#pediatric pain control | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

inlovewithgreta · 11 months

Text

Jealousy — Addison Montgomery x Fem!Reader

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Synopsis: You get jealous over McSteamy’s antics and decide to take it out on Addison in more ways than one.

Warnings: Semi-public sex, praise, overstimulation, cunnilingus, fingering, etc…

Word Count: 2.7k

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Working at a hospital, you could never walk into work knowing what your day was going to be like. Each day was different, but your favorite days were slow days. The days where nothing major happened and all you had to do was check on patients and fill out paperwork.

Specializing in the pediatric division of Seattle Grace was always interesting to say the least. You worked with a plethora of kids who each had their own personality, and you couldn't help but love each and every one of them.

At first, your emotions became a problem with your cases, as you got too attached, but the longer you were at the job, the easier it got to control. Although, every once in a while, you found yourself slipping, and Addison had to help remind you to keep your head on your shoulders.

Although she was your boss, Addison had taken a liking to you the moment she saw you. The moment your eyes met hers for the first time, she knew you were going to be hers.

As you were finishing your rounds, a familiar high-pitched laugh brought your attention over to the Nurses' Station just down the hallway. Addison was seen speaking with a smirking Mark. Knowing their past, Addison assured you that what they had was over, but it wasn't her you didn't trust, it was him.

Mark was a player and a jokester.

And he repeatedly got on your nerves.

Ever since you started your relationship with Addison, Mark had seemed to make it his job to purposely set you off. He knew how jealous you got when he even looked in Addison's direction, let alone stood mere inches from her making her laugh.

Even you knew he was purposely trying to make you jealous, but you couldn't help it. Just the mere thought of him even laying a finger on her made your blood boil. You had a love for Addison, and although you had yet to tell her, both Mark and Addison knew and made a bet with how long it would take you to admit it.

You couldn't help but stop in your tracks and gaze at the duo talking excitedly to each other. Mark saw you over Addison's shoulder faking to distract yourself even though your eyes were glued to her back.

Your cheeks had already flushed, and when Mark purposely laid a hand on her shoulder to pull her into a hug, a tight smirk spread across his lips when his eyes landed on you. He noticed the way you instantly tensed with the slight flair of your nostrils when you huffed. It was obvious you immediately grew jealous at their contact while Addison had no idea of your presence.

He had you right where he wanted you.

Usually, Addison would catch onto his ploys, but as your presence was unknown to her, she had failed to realize what the man was actually doing.

When Mark finally pulled away from the hug, you took that as your opportunity to stride up to the Nurses' Station just beside Addison and hand one of the women behind the desk your files.

The second Addison heard your voice as you thanked the nurse, her eyes immediately darted from you over to Mark who stood with his arms crossed and a cocky smirk spread across his face.

"Addie, do you mind helping me with something?" You immediately spoke out just as Mark opened his mouth the speak.

"Of course, darling, with what?"

"You see, I've got this annoying rash. . ." You glare over at Mark, "and it is being a pain in my ass, would you help me get rid of it?" You attempt to lie, but to the two of them, it was clear what you wanted.

"What a coincidence! I have one too, just under my shirt here, maybe I should take it off and have Addie here take a look at it." Mark toys, only adding fuel to the fire he saw in your eyes.

"Mark, that's enough—" Addison goes to stop the conversation but you are quick to cut her off.

"No, Mark, go ahead and take your shirt off. I've always wondered what old man physique you had hiding under there."

"Don't tempt me with a good time, sweetheart." His smirk only grew when he noticed your eye roll. He knew you hated when he called you that, which made him say it as often as he could.

"The only sweetheart here is Addie, isn't that right, darling?" You slide a hand possessively around her waist.

Mark attempted to cut Addison's next words off with another one of his annoying lines, but you had grown tired of his antics and walked both you and Addison away from the grey-haired man who eyed the two of you walking off with a curious brow.

"Aww c'mon, Y/N, let's just hug it out!" Mark called out, eliciting a heavy eye roll from you.

"If he so lays a finger on me, I'll break it."

"I don't doubt that one bit, love. Where are we going?" Addison asked curiously, when she noticed you had led her to the more emptier part of the patient area.

"I want to show you something."

Your eyes scan every room until you walk past one that is completely empty, and nearly push Addison inside and close the door behind the two of you.

Addison's back is instantly pressed against the cold mahogany door as your hands make home upon her hips, and your lips hungrily press against hers.

Addison was quick to reciprocate the kiss, a small hum eliciting from her throat as her hands made way to your cheeks, pulling you as close to her as possible.

"What did Mark say that was so funny?" You nonchalantly asked, sending small kisses along her slim jawline.

"Is that what this is about? Mark?" Addison softly laughed. She didn't think you were being serious, which caused you to gently nip at her neck, earning a small whimper from her.

"He still wants you." You say in between kisses as you make your way back up to her soft lips.

"I don't think so—"

"You don't think he does, but I know he does." Your eyes bore straight into hers, before purposely darting to her lips as if you were about to kiss her again. To her dismay, you hovered just mere centimeters from her face, a smirk toying at your lips when she attempts to close the distance, and you having to rest a gentle finger along her lips to stop her.

"But," You continue, starting to walk the two of you towards the empty bed, "that's too bad because you are mine. And I'm going to prove it to you. . . Right. Now." Your finger leaves her lips to slide down to her chest and gently pushing her down onto the bed.

Addison already knew what to do, as she didn't say a word and immediately unbuttoned her top, revealing her royal purple laced bra that tightly held her breasts. You crawled on top of her just after she kicked her shoes off, mouth instantly making contact with her tanned skin. You nibbled and sucked along her collarbone, leaving fresh love marks that only you got the pleasure of seeing. . .

At least that's what Addison thought, until she seen what you were doing next.

You had made a small mark on her neckline that was sure to be seen by anyone who paid enough attention, and you knew exactly who that person was going to be.

"Wait, everyone is going to see that one." She mumbled.

"That's the plan, Addie."

Addison let out a sigh, knowing she would have to explain that one later. You slowly kissed down her body, eyes fixated on her bright green ones that dilated as you inched your way down her stomach.

Heat rushed through Addison's cheeks as her gaze failed to leave your own as you tucked your fingers below her waistband to pull her pink scrubs down her slender legs, revealing her matching purple panties.

"Wet for me already, I see."

Her hips jolted towards your touch, "Does that surprise you?" She breathed out.

"Not at all." You smirked, knowing exactly how she reacts to you, and you alone.

You hook your teeth under her panties to glide them down her legs and off her body.

You waste no time in spreading her thick thighs, your hands laying on the inner flesh of her thighs to keep them in place. Once her panties were off, your bring your lips to kiss a small trail up her tanned legs.

Her hand flew to yours in attempts to get you to do something, "Come on..." You could tell she was getting impatient, but you needed her to feel some frustrations like you did.

You tsked, "That's not how to get what you want, and you know that." You responded with a bite to her thigh.

Your action pulled a whimper from the redhead, knowing that you were right.

"Please..." She corrected.

You looked at her with a small smirk, you couldn't restrain yourself anymore. You wanted her just as bad as she wanted you, so you caved.

Addison writhed slightly at the coolness of your flattened tongue along her folds. Small hums elicited from the redhead at the newfound pleasure between her legs.

Her head fell back along the plush pillow, hips begging for more as they bucked forward ever so slightly. Bringing two fingers to her center only increased the numerous noises coming from Addison's red lips.

"How does this feel, love?" Your curved fingers glide at a steady pace.

"So good. . ."

Addison's hips bucked as your tongue flicked against her sensitive clit. Her chest rose and fell with each pleasurable passing second. She was at your complete mercy. Body and mind both hyper-fixating on you and only you.

"You look so beautiful like this. How did I ever get so lucky?" Feather-like kisses were placed across her skin, trailing up her body back to her rounded breasts. Your mouth attached to her nipple trapped behind the thin layer of lace covering her chest.

You knew she would finish if you had her directly in her mouth, but wanted her to last longer, building up the pressure little by little.

"More. Please." Addison couldn't help her pleas as you teased her breasts. Her freshly manicured hand roamed your locks, fingers tightly gripping the hair at your scalp.

As much as you wanted to make her wait, the fiery look in her glazed over emerald eyes were too hard to ignore. Your ears were blessed with a low moan as you added a third finger, bringing your movements to a halt as you let her adjust.

The grinding of her hips allowed you to restart your pace, your mouth kissing along her lace covered breast before moving back up to her neck, adding more love marks to the opposite side you never touched earlier.

"So close—" Addison whimpered, the feeling of your palm pressing against her clit had her legs beginning to shake. "Fuck, I'm so close." She tugged at your hair, pulling your face up to hers so her lips could connect with yours in a needy kiss.

"Let go, my sweet Addie." You encouraged against her lips.

Luck was still on your side, as your beautiful Addie came with a scream of your name, a certain someone had walked by the patient room by chance. Mark had stopped briefly as he heard the unmistakable sounds of sex, he knew them well, but was caught off guard as a familiar voice screamed your name. Once the shock wore off, he scoffed with amusement before continuing on with what he was doing before his curiosity took ahold of him.

Addison quivered as she came. Thighs attempted to close around your hand, but your body pressing flushed against hers made it impossible for them to close.

Sweet moans echoed off the bare hospital walls, your movements never faltering from her orgasm. Addison's brows knitted while she watched a smirk slowly creep along your face that was now moving back between her legs.

Her legs trembled, a small whimper eliciting from her when you replaced your fingers with your tongue. You carelessly wiped your fingers clean of her orgasm along your pants, watching her every twitch and wiggle as you never eased up on the pleasure.

"Since you wanted this so bad, let's see if we can get another one out of you, hmm?"

Your tongue lapped up her release, sliding across her folds and up to her clit, lips wrapping around the bud and adding gentle suction.

"I can't!" Addison cried out, her free hand holding a death grip along the bedsheets. Tears welled at the corner of her eyes, pleasure and overstimulation clouding her senses.

"You can, my love. You're always so good for me. Just one more. You can do it." You encouraged her.

Her head nodded frantically, the uncomfortableness of the overstimulation slowly returning back to pleasure. Hips threatened to buck against your face, expletives forcing themselves from her mouth.

She loved when you got jealous. It showed in the way you pleasured her. Your usual one and done attitude always disappearing as you attempted to show her just how good she had it with you. You were the only one who ever made her feel this way, and you knew that, but still made it a point to prove it to her each and every time.

Her thighs wrapped tightly around your head as she came for the second time. Her orgasm hit her harder this time around, cries of pleasure sounding like music to your ears.

You hummed as you lapped her up after she came, hands pulling her thighs from your head, allowing air to enter your lungs after she had temporarily cut you off.

"Oh fuck..." She brought her arm up to her face to wipe away the sweat that formed on her features from your ministrations.

You just smirked as you peppered kisses all across her body until you came face to face to her once more.

"Maybe I need to make you jealous more often."

Your smirk lessened as your features darkened slightly, "If you do, I can promise that next time won't be so enjoyable for you." You accentuated your point by pressing your knee to her overstimulated core, causing a slightly pained whimper to come from her.

"But we both know you're my good girl, and you wouldn't do such a thing, right?" You give her a pointed look.

She nodded, "Right."

A sweet smile replaced your previous look, "Excellent! Now, I'm sure someone has probably notice the top two attendings' absence in this hospital. So, it's best we get back to work."

Addison sighed, knowing you'd both have to go back to your professionalism when you returned to work. You lifted from the bed, offering your copper-haired girlfriend a hand.

You smirked to yourself when she stood, the slight quivering of her legs still very prominent from her intense orgasms. It only took a minute for you to help her redress, and run your fingers through her bedhead to calm the frizz in attempts to remove the look of sex from her.

Addison attempted to calm her breathing, feet sliding back into her work shoes. You gave her a quick peck against her forehead, taking her stray hairs between your fingers and tucking it behind her pierced ears as you looked lovingly into her eyes.

"Ready?" You questioned.

"Mhm, you go first and I'll follow after a few seconds in case of any wandering eyes."

You agreed, unlocking the door and poking your head out to look both ways, and letting out a sigh of relief at the empty hallway, completely unaware that a certain grey-haired man was waiting back at the Nurse's Station with a quizzical brow.

You took quick strides from the room, Addison following suit just a few feet behind you, attempting to tame her shaking legs. When your eyes met with Mark's, Addison was quick to turn the other way, clearing her throat and fixing her hair as she walked past the two of you.

You knew the antics that would come from Mark but you wordlessly responded to them all with a smirk, Addison found it nearly impossible to clear her dirty thoughts that wandered through her mind as she attempted to return her focus back to work for the rest of her shift.

#addison montgomery #greys abc #greys anatomy #fanfic #lesbiansmut #smut #no plot whatsoever #oneshot #praise #pwp fics #wlw smut #overstim kink #semi public sex

248 notes · View notes

afro-hispwriter · 11 days

Text

The Diamond Queen: Homelander

Homelander/John x reader(platonic), Soldier Boy/Ben x reader(mentioned, romantic), Reader x other female characters

Summary- You have a history with Homelander

Warnings- baby John, mentions of drug use, mentions of soldier boy's "death", herogasam, strap on sex, drug use, snorting of bodies, gxgxg, slight temperature play, more on readers' past

A/n- this is a prequel to Parts 1 and 2

Taglist for this series- @the-house-of-auditore-frye

Earving got placed in a medically induced coma after you returned from Nicaragua. They were worried he wouldn't pull through but his powers helped keep him alive. But Ben had destroyed him far beyond repair. You sat by his bed every day, crying.

It wasn't until Vogelbaum called for you. It took a bit of convincing but soon you were standing in front of his institute. It wasn't the first time you were there, you would be called occasionally when an out-of-control supe needed to be controlled or calmed down in their words.

"I'm so glad you were able to come we know you're going through a lot with Noir and Soldier Boy. God Soldier Boy, hard to believe-." Vogelbaum started,

"Just show me the supe." You cut off Vogelbaum and he frowned. You looked so drained of life, but who wouldn't?

"Follow me." He led you through the facility and into the pediatric ward. It made you uneasy, controlling a child pained you.

"A child?"

"I know how much you hate it, I'm sorry." Another scientist was standing right in front of the door, making faces through the window. When he saw you approach he backed off and they let you look through the small window.

"Oh." A tiny baby, who could barely be a year old sat there all alone smiling and laughing as he held his blue blanket. "He's laughing, seems fine to me." You say not taking your eyes off of the baby.

"That's why we called you, we think we have something here, but we need him to display his powers."

"You want me to force a baby to use its power?"

"We'll pay you, double what you usually get."

Money is money you thought and opened the door. You walked in and the giggling baby looked up at you with a big gummy smile.

"What's his name?" You asked Vogelbaum.

"John."

"Hey, John." You say and sat down, crossing your legs. John crawled to you with his blanket in his hand, he grabbed your knees and used them to push himself onto your lap. "Oh hey." You grabbed him under his arms and held him tightly. As your hands touched his bare arms you felt a sudden electric shock between the two of you. Your eyes softened and you brushed his hair to the side. "Why do they have you locked up here? Hmm?"

He squealed and grabbed onto the hem of your shirt. His bright blue eyes stared right at you, instantly melting away any stress you had.

Since the day you met John, you visited him every day. You created a bond with the child.

Vogelbaum watched the interactions every day as well. It fascinated him, the connection between you and your former fiancé's child was extraordinary. You didn't seem to know John was Ben's, and he'd like to keep it that way.

"Happy Birthday John, I got you some cake." In a singing voice as you carried a gift and a whole cake into the now 8-year-old's room.

"Thank you Y/n." John came up to you and instantly hugged you tightly. It was a very tight hug, any normal human would have been crushed. Ever since John started to display his powers you were there more. You calmed him down most of the time. As he did burn straight through one of the workers just the previous week.

"Guess what flavor it is?" You say and set the cake down on the table.

"Vanilla!"

"You got it!" You handed him the bag with his present and he sat on his head and instantly started ripping it open.

"Cool! These are limited edition Payback figures!"

"I know, luckily I know a few people."

"You're the best." He hugged you again and out of the corner of his eyes a lit-up cake. It floated in front of him and he backed up.

"Make a wish." John's eyes flicked up to you and back down to the cake. He thought for a moment and you made sure not to let your mind wander. He blew out the candle and you clapped your hands.

"Y/n?"

"Hmm."

"Can you watch the first Soldier Boy movie with me?" You knew you should've said no but John was giving you puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, sure."

The two of you settled on his tiny bed eating cake. The entire movie John pointed stuff out, you tried to listen but every time Ben's face appeared you shut off. It wasn't until John shoved you hard that brought you back.

"Y/n? Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah sorry." Your voice broke a bit.

"I was asking if you ever met Soldier Boy. Since you know, Noir. Your brother worked with him."

"Oh yeah, i-i met him a few times. He was everything the movies and the media made him out to be."

"That's cool, do you think there will ever be another Soldier Boy?" You looked down at him and swallowed.

"I hope so, the world needs its superhero."

You knew deep down that was Vought's plan. John has shown exceptional, dangerous power. Something that interested them heavily.

"I wish I had your abilities, I hate mine. I hurt people." He says and his nose twitches. You set your plate down and wrapped an arm around him.

"I hate mine too, they aren't as fun as everyone thinks they are." John smiled at that.

"Just another thing we have in common."

It was the tenth anniversary of Ben's death(or disappearance). The world was celebrating their lost hero, mourning.

Herogasm was mourning differently. You had never seen so many people fucking in one place. You have gone to herogasm quite a bit with Ben, but it was never this packed.

Your nose burned as you snorted the white substance off the girl with fire abilities pretty pussy. While the girl with ice powers shoved her ice dick far up inside of you. You were high as a kite and loved it. The difference in temperature and the drug made your orgasm 10 times more intense than usual.

"Fuck." You moaned out and lifted your head but got your face instantly shoved into the girl in front of you. She rocked herself harshly, moaning loudly as her clit ground against your nose. You opened your mouth as she came harshly, jerking her hips.

"Thank you." She breathes out and the girl behind you pulled out making you whimper.

"Want to have some more fun?" She kisses you should and you smile hazily.

"Another day." You say out of breath and flip yourself around. Both women stand up but before leaving they leaned down and pressed a long kiss to your lips before pulling away and turning to each other, pushing their lips together and you watch steam pour out from between them.

"See you Y/n." You watched them leave to join whatever other group there was. You stood up and started searching for your clothes amongst the heap of them.

You walked out of the house fully clothed, denying any advances or invitations on your way out. You even stole a bottle of tequila.

Fireworks popped in the distance. All for Soldier Boy. They all acted like they fucking knew him. They knew Soldier Boy. You knew Ben.

You sat on the wet ground, drowning the bottle of alcohol. You hadn't touched a bottle in years. Both alcohol and drugs.

When you first received the V and discovered what your abilities were. The voices were so loud. You couldn't control it, you couldn't shut them out or just focus on one mind. You were at a party and on the verge of tears of how sensitive you were when someone offered you a little bag of powder. It was your medicine until you finally learned to control it. Ben helped you control it, and he didn't even understand it.

Ben was the one thing on your mind. It made you think of what your life could have been like if he were still alive. Would the world finally know who their beloved hero's love is? Would your relationship be accepted? Would you have had your wedding? Kids? Would he have retired?

So many questions and no answers. But they made you think of John. You've known the boy for almost 10 years. He felt like your son. You watched him grow. You practically raised him. He could be your son.

That's how you ended up in front of the institution. Eyes bloodshot. Could barely keep up.

You opened the doors and walked right past the front nurse. She called you for saying visiting hours weren't until the next day but she got cut off by her neck snapping. You forced the security doors open and alarms started blaring around the building.

Workers noticed you and immediately got out of your way.

"Where's Vogelbaum?" You slurred at one and they shakily looked around, stammering over their words.

"I'm right here." You whipped around and almost stumbled but caught yourself. "Seems like you're having a night, why don't we talk in my office." He points back behind him.

"Don't bullshit me." You cocked your head to the aide and you were in his mind. He was nervous, everyone was. But Vogelbaums's mind was screaming something about a collar. "What collar?"

"Y/n, don't. It's been a day for you, with Ben and his-."

"I'm taking John with me, he-he deserves a good life." You say and the scientist sighs.

"We can't let you do that." That made you laugh.

"Did you forget who I am? What I can do?" you simply closed your eyes and everyone in that hallway was under your control. "Bring me John." 3 people walked away like robots, while everyone else was frozen at attention. It wasn't long before John screamed your name down the hall.

"Y/n!" You turned around and immediately opened your arms. When he got closer he stopped. "Are you okay?" You probably looked terrible, horrifying to a child.

"John is okay, I'm here to take you home. We can be a family." At the sound of family, John immediately perked up.

"Really?"

"Yeah." He smiled brightly and ran into your arms.

"Can we leave now?" He whispered into your neck and you nodded.

"Right now." As you pulled apart Johns's eyes widened in shock.

"Watch out!" You turned around but it was too late. Someone in all black stood there holding a silver collar. Before you could react it got slammed on your neck and it locked. Your hands grabbed at it, trying to rip it off but to no avail. Suddenly John blasted the person with his heat vision, instantly killing them.

Your control over everyone fell. You tried to activate your diamond form but nothing worked.

"Fuck." You say and John kneels down next to you. "This shit won't let me use my powers. FUCK!"

"We have to go." John cries.

"I know, I know." You say and feel your body slowly start to weaken. "What is- what is this doing to me?" You asked yourself and your eyes started to flutter close.

"Gas them." Someone said and a can clatter next to you. You started coughing harshly and John dropped to his knees, coughing hard as well. You collapsed face first into the ground, slowly falling unconscious.

Your eyes fluttered open and the blinding light was unbearable.

"Fuck." You mumbled and slowly started to sit up.

"Y/n, lay back down." A deep voice made its way to your ears.

"Mmm." You flopped on the bed and blinked rapidly to get used to your surroundings. You looked around and your eyes settled on the scientist you wished you could keep calling your friend.

“You really fucked up.” You rolled your eyes.

“I'm leaving. With John, and you’re not going to stop me.” You say and in an attempt to control his, a shock triggered makes you scream. “What the fuck?” It made him chuckle.

“You know Vought is so terrified of you that they had me create a contingency plan just for you. At first, it was Soldier Boy himself but then the two of you started getting involved so we had to turn to something different. Hell, I didn’t even think it was going to work. But here we are.” That’s when you felt the metal on your neck, you reached up and grabbed it but a tiny shock made you let it go.

“What is this?”

“This is the device that won’t let you use your abilities, it weakens you, and if you try to use the. It seems powerful shocks, enough of them and we fry your brain. You’ll become a mindless zombie.” He stood from his chair and got close to your face. “Just like everyone you control.” You gave him a hard glare before looking away and swallowing.

“What do you want from me?”

“I need you to leave. Never come back. And don’t come looking for John. America. The world needs a hero again, and it's going to be John.”

“He’s just a kid.”

“He won't be in a few years. I'm going to propose a deal.” He says and you stay quiet. “You’re going to leave and never come back and in return. We take this collar off.” He grabbed it with his hands and he tugged it. “It will stay locked away and nobody will be able to replicate it. Vought will also make sure you live comfortably, funded for the rest of your life. Does that sound good?”

Your jaw tensed and you took in a deep breath.

“What about John, he’s going to ask.” You say and feel your eyes water.

“We’ll worry about that. Now, do we have a deal?” He holds out his hand with a raised eyebrow. You looked at it and back up at him. With a deep breath, you grabbed his hand.

A/n- not proud of this one tbh. Let me know what you guys think though. Going to start working on part 3 ASAP:)

#soldier boy x reader #ben x reader #the boys #homelander #x black reader

26 notes · View notes

deadmomjokes · 9 months

Note

oh wow I am so sorry to hear about your daughter having EOE - that sounds really rough. How do you navigate that?

At this point, with a lot of flailing.

It took 3.5 years to even get her properly diagnosed, not through lack of trying-- it's just a hard thing to differentiate, and the specialists that can actually do the test are dealing with a huge number of patients so they're always backed up. We're lucky: we live only an hour from the state children's hospital where they can do the diagnostic procedures, and it has a dedicated EOE specialty clinic that's one of the best in the country. It still takes 2 months to get an appointment as an established patient, and it took even longer to get her in on the initial referral. We're also lucky that she was able to explain to us what she was experiencing in a way that a doctor could take seriously and act on, and we're lucky that her primary care doctor did so.

But generally speaking, things suck spectacularly for pediatric EOE and GERD patients right now, at least in the US. The best medicine for treating it is omeprazole (prilosec), and there was exactly one manufacturer that made it in a suspension that small children could take. Well, that manufacturer decided it wasn't profitable enough, so they quit making it altogether. So now the next best, lansoprazole (prevacid), is on national back order for months because every child that was on the other one is now needing to switch.

So my daughter is currently on the next next best thing, because it was that or nothing, and it's just not working great for her. It keeps her from the worst of the pain, but she's back to not wanting to eat anything but bagels, one specific brand of cereal, and string cheese.

Back when she was officially diagnosed, her doctor gave us the option of going on a super dose of PPI meds, jumping straight to the steroids, or doing a full elimination diet with a nutritionist. For a kid, none of those options are great.

The PPIs reduce absorption of nutrients, which are already few and far between for a growing person with only a few tolerated foods. The steroids may have effects on a growing liver and kidneys, and also make you more prone to fungal infections and upper respiratory illnesses. Both have to be routinely dose-adjusted because the child is growing constantly, but you have to get an official weight/height check at the specialist to do so, which is always backed up. Then the elimination diet is...well, it's hard, to put it mildly, and it takes a really long time because of how delayed the reactions can be. Plus when you already don't like eating and only have a few 'safe foods', it's hard to cut back. Most people with EOE also have more than one trigger, so you have to eliminate a ton of things and hope you get them all, and you can't be on any medication while you're doing it because you have to be able to identify the point at which symptoms get better and then return.

In short, all the options suck.

We eventually decided on trying to get it under control enough with the meds to hopefully expand the foods she was willing to eat, in preparation for doing the elimination diet. It was working. Then the forced medication switch blew that all up. So we're just gonna grit our teeth and go with the elimination diet unless her specialist has another option for us.

But aside from that, it's been a lot of phone tag and appointment waiting, and a lot of readjusting the way we look at food and eating.

For her, whatever she will eat is a win. We've taken pressure off her to try new things. We still offer it, but we don't press if she's not feeling up to it. Reducing stress around the concept of trying new foods is super important, because she's already up against the stress of wondering whether it'll 'get stuck' or feel yucky or make 'the fires' worse.

We've also had to make sure we don't fall into the trap of trying to dictate how much she eats and when. Unless a meal is coming within the half hour, we let her have a snack when she's hungry-- wait too long, and she's in pain. Plus we want her to kind of train herself to respond to those hunger cues because her appetite can get so drastically reduced at times, every instance of her listening to an 'I'm hungry' is a win.

We also had to abandon the idea of the 'perfectly' balanced diet. Proteins are a struggle for her. Leafy greens are a struggle. So are other calcium containing foods like dairy and dairy alternatives. She really only likes carbs, mostly bread and fruit. But it's not like she can help it. Nobody purposefully restricts their diet just to be difficult-- a "picky eater" is someone who is struggling and needs accommodation, not judgement.

So we let her eat what she will eat, and work to find options that can get her the stuff she needs. Protein bars are a big hit with her right now, for example. A better texture than meat, they come in 'treat' flavors, and there are options that don't have all the added sugar that's gonna trigger the acid flareup. We make sure we get enriched flour and bread products so she gets at least some iron. We pick varieties that have added protein and calcium. We get juice with added vitamins and minerals. We stock the pantry with things that cater to her capabilities and needs wherever the two overlap. The goal is nutrition, whatever form that takes and whatever it looks like right now. Getting it "right" will come later. For now, we just need her to be comfortable with food and to learn how to work with her body.

This has also meant teaching her about nutrition, so we can help her take charge of her body's needs and help us think of ways to meet them. That's hard for a 3 year old, but there's a show called Storybots on Netflix, and they have a great episode on nutrition called "Why can't I eat dessert all the time?" Super accessible for kids, and has a catchy song describing macronutrient categories and why we need lots of different kinds of food, not just one kind. It was a perfect starting point, and we just kept at the explanations. Like when we would eat an apple with breakfast, we'd talk about how it has Vitamin C to help her cells be strong, fiber to help her tummy and intestines work well, and carbohydrates to help her have energy. Every time we try a new food, we talk about what's in it to help her body. That includes things like chips and cake--we're big on the concept of "all food has value, it's just some has more than others, so we eat the most of those."

So now, when she's had a "just bread" day we remind her that her body needs more than just carbs, and we can't get all our protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals from bread, so we should probably have something else too. 9 times out of 10, she'll add something to her request, like some blueberries or carrots. She might not eat a ton of it, but she tries, and that's what counts.

I know this is a mile long and probably way more than you were asking, but it's just one of those things that I have a lot to say about. I could talk all day about accessible eating and nutrition, as well as Going Off on our current medical system in the US, so if anyone has further questions, feel free to reach out.

#asks #eoe #life #long post

35 notes · View notes

chuitu · 11 days

Note

What are Yeva’s relationship between subodhi and Lao tzu during post-Jett’s during Yeva’s powers awakening

Lao Tzu:

She doesn't particularly like or hate him, but just sees him like your usual pediatric doctor, and almost constantly she has to visit his lab to have daily check ups or test runs with her power's capabilities and limits (almost too many limits as she grew older), as for Lao Tzu, he does tend to treat Yeva like a daughter or niece, despite going a couple steps in limit checks, he always asks her if she's feeling any discomfort or pain, of course, nothing bad ever happened whatsoever under his supervision.

Subhodi:

Now with this man, it's like your strict karate teacher that's always telling you your position, timing and strength output should be just right, she doesn't exactly like him due to how stingy he is, in her opinion Subhodi is a way worse nagger than her uncle, on Subhodi's side of the story, Yeva is a detrimental headache to deal with, to him she's irrational, unruly, basically hard to control or discipline.

In short, they both don't like each other very much. 😬

#yeva qna #lmk fandom #lmk au #lmk oc #lego monkie kid oc #oc; yeva moon

9 notes · View notes

mariacallous · 1 month

Text

Over the last two years, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has destroyed hundreds of hospitals and forced countless medical professionals to flee to areas still under Kyiv’s control. Many of the doctors who have remained have had to work under near-constant shelling. To mitigate the damage, the Russian authorities have allocated over eight billion rubles (over $88 million) to rebuild destroyed infrastructure and sent thousands of medical workers from Russia to Ukraine’s occupied territories. However, according to doctors in the occupied areas, these measures have failed to compensate for the lack of personnel, the corruption, and the medication shortages. For insight into how this failing healthcare system looks on the ground, journalists from Verstka spoke to doctors and patients in occupied Ukraine. Meduza shares some of their findings in English.

Mikhail is a pediatric surgeon from Siberia. His first trip to occupied Ukraine was in September 2022, when he went to work as a volunteer at Mariupol’s regional intensive care hospital.

“When I arrived, I immediately had this ambiguous feeling: I wasn’t scared anymore, but I still felt a kind of horror,” he told Verstka. “All of the people there had pain in their eyes, the imprint of what they’d been through. The adults could understand what was happening, whereas the children…”

Yelena, a psychologist from Moscow, went to volunteer in the occupied territories in October 2022 along with 11 of her colleagues. After a few months in Mariupol, she went to the Luhansk region.

Even when we were living [in Mariupol], there was no heat, power, or water. A lot of people were still living in basements. The most shocking, disheartening thing was when you would see black buildings with holes in the walls, charred homes, and next to them you would see light coming from a window where people were still living.

According to Verstka’s calculations, at least 2,500 doctors from at least 50 regions of Russia traveled to the occupied parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions during the first two years of the full-scale war, though the total is likely higher.

From volunteers to state employees

The medical professionals who spoke to Verstka said they were unprepared for the experiences they faced in the occupied territories.

“You see these poor old people in a tent that’s practically impossible to walk through,” said Yelena, the psychologist from Moscow, recounting her first day of work. “For many of them, either their children left or somebody [from their family] had died; some of them had been abandoned. Imagine reaching the end of your life and having it be like that.”

Mikhail, the pediatric surgeon, said the most common issue he encountered in Mariupol in late 2022 was dog bites in children and their parents. “At that point, the dogs had been fending for themselves on the streets for six months, subsisting on whatever they could find,” he said. He continued:

In other words, these weren’t puppies, these were dogs, and they’d been there since before the start of the [full-scale] war. They’d once been pets, but they’d been left behind and had eaten everything they could, including corpses. And so they’d started going after people, attacking small children.

In addition to children, Mikhail said, he treated wounded soldiers. “That was new for me,” he told Verstka. “I was used to talking to children. But these were extreme conditions — a region that had seen combat. I adapted.”

Alexey, a doctor from St. Petersburg, said that by late summer 2022, the most common medical issue he encountered was not bullet wounds or shrapnel wounds but a bacterial skin condition called erysipelas. “This was a consequence of people spending so much time in basements. It wasn’t just the echoes of war, it was its ongoing reverberations.”

In the first months of the war, Russian medical workers who went to the occupied territories did so as volunteers under the patronage of Russian politicians or soldiers. Typically, they would take vacation time from their workplaces at home and travel to Ukraine at their own expense. Yelena said she spent about 200,000 rubles ($2,200) on two of these trips. “I’m not complaining, but should it really be like this?” she asked. “Even food wasn’t always provided.”

By the second half of 2022, these trips had been incorporated into official Russian state policy: Russian Health Ministry institutions, hospitals, state corporations, and various pro-government organizations began sending doctors to occupied Ukraine. And around the end of the year, regional health ministries and government agencies officially began paying medical workers to go there. After Moscow annexed the occupied territories, the Russian government allocated more than a billion rubles ($11 million) to these initiatives.

Ivan, an endocrinologist from Russia’s Mordovia Republic, said that he traveled to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region after an offer from his local health ministry. Mikhail from Siberia also signed an employment contract to work in the occupied territories. When asked how much he was paid, he declined to give a number.

“You wouldn’t go there for the money — it’s not worth it,” he said. “When a lot of people learn about [the payments], they go there, and then they realize that the territories are being shelled, and it all goes downhill… You don’t go there just for the money.”

At the end of 2022, the first set of doctors sent by the Russian authorities to occupied Ukraine were rotated out and replaced. Many of them received state awards and other accolades upon returning to Russia.

‘That’s the kind of local corruption we have now’

According to residents of the occupied territories, the healthcare system there is in significantly worse shape than it was before the full-scale war. Mykhailo, a resident of the occupied part of Ukraine’s Kherson region, said even the doctors who have been practicing there since before February 2022 have started acting “condescending” towards patients because they know the patients have no alternative. “There’s nobody to complain to; nobody cares,” he said. “Either you’re friendly towards the doctor or you’ll be forgotten about and nobody will help you.”

Another difference, according to Mykhailo, is the variety of drugs available. After the start of the full-scale invasion, he said, local pharmacies stopped carrying the Ukrainian medicine his mother used to take.

Mom went to the pharmacy sometime in late spring [2022]. She says she saw some soldiers, right in front of the pharmacy, beating some boxes of capsules and pills with sticks. She asked what they were doing. They told her it was Ukrainian-made medicine and that she wouldn’t find it there anymore. This punitive action by soldiers against boxes of medication was only witnessed once. But the result is obvious: there’s no longer any medication that was made in Ukraine.

Mykhailo said that people are still selling one another their remaining packages of Ukrainian medication today — there’s even a Facebook group for it. Russian medications, he said, generally cost about twice as much as their Ukrainian analogues. People buy them out of necessity, he said, although life-saving drugs are free with a prescription.

“Mom bought some chocolate for her doctor so that she would give her medicine for two months rather than for one. That’s the kind of local corruption we have now. It wasn’t like this before Russia came; [back then], if you complained about anything aloud, everyone would rush around to prevent, God forbid, a conflict,” he said.

One Telegram channel in the “Luhansk People’s Republic” (“LNR”) has written about people reselling disability certificates, patients paying bribes for surgeries and treatment in hospitals, and medical workers not receiving their full salaries.

“Before the start of the special military operation, the LNR was surviving on humanitarian aid,” the channel’s administrator told Verstka on condition of anonymity. “There wasn’t such a limited range of medications, because a lot of things were brought from Ukraine. You could get practically any type of medicine, including Western ones.”

But in 2022, he said, “times changed and the chaos began”:

They stopped bringing medications from Ukraine; they did a rushed, makeshift job with the import substitutions. Most parts of the [Donetsk People’s] Republic that they managed to liberate have been totally left in the Middle Ages: even now, it’s hard to find anything but paracetamol and activated charcoal in the villages.

‘Nobody can guarantee anything’

In addition to the lack of medication and other supplies, Ukraine’s occupied territories are facing a critical shortage of doctors. “Medical workers (and anyone in their right mind) are reluctant to come here from the rest of Russia, so other regions have to send doctors on rotation,” said the Telegram channel administrator. “For every five medical positions, there are three vacancies.”

Since the start of the full-scale war, the WHO has recorded at least 1,616 attacks on medical facilities in Ukraine. Medical personnel have come under attack in at least 134 cases, and at least 118 medical workers have died, while at least 253 have been injured.

In the Zaporizhzhia region, the shortage is worst in small towns and villages, according to endocrinologist Ivan. “Nobody wants to come here permanently while fighting is still going on,” he said. “They’re trying to normalize the situation, posting job ads, and the [Russian] Health Ministry is working, but there aren’t really many takers.”

Many Ukrainian medical workers who have remained in the occupied territories have done so at high personal cost. “A major aspect of my work in Mariupol had to do with providing psychological support to the medical workers who live there,” said Russian psychologist Yelena. “Not only are they suffering themselves, but they’re expected to help others as well.”

Dozens of medical workers living under Russian occupation refused to speak to Verstka. Some said that they had nothing to share. Others cited fear that their identities would be revealed and they would face repressions. “Nobody can guarantee anything to me,” one nurse said through an intermediary.

“They’re trying to lie low right now, yes,” one Russian doctor said of their Ukrainian colleagues.

Several sources who served as intermediaries between Verstka’s journalists and Ukrainian doctors in the occupied territories also said that many medical workers fear persecution from the Russian-installed authorities. One former official from the Zaporizhzhia region told Verstka that he himself had faced such repressions at the start of the full-scale invasion, when Russian forces tortured him and held him in captivity for several months. He declined to discuss the conditions of his release publicly.

Many medical workers in the occupied territories also fear being charged with collaboration by the Ukrainian authorities for working with the Russian authorities by participating in the healthcare system under occupation. According to the Ukrainian authorities, however, only medical workers who assume leadership positions, publicly support the occupation authorities, and contribute to their activities are at risk of facing collaboration charges.

Most of the Russian doctors who spoke to Verstka said they support the Russian army’s actions in Ukraine. They gave various explanations for their views, from stories about alleged acts of cruelty by Ukrainian soldiers to narratives about the “heroism” of Russian soldiers. All of them said that they went to the occupied territories out of a desire to help civilians.

6 notes · View notes

cure-icy-writes · 1 year

Text

Next year’s treasure: a fucking elevator

So, Arven carries a lot of supplies with him. He’s got a weird relationship with gender where he’s definitely a guy, but finds himself relating more to terms like Eldest Daughter Syndrome and Mom Friend. He doesn’t consider himself particularly gender nonconforming; at least, not on purpose. He just thinks the binary of gender roles is stupid and he wants to opt out.

Why is it a gendered trait that he raised himself, that he shows affection for his friends by making sure they’re well fed because his mom and dad were never around to cook for him? Why is it a gendered trait that behind the uncaring facade he puts up, he's actually quite anxious, especially after what happened to mabosstiff, and he likes to be prepared for any situation? Why is it a gendered trait that he doesn't expect anyone else to take care of him, doesn't want to be taken care of as much as he desperately craves it, and keeps all his baggage, emotional and physical, to himself?

Still, it’s heavy. It’s a lot to carry around, especially up the stairs. So, Penny is exhausted. All the time, actually. Her therapist says it’s a trauma response, that all of her energy goes towards processing and healing from the bullying she endured, and she’s been nearly a shut-in for so long that her constitution is shit.

And then there's her transition-- objectively, coming out of her shell and coming out to her parents was a net positive. Back in the days when her denial was at its peak, she buzzed her hair short, trying to prove something to herself, to her bullies. Looking back, that haircut feels like an act of violence against herself, but now she is growing it out, and has to admit she feels cute more days than not.

Dysphoria still flares up from time to time, but Penny's got a cute backpack, a skirt and patterned leggings, a knack for wearing just enough eyeliner to make people question if she's wearing makeup or just has pretty eyes. Right now, her gender goals are Just Some Girl. And she's getting there. She doesn't need to be some exaggerated model of femininity, she's just another girl in the crowd, kinda cute but not in a way that stands out.

But now that her body is running on estrogen, now that she's no longer literally running from her problems, her muscle mass...well. It's seen better days. She'd like to maybe build up her stamina, but school makes it hard.

Especially those damned stairs. So, Nemona is disabled. The compression sleeve normally keeps it under control, but it's an aid, a tool, not a cure or a perfect fix. Her gross motor coordination with that arm isn't good enough for a lot of sports, she struggles to throw pokeballs, and it gets sweaty and gross sometimes, which is unpleasant.

The specifics of it are, basically, a somewhat benign growth on her blood vessels will swell up and press uncomfortably against the nerves if she's not careful. It's not hurting much for now, and she knows her limits, but she's sort of looking forward to the day she's old enough to get it surgically fixed. She's got to wait until her body is fully developed for that-- something about pediatric surgery being a risky endeavor-- and honestly, that's okay. Makes sense to her.

She knows her limits, knows what kinds of exercises she can do without exacerbating her bad arm, and she's got more hobbies than battling. She's got friends to hang out with, friends who understand, even. So most days, she's fine with being a little disabled. There are worse fates out there, and it's taught her how to get creative and work around limitations to find solutions.

But some days, she resents it. Because her arm is always throbbing with pain by the time she makes it up the academy stairs.

So, the new transfer student is something of a force of nature. Defeating titans, collecting gym badges, and sweeping through Star bases like it’s nothing. Everything has changed since their arrival, like a revolution in process, and by the look in their eyes, everything's going to keep changing, and for the better.

Those stairs never stood a chance.

#pokemon scarvi spoilers #pokemon arven #pokemon penny #pokemon nemona #FUCK THE ACADEMY STAIRS ALL MY HOMIES HATE THE ACADEMY STAIRS #crossposted from discord messages because sometimes that's how i tell stories to my friends like we are cavemen sitting around a fire #primal human urge to tell story to the homies.

29 notes · View notes

jadelynlace · 1 year

Text

Ivar & Children Part III ⎮Ink Drinker Modern Vikings AU One-Shot [Ivar x F!Reader]

find the series masterpost here.

author’s note: much like what this holiday represents, we’re having the re-birth of Ink Drinker. yes, that sounded much better in my head.

content warnings: medical jargon, children getting hurt, Ivar and children

word count: 1000+ words

You recognize the address as soon as the report sings from the radio. Despite the nature of the call, you’re worried it’s actually Floki who has injured himself and not his son—and in the confusion the child called for the emergency response.

When you step into Floki’s home, Hvitserk is right on your six and you’re scanning for evidence of trauma that doesn’t seem to exist. Instead, Helga’s holding their youngest son, Apollo who has just reached his second birthday last week—your mind recalls the quick image of Ivar dancing with him to celebrate before he blows out his birthday candles. Apollo shirt was torn off in a rush and his chest is red—ruby red and you already know.

“I didn’t know he could reach the counter,” Helga nearly cries softly. “Next thing I knew he was wearing my tea,” She adds. “The pediatrician—”

“She told us to take him to the emergency room,” Floki says for her. “I knew this would be faster once I realized who was at work today,” He finishes, winking at you.

Apollo screams when your chief attempts to take a closer look at the burn.

“Let me try—coordinate with medical control, you know what’s going to happen,” You say.

“When did you become my boss?” He teases.

“When you hired me,” You joke back. “Apollo—it’s me, baby,” You say softly while you pull your mask down. “It’s Miss Y/N,” And the familiar voice calls the boy to calm slightly in your presence. “We’re just going to take a look at you tummy, Mommy and Daddy aren’t going anywhere, alright?”

“Floki, can you pack up some of his things?” Hvitserk asks. “I’ll pull vitals,”

“Do a manual heart rate,” You start, “On his back, there’s no room for it on his chest it’s too burnt—he’s not allergic to anything that you know of, Helga?” You ask and she nods.

“This is going to give your arm a real tight hug, alright?” Hvitserk says as he attaches the pediatric cuff. “Do you want to try to squeeze my hand just as hard? He then offers, holding up a gloved hand. Apollo reaches out quickly, grabbing the first two fingers and barrels down, despite the soft grip Hvitserk lets out a huff of improvised impression. “You’re a strong little man!”

“Breathing rate is high,” You mumble.

“Mine would be too!” Hvitserk says, “It’s scary when you hurt yourself. We have 110 on 72,”

“Little high, too,” You say. “Can you walk me through what happened, Helga?”

“I had my back turned just to grab the sugar—I didn’t even know he was able to reach that high and I had just taken the kettle off and poured a cup…next thing I knew he started screaming and I—I took his shirt right off,”

“He didn’t lose consciousness?”

“No, he just started screaming,”

“Nothing in his diaper?”

“No, that was the first place I looked too—it just got on his chest and on his one wrist—oh sweetheart I’m so sorry I should have known better—”

“Helga these things happen to all parents, this is how we learn,” Hvitserk says.

“Helga,” You start, “There’s not much we’re going to be able to do from our end. We can give him pain medication but he’s going to have to be air lifted to a burn center,” You say firmly. “Now, they’re going to put him in a burn dressing—for someone his age it’ll likely be a silver sulfadiazine suit or a biobrane dressing. From what I can see, it looks like a partial thickness burn, which is what we would prefer over a full thickness,”

“Phoenix is still in school—how far is the center?” Helga asks.

“A few hours away,” You start. “I’ll call Ivar,”

“Thank you,” She says to you. “I can’t think straight right now,”

When Ivar knocks on the door to the classroom, he’s greeted with the warm smile from Phoenix school teacher.

“His father called you?” Ivar asks.

“He did, Phoenix has not stopped talking about it since we told him,”

“Mr. Ivar!” Phoenix beckons. “It’s Mr. Ivar,” He says proudly to his teacher. Ivar kneels to his height before speaking:

“How about you and I go get something to eat?” Ivar suggests.

“Tacos?” The child requests.

“A man wise beyond his years,” Ivar hums, lifting Phoenix’s backpack onto his shoulder.

Ivar waits. In doing so, he watches the child before him inhale one taco after the other. He can hardly see Phoenix chewing. Finally, as his mouth slows, he peeks up at Ivar through eyes that match Floki’s perfectly.

“What did you do today, Mr. Ivar?” “Did you go to work?”

“No, no, I was off today. I talked to Y/N, and I talked to your mommy and daddy about Apollo,”

“Why?” Phoenix asks, Ivar takes in a breath and mentally prepares himself.

“Little brother got hurt, he’s with mommy and daddy at the doctors,”

“I hurted myself on my bike the other day,”

“Yes, I remember, and what happened?” Ivar asks.

“My knee was all red,”

“Little brother hurt himself with Mama’s tea. Remember how mama likes her tea each morning? And how Mr. Ivar drinks his coffee, and so does Y/N?”

“Daddy says Miss Y/N drinks coffee like it’s ‘going out of style’,” Phoenix replies, air quotes and all—it makes Ivar snort.

“Yes, well Apollo got the hot tea on himself, and on his chest. Do you know where your chest is?"

“Right here!”Phoenix replies. “And, here is my heart—mama says that’s where kindness comes from,”

“Mama’s right,” Ivar starts. “Now, do you remember when Mr. Ivar was at the doctor’s office after he hurt his legs?”

“Daddy said not to touch them,”

“That’s what it’s going to be like for Apollo—we have to make sure we don’t touch where he hurt himself because it’s going to be sore—just like your knee when you fell off your bike. Now, I was thinking maybe we could draw a picture for little brother, so he can feel better when he’s home?”

“Mr. Ivar?”

“Yes, little man?”

“Is Apollo going to be alright?”

“He’s going to be just fine—Miss Y/N and Mr. Hvitty made sure of it,”

“He got to go in the am-bu-wance?” Phoenix gasps. “I went in one when we saw them at the school!”

“He did,” Ivar replies, leaving out the part where he was also air lifted in the helicopter, because he knows that Phoenix will be asking you for that for the next year once he finds out.

As Phoenix makes sure to leave no crumb behind, Ivar peaks down at his phone to see your message:

All set at the hospital, see you tonight xo

“Ready for the art store?” Ivar asks.

“Can we get a taco to go, for later?” Phoenix asks.

Tags:

@smileysam13579 @dreamtherapy @angelofthenightposts @unbetaedimagines @readsalot73 @queen-sarang @anastasiaskarsgard @andmyannabellee @peachyboneless @heavenly1927 @prettyinpayne @quantumlocked310 @xbellaxcarolinax @mighty-ragnarssons @alexhandersen-marcoilsoe-fandom @queen-of-upshur @nanahachikyuu @fandomlifeandeverythingelse @fatedwithmbc @hashimily @youbloodymadgenius @love-all-things-writing @theanxietyqueen17 @trip2themoon @tgrrose @synnersaint @kataphine @prepare4trouble @abbiii72 @not-another-viking-fanfic-blog @93xdiagonxalley @ivarisms @nordicshieldmadien @ironynoticony @ivarsgard @cosmicmerbabe @smears-and-spots @kaybee87 @t4medicroe @noway4u @southernbe @anakindoesntlikesand @mymindfuckery

*please message me to let me know if you would like to be added or removed from my tag list. specifications for series/etc. are also welcomed, as well as feedback.*

full masterlist can be found here.

27 notes · View notes

vixnovacoda · 1 year

Text

Doctor's Medicine || Chapter 1

Hannibal Lecter x Original Character

Word Count: 2.9k

CW/TW: NSFW 18+, graphic, disturbing content, dissociation, canon-typical violence.

Summary: Amongst his list of patients, Doctor Hannibal Lecter finds an interesting character in his latest, Emma Darcy, the author of a bestselling crime series whose mind is host to something clawing to be free. The two become inexplicably drawn to each other and things progress as Emma encounters a world of death. But the question is, who will change who?

[ao3 version here]

There’s a monster inside me. Emma believed this thought since her first body. Bug dead eyes affixed upon her, screaming with stiff muscles for her attention. Ordinary people, she supposed, retaliate. They run, they freeze; there’s an emotional response. She stared back and admired the skin’s complexion, the marbled musculature opened out on display. Albeit, while resistant to obey, a voice unlike hers gave those actions. It made her replay the death over and over to the point of meaningless where she was left to be creative in her own telling, coming up with bestseller-worthy skewerings ready to satiate a country for months.

There was a rare sliver of remorse in those stories. The monster was in control, a shapeless figure which pooled at the back of her mind like fog, seeping through the cracks when the time was right. When it seeped, it poured, and the noise became maddening.

Emma Darcy. Recorded as "age: twelve" back then by the pediatric nurses. They gave her colourful pills, which she fed the monster. For a time, medication worked fifty-fifty.

On days like these, in Baltimore’s blood-stained oasis, pills did nothing.

Perhaps that had been why she readily accepted her agent’s urge for psychiatric assessment instead of continuing her research. Each crime scene made her sicker and sicker, each carcass, each blood spatter, each playing out the scene in her head. Even Emma grew scared towards herself – when the world already regarded her books with the same spine-scattering fear – at the dedication. Therapy seemed, naturally, like one more option to consider, dreaded though it was to be scrutinised again after self-medicating.

All this for the sake of quelling the monster.

An empty waiting room. The clicking clock. Painful silence in luxurious comfort; Emma had wedged herself in a leather seat for the past ten minutes. Her foot tapped to the seconds which passed until her time with the proclaimed ‘finest’ psychiatrist arrived.

2:30 pm. Click. The door opened. “Miss Darcy?” asked the man at the room’s entrance. The accent, while unable to pinpoint, could not be missed.

“Please, just Emma,” she said, taking the time to take in his well-composed stature and three-piece suit – grey; neutral.

“Of course. My apologies, Emma.” Dr. Lecter’s lips formed a thin smile. “Please come in.” He welcomed her out from the small and into an overly large, lavish office which seemed like a mix between old-fashioned and modern with a high ceiling, pillars that spanned the same height, red walls and fixtures that brightened under the spring sun, and a pair of black leather chairs. It looked more like a room than anything at a hospital. It looked like a home. “Take a seat,” he said, gesturing over to the other chair opposite from him as he situated himself into place. Legs crossed.

Emma made her way over, heels resounding off the hardwood floor at uneven beats. “I must say sorry in advance,” she began as she accepted her appointed seat. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen any sort of psychiatrist. So, you’ll have to excuse my nerves.”

“That’s not a problem at all. As long as you’re in this room, Emma, you should have nothing to be nervous about, I assure you.” His words gave way to a sense of kindness akin to sensitivity via carefully constructed sentences. From the moment she saw his tall, lean frame, the nerves cemented themselves and the longer she looked, the more Emma couldn’t help but notice the well-mannered self he portrayed in his appearance. His hair: short and tamed, but wild in colour as if it couldn't decide on anything other than aged by way of greys. His eyes: ever watching, ever focused, and soft. A calm wave washed her into an ease she had no control over. He was right, in some sense. There was nothing to worry about, at least, as far as she had been aware. Hannibal Lecter was just a man, a psychiatrist, a doctor.

“Shall we start with why you’ve decided to try therapy again?” asked Dr. Lecter, filling the silence.

Emma blinked, returning to reality. “Y-Yes.” Unaware her mind had wandered for so long, she cleared her restless vocal cords before answering, “you may have noticed that I wasn’t the one who made the appointment. My literary agent, Marcus Hall, took the liberty of doing so on my behalf.”

“I may have. But I did not believe it was my place to mention.”

“Well, thank you.” Emma smiled. The muscles in her cheeks grew lax as she continued, “what I do is not for the faint of heart, I take it seriously, and my mental health hasn’t slipped in years. Le Belle Mort is my life’s work. Each novel is inspired by real homicides. They help people understand the beauty in things which would otherwise scare them. Life may be beautiful, but so is death.”

“Le Belle Mort: The Beautiful Death.” Dr. Lecter rolled the words off his tongue with such an exquisiteness Emma found marvelling. “A wonderful notion,” he said, leaning back.

“It can be when executed properly. Such art requires a careful hand and good inspiration. Hence why I’m here in Baltimore, and considering I’m looking at the Chesapeake Ripper, I guess Marcus was just worried I might slip up sooner rather than later.”

Pale yellow rays danced along the sharp edges of his face as it tilted to the side. “And you agreed?”

“The people closest to you can usually tell when something is off, even when you don’t.”

“Sometimes. But, often, we are the only ones who can ever truly know. You showing up here today is a sign that you do.”

“I’m not sure I entirely do know,” she admitted softly.

“As humans, we have a desire towards knowledge. Without it, life would not be able to exist. It creates power. Admittedly, when someone knows something you don’t, it is natural to be afraid. There are no nerves in this room, Emma,” he explained, weaving the threads of his cold intellectualism into his compassionate psychology and awaited her response. She did; a gulp made poignant noise. He had a point. A honed needle-shaped point, which he began to stitch with. “Now tell me, what does Marcus see in you that no one else doesn’t?”

“Probably,” said Emma as she drew a long breath, “the fact my medication isn’t taking so well anymore.” She could feel the seams coming together on her skin, on her mind, sealing the holes she wished to retreat inside of and keeping her together. Thin, tiny tingles.

“May I ask why you’re on medication?”

“My research can get quite intensee. Hours are spent going over gruesome details; what the tissue looks like, the angle of the rod when inserted through the eyeball, blood splatters, body decomposition and etcetera. I see dead bodies in my day-to-day, Dr. Lecter. Real bodies and I used to not be fazed by it since started.”

Hannibal remained still. He analysed each second between her breaths; saw the rise and fall of her chest beneath her marigold shirt. “That sort of work can tax the mind over time. The more you see, the more that gets added to the pile before your mind eventually cracks from underneath. What you are experiencing could very well be as simple as not increasing dosage over time.”

“It’s not the work itself which fazes me.” Emma’s heart raced at perturbing thoughts.

“Then what drives this fear?”

Uncertainty betrays her. She tears herself from his undeterred gaze.

“Emma,” said Hannibal, attempting to bring her back, “are you afraid someone is going to get hurt?” By now, the skilled psychiatrist spotted the mirror which sat across from him. Emma leant back at the same degree and angle, her hands situated similarly in her lap, her legs and face at odd parallels to the horizontal floor. And she looks not at him, but at the deepest, empty black pools of his eyes. For the first time, he truly looks back into her dark blues, which shimmered; possibility.

———

Yellow tape hung from the ornate door. A dozen uniforms walked in and out of the mid-century home, bypassing the tape. Two stood guard at the front. Radio chatter made a constant noise throughout the empty chambers. Flash photography went off, and flashlights shone in search. There had been no blood.

Nonetheless, Emma Darcy’s living situation was a crime scene.

Three hours ago, she had returned from her session with Dr. Lecter to the package at her door. About two hours was how long the police riffled through her small inventory of stuff, asking her questions and making sure she remained on the premises for the time being. Two hours to have the image of opening the package and dropping skin fragments on tiled flooring replay repeatedly. The package: navy blue, neatly wrapped with a bow. The contents: jigsaw squares cut from the same skin, Caucasian (like her), edges clean. This image played in her mind as a welcomed family member. It had been there before, but younger. An old case; her first book.

Her nails dug into the bottom of the patio deck, and herself placed on the edge, chewing on her lip. Too focused to notice new faces approach. “Miss Emma Darcy?” Three separate footfalls. “I’m Special Agent Jack Crawford with the FBI.” So it was as serious. Emma lifted her head at the badge presented before her. “This is Special Agent Will Graham and—”

“Dr. Lecter,” Emma finished. Her back immediately straightened upon sight of him.

“You two know each other?” asked Crawford, as he looked between them to discern the recognition.

Dr. Lecter eyed her with caution. The move was hers to take. “We just met earlier today.” Wood splinters hitched her hands, which loosened their grip. “He’s my psychiatrist,” she clarified. Sooner or later, she’d have to admit it as part of her alibi.

The answer satiated Crawford’s curiosity. “Well, Dr. Lecter here is assisting with the case. I take it that won’t be an issue?”

“Not at all,” responded Dr. Lecter.

“Good.” He shoved his hands into the pocket of his coat; no answer needed from Emma. Whose gaze turned to the remaining man, Will Graham, as he began to speak, “we were informed when asked for a statement you were unresponsive. Could you answer a few questions for us now, Miss Darcy?”

“Oh.” She hadn’t realised. She swore she talked to at least one of them. “I… Yes, and, please, just Emma.”

Will gave her a sincere, restrained cheek pull as if to say sorry and of course simultaneously. Awkward, though endearing in a way, perhaps, only executable by him and his lost puppy dog eyes that wouldn’t give her the direct time of day.

“Shall we?” said Crawford, gesturing to the nearby table and chairs.

Howled winds moved first, faster than Emma could keep up with as it caught against her red hair. She required focus to move. Otherwise, every touch felt reminiscent of the soft skin tissue she had handled mere hours ago. Right down to the temperature. She could feel it. Her knees buckled. All the weight bled out of her until nothing remained. Her head spun. Shapes merged into blurs, and a pair of hands grabbed her arms as her body dropped. Air hitched through her deprived brain. She could hear their collective worried exclaim and feel how small she was in that tight grasp to keep her upright. Eventually, a face broke past the dazed vision. “Take your time, Emma.” An unmistakable accent. Hannibal.

She peered up at him. He was calm even as his skin made contact with her bare forearms. Bodies close. Heat rose in her face, red being the first colour to return to her complexion – embarrassment, she called it at the time.

Forcefully swallowing the rock-shaped lump in her throat, Emma bobbed her head. “I got it.” Sure that she did, he removed himself. Shakingly, she pulled herself upright once more and made her way towards the opposite end of the deck. Her eyes moved faster than her feet as she became desperate not to see that face of Hannibal’s. Regardless, reminders of him stood everywhere. Pinewood trees surrounded the perimeter; grand and valiant against the chaos. They reminded her to breathe, to become one, to ground herself in the secluded forest. “Ask away,” said Emma, plopping beside the kitchen window.

Dr. Lecter and Agent Crawford took the remaining seats. Will’s fidgety self preferred to stand. “The easy stuff first,” said Crawford. “Take us through your day.”

She circled what phantom marks formed on her forearm as she sifted through her catalogic mind. “I woke up around eight o’clock, had breakfast and started my research until midday when I headed to my two-thirty appointment with Dr. Lecter. Then I went home, found the package, took it into the kitchen, opened it and called the police,” she explained.

“And I’ve noticed you have an accent. Are you…?”

“British? Yes. I just arrived a few days ago to work on my book.”

“Who owns the house?” queried Will plainly.

“My agent, Marcus Hall.” She turned her head. “He owns another place closer to the city, so he let me stay here.”

“Does anyone else know you’re here?”

“Except everyone here, no.”

Crawford spoke this time. “Any reason your mail wound up here, then?”

“Fan mail. After an incident a few years back, Marcus has been handling it for me. He most likely left it here for me,” said Emma. Distracted, her eyes followed a heavily clothed officer through the open window. Nosey and inquisitive, his naked hand itches above a forgotten string. “Don’t touch that!” Emma shouts, lesser than a worry and more fierce than annoyed. A command. One none of them expected based on her demeanour. “Gloves on or walk away.”

Caught in the act, the officer darts frantically between Crawford and Emma with his brows furrowed only to be met with a similar stare. There was no sympathy to be won. He backed away, and she hung her head, still reeling despite the little adrenaline rush that had kicked its way in. “Sorry, force of habit,” she said.

“You do that often?” asked Crawford.

“A few times, yes, back in England. I worked with public services, so I’m aware of the protocol.”

“More than just aware, it seems. You pieced the human puzzle together and left no trace.”

“That.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, tissue grating against tissue. “That was for my sake. I know it sounds crazy, but I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I didn’t know.”

“Not crazy, Emma. In your circumstance, it is understandable,” countered Dr. Lecter.

“What’s crazy is the exact same package arriving at my desk this morning,’ put in Crawford.

“… You don’t think I did it?” Emma laid eyes on the three of them, voice thick with tension.

Crawford peered at Will, conferring silently on his assessment. A glint reflected from a lens as the Special Agent removed his glasses, lips pursed and he shook his head. An outsider couldn't understand what it meant, even more so than what probably went on inside his head. But Jack Crawford had not been a stranger to this communication. He leant over the drab table. “No. In fact, we know you couldn’t have,” disclosed Crawford.

Baffled, her stomach fluttered. “So why are you telling me this?”

“Because the box had your name on it. Whoever did this wanted you and the FBI to know,” told Will. There contained a scrunched-up look on his face, apologetic in tone.

“We were hoping you might be able to help us, Emma,” said Crawford. “Any information you have, anything, would be grateful.”

Questions and answers, everyone had them. This new information fed that cycle. She could tell them everything – connect the points as she did with the puzzle – all it would cost was a dip. How much would the ultimate cost be? Enough to remain with some grip on reality? Maybe that’s all she needed. Enough.

She’d tell them enough. She wanted to help, even if there wasn’t much she could do.

But a detail had gone missing. “Is it a woman?” Emma piped.

Crawford squinted. “I’m sorry?”

“The victim you have. Is it a woman?”

“We’re not sure yet. Why?”

“My puzzle is missing about half its pieces. The first book in my series contains a similar murder. Every detail so far matches up. It's the first out of many. I needed to be sure.”

Will’s eyes widened as he connected the points. “You think there’s going to be more.”

Emma acquiesced and nodded. “It is highly probable,” she said, “and you have the other half.”

Darkness set on Baltimore and a fog wanting more, without a care for who was present, spread. Psychiatrist and patient set their sights on each other.

Two rooms over, spread out atop carpet in an intricate pattern, laid the human flesh that had been cut only to reform back as half a body. A young female. No detail spared as they all merged and were torn once more, crimson spilling at the edges of Emma’s mind. Piecing it back together. Over and over. Again and again. Visceral and real. Her story became reality.

The line began to blur.

———

“Emma,” said Hannibal, attempting to bring her back, “are you afraid someone is going to get hurt?”

“I’m afraid of myself,” she admitted. “I’m afraid I’m going to get hurt.”

#Hannibal #Hannibal x oc #Hannibal Lecter x original character #Hannibal nbc #Hannibal lecter #Hannibal lecter fanfiction #Hannibal fanfic #Hannibal lecter fanfic #Hannibal fanfiction

16 notes · View notes

fatashhealthcareoftexasllc · 3 months

Text

Living with chronic pain, whether as an adult or a child in need of pediatric home care in Texas, can significantly impact one’s quality of life. Therefore, it’s crucial to adopt effective pain management strategies tailored to individual needs. Let’s explore various approaches to alleviate pain and take control of their well-being.

#Balanced Nutrition #Pediatric Services #Personalized Care

2 notes · View notes

anjelicawrites · 1 year

Note

All this labour/baby/ family trend we are having is beyond sweet! And it made me think of a family memory where the wife was getting an epidural (I tried to translate the medical term from my language and hope I got it right) and because it can go wrong you have to sign all sorts of forms and then the partner was asked to leave for 15 min while the epidural was given before he was asked back inside and they always said that those were the 15 hardest minutes in his life because his thoughts just went wild all alone in that hospital corridor.

If you feel inspired, I would love to see how those 15 minutes would pass with Osferth and Aemond since they have each other. Would they talk? Would they pace in silence? Would one want one thing, and one the other? xx

Of the two, I think Aemond would be the calmer one. He's had far more experience with hospitals and surgeries, compared to Osferth, he knows that, sometimes, the only thing you can do is being patient and let time flow. Osferth paces along the corridor, worried that he can't do a single thing to help but wait, he hates it, he can't understand why Aemond is so calm, sitting outside the room, chin on his hands, while the anesthetist there is poking you: what if something happens? Aemond grabs his hand when he passes in from of him, his grip strong with no intention of letting go.

"This is out of your control" his voice is firm, it cracks, but it's strong

"I am going in. They can do the procedure with us inside"

"You will not do such a thing, putting them in danger like that"

"How can you be so calm?"

Aemond's scar inches, sometimes it does that, the skin coming alive in the general numbness of the area.

"Sometimes it's your only choice" he says, as the memories of countless surgeries resurface: the pain, the stitches, the bones broken and rearranged to salvage half of his face, the nightmares and the sleepless nights in the pediatric ward, everything coming back in a theory of horrors.

Osferth picks up on this and kicks himself for being so dense and uses Aemond's grip on his hand to help the other man up to hug him.

"We wait Osferth - Aemond tells him - there's nothing else we can do, but wait".

#answered #polyquestion

13 notes · View notes

lesbianslovebts · 7 months

Text

I am trying my damned hardest to cope right now, but I have to get some anger out first. I hate being disabled. I hate living in a house full of disabled people. I hate surviving instead of living.

I am autistic. I have anxiety, depression, and PTSD. I am an abuse survivor. Trying over 5 different antidepressants and going on birth control for menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea made me gain over 100 pounds between ages 12 and 15. I am immunocompromised. I get a sinus infection that lasts for 4-8 weeks every year. When I was younger, I had bone removed from my face because of chronic sinusitis. They had to put me on one antibiotic after another as a kid. The pediatric ones stopped working, so I ended up on adult antibiotics despite the risk for joint damage. I even had a PICC line put in when I was 8 to pump antibiotics right into my heart. I've had multiple cauterizations to stop severe nosebleeds. One time, the bleeding was so bad that trying to stop it from coming out my nose made it come out my mouth and eyes instead, and my eardrums almost ruptured. When I had Covid-19 in 2021, it lasted for 3 months. I developed seasonal allergies just this year. I have chronic migraine, which at this point is more than half the days in a week. I have GERD and IBS. Insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome. I no longer have tonsils, adenoids, or a gallbladder. I have chronic muscle pain.

My gramma has lived with us since I was 5. She smoked for 50 years and has had a heart attack, strokes, triple bypass surgery, stents, blood transfusions, aneurysm, COPD, staph infections, inch-deep craters in her leg, sepsis, amputation, type 2 diabetes, no teeth, celiac disease, glaucoma, sleep apnea, and countless episodes of heart failure and fluid in her lungs. We think dementia is coming next. She almost burned the house down a while back. Not to mention anxiety, depression, obsessions, and so on.

My mom has chronic vestibular migraine, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, anxiety, depression, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, IBS, GERD, and recently started bleeding out her ass, which could be simple hemorrhoids or colon cancer. 🙃

My dad was an abusive alcoholic, so I cut him off. He is autistic and has Dupuytren's contracture so severe that he can't open his hands and can barely use his thumbs and index fingers, horrible allergies, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and addiction, obviously.

My brother is a type 1 diabetic with a phobia of low blood sugars, which means he purposefully avoided taking the appropriate amount of insulin since he was a teenager. Combined with a diabetic-specific eating disorder, his A1C has been regularly over twice what it should be for over a decade, which has led to the following: diabetic retinopathy and cataracts, complete kidney failure (on dialysis), neuropathy in his legs and feet, no teeth, chronic pain, chronic fluid buildup, and malnutrition. Not to mention Dupuytren's contracture, ADHD, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and addiction.

And it may be silly to count my pets in with the people, but my dog and two cats are all 17. I've had them since I was 10. The dog has a severe heart murmur, is deaf, and takes several meds, but she's still happy, does brief zoomies once a day after a good shit, and lives to eat. Both cats are arthritic, which is to be expected of such old ladies. One has a sore on her chin that won't heal, and I'm about to spend $1k on her to see if it's solvable or time to make decisions. 🙃

Every single one of us in this house, animals included, are disabled. My mom and I worked so hard to make this a safe, clean space for us after moving out of the filthy, broken house we were in for 15 years, where we all suffered trauma. But ever since my mom let my brother move in due to his health issues, the house has gone to shit. I am the only one who cleans, and I just can't keep up with it. The only safe, clean space for me is my own room, where I imprison myself to survive.

All this, and I still haven't committed suicide because I am dying to live a better life. I have worked too fucking hard to get here. I remind myself of this, of the progress I've made, of my accomplishments, of what I want to see and learn and do, of what and whom I love. But Dear God, I am praying for a break, for some rest, for some peace, for all of us.

#personal vent post with numerous triggers #feel free to skip right over #this is basically a diary entry #i disabled reblogs but words of encouragement are welcomed :')#llbtspost

4 notes · View notes

hollowedstreets · 9 months

Text

Robert O’Connor

Twenty-Eight years old

Pretty much the poster child for youngest child syndrome, Robert is loud, energetic, playful, adventurous, even a bit of a flirt if it means getting that extra bit of attention. He’s a people person to his core, but one won’t see him truly relaxed or at peace or quiet for that matter until he fully trusts a person.

Born to a pair of rather powerful witches, Robert’s known the value of secrecy and deflection his entire life. In his mind it’s far easier to play the fool and to allow others believe he’s a bit of a ditz than to keep up some tough-guy act in order to keep people at arm’s length out of fear - that’s what his brother’s done their whole lives, and when they’re not actively with a patient their parents might as well be wholly indifferent to the world around them. He’s doing his best to find a happy medium, but it doesn’t always work out for the young man.

On the professional side of things Robert had never been entirely sure just what it was that he wanted to do with his life, but somewhere along the line he’d fallen into medicine just like the rest of his family. His mother; the chief of surgery and an incredible trauma surgeon, his father; a fantastic OB/GYN and world-renowned neonatal surgeon. His older (adopted) brother, Aaron, a werewolf and unironically extraordinary veterinarian in his own right, with his other older brother, Fletcher, semi-following in their father’s footsteps/taking his own path by going straight into pediatrics, and their sister, Isobel, making a beeline to learn anything and everything she could from Aaron to make her own career - all of this to say it was only natural Robert felt a pull to do something related to what those he loved did with their lives.

Settling on anesthesiology of all things in the first place, however, was still a bit of a mystery to those around him. His witch siblings would make cracks about, “You’re already annoying enough as it is, but maybe it’s compassionate on your part to use a mortal way of helping someone out of a conversation with you.” All in good fun, there never being malice because Merlin knew Robert could give as good as he got, but he’d allow his older siblings to make their jokes without push-back. Little did either of them, or anyone in his family for that matter, know that compassion was almost an understatement for why he chose the path he did in their hospital.

Katherine O’Connor, their mother, is a literal empath; she has the ability to read and control another’s emotions as she sees fit, but she refuses to impede on anyone’s free-will in such a way. Over her centuries’ long life, though, she’s long since honed that ability into pulling the pain straight out of a person’s body - undoubtedly quite the useful trick when it comes to easing her patients‘ agony, but in exchange the safest way to rid such feelings of anguish had always been to absorb it within herself. Her youngest child learned he inherited that ability some time ago, but he’s never told a single soul about it. Under the guise of helping people through various situations with mortal means, Robert has been able to ease even more agony where medicine might have otherwise caused adverse effects. He fakes being the fool to keep his cover intact; no one would expect such a happy-go-lucky golden retriever to be doing what he’s doing, and for now suffering in silence is a far better alternative than doing absolutely nothing with the power he was gifted.

#{ headcanons; robert o'connor }#{ hm. rambling mess this }#{ i feel like there's something here along the lines of him wanting to experience even a modicum of suffering }#{ compared to the things his parents have experienced over their very very very long lives }#{ as tho that might help lift the weight off their shoulders they've had for so long }#{ hell if i know??? }#{ sarah you're right. you're right }#{ they all need therapy and vic would be filthy rich if any of them used their heads and spoke to him but anywaaaay }

2 notes · View notes

coochiequeens · 1 year

Text

First it was a menstrual care product shortage, then it was a baby formula shortage that could last until spring now there is a shortage of children’s painkillers.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/12/01/childrens-tylenol-ibuprofen-shortages/

People seeking over-the-counter medication for their sick children are often finding sparse or empty shelves, as a spike in respiratory illnesses pushes pediatricians and emergency rooms to the limit.

Usual supplies of fever- and pain-reducing medicines, such as liquid acetaminophen and ibuprofen recommended for children with RSV, flu or the coronavirus, have not kept up with demand in recent weeks in pockets of the country hit hardest by surging illnesses.

Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning.

Unlike in Canada where the government has issued emergency orders to address a shortage of acetaminophen and ibuprofen, commonly known by the name brands Tylenol and Advil, and similar products, U.S. manufacturers and retailers emphasized that supplies should rebound within weeks. On the prescription side, increased demand for the antibiotic amoxicillin has caused shortages in the United States, Canada and parts of Europe.

In the meantime, pediatricians say they worry limited access to medicines could result in more urgent-care and emergency visits as parents struggle to keep sick children comfortable.

“It’s a huge problem,” said Kristina Powell, a pediatrician in Williamsburg, Va., and president of the Virginia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “This is a result of the ‘triple-demic.’ Parents run to Walmart or Target, the shelves are empty. … This is going to be a long fall and winter of viral infections.”

A crop of influenza-like illnesses, which includes RSV, hit the South and Southeast hard a month ago, federal data show, and those illnesses have slowly progressed westward. By mid-November, Texas, New Mexico and Tennessee reported the highest incidence of illness, while levels remained very high in Virginia and D.C., followed closely by Maryland, according to data tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kylie Moriarty, 30, of Buffalo, Mo., searched her local Walmart for Tylenol or ibuprofen to treat her sick 9-year-old daughter and found nothing but empty shelves. That seemed odd, she said, because just last week she had no trouble buying the same products for her 2-year-old son in a merry-go-round of illnesses affecting families with young children.

“I was very frustrated that it’s 2022 and we can’t keep something in stock for parents to help their children get better,” she said in a phone interview. “It makes me want to cry, almost, because these are my kids.”

She and her husband called other pharmacies looking for medicines to soothe the girl and couldn’t find any guaranteed availability.

“When they’re sick, there’s only so much that loving on them and cuddling with them you can do. So when there’s no medicine or something that you can give them … it’s hard,” Moriarty said.

Feeling powerless, the couple gave up and cautiously shared their younger child’s more concentrated medicine with the older one, which seemed to help. Just as they began to relax, their little boy came home from day care with a fever. Moriarty plans to schedule an appointment with his pediatrician for treatment — and samples to take home.

The ordeal reminded her of the height of the pandemic when supply chain problems left consumers scrambling for toilet paper and other basics.

Generic varieties play a large role in the market for over-the-counter comfort drugs, and that industry runs on profit margins so lean that companies typically lack capacity to boost production on short notice, according to supply chain experts. That left shelves bare during the early days of the pandemic.

The same dynamic is playing out now as RSV, flu and the coronavirus hit simultaneously, prompting sporadic shortages of commonly used ibuprofen and Tylenol at some hospitals and retail stores.

The extent of those shortages isn’t clear. The Food and Drug Administration hasn’t reported any shortages of fever or pain medications. Drugmakers, pharmacists and industry organizations say there aren’t any constraints to manufacturing and expect supplies to rebound within weeks.

The University of Utah’s Drug Information Service, which tracks drug shortages, received its first report of a shortage of liquid ibuprofen — generally for children — on Monday, and quickly confirmed it with several manufacturers. Most of the drugs tracked by the service are purchased in large quantities by hospitals, but some formulations had over-the-counter labels. Erin Fox, the service’s director, said it was impossible to know how widespread retail shortages were given the variety of store-branded versions.

“There are definitely distribution and supply chain problems that still exist,” she said, such as a company not being able to hire enough drivers. “These shortages seem to be mostly a demand spike and should resolve relatively quickly,” she added.

Until then, both chain stores and independent pharmacies are dealing with the unpredictability of high demand and uncertain supplies.

Martin McCarthy struck out at 5 p.m. Wednesday when he stopped by Brookville Pharmacy in Chevy Chase, Md., looking for liquid Motrin for his 10-year-old son, who probably picked up a bug at school.

The pharmacy’s stock of children’s fever reducers was depleted after two busy weeks of parents and grandparents stopping in to buy Tylenol or Motrin for little ones suffering from colds, RSV, flu and other viruses.

By Wednesday evening, only three boxes of generic ibuprofen chewables, two boxes of generic acetaminophen chewables and six boxes of suppository acetaminophen remained. Other parents peeked down the aisle looking for liquid fever reducer and fever reducer for children younger than 3, only to leave empty-handed.

McCarthy scanned the cold-medicine aisle for a few minutes and called home to confirm that his son would tolerate grape-flavored chewable tablets instead of the liquid Motrin he was used to.

“It is surprising because it’s basically completely out,” he said. “And it’s just generic.”

A spokeswoman for Walgreens said McCarthy’s experience is typical. Even if their usual choice of medication is unavailable because of high demand, parents can usually find an alternative.

“Although demand for pediatric OTC medications have increased, Walgreens is prepared and able to continue meeting the needs of our customers and patients. We are working with our diverse set of suppliers and distributors to ensure our patients have the products they need most,” Walgreen spokeswoman Zoe Krey said in a statement.

Martha Welman, a pediatrician and medical director at Neighborhood Health, a primary care provider serving low-income and underinsured patients in Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax, said staff will sometimes call pharmacies to find medicines for patients — a time-consuming process at a busy time.

“If it’s between helping someone find a medicine or seeing a sick child, we have to make that choice. We’re all kind of compromising right now,” she said.

Perrigo, an Ireland-based manufacturer of over-the-counter products, said “shortages are occurring in a number of markets we supply” because of high demand. The company has increased production of medications for fever and pain by 46 percent through October compared with a year ago, and increased shipments by a similar rate.

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents companies making over-the-counter drugs, said parts of the country are seeing a rise in pediatric illnesses but that there aren’t “overall widespread shortages here in the United States” of children’s pain relievers.

“We understand it might be frustrating for some parents who are unable to quickly locate these products from their usual pharmacy or retailer due to limited out-of-stocks in some stores,” the association said in a statement, but it emphasized the importance of calling around for medications and not hoarding, which could lead to widespread shortages.

Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., said from the bed shortage to overflowing emergency rooms, the last thing parents need is another hurdle. But until the early and aggressive onset of respiratory illness abates, health-care providers and parents have no choice but to ride it out together.

“Everyone would like to have one thing to blame and there isn’t one thing to blame,” she said. “This is happening for a variety of reasons and we’re going to move through it and we’re going to be okay.”

#Children’ painkillers #Supply shortages #Another shortage impacting women and children

7 notes · View notes

drst · 1 year

Text

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/02/13/teen-girls-violence-trauma-pandemic-cdc/

Article from the Washington Post:

Teen girls across the United States are “engulfed in a growing wave of violence and trauma,” according to federal researchers who released data Monday showing increases in rape and sexual violence, as well as record levels of feeling sad or hopeless.

Nearly 1 in 3 high school girls reported in 2021 that they seriously considered suicide — up nearly 60 percent from a decade ago — according to new findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost 15 percent of teen girls said they were forced to have sex, an increase of 27 percent over two years and the first increase since the CDC began tracking it.

“If you think about every 10 teen girls that you know, at least one and possibly more has been raped, and that is the highest level we’ve ever seen,” said Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health who said the rise of sexual violence almost certainly contributed to the glaring spike of depressive symptoms. “We are really alarmed,” she said.

Ethier said it’s important to determine who is perpetrating the violence, which the survey did not address, and how it can be stopped.

Almost 3 in 5 teenage girls reported feeling so persistently sad or hopeless almost every day for at least two weeks in a row during the previous year that they stopped regular activities — a figure that was double the share of boys and the highest in a decade, CDC data showed.

Girls fared worse on other measures, too, with higher rates of alcohol and drug use than boys and higher levels of being electronically bullied, according to the 89-page report. Thirteen percent had attempted suicide during the past year, compared with 7 percent of boys.

Sharon Hoover, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine and co-director of the National Center for School Mental Health, said she was struck by “the magnitude of the increases and the gender difference.”

Hoover and others pointed out it is unclear whether the data is influenced by other factors — if girls were more aware of depressive symptoms than boys, for instance, or more inclined to report them — or whether girls are simply far worse off.

The crisis of student mental health is much vaster than we realize

Richard Weissbourd, a psychologist and senior lecturer at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, said there is probably not a single cause to explain the data but rather interacting causes that vary by race, ethnicity, class, culture and access to mental health resources.

Even so, he said, “girls are more likely to respond to pain in the world by internalizing conflict and stress and fear, and boys are more likely to translate those feelings into anger and aggression,” he said. Boys are more likely to “mask depression,” he said, while girls may be more vulnerable to social media and “a culture obsessed with attractiveness and body image.”

CDC researchers said schools could be a lifeline as students struggle, pointing to studies showing better mental health outcomes for students who felt connected to their schools.

The pandemic took a heavy toll on adolescents, who already struggled with depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide before it began. Many were cooped up at home for months. They continue to grapple with social media pressures, academic strain and family turmoil. Some lost parents and other relatives to covid-19. “These data make it clear that young people in the U.S. are collectively experiencing a level of distress that calls on us to act,” the report said.

In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital Association together declared “a national state of emergency” in children’s mental health. A year later, the organizations sounded the alarm again.

The isolation and stress of pandemic lockdowns were followed by a rise in domestic violence — and may have also driven an increase in the sexual assault of teen girls, said Heather Hlavka, an associate professor of criminology and law studies at Marquette University with expertise in sexual violence.

CDC data do not suggest where the assaults happened or who perpetrators are, but Hlavka said it could be a combination of peer violence, dating violence and violence in the home — and should be a target for more research. “It’s really important to disentangle the relationships between the perpetrators and the victim-survivors to better understand the reasons why,” she said.

CDC researchers have kept an eye on data about forced sex for a long time, Ethier said. Now, “we see this increase from 11 percent to 14 percent of teenage girls saying that they’d been raped just between 2019 and 2021 — and that’s extremely concerning,” she said.

The CDC analysis is based on data collected in fall 2021 from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, taken by a nationally representative sample of students in public and private high schools. The results released Monday, derived from more than 17,200 responses, are the first since the pandemic began. The survey is done every two years, and Monday’s report showed trends that spanned from 2011 to 2021.

The findings about hopelessness and sadness among girls are true to the school experiences of high school senior Riana Alexander, 17, who founded the organization Arizona Students for Mental Health. As a group, girls tend to struggle more openly, she said, while boys “tend to struggle in silence.” The sexual violence figures did not startle her either, she said. “I’ve yet to meet a teenage girl who has not had something disgusting said or done to her by a man,” she said.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning students were significantly more likely to experience violence,including rape, than their heterosexual peers. They were also more likely to be electronically bullied and to report persistent sadness or hopelessness. Twenty-two percent had attempted suicide during the past year. (The survey did not have a question about gender identity, so the analysis did not include transgender students; future versions of the survey are expected to include the question.)

“These data show a distressing picture,” said Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief medical officer, speaking at briefing Monday. “America’s teen girls are engulfed in a growing wave of sadness, violence and trauma.”

That was not completely a surprise for Laurie McGarry Klose, past president of the National Association of School Psychologists. The first thing that came to mind about the rise in depressive symptoms, she said, was “this is the hard data that shows what we have known anecdotally for the last couple of years.”

Teens were hit hard by the isolation and disruption of the pandemic, but many were also shaken by a series of high-profile cases of racial injustice, Klose said — as they simultaneously navigated personal and family difficulties. “It was trauma after trauma, especially for kids of color,” she said.

The report showed disparities by race and ethnicity. Black and Hispanic students were more likely than White and Asian students to avoid school because of safety concerns, a finding the authors said suggested exposure to violence in the community or at school. Black students were more likely to attempt suicide than Asian, Hispanic or White students. White students were more likely to experience sexual violence than Asian, Black and Hispanic students, and they were the only group to see an increase in it.

American Indian or Alaska Native high school students were more likely than other groups to have been raped.

The report also spotlighted some positive findings: Students reported less alcohol and drug use. Over the last decade, fewer students reported ever having sex, currently having sex or having had four or more partners during their lifetime.

Though usage was significantly down over a decade, girls were more likely than boys to have consumed alcohol and used marijuana during the past 30 days. They also were more likely to have recently vaped or ever used illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, inhalants, meth and hallucinogens.

Girls were almost twice as likely as boys to be electronically bullied through texting and social media. The targets of bullying were more likely to be White, American Indian or Alaska Native, or LGBQ+.

In its report, the CDC steered attention to the nation’s schools, saying activities there can make a profound difference in the lives of teens. It recommended improved access to mental health services, more classroom management training for teachers, school clubs that foster gay-straight alliances, high-quality health education and enforcement of anti-harassment policies.

Ideally, schools would take on multiple initiatives: “The more of these things you do, the better the impact in the school environment,” Ethier said.

Research shows that those who feel close to people at school have a significantly lower prevalence of serious thoughts of suicide and feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness. “Our research has shown that young people who feel more connected in their schools do better, both while they are adolescents and up to 20 years later,” Ethier said.

Those least likely to feel connected to school included girls, students of color and LGBQ+ students, according to the data.

Emily Ozer, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health, recommended more mental health services in schools and even small ways to relieve student stress — whether it’s greeting each student by name as they enter class, responding to an absence with a caring inquiry, or giving the occasional homework pass. Student well-being is also linked to the mental health of teachers and other adults in the building, and they, too, need to be supported, she said.

“It takes a lot to be there for students,” Ozer said, “especially distressed students.”

Strikingly 86 percent of students reported high parental monitoring, defined as parents or other adults in the family knowing most of the time where teens are going and who they are with — also considered a protective factor. Nearly 90 percent of girls reported it, compared with 84 percent of boys.

4 notes · View notes

mcatmemoranda · 2 years

Photo

This is one of the handouts parents get if their kids have high lead levels. It's called "Lead and Nutrition."

In NH, children are screened for lead poisoning at ages 1 and 2 with the finger prick test. If the level is high, they need a blood draw to confirm the lead level (venous blood draw).

Parents should wet mop floors and windowsills, clean children's pacifiers and toys, wash kids's hands often.

Ask parents about behavioral problems, developmental delays/disabilities, excessive mouthing (putting keychains in mouth; items like that could have lead in them)/pica (eating non-nutritional items), whether housing was built prior to 1978, whether their child-care facility was built before 1978, whether their housing has renovations, whether the child is a recent refugee/immigration/international adoption, whether parents' job could expose them to lead (welding, renovating, painting, fishing, stain glass, target shooting, jewelry making), whether they imported any spices that could contain lead (turmeric, sindoor, surma, orange shringar, asafetida).

You need to do annual developmental surveillance and may refer for early childhood education/stimulation programs.

When you screen for lead in office with the finger prick, you have to wash the child's hands with soap and water first.

Symptoms of lead poisoning include stomach aches, headaches, trouble paying attention, developmental delays, behavior issues, problems eating and sleeping, speech/language delays.

Long term effects: slowed growth, poor school performance, hyperactivity, aggression, brain/kidney/nerve damage.

Home, water, and soil should be tested for lead.

Parents should feed children foods high in calcium, iron, and vitamin C.

Tx of high enough BLL: chelation with succimer of calcium disodium edetate. Succimer — Succimer (meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid) is a water-soluble analog of dimercaprol (British anti-Lewisite, BAL) that can be administered orally [48,49]. Like dimercaprol and CaNa2EDTA, succimer increases the urinary excretion of lead. Like dimercaprol, CaNa2EDTA increases the urinary excretion of lead through the formation of a nonionizing, soluble chelate.

Symptoms attributable to lead poisoning can include intermittent vomiting, anorexia, and abdominal pain (lead colic); intermittent irritability or lethargy; and/or lead encephalopathy (eg, persistent vomiting, persistent lethargy or coma, headache, or afebrile convulsions)

From UpToDate:

EMERGENCY MEDICINE (ADULT AND PEDIATRIC) (November 2021)

New threshold for elevated blood lead in United States children

●For children younger than six years of age in the United States, the reference value for an elevated blood level is 3.5 mcg/L (0.17 micromol/L).

Detectable blood lead levels (BLLs) are associated with neurocognitive deficits in infants and children less than 6 years old, and targeted screening of at-risk children is recommended. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lowered the blood lead level (BLL) threshold for action to 3.5 mcg/dL (0.17 micromol/L) from the previous level of 5.0 mcg/dL (0.24 micromol/L) [1,2]. At or above this threshold, specific interventions should be taken based upon the degree of BLL elevation. For children with BLLs below 3.5 mcg/dL, the limit of detection for lead varies by laboratory, and the actual blood lead value may be close to or above the threshold. Thus, some children may need to be retested depending upon age or other risk factors.

With chronic ingestion or inhalation, lead can be incorporated into the skeletal system, which becomes an endogenous reservoir of lead that is resistant to elimination. While chelating agents can bind to lead in blood, they are ineffective in removing lead from the deep bone stores.

I had twin pts who both had EBLL of 5 mcg/dL in August and level of 4 mcg/dL today. One of them hadn't grown as much as her twin, so there was concern that the EBLL might be affecting her growth. Scheduled both pts for f/u with repeat venous BLL, CMP, iron level, CBC in 3 months.

Tx: BLL less than 45 mcg/dL = no need for chelation; get abdominal X-ray if pt has signs of excessive mouthing (puts everythin in their mouth) or pica (eats non-food items). If you see lead chips, can do whole bowel irrigation. Clean the home and toys. Make sure kids get 5 servings veggies and fruits a day with vitamins including iron. Wash their hands. If BLL is greater than 45 mcg/dL, chelation is necessary.

#lead #lead poisoning #peds #EBLL #chelation

7 notes · View notes