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We have a 2 year old female Pitbull named Zoey. She is not yet spayed. She has been a healthy dog up until about a month or so ago & we started noticing some changes. She used to weigh approximately 70 lbs & she is now down to exactly 50. Her ribs & spine & bones are all visible. She will not eat at all, sometimes for days. She recently went 5 days without eating anything, including treats. She constantly vomits, especially after drinking water. She likes to lick the shower walls after we take a shower & then she will instantly vomit. She basically vomits every single day. When laying down, her breathing is completely irregular & she has tremors. Her entire body will shake like she's in pain & it usually goes something like: inhale, exhale, exhale, exhale, inhale, inhale, exhale, inhale... very quickly. She will even bring her elbows in close to her body & just tremble. It's rather puzzling. She also is constantly pacing back & forth throughout the entire house. She will do it for hours & hours on end without stopping to rest once. Sometimes during her pacing habits, she will stop dead in her tracks, lower her head, & just stare at absolutely nothing. She won't snap out of it unless one of us yells her name. She has not shown any signs of aggression & our other dog in the house is 100% healthy. We took her to the vet when this first started happening & she was 60 lbs. We took her again last Friday & she was 50 lbs, so she's lost 20 lbs in a month total. Her bloodwork was normal, except her electrolytes were low & her Albumin was out of whack. Negative for heartworm. She was also the only puppy to survive in her litter. The vet thinks that she could have a portosystemic shunt, although I don't believe that she does. It seems far fetched for a Pitbull, but I'm not a vet. He wants to do a bile acid test to see if she has the shunt or not, but I just feel like it's something else entirely. No xrays or ultrasounds have been done yet either. Any thoughts?

My husband's dog, Zoey, has been acting very strange for the past 2 weeks & we are waiting on an appointment with the vet at this time, so I'm here to see if anyone has any ideas as to what could be wrong. Zoey has lost a lot of weight since May. She used to be around 75-80 lbs & I'd guess that she's around 50-60 lbs now. She vomits daily. If we feed her in the morning, she will vomit at night & the food hasn't been digested because it's still in different doggy food shapes like it comes in the bag. She vomits water immediately after drinking as well. She will take a few sips & then instantly throw up. We have another dog who is completely fine with no vomiting at all. They eat the same food & drink the same water. I'm worried about a blockage, but some of her other behavior is strange, too. Zoey will walk around the entire house, stop dead in her tracks, lower her head, & completely stare into space for several minutes without blinking or moving. I know that she isn't seeing anything, because she does this ALL day (probably 50+ times) in all different areas of the house. We have to yell her name to get her to snap out of it. I know that lowering of the head can be a sign of aggression, but she'll even do it infront of an empty wall or the hallway. Very weird. Her breathing patterns are odd, too. She seems to breathe just fine most of the time, but sometimes she will inhale & her entire body will quiver. I don't know if it's a sign of pain or what. We live in FL, so I know she's not cold. I would say the weird head lowering & staring is most concerning, because it seems like she's not all there when it's happening. Any ideas? She will be 2 years old next month.

Has anyone had issues with Global Credit & Collections Corporation? They are a collection agency for Capital One. I am being harrassed by them on a daily basis.

For the past 3 days, I've been getting phone calls from a number with ONLY three digits: 905. There are no other numbers included. It simply pops up 905. They leave me voicemails saying that I have an "important business obligation" and need to contact them immediately. I'm pretty sure it's a collection agency of some sort but why does their number only show as 905?

I am hoping for some real advice and not just someone saying "tell them you can't pay and leave." We moved into our apartment in May and we have always paid rent on time and in the form of money orders from Amscot. My boyfriend and I split the rent equally so we have 2 money orders at the end of the day. It is now August 19 and we just received a notice on our door that we failed to pay rent. Thankfully, I saved the receipt stubs from our money orders at Amscot and I called them to verify that they had both been cash and they had. So it's not August rent that I'm concerned about. I am wondering if they didn't receive our rent for July. I noticed that when I was putting the August rent in the drop box, I had been placing it in the wrong one since May. All of the drop boxes are at our mailbox station and there are several places to put the rent. I apparently had been putting it in the unlabeled drop box which I just learned is the US Mail drop box. There is a separate drop box labeled Manager for the rent. I was not aware of this until we paid August rent. Anyway, it's very possible that I put the rent in the US Mail drop box instead of the correct one. If that's the case, then July rent never got paid. But why didn't we get a notice in July? August is halfway over now and there is NO way we can pay $1083 by Monday. I'm 6 months pregnant and was illegally fired from my job when I told my manager that I was pregnant, so only my boyfriend is working right now. We manage just fine on one income but we can't come up with that kind of money within 4 days. We live in a condo association and they are very strict about rent and I doubt that they'll be lenient or understanding. My question is, if we indeed accidentally did not pay July rent due to my mistake, then why didn't we get a notice? Is there really anything that they can do when it's THEIR fault for not notifying us? Those receipt stubs from July are so far gone that I don't have access to them anymore to call and even see if they were cashed. It's more like my word over theirs type thing. What can I do when talking to the property manager about this? Like I said, we have always paid on time and we both have excellent rental history so it's not like we're just skipping out. Please offer some helpful advice. Thank you.

I know a 9 year old little girl that has some concerning behaviors. She is always thinking that something is going to hurt her or make her sick. She won't drink a can of soda if it's been sitting out for an hour because she thinks it rots & goes bad. She washes her hands about every 10 minutes unless someone tells her to stop. She is afraid to drink water from the sink & won't use the same cup twice. When food is put on her plate, she gets very upset if one food touches another & she'll throw the entire plate away. She is scared that her teeth are going to fall out everytime she drinks soda so she brushes her teeth immediately. She will also claim that she's very hungry, take one bite, & then spit it out in the trash can & shove her plate away. She's also a big spitter. I've seen her spit about 5 times in an hour. She will randomly spit inside trash cans for no reason at all & has recently started spitting on her grandparents furniture. We ask her why she does it & she says she just has to. She has also asked us to check her heart before she goes to sleep because she thinks she's going to die. This is all very strange behavior & I just want to know what everyone thinks. I'm assuming she might have generalized anxiety disorder.

We have a new recording studio set up & we need a cool name. Mostly metal & hardrock is recorded here but there is the occasional country. The owner plays guitar for a well-known southern hardcore band as well. We are looking for something completely unique & interesting. Nothing boring like "Joe's Studio." Winner with the best name gets a prize. For real.

Without spilling too many beans, I'll have to explain how we met first. Myself, a guy friend (who we will call Joe), & a girl friend (who we will call Amy) went to go see a concert about an hour & a half away from where we live. Joe is obsessed with one of the bands that was opening that I had never heard of before. Anyway, Amy & I took too long getting ready & we ended up missing the band that Joe wanted to see. After the show, we decided to walk around Downtown Disney for awhile (the show was at the House of Blues). We were walking past a magnet store (yes, a magnet store) when Joe grabs a random guy (who we will call Bob) walking by & says to him, "Hey dude. You should tell these girls to go buy a magnet." Bob looks at Amy & me & says, "You guys should definitely go buy a magnet." We all struck up an incredibly random conversation where Bob invited us to sit down & have drinks at the pub. (Note: none of us drank except for Joe)

Three hours later, an awesome conversation had just been completed where we had learned that Bob was the guitarist for Joe's favorite band that he was so excited to see. Bob had on a beanie, so he was pretty unrecognizable. Joe was super happy & so was I. I felt a really good connection with Bob. We exchanged numbers with him & he was immediately texting me.

Months & months & months later, we are VERY much in love & VERY much happily together. He's back on tour right now but what can ya do? This has been the happiest time of my life & I'm incredibly lucky to have him.

Anyone know of any good songs for random meetings like ours? Songs about luck? Songs about immediately feeling a connection & seeing the sparks? I'm into hard rock & metal but I can dig the softer stuff too. Please no country! No offense, cowboys :)

Thanks!

Ok I have tattoos everywhere: full sleeves, hips, collarbone, knuckles. I also have my husband's name on my wrist in pretty big lettering. I am not trying to sound cool by any means, but I get hit on too much. It's to the point where my husband & I can't even go out together because I get stared at or some meathead makes a stupid comment. Anyway, I want to get my neck tattooed with something that makes it very obvious that I'm taken. Don't lecture me on neck tattoos. Don't wanna hear it.

Does anyone know of a good lyric or quote or something that I can get on my neck that screams that I'm not single? I still want it to be somewhat girly & cute.

Thanks, guys!

I can't believe I'm asking this, especially since I went to nursing school & I should know better! But it's different when it's about you & not a patient.

My last period was December 20th & lasted about 4 days. My hubby & I have been trying to conceive & have had sex daily since then, up to 3 times a day. My peak fertility days were December 30th through January 5th, with the 3rd being the best day for fertility.

My period is due in 3 days & I have no sign of PMS at all. I usually get horrific lower back cramps or cramps in my butt. I have taken several pregnancy tests & all are negative. It's possible that I am pregnant (I'd be surprised if I wasn't) & that the tests just aren't reading the pregnancy hormone yet. Or I'm not pregnant & am wasting a lot of money on tests, ha!

I am significantly tired & have a bit of white-colored vaginal discharge with no odor. I am hoping that some other ladies (or men, whatever!) will read this & offer their 2 cents.

Preggers or not? :)

I was hospitalized in early December for heart problems (tachycardia). I was discharged on the third day & given a 24 hour Holter Monitor that would track my heart rhythm & beats. I returned it to the hospital after the 24 hour mark & was told that my general physician would call me to do a routine follow-up.

Approximately a week & a half later, I met with my general physician. The nurse performed a check of my weight, temperature, heart rate, oxygen level, & height. When I finally was in the room with my doctor, I realized that I hadn't seen him in over 2 years. He asked me if I was on any medication & I told him no. I had already finished my prescriptions that were given to me upon my discharge from the hospital. He then said, "Are you on any form of birth control?" I answered no. I have not been on birth control since 2007. He then asked, "Are you sexually active?" I answered, "Yes, but I am in a monogamous relationship." He then asked, "Have you had a recent period?" I answered, "No, but I am due for it anyday now." He then asked, "Where is your boyfriend?" I answered, "He is on tour in Europe." He then asked, "Oh, so how many girls do you think he's sleeping with over there?" I answered, "None. It is not like that at all & I have full trust in him." He then asked, "Do you know how long sperm can live in the female body?" I answered, "Yes, I did go to nursing school." He then said, "Ok. I hope you don't call me with regrets." I knew he was referring to the fact that I am not on birth control & was concerned about me getting pregnant.

He then started to discuss surgeries with me. He asked if I had any prior operations & I answered, "Yes, breast implants & wisdom teeth removed." He then asked, "How big are the implants?" I thought this was really strange but I answered him & changed the subject to what I came there for -- my heart. He told me that he didn't have any results from the monitor for me & would "get back to me later." I asked, "Ok well they told me that I could have heart problems. What am I supposed to do if these problems reoccur?" He answered, "Just lay down & relax. We will discuss your options when I read your results." I wasted an entire day & took off of work to deal with this appointment. Nothing was accomplished & I left very frustrated & offended by his remarks.

The next day, I got a phone call from one of his nurses who informed me that I was being put on a heart medication (Atenolol) & referred to a cardiologist for a 2D Echo. I picked up my prescription that night & began taking it the next day at lunchtime. I read over the entire pamphlet that came with the prescription so I could be aware of the side effects. They seemed to be general side effects other than the "unusual dreams" & "numbness of hands & feet." I took the 25mg pill with my lunch & fell asleep. I repeated this for 3 days.

On December 16th, I was 3 days late on my period & took a pregnancy test. It was positive. I immediately stopped taking the prescription until I could consult with my cardiologist. Also, I DID report my doctor for his remarks & it is being relayed to quality management.

Two nights after taking the pregnancy test, I started vomiting around 1am & had SEVERE cramps & a headache. My heart was racing & I "just didn't feel right" so I went to the ER. I told them that I was pregnant (about 4 weeks along) & they performed a blood test to check my pregnancy hormone. They told me that I was in the beginning stages of a miscarriage & they were going to admit me overnight for observation. I informed them that I was previously taking Atenolol but was no longer due to the pregnancy.

A cardiologist came to talk to me in my hospital room & began asking me questions about Atenolol. He said, "Who prescribed that to you?" I told him & he then asked, "Did he perform a pregnancy test before prescribing you the medication?" I told him no. He then said, "That is the first thing that he should've done before prescribing that to you. That medicine is a beta-blocker & will cause severe harm to any fetus."

So basically, he was placing the blame on my doctor (who is NO LONGER my doctor, by the way). He suggested that I file another complaint & possibly consider a lawsuit for the damages (hospital bills, my health & well-being, etc). A cardiologist is not a lawyer & I'd like some more advice on this issue.

Can I sue my doctor for prescribing me a medication without doing a routine checkup that resulted in my miscarriage?

I have 4 tattoo artists that are willing to leave their current work to come work for me as I am looking into opening a very upscale/classy tattoo shop in central FL. I will not have my tattoo license until November but I don't plan on doing many tattoos anyway. What permits do I need to open a shop in FL? I've been doing a ton of research but a lot of things on the internet are contradictive. Any advice would be really help.

I just got a new tattoo yesterday (a quarter sleeve on my left arm) & was wondering if it's safe to get my hair colored at the salon tomorrow? I have read that PPD in hair dyes can react badly with tattoos & cause severe allergic reactions. I have been coloring my hair since I was 15 & I currently have 4 tattoos. I have never had any problems before, but since this tattoo is brand new, I just wanted to check. Any advice would be helpful :)

My boyfriend is already enlisted in the Marine Corps & currently serving in Iraq. He wants to get full sleeve tattoos but is worried that it will prevent him from being able to become an Officer. I have found no information about tattoos & their affects on Officers. I have ONLY found that tattoos will not be permitted on recruiters, drill sergeants, or security guards. Does anyone have more information for Officers?

I was born & raised around the Marine Corps & 99% of my friends are all Marines. Sadly, many of them have been killed in action. I would like to get a large back piece tattoo of musical lyrics or a long quote involving death & remembrance of people that we love. I don't want it to be directed too much towards the military, as it's a very personal tattoo & I don't want everyone looking at my back & being able to know right off the bat what has happened in my life. If anyone could help, it would be greatly appreciated. I would REALLY love it to be musical lyrics from a hard rock or heavy metal song.