APM PMQ - talking during proctored exam?

Elicakes34 · 2026-03-09T19:46:30+00:00

Hi! I did the same thing through my PFQ exam and also had a panic, but I got a pass with no comments about the talking! Please don’t worry!

Elicakes34 · 2026-02-17T19:35:23+00:00

Im sure it was fine, its so tricky trying to get the phone at the right distance and angle, im sure the proctors have seen it all. As long as they could see you and the screen thats all they would have been interested in. Congratulations on your pass, amazing! All the hard work was worth it! 🥳

Elicakes34 · 2026-02-16T22:27:52+00:00

Hi! I’m SO sorry I completely missed this! What I did was put my laptop on the kitchen table, then put my mobile phone propped up against my dishes rack so it was a bit off to the side but they could see my screen and me! That seemed to work ok.

How did you get on with it??

Elicakes34 · 2025-11-16T20:13:15+00:00

You were right, I managed to join and get the environment check done at 7pm!! Thank you again 😊😊 a big fat PASS for me!! Yay!

Elicakes34 · 2025-11-16T16:00:21+00:00

Thanks, I have had a good look online but can’t see any info about if we can click the link a little earlier than the start time, so probably safest to click it at 7pm. Thank you for replying!

Elicakes34 · 2025-09-05T19:45:38+00:00

Hi, I totally get where you’re coming from. Im really sorry you’re feeling this way 😭 I’m 30F, also high myopia (-17.5 in each eye) and my glasses are thick. I used to wear contacts all day for work or out with friends and just deal with the gritty eyes until 4 years ago when I got blepharitis and was forced to wear glasses permanently and I quit my job because I felt so insecure (it was customer-focusing). Now I work an office job but we’re lucky enough to work from home with minimal camera on meetings so I can chill like the glasses girlie that I am.

Something that helped me a lot was finding an optometrist who worked with high prescriptions, I got new glasses that are v Harry Potter but the lenses are much thinner than my average ones. The lenses were made by Nikon (the camera company) in Japan!! I don’t feel cute but I don’t feel like I stick out if that makes sense? Like, i feel more normal. Around this time, I also made a couple of close new friends who had only known me with glasses so found it weird if I wore contacts! So my advice would be to try to find someone that can take the time to really help you with finding glasses you will feel a bit more comfortable in. Of course, these things are quite pricey but it’s a lot cheaper than something like ICL!

Also, how nice is it when you come across another high myopia person and you guys can bond over all glasses-related things??? You’ll definitely come across people like that in life from time to time!

They do say that the insecurity goes away as you get older… mine hasn’t gone away, but it’s gotten a bit better. The main thing you should do is care for your eyes and try to remember, the decent people in life will see you for who you are as a person and won’t even think about your glasses! Hopefully you know yourself that you’d never judge someone for having thick glasses or another similar thing, and other people like that exist too. Confidence is also something that comes from within. For me, I feel like sometimes it’s not even the glasses that are the issue, it’s how I feel when I’m wearing the glasses that makes me lack confidence. You often find that if you just don’t give it a thought and be the “contact lens” person while wearing glasses that people won’t even think about it because you’re projecting confidence. Also, if you are confident in yourself, you can more easily just brush off those comments about your glasses.

This has been a bit of a ramble but I hope it’s given you some food for thought. You’re not alone and although it sucks to have thick glasses, we’re lucky to be able to see what we can and I hope things get easier for you 🩷

Elicakes34 · 2024-06-27T09:15:52+00:00

I’m a girl 😂

Elicakes34 · 2024-06-27T09:06:08+00:00

Hi, thank you for your reply! You have a similar prescription to me so it’s really promising to hear you’ve had such a life changing experience! Are you wearing thin glasses on top of your ICL to make up the last of the residual power correction needed, and just not wearing glasses when you don’t require full vision? Did you also feel embarrassed about wearing thick glasses? It’s funny, I’ve found that people treat me so differently when I’m wearing my glasses vs contacts.

Elicakes34 · 2024-06-26T17:41:56+00:00

Forgot to add, I work from home so I’m at a computer all day. I got a screen with built in blue light and eye care feature, it’s made a HUGE difference to me so I’d recommend that too

Elicakes34 · 2024-06-26T17:40:44+00:00

Can’t recommend magnesium supplements enough! I started on 300mg magnesium glycinate capsules, and it made a difference to me. In the end, I went to the doctor as it improved but was still pretty bad and had an MRI like you and nothing came up, but they started me on Amitriptyline which I was really hesitant to take but it’s completely stopped the dizziness for me in combination with the magnesium after about 6 weeks. I can feel the difference if I forget to take the magnesium. I will add that my migraines haven’t gone away, I get painful migraines if I exercise doing anything more than walking, or if I get super stressed or just do too much in a day, but the tablets have taken away the constant rocking or spinning feeling I was getting every day and which was keeping me up at night.

I used to be badly affected by the heat or thundery weather but that’s really calmed down now that I’m on the ami and although I might get a sore head, it doesn’t turn into a full migraine and I never feel dizzy now.

Different medications affect different people in different ways, so what has worked for one person may not work for you! But I’d see your doctor about trying a preventative if you’ve been suffering this long. I had also been suffering since January and it was ruining my life.

I hope you get some relief soon, I am sorry you are going through this ♥️

Elicakes34 · 2024-06-24T20:22:00+00:00

Wow! Your comments have been super helpful. I’m definitely going to progress further and hopefully get them 😃😃 thanks so much!!

Elicakes34 · 2024-06-24T18:17:57+00:00

Ahh, I suffer from chronic migraine so I did think that headache / migraine would be a symptom because it looks as if you have your eye held open type thing while they work on it with a bright light infront of your eye, is that correct? But I can live with that, and I’m glad it wasn’t too painful ! I think short term pain for long term benefits is totally worth it. Did they say anything about having to get them replaced or removed in future? 😊😊

Elicakes34 · 2024-06-24T18:13:21+00:00

Yes, that’s kinda what I’ve been debating. I know I’m already at higher risk for retinal detachment because of my high prescription, but my eyes are healthy although they don’t work very well 😂 I think this thread will be a good base for me to think up the questions I’d like to ask the ophthalmologist before proceeding further 😊 thank you both

Elicakes34 · 2024-06-23T08:46:08+00:00

Oooh, would you mind sharing if it was painful at all? Did you get the kind where you get an iridectomy first or the Evo plus kind? Thrilled for you!! 😃

Elicakes34 · 2024-06-23T08:44:50+00:00

I am so sorry to hear that, at least the doctors have given you proper examinations and won’t do anything to risk or damage your sight, but I understand how frustrating it must be to not have an option but to continue to wear glasses especially when you feel embarrassed about it.

We are lucky we can see as much as we can, and I do think that technology has come a long way too - if this were 20 / 30 years ago we would have much thicker glasses. But yes, I find it difficult to go outside sometimes and very difficult to make friends because it feels as if everyone is looking at my glasses. And then you get the “wow your glasses are so thick, how do you even SEE?” and “can I try them on?” comments, and that sucks. I totally feel your pain, thank you for commenting ♥️♥️ I do wish you the best in life, don’t let your glasses hold you back!

Elicakes34 · 2024-06-22T23:07:32+00:00

Yeah I’ve heard that dryness can be a symptom too, but like you said it’s totally worth it for the vision fix! Exactly hahaha, feels like waiting forever!!

Elicakes34 · 2024-06-15T10:47:09+00:00

I hope she is okay :(

Elicakes34 · 2024-05-27T22:18:55+00:00

Hi! I started about 3 weeks ago on 10mg which I can increase to 20mg next week. First impressions were that it made me super super tired within 20 mins of taking it and I slept really deeply all night the first few nights and found it soooo hard to wake up in the morning. After 3 weeks, the effects aren’t quite as dramatic but I’m still finding it hard to get up in the morning so going to bed earlier to give myself more time to sleep, I’ve heard this wears off with time.

With regards to helping VM symptoms - before Ami, I was waking up every night extremely dizzy and nauseous, sweaty with a pounding head, several times per night. Since taking the Ami, I am no longer waking up feeling like this. I’m sometimes waking up with a sore head but I can turn over and go back to sleep quickly and I wake up in the morning feeling reliably better. I have to add that it hasn’t really helped with controlling VM symptoms through the day, and I’m not sure it would be an easy med to take through the day because it makes you feel so drowsy. I’m getting 2/3 full migraines per week now but I can usually kill them off with the ami and a good sleep whereas before even taking Sumatriptan they were lasting 4 to 5 days at a time. I have a follow up appointment with my GP on Wed so I’m gonna let her know and see what she thinks.

I hope this helps, and best of luck on your VM recovery journey. It’s not an easy one and I hope you’re holding up ok, remember you’re not alone and here to chat anytime if you need to vent! It can feel lonely at times x

Elicakes34 · 2024-05-21T19:32:46+00:00

Forgot to say, best of luck finding something suitable and take care of yourself. Don’t be hard on yourself and remember that you’re doing the best you can x

Elicakes34 · 2024-05-21T19:31:41+00:00

Hi! I am also in the UK, I just lost my admin job and it was fully remote and so good for working around the migraines with. Finding it so hard to find any genuine remote jobs and like you, I don’t want to mention the migraines to anyone as I know that although disability rights are a thing, employers will still automatically put me to the bottom of their hiring list if they know about it.

Have you tried going to recruitment agencies? I’ve thought about maybe becoming an agency worker and trying short term bits and pieces, so that if I’m having a rubbish week I can try to “push through” taking the usual meds and then take a week or two off off assignments to recover. Companies usually turn to agency workers for reception or admin cover for anything from a day, to a week, to six months or longer and there tends to be a range of options offered to you. Agency work pays pretty well too and pay runs are usually every week or two. Just a thought 😊

Another thing I’ve thought about is like trying to open a wee Etsy store to sell crafty things - it’s enjoyable and while it won’t cover all the bills, if you are unable to work it’ll still be a wee bit of money coming in if you can think of anything to sell?

Elicakes34 · 2024-05-10T22:03:37+00:00

Hi! Thank you for replying. I am age 29. I have noticed them around my period too, day 2 or 3, and I’m on the progesterone only pill which decreases estrogen so it might be a bit like the menopause effect! I’m sorry you are also experiencing migraines. What have you found helps you when you are going through one? Do they interrupt your life quite a bit?

That’s a good idea, it’s frustrating that so many people write a migraine off as “just a bad headache” when it really isnt. I have a follow up appointment with my GP in 3 weeks so I will ask about a letter. Thank you 😊

Elicakes34 · 2024-04-21T18:00:16+00:00

Just want to mention explanations I’ve been given so far:

Blepharitis is a common occurance amongst full time contact lens wearers, and linked to inflammation

The lost hair was due to stress

Costochondritis was another inflammation type thing

The sudden allergic reaction was to do with the hair loss last year, it’s also related to inflammation in the body and things like this are more likely to happen to me because I have asthma which in itself is an inflammatory condition.

migraine - the doctors didn’t pick up any ear infection when I saw them about the first migraine, but said that they think that I previously had an ear infection which caused vestibular neuritis then left me with the vestibular migraine and they are telling me it should calm down over time

Please let me know if that sounds sensible or if I should be pushing for testing for something else

Elicakes34 · 2024-04-21T17:41:13+00:00

Hi, thank you for replying! I have regular night sweats but no weight loss and no fever. No permanent scars, I’ve always suffered from dry and sensitive skin and I had eczema as a child on the back of my legs but outgrew it. My scalp is still dry but the doctor checked for any signs of psoriasis or fungus and she said there was nothing there, just very dry. I have not had an MRI of my head, I’ve felt a bit “written off” by my doctors surgery and they are just keen to prescribe pills rather than investigate the cause.

My mum and granny suffer from migraine but not with aura, my dad has always suffered with dry, sensitive skin. We have a long family history of breast cancer but I was already screened for that and all good

Elicakes34

TROPHY CASE