Plantar warts on the feet: what they are and why they shouldn’t be mistaken for a regular callus

By
Monica Pop
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0

Most times, when people notice a hard patch on their foot, they immediately assume it’s callus. That’s probably because calluses are very common. They are a result of the friction from our favorite shoes, or the need to stand on your feet long hours. However, that hard spot that appears on your feet doesn’t necessarily need to be callus. In fact, it could also be a plantar wart, caused by a viral infection that may spread and can be painful. Distinguishing between the two is important because treating a plantar wart the way you’d treat dry skin can make the problem worse and spread the infection elsewhere.

In this article, we’ll break down what plantar warts actually are, how to tell them apart from calluses, how to treat them, and how to prevent them from appearing and causing discomfort.

1. Why plantar warts are often mistaken for calluses

When you notice a thickened patch of skin on the sole of your foot, the first thing that comes to mind is obviously a callus. Calluses are merely a natural defense mechanism your body uses to protect you from constant rubbing or pressure. Eventually, that outer layer of skin will become hardened in order to protect the skin from further harm, and will feel rough and hard to the touch. For most people, calluses aren’t a problem since they can often be treated with simple exfoliation of the skin.

A plantar wart on the other hand is much more than just hardened skin. It’s a viral infection triggered by specific strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), NHS explains. Further, they define warts and plantar warts (often referred to as verrucas), as small lumps on the skin caused by the virus. Although they usually appear on the sole of your foot, just like calluses, they are fundamentally different.

Unlike calluses caused by rubbing, plantar warts develop when the HPV virus sneaks into the skin through tiny cuts and cracks or abrasions, Mayo Clinic notes. Once the virus settles in, it begins to stimulate unusual growth. Since it’s viral, the virus has the potential to spread across the foot or even to other people in the right environment, which isn’t the case with calluses.

Plantar warts often grow inwards due to the pressure of walking, especially on the heel or ball of the foot, they are usually hidden under a thick layer of skin. This is what makes the wart appear as callus at first glance, but using callus remedies on a wart can only slow down the healing process and even trigger a painful irritation.

2. Causes and signs that can help identify plantar warts

What causes each?

As described above, calluses form when the skin is constantly grinding or pressing against the shoe, the ground, or even another toe. When this happens, the skin creates sort of a shield that helps protect it against the friction. It is not infectious or contagious.

Plantar warts on the other hand are infectious. HPV thrives on warm, dump surfaces like locker room floors, public showers, and pool decks. If you walk barefoot in places like these even with a microscopic nick on your foot, the virus will take advantage of the opening and will invade the foot. Since it’s an active infection, the wart can spread to other parts of your foot and even to other people.

Appearance

Although they are similar in appearance, there are a few differences between calluses and plantar warts:

Plantar warts tend to have a rough appearance. When you look closely, you may even see tiny black dots inside the wart. These are actually tiny clotted blood vessels, which are sometimes called “wart seeds.”

Calluses tend to have a more even appearance. There are no black dots inside a callus.

As plantar warts are viral in origin, this also interferes with the natural fingerprint-like ridges of your skin. A doctor can usually immediately tell if the lines in the skin are indicative of a wart or just hardened skin.

Pain and sensation

The way that the pain feels can often be the most obvious clue:

Calluses generally hurt if you press directly down on them, such as if you’re standing still.

Plantar warts sting more if you pinch them from the sides. This is because the pressure of walking pushes them inwards, making the pain deeper.

While calluses often occur in areas such as the heel or the ball of the foot because these areas have the most friction, plantar warts can occur anywhere on the sole where the virus entered the foot.

3. Treatment, prevention, and why proper diagnosis matter

The greatest risk of incorrectly identifying a wart is that a person might try to “file it away” like a piece of dead skin. While pumice stones or razors used on a wart can remove some of the skin cells on top of it, they won’t kill the virus. In fact, they can cause more pain or even spread the virus to more areas of the skin.

Proper treatment

NHS notes that because plantar warts are caused by a virus, it means the treatment of them focuses on removing the affected area in order to stop the virus from spreading. According to medical standards, some of the most common treatments of plantar warts include:

Salicylic acid – the application of a slow-acting peel on the wart.

Cryotherapy – the application of liquid nitrogen on the wart to freeze it.

Immune system stimulation – in some instances, doctors may apply a stronger acid to stimulate the immune system to fight the virus.

There are cases when the warts go away on their own, especially in young children, but this can take years. Seeking professional help will speed things up, particularly if the wart is painful or spreading. However, it is worth noting that if you’re a diabetic, have poor circulation, or a weak immune system, it is best to consult a professional first before using any home remedies.

Prevention is key

Preventing plantar warts is much easier than treating the problem once it appears. As we already discussed, the virus causing these warts thrives in warm, dump environments and enters the skin through tiny cracks on your foot. A few simple habits can go a long way when it comes to preventing the virus to enter your skin and cause further issues.

One of the most effective steps you can take is to keep your feet clean and dry. Make sure you wash your feet regularly, especially if you have just finished a workout session at the gym. Soap and water are your best friends if you want to avoid issues with plantar warts. After washing, make sure you dry your feet properly, and pay special attention to the area between your toes.

It’s also smart to wear flip-flops or sandals in public showers, locker rooms, and at the pool. These shared areas are the hotspot for the virus to spread, and having that extra layer of footwear can prove to be a crucial barrier between your feet and a contaminated floor.

It is also important that you don’t share personal items such as towels, socks, and shoes. The virus has the ability to spread through these items, and you might end up transferring the virus from one person to another unknowingly. Finally, if you do happen to spot a wart, you should avoid picking or scratching it. This will not only spread the virus to other parts of your skin, causing more warts to appear, but also goes against the prevention of foot infections. By following these tips, you’re going a long way in keeping your feet healthy.

Health experts, including the NHS, emphasize that despite both plantar warts and calluses have the appearance of hardened skin, they are two separate conditions. While calluses are simply just a physical response to pressure, plantar warts are viral growths.

Since one is a mechanical issue and the other one is an infection, plantar warts need medical or professional intervention, while calluses don’t require any special treatment.

Conclusion

While calluses and plantar wart may sound like “twin” siblings at first, there are many differences between the two. One is the body’s own protection against friction, while the other is a viral infection that’s not going away anytime soon and can even spread and cause pain. Knowing the difference between the two will allow you to give your feet the treatment it truly needs.

If you find a patch on your feet that’s not responding to basic filing and creams, and hurts when pinched or has small black spots on it, it’s not a bad idea to consult a healthcare professional quickly. The sooner you do, the smoother the road to healthy and pain-free feet will be.

*Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have concerns about a skin condition or foot pain, consult a qualified healthcare professional.

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Bored Daddy

Love and Peace

Gold Coast mum labeled a ‘monster’ for lasering her son’s port-wine stain birthmark

By
Monica Pop
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0

Moms always know best! However, there will always be people out there who would judge their parenting, no matter how much they try for their little ones.

One Aussie mom faced criticism by online trolls after she documented her baby’s journey on TikTok. Apparently, strangers took their time to comment on her decisions concerning her son, calling her a monster.

Brooke Atkins, 33, from Gold Coast, a stay-at-home mom of two, gave birth to her second son, Kingsley, some six months ago.

When Kingsley was welcomed into the world, she noticed that he had a large ‘port wine’ mark covering half of his face.

Source: Jam Press/ @kingley_colvin

As these marks are relatively harmless, they can still be linked to certain issues such as glaucoma and Sturge Weber Syndrome. Little Kingsley was diagnosed with both.

“The thing with port-wine stains is that they are progressive, meaning they will change and darken over time,” Brooke explained. “They can develop a ‘cobblestone’ appearance, with raised bumps, ridges and the risk of vascular blebs, where they dangerously bleed,” she added.

“Once a port-wine stain gets to this stage, it is often very difficult to treat and laser barely has any effect, as the skin is already far too damaged.”

Source: Jam Press/ @kingley_colvin

In order to prevent any further damage, she and her husband decided to have the mark removed with laser treatments.

“The only way to treat a port wine stain is through laser treatments and the most effective laser for a it is called a Pulsed Dye Laser,” Brooke said.

‘When he was first born, we were referred to the Queensland Children’s Hospital dermatology and vascular department, where they organise the first treatment and explain in further details why laser would be important.

“The purpose of the laser treatments are not to ‘remove’ the birthmark but instead keep the skin healthy, to prevent any further damage to the area.”

Source: Jam Press/ @kingley_colvin

Both she and her husband were happy their boy reacted positively on the treatments, and she could never imagine that many would slam her for her decision.

As she wanted to document Kingsley’s journey by sharing photos and videos of him on TikTok, she realized that a lot of people thought she was a ‘monster’ for making him go through the treatments.

“Don’t think I could laser my baby,” one person wrote.

“That birthmark is barely visible, what you’re doing to him is horrible, it’s more for you than him,” another added.

There were more mean comments, such as: “Brainwashed mother making her kid insecure the second he gets out the womb,” and “Why is everyone supporting this?”

Source: Jam Press/ @kingley_colvin

These comments broke Brooke’s heart. She knew what she did was all for the sake of her son’s health, but people wouldn’t understand that.

Source: Jam Press/ @kingley_colvin Kingsley pictured now

“Honestly, when I first started reading the negative comments, I sat there for a good half an hour and cried to myself,” this mom said.

“I had a whole heap of mum guilt and it made me question my decision, even though I knew I was doing the right thing, the cruel words still played in my head.

“Thankfully for every negative comment, there were 100 positive, so it helped a lot!”

“I just wish these people had known about the health issues connected to these types of birthmarks before writing these things, that this wasn’t for cosmetic reasons and that as parents, this was the hardest decision we have had to make.

“That the last six months have been extremely hard on us and reading these comments, actually do hurt – this is the last thing we need, judgement from those who have no understanding around my sons conditions.”

No matter what some people say, Brooke is a loving and a very much devoted mother and her baby boy is “the happiest, most loving and sweetest boy you will ever meet!”

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Bored Daddy

Love and Peace!

A Valentine’s dinner that revealed everything: how a test ended seven years together

By
Monica Pop
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0

Should love ever come with conditions? Does it need to be tested in order to be trusted? For most of us, the answers to these questions would be a resounding “no.” However, there are people out there who do question the love their partners have for them and they decide to put it on a test, but is that fair? Who knows, I’d say.

A young woman named Sarah shared the story of her love being put to test, and that ended badly, or maybe it didn’t, because she learned the true colors of the man she envisioned her future with.

It all started on an ordinary Thursday that turned out not to be that ordinary after all. What Sarah believed was that it would be one of the best nights of her life, but things didn’t end up like she believed they would, and it was all because of her boyfriend of seven years, who though he should test her in a way that doesn’t even feel like a test of love and loyalty after all.

Mark had been talking about that Valentine’s Day reservation for weeks. In fact, it was all he talked about, so it didn’t come as a surprise that Sarah hoped to spend a lovely night together with him. He kept reminding her to wear something nice, as though she wouldn’t wear nice clothes without him telling her to. Mark wanted her to put on that particular navy silk dress he liked so much and kept saying the night would be extraordinary. That itself put a lot of pressure on Sarah but she didn’t really say anything because she could see how excited Mark was about that dinner.

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After seven years of anniversaries, of growing together, of compromising, and of creating a home, Sarah had that small, fluttery filling in her gut that the night would be the “turning point” in their relationship. The “turning point” where the two of them would become “forever.”

When Valentine’s Day finally arrived, Sarah noticed that the restaurant was overly romantic. The lightning was so bright, almost golden, that it made everyone look like they belonged on the cover of a magazine. There were candles, and a cellist by the door who played soft music, the kind that makes you want to reach across the table and hold someone’s hand. To Sarah, every single detail screamed proposal. And just as she thought about it, her heart started racing. Her instinct, as well as knowing her man all to well after that many years together, told her it was now or never.

Mark started the night with a bottle of wine that cost more than their first payment on the car. He carefully poured it into the glasses and raised his to “something important.”

As Sarah took a sip, she tried to take a better glance of Mark’s pockets and maybe notice that tiny box holding the ring she was secretly hoping for.

The food Mark ordered looked almost too pretty to eat. There was the steak, cooked to perfection, the lobster so tender it melted at the touch of her fork, the desserts like mini-masterpieces of architecture. They fell into the easy cadence of two people who knew the stories of each other’s lives by heart.

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They talked of the disastrous road trip when the car conked out in the middle of nowhere, of the first small apartment with the lumpy couch, of the dog they would finally get when they decided to stay. For a while, Sarah let herself get lost in the warmth. She thought that all of these shared pleasures were just the beginning of something much, much bigger.

The evening went on, and then as they were calling it quits, the bill arrived. Sarah didn’t even glanced at it as she was enjoying the expensive wine. But Mark picked it up, glanced at the total briefly, and then placed it in the middle of the table.

“Shall we split?” he asked, and he was as serious as he could be.

For Sarah, that felt like the world stopped spinning. It wasn’t about the money, she had her own career, and it was a successful one, so she could easily afford to split that bill that cost $380, but it was about the absurdity of the question. It was Mark who had planned this evening for weeks. He had picked the expensive restaurant, had pushed the wine on her, and had told her it was going to be a night to remember. And he was asking her to pay for half of her own surprise?

And just like that, Mark’s “extraordinary” evening suddenly turned what? Transactional? When she tried to explain to him that what he asked for felt wrong, not the math but the intent, his face suddenly changed. Out of nowhere, he started talking about partnership, modern equality, and a bunch of other things that sounded to Sarah as though they belonged in a HR manual rather than a boyfriend of seven years.

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She tried to explain to him that partnership isn’t measured by an Excel spreadsheet during a romantic evening, and that he was the one who wanted to surprise her with a lovely romantic dinner, and now it felt like he was trying to make her pay for the surprise he was planning for so long. It honestly felt to her like she was asked to pay for a gift she had been gifted, and it just didn’t feel right at all.

The tension between them changed the atmosphere in the room. The music no longer sounded soft, but disturbing.

Mark obviously got really mad. He signalled the server, paid the bill in full, and stormed out of the restaurant. He didn’t resemble the same person Sarah entered that restaurant with. She couldn’t understand how the night could go so wrong.

As he left, he just said, “I’ll see you around sometime,” and didn’t look back.

Sarah sat there, and she was so shocked that her body started shaking uncontrollably. She felt humiliated sitting in a crowded restaurant all by herself, especially after the waiter witnessed their argument.

What did Mark want? Did she want her to chase him? Was all that a power play? Sarah had no idea what she did wrong.

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Not long after, the waiter approached Sarah’s table and told her the man who was with her left a note.

That note was a map of a minefield she never knew she was walking in.

Before leaving, Mark wrote on that piece of paper that he had spent so much time preparing for the evening because he wanted to propose her, but before that, he wanted to “test” her before committing for good. He had to see if she was going to “step up” and offer to pay the bill herself. To him, her not doing that showed a flaw in her character that he could not live with. So because she did not pass his secret test, he had decided right then and there that he could not see a future with her. He was done.

Yes, Sarah wanted to spend her life with Mark, and she hoped he would propose her. She even pictured herself saying “yes” many times in her own head. What she didn’t know was that the proposal she dreamed of wasn’t a gift of love but a reward for passing a tests she didn’t even knew she was taking.

At that moment, she felt anger, pain, and embarrassment, all at once. But as she came out of the shock, she actually realized that real loved is not a test, or a series of it. If he had wanted to discuss their financial situation and their expectations, he should have been honest about it. Instead, he had turned a milestone of their life a psychological game.

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Sarah did grief for the seven years she had given to Mark. She grieved for her own naivety and for Mark’s deceit. But deep down, she was finding a sense of relief because she knew that if she tried saving her relationship by splitting the bill, she wouldn’t have actually saved anything worth saving. If it had not been for the dinner check, it would have been for something else. She would have spent her life tiptoeing around a minefield of her husband’s expectations.

It’s not that she didn’t think of calling him and apologizing. Those thoughts did cross her mind.

Sarah then stood up and left the restaurant. And she left it with something more than a ring; her self-worth.

She had learned that a real proposal was a question asked in the light, not a trap set in the dark. The waiter, in his own small way, had given her the greatest gift of all; the truth. She was finally free of the burden of having to prove herself to a man who was never really on her side.

Do you believe love should ever be tested this way?

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Bored Daddy

Love and Peace

Beneath the jade plant: a tale of tender love, misunderstandings, and unexpected inheritance

By
Monica Pop
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0

I found myself sitting at the hospital’s waiting room. The place smelled like it was doused in floor cleaner and coffee left out in the pot for way too long. After some time, I just collapsed into one of those plastic chairs. You know, the ones that are never comfortable. There were also those fluorescent lights overhead that hummed and flickered in a way that gives you an instant headache, and even with the air conditioning blowing, you could still hear the beep-beep-beep sound from the heart monitors from the rooms down the hallway.

My heart was still racing from the trip to the hospital. The sirens… you could feel like they cut through you, and even after they turned them off, I could still hear the ringing in my ears.

Everything happened so quickly I barely had the time to realize what went wrong. My stepmother just collapsed out of the blue, and when the ambulance arrived, I jumped in it with her. The ride was a blur of flashing lights and tires squeaking at every corner. Every turn the ambulance made felt like a punch in the gut, and I was in a state of panic the entire time.

All I remember was sitting there and rubbing my hands because I couldn’t stop them from shaking. I eventually pulled out my phone to call Mia, my stepmother’s daughter. I’m not even sure why I called her first, but I guess I just needed to hear a familiar voice in the midst of the chaos I found myself in.

She picked up after two rings.

She then said the same thing she always said when we talked about her mother’s health. “Just let me know when it’s over.”

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I mean, most of the time, I thought she was just being practical, you know? Like she tried to be strong. But at that particular moment, she sounded… well, cold. It seemed to me like she was just sitting around and waiting for the inevitable. I made the call anyway, although I could barely get the words out because my throat was tight. I tried to sound as normal as possible, but I knew she could hear the shaking in my voice.

The next two days were like a living nightmare that was moving in slow motion. I went back and forth between the waiting room and the cafeteria, and then back to the sterile hallways, trying to find something my mind could hold onto so I wouldn’t completely lose it.

My heart jumped every time my phone buzzed, and then it just sank when it wasn’t the doctor.

When the doctor finally approached me, he walked so slowly as though he didn’t want me to hear whatever he needed to tell me. Honestly, he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He was being kind and tried to choose his words wisely. But it didn’t matter how he said it. What he did say made me feel like I had been hit with a sledgehammer.

I called Mia later that day, and though I didn’t expect any emotional outburst, I was still stunned there was no crying on her part, no gasps, just a long, heavy silence.

And then she simply said in a flat tone, “I’ll handle everything” ad just hung up the phone. I just sat there with the phone in my hand, not even knowing what I was expecting from her any more.

My stepmother’s funeral was small and really stiff. It was all black flowers and a bunch of whispering. And I still had the hospital smell stuck in my head.

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Mia was a whole other story. She just moved around the room like she totally owned it. Total authority. She was greeting people and signing papers with composed, almost regal vibe.

I stayed at the back of the room and felt like a ghost. Like I was just a piece of furniture or something totally unimportant. Nobody even noticed me. All the hugs and handshakes… they just passed by me. It’s funny how grief works, you know. It’s not always this sharp pain, something it comes in the form of feeling that you are absolutely unimportant and unnecessary.

And then came the reading of the will. Although I knew already how it would go, it still hurt me.

Mia called it. The house, the jewelry, the money… everything went to her, every last bit of it. All I got was an envelope and a small potted jade plant. As Lina walked out of the door, she looked at me and said, “You know, she kept you around because it felt convenient. But that’s okay, because maybe you’ll learn something from this.” I swear I could see a smile on her face when she talked to me.

I didn’t say a word back to her, not even one. My face was hot again, and I could feel my throat closing up again. I just took that jade plant, which looked so plain and small, and left that place. I was done with the whole show.

That night, I took some rest and then sat under the lamp, finally ready to open that envelope. The paper had her handwriting. It was a bit shaky and uneven, and I knew right away she wrote those words herself. I knew her so well that my heart tightened the moment I saw her words put on that piece of paper.

In the letter, my stepmother wrote about how lonely she was following my dad’s passing, and how quiet the house was. She wrote how Mia went off to her life and her own stuff.

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And then she wrote about me. She wrote about the times I went to see her and how we had tea together. She also wrote about our conversations and how silly she thought they were, but how they were the highlight of her day. My stepmother wanted me around and was happy whenever I paid her a visit, and I had no idea she even felt that way. She wrote it was my presence that kept her grounded after my dad was no longer around.

She then went on to write about that jade plant. It turned out it belonged to her mother, and to her, it meant strength and endurance. At the very end she wrote, “Take care of it and remember that love doesn’t need to be loud, not always.”

I folded the envelope and put it in my pocket. And honestly, my stepmother was right. It was never about the house or the money. She reminded me that not everything is in the things we possess. I wasn’t mad at her for not leaving me any assets, because to me, it was never about any belongings, and she knew me all too well to know that.

The following morning, I got a call from Mia. This time, she sounded like she was crying, and I’ve never seen her cry before.

“You know, the lawyer found another letter,” she said. “She left me everything because she thought I wasn’t capable of living without security.” She then stopped for a second and it felt like all the years of us not getting it were just hanging there in the air.
“But she left you the only thing that actually meant anything to her.”

Then there was silence again.

“Maybe,” I said to her, looking at the jade plant on my windowsill, “we both misunderstood her.”

Mia finally cried, and it felt like she had finally let it all out.

I looked at that plant again and I realized it was way more than that. It wasn’t just a “leftover” gift, but trust and legacy, and only someone who really knew my stepmother could understand that.

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My stepmother’s love was subtle. You needed to look for it in order to find it, but it was there all along, and it was real.

“Maybe we had just been searching in the wrong places,” I told Mia.

Mia and I are meeting later this week. Not to fight over the house or the money, but to talk to each other over a cup of coffee. The jade plant is still at my windowsill. It’s funny that something that looks so plain can be so heavy with everything my stepmother trusted me with.

And you know what? Being overlooked is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it means people trust you.

The jade plant made me realize that true wealth isn’t measured by the money in the bank. It’s measured by the way you change a person’s life by being there. And honestly, that’s more valuable to me than anything else she could have given me.

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Bored Daddy

Love and peace

Trump reveals the ‘career-ending’ word he says he’s not allowed to say

By
Monica Pop
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0

President Donald Trump attended an event for Women’s History Month at the White House and paid tribute to several legendary women, including former first lady, Martha Washington, Betsy Ross (who is credited with making the first US flag), pilot Amelia Earhart, and singer Aretha Franklin. 

But that wasn’t it, since Trump went on to talk about things that were obviously not on his agenda so his speech took a rather unexpected turn.

“The Trump administration is working every single day to make America better, safer, and more prosperous for women… and men. But much more importantly for women. They are really the inspiration. They are so, so powerful and so important and so beautiful,” he said.

Just right after, Trump revealed he had uttered a word he’s not allowed to say because it could easily put an end to his career.

 “I’m not allowed to use the word beautiful, but I’m using it anyway. Usually, it’s the end of your political career. If you say a woman’s a beautiful woman, they say that’s the termination of his career.”

He went on to say, “But somehow, it hasn’t hurt too much. You are incredible women, and you’re beautiful women.”

Further, Trump said he feels like he hasn’t been given enough credit for his efforts related to recent events. “We have the Olympics and we have the World Cup coming up… I did the Olympics, I got the Olympics, then I got the World Cup, then I got 250 [year celebration], but I’ve never been given credit for that.”

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His wife, First Lady Melania Trump, had given a speech earlier. In it, she referred to herself as to a “visionary” and referenced her documentary Melania.

Melania decided to venture into the world of film following the success of her memoir titled Melania.

A week before her husband’s inauguration, she spoke to Fox, saying, “So I had an idea to make a movie, to make a film about my life. My life is incredible. It’s incredibly busy and I told my agent I have this idea so please go out and make a deal for me. We started the production in November and we are shooting right now. So it’s a day-to-day life. What I’m doing, what kind of responsibilities I have, people they don’t really know and they will see it.”

Amazon reportedly paid around $40 million to license the film from Melania’s production company, and the film, which her husband described as a “must-watch,” has already been shown across hundreds of screens nationwide.

However, despite Donald Trump urging the public to get their ticket today because they sell out FAST, the interest in Melania’s film turned out to be low and ticket sales have been struggling.

Express revealed at the time of the screening that “not a single ticket has been sold for the 9.55pm viewing at the busiest movie theatre in the metro-Jacksonville area,” with the cinema’s website showing every seat being available.

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 03: First Lady Melania Trump attends an event to mark National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month in the East Room of the White House on September 3, 2020 in Washington, DC. The First Lady hosted a round table event with people who are recovering from substance use and mental health issues. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Before the release of her documentary, Melania explained the film follows the 20 days leading up to the Presidential Inauguration in January 2025.

“History is set in motion during the 20 days of my life prior to the U.S. Presidential Inauguration. For the first time, global audiences are invited into theaters to witness this pivotal chapter unfold—a private, unfiltered look as I navigate family, business, and philanthropy on my remarkable journey to becoming First Lady of the United States of America.”

The movie currently has an 11 percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, while its audience score is 98 percent.

The film was directed by Brett Ratner, his first project since being accused of sexual harassment in 2017—claims he continues to deny.

At the event, Melania said, “As a visionary, I know success is not born overnight, but rather takes shape after a long and sometimes challenging process.”

Shutterstock/MaciejGillert

She went on to add, “Often alone at the top, I follow my passion, listen to my instinct, and always maintain a laser focus.”In solitude, my creative mind dances, filling my imagination with originality.”

She then mentioned her film, saying, ‘my new film where I shaped its creative direction, served as a producer, managed its post-production and activated the marketing campaign.’

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Bored Daddy

Love and Peace

‘Chinese Nostradamus’ claims he knows how Iran US war will end in terrifying prediction

By
Monica Pop
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0

Professor Xueqin Jiang, widely known as the Chinese Nostradamus, made predictions about the ongoing Iran US conflict in the Middle East, and what he had to say attracted the attention of many.

This, however, isn’t his first prediction. On the contrary, on his YouTube channel, Predictive History, where he has a large number of followers, Jiang shares forecasts about many global events.

For example, back in 2024, he posted a video of himself sharing three major predictions during a lecture at a high school in China, and two of those predictions have already come true. This left people in anticipation for the third prediction he made, wondering if it will also turn into a reality.

One of those predictions involved Trump and the US 2024 elections. Namely, Jiang said, “If he [Trump] does become president in a second term, there will be a very strong likelihood that the United States will go to war with Iran.”

Hostilities between the USA and Iran escalated into open warfare on February 28, 2026. The situation has grown increasingly volatile, leaving many fearing of the possibility of WWIII. The most striking aspect of Jiang’s prediction of the final outcome of the war: America would be defeated, according to him.

In his analysis of possible war scenarios, the professor argued that an American offensive against Iran would be unlikely to succeed.

“The third big prediction is that the United States will lose this war, which will forever change the global order,” he said, pointing to Iran’s demographics and topography as key factors.

“If this war [US-Iran] were to happen, there’s absolutely no way America can win this war,” he added.

Professor Xueqin Jiang/ X

According to Jiang, his predictions are based on “psycho-history,” a specialized framework he uses to analyze recurring historical cycles and project future events.

He had previously argued that the stance of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is primarily driven by animosity towards the US interventionism in Iran.

“We can suspect that a second Trump term war with Iran will be a major priority.

“Basically the United States is looking for a reason and Iran wants to give them a reason and that’s why I think war between the United States and Iran is very likely in the next two to four years.”

Speaking earlier this month, Jiang remained confident in his predictions: “Given my analysis of how the war is progressing, I think that Iran has many more advantages over the United States. The reality is, right now, it’s a war of attrition between the United States and Iran, and Iranians have been preparing 20 years for this conflict.”

According to Sudan Horizon, Jiang posits that the US faces significant risk in case of a prolonged conflict. He argues that the current state of affairs seems to be shifting to a “war of attrition,” wherein the real winner will not be based on its military capabilities, but on which nation can no longer sustain its economy and resolve.

“Iranian planners have been preparing for this for 20 years,” Jiang said, as per The Public Purview. “In their worldview, this is a civilizational struggle. They see it as a war against the ‘Great Satan.’”

According to the Chinese Nostradamus, the current landscape of warfare has shifted to favor agility over sheer scale.

“The U.S. military-industrial complex was built after World War II to fight the Cold War,” he said. “It is not optimized for drone-saturated, asymmetric attritional warfare.”

He pointed to the growing cost imbalance on the battlefield, where extremely expensive defense systems are often deployed against much cheaper weapons.

“This asymmetry is not sustainable long-term,” he added, referring to the use of million-dollar missile defense systems to intercept drones that may cost only a fraction of that amount.

Aside from that, Jiang also warned that the conflict could have serious economic repercussions, particularly for countries in the Gulf.

He said that key infrastructure like desalination plants, oil facilities, and maritime trade routes could be key pressure points in the conflict, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Sixty percent of Gulf water supply comes from desalination plants,” he said. “A $50,000 drone could disable a major facility serving millions.”

Professor Xueqin Jiang/ X

Jiang warns that the after-effects of this war are not limited to the battlefield, particularly focusing on the global energy chain and finance. He argues that the bottleneck in the Gulf oil exports, accompanied by a halt in the investment pipeline, may set off a “domino effect” on the U.S. domestic sectors, especially those sectors that are subsidized or supported by the Gulf states.

“The American economy is heavily dependent on Gulf petrodollars recycled into its markets,” he argued. “If that cycle breaks, it could trigger systemic stress.”

The Chinese Nostradamus further questioned if a military campaign will in fact achieve one of the objectives often discussed by policymakers, the regime change in Iran.

“History shows airpower alone does not change regimes,” he said. “Ground troops would be required — and that would be enormously costly.”

According to him, certain regional actors, including Saudi Arabia and Israel, might support a tougher US stance towards Teheran, though the issue is politically very sensitive and debated.

Beyond the immediate strategic concerns, Jiang places this conflict in the context of an important shift in global power. He argues that the perception of American “invincibility” is being stripped away, and that we are entering an era in which multiple global powers, not just one, hold sway.

While Jiang’s controversial positions and and the “psycho-history” approach behind it is a subject to a wider debate lacks general proof, his work does tap into a discussion among scholars.

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If you suffer from varicose veins start doing these five things

By
Monica Pop
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0

For those who have experienced issues with varicose veins, it is more than obvious that they are far greater concern than a cosmetic annoyance. For millions of people out there, varicose veins mean constant source of throbbing pain, swelling, heaviness, and that annoying itching that simply won’t go away.

While they are not life-threatening all by themselves, varicose veins can definitely affect the quality of life and make even something as simple as walking feel like a chore if they are not handed properly.

The good thing is that varicose veins don’t need to be a permanent roadblock for those suffering from them because nowadays there are plenty of medical solutions that can help with the problem, as well as certain habits that can offer relief.

What are varicose veins?

Mayo Clinic explains that varicose veins are essentially a condition in which your veins get enlarged, twisted, and pop up right under the skin, usually on the legs. Essentially, varicose veins appear when the tiny one-way valves in your body that help the blood pump towards your heart begin to weaken and fail. As a result, the blood doesn’t circulate upwards properly but begins to collect, forcing the veins walls to stretch and enlarge.

The biggest impact is felt by the legs since walking and standing alone put massive pressure on the lower body. This is when you start noticing the dark purple or bluish cords bulging beneath the surface.

Spider veins, the thin red and blue lines, are a milder version of the same condition, but varicose veins are much larger and likely to come with issues such as constant itching, burning sensation, and swelling.

Anatomy of the problem

Think of your veins as a one-way street with little security gates that open to allow blood to flow towards your heart and close to prevent that blood from sliding back. When these gates become weak, they let the blood slide backwards, causing it to build up inside the veins. This constant stress is what makes the veins bulge and take that twisted, enlarged look.

Symptoms and early signs

Varicose veins don’t aren’t necessarily accompanied with pain. For many people, it’s an issue of pure cosmetology they notice when they look at their legs. However, when some of the common symptoms that come along with varicose veins do appear, they are hard to ignore.

As per the Mayo Clinic, those symptoms come in the form of persistent achy and heavy sensation in your legs, or burning, throbbing, and cramping sensation. You may also experience swelling in the lower legs and ankles, along with an itchy feeling right around the veins.

In most cases, pain is felt after you’ve been sitting or standing still for a longer period of time. Also,you may notice changes in the color, dryness, or irritation of the skin of the affected area.

Who’s at risk? Common causes and risk factors

1. Valve dysfunction and venous pressure

At the heart of the problem is a simple mechanical failure: the valves in your veins simply won’t do their job as they are supposed to. Normally, these tiny little gates open and shut to keep your blood engaged in the battle to defy gravity and flow toward your heart. When they weaken or become damaged, they no longer shut correctly.

And that’s where the trouble begins, quite literally. Your blood doesn’t flow upwards as it should, but instead flows backwards and starts to accumulate. This, of course, is called venous reflux. It’s as if your blood is stuck in a traffic jam from which there’s no escape. Eventually, the pressure of the accumulated blood causes the walls of the vein to balloon outward and stretch to accommodate it. This, of course, is the very reason why we see the telltale signs of varicose veins.

2. Age

As with other health conditions, age plays one of the biggest roles when it comes to varicose veins. As years add up, the veins go through natural wear and tear. The walls of the veins become less flexible, and the the one-way valve becomes “leaky,” having troubles fighting gravity as it once did.

As the circulation of blood begins to slow with age, the blood has a better chance of pooling in your ankles and legs. This is more common with middle-aged and older adults but as with anything else, younger population is not entirely immune to this.

3. Family history

Genetics is also a factor in whether or not you’ll deal with varicose veins at some point in your life. If one or both your parents have them, chances of you having them is higher. Varicose veins are basically a hereditary “hand me down,” as some people inherit weaker vein walls or valves that are more prone to giving out.

For most part, it comes down to inherited differences in connective tissue, which can make your veins more likely to stretch and “balloon” under pressure.

Although you cannot change your genetic makeup, knowing your family’s medical history is a way to get a head start on preventative measures before anything begins to appear on the surface.

4. Sex and hormones

Compared to men, women are more likely to be affected by varicose veins, research concludes, and this comes down to hormones. Both estrogen and progesterone cause the walls of the blood vessels to become more relaxed, which in turn allows the veins to become longer and the internal valves to begin malfunctioning.

Just think of all the hormonal changes women experience throughout their lives. There is puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, as well as the medications they may take, such birth control pills or hormone therapies. All this adds to the issue of varicose veins.

5. Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the body needs to produce more blood in order to support the fetus, putting extra mileage on your circulatory system. The hormones also shift, the uterus grows bigger and presses on the pelvic veins, acting like a speed bump trying to climb back to your heart. While varicose veins that appear during pregnancy may eventually go away, they can also stick.

6. Obesity

Carrying extra weight puts heavy burden on your leg veins. Over time, it allows the valves to weaken. On top of that, obesity usually means less physical activity, which in turn slows down blood flow. Therefore, maintaining healthy weight can play significant role in vein health.

7. Prolonged sitting or standing

If your job requires prolonged sitting or standing, it leads to the blood flow in your legs to stall.

The problem here is that your calf muscles, which are normally functioning as a second heart to pump blood up towards your heart, are completely dormant when you’re still. When this “pump” isn’t functioning, blood begins to build up, increasing the pressure on your veins and causing them to stretch and bulge.

Can varicose veins be prevented?

While genetics, age, and hormonal changes are something that is out of our control, there are still evidence-based habits that can lower the likelihood of developing varicose veins or simply slow their progression.

Stay active

Physical activity involving walking, swimming, or cycling can be a real game-changer. These, and similar exercises, engage your “calf muscle pump” that pumps blood back to your heart.

Watch your weight

Maintaining a healthy weight eliminates the constant and heavy pressure on your veins, which helps relieve venous pressure considerably.

Elevate your legs

When you are resting or sleeping, raising your legs above the level of your heart is the best way to utilize the force of gravity in your favor.

Wear proper clothing and footwear

Forget the skin-tight pants, constricting waistbands, and high heels that can impede blood flow. Opt for comfortable, well-ventilated clothing and shoes that allow for unrestricted leg movement.

Take movement breaks

If your job requires you to be stuck on a chair or stand in place, make sure you take frequent movement breaks since changing positions and taking short walks prevents blood from slowing down.

Follow a vein-friendly diet

As with many other health conditions, minding your diet can help in prevention of varicose veins. While no diet is in fact a magic cure, make sure you include foods rich in fiber, antioxidants, and flavonoids like berries, citrus fruits, leafy greens, as well as whole grains. These foods can strengthen your vascular walls and support overall circulation.

Freepik

Conclusion

If the change of your lifestyle and wearing compressing socks won’t do much for your problem with varicose veins, there are several medical treatments that can help depending on how serious your condition is.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, one of the more popular go-to solutions for varicose veins is sclerotherapy, in which a solution is injected directly into the vein to shut it down. Another solution for varicose veins is endovenous thermal ablation, in which a laser or radiofrequency heat treatment is used to “spot weld” the vein shut.

For larger, more problematic veins, a microphlebectomy allows doctors to remove the veins through small nicks in the skin. In more serious cases, vein stripping may need to occur. According to the Mayo Clinic, varicose veins that are left untreated can cause a number of nasty side effects, including skin ulcers, color changes, and even blood clots, so it’s definitely worth looking into treatment as soon as possible.

*Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis or treatment of varicose veins or any medical condition.

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The amazing story of Katie Stubblefield: She became the youngest person to receive a face transplant

By
Monica Pop
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0

Katie Stubblefield was just 18 years old when she decided to take her own life following a dispute with her boyfriend.

Before that, she was an excellent student and a fun loving young lady who found love during her senior year at the church where their parents taught. One night, Katie learned that her boyfriend was chatting with another girl, and when she confronted him, he told her he didn’t want to be with her any longer.

Katie felt terrible and instead of going home, she rushed to her brother’s house. Robert, her brother, noticed that Katie was visibly disturbed. “I was like, ‘What are you doing home from school?’” he recalled asking her. “So, you know, I called my parents, like, ‘Hey, just so you know, she’s at my house right now.’”

Youtube/ClevelandClinic

Katie’s mom, Alesia, who knew her daughter experienced some hard time during the previous year when she needed to have both her appendix and her gallbladder removed, went to Robert’s house to comfort her daughter, but Katie refused to speak to her or anyone else.

Robert and Alesia then decided to get out of the house and give Katie some time to collect herself, but shortly after, they heard what resembled a door being slammed. They went inside and realized Katie was locked inside the bathroom and the place was filled with the smell of a gunpowder.

“I tried to open the door,” Alesia recalled. “I said, ‘Katie?’ And nothing. And then I said, ‘Katie.’ I said, ‘Are you OK?’ And about the third time I said, ‘Katie,’ that’s when my heart began to just palpitate.”

“At that point, I smelled gunpowder because it was, obviously, indoors, and you can smell it,” her brother Robert added. “And I knew exactly at that point what had happened.”

Katie shot herself in the face, but somehow, she managed to survive although she was completely disfigured.

Youtube/ClevelandClinic

“When she was in that ER … she said, ‘Tell my mom and dad I love her — love them. I’m sorry,’” her father told ABC. “It took a lot of strength.”

Katie lost parts of her forehead, nose, sinuses, and most of her mouth except the corners of her lips. The bones that made up the jaw and front of her face were also gone. Her eyes remained, but were severely damaged.

Doctors tried to reconstruct the severely disfigured face of Katie Stubblefield, and her family was told that the only option for a normal life was a face transplant.

“[The doctor] said, ‘This is the worst wound I’ve ever seen, and I think the only thing that will give her any kind of life again will be a face transplant,’” Katie’s father said. “That was the first time we’d ever heard that term.”

Katie herself spoke of the tragic decision to shot herself in the face and the possibility of transplantation. “I had no clue what a face transplant was,” she said. “When my parents helped explain everything to me, I was very excited to get a face again and to have function again.

“I never thought of doing that ever before, and so on hearing about it, I just didn’t know how to handle it,” she recalled. “I felt so guilty that I had put my family through such pain, I felt horrible.”

Youtube/ClevelandClinic

After a year, the family of a 31-year-old woman named Adrea Schneider who suddenly passed away decided to donate her face and Katie was given the chance for a new face. She had undergone a complex surgery which lasted 31 hours, making Katie the youngest ever face transplant

Katie’s procedure involved transplanting the scalp, forehead, upper and lower eyelids, eye sockets, nose, upper cheeks, upper jaw and half of lower jaw, upper teeth, lower teeth, partial facial nerves, muscles, and skin – effectively replacing her entire facial tissue, the clinic explained in a statement.

Cleveland Clinic

“To reach this point of recovery has often times been a difficult road to travel, but I’m thankful there’s been a road – and Cleveland Clinic has been the vehicle to help drive me along,” Katie said shortly after the surgery.

“I am forever grateful for the care this hospital has given me and continues to offer on my journey of recovery and healing. To call my surgeons, physicians, nurses and caregivers’ world class’ would be an understatement. And to my donor and her family – words cannot express the appreciation I have for this incredible gift. With a grateful heart, I say ‘thank you’ to all who have made this possible for me.”

Youtube/ClevelandClinic

The process of recovery took a lot of time and plenty of medications. And although she has received a new face, Katie’s speech is still not very recognizable and she’s using braille lessons twice or thrice a week and speech therapy four times a week.

Fourteen months after the face transplant, doctors have completed three major revision surgeries intended to slim her face, reduce scarring, and improve her eyelids.

“I am able to touch my face now, and it feels amazing,” Katie told CNN.

“You take it for granted, the different components of our faces – the bone, the tissue, the muscle, everything – but when it’s gone, you recognize the big need. Then when you receive a transplant, you’re so thankful.”

Katie has a lot of plans for the future. Among the rest, she wants to attend college and become a counselor and a motivational speaker.

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