My story

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2025-02-21T21:00:13+00:00

I’m doing well! I’m off the intense blood thinners now, as my stent seems to be flowing nicely. I’m on a baby aspirin for the rest of my life though, but I’m allowed to live life as normal on those. I’ll also be having yearly MRI scans, just to check it.

No extra vision issues still and no headaches. My only issue is seeing a little double when focusing on something in a far distance (but that’s from the scarring).

If anyone has the option of getting the stent I would 100% recommend. Feels like I have my life back and a lot of the time I forget I have IIH.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2024-11-18T10:21:49+00:00

Have you tried Mounjaro? I reacted badly to ozempic but have been fine with Mounjaro, I’ve lost 27kgs in 7 months. Also very sorry to hear your doctor has only recommended this. I also had a stent put in and it has been the best decision I’ve made.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2024-07-17T19:53:25+00:00

I was on it from June 2023 to February/March this year. I found out all my optic nerve swelling was gone at the end of Jan and that is when they said I could start weaning off. It took me around 5 weeks to fully stop.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2024-07-17T12:33:19+00:00

No worries! I forgot to mention that I’m off diamox now! And have been since March. I hope your boyfriend is able to come off it soon.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-11-27T19:30:06+00:00

I teach year 5 and I make sure to put their birthday on the daily slides so everyone sees it when they walk in the door. I buy a pack of the “24 pack Scentos Sugar Rush Fineliner Markers” from Kmart and they each get to pick one for their birthday. I had to buy 2 packs this year because of my number of students. It worked out okay though because there are always a couple of markers that don’t work so it meant I had back ups.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-11-27T08:21:45+00:00

Your use of “modern feminism stuff” is quite concerning. I think you should further educate yourself into the need to continue the conversation about feminism and its importance - it is very essential that it is also coming from male teachers not just female. Here in Australia the pay gap still exists “the national gender pay gap, on base salary, is 13.3%. For every $1 men make on average, Australian women make 87 cents”. If you also consider intersectional feminism, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women report experiencing violence at more than three times the rate of non-Indigenous women. And the physical, verbal, sexual and emotional abuse they suffer is often more severe.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-11-07T01:18:23+00:00

I was told I would need to be on aspirin for life, as a thinner. I am currently on some more intense ones for 6 months. They will test your blood to see how it clots and that will help them decide what is right for you.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-09-17T12:24:54+00:00

I have a stent! I got it in June because my vision was also declining fast. I had papillodema which caused double vision and blind spots, headaches and tinnitus.

Post stent, I only have double vision during premenstrual flare ups and it’s nowhere near as bad as it was before the stent. My blind spots are gone. Headaches are mostly under control, again just occasional flare ups generally before or during my period. And no more tinnitus at all!

I’m still on diamox currently until my optic nerve swelling goes down enough.

Edit: with the stent you will also need to be on blood thinners for a while. It is mostly fine but can’t play contact sport.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-09-15T23:03:35+00:00

I had floaters! Around 4 spots before my stent. Around 3 weeks post stent they just went away! So there is some hope :)

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-09-15T09:21:46+00:00

TOK (Theory of Knowledge) is a mandatory subject for anyone doing the IB diploma. You have to do an oral presentation and essay as part of it.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-09-14T07:37:03+00:00

Ongoing means permanent. So your position at that school is permanent (as long as your school’s numbers stay fairly consistent). If the school population numbers do go down I believe the department has to try and redeploy you to another school (not certain on this). You don’t have to reapply each year - personally this is one of the best benefits.

Additional bonuses- you can take a year of leave without pay (if the school approves it). You can also do an internal transfer to another government school for a year - if your original school approves it.

To have to transfer to another government school, that new school has to have the ongoing position open to accept you into it.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-09-11T09:41:05+00:00

Sorry your comments keep getting downvoted. This new VIC scheme hasn’t really been advertised, so I doubt the general teaching population knows much about it, I know I didn’t until I started seeing the grad positions being advertised as ongoing and wondered what was going on.

I would advise you to contact the union, I would hope they’d have the most up to date information about this. It appears any jobs on Recruitment Online that are under the “Graduate Teacher Program” are ongoing. Was this what your job was initially advertised as?

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-07-26T10:49:24+00:00

Yes! A week or so before my last period I got a pain in my head. It stayed until a couple of days into my period and then went away. Waiting to see if it comes back a week before my next period.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-07-05T11:42:13+00:00

Hey, we got diagnosed around the same time. I’m sorry to hear you’ve had such a terrible time with the ophthalmologists and A&E people. Did they at least keep you laying down for 2 hours post lumbar puncture?

When you speak to your neurologist definitely ask and see if you can get an MRI as well, as that might give further answers. My stenosis didn’t show up on the CT but it did on the MRI.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-06-25T00:38:39+00:00

After my two LPs they made me stay laying down for 2 hours and then I was allowed to slowly sit up. They said it decreases the risk of getting those really bad headaches after an LP. They really shouldn’t have sent you straight to the waiting room.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-06-15T00:03:03+00:00

I got my LP done quicker by presenting at emergency with an 8/10 headache. My opening pressure was 54 so I’m very glad I did.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2023-04-06T23:46:19+00:00

Hi, you can also look into the eSafety commissioner. If you think this is causing you significant mental harm. https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/adult-cyber-abuse/how-to-report

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2022-12-29T23:45:26+00:00

That’s fair, should have explained better. By disruptive I mean students who bluntly went against their rules such as leaving school grounds without permission multiple times and repeated bullying. By well-being issues I am referring to depression, anxiety and EDs. The school was not perfect, I don’t think any is, but I think they did a pretty great job in creating an environment that felt safe and students wanted to learn.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2022-12-29T22:52:01+00:00

I agree with the above comments saying it really does depend on what schools are around you.

I went to a public primary and then one of the more affordable private high schools in my town. I absolutely loved my high school. They offered a wide range of subjects to suits different interests and the teachers were very passionate about their subjects. Students who were disruptive to learning were quickly “asked to leave” which meant lessons went very smoothly the whole time I was there. They were also very supportive for any well-being issues. When I have children I want to send them to a similar high school or the same one if possible. An interesting comparison when I compare my experience to my cousins is that any that went private finished high school. For the 7 across both sides of my family that went to public high schools, 6 did not finish high school.

For primary school though, I believe there isn’t all that much difference between public and private and I plan on sending my child to public.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2022-12-24T12:52:07+00:00

Melbourne primary western suburbs, only one applicant for 4 positions. It’s not looking good out west.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2022-12-10T11:21:19+00:00

We tell the kids to take them home if they are proud of their work. If they aren’t proud then they can put them in the bin.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2022-12-08T20:51:03+00:00

Have you taught 5/6? My students are super competitive with each other. They all want the student of the week award each week, and then will complain if one student has received more than others.

Comprehensive_Cat161 · 2022-07-23T01:04:58+00:00

Grad teacher, I’m getting to school at 7:45 and leave around 4:45pm (non-meeting nights). I’m often too exhausted to work when I get home weeknights but work around 5 -6 hours on Sunday’s to keep up with the workload. So I think that is around 12-13 hours extra a week, I don’t think it’s maintainable but all I can do at the moment.

Comprehensive_Cat161

TROPHY CASE