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Posted by padolsey 18 hours ago

Tips for stroke-surviving software engineers(blog.j11y.io)
222 points | 56 commentspage 2
GianFabien 18 hours ago|
Most of the advice is good for pre-stroke persons too. Might even avoid having one.
oaiey 16 hours ago|
I think it is good advice for everyone.

Pre Texting, Pre Email in the 90s I believe this kind of work was normal. All this self motivated, hyper context switching jobs we all do are relatively new compared to human evolvement. And we see the tax on us.

mmaaz 15 hours ago||
Good advice. I didn’t have a stroke but a couple months ago I developed blindness in my left eye. It came down to my optic nerve being inflamed. I was later diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition called MOGAD which “attacks” the optic nerve. Thankfully my vision is approx 95% recovered by now. But I still can’t read, eg code on my laptop, which is scary (my right eye is basically making up for it). And I’m scared of another attack happening. So I’ve been really looking after my health and trying not to do the 12+ hr coding benders I used to do. I appreciate these tips!
WalterBright 13 hours ago||
> 12+ hr coding benders

Even when I was young, I discovered that after a certain level of fatigue my coding became garbage, and after a night's sleep I had to delete it and redo it. After this tipping point, I just stop doing the hard stuff. If I still want to work, I work on routine things that didn't take much concentration.

I never understood how people can write complex code when fatigued. I just get negatively productive trying that.

throwawayffffas 10 hours ago||
> I discovered that after a certain level of fatigue my coding became garbage, and after a night's sleep I had to delete it and redo it.

My best work happens at 2am, at about 4am I am too tired and get slow and get stuck, I think even then code quality suffers only a little bit.

That's just my experience, I believe it happens because if I am working at that time, I am hyped and or in the zone. There is a sort of second wind involved. The lack of distractions also helps I guess.

padolsey 13 hours ago|||
Thanks for sharing! I feel the fear of another attack with epilepsy too. It is terrifying. The doom and the walking on thin ice constantly hoping you're not gonna over-step or do the wrong thing. And all that at the same time as trying to live your life fully. Do you have any devices or aid software to help with the not-reading thing? I imagine it's all really fresh still and you're just taking it a day at a time?
ares623 15 hours ago||
Doesn’t the immune system attack the eyes if not for a protective wall? Or is that just a myth.
sh4rkb0y 15 hours ago||
Could honestly change the title to "Tips for stroke-surviving software engineers (or anyone trying to avoid one)". All of us need these fresh little reminders that our brains are very different than the tech we regularly interact with every now and then. Recognize and respect your organic hardware!
symbogra 14 hours ago||
This is good advice for non brain damaged engineers too (or maybe I am?)
gnarcoregrizz 14 hours ago||
Good tips. Not a stroke survivor but I developed epilepsy as a young adult… Not sure if work/stress had anything to do with it, but stress certainly triggers it!

I’m still able to work as a software engineer, and my career has progressed, but the condition has held me back in a lot of ways.

jve 14 hours ago||
https://stroke.jonasr.app/dates/

Quite a recovery. No it's not me, just a dev that works in the same field.

hiergiltdiestfu 14 hours ago||
Reminds me of Fefe, hope he'll recover one day, too.
lynx97 13 hours ago|
Wha? Felix had a stroke? <schocked> Didn't know that.
charles_f 16 hours ago||
I haven't had a stroke (yet) but I find all that to be generally good advice. Good read!
foreigner 14 hours ago||
> You, too, have a limited context window.

Love this!

hshdhdhehd 13 hours ago|
Good ME/CFS engineer advice too. Thanks for writing up OP
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