u/ATotallyRadDude

We build decks and outdoor living spaces for a living. Just me and my wife, a two person construction team. Been doing it for 6 years as a business, but doing it way longer than that on top of a “real job”, before that.

Lately, we have been getting crazy delays in permit times. Mostly in St. Louis County. Theres a huge delay in getting a permit, and you never get to talk to a real person regarding a permit. The people you talk to with the city don’t know how building works, they don’t communicate except for sending messages in an online portal that you never see. I mostly feel bad that I have to keep delaying projects because the process takes so long. I usually file my permits four weeks prior to start date, which has always been enough time. I have one client getting a little angry with me it’s taking so long, but it’s honestly out of my hands. I still feel bad.

Do you feel bad when a permit gets delayed?

How do you control your anger when dealing with city people that are rude on the phone?

All of the cities around me have always been super smooth and no issues at all. It just seems like Saint Louis County is the won’t place to build.

36 year old male

5’9”

175 pounds

Hi! I had a stroke in mid September. Very out of the blue. I’m healthy. I workout. My job is very active as I own a deck building company with my wife. I walk, run, and ride bikes regularly.

After four days of every test in the book, they found a PFO in my heart. Everything else came back perfect. No blood irregularities, no smoking, no diabetes, barely drink alcohol. My cardiologist said the PFO is how the clot got to the brain, but the source of the clot was undetermined.

During my PFO closure, the cardiologist said the PFO was “extra floppy” and he’s 90% sure it is what caused the clot, saying it made the blood turbulent and caused a clot, which is turn went through the PFO.

I’ve been on baby aspirin and Plavix for six months post PFO closure, which will end next week. At that time I’ll be on aspirin forever. I’m trying to figure out if I’ll ever have the possibility of coming off aspirin, since the PFO was the only risk factor, which is now closed.

I’m mostly just tired of bruises and bleeding. I work construction so my body looks pretty beat up right now with bruises and scratches, haha.

I guess I don’t mind being on it forever if I have to, but didn’t know if there was a different path I can ask my cardiologist and doctor about. Just looking for second options.

Thank you!