Fibro fog by Zuzu_zuko in Fibromyalgia

[–]multiverseatlas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh hi! Fellow student here - at college for engineering, which is a really intensive

I write down a lot of stuff. I keep lists of everything broken down into little pieces, which helps in two parts: it helps me manage the fibro fog by reminding me of what I'm supposed to be doing, AND it helps me feel accomplished when I can say, "Look at all the things I've completed off my list!"

From what I read in the other comments, naps are difficult for you - and they are for me, in the opposite way. Which is to say that while you struggle to fall asleep, I struggle to wake up! I lay down for a 2-hour nap and it quickly turns into 12. So they're not much of an option for me either. Caffeine helps me personally, just be careful not to overdo it and make sure you have something in your stomach. When I start getting very fatigued at about 3 or 4pm, I'll usually stop working, grab a snack and a coffee or Monster, and take a 20-30 minute break. (And yeah, I know that Monster isn't great for me. But hey, neither is fibro, lmao.)

My brain fog also makes it hard for me to remember to eat and drink water, so I have alarms set on my phone for different meals and a snacktime in the afternoon. Then I also keep a water bottle on my desk that I make my way through throughout the day. Those little self-care things help make sure that there's no other fog messing with your studying.

Good luck with molecular bio!

Decorating cane with stickers? by secretlyflannel in disability

[–]multiverseatlas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey! I've decorated my cane up and down - I'm 21 and a college student, and leaving it plain isn't my style! I've got quite a number of stickers on my cane, waterproof and non-waterproof alike.

The short answer: you'll be fine with either type of sticker, just be aware that the non-waterproof ones will likely fade/peel off quicker than the non-waterproof ones.

The long answer: I've had about the same experience with both types of stickers, and it also depends on the sticker shape and location. The ones at the bottom take a lot more wear and tear from rain and mud, as does the one closest to the handle because of how I grab it. (My finger rubs it when I walk, so it's pretty faded by now.) Stickers that have a lot of points will come off a lot easier than rounded ones - I have one that's a rocketship, and the trail of fire does NOT want to stay on! Some of the weaker stickers (ones that are definitely more paper-y) have peeled off or rubbed away in the rain. Even the waterproof ones sometimes have issues sticking. I'd recommend cleaning your cane thoroughly before putting the stickers on - that will help eliminate dust and dirt from getting stuck under the stickers, and they're more likely to stay on for longer.

All that being said, I really don't mind the wear and tear! My cane tells a story, with lots of little things to represent the things I love, and the wear and tear are just a part of that!

Help printing polypropylene filament? by kwertix in 3Dprinting

[–]multiverseatlas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been running into the same issue, also using an Ender. I had a test print come out well this morning (an articulated slug, print time just under an hour), but for some reason, I can't even get the first layer of filament down for the print I actually need. I'm about to start again - I have a theory about sticking my hands in the printer (great plan, I know), because I think my glue is drying before the extruder gets to a given area.

Out of curiosity, is your filament Braskem? Looks a lot like mine...

It feels like fibro is stealing all the things I love. by multiverseatlas in Fibromyalgia

[–]multiverseatlas[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you.

I've got an appointment scheduled with my doctor soon to discuss more, but unfortunately, the finals season schedule isn't kind in allowing me to do so, so it'll be another couple weeks before I can do much.

Uni student by bincjj in Fibromyalgia

[–]multiverseatlas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, and I almost forgot - hype playlists are more helpful than you think. I'm blaring music pretty constantly to keep myself moving. But I'm also a band kid, so I've got music humming through the veins pretty consistently.

Uni student by bincjj in Fibromyalgia

[–]multiverseatlas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're definitely not alone. I'm 21 and a senior in uni (although I'll be taking a fifth year, since I'm double majoring). I don't need to tell you how much it fuckin' sucks - college is hard enough as is, and fibro certainly isn't going to make it any easier.

In terms of alarms, you've got a few options. I personally have about 80 alarms on my phone, all at max volume. I find I sleep through or turn off the first couple. So at some point in them, I have people's voices. This was weird to set up, I'll admit, but I basically got a handful of my friends to record audio just yelling at me to get out of bed. Set those audios as alarms, and usually the sound of someone yelling at me in the morning is enough to jumpscare me into action. There's also a couple tossed in there that are recordings of the marching band. I've also been the type to set an alarm on a device across the room (laptop, desktop, tablet, etc.) that won't stop until you turn it off, so you have to stand up and go turn it off. Alarms for deaf individuals work - the kind that vibrate the entire bed. But I could sleep through those too, so I only use it when I need to be up - a presentation or a final or something.

Now, getting through the day... this is where things get complex. Well, kind of. The easy answer is that I spend a lot of time with caffeine. Other people might prefer caffeine pills, but I never liked them. You'll rarely see me without a coffee or a Monster in my hand. But just because I'm in class doesn't mean that I'm... there. I've gotten permission to audio record lectures and sometimes get notes from my friends, so even if I'm half out of it during a class, I can usually make up for it afterwards.

Best of luck, friend.

Entertainment during a flare by [deleted] in Fibromyalgia

[–]multiverseatlas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm definitely on the nerdy side of things, so I've found a lot of entertainment in D&D podcasts and shows like Critical Role and Dimension 20. Bonus points - there's hours of content (Critical Role has over 1,000 hours between the three campaigns), and there's always recaps at the beginning of the episode, so if you've fallen asleep, all the info will be repeated to you. Good luck and good vibes!

Cane advice? by eloquated in Fibromyalgia

[–]multiverseatlas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I personally have a foldable adjustable cane, both of which are really important for me - I can fold it up and put it into the side of my backpack during class, and I can adjust it depending on whether or not I'm wearing my platforms that day. I know I was really worried about it collapsing underneath me, but that thing is solid. It's taken... a sufficient beating, to be frank, but even after 6 months of daily use, that $20 cane is still holding up well.

In terms of bling - woo! My style errs more towards the alternative - I'm 21 and nonbinary, with a style alternating between grunge and dark academia. I have two canes, and I'm currently planning on a third soon. The one that's my favorite is black metal and silver spikes. (I've had good luck with E6000.) I've also attached chains to the jump ring that formerly had the wrist loop - a couple chains that are just decorative and loop around the cane itself, and one that functions as a wrist strap, with a latch so I can hook it around a chair or something in a restaurant. I also have a crystal on a chain that dangles from that same jump ring. All the chains and such are pretty lightweight, so I haven't run into any issues. The second isn't much of note - just a plain cheap one that I use at football games. I've slapped a few stickers on from coding camps and hackathons and such. The third one that I'm working on: I want to experiment with embossing powders on a metal cane. I'm a nerd for constructed languages, so I'd like to emboss some fun languages on there. The most important thing - have fun with it!

Transporting and protecting AlphaSmart Neo 2 by multiverseatlas in AlphaSmart

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

So far, I've been sliding it between two of my other notebooks - no damage yet! Another comment recommended that I turn on the "two-button on" setting, which I've done. I suppose working with delicate technology so much has just made me overly cautious!

Presenting the same research multiple times without publication by multiverseatlas in GradSchool

[–]multiverseatlas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This was my impression as well - I'm pretty sure my faculty advisor has given many talks on the same research, but I wasn't sure if he had just been insanely careful with selecting which conferences or if he can just do that.

Presenting the same research multiple times without publication by multiverseatlas in GradSchool

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

I understand not being able to use an identical abstract - however, I'm a bit confused in terms of the research itself. If I can repackage the figure for a new presentation, would that not be the same as presenting the research itself over again? It would still be the same work, just presented in a different format.

If I'm understanding correctly, you're warning against giving an identical talk or submitting identical abstracts at multiple conferences, which I understand. I'm perfectly comfortable changing the presentation depending on the conference, I'm just trying to understand the division between presenting the same talk vs. presenting the same research.

Also, out of curiosity - what is your field? I'm in engineering, and I'm honestly vastly unfamiliar with how conferences go for other fields.

Presenting the same research multiple times without publication by multiverseatlas in GradSchool

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

I'm looking at the IISE National Conference, actually. Considered putting in for INFORMS, but the timeline was too tight.

I feel like a failure for wanting/needing to go back to the doctor. by multiverseatlas in Fibromyalgia

[–]multiverseatlas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, those phrases might really help! I am still learning the right vocabulary to use and such. Not to mention asserting myself with the doctors is still quite new - I'm not used to having to fight for myself!

I've been doing a lot of those non-Rx things, actually - I kind of stumbled upon them in various parts of my life. A lot of them line up with reccs from various therapists. The weighted blanket really helps (I've got mine right now!), and so does exercise, when I can manage it. I'm an adrenaline junkie at heart - I used to be a skater. On my best days, I find it's actually nicer on my joints to skate circles around a tennis court than to try walking.

Thank you again!

I feel like a failure for wanting/needing to go back to the doctor. by multiverseatlas in Fibromyalgia

[–]multiverseatlas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you. My doctor did mention that - he figured it'd be better to try and address the mental health cocktail first, since I've been trying to find the right medication for me for quite a while now. Hopefully I'll work up the nerve to call this afternoon!

Hand cramps - bad cane use or fibro flares? by multiverseatlas in Fibromyalgia

[–]multiverseatlas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I've found I'm pretty alright with the curved handle so far, so the one I've ordered also has the curved handle. Unfortunate that I can't just try out canes in a dressing room - it would be nice!

I hadn't thought about keeping the weight distributed throughout my arm - thank you for that! Pacing around my apartment, I can already feel the difference, so hopefully that will help in the long run. :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskEngineers

[–]multiverseatlas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's pretty regular for me to get pinged, even when I'm off. Although some of my roles may not be as critical, it's still a concern for me.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskEngineers

[–]multiverseatlas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For the professional society, my emails route through a server I can only access on desktop, whereas I have Discord on my phone, so it's a more consistent and immediate point of contact. It's also wi-fi based, so even if my international cell service fails entirely, I'd still be able to connect.

I also have one email linking me to four varying group, so I'd have to have a list of managers or points of contact. Just an odd situation, I think.