#(obviously it’s different for people with blood sugar/etc medical needs | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

yaksha-lover · 9 months

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This might get a bit long, but I'll try to simplify everything, so sorry for that. Also, English is not my first language!!

Talking about specifically type-1 diabete: it's essentially an autoimmune disease where the pancreas is completely destroyed by your own organism. The pancreas creates the insulin hormone, that regulates the presence of sugar in the blood- which means that diabete is a disability characterized by very high level of sugar in the blood.

The level of sugar in a diabetic's blood is very unstable, unlike a non-diabetic person, since it can't regulate by itself: there can be low sugar, which means that there is not enough sugar in your blood- it is a very unpleasant feeling, and a few of the tells that one might have low sugar are, for example (and they can all vary in severity) general weakness, mental fog, general confusion, difficulty in talking, difficulty in moving, shaking, palpitations, death and anxiety. For some reason. When someone loses blood their sugar starts to drop- this is isn't as much of a problem in a non-diabetic person as it would be in a diabetic person, obviously, especially since our sugar level naturally drops faster and more severly than a non-diabetic person. Do deal with low-sugar you gotta eat, especially sugary things.

There is also high sugar level, which means that that the sugar in our blood is above the average. This means that a diabetic's blood is also sweet, which. Lol. Generally speaking, the symptoms are similar to those of low-sugar, with an added thirst that just doesn't go away no metter how much you drink. To deal with it you need to use insulin- depending on how high it is, if it's not by much, a bit of physical exercise will help you and you won't need insulin. Because physical extersion make your sugar drop.

Low-sugar and high-sugar also cause sudden (possibly severe) changes in one's emotion, and a person emotion can also have an effect of their sugarl level.

A diabetic person needs insulin, and it can be used trough either an insulin pump or a syringe (that we call insulin pen), but there also different types of insulin that a diabetic person needs to take. A T1 specifically, since they are insulin-dependent, also shouldn't go too many hours without insulin. We also need to check our sugar multiple times a day, for which we have devices.

Diabete also effects your health in general, also in the long run. It can bring to heart problems, kidneys (if I remember correctly) problems, vision problems and so on- usually we start to take different type of medicine to protect ourselves long before these problems start to manifest themselves.

So like, I'm going to assume that Lilia is going to get a diabetic MC the medical equipment that they need...unless like. They want to get rid of them??? Which would be an incredibly unkind and horrible/painful/slow way to take out a diabetic person, let me tell you that. But also??? Diabetic people do have to do certain blood exams yearly (to check, you know, if you are not dying even faster than what you are supposed to as a diabetic), which I guess can be taken without actually having to go to a doctor directly. But also, we do have to AT LEAST once in a while (teorically speaking, once every eight months, but let's be real, no one actually does that) meet with our specific diabetologist to discuss whether we should change insulin, the amount, whether we should start taking this type of medicine, stop taking this etc etc. Would Lilia allow the visit? Would he switch our primary diabetologist to a doctor that he trust?😭 Because the bureaucracy of it would be such a pain in the ass😭😭

But also, yeah, sorry for how long it was, but I was curious! Especially since. Y'know. Vampires like blood and all. How would they react?

First of all, thanks sm for taking the time to write all this it was very detailed and helpful!! I knew the basics but I wasn’t sure about the details so it was very informative :)

In terms of vamp au, Lilia would def get MC anything they needed for their health and allow doctor visits for sure, he’d probably just want to accompany you (which is partially out of concern!). Lilia does feel badly about keeping MC at the mansion against their will, so he would go to any length to make sure they stay safe and as healthy as possible.

The other vampires would definitely be much more careful around MC, refusing to ever do anything that would put them in danger like trying to take their blood (even if they would enjoy the taste, that would never take priority). Even if MC was dating one of them, they would still refuse. They def keep snacks for diabetic!MC around too, in case they have low-sugar at any moment. Lilia would ensure everyone treated MC well because he considers them his guest and under his protection.

#don’t apologize for the length you were helping me out!!#au asks #twst vampire au

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notoyax17 · 2 years

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Teas good for High Blood Sugar/Diabetics

Note that these are more geared Type II Diabetics.

If you are on medication, stay on your medication. Talk to you doctor or try these tea at a light steep and monitor your blood pressure/sugar to see how it works for you.

Light - Chamomile tea (also helps Blood Pressure) - tastes herbal, pretty calming, comes in a bunch of different flavors for digestions/calming/etc. The weakest one. Maybe use two bags if you can't handle the flavors of the other two. Found at nearly all grocery stores.

Medium - Hibiscus/sorrel tea (also helps Blood Pressure) - pretty damn tart, but I personally like the flavor. Better at lowering BS and BP than chamomile tea. Found at most grocery stores.

Medium - Cinnamon tea (also helps Blood Pressure) I actually haven't had cinnamon in tea form. I tend to take it in capsule form (specifically the Ceylon Cinnamon capsules - the better form, from walmart). That shit works. But, since it apparently also exists in tea form, I definitely have to recommend trying it. I don't think it's as strong as sorrel as a tea, but it definitely is in capsule form.

Strong - Bitter melon tea (doesn't effect Blood Pressure much) - it tastes... it's not a great taste, okay. It's bitter. But you're not drinking this for the taste. Add some lemon or a bag of tea with a strong flavor like ginger to offset it. This tea works really, really well. Like, well enough that you might need to eat soon after drinking it to prevent low blood sugar. I definitely recommend this to people whose BS levels regularly go over 200. Monitor your levels a lot if you drink this one. You're gonna have to order it online, probably Amazon.

Other helpful tips:

Obviously, the best thing is to make the tea hot and let it sit and get pretty strong before drinking.

Make the tea before you start eating.

It's better to drink the tea before you eat so that your BS doesn't jump too high after the meal. But that means having to make the tea, let it cool enough to drink and then drink it while you're hungry.

OR you can drink it immediately after eating, giving the tea time to concentrate and cool, so it's immediately ready to be drunk.

BUT, sometimes you don't have time for that, or you're not in a place with access to a kettle or microwave...

PROTIP: Put the tea bag in a full water bottle, shake it up a little and then let it sit for a bit.

Put tea in a water bottle when you wake up and by the time you eat breakfast or lunch, it'll be pretty concentrated and you can drink from it all day.

Put the tea in a water bottle and toss the bottle in your purse, ready to drink whenever you need without having to wait.

Side tip - BLACK Coffee lowers blood sugar pretty well, but raises blood pressure. When I make coffee, I place a bag of sorrel tea in the mug before making it and let it sit for a bit. It helps offset (not entirely) the BP increase and sharpens the BS decrease. Coffee obviously isn't good for the body long term, so this isn't a get out of jail card or anything, but this, like the other tips, are just meant to decrease how bad things get.

#diabetes #health tips #my post #good advice

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writingquestionsanswered · 3 years

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Tattoo Shop AU - a quick, practical guide for writers

Guest Post by lebanon-hangover

lebanon-hangover said: this is based on my personal experience with the industry only, so depending on the era and country you are portraying, it may not be 100% accurate for your setting.

Hygiene

It may not be obvious at first glance, but most tattooists are clean freaks. We work with human blood every day, and we get clients from all ages, ethnic and social economic backgrounds, with all sorts of medical conditions.

We usually mop frequently, bleach the sinks, wipe down everything, and use cling film or bags to wrap everything. I mean fucking everything. We also scrub in, and sanitise the area on the person we work on.

Needles are collected in a sharps bin, and handled very carefully. Medical waste goes in yellow bags, and both are collected by a professional service.

Used ink caps may look full, but the ink gets diluted by blood. Like you dip the inky needle into the person, but you also dip the person’s blood into your ink. These are medical waste too.

Cleaning up must be done promptly after the session. Bin everything disposable, put things through the ultrasonic and the autoclave, and sanitise the area. We may take machines apart, but more for maintenance than cleaning, sometimes we swap parts in them too.

We have two sinks, one for hand washing, one for cleaning.

All inks and needles have use by dates.

The internal dynamics of a studio

Depending on the country, some tattoo shops tend to have ties to biker gangs, and some of those internal dynamics and unwritten rules are often present.

There’s a pecking order and it’s dead serious. Basically the longer you’ve been in a shop, the higher ‘rank’ you are, you get the better positioned stations, first pick of walk-ins, etc (Unless the client is asking for someone by name). Regardless of your actual experience in the industry, like if you move into your old apprentice’s shop, they are still senior to you. If the owner or their partner is an artist, obviously they are on top of the chain by default.

We are self employed, but we have a boss. You are only making money if you are working, but you still have set work hours.

We get paid by the clients, and we pay the studio a cut. In return, there are some items provided by them, and some we buy for ourselves. Usually the chairs, tattoo beds, gloves, cleaning products, clip cord covers, masks, aprons, ink caps, vaseline, green soap, and some basic ink is provided by the shop. We buy our own machines, arm rests, stations, pedals, power supplies, clipcords, tips and grips, needles, special colours, stencil fluid…these are a personal preference, and often depend on the artists’ style.

We totally ask to try out each other’s equipment sometimes, or ask for a certain type of needle if we ran out.

The receptionist is usually just one of us, maybe a piercer, but it also can be a hired person in top studios.

The apprentice in the traditional system is often mistreated, and they have to pay for their education, have to be there multiple days a week and don’t make any money. It’s kind of like a tear them down, build them back up again thing to see if they are really serious about the job. Times are slowly changing, but 99% of them will always need a second job. Most of them are working as bar staff.

When you open a new studio, you must visit all the existing local ones and introduce yourself, otherwise you may get a brick through the window. Otherwise there’s not much beef among individual artists, they are often friends, go to conventions together and party after, etc.

The Artists

Tattooing is a fairly physical job, stretching skin is very important. We have to also keep our clients safely still, so we often use positions to pin them down a bit. Sometimes you hit a reflex point on the foot or under a knee, and you don’t want to get kicked. Sometimes you have to pull away super fast, cos they are sneezing, yawning or giggling.

Most tattooists drink a lot of coffee, tea or energy drinks.

Some people are all rounders, some have specific styles, but we recognise each other’s art styles. Sometimes we delegate work to each other, if we think our coworkers style fits the concept better. For example if there’s a person who does script well, we give them those projects.

We don’t like when people come in with designs from other artists. Art theft is frowned upon, and we work best with our own drawings.

Most apprentices practice on their own legs, and sometimes we tattoo each other when it’s quiet. Most people have cover ups, or bad pieces from their early days. The artists’ own tattoos sometimes are in a different style than what they do, but we like to collect ink from friends or colleagues we admire.

In the first 1-2 years one is an apprentice, then junior artist. At 5-8 years of tattooing, you have earned your stripes and are considered an experienced artist.

Conventions are really fun, but can be stressful. You can make good money working at one, and sometimes get awarded for it too. We can also spend a lot at a convention.

Sometimes we poke our fingers by accident, and it’s a scary thing. Good case scenario is just some random dots on your fingers. Let’s not go into the bad case scenario.

We do guest spots sometimes, just to meet new clients, and change it up a bit.

We spend a lot of time drawing up things, and designs are meant to fall on specific muscles, stretch with the skin a certain way, so they are tailored to the body proportions of the client. A good tattoo is also an optical illusion, complimenting the body shape.

Social media presence is like a second job, you need good photos, and you need to market yourself.

Tattoo ink does not wash out, so some stains are inevitable when pouring it out. Those ink bottles get stuck so easily, and we wrestle them a lot. We try to avoid it, but wearing all dark colours is a thing for a reason.

The Clients

Tattooists need to have a good ‘bedside manners’ too. We get nervous or self conscious people, and we are told personal things during long sessions. For example scar coverups and memorial pieces can be very emotional.

We have pretty good poker faces and first aid trainings. People can faint, get shaky, throw up, some have seizures, have b.o., get sweaty, etc the same way as at a blood donation event? It’s no big deal really. We sit them down, give them some water and some sugar, and re-book them if necessary. Most artists keep some wet wipes, mouth wash, deodorant, sweets, maybe even some clean clothes at work, just in case.

If someone comes in with a wild idea for a jobstopper, we would sit down and have a long talk. If they haven’t got many tattoos, we usually try to stir them towards more safe choices, offering them creative ideas. It’s like those jedi mind tricks sometimes.

If someone is undecided, we show them our own hand drawn flash sheets. Once its gone, its gone tho, we don’t use the designs twice.

Pinterest is full of photoshopped fake tattoos, some that won’t even work as real ink. Many people also touch up their work digitally on photos, so some clients have really unrealistic expectations.

We can totally tell if someone is intoxicated or hangover. It thins the blood, and they bleed out the ink, and it’s super annoying. if it’s bad, they will be sent home and rebooked.

Some folks are self conscious about body hair, their size, stretch marks and scars. Chances are, we have seen similar, and we aren’t bothered by it, because it’s work. Surgery scars, scars from accidents, self harm scars, burns, we see it all the time. We shave some really hairy dudes all the time girl, your legs are fine. Seriously. If something makes tattooing you dangerous we will tell you.

Fit, muscular people are harder to tattoo because they are really firm. Its a workout for us.

Everyone gets midnight messages about the aftercare from nervous clients, and drunken booty calls about getting inked right at this second. We have copy paste replies…

We get creeps sometimes. Stalking, weird conversations, tmi info dumps etc.

Other things to include (for fun, or for plot reasons)

We sometimes have those “oh fuck” moments. We all do, but mistakes can be fixed, and we play it cool.

Tattooing takes time. Usually 30 minutes to multiple sessions though years and years.

Healing tattoos takes about 2-4ish weeks, and your characters shouldn’t go roll around in dirt, sunbathe, swim, pick at the scabs. Nasty infections, and messed up tattoos would be the results.

If you have a strong immune system, and you get a lot of work done in one sitting, you may get a brief bit of a temperature. It’s normal, and will go away.

Its a lot easier to get seriously drunk after getting a tattoo. Be careful.

We sometimes draw on each other for practice with our marker pens.

Tattoos are inside the skin, not on top of it. Imagine a low opacity, skin toned layer over the ink, adding to the healed tattoos’ colour. Please stop making your characters skin fully transparent.

Heavy blackwork and palms are done in multiple sessions.

You can’t cover up moles, because if they develop skin cancer, the dermatologist can’t see the signs.

There’s a stereotype about piercers having blacked out sleeves.

Stencil fluid looks just like cum.

You get that annoying itch on your face when you scrubbed in, put on gloves and finally ready to go.

Some artists have a strong preference for coil or rotary machines, and they bicker about it a lot. Coils are louder, more punchy, and more traditional, perfect for lineart. They can be customised, and they last forever. They are also called glorified doorbells by people who prefer rotaries. Rotary machines are smoother, lighter, and often use needles that are pulled back into the cartridges for safety. They are better for shading and delicate line work. Older tattooists often say they are dildo or butt plug shaped, overly delicate and are for “soft millennials” only.

Every artist owns like 5 to 20 machines, and they have specific machine builders they are loyal to.

The “which cable is broken and cutting out” guessing game. Clip cords and pedal cables get worn out easily, and that results in your machine running really jerky.

Walk-in always show up 10 minutes before closing.

We often look quite silly at work. Sleeves rolled up, folks use all sorts of plastic ppe, headlamps, and we tie up our hair. Add couple of purple smears from carbon paper, and we aren’t scary at all.

#writing guide #writing tips #writing advice #writer's guide #writeblr #writing community #writing #writing help #submission

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dontforgetyourmedstoday · 3 years

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Personally i don’t have meds; but I subscribed to help me drink some water and stop doomscrolling; Thank you

You go you, funky little human!! This is what this blog is all about, doing the THINGS! It makes me so happy that subscribing has helped you 🥰 (I had to look up doomscrolling, and let me just say same friend same).

I made it about meds because that was the thing, at that time, I struggled the most with. I also really wanted something that was encouraging and without judgement and was a stigma-free, medication positive, zone for people who need to take meds, no matter why. If you need to take meds and you do then I am SO PROUD OF YOU!

I was (and still am) thoroughly sick of self-care lists etc. that for many people are unachievable for one reason or another. (No “Gweneth”, I can’t drink the wheatgrass smoothie or do yoga or I will get sick/hurt. I don’t need 15 different essential oil blends to really ‘take care’ of myself either). Or that make us feel like we are ‘failing’ if we aren’t doing all stuff on the list every day. That kind of bullshit needs to STOP.

So really this is about encouragement and gentle reminders to do your basic self-care, just the essentials for example:

drinking the fluids/water

doing the hygiene

eating the foods

making and going to the appointments

doing the thing the health professional told you to do at those appointments

using the condom/dam/glove etc.

getting the sleeps moving the body

using the devices

caring for and remembering your devices

checking your levels (blood sugar etc.)

doing the healthy self-soothing things

taking the meds

Obviously, the thing(s) are different for everyone, so the reminder is for whatever you need.

It’s also about recognising where you are now and being proud of yourself for doing the thing(s) no matter what they are for you. If someone is in a place where choosing water is what they need and they are doing that, that’s wonderful. If you currently go for long periods without consuming any fluids and you drink something, (tea, coffee, soda) that is equally wonderful. For some people eating some vegetables might be the thing for others it might be eating anything. For me brushing my hair is a thing - but doing it often enough that I don’t need 3 hours, a bottle of conditioner and a friend is a win.

And finally, it’s to remind me, and all of you that we are not alone in this. As of today, there are 2,361 other people who need or want a reminder or some encouragement to take their meds or do the thing.

TLDR - this is a medication positivity blog that also encourages you to participate in other basic self-care activities to look after yourself and stay safe, no matter what that looks like for you, and is so freaking proud of you when you do. ❤❤❤

IMPORTANT: Most of the images here are royalty-free, creative commons no attribution etc. It seems that some of the links I have provided on those images have either disappeared in the ether and/or aren't visible to everyone.

#not a reminder #medication #reminders #medication reminders #daily reminders #chronic illness #mental health #illness #disability #medication positivity #dontforgetyourmedstoday #got a little carried away #apparently I have feelings today #long post

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hiswordsarekisses · 3 years

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I have a small testimony of how God has shown me the light in this verse. It’s been a long journey, and one that I can only attribute to Him showing me light. I prayed that He would always show me the truth even if it’s not what I want to hear - because what does it even matter if it’s not HIS truth?! Loving the truth saves us from deception. (2thess 2)

About 10 or so years ago I began having severe peripheral neuropathy in my feet from an injury to my lower back. The burning sensation - which feels like a severe sunburn - later spread up my legs to my thighs and in my hands. I was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia at that time. Over the next 8 years I was put on every drug you can probably name trying to fix me. By the end of all those years I was on 2 different antidepressants, 3 very strong opiates and the max dose of a popular seizure medication and blood pressure medication as well - all of these at one time. In spite of all of that I was still experiencing a level of pain that is outside of my comprehension and with each medication it seemed to grow worse. It became so bad at night that I did not sleep for 3 days at a time sometimes, and once I passed out from sheer exhaustion I would only sleep for a few hours before the pain would wake me up and the cycle would begin over again.

It was 8 years of constantly analyzing what I ate last, and what I did last, and every detail of my life was consumed in trying to figure out what was causing it and how to make it stop. I was driving myself crazy, along with everyone around me.

Then my life took a drastic turn and I suddenly found myself without insurance or income and I quickly had to ween myself off of all those medications. Those were some rough times, but when I think of it - it wasn’t much different than the torment I had already been through!!! I was just trading torment for torment.

I started trying to eat healthy, cutting out a lot of sugar and things like that and the next few years were a lot like the ones before. There were never any answers or relief. Eventually I discovered a perfect combination of suppliments, vitamins, and herbal help that gave me way more relief than the pharmaceutical drugs ever even came close to, and those are still helping.

Over a period of 3 years I really began to heal. The 3rd year my concoction, along with eating better and figuring out which foods seemed to help and which ones flared me up, along with daily exercise and lots of fresh air and sunshine - and just so much joy that came from feeling so much better and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, brought me to a new level of healing I never dreamed possible.

Then my life took another turn when I hurt my foot and stopped exercising. I became depressed and eating badly as well, and I ended up back on blood pressure medicine and an anxiety medication. I began to sleep a lot and stay inside, and even gained 1/2 the weight I had lost back again. Notice the pattern?

I was still keeping with my suppliment/herbal/vitamin regiment which kept me from spiraling completely, but then I was facing getting my act back together again to get off of these pharmaceutical drugs so that my body can heal itself again before I end up in as bad of shape as I began in.

See, over the years, every new drug brought with it damage and a need for another new drug. I have now learned that lesson with all my heart - so I was able to recognize what began happening when I allowed myself to start taking only these two medications again!

The results/consequences were almost immediate. It was even obviously spiritual. Pharmaceuticals have a spiritual side, just like God’s healing. Only it’s dark.

Then I came across this verse and it all came together. So I don’t care what kind of illness comes on me, I’m actually afraid to ever put another pharmaceutical product in my body again. They all come with consequences, even if they are only mild ones. And the mild ones will never remain mild. They bypass your God given system, which was actually created to run in a certain and particular way. So when we start interring by eating wrong, not taking care of ourselves, putting chemicals in, etc., bad things happen.

Sometimes we get to a point where those bad things get so bad that we get desperate and grab for any relief we can get. But truly the only thing we can do is repent, and ask God to undo what we have done and ask Him to lead us in such a way that we can heal and remove all of this from our body and spirit.

That healing will look different for different people. Some of us can jump cold Turkey from pharmaceuticals and bad eating to an all natural and healthy life - when some of us may be led in a more round about way of gradually getting there - but He has a perfect plan that we can all trust Him with. Some things need medical attention for some people in some circumstances, and if we ask God to lead us in the best way - and ask Him to protect us from deception - He will. He gave us His Word to protect us, but when we have not listened and we end up in a mess, He is still loving us and waiting to show us the way that He intended.

In the book of revelations God is warning us about pharmaceuticals when He is speaking about Babylon and those who took part in her sorcery (Rev 18:23), which is where my eyes first began to be opened. I began to pray about that verse because the word that “sorcery” comes from is the same word as pharmaceutical. I personally cannot say whether this means that taking medication is a sin - that is between each individual and God and not for me to judge. All I know is that for Him to bring me this far, to turn back now - for me it would be. It would be sin for me to turn back because He has given me light on it. (Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James‬ ‭4:17‬)

So I’m going to continue going in the opposite direction of man-made solutions and chemicals with God’s help forevermore. Amen.

I am sharing this in hopes that it we’ll help someone - even one person - to avoid the pain and suffering I have endured.

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bi-rising · 3 years

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hey I just saw your post about PCOS being a hormonal issue not a gyno one while I was surfing the tag. I was diagnosed a couple months back and all my gyno did was a 2 min ultrasound and then prescribed me birth control. I would like to have actual help and more info on it but I'm not sure who I'm supposed to go to for that. Seeing as you were in a similar situation I'd appreciate your help.

seems like gynos really suck with pcos, don't they? 🥴 warning you now, this is going to be a very long post, because i'm essentially writing out absolutely everything i did and everything i've learned, so strap in for a ride aldksfjasldf

the first thing to do is research, research, research. i spent a whole week constantly on pcos websites (such as pcosaa and this article, tho fair warning, the article does use academic speech so it might not be the easiest thing to read) and watching videos and doing what i could to inform myself. the way you can know if you're looking at a credible resource is how the source defines pcos: does it pose it as a reproductive system disorder? or an endocrine (hormonal) disorder? if it talks about it as a reproductive system disorder, then it's probably wrong.

please note that i am not, obviously, a medical professional, but this is how i understand pcos works. i'll use me as an example just so i can use first person perspective, but it applies to pcos patients in general.

so, my cells are insulin resistant. that means that when i eat, my body releases, lets say, 100 (x measurement) of insulin. because my cells are insulin resistant, they say "hey, i'm only gonna use 50x of that insulin". but they still NEED that 100x to function. so my body releases ANOTHER 100x of insulin, so my cells go "ok i'll take 50x" and so while my cells now have the 100x they're supposed, to i now have 100x insulin floating around.

that extra insulin not only wreaks havoc on many systems of the body, it is the reason why most people with pcos that goes untreated end up with type 2 diabetes. the extra insulin is also converted (or spurs the creation of? i'm not entirely certain on the how here) into testosterone and other androgen (male) hormones. so your body has too much insulin, and now it has too much testosterone, too. that extra testosterone is what fucks with your reproductive system and prevents the follicles on your ovaries from maturing (which is what the 'cysts' are). it also often creates increased facial hair, acne (especially on the 'beard line'), and worse body odor. between the testosterone and the insulin, it's nigh impossible to lose weight.

also note that because your body has to release more insulin for your cells to get an adequate amount, you likely crave carbs and sugars (salty/crunchy things and sweets), and you're likely frequently fatigued, bc your body isn't, well, working correctly and it's taking more energy to perform basic functions.

secondly, take all this information that you know to your doctor. i legitimately wrote down some notes about this process in a little notebook and took it with me so that i wouldn't forget/get too anxious to bring any of it up. i also wrote down the things i had been doing to help up to that point (working out, what my diet was, etc etc) and what i was concerned about. lastly, i also wrote down what medications and supplements i had heard of in my research to see what my doctor thought of them.

my doctor's first 'attack' choice is ozempic--it's a weekly shot that helps to regulate insulin levels and also is pretty good at helping weight loss. be aware though that most commercial insurances don't pay for this, but if your doctor is good, they'll try to work around that so that you're not paying a frankly outrageous amount for it. also look out for sometime this fall, my doc said that the ozempic manufacturers are trying to get ozempic approved for weight loss (it's approved for other things) and that should help bring the price down?? anyway, that's my doc's preferred method, but because of my finances, we currently can't do that.

his second attack, which i'm now on, is metformin. it's a medication mostly used for diabetics that helps with blood sugar levels which, again, is that insulin issue. my mom has been on it for 14 years bc diabetes runs in our family anyway, so it's perfectly safe for long time use and definitely helps with keeping either away from or within the pre-diabetes phase. again, i've only been on it now two days so i can't say anything for me but we'll see how it goes lmao

he also approved of me using omega 3 (fish pills) supplements because they help balance things out in general, not just pcos, and he was good with me using spearmint, too. i'm starting out on one cup of spearmint tea a day and see how that effects me, but i've heard of people having up to two spearmint supplement pills and a cup of spearmint tea a day, too. spearmint is a 'defense', as far as i can explain it: it has (tho limited) research that it lowers the testosterone levels in women with pcos. so while it doesn't help with the insulin so it doesn't attack the source, it can help with the testosterone aspect, aka facial hair, acne, etc. i've also heard of cinnamon supplements and inositol supplements helping, but i didn't get a chance to ask about either of those from my doctor, so make sure if you want to give those a try, you talk about them and make sure they won't interfere with any of your other medications and get your doctor's approval on them, first.

thirdly, ask about what else you can do to help yourself. my doctor stressed the importance of a proper night's sleep, as well as advised to try to cut back on carbs and sugars (IMPORTANT NOTE: some people claim that you HAVE to be on a keto diet to get results with pcos. WRONG. please don't do this. keto diets are entirely unsustainable. and cutting back on carbs and sugars does not mean cutting them OUT, it just means if you want a snack, try reaching for a protein or a vegetable instead of a carb. but don't limit yourself!! please, be conscious about what you eat, and remember that sometimes yeah, a slice of cake or a serving of chips isn't going to kill you or set your pcos back. don't risk getting an e.d. just for the sake of your pcos). he also told me that the best exercise that i personally should do is either HIIT exercises or cardio, and to do at least an hour a day, even if it's 30 mins in the morning, 30 in the evening--and to work up to that so even doing ten minutes a day, then increasing it from there, is healthier and better than jumping straight into a whole ass hour. he also told me to aim for a certain heartrate. i don't remember the formula he used, but for me at 22 (based on age) he wanted me to try to aim for 150-160 bpm. again, especially with exercise, that was what he recommended for me. you're likely different from me, so ask your doctor and see what he says.

fourthly, and perhaps most importantly, DON'T BOTHER WITH A GYNO. all of this that i've gotten done for me was from my family doctor, so just the guy i go to for yearly check ups. see if you can do some routine blood work to give him (or her) as wide of a picture as possible, and then go in and talk with a regular doctor about this. a friend of mine also has a friend who actually goes to an endocrinologist to get her pcos sorted out, so that's also an option. gynos seem to just treat the symptoms; birth control gives you a regular period by helping with your estrogen, but that doesn't decrease your testosterone OR do anything with the insulin. my doc is keeping me on birth control pills just so that i have a regular cycle so we can watch and see if anything else happens to it, so it's okay to stay on the birth control, but ultimately, birth control pills don't do anything for pcos.

i know it's difficult and probably kinda scary/anxiety inducing if you're younger or just have anxiety, but you've gotta advocate for yourself in this case. you have to show the doctor that you know what you're talking about and that you're able to call him out on his bullshit if he doesn't take you seriously. also, if your doctor is helpful, don't be afraid to be frank with him about what your gyno did. like i've said with my experience, i got the validation of knowing that my gyno was wrong by explaining to my doctor how he treated me. you deserve better than what your gyno did, and you deserve to actually be treated as a person and your disorder be taken seriously.

i'm wishing you the best of luck, and i hope that you'll be able to get the help that you need 💕💕💕

#jupe's inbox #medical tw #just in case i guess lmao #long post

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honestly-weird-weirdly-honest · 4 years

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Project 1 - How I plan to lose around 42 kg / 90 lbs (of fat)

First off, here is my weigh in for today:

Weight: 99,5 kg / 219 lbs

Body fat: 55,7 %

Waist: 98,5 cm / 38,7"

Hips: 124 cm / 48,8"

Ok, so as I already said in my first post, I suck at self discipline and am one of those people who procrastinate until the deadline is actually breathing down my neck or I get so stressed about it that I snap, and then I do The Thing in one big rush of manic energy and usually crash into bed afterwards and feel like I need to sleep for a week. But as just about anyone can tell you, losing weight does not work like that, especially if your trying to lose a lot of weight like I am.

So instead, I've gone down a research rabbithole, reading everything I can get my hands on, watching youtube videos, reading fitness and weight loss blogs, and so on.

I have never seen so much contradicting information in my life, and an alarming amount of pro eating disorder blogs; I now have the intense desire to stress that

I am NOT pro mia, pro ana, or pro any eating disorder.

I've got enough to deal with mental health wise without adding another disorder, so no thanks. My goal is to get fit and healthy, losing weight is just one part of that journey.

So how does one lose weight in a healthy way? For a bit I was confused about what I should be doing, as I said I found a lot of contradicting advice, so many different diet plans, leave out carbs, go vegan, low fat. low carb high protein. Only drink cold water, only drink lukewarm water, negative calorie foods, superfoods, and so on, and nothing seemed to fit together. I was going a bit crazy until I contacted a friend of mine who had lost a lot of weight a few years back, and hasn't regained it since. I asked her what the hell she did to figure out which advice to follow and what to do, and she recommended this book to me:

Conquering Fat Logic: How to Overcome What We Tell Ourselves about Diets, Weight, and Metabolism; by Dr. Nadja Hermann

This book was a godsend. Seriously, it's exactly what I was looking for.

This book is NOT a diet plan or a "this is how you lose 20 lbs in 4 days" type book. Actually it's the opposite.

Basically the author looks at studies regarding weight loss, malnutrition, obesity and so on, and interprets and explains the data so that it actually makes sense, without sensationalizing it like the media does.

One of the points she drives home is that a lot of studies quotes about weight loss based their data on self observation. The problem with that is that people are absolutely terrible at estimating and if you don't check self observation, you will get wonky data.

Even trained nutritionists could not accurately estimate the amount of food they eat, much less the calories it contains, and the more the test subjects weighed, the bigger their margin of error was.

If you actually want to know what your ins and outs are, you need to weigh everything and write it down.

You've probably seen just as many studies as I have, claiming things like "Thin people eat more chocolate / sugar / fast food" etc. Those studies most likely worked off of self-observation by the subjects (I've checked a few, and they all did). So anything I read along those lines, I now disregard.

So the book basically breaks down scientific studies and facts into bite-sized info, giving the reader the information you need to understand how metabolisms work and to develop a plan from there.

The 3 main things I learned from reading this book:

1) If your calories in are lower that your calories out, you will lose weight. Do not rely on estimates and guesswork, measure and write down what you eat and drink!

2) Losing or gaining large amounts of weight over night is very likely water weight. That can fluctuate quickly and depends on several factors including hormones, so look at you overall curve instead of stressing about every day's specific numbers.

3) Malnutrition doesn't depend on your caloric intake. You can be eating double or tripple your BMR (basal metabolic rate = the calories your body burns to stay alive) and still be malnourished, or you can be running a deficit and be just fine. If you watch what your eating, check for proteins, vitamins and other essential nutrients, you can cover your needs easily with a greatly reduced caloric intake. If your not sure, check with your doctor, They can do a blood test and tell you if you need to change something or maybe take a vitamin supplement.

Obviously there is a lot more information in the book than these 3 points, there is also a lot of info on obesity related diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, sleep apnea and so on. That part is a bit hard to get through as it gets a bit dry, but it helped me to actually understand the dangers of my obesity and helped me to solidify my resolve to change. It also has a chapter on conditions and medications that are associated with weight gain, a chapter on gaining weight for those trying to do that, and several other topics related to body weight and health.

Basically, if anyone reading this blog is struggling to find some facts in the chaos that surrounds losing weight, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

So after reading this book, re-reading it, reading it again and taking copious amounts of notes, rethinking the things I thought I knew and starting to watch what I actually eat (without changing anything at first, I wanted to get a feel for my current normality) I came up with this plan:

- I will be eating about 1500-1700 kcal a day. This is my BMR, so arond what my body would burn if I lay in bed all day, but as I do get up, walk around and so on I will be in a low deficit. I am starting with a rather low deficit because normally I tnd to overeat, and I want to get use to eating less slowly so I don't feel hungry and get irritated all the time. Once I get use to that, I might go a bit lower, but we will see.

With this deficit I should be losing about 1 - 1,5 kg (2.2 - 3.3 lbs) / week.

- I am going to start eating a mostly protein based diet, because apparently I haven't been getting enough of those.

Proteins are needed to build and maintain muscle mass, so this will be critical for me.

The studies referred to in the book I mentioned say you need about 0,8 - 2 g of protein per kg bodyweight per day; the low end of the scale is for people who are not all that active,

meaning no workouts, the high end is for people who are actively training alot. Again, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole cross checking multiple sites and found the same general figures, varying only very slightly.

As I am not going to start a high intensity training right away I will be aiming for about 1-1,5 g of protein per kilo per day at first. Once I start more intensive training I will be cranking that up as well.

- I am starting an easy workout program, about 30 minutes of beginners yoga per day, and some zumba type dance workouts for cardio (because those are actually fun and not just torturous like jogging is for me).

Once I've lost some weight (about 10-12 kg / 22-26 lbs), I will add some body weight exercises or weight training. I am waiting on these so I don't put an inordinate amount of stress on my joints, they have been working far to hard lugging around my bulk for the past few years anyway.

So there you have it. This is my plan, and I really hope this will work.

I’d really like to hear if anyone is follwing or has followed a similar plan, perhaps we can keep each other motivated!

Have a good one everybody!

#weight loss #losing weight #weight loss plan #getting fit #fitness #getting healthy #healthy #not pro ana #not pro mia #not pro ed

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miran-native · 5 years

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About Mimeosomes

Everyone who’s played through the main story knows the basics: Mimeosomes were designed to bridge the unknown amount of time it would take humanity to find a new habitable planet. This way, people wouldn’t grow old and be able to maintain the White Whale and protect the Lifehold. We know that they are artificial in nature and that they are controlled from the consciousness stored within the Lifehold.

Elma mentions in one of the chapters (l can’t remember which one rn, but if someone requests it I will look it up) that the Lifehold cannot be too far, since they would otherwise feel the lag. Considering how the player can move freely all around Mira it is suffice to say that while the Lifeholds transmission range is limited, it is nonetheless still huge. Like, encompassing a whole planet huge.

(Though, this observation might be futile since the endgame reveals that humanity would have been dead all along, so Mira Magic prevents us from making a sensible estimate as to how far this range could have been.)

What the main story chapters don’t tell us are the little details: can mimeosomes get sick, do they need food, etc.

So here is what I found:

Right off the bat: Mimeosomes have organic components. It is why in the sidequest “Lakeside Getaway” the cantors are able to exterminate the workers there, as they had laid eggs inside their bodies. We also see symptoms of sickness in Ajoa (the NPC who either dies or survives depending on your choices) because of that.

Despite that, other NPCs tell us that a mimesome doesn’t experience allergies and that they keep the humans safe from germs and contaminations which means they can’t get sick.

I’ve seen other speech bubble dialogue pop up when you walk past NPCs, talking about the ration bars BLADE use when they are out in the field (unfortunately I didn’t take screenshots at the time because I didn’t think I’d make a blog with all that neat trivia. They didn’t say anything important, just talked about the taste of these things).

If they didn’t need to eat at all, I figure they’d just pass on eating while they are on a mission since it’s just additional hassle – which is why I believe that (part, if not all) those organic components make up the digestive system. A lot of parasites do settle in the intestines, so I feel this is most likely the case.

Other neat things I found:

We know that mimeosomes are supposed to mimic the actual human as close as possible when it comes to looks, but there are a few NPCs that tell us that there is a bit of leeway included when it comes to outer appearance.

Hair, for example, can be easily swapped out (or in Felice’s case replaced), so there don’t seem to be any restrictions on hairstyle and color. Used to have straight hair and want curls now? Apparently no problem.

In the same dialogue Dorothy tells us that ‘bells and whistles’ is stuff like less weight, get rid of scars, beer bellies, etc. (I really wish I had screenshotted that latter part too, but again, I didn’t think I’d make a blog with this. I tried talking to her again, but I had cleared a chapter or the main story even and the dialogue didn’t pop up again.)

So from how I understand it: As long as it doesn’t concern one’s facial features (you know, that thing that makes a person actually recognizable, like eyes, nose, mouth, jawline, etc. you are good to go. Height, I assume, is one of them. Not sure on eye color, since technically there do exist contact lenses that change eye color) one is free to do whatever they want. Make oneself skinnier, get rid of wrinkles, whatever comes to mind.

And it kinda makes sense, really. The higher-ups would know that people would never get their old bodies back and start over with newly created ones, so things like scars or overweight and other stuff one did to their body (surgeries and tattoos included) wouldn’t carry over anyway. The new body would be a blank slate in regards to that.

Other bits of trivia:

Another NPC says that one can regulate the growth of their hair and nails, even shut it off completely if they so wish.

(Unfortunately I do not have a screenshot and I don’t remember which NPC that was, so until I go through the game again and actually find it, take this one with a grain of salt.)

One of the NPCs in front of the mimeosome maintenance center (Kent D. Carr) says that sensory impressions like taste are just data that one could easily recreate by uploading them in the mimeosome maintenance center. Which means that any kind of sensation can be recreated as long as it is in the database. (I assume this doesn’t only apply to the taste of say, chocolate cake, but also touch or maybe even visual recreation of something.)

I find it very interesting that this is even possible to do, since mimeosomes can eat and taste well enough to differentiate tastes (if they didn’t why would fellow BLADEs gush about Lin’s food or complain about the taste of the ration bars. And Lin has this whole thing in one of the official short stories where she complains about the canteen food on the White Whale). I guess it is still different from the real thing. Or maybe this is to preserve the taste of food one can’t get on Mira anymore. All human food is synthesized after all and in no way ‘natural’, so it wouldn’t possibly taste the same.

(I actually do have a screenshot of this buuuuuut it’s in German and I took it with my phone because I couldn’t connect the Wii U with the internet at the time. If anyone wishes to see it, I will gladly upload it though.)

The blood substitute is called “biocirculatory plasma”

This is said by Lin in Ch. 5 after Cross gets their arm blown off (screenshot available, but I didn’t deem it necessary to add as it’s a mainstory cutscene). Not exactly missable, but thought I’d throw it in here in case someone needs it for fanfiction or anything. The plasma is also blue, not red, as implicated by the following things:

a.) Mimeosomes are called Blue Bloods in Japanese

b.) After the attack on NLA (Ch. 8) there are NPC who do express their surprise at the humans being blue blooded/mimeosomes.

c.) This picture:

The plasma also has to circulate somehow inside the body so it’s not a stretch to assume that mimeosomes have an artificial heart that acts as pump.

Ch. 5 also shows that mimeosomes can be shut down to prevent pain or further plasma loss. It is also possible to just turn off the pain response and stay conscious (I think this was said in the Sylvalum mission “Predator and Prey”).

Mimeosomes are able to feel some sort of “reverse phantom pain”, i.e. feeling the (partial) lack of a body part even though it’s connected and up and running. This is also part of Ch. 5 after the player awakens in the maintenance center and is asked if they feel okay. One of the options leads to this bit of trivia.

Okay, I think that was all I had for now. Thanks for reading :D

If anyone can provide missing screenshots or has found other bits of trivia regarding mimesomes do tell – or even better, submit!

An extra bonus:

The name mimeosome may come from the Greek μνήμη (mnimi, pronounced as mnee-mee)) and σώμα (soma). Minimi means memory and soma body so the word would basically translate to memory body. And that’s kina dope.

Not sure if this is right, obviously, the “mimeo” might be latin or some shit (or ancient Greek which is NOT the same, lemme tell you, as a native Greek speaker) and just mean mimic (as in mimic the human body), but, oh well.

Edit:

So, someone in the tags said that “Blue Bloods” is a term used in Japan to describe the rich and exempt (makes sense, here in Germany the nobility used to be referred to as such as well because the veins look blueish against pale skin. And back then pale skin meant you didn’t bust your ass open working in the fields), so basically sth among the lines of “rich and lucky ones” which is a neat bit of foreshadowing that got lost in translation. (I know who you are but since this was just tag-rambling I figured you might wanna keep your name outta this - if not, I can edit your name into the post.)

They also wondered how tf this mix of organic and mechanic components would even work; now, I don’t think the game is ever going to give us an actually coherent and scientifically sound explanation for that - I think they most likely settled on bullet points of what mims can/can’t do to keep things consistent (bc one would need not only a medical, but also a scientific and engineering degree to have a good grasp of everything and I’m sure af the developers didn’t study up THAT meticulously on this), but I was thinking about it, bc ya know, I studied biophysics and find this kinda stuff interesting af.

And then I remembered that one of the research groups at my university studies the interaction between organic molecules and solid surfaces.

This kind of research can be used to get new insights on how those molecules function, and also helps developing better prostheses (in regards to biocompatibility) - obviously they aren’t trying to make artificial organs or anything related to mimeosomes, but it IS a pretty big field afaik.

Organic molecules can be viruses or bacteria for examples - and bacteria are a very important part of our intestinal flora.

So, what if a mimeosome’s intestinal tract is made out of a material that those kinda bacteria can thrive on? (It can’t be cells imo, bc human cells have to replace themselves very regulary. Intestinal cells get replaced every 2 - 4 days for example - and making use of life cells that need renewal seems to defeat the purpose of almost-immortal machines since the point was to live in and with them as long as possible as it was unclear when they’d find a new planet to settle on.) Gut flora can digest carbohydrates and certain sugars, so there is a starting point as to how mims could digest food. These bacteria can’t break down everything, but it is common practice in life sciences to use bacteria as hosts to express certain enzymes (even though they weren’t native in that bacterium before), so engineering bacteria that could digest all kinds of food doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch to me.

#Xenoblade chronicles X #mimeosome #XBCX #Xenoblade X #mimeosomes

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healthmessenger · 4 years

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The Actual Coronavirus diet…according to HealthMessenger

On March 23, the World Food Programme issued guidelines on the “do’s” and “dont’s” of eating while on quarantine. In last week’s article, I gave my take on each of the 7 tips on keeping a healthy diet in the face of coronavirus…according to the WFP…

Some of you subsequently reached out to ask what my guidelines would be. Even though I have not personally contracted the virus…yet…and havent had to quarantine, I did preventatively tweak my diet;

Full Disclosure…

As some of you already know, I strongly advocate for low carb diets, especially when tackling auto-immune diseases such as type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, etc… . I myself have recently adopted a modified Ketogenic diet in an attempt to rebalance my macros to boost my immune system. The “modified” part comes with the addition of low GI fruits(strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, apples, pears, apricots, tomatoes) and low GI starches(sweet potatoes) around workouts in order to maintain a high metabolic rate. I have also started supplementing with Vitamin D in order offset the lack of sun exposure. That’s enough about me though… . Let’s see what the science has to say…

Low-carb nutrition and immune function

On Number 15, 2019 a study published in ScienceImmunology showed that mice fed a Ketogenic diet for seven days were protected from a lethal flu virus by increasing the number of specialised immune cells in their lungs. But interestingly, this protection only came once the mice had metabolically adapted to the high-fat diet. Giving exogenous ketones without the metabolic adaptation did not confer the same benefit. Obviously, that’s a far cry from saying a keto diet will do the same for influenza in humans or for COVID-19, simply because 1)Humans are not mice and 2)something tells me we can’t do the same study where we purposely infect people with a lethal influenza strain. To be completely honest, the paper is incredibly dense with detailed discussion of the immunologic and genetic responses, but I think the basic conclusion is good enough. The metabolic adaptation to a ketogenic diet can affect the function of the immune system to the point where it can prevent a lethal infection. But one question we should ask is, if we follow a diet that is proven to help with weight loss and metabolic health and may also beneficially affect immune function, wouldn’t it be worth trying? What do we have to lose?

Quality, quality, quality…

So, now more than ever, you might want to jump on a low-carb diet. I am not going to debate which LCHF diet is the best, simply because there is no clear cut answer to that question and also because I have partially answered that question in a previous article. Having said that, the quality (nutritional density) of the food you choose must prevail over the underlying food category (fruits vs vegetables vs meat vs etc…) promoted by the diet you eventually decide to pick. I don’t care wether you are vegan, carnivore or anything in between, the quality of the ingredients/foods you pick must be of the highest quality possible. That is as organically grown as available in your area. You are better off eating a grass-fed, grass finished steak over an “enhanced” apple(genetically modified with added sugar). Vice versa, you are better off eating an organically grown apple from your grandmothers’ apple tree over an antibiotic treated piece of meat. The same rule of thumb applies across food categories. Simply pay a bit more attention to the labels and do not hesitate to ask your well-intentioned butcher/gardener.

Cook your Food

France’s health and safety agency (ANSES) convened an expert group to investigate whether the COVID-19 disease can be potentially transmitted via contaminated food.

In light of the scientific knowledge available, ANSES has suggested transmission through food could occur if a person infected with the virus prepares or handles food with dirty hands – and contaminates it.

“This could concern all types of food (animal or plant products),” noted the agency. “Furthermore, while there is no evidence to suggest that consumption of contaminated food can lead to infection of the digestive tract, the possibility of the respiratory tract becoming infecting during chewing cannot be completely ruled out.”

As with other known coronaviruses, the novel coronavirus is sensitive to cooking temperatures, ANSES continued. “Heat treatment at 63°C for four minutes (temperature used when preparing hot food in mass catering) can therefore reduce contamination of a food product by a factor of 1,000.”

ANSES has reiterated that cooking food and observing good hygiene practices when handling and preparing food are effective at preventing contamination of the novel coronavirus.

Load up on fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds

This one sounds like a no brainer…until you adopt a low-carb diet. Studies after studies have shown that the consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds is obviously a common recommendation when it comes to strengthening ones immunity. I would recommend 2-3 pieces of low GI fruits(below 50) per day and at least 5 vegetables(below 30) a day. As far as nuts and seeds are concern, choose raw over salted. Portions will vary on an individual basis. A hand full per day is good rule of thumb though. Forget about the rainbow

Stay the hell away from refined carbs and sugars

I know how tempting it can be to reach out to cookies whilst binging on the latest Netflix series, awaiting for the quarantine to end …but please…dont… .

Laboratory evidence suggests sugar impairs white blood cell function and triggers acute rises in blood sugar, leading to an increased risk of infections and complications. Therefore, it would make sense that we want to limit these blood sugar elevations. Refined carbohydrates and simple sugars are two of the biggest offenders for blood sugar spikes and should therefore be eliminated.

This is not to say that studies show avoiding these foods results in fewer infections. (We don’t have that clear evidence.)

However, one simple solution is to use the measurement of your own blood sugar as a guide. If higher blood sugar is associated with more complications, it makes sense we want to limit that. I suggest measuring your blood sugar either with a regular glucometer or, even better, with a continuous glucometer (CGM) if you have access to one. If the foods you eat cause your blood sugar to rise above 140mg/dl (7.8mmol/L), consider eating something different.

Again studies show that a low-carb, moderate protein, higher fat diet effectively reduces blood sugar and can even reverse type 2 diabetes. We don’t have proof that this will “boost your immune system,” but it may help keep blood sugars in check which may be associated with decreased infectious risk.

Chicken soup/bone broth

Treating colds and the flu with chicken soup may be the most popular urban myth of all time. Surprisingly, it may not be 100% a myth. One study showed chicken soup “inhibited neutrophil migration,” which the authors suggest could improve our ability to recover from infections. However, this is one of those instances where laboratory findings may not translate to clinical improvements such as fewer or less serious infections. But it’s hard to argue with a tasty homemade soup with chicken(grass-fed), a few low-carb veggies, and plenty of real salt. Immune booster or not, it sounds like a great meal for a period in self-isolation.

Herbs and Spices

Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice commonly used in Indian and Asian cuisine, including curries. It contains a bright-yellow compound known as curcumin, which emerging research suggests might enhance immune function. However, there isn’t any convincing evidence showing that it helps fight viral infections yet. On the other hand, adding turmeric to your food adds flavour, and taking a curcumin supplement is unlikely to cause any harm in otherwise healthy people. If you have any medical conditions — especially if you take blood thinners — check with your doctor before supplementing with curcumin.

Echinacea

Echinacea is an herb that can reportedly help prevent the common cold. But is this reputation well-deserved? A recent systematic review of randomised trials found that echinacea may possibly have a mild protective effect against upper-respiratory infections but doesn’t appear to reduce the length or severity of illness. While it’s impossible to say whether it might offer any protection against COVID-19, it appears to be safe to take on a short-term basis. If you’re at high risk, you may consider taking it for the next several weeks.

Garlic

Garlic, a popular and pungent herb with a characteristic aroma, is widely believed to have antibacterial and antiviral effects, including helping to fight the common cold. A 2014 randomised controlled trial did find that people who took a garlic supplement had fewer colds and recovered more quickly from colds than people who didn’t take garlic. Although this is encouraging, this is just one study. Other high-quality trials are needed to confirm whether garlic is truly beneficial for the common cold or other upper-respiratory infections. For now, enjoy garlic for its zesty flavour and unmistakable aroma rather than counting on it to boost your immunity during the coronavirus pandemic.

Supplements

Vitamin C

For decades, Vitamin C has been used to help prevent the common cold. Among other functions, this vitamin can help maintain healthy skin that provides a barrier to germs and other harmful invaders. In addition, some — but not all — studies suggest it may improve the function of certain white blood cells that fight infection. In addition, there is conflicting evidence about the potential mortality benefits of high dose Vitamin C for patients with sepsis, the most severe form of systemic infections. While it’s unclear whether taking a Vitamin C supplement is beneficial for COVID-19, for most people there’s no harm in taking up to 2,000 mg per day (the upper limit set by the National Academy of Medicine).

For smokers and high-risk individuals, it’s definitely worth considering. Vitamin C is water-soluble, so your body will excrete whatever you don’t need into your urine. However, at very high doses, Vitamin C may cause diarrheas or increase the risk of kidney stones (especially in men), so be sure not to exceed 2,000 mg daily.

Vitamin D

As both a hormone and a vitamin, Vitamin D plays a number of important roles in health. In recent years, people have taken very high doses of Vitamin D with the intention of boosting immunity. But is this an effective tactic? A 2017 systematic review of 25 randomised trials found that taking a Vitamin D supplement seemed to have a mild protective effect against respiratory-tract infections in most people, but provided much greater protection in those who were very deficient in Vitamin D. If your Vitamin D levels are low, you may have a better chance of staying well if you supplement with 2,000 IU per day (or more, with medical supervision). Many — perhaps even most — people are deficient in vitamin D. So it’s probably wise to take a Vitamin D supplement right now, especially if you’re at increased risk for COVID-19. Of course, your body can make Vitamin D on its own when your skin is exposed to sunlight, so try to get some sun whenever you can. How much sun depends on the time of year and your location. A good starting point is 15 minutes of exposure to a large body part (such as the torso or back). Just remember to avoid sunburns, as excess sun exposure carries its own risks

Zinc

Zinc is a mineral involved in the white blood cell response to infection. Because of this, people who are deficient in zinc are more susceptible to cold, flu, and other viruses. One meta-analysis of seven trials found that supplementing with zinc reduced the length of the common cold by an average of 33%. Whether it could have a similar effect on COVID-19 isn’t yet known. Taking supplementary zinc may be a good strategy for older people and others at increased risk. If you decide to take zinc, make sure to stay below the upper limit of 40 mg per day, and avoid administering nasally, due to the risk of olfactory complications.

Fasting

With all the focus on how certain foods affect your immune system, you may also wonder, what about fasting? As counterintuitive as this one may sound, fasting protocoles are proving more and more effective at boosting immune functions..

One study in mice showed that fasting, or more specifically refeeding after a fast, restored immune function that had been suppressed by chemotherapy. During the fasting period itself, however, fasting appeared to impair the immune system, especially in the elderly. This is a very important caveat to keep in mind, especially if yo have already been infected by COVI-19. Fasting should only be used a a preventative tool.

Over the long term, intermittent fasting and refeeding will boost the immune system. Keep this in mind in preparation for the next pandemic. Sorry but yes, we will likely face other, more or less severe, pandemics in the coming years/decades. Better be safe than sorry. However, during an acute pandemic, where the immediate risk of infection is higher than usual, it may not be a good time to try fasting, given the potential for a temporary decrease in immunity.

This may sound surprising for those who have heard the phrase, “starve a fever.” The theory is that humans have evolved to not feel hungry and purposely avoid food during an acute illness as a protective mechanism, which may in turn limit nutrients the virus needs to replicate. To be clear, this is all conjecture without any quality supporting evidence.

Other evidence suggests that ketones are beneficial for immune function, and perhaps that could be why some recommend fasting. But considering all of the data together, if that were the case, you are better off adopting a keto diet and not fasting. Based on the limited data available, I suggest not fasting longer than 36 hours during the outbreak of the coronavirus, especially if you are older than 60 years old. It’s logical that you can continue with shorter-duration time-restricted eating, although there is no data on this either.

There you go…my official guidelines on keeping a healthy diet in the face of coronavirus…

Coming up next: Why you cannot “catch” a virus

Until then…take care of you and your loved ones.

To Your Health

The Health Messenger

#CoronavirusdietImmunesystemboostersImmunologyHealthMessenger

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annoyedbritishperson · 5 years

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Coffee

It’s poisonous to the majority of animals on earth and since it probably doesn’t exist on other planets it could be even more poisonous to them than other creatures on earth.

—————————————————————

While the humans obviously didn’t want to start any wars or begin large scale colonisation, they still weren’t officially part of the IGU (intergalactic union) and given their weaponry prowess, army size and tendency for violence it was feared that aggression may spark due to the lack of coalition. So a conference was planned to take place to integrate the humans into the galactic stage.

Diplomats from all current IGU species; including but not limited to: the Arflexians, the Drashkein, the Kranskir, the Rskaa and many more were called for an official integration for the humans and, of course, the human diplomats were invited as well.

They met on the 57/70/7690 (universal date) or 28/09/2385 (human date) in the intergalactic senate house, located in the third arm of the andromeda galaxy, more commonly called the: House of the Forefathers. It was called this due to it being where the first two sentient space faring species met to sign a peace treaty; the law technically still stands despite both species having gone extinct.

The meeting began by introducing the diplomats: who they were and what species they represented, before moving on to debating the agreements. The most obvious question was whether the humans wished to join in the first place, “Diplomat Human-Smith, First and foremost: does the human government wish to integrate into the IGU?”

Haley Smith; the human diplomat sent on behalf of Earth’s (and it’s colonies) government replied simply and formally “Yes” before the debates proceeded on what terms would be permitted or compromised. The speaker began to announce the terms for discussion: “Your government wants ownership of all 100,000 AU* of it’s solar system.” The sheer scale of the request caused the Kranskir Diplomat to speak up “Do you realise that’s the area from your host star to the comet cloud encasing your solar system?! Yes?”

“Yes we are aware of this, we, ourselves have debated the distance of our borders and have decided upon this area as there are no other sentient species within our solar system to demand their own boarders, a fair amount of business under our economy span the whole solar system and our first and the majority of our colonies belong in it” Diplomat Smith replied, obviously having memorised this beforehand, though her clear points made this especially persuasive.

“Well, it seems fair to allow you the majority of the system, but all the way to the Oort Cloud seems a bit extreme.” The Drashkein senator admitted. “It’s far enough out to easily encase objects of foreign origin, thereby debating its belonging.” The Rskaa senator reasoned, which was true, a fair amount of objects in the orbital field were probably of foreign origin. “50,000 AU seems a maximum, and even that’s a bit of an extreme.” It was a fair compromise, the humans got to keep a fair amount of what they wanted (50,000 AU is way past Pluto and halfway into the Oort Cloud).

Next was trade laws, as they were joining the senate it seemed only fair for them to be allowed the same free trade as opposed to the old trade where they needed to pay a fee to buy or sell from the IGU. Finally they were on to the last and most complex of all matters: laws. This matter was the most complex since these laws had to be obeyed by multiple species of whom each had their own opinions of right and wrong. Some operated under a socialist government (not communist, there’s a difference), others operated on an authoritative one where you can’t use someone else’s art, products etc without paying them, simple permissions weren’t legal.

The debates carried on for hours and as they ensued each of the senators and the human diplomat made their way through their provided complimentary beverages. That is until it got to around four hours in and a fair amount of senators needed something stronger to keep them going.

They occasionally motioned for a separately hired intern to come over and request their drink of choice. Typically they asked for a glucose solution as the heightened sudden intake of the sugar would’ve caused their brain functions to perk up; subsequently causing them to become more alert.

Haley Smith, being the only human there needed something a bit stronger than a simple glucose solution to wake her up, a lot stronger in fact. As she motioned for the intern they whispered “More solution miss?” Making the presumption that it would be a ‘yes’ like the rest of the senators they made a movement as if to begin writing it down but before they could she said “no”.

This took them a bit by surprise but they fixed their composure before it would’ve been noticed “Then what would you like instead?” They asked in a low whisper. “Coffee please, preferably strong, if you can?” Haley asked. “I’ll ask if we have any, if we don’t would glucose solution suffice?”

“I suppose it would” she replied before the intern quickly went off to take Strakir’s (the Drashkein senator) request for glucose solution, though she would definitely prefer to have a nice strong, hot cup of smooth coffee to keep her awake. In the corner of their eye, she saw the intern skitter off to get the requested drinks before turning her attention back to the matter at hand.

Fortunately, when the intern asked they did, in fact have coffee, the chef was especially exited to try and make a human beverage. Unfortunately, the intern now had to remember which was which since they were both in identical blue mugs with screw on lids and they both weren’t glucose solution.

They did their best and set down each of the drinks with each of the diplomats before going back to their place next to the circular wall to wait for another request.

That is until they noticed the Drashkein senator, of whom they had just given a glucose solution to, start coughing, it was obvious they were trying to hide it and it was partially successful, not everyone had noticed, at least not yet. They and the other senators seemed to have brushed this off as simply beings caused of accidentally ingesting it the wrong way.

But it got louder; it became full on hacking as they were gasping for breath before the Kranskir senator next to them started thumping the midsection between the midlimbs and Strakirs hindlimbs (where a Drashkein’s lung is) to try and help before they noticed that drips of blue blood could be seen on the table as a result of the explosive coughing fit they were in. “MEDIC! WE NEED A MEDIC!” Haley yelled as she made a move to try and help.

The intern quickly skittered away to find one, returning as quickly as possible with three medics following. When the medics got in they rushed across the room towards Strakir, who has now collapsed on the floor, purple foam issuing from their mouth a a result of their blue blood mixing with the white foam from their coughing, and began trying to figure out the symptoms in an attempt to fix it but it was only getting worse. They were yelling at each other in a hurry to fix the issue but to no avail “Heart palpitations need to be addressed fast before high blood pressure causes more damage!” “Blood mixed with oral water suggests damage in the digestive tract” and other rampant orders were yelled before it all went silent.

The Drashkein senator had stopped moving and his coughing became a wheezing sigh before: silence. He was dead.

The other senators were immediately escorted from the building as authorities were summoned. Strakir’s mate gives permission for authorities to conduct an autopsy to determine whether foul play was at hand. Caffeine poisoning was determined as cause of death which raises suspicions: who poisoned the senator, little to no people have anything against the Drashkein nor were there any personal grudges at play.

It was all a mystery before they began taking witness testimonies from each of the attending diplomats. It continued as a mystery until they got to the human diplomats story, before the senator died she mentioned requesting a cup of coffee. The same cup of coffee that was given to the senator.

They do a little research and find that humans have an unusually high tolerance for caffeine and frequently request it for mental stimulation aka to “wake them up”. The cause of death was subsequently filed under accidental though the damage was done.

The media had caught wind of the cause of death and had began blowing it out of proportion before people had received the official causation announced. Throughout the IGU Drashkein colonies voiced outrage at the humans assassination of their innocent senator and within a week riots had broken out in protest of the human introduction to the IGU and violence against existing humans had risen.

Within a month war was declared by the replacement senator, other species decided to stay out of the feud as this wasn’t their fight and it was too risky to their people to take sides. Main battlefields are at some of the largest human and Drashkein colonies though smaller ones are at risk for easy attacks. The Humans and Drashkein have taken up arms and have been advised to purchase weapons in the event of attacks.

The intern stayed silent during the whole fiasco as they didn’t want to face the charges of a crime that occurred as a result of a simple mistake.

All of this; over a cup of fucking coffee.

*Astronomical Units

Human date is in the format dd/mm/yyyy

(This took me way longer than the others but I’m quite proud of the result. As always I’m always happy to take feedback, ideas and suggestions and feel free do add on :3)

#humans #aliens #deathworld #humans are space oddities #humans are deathworlders #humans are space orcs #humans are space australians #humans are weird #story

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calliopechild · 4 years

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At the risk of being someone with no medical degree handing out health advice on tunglr.hellsite, can I just say:

If you are having issues with depression, get your vitamin D levels checked.

For the last year or so, I’ve been wondering if I ought to get in and talk to someone about whether or not I might have depression, because I’d been having these slump days (or the better part of some weeks) that were really rough--no motivation, no focus, constantly tired, days that were just kind of this gray haze where working, eating, and hygiene were about all I could manage. Those days would just sort of feel like plodding through mud.

Back in August, I went in for my annual doctor’s checkup and mentioned all this, and my doctor suggested we check my vitamin D levels along with the regular cholesterol/blood sugar stuff. For reference, going off the range I got, your vitamin D levels should be somewhere between 30-100; below 30 is vitamin D insufficiency, and below 20 is vitamin D deficiency. Mine came in at 24. Obviously I was pretty damn low, so my doctor recommended that I start taking an extra 1,000 IU supplement a day.

Friends, it has helped immensely.

It made a noticeable difference even after just a month. I’m four months in, and feeling better has become the new norm. I have more energy and fewer days where I just want to sleep from noon until dinner. On the mental side, it’s easier to focus, easier to do things I usually have to psyche myself up for (like calling people or lots of errands back to back), I feel motivated more often, and tasks don’t feel as overwhelming. I’ve done spontaneous things--social events, checking out new places, etc.--that I normally wouldn’t have the mental energy for. I genuinely think it’s helped with some of my anxiety as well. I just feel clearer mentally overall; there have been some days I've looked back at a certain errand or assignment for work and wondered why I didn’t do it before or why it took me so long, because doing it looks easier from here.

And even now that we’re in the depths of winter, it’s still making a difference. Winter has been particularly bad for me in terms of season affective bullshit the past few years; there would be some weeks where I’d leave my apartment maybe once a week (I work from home), and it’d be only long enough to run necessary errands, get groceries, and then come straight home and probably crawl into bed to warm up. Some days I’d always feel cold, and while I’m a freeze baby and always run cold, at least half of it was just mental gray blahs. So far? None of those days. Hell, I’ve even gone out and gone for a walk several times when it’s been in the 40s, and normally the furthest I walk at those temps is from my car to whatever building I need to be in.

I have still had some slump days, when I don’t get much of anything done and don’t have the motivation to do so. But they’re fewer and farther between, and it’s not three+ days all in a row like it used to be. (And at least some of those are days when I’m just exhausted and can’t focus because of my hellaciously shitty sleep schedule.) But 95% of the time I just feel better, and it’s such a relief and I’m so grateful for it.

Now, obviously ymmv on whether this helps you, and you SHOULD! NOT! just start downing a ton of vitamin D. But if you’re having symptoms of depression, it might be worth getting a hold of your doctor and seeing if you can get your vitamin D levels tested. Everyone’s brain chemistry/biology is different, and what works for me might not work to the same degree for other people; someone else might have much more intense anxiety/depression, and extra vitamin D might not make a significant difference.

But I do genuinely think it’s worth a shot--a bottle of vitamin D supplements is a pretty easy way to possibly feel better, and it’s an important vitamin to get enough of regardless. I hope this could make as much of a difference for someone else as it has for me.

#again--i'm not recommending that anyone start popping vitamin d supplements willy-nilly #levels that are too high can be just as much of a problem as levels that are too low #and the amount you need varies for women and men as well as your age group #but i truly do believe it's something to check out #ALSO #lest anyone crawl up my ass about this--this is NOT an anti-antidepressants post #i will never downplay the importance of antidepressants and how much good they do for people #but if your symptoms are mild enough that your doctor doesn't think jumping straight to antidepressants is necessary #(which is what my doctor said and i think she was right)#this could be another option #or this could be a supplement alongside antidepressants #i'm just trying to pass along some info that might help #(related note: get your thyroid levels checked too bc hypothyroidism also mimics depression apparently)

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mumofadaofficial-blog · 5 years

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C Sections - The ‘Easy’ way out

Firstly, what I have titled this is bullshit :)

Secondly, no matter what way you give birth to your child whether it be naturally, assisted, c-section etc you are amazing for doing so. Not only have you grown that tiny human with your own body, you then bring he/she into the world in whatever way possible or necessary at that time - so fucking well done you!

My mum told me from the start that every pregnancy and birth has its own story - and that is so very true. No two are the same and each and everyone should be celebrated for the greatness that it is.

My personal experience was via an emergency c-section and I want to share that with you.

From day one I had it all planned out, I wanted a water birth and I wanted it all to be as natural as possible. Id seen on one born, various videos and pictures on the internet of that special moment when a mother holds their child for the first time, I wanted that and the closeness that came with it. Unfortunately, having to be induced and the aftermath that followed that obviously wasn’t the way my story was meant to go.

When you get told you need to have a section your all systems go, your ready for it, you just want your baby out and safe. You and anything else in the world suddenly have no importance anymore and all you want is to hear those little baby cries.

I remember signing a consent form that I never read, I don’t remember getting undressed and putting a gown on so god knows who did that and I remember going into theatre where they were talking me through things and getting me prepped for surgery.

I don’t know what they said to me, I really wasn’t listening. All I can remember asking again and again is where Nath was and why wasn’t he in there. (Of corse, like the movies he was getting all scrubbed up - dishy).

It was that moment sat on the edge of the table that the panic set in, you suddenly feel very alone in a room full of people. I became scared of what was happening and the thought that I was about to undergo the first major surgery I’d ever had. Jesus Christ, I’ve only ever broke my little finger before and thats when I was about 8, so this was big time. I was told to curve myself over a cushion whilst they injected my spine, then immediately laid down on the table, and asked to lift my legs - couldn’t do it, job done. Thankfully Nath had come in by then and I felt more relaxed like I could cope with what was going on.

When it was all underway I can remember saying to Nathan that it felt like the doctor was making a pizza with my stomach 😂 He thought I was high! It’s the oddest thing, to be able to feel that someone is doing something, but to have no sensation whatsoever. Within about 15 minutes of entering the room, Ada was born. I then had to be sewn up which took about three times as long as the birth! Also, absolutely mortified that it isn’t like one born every minute where you have a gown covering your modesty. Nothing modest about realising afterwards that the doctors have just been staring at your vagina for the past half hour or so and it definitely wasn’t covered up. (I mean they probably wasn’t looking at it at all, but you know what I mean).

I was took into a side room afterward for recovery where they fitted a catheter, what amazing things those are! Don’t even know you need a wee and that things filling itself up! Definitely don’t get confused with catheter and cannula when talking afterwards…done that far too many times and got some strange looks! It was then that the mum guilt started to set in, not only was I worried about Ada, I felt like I had failed her. Everything had been planned so perfectly in my mind of how I wanted it to go, and I felt like I had failed to deliver that to myself and my child. I felt like I wasn’t capable of giving birth, so someone else had to intervene and do it for me. (I realise now that I was stupid to think that and I did what I needed to as a mother, but I’m sure a lot of people who have had a section will understand where I am coming from). I’ve since seen a meme that said ‘I had an epidural, then I had a c-section, then I bottle fed, and now I’m sitting here at the playground wondering what all the guilt was about because my kid is just as weird as yours’ Oh so true!!

Then the time comes when you’ve managed to get some movement and feeling back into your legs and you have to stand up. Now I was told ’Stand with your legs, don’t push with your arms and don’t pull on your tummy muscles’ Easier fucking said than done Susan! (I don’t think her name was Susan, but it fits) You’ve just had your stomach muscles and womb sliced through, but just use your legs that also have no strength because there definitely a bit numb still but your desperate to get up and see your baby.

Now when that aesthetic starts to wear off, I am not going to sugar coat it, its fucking painful. Your fully aware of whats going on down there even when you just breath, god forbid you need to sneeze or cough! I think I definitely got up and about too soon, I was dizzy and lightheaded and felt like the blood had drained out of me when I got back into bed after seeing Ada. And I happily accepted any drug they wanted to give me, I couldn’t tell you what they were but they helped, so thanks for that part Susan.

The first night was a bit of a blur with how I was feeling because of everything else that was going on but I know simple things, like moving in bed and trying to sit up was hard work. I was given medication throughout the night by a midwife, who informed me I had been given some sort of super ibuprofen up my bum whilst on the operating table 😂 - which apparently I consented too but I had no idea, good work doc, didn’t even realise.

The following day I decided I needed to have a shower and sort my life out, all whilst Nathan was doing a great job of whizzing me around the hospital backwards in a wheelchair because we hadn’t quite got the hang of it going forward. Thankfully there was a seat in the shower, I’d never of had the strength to be able to stand for that length of time. It’s at times like that when you realise how much you take for granted being able to do everyday things. I remember sitting there and crying out of frustration, feeling like a massive, naked, deflated beach ball. Good job Nathan loves me because no one should have to see that haha. He washed my hair, washed me and then helped me up and got me dry. Graphic bit coming up…sorry. SO for anyone who ends up having a c section, make sure you take your pad and fresh knickers into the bathroom with you. I am saying this after learning a lesson, I did not, and was most shocked and mortified when it looked like Satan had released himself all over the bathroom floor. Nathan was pretty shocked too, he ran and got a midwife - apparently its all normal! So relax 😅

Something else that comes with c-sections…knee high compression socks. Now if your by yourself, you better ask for help. There is no way whatsoever that you will get them bad boys on single handedly after that op, Nath had to pretty much choke slam me into mine. Also, really not the best fashion accessory when its 30 something degrees outside…I think mine lasted about two days!

And then comes the dreaded day, the first poo 😳 Id been taking iron pills, three a day. To try and counteract the affect that they have on you I’d been given lactulose. Nothing was happening, I think probably 5 days past and then the urge came! I remember sitting on that toilet and wanting to push but there isn’t a single thing in your body thats gonna let you do that, so you just sit and wait, like your waiting for fucking Christmas. That was no bloody Christmas let me tell you, black poop! Straight on google to check I wasn’t dying…turns out, just the iron tablets 😂

Totally never realised you have to have injections after a c section either, absolutely fine when the midwives are doing it for you, then you get discharged…AND YOU HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF! Theres something really hard about trying to give yourself an injection in your stomach, id have to psych myself up about ten times before id actually get it done.

Before I was discharged I had a lady come and do some exercises with me, and show me the correct way to cough e.g. holding your stomach. All fine as you know when your going to cough, but a sneeze! Oh lord, they just pop up out of nowhere, no preparation, nothing. I sneezed unexpectedly one night and was convinced I had split my stomach open, obvs Dr. Nathan checked the situation out for me - just being a drama queen as usual!

You are also told ‘Don’t do too much, and don’t lift anything heavier than a kettle for 6 weeks’ Pretty sure Ada came out weighing more than a kettle so that was that one buggered! I definitely used to do too much around the house, washing etc, but you know about it afterwards. I think for a good few weeks I just ached continuously, Getting off the sofa, sitting up in bed, walking upstairs could all be pretty hard work somedays.

Bleeding, who knew you could survive after losing so much blood. And just when you think it’s stopped, BOOM, guess who’s back, back again! Another thing I googled to see if I was dying, I wasn’t, and good old google informed me that everyone is different but it can last for a few months on and off, GREAT! What a glam life us mums have.

Personally I am gutted that I won’t experience a natural birth, the chances of me having another baby is currently slim to none and even then I would book in for a c-section because I am too scared of what could happen after Ada.

I think the point of this is to be mindful of what you say to someone, e.g. the easy way out, too posh to push etc. Not everyone has a choice, the ideal birth they have created in their mind has been taken away from them, some people won’t ever get the chance to experience a natural birth, a contraction, that first hold. Some people might opt to have a c-section, and that is totally fine! We all have to do what is best for us and has our Childs best interest at heart.

So whatever choice you make or have to make, do it for you and your baby - fuck what everyone else says, this is your story, not theirs.

Amy x

#mumblog #mumblogger #family #mumlife #blog #bloggers #mumbloggers #nicubaby #csection #emergencycsection #awareness

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penguinrecovery96 · 5 years

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Update Time *Trigger Warning*

I haven’t really done a post on here in what feels like ages! That is primarily based on the fact that I have been doing absolutely fucking shite. Both my mental and physical health have been deteriorating and just feeding into one another. If you are physically ill you are bound to feel awful mentally too. I was already struggling anyway but now things are really bad. It is different to where I was at last summer. I am not actively suicidal but “risky behaviours” are intense. The problem is that I am completely desensitised to this risk taking behaviour and it does not seem as severe as professionals are telling me so their reactions seem extreme to me.

I ended up taking an overdose at the beginning of the month. This was following an extremely stressful appointment with my care coordinator (who will be referenced throughout this post as N). I knew this wasn’t the right way to deal with how I was feeling so I disclosed this and obviously went to the hospital following this. I believe this was the subject of my last post so I will leave it here.

I told N that I would engage with HTT (otherwise known as crishit team) and I had an assessment with them. This went badly and I wrote a well thought out letter to N stating the reasons why this was the wrong service for me. She just thought I was being very BPD and overemotional. Because I was refusing everything and we just had oposing views and I was really struggling things came to ahead. N ended up saying that this was it and she was going to take me to A&E to get admitted there to a psych ward. I somehow managed to convince her that that did not need to happen and surrendered to HTT.

This is were things just plateaued.

I received no support for a week and a half. Nothing from HTT. N was ignoring my texts and anxiety took over. I completely shut down. I pushed away all of my friends and family. In came some new “coping” techniques - ligaturing and using meds to sedate myself.

As you will have learnt by my last post I was diagnosed with anaemia. This alongside acid reflux (and probably another medical diagnosis that has not been fully explored yet) made me really physically unwell and upped the anti of this relapse.

So using medications to knock me out, feeling like complete shit and a hot BPD mess of a person, bulimia knocking me for six, ligaturing and overdosing is what my time over the past few weeks has looked like. N also went off work sick and didn’t return until late last week...

HTT got involved but I still wasn’t actually receiving the care that I had been told I would in the way I would. It was very hit and miss and it wasn’t like they were actually doing anything for me.

I took a small overdose on 31st Jan which I told HTT about when I spoke to them on the friday. I only disclosed this because they knew I had been overdosing. This was not a big od at all yet they made me go to the hospital. So obviously I was pissed because my Dad was off work so I had to go because I didn’t want the police or an ambulance turning up at my door, especially because my Dad had no idea I was struggling. I also had an appt prebooked with HTT and the hospital and their base are in the same location. I went and had bloods and ECG done. I was feeling awful physically and just wanted to sleep. Mentally, I was annoyed and triggered by being at A&E. So I left. When it got to my HTT appt, I did go but it was massively interrupted by a phone call by the hospital to the team asking me to go back because of my anaemia in order to discuss treatment further with them. I was reluctant because I just thought it was very basic info like taking iron tablets and that I was just going to sit in A&E for ages. I spoke to the doctor and they also spoke to the nurse I was with and it did just seem routine. They convinced me to go back so I did, was triaged again and then eventually a different doctor called me through. He took me through to a room in majors and said “You know you have anaemia right?”, I replied “yes but its a very new diagnosis”. He said “Yep, you need a blood transfusion” with such intensity. I was extremely shocked because this was definitely not what I was expecting! I definitely didn’t want to be in hospital and I didn’t think things were that bad. I think I will do a seperate post on this in itself but this was an extremely intense night which massively triggered my mental health and I really did struggle with it all. Least I know my blood type now though, it is 0 Positive for those wondering. I am definitely not like my blood type right now!!!

I was only in overnight thank god but things didn’t improve in the slightest. I am having a bit of difficulty with dissociation and obviously everything all together and they way I am dealing with it all doesn’t help that and so I am struggling to remember things and remember days. Everything is merging into one so it is making it hard to make this post.

Next thing I remember it is Monday 4th January.

I had a 3pm appt with HTT and N. I was looking forward to getting to see N, hoping that she was okay now after her sick leave and thinking that I would have time prior to the appt to speak to her. This wasn’t the case. N arrived and we all went in. I gave N a note that basically updated her on how things had been. HTT said they wanted to review how I was doing and my thoughts on HTT’s involvement. I said that I didn’t think it was necessarily helping and that things have just gotten worse. I mentioned that I needed it to stick to a small group of people that I see like we had originally planned and if someone different has to see me to try and notify me beforehand.

Then I really do not know what happened.

All of a sudden N said “I think this is the end of the road now Hannah. I think we have gotten to that point.” I was just baffled. They were admitting me to hospital!! I was seriously, even at that point just thinking that it would be a go home and we will find you a place to go but it will be a few days to maybe a week kinda situation. Nope. I was wrong! And Naive!

Nicola said that I look like shit and that she thinks I have lost loads of weight since she saw me last. (I will do a more in depth post about this particular day and maybe a more in depth post about the actual ward I was on too).

I spent from Monday night until Thursday evening on an assessment unit. This place completely ignored my eating disorder which was fine by me cause it meant I could just easily lose weight there. It was better than the wards I have been on but still I only ever left my room late at night when the other patients were in bed, to go to the clinic or see staff/drs/etc or the three times I was allowed to leave the ward. I self harmed x3, ligatured x2, didn’t eat anything at all and I ended up absconding and taking an overdose. These don’t make it seem so great and alongside the fact that I did not receive the appropriate treatment for these things, yeah not great.

Finally, I have been out for 3 nights now. The follow up treatment has been appalling! It has left me feeling again like cutting services out of my life and going at it alone. Things are not good and I am not coping I am not going to sugar coat it but I have not received any support since leaving hospital. My care coordinator is off again (this time I think its a holiday) and no one seems to know when she is returning. But I am kinda done with services. I sat there in tears the other day speaking to the manager of CMHT and told her straight that it would be easier if I was actively suicidal because I would have just done it and taken my stockpile but I am stuck with cutting, overdosing, ligaturing and the ED stuff in order to manage it all. She did not respond to that one. Its true though. Im a coward and it would be easier to be in the place where I’d just take them all and end it.

Stupid.

This is my sad, pathetic and bland, cyclical life. Thank you if you read all of this.

#eating disorders #bulimia #self harm #eupd #bpd #mental health #inpatient #crisis team #cmht #care coordinator #suicidal thoughts #crishit team #home treatment team #blood transfusion #anaemia #a&e #hospital #trigger warning

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tf2humbug · 6 years

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After I answered a question yesterday about the possibility of Medic (or any other TF2 character) being a psychopath, I got to thinking about what might actually be the deal with these guys. Obviously, they’re abnormal, but I don’t like writing off weird characters as just being crazy and/or stupid.

I dug into what I understand about the characters—the core mercs as well as the Administrator and Miss Pauling—and came up with this run-down of how I think they might be diagnosed if evaluated by a modern psychiatrist.

A disclaimer! First off, please take all my conjecture with a big ol’ grain of salt. I’m not claiming to be an authority on either psychiatry or neurology, and this is just my personal interpretation of the characters. It’s fine if you don’t agree! Also, I want to be clear that I mean no disrespect to anyone who might have any of the conditions I mention. I hope my tone comes off as respectful and not exploitative.

One last thing. I feel like this should go without saying, but just in case: DON’T USE THIS LIST AS A WAY TO DIAGNOSE YOURSELF. If I mention something that strikes a chord with you, by all means research it, but talk to a professional if you seriously suspect you might have a mental issue. I am NOT a professional!

Now that all that hemming and hawing is out of the way...

Scout

Not to rely on stereotypes, but I think ADHD is likely. His impulsivity, hyperactivity, and need for stimulation are strong indicators. He also has a tendency to self-medicate with massive amounts of caffeine and sugar from all the soda he drinks. Oh, and it’s been pretty heavily suggested that Scout is dyslexic, which I believe to be the case.

Soldier

It’s pretty much directly stated in the comics that he has brain damage, resulting in delusions and cognitive impairment that border on dementia. (Think Gary Busey post-motorcycle accident.) The comics suggest he was brain damaged by lead poisoning in the water, but I’m certain he had preexisting problems from old head trauma. That helmet has an important function!

On top of that, I think Soldier’s a good candidate for Tourette Syndrome, but I don’t mean the coprolalia version you see in TV and movies, where someone involuntarily shouts obscenities. He commonly has sudden verbal outbursts (”MAGGOTS!”) and physical tics (saluting, marching, etc.) that manifest in his drill sergeant persona.

Pyro

Oh, boy. Okay. Pyro is a hell of a puzzle, and I could go on for pages, but I’ll boil it down to what I think is most likely. Of course, they exhibit pyromania, but possibly also synesthesia?

One possibility is an “eccentric” mood disorder that manifests as a loss of contact with reality, among other symptoms. That would be either Schizotypal Personality Disorder or full-blown Schizophrenia. The distorted Pyroland version of the world fits this really well, and it’s possible that it might be a chronic thing, with Pyro constantly filtering the world through their delusions.

The other likely possibility is some sort of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, where seizures in a focal part of the brain yank Pyro out of reality without sending them into the physical convulsions you associate with general epilepsy. This would suggest that Pyro does touch base with reality but gets “transported to Pyroland,” instead of living there all the time.

Demoman

This one is easy. Demo’s a severe alcoholic, to the degree that stopping drinking cold turkey would probably kill him. In the comics, his body even rejects normal food and drink because it’s learned to get energy just from booze, and his body, in times of withdrawal, can make its own alcohol supply, which an actual real thing. It’s called Auto-Brewery Syndrome, where microbes in the gut can convert carbs into ethanol. Demo must just have the most advanced case of it in human history!

Heavy

He seems completely neurotypical to me, aside from the hints of both psychopathy and PTSD that come with being a mercenary. I do think he used to have problems from sleep apnea, but some surgery cleared that up. Now he just snores like a chainsaw. (Yes, I know sleep apnea isn’t a mental condition.)

Engineer

I suspect, but I’m not certain, that he may be in the very high-functioning part of the Autism Spectrum, with savant-like qualities. Maybe he got his 11 PhDs and abilities as a human calculator just from being driven and extremely intelligent, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he were wired differently. If it is the case, he’s learned to compensate incredibly well in his interpersonal behavior. That Texan charm is a pretty effective tool for putting people at ease, I bet.

Medic

Like I said before, I don’t like simply labeling characters as “crazy.” Yeah, he’s got the mad scientist thing going on, but I think that stems from Bipolar Disorder. Specifically, I believe Medic has type I, which is what people usually think of when they imagine bipolar behavior: extended periods of elevated mood (or hypomania) punctuated with full manic episodes, which can take on psychotic features. There may or may not be periods of depression. He doesn’t seem to swing that way, but it’s possible.

He’s DEFINITELY a self-medicator. I mean, duh. Huffing Medi-Gun fumes and a bit of drinking probably help to calm him down when he gets too high-strung. I doubt he takes pills for it, e.g. lithium or anti-convulsants, because of the high likelihood of side-effects. I could see him doing some DIY ECT, though. Getting too unstable? A few brain zaps, and he’s right as rain!

Bonus fact! Did you know that a German term to call someone insane is to say that they “have a bird”? It might come from folklore about insane people literally having bird familiars living in their heads, or it might be something like calling someone a “crazy cat lady,” where people who keep birds will talk to them too much and seem a bit off. Just thought that was interesting!

Sniper

I personally believe he probably has some Agoraphobia. Not to a debilitating degree, but he hates being stuck in what feel like insecure places. It’s actually a symptom of Avoidant Personality Disorder, which I think is pretty likely for him. It’s thought to result from feeling abandoned and alienated by other people at a young age. (*cough*orphanedbybirthparentsandraisedinAustralia*cough*) In addition to agoraphobia, signs include self-imposed social isolation, emotional distance, mistrust, and an inferiority complex. If he does have APD, he’s integrated it neatly into his occupation, where distance is a good thing.

Spy

Similar to Heavy, he seems pretty neurotypical to me. It’s possible that he had some similar issues to Scout when he was younger, but if so, he’s learned to compensate. He does exhibit the most psychopathic traits of all the mercs, but like I said before, I don’t believe any of them are actually true psychopaths.

Administrator

Classic megalomaniac! She’s got textbook Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Everything about the way she presents herself screams narcissism: grandiosity, a thirst for power, arrogance, a sense of entitlement, lack of empathy, and extremely manipulative behavior. Maybe she has good reasons for her narcissism, like being an 150-year-old supervillain, but I digress.

Miss Pauling

Poor thing. I’ve mentioned it before, but my pet theory is that the Administrator broke down her original personality and built it back up to make her a useful pawn, capable of appearing very unassuming and responsible while performing cold-blooded acts of violence guilt-free. She’s a perfect tool, with limited freewill and no room in her mind for cognitive dissonance to slip in. To her, I imagine it feels like living with with Depersonalization Disorder, where either the world around her or her own actions take on an unreal quality as a way of shielding her mind from the nasty parts of her job, but on the outside, the effect is seamless.

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