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Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

sailhealth.substack.com

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Re: Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

#41

Post by eddythompson80 »

mattgreenrocks wrote: post #22

I’ve been dealing with chronic reflux for about 8 mos now. On PPIs and they don’t seem to do much. But once I get away from my typical routine of work/dadding then all the symptoms vanish, even to the point of being able to eat foods that are not good for reflux: spicy things, tomatoes, a bit of coffee. In my case, this is absolutely a downstream symptom of something mind-body. Already been scoped and got a diagnosis…

> In this case, docs just don’t know why. (I think it kinda pisses them off not know, tbh). And finding out is not really in their wheelhouse.

Chronic reflux as a symptom is almost always initially treated by PPIs because the cause among white collar workers is assumed to be chronic stress[1]. Since doctors can't "treat stress" only its symptoms, they will just tell you to try and manage stressors in your life yourself. Maybe suggest counseling but in general they are limited in what they can do. What they can do, if you are persistent in the complaint, is to just run through all the other less likely causes of it.

I was lucky omeprazole worked for me the first time. I knew exactly what was stressing me out 24/7 and the acid reflux and frequent belching combined with the "pit in my stomach" feeling was all too common and connected around my main stressor. In my case, it started 8 months after accepting a role shift from engineering into management. I was cautiously excited initially, but it just soured very quickly. I would feel physical angst parking at work every morning trying to remind myself of all the web of political infighting "what our team is hiding from this other team", "who we can discuss what with", "how that other team is actively undermining us and their other downstream partners, but how we are circumventing that" how to 4d chess maneuver yourself in the most counterproductive ways possible. It was illuminating on where a lot of those special "business requirements" come from sometimes, but it just wasn't for me. Cutting that out was a massive relief

[1]: Stress and glucocorticoids have well documented effects on the digestive system. I recommend the "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" book chapter on stress and the digestive system.

Re: Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

#42

Post by qzw »

mattgreenrocks wrote: post #22

I’ve been dealing with chronic reflux for about 8 mos now. On PPIs and they don’t seem to do much. But once I get away from my typical routine of work/dadding then all the symptoms vanish, even to the point of being able to eat foods that are not good for reflux: spicy things, tomatoes, a bit of coffee. In my case, this is absolutely a downstream symptom of something mind-body. Already been scoped and got a diagnosis…

> I think it kinda pisses them off not know, tbh

Oh definitely. Some doctors are physically incapable of uttering the words “I/We don’t know.” I know a few doctors, and have asked a couple of them about this. In private, they’re very frank about the limits of modern medicine. But in front of patients, they’re afraid any sign of uncertainty will lead to patients concluding that some other quackery is just as good as actual medicine. I can definitely understand their perspective, but it does sometimes make them come across as arrogant know-it-alls.

Re: Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

#43

Post by [deleted] »

qzw wrote: post #42
mattgreenrocks wrote: post #22

I’ve been dealing with chronic reflux for about 8 mos now. On PPIs and they don’t seem to do much. But once I get away from my typical routine of work/dadding then all the symptoms vanish, even to the point of being able to eat foods that are not good for reflux: spicy things, tomatoes, a bit of coffee. In my case, this is absolutely a downstream symptom of something mind-body. Already been scoped and got a diagnosis…

> I think it kinda pisses them off not know, tbh Oh definitely. Some doctors are physically incapable of uttering the words “I/We don’t know.” I know a few doctors, and have asked a couple of them about this. In private, they’re very frank about the limits of modern medicine. But in front of patients, they’re afraid any sign of uncertainty will lead to patients concluding that some other quackery is just as good as a…

[deleted]

Re: Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

#45

Post by qualeed »

qzw wrote: post #42
mattgreenrocks wrote: post #22

I’ve been dealing with chronic reflux for about 8 mos now. On PPIs and they don’t seem to do much. But once I get away from my typical routine of work/dadding then all the symptoms vanish, even to the point of being able to eat foods that are not good for reflux: spicy things, tomatoes, a bit of coffee. In my case, this is absolutely a downstream symptom of something mind-body. Already been scoped and got a diagnosis…

> I think it kinda pisses them off not know, tbh Oh definitely. Some doctors are physically incapable of uttering the words “I/We don’t know.” I know a few doctors, and have asked a couple of them about this. In private, they’re very frank about the limits of modern medicine. But in front of patients, they’re afraid any sign of uncertainty will lead to patients concluding that some other quackery is just as good as a…

>But in front of patients, they’re afraid any sign of uncertainty will lead to patients concluding that some other quackery is just as good as actual medicine

This, but also in particularly litigious countries like the USA, they have to be extremely careful of opening up lawsuits.

A doctor saying "I don't know." followed by a bad patient outcome has a pretty high chance of being a lawsuit.

Re: Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

#46

Post by mattgreenrocks »

nickspacek wrote: post #40
mattgreenrocks wrote: post #22

I’ve been dealing with chronic reflux for about 8 mos now. On PPIs and they don’t seem to do much. But once I get away from my typical routine of work/dadding then all the symptoms vanish, even to the point of being able to eat foods that are not good for reflux: spicy things, tomatoes, a bit of coffee. In my case, this is absolutely a downstream symptom of something mind-body. Already been scoped and got a diagnosis…

Lots of anecdotal cures here, but I'll add Aloe Vera gel to the mix since it seems to help* both soothe/recover/prevent the return of my reflux symptoms for long periods of time.

Gel, as in, applied to your skin?

I love smoothies with aloe Vera juice and freshly grated ginger. I’ve never felt such a powerfully calming sensation from ingesting something before. Can’t tell if it’s the ritual/association or the ingredients.

Re: Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

#47

Post by Adrig »

I've dealt with chronic illnesses for the past 10+ years now. It's such a hard path.

I recently found out after a violent burn-out that a significant cause was chronic stress and its psychosomatic symptoms. It made me have a hard look at the topic, and I'm gradually adjusting to solve the issue.

If I get better, I'm tempted to do as OP and spend more time working on this issue for others. It seems so much more impactful than grinding the tech / startup life.

Re: Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

#48

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

I was just talking to a friend of mine, yesterday, about what happened to me.

In 2017, I was laid off of my job (of almost 27 years). I immediately started looking for work. Since the company I worked for, was a marquee-name company, I assumed that it wouldn't be hard.

Boy, was I in for a shock.

I almost immediately learned that no one in tech, is interested in hiring a 55-year-old, regardless of their pedigree. I could have gotten a job, but those companies made it clear that I would be treated quite badly.

So I made the decision to just throw in the towel and retire. I had the means, but I would have liked to have at least another ten years of salary. I have never had any intentions of stopping working, though. I love developing software. It's a hobby and a personal passion; not just a job.

I was really pissed off at the treatment. I suffered great butthurt.

But in the long run, it's the best thing that ever happened to me. I never realized how much stress I was under, while working. I sincerely believe that, if I had kept working, it would have killed me. I have no intentions of returning to the rodent rally; even though I'm quite good at what I do, thanks to all the learning that I've done, in the last eight years.

I now work every day (my GH Activity Graph is quite green), and do a fairly good job on my chosen projects, but I no longer feel that awful weight on my soul.

Sometimes, the only way that we learn how much pain we are in, is to stop suffering it for a while.

Re: Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

#49

Post by qzw »

eddythompson80 wrote: post #41
mattgreenrocks wrote: post #22

I’ve been dealing with chronic reflux for about 8 mos now. On PPIs and they don’t seem to do much. But once I get away from my typical routine of work/dadding then all the symptoms vanish, even to the point of being able to eat foods that are not good for reflux: spicy things, tomatoes, a bit of coffee. In my case, this is absolutely a downstream symptom of something mind-body. Already been scoped and got a diagnosis…

> In this case, docs just don’t know why. (I think it kinda pisses them off not know, tbh). And finding out is not really in their wheelhouse. Chronic reflux as a symptom is almost always initially treated by PPIs because the cause among white collar workers is assumed to be chronic stress[1]. Since doctors can't "treat stress" only its symptoms, they will just tell you to try and manage stressors in your life yourse…

Western medicine “can’t treat stress” but Eastern medicine definitely claims to be able to. But then so do various nebulous “alternative medicines”. Another comment mentioned deep meditation as being effective, and I believe there are a number of studies that have shown it to have actual effect. I’ll add another tried and true stress cure but with a twist. Exercise has consistently been shown to help reduce stress, but I find that you have to pick an activity that’s different than what you normally do, e.g. if you’re a runner, try swimming or tennis. The goal is to actually raise the stress level while exercising by doing something unfamiliar and therefore more challenging. In my experience, if the exercise is too relaxed or routine, it doesn’t allow your mind to disengage from the other stressors that are causing symptoms. Of course, all this is pure anecdata from an internet rando.

Re: Why I left my tech job to work on chronic pain

#50

Post by glasscannon »

Adrig wrote: post #47

I've dealt with chronic illnesses for the past 10+ years now. It's such a hard path. I recently found out after a violent burn-out that a significant cause was chronic stress and its psychosomatic symptoms. It made me have a hard look at the topic, and I'm gradually adjusting to solve the issue. If I get better, I'm tempted to do as OP and spend more time working on this issue for others. It seems so much more impact…

Feel free to get in touch if you'd like to chat Adrig (my contact is in my profile), wishing you the best of luck.
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