Had my 4th and final lipedema surgery yesterday. The road ahead is now just recovery. 4 surgeries in 7 months was a lot, but I’m a pro now.
3 days until my final lipedema surgery. I guess I’ll figure out what to meal prep now.
In other news, I'm starting another master's program in August, which will be my fourth degree from UGA. Go dawgs.
I’m disappointed to share that journaling is once again working in my favor. Past me knew this. Future me will probably forget this again. afterburnout.co/p/finding-a-...
Finding a way to truly end the workweek
Breaking: woman discovers journaling again
afterburnout.co
This week marks the 13th year of Canine CellMates/Beyond the Bars, an Atlanta-based nonprofit and program focused on rehabilitating felony offenders using shelter dogs. Our goal is to raise $13,000 this week and we have a donor willing to match each dollar. If you can, please donate! mtyc.co/jclptf
Support Canine CellMates 13th Anniversary Fundraiser! on Mightycause
13 Years of Hope … and Second Chances
mtyc.co
I wrote about the Forward Deployed Engineer role and how it's becoming more popular, but it's not quite clear that companies agree on what this role really is www.modernleader.is/p/the-rise-o...
The rise of the Forward Deployed Engineer
It's not a new role, but it's making a big splash
modernleader.is
Work update: I’m stepping in as Engineering Zone Lead over the Workflow Zone at Zapier! In a little over a year, I’ve come to learn just how much this team cares about what they build and how they build it, and I’m excited to build upon the strong foundation set in the zone 🧡
4 months and 30 phone calls later, I finally got Aetna to overturn their decision on insurance coverage for my lipedema surgeries and all 3 surgeries are now covered 100% in network 🎉
I could send newsletters at a normal time, but sometimes I write something at 9pm on a Thursday and just decide to send it out. New on After Burnout: afterburnout.co/p/your-smart...
After somewhere around 6 years, @emmabostian.bsky.social and I are finally back together and vacationing in Italy! 🇮🇹
Here's my latest article for @zeroheight.com, inspired by @kvlly.com, diving deep into the hidden costs of a design system team saying "yes".
The cost of yes: Design systems and the work nobody sees - zeroheight
Guy Segal explores the work around the work in design systems: the hidden cost of saying yes and how thoughtful nos can protect the system over time.
zeroheight.com
Life update: I made it back to Pilates after 4 months off for 3 surgeries 🥹
Exciting news: I'm back on Maven with a 1-day workshop! It's time to stop putting off that tough conversation you need to have. This is a hands-on workshop where you'll come with a tough situation and leave with the tools you need to have any difficult conversation. maven.com/kellyvaughn/...
Navigate Tough Conversations at Work by Kelly Vaughn on Maven
Know what to say, how to say it, and how to handle the response
maven.com
I’m leaving for a proper vacation on Friday. After nearly 4 months spent recovering from 3 surgeries, this time off is so needed. Still can’t fully straighten my arms, but that’s fine.
This was such a good read today, and exactly the space I've been in too. Love everything about how Kelly worded this.
Kelly Vaughn@kvlly.com · 4mo agoBeen a while since I wrote for After Burnout, but I'm back with a good one: afterburnout.co/p/breaking-o...
Exciting news: I'm back on Maven with a 1-day workshop! It's time to stop putting off that tough conversation you need to have. This is a hands-on workshop where you'll come with a tough situation and leave with the tools you need to have any difficult conversation. maven.com/kellyvaughn/...
Navigate Tough Conversations at Work by Kelly Vaughn on Maven
Know what to say, how to say it, and how to handle the response
maven.com
Been a while since I wrote for After Burnout, but I'm back with a good one: afterburnout.co/p/breaking-o...
Breaking out of the "brain fry" spiral of AI
If you're going to use AI, you can avoid letting it fry your brain
afterburnout.co
Please enjoy this relic of Past Kelly I forgot I was using as my bookmark
Update: 30ish hours post op and made it to a coffee shop. Grateful for an easier recovery this time 💙
Proof of life - lipedema surgery number 3 done. Another 3.8 liters of diseased tissue removed from my arms. That brings my total to a little over 17L, or ~35lb of tissue I couldn’t burn through diet and exercise. Now we begin the healing phase of this journey.
Third surgery is on Wednesday. I ran out of Doordash gift card $$ that I used during my second surgery so I'm going to be meal prepping this time. This next surgery is on my arms, so I'll be limited to eating food that doesn't require chopping/using a knife. One-handed meals only. Wish me luck 🙏
With two surgeries behind me and one more to go, this entire year has been focused on my health. It’s really put into perspective how much I’ve been pushing to do “more“ - public speaking, writing two newsletters, teaching a course, podcasting… I’m tired, and I think I’m closing this chapter.
My therapist said today that if she could never touch her laptop again she’d be thrilled and honestly same
The most fascinating thing recovering from surgery has done to (for?) me is reroute every part of my brain that says “we should do something productive!” towards physically healing my body. I am equally bored and unmotivated. My therapist is going to have a great day on Thursday.
This stage of recovering from surgery is so hard. I can’t last longer than 10-15 minutes on my feet, I can’t stand up straight so my lower back ends up hurting, and I can’t sit up because of the surgery. So I’m just stuck, dependent on others, without enough energy to do anything interesting.
3 days post op today. Moving around a little better and didn’t need to take a painkiller in the middle of the night so that’s a win! The weather’s been great so I’ve been taking advantage of short outdoor walks. I’m off work for another week which I’m grateful for because sitting is a pain.
