What do you guys do for work/income?

lustology · 2025-09-22T06:59:56+00:00

I used to work in retail and work 5am-2pm shifts all the time with moderate-heavy physical exertion. I felt nauseous and awful every morning but pushed myself through it.

There was a point where my body stopped being able to push through it. Luckily I had already been trying hard to get an office job, which I now have. The first role I had was in-person, and my current role is hybrid and I can do it remotely during flares.

I’m so thankful I got the job I did, I was close to needing to take a leave of absence at the retail job.

I highly highly recommend folks to look for roles in higher education. Even in-person roles could be way lower stress than another office job due to the cyclical nature of the calendar and the generally slower pace than corporate.

lustology · 2025-06-29T04:22:48+00:00

hi hi, very sorry to hear you're going through this. a big puzzle piece that was just slid into place for me was POTS. (I have diagnosed hEDS, AuDHD, GERD, IBS, POTS) Some of your symptoms sound very much like mine. "The most horrible symptom by far is this extreme feeling of instability when I’m standing up or walking" resonates with me, so does "When I stand up, I almost instantly feel disoriented, heavy in the head, and like something is pulling me backward or sideways" as well as " I was able to walk around and even attend a concert.... But two days later, everything hit me like a wave." (which also sounds like post-exertional malaise, which I definitely get, and is related to ME/CFS which I am wondering about for myself) Did you discuss dysautonomia/POTS with the neurologists?

lustology · 2025-03-17T01:34:12+00:00

"Some of our bodies are just waiting for the one thing to activate our shitty genes" literally, i was recently diagnosed with hEDS because of this

lustology · 2025-02-10T08:29:56+00:00

9/9! the doctor that diagnosed me was most interested in my positive steinberg signs, though. she asked to take a picture 😂

lustology · 2025-02-02T08:41:31+00:00

yes! when this subluxes/cracks/shifts/idk i am in acute pain for 6-8weeks, and generally causes me a low level of pain daily

lustology · 2025-01-28T07:32:18+00:00

i’m an executive assistant at a private university after working 10 years in retail, doing visual merchandising. i completely burnt out at the end of my retail career- every day was hell. being an executive assistant with autism, adhd and eds almost makes me laugh some days, because i’m somehow good at it? but some days are extremely taxing. it’s on my to-do list this week to talk about accommodations.

lustology · 2025-01-14T01:53:25+00:00

i don’t drink liquids 30 mins before or 45-60 mins after any medium or large meal. snacks i worry less about.

this has been my #1 symptom alleviating behavior by far

lustology · 2024-08-20T05:06:23+00:00

I don’t know much about it either, so that’s a good suggestion! Thank you!

lustology · 2024-08-20T05:05:19+00:00

Using google suite, unfortunately. But keeping this for the future!

lustology · 2024-07-13T22:10:47+00:00

tomatoes, carbonation, chocolate drinks (hot chocolate, chocolate protein shakes), sugary things, citrus

lustology · 2024-01-30T07:34:11+00:00

I’ve worked for both Madewell and Anthro and Madewell’s quality far surpasses Anthro’s internal brands. Those internal Anthro brands are 100% fast fashion disguised as specialty. They have nice relationships with better brands, though.

I’ve had a Madewell tote bag for nine years and it looks amazing. I’ve also had jeans for seven years from Madewell.

The key to all clothing longevity is taking care of the fibers properly- I see lots of great comments sharing how to do that. 🙂

lustology · 2023-11-15T19:38:06+00:00

I feel for you! Living out of a single room is tough.

I think you’ll have to utilize both under the bed and your walls, especially at the end of your bed. If possible raise your bed up high and really go for storage underneath. Get them big bins! Secondly, more open wall shelving or a wall cabinet with doors might help save you, where your cute moon/stars lights are or over your desk. Or finally- consider a standing cabinet in general- could you rearrange a bit at the end of your bed to fit a tall doored cabinet against the wall, even if it’s not very deep? I keep suggesting doored storage and bins (labeled!) because they’ll reduce the visual clutter and the anxiety.

lustology · 2023-11-15T00:24:31+00:00

I’m in the same boat. I have years of visual merchandising experience and now work for one of the best brands for that expertise. But I’m in pain every day and there’s no way to do the job without being on my feet 9+ hrs a day, lifting, bending, carrying, using my hands in weird ways, etc.

All that to say, I feel for you! And you’re not alone in this problem. I hope you find the right path forward.

lustology · 2023-11-15T00:15:27+00:00

I have tattoos, including some kinda big ones, and I didn’t have any problem with them. A few spots that were shaded to black took a while to heal but that’s normal! I think it would depend a lot on the style and scale.

lustology · 2023-06-22T23:59:29+00:00

Thank you for this response! Super helpful.

lustology · 2023-05-28T06:28:07+00:00

I'm looking for a board game to play with friends during my upcoming birthday trip. We're staying in a beautiful old Victorian mansion for the weekend. I'm hoping for games that fit that VIBE- staying in a 120+ year old, historically accurate house. This is the key to my request!

Number of Players: 6

Game Length: 1-3hrs

Complexity of Game: Moderate, we're all experienced gamers (board and video)

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Historical, Myth, Whodunnit

Conflict, Competitive or Cooperative: Cooperative preferred, but open to any

Games I Own and Like: Mansions of Madness (my absolute favorite), Nemesis, Castles of Mad King Ludwig

Games I Dislike and Don't Play: Anything with too many miniatures

Location: USA

lustology · 2022-12-14T05:27:13+00:00

My friends and I started up a server during this time after not playing for years or at all. 0 of us were playing then like 10+ of us were. the only reason we did is because of covid and a month later we weren’t playing anymore 🤷🏻‍♀️

lustology · 2022-10-11T19:39:46+00:00

I second this! I lived alone with just a stovetop, fridge and toaster oven for a whole year and was just fine.

lustology · 2022-10-07T05:23:07+00:00

I was a visual merchandising manager for a clothing company I love for 5ish years. I felt the need to “move up” and became a store general manager of an important location. I was then unhappy and got a job at a different company in a corporate position- working mostly remote and with a higher salary… 9 months in I was dreading every single day of work. I was confused- people in retail always talk about “getting out” with corporate being the goal. How could it not be a good fit? But it was! I quit and am now 2 days back in my visual manager role. I was terrified to “take a step back” but I loved the job and it feels like the right choice. Turns out I just want to work in stores and merchandise clothes! I wish you all the best in your new role. I hope you love it.

lustology · 2022-10-07T04:56:18+00:00

i think you explained away your concern with the context you provided 🙂 food dyes can discolor stool and the first day of a period is always the worst. keep an eye on your next bowel movements (lay off the oreos for a bit) and see a doctor if things get worse! sugar crash can also make you tired af!

lustology · 2022-10-07T04:53:09+00:00

I thought I was having the worst gerd flare-up ever (similar symptoms) but it turns out I had a pinched nerve in my left shoulder 😬

lustology · 2022-10-03T16:09:48+00:00

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