June 1, 2017
by sarcozona
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Deleting all of the data and half the analyses associated with your PhD and not realizing it for 20 minutes while RStudio keeps telling you the files you’re working on don’t exist. All praise to the glories of git and … Continue reading
October 24, 2016
by sarcozona
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Anna Eidt wrote recently about the “migraine personality,” an old and sexist idea that still influences how migraines are perceived and treated. It’s a succinct discussion and debunking of the idea. The “migraine personality” was coined in the early 20th century … Continue reading
Erenumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody specifically designed for the prevention of migraine. Erenumab targets and blocks the Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) receptor, thought to be pivotal in the genesis of migraine. Erenumab is currently being studied in several large global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to assess its safety and efficacy in migraine prevention. [from the press release for the ARISE study]
Kerrie has a nice breakdown of the results, which look quite encouraging, but not magical.
October 10, 2016
by sarcozona
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I get the aura, I take the pill, I lie down. The pain starts, increases, becomes everything. Two hours later it has quieted to a throb that consumes most, but not all, of my attention. The ice pack doesn’t help, … Continue reading
October 8, 2016
by sarcozona
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It’s a challenge to mindfully walk that middle path between being proactive about your health – always trying to improve it – but at the same time, accepting the way you are so that you can make the best of each day.
From Toni Bernhard’s How to Live Well with Chronic Pain and Illness
Illness is the space where I came to understand the limitations of my being. It’s a lesson we all learn but one I learned harshly and twice, first watching my mother and then enduring my own suffering. Now I know that I can lie down for hours without moving. I can meditate. I can stare at the wall and not despair. If I discovered something redemptive in this experience, it’s that capacity for stillness.
I have a post up today on Tenure, She Wrote about structural financial barriers in academia for chronically ill graduate students.
If a worker is less productive, should they be paid less? This is not an abstract question for me.
As a sick graduate student, I take longer to produce academic products like papers and degrees than the average well graduate student. Instead of the 4-5 years expected for a PhD student here, I’ll likely take 6-7 years. Additionally, my living expenses are higher because of my illness; despite living in a country with socialized medicine, I still have thousands and thousands of dollars a year in uncovered medical expenses.
