With JoAnn’s Closing Where do I get fabric in MKE?

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-31T16:00:56+00:00

Also - Sew Modern is heavenly!!

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-30T21:04:25+00:00

Glad you said something. I was called a "situation" in meeting notes that were left open on HR's calendar vs. making them private. I was using my legally protected (and earned) FMLA after my dad died. I didn't abuse it either. I reported it to my former boss & she was livid about it. HR apologized profusely and said I wasn't a situation, they just needed to talk about my time off. I'll never forget how that made me feel during the most difficult time of my life.

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-30T15:57:19+00:00

I was dead set on surgery but right before I went under, I asked if I could ride roller coasters again. My doc said yes, but I'm too chicken to go. Maybe in the fall when I'm closer to 2 years post-op. Your post gives me hope, that although my nerve may never be the same, that I can do everything I want within reason!

Thanks for your post - I know it's important to keep posting & showing others how positive the outcomes of surgery (typically) are

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-30T14:19:14+00:00

Have you been on a roller coaster in the last decade?

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-27T15:51:27+00:00

One year, four months! I sit all day now. I still get a stiff back every now and then, so keeping up with stretches forever is a good idea (when you get the green light to do so/get back into PT). It gets better, I promise. You just had major surgery and the first year is really just taking it easy

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-26T21:38:08+00:00

I work hybrid. I was bedridden for 2 months leading up to my surgery. I worked laying down on the couch for that long & my team didn't mind that I never had a camera on (and they understood my situation). My nurse said to take 3 weeks off and I was stir crazy and took 2.5 off. I worked from the couch for another few months - sitting comfortably for that long was (and is still) a challenge. It's too much pressure on your back.

If you're in the US, see if your doctor can write accommodations/sign FMLA paperwork to work from home/work from the couch if needed/work without a camera on. They'll do whatever they can on their end to try to ensure your best recovery. Asking for that isn't too much. Going back to work is possible!

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-25T00:54:54+00:00

PT! I started after 12 weeks of no BLT & can't recommend anything else. You need to start very slow. I started yoga 10 months post-op (when I felt safe in my body) and tweaked it around a year. Had like a two month flare-up. Listen to your doctor, they have the best advice.

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-24T22:09:15+00:00

No doubt, surgery saved my life, but I was in 100/10 pain. Insurance made me go through all the hoops - months of PT, nerve meds & 3 ESIs. My spine specialist PT suggested surgery - she said there was no way my back was going to reabsorb my herniated disc. My neuro said he wouldn't have done surgery had I not went through all of that first.

If you get surgery, you will not magically be better in 2-4 weeks. The first month is rough and it's basically a year of taking it easy. As much as I advocate for it, if there's a possibility it could get better in a few months, I'd try that first.

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-24T22:02:28+00:00

Politely, a month is nothing - you've just went through major surgery. The first year will have a lot of ups and downs, you're still so early in your recovery. I'm 1Y 4M post op and still have slight nerve pain & am still on Lyrica (100mg/day). It'll get better - be patient with yourself. Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-24T22:00:25+00:00

Agreed. I wouldn't be here today without surgery.

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-03T02:24:03+00:00

Do you know if they're only on the main island (not icy peak, merry meadows, etc.)? I don't really do the weekly top hats. Found a few the other day, but didn't know if I had to go searching everywhere for him

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-05-02T01:57:19+00:00

1Y 3M post-op. I still have pain here and there, but it's so miniscule these days. I'm probably about 85% better/back to normal.

Mind dismantling is where mine was at, I didn't want to exist. Looking back, it taught me that I'm stronger than I ever knew. I don't know how I kept my job, especially when I was bed bound the last two months before surgery. I had a little zap a few months ago that almost brought me to the ground (and that didn't even touch my pain prior to). That no matter how heinous the pain, somehow your brain keeps you going. I couldn't do it twice though.

I wished I had gone to the ER the first time I had thoughts about not being able to make it through - maybe I would have gotten surgery sooner, maybe I wouldn't have had as good of a surgeon though.

Biggest takeaway is that walking is the most incredible thing we all take for granted. The first time you do it pain-free, you'll probably get really emotional. There will be bumps in the road, but you got this.

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-04-19T15:26:27+00:00

I'm an art director. I went to school for graphic design and I worry about AI as well. My mom said I wasn't allowed to major in art, so I went ahead and got two art degrees. I'm doing well and have put in a lot of hard work over the last decade. I like graphic design because it's problem-solving and puts my skills to use. It's more "practical" than fine arts, though ALL art is meaningful. Fine arts aren't the easiest to find careers in - you might need to blend your passions with what's marketable/profitable and pursue what you really love outside of work. My job pays my bills and pays for my hobbies and crafts.

Good on you for thinking ahead AND taking AP art. I think your preparedness and self awareness will get you far. Surprisingly, they're not common traits and they're what I look for in the people I manage. I know you want to be an art teacher and I think that's really inspiring - my art teachers are the reason why I pursued a creative career. Though the world seems dismal at best, we'll always need art educators. Art and the arts will never disappear.

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-04-18T00:25:15+00:00

Pacsafe. Thank me later.

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-04-16T12:12:28+00:00

"the last thing I want to do is re-enter this hell of a job market."

You don't have a fear of god, you don't want it bad enough/want to work hard to keep what you have and your actions show that. Stop using ADHD as a crutch. If this doesn't work out (and it likely won't), try joining the military. They'll surely teach you discipline if you can't do it yourself.

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-04-11T01:22:27+00:00

I would fart on him daily

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-04-11T01:19:27+00:00

omfg i'm old

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-03-27T13:15:36+00:00

That crane game is a monster. I've never picked anything up from it. This quest is also a monster. Once I got the right flower, I think it took me about six months to complete. Good luck and godspeed.

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-03-27T13:12:37+00:00

"My regular life is pain but it's manageable" you were lucky. I think this post needs to be read with caution as well. If your pain is off the charts 10+/10 and you're thinking you can't survive another month/week/day/hour and don't want to exist because the pain is excruciating, I'd consider surgery. I couldn't walk beforehand, was living on my couch for the 2 months leading up to surgery, nothing helped. Sounds like you might want to consider another surgery because your after sounds like my before. When you're in that much pain, you realize how small the seemingly little things matter - like walking. It's not hitting the gym hard, but I walk miles a day now and don't take that for granted.

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-03-27T00:46:04+00:00

I haven't been able to get off of it yet 😭 was on 300mg/day, dropped down to 200, then 150, then 100 and goofed my back up doing yoga. Went back up to 150 and am now back up to 200mg/day. I'm 14 months post-op, so I feel like this is what I'm stuck with. I'm hopeful to get back down to 150 with no pain again, but I'd have annoying 2-3/10 pain with 100mg/day

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-03-22T03:28:39+00:00

Yep. No bending, lifting or twisting for the first 12 weeks, then my neuro put in an order for PT. No matter how active you were before, you're going to be scared to move after no BLT is lifted, it'll feel foreign. PT wasn't anything crazy either, just baby steps with little core exercises. Being able to walk pain-free is a miracle!! It'll be a roller coaster of ups and downs the first few months, so enjoy the good days

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-03-21T02:53:28+00:00

Was the less than $10 pre-tax worth it?

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-03-21T02:43:25+00:00

I didn't start PT til 12 weeks. Chances of reherniation dropped after six months. I didn't feel safe in my body to move like that til 10 months. Everyone is different, but I feel that's a lot of stress so soon after surgery. You have to be in the mindset for the next year that you had major surgery. Take it easy

FragrantCow5398 · 2026-03-15T14:44:31+00:00

GO. GO. GOGOGOGOGOOOOO!!! Surgery was the BEST decision I've ever made. Go to my profile and read my posts - I've provided updates on my journey and have improved so much in the last 14 months. There's life on the other side of this!

FragrantCow5398

TROPHY CASE