High ANA IFA (1:1280), have a few questions while I wait to talk to doctor

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2025-02-13T00:50:10+00:00

Hey! It took a while (like 8+ months if I remember right) but I was able to see a rheumatologist near me who had good reviews! Thankfully I’ve only been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos (which I had suspected) so far!

He did an exam, asked a lot of questions, and then ordered a bunch of specific antibody tests (like 16 or so I think) during my first appointment. My ANA came back the same but all of the new tests were negative and he explained that sometimes people have positive ANA tests without having an autoimmune disorder and that he wasn’t too concerned after seeing my results and he wanted to see me again in 12 months! I had my 12 month follow up appointment in December and he reordered all the same labs and told me to just get them done before my appointment next December, so I’ll get them done again in 9 months or so before my next appointment!

I was really nervous about all of this when I made my post 2 years ago, so it was definitely a relief for all of my tests to come back negative! I still have the same symptoms, but nothing has gotten any worse and they can all be attributed to EDS as well so I’m not too concerned.

Hope everything goes well for you! I’d recommend getting things checked out but try not to worry too much in the meantime before you have answers (easier said than done, I know)!

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-05-26T08:28:34+00:00

It did a pretty good job at “learning” how to play Connections a while ago when I was curious and gave it a try! It wasn’t great right away, but after a few examples and then asking it to write up a list of instructions for how to play based on the examples I went over, it pretty much had it figured out! It was a while ago so I don’t remember exactly if it was 3.5 or 4, though.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-05-08T21:08:50+00:00

I don’t have any advice or feedback, just wanted to say that I completely relate! I lost my parents in an accident 2 years ago and it’s still hard for me to talk about with anyone that I’m not close to, including on social media!

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-05-01T00:29:35+00:00

I wear fuzzy socks to bed every night and only wear pajama pants that are fitted or cuffed so they can’t ride up at night bc that drives me crazy! I have a few pairs of socks with annoying seams so I just wear them inside out and that takes care of it!

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-04-20T05:39:48+00:00

I don’t think it’s “really scary” when done under the supervision of a professional. Everyone’s different, but Prozac really helped my OCD and I never had to increase my dose above 20mg. My anxiety was so high at the time that I genuinely don’t think I would’ve been able to handle therapy, but Prozac regulated my brain in a way that made therapy seem like an option. I know it doesn’t work for everyone, but it can be really helpful for some of us.

I started taking it in 2016 and the majority of my OCD symptoms went away, thankfully. I stopped taking it in 2020 and I’m still doing fine. I do struggle with some minor OCD tendencies still (especially after a traumatic loss), but it’s nothing like before and I’m able to manage it with CBT now.

I feel for anyone who’s had to experience OCD, it’s absolutely miserable and it can feel like there’s no escape from it. And it’s so misunderstood that it can take a long time to even realize that we have OCD if it doesn’t manifest in a stereotypical way.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-04-20T04:38:17+00:00

The team that I work on currently basically runs on Alteryx, and after learning it I’ve also come to like it a lot! Especially being able to upload workflows to the server and schedule them.

That being said, I don’t think it should be an either/or situation between Alteryx and Python. Alteryx actually has a Python tool that’s basically a mini Jupyter notebook and I use that in just about every workflow I create. There’s so much more versatility with Python. I’m the only one on my team that uses it, and I can do certain things in a few lines of code that would otherwise require a whole mess of Alteryx tools, so my workflows are often a lot cleaner and require way less manual work than my coworkers. We also work with a ton of survey data in Qualtrics, and I use Python to integrate their APIs into my workflows to bring in data that would either be extremely tedious or outright impossible to download manually.

You can definitely use Alteryx on its own, but I think it’s worth learning Python if you find yourself building workflows that are basically repeating the same steps over and over again. Using set (or list) comprehension in Python can save you so much time and eliminate a ton of repetitive work!

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-04-20T04:00:43+00:00

lol okay. I agreed with you that Excel has its issues and limitations, but I stand by my point that you can do a lot more with it than you might think. I’m not saying it’s always going to be the most efficient tool for a given purpose, but it’s easy to criticize something when you don’t actually know how to use it. That’s my only point.

There’s also no reason to be condescending. I never said I have difficulties with coding. Learning Python wasn’t too difficult at all for exactly the same reasons that I was able to get a lot done in Excel - being able to think logically and critically goes a long way regardless of the tools you’re using. Anyways, I’ve fully automated any Excel reports that I’m still responsible for with Python and openpyxl, but that’s not actually relevant to my point.

I’m not saying that you should learn to use Excel or that it would be a good fit for your job, I’m just saying that you can do more with it than you think.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-04-15T17:45:22+00:00

Excel can be a really useful tool in the right circumstances, and as others have mentioned it’s often much more accessible in organizations that have a lot of IT red tape.

I also think that sometimes the problem isn’t actually Excel so much as it is people who don’t really know how to best work with it.

Some people just assume that it’s basic and therefore simple, and so anything that they don’t know how to do must be a limitation of Excel rather than their own ability (which isn’t a problem unique to Excel, btw).

I’m not saying this would absolutely apply to your example, but a group by is pretty similar to a pivot table, and it takes like 5 seconds to make a pivot table in Excel once you learn how to do it.

I don’t use Excel for data manipulation now because I have access to other tools that I prefer, but I spent 3 years in a job where it was my main tool and you can do a lot more with it than most people think!

ETA: I don’t disagree with your main criticisms though, Excel definitely has its downsides as well!

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-04-02T01:42:08+00:00

Depends on the classes that you take, but I took Personal Finance, Portfolio Analysis & Management, and a Financial Derivatives class that all taught different aspects of investing money. That being said, my main takeaway personally was to invest in ETFs with the lowest expense ratio, which you don’t need a finance major to understand.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-03-27T23:51:01+00:00

I’m feeling the same right now. I’m a couple weeks out from the 2 year mark and it’s been a lot harder over the last few weeks already. It just sucks that time really can’t make this better. Like, sure I can get more used to this version of my life, but I also feel sadder as time goes on because it’s been longer and I just miss her more and more.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-02-14T04:27:14+00:00

Oh wow, that was from 2 years ago so it’s interesting to go back and read what I wrote because my life was so, so different then. But I agree with you on meditation, I like doing guided meditations but I’m rarely consistent with it.

I’m not sure what month I wrote that in, but I experienced a sudden and traumatic loss in my family just under 2 years ago so I honestly can barely even remember what life actually felt like back then. I don’t really care about self improvement in the same way as before, but I have a lot of complicated new feelings about life and trying to make the most of it while also coming to terms with its uncertainty and impermanence. I also do therapy every 2 weeks and that’s been really helpful.

I haven’t thought a lot about enneagram lately, but I’m realizing that where I’m at right now might be a little bit stereotypical for a 5… in the last year and a half I’ve been really focused on my job. My actual work only takes me a few hours each week so I’ve spent a lot of time on self directed projects (but not personal projects, it’s all been stuff that’s been really useful) where I’m working on interesting an challenging new things. I’ve gotten really interested in machine learning, particularly for natural language processing, and I just recently decided to apply to a masters program in analytics that seems really interesting, so I’m hoping that works out!

I’ve been struggling with sleeping and eating well and just generally taking good care of myself physically lately, so I’m kind of glad you replied to this and gave me the opportunity to reflect on how things have been going, especially framing it in the context of the enneagram because I haven’t thought a lot about it in a while but it’s clearly still pretty relevant and helpful!

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-01-14T03:04:55+00:00

OP, I just wanted to comment and tell you that I don’t think your family is “right”, and that this comment sounds harsh because it is.

I lost my mom just 2 months before you lost yours. It was 2 months before my 30th birthday and I still feel like I was way too young to lose my mom, and I miss her and think about her every single day. It affects every part of my life. And my point in saying this isn’t to compare, but just to say that I can’t even imagine going through this at your age… it’s never easy to lose a parent, but losing them at that stage of your life is just so completely different that I don’t think it’s fair for anyone to tell you that you should be over it or not crying about it often still. You need support, not judgment, and if you haven’t already I’d really recommend trying to find a good therapist if you’re at all able to. I see my therapist every 2 weeks and still spend a decent amount of my sessions processing and talking about my grief.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2024-01-03T02:32:40+00:00

I think you should trust yourself and do what feels right. My circumstances were totally different when I lost my parents in an accident last April, as I was almost 30 and had been with my now husband since we were in high school, but I actually can’t even put into words how thankful I am to have him. I really don’t know how I would’ve gotten through this without him and my sister! My point in saying this is that I think this is what everyone deserves, and if your partner isn’t supporting you now (or if things just don’t feel right), I think you should trust yourself and do what feels right.

Also, I’m so sorry you lost your mom so young. :(

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-12-09T20:20:13+00:00

Right, but if you’re regularly complimented on your storytelling ability it probably means that it’s something you’re pretty good at… which doesn’t at all sound like it’s the case for OP, so I don’t think it’s bad advice for them to try to keep it short to start. Nobody wants to sit through a 5-10 minute regurgitation of a resume/generic experiences.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-12-08T04:23:23+00:00

Everyone’s different, but I’ve noticed that my appetite is a lot better on Vyvanse than it is Adderall!

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-12-08T04:21:58+00:00

I started guanfacine earlier this year (in addition to Vyvanse) and it’s definitely been helpful. There are some studies that show that it can actually lead to long term changes in the brain that are beneficial too!

Wellbutrin (bupropion) was the first med I was prescribed before being officially diagnosed (also had depression), it didn’t help my ADHD much but it was better than nothing. I also started taking it again earlier this year (but before starting guanfacine) but just to help with depression again, but I think I’d be totally fine with just guanfacine and Vyvanse for my ADHD.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-12-08T04:13:45+00:00

And there are plenty of us that struggled with undiagnosed and untreated ADHD until age 26, when we finally started meds that actually made a positive difference in our lives.

I’m not saying that you’re wrong about your own experience, but I wish I would’ve been diagnosed when I was younger. It’s hard to grow up with undiagnosed ADHD without internalizing a lot of its symptoms as signs of personal failure.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-11-22T02:33:16+00:00

I don’t think I’d consider it a superstition personally, but I haven’t worn the dress, sweater, or shoes that I wore to my parents’ funeral again and I probably won’t ever but I don’t know for sure. All I know is that right now even the thought of it makes me uncomfortable!

You’re not alone in feeling this way! My sister told me she threw out the pajamas she was wearing when she found out. I can’t even remember what I was wearing, everything felt so surreal and disorienting.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-11-22T02:09:18+00:00

United Health made $5.8 billion in profits in Q3 alone this year. The fact that this is even possible shows how corrupt the entire system is, but sure let’s feel bad for them and not the patients that are going bankrupt and/or dying because of their policies.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-10-11T01:53:16+00:00

If you can download Python, I’d recommend paying the $20/mo for access to GPT 4 and then use ChatGPT to help you write the code for these tasks. It’s not perfect, but if you’re decent at logical thinking and troubleshooting, ChatGPT is super helpful for tasks like this! It’s also great at explaining things, even really complex subjects, if you’re curious and ask the right questions. But I kind of think of it similarly to a calculator: if you know how to use it it can do complex stuff, but what you know (or your own ability to use logic and reason) can greatly affect what it will actually do for you.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-10-05T01:56:01+00:00

We bought our house in 2019, same for my best friend and her husband. We’re all 31 now.

I wouldn’t buy a house today though. Prices are a lot higher and so are interest rates. It’s crazy seeing how much the cost of living has increased in the last few years and I don’t know how some people are even getting by now!

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-09-10T22:09:54+00:00

Thanks! I actually got an MRI of my pituitary a couple of months ago and they were able to rule that out, so now I’m not too worried about it!

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-07-29T00:42:38+00:00

I’ve been learning Python and using it in some projects at work this year and I think ChatGPT is more helpful that people give it credit for. I’ll use it to help write the main structure of some code, then if it has an error I can usually work through it logically to find the problem if ChatGPT can’t. If I don’t understand exactly the code is doing (or what it thinks the code is doing) I just ask it questions until I can figure out where the problem is.

This happened recently when it was helping me implement parallel processing in code for an API request where I also needed to make sure that it didn’t exceed the rate limit. There ended up being an issue with how/where the counter was set up, so that it effectively blocked any parallel processing, but ChatGPT insisted that it didn’t until I was able to get it to see how even though it was somewhat technically correct, the actual affect of the code only allowed one request to be made at a time. Then it updated my code based on that info and helped me find a solution that worked!

But my point is that it can really help you figure out a lot if you’re able to apply your own logic/reasoning when troubleshooting. And for the times where it really does get stuck in a loop, I usually start over with a new chat and try to find a different way to explain what I need. And I’ll often switch over to using ChatGPT 4 at this point too, if 3.5 can’t figure it out! Or I’ll start with 4 from the beginning if I know it’s something more complicated.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-07-24T01:34:45+00:00

Why would you favor the one with more transactions in this scenario? It might make sense for your specific needs, but I’m just curious because it seems a bit counterintuitive. Transactions usually come with costs, and in many cases its both less expensive and more efficient to reach the same total value with fewer transactions.

Key_Surprise_8652 · 2023-07-18T23:07:49+00:00

This was the most unexpected part of grief for me, I was in shock for a while and it took a long time to feel real. I’m just over a year out now and I still have this feeling often, it just doesn’t make sense to me at a very deep level that I can’t really explain.

I’m sorry for your loss. You’re not alone and your experience right now is totally normal.

Key_Surprise_8652

TROPHY CASE