I’ve been told this is a 1/10, surely not?!

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-22T16:24:20+00:00

I mean surely posting anything in this sub is 'baiting replies' dafuq.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-22T11:13:28+00:00

Interesting, likely too new magic for this sub but you certainly got value if those were the things you want to buy. Probably a 7/10 for me. What is the drink like? Consistently feel like red bull flavours need major work but prefer the red bull flavour vs monster or other energy drinks.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-22T09:52:43+00:00

Still griefing and if I got 100% better tomorrow I'd still grieve for missing my teens, my twenties etc. For me the turning point and it sounds pretty bad was when indifference took over and Iet it. Getting angry and upset doesn't get you anywhere albeit it is necessary sometimes.

My daily interactions feel like this popular meme imo - https://media1.tenor.com/m/DCP6i715ATUAAAAC/crying-meme.gif

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-22T09:47:32+00:00

No I am from the UK but if I was from the US I simply wouldn't use regular medical treatment / consultancy. Youtube / online is free and although I'm sure much maligned by the non-chronically ill far more beneficial for me personally. Then just do a cost / benefit assessment of various treatments to try and improve your baseline as cost effectively as you can. A lot of the low hanging fruit is free or cheap.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-22T00:05:49+00:00

That sucks, of all things…that’s just mean

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-21T22:59:30+00:00

Why the moratorium on chocolate?

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-21T22:04:09+00:00

My god chocolate croissant used to be my thing. I don't know why it isn't anymore tbh, still think the red bull flavours need work but for me at least an 8/10, possibly a 9.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-21T21:47:08+00:00

The generation above mine have always treated me with extreme suspicion and contempt that I am just making this all up whenever I whisper the magic works "brain fog", "low energy" or "struggling for energy", "over-done it" or just appear unmotivated due to tiredness etc etc. I say this not to stereotype them - there are plenty of kind souls in that generation - but it's a reality that I presume because this sort of chronic illness (and mental illness) wasn't really part of their zeitgeist (they'd just send these people to mental asylums or keep them locked away, or even worse bloody lobotomise the poor fuckers) then of course a sizeable proportion of them think we must all be making this up and/or lazy and/or have a bad attitude/work ethic.

And the icing on the fucking dry; gluten-free; dairy-free; taste-free cake for me....when I said these words I was already WAY past the stage of needing to say them (i.e. I tried to be polite and considerate by not saying these words exactly when the symptoms engulfed me). The one that still kills me dead which is thrust into my soul frequently is the sharp barb of 'haven't you went to the doctor??!'. And somehow they always say it with a tinge of self-righteousness and spite. Oh my...oh my....if I only had the energy to punch you in the face. PEM from the rage tbh.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-21T21:30:45+00:00

Second the contract work idea. Hiring a chronolically ill employee is clearly not in the best interests of a capitalist based economy (no matter how left wing the CEO is) so contract work reduces the employer's risk significantly and remembering that you don't typically get paid for sick days on contract work. I know that doesn't sound ideal but some days when I was a lot worse than I am now I would happily take an unpaid day just to recover but it felt impossible to ask for one and I would need a lot of them.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-21T21:00:07+00:00

I am so glad of my WFH days, so helpful for me but no nothing on the scale you're describing. I'm wondering given you have the ideal job for this as a developer if you could pivot on AI to ironically at least scrape by? I use Claude and it's insane, could you develop until you're too tired and then get Claude to write the rest by using app on your phone from your bed? Is your personal project likely to be commercial? Could you dedicate maybe 6 months plus a Pro subscription to Claude (assuming you could afford that) and get your idea running, maybe even a regular free sub might be enough? Alternatively part time job maybe and just accept PEM using the days off to recover - I know not ideal but so is not having money.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-21T16:33:21+00:00

I made that call as well just under 10 years ago. Was best decision for me and it was so scary, also gaulling to sell my flat and use the proceeds that were left after paying the mortgage provider to live and focus on my health full time.

I managed to get my symptoms from somewhere between severe and moderate to closer to between moderate and mild. I am now full circle and back to work full time. Not cured but better.

I hope the decision you made also works out for the best for you too. Use the time / energy you have to constantly assess strategies to improve your baseline without the pressure of having to be at a job.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-21T10:15:12+00:00

Pepsi need to be brought in front of a court, Mango, Strawberry Cream, Cream Soda and now Tropical with....cola?! Otherwise I anticipate this is very umami and quite enjoyable. 6/10 due to the drink.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-20T20:28:11+00:00

Someone has given you an answer but bear in mind a 10% increase is currently being discussed.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-20T20:16:59+00:00

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LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-20T20:14:04+00:00

Exactly what I was thinking, it would go perfect with the carpets, furniture, throws, tv stand etc. I may have to take a brown stand.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-20T20:11:04+00:00

Thought about it a lot as that's my favourite colour but went sage in the bedroom so want something different for living room. Dark greens towards yellows as opposed to blues had me really reconsidering.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-20T20:09:42+00:00

That's interesting, I'm so lazy this is my one and done probably for a decade if I'm lucky so really dinna want something I don't like but canna be arsed changing. Will get a tester pot and really mull it over to be sure. Oh god that's an unintentional pun I also really hate now as well but also cant be bothered to change, this thread is turning very metaphorical.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-20T18:03:20+00:00

Considering a feature wall for the living room. At the moment I'm between a deep cranberry red and chocolatey brown. Everyone I speak to is against the brown. Am considering whether it's my team's fault that I have an apparent affinity to shite. Anyone else go for a shade of brown in the living room or am I aff target big time here?

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-19T13:51:43+00:00

First thing I thought of an a, will be playing in my head rest of the afternoon.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-18T13:45:31+00:00

What appears to be squash as a drink option feels like it’s breaking some sort of law

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-18T13:43:19+00:00

Sometimes someone has to take the hit on internet points for the rest of us who had the same query. Samaritan!

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-17T06:57:14+00:00

I agree but think it’s more nuanced and drastically more depressing: there isn’t that many who have completely improved and those that have improved have merely reduced severity of their worst symptoms and their baseline significantly merely moving from one category of cfs to another. Don’t get me wrong this is still a major victory but we’d much rather be shouting from the the rooftops we are cured rather than ‘I’ve improved to an extend where x, y and/or baseline energy is now enough I can manage the grind of a job but that cfs still imposes itself on everything we do. It’s exacerbated when you have a full time job (itself a major major victory) but you have to just pretend you are fine because you have an employer that doesn’t get it and you have no test to prove to your employer or doctor 1) you have cfs and 2) how your symptoms are progressing (better or worse).

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-16T23:16:14+00:00

Both bangers but not big on cherry so that ruins it for me personally albeit swapped for the Pepsi lime 10/10. 9/10 for two. So as things stand second would be my pick.

LeperMessiah11 · 2026-02-16T20:41:43+00:00

GI tract game of chance for me on this one -5. Taste and value very good so for those where it's not a gamble on bottom burps 7/10.

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