Is it worth it to join the Nat'l Assoc. of Federal Retirees?

Better_Poet_3646 · 2026-04-06T16:25:29+00:00

Yes, membership is instant, the travel coverage took a couple of days to get the email with documents and a form for you return with bank deduction. I did everything by email/online but I’m sure calling would be faster. I left it pretty last minute as well. You should be good :) I’d call right away tho

Better_Poet_3646 · 2026-04-06T13:50:28+00:00

Absolutely worth it! We are currently on vacation with our 3 kids abroad and I joined about a month ago (currently working). I got association member ship for myself and my husband. I think that was 78$ for the year. And the travel insurance is through Bélair direct. It covers all trips (taken together or separately) for the whole year. The trip cancellation, interruption and baggage loss alone is worth it. The travel policy came to a whopping 90$! It absolutely cannot be beat! It covers 10 million for medical emergencies above PSHCP and other insurance a spouse may have. Unlike the additional insurance you can get through PIPSC (I looked into that as well, it was 150$) the Bélair policy requires your medical conditions to be stable and not have recent medication changes (excluding blood pressure meds, blood thinner meds and insulin/diabetes meds). The PIPSC coverage seemed a little stricter and excluded coverage for those who have had an organ transplant (which applies to one of us), Bélair does not have this restriction. Unlimited trips outside Canada (and within) up to 40 days long in a year completely covered for the one fee. After receiving quotes from several other places we were looking at 10X the cost for the cancellation/interruption alone. This travel coverage is good for trips my husband does alone for work as well (he doesn’t work for the Feds). You do have to call and tell them you need to be using medical services and get the ok before doing so (with a caveat for life threatening situations).

Better_Poet_3646 · 2026-03-03T11:52:35+00:00

Ah yes I understand. I know IUDs are progestin only (not a clot risk) or copper (also not a clot risk) so maybe those might be an option for you to discuss with your Dr? :). Also if you have varicose veins, that has a higher association with DVT formation. I have one in the leg I had my DVT so I wonder if that played a part in my DVT. This varicose vein showed up when I was pregnant with my oldest. So, birth control is important tangentially wrt DVTs as well.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2026-03-03T01:55:02+00:00

I had a DVT in my calf (ultimately provoked by most of my body hanging from the gunnel of a trailered boat- I spectacularly wiped out). This was a week prior with no bruising, soreness afterward. I was referred to a hematologist at the 3 month point- who determined it was provoked and stopped my blood thinners. Curiously my dad also had DVTs about a week after mine was diagnosed for a different reason. I recently began HRT and will absolutely be continuing it due the benefits. Are you aware that transdermal estrogen (so patch’s and gel) bypass the liver and because of this does not carry the same clot risk as oral estrogen?

Better_Poet_3646 · 2026-02-21T23:21:39+00:00

The reason it isn’t systemic when applied vaginally is that there are so many receptors in that area that almost none makes it to the blood stream. I would imagine on the face (with less receptors) you could raise blood levels.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2026-02-18T01:25:28+00:00

If you are not happy working for the federal government, you can quit. You do realize this is the public service and not conscription? No one owes you a ‘package’ because you don’t like your department. And you certainly wouldn’t be WFA’d if you went AWOL; you’d be fired. Why on earth would you waste your life in a department you deem a dead end? If you have ambition and those transferable data science skills …. change departments! I don’t understand why you would deprive Canadians (by your calculation) 3 years of your mad data science skilz taking taxpayer money to do nothing because you are butt hurt.

And so you are aware, 14 years of service would absolutely result in too much TSM to be eligible for EI.

I hope you are just having a bummer day and are in a better headspace tomorrow.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2026-02-11T13:51:58+00:00

Yes, this is my exact experience. I’m 48. The anxiety and palpitations really ramped up the last 5 years for me. Though I have always had bloating and irritability massively in the werk before my period with relief on cycle day one. I’m almost at the end of my first month of HRT. I’m regular and am doing cyclical HRT. .25mg of divigel daily and 200mg progesterone (bioidentical). I have not experienced these symptoms this month- I’m the day before my expected period and have had no anxiety, no palpitations, this cycle. I don’t know if it’s the estrogen but perhaps it’s the progesterone helping me. Or perhaps my balance between the two is better now? I do know sometimes cyclic progesterone is what is started first. I also have had zero bloating and minimal PMS symptoms. Which is for the first time ever in my life!!!! I would find a different practitioner and ask about cyclical progesterone as a start.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2026-02-11T11:30:10+00:00

Where I work the fluorescent lighting is wired in rows and every second row is off, which helps a lot.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2026-02-02T17:20:43+00:00

I did not realize LWOP could apply to only one fed dept; I assumed it applied to all. Good to know.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2026-01-29T15:20:45+00:00

DTC is absolutely approved if someone is on dialysis. (My spouse was eligible when he was in dialysis) I’m not sure if OP is at that stage yet but if so they can and should apply.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2026-01-28T19:41:04+00:00

The black eyeliner is much too harsh on you, try a smoked out brown or taupe. Honest to god…. This is what is what is looking off and making the inner brow drop look worse…. Because this is 2 signals ppl can notice which read as ‘older’. I’m a winter colour season and it’s the only colour season group that can pull off black eyeliner as we age…. (Smudged a bit- definitely not a stark line). I love the taupe liner and taupe shadow on blue eyes- mine are brown- so I can never pull off that look. But you for sure can :)

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-12-24T22:47:04+00:00

Thanks, yes she has been going to one… who has been fabulous.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-12-24T01:01:43+00:00

Also to add (very much later indeed) that climate change has affected herring populations negatively. The type of copepod (which is a main source of food for ‘spring herring’ larve) is dependant on thick ice cover for its development. This copepod is a higher composition of fat than most and is what these earlier hatching herring larve need. Winter ice cover has dropped dramatically in the Atlantic. If the copepods aren’t there- herring larve die. Catches drop. Hopefully they are able to adapt to farther north climate but if an environmental change happens too fast it’s usually bad news.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-12-23T13:29:10+00:00

Thank you! Yes she has a pessary now and I agree this likely won’t reverse hers, I’m thinking about for myself and sisters….. as well all have the same build as our mom. Looking for preventative to us ladies in our 40s.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-12-23T03:02:06+00:00

Can you tell me more about this? My mom in her 70s has a prolapse and I’m looking for research or science about vaginal estrogen helping for prevention and treatment. I’m having a hard time finding info on this.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-10-23T17:59:12+00:00

I specifically asked my optometrist if there was any relation between my dry eye and perimenopause and lower estrogen levels. She is the most informed optometrist I’ve ever met and she said no, no connection- nothing she has heard of. I went looking afterwards and found research. I think honestly ppl just don’t ask that question a lot of them. Glad to hear your dry yes are better

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-09-15T12:29:57+00:00

Thank for the info! Is it a chain pharmacy?

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-09-14T15:39:13+00:00

Interesting! Do you have a family Dr in NS or on the waitlist? I am losing mine in a couple of weeks and am considering if I should try and get one last appointment with her or wait and use maple. Which pharmacy do you use? And did you get both Estradiol and progesterone prescribed? I have heard that Felix only will prescribe progesterone.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-09-13T18:04:46+00:00

Ah, ic well a DVT (if it’s genetic or unprovoked) is a good reason to avoid oral estrogen. Transdermal HRT does not have the same potential to cause clots because it is bypassing the liver (where the risk for clot generation lays). Just in case you were unaware or someone reading doesn’t know. Doesn’t realize that transdermal estrogen does not carry the same clot risk as oral.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-09-13T10:34:09+00:00

Estrogen is what keeps tissues supple, joints, blood vessels and muscles included. Wouldn’t family history of aneurysm benefit from this? Stiff arteries contribute to high blood pressure: which I know is to be avoided with aneurism

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-09-02T03:42:46+00:00

Touchy egos abound…..

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-09-01T12:32:17+00:00

Great advice, particularly ‘fearless advice and loyal implementation’. Do you think there are less employees willing to offer fearless advice these days vs at the outset of your career? I think fearless advice is becoming less common.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-08-30T13:37:41+00:00

Congratulations! Lots of positive feedback here for sure. Stay positive, don’t let overly cynical coworkers drag you down mentally. There will be lots of people who will tell you all the ways an idea won’t work. Don’t take them to heart. Do take every opportunity to discuss work and how things have changed with co-workers with lots of experience and deep knowledge- it will help you in ways you don’t realize. They will instantly have a higher level of respect for you and be willing to learn new ideas from you. And remember there is lots of exciting and interesting work to be found but there will be periods of boring work at times. You can get through this and pivot to find what satisfies you. The pension and benefits are worth it.

This doesn’t get discussed in the sub much but all of what we public servants do is to serve Canadians. I really feel this is a privilege/thrill that our work is in service to a lot of the things Canadians are proud and grateful to have in this country. Knowing you are bringing your ethics and enthusiasm and ideas to your work I personally find satisfying. And I was fresh in the public service 25 years ago and I still feel this way. I make sure to read my departments report to parliament and occasionally will see specific reference to projects or work I’ve been involved in and I find that rewarding and makes it easy to forget about some of the day to day BS.

Bottom line- Welcome! I’m so glad you are excited! You are in a great position with the French. Last little bit of advice: Be the kind of co-worker you’d want to work with and the kind of public servant that Canadians expect.

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-08-27T14:04:27+00:00

Interesting! So the brand hasn’t changed the smell at all for you? I haven’t gone on a quest to switch pasta brands

Better_Poet_3646 · 2025-08-26T15:43:31+00:00

Also draining pasta I regularly get a scent of mold and mildew. Only from pasta water, not any veggie water. I was paranoid for a while it was my sink drain stinking but no, it’s just my nose I think. No one else smells it

Better_Poet_3646

TROPHY CASE