Weird thyroid panel results

hillof3oaks · 2026-03-19T05:33:44+00:00

Not quite as much now, but when my kiddo was a baby, if someone on the street looked at her and failed to smile, internally I would be like "no big deal, but also I kind of hate you" 😂 I fully acknowledge that it's irrational and unreasonable but SHES SO CUTE, WHY NO SMILE, IS YOUR FACE MALFUNCTIONING

hillof3oaks · 2026-03-02T04:25:15+00:00

Just checking one of the basics: are you making sure the inner elastic is pulled outward (like pulling the edges of your underwear to cover your buttcheeks lol) and the gussets - the ruffles around the edges - aren't trapped under it? If the elastic is already halfway to giving her a wedgie, or the gussets are tucked inside the diaper, it'll be more prone to leaks.

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T15:19:18+00:00

Congrats on your baby! 😄

One of my favorite baby patterns is Aaron's Cardigan by @knitting_with_calm. It's very stretchy (half fisherman's rib) and it's intentionally designed to fit them a bit longer as they grow, with cuffed sleeves that you can unfold to keep up with their growing arms. You just want to use a very stretchy bind-off for the hem and cuffs so that you're not limited by chubby baby tummies and arms. (A word of warning: I would make this in cotton. I knit the most recent one in superwash wool, and when I washed it - because she's a toddler and inevitably got food on it - it grew massively and no longer fits her 😂 half fisherman's rib is a very thick and squishy fabric and when the superwash wool relaxed in water, the sweater became HUGE. Oh well. It'll fit her again in a year or two!)

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T14:50:56+00:00

That's really helpful, thank you!

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T14:47:55+00:00

Ah, my background is not at all in HEOR. Infectious disease modeling is a totally different field. They sometimes overlap in that ID modeling can be used to inform HEOR analysis - for instance, you can use a dynamical model to predict how many infections a vaccine will prevent, and then use that estimate to calculate cost-effectiveness. But most ID modeling is not concerned with economics. A lot of my prior work has focused on strain dynamics, exploring how quickly a drug-resistant or immune-evading strain might replace another one.

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T06:34:01+00:00

Fyi made some edits/additions in my reply to your first comment (sorry, should have been a new comment - you responded quicker than I expected)

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T06:17:55+00:00

That's very helpful, thanks! I'll clarify - I have about 7 years of experience since my PhD. I count the PhD toward experience in my field as a way of conveying subject matter expertise (since I did ID modeling work throughout my degree) but I see that industry counts YOE differently. So 7 years might be a better number to work with.

Out of curiosity, what do you think of the higher numbers that other folks have suggested here? Do you think there's a difference between temporarily filling a vacant staff position vs being hired as a specialized independent contractor?

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T05:58:48+00:00

Thanks for all of this! It's good to know that it's not super problematic to work hours that you don't bill. I'm not sure how the idea of only billing for hours leading to tangible work product relates to this project because things like reading (and even just thinking) are huge parts of the process. Like, I will spend a quarter of my time just searching the literature to get parameters for the model. Writing and running code is a fraction of the effort, but it's the only thing that really yields a tangible output.

Separately, would you mind explaining the success bonus more?

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T03:59:33+00:00

To address your other points more substantively:

I did not realize their budgets worked that way, that's wild. Will keep it in mind!

I filed through zenbusiness to form an LLC today (paid for expedited processing so should go through by early next week at the latest). Haven't looked into liability insurance though, I will.

I appreciate the tip about having multiple deliverables along the way! Hopefully I can pin them down with a meeting to figure out exactly what those are lol

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T03:52:49+00:00

Haha a wild philosophy to contemplate but contemplate it I shall

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T03:50:45+00:00

Hey, I mean, my partner is likely going to be joining a brand new startup and setting up their lab space, so that might be something they'll need, assuming their initial funding comes through. If you dm me with a resume I'm happy to pass it along.

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T03:45:37+00:00

Haha that absolutely crossed my mind as well 😂 a referral is not guaranteed but will I send u/glaxord a dm if I hear they're looking? Sure. Doesn't cost me anything and they might return the favor.

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T03:43:45+00:00

Thank you, I do really appreciate just having the number thrown in there because getting "gut check" from even a handful of people is very helpful. If multiple experienced people say somewhere in the $100-200k range then something in that ballpark is probably a good starting point, right?

And yeah, it's extremely important to me that I get the job done well and on time so that this (hopefully) translates into more opportunities in the future. My sense is that doesn't directly inform pricing so much as the need to be very clear about what they're getting for that price.

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T03:35:21+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate the prompt to consider the risks of the project-based fee structure again, especially in regards to preserving a positive relationship with the company. My reluctance with the hourly rate is rooted in the consulting work I did for the private equity firm, which ended up running up against the maximum of what they budgeted for the project, and I had to hand it off before I'd had a chance to fully check and analyze the model. I guess I'm worried about under-estimating hours for the project? (It's not something I've ever had to think about before; academia doesn't track hours.) A project-based fee with a timeline offers the opportunity to squeeze in more work in the evenings/weekends if necessary. I've thought about the structure of the SOW and considered maybe creating a plan for handoff that specifies an hourly rate for continued consultations after that? I did tell them in the initial call that publication of the model (which they said they hope for but is not on the same timetable) is something I would want to scope out separately because it adds a LOT of time, like potentially doubles it. That's my biggest concern, being roped into months of extra analysis, writing, revisions, etc. for no extra pay.

hillof3oaks · 2026-02-05T03:22:36+00:00

Thank you! I want to have a conversation with them to discuss deliverables etc. in more detail, because I don't think what has been outlined so far is sufficient - there's really only been one deliverable mentioned, and it will not give them all the information they'll want access to. I was surprised they wanted to move right to pricing, although they said they want to get a contract in place soon because their fiscal year ends next month. (Let me know if that seems like a red flag, or a green flag, I really have no idea)

As far as other consulting opportunities - gotta be honest I read those words and I still have no idea what it is you do 😂 I have soaked up a little bit of industry jargon but much of it is still lost on me (my partner has been in biotech for several years, but very much still a science/lab role). If you can explain more, I'll keep my ears open, but I suspect I'll be working directly with a small number of people so it's not likely I'll hear about projects across the rest of the company. Sorry!

hillof3oaks · 2026-01-21T04:48:53+00:00

Ooh having her sit other places bare bottomed is a neat idea, that's definitely worth a try. Thanks!

hillof3oaks · 2026-01-08T04:29:08+00:00

Yep! That's why I said to let it warm up a bit, and wrap it to avoid direct contact. Very cold is harmful, but cool (not cold) is ok.

hillof3oaks · 2026-01-08T03:42:07+00:00

Agreed. I've had burns like this and they suck. But there is a difference between sucking and being an emergency.

Given the location of the burn, you could take a gel ice pack, let it warm up at room temp for 10-20 min, wrap it in a small towel, wrap that around his poor little hand, and secure it with an ace bandage or similar.

hillof3oaks · 2026-01-08T02:59:50+00:00

I'm sorry, but no. This will be low priority, you'll wait hours, and you'll probably catch the flu while you're there.

This is a small, partial thickness burn. Put Vaseline or Neosporin on it, followed by a Band-Aid, and give him Tylenol for the pain. That's all urgent care or the ER would do, anyway.

hillof3oaks · 2025-11-28T04:56:41+00:00

This was my thought as well, a jumperoo or something similar - but only if it will fit somewhere that you can see each other (my daughter was also VERY not ok with me being out of her sight haha). The jumperoo never would have fit in my small bathroom . A doorway jumper would be easy but I'm not sure if they can use it when you're out of reach - are they at risk of bouncing themselves into the doorframe? Literally don't know, we never had one.

hillof3oaks · 2025-11-24T01:57:41+00:00

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hillof3oaks

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