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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 2nd, 2023

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  • I had issues with dry eyes and wasn’t a good option for lasik, so I had EVO Visian Implantable Collamer Lens surgery 2 years ago. Was $3500 per eye so $7000 total.

    It’s not very well known. I had to ask for it specifically and even the receptionist thought I meant lasik until I clarified where it was listed on their own website.

    It’s similar to cataract surgery but instead of removing your lens and replacing it; they just add a second one with your prescription in front of it. Basically it’s a permanent contact.

    They slice a very small incision, slide in the folded lens, and then smooth it out. Takes 20-30 minutes. Doesn’t remove any tissue from the eye like other procedures or leave a flap. It can be reversed by removing the lens in another procedure, and can be redone in the future if your prescription changes a lot. They can also correct an astigmatism using these lenses.

    After surgery, I wore eye shields at night for a week, and had to do the same eye drop protocol that is done after cataract surgery. 3 bottle of drops, 3-4 times a day for around 21 days. They had a single bottle option that combined all the meds which would’ve been only 1 drop 3-4 times a day, but it was $200. So I filled the 3 bottles at the pharmacy for a total of $30 instead.

    Vision was perfect right after surgery. Eyes felt mildly dry for maybe 2-3 days but that could’ve been some of the drops.

    So happy to not spend $800+ per year on contacts and solution, or worrying about losing a contact while swimming. I would do it again if it’s ever needed.


  • Not sure what’s available where you’re at without a prescription, but I recommend Orajel or any equivalent ulcer/tooth ache gel.

    In addition to the other things you’re already using, you can steep black tea bags in warm water and gently bite on that. The tannins help with bleeding and inflammation.

    A mouthwash or spray with Cetylpyridinium Chloride in the ingredients list will help with healing, but don’t buy a mouthwash that has alcohol/isopropyl in the ingredients. Dentyl, Oral B Gum detoxify, Parodontax, Biotene Dry Mouth Spray are all good.

    I had several teeth removed from my inside my jaw that never came out and had a bone graft placed in the area that had to heal for 6 months before dental implants were placed. The mouthwash definitely helped me heal faster from that surgery than when I had my wisdom teeth out the year before and didn’t use any. Just do a gentle rinse dont swish it around hard! You don’t want to disturb the blood clots and get dry socket.

    I hope you start to feel better soon!


  • They could be Phillips dual color mini LED lights. Target currently has a few versions of the strings and the specs list 3mm LED. The exact names on target are “Philips 210ct LED App Controlled Christmas String Lights Dual Color” or “Philips 200ct LED App-Controlled Color Changing Create Motion Dome String Lights” You could probably use the bulbs in your current lights, but the strings are kind of pricey.

    There is another maybe from Sylvania that doesn’t list the bulb size. Amazon has “Sylvania Stay-Lit Platinum 100-Count Color Changing LED Mini Dual Lights”. Apparently Costco also used to sell these, but doesn’t have them right now .

    It might not be possible to find just a few replacement bulbs, but I wish you luck.


  • My trusty 16 year old sonicare toothbrush, a tongue scraper, and a water pik make it so I barely get fuzzy teeth unless I eat a bunch of sweets or crackers. I also swish with OralB gum detoxify mouthwash every once in a while, but I didn’t have much plaque even without using it.

    The other oralb washes aren’t as great imo, but the gum detoxify has zinc and cetylpyridinium chloride in it which both inhibit bacteria. No alcohol in it either which is what causes most mouthwashes to burn. It does cause you to spit out a white film immediately after which I assume is dead bacteria. Never had any irritation with it and a doctor actually recommended it to me when I had strep throat which it helped.

    Also Walmart carries a sonicare 1100 that is only around $20. I use that when I travel instead, and it’s just as good as my older more expensive electric toothbrush.


  • Cats are quirky and can have many reasons to do that. If she is an older cat she may have arthritis and the walls of the box could be high for her to easily get over. Some cats hate covered litter boxes. If you changed litter brands recently she may not like the texture or smell. The box could be too small; I bought a large metal litterbox for mine before they quit peeing over the sides on the wall.

    Emotional issues can cause outside box use too: new pet, roommate, someone moved out. All can have an effect.

    Feliway has a pheromone spray or diffuser you can use that is supposed to help with issues like urinating outside the box which may help with the poop problem. Another brand called Comfort Zone has a “spray and scratch” that’s slightly cheaper.

    If the vinegar or peroxide that others recommended to clean the potty spot don’t seem to do the trick, then you can buy an enzyme cleaner like Nonscents “stain and odor eliminator” to see if that will work.