EaterOfFromage

ECT has always been a last resort, and I completely agree that if there is evidence it could cause permanent brain damage then that must be indicated prior to treatment, but what do you think about alternative methods of therapeutic brain intervention in extreme cases? rTMS seems thus far to be much safer, but also somewhat less effective. I don't know much about MTS but I believe it faces a similar struggle.

Where do see the beer scene going in the next 20 years?

I'm a beer fan and used to live in one of the craft brewery capitals of North America and its really a great time to be a beer drinker. Lots of experimentation and collaboration happening, it's really coming into its own as an art form. But i also feel like we're getting to a point where the whole industry might risk stagnation. As a consumer, what do I drink when I feel like I've tried everything?

Also, why don't more breweries make Belgian style Dubbels, Tripels, and Quadrupels?

I'm just imagining Ryan, full on crazy eyes, playing The Pit XYZ with Edgar the cow and Dave the friendly machete.

I was diagnosed with AS a few years ago (currently around the same age as you). It was pretty minor and manageable, but then I went through an acute episode of pain that was unbearable. Everything I did was painful, even staying still. It lasted about 2 weeks. I went to visit my rheumatologist, and we ended up making the decision to go with biologics. I am fortunate enough to have the cost covered (a mix of work and my countries health care), and young enough that I decided to take the risk of having a suppressed immune system.

The pain was gone within a few weeks of my first injection, and has never been back since. I inject myself once a month (no doctor supervision needed) so it's pretty non-intrusive. I definitely live my life a bit more carefully now (especially in covid times) but I have yet to have had a single bacterial infection since, and maybe only a slight increase in number of colds (maybe, hard to say without keeping stats). Other than the covid fears, it's impact on my life negatively has been negligible. I know someone else my age that also uses biologics and I'm pretty sure is also doing very well.

That's definitely not to say they are for everyone, and there is always a risk. Age in particular is a factor - my mother has AS and started using biologics, but had to go off because it was potentially causing a bunch of problems. But at your age, I'd urge you to at least reconsider it, assuming you can figure out the cost problem. I don't know your level of pain, but if it's anything like what I went through in my acute episode, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Also, thanks for making this post and speaking up about it. It's so rarely talked about and so far outside the public discourse that it's nice to see it being discussed. Did you know Dan Reynolds, lead singer of Imagine Dragons, has AS? Fun facts.

I didn't even realize this was gone! It's one of those things you set once and hopefully never have to think about again, so I didn't even notice it gone. Very disappointing.