u/Certain_Discount5311

There is this woman whom I’ve recently befriended (but we’ve known each other for almost a year), and since day one of 1-1 contact, the mixed signals have been RIFE. Almost every interaction feels flirt-adjacent and I am regularly questioning whether I am misinterpreting it.

I know that my messages/actions are playfully flirty (but easily deniable), it’s definitely intentional, but I think hers are too. Logistically, we will not work together, there are too many incompatibilities—it feels forbidden, which makes me crave it more. I know that I shouldn’t read deeply into it, but alongside those mixed signals from her messages/actions, I keep seeing her repost VERY applicable videos/posts on Instagram that fit the situation. It could be meaningless, it could be about another person, I don’t know.

I cannot directly ask her incase I am devastatingly wrong, especially since it is so new. I wouldn’t want to cause any awkwardness in our shared spaces. But I cannot stop thinking about her.

Do you get pain in the sides of your ribs? Not directly at the side, more the front side (like northwest/northeast direction). It mostly affects things like inverting, I can straight leg deadlift my invert without pain, but the dismount (either straight legged or tucked), it feels like someone had punched me in the ribs on the side of the pole (it impacts the other side when I invert on that side too), it’s even worse when it’s forced slowness during conditioning. My outside…side, is fine. I thought it was because I was maybe pressing too hard against the pole when I’m inverting as I use armpit grip, but even when I don’t, I still feel it. I don’t get any bruises/burns or anything like that, it’s a deep discomfort. Almost like I’m being winded.

We were doing meat hooks today & I felt the same but on both sides (I could feel it during the meat hook not just the dismount). It feels like they’re contracting so much and the only way to temporarily relieve it (besides waiting for the discomfort to subside), is by 360° breathing & really puffing out my chest. I do have hypermobile ribs, so I was just wondering if it’s related/if others relate. Because I don’t see anyone else in my classes feeling that way, and when I asked my instructors, they don’t know either, they think it could be my obliques being weak, and that could be it, I definitely should work on my core more, but it’s been like this since I first learnt how to invert & hasn’t gotten better at all, eventhough I’ve seemingly gotten much stronger everywhere else. Or maybe it could be my serratus anterior muscles, as I do have scapular instability & very hypermobile shoulders. Any advice? 

(I’m not going to share too many details just incase they see this) I have this new friend that I am meeting for the first time alone together, later this week. I’ve known them for a while as we share an interest, but I don’t know much about them personally.

Now, we’re not going on a date, but it is the most gay first date like experience lmaooo. We’re trying to get to know each other more as people. As much as I know that I shouldn’t be, I am so excited by the potential of it. I am definitely reading way too much into recent interactions but I am relatively confident that there’s atleast some…curiosity, in both sides (I do know they’re gay too). Likely not full attraction because there are some barriers (e.g. noticeable age gap which isn’t too weird considering we’re both in our 20s-30s, and the fact that we share the hobby so we see each other multiple times a week, big life changes soon, etc) & I’m okay with that. I’m sure they would’ve thought of that too, if they are on the same wavelength as me. I’m not wanting anything deeply romantic/emotional. Maybe just something casual & fun. Even a ONS.

I like the “chase”, a lot, I love to flirt, I love to swoon others. Making someone blush because of my words fills such a primal desire for me. Seeing them light up whenever I compliment them or do something remotely thoughtful is exciting. So these interactions, seeing how sudden things have happened & knowing how there’s that sense of uncertainty in each of our messages—plausible deniability between friendliness & flirting. Even more public, yet subtle hint droppings. It’s giving “will they, won’t they” vibes where I’m not sure we have the same intentions…but my goodness do I hope so. Fuck. I’m not going to make any over assumptions, I expect nothing from them, and I will not try to make a big move, just incase I’m terribly wrong. BUT…if they do, I am 100% open to it. There & then.

Until then, I’m going to focus on getting to know them as a person, see what their energy is like, and hope for the best. Even if nothing actually happens between us, if they’re fine with it, I am down with continuing the chase with playful flirting. If something does happen, I’m here waiting.

Hi, i (23f, hEDS) was thinking about getting some kind of body pillow/aid to help me sleep more comfortably. My shoulders overextend during the night when I sleep on my stomach/sides & they go numb (mostly when I’m on my stomach with my arms overhead), my hips are also very hypermobile too & I think it’s most comfortable to either sleep in a “half frog” position, sleeping on my side with the quilt between my thighs, or on my back with my legs either straight or both knees bent (1 bend up & the other to the side).

However, I’m a very “sensitive” sleeper &cannot sleep with the inside edges of my feet touching (they either need something inbetween or my ankles are crossed so the outside edges touch), I cannot sleep on my stomach with my arms to the sides (“big” boobs, it feels suffocating), I do tend to curl my arms in sometimes when I’m sleeping on my side (like a foetal position), however that tends to roll my shoulders forward & especially during a flare, they tend to sublux.

With the full body pillow, I feel like it would be difficult to deal with as it would feel like too many things are touching me, and if I turn, it’ll still be there, like a “trap”. especially if it’s hot in my room, as I have bad heat intolerance. Has anyone else experienced that? any advice? or alternatives? I’ve tried using a pillow between my legs but that usually lasts like an hour before I end up moving it away so it hasn’t really changed much. i do move a LOT in my sleep & im regularly switching positions.

For context, i was recently diagnosed, & recently saw a shoulder-specialist PT about my shoulder subluxations, i was given a list of exercises for strength & stability to do each day, which is helpful, but in the meantime, anything to help with sleep? they didn’t really help with that. I’ve been given a “sleep hygiene“ course in the past (mostly to help with mental health), but I didn’t find that useful.