This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional. Also: we just updated our big roundup for the best women's suits of 2024!
Bergdorf Goodman has some crazy sales going on, including on Akris suits and dresses — but everything is down to lucky sizes, so I'll feature something newer instead. (But seriously, go take a swing through your size(s)!)
This gorgeous blue suit looks like your basic navy until you get close, when you realize it is a blackwatch cotton/silk seersucker. If you're zooming in and thinking, “I see that there's a beautiful interesting pattern, but is that blackwatch?!,” then you can see the plaid blackwatch much better on the shirtdress in the same fabric (and in some of the closest shots of the pants).
(According to Wikipedia Black Watch plaid has some green in it as well — I'd be curious why Akris is calling the suit “blackwatch” given the differences in spelling and pattern. If anyone has any thoughts, do feel free to shout them out…)
I love the subtle detailing — it's beautiful. The blazer is $3990, and the bootcut pants are $1390.
Hunting for a suit in a print or pattern? As of 2024, for more traditional prints, M.M.LaFleur has a lovely houndstooth option, a plaid, and a black-and-white check; J.Crew also has a number of striped suits, and Brooks Brothers has a gingham suit. Banana Republic has a nice mid-brown plaid as well as some nice pinstripes.
Sales of note for 9.16.24
- Nordstrom – Summer Sale, save up to 60%
- Ann Taylor – Extra 30% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off sale
- J.Crew – 30% off wear-now styles
- J.Crew Factory – (ends 9/16 PM): 40% off everything + extra 70% off sale with code
- Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Extra 25% off all tops + markdowns
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- White House Black Market – 40% off select styles
Anon
I rent a first floor apartment from a large apartment complex. What kind of security system would be good for a renter? I’m wanting to protect the front door and the windows.
Anon
Well, I’ve been broken into twice, the last time as the first floor renter. I got one of those home installation systems that was mentioned on here SimpliSafe and installed that myself. I liked that there was also a button you could place by your bedside that would instantly activate the system. When I bought it it didn’t have cameras, but I think they are available now. I put something at every window that could be accessed, front and back doors.
My door was broken down once while I was alone in bed, and fortunately my screams scared them away, but the button would have been more reassuring. No one came to help me when I screamed, and I called 911 on my phone only after I heard them running away.
But even with an alarm, I would admit that a lot can get stolen in the few minutes a smart robber will have before the police arrive, if they even do in your area. So put your medicines in a a less obvious place (for sure if they are desirable) and do not leave expensive jewelry out in the open. They took mine, and it was in my medicine cabinet. But they didn’t get all of it, which was in nondescript boxes in an unusual place. I also have a fake book on my bookshelf that is a small safe. They will grab your lap top, phone, tablets quickly if they are visible.
JTM
Smplisafe is very renter friendly – easy to install and doesn’t require any permanent hardware. Also see if you can physical things as well like a special stopper for the sliding door, extra lock on main door, etc.
Unsub
Agree with SimpliSafe and do put a sticker in the window, but not the SimpliSafe sticker. Buy another brand’s sticker from Am@zon. No reason to tell a robber what security system you have.
Anon
Whatever you choose, but the sticker in the window, or ask to put the security system sign on the lawn for the building. In our area, it has been shown that it dissuades some aimless criminals. I didn’t believe it until our local beat cop told us.
Anon
put the sticker in the window…
Anonymous
You may want to look at ways to reinforce the door. There are permanent solutions, for which you may need permission and help with installation, but also some contraptions you put in place and take away. For me living first floor was a peeper issue more than a breaking issue, so I’d be sure to have good window coverings, not just the slatted blinds. At least go outside and see what the visibility is.
Anon
Do you have any recommendations on window coverings besides curtains? I don’t want to keep the curtains closed all the time
Anon
Do you have any recommendations on window coverings besides curtains? I don’t want to keep the curtains closed all the time
Anonymous
I don’t think there is an alternative to curtains and blinds (of course you would not install shutters) but I would encourage having curtains you can close when you need privacy, like when you are changing or sleeping.
AIMS
There are films you can put on that make your windows blurry but you can still see out. A few people had them in my old building for 1st floor windows.
Anon
Look into bottom up solid blinds (not slats). You can leave the top open to let in light but your average passerby should not be able to see most of the inside of your apartment. This assumes you’re at or above ground level, even if only slightly.
anon
A large dog.
Anonymous
My great grand boss who requests all memos be written at a 4th grade level with photos (we are a science company so this is near impossible) has just announced they are leaving to head up a bigger different company. While I’m happy to start writing adult memos again I’m a bit bummed that mediocrity is being rewarded yet again.
Anonymous
I’m convinced that the best and brightest are often are not the administration ladder climbers.
Anonymous
Not sure if it’s comfort, but few folks when they reach a certain level are likely to leave of their own volition. Possibly the case here.
Anon
Is your great grand boss a shade of orange, and by “science memos” do you really mean daily intelligence reports?
FormerlyPhilly
You win the Internet today. So many LOLs.
Anon
I once worked on a science paper and the boss’s boss reading it asked for “less data.” We wrapped up the meeting and went straight for drinks.
Anonymous
I’m curious if there are lawyers on this board that work in house and have a true 9-5. I have worked in a series of in house roles and they all have had some level of after hours expectations/requirements. I am logging back on in the evenings most nights which I would rather not do. I can’t tell if this is due to my personality, geographic location, the type of role, the type of company, etc. I’m starting to think about next steps and am interested in what other in house lawyers do and what their schedules are like.
DC Inhouse Counsel
Yes, I work a true 9-5. TBH, if I’m working until 5pm that’s late for me. I do somewhat routine transactional work – no huge M&A deals that require late nights the week before closing. Most of my job is negotiating contracts, but there’s no deadline for when they need to be finalized by, and the other part of my job providing general operational guidance.
I would look for in-house jobs where you’d be doing the actual legal work, not overseeing a team of outside counsel. If you’re overseeing outside counsel, then the deals are big enough to need outside counsel and probably have fire drills/require late night responses at the particularly busy times, because the outside counsel team is working late/on weekends.
Anon
My role is similar. In house counsel doing commercial contracts. It’s 9-5. Salary a little north of $200k. I’m very happy.
Anon
I think it depends how senior you are. When I was Counsel and Senior Counsel (and those titles who work for me), it’s pretty much an 8 hour a day job (which doesn’t mean 9-5, btw, but 9-5:30 if someone takes a 30 minute lunch break). As I’ve taken on more responsibility and more senior titles, my workload and the expectations around my availability have increased, sometimes where it feels like I’m close to law firm hours. If you’re at a Counsel/Sr. Counsel or staff attorney level and are working more than 45 hours a week, it might be your company. If you’re more senior than that then I’d say it’s an unavoidable part of leadership.
Anon
+1
It’s also company dependent, and I’ve found that the industry and location of HQ (NYC v MCOL location) can make a difference. The more senior you are, the more likely you are to need to take early/late calls or work off hours to care for the stuff you couldn’t do during the normal work day because you were in meetings all day.
I tend to work 8/9-5 when in the office and 8-6 when I WFH. I usually work a half day on the weekends and one or two later nights after kids go to bed during the week. I’m a senior level individual contributor.
Anon
Yep. I do. I work for an F500 company– healthcare operations. I work in the SEUS, but company is national. I’ve been here for almost two years and had something that was a true “emergency” that required after-hours work twice since I have been here. Typically, I work 9-4. The only times I have logged on to do work on nights/weekends have been if I’m making up work from a kid being sick for a few days or something, but it’s definitely not expected.
Many of my clients when I was at a firm did not have regular hours for their in-house attorneys, which is part of why I was hesitant to go in-house initially. Since going in-house at my company, I have learned that there is a big difference between working environments at private equity v. publicly traded companies. Time zones and involvement with outside counsel also definitely play a role. (Outside counsel is more likely to schedule calls at weird hours whereas internally, we schedule calls primarily in the middle of the day.)
Anon
I work for a large health system in a small city in the midsouth, and while no one really watches the clock, I (and my peers) generally seem to work from 8-5:30, give or take. I do find myself, say, checking emails while I’m off because I do have a lot of responsibilities that only I can really manage, but it’s very rare (maybe 3-4 times a year) that I have an actual obligation outside of business hours, and it’s usually very flexible.
(That said, I have worked with these people for a very long time (started as outside counsel mainly serving this company), and have built up a lot of goodwill and trust.)
anon
In house. Schedule is mostly 9-5 (sometimes 6), with the exception of true emergencies and when it’s my turn to be accommodating on time zone challenges. I will say the biggest driver of this is that the business clients have good work/life boundaries to begin with, so absent emergencies, everyone is spending time with their family on the weekends.
Anon
Yes, for the most part. On occasion there’s evening or weekend work if something is particularly hot. Things that contribute:
-Regional company, so time zone issues are not a regular problem
-Commercial contract work, which does have deadlines (aka business goals for signing) but these are usually known well in advance
-Company culture – my clients also want to log off!
cars
For those of you who work these hours, do you solidly work most of that day? I confess that one of the reasons I have to work longer hours is that I don’t have great focus and tend to waste a good amount of time. If I could really buckle down and focus, I think I could have an 8 to 5 and not touch my work at night. But I don’t, and I’ve been a firm lawyer for 15 years, so I don’t see it changing much. I am great if there is a deadline, but terrible if not. Honestly, even if I say to myself in the morning – “Jane, if you work hard all day, you can leave at 5 today”…that is somehow not good enough motivation. And I have a spouse and two little kids, so solidly motivated to not be here late if I can help it, but it just doesn’t translate to good focus. I am all over the place.
anon
I moved from a firm to in-house about a year and a half ago. In my 10 years in firm life, I was very much as you described and had a hard time getting my hours into a work day. In-house, even in leadership, I work 8:30 to 5 most days and work solidly most of the day. I attribute the difference to a few things. One, I transitioned from being in the office full-time to WFH full-time (with some travel). There is SO much less office chatter. I still get distracted at home, but the distractions are not long conversations that I don’t know how to extricate myself from, or a group going to lunch, or whatever. Second, the business/ operations people work 8:30-5, so that’s when my meetings are scheduled (plus I get calls, texts, internal chats, and emails all day long, but they stop at 5). And third, I’m overall more engaged because there’s a common vision or goal, I know the people I’m supporting, and the pace is faster.
Anon
I responded above but that is not all 100% focus time. I browse here, chat with colleagues, run out to grab lunch etc. I love that being efficient in house is rewarded rather than having to find more projects to make hours!
Anon
I’m looking for a spa/resort for a ladies vacation in October. There are three of us. We will fly in to SFO (where one of the trio lives) and would like to drive somewhere within about 4 hours. We would like to stay on-site with minimal need for driving. We like nature, hiking, wine, hot tubs, fitness classes, and beautiful scenery. I wanted to take this group to Ojo Santa Fe which I LOVE but alas the time restrictions make that impossible. Is there anything similar in the San Francisco Bay Area? Thanks in advance!
Anon
Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur is $$$$ but amazing.
anon
Bay Area resident and this is the place I’m dreaming of visiting. One day…
Anon
Oh my goodness. It is now my dream too.
anon
Carneros Inn, perhaps? Meadowood in Napa also looks lovely. Not sure about fitness class offering at either of these though.
Maudie Atkinson
Sonoma Mission Inn, which is a Fairmont property, seems like it would be a great fit.
Anonymous
Agreed with the fairmont in Sonoma. The spa is dreamy.
Maudie Atkinson
The spa *is* dreamy. I did a day trip there the last time I was in the Bay, and it was a nice treat.
Anon
If you don’t mind if being somewhat less upscale, Indian Springs in Calistoga has been around forever.
I’ve had a couple of really fun girls trips to Calistoga. The most memorable one, we stayed at the Mount View hotel and spa and were able to walk to dinner and a couple of bars (yes, we made a night of it), had treatments the next morning , then went out for a leisurely brunch. All within walking distance.
We also did one wine tasting on the way up from the Bay Area, and one on the way home.
Anon
https://www.mountviewhotel.com/
Sunflower
I love the Mount View!
Anonymous
Anon at 3:16pm – when was the last time you visited Indian Springs? My family visits every year and it has gotten quite upscale (and more expensive). It is lovely and I highly recommend if you have the budget. I have been to the Sonoma Mission Inn several times and I would choose Indian Springs, though both are very nice. I like the location in Calistoga more.
Anon
Pre pandemic, I admit. I’m also a day pass user at times, so….
Anon
Yeah I had the same thought – I’ve started at both many times (I live in the Bay Area) and Indian Springs has definitely gone upscale and I prefer it to SMI. It’s nicer to be able to easily to town from there but both are great options. I’d book now though as October is extremely popular. If those are booked, look at Bardesano or Staley Ranch or Auberge.
anoncat
Seconding Indian Springs. We were just there a couple of weeks ago and had a lovely time.
Anonymous
Osmosis Day Spa + Wild Flour Bread is a great combo for one day.
Anon
I’m receiving an extra $5k. Where should I put it?
CC1: $60,500 limit, $60,700 balance, 22% APR, min. payment $1700
CC2: $20,000 limit, $19,995 balance, 12% APR, min. payment $389
CC3: $5,000 limit, $3,600 balance, 0% APR until October then 28%, min. payment $74
No lectures, please. I know this is a bad place to be in. This debt isn’t from shopping or manicures – sometimes life comes with Situations and you do what you need to do.
Anonymous
How are your emergency savings looking? I’d start there.
Anon
I would pay off 22% interest rate debt before saving anything
Anon
No judgment. I’d pay off CC3, which will have the highest interest rate in one month.
For the remainder, I think you can decide whether you are someone who will be motivated more by paying off the smaller debt of CC2 quickly or more by saving more interest by paying down CC1 first. Neither is wrong; it is purely a question of which will actually result in you getting through this quicker and with less emotional churn, and that is a very personal question. I personally did better going smallest balance to largest, and my husband did better going highest interest to lowest when we were both doing this while dating.
Anon
The second paragraph here is gold. People aren’t robots and any debt repayment plan that doesn’t take emotional responses into consideration is doomed to failure. Consider what is best for your own mental and emotional wiring.
Anon
+1 – I’m paying off medical debt and transferred $20k to a zero APR credit card last September. I’m one payment away from paying that off entirely (end of September before the 18% APR kicks in). After that I’ll focus on the remaining debt but being able to see the money go straight towards a balance and not interest rates was super motivating.
Anonymous
I agree, but that interest differential is really high, so I’d really want to attack CC1 before CC2 if I could make my mind like it. You’ll see the minimum payments come down as a mental boost.
Anon
Pay the $3600, get rid of it, and put the $1400 in savings, so you don’t have to reach for a credit card the next time an “Oh, sh*t!” comes up.
I hope this is the first sign of your luck starting to turn.
Senior Attorney
+1
Anon
Pay off the $3600 amount and put the rest towards the 60,700 debt (isn’t this over the limit and enough to get you referred to collections?).
Anonymous
get CC1 under the limit
pay off CC3
after that i’d either throw the rest towards cc1 or put it in emergency savings.
big hugs, and good luck.
Anon
You aren’t alone is all I’ll say. Digging myself out of my own cc hole at present. Good luck!!
Anon
Same.
Anonymous
Are you able to cover the minimum payments and this is extra? If it’s extra to the minimum payments I’d do $3K on C1 and $2K on CC2 to get further away from your limits.
If it’s not extra to minimum payments then I would pay the minimums and put 2/3 of remaining money on CC 1 and 1/3 on CC2.
Then consolidate into a line of credit. A $75K emergency is bananas. Hopefully things turn around for you.
Anon
Information needed: how much money do you have to put towards debt repayment every month? That affects whether you pay off CC3 in its entirety and put the rest towards overlimit CC1, or if you use this $5,000 to get CC1 under the limit and the rest goes towards meeting your monthly minimum payments.
Anonymous
I would pay off CC3 and $1,400 on CC1 and then hopefully soon you get another 0% balance transfer offer on CC3 and can shift over some of CC1. Hugs if you want them, you’re not alone.
PNJax
I’d make an extra payment of each to start with. I suspect you are getting hit with an over-limit fee or at least flirting with it. So 1700 on CC1, 389 on CC2 and use the rest to pay down CC3 before the interest rate spikes.
Anon
Cc3, balance cc1
Anon
Just coming here to scream into the void because I am so frustrated with my boss and so ready to rage quit.
Anon
Has anyone sold something expensive on FB market place? In my case, it’s a lawn tractor and attachments that are worth a few thousand dollars. I am a bit skeeved out at meeting people alone in the country to even show it to them. Even not dying (I watch too much true crime TV), it just seems like a hassle. There aren’t any local consignors or dealers who’d take it off my hands. I don’t live locally, but am travelling several times to empty a house to sell it.
Anonymous
Yes I have! I generally just vet the FB profile (if it’s a few years old, has friends, photos etc) that is usually enough to comfort myself. I don’t respond to messages from clearly burner accounts
Anonymous
+1 Have a look at their profile. You’ll be able to tell if it’s real and local.
Anon
Yes, I sold an old car (1999 Toyota Camry) on FB marketplace for quite a bit more than I expected to get for it ($3,500). I’ve also sold old baby gear (strollers, carseats). I live in suburbia but was easier than I expected. The hardest thing was the car – I got over 1,000 messages about it in less than 12 hours so it just kind of overwhelmed me sorting through all of them and trying to coordinate staggered appointments to come see it. The first person bought it immediately in cash but I had another 20+ people lined up to see it later that day, so then I had to contact all of them and tell them it was no longer available. Apparently I priced it too low. (Btw, I paid $5k for it in 2010, so that car really was the best purchase I’ve ever made!! Hard to beat 15 reliable years of driving and great gas mileage for $1,500…)
Anon
I am generally not a “can you get a man to handle this” person, but meeting a stranger off the internet in a rural area is “can you get a man to handle this” territory for me.
Anon
(I’ve sold many things before online, but have done the exchange in a grocery store parking lot or similar. It’s the alone part that is concerning to me.)
Anon
This. I sold things off of craigslist to random people in NYC as a single woman in 2006ish and I look back and cringe at how badly that could have gone.
Anon
Are you able to load them into your personal vehicle and meet someone in a parking lot in town?
Anon
OP here. No — they would need a trailer to haul or a wrecker to get all attachments.
anon
Can you have another person there with you? FWIW, the people who are interested enough in making an effort to drive out of their way to buy a lawn tractor are probably not the types of people who are going to hurt you, but maybe that’s me being naive.
Anonymous
Yeah, but the concern is people who have no actual interest in the tractor. That said, I don’t want to fear monger here. The risks are lower than the feeling of unsafety, which is understandable.
Anonymous
I would have someone else with you and openly schedule appointments back to back so they are clear that other people will be around.
NaoNao
My tips:
Don’t answer any questions other than extremely reasonable ones–meaning, don’t provide more pics, don’t respond to specifics about your location for pick up, don’t go back and forth on price, don’t listen to sob stories, etc. If someone’s asking you something about the particulars you didn’t include, fine. Anything else is a red flag.
See if you can get the original specs from online stores or a similar source, including the full name of the item, stock pics, and dimensions. This has helped me sell items much more quickly. I cut and paste the official marketing copy (and include very clear and detailed current condition notes) and add my own pictures, but put the stock pics first.
You can use the local police station as a pickup spot and/or designate a neutral meeting location if meeting in person is too weird or ill advised.
Use common sense (no offense!)–why would someone pay up front for an expensive item “for their cousin” or to “hold” it for a day? Those people are scammers, so watch out. I respond with “I only accept c_sh, V_nmo, or Z_lle upon in-person handover of item. If you’re still interested, let’s set up a time to meet.” They disappear quickly after that.
See if you can anchor the price to similar items that sold–look up your item and see how much it sold for and then price just below that. Consider offering a small discount (like 5% for all-c*sh on delivery)
Meara
Any Portugal recommendations or don’t bothers? A friend has somewhat last minute decided on/invited me to join her for about a week but I don’t think she has much of anything planned.
Anon
I loved the Algarve, especially the city of Faro, the Benagil Caves and the views from Praia de Marinha.
anon
oh my gosh, definitely bother. it’s beautiful and next week is a great time to go! go to algarve, we did a kayak tour of the caves (google there are loads). sintra is beautiful. lisbon is lovely, lots to see and do. have fun.
Anon100
Someone here recommended the National Tile Museum in Lisbon and I very much appreciated the rec! I’ll try to find the link to the post later today, since it was a post from 2018 or 2019.
Anonymous
A friend recently did 3-4 days in Porto and loved it – we’re in the UK so have been to lots of European cities and she said it was one of her favourites. It is hilly though if that makes a difference.
Anonymous
Yes definitely go! Lisbon is absolutely amazing.
Anonymous
I’ve only been to Lisbon. I think it is highly underrated as far as European cities go. Go to LX Factory, Sintra, eat all the seafood and Pastel de nata (spelling?) and drink all the white wine. Also, have lunch here if possible. I went on a food and wine tour that was nice so it may be worth looking into one from Viator.
https://www.cervejariaramiro.com/?lang=en
anoncat
The Douro Valley!! I live near Napa and have done wine tasting in South Africa and Austria, but the Douro Valley is the most beautiful wine region I’ve been to.
Top
I love the top this suit is paired with. Does anyone know what it’s called or where to find it? Not seeing it at Bergdorf.
Anonymous
Sort, I am an old and haven’t figured out the tiny url thing yet, but it is here:
https://us.akris.com/collections/prefall-2024/products/structured-silk-cotton-t-shirt-with-semi-sheer-details-ecru?_gl=1*19ca898*_up*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjwlbu2BhA3EiwA3yXyuw7YpPb63KWE0VjkD5dHO-i-sRxg5aFrfhrstM4Krc90UbYnJfg34xoChxsQAvD_BwE
Anonymous
*sorry
Anon
I’ve been feeling off for 2 months – racing heart, fatigue and weakness, chest tightness, and on-and-off faint feverishness. I got my bloodwork done, and there was nothing out of normal range except my glucose and sodium levels, which were below normal. What type of specialist could I go to who may have clues into why I have low glucose / sodium levels? I think it could be the culprit (especially the glucose) but I don’t know what type of doctor would be able to help.
Other things were right on the cusp of being too low: red blood count, ferritin, AST, ALT, a few other things, if that matters at all.
Anonymous
have you done the covid test thing that checks to see if it WAS in your system recently? if you had a covid case you didn’t know about you may be suffering from long covid.
have you looked into POTS? low sodium rings a bell…
Anon
I’m in mod but I thought it might be POTS too.
Anon
I will look into both of these as possibilities. Thank you!
Anon
This is entirely a question for your PCP — I think you’re above this board’s pay grade.
Anon
I would be really impressed by a PCP who could field this one!
Anon
OP here – yeah, I’ve had 2 PCP visits already that ran bloodwork but had no other insights, so was hoping someone would be able to advise on what type of specialist may be able to help.
Anon
I’m not saying she doesn’t need a specialist. I’m saying a PCP is better equipped to identify the relevant specialists than this board is.
Anon
I know that’s how it’s supposed to work in theory, but I’ve had to track down relevant specialists for myself and for my mom before. A lot of PCPs are very time strapped and it can sometimes actually help them to ask the right questions or name possible people to refer to. They can still advise if the suggestion is inappropriate! Sometimes they’re happy that to take note that there’s a subspecialist in whatsit in town that they can refer to now.
It wasn’t obvious to me without talking to other human beings like the ones here that specialists even divided into subspecialities. I was so intimidated to be referred to a neurologist for the first time, that I didn’t even look into who I’d been scheduled with and whether they see patients like me. I didn’t know that there were headache neurologists, neuromuscular and autonomic neurologists, neurologists who really mostly see MS patients. Maybe this is more of an urban thing where practices have enough doctors and patients to specialize this narrowly, but it’s embarrassing to show up because of a referral and be told by the specialist that they’re not really the right person to see.
Anon
Any chance you have POTS? My whole life I was told this is ‘just how women are’ and that ‘everyone’ faints if they stand up too quickly, we all need to eat more salt around our periods, etc. Well, POTS runs in families, so it is how women in my family are…because we all have it!
Unfortunately perimenopause has made things worse so I have to be REALLY on top of my water/electrolyte levels.
Anon
I was going to say dehydration and electrolyte levels. I had the same symptoms, even went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack/hear issue and it was low sodium and dehydration.
Anon
Thank you for this – it’s comforting to know someone else has had the same symptoms and that it wasn’t anything serious.
Anonymous
+1 it sounds like POTS, I was similarly told it was a ‘woman thing’ it was not, I’m so tired of medical neglect.
Anon
OP here – thank you for this. I will look into POTs and ask my PCP about it.
Anon
It’s summer (at least in the northern hemisphere). People sweat out sodium and iron. Take some LMNT and iron supplement of choice, and make an appointment with a PCP.
Anon
Make absolutely sure it’s not dehydratjon – carry around a 40 ounce Stanley if you have to, but ask your PCP for a referral to a cardiologist for sure. If you tell them you have episodes of rapid heartbeat (I do) they’ll very likely put you on a two week monitor. Don’t sit on it. Ask for the referral.
Anon
Wouldn’t dehydration correspond with hypernatremia, not hyponatremia?
Anon
…Unless hyponatremia is contributing to the dehydration I guess. It has been a zillion degrees for most of two months.
Anon
Thank you. Did you have similar symptoms / what did your rapid heartbeat turn out to be?
Anon
Paroxysmal Supraventricular tachycardia, but there are lots of causes of irregular heartbeat. Get it checked out.
Anon
And PS I do now carry around a 40 ounce cup of water (not Stanley brand) on the advice of my cardiologist, along with taking anti-arrhythmia drugs every day.
Anon
One more PS. AND I wear an Apple Watch now. You can set up heart rate alerts and do an ECG when you experience arrhythmia, which I do, and my cardiologist finds very helpful. He’s the one who told me to get the watch. I’ve worn the monitor for two weeks twice now and will have to wear it again for two weeks this fall, but the watch is year round, and he likes that continuous data.
Anon
Endocrinologist. In my case they had to test me for a condition called Addison’s and the testing was relatively specialized (they had to find a lab that was early open enough!).
Anon
OP here – thank you. Did it turn out to be Addison’s for you? I saw that come up when Googling some of my symptoms.
Anon
It didn’t turn out to be Addison’s for me! I ended up needing to see a few other specialists and landed in hematology with a pernicious anemia diagnosis. That was just me though. It was worth it because treatment really helped.
Anon
That’s me answering the question you asked (who I saw first about low glucose).
The question you didn’t ask is who you see about the chest tightness and heart racing; I was sent for an EKG, echo, and stress test when I reported those symptoms to my PCP. My doctors do not mess around with cardiac symptoms in women; they get those checked out! So I’m kind of surprised your PCP just ran labs unless you’ve had a cardiac workup recently.
If POTS is on the table as others have mentioned, I found an autonomic specialist neurologist very helpful (POTS can be a symptom of other underlying conditions and cardiology doesn’t always do a full work up… but the cardiological work up is important since it’s too soon to blame the nerves if they never even checked the heart).
Anon
Do you eat well, normal meals spread throughout the day, hydrate enough, eat enough sodium?
Anon
Not a doctor but red blood count, ferritin, being on the cusp of too low means they are too low because really you need to be above the median. I would take an iron supplement 2-3x week and recheck your levels in two-three months. Your symptoms are pretty classic low iron – esp the heart palpitations and exhaustion
Anonymous
i just saw a silly headline, “16 signs you’re middle class, not rich” — without reading the article, what would be your top 3 signs? thought this could be fun.
mine would be things like
you cook your own food
you wash your own clothes
you’re reading articles like that one
Anon
What about things that used to be for the middle class and now are so expensive they’re for the rich? I can think of one: Disney vacations.
Anon
Disney vacations are still a middle class thing (rich people would rather vacation abroad), but a lot of people go into debt for them, which is so irresponsible. I actually just read an article about people going into debt for Disney trips.
Anon
Were they middle class though? Middle class people usually choose fiscal security over life experiences because fiscal security is even on the table. If someone is running up debt on life experiences, it may be because they can’t afford the kind of security money can buy anyway and rely more on social networks.
Anon
Lol the amount of credit card debt in this country says otherwise. Middle class people want to keep up with the Joneses too.
Anon
More fun than spending it all on healthcare in old age and ending up on Medicaid anyway I guess?
Anon
You take road trip vacations, not vacations on your nesting yacht.
You work for money; your money doesn’t work for you.
You need to fill out the FAFSA for your kid to go to Dartmouth.
By necessity and not old money frugality, you mow your own lawn, drive cars until they die, and wear your clothes for many seasons.
Anon
Childcare, housing, and college all feel astronomically expensive.
Anonymous
That’s because they are! Clearly I’m middle class!
Anonymous
You drive a BMW or Audi
Anonymous
buuuuuurn
anon
Ha! I have people in my life who are the opposite–they’re rich and consider themselves middle class, maybe because they cook their own food and wash their own clothes? But, they spend a fortune on vacations, clothing, etc and don’t have to work for a living.
Anon
And like soooo many people on this board!
Anon
The next time someone here with an annual salary of $300k says they can’t afford to buy a house or have a baby, I’m going to scream :)
Anon
We’re approaching that and can’t afford a house in the Bay Area – the estimated monthly payments for dilapidated ranches are more than we take home. But we’re not poor! We’re making the choice to live in an expensive area and rent is the trade off.
Anon
Tell me you don’t live in a VHCOL area without telling me you don’t live in a VHCOL area @ 4:36
Anon NYC
Ugh anon at 5:33, I feel that!
Anon
The median *household* income (not individual salary) in the Bay Area is about $130k. Certainly somewhere there who earns $300k in SF isn’t doing as well as someone who lives in Omaha and earns $300k, but they’re still much much better off than most and it is silly and out of touch to pretend like you can’t afford a life there on that salary.
Anon
If your household size is 4 people in San Francisco and your household income is at or under $149,000, you qualify for affordable housing assistance. The definition of “rich” here is indeed different.
Anon
@5:42 some of that is because SF is a very liberal city and has more generous public assistance.
Anon
@5:38 come on out here and do it then. Have a baby. Buy a house. Do it!
Anon
@6:40 I lived in Palo Alto for nearly a decade and our income topped out below $250k. We owned property and could have easily afforded a baby although we didn’t have one at the time. Even for the Bay Area $300k is a lot. It’s take home pay above $20k a month. Your perspective has been skewed by tech gazillionaires. Just because some people have much more and you’re sad to don’t have a $10M home in Hawaii or a nesting yacht doesn’t make you poor.
Anon
Reply to the poster below re Palo Alto. You wouldn’t be able to buy a house in the vicinity on that salary today. Much less afford daycare too.
Anon
Yeah but Palo Alto is one of the most expensive parts of the Bay Area. You’re not “middle class”just because you can’t have a large single family house in the poshest suburb.
Anon.
My husband’s cousin married a man with three kids. She had two more with him and now they want to move in with me because they lost their section 8 housing. She is pregnant. Get some perspective.
Anecdata
Yes, I think this is much more common! and to me it’s more like… if you’re on track with retirement savings and haven’t had more than one medical bankruptcy, you’re rich! If you have a yacht, that’s a different kind of mega rich
Anonymous
not to be all political but the republicans ONLY want to help the mega rich yacht people
yet so many others vote republican because they think think that’s what rich people do…
Anon
This is hysterical. Liberal overregulation makes everyone poorer.
Anon
Yeah we have a HHI around $200k and consider ourselves rich. We can buy everything we need, most of what we want and we have robust retirement and college savings. That is rich. Yachts, private jets, not having to work — all of that is mega wealth but you’re rich long before that level.
Anonymous
I think HHI of $200k is only rich if you bought a house 10+ years ago
Anon
$200k income is objectively rich and only this board denies it. It’s >90th percentile income for the US, which is a very rich country. I don’t know how you can deny being rich if you have more than 9 out of every 10 people living in one of the richest countries in the world.
anon
Agreed. I make about 2.5 times the upper limit of middle class in my state. I wash my own clothes. We cook our own food. I drive a “beater” car, and the “good” car is a 9 -year-old Nissan Pathfinder. We spend very little on clothing, and we spend a moderate amount on vacations ($5-10K on 2-3 trips, no Disney or international trips). We spend most of our discretionary income on out-of-pocket/ out-of-network healthcare expenses for our ND child (about $12K per year) and private school tuition ($18K). Our other luxuries are hiring someone to mow the grass and housekeepers who come every other week. I work, but my husband is a SAHD.
Anon
You live in a community with a bunch of secretly wealthy people who think they’re hippies (Berkeley) but you’re the only one going to work every day!
My life 2003-2020.
anon
You shop sales or coupon for groceries.
You spend 20% of your income on crappy insurance (health, homeowners, flood, car).
You shop at Walmart, not Target.