Products I wholeheartedly endorse

[lumberjim]

I got a Sleep Number Bed. It's very good.

[glatt]

Sleep number beds. Also highly rated by sleeplikethedead.com.

[Clodfobble]

I am extremely happy with the transdermal vitamin products from PatchMD--or at least the iron supplement, so far.

It's funny because these things are primarily advertised for people who have had bariatric surgery and thus are chronically nutrient-deficient and can't absorb extra vitamins even if they take them. But they also work great for people whose digestive tracts are just generally sensitive. I haven't tried any on my kids at all, just experimenting on myself to determine the effectiveness and quality, and the one thing I am chronically, abysmally low in is iron. Oral iron is especially tough on the system--even when I take the supposed "slow release" "plant-derived" "makes no difference" crap--and my doctor had warned me that if I can't manage to swallow enough extra pills, probably every day from now until menopause given my heavy periods, I'd have to go with IV delivery on who knows how regular of a basis.

But ha-HA! I gave the PatchMD iron patches a shot, and they work! Levels are already creeping upward within days, rather than months, and I feel good (like I do when I take a bunch of iron pills) except I'm not shitting green and cramping (like I do when I take a bunch of iron pills).

Now I'm excited to find out what other magical products they can offer me.

[BigV]

Pass on the mushy foam mattress. I have slept on such a few times. They are hard to move around in. Cushy, sure. . Pass.


In other news, I really like this little shop vac I got at goodwill recently. It sits on top of a regular five gallon bucket... Just the right size, plenty of power and capacity. And I paid just ten bucks for it.

Endorsed, wholeheartedly!

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

I am extremely happy with the transdermal vitamin products from PatchMD--or at least the iron supplement, so far.

Ugh. I take it back.

The iron part worked great. But the patch also has a shit ton of Vitamin A, no idea why. While my brain started working again with proper oxygenation, my hand tremors and other mild tics soon went through the damn roof with all the Vitamin A (I'm assuming, no other iron supplements have ever affected my tremor). Side effects as bad as the disease. I can get away with occasional patches, but not the several-at-a-time-for-several-months that I need in order to escape this perpetual borderline anemia.

Meanwhile, my period just started again and I'm back to square negative three. I was at a party this evening and couldn't keep my stepson's name in my head. Kept trying to call him the name of my friend's son. Excuse me while I go toss back a bunch of iron pills and shit green for a bit.

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

... Meanwhile, my period just started again and ... Excuse me while I go toss back a bunch of iron pills and shit green for a bit.

Red and green, well aren't you all Christmassy!

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by sexobon

Red and green, well aren't you all Christmassy!

[Pico and ME]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Ugh. I take it back.

The iron part worked great. But the patch also has a shit ton of Vitamin A, no idea why. While my brain started working again with proper oxygenation, my hand tremors and other mild tics soon went through the damn roof with all the Vitamin A (I'm assuming, no other iron supplements have ever affected my tremor). Side effects as bad as the disease. I can get away with occasional patches, but not the several-at-a-time-for-several-months that I need in order to escape this perpetual borderline anemia.

Meanwhile, my period just started again and I'm back to square negative three. I was at a party this evening and couldn't keep my stepson's name in my head. Kept trying to call him the name of my friend's son. Excuse me while I go toss back a bunch of iron pills and shit green for a bit.

Crap, you had me all excited for a minute. I've been taking ferrous sulfate after the surgery and because chemo in January. Im worried about the constipation and it makes my stools black. My cancer can attack my digestive system at any time, and black stool is a key give away. So I wont know.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Ugh. I take it back.

The iron part worked great. But the patch also has a shit ton of Vitamin A, no idea why. While my brain started working again with proper oxygenation, my hand tremors and other mild tics soon went through the damn roof with all the Vitamin A (I'm assuming, no other iron supplements have ever affected my tremor). Side effects as bad as the disease. I can get away with occasional patches, but not the several-at-a-time-for-several-months that I need in order to escape this perpetual borderline anemia.

Meanwhile, my period just started again and I'm back to square negative three. I was at a party this evening and couldn't keep my stepson's name in my head. Kept trying to call him the name of my friend's son. Excuse me while I go toss back a bunch of iron pills and shit green for a bit.

Sure it's the A and not whatever they add to make your skin absorbent? Or is it adsorbent? I can never keep it straight. Or do they add something to the vitamin mix to make them 'sorbable?

[lumberjim]

Ok, so I'm relatively normal

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

Ok, so I'm relatively normal

You can't come up with your kids' names? Not in that classic "John--Stephen--Mary--Oh, whichever one you are!" but like, "I have a stepson. His name is... uh, he's upstairs, he has dark hair... It's not John. It's... I can see his face in my mind, just give me a second... Starts with a T... Tyler. No, not Tyler, that's the neighbor kid. It's... Tyler. No, dammit! Starts with a T... I swear I can think of it, just hang on..."

Originally Posted by sexobon

Red and green, well aren't you all Christmassy!

Ha!

[Griff]

Yikes!

[Clodfobble]

You might try them anyway--they will get your iron levels up, and maybe the Vitamin A won't affect you like it did me.

[xoxoxoBruce]

41,667%?

[Clodfobble]

The "recommended daily values" are notoriously low for some vitamins. For example, in the US the RDA for Vitamin D is 400 IU. By comparison, 30 minutes in the sun will get you about 10,000 to 20,000 IU depending on the latitude. In Germany, it used to be standard practice to give all newborns an injection of 100,000 IU within the first few months of life. (They stopped because it was an East Germany practice and when the wall came down everything defaulted to what West Germany did, though there was evidence that it was a beneficial practice, especially for babies born during the winter months.)

The point is, that amount won't hurt you.