u/dustvoid

Hi everyone. I'm hoping to hear from people who have worked in one of these fields:

• phlebotomy
• radiation therapy
• radiology tech
• other, similar, low-stress medical fields

I'm 26, live in Nevada, and I'm basically fed up with working retail. There are a few options in my area for degrees in the medical field. I don't want to do anything with super high stakes like surgeon or EMT. I'd rather have more or less a 9-5. I don't need to get paid top dollar, but right now I make 33k so it would be really nice to earn 60k or more.

What are your experiences with these careers? What stresses you out about your job and what makes it all worth it?

I grew up in Austria. Sure, I got the usual seasonal colds and all, but I rarely got random headaches, nausea or other unexplainable symptoms. I felt pretty alert and my eyesight was great.

Four years ago, I moved to the US for love. I'm married now, and have a happy life, but I always feel slightly sick. Within a month of moving here I started getting headaches multiple times a week. I get randomly nauseous and struggle to work up enough of an appetite to get my nutritional needs met. I have crazy brain fog and never feel really here. Even my eyesight worsened – not in an actual needing a prescription sort of way, but it's like my eye muscles get tired of focusing all day long.

Twice in those four years I've spent a week visiting family in Europe. Once in Austria, once in the UK. Both times, my general malaise went away within a day or two and I quite literally felt perfectly healthy. I didn't even feel like my eyes got tired. I arguably eat worse on vacation, indulging in more pastries and simple carbs than I do at home. I walk as much at my job as I do strolling around towns in Europe. I can't pinpoint a concrete difference, but the US just makes me feel sick and I'm so tired of it I could cry.

I've been back in the US for two days now and I'm already struggling to eat three meals a day because I just feel off and sick again. I miss Europe so so so much.

I know this is a fairly common experience, feeling basically poisoned by this country, but that somehow only makes me sadder.

Edit: I know "poisoned" is a strong word choice here and yes it is an exaggeration. I'm just tired of living like this.