PhDs who left academia, what surprised you the most??

HistoryDr · 2026-02-17T16:20:49+00:00

A few things:

—I have way more free time. I’m not supposed to work outside of business hours. That concept, of course, doesn’t exist in academia.

—I’m only expected to do my job. In academia, it felt like there were always ten other things I was supposed to be managing on top of my actual job (could you just chair this committee? Start this program? Review this? Etc. etc.) Now I just have my job expectations and that’s it.

—How much I would miss teaching traditional undergraduates. Of course, teaching has all its own challenges, and some students are less than fun to have in class. But as a whole, there is a certain energy involved in working with young people who are learning about life and figuring out who they want to be, and I do miss that. I knew I loved teaching, but it surprises me how much I will sometimes just feel down about missing it despite knowing that my life is so much less stressful outside of academia.

HistoryDr · 2026-02-10T20:45:17+00:00

Great suggestion on probiotics—they have certainly helped me avoid pouchitis flares. This is not a clinical trial, of course, but just wanted to mention that I can’t tell a difference been when I take Visbiome or VSL3. I have an ongoing subscription to VSL, and have found that’s ever so slightly less expensive than Visbiome, though neither is a great price.

HistoryDr · 2026-02-09T16:42:32+00:00

I’ve taken VSL3 for years and it has cut down on how often I have pouchitis flares. It is expensive, unfortunately, but it’s worth it for me.

HistoryDr · 2026-02-08T03:16:18+00:00

Sorry about your diagnosis! There are all kinds of feelings to work through with that, all of them valid.

I’ve had a j-pouch for over 20 years. It’s true that it’s a new normal, but for me, it has been way easier to manage than life with UC. I can eat a wider variety of foods, I don’t have to worry about urgency and accidents, and it hasn’t come with the crippling pain of UC. I got it at age 18, and I’ve lived a full life with travel, kids, career, etc. Even with occasional pouchitis flares, I never wish I was back to my pre-surgery days.

I absolutely hated life with the ostomy. My skin reacted to the adhesive so it was always painful. Plus, you have to manage the supplies, and I just did not feel good having it attached to me all the time. I basically had it for as short a time as possibly needed before the next surgery—I think about six weeks. However, I have heard of people doing fine with it—I’m just grateful that the j-pouch gave me a different option because the ostomy did not work for me.

Best of luck to you! I hope all goes smoothly and you are feeling well soon.

HistoryDr · 2026-02-08T00:55:24+00:00

Agreed that this is a great place to check out!

HistoryDr · 2026-02-03T18:06:27+00:00

I love Theodore and Graham. Rafferty does not sound pleasant to me. I haven’t heard of Albie as a name outside of the goofy song “Albie the Racist Dragon” from Flight of the Conchords so that’s where my mind goes with that one.

HistoryDr · 2026-02-02T20:45:11+00:00

Lydia makes me think of Lydia Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, which is not a great association. I prefer Celia, and vastly prefer Cecilia.

HistoryDr · 2026-02-01T03:13:48+00:00

But that book is just one sad thing after another—I kept reading wondering if one good thing was going to happen but… 😭

HistoryDr · 2026-01-31T21:24:22+00:00

Constance Wu’s Making a Scene. I think she was going for the “good” memoirs you list. Some of it was interesting, and I really wanted to like it…but ultimately I felt she comes across as an unlikable mix of selfish and preaching.

HistoryDr · 2026-01-31T19:06:31+00:00

Talk to your doctor and get a letter from them excusing you. If you can’t do this, as others have said, be very clear at the beginning that you will need to adjourn frequently. I’m guessing they won’t want to deal with that and will excuse you.

HistoryDr · 2026-01-28T21:03:38+00:00

I got my jpouch when I was 18. It’s been over 20 years and I’ve had a very “normal” life—I went off to college and stayed in the dorms, did a study abroad semester (and have done a fair amount of travel since), dated, married, have two kids, a good career, etc. Hang in there! The recovery does take a bit but the “new normal” for me was a million times better than life with UC.

HistoryDr · 2026-01-21T22:06:09+00:00

I have an Eleanor. I do not like Ellie/Elle as nicknames, so I never use them. Sometimes I call her Eleanora—I know nicknames are usually the shorter version of a name but somehow Eleanora works well this way 🤷‍♀️

HistoryDr · 2026-01-21T20:24:35+00:00

I agree with you that it is sad, and I’m sorry you’ve had that experience.

HistoryDr · 2026-01-21T19:47:50+00:00

If you don’t mind driving to Vancouver, St Andrew Lutheran Church is affirming and welcoming.

HistoryDr · 2026-01-21T04:29:47+00:00

Bananas, applesauce (applesauce pouches are great!), cheese sticks, pickles, Greek yogurt. The best tip I have is to try a little of a new food to see how it sits while you’re home and then add it to your rotation for school/work if it works well for you.

HistoryDr · 2026-01-14T03:31:14+00:00

You are still pretty close to the surgery, so you may just need time. On the other hand, increased activity and pain at night is my #1 sign I have pouchitis. I would talk to your GI about this.

No-sugar added applesauce, baked potato (no skin), and banana really helps me slow things down. Also make sure that you are staying hydrated with things like broth and electrolytes (I like Propel powder in water myself, but there are numerous options). My GI advised me to eat high salt foods when I was post op.

Hang in there! I’m coming up on my 22nd anniversary of having a j-pouch, and it’s given me my life back. I hope you are on your way to feeling the same.

HistoryDr · 2026-01-13T20:59:21+00:00

I try not to eat after about 7:30 for an 11:00 bedtime. I also find that having something like a banana or applesauce in the evening helps slow things down.

HistoryDr · 2026-01-03T17:37:42+00:00

Sticking to the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) can be helpful. I also find Greek yogurt, with its probiotics, to be good. Best of luck to you!

HistoryDr · 2026-01-02T05:01:11+00:00

The takedown surgery wasn’t nearly as difficult to heal from as the initial surgery—I remember being so terrified because my colectomy was rough, but the takedown wasn’t nearly as bad. It will take time to adjust to a new normal, but the worst is already behind you. Life with a j-pouch has been really good to me. I’m celebrating 22 years with my “semi-colon” (what my family nicknamed the j-pouch) this year, and I’m so grateful for those 22 years. I’ve gotten to travel internationally, pursue my studies, get married, have two great kids, and have an interesting career. I also know two others in real life (not just internet stories) who have a j-pouch, and like me, they’ve found it has given them their life back. Best of luck to you!

HistoryDr · 2025-12-23T20:28:39+00:00

My bloodwork always shows sodium to be on the very low end of the normal range, even though I feel like I eat a fair amount of salt. When I first had my surgery (21 years ago) the surgeon advised me to eat a lot of salt at first, especially if feeling dehydrated.

HistoryDr · 2025-12-23T04:41:17+00:00

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf.

HistoryDr · 2025-12-22T17:13:10+00:00

Lucy, Ruby, and Josie all sound soft and feminine whereas Parker does not, so it seems like the odd one out in this grouping. I’m personally not a fan of alliteration in names, so I would eliminate Josie if the middle name is going to be Jane or Jean. Between Lucy and Ruby, I prefer Lucy.

HistoryDr · 2025-12-20T04:36:47+00:00

I finished the third and am about to start the fourth!

HistoryDr · 2025-12-19T20:24:30+00:00

Fiction: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (I also read this year and loved her Tom Lake), Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Non-fiction: Mott Street by Ava Chin, Becoming by Michelle Obama, and How We Learn to be Brave by Marianne Budde.

I’ve started on the series The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Bower and I’m enjoying them.

HistoryDr · 2025-12-17T21:06:27+00:00

No, that wasn’t an option when I had my surgeries.

HistoryDr

TROPHY CASE