.

I’ve wanted to be an organ donor for some time now but haven’t been able to until recently. When I turned sixteen and went to get my license, I did have the option of being an organ donor but my parents didn’t want me to. I don’t blame them too much, having to picture donating your child’s organs when they’re so young is understandable but it’s something I still regretted. Well I’m about to turn 18 and while I don’t have to have permission to become an organ donor, there’s still more freedom to do it when I’m 18. Makes it more of my decision. Anyways I was wondering how the process works. Can I just go to my local tag agency and change it or do I need to wait until my license has to be renewed? Is it really as simple as just checking yes or no, like it was when I was 16?

Now I’ll just say first of all that I don’t consider myself a perfect human being as the title might suggest. I just didn’t know how else to word it to make sense. Anyways here’s where the question is stemming from.

So I’m on a big family vacation with cousins and aunts/uncles and such. To save money, instead of buying individual rooms each family just bunked together. Well somehow there was a miscommunication and our room for four had a queen bed and a twin bed. Now with my family there’s my parents, me(19) and my brother(16) (who has an injured foot which is important to remember). Of course being parents, my mom and dad immediately offered to take the twin. And obviously I was very against that. The common sense solution is my parents take the queen, my injured brother take the twin and I get the floor. I figured my parents would argue, as I had just done but relent. Well that did not happen. They got very angry, saying I was making things too complicated and I was being the one making the bad call. I mean I did appreciate them automatically sacrificing the bed but it just didn’t make sense! My brother and I are too old for our parents to make minuscule sacrifices like that. I just don’t understand what my parents want from me! Should I have just been like “oh thank you!” and slept in the bed? Was I being a bad person by arguing with my parents about taking the bed? I really thought that was the right decision. I guess I really misunderstood.

So I’m a pretty petite person but I’ve always had trouble with fat on my stomach. It’s weirdly proportioned though. By my navel area it’s a little fatty but not that bad but above my belly button it is more of a bulge. It makes it difficult to wear swimsuits because while my stomach is somewhat in shape, it bulges up higher making high waisted swimwear impossible. It just doesn’t look good. I know it’s not something everyone has obviously but I don’t know if it’s something common at least. Anybody know what’s going on? Or if it’s fixable?

My senior trip is coming up and I’m trying to find where my traveling limit is based on price. I’m content with one country but I would love to go to at least three. I’m not naive in thinking it will be cheap but I’m curious as to how expensive it really is. I know there are trains you can ride so that’s another option which to me didn’t seem insanely expensive but I likely misunderstood. And how expensive is it to stay in hotels in Europe? Is it pretty average or higher? Is going to three countries a major splurge? We don’t know many who have been to Europe but one said it’s cheaper to travel within Europe. But she is solely a first class flier and will never downgrade lol. I’m sorry this is all over the place but hopefully you understand enough to give me a somewhat answer.