erik Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 I know I'm dumb and I don't feel good about the fact that it's not particularly moral to take a job that I'm not well suited to (isn't fair to my employer)... but I have to do something, options are limited, and I know I can do it!I'm only committed to 3 nights (no sun & heat problem and fewer public folks around, thankfully) and I should be able to walk around & wiggle as needed (which makes upright more tolerable). I'm going to "train" before hand a bit and try to find a compromise in hydration that doesn't require excessive pee breaks... then rest up well prior to the actual job. This gig was going to start a day after an airplane flight, but thankfully that is canceled!Don't worry, I won't be directing traffic and I will be unarmed, except for my Inspector Clouseau like wit & martial arts skills... thanks to by buddy Kato who keeps me hyper-vigilant .Anyway, any survival tips? Or perhaps just wish me good luck (or tell me that I am in fact a duface... I can take it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitsakatsa Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 I don't think its dumb. I think some of the reason why I have been able to work is because I've literally kicked my own butt out my door every morning for the last 6 years. I didn't have it easier than anyone else, but now it is easier because I pushed myself in a direction that was reckless, unreasonable and impossible. If you don't push your limits, those limits will define you. Just like the song: "Sugar, we're going down swingin'"! Good on you. By the way, I'm not judging anyone-that's not my style. I just know what I had to do for me and my sanity. I'm still horridly sick. I don't pretend I have all answers. I don't want anyone to feel bad. I just think you are making a brave choice. Anyway, if you feel particularly bad that day- just make sure you faint and fall directly on the bad guy!Kits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iheartcats Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 I'm looking for work - so you give me hope! Good luck and I'm sure you'll get through...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tachy Phlegming Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 A true dufus would spell that word correctly instead of the far more sophisticated words you routinely do spell correctly. http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/dufusA night job without sun and heat (and well adapted to a weird schedule) sounds amazing.I hope it's enjoyable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted October 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Ahhahaha.... Ironic. Yes, I would have to spell that word wrong out of all of 'em! I guess I know what my subconscious thinks on the issue! Yes... I lose consciousness slowly enough that I think I can strategically place my body if needed! I could face lawsuit though, you know some criminal would turn it around on me if I managed to squish 'em!So glad they had some nights available... I wouldn't have taken 3 days in a row otherwise... and I'd be very very concerned about making it through 1 day if it's hot. BTW, it's just temporary for a big event, but maybe I can get a foot in the door. 3rd day is big event so couldn't skip, but I turned down 1 after-event so I can rest. I know I can do it, provided I don't happen to have (or trigger) a major episode for me... some luck and effort and I should make it through ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewatcher Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 No Erik, you're brilliant actually! By working at night when your HR is naturally the lowest, you should be able to do just fine. If you're really lucky, you'll find out that you have a circadian rhythm disorder and that you actually feel normal during these hours! You have my admiration for pushing yourself to work, it is hard when you feel like poop!Kudos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimells Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 One of the few positives of my parttime custodial job is that it forces me to get some excersize.Good luck, I hope you don't get bored to death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 I think I like the spelling duface better. If you faint, maybe it could be dirtface, or floorface.If it works out, you can be smileface or smugface.Any way, I just wanted to say good luck, I think it could work very well for you.And if not, don't be a sadface. You can be an atleastItriedface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Burschman Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 A true dufus would spell that word correctly instead of the far more sophisticated words you routinely do spell correctly. Hmm. I always thought it was "doofus." And I'm a copywriter/former editor!Good luck, Erik! I think it sounds like it just might work for you.Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliegee Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 I think it's wonderful- best of luck!Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted October 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Thank you all so much. The night time is going to be great. I've got several days to flip my sleep sched. Won't be totally settled in, but that can be good sometimes. I've had some beautiful nights around here and I should be able to get into that mode.I have borrowed some back-support things to wear under my shirt... should make being upright less work and easier on the back. Wore one today doing chores and it is very helpful. I might have tendency to abdominal pooling, I don't know... seems like it... so I think it helps with that too.I thought about finding some long underwear... probably a hard thing to find in this warm region. I don't have compression stockings and I REALLY don't want to fake it with woman's pantie hose... now that could lead to a bad start in the business Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewatcher Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Thank you all so much. The night time is going to be great. I've got several days to flip my sleep sched. Won't be totally settled in, but that can be good sometimes. I've had some beautiful nights around here and I should be able to get into that mode.I have borrowed some back-support things to wear under my shirt... should make being upright less work and easier on the back. Wore one today doing chores and it is very helpful. I might have tendency to abdominal pooling, I don't know... seems like it... so I think it helps with that too.I thought about finding some long underwear... probably a hard thing to find in this warm region. I don't have compression stockings and I REALLY don't want to fake it with woman's pantie hose... now that could lead to a bad start in the business Erik, go to a Sports store and get bicyclist's compression shorts. They will slide under your clothes and are made for the male anatomy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potsgirl Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Erik,Kudos to you for making an attempt and being so smart about it. We'll all want to hear how you do. Best of luck!Cheers,Jana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppetkazutaka Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 I always liked it better when I worked as an overnight janitor or a 911 dispatcher. Night work is better for me thanks to an altered circadian rythym! We have night guards at my job. Just don't fall asleep like one of our former guards and get taken on a cell phone camera. XD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Burschman Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 I thought about finding some long underwear... probably a hard thing to find in this warm region. I don't have compression stockings and I REALLY don't want to fake it with woman's pantie hose... now that could lead to a bad start in the business Running tights might be an option. They would probably provide better compression than pantyhose anyway, and be less hard to explain if you got caught! Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tachy Phlegming Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 I'm hoping you get your foot in the door for more work...I always thought it was "doofus." (both are used but yours is the more common variant it appears -- I don't know why I looked up the other one) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted October 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 I answer to any spelling... "Doofus says what?" ..... "What?" Cool. Got a pair of cycling shorts. Tight and spandexy and most definitely "compressing"! Between that and the "girdle" back-support things (and rather tall tight socks), I should be in good shape. I'm the sort that can prevent the gray-outs by keeping moving so this combination should work for me.I'll do my best to stay awake. Those pesky cell phone cameras can get ya at the worst moments. That's why I didn't want to wear the woman's undergarments... never again (Just kidding of course)There will be TV cameras some of the time too, so at least if I end up narco- or synco-compromised (as in narcolepsy or syncope) I can get my 15 minutes of fame out of the deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 Mate i find that if you keep moving sometimes your ok - its when you sit about or stand about that you get crook. A year and a half ago I ran 4 miles twice a week, yet fidgeted if I sat for too long at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted October 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 I survived!I feel like I just completed a triathalon! In a way, I did... (a little clue to the event I was working at I pulled 3 marathon shifts (overnight and partly into the day) plus a couple less strenuous followups. Lots up upright time, but luckily I was able to sit here and there and was always able to move about (keeping circulation going). Mostly night shifts which are quite pleasant in the Hawaiian climate.Thank you all for the tips & support. The bike shorts were critical... First, extra compression was great (combined with my back support girdle thing and rather tight socks). Second, I made mistake of going without one day and found my shorts are horrid chauffeurs... err, chafers... anyway, they tore up my thighs and drove me crazy with every step. Maybe the pain helped motivate me, but I went back to the bike under-shorts and thankfully even with red raspberry inner-thighs (now scabbing over) they kept me just fine on subsequent days!I was getting anxious prior to my gig, knowing my back would give out and that I'd have trouble being upright so long and challenged by frequent urination while being "on post" for long hours. I saw doc and restarted fludrocortisone, which even at my initial dose allowed me to retain water really well through my shifts. I had been off the fludro pending testing but that happened to be postponed. The event was stocked with kids-swimming-pools of ice cold Gatorade, G2, water, etc... it was kind of nice having a "bottomless well" of Gatorade! I normally just use the powder occasionally (and usually just NUUN) since the cost is high. I took steady but modest sips of G2 and water, like you see the tennis players do!I also got scrip for SOMA, knowing my back would be in knots in short order. I did aggressive regime of vitamins, supplements, cautious diet, salt-packets... basically throwing everything at my body that I didn't think would create more problem! I chose to go minimal on caffeine (even though these were very long night shifts) and that worked well, avoiding peaks & slumps and keeping that tool in reserve when needed. Same with my pseudoeffedrine (which triggers norepi & hence vasoconstriction)... just resorted to that a few limited times to assist with extended upright periods. Couple puffs of albuterol came in handy too... between all this, I had only 1 incident where I went more lightheaded than I wanted, but I made it through that. Didn't have occasion to take HR or BP during, but in between days did note my BP was riding in my 130-140 range (my target to avoid O.H.) which works well to help me tolerate upright posture (when I oft get orthostatic hypotension, et. al.).SOMA is still a mystery med for me. I know it's a muscle relaxant, of course. Also an opioid enhancer, but I'm not sure how much it counts as an opioid itself... it's like an analgesic opioid, perhaps, maybe, I think... acting remotely to block muscle pain at source, but not necessarily doing generalized/central opioid stuff. I seem to get a mild anxiolytic benefit from it, as well as perhaps some help with stamina (I guess it's side effects can be indirectly stimulatory, but I think that's during withdrawal, not sure). Anyway, without it I'd have been a pretzel after first day or two! Also, a moderate stream of ibuprofen, very frequent aggressive stretching & my back support girdle thing were critical... I think it helps with abdominal pooling nicely. Thanks to all this, I actually feel stronger (though tired) after the whole ordeal!Today after the event (5 days basically) I'm having some emo-lability, partly from post-processing of the ordeal but also an expected phase for me with fludro (seems to do this for a while when starting it). It's my typical bittersweet sense of accomplishment (some happy progress now but also so sad I couldn't have had benefit of this diagnosis long long ago). A little healthy self-pity for good measure Still unsure what is realistic for me on an ongoing basis, since my condition tends to be episodic/chronic... but counting this as a big accomplishment and sign that my body still has some solid underlying capability (aided by fludro, perhaps also to be helped by future meds from specialists). I also didn't "fog out" and didn't get any panic episodes (those have been rare, but I've had them in the past). I had a couple stress moments but they passed quickly and I just cruised along and pulled things off well enough. I was also ready for failure... but this was the sort of gig where guys are shifted around here and there so at worst if I melted down it would have been a burden but would not have been tragic for my boss and the event.I'm quite proud, relieved, and thankful to you all for your help. Today I've been in "cool down" mode, just enjoying some yoga and belly-dancing... actually just spectating.... watching "Shimmy" and "Namaste Yoga" on FitTV... they can be quite mesmerizing and nice to relax to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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