         }
     }
 
-    /// photos that were taken during this app session
+    /// images that were taken during this app session (used to help make images appear faster in the image feed as we wait for the image to download from the url
     var imagesTakenDuringAppSessionById = [String : UIImage]()
 
     //array that stores all the images currently being uploaded. This is used to show the images currently posting on the feed

        let requestURL = getBluemixBaseRequestURL() + "/" + kUsersEndPoint + "/" + userId

        let request = Request(url: requestURL, method: HttpMethod.GET)

        request.sendWithCompletionHandler { (response, error) -> Void in
            //error

            body.appendData(imageEndEncoding)
            body.appendData(boundaryEnd)

            request.timeout = kDefaultTimeOut

            request.sendData(body, completionHandler: { (response, error) -> Void in

                //failure
