u/Smooth_Importance_47

I've had uncontrolled asthma for a while now and (on top of being on a biologic immunosuppressant for an autoimmune disease) every cold I get turns into bronchitis or pneumonia. I've had bronchitis twice this year (currently have it) and pneumonia once which got very serious.

I'm wondering if I'll get sick less often and/or less severely once I start daily preventative meds for my asthma? That would be really great. I'm tired of getting knocked on my ass by illnesses all the time. My doc prescribed me montelukast (scared to take, but I took it as a baby and young kid before my mom decided my asthma "went away), an Advair daily inhaler, and an albuterol rescue inhaler.

Trying to get ideas!

Obnoxious "I love pumpkins" person here August 31st, but just wondering if anyone has seen any fall themed items at our TJ's yet. Just asking because I don't normally shop there but I like to for the fun seasonal treats. Thanks!!

Basically, I have the option to graduate with my BS in Wildlife Ecology this semester (December) or push a couple classes to next semester in order to do an internship which would leave me graduating in May instead.

I do already have some field work experience through another internship but this would be working for a completely different organization with different priorities on different lands.

Pros:
• The internship is paid at $20/hr, which is really nice and would help me pay rent
• While not working with a target species of mine, it would be working with federally listed plant species, one of which I already have experience with.
• I already know a couple of the people I would be working with and like them.
• It would give me more field work experience in conservation and be a networking opportunity.
• I believe the botanical work experience could help count for my 2-3 missing botany credits out of 9 for GS wildlife bio positions with the feds.
• They extended the deadline so feasibly they have no applicants and it would be easy to get.

Cons:
• Graduating a semester later (wouldn't be any extra money, because its the same amount of classes, but would be extra time in school).
• I am worried that juggling an internship during the school year would be hard, but hopefully with a reduced course load it is more manageable.
• This internship focuses on plants, where my usual focus is on birds. I like plants, but I'm not super knowledgeable yet. Some of my coursework this semester is botany related which may help with this
• I know this is a silly one - but my partner and I are in the same field and I worry he would feel jealous if I got this internship, because he would probably like to do it too.

hi!

I'm about to graduate with my degree in wildlife conservation (and will be going back for grad school eventually). I have experience working in the field, including driving pickups, hitching trailers, chainsaw use, wildlife surveys with a variety of species including endangered/sensitive species, and more. I also have experience working with children in formal and informal education settings, especially environmental education and program development.

I have interests in ornithology, entomology, forest health, botany (though less experienced here), land management, prescribed fire, extension, animal care, agriscience, some aspects of forestry, outreach, environmental education, teaching, outdoor recreation, and more.
Weirdly enough, also sort of into medical stuff, especially pathology and immunology. Plant pathology is sort of cool too.

as I am getting closer to graduation, I am thinking about potential employment!

the caveat being I really prioritize family, so having a job where I have to move very far away seasonally and cannot be near family or even have pets would be a difficult season for me.

my partner and I plan to get married young and we both really want to be parents eventually (several years down the line)! we also currently have two cats and a snake who we love dearly, and the two of us are very close and don't like being apart for long.

I really want a job that allows me to have an impact on conservation in some way, but I also want to be able to prioritize spending time at home with my family. I thought about being a science teacher but I am on an immune suppressant medication for a pretty gnarly autoimmune disease, so I try to limit my exposure to infection and big groups of kids are (lovingly!) petri dishes. I work with kids right now in an afterschool program but I wear an n95 the entire time unless we're outside.

hi!

I'm about to graduate with my degree in wildlife conservation (and will be going back for grad school eventually). I have experience working in the field, including driving pickups, hitching trailers, chainsaw use, wildlife surveys with a variety of species including endangered/sensitive species, and more. I also have experience working with children in formal and informal education settings, especially environmental education and program development.

I have interests in ornithology, entomology, forest health, botany (though less experienced here), land management, prescribed fire, extension, animal care, agriscience, forestry, outreach, environmental education, teaching, outdoor recreation, and more.
Weirdly enough, also sort of into medical stuff, especially pathology and immunology.

as I am getting closer to graduation, I am thinking about potential employment!

the caveat being I really prioritize family, so having a job where I have to move very far away seasonally and cannot be near family or even have pets would be a difficult season for me.

my partner and I plan to get married young and we both really want to be parents eventually (several years down the line)! we also currently have two cats and a snake who we love dearly, and the two of us are very close and don't like being apart for long.

I really want a job that allows me to have an impact on conservation in some way, but I want to be able to also prioritize spending time at home with my family. I thought about being a science teacher but I am on an immune suppressant medication for a pretty gnarly autoimmune disease, so I try to limit my exposure to infection and big groups of kids are (lovingly!) petri dishes. I work with kids right now in an afterschool program but I wear an n95 the entire time unless we're outside.

23F, on a biologic for autoimmune disease

I've had a hard time deciding my career. Not for lack of passion, but for maybe too much of it? It's always been be a scientist or teach science. And I've always sort of done both, ever since I was a kid.

I would play science teacher and make seating charts and worksheets and lesson plans for my toys. I went as far as to enroll in a teacher prep program, and I got halfway through. I taught kids in classrooms and informally, and found a lot of joy in that. I made a mockup presentation of what my first week as a sixth grade science teacher would be.

Ever since being diagnosed, I started a biologic which has really helped with my joint pain and other issues, but after becoming very ill with pneumonia that became septic quickly, I realized just how much more vulnerable I am to infections. I'll admit I'm traumatized by the experience, especially because nobody believed I was that sick at first, since I'm young and tend to hide things well even if I feel really ill. And it all happened so fast.

I realized that being a classroom teacher probably wouldn't be feasible, and I'm mourning that.

Luckily, I still have the whole scientist thing, which I am also very passionate about, and it seems a little more accessible/lower infection risk. And maybe informal education could be something that works for me someday. But it's a real grief that I'm feeling to lose something I've dreamed about. The thing that was even supposed to be my "safety net" and my calling at the same time. I know there are probably still ways - maybe wearing an N95 the entire time I teach, and not getting close to students, running an air purifier. I just don't know if that's what I want. I wanted to feel normal and secure.

We inherited some plastic meal prep lunchbox/food storage containers from a buy nothing group about a year ago. They work great, but with concerns about microplastics, PFAS, etc I am wondering if there is any risk to us using them with our cold food or room temp lunches?

Is the microplastic risk only a thing when the plastic is heated or damaged?

Pls let me know! Ty :)

I'm graduating in December with a bachelor's in Wildlife Ecology and some experience in the field with mostly avian tech jobs and volunteering, and a paid internship with a state agency where I got a variety of experience. Some environmental education/interp experience as well.

I know lots of places probably want someone who can start right away, but I don't want to put off applying for too long. So if I'm ready to work by December, when should I start applying? October? November? September? August? Now?

We adopted two kittens about two months ago. They're sisters and completely inseparable. They play together, snuggle together, sleep together, etc.

One has adjusted really well to the new environment. She is super outgoing, vocal, lets you pick her up and hold her, plays lots, loves being pet, purrs often - she just seems like a super content and healthy cat!

However, her sister, while she has made progress, is always stressed. She has been shy since the moment we got her, not even letting us pet her until very recently (and even then sometimes she still runs away or looks very scared). I never see her walking around with her tail up, and I rarely hear her meow. She eats and drinks like normal. She plays with her sister, especially when we aren't around. It is a real pain to get her in a cat carrier - she is so so scared.

Lately, the shy sister has been having some loose stools (soft serve texture, not liquidy). She always makes it to the litter box, so no concern there. She is acting like her normal self otherwise (but her normal self is pretty stressed out and shy no matter what we try, unfortunately). She sleeps a lot, but so does her sister, although I guess she sleeps a tiny bit more than her sister does.

I think the soft stool may have started when we moved the cats primary living area to a different room? We had to move them into the living room from the bedroom so that we could sleep at night because they would play a lot and jump on the bed while we were trying to rest. But I am concerned about it. I checked her gums and the nape of her neck for signs of dehydration and she seems to be healthy/normal/not dehydrated.

Both of their poops have always been pretty stinky, but the outgoing sister's poop is normal looking. They have had no food changes, we have even been using the food that they used when they were in the shelter.

I would take shy sis to the vet, but if its just stress I feel like I will only add to it and make it worse. And it's so impossible to get her into a carrier, we would need pre-visit anxiety meds, and I'm not sure if they would even prescribe without having ever seen her.

Any thoughts?

Has anyone here taken Practical Plant Taxonomy with Norman Douglas? How was it? Give me all the info you have !!

Unfortunately my partner and I both work in natural resources and are routinely exposed to pesticide spray, at least for now. We don't intend to keep these jobs forever. I got out of actively spraying because of a lung issue, but he is around glyphosate all the time. I get him to take off all of his clothes ASAP before coming in and we put it all outside and wash separately, then he showers right away, but I still feel so worried about the toxicity especially as he is without fail still bringing some into our home, and I don't even want to think about how much of it is probably in his car.

For me, even though I don't actively spray I still work in forests where herbicides are sprayed all the time and I'm sure I bring some in too.

It's just crazy, I go out of my way to buy organic stuff for us and we avoid pesticides with our own plants but the occupational exposure feels so damning.

Hi guys!

I just bought a new iron but realized it is a "nonstick" iron from Black & Decker, so naturally I am now worried about PFAS/PFTE/forever chemicals. I go out of my way to buy 100% cotton clothing these days, so would my efforts just be thwarted by a toxic clothes iron? Is this something that matters enough to replace?

Thanks!!

Hi all!

I'm 23, I started on Taltz about 6 months ago and it has been working great for pain and skin issues. My skin is 100% clear when I'm on it which is amazing because I previously had psoriasis covering my whole scalp and forehead. My pain also goes from an 8 to a 2, and sometimes even a 0, so it's been pretty miraculous for me.

That being said, about 4 weeks ago I developed pneumonia that became septic after only a day. That is the first time that has ever happened to me, and it was terrifying. Thankfully I didn't have to be admitted to the hospital because I responded well to the steroids and antibiotics they gave me, but I'm left a bit traumatized by the whole experience and really hesitant to go back on the meds despite my pain coming back. I don't want to die of an infection, but I also don't want to live with PsA.

Just curious!! Can be funny, scary, cool, interesting, whatever.