oliveasaltylife

[oliveasaltylife]

#harm reduction works

[oliveasaltylife]

“Everything is ableism these days”

Have you considered the fact that disabled people seeing ableism in every day language and life says more about society and its culture/history than it does about disabled people as a whole?

#what else would you expect from colonizers and eugenicists #it’s systemic #and even woven into our vocabulary

[oliveasaltylife]

They're also censoring people who use these tags on X. Sudanese creators and activists who are talking about their experiences -and often not able to share extensive details about their sufferings because if they do, they could be killed for sharing information. Saying 'genocide' is getting their posts flagged and accounts banned too. We need to be talking about this too.

#free Sudan

[oliveasaltylife]

I don't even have the adequate words to describe the fact that survivors of the Nakba are describing their devastation in Gaza as "worst than the Nakba"

#free palestine

[oliveasaltylife]

"A Child’s View from Gaza" was an art exhibition showcasing drawings created by the children of Gaza.

"The captioned illustrations were created by Palestinian children who lived through the Israeli bombardment of Gaza in 2008-09. The pictures were drawn as part of an effort to help children deal with the horrors they had experienced. A Bay Area nonprofit, Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA), arranged to display a collection of these pictures at the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland, California. However, under pressure from the Jewish Federation of the East Bay and other organizations, the museum backed out of the agreement at the last minute."

#art #this is really heavy but so important #free palestine

[oliveasaltylife]

new sport "evil golf" where you act like you're about to hit the golf ball then turn around and whack the other player in the head

#I would play evil golf #and it sure would release a LOT of tension I keep harboring

[oliveasaltylife]

[medical gaslighting]

Oh and I had to see a different OB/GYN than my normal endo specialist and she was the WORST

She actually suggested that my period and ovulation pain that leaves me vomiting and nearly hallucinating might be “normal” for my body.

And then proceeded to lecture me on IUDs for more than half of my appointment after I explicitly stated that I don’t want one and my normal doctor said it’s not a good plan for me (nevermind the fact that IUDs are contradicted by my connective tissue diseas in the first place)

And then she said I have “too much going on” in my body and need to figure even MORE out before I can even be evaluated for endometriosis. And blamed my pain on tethered cord and “nerve pain signals getting misinterpreted.”

I should have walked out, but I was so dissociated I just sat there, frozen, staring at her in complete disbelief

#there was more but I’m not able to access that right now #she was fucking terrible and the physical exam left me crying on the table even through my dissociation #but everything is normal yeah /s #fuck doctors #endometriosis #my regular endo specialist wants to go through with the hysterectomy I want and this doctor laughed in my face for not trying BC pills #UGH #I do not have the words #I then spent the rest of the afternoon coming up with horrible ways that her day could be ruined #like hoping someone slashes 2/4 of her tires #or poking herself with used medical equipment so she has to spend weeks doing blood draws #or that I hope she burns literally everything she tries to cook so it’s just a carbon crisp #makes me think of that song ‘pray for you’ which is admittedly in my head way more than it should be #olive blogs #disability #medical gaslighting

[oliveasaltylife]

I got a celiac diagnosis on Thursday after having unresolved GI issues for my entire life that pediatric specialists just labeled as “overweight.” The pediatric specialists (at UCLA nonetheless) told me I was anemic and then didn’t run any further diagnostics. And now, 20-some odd years later, I have confirmation with my celiac gene and extreme response to gluten!

My current doctor said it’s also still possible I go on to develop (or have already developed) Crohn’s Disease because of the damage that gluten has done to my gut! Wow! Fun!

Also my on/off lifelong butt and thigh rash is likely dermatitis herpetiformis from my autoimmune response to gluten. Which makes a lot of sense as it tended to clear up when I periodically went gluten free. Funny how that works.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I have more information, but fuuuuuuck I was not really prepared for a celiac diagnosis. And because I’m so sensitive, my husband and I have to replace basically everything in our kitchen to avoid any cross contamination. I’m talking new pots & pans, silverware, knives, bakeware, Tupperware containers, baking sheets, glassware, cutting boards, and utensils—everything that’s scratched and can trap gluten, which is like 90% of our kitchenware. We can’t afford this shit so we’re going to have to put it on my credit cards.

If anyone is able to help out at all with the cost of making our kitchen celiac friendly and totally gluten free, my Venmo is linked at the bottom. I also have ko-fi and buymeacoffee but I haven’t started using them yet.

#in your face to all the shitty doctors and specialists I’ve seen throughout the years who have just written me off as a hypochondriac #celiac disease #celiac #disability #disabled #disabled and in need of assistance #olive blogs #mutual aid request #crowdfunding #disabled mutual aid #dermatitis herpetiformis #autoimmune

[oliveasaltylife]

Well, it’s finally happening. My parents are withdrawing a portion of my monthly financial support. My husband has been out of work since early October and he finally found a job, but isn’t able to start until January.

We desperately need help to be able to make rent, pay utilities, and get food on the table on top of other monthly bills that can not go unpaid. I have spent the past 2 years begging my parents for the help they explicitly promised me when they found out my FIL gave me COVID in January 2022. I never recovered and still have a whole host of other complex health conditions that was significantly exacerbated. I still don’t have a definitive answer whether or not Long COVID is part of it because it reactivated a latent Bartonella infection that I got who knows how long ago. Not to mention the connective tissue disorder, dysautonomia, MCAS, chiari, and tethered cord I was already dealing with pre-infection, just undiagnosed and not taken seriously. My parents offered to help me financially because I had to stop working. I went back to work after my infection cleared, even though I know I wasn’t fully recovered, and relapsed very hard in May of 2022. That was when the full financial assistance from my parents really began, and they continued to try to convince me they would never turn down helping me.

For the next 6 months my mother berated me and made it known that she resents me because she wasn’t able to get “her pool” installed in the summer of 2022 because she had to help me, her eldest daughter. At one point she made me choose between my health and wellbeing or my sister’s (she is also disabled, but lives at home, and receives SSDI, which I do not qualify for). She ate her words that time. But they’ve been trying to get out of helping me ever since they offered. And now, my parents have taken it upon themselves to lower my financial assistance after my husband lost his job, and without even consulting me. They texted my husband, never made contact with me, and when I called them out on it made excuses that I don’t talk to them often enough. (Huh, imagine that. I don’t really want to contact my abusive parents, but it sure does highlight some of the abuse that’s gone on my entire life). I am not in a position to be able to turn down what they are giving me, though I can not wait until the day I can officially become no contact.

I need help. I’m exhausted from trying to fight for assistance I was promised by my own parents in addition to the extreme exhaustion that comes with living with complex chronic illness. I don’t know what to do at this point. I’m going to leave my Venmo link in hopes that maybe some of you are in a position that allows you to give assistance. If you are not able to, please share this. I don’t have a platform on any of my socials and really do not feel comfortable sharing it on Facebook where I have family members who also choose to ignore pleas for help.

#crowdfunding #crowdfunding request #mutual aid #mutual aid request #disabled #disability #COVID #long COVID #bartonella #MCAS #dysautonomia #tethered cord #chiari #ehlers danlos syndrome #vascular compressions #gastroparesis #olive blogs #cw abuse mention #osddid #dissociative disorder #neisvoid #please help me

[oliveasaltylife]

prompts from Ready, Set, Novel! A Writer's Workbook by Chris Baty, Lindsey Grant, and Tavia Stewart Streit from the National Novel Writing Month

Have each character retell their first memory.

Write your opening scene from the point of view of a supporting character.

Write a scene of dialogue between your main character and a younger version of themself.

Describe the worst thing that ever happened to your villain.

Flash forward twenty years into the future and write a scene that involves at least three of your characters.

Have your characters share tales of their first kisses.

Write about the last five things your main character bought and why they bought them.

Write a scene in which your protagonist and villain get drunk together.

Lock a few of your characters in a broken elevator.

People rarely get sick in novels. Have your protagonist come down with something.

Write a thank-you card from your protagonist to their sidekick.

Relate the dream your villain had last night.

Your protagonist's mother is interviewed for the local newspaper about her child's achievements. Write that article.

Add a scene in which your character loses something very valuable.

Write a week's worth of Facebook posts from a supporting character. Take it a step further and add comments made by their friends... and enemies.

Have your villain bust out their high school yearbook. Write some of the notes they find in it.

Have your character recount a (hilarious) childhood trauma.

Write a scene describing how your main character's parents met.

Does your main character collect anything? Maybe they should. Describe their collection and why they started it.

Write a really cheesy love song that your main character will sing to their love interest.

Describe the worst thing your main character ever did.

Write a scene in which your main character and the villain have to work together, and explain why.

Send your protagonist to a psychic. What do they find out?

Write a description of your setting in the style of a travel brochure.

Deprive a character of sleep for three days and write about how it affects them.

Read "Today's Featured Article" on Wikipedia and integrate something you learn into your novel.

Your main character finds a genie in a bottle. What three wishes do they make?

Place a few characters in a karaoke bar. Describe the scene and what songs they choose to sing.

Have a character win a huge prize out of the blue. How do they react when they get the news?

Your villain houses a dinner party. What's on the menu? Who is invited?

Write a 200-word newspaper obituary for your villain.

#writing prompts #writing

[oliveasaltylife]

#art #same

[oliveasaltylife]

americans need to start threatening politicians' lives and i'm not joking

#you dish the threats and I’ll get the flamethrower #no but really #free palestine #what do want? anarchy! when do we want it? over a century ago but now is still a good time to start!

[oliveasaltylife]

disabled people are allowed to like being disabled. prefer being disabled. while there's many reasons people mourn their hypothetical or past abled selves - for which there is no fault - there are as many reasons for people to have no problem with the fact that they are disabled. people are allowed to enjoy being disabled and various parts of their disability without being denied support, care, or accommodations. people might have been disabled their whole lives, and can't imagine a different life for them. and they shouldn't have to be sad for some other life they could have lived when they are alive right now. people might have a disability that is incurable, or has shaped their experiences to the point where they would be a very different person without it. a person which would not be themselves. people are allowed to hate parts of their disability but love other parts. there is no right or wrong way to feel about one's own disability. i have been angry and bitter and with grief at various times in my life because of my disabilities. but i think people who are enjoying their disabled lives do not need constant reminders of the negative aspects without asking, the same as people who are upset with their disabled lives do not need forced positivity. it's difficult to say that you like or accept or enjoy your disability and disabled life when the constant expectation, from ableds and from some other disabled people too, is to wish that you were not disabled at all. disabled people have and always will exist, and our lives and their varied experiences can be full of joy as well

#disability #disability liberation #to remember

[oliveasaltylife]

And now my parents decided to “help” by lessening the amount they give me monthly because they’re fucking with my student loans—again, without even mentioning it to me. With this change, I won’t even be able to cover all of my monthly bill expenses let alone the additional gov student loans that restarted it October.

My husband is still out of work even though he has something lined up. The hiring process has been an absolute nightmare and we haven’t had an income since early October. Cobra was too expensive and Medicaid doesn’t cover my out of state specialists.

And I spent all day yesterday completely beside myself because of how guilty I feel for spending money on gifts for my husband and some fun things for myself in addition to things we needed for around the apartment that we’ve done without for months. I even bought fancy chocolate to ship to my parents (though I’m seriously considering cancelling that one for obvious reasons). My husband spent all day yesterday trying to console me and get me to understand that we still deserve fun things and that I shouldn’t feel guilty.

I just can’t get over this feeling of guilt. And I have someone (designed after my mother) who’s been berating me in my head trying to remind me that I’m a selfish and entitled brat and absolutely should feel guilty. After all, it wasn’t “my” money to spend on fun things or gifts. I don’t deserve nice things or things I want. It’s good to want things.

How do I turn it off

Everything still sucks but in a very surprising turn of events my mother gave us more money than anticipated to help tide us over until my husband starts his job.

So I used a little bit of it to splurge for my husband’s birthday, and I finally ordered prints of our wedding photos and a framed canvas print. I also got him some cool Jellycat stuffed animals and a replacement pair of pajama pants. I’m so excited and vibrating from the excitement. I just needed to tell someone [the void] before I completely burst into a million pieces.

CW: food

I also ordered GF/dairy free gourmet marshmallows that I’m going to surprise him with during Hanukkah. One of the items is a banana pudding fluff he saw. The item description said to freeze it and it’s better than ice cream.

#osddid #cw financial abuse #I would really love it if people could just keep their word instead of backtracking every few months #this is precisely why it’s taken me almost 28 years to ask for help and why I probably never will again #my therapist thinks I should start crowdfunding and I don’t disagree #but that’s a new level of public vulnerability I am not equipped to handle at the moment #and most of my socials are too entwined with my government name I won’t be able to keep my anonymity #I am so afraid of family catching wind of crowdfunding. my mother is so vehemently against it she’s stopping me in my head too #fuck this is all so difficult #it feels like the entire world is against us but it also feels that way in my head the majority of the time #I can’t even articulate how deeply unsettling it is to have a projection of my biggest abuser in my head #Aimee is really the only one able to deal with it but she can still only do so much #olive blogs

[oliveasaltylife]

Everything still sucks but in a very surprising turn of events my mother gave us more money than anticipated to help tide us over until my husband starts his job.

So I used a little bit of it to splurge for my husband’s birthday, and I finally ordered prints of our wedding photos and a framed canvas print. I also got him some cool Jellycat stuffed animals and a replacement pair of pajama pants. I’m so excited and vibrating from the excitement. I just needed to tell someone [the void] before I completely burst into a million pieces.

CW: food

I also ordered GF/dairy free gourmet marshmallows that I’m going to surprise him with during Hanukkah. One of the items is a banana pudding fluff he saw. The item description said to freeze it and it’s better than ice cream.

#I haven’t been this genuinely excited for a very very long time #it’s so hard to keep secrets from my partner and I just want to give everything to him now #none of it has arrived yet #but I want him to have all of it immediately #he deserves the world #i also think the wedding prints will blow his socks and slippers off #and might even top the first birthday gift I gave him (it was a telescope) #I’m just very excited to surprise him #he knows about the pants but that’s because it’s local pick up lmao #but he only knows I have surprises (plural) #olive blogs #husband appreciation tag #cw: food

[oliveasaltylife]

It’s wild when you’re disabled and have adapted your entire life to be able to function even a little bit and people will still think you’ve “given up” or “let the illnesses win” because you allow yourself to rest. Grind mindset is garbage.

#to remember #important #it’s not worth it to push myself for someone else’s standards #and it literally only affects me my life and my own body #(and my husband too but he’s also the one who has to do even more for me if I push myself too far and crash) #anyways #this is very very important and I constantly need to remind myself to chill out and allow myself to rest

[oliveasaltylife]

DO NOT DO THIS!!!

If a website has a paywall, like New York Times, DO NOT use the ctrl+A shortcut then the ctrl+c shortcut as fast as you can because then you may accidentally copy the entire article before the paywall comes up. And definitely don't do ctrl+v into the next google doc or whatever you open because then you will accidentally paste the entire article into a google doc or something!!!! I repeat DO NOT do this because it is piracy which is absolutely totally wrong!!!

#resources #research tip #accessibility