u/Smooth_Importance_47

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.

Hi all!

I'm 23F with PsA, currently on my 4th month of Taltz. I believe I have generally good hygiene, and wear a mask where necessary, however I have several high risk environmental factors for catching stuff.

I'm a college student, so I'm exposed to lots of people all the time, and until a couple weeks ago I'd been living in communal/dorm housing with shared kitchens and bathrooms with 35+ people.

I'm in an educator prep program, so I work with K-12 students sometimes.

And lastly I work outdoors in land management and wildlife conservation so I am frequently exposed to ticks and other bugs, handling wildlife, getting dirty out in the woods. Recently I have also been exposed to a lot of wildfire smoke as I am getting my basic wildland firefighter certification AND there have been lots of wildfires near me.

That being said, in my four months of being on Taltz, I developed bronchitis in the second month. I have had bronchitis before, but this sucked. It was a MONTH of brutal coughing attacks that made me wheeze, gag, shake, and have body aches out of nowhere. I was on antibiotics and an inhaler and missed a lot of school.

The third month went alright, I wasn't sick.

But now I have developed pneumonia. It came on fast. Today is Thursday. On Monday night, I had a sore throat. On Tuesday, I had a fever and fatigue. By Wednesday morning, I met criteria for Severe Inflammatory Response Syndrome/sepsis. My fever was over 103, my blood pressure had dropped low, my heart rate was 160 (sitting), and my white blood cell count was very high. My CRP was "off the charts". Had I not gone to the ER for a chest xray, steroids, and antibiotics last night, I don't want to know what could have happened.

However, Taltz has helped a lot with my pain and psoriasis. I am 99% clear of psoriasis which is really great as I had it on my forehead and scalp and it was itchy and uncomfortable. My pain has become extremely manageable and I am much more able to get through my day to day. During my worst flares, I struggled with walking for long (which I typically had to do for work or school). It's had a really great impact to my quality of life. My rheum rated my disease activity as a 2.5/10 when before it was probably a 6.5-7/10.

The other thing is, I just enrolled in a clinical trial with Taltz which allows me to get Zepbound (a GLP-1) for free for 52 weeks because Lilly is studying GLP impacts on PsA. I am 60 pounds overweight and struggle with PCOS/PMOS which is an endocrine/metabolic disorder that affects women and can make it more likely to develop diabetes, harder to become pregnant/conceive, more likely to gain weight, causes excess hair growth, insulin resistance, etc. So I have been really excited about being part of this trial, but if I go off Taltz I can't stay on the trial, and as a college student I can't afford to pay out of pocket for a GLP-1. It would be really amazing to feel more comfortable in my body by the time I graduate college in less than a year, I have a hard time liking pictures of myself and feeling confident, and have always struggled with my weight.

I have messaged my rheum but waiting for a response, wondering what you guys think.

hi everyone! title says all, I'm a newbie wildland firefighter and interested in some fire boots for work. I have very flat feet and a history of tendon issues so ideally something with arch support. I'm also a student so I'd like something on the cheaper side that isn't going to wear out on me.

title says it all, preferably good brand but cheaper side since I'm a student