I finished Lyme treatment last April, after 6 months of disulfiram. It wasn’t easy and I still had die off but it worked for me.
I finished up parasite treatment in October. Now to avoid people that don’t wash their hands often enough. I cook all of my own food. I don’t trust others to wash their hands adequately.
My last diagnosis was chronic inflammatory response syndrome, CIRS, due to mold exposure. That kept me cycling from good health to poor health. I learned a lot about indoor air quality and have been remediating my home. It’s working as is treatment for CIRS. I’m about 2 months into treatment and have another 4-7 months to go.
I know many don’t believe in PM2.5 but I do. Mold spores are in that category. PM2.5, per research, can lead to T2D and many other health problems.
There is a lot of interesting and solid science behind all of this. Some MDs know it and believe it, some don’t. I learned enough to be glad I went into engineering rather than medicine.
I am trying to get back on my feet and need work to do that. I have a potential to bid on some consulting work but it’s a long shot. We’ve been talking for 2 months and still nothing to quote.
I am working on some other ideas but they’re going to be months in the making. They may be bad ideas, too, and never get off the ground. The virus added a layer of complexity in meeting with companies. I’m not that creative so if any of you have ideas, I’m open. Otherwise, I’ll have some tough decisions to make.
I have reached out to others personally but nothing has come of it.
Most of my life has been dedicated to engineering. I would hate to leave it but if that’s what it takes to survive, so be it.
It’s really hard for me to ask for help especially after getting through all of those health problems alone. But I am in need of work and feel that I can consistently perform now without crashing at all.
First I gotta react to your comment on the PM 2.5. I spent a few weeks in China and “enjoyed” some constant orange-grey skies. Ever since then, from time to time, I check on the air quality index in the city I visited, and it’s always huge, even off the scale at times. Today the overall index is 155, with PM2.5 weighing in at 58 micrograms/cubic meter. I love living in Calgary. It’s “5” today.
I don’t work in a discipline closely related to yours. I wouldn’t know how the current panic has affected your industry (IIRC instrumentation and industrial controls, chemical plants, right?) although I should. My son is studying chem. eng. right now. The pandemic and the shutdown has really taken the wind out of his sails. All opportunities for summer work in his field completely vanished last summer. It’s been very discouraging to him.
So I sympathize!
However, I wish I could offer you more cheer or ideas.
Everything is slow now because of the pandemic. Many are hanging onto their cash to see what happens next year. I know others are hurting, too. If I hadn’t been sick for so long, I’d be in a better position. Spilled milk.
I’m sure your son will have many opportunities, once we return to normal. That may take another year or so but we’ll get there. Once he’s working, he’ll do really well in life.
The pandemic has changed a lot globally. I hold some people accountable but I know others don’t.
I’m glad to hear about your physical improvements. You’ve been through so much, and it is good to see that you’re constantly figuring out more and able to deal with the challenges. It’s terrible anyone has to go through this kind of stuff, but reading about the experiences you’ve shared and how you’re getting through it is inspiring.
I wish I had something more than well-wishes on the professional front for you. I do hope some of those plans you mentioned pan out and you can avoid those tough decisions though. I’m expecting the economic (job) recovery from the current situation to be more of a bounce than a climb.
It is a sad thought to have, but add that recovery to the unfortunate human losses we’re having, and experienced engineers will likely be in high demand.
I only see some industries as slow, but for us, the state carbon reduction targets are pressing construction to move forward despite the pandemic. And while industrial consumption is down, household consumption is up. So it is almost a wash.
Yes there are people who are defering payments, but it’s not like the payment will go away (I don’t know why people think that way). So there will be pain coming for some as the bills come due (I’ve seen it before).
So there is some activity, and we just have to trudge through it the best we can.
SuperSalad and boring108, thank you for the encouragement.
I realize some sectors of the economy are up and seemingly healthy. One prospect is in the food sector and an area within it that shouldn’t be impacted by the pandemic. I would think, if anything, it would be a positive impact. So I am a bit surprised that it will determine next steps based upon the pandemic and its impact on the economy.
I am grateful for my science, math, and engineering background. I think those enabled me to read research papers, books, etc. to learn how to help my doctors and me.
I think the economic recovery will be more of a bounce than a climb, too. I think many are anxious to return to normal times. As anxious as I am just for the company of family, friends, acquaintances, etc.
I truly regret the loss of human life. Although I have not lost anyone close to me due to c-19, some of my friends have. It’s truly sad. The lack of leadership and cooperation has been sad to witness. We’re better than this.
I agree that no one should have to endure what I’ve been through but it is part of life for many. My genes are fairly good so although I had a very hard time of it, others are so much worse. I have often read pleas for help from others, which are simply heartbreaking. The whole family has it and they’ve been reduced to living in their cars. I cannot imagine a family of 5 living in a car.
The experience of human hardships changed my philosophies a great deal. I understand much better the need to help people get through these hardships. If we cannot do that, we’re not much of a species.
When I get back on my feet, I hope to help others get through this in more personal ways than I have been.