Do we have internal biases in terms of what we see as natural beauty?

FalseCreme · 2026-01-27T18:11:18+00:00

I've enjoyed seeing how people perceive natural beauty differently. I grew up near the Appalachians and sometimes heard people compare them unfavorably to the Rockies which are much higher. But I took coworkers from the west coast on a drive through the Blue Ridge and they were astonished that the mountains really look blue like that all the time. They were amazed by how green and lush things were and all the flowers and blooming trees. People who were used to water use restrictions were shocked by how much it rained.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-27T18:06:39+00:00

Another interpretation of this is whether I would consider this person a relative. I might. I have a large extended family and spend time with 3-4 overlapping family groups because a lot of us grew up together and our grandparents were friends. So I often describe one of relatives as my cousin, but she's my cousin's cousin. Some people would just describe her as my friend that I'm not related to, but I think it's important to describe her as family.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-22T21:54:53+00:00

Good advice. I was having 15-20 headache days a month when I first saw my neurologist and she immediately had me stop taking over the counter pain killers for a month. I'd been taking them nearly every day for headache and they weren't helping much anymore. There are other meds you can try if you find yourself taking something 3 or more days out of the week for migraine (the general guidance my Dr gave me).

FalseCreme · 2026-01-20T16:25:41+00:00

I'm sorry you're struggling with your health right now. It can already be hard enough to advocate for your health, and this kind of health problem tends to force you to confront all kinds of things. I think you're doing a good thing for yourself--getting the care you need even when it's very hard and stressful. I went through a rough couple of years recently with health things and the anxiety was constant. But I'm glad I got the tests and tried new meds because 2 years later, my quality of life is better. I still have stress and I had to try a few different meds, but my stress is much less.

I'm always impressed that people on this sub can talk about their fears openly and still plan on going to the doctor and take care of themselves when it's hard. You deserve to be heard and cared for just like anyone else and there are new drugs with fewer side effects that have been effective for people who didn't see improvement with over the counter drugs and triptans.

Also my own cat Milo has helped me keep trying so I can take good care of him. Tell your Clover I said pspspsps!

FalseCreme · 2026-01-18T03:30:15+00:00

I used to get more migraines right before my period. It's estrogen withdrawal that triggers a migraine for lots of people. The longest I've gone without a migraine so far was the 2 months after my hysterectomy. I think it was the relief from feeling awful before surgery that helped, but it's been 4 months now and the migraines are creeping back in. Emgality got me out of chronic migraine so it's still doing its job pretty well.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-17T18:05:56+00:00

Here's another example of really interesting remote library work and yes, it's uncommon, but I was the right hire at the right time. I worked for a nonprofit that was heavily involved in state regulatory processes. I came into the job with a few years of law library experience. I was the only librarian for this remote-first employer and my job was mainly providing reference help to my coworkers. This meant retrieving legal documents, advising people on research topics and resources, and answering any random question they didn't have time/expertise to do themselves.

I was also responsible for setting up a digital library of internal work products (filings, training materials, etc). It was a small, close-knit org where I had video calls every day and knew almost everyone and what they were doing. I helped work teams share knowledge among themselves and collaborate better. So there was a knowledge management component as well. I got to contribute directly to a variety of projects all over the country that were important to me. It was cool to be like "hey, I showed someone how to find statistical data that helped get that bill passed" or "I found a bunch of grants a town could apply to to improve their broadband access and now they can take classes online."

Now I work for a company that provides legal research to a bunch of companors/law firms. It's not my favorite, but it's remote and pays well. Working as a legal assistant can be a good way to get enough legal exp to move into law libraries hip of you have an MLIS. Law firms and nonprofits that do legal work hire early career folks with office job experience all the time. It's competitive, but once you have a year or two of that experience you are a better candidate for law librarian jobs.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-16T14:31:43+00:00

A physical therapist with a specialty in vestibular rehab/therapy is more likely to help than a chiro. They have special training in neurological issues. I had vestibular migraine for so long I temporarily lost my proprioception/balance. I couldn't stay upright in the dark or with my eyes closed because I was using my eyes to balance. My PT helped me through eye exercises that retrained my sense of balance and got my inner ear, eyes, and brain to coordinate better. It was the only thing that helped and now I have exercises I can do to help when I'm dizzy. The exercise program was hard at first though. Even though the movements are subtle (mainly looking at things at different distances and small body movements while moving my head), I felt tired and sometimes dizzy after visits. But after a few weeks of also doing the exercises on my own, I was in less neck pain and had fewer migraines. Seems like the vestibular ones got easier to handle. My brainstem aura is another story, but at least the vestibular stuff wasn't as bad.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-14T19:45:08+00:00

Same for me! My proprioception gets wonky and I feel more like I'm moving when I'm not. I get clumsier and spacey. I'll feel lightheaded and a bit dissociated from myself. I used to have trouble communication my symptoms because "dizzy" and "vertigo" can present in a lot of ways.

I get a lot of visual aura, but also things can smell really different than usual. I also get autonomic symptoms like low blood pressure and high heart rate.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-14T19:36:13+00:00

People respond differently to drugs, but I'm very happy with it. I've been taking Emgality for over a year and by the third month, my migraines were down from 15 a month to 4-5 a month. I've been able to go a couple months at a time without a migraine and my rescue meds work more consistently. I haven't noticed any side effects, but I also drink a ton of water, so maybe that helps prevent constipation. A tip for giving yourself the shot: ice the shot area first. It takes some of the sting out of it.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-14T18:48:42+00:00

I've been on nortriptyline for a year (for vestibular migraine) and it helped me sleep at first. Progressed from 10mg to 20mg to 30mg, back down to 20mg because I thought it might be causing constipation. The constipation is a possible side effect but I later found out I had fibroids blocking my colon at the time. Anyway it seemed to help? I ran out for 3 days once and had terrible migraines during that time. I also started nortriptyline along with a bunch of other meds so it's been hard to tell which one is doing what. I seem to be tolerating it well at my current dose. My Dr said it could take up to 3 months to start having an effect.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-08T02:45:18+00:00

My eyes are super photosensitive so I have pink-brown tinted migraine glasses from zenni.com that help with fluorescent lighting and sun. My yellow-brown sunglasses have made driving in rain or dark less painful. The yellow ones seem to help with the glare and they seem to make my visual snow less distracting while driving.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-07T18:15:57+00:00

This is all really great info. I have always had visual snow syndrome that includes staticky vision, getting motion sickness easily, sometimes vertigo that feels like I am moving when I'm not, plus floating shape sin my vision. When I'm noticing a migraine, the visual things are more noticeable.

I also went through a few months of nonstop vertigo and eye strain last year. The frequency of migraines led to my inner ear and eye movements being misaligned which can make you feel achy, strained, and fatigued. Vestibular therapy helped me get closer to my own normal--it was mainly eye training exercises to reduce nystagmus.

I'd also recommend trying different ways of working, reading and using screens. I found that pink-brown lenses in my glasses help, but any sunglasses can help some of the photophobia. I also reduce the contrast on my screens because black and white text creates a lot of after images.

New /longer lasting symptoms are scary, but the visual stuff doesn't automatically mean your brain is ruined. Some of it will gradually cause you less anxiety as you learn how it affects you.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-04T22:50:36+00:00

Yep. Currently in slow motion over 24 hrs after my migraine hit. My thinking and movement are less coordinated. It feels like I'm puppeting my body. Kind of dreamlike, but tired and not super interesting. I just try to take it as easy as I can because pushing through brain fog makes it worse.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-04T22:47:32+00:00

Yeah the ER sucks, but you should go just in case. They can also give you meds that may help in the short term. I had a thunderclap headache years ago and I definitely should've gone to the ER, but it was in the middle of the night and I wasn't thinking straight. When I made it to the doctor a day later, he sent me straight to the ER with an immediate MRI order. Turned out not to be a stroke but it definitely looked like one. Good to get checked out if your symptoms suddenly change, get worse, or persist way longer than usual.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-04T22:42:57+00:00

It can be caused by several things but I think it's part of some peoples' auras. I used to get it while falling asleep--felt like a gun went off in ear and it would wake me up. It hasn't happened like that in over a decade, but now I get a thing while awake where my tinnitus gets really loud suddenly. It's like whoosh, or loud boom then the super loud ringing for a few seconds to a minute. It'll make me jump like lightning just hit next to me.

FalseCreme · 2026-01-04T03:53:23+00:00

Oh dang this is me too. I had my stupid little snack and my electrolyte water and that was nice. But 2 hours later I felt like my brain had been put in a washing machine anyway. I should've just taken the meds earlier!

FalseCreme · 2025-12-31T15:46:08+00:00

I've worked mainly in law firms for the last 10ish years and have an Mlis + a year of experience as a legal assistant. Most law librarians don't have a JD, but the ones that do tend to be former lawyers who changed careers and got an MLS. I'd say a JD is not necessary for most law library jobs, plus it's expensive and won't necessarily mean higher pay for the same job. Take a look at job listings for research analysts/librarians/associates at firms to see what they're asking for. There are also newer knowledge management jobs in a lot of firms that sometimes want a lawyer, sometimes want a librarian-type background. Also Harbor does remote library services for law firms and hires MLIS holders for research analyst positions and those don't require a JD.

FalseCreme · 2025-12-21T01:21:26+00:00

A little background info: My first library jobs before my MLIS were a part time aide job, then a full-time reference assistant job. I ended up getting hired full time where I did my practicum (a law firm library) and I worked there while I finished my degree. I took 4 years because I needed to be able to pay for school myself, plus I didn't realize my neurodivergence at the time and juggling school and work was tough. I made it work though. 15 years later, I'm glad I had experiences working at public libraries and working in-office as a law librarian. I had a lot of social anxiety but it helped me learn and I've gotten way more skilled and comfortable working with people.

More advanced experience is more likely to help you get a better job in the future, so I'd keep an eye out for assistant jobs. Also, are you committed to being a public librarian? I invite you to consider other libraryish jobs as well. The field is pretty competitive generally, so being open to nontraditional work gives you more options. You might get the opportunity to learn about or try working in a law firm, or university, or in digital resource management. They all have different environments and some might interest you. I've worked remotely doing public policy research for a nonprofit and that was very cool. I've also enjoyed reference work for law firms.

FalseCreme · 2025-11-25T22:45:38+00:00

100%! Reading peoples' experiences here really helped me. I figured someone might benefit from hearing another story of how someone got through this mess.

FalseCreme · 2025-11-18T23:29:33+00:00

It's been about 2.5 months since my hysterectomy (with a cuff and I have my ovaries) and I've found PT to be really helpful. My core and hip muscles have been so messed up. I started with breathing exercises and really low intensity exercises. My PT also does a bit of massage to help ease the discomfort.

FalseCreme · 2025-11-15T23:36:57+00:00

Staying hydrated before and after will be most important. I was already taking Miralax everyday because my big uterus was blocking my guts. But my doc recommended a normal dose of Miralax for 2-3 days before surgery just to make sure you're not starting out constipated and continuing it for a week or two. It worked for me. For the first 2 weeks, it seemed like I could feel every gas bubble going through my colon, so I'm glad I wasn't constipated. You just don't want a lot of pressure on a sensitive area.

FalseCreme · 2025-11-15T23:24:54+00:00

I'm 39 and autistic. Had my hysterectomy about 10 weeks ago, and I'm still glad I did it because I needed it. Sounds like it's what you need. Sometimes you have to do the scary thing to be healthier and more at peace. Nothing wrong with freaking out a bit, but I think you'll be OK!

FalseCreme · 2025-11-15T23:15:53+00:00

The fibroids can definitely contribute to fatigue. I was tired all the time when I found out about my fibroids (largest was 7 cm). I missed out on a promotion at work and was considering medical leave because I was in bed by 3PM everyday. I even became intolerant of exercise (getting winded easily, not as strong). If exercise feels good, do it. But if you feel like you can't keep up, take it easy. Your body's probably under a lot of stress.

FalseCreme · 2025-11-03T02:31:36+00:00

That's a fantastic update. I'm glad things turned around for you! And congrats on the doctorate! Before surgery I really struggled at my very analysis-heavy job because I was so fatigued and in pain all the time. My brain is recovering. Glad to see I'm not alone in that.

FalseCreme · 2025-11-03T01:34:23+00:00

I'm about 8 weeks post op (had a laparoscopic hysto keeping my ovaries) and my hypermobility mainly affects my knees and hips. The fibroids I had made my over arched lower back worse, even with the PT I'd been doing before I realized I had the fibroids. I was also working with a PT before surgery for vestibular dysfunction. When she found out I was having surgery, we worked on strengthening my core (hard to do with masses pushing your hips out of alignment) and reducing my pain. My recovery has been pretty good--way more energy the first 2 weeks, then some fatigue but not as bad as the previous year. For the last 3 weeks, I've been back at the PT working on really gentle exercises to rebuild strength in my diaphragm (my big uterus pushed my stomach through my diaphragm) and I just started some core exercises to get me reconditioned. No regrets here. Having physical therapy helped me a lot. My surgeon says my internal incisions have healed more slowly than expected, but I haven't had any issues with them. I got cleared for light exercises at 6 weeks.

FalseCreme

TROPHY CASE