#ul consulting

[refccostore]

Our Services — Engineering and Consulting - Refcco

Refcco, National recognized testing laboratory offers services for Product certification & testing, Engineering & consulting, International trade

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[4cconsulting]

UL Certification Consultants In India - UL Certification Training

UL Certification Overview

For every business, the safety of the employees holds a paramount regards. It is important that the equipments on which the employees and customers are surrounded with are checked on a regular basis.

It becomes compulsory to check whether the machinery is working properly, manufactured rightly, serviced regularly and installed appropriately. These steps avoid any unwanted injuries or incidences in the near future. Purchasing and Installing UL certified products ensure the safety of the Equipments.

UL (Underwriter Laboratories) is a safety organisation headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois. It is one of the oldest agencies that provides the certification of the products as well as the environmental claims.

Many people get confused with UL approval. Although, there is no such thing as general UL, they break up their certification into segments of being listed, recognized and classified. UL certifies products, systems, facilities, processes based on industry wise standards.

Types Of Ul Certification - Underwriter Laboratories

UL LISTED SERVICE

It is given to manufacturers that make products that meet UL standards and it provides the manufacturer the authority to mark UL by running the tests by themselves. UL does not test products by themselves rather they authorize the manufacturer to test the products. Though, UL strictly follows up with manufacturer to check if the tests are run appropriately following the right steps and procedure.

UL RECOGNIZED SERVICE

It is for the products or machinery that is used to manufacture other products. It states that the products are safe to be used in the production process. This mark is not seen on the end product though rather a component for larger product. Again, UL authorizes the manufacturer to test the products appropriately and does follow up to keep a check on the procedure.

UL CLASSIFICATION SERVICE

This is the most nuanced one of the three. This is for products by a manufacturer that make the products which are to be certified with UL. Thus, it has many layers such as a check of specific risks, casualty, fire, shock, performance under specific conditions, international standards, regulatory codes etc.

How To Get Ul Certification?

To obtain the UL Certification, sample of the product need to be submitted by the manufacturer for assessment and evaluation. Detailed analysis is done on the product prior to marking it with a UL Mark.

If the UL agrees that the product fulfills all the applicable requirements, then it authorizes the manufacturer to mark the product with the UL Certificate or provide an UL certification consultation or a notification that the product can now be marked as UL.

Hands on experience of Team 4C UL certification consultants in helping the right break up of UL certification in India.

[matoitech]

give it up for year 2!

[uncanny-tranny]

Same anon- close but not quite! I don't consider myself as having chronic pain necessarily, but i do strongly suspect I have IC. I've dealt with bladder issues since I was 4. T, bottom surgery, and especially urethral lenthening (which is the ultimate ideal) all affect that collection of holes. Same with top surgery- I have bruising around my chest (likely due to improper binding as I only noticed it after I started binding, poorly) and I've heard that you can't be operated on if bruising is bad enough. Maybe it's a lie, but I'm still anxious about that. I know it's nothing big but the whole downstairs situation has been a problem for a while and I'd REALLY like to avoid more pain. Does that make any sense?

It does make more sense, and I apologize for assuming. I haven't heard about bruising affecting top surgery, and I haven't heard surgeons talk about that being a deciding factor. That isn't to say that it couldn't, just that I haven't heard that sited as a disqualification for a person's surgery. As for bottom surgery, I have heard complications arise in UL, and if you have underlying conditions, you definitely should bring that up with a surgeon. I'm unsure if they would recommend no UL, but it could be a possibility. When you get to that stage, I'd definitely be open about your history and see what options you have, and what would be best for outcome and your body.

[4cconsulting-blog]

[twinfools]

I’m 3 years post phalloplasty and I realized I’ve never really made a post about how things are going. Phalloplasty is a hard surgery to talk about because, bottom line, it’s not part of common conversation to talk about yo dick. That being said I think it’s really important for me to talk about this procedure to help break stigma and misinformation— both inside and outside of trans and non-binary communities.

I had ALT phalloplasty, glansplasty, scrotoplasty, no urethral lengthening (UL) with vaginectomy. This means that tissue from my thigh was used to create my penis, my urethra was not extended or moved (so I don’t stand to pee) and my vagina was closed. I feel like this detail is important because this is one of many variations for this procedure and what I opted for/out of were decisions made according to trade-offs between personal benefit and risk.

I opted out of UL because I do not tolerate catheters well and, due to my very active lifestyle, was not willing to risk longer term catheterization or bladder spasms which would impede my quality of life. This risk, for me, outweighed the benefit of standing to pee.

I opted for ALT knowing that I would likely need debulking (which I didn’t end up needing but opted for anyway out of preference). Debulking is a procedure to make the penis less girthy as ALT phalloplasty is more girthy because of the nature of tissue on the thigh. I chose ALT because, first and foremost, I did not want scarring on my forearm. My ALT scar is covered by clothing most of the time which I appreciate. I also chose ALT because I have skinny forearms, which wasn’t ideal for forearm phalloplasty (RFF).

Vaginectomy, for me, was a no brainer. I have never used or connected with that part of my body so I wanted it gone.

Glansplasty is a procedure to make the glans (head) of the penis and was a short procedure done after my initial stage of surgery. I may get it redone but I’m still undecided on that. Scrotoplasty creates a scrotum, I was ambivalent about this procedure but have grown to more appreciate it over time.

I am considering further surgeries: erectile implant (which creates the ability for the penis to “get hard”) and testicular implants (fills to scrotum with testicle implants). But I’m undecided and want a break from surgery while I finish my degree and focus on work. I’m also considering phalloplasty tattooing to help enhance the contour and coloring to make it appear more like a cis penis.

Whew! Lots of info, right? These are big procedures completed over multiple stages and are very unlike chest surgery, hysterectomy and other surgeries I had completed prior. When I was first considering this surgery I didn’t know there was flexibility in terms of tissue donor site and UL. I waited to have this surgery and am so happy I did because the information I gained from research and consulting with professionals and folks with lived experience was so valuable.

Was surgery hard? Yes. This surgery was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. I’ve never been so uncomfortable for the first 2 weeks after recovering. I had to re-learn how to walk. I couldn’t sleep. Peeing hurt… but would I do it again? Yes. It was worth it for me but I can’t underscore enough that that doesn’t mean I didn’t have moments where I felt regret while recovering because post op depression is a thing and I was in pain while adjusting to a new body part that was also a healing surgical site… LOTS going on there!

3 years on I feel really at home in my body. Just having a penis is such a comfort to me in ways I didn’t anticipate. I’ve had a feeling my entire life that I was missing a body part and this was it. The quiet gender euphoria of just sitting and feeling my body and for once feeling complete in that is something that’s hard to articulate.

I’m thankfully back to full mobility and got back to full mobility about 3 months post op. I was grateful for this since a long term recovery wasn’t what I wanted. There are still weird twitches, pains and feelings, especially around my donor site (thigh) from time to time but nothing that inhibits me. Just interesting when it happens (usually when weather gets colder?).

What is one thing I would want to go back and tell myself before surgery? Well:

Your penis will feel HEAVY. Like it will fall off. It won’t fall off and your body will adjust to the weight in an area you didn’t have it before. Until then it will feel like you need to hold it at all times.

Hopefully this helps someone as an overview of what an experience with this procedure may look like. Again, my goal is to put information out there and have frank conversations— because it’s these same things that greatly benefitted me in my surgery journey.

Finally— my inbox is open for anyone that has questions. I am in a privileged position to feel safe talking about these things and I feel comfortable doing so. Not everyone does, so please don’t assume that this invitation applies to other folks who have accessed surgery unless they say so.

Thank you for reading :)

[answersfromzestual]

Phalloplasty Procedure Full Outline Offical (Radical Free Flap Procedure)

What is phalloplasty/ phallo?

Phalloplasty - "includes several surgical procedures that aim to construct male genitalia that looks as natural as possible. The surgery is divided into several steps that may vary from patient to patient. Generally, they are the three following steps" (Source1) . We aren't going to count if the prerequisite of hysterectomy. Since my surgical procedure, they have removed the requisite of an oophorectomy, that procedure is now optional thanks to the always advancing technology.

The first step:

a surgery that consists of creating a penis from a skin flap from a specific area of your body (most common areas are forearm and lower back) of the body that you would chat about with the surgeon(s) and that specific skin will be grafted to the genital area.

The second step:

Here, surgeons construct the urethra that will llow urination. This is known as Urethra Lengthening (often referred to UL) (Urethra Lengthening Procedure Post)

The third step:

At this stage, you will receive testicular and erectile implants that will allow for penetrative sex. Note: this is not the only type of phalloplasty sugerical options.

The first surgical step consists of:

the creation of a penis or phallus from a skin flap and fatty tissue of the donorn site involving the removal of blood vessels (to create a blood supply) and nerves (this is where nerves are disconnected and reconnected, which can take some time to gain full tactile function or feeling. This skin will be grafted to the genital area where a penis would naturally sit on your body. The next part of the procedure is:

"the burial of the clitoris at the base of the phallus;

the creation of the penile urethra within the phallus;

the lengthening of the biological urethra;

the creation of the glans;

the creation of the scrotum;

the closing of the vaginal cavity; and

the removal of a layer of skin from the thigh to compensate for tissue loss

on the donor arm." - (Source1) Some of these things are not the same for every surgeon, be sure to ask about if your clitoris could be not buried for example, or different pumping systems, varying styles in surgerical procedures from clinic to clinic, even surgeon to surgeon.

The second step consists of the construction of the urethra:

This procedure connects the penile urethra so the part of the urethra inside the phallus itself to your biological urethra that was elongated in the first step of the phalloplasty surgical procedure. The connection of the urethra is made by creating a tube from the skin of the scrotum between the openings of both parts of the urethra.

Note that the anatomical makeup of the phallus is composed of only skin, fatty tissue, blood vessels, and nerves.

It does not contain any muscles or a sphincter (a muscle that opens and closes like your butt does aka "the breakwall"), which means that after the second step, you may have to empty your urine either temporarily or permanently manually from the portion of the phallus by applying pressure to the phallus. (UL Article)

A minimum of a six month waiting period is necessary between this and the next stage planning.

Permanent hair removal from the area that will be used to construct the urethra is also required to avoid complications (unless during the consult the doctor states otherwise). Note that it is impossible to determine in advance which area will be depilated since it must be evaluated after Step one. It is at this time that you will receive information about hair removal,

The third step:

Involves insertion of implants (erectile device and testicular implants).

This procedure will allow you to be able to get an erection in your penis (phallus) and now you have the ability of penetrative sex. Erectile Devcies Post

You will have to wait a minimum of three to six months after the second step (healing and surgeon(s) pending) and have no urinary problems before planning the third step. If complications do come up, they will have to be completely treated and healed before the implant surgery can be performed.

"Depending on the surgeon's assessment, the second and third steps may be reversed." (Source1)

Everyone has to decide whether to undergo one, two, or all three steps. Meaning you can stop after any phase/step of the three)

This choice is super personal and must be made according to what you need, your expectations of the outcome, and the impact it has on your daily life.

There are a few factors that may influence your decisions, such as wanting to urinate while standing, the desire to have penetrative sex, having more masculine genitalia, etc.

The estimated time to complete all three stages of phalloplasty can vary from two to three years, including the waiting I'm between surgeries.

These results may vary according to the age, weight, quality, and elasticity of the skin at the donor site, the scarring process, lifestyle habits and the overall health of the patients, healing, how well you take care of yourself, etc. The radial forearm free-flap technique is shown to produce the best results from bottom masculinizing surgery options.

Mandatory Prerequisites for Phalloplasty:

Hysterectomy with removal of the cervix done minimum six months before the phalloplasty procedure. *There are two options for this: removing the uterus only (called "total hysterectomy"), or option two removing the uterus, fallopian tubes, and the ovaries, also called "total hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy"*

Permanent hair removal (second step when recommended to start). The recommended options are laser hair removal or electrolysis, which may be more beneficial for results. from the area of the phallus donor site to prevent complications with hair growth (fistuals), which can cause issues such as infection and even surgerical intervention to fix the issue area(s). Surgeons typically like to see the graft site not have any hair growth for a minimum of three months.

Talk to your primary physician and/or gynecologist to help you make an informed decision about your choice on the type of hysterectomy you get.

And talk to your surgeon and your primary doctor about which option of hair removal is better suited if one is not insisted on you using it.

A vaginectomy can be removed since only 2 cm will be used for the phallus.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Before phalloplasty can be performed, it is important to know that you must have a healthy weight or have a BMI under 30, and you can not have excessive fat accumulation in your abdominal area.

"Being overweight and abdominal fat can compromise the connection of blood vessels during the procedure and lead to significant surgical complications.

If your BMI is 31 or higher you be most likely required to lose weight before the surgeon will perform the procedure.

Patients with a high BMI also have a decreased potential for healing and decreased satisfaction with surgical results." - (Source1)

Source List:

Source1 -GRS Montreal,Quebec, Canada - downloadable PDF -used as the direct quotes and most of the information

John Hopkins Hospital - used for an information source. -https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/phalloplasty-for-gender-affirmation

Cleveland Clinic -an information source (I barely used this)- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21585-phalloplasty

Article- Self written on Urethra Lengthening Procedure

Article- Self Written - Erectile Devices Available

[houseofbrat]

Did Kate have emergency brain surgery?

Remember this?

Back in 2011, Kate was suspected of wearing hair extensions.

The spokesmen at St. James Palace--clearly better than the current crop at Kensington Palace--said it was a scar.

Shimmering in silver, the Duchess of Cambridge conducted her first solo engagement as a royal yesterday – and displayed a hitherto unknown childhood secret. Underneath Kate’s stylish half-up, half-down hairstyle a prominent three-inch scar could be seen on the side of her left temple. A spokesman for the Duchess at St James’s Palace confirmed last night that it was the result of surgery as a young child. ‘The scar related to a childhood operation,’ they said. The palace declined to discuss what kind of operation because it was, they said, a private matter.  Senior royal sources also confirmed that it had been ‘a very serious operation’ but declined to comment further.

Some people speculate that Kate had a VP shunt placed during this surgery.

What Is a VP Shunt? A ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is a thin plastic tube that helps drain extra cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain. CSF is the saltwater that surrounds and cushions the brain and spinal cord. Why Are VP Shunts Placed? VP shunts are placed to treat hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus (hi-droh-SEF-eh-less) happens when CSF does not drain out of the hollow spaces inside the brain (called ventricles) as it should. VP shunts drain the extra fluid and help prevent pressure from getting too high in the brain.

How Do VP Shunts Work? Most shunts have two catheters (small, thin tubes) connected by a valve. One end of the upstream catheter is in a ventricle. The other end of the downstream catheter is in the peritoneal (pair-et-NEE-ul) cavity. This is the space inside the belly where the stomach and the bowels are. The shunt is all inside the body, under the skin. The valve opens when the pressure in the brain gets too high. This lets fluid drain from the brain into the peritoneal space. From there, the extra fluid is absorbed into the bloodstream.

[...]

Are There Any Risks From VP Shunts? VP shunts are generally safe, but there are some risks during and after the surgery. There can be bleeding, or an infection can develop. VP shunts do not work forever. When the shunt stops working: * The child can have another buildup of fluid in the brain. * Another surgery is needed to fix it. Problems with a VP shunt happen even with regular care and at unpredictable times. The shunt can get worn out or move as a child grows. A shunt also can get infected, which can be very serious. It's important for families to follow the surgeon's instructions for when to call and when to go to the ER. This way, treatment for an infected or worn-out shunt can start as soon as possible.

Rebecca English's article continues:

John Scurr, consultant surgeon at the Lister Hospital in London, said it was unlikely to have been the result of a tumour. ‘I really doubt it was any serious medical condition and I would say it is as a result of an arteriovenous malformation – a birthmark – being removed, ‘ he said. ‘It is remarkable, given the measurement, that no-one has noticed before.’

Katie Nicholl has a different surgery story regarding Kate when she was at Marlborough:

In her book Kate: The Future Queen, royal expert and biographer Katie Nicholl relays the story, which is just terrifying. Apparently, during Kate's time at Marlborough, she discovered a lump on the left side of her head. The school called Kate's mom, who promptly took her to the doctor. That doctor ordered an emergency operation to remove the lump. "I can remember the incident and her having an operation," Ann Patching, who worked at Marlborough for years, told Nicholl. "I don’t recall anything happening on the hockey pitch [field] that had anything to do with the lump. Catherine had the operation during her term time. She was back at school very soon afterwards. As usual, nothing was too much of a big deal for her. You could never accuse Catherine of being a drama queen, but Carole was very worried, as any mother would be." The evidence of Kate's emergency operation is still around today, in the form of a scar on her hairline that you can still spot in pictures of the Duchess.

So, is the real medical issue that Kate had an emergency admission to a hospital on 28 December 2023? Had an emergency operation and then went home thinking everything was fine.

Then a few weeks later she had serious, post-op complications and had to go back into have things re-done at The London Clinic? In an emergency situation?

That the Spanish reporter was correct she was in a coma, intubated, and with doctors fearing that she would die?

"Water on the brain," aka hydrocephalus is a serious issue and can kill.

Of course, still have to wonder if there were prior contributing factors such as "overwork."

[finnlongman]

Going to go to the Rare Books Room of the UL today in order to consult an absolute pile of Standish James O'Grady books, simply because I can, and I'm excited about this. (This is a strong sign that I am a Huge Nerd.)

[beardedmrbean]

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — An Indian state has approved an unprecedented uniform code for marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance for Hindus, Muslims and other religious communities under new legislation that also requires couples that live together to register with the government or face punishment.

Northern Uttarakhand state lawmakers passed the legislation on Wednesday and its approval by the state governor and the Indian president is seen as a formality before it becomes law in the state. Muslim leaders and others oppose the Uniform Civil Code initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu Nationalist party saying it interferes with their own laws and customs on such issues.

India, the world’s most populous nation with more than 1.4 billion people, is comprised of around 80% Hindus and about 14% Muslims. Muslims accuse Modi’s right-wing nationalist party of pursuing a Hindu agenda that discriminates against them and directly imposes laws interfering with their faith.

“This is a nefarious political design to drive a wedge in the society on religious lines,” said Yashpal Arya, an opposition Congress party lawmaker.

Pushkar Singh Dhami, the top elected official in Uttarakhand state, said: “The new legislation is not against any religion or community, but will bring uniformity in the society."

Other states ruled by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party are expected to introduce similar legislation. If the BJP wins national elections expected in April or May, it may bring such legislation at the federal level.

The new law bans polygamy and sets a uniform age for marriage for men and women — 21 and 18, respectively — across all religions and also includes a uniform process for divorce.

Hindus, Muslims, Christians and other minority groups in India currently follow their own laws and customs for marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance.

Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen, said the legislation is merely a Hindu code that applies to all.

"I have a right to practice my religion and culture. This bill forces me to follow a different religion and culture. In our religion, inheritance and marriage are part of religious practice," he said on X, formerly Twitter.

S.Q.R. Ilyas, the spokesperson for the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said: “The bill is unnecessary, and goes against the principle of diversity. Its primary target appears to be Muslims, especially since even (some Indigenous tribes) have been exempted."

A significant feature of the bill is the introduction of stringent measures that require the registration of live-in relationships. Couples failing to register their live-in status with district officials could face up to six months in prison or a fine of 25,000 rupees ($305) or both, said Manoj Singh Tamta, a state government official. He said the bill explicitly states that children born out of such relationships will be considered legitimate offspring of the couple, inheriting all legal rights available to those born within a traditional marriage.

Sanjay Agnihotri, a consultant with a non-government organization that works in micro-financing, said he and his girlfriend belong to different castes and their families oppose the idea of them marrying. They relocated to another city and started living as partners without formalizing their relationship through marriage.

"However, the new legislation mandates us to register our relationship, which could potentially subject us to unwarranted police scrutiny,” said Agnihotri.

Uttarakhand became the first Indian state after it won independence from British colonialists in 1947 to adopt legislation on marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance for all citizens, irrespective of their religion, a key part of the BJP's agenda for decades.

[astarion-dekarios]

Dr. Alan L. Hart’s Unpublished Autobiography

Dr. Alan Hart, celebrated physician and pioneer of the x-ray photography in the detection of tuberculosis, was one of the first transgender men to receive gender confirmation surgery in the United States. Although his will stipulated that his personal papers and photographs be destroyed, earlier in his life he expressed a serious desire to publish an autobiography describing his experience as a trans man and doctor, to the point of writing out a manuscript which he sent, along with letters detailing his experience, to Mary Roberts Rinehart, renowned mystery writer[1]. The manuscript was never published and was probably destroyed, making his account of his experience in the letters the closest thing we have to his autobiography.  You can find the digitized copy of the letters in the note below, but I’ve also included a transcription under the cut for accessibility purposes.

[1] A. L. Hart to Mary Roberts Rinehart, 3 August 1921. SC.1958.03, box 21, folder 8, Mary Roberts Rinehart Papers, ULS Archives and Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. https://historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt:31735037971201/viewer#page/19/mode/2up

Thermopolis, Wyoming.

August 3, 1921.

 Mrs. Mary Roberts Rinehart,

c/o Eaton’s Ranch,

Sheridan, Wyoming.

 My dear Mrs. Rinehart:

              I should not have the temerity to approach you as I am doing were it not for two things: First, the fact that both you and Dr. Rinehart belong to the medical world – of which I, too, am a part – and second, my conviction that you are as big and liberal-minded as your stories would indicate. So I venture to ask that you will read my letter and consider it.

              I was graduated from the Medical School of the University of Oregon (in Portland) in 1917 at the age of 27. Until that time – thru common school, High School. University and professional school – I lived as a woman. Shortly before my graduation I consulted a psychiatrist in Portland, Dr. Gilbert, a physician of established reputation; and with him made a complete study of my case, my individual history and that of my family. This was followed by a complete, careful physical examination. The diagnosis arrived at may be summarized as follows: Complete, congenital and incurable Homosexuality together with a marked modification of the physical organization from the feminine type.

              At this stage in my career, life had become so unbearable that I felt myself confronted by only two alternative courses – either to kill myself or refuse to live longer in my misfit role of a woman. I chose the latter, and submitted myself for an exploratory laperotomy for the purpose of establishing definitely and indisputably my proper role, with the result that I left the hospital as a man.

              To say the least, the situation in which I now found myself, bristled with difficulties. My family did not know of my operation nor of my transformation; neither did my most intimate friends. I was faced with the problem of making a living and my way in the world alone. It was in war time and my eligibility for the military service was an open question. The legality of the whole procedure was uncertain. The legal phase of the matter was taken up and attended to for me by Judge John B. Cleland of Portland, Oregon. Since I dreaded ridicule and publicity, and feared my friends might feel themselves embarrassed by what I had done, I resolved simply to drop out of their ken, and with that in view, secured an interneship in the City and County Hospital in San Fransisco and went there to take up my duties as soon as I was able to do so.

              My work went smoothly and well and things seemed in a fair way to adjust themselves, when by chance I was recognized at a public clinic by a young woman physician who had attended university at the same time I did. She spread the story among her acquaintances in the hospitals of the city, that I had once dressed as a woman and was now posing as a man. This coming to my ears, I went to the Superintendent of our hospital – told him the truth of the case – showed him my documentary proofs and voluntarily resigned. He gave me assurance that he would squelch any further notoriety about the hospital. Imagine my feelings, therefore, only a few days later, to open the Examiner one morning and find a garbled account of the whole thing smeared in broad head-lines across the page. The story was carefully written to convey the impression that I was a rank imposter and had fled before the righteous indignation of the authorities; it had been inspired by the young woman who had recognized me and the heads of the hospital I had just left.

              I took my letters and statements and went with them to the editor of the Examiner. He realized, at once, that his paper was being used as an instrument of spite and killed the story in the city and stopped further stuff from going out over the Associated Press.

              I was more or less stunned by what had happened. I had been prepared for criticism and ridicule – I was accustomed to them. But it had never occurred to me that people might want to hound and persecute me for my change in role. I had lived as a woman because that was my social standing, and had been made fun of and called ‘half-man, and now when I had faced the situation and righted the grotesquely false position in which I had lived so long, it seemed that the public would damn me because I had once, perforce, worn skirts. I tried to get other hospital work. I went to the men who had been my chiefs and told them the truth and asked their aid in securing another position; to a man they turned me down. I tried to get other sorts of work and failed for the same reason as soon as I gave my name. Then my family employed counsel and instituted proceedings to have my name legally changed; and the medical school from which I had been graduated served notice on us that if we persisted they would rescind my diploma and have me disbarred from practice.

              Finally, I made up my mind to ‘face the music’ without any attempt at concealment, so I went back home to the little town where I had been raised and gone to school. That was the hardest thing I ever did. This over, I went down into the woods in Southern Oregon and ran a hospital for the lumbermen and spruce boys until the Influenza had passed and the war was over. In the early Spring of 1918, I came to Montana and located at Huntley, a few miles east of Billings where I practiced until last February. Crops have been very poor in Montana for several years and that made collections very slow; the work was hard and trying, covering as it did a territory seventy miles long. I was anxious to work into X-Ray and diagnosis instead of general country practise, so I came last Spring to Thermopolis to be Roentgenologist and Pathologise in Dr. Hamilton’s hospital here. So far as I know my history is not known to anyone in this part of the country.

              To establish the authenticity of my story and give you some side-lights upon it, I am enclosing a number of letters from Dr. Gilbert and others, relative to my predicament. Dr. Gilbert is a man well known in his specialty. He published a detailed medical account of the whole affair in The Jounral of Nervous and Mental Diseases for October, 1920. I should be glad to furnish you with a reprint of this article, at a future time, should you care to see it.

              As you will observe in these letters, Dr. Gilbert has always urged me to write and publish my own story. In the height of my trouble in 1918, I wrote a first-draft of an auto-biography – or rather it boiled out from me without let or hindrance. This Spring I have gone over it and re-written it with a view to publication. The manuscript is now in the hands of the copyist. I want to ask you to read it and give me your opinion of it and advise me as to its publication.

              I do not wish to sail under false colors, and so I will admit at once that my motives are not altogether altruistic in this. My purpose in writing the book has been serious – and my hope that it might accomplish some good for my fellow-unfortunates, very strong – but there is another side to the matter: It is a grave undertaking to bare one’s whole heart before the world; and it is too much to expect a man to do so without reward. I had neither money nor backing when I embarked upon my career as a man four years ago this month; I have had every inch of the way to fight; I have asked no favors from anyone. But it has been mighty hard work and nerve-racking and I am tired. I have never asked for sympathy nor do I want it; I am still capable of standing on my two legs that have held me up for thirty-one years. But if I can make something out of this book, it will relieve the financial pressure and make life much easier and pleasanter for me. So I admit that my motives are mixed; but whose are not?

              I have read many of your stories – you are the only writer I know who can get the right atmosphere for things medical. I have also read your accounts of your trips thru the West and your husband’s articles in the Post. Will you pardon the slang, if I say that these have given me a hunch that you are ‘regular fellows’? And because of this, I have dared to intrude myself upon you. I shall be more than grateful, if you will allow me to send you the manuscript and give me a personal interview before you return East. I want your criticism and advice.

              I have made some notations on the letters enclosed to orient them properly in the current of events. These papers I should like to have returned as I value them highly. I have had to throw overboard almost all the associations and friendships and foundations of the first twenty-seven years of my life; the little that is left, I prize.

              I shall await a reply from you with eagerness.

              Very sincerely yours,

A. L. Hart

 THE HOPEWELL HOSPITAL Thermopolis, Wyoming.

A. G. HAMILTON, M. D. CHIEF SURGEON

August 12, 1921.

My dear Mrs. Rinehart:

              It is hard for me to tell you what my feelings were when I had read your letter. I had hoped but hardly dared expect courtesy and understanding of this type. I appreciate it with my whole heart.

              I understand your hesitation in expressing an opinion as to the feasibility of publication, especially in view of the character of the subject-matter. It will mean a good deal to me to have you read the manuscript. It will go forward to you tomorrow.

              As much as I shall value an opinion of yours on this manuscript, I am even more interested to know whether you will think I have any gift for writing. When I was younger I was interested in literature, and wrote a little while I was in college. Then for ten years the writing instinct was entirely submerged. During the past year it has cropped out again. My time is pretty well taken up, but I have been writing in spare hours a sort of journal of a doctor’s life. It seems to me that a physician’s life is richer than most men’s in the elements of both tragedy and comedy; but more than that I want to picture his own individuality – the graduation with high ideals of service in his profession and bounding ambition, the struggle to make a living and pay the bills, the fight to keep his idealism in the face of ungrateful patients and fee-splitting, cut-rate competitors, the flickering down of his desire to serve as he sees the quack’s commercial success, the waning of youth and its enthusiasms and courage under the burden of the mid-day, the occasional flarings of the old ambitions and hopes and the slowly-dawning realization that the heights are for only the few among whose number he is not, the final determination to play out the game as it has been given him and go out of the world a ‘good sport’ if nothing else. The whole thing a sort of resume of the flickering and blazing and dying of the torch of life. Is the idea worth anything, or am I wasting my time trying to write it down?

              I shall be obliged to go to Billings in a very short time to attend to some business connected with my property in Montana. If it would not be asking too much, I should like above all things to go down and meet you and Doctor Rinehart, as much as anything else to express my appreciation of your good sportsmanship more fittingly.

                                            I am

                                                           Very sincerely yours,

                                                                                                 A. L. Hart

[refccostore]

Household and Commercial Appliance - REFCCO

All household and commercial appliances might represent entire or partial set of fundamental hazards. Get NRTL certification from Refcco

[neothing]

Yes the daily/weekly prize pools will change. Considering they've already thrown in stamps and PBs and MPs, doubt it'll be any different going forward. They will rerelease some expensive items. Will it exclusively be items that everybody needs to complete specific stamp albums? No. Keep dreaming.

Yes. In the future.

No. Dom will bring it up to their spiffy new security consultants and this problem will be tossed into the void. They've never seen the letters FC Botter put together in that specific order.

They're not planning to address it. See previous answer^

To the people shouting add captcha to purchase page; when was the last time you looked at someone's UL? Damn is it fucking annoying.

Why would you repost the ONLY question TNT is DEFFINETLY going to answer? Who the fuck are these 23 people that voted for this.

No. It would take a very long time to do/make for an individual anyway. It also needs to be linked into neopets on the backend and TNT won't accept that. Also things like intellectual property rights etc will make it difficult so the simple answer is no.

Fuck! There's another one!

"Sharing an IP address with cheaters". Nothing is being done to prevent cheaters from being frozen if they are on a known IP address of cheaters. (I do think TNT should make appeals open for people in these cases. Are people sure the IP thing is what got them frozen?)

Coconut shy works with ruffle extension. So does Expellibox. The rest are slowly being worked on but are currently not a priority in comparison to NCUC release, NeoPass, the AMAs, and the plot.

Are you cheating? Yes, you might be frozen. But as a normal user? No. TNT wants more people to move to using neopets on mobile.

No. Alice W is. Dom is Tony P. Obviously.

Because they like how busy he makes the website look. stfu. Also, they probably don't know how. :) His dirty little fingers are in everybody else's pie. You wanna be frozen from buying his illicit gains? And if they wipe out his whole schtick you bet you ass you'll never be seeing some of those "its too expensive please RR it" items.

That's the point of an event. Participate for the final prize. Have you not seen the prizes in the last two years? Also, there's always a paintbrush and stamps too. Your challenge of the week is to hit cap.

Who the fuck is Lamp?

Bet big, lose big is the balance. There is a cap of 1mil payout per bet. It would be a bad decision to tank FC just to hinder FC Botter. Not when there's more profitable things like daily/weakly quest log prizes that don't have age restrictions.

No. god forbid they get caught up in another item gen scandal.

Actively? No. It's on the backburner.

No. Restock them. Good luck. Even if they released them, the bots will just get them anyway. Look at SAP.

Paint a snow kad blue. It will go back to it's original form. Same thing for a lot of other petpets. (Not blue, their original 'shade'. Check JN)

It already kind of is. You think TNT actually read your full ticket?

That's sad. You should adopt it. Give it the loving home it deserves.

[atypicalacademic]

Silk 🧵🪡 (or maybe 🕷️???) pls and thank you u3u

Could be both really, Silk is about the circumstances surrounding Alsal's parents, and therefore the normalest most healthiest family in the world

“A favour, not a partnership. And that can be withdrawn if you break your agreement and overstep your bounds. I can’t let you override our interests on the matter. The Council would never--”

“Vedam.”

His brother was pacing now, his golden robes lashing against the floor. Tall, handsome Vedam, who spoke Aldmeri and Cyrodilic, more personable and charming than Orvas could ever harbour hope of becoming. Not that he did. Orvas was not in the business of envy. He could rub two sides of a coin without bleeding his thumb dry.

“From here on, I would ask you to consult me before--”

“Velanda Omani. Nevena Ules.”

He stopped. Orvas read the dawning dread behind his eyes. Not both of them. It said. No.

Little brother, the light of his life. His nix-hound on a golden leash. Orvas smiled freely now. “I can make you Grandmaster.”

[bisexualamy]

Transition Update #67: 1yr post hysto and 3 months post meta-as-phallo-stage-1

last update: hysto, phallo

Happy 1 year post hysto to me! This was the surgery I was most worried about getting. I had a lot of misconceptions going into my hysto consult, and really only did it to get bottom surgery. I thought I'd have to remove my ovaries (I didn't) and that T is a significant ovarian cancer risk (it isn't). I also had a very, very kind surgeon who was experienced working with trans patients.

Emotionally the hysto was the hardest for me, as the risk of getting pregnant and my cycle were the two things that made me most dysphoric. The recovery for this one was worse than my meta surgery, not in a pain or fatigue sense, but I was constantly checking up on a part of my body that I hated and the immediate post-op symptoms made me very, very dysphoric.

I didn't expect to feel much more comfortable in my body and my maleness when I got my hysto but I was wrong. I've had chronic lower abdominal pain for years because my discomfort with that part of my body caused me to involuntarily tense those muscles. I feel more relaxed in my body than I have been in a long time. Feeling my muscles slowly let go in the months after my hysto was really wonderful.

Before my hysto I was incapable of dating cis men (even though I'm bi) because of the pregnancy anxiety. It was so all-encompassing that I wouldn't even agree to dates with cis men I found attractive and I stayed away from gay clubs that mostly catered to gay men. Now I feel much more comfortable in those spaces and it's shown me what a lot of my cis gay friends have already been telling me which is that I always belonged there. My hysto also made me more comfortable enough in my body to explore trans-exclusive kink events and spaces. For the first time in a very long time I was able to see myself as attractive and not be skeptical of other people's attraction to me.

Phallo Updates:

I'm about 3 months post op the meta stage of my phallo. My next stage is being pushed back a few months so I can get my health and my graft site in better shape to lower complication risk. I had a lot of hair on my stomach and I didn't get enough laser sessions in, and currently my adipose tissue in my graft is too thick to support blood flow to the phallus post-op. I'm working with a nutritionist and lifting more weights to address this issue without focusing on weight loss, because that's better for both my physical and mental health.

All my minor complications went away except for my two-streaming. The surgeons say this is a very minor fistula that they'll patch next surgery. Fistula is another word that gets tossed around a lot when people fearmonger about phallo, and I was definitely scared of it before I went under. But, like everything, fistulas exist on a spectrum and only the extreme cases get spread around. I technically count in the percentage of people who had phallo complications, and all that meant for me was an extra month of at-home healing time, where I could still walk and perform all bodily functions, and my former urethra not closing full after UL. Neither of these affected my day-to-day life, they're just part of the larger process of understanding my new body and adjusting to it.

Anyway, all I'm saying is if phallo is something you want but you're scared by the information you've read online, some of that information is not giving you an accurate picture of reality. People don't usually write reviews for things that were fine but not incredible. Please pursue what's best for your transition and wait to talk to a doctor before you make any conclusions about how safe phallo is for you.

[twinfools]

Heyyy i loved your post abt your surgery, as a transguy that actually the most detailed info ive ever run into & was very informative ty. Im like 5 years into hrt and have been out for 10, surgery is really really scary for me so tysm for demystifying it. Also sorry im on anon im very anxious.

I want to ask a sort of invasive question & if youre uncomfoterable answering plz feel free to ignore me!! I was wondering how much sensation you get on the skin and if its uh pleasurable without "getting hard."

Also is it weird i want to keep my vaginal opening and also have a penis? But im very he/him/masc whatever. Idk i feel self conscious about this 😭 and also worry like, no surgeon would agree to that.

Anyway feel free to ignore my questions if you dont feel comfy answering them ty for the post ily brooo 💛👋

Hello there! Thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear that my post was helpful :)

Regarding sensation, I’ve written a few asks addressing this and would suggest that this one below may answer your question:

Retaining your vaginal opening (sometimes you may see references to this as “front hole” if you are searching for further info!) is not an uncommon type of phallo— it would be a phalloplasty with no vaginectomy. I know of a number of folks who’ve opted for this approach and have certainly seen folks talk about this on tumblr so you are not alone there!

The consideration with phalloplasty with no vaginectomy is that some surgeons may be unwilling to offer this if you are also seeking UL due to risk of complications. If you are consulting around this procedure with a surgeon and they seem unfamiliar or unwilling a consult with another surgeon may prove useful! But it’s also good to consider that there may be limitations and individual clinical considerations that impact what surgical options may be safe or accessible to an individual.