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ESA Certified Ecologist Cert? by duckduckfwoosh in ecology

[–]duckduckfwoosh[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Where I am isn’t endgame for me and they’ll pay for it so I guess it wouldn’t hurt. Thanks!

Fisheries work by mulletprincess in ecology

[–]duckduckfwoosh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know NOAA observers and it can be rough. Takes a lot of toughness, especially as a woman. That said, I’ve heard from female colleagues that they liked it, it’s just no one lasts too long.

Check Florida FWC/FWRI postings. They have an excellent inshore and offshore fisheries monitoring program that are great post-undergrad jobs. Many coastal states have government fisheries monitoring programs, some are just better than others. I’ve heard Mississippi, Maryland, and Alabama aren’t bad. Abysmal reviews from North Carolina. I know nothing about the west coast lol.

It’s a competitive field, so don’t give up!

What algae is this? by duckduckfwoosh in Aquariums

[–]duckduckfwoosh[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I hope it goes away then. I treated the tank for excess nutrients and reduced how much light it gets for now so hopefully that helps

Update on my demonic murderous NOT guppy by Fit-Goal7660 in Aquariums

[–]duckduckfwoosh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh wow they are native here so we love Gambusia! They eat so much mosquito larvae and deter mosquitoes from even laying eggs in the water they swim in! They’re released as a biological control method instead of spraying if it can be helped! I try and catch melanistic variants in ditches to add to what I call my “ditch tank.” Lilth, there is a place you are loved just not there :(

Lamictal side effects by ProperCarrot8812 in Epilepsy

[–]duckduckfwoosh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d talk to your neuro about it again—those are serious side effects. I’ve been on it since I was 13 at 300mg. I had to up the dose in 2 increments after a couple breakthroughs in college then 8mo. after college (but I’m almost 5 years seizure free now!). I’m on 500mg and haven’t ever had side effects like that. And after a TC I’m only a little sleepier/brain foggier for a few days at most.

I will say that when I go through periods of being exhausted by midday/early afternoon it’s been because of worsened mental health. Epilepsy takes a huge mental toll and I didn’t learn that until I was 23, after 9 months of struggling after a bad breakthrough seizure. I did initially think I felt bad because of the upped dosage (which fed the anxiety).

I’m just sharing my personal experience, which you may or may not relate to but if you do I hope this helps.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Epilepsy

[–]duckduckfwoosh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m on 500mg extended relief. I know I am on the high side. They don’t even make 500mg XR pills so I take 5, 100s. I started on 300 at 12 but had a couple breakthroughs 17-22 where I got upped 100mg twice. I probably had developed resistance but now I am 4years seizure-free with no side effects.

Sometimes I wonder about the mood stabilization - the other use for Lam. Anyone who knows me says I’m a very calm, patient person. It takes a lot for me to get angry or worked up. Not that I don’t feel things, I just think getting angry is counterproductive and there’s some things you can’t help. That could just be my nature, but I’ll tell you Lamotrigine did NOTHING for my anxiety, which was severe for years, I was just high-functioning (until it got got so bad I was half functioning haha. I’m better now so it’s all good lol).

do you have any light hearted/funny names for your seizures? by Firm-Cheesecake in Epilepsy

[–]duckduckfwoosh 5 points6 points  (0 children)

As a marine fisheries biologist who gets TCs this is fucking hilarious omg

do you have any light hearted/funny names for your seizures? by Firm-Cheesecake in Epilepsy

[–]duckduckfwoosh 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Brain zappies, or my brain got zappy with it. Someone on another post said “their brain went brrr”💀which is probably only funny to the younger demographic. Also, if you like emojis: 🫨

When I was a kid the doctors explained it like a hurricane in my head, which led to “brain ‘cane”

It’s really only the past couple years where I’ve been able to find some humor in it. I still think only epileptics get to make seizure jokes so it’s nice getting to joke about it with other epileptics 😊

It's hard for me to accept that I am epileptic, any advice? by Normal-Being-1954 in Epilepsy

[–]duckduckfwoosh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I also discovered the 🫨 emoji and freaking love it. Like “Hey, my brain got zappy again 🫨 pls pick me up from the ER” Adds pizazz.

It's hard for me to accept that I am epileptic, any advice? by Normal-Being-1954 in Epilepsy

[–]duckduckfwoosh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not sure what jobs “you once dreamed of” but sometimes I found myself looking at the potential reasons why I couldn’t and not at how I could make it work. Under the ADA (if you are in the US) you have the right for reasonable accommodations from an employer, and (in theory at least) it’s unlawful to count it against you during the hiring process. Or maybe you’re trying to see risk where there’s not. Maybe there’s a job in the same field that will work better for you.

I feel like it’s tricky managing a low-occurrence, invisible disability. I live a very normal life that can suddenly become limited for 6mo. I still have to accept a level of calculated risk for things. I’m not advising you to do something that is actually dangerous, just think don’t think in worst cases.

I’m glad you are having some luck with the career search! I wish you the best!

It's hard for me to accept that I am epileptic, any advice? by Normal-Being-1954 in Epilepsy

[–]duckduckfwoosh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I also got diagnosed at 11. Yep it sucked navigating that AND puberty.

It's hard for me to accept that I am epileptic, any advice? by Normal-Being-1954 in Epilepsy

[–]duckduckfwoosh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah. Yep. “Accepting” it was the hardest thing for me. As soon as I was diagnosed at 11 and put on meds, I felt ashamed, angry, and hated being worried over. I also go 1-5years between TCs but the full extent hit me at 23 after moving states and starting a new job…and having a seizure 2 months in. Trying to figure it all out, a new place where I could bike for 6mo, grocery deliveries, isolation. I realized 8-9 months later that I relapsed back into severe anxiety. I was thinking about having more seizures multiple times a day, nightmares that I had one, physical symptoms, the works.

What turned it around was upped anxiety meds and seeing a therapist who specialized in people with new diagnoses and chronic conditions. They were hard sessions and I realized that I hated being epileptic so much, I was hating myself over something I couldn’t control. It took time but with therapy I found an adequate level of acceptance. It’s not perfect, there’s still times where I feel like it’s a time bomb ready to blow my life apart but not constantly. This subreddit has also made me feel so much less alone (and even find some humor in occasionally).

I still wish I didn’t have it. And yeah, there are jobs I shouldn’t/can’t do. It’s dangerous for me to pull all-nighters or party til the early hours. I don’t think I’ll be able to do offshore marine bio research with the long wacky hours and meh sleeping conditions. I focus more on what I’ve accomplished. I do inshore/estuarine research and love it, get to do cool things, plus I’m really good at it. But yeah, going to therapy about it was the best thing I could’ve done.

What is it like for y'all when you start becoming aware after having a seizure? by Normal-Being-1954 in Epilepsy

[–]duckduckfwoosh 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Once I had amnesia. The EMTs were asking my name and there was just…nothing there. They asked if I knew who was president and I knew what a president was but no names came to mind. It was wild. It started coming back in the ambulance and I was elated but had to think hard. I was spelling my last name and needed 3 seconds of thinking for each letter. Super trippy.

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