If you were celebrating Festivus, what would your complaint be?

[Marthe48]

Last edited Sun Dec 28, 2025, 01:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Currently, it's on my mind that I don't like having an 8 character number to check my voice mail. I have to type it in really fast to beat their timer, or the voice says it's wrong and I have to start over again. I just don't check my messages.

*I posted in the Lounge, but some of the replies were political. I thought my post would fit better on one of the other forums. No one said a thing I'm not thinking, but I try to keep it non-political in the Lounge. This is my own preference and isn't meant to reflect on anyone.

Thank you for the replies.

I couldn't figure out how to move the replies to this post before I deleted it.

[Attilatheblond]

1. My grumble would be how most medical practioners don't take chronic inflammation seriously enough

Especially when the patient is female. Most seem to not take our chronic pain seriously and/or treat us like wanna-be junkies looking to score drugs.

[hlthe2b]

6. Demand a referral to a chronic pain clinic. The options are numerous and they WILL take you seriously.

Chronic pain most often requires a multi-modal approach--something a lot of harried physicians won't be well versed in (unless it is a personal interest). I've found that particularly true among male physicians who consider anything but drug therapy--including acupuncture (especially helpful for fibromyalgia, I might add), laser and "cold laser" (infrared), tens units, bioelectric, surgical implants, physical therapy rehabilitation targeted exercise, mind-body link interventions, dietary interventions, alternative pain medication management (non-oral), EMG feedback and hypnosis, rebound neurologic pain medication interventions (not only gabapentin and amantadine but others as well), trigger point injections, shockwave therapy, pulsed signal therapy (magnetic wave), neuropsychological medications, and on and on. If your uncooperative physician can at least do a reasonable work up to diagnose the source of your pain, it would help, but if they give you a blank face, research what pain clinics are available in your area and ask for the referral.

Oh, and note not once did any of the above include opioid medications, which, of course must be reserved for the most rare intractable pain today. Perhaps a that assumption is likewise causing your physician to be uncooperative.

[Attilatheblond]

15. Did that. Bigger disappointment than usual

More interested in boney bump on my instep than the spine & leg pain that was making me lose my ability to walk. They did finally (after repeated visits) test the injection thing but it had no effect. They did refer me to a physical therapist that had me doing things that made the condition MUCH worse, despite my pleas that the at least look at the MRI and X-rays.

I have really good insurance and it seemed they were all more interested in keeping me coming to get pats on the head than in actually LISTENING, looking, and finding some help for me.

[hlthe2b]

16. Second opinion at another clinic; third if necessary. To do no diagnostic work-up or thorough intake history is

approaching malpractice.

[Attilatheblond]

17. No other option for different clinic where I live

Some people do not live near big cities.

[hlthe2b]

18. Please don't react that way to me. I am only trying to help.

I don't live in Denver right now, either.

[Attilatheblond]

19. It was not meant to be a nasty reply, just a fact

Please don't ascribe a negative emotion to a reply online when neither of us have benefit of seeing facial expression.

[hlthe2b]

20. I get that you are frustrated. Good luck to you.

[Attilatheblond]

21. Thank you

But I have given up on ever getting real help after decades of trying

[Donkees]

2. Re: I couldn't figure out how to move the replies to this post before I deleted it.

Just adding your deleted lounge link to your opening post here brings all the replies with it by scrolling:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10182264317

[Marthe48]

3. Thanks!

I'll try it. I might have been successful in adding it to my journal.

[Donkees]

4. My current grievance is people snow-blowing their driveways into already plowed and salted roads

[WestMichRad]

5. Insert rant about corporate "news" media here.

[Jack Valentino]

7. I'm now 63 years old, and heading into my last two months of SNAP

which was a large part of my calculations when I applied for Social Security,
just before Trump took office....

I have felt unable to work, not being able to stay on my feet for many hours
and my car is currently disabled,
and contrary to Speaker Johnson's expostulations about
"young men playing video games" on SNAP, I am not young
and haven't used my video games in at least two years....

My Festivus grievance is against Trump and ALL Republicans
who LIE and LIE and LIE
and want poor older people to STARVE
so that they can't vote against them!

(Sorry if that's somewhat 'political' but to me it is 'practical'!)

[Marthe48]

8. I moved the posts so we can say what we really feel

I'm sorry that the new year already looks dreary. I have a friend who augments their food by going to one or two food pantries in their area.

I've been donating to a couple of food pantries in my area. It is overwhelming to think that so many people are going to starve.

[Jack Valentino]

11. I've been stocking up on peanut butter and grape jelly,

trying to amass as big a stockpile of that as I can,
which would take care of one meal a day, with fresh bread having to be purchased
as well as other non-perishables canned goods....
oddly enough having lost a taste for them recently. LOL

I'm not in any immediate trouble,
but I worry about where I will be in a year from now....




Oddly enough, if I worked the hours they demand in the 'BBB',
which I don't feel capable of doing anymore,
the pay combined with my very small Social Security
would put me over the poverty levels so that I would lose Medicaid even sooner,
and no longer qualify for SNAP either--- but if I could be doing it,
I would already be doing it..... Pffft.

[LudwigPastorius]

9. "If you were celebrating Festivus, what would your complaint be?"

These pretzels...are making ME THIRSTY!!

[H2O Man]

10. At my age,

I tend to complain about everything. My children are convinced that Lennon's song "Mean Mr. Mustard" is about me, which really gets me grumbling, including using curse words. (I know my rights & responsibilities when it comes to whining.)

Thus far today, I focused my rage on the length of lines in the grocery stores. I demanded they open a special line for old folks, since our groceries are not the only thing with experation dates.

[Marthe48]

13. I told my kids that I like to complain

I must, because in spite of myself, there I go

[vanlassie]

12. I'm irritated that Facebook double posts

people’s comments. Also that it shows me someone has replied to one of my comments but doesn’t show it to me and so I spend time searching for it when there’s 500 comments to search. Hmmph.

[Vinca]

14. Cellphones. I have one, but I hate it. I take it with me when I'm in a car in case there's an emergency and

that's about it. I've sent a grand total of 2 texts in my lifetime. Trying to compose a message on that itsy bitsy keyboard numbs my brain. This was driven home last week when the dentist's office sent me a health questionnaire to fill out. During Covid I had to give up the cellphone number so I could wait in the parking lot at a dentist or doctor to be called in. Anyhow, back to the questionnaire. It would have taken me a decade to complete it on the cellphone, so I copied the URL to the desk computer and proceeded to fill it out. At the end, it needed a signature which of course wouldn't register on the desk computer, so I finally said to hell with it. They get paid the big bucks to ask me about my medical history in person.