#Ask the HCC

[askthehcc]

has xisuma ever just said "it is pride momth, baristas. you know what that means." to any of you? how did you respond?

[Interviewer's note: The following texts have been taken from The Hermit Coffee Co. group chat from June 2023]

The Hermit Coffee Co. 3 June 2023 8:58am

Xisuma: It's pride month baristas, you all know what that means. Tango: what Tango: what does it mean Tango: x what does it mean? Tango: do you want us to serve gay coffee or? CleoZo: Tango, why dont you go ahead and tell me what a gay coffee looks like to you? CleoZo: just describe it for me if youd be so kind CubFan: it means we must exchange tender eye contact with all customers and perhaps CubFan: just perhaps CubFan: fall in love with a stranger for just a moment CubFan: the love will be transient but will never the less remain with us into our twilight years CubFan: to be reflected on fondly in moments of strife and loneliness CubFan: and to be remembered when we feel the aching sorrow of lost love and the shortness of life CubFan: because for one moment we felt the explosive love that can only be truly felt when the object of our affections is unknown to us CubFan: Schrodinger's love some might say. Me? CubFan: i call it being human Tango: whoa Tango: that was kinda deep cub Tango: i was just gonna say like Tango: whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles CubFan: that works too Tango: you good though? CubFan: yeah man Tango: alrighty then

Xisuma: Yeah, I'm not quite sure what i was thinking when i said that.

Xisuma: I think I'd had about 3 hours sleep the night before and my fifth coffee had got me a bit hysterical.

Xisuma: I did shed a little tear at Cub's response though. No idea where that came from.

Xisuma: Seriously, where did he pull that from?

---

Cub: Oh, I'm a barista by occupation, but an internet shit poster by passion.

[soemthingsparkly]

hey are you that one person who wrote that one hermitcraft coffee shop chatfic because ive been ranting to my friends about it for the past two days and im still waiting for an ao3 account so i can't comment yet but i need to say that thing is amazing and it's only the second thing ive read on ao3 ever but i want to absorb it into my brain so i can reread it any time also hi i don't like punctuation sorry bye

I am that one person and this ask made me so happy thank you so much 😭🙏

I am here to listen to your rants if you'd like to share them! 💛

[aquato-family-circus]

I hc that its psytanium posioning

for mr pokeylope? man ate a whole chunk of it like rock candy

[listofwhyyouloveher]

I was wondering if you could do a fic or som HcC’s for a Curtis sister that’s like really young? Like maybe 7 or 8 years old?

Summary: The Outsiders with a young Curtis!reader (platonic!!!!!)

Warnings: none

Author's Note: none

PONYBOY CURTIS

Pony is actually really happy that he finally isn't the youngest, he doesn't want to be looked down on anymore

That being said, if someone finds it in themselves to look down on you because of your age, Ponys getting very mad

Pony doesn't have a lot of friends besides the gang so he likes to hang out with you a lot

He's always wanted to be an older sibling and be as "mature" and "wise" as Darry and this is his chance

JOHNNY CADE

Johnny likes having someone likes you "in" the gang, it makes him finally not be seen as the youngest

He finds you sweet and adorable, he is very protective of you, especially when his parents try and talk to you

He's always with you when he hangs out with Pony so you two know a lot about one another

There are sometimes where he finds you too much for him but he's never rude to you.

SODAPOP CURTIS

To him you're like Ponys twin, he's always treating you like Pony even if he's a little rough

He means no harm though, he just doesn't know how to handle a little kid now that his parents aren't there

If he has to take care of you, he brings you to the DX and has you colour while he helps out customers

At the end of the day you show him what you coloured and he's acting so excited like you're the best artist in the world

STEVE RANDLE

Steve tries his absolute hardest to take good care of you, but he's 1. A greaser and 2. Never had to take care of a kid before

He keeps asking you what you like to do, it never changes but he asks you over and over again

He's honestly pretty good at taking care of a young kid, he's always kind and gentle although he forgets you're 7/8 and treats you like you're 4.

When he's alone with you He does this really funny baby voice, he would literally die if the gang found out

TWO BIT MATHEWS

Two is really good at taking care of kids, he's already taking care of his sister so he knows how to do it

He sets you and his sister ip on a play date and has a tea party with both of you to keep you both entertained

He's only a little afraid that the gang would find out about how he treats you but then at the same time he doesn't care

He'll take you out to the drive through to get ice cream and doesn't care if the socs mock him because he's having a good time

DARRY CURTIS

Darry would honestly be the best and worst at taking care of you because he's used to taking care of kids but he's only used to kids around Ponys age

He (secretly) goes to mother groups to find out how to take care of a little kid because he wants to be the best caregiver

Like Steve and Soda, he either treats you like an older kid or like a baby, it just depends on the day

He's really trying hard but sometimes it's rough for him, especially since you get into so much trouble

DALLAS WINSTON

Dallas hates you. He finds you annoying, whiny, bratty, childish but he will not voice his opinions because he doesn't want to lose the gang

He can tolerate you for short amounts of time but he WILL NOT take care of you for a day.

It's no shock that Dally doesn't like kids so no one trusts him to handle you correctly which he oddly takes offense to

He spent a day running after you after you stole his box of cigarettes from his jacket and making you swear you wouldn't tell Darry what you had.

[inxthexshadowxofxdeath]

As of May 2024 The Huntsville Community Collective (HCC) is officially an organization openly working in Huntsville...

Though this has been in the works since the first meeting was held, since then Sol has found a group of people to form an official resistance party in Huntsville. Above are their demands and beliefs which are now public. See under the cut for more information...

The founding members include: Ames Shehadi Delphi Tremaine Dorian Blackwell Floyd Blackward Lola Silvia Torres Louis Ryan Prudence Wheaton Samuel Ahn Sol Rowe Important to note: While Sol got the HCC off the ground he vehemently opposes that any hierarchy be put on the founding members of the group. They all do their part. That said, some may not have shared their involvement that's up to the mun/character. Sol is one of the vocal members and can easily be contacted/makes himself available. Does going to the meetings make me a member? Nop! You can be as involved as you'd like or just come for the free food and conversation. Sol makes himself available for anonymous requests and concerns as well (I'm sure they have a place for people to 'write-in' anonymously at the library/around town too). It is expected that you volunteer some time with them if you decide to be an actual member but everyones unique skills are valued and how you volunteer is up to you. What does the HCC do? Throw community pot lucks/meals, host community meetings, tutoring, organize food/clothing/supplies donation drop-offs, help with the maintenance/beautification of Huntsville, plan and discuss the logistics of the upcoming election, and otherwise makes moves towards the desired improvements of Huntsville's social health, well-being, and overall functioning that people have brought forward to them. What's been happening since the last meeting? -They been out and around hosting more community meetings and helping with the clean up from the plot drop. -They also are probably asking around and garnering interest in an election and who people in town trust/would be happy to have represent them. Not just for Mayor, but for the community leaders as well. -After Maverick gave him the idea, Sol is starting the process of getting a mural going someone on Main. If your character owns a business and you would be down with having some cool art on the side of it hit me up! -I'm also sure Sol has been trying to set up a meeting with the Mayor, who knows how that's going. I'm going to assume not well. While I don't think Sol has pulled out his megaphone yet, Mayor Haversham better answer his letters or he will be in front of town hall making a lot of noise!!!

[renguin-art]

The community college I used to go to just took down all their instagram posts that contained my art. My painting they’ve used even when I stopped going there, which I didn’t mind -even signed the paper that asked if they can.

But now that I’ve looked back at their account, it’s all gone.

Not sure why.

Hopefully it isn’t because I’ve been consistent in sharing pro-Palestine posts on my instagram stories.

Really hope they didn’t take it down because of that. I remember them giving an award to a pro- Palestine art piece in the student art show last semester bc they made sure to show it in their post.

I sure do hope HCC virtual arts center didn’t take down their Watercolor 1 promotional posters because the former student was posting pro-Palestine posts in their instagram stories in their personal account.

[scrunkalicious]

HCC FOR YOU TOO i wanna think viktor likes shiny things, like, crow level liking

he definitely collects little mechanical trinkets and scraps, and it's a dream to be able to make those things into works of art (like that! v) but there isn't much time away from all his school stuff

LUCY. BRO AGWGFQFWRAAAAAEEE HELP THEREZ A FRICKING GNAT NEAR ME BUT ZOMG THIS RUGHT HERE YEEAHAHAHASSSS

Marly likez picking up weird shit that she findz on the floor (like lil thinfz and stuff ppl left behind n whatnot) she would def gift them shiny stuff to him 🤭

AND MAYBE SHE'D MAKE THE METAL ART THING FOR HIM,,,, ppl be asking 'why did you change the art medium ur working w rn 🤨' AGRGRAGWAERHGW

[realhumanbean]

As much as i love the idea of going back to sleep after fajr,the thought of not having college makes me sad. It's just Thursday and i already miss college. I miss college even more cus i'm sad. And college has become something that makes me happy. The friends i have there aren’t necessarily ones i connect with on a deep level. Not that i want it from them either. But i like the Labiba they see at college.

My little solidarity moment on 'the bridge' in front of our auditorium where i sat down and wrote on my diary, it wasn’t me isolating myself,somehow i was connected with my surroundings while also being separated from it. Or my little observing sessions i do in between reading a book on the stairs by our canteen while badminton matches go on. We have lots of staircases and i love sitting down on the stairs. I loved it when Iffath asked me if my match was up but before i answered she saw the book in my hand and went "তুই আর তোর বই *shakes head*". I like how excited Raisa gets when surprisingly both of us have an off class at the same time. I have imagined crying to Raisa,i guess i've become comfortable with her.

Why am i imagining crying to Raisa? Cus i think i need sympathy from losing most of my close friends from school. I tried convincing myself that it didn’t matter to me but it’s about time i face it. The friendship is mostly dead. College makes me forget about all that. Forces me to enjoy my own company cus i wasn’t ready to believe that i really didn’t have anyone to run to when i wanted to cry. And i still don’t have anyone to run to but the difference is that i have learned to be okay now.

I think i can go a long while with only giving and not being on the receiving end. I have learned to take from sources that don’t need something in return. And i hope that'll be enough. As long as i have HCC,i'll be okay.

[lastlycoris]

Liver transplantation.

The one time you might actually want cancer.

Why? Because having a primary liver cancer bumps you up on the liver transplant list. But it can't just be any cancer - there's a criteria for acceptable cancer burden for adult liver transplant, which is known as Milan Criteria. Essentially one big tumor smaller than 5 cm or 3 small tumors less than 3 cm each. The tumor can't have left the liver either aka metastasis. However if it's too small (<2 cm ), you don't get priority listing for having that cancer. Kind of like Goldilocks - the tumor has to be just right.

Now first off, you almost never get a primary liver tumor aka hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without something wrong in the liver in the first place.

This is usually Cirrhosis aka fibrosis of the liver, which can be caused by Hepatitis C or more commonly drinking too much alcohol too often. The liver fails cause its cells are dead or dying, and the resulting scarring prevents blood from your GI tract from returning properly to your systemic blood. This pseudo-blockage results in fluid backing up in your body, resulting in ascites (fluid in the belly) and pleural effusion (fluid in the lung space) and generalized soft tissue swelling.

The body tries to compensate for this by making alternate paths. Problem is the liver is also a filter, and bypassing the filter through an alternate path affects the brain - a common symptom is confusion and sometimes coma in these patients. Official term is hepatic encephalopathy.

Cirrhosis patients can also literally turn yellow because bilirubin, which occurs from the normal breakdown of red blood cells, can't be processed well by a dysfunctional liver. Liver does a lot of other important stuff too, but I'd go on forever with that - so I'll end that here.

In any case, the only treatment for cirrhosis is getting a new liver - once cirrhosis occurs, it cannot reverse, only worsen. The liver transplant list uses its own criteria known as MELD which I also won't get into here, but generally the sicker you are, the higher you are on the transplant list.

Cirrhosis is essentially a breeding ground for primary liver cancer because cirrhosis is essentially repeated constant inflammation - and all it takes is one cell to heal in the absolutely worst way - and then you have a cancer. This is why cirrhosis patients get yearly liver imaging screening to detect that.

Milan Criteria was created because a good number of liver transplants in cancer patients turned out to have recurrent liver cancer in the new liver. After Milan was implemented, long-term recurrence-free survival improved from 30% to 75%. I believe the sizes used in Milan acts as a surrogate for the likelihood of microscopic metastasis, cancer that's left the liver but too small to be seen in imaging, but don't quote me on that.

Now why did I bring this up? One of the residents asked out loud about why we don't just cut out the cancer.

For one, cirrhosis ensures another one will pop up eventually, and for two, cutting a cancer out also means cutting out good tissue (or semi-okay in a cirrhotic's case) to create the disease-free margin. You don't have much good tissue left in a cirrhosis liver.

You could ablate the cancer by frying it with heat or freezing it, but you again have the issues of damaging normal tissue. Typically excision or ablation is done when there's no chance patient will get a donor liver.

There's also TACE (transarterial chemoembolization) which can be used to shrink tumors, usually back into the limits imposed by Milan criteria. Because if your cancer is too big for Milan, you don't get a liver. There are strict rules for that, and if you break them, your liver transplant service is not getting donor livers.

[exalok]

WIP ask game

got tagged by @icarusonspeed and am desperate for distraction from tthhhhiiiiiiingssssss 8')

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it!

i do not have a wip folder, i have many many folders, across which wips are scattered like bread crumbs, a deadly and delicious trail, IT IS A TRAP, THE QUICKSANDS WILL GET YOOOUUUU listen i have too many wips if i start on the original short story ones in addition to the original novel ones this list will be neverending

dishonored: - the five short lives of jessamine kaldwin (almost done writing this fucker actually, just currently stuck on absolutely everything) - pull the earth around me (puppypile) (aka naptime cuddles au) - LCc & HCc and daud somehow have a boner party - feral investigator corvo & detective daud - fake!daud au - corvo got stuck in his kid body (still don't have a title) - and i will tell you mine (bondageverse) - prince!Daud - GaSS (yes i'm still hoping i'll someday finish the teen!daud fic) [only included what i've actually written bits of and haven't started posting. not featured: a whole lot of shit i've got notes for varying from an entire plot in detail to some aesthetics and one line of dialogue]

original: - Millenium Harbor (superhero stuff, originally worked on it with my bro) - Phoenix Daughter (fantasy and monsters, originally worked on it with my other bro; have since made it a heck of a lot more queer and added layers beyond Chosen Hero Saves Country) - Pirates are Assholes (recently had An Idea that would take the plot to much more interesting and developpable places) - this isn't a file but it's under construction and it's the domestic zombie apocalypse attempt two electric boogaloo original character do not steal version >:)

various: - animal crossing + flight rising (god i remember this lil fucker. obvs never gonna work on it again but i've had multiple projects like it in the past and might just start another someday)

tagging uuuuhhhhhhh @screwtheprinceimtakingthehorse, @amazinmango, @retired-crow

[askthehcc]

Skibidi toilet erm what the sigma

Bdubs: ...

Bdubs: ...

Bdubs: ...

Bdubs: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Etho: Oh, Bdubs.

Bdubs: What do you MEAN, OH BDUBS?

Etho: It's skibidi toilet, isn't it? You know, don't you? Skibidi!

Bdubs: ...

Bdubs: NO?

Cub: Oh, I know about this. I've been doing some research.

Cub: Skibidi toilet actually refers to a series of animated shorts that fall largely within the surrealist horror genre.

Cub: To some it's simply just a bunch of stained toilets with singing heads, fighting with a bunch of anthromorphised cameras...

Cub: But to others, it's a commentary on the violence and apathy inflicted upon the generation commonly referred to as "Gen Alpha" by their predecessors.

Cub: Skibidi toilet more accurately reflects the grim reality of our world, which is rife with poverty, power imbalance, and pervasive surveillance.

Cub: The grotesque visual imagery of the animated shorts stands out against the over-saturated, highly censored content that is finacially rewarded by advertisers who seek capalitistic gain.

Cub: The question is not What is Skibidi Toilet?

Cub: But on which side of the war do you fall?

Etho: ...

Bdubs: ...

Etho: Yeah, see, Bdubs? Skibidi! Sigma!

Bdubs: That explains NOTHING.

---

Grian: Is Cub... okay?

Etho: I'm afraid to ask.

[soemthingsparkly]

the most recent hcc chapter !!!! so good. i am not good at articulating my thoughts but it is so good. love it 10/10

Thank you so much! I was a bit worried about this chapter being a bit something of nothing, but then I finished it with the last two scenes and think I fixed that problem... heh.

I love when people come into my inbox and talk about HCC. It makes me so happyyyy. I might open in-character Q&As, if anyones interested 👀👀

[tjerra14]

Sometimes you just get clients everyone absolutely loves. They walk into the practice without an appointment (since the beginning of the year, we are appointments-only, which is written everywhere online, and also plastered just about on every available surface in the practice itself, but okay, “we didn’t know, we’re just here once a year” is the usual “I do not put in more than the most basic effort”-excuse we accept once), and upon being told that we’ll have to see if we can fit them into the schedule because we’ll have two appointments in ten minutes, just finished with an emergency, and have another running in the back, reply that “there’s literally no one here, what’s the issue”. We agree to not send them away since they said they’re only here for a vaccination, and really, no one wants to see them again very soon. My colleague hands me the dog’s pet passport, and since it’s a young dog, I decide that with the vaccines we generally use, it’d be good to repeat the full hexvalent vaccination. Clients walk in, we discuss what we would recommend in this case, and immediately one of the ladies pulls out a slip of paper, reading what she doesn’t want her dog to be vaccinated against--rabies, parvo, leptospirosis, HCC, kennel cough; oh, and I’ve also read that the vaccination against canine distemper lasts for 7 years. I look at her, gently telling her that all of those are literally the components of the vaccine, do you want your dog to be vaccinated or not? --Yeah, I do, she says. But your boss didn’t include all those components last year either, said we didn’t need them. I look down at the pet passport again, the stickers in it. My boss sure as hell did not say that last year because this dog saw a proper initial immunisation. --He didn’t give those to my dog. Suure. We eventually agree to vaccinate the dog as recommended, and then I ask about deworming. --Yeah, sure, we’ll be doing that too, says one of the ladies. --No, we will not, the other one, again raising her slip of paper, cuts her off. It’s not protection from future infections. Well yes, this is why we recommend either deworming regularly, or even better, sending in samples to see if there is actual need (which most aren’t willing to pay for). --See? So it’s of no use. (In the end, they also agreed to deworming the dog, and that we’ll see each other next year for the follow-up vaccination. Everyone is looking forward to further discussions.)

[allcnaprograms]

Leading CNA Schools in Houston TX: Your Path to a Rewarding Healthcare Career Starts Here!

**Title:‌ Top CNA Schools in Houston TX: Your Path to a Rewarding Healthcare Career Starts Here!**

**Introduction:**

Are⁣ you considering‍ a career‍ in healthcare as​ a ⁢Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in Houston, ⁤TX? If​ so, you’re on the right path to‌ a ‌rewarding ⁤and fulfilling career helping others‍ in need. ⁣Choosing⁤ the right CNA school is crucial to your success in this field, as⁢ it will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in your role. In this article, we’ll explore the top CNA schools in Houston,‍ TX, where you can kickstart your ⁢healthcare career.

**Top CNA Schools in Houston, TX:**

1. **Houston ⁢Community College (HCC):** ‍ – Location: Multiple campuses in Houston – Program: CNA certificate program ⁢ – ⁤Duration: 6-8 weeks – Highlights: HCC ‍offers ​a comprehensive CNA program that includes hands-on training in⁢ a real-world healthcare setting. The school has state-of-the-art facilities and experienced instructors to ​guide you​ through your ⁣training.

2. **San Jacinto College:** ‌ – Location: Central campus ⁣in Houston ‍- ‌Program: ‍CNA certificate ⁤program -​ Duration: 6 weeks ⁢ – Highlights: San ⁤Jacinto College provides a hands-on CNA program that focuses on‍ practical skills and knowledge. The school has a ⁤high⁣ pass rate for the state certification exam, ensuring that you’ll be well-prepared for your career as a CNA.

3. **Texas Health ⁣School:** ⁢ – Location: Southwest Freeway, Houston ⁣ – Program: CNA certificate program -⁣ Duration: 4-6 weeks – Highlights: Texas Health School offers a fast-track CNA program that allows you‍ to complete your training in a short amount of time.⁤ The school has small class sizes and personalized attention to‌ help you succeed in your CNA career.

**Benefits‌ of Attending a Top CNA School:** – Quality education and training – Hands-on experience in a healthcare⁣ setting – Preparation for the state‌ certification exam – Job​ placement assistance after graduation

**Practical Tips⁣ for Choosing a⁤ CNA School:** 1. Research the school’s accreditation and reputation 2. Visit the campus⁤ and meet with instructors 3.‍ Ask about the curriculum and training facilities 4. Inquire about​ job placement rates for graduates

**Conclusion:**

Choosing the right CNA school in Houston, TX is the first step towards a successful‌ healthcare career. ‌By attending a top CNA school, you’ll ⁣receive quality‌ education, hands-on training, and ⁣preparation for the state⁣ certification exam. Take the time to research and visit different CNA schools in Houston to find ​the one that best fits your needs and goals. Your path to a rewarding⁢ healthcare career ​starts here at one of the top CNA schools in Houston, TX.

By investing in ​your ⁢education and training⁢ through a‌ reputable CNA program, you’ll ‍be​ well-prepared to embark on​ a fulfilling⁣ career in healthcare as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Remember to choose a school that offers quality education, hands-on ⁤training,‌ and job placement⁤ assistance ‌to ensure your success in this rewarding field. Start your journey towards becoming ⁤a ​CNA today at one of the top CNA schools in Houston, TX!

https://allcnaprograms.com/leading-cna-schools-in-houston-tx-your-path-to-a-rewarding-healthcare-career-starts-here/

[studywgabi]

The Reasons Why I am Starting College Having Never Been on a Date:

The painful fucking shyness, I mean, borderline agoraphobia. I won't settle for less than clicking "add to cart" on Mr. Right and having him delivered to my home, with free shipping.

a. Really, though, I've missed a lot of school. And work (and that's only once a week). I can barely make it to my real responsibilities (much less dates). I struggle with just getting out of bed sometimes, let alone leaving my house, and when I do, I'm usually too anxious to go without a parent, which severely decreases my chances of being approached. And if I never go anywhere, how can I expect to meet anyone?

b. It's just that I know I won't meet anyone, though. It's that when I manage to try, when I put my blood, sweat, and tears into making myself look somewhat presentable, when I go someplace people under 70 are, when I do everything Google said makes you approachable: bangs, wearing red, exposing the wrists, red nail polish, smiling, not being on your phone, being alone, and open body language, when I get my hopes up, it never works out. And that makes it even harder the next time. Excuses, excuses.

2. Self-fulfilling prophecy. I see myself as undateable and others just take that cue. Though, chicken and egg. A little girl doesn't suddenly decide she's horrifically ugly and no one will ever love her. It's proven to her, time and time again. Or rather, being seen as beautiful or even average and capable of being loved is not proven to her, and she draws the only logical conclusion. (This little girl is quite the pessimist.)

3. I've had somewhat of an unconventional high school experience. My freshman year was 2020-2021, and we were online until May. Sophomore year we were back in person, but socially distanced, and I left about a month before the end of the school year and took my finals remotely. Junior and Senior year, I've been going to Hometown Community College (HCC). I take some in-person classes and some online, so I'm only on campus for maybe 4 hours a week. Some of my classmates are adults with families and careers, but a lot of them are around my age.

4. It isn't love, it's only Hometown. Maybe I would be worshiped as a goddess in some other part of the world. Who knows? My city isn't that walkable and I'm a virgin who can't drive, so it is a bit difficult to meet people. There are a lot of Latinos here, and mixed girls like me, and it's a real let-your-freak-flag-fly-so-everyone-will-know-how-different-and-cool-you-are-unlike-the-sheep kind of place where everyone wears beanies, listens to Pearl Jam deep cuts, and, in their desperate attempt to be different, is exactly the same, so it's not like I stand out in any way. It certainly has its faults, but one thing I will say about Hometown is that you can walk down the street and see face tattoos, blue hair, and women with beards.

5. The other thing is of course the bloodhound sixth sense. Men can smell the eau de desperation and low self-esteem radiating off of me from a mile away. Half-off at Bath and Bodyworks. God, even when I like another girl as a friend, I smother her. When I like someone in any type of way, I ask a million questions, I want to know everything about them, spend every second with them. I expect an intimacy that would take years to build up to just happen over night.

6. I think it would be naive to say that looks weren't a part of it, a significant part, though certainly not all of it. I know everyone says personality is more important than appearance in the end, when you really love someone, and I agree, but it's so hard to even get to that place. It's difficult to make that initial connection if you're not really anyone's type. No guy has ever just walked up to me and "shot his shot" as they say. No one has tried to strike up a conversation or dared to ask for my number. Yes, I know it's nerve-wracking for men to just walk up to a stranger, especially an attractive one, and try to talk to her, and this doesn't happen to every woman, but it happens to some, and I wish I was one of them. Some men think some women are worth getting over the fear for, and I wish someone saw me that way. And no, I don't approach guys either, I'm nothing if not a hypocrite. I am paralyzed with fear about this because I'm worried about not being rejected. I'm worried the guy won't know I'm trying to flirt with him because I have no idea how, or that I won't know he's letting me down easy because it'll go over my head, or that he'll feel too sorry for me to reject me.

a. I'm high-maintenance while looking low-maintenance. I take hours to get ready in the morning and no matter how much I do and how much money I waste and what lengths I go to it never helps. Worse still than my grotesqueness, which a man could look past, is my insecurity. My constant, constant need for reassurance. He could swear over and over that he loves me as I am but I'll never believe it. To illustrate, you've just read several paragraphs of complaints about my appearance. If you were my man (Lord help you), I'd never shut up.

b. To summarize: annoying, inexperienced, and no oil painting. I think I could've said as much in one sentence.

c. This is how I register in men's heads: Maybe this is totally incorrect, but we women think of you as rather like robots, capable of an incredible compartmentalization that must make life so much simpler. I'm so messy. Men can just decide to not get attached, to not care, to focus on what's really important rather than distractions, and their hearts actually listen to them. And if not, you could've fooled me.

d. I think men sort of scan me. When they first see me, my statistics and vital signs pop up on their cybernetically enhanced vision. They make a crucial decision right then and there, write me off as uninteresting. Again, all speculation. You can't fault me for being a logic-oriented person. If this isn't how it happens, I want some hard proof (lawyer voice). You can't fault me for being a fanciful, gullible, self-absorbed and ridiculous little girl.

e. I'm a little overweight, but not playboy bunny curvaceous and feminine, nor supermodel thin. I'm wide and bulky and flat in the back and the front. I'm average height, not cute and short or old Hollywood statuesque. I have scars and stretch marks and acne and strawberry legs. Pale skin and chestnut hair with a few strands of red that couldn't decide if it wanted to be straight or curly so settled for a halfhearted wave. My haircut is what it is, a mistake that I'm growing out (excruciatingly slowly). Eyes so dark you can't distinguish the iris from the pupil. I wear contacts. Huge, blackheady nose and ultrathin pale, cracked lips. I care deeply about my appearance and I do the best I can to take care of myself. After school and work and work and school, eating healthy feels so impossible, but I try to be somewhat balanced at least. I don't exercise besides the erstwhile jog, but I walk around a lot on campus and I have a physical type of job. Everyone's always told me I look older (mid-twenties) than I am (newly 18). For most of the year, I wear pretty much the same thing everyday- The Gabi Uniform (TM). A knee-length skirt and a sweater. Inoffensive, not particularly alluring. f. The worst, though, is the severe hirsutism, my main PCOS symptom. How am I supposed to be confident when my body is a punchline in every movie you've ever seen? I just don't think confidence is meant for me. I'm not one of those take-off-her-glasses-and-she's-beautiful types. I've gotten better, certainly, I'm not waterboarding myself with sweat anymore by forcing myself to wear turtlenecks in the summer. I do my best to be an adult, to pick myself up and get on with it, put on a brave if ugly face and show myself as I am. But the truth is, being able to wear tanktops hasn't made me hate myself any less. I still can't say the "h" word out loud (or type it). I still can't shake the feeling of being dirty and sick, like I have bugs crawling all over my skin. And I could never, ever, show this body to anyone. One day, I'm going to fall head over heels in love, I know that already. Love isn't the issue. I will love someone so much he can't stand it, but I'll never be able to trust him enough.

6. I don't know. I really don't know. I've turned it over and over in my head for years, driven myself crazy trying to figure it out, connected all my features with push pins and red string to unveil the grand conspiracy. But every reason I can come up with isn't something unique to me, it's something that literally millions of other people experience, have, do, or are, and that hasn't been a barrier, or hasn't always been a barrier, for at least some of them to be in a relationship. I'm just stuck thinking, why wasn't what I did good enough? Why am I the exception? I followed the rules, I consulted the opinions of others around me, I did everything just like everyone else did. I don't know if other people see me this way, but I think of myself as a deeply average person- my personality, my looks, how I grew up. To be perfectly honest, it does surprise me a bit that my love life has been so atypical when every other part of my life has been so decidedly ordinary. There's nothing special about me. I'm not a good person, but I don't intentionally hurt others. I'll never be beautiful, pretty, or even average, but there's nothing shocking about the way I look, I'm just plain.

a. Lots of people are shy, especially teenagers. We're all self (conscious and absorbed), debilitating insecurity and a simultaneous God complex. Plenty of teenagers date, go to dances, go parking, share a milkshake with two straws...

b. Everyone has low self-esteem. Sure, some more so than others, but the vast majority of people struggle with confidence, even those other people think shouldn't. We're all oracles writing self-fulfilling prophecies all the time. If you had to be confident to get a date, the human race would have died out by now.

c. For fuck's sake, people got married during the pandemic. People fell in and out of and back in love, people lost their virginities, people cheated, people flirted, people joined dating apps and met on zoom, people took off their masks and kissed, people were irresponsible and reckless and human and attractive and attracted. We all lost the school year, but plenty of my classmates didn't lose the experiences.

e. Isn't everyone desperate for something? And hasn't that desperation made me work 10 times harder? It's ambition, it's led me to try nearly everything, and even if it's obvious, isn't a little desperation attractive? I don't know if it is to boys, but it is to me. I want someone to need me, to think about me all the time, to be crazy about me. Maybe I take that too far, but it's not as if I'm proposing on the first date or collecting your used tissues for my shrine. Yeah, I want it bad and I when I fall, I fall hard, but the last thing I want is to make someone uncomfortable. If he told me to slow down, I would.

f. But if all it took was a little makeup and some time at the gym, wouldn't I lose love as soon as I washed my face or gained a few pounds? My appearance is going to change drastically throughout my life, and I don't want love to end when it does. I want to believe that everyone is beautiful. It's important to me to believe that, and that means I have to begrudgingly accept that I'm beautiful, too. I'm worried it would become a slippery slope if I made an exception for myself. I guess I just figured everyone was someone's type. I might not be conventionally attractive, but I thought eventually I'd blindly stumble upon someone who was okay with the way I look. You know what they say about assuming. It makes a (flat) ass of you and me. Yeah, maybe there's a lid for every pot. But my lid will either be blind, an alcoholic with permanent beer goggles, or have some kind of rare fetish.

I am precisely the opposite of what men want. Clingy, needy, and desperate- and not attractive enough to justify my horrible personality. I'm not cool or fun or down-to-earth. I'm not drama-free or go-with-the-flow. I say I'm fine when I'm not because I expect you to read my mind. I'm ugly, uncommunicative, and crazy. I'm a pervert who's far too shy to ever take her clothes off. I'm immature and stubborn and stupid and as hard as I try not be, a hopeless romantic.

[schoolsformedicalbilling]

US Medical Codding, HCC Coding in US Medical Billing, For Calculating Future Patients Health Cost ! HCC Coding in US Medical BillingHCC (Hierarchical Condition Category) coding in US Medical Billing, Frequently Asked Questions;HCC coding relies on ICD-10-CM coding to assign risk scores to patients. Each HCC is mapped to an ICD-10-CM code. Along with demographic…