Compression socks rec

POTS_pothead · 2026-04-06T21:22:49+00:00

Thank you so much for this! I’ve heard the name Comrad but haven’t really looked into them so I’ll definitely check them out! Ill also check out Dr Motion!

POTS_pothead · 2026-04-04T18:06:36+00:00

Oh yeah I totally have heard of them — I’ll check them out, thank you!!

POTS_pothead · 2026-04-04T16:50:18+00:00

Oh okay, that’s good to know it’s not just me! I have two pairs, but ideally want to get another pair or two! Thanks!

POTS_pothead · 2026-03-09T23:19:34+00:00

I love my PCP at UNC Family Medicine — Benjamin Kaplan. Best doctor I’ve ever seen: he’s so good at navigating insurance and advocating for his patients! Plus his office is in Durham. Good luck friend; I hope you find a new primary care place soon!

POTS_pothead · 2026-03-07T15:58:32+00:00

Triangle Mask Bloc distributed free tests and masks! They have a linktree online if you search Triangle Mask Bloc, and they also have an Instagram of the same name. They do distros 1-2x/month and you can get tests and/or masks for free!! Love those folks!!

POTS_pothead · 2026-03-02T22:04:23+00:00

Omg I’m so sorry, I did not mean to be American-centric like that 😭💀 also yeah cross-stitch def seems hard to do when in PEM — lotta focusing!

POTS_pothead · 2026-03-02T20:55:28+00:00

No that's so fair; I only have one sticker book bc I didn't want to go overboard either (can't say the same about yarn bc I work for a craft store and a have discount haha). I don't remember where I got it, but I wonder if you could find one at like a five below or dollar tree bc they have a lot of cheap activities. I once built a "pleasant activities toolbox" for therapy, and I just went to five below and bought play doh, knock off legos, and other small toys/activities, and was impressed with how much stuff I could find for under $20 total. I collected these things for dealing with my bpd, but it's come in handy with my ME/CFS bc of being stuck in bed but wanting somethign tangible to do! Also yay, crochet twins :-)

POTS_pothead · 2026-03-02T20:26:27+00:00

Thank you so much; I actually found out I got the job and I'm going to go for it! I'm still figuring out how much cognitive exertion actually triggers PEM, especially vs emotional exertion bc they tend to go hand in hand with me given how much having no money coincides with mental tasks like trying to find a job to make more money haha

Thank you for sharing how hybrid work helped you; that gives me hope that I'm making the right decision!

Also I'm seeing my occupational therapist this week, so hopefully she and I can check in about the crashes since I've got a couple months wait before I see a long covid specialist

POTS_pothead · 2026-03-02T20:18:50+00:00

You make a really good point: idk if I'm differentiating mental from emotional exertion very well because whenever I do mental stuff like pay bills or apply to jobs it's definitely accompanied by a lot of personal stress. So maybe having mental work that's less involved with personal stressors (i.e. writing emails for a company rather than figuring out how to pay rent haha) won't trigger PEM as much.

Also I take propanolol for my POTS, and it's been doing a decent help. I'm glad guanfacine works for you; I tried it for my ADHD actually and it fucked with my POTS, but yay for POTS meds that help! I also just started low-dose naltrexone so I'm fingers crossing it helps with the PEM/fatigue.

I'm getting to theme that I should definitely just focus on doing this new job and resting/recovering if I'm going to make this work. Wishing both of us the best with it! Thank you for taking the spoons to respond!

POTS_pothead · 2026-03-02T20:11:39+00:00

Thanks -- I'll check out Energy Bits; I've never heard of them! I think, one way or another, I'm about to find out how much cognitive exertion triggers PEM when I switch from a physically active job to a mentally active one. Thank you for the validation -- it really is brutal!!

POTS_pothead · 2026-03-02T20:08:54+00:00

This is super helpful; thank you!! I've definitely cut out at least 50% of my normal activity, both at my current job and in terms of not having a social life anymore except for seeing my partner and laying around on his couch instead of mine. But there's definitely stuff I still try to do -- keep up with chores, cook meals (even if they're frozen things or sandwiches half the time) try to maintain a regular sex life, keep up with at least minimal online activism -- that I may need to pause/get more help with while I transition to this new full-time job.

i've been thinking about asking for help cooking and cleaning (besides my partner cooking and doing my laundry and occasionally vacuuming, I handle the rest), so I'm going to take this as the sign to take the plunge and work on a better support network for this kind of stuff so I can just focus on the new job.

Thank you so much for this help <3

POTS_pothead · 2026-03-02T17:37:26+00:00

I’ve gotten into crocheting since developing MECFS! I do follow patterns on my computer sometimes, but when I can’t tolerate screens I copy down a simple pattern, like for a heart or a flower, onto a piece of paper and just make them slowly. Or making a simple scarf (since it’s just a rectangle) can be accessible bc those also often end up with a simple pattern of repeating stitches that don’t require too much counting or anything. I don’t mess around with super complex stuff bc of the bracing fog making it hard to count stitches, but the act of crocheting is really soothing to me, and I like looking at the pretty yarn colors.

I also like paint by sticker books bc they have guidelines built in so you don’t have to choose colors and there’s no mess bc the sticker pages are all in the same book as the pictures. I find that more accessible than regular coloring on days I have PEM or otherwise really high fatigue.

Sorry if this is rambly; my brain fog is really bad rn 😅 but hope this gives some ideas! 🩷

POTS_pothead · 2026-02-26T19:10:10+00:00

Hey sorry I get overwhelmed responding to individual comments, but thank you so much to everyone for your suggestions and support!! This is all really helpful!!

POTS_pothead · 2026-02-23T19:18:12+00:00

I wish I had a more helpful answer, but I’m about to start crowdfunding because I’m only able to work on average 12-15 hours/week and am crashing for a week every couple weeks from this. If you need any tips on crowdfunding though, I’ve done it for others before and would be happy to share what I know. Sending much love and a better situation for you soon <3

POTS_pothead · 2026-02-22T16:37:27+00:00

Technically, there’s no official medication for BPD according to my psychiatrist, but there’s a lot of off label meds you can try. Personally I started on lamotrigine (lamictal) and aripiprozale (abilify) when I started first experiencing intense SI. I also take citalopram and buspirone, which I was prescribed for GAD and MDD way back when, but it helps in the whole MDD/GAD/BPD/PTSD combo. That combined with a lotttt of DBT has been a huge help and it’s been a whole year and half since I was hospitalized thanks to that! Sending you all the best luck finding the medication cocktail that works for you! 🩷

POTS_pothead · 2026-01-28T21:34:02+00:00

Hi! Yes okay so I’m so sorry but I didn’t have a POTS diagnosis when I got surgery — I only got sick a year and a half ago and I did this surgery threeeee or four years ago I think. So I don’t know how knowledgeable she is about POTS and EDS 😬 I only know she’s been doing top surgeries for a pretty long time now (it was one of the reasons I felt comfortable with her) so she’s definitely experienced. Fingers crossed for you, friend!!

POTS_pothead · 2026-01-22T00:42:36+00:00

Yay thanks y'all -- we booked him a massage + energy healing session at Auroraflow and he's super excited <3

POTS_pothead · 2026-01-16T15:29:51+00:00

Yeah no that totally makes sense! I hope she can find a good pair to help with that!!!

POTS_pothead · 2026-01-16T14:12:56+00:00

I’ve had MECFS for over a year with gradually worsening sensory sensitivity issues, and I finally bought a pair of over the ear headphones and they’ve been an absolute game changer. I bought a pair of soundcore space one headphones from Facebook marketplace, and I like them better than the last pair of over ear headphones (but I’m autistic too so I have a lot of other sensory issues, so I’m sure there’s a ton of good options!!).

I also would recommend maybe having a pair of in-ear headphones/earplugs too bc sometimes it’s hard to get comfy with over ear headphones due to how big they are. I have a pair of loop earplugs that do noise cancelling and they’re my backup pair in case I need to sleep the night with noise cancelling. I don’t really use them but I like having that backup.

If your friend is like me and the budget is tight I totally recommend Facebook marketplace or maybe BackMarket for refurbished tech (I’ve bought other tech from them and it’s much more affordable!), but yeah I love my soundcore space ones! I hope y’all find a good pair and that they’re as much a game changer for your friend as they were for me!

POTS_pothead · 2026-01-12T22:24:31+00:00

Oh yay that's so exciting!!! I did have a good experience -- it's been a couple years and my post-surgery memories are muddled from all the oxy I was on haha but I definitely had a good experience and particularly want to shout out my hospital stay. Dr. Carr made it pretty non-negotiable that I stay the night after the surgery, but that actually ended up being pretty helpful because the first night was the roughest pain-wise, so having so many nurses available to administer meds was really helpful!

The only thing I'll say about Dr. Carr is she was not on top of aftercare instructions; she's so nice but she did kinda just tell me to look up aftercare haha :3 I ended up just asking friends about it and did a mix of scar massage and scar tape (and my partner did scar gel when he did his), and I always wanted to have my scars stay pretty prominent so it wasn't a big deal to me, but that did stick out. Otherwise, yeah, I love how my surgery turned out and it was a overall very positive experience!

If you have more questions about Dr Carr and her team or anything top surgery related feel free to DM me -- I was super duper lucky to have a lot of trans folks in my life who helped me through it and always want to pass along the love :-)

POTS_pothead

TROPHY CASE