#i will not take up medical resources

[ciderjacks]

the thing is whenever I see discourse on who can “really” use disabled accommodations coming from people with invisible disabilities I’m like. Ok. You guys need to realize being physically disabled does not automatically equal “I get access to all the cool disabled stuff now”, if you don’t actually need it, don’t fucking use it. It doesn’t matter if you’re physically disabled or not, if you don’t need the big bathroom or the special seats or whatever, then don’t use it bruh.

#cripple punk #physically disabled #like…. I see a wheelchair user be like “I wish physically abled people would stop talking up spots for disabled people” #And everytime there’s about 30 entitled people going “WHAT ABOUT INVISIBLE DISABILITIES?” #Like ok yeah invisible disabilities but do you- someone with no mobility aids- need the bathroom designed for wheelchair users #And like Some people do! Some people have certain medical stuff that they need extra space for #But most of the people getting mad over that like #don’t need those resources and just want to use them cause they can #And in that case im like why do you need all that space #Being disabled doesn’t mean you automatically need all the disabled recourses #There are resources made with people like me in mind that I don’t use because I don’t find them necessary enough to take up the space #Of someone who’s gonna need it more

[fireboltsystem]

Literally How can you presume to know other people's brains better than the ones that live in it. "Endos all just have repressed trauma" Oh I didn't realize you were a memory holder for someone else's system /sarcasm. are you a fuckin mind reader? Were you there for the event? Or are you just projecting because the idea of plurality that's different from yours makes you uncomfortable? Let's just ignore what endogenics actually say about their experiences in favor of some shit you just made up then /sarcasm.

#syscourse #pro endo #anti sysmed #I see folks talking about how fucked up it is to imply buried trauma because of the danger; which- yes. but also #Its not just dangerous it's fucking rude. Other people's trauma is never your business unless they want to share it. #they talk like this and then turn around and say endogenics are 'taking up medical resources' #so are they secretly traumatized or not ??

[mod2amaryllis]

🌟 PRODUCTIVE APPOINTMENT WITH HEALTH PROVIDER +15 HP

#neurologist just gave me the supplement 411 hooray #I've been stressed because melatonin has been really helpful in reducing migraines but most medical resources tell you not to take it- #-constantly. so i brought it up and she's like FALSE DUDE we actually DO recommend melatonin for helping with migraines #HOORAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!! #m2a

[craycraybluejay]

Any advice for taking painkillers (ibuprofen/non-nsaid and non-narcotic) when hard to eat?

#advice needed #also how much do you need to eat to protect your health when taking ibuprofen #also considering just finishing off the last of my percocet but idk if its a good idea i mean what if #what if i get some sort of disease and also get shot and stabbed you know #im very paranoid about using limited resources when i dont know if current issues will get worse or new issues will require them more #doctors should give out opiates like candy again and not just to very old people #like ok sure i can become an addict or more likely without i can experience acute pain go into pain shock and die #and even if i dont die i dont think i or anyone else deserves to suffer for no reason #painkillers should be more widely available you should not have to engage with drug dealers just for pain relief #but the unfortunate truth is some people with seriously debilitating and painful problems do have to resort to less than legal means #if they dont want to just suffer into suicidality #being in pain all the time makes living seem super overrated #dealers overcharge and are not always a safe source because they cut their drugs sometimes #doctors and lawmakers should step up and realize its better to risk the creation of an addict than the death of a disabled or sick person #and its better to prescribe more painkillers in a controlled medical environment where patients can be monitored and drugs are pure #than for people in need to have to risk their lives and health #i deserve pain relief goddamnit so do you #anyway tell me what to eat

[galwaygremlin]

the fact that healthcare benefits at my (hopefully QUITE temporary) job are almost $400/month... like... how much do you think y'all pay me???

#houston we have a problem #unfortunately i need the benefits #some fucking benefits they barely cover anything #no one hates the us healthcare system more than emergency care providers. NO ONE. #we are handed the tired the poor the teeming masses every day and we don't have the resources to adequately take care of them #we see the astronomical costs up close #and we don't get paid enough to cover our own medical expenses!

[shararan]

tfw you cant write because no manner of seating arrangement currently works without major pain and your body feels like its about to fall apart into pieces jfc if it aint the neck its the shoulders or lower back or elbows

#sharan talks #bed was too soft for my lower back today so moved to my desk #which hurt my shoulders #and now sitting in kitchen #which hurts my neck #basically everything from my joints to my muscles to my skin #are all just brittle to the point of constant pain and fragility #like i dont have the strength to fight against gravitys pull because im too bendy and weak to yknow #urghhhhhhh #at least if doctors didnt wave it off as “its not curable anyway so dont bother” maybe i could get the diagnoses and access to resources #but no i gotta sit here and micromanage everything with the flesh and get unsolicited comments and tips #both snarky and well intentioned but misguided #meanwhile i have no means to truly stand up for myself cause while i have my suspicions i also dont know for sure #i just know that im in pain and that im beyond the point of returning to being able to push through and pretend that im fine #and that ill always be blamed for being the cause of my medical complications that stem from things out of my control #ugh im sorry im rambling and its super annoying and personal just #ive been a mess in the head about this ever since the wake surgery where they didnt listen to me when i told them anesthesia didnt work #and i felt every single thing they did to my skin and laid there in cold sweat trying not to scream or cry #and then having to toughen up so i could take the bus home immediately after without breaking down into panic from the shock #ughhhhhh #its hard NOT to feel hopeless when i sit here and cant even WRITE. #because i cant sit up reliably by my own strength and my thumbs are so bad that i cant write on my phone anymore #ive already been forced to accept that drawing will always be rough for me physically i dont wanna have to do that with writing too #and i know im being overly dramatic rn because im worked up and stressed and sad but goddamn its so hard to stay positive as time passes #which i know is also because its winter which makes it so much worse + seasonal depression #and i KNOW itll be easier when spring and summer returns with warmth #but fucking hell until then can i just go into hibernation #ugh i need to stop im gonna cry JDSKLLKGKGLLGDLK #and i need to lay down im clenching my jaw too hard trying to stay right up

[robzombies-hotwife]

Not "pro self-diagnosis" or "anti self-diagnosis" but a secret third thing (while there's nothing wrong with doing your own research and using it as a useful tool to find coping strategies to make your life easier, along with making you a stronger self-advocate during the diagnosis process, mental health is complicated and many conditions overlap in ways the average person cannot understand, particularly when you factor in family history/trauma/lifestyle/etc. so maybe see a psychiatrist before you diagnose yourself with a life-long neurodevelopmental disorder or other serious mental health condition and then use your incorrect self-diagnosis to spread misinformation about it)

#'i'm a minor and my parents won't let me see a psych!' this is a valid reason for self dx but you still shouldn't make it your identity #and you especially shouldn't be spreading misinformation online about it #also even actually diagnosed people shouldn't make a condition their identity #because MANY mental health conditions are temporary and can go away with short-term meds changes in life circumstances or therapy #'i don't have money for a psych!' and that's upsetting but you still shouldn't be spreading misinformation online about x diagnosis culture #or taking resources including public advocacy opportunities from people who actually have the condition #please understand that your behavior actively affects public perception of people who actually have the condition you claim to have #'that's not fair!' i never claimed it was. the medical industry is fucked up and financially inaccessible to many people. #but removing the legitimacy of a medical education is part of a larger culture of anti-intellectualism in this country #where everyone thinks opinion = expertise

[mortalityplays]

I know you have all probably seen the esims for gaza posts circulating. Some of you have probably looked at them and thought maybe you should help out, but have weighed up the daunting process of signing up for something you're unfamiliar with vs. the gut-wrenching scale of the things people are going through on the ground right now, and you've put it off or questioned whether it will make enough of a difference vs. some other future kind of activism you could put that $6+ towards. I'm not calling you out or scolding you, it is natural to feel conflicted and ambivalent about the multiple calls for aid that you are seeing on social media.

but consider this: what would you do if you suddenly had to leave your home? how would you cope? how would you begin to plan where to go next, or figure out what to do to take care of yourself? most likely you would reach reflexively for your phone.

telecoms access is not a petty luxury in 2024. a loaded esim means the ability to call family members and find out where they are and whether they're safe, and whether they need anything you can provide for them. it means access to maps and regular updates on the situation unfolding around you. it means you can look up whether it's safe to drink rain water, or how to tie a type of knot you've never had to think about before, or how to treat an injury without medical supplies. it means the ability to tell people outside the situation what you are seeing, what you are feeling, what you are thinking. it is an absolutely crucial resource. and it starts at $6 for 7 days.

many many people have observed that internet access is changing the way the world understands genocide. internet access is life or death, and it is shaping modern history in front of you. and it starts at $6 for 7 days.

please, please visit gazaesims.com and spend 5 minutes and $6 to change the way this plays out for everyone.

[deoidesign]

A general cane guide for writers and artists (from a cane user, writer, and artist!)

Disclaimer: Though I have been using a cane for 6 years, I am not a doctor, nor am I by any means an expert. This guide is true to my experience, but there are as many ways to use a cane as there are cane users!

This guide will not include: White canes for blindness, crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs as I have no personal experience with these.

This is meant to be a general guide to get you started and avoid some common mishaps/misconceptions in your writing, but you absolutely should continue to do your own research outside of this guide!

This is NOT a medical resource!!! And never tell a real person you think they're using a cane wrong!

The biggest recurring problem I've seen is using the cane on the wrong side. The cane goes on the opposite side of the pain! If your character has even-sided pain or needs it for balance/weakness, then use the cane in the non-dominant hand to keep the dominant hand free. Some cane users also switch sides to give their arm a rest!

A cane takes about 20% of your weight off the opposite leg. It should fit within your natural gait and become something of an extension of your body. If you need more weight off than 20%, then crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair is needed.

Putting more pressure on the cane, using it on the wrong side, or having it at the wrong height can make it less effective, and can cause long term damage to your body from improper pressure and posture. (Hugh Laurie genuinely hurt his body from years of using a cane wrong on House!)

(some people elect to use a cane wrong for their personal situation despite this, everyone is different!)

(an animated GIF of a cane matching the natural walking gait. It turns red when pressure is placed on it.)

When going up and down stairs, there is an ideal standard: You want to use the handrail and the cane at the same time, or prioritize the handrail if it's only on one side. When going up stairs you lead with your good leg and follow with the cane and hurt leg together. When going down stairs you lead with the cane and the bad leg and follow with the good leg!

Realistically though, many people don't move out of the way for cane users to access the railing, many stairs don't have railings, and many are wet, rusty, or generally not ideal to grip.

In these cases, if you have a friend nearby, holding on to them is a good idea. Or, take it one step at a time carefully if you're alone.

Now we come to a very common mistake I see... Using fashion canes for medical use!

(These are 4 broad shapes, but there is INCREDIBLE variation in cane handles. Research heavily what will be best for your character's specific needs!)

The handle is the contact point for all the weight you're putting on your cane, and that pressure is being put onto your hand, wrist, and shoulder. So the shape is very important for long term use!

Knob handles (and very decorative handles) are not used for medical use for this reason. It adds extra stress to the body and can damage your hand to put constant pressure onto these painful shapes.

The weight of a cane is also incredibly important, as a heavier cane will cause wear on your body much faster. When you're using it all day, it gets heavy fast! If your character struggles with weakness, then they won't want a heavy cane if they can help it!

This is also part of why sword canes aren't usually very viable for medical use (along with them usually being knob handles) is that swords are extra weight!

However, a small knife or perhaps a retractable blade hidden within the base might be viable even for weak characters.

Bases have a lot of variability as well, and the modern standard is generally adjustable bases. Adjustable canes are very handy if your character regularly changes shoe height, for instance (gotta keep the height at your hip!)

Canes help on most terrain with their standard base and structure. But for some terrain, you might want a different base, or to forego the cane entirely! This article covers it pretty well.

Many cane users decorate their canes! Stickers are incredibly common, and painting canes is relatively common as well! You'll also see people replacing the standard wrist strap with a personalized one, or even adding a small charm to the ring the strap connects to. (nothing too large, or it gets annoying as the cane is swinging around everywhere)

(my canes, for reference)

If your character uses a cane full time, then they might also have multiple canes that look different aesthetically to match their outfits!

When it comes to practical things outside of the cane, you reasonably only have one hand available while it's being used. Many people will hook their cane onto their arm or let it dangle on the strap (if they have one) while using their cane arm, but it's often significantly less convenient than 2 hands. But, if you need 2 hands, then it's either setting the cane down or letting it hang!

For this reason, optimizing one handed use is ideal! Keeping bags/items on the side of your free hand helps keep your items accessible.

When sitting, the cane either leans against a wall or table, goes under the chair, or hooks onto the back of the chair. (It often falls when hanging off of a chair, in my experience)

When getting up, the user will either use their cane to help them balance/support as they stand, or get up and then grab their cane. This depends on what it's being used for (balance vs pain when walking, for instance!)

That's everything I can think of for now. Thank you for reading my long-but-absolutely-not-comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when writing or drawing a cane user!

Happy disability pride month! Go forth and make more characters use canes!!!

#mobility aid #cane user #writing tips #writing advice #drawing tips #art tutorial #art tips #art reference #art resources #art help #my art #long post

[normal-thoughts-official]

So apparently some Swiss company found out that Brazilian blood has more immunoglobulin (which is used in some medications made by pharma companies) than European blood, and now international pharma companies are lobbying to change Brazilian law to allow them to use our blood as a resource

There is no current evidence that those things are related, but it just so happens that at the same time there is also another law being discussed that would get rid of "bureaucracy" when it comes to ethics analyses of trials on humans. It would also remove the right, which all brazilians currently have, to access to the medication resulting from the trials they participated in

Both sources are in Portuguese because both news have been recently broke by a Brazilian investigative news agency, but if you don't speak it, you can always use automatic translation

I know there's a lot of fucked up shit happening in the world right now, but please pay attention to medical rights in Brasil right now. Especially if you're European, because virtually every company related to this is from your continent and plans to benefit you above all

ETA: using blood as a resource for these medications is not new; however, current law in brasil only allows that use to come from donated blood (because it comes from the plasma and apparently not all of it is used in blood transfusion; I'm not a doctor so I'm not clear on the details but that's the gist of it) and to be processed and used by Hemobrás, the State-owned company that handles this type of medical technology. The new law would allow for private companies to buy our blood from blood banks for their use. It is worth noting that at least one company has already explicitly stated that they won't be making the resulting medication available in the Brazilian market, so, essentially, they will be taking blood Brazilians donated to help other Brazilians and using it to treat immunocompromised Europeans, to the detriment of immunocompromised Brazilians that need the medicine. In the process, they will be making it harder for our State-owned company to use that same blood, forcing us to import from them and therefore making the medication more expensive. They also want to make it possible for Brazilians to sell their own blood - a deeply ethically questionable practice that is discouraged by the WHO and that has led to HIV outbreaks in Brasil in the past

#i hate it here i hate it here i HATE IT HERE im sick of this shit #social justice #geopolitics #latin america #brasil #brazil #social issues #latine shit

[stone-below-the-water]

venting in the tags (TW SI, SUICIDAL IDEATION)

#tw vent #tw suicidal ideation #tw si #reading up on medical blacklisting #the closer i look at the world and its structures the more i realize how hopeless my outlook truly is #i hate the staggering levels of greed that run through the collective human psyche #and how a country built on “”“freedom”“” damns the 99% in the most unique ways #as no one will help you or your loved ones in any way (especially not medically) #and if they do it will cost you everything until you have nothing left to give #i hate humans because people are so cruel & no one outside of your circle really cares if youre suffering or not #you just have to keep being a cog in the economy-machine #and when you cant they just want you to die faster to stop taking up resources #i do not want to live in this world #i wish i was given a choice beforehand. #i only wish things would be better #thats all i want

[punkwasp]

Free Palestine - ceasefire now!

EDIT: the strike is over but I am leaving this post up in case any of these resources are helpful

There is currently a strike for Palestine taking place from February 18th, 2024, to February 25th, 2024. During this time, I will only be posting about Palestine on this account and doing what I can to spread awareness. If you are able, I highly recommend participating in the strike in whatever way you are able - something is always better than nothing. Staying home from work and/or school, not buying anything that isn't strictly necessary, using your social media platforms only to boost posts about Palestine, etc., are all ways to help the efforts!

Below are various links for ways you can help Palestine, including educational resources, petitions, fundraisers, etc. If you have any to add on, please do, these are just the ones I've found so far.

Palestine Red Crescent Society

Palestine Children's Relief Fund

eSims For Gaza

Decolonize Palestine (Patreon)

Jewish Voice For Peace

Help Gaza Children

Islamic Relief Canada's Palestine Emergency Appeal

Medical Aid For Palestinians

Gisha (Israeli organization working to protect Palestinians' rights to the freedom of movement)

Click to help Palestine daily

Palestine Action

Attend an upcoming protest for Palestine (remember to mask up if possible, COVID isn't over)

Sign a petition to urge governments to invoke the genocide convention to stop the war on Gaza

Sign a petition from Amnesty calling for a ceasefire

Check this list of ways to demand a ceasefire in Gaza

Sign the petition for Canada to take urgent action for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza

Download these posters to print out and put up in your area and/or share on socials to build awareness

Join the BDS boycott

Check out resources and ways to help from Justice For All

Donate to the Gofundme for medical expenses for Hisham, a Palestinian-Irish-American who was shot in an anti-Palestinian hate crime in Burlington, Vermont

The Palestine Academy's Palestine 101

Palestinian literature recommendations

Check out Independent Jewish Voices Canada and their campaigns to help Palestine

Join Palestine Action to help bring down Israel's weapons trade

Shop Palestine (online store where your purchases support artisans in Palestine and in refugee camps in Lebanon, proceeds go to Middle East Children’s Alliance's work supporting Palestinian children)

Donate direct aid to Gaza (run by a longtime activist and volunteer who has been carrying out donations and humanitarian projects in Gaza since 2021)

Buy from the Hirbawi factory (this is the last kufiya factory in Palestine that is still active, purchasing helps support the Palestinian economy, which has not been in a great state for a while)

Spreadsheet listing mutual aid

#i speak #free gaza #free palestine #strike for palestine #strike for gaza #palestine genocide #palestine #gaza #ceasefire now #ceasefire in gaza #all eyes on palestine

[thebibliosphere]

Whenever I talk about the medical neglect and ableism I've encountered as a victim of the healthcare system, there's always some cockwaffle who feels entitled to come into my inbox and make the argument of "not all doctors" while talking about how "people like them" (because it's always someone in a field of medicine who does this) are doing their best and it's really hard because so many people fake being ill to get on welfare (Yikes), but like, yeah, obviously #not all doctors, because if all doctors were negligent, bullying scum bags, I'd be dead.

But here's the thing: while I truly believe that the majority of doctors are doing their best in a system stacked against them and their patients, their presence does not negate the mass harm caused by the bad ones. And there are far more bad ones than you realize.

Fuck, John Oliver literally did a segment on this last week:

Yes, the truly bad, malicious doctors are in the minority. Most are just horrifically burned out and fighting a losing battle against a system, killing both them and their patients through a lack of funding and resources and profound overwork.

But the malicious ones do exist, and they will go out of their way to harm patients who don't kowtow to them.

I almost lost my life because when I was in my early twenties, I told a doctor I didn't think she was listening to me, and I disagreed with her assessment of my mental health (she was not a mental health doctor, and I was there for heart palpitations and chronic pain). She retaliated by putting "non-compliant" in my file.

There was also a fun little "doesn't show respect" note too that lives rent-free in my head because I know I wasn't rude. I was polite. I just didn't agree with her, and my refusal to accept her off-handed comment that "you probably have bipolar or BPD" (again, I was there for heart palpitations and chronic pain) meant I was "refusing care."

I wasn't. I just refused to be slapped with a mood/personality disorder when I was there because I kept fucking fainting when I stood up.

(Spoiler alert: it was dysautonomia)

That "non-compliant" marker followed me around for years. It followed me across an ocean and effectively ensured that any doctor I saw was going to treat me like absolute dogshit because no one wants to help Difficult Patients. It wasn't until I was so undeniably ill, literally on the brink of death, that anyone helped me.

I'm alive because of a good doctor. And all the good ones that came after him because of him.

So, I know they exist. You don't have to tell me that.

But I really fucking need you to acknowledge the bad ones and that you're part of a system with a long, long history of abusing minorities and vulnerable people. I need you to acknowledge that because it's the only way we're going to survive this godforsaken nightmare and make things better.

So yeah, #notalldoctors, but if you feel the need to say that because someone talking about being literally left to die by the medical system hurts your feelings, I'm going to have to ask you to take a step back and ask yourself if you're going into medicine for the right reasons.

Namely: do you want to help people, even the "difficult" ones?

Even the ones who might disagree with you?

Even if they're on welfare?

Even if they'll never get "better" in a way that means "cured"?

Just a thought. But hey, what do I know. I'm just someone who experienced hemolytic anemia because doctors kept telling me I was anxious and needed to exercise more 🤷‍♀️.

#chronic health tag #medical abuse #medical neglect #medical #ableism #to all the good health care workers who follow me and leave supportive comments: I appreciate you so much #but you need to come get your fellow drs #and idk #give 'em a shake or something #Youtube

[piggybonez]

just had an extremely intense hour long emotional meltdown, soaked my entire bed with snot, and im already sick as hell rn so I literally cannot breathe through my nose whatsoever and I won’t be getting sleep for the third night in a row. My fucking back is hurting so bad and I’m in so much emotional and physical pain I honestly don’t know how I’m gonna be turning 23 in one fucking day when I feel like I’ve lived the lives of a thousand tortured souls …I have nothing left to give rn im so broke and don’t have a single cell in my body with the motivation or energy to find a job I am bed ridden and I want to die so bad….

#personal #the meltdowns are always the worst after i take a huge dab :( #but like if i don’t get stoned at night I kind of go crazy also so yeah #i missed a dose of my medications too last night so maybe that’s contributing to the unstableness #but I’m always unstable and I need severe professional help #I do weekly therapy but that’s not enough and my therapist has tried to find more resources but it’s quite inaccessible #so I’m just spiraling and going insane and experiencing pains and horrors beyond your comprehension #really sucks to be me sometimes fr #at least I’m letting it out and not bottling it up like all I know how to do. It hurts but i hope this is healing for me

[artificial-ascension]

Tawney is legally a longhair cat but I digress. She is also legally born on March 21, 2019 but I still digress.

#yes both her parents were long hairs but she is like. a fluffy shorthair I tell ya #also we say he birthday is my bkthers birthday because that's when we got her #even though she was actually like 3 months old (yes that isn't old enough to take her no she was not weaned her eyeball was exploding and #her current owners didn't have the time nor resources to deal with it so they gave her to us even though she was too young because she #needed immediate medical care. yes she us very fucked up and doesn't know how to socialize right. we still love her.) #tawney