Poll: An anonymous survey of profession (current or before illness)

[vision blue]

Are any of you curious what your fellow forum dwellers do/did for a living? I know I am. Sometimes people volunteer them, sometimes people say things that suggest a possible profession, other times people remain silent. Hence this survey...

Some explanations of the poll

Please read all the way to the end of the choices because more than one option likely applies to you.

You can check off more than one option

I got the broad categories from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/different-types-of-jobs-a-z-list-2059643
You can have a look at what is considered in each category. many lists of jobs listed 250 occupations...

There are two slots left in the poll where other professions can be added. (because of how few are allowed, had to make tough choices...)

if you are retired, check off the box of the profession before you retired. If you retired because of illness, then check off that box too.

if you are not of retirment age, and not working , or not working at original profession, becasue of illness, then check off the box that youre not working bcause of illness AND also the box for the profession before you stopped working at that profession.

It's tricky to know what to do if you were derailed young and was studying for one of above professions but had to leave it from illness before getting the degree or practicing in that profession. That's why I added the option that said you were studying for one of the professions but were not able to finish because of illness. I think for consistency, maybe best to just check that and NOT also the profession? or if others feel differently, can post and we can change the rule (you can change your vote once we agree on the rule). or maybe how about a :"comprimise" is if say you were in law school but coudlnt finsish from illness- then check off both attorney and didnt' make it to chosen profession becasue of illness, but if you were in college still, in "pre-law" then do not check off attorney, just the "I didnt make it becasue option". Seem ok?

I think this is the point where @Pyrrhus tells me this survey has already been done 8 times, and I'm the 9th to do so. (we can delete this survey if the same one already exists) And when a few people tell me how bad this survey is. Sorry in advance- i tried at least..

because the number of options are limited, i'm going to created a tandem survey on education level that is relevent to the issue as well.

Note that i had to include two education level questions here as well for completeness and understandability.

As far as I can tell, the poll is anonmmyous and no one knows who made/will make a particular ressponse. Mods - is this true?

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I retired...remarkable.

Only in my line of work nobody retires. So to retire is to have failed.

 

[Springbok1988]

I worked as a laboratory technician in a genetics lab and was working on my Masters degree in virology. I had to quit school and work because of ME.

edit: I originally planned on getting a PhD in virology but as my ME worsened, I had to change my goals.

 

[vision blue]

I retired...remarkable.

Only in my line of work nobody retires. So to retire is to have failed.

I was going to add if you retired for health reasons, then you can check off the box saying you left your job because of illness, as well as the box of course of the profession you were in before you retired. I hope that's clear to other retiees! Thanks. maybe i can still add it to instruciotns.

 

[vision blue]

I worked as a laboratory technician in a genetics lab and was working on my Masters degree in virology. I had to quit school and work because of ME.

edit: I originally planned on getting a PhD in virology but as my ME worsened, I had to change my goals.

coo.l. I will add a "Scientist" choice and that should give you some more boxes to check off.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

coo.l. I will add a "Scientist" choice and that should give you some more boxes to check off.

appreciate adding a scientist box...

I did not retire early due to the illness, but should have.

 

[vision blue]

appreciate adding a scientist box...

I did not retire early due to the illness, but should have.

Done!

(and that's great)

 

[Rufous McKinney]

(and that's great)

I was in the same situation so many of us are in: how would I prove this illness exists when its This Illness?

With no medical support. With just stupid doctors who stare. With no real tests.

 

[godlovesatrier]

Yes it is my intention to retire at 55 but I am honestly not sure hwo the hell I am meant to get there. It feels like every year symptoms worsen slightly in one area, whilst others remain in remission. Feels like spinning plates.

I am currently trying to figure out if the fact that bcaas don't work as well as they once did is a good sign (body is no longer using aminos for fuel) or a bad sign.

I am also now more sensitive to all sorts of things than I used to be. Which I believe is disease progression.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Feels like spinning plates.

Oh: thats something I used to say,....(from grown up with Ed Sullivan Show)..hardly ever hear that any more....

I miss funky carnivals.......

 

[godlovesatrier]

Haha yeah it's an old image for sure. Ive heard a few people use it though over the years

 

[vision blue]

Oh: thats something I used to say,....(from grown up with Ed Sullivan Show)..hardly ever hear that any more....

I miss funky carnivals.......

Couldn't resist commenting on this saw an ed sullivan rerun a couple of weeks ago with spinning plates! Tastes in entertainment sure have changed (on AGT recently, a couple of brothers threw knives at each other))

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Couldn't resist commenting on this saw an ed sullivan rerun a couple of weeks ago with spinning plates!

I just watched a 1958 version: I'd would have seen that at five....There was no such thing as missing an Ed Sullivan Show.....just saying. (Disney, Ted Mach Amateur Hour, Bonanza)...(and in the summers, late, the game show with this guy named Johnny Carson.....)

The plate spinning is real exhaustion to watch, and some bowls were involved.....

 

[vision blue]

These votes are interesting. i do not think i would have predicted them.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Contemplating jobs and tendencies...the group seems possibly a tad overeducated/high achiever....

Most popular original Job: Herder

Followup Career: Farmer

Also something about the sociology of folks who find chat rooms about complex illness. We aren' t an average cross section I suspect.

 

[vision blue]

The high achiever is part of our pathology. Seriously. Its not that we just have no choice because we are chronically ill and seeking our own solutions. There are plenty of hard to manage chronic illnesses a d other desperation illness a d toms of forums. No forum cones close to those frequented by cfs folk.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

The high achiever is part of our pathology.

Interesting.......

yes I recall this Australian ME CFS expert, name I don't recall (probably in psych) he thinks we are the Type A high achievers....We answer the Questions.

Our hands go up first.

Exactly who I was: with the whole classroom full of slackers, I'm totally engaged and answering all the questions.

I recall this training class, a while back and the person next to me was writing out the Xmas shopping list.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

The high achiever is part of our pathology.

Premorbid ‘‘overactive’’ lifestyle in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia
An etiological factor or proof of good citizenship?


Here is an offering from Belgium researchers:

https://ppw.kuleuven.be/mesrg/documents/pdfpatrick/van-houdenhove-et-al-2001.pdf

"Action- Proneness"

Significant Others even notice...(mine, is the opposite of Action-Prone)