^doesn't back away she means, and she is right.  You should try to make a very loud scene, that will usually back someone down when they know they are getting attention from others on the street.

^ good catch.  :)

 

And many people are not going to back away if you politely smile and say in a soft voice "Will you please step away?"

 

Don't worry, RnR, I call the DCA on those kind of people (and other suspicious ones) all the time too (although I've never had a person follow me for that distance!).  Unfortunately, as I've brought up in the DCA thread, it takes AT LEAST 5-10 minutes for an ambassador to show up, and sometimes, that's too long.

It wasn't that far, but it was far enough that I had forgotten about him, and my radar was down a little.  You know how when you walk by someone suspicious, you keep your spider sense up for a little while after you pass them to see if they are following you.  I even had to wait at the light at Euclid and 9th and he was not next to me or behind me, nobody was.  So he RAN across the street and another half block or so to catch up with me, and that's what was disturbing.

Why did my doctor tell me I grew ¾"?  I'm far to old to have a growth spurt!

 

I knew something was wrong when I started having headaches and a few of my suits were "flooding".  I thought it was the dry cleaner.

Why did my doctor tell me I grew ¾"?  I'm far to old to have a growth spurt!

 

I knew something was wrong when I started having headaches and a few of my suits were "flooding".  I thought it was the dry cleaner.

are you sure he meant you grew vertically?  :wink:

Why did my doctor tell me I grew ¾"?  I'm far to old to have a growth spurt!

 

I knew something was wrong when I started having headaches and a few of my suits were "flooding".  I thought it was the dry cleaner.

are you sure he meant you grew vertically?  ;)

 

Yeah.  Thats why I have to have this damn MRI and meet with this endocrinologist.  I thought I was having pains because I have been working out heavy these last few months.  Then I started having the same "tingling" pains in my fingers, knees and toes.  Then around my b-day I was on sofa at my parents and I couldn't even sit up.

 

This is how I felt when i was younger.  When I was a kid I grew a foot in a year and I was the same height as my parent in 4th& 5th grade.  I would have really bad headaches and my eyes were super sensitive.  They thought I may have a adrenal tumor. 

 

So I when I went for my check up I told my doctor I had these pains.  So he's asked did I bump my head or do anything.  I dont think I have.  Now he wants to check for Acromegaly(sp) as I have signs. Ie. the ridiculous growth spurt in my 40's, longer than average fingers/large hands, big teeth, overly hairy.

 

He shouldn't have bothered me to begin with.   JMO, but I think it's completely unacceptable to suggest that because I didn't react in a more quiet manner (or to try to ignore him, even though he was practically on top of me) that I did something wrong.  I tried turning and walking away with a groan, he didn't take that as enough of a rejection and kept coming, so that's when I got loud.

 

I didn't say you did anything wrong, just that I don't think it was the best way to handle it.  If self defense instructors tell you different, then by all means listen to them not me.  Either way, no offense intended.

Why did my doctor tell me I grew ¾"? I'm far to old to have a growth spurt!

 

I knew something was wrong when I started having headaches and a few of my suits were "flooding". I thought it was the dry cleaner.

are you sure he meant you grew vertically? ;)

 

Yeah. Thats why I have to have this damn MRI and meet with this endocrinologist. I thought I was having pains because I have been working out heavy these last few months. Then I started having the same "tingling" pains in my fingers, knees and toes. Then around my b-day I was on sofa at my parents and I couldn't even sit up.

 

This is how I felt when i was younger. When I was a kid I grew a foot in a year and I was the same height as my parent in 4th& 5th grade. I would have really bad headaches and my eyes were super sensitive. They thought I may have a adrenal tumor.

 

So I when I went for my check up I told my doctor I had these pains. So he's asked did I bump my head or do anything. I dont think I have. Now he wants to check for Acromegaly(sp) as I have signs. Ie. the ridiculous growth spurt in my 40's, longer than average fingers/large hands, big teeth, overly hairy.

 

 

Well, that is hopefully not the case!  Although, after your first post, acromegaly came to my mind immediately thanks to those damn TLC documentaries.

Why did my doctor tell me I grew ¾"?  I'm far to old to have a growth spurt!

 

I knew something was wrong when I started having headaches and a few of my suits were "flooding".  I thought it was the dry cleaner.

are you sure he meant you grew vertically?  ;)

 

Yeah.  Thats why I have to have this damn MRI and meet with this endocrinologist.  I thought I was having pains because I have been working out heavy these last few months.  Then I started having the same "tingling" pains in my fingers, knees and toes.  Then around my b-day I was on sofa at my parents and I couldn't even sit up.

 

This is how I felt when i was younger.  When I was a kid I grew a foot in a year and I was the same height as my parent in 4th& 5th grade.  I would have really bad headaches and my eyes were super sensitive.  They thought I may have a adrenal tumor. 

 

So I when I went for my check up I told my doctor I had these pains.  So he's asked did I bump my head or do anything.  I dont think I have.  Now he wants to check for Acromegaly(sp) as I have signs. Ie. the ridiculous growth spurt in my 40's, longer than average fingers/large hands, big teeth, overly hairy.

 

 

Well, that is hopefully not the case!  Although, after your first post, acromegaly came to my mind immediately thanks to those damn TLC documentaries.

 

I hope not.  I do not like being tested.  You're made to feel like a freak.

You are a freak! But it has nothing to do with anything that may or may not be wrong with you medically :)

 

Seriously, does anyone LIKE being tested?

You are a freak! But it has nothing to do with anything that may or may not be wrong with you medically :)

 

Seriously, does anyone LIKE being tested?

 

You sound just like my 14 & 9 year old nephews.

 

It's my moms family's fault.  I have a second cousin in PR who died from a tumor at 10.  So it's something I've always thought about.

Don't borrow trouble.  That's what my grandmother always said, and she was right.

Don't borrow trouble.  That's what my grandmother always said, and she was right.

 

True!  It is what it is and I'll just have to deal with it.

What is the big deal with Target, and why do so many people just love that store?  I admit that I do go there once in a while to buy things like shampoo and toilet paper, but I can't imagine going there every week to buy stuff. 

 

I notice that facebook has a group called "I went to Target to buy shampoo, and I spent $150."  Looking at it, all these people are saying how much they love the store, and they never leave without spending $100+ in a visit.  Someone went as far to say that whenever they have some extra money to spend, they go to Target and just fill up the cart.  Why the obsession?  It's a big box store, and I like to refer to it as a glorified K-Mart.  Anyone who really can't go into Target without buying a bunch of crap is better off spending a little more at another store for one or two items.  It's not worth saving 50 cents on a bottle of shampoo if you end up buying $50 worth of stuff you don't need.  People in the fb group are bragging about how much they spend there in a typical trip.  Truthfully, I'm proud of the fact that I've walked into a Target without buying a single thing. 

I like Target because I can walk in wearing my favorite blue hoodie and not be mistaken for an employee.

What is the big deal with Target, and why do so many people just love that store? I admit that I do go there once in a while to buy things like shampoo and toilet paper, but I can't imagine going there every week to buy stuff.

 

I notice that facebook has a group called "I went to Target to buy shampoo, and I spent $150." Looking at it, all these people are saying how much they love the store, and they never leave without spending $100+ in a visit. Someone went as far to say that whenever they have some extra money to spend, they go to Target and just fill up the cart. Why the obsession? It's a big box store, and I like to refer to it as a glorified K-Mart. Anyone who really can't go into Target without buying a bunch of crap is better off spending a little more at another store for one or two items. It's not worth saving 50 cents on a bottle of shampoo if you end up buying $50 worth of stuff you don't need. People in the fb group are bragging about how much they spend there in a typical trip. Truthfully, I'm proud of the fact that I've walked into a Target without buying a single thing.

 

I feel the same way!  I actually just went in and out of a Target last week without buying anything.  I really don't go very often, and I don't see how they're much different from similar stores.

I think target is the hipster discount store of the decade.

 

Hipster will say they shop at Walmart, but will shop at Tar-je!

umm...because of the catchy ads?

 

 

Is it the cheapest for shampoo and toilet paper?

 

I don't think they always are the cheapest for anything, which puzzles me even further as to why they are so popular.  They do seem to be cheaper than stores such as Walgreens, unless Walgreens has that particular item on sale. 

 

Also, I had bought some small toys at Toys R Us to put in Easter baskets for our nieces and nephews.  Later on, I saw the same items at Target, and they were not any less expensive than TRU.

In my area, Target has nicer stores with more attractive displays and a wider selection of merchandise that includes items of higher quality than Wal-Mart. I seldom encounter shoppers like the ones in various on-line "People of Wal-Mart" photo sets, and that's a plus. Of the major big-box stores in the Fort Wayne area, I usually go first to Target for housewares, and to Wal-Mart as a last resort. I don't shop Meijer for various reasons, foremost of which is their anti-union stance in their local-area stores.

 

For small hardware purchases I go first to an in-town Do-It-Best that's locally-owned. For larger stuff like bathroom fixtures I'll most likely go to Lowe's, and if they don't have what I'm looking for, I'll check out Menards. Home Depot has been a total fail on every visit except one. Groceries come from Scott's/Kroger, next door to the Do-It-Best Hardware. Scott's was a regional chain until Kroger bought them a few years ago.

 

Electronics and computer parts & supplies are almost always bought on-line, since the last of our good local electronics retailers was forced out of business by the big-box stores. For small items that I want/need right now, like a cable or keyboard or mouse, sometimes I'll go to Best Buy or Staples. Staples sometimes has good deals, but you have to know what you're buying. They may have hardware that's one generation obsolete for full list price; major on-line suppliers like Tiger Direct or Newegg may have the same item for half as much money.

I think the clothes have a lot to do with it and household goods also. Target has slightly better design than the other big boxes, although the gap has closed over the last couple of years. Really Target and Wal Mart have about the same prices on the same sundry items. Walmart does have more "loss leader' type products though (stripped out special models foe Wal-Mart), especially in electronics and bikes etc. I think shopping experience plays into it too.

 

For me the answer is simple I am smack in the middle between two targets (w 117 and westgate) and it takes more effort to go to wally world. We go to Marc's which is by far the cheapest for most things, if Marc's doesn't have it then Target and if we care about the quality enough Heinen's or another local retailer.

I think target is the hipster discount store of the decade.

 

Hipster will say they shop at Walmart, but will shop at Tar-je!

I call it Tar-je! Target offers a better shopping experience than Walmart and Target is higher quality. With that said, I don't see how people go in there for one item and end up spending over $100.

I think their clothes are pretty cheap and shitty.  The only line they ever had that had any more quality or life in it than anything you'd buy at Kmart or Wal-Mart was the Issac Mizrahi stuff (I bought a lined raincoat that is VERY good quality and has lasted several years), and he quit designing for them awhile ago. 

 

Other stuff I've bought from there isn't worth spending the money on it as it doesn't hold up. Seams that don't line up, threads unwraveling after a couple of washes, buttons coming off things before you even get them home, no shape to the clothing/thin, etc.

I think their clothes are pretty cheap and sh!tty.

 

Totally agree with this.  I had so many recommendations from people to buy maternity clothes there.  I checked them out, and I felt everything seemed super-thin and cheap.  I know I won't be wearing this stuff for long, but most of it felt that it wouldn't even last a month.  $30 is a lot to pay for a pair of pants that are paper-thin, especially when I can find a pair of $30 pants elsewhere that is better made.  I don't think it's just their maternity clothes, either.  I've looked at their "regular" women's clothing in the past.  I remember thinking that I could get something similarly priced at Macy's when they have a sale and use a coupon.  The clothing at Macy's is better quality.

 

However, I do understand why people choose Target over other big box stores.  They do keep their stores clean.  What I don't understand is why people get super-excited just to walk in the place.  I really just don't understand how people are always spending over $100 there regularly and are proud of that.

I agree with the better shopping experience analysis.....  Target stores are always much cleaner, more organized, and better stocked than Wal-Mart stores.  Going into Wal-Mart (ESPECIALLY the one at Steelyard) always gives me a nervous twitch, and then I start pulling out my hair when waiting in the half hour long line to check out.

What I don't understand is why people get super-excited just to walk in the place.

 

They have a sad pathetic life?  :-D :-D :-D

 

 

I got the same rec. for maternity clothes from Target, and not only are they poor quality, they had almost NO selection.  Motherhood really has the best stuff for maternity, though it's not cheap.  Highest quality, looks best on, best selection, etc.  The "secret fit belly" cargo pants I bought are still in my wardrobe, 11 months after having the baby.  They just look so good on, and you can't tell that they are any different from regular pants.

Target's main appeal is that it's not Wal-Mart. I'd go to K-Mart if there was one close by. I don't like Meijer anymore; most of their Columbus area stores are out in BFE and they're plain white inside.

Target's main appeal is that it's not Wal-Mart. I'd go to K-Mart if there was one close by. I don't like Meijer anymore; most of their Columbus area stores are out in BFE and they're plain white inside.

 

I hate Wal-Mart too (and don't shop there), but really, other than being cleaner, how are they any different?  They primarily support the Republican party with their political contributions, all their junk is from China, etc.

I hate Wal-Mart too (and don't shop there), but really, other than being cleaner, how are they any different?  They primarily support the Republican party with their political contributions, all their everybody's junk is from China, etc.

 

fixed that for you.

 

One thing that I used to like more about Target was the old Westgate one had a smaller footprint and I could get in and out of the store in 5 minutes without walking 5 miles across the store if I forgot something. The new one is too big....

^true re: China.  But still backs up my point - if everyone's stuff is from China, what makes Target so wonderful?  I just don't get it.  It makes me tired I walk in there, something about the lighting.  Perhaps that's why they have a Starbucks in the lobby.

^true re: China.  But still backs up my point - if everyone's stuff is from China, what makes Target so wonderful?  I just don't get it.  It makes me tired I walk in there, something about the lighting.  Perhaps that's why they have a Starbucks in the lobby.

 

I used to get excitd to go to the "Hills" store in Austintown when I was a kid, who knows.

 

I like Target, but I reconize it is just another well greased cog in the US consumer machine. A cleaner clog, with a Starbucks attached and snazzy bullseye graphics everywhere but a cog none the less. One thing they do better (at least the ones I go to) is have enough people working the registers. That way I can concentrate on getting annoyed at my kids when we are checking out, making sure they get the full wrath of my annoyance.

I'm not a big fashion shopper. For casual clothes I like Kohl's. Their clothes have held up well for me, the prices are OK, and I watch their sale brochures for the days when there are big discounts for seniors.

 

Most of my clothes-buying is for durable work clothes, stuff that I wear out and replace, and for those I like TSC (Tractor Supply Co.), a primarily farm-supply with stores on the outskirts of most small cities in farm country. They sell Dickies and other name-brand work jeans, shirts, boots & shoes, etc., and while not deeply discounted their prices are fair and their selection includes a wide range of sizes. V&J at Lakeville, Indiana, near South Bend, has an amazing selection of work clothes, too.

 

Carhartt is quality, but it's become something of a fashion label for salt-of-the-earth wannabes with their 4X4 pickup trucks that never get dirty from actually hauling stuff and their rural McMansions with antique farm machinery bought and placed in the front yard to rust/rot down with flowers planted around it.

I also dont understand the love affair with Tar-je.  I dont think I have ever bought clothes there and really never plan to.  I have occasionally bought kitchen appliances there, toaster oven coffee maker, but mainly because I couldn't find what I wanted at Macy's or didn't have a coupon there that would work.  Macy's always seems to win out for quality too.

You can only use coupons on electronics items twice a year at Macy's, during the friends and family sale.  Coupons are excluded from coupon use ALL OTHER TIMES.  The F&F sale is currently going on, it started yesterday and goes through the weekend.  This is also when you get 25% off, instead of their standard 20% off coupon.

 

This is also the only time you can use coupons on many lines/items that are typically excluded from coupons, such as Kate Spade and other fine china lines.

I have bought a couple of clothing items from Target and I have not had problems with them. However, I do not usually go there to shop for clothes.

Why did my doctor tell me I grew ¾"?  I'm far to old to have a growth spurt!

 

I knew something was wrong when I started having headaches and a few of my suits were "flooding".  I thought it was the dry cleaner.

are you sure he meant you grew vertically?  ;)

 

Yeah.  Thats why I have to have this damn MRI and meet with this endocrinologist.  I thought I was having pains because I have been working out heavy these last few months.  Then I started having the same "tingling" pains in my fingers, knees and toes.  Then around my b-day I was on sofa at my parents and I couldn't even sit up.

 

This is how I felt when i was younger.  When I was a kid I grew a foot in a year and I was the same height as my parent in 4th& 5th grade.  I would have really bad headaches and my eyes were super sensitive.  They thought I may have a adrenal tumor. 

 

So I when I went for my check up I told my doctor I had these pains.  So he's asked did I bump my head or do anything.  I dont think I have.  Now he wants to check for Acromegaly(sp) as I have signs. Ie. the ridiculous growth spurt in my 40's, longer than average fingers/large hands, big teeth, overly hairy.

 

actually my "joke" was a intended as a reference to gaining weight (I should talk!), but hope it turns out to be nothing serious and you're okay :-)

Why did my doctor tell me I grew ¾"?  I'm far to old to have a growth spurt!

 

I knew something was wrong when I started having headaches and a few of my suits were "flooding".  I thought it was the dry cleaner.

are you sure he meant you grew vertically?  ;)

 

Yeah.  Thats why I have to have this damn MRI and meet with this endocrinologist.  I thought I was having pains because I have been working out heavy these last few months.  Then I started having the same "tingling" pains in my fingers, knees and toes.  Then around my b-day I was on sofa at my parents and I couldn't even sit up.

 

This is how I felt when i was younger.  When I was a kid I grew a foot in a year and I was the same height as my parent in 4th& 5th grade.  I would have really bad headaches and my eyes were super sensitive.  They thought I may have a adrenal tumor. 

 

So I when I went for my check up I told my doctor I had these pains.  So he's asked did I bump my head or do anything.  I dont think I have.  Now he wants to check for Acromegaly(sp) as I have signs. Ie. the ridiculous growth spurt in my 40's, longer than average fingers/large hands, big teeth, overly hairy.

 

actually my "joke" was a intended as a reference to gaining weight (I should talk!), but hope it turns out to be nothing serious and you're okay :)

 

Thanks!  I just want this headache to go away.  It's as bad as caffeine withdrawl.  :x

What's your BP?  What are your potassium levels?

 

All that stuff is fine.

headaches, high BP, and low K+ were the symptoms of my adrenal tumor.

 

What happened? 

As I told 3 doctors that i never had high BP, they all basically said, "you're 47, your short and fat, of course you have high blood pressure".  A few months on BP med and K+ supplements didn't change anything.  When my personal RN told the first 2 what I had, they laughed us out of the office and told us to quit playing doctor.  The 3rd, said he could send me to an endocrinologist, but the tests would take months, then said "I'd bet you are right, let's get an MRI.

 

That confirmed it, and 1 hour after surgery, my BP was 120/80.

 

Wow.  I dont' want to admit it, but internally, I'm scared.  When I was younger I went thru a lot of things and that year/year-and-half was painful.  It was if my hormones had a mind of their own. 

 

Now. I dont even drink coffee and that is a daily battle.

 

I just dont want to have surgery.

I've been sick since Monday night and today I received my summons for jury duty.  I can't wait to see what comes my way next.

As I told 3 doctors that i never had high BP, they all basically said, "you're 47, your short and fat, of course you have high blood pressure".  A few months on BP med and K+ supplements didn't change anything.  When my personal RN told the first 2 what I had, they laughed us out of the office and told us to quit playing doctor.  The 3rd, said he could send me to an endocrinologist, but the tests would take months, then said "I'd bet you are right, let's get an MRI.

 

That confirmed it, and 1 hour after surgery, my BP was 120/80.

 

Wow.  I dont' want to admit it, but internally, I'm scared.  When I was younger I went thru a lot of things and that year/year-and-half was painful.  It was if my hormones had a mind of their own. 

 

Now. I dont even drink coffee and that is a daily battle.

 

I just dont want to have surgery.

 

If it is acromegaly, I've read that there are other treatments that can be tried before resorting to surgery. None of it sounds like a walk in the park, but I completely agree with you about avoiding surgery. The recovery experience depends a lot upon the quality of the facility, though, and from what I've heard, there aren't many places you could be that would be better than Cleveland for quality of care.

 

Edit: Chicago is first-rate, too, both at University of Chicago and at Northwestern. I went through two cancer surgeries at University of Chicago Hospital and a horrendous amount of radiation and chemo, and the hospital and medical staff took good care of me and really went the second mile to make sure I was as comfortable as possible. They continue to monitor me with regular checkups, and my doctor visits make me feel like they really care about me as an individual. My treatment was a clinical trial, and I think I'm one of their longest-surviving lab animals.

True, you won't get better care anywhere than the Clinic.  Get whatever testing you need, and then worry about the next steps.  Just don't put it off any longer.  If it is acromegaly, it may only get worse causing more problems.  I had never been in the hospital before my surgery, and I too was scared.  Turned out to be no big deal, and the clinic does have some cute nurses!

 

I normally look adversity in the face, but deep down inside. I'm scared.  All the crap I went thru as a teenager, is in the forefront of my thoughts.

 

To think at 44 years old I'm having a growth spurt is crazy.

 

Cute Nurses?  I guess.

^depends what your definition of cute is.... I'd guess ours differs! :wink2:

 

We'll im more interested in the orderlies!  LOL

The nursing profession spans both genders and all ethnicities, and my experience in Chicago was, yes, cute nurses (cute interns and residents, too)! And without exception the male nurses I've met are skilled, competent, and compassionate.

 

My mom is a Registered Nurse, many years retired, and she was once a shift supervisor. She said that she always liked it when there were men on her shift because of their calmness and steadiness of temperament, in addition to their usually greater physical strength for moving patients. So just fantasize being manhandled by a wholesome-looking, clean-cut, strapping young fellow (or two) who plays rugby and soccer on his time off.

 

Seriously, my thoughts are with you. Keep us informed.

OMG, I just got out of an hour of torture.  I went to the dentist for a cleaning and there was a new hygienist.  I sat down in the chair and she asked me about myself.  Blah, blah, blah...moving to Cincinnati in a year...blah, blah, blah.  Then she started poking around in my mouth and started blabbing, "Oh, Cincinnati, that's where Case Western is, they've got a great school of Dentistry.  I almost went to school there.  Isn't that like and old, washed up industrial city though?  I thought it was really dangerous...." 

 

She had sharp things in my mouth so I couldn't say anything.  Then when she gave me a break I said, "No, that's Cleveland.  Cincinnati's on the other side of the state."  Then she started hacking away again and started rambling on about the Rock and Roll hall of fame.  It was killing me, not being able to correct her.  The next chance I got I corrected her again. 

 

Then she said, "Okay, which one is Cincinnati then?"  I told her it's the much older, and more beautiful one.  Home of Baseball, chili, and WKRP.  That's right, I stooped to WKRP references. 

 

After that, of all the things she could've said...she started hacking away at my mouth and stated, "Oh yeah, that's where they make all the peaches.  I went there once on a vacation and they've got this cool Underground thing...and the Coca Cola museum."  She went on and on talking about ATLANTA!?! of all places and didn't give me a chance to correct her for about 5 minutes. 

 

I almost killed her.

 

I was fed up, so I told her that she was talking about Atlanta, not Cincinnati, and then I quickly changed the subject.

I am so sorry for your loss. Of that hour of your life, that is.

The nursing profession spans both genders and all ethnicities, and my experience in Chicago was, yes, cute nurses (cute interns and residents, too)! And without exception the male nurses I've met are skilled, competent, and compassionate.

 

My mom is a Registered Nurse, many years retired, and she was once a shift supervisor. She said that she always liked it when there were men on her shift because of their calmness and steadiness of temperament, in addition to their usually greater physical strength for moving patients. So just fantasize being manhandled by a wholesome-looking, clean-cut, strapping young fellow (or two) who plays rugby and soccer on his time off.

 

Seriously, my thoughts are with you. Keep us informed.

 

I usually attracted to Blue Collar men!