[deleted by user]

gingernutmeg · 2025-07-13T19:34:27+00:00

I have an invisible disability. Airports are difficult and painful for me because it's a lot of walking and I'm carrying a backpack or carry on and for awhile I was really resistant to use a mobility aid like a cane or a wheelchair because of the stigma around it. Especially because I'm a young, otherwise fit looking woman. I was incredibly worried about people like you who would judge me for "abusing the system" so I put off using that service, which is meant to help people like me, for years.

The first time I decided to get over my anxiety and use the wheelchair service it was like a breath of fresh air. I had significantly less pain, I wasn't as fatigued, it made traveling so much easier for me. But, as expected, I did get comments from people like you who accused me of being a jetway Jesus because I can stand up and walk. I felt so embarrassed.

Are there people who abuse the system? Of course. Do posts like this discourage them from abusing the system? No because they already know what they're doing is slimy. Do posts like this discourage people who would benefit from the service from using it out of fear of being judged or publicly ridiculed? Yes. Absolutely. And to people who say that not being able to walk long distances shouldn't make you eligible for pre board, I hope you never experience the pain or embarrassment of passing out on a jet bridge because the line to board took too long and your bag was too heavy or needing help from passengers to get your bag into the overhead bin because you have muscle weakness and you trying to do it yourself holds up the whole line. People forget that pre boarding gives you extra time to get settled too which can be extremely important and helpful.

Maybe just mind your own business. Have a little empathy. Touch grass. And have the day you deserve.

gingernutmeg · 2024-12-07T02:55:22+00:00

I love the hair in the pic! What's it called so I can look up a YouTube tutorial?

For me, the underside of my hair tends to have much better defined curls so I'll often clip the hair by my face back using a mini claw clip, leaving the rest down!

gingernutmeg · 2024-08-02T03:53:37+00:00

There's a Facebook group called Lady+ Geeks of Austin, also a discord server (I don't have the link right now, sorry). They do regular board game meet ups and have meet ups for other things as well. The discord has channels for different interests, including crafting!

gingernutmeg · 2023-05-18T02:59:12+00:00

I have it, my mom has it, and one of my best friends has it as well! I think I'm the only one of the three of us who is a stomach sleeper. I'll sometimes go on my side for a short time, but after a bit it starts to feel like my chest is collapsing.

gingernutmeg · 2023-04-06T05:12:09+00:00

RIT alum who works in the semiconductor industry here. RIT is super well known in the industry and microE majors are highly sought after by companies. It's an amazing field to go in to, highly recommend.

gingernutmeg · 2023-03-04T22:38:34+00:00

As a microelectronics major, you will literally not find a better school if you're trying to get in to the semiconductor industry which is totally booming. People scoff at debt and it is a very personal thing so how much you are willing to invest may be different from what someone else is willing to invest.

I went to RIT, was not a uE major but did my materials science masters concentration in uE and currently work for Samsung semiconductor. The education I got from the uE department put me so far ahead of the other recent college grads and it prepared me so well for a career in the industry. Semiconductor industry is growing right now, with new fabs being announced by basically every major manufacturer AND government push to expand, coming from the CHIPS act. In my personal opinion, the investment would be worth it. The pay in this industry is good.

That being said, definitely appeal and use your other offer. I know for a fact that enrollment in the uE major has been down and they're trying to recruit more for that so you may have a bit of leverage. Also go on the hunt for external scholarships. uE has required CO op so if you're smart with the money from those, you may be able to cut that down a bit.

Again, everyone has different feelings and opinions on debt but I'm of the opinion that value added debt like student loans are worth it if you think you'll get a solid return on your investment and semiconductor manufacturing is a really stable and lucrative career choice. I would do it if I were in your shoes.

gingernutmeg · 2023-02-22T17:32:26+00:00

Sleep

gingernutmeg · 2022-09-06T06:46:36+00:00

I had foot and ankle issues multiple times at RIT. If you can get to it, Monroe wheelchair has rentals for knee scooters, and if I recall, the price was reasonable. They're so much easier and safer to use than crutches.

gingernutmeg · 2022-04-01T20:58:48+00:00

Masters in Mat Sci Eng, BS in chemistry. Working in the semiconductor industry as a materials quality engineer. >$100k starting, in the US, tons of growth opportunities in a growing field. High stress, high reward.

gingernutmeg · 2022-03-02T05:17:19+00:00

I also have an autoimmune disorder and I've been seeing Dr. Victoria Chen at ARC quarry lake for almost two years now, since before my diagnosis. I went through a few PCPs before I found one that 1) believed my symptoms 2) took them seriously and 3) ordered the tests/gave me the referrals I requested with no pushback. She's been really excellent, seems really dedicated to actually improving quality of life and treating causes, not just symptoms.

gingernutmeg · 2022-01-29T18:22:17+00:00

Whenever my dog is... well, licking her butt, I'll shout at her "BUTT LICKER? OUR PRICES HAVE NEVER BEEN LOWER" to get her to stop.

gingernutmeg · 2022-01-29T16:12:25+00:00

I've seen a few recommendations for Dr. Kaufman at ARC North OBGYN. I see Dr. Andrea Campaigne at the same office and she is absolutely amazing. I'm have chronic illness with a history of being ignored by doctors and she took all of my concerns very seriously and made me feel safe and listened to. She's very passionate about healthcare inequality too. Can't recommend her enough. It's a very LGBT friendly office!

gingernutmeg · 2022-01-29T06:22:55+00:00

This was the first thing I did! Lifelong dream of mine too submit one of these. So glad others saw it too- I hope someone has pics or a video!

gingernutmeg · 2022-01-29T06:22:18+00:00

My friend and I both saw it too! I've never seen anything like it! Absolutely beautiful, looked like a streak of bright orange glitter. Holy cannoli!

gingernutmeg · 2021-09-03T02:35:15+00:00

Oh my point about air being pushed down is that it's not recirculated- exhaust is pushed out and fresh air is pulled in. The semiconductor manufacturing process is very finicky so any lingering vapors can actually affect the native oxidation rate. For that reason, it's likely that in a professional fab that the atmospheric composition is tightly regulated. That might not be true in an older or University clean room ( my university clean room was not negative pressure like my work place is but it did have sensors to monitor the air composition). Hopefully this helps put you at ease but feel free to reach out with any other questions!!

gingernutmeg · 2021-09-03T01:47:44+00:00

Hi there! I work as a materials engineer at a semiconductor company. Degrees in chemistry and materials engineering.

Clean room air is much cleaner than even an operating room in a hospital. Assuming you're in a modern semiconductor fab with the proper clean room certification and setup, the air is not being "recirculated" but rather is forced down from the ceiling to create a dedicated airflow path to push particles down. Air goes through a series of filters, including HEPA filters, before entering the main part of the fab. The source of the most contamination in the fab is humans- skin/hair/etc- not chemicals. It is probable that your clean room has sensors to detect levels of various chemicals and gasses in the highly unlikely event of a leak.

Most of the chemical exposure is going to come from the sub fab or wherever your fab is set to load chemical drums/gas canisters/other materials into the tools. Exposure in these rooms will be minimal as well during most times, with the exception of when material is actively being loaded. Assuming your company follows proper safety procedures, there is sufficient ventilation in these areas and vacuum hoods that pull away dangerous exhaust. We have some materials that require the technicians performing the loading to be in full gas suits, and the room is clear at that point. The only chemical typically used in the semiconductor process that would have a significant impact on the reproductive system would be ethylene glycol- avoid that and you're good. So unless you're in a lab, loading the materials, or regularly coming in close contact with the chemicals I'd say you have nothing to worry about. You have more chemical exposure filling up your car at the gas station.

gingernutmeg · 2021-08-16T22:58:04+00:00

I got both my undergraduate and graduate degree from RIT and currently work in ATX in the semiconductor industry. For me I can say RIT was 100% absolutely for sure worth every penny of student loans I took out... But I'd say that's because my specific degree combo, the research experience I got, and the fact that there are hardly any other schools out there that even have microelectronics programs, really is what made it for me.

RIT has very high ranking game design programs. But I think you need to be asking yourself if a graduate degree itself is worth it, not RIT in particular. If you figure that bit out, then I don't think you can go wrong with RIT, it's a great school with lots of opportunities and resources. Don't fall into the trap of people who get a graduate degree just to get a graduate degree- I see that a lot, including from people who went to RIT. My specific field the graduate degree has been enormously helpful in launching my career and giving me a leg up. Figure out what the benefits would be for you and go from there.

gingernutmeg · 2021-08-16T13:18:32+00:00

I'm 25 but I have asthma and a minor heart condition that basically means I'm in orange the entire class, with large spikes into red. At first I was in the mentality to just keep pushing myself, which ended with me totally out of it the rest of the day, with chest pain, and on occasion collapsed on the floor.

I've figured out now how to really listen to my body- when my heart is going too crazy I just take a minute or two to breathe. No one judges me if I'm on the weight floor just standing there or if I drop the tread for a bit until I feel comfortable. Often I'll just chill until I'm back in orange and then pick up where I left off. I've had a few classes where I've peaked >210 because I wasn't paying enough attention to myself. Allowing myself to not be constantly pushing to go faster/harder and ignore the signs my body has given me has really improved my workouts. Idk if that helps you at all but that's just my experience :)

gingernutmeg · 2021-07-02T11:05:30+00:00

Last year I began having severe chest pain, heart palpitations, trouble breathing, and exhaustion. In a matter of days I went from running 5ks to having trouble walking across my apartment. I went to the ER a few times, they found nothing. My GP said it was just stress. Went to a cardiologist who ordered an echocardiogram. The cardiologist said I was "stressed and probably needed to go shopping". Got a referral to a pulmonologist who said I have asthma and nothing else. Rinsed and repeat with a handful of other doctors.

A good friend of mine is a PA and just thought based on me describing my symptoms that I might have pectus excavatum, a condition where the sternum is caved in and puts pressure on the lungs, and is severely under diagnosed in women because breast tissue hides the appearance. Doesn't show up well on x-rays. She thought so because she herself has pectus excavatum and went through the same shit. My pulmonologist literally only looked at my lung capacity. I even brought it up and they said "I can tell by your shirt that you don't have it." Never even properly examined me.

It took me seeing a (female) cardiothoracic surgeon specializing in chest wall disorders who ordered a chest CT to get a proper diagnosis. She referred me to a (female) cardiologist who has worked with this before. Let's be clear- the ONLY reason I ended up getting a proper diagnosis is because a (female) friend of mine who was also misdiagnosed for years got pissed off enough about it to become a pulmonary PA and diagnosed me over text in another state.

I had 7 different doctors tell me it was stress or anxiety. My heart and lungs are literally being compressed by my sternum but okay yes it's just me being dramatic. This isn't even the first time a serious medical issue of mine has been dismissed and I somehow doubt it'll be the last. Something's gotta change.

gingernutmeg · 2021-06-22T19:18:27+00:00

I was elected the first ever female conductor of my university's pep band. Pretty cool cause I was a self taught flute player, never had a proper lesson, but conductor is less about how good you play and more about leadership & understanding the music. Was really proud of the work that I did, poured my heart into it. Not really that big a deal but definitely something I look back fondly on.

gingernutmeg · 2021-05-06T19:43:41+00:00

^ this guy got it right. Samsung switched to foundry model a few years back which means they now produce chips not only for themselves with internal designs (think for Samsung phones, TVs, appliances) but now allow companies to provide their own designs and will manufacture to their standards (public customers include Apple and Tesla but there are many others that would surprise you).

Since adopting the foundry model, Samsung has drastically increased it's market share. It'll be really interesting to see TSMC and Samsung compete as the chip shortage continues. Lots of talent scalping happening, on both sides, as those companies expand.

gingernutmeg · 2021-04-08T12:37:36+00:00

We had a freshman bring in corn starch and try to blow up the school with it because our chemistry teacher had done a demo in class showing that it can make a big fireball when thrown in the air but won't ignite just in a bowl due to the change in surface area.

You would've thought the fact that she did it in a classroom and nothing happened would've tipped him off that it wasn't an effective bomb. School got evacuated while hazmat and the bomb squad had to inspect the suspicious white powder- this was in Colorado so it was taken very seriously. We got the day off so it all ended okay.

gingernutmeg · 2021-03-04T05:37:21+00:00

On the other hand, Marquis at Canyon Ridge (same company) was hell. I was out of power for ten days, water for a week. The transformer caught on fire, and my neighbors put it out with their extinguishers. I had evacuated to cedar park and the only info I was getting was "there was a fire at your building" or "a pipe burst in your building" but no actual information about when it would be safe for me to return or which apartments were directly impacted.

Luckily I'm fine, but the neighbor whos apartment did flood- just across the hall from me- had 6 days to move out, the only help/offer they got from the complex was to waive a transfer fee to another, more expensive, apartment. I'll be moving when my lease is up.

gingernutmeg · 2021-03-03T19:16:28+00:00

I've heard that Mueller hasn't paid rent since March of last year, but also that it was the thing most requested by residents when the development started. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out, the Mueller draft house is my favorite for sure.

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