#also i know for a fact a few are immunocompromised | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

spookyprime · 2 years

Note

I’m so curious about the other Batkids in the hometown au… you’ve drawn Jason a few times, but what are he and the others actually up to?

— @ghostinacardboardbox

Oh my god okay. Okay. So hometown actually started as a batfam au, but then I just got swept up in the young justice side story but it DID start with them. I'm so sorry this is going to be a lot but I wanna taaaaaalk about hometown I'm sorry.

Bruce is a pediatric surgeon. He still adopts a ton of kids but the circumstances have changed wildly. He’s a more patient and well adjusted man. Goes to therapy and loves his kids. Extremely divorced. Been married to both Harvey dent and talia. Divorced from both. Is currently in a complicated relationship with Selina but keeps looking at Clark. He’s messy. He’s a kind man though and damnit he’s a good dad. Also hes Jewish. It's not important to the story but it's important you know.

Dick is an entertainer at the childrens hospital. Yes I made him a clown shut up he does tricks and makes balloon animals for kids with cancer and stuff. He was adopted by Bruce after his parents “accident” but never went looking for revenge because he was actually given grief counseling and proper methods of care. He and Bruce still argue from time to time but their relationship is far less strained than in canon. They work at the same hospital. He does not live with Bruce.

as Jason did not get taken in by Batman he spent more time on the streets than in canon. He was a very rough pre-teen because of this. he isnt someone worth extorting so idk how the joker gets ahold of him but the joker just beats him near to death. No exploding building or anything. Jason doesn’t die. He’s airlifted to the pediatric hospital where he meets Bruce as his surgeon. Idk how the logistics of this work okay. Bruce saves his life and like. Idk. Feels real fuckin bad for this kid. The fostering set up was supposed to be temporary but Jason is deeply charming and likable so he kind of just never left. He needs permanent walking aids and has several chronic problems from the beating he was given. I’m thinking probably broke his back in several places- he’s not paralyzed but has pain issues. Does not have a job- lives with Bruce but sometimes lives at Roy’s. He's the embodiment of this pic

during the time Bruce was looking after Jason’s recovery he was also getting divorced from talia. This, reasonably, made him extremely stressed out and irritable. Tim is still their neighbor (fuck the timeline i dont care) and has 0 adult supervision and gets his kicks watching these two insane people have screaming matches on their front lawn. It’s deeply entertaining because Tim is a fucking weirdo. Bruce finds out very quickly their weird neighbor kid is watching them fight but instead of getting mad he’s more like “Where are your parents? why don’t you have someone watching you? why are you out here?” Tim is not adopted or fostered he just stays with Bruce while his parents are away. The drakes are actually very pleased with this arrangement. The drakes death happens several years into tim staying at Wayne manor because their attack had nothing to do with Batman or robin. However Batman is not there to negotiate jack- so he dies as well as Janet. Tim is- reasonably- very upset about this. I haven't figured out how Tim loses his spleen but the fact he's immunocompromised is important to me so he IS here. He's also Jewish and enjoys being able to celebrate holidays with Bruce when his parents aren't around.

Damian is a BABYYYY he's a baby. Bruce has custody but he visits talia every other weekend.

#hometown au #this is nonsense im so sorry #this is also incredibly stupid

214 notes · View notes

exeggcute · 4 months

Text

it's interesting that both times I've had covid (or at least both times I can be sure I've had covid) I never tested positive on any rapid tests... [small voice from the back of the room: but how do you know you had covid if you never tested positive?] well in both cases noelle HAS tested positive and we've come down with nearly-identical symptoms less than 24 hours apart and the extremely proximate living situation mean we're definitely passing the same germs back and forth. the first time I did a few swabs throughout and never got a hit and this second time I've only swabbed once so far but idk if it's worth cracking open an eight dollar rapid test in a few days just to see what happens For Science...

what I want to know though is whether my inability to get two lines on a rapid test means I'm just incognito contagious or if the fact that the test isn't reacting to any covid particles is a sign that I'm essentially not shedding much virus in the first place (possibly as a result of my piddly immune system). although this time around even noelle's positive result was an extremely faint line so it might be some other thing about new strains and test effectiveness or whatever.

also, to whoever was sending me those anon messages a few weeks ago about the risks of being immunocompromised while on biologics: covid is not wrecking my ass too bad, thankfully. if anything my symptoms are far less severe than last time; as far as immune shenanigans go I'm way more worried about this mildly infected toenail cuticle that doesn't seem to be getting better than I am about covid. knock on wood lol. if you go on biologics you should be okay so long as you don't pick up a random bout of TB or hepatitis

9 notes · View notes

yourdeepestfathoms · 2 years

Note

So I have a head cold at the moment, I’m immunocompromised, may we get some sick chaos choir headcannons pretty please with a few sprinkles on top?

-✨

of course! hope you feel better, anon! 💕

Okay, so we all know Ocean basically has no immune system and Always Gets Sick

But Penny has an immune system of pure IRON

Homegirl NEVER gets sick

Nobody knows what the hell kind of vitamins and CBD oils she was being given at Elysium Farm, but she’s like a Barbarian that chose Totem Warrior as its sub-class. Immune to basically EVERYTHING (except Psychic damage lol)

Also, Ricky has a weak immune system

He and Ocean are sick buddies!

Noel is the overdramatic sick person

Noel: I’m dying!

Constance: You have a cold

Ocean 🤝 Noel - Not wanting to ever blow their nose because it’s embarrassing

Meanwhile, Mischa will, no fear. And he sounds like a goddamn TRUMPET

“And this is why I refuse to blow my nose in front of you people” -Noel (with Ocean nodding at his side)

Constance will make soup for people who get sick!!

And that soup is like it’s made by ANGELS

If God is real, some of his holy essence is in that soup

That soup will make Noel religious

It’s just really good okay

Once when Constance got sick, the others decided that they would make HER soup!

It, uh

Well

It certainly was a liquid-based food that they made

So none of them knew the recipe (it’s a secret), so they tried to wing it

That didn’t work

They used Way Too Much chicken broth, so it tasted kinda chemically for some reason (based on when I attempted to make egg drop soup, used too much chicken broth, and it tasted like a chicken marinated in cleaning chemicals…with eggs)

They didn’t have the noodles Constance usually used, so they used spaghetti noodles 😭

Halfway through, they were like “this isn’t gonna work,” ditched the soup (didn’t throw it away, though, because that would be a waste), and decided to make something else

Mischa suggested porridge!

Easy peasy!

Except it was not easy, and it was not, in fact, peasy

Constance can hear the choir’s shouts of dismay from her bedroom

Noel and Penny had to rush to interfere with her when she came out of her room to see what’s going on

“No, no, everything is fine!” “Yeah, everything is fine! Go back to bed! We got it all under control!” “OW, I JUST BURNED MY FREAKING HAND!!”

It was a mess (literally)

Okay, okay, away from that!

Other various headcanons for the choir while sick!

So we all know that Ocean will REFUSE to rest when she’s sick until she’s either forced to rest or passes out

Mischa is kinda the same way, but not as severe

He just doesn’t like being seen as “weak” because of his whole Tough Guy persona

He doesn’t mind the other kids taking care of him, though! However, he WILL roll his eyes and act like he doesn’t care (he cares immensely)

Meanwhile, Noel will tuck himself in bed like a sickly Victorian child when he just has a little fever

Ocean will do the choir’s work if they’re too sick to do it themselves (she doesn’t mind, it gives her something to do)

Constance encourages everyone to get a lot of rest when they’re sick!

On the other hand, Penny will message the sick person wanting to play Pool on Game Pigeon to keep them busy

#ask #enjoy!#ride the cyclone headcanons #rtc headcanons #rtc #ride the cyclone #ocean o’connell rosenberg #noel gruber #mischa bachinski #penny lamb #jane doe #ricky potts #constance blackwood #✨ anon

96 notes · View notes

misty-lake101 · 4 months

Text

Live and Learn AU - Headcanons

Hey guys! I haven't updated Live and Learn for moment cause life has been so busy and now I have COVID which absolutely sucks! But I am trying to work on the next few chapters. I'm not sure how long it will be, but until then, I thought I'd give y'all some headcanons in the meantime! They mainly pertain to everyone's career choices and house habits so you'll get an idea of their dynamic.

Sonic - Major: Sports Communication

Sonic cannot cook. Period. All of his roommates agree that leaving him unsupervised in the kitchen is a fire hazard. He tends to order takeout more and microwaves leftovers. But as he got older and was forced to manage his money a little more, he did learn a few basic things at least. The fact that he’s on a meal plan with the college helps as there are some places that serve decent food. Given how athletic he is, It’s a wonder he’s managed to stay healthy this whole time.

He’s also a huge slob. His room is a disaster and he’s the type to just throw his clothes on the floor when he gets back, and then toss it in the laundry at the last minute. He's also that person who can easily find items in a messy room, but feels lost when the place is sparkling clean.

Sonic and Shadow were on rival sports teams in high school. They didn’t see each other for awhile after graduation, but then meet again when Shadow transfers to GMU and becomes their roommate.

Silver - Major: Pre-medicine

Grew up in foster care, and therefore not used to treating a place like his own home. He used to always have a mindset of ‘I'm in someone else’s house and have to follow their rules’. Moving in with Sonic changed that for the better, of course. But of all the inhabitants, he is the most flexible as far as habits go. Like Sonic, his own room can get pretty messy, but he's more conscious of others and therefore a little better at keeping common spaces clean.

He mostly relies on his college’s meal plan but over time, is trying to learn how to cook. He's pretty bad at it too, but it's more because no one taught him anything. Espio uses his restaurant job to his advantage to help him in this area.

His sleep cycle can be a mess since he works night shift for his job. Keeping days of the week and dates straight is often a challenge and he often has to be reminded that no, it's Saturday morning - not Friday night. His daily routine depends on his class/work schedule or what he feels like doing that day. Without that as some kind of structure, he can have almost no concept of time

Shadow - Forensics, but at some point, Undecided

Being in military school and having a strict guardian as well as a chronically ill and severely immunocompromised sister resulted in some extreme habits for Shadow.

He is the epitome of a neat freak. Every nook and corner of the house will be subject to a good vacuuming and mopping if he can help it. He’s an early riser and has a specific morning routine. Comically, these things end up being a source of conflict between him and Sonic when he first moves in.

Unlike Sonic and Silver, Shadow is very good at cooking and becomes the de-facto chef of the house. He's very adept at everything from basic to gourmet meals and knows how to tailor in dietary restrictions of all kinds. He also won't allow anyone but Amy to help him out in the kitchen.

Amy - Nursing, but is thinking of changing her career

At the start of the story, Amy's life was a bit of a mess before she moved in with Sonic and Silver. She lived with three girls in another house and they were generally pretty awful to her, as was her boyfriend. After thirteen months of that, she moved out early when the stress reached a boiling point.

Yet in terms of house habits, she (and to a certain extent, Silver too) is the obligatory "how am I the most normal one here???"

She generally gets along with everyone. Though she and Sonic dated briefly in school, there's no bad blood between them and they're good friends. She bonds very quickly with Silver since they're both in the medical field and can understand each other's struggles that are unique to that career. Silver also looks to her a lot for dating advice. Amy has a pretty civil relationship with Shadow and they gradually become very good friends as well.

Her house habits don't really have anything too extraordinary about them. She's pretty good with cleaning up after her self and is flexible with others. Amy's expectations aren't very high beyond, "please clean up after yourself" and "don't do the nasty in shared spaces and leave 'evidence' of it".

When Shadow first moved in, he and Sonic would bicker a lot. Amy did her best to stay out of it, but there were times she had to intervene. When this happened, she and Silver would take turns deciding who would be the one to break them up.

#silver the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #sonic headcanons #sonic fanfiction #sonic roommate au

5 notes · View notes

madamemachikonew · 1 year

Text

More thoughts on Baizhu's story quest #4 - the poison is the cure

My other Baizhu story quest thoughts:

1 - Changsheng the Corruptor

2 - Baizhu's Lack of Self

3 - The Adepti

↓ ↓ Story quest spoilers below↓ ↓

I thought some of you might be interested in the perspective of A Sick Person (which of course is only my own - I don't speak for all...).

One of the things that really resonated with me was the age-old pharmacological principle that potentially anything is poison in the wrong quantity. But equally, some things which are technically toxic can in fact bring you a cure.

It is a principle with which I am intimately familiar. And Jialiang's dilemma was very easy for me to understand and empathise with. I have been going through cycles of chemotherapy to stabilise my multiple sclerosis. I played Baizhu's quest while recovering from being infused with highly toxic drugs normally used for leukaemia patients. They help MS by killing my immune cells en masse in the hope that they will repopulate as healthy cells instead of faulty ones that attack my brain and spine. However, the treatment was not an easy one to choose. The list of side effects is long and terrifying, not just immediate side effects during the infusion period itself, but long lasting ones; I am at risk of acquiring a whole plethora of new, additional and incurable health conditions. I had to do a balancing exercise when choosing my treatment. Was I prepared to trade my thyroid for a few more years of getting to use my hands and legs and being able to live independently? If not, I'd have to opt for one of the less effective treatments.

I'm getting to how this relates to Baizhu, I promise.

I don't even know if the gamble will pay off. While I have high hopes it will succeed, and has stabilised things so far, it is not guaranteed. This treatment is not 100% effective and fails for many people, even after a few years of their symptoms having been stabilised. And similarly, a day may come several years in the future when it is time for me to pay the piper and hand over an organ or two; thyroidectomies are extremely common. I'll also be immunocompromised for around a year or so, which comes with its own risks.

I don't raise any of this for sympathy - it simply got me thinking about the green man, in that we've both made a similar decision and almost embrace the opportunity to poison ourselves as a strange sort of gift (fun fact: the German word for poison is 'gift').

In a perverse way, I understand Baizhu's choice under the contract. For me, destroying my body is literally what will give me a second chance at life. Baizhu too chooses to barter away and destroy parts of his body and acquire new illnesses for what he classifies as a greater overall benefit - except in his case it's scientific discovery and the altruistic potential to save more lives rather than improving or maintaining his own quality of life. He has a weird solidarity with his patients in this regard; while he's confident he will succeed in his endeavour to achieve immortality, it is not guaranteed, and may one day bring a devil's price with it. What sets him apart, however, is that - unlike his patients - his choice is voluntary. It is the voluntary aspect that breaks my mind a little bit. I genuinely needed this treatment and even I was hesitant. Jialiang's choice was no choice at all. He wanted to cling to as many good days as possible, because the alternative was death. Yet Baizhu just takes on the mantle without any reservation. This feeds back in to how he conceives his sense of self. Such acts run so contrary to natural instinct that it takes great fortitude of spirit and intellect to overcome our hard-wired self-preservation mechanism. His sacrifice is ironically the greatest assertion of self. One of my friends is a long-standing blood and bone marrow donor. He was also a volunteer for the covid vaccination trials. Some people are just like that.

I had to consider which illnesses I was prepared to accept in the future as a consequence of my treatment, which made me wonder whether Baizhu has a line that he draws in terms of which illnesses or toxins he's prepared to absorb. I would like to understand how he calculates risk -v- reward. Presumably he does not take on anything that will be terminal. Nothing that can't be managed or put into remission through medication (or is at least tolerable and non-fatal without it). Nothing that would wreck his immune system too much. Nothing neurologically degenerative that would cause his intellect or limbs to irreparably deteriorate or fail, as that would impair his ability to conduct research. I imagine he'd also have to consider potential interactions, given the cocktail of medications he is on - some remedies will undermine others and he may have to abstain or moderate them. And some remedies will cause additional side effects or health conditions in their own right after prolonged use.

My treatment also made me wonder how much toxicity Baizhu himself potentially leeches out to the people around him. My chemo drug literally seeps out of my pores, salivary glands, tear ducts and so on for a week or two. I have to use a separate toilet/bathroom and any clothes or bedsheets have to be washed separately. I can't be intimate with anyone for a while because my bodily fluids are literally toxic. It made me wonder if Baizhu avoids intimate emotional or physical attachments not just because of the emotional damage to someone who'd fall in love with him and because he will always put his duties as a healer first (I think he'd care less about his own pain of foregoing a chance at love given his sacrificial nature), but because he might be physically toxic to be intimate with on account of the poisons, illnesses and medications he had in his system. He jokes with Traveller in his voicelines that he can test strong concoctions on them. But I think he's deflecting here; presumably he will take a liberty to dose himself more strongly than he might a patient if there is a potential research benefit behind it, such as learning how to dose properly and potential side effects. Or simply, to manage his condition with a harsher regime because he knows he's prepared to tolerate it.

#baizhu #genshin baizhu #genshin impact baizhu #baizhu story quest #baizhu thoughts #degenerative illness

18 notes · View notes

forgottenluck · 9 months

Text

So....I'm sorry for sort of just...kinda dropping off the face of the earth for the past month, only interacting off and on and such.

Under a read more is the long version.

tldr: Life handed me a very bad hand and i'm not dealing well.....but trying to get myself to a better position.

Now for the long version.

At the end of April, one of my favorite months, my landlord decided that they would not be renewing our lease. For reference, we lived in Government Assisted Housing, which subsidized our rent and made it easier to afford just basic living. As most of my followers know, I live with my mom. But for those of you who are just now joining me on this hell-journey, i'll give you a rundown.

My mom is in very poor health. She's had massive complications with surguries, strokes, heart attacks, transplant....you name it, it's likely happened to her at least once. This left her pretty much unable to care for herself. She can barely stand on her own, uses a wheelchair and walker....etc etc. I've been careing for her for about 15 years now.

Back on track, we'd been living in Government Assisted (HUD) housing for a few years now, it's a vicious cycle of "you can't make more than ___ and if you do your rent goes up." and "Can't work more hours or rent goes up." and "can't get a raise because then rent goes up.".....and we haven't exactly been happy living here. The place has changed hands multiple times too. In the years I've lived here, they've changed hands at least once a year. The current one is the one that's held on the longest....And they're not very good landlords.

During March and April of this year, they did their yearly inspections. Which, due to my mother being sick at the time, we missed. Because of mom's health, she's Immunocompromised, which means she cannot be in contact with a lot of people....especially when she's already ill to begin with. All of the other landlords have understood this, and respected this. When she's sick, i put up a note on the door, that explains she's sick and that if they need to come in, they're to contact me and reschedule any visits until after she is better. As the note instructed, the landlord skipped over our unit in inspection....but never called me to verify a new date. They'd done this before, and so i thought nothing of it....

But when I went in to do our recertification (which we have to do every year through HUD) I was given a massive slap on the wrist because "they couldn't get in our apartment for inspection"....and that the landlord would call me to reschedule the inspection. By that point, the apartment was a mess because i was trying to take care of her and an elderly dog she refused to rehome....So, thinking that it would be in a few days, I worked to get it back into shape.

I never get a call.

Okay. That's fine. I'll just move on with life. I have more important things to deal with, after all.

It was, unfortunately, not fine. I go in to give them my paperwork for the recertification (because I missed some papers the first time) and I get told that our unit is being chosen for the yearly HUD inspection, and that it'd better be spotless in one week. And of course...i panic.

I have ADHD, and being the only member in the family that can actually move around, it means i'm also the only one who can clean the apartment up, take trash out, dust, etc. Which is hard with ADHD. So the apartment was an absolute wreck...and i had to clean the entire thing in one week. I ended up having to call in help. But i got it done.....somehow. The apartment had looked the best it had in YEARS. Sure it was a little dusty, and the carpet was filthy because of an elderly dog and another dog that sheds like crazy.....(and the fact that my vacuum had literally exploded the night before.)

But somehow.....somehow, we failed the inspection. And the landlord wouldn't give me a clear answer on how. Regardless of how or why, we were given a 90 day notice, we had to be out by July 31st. It wasn't an eviction, they were.....nice enough to do it as a "non-renewed lease" but it was still....not a great situation.

Cue a.....mad, frantic battle of trying to find a place to live. With mom's health, we had to have specific accomedations.....and luckily a friend of mine was willing to go in with me on an appartment, even willing to accomedate my mother if we could find a place. But every place we looked into, applied too....denied us. (It didn't help that because i was once income based housing, my income was very low and most apartments wanted 2 or 3 times the rent in monthly income.....which was impossible for me.)

About mid June, my mother decided enough was enough, and she agreed to be put into a nursing facility. I could no longer adequately take care of her, tension and emotion were strained.....it had not been a good situation for a while, and she finally broke down and agreed to the suggestion. We put that in motion and then me and my friend set out once again to try and find a place to live. Without her limitations, the first place that we applied too accepted us. A small breath of fresh air....that didn't last long.

I now had to pack a whole 2 bedroom apartment into either a donate bin, a storage bin, or the new place. And to make matters worse, my mother was obstinate and inconsiderate, and pretty much refused to let me work on packing unles it was the middle of the night and she wasn't awake. I would constantly get passive aggressive quips and sometimes full blown arguments with her about the move.

All the while, there's hiccup after hiccup with her going into a facility. First the hospital didn't release her information to the coordinator because they thought it was an audit (which if it was an audit wouldn't you get it super fast in that case to get it over with? but what do I know....), then the coordinator went on a mandatory vacation. Then they had to wait for the hospital to release more information. Then mom had to have a test done. All of this stuff should have been handled in two weeks. We were told by the coordinator it would only take two weeks......A whole month went by and we were still waiting.

And because we were still waiting, and i was recieving harassment and push back, i was behind in packing and sorting. Those weeks were....really blurry if i'm going to be honest with you all. It didn't help that about towards the beginning of July my apartment was broken into and I was assaulted. (SA, this will be the only mention.) OF course the Landlord did nothing, and I really don't want to go into details because it just makes them look even hinkier.

The stress, the assault, the move....it all blurs together the past month. I spent from July 30th to August 3rd trying to get as much stuff out of that apartment and into the new one as i could. My roommate had already moved in, so i just had to move my stuff in.

My aunt, graciously allowed me and my mom to stay with her while we stayed in the facility limbo (i had to stay with mom because my aunt had no idea how to care for her, and really couldn't do everything necessary.) But...mom's health rapidly deteriorated over the past few weeks, and she was just admitted into the hospital.

Life has not been kind to me the past few months. I've been stressed, attacked mentally, verbally, and physically. It's honestly a wonder i'm still kicking. I know i've developed some sort of heart murmer or palpitations that flare up from time to time recently. My room is bare minimum....i just had to buy a comforter set and some other things that i need to be able to sleep. It's not been good.

But.....hopefully, from now on, things will look up. I know this has been mostly a rant, but I wanted people to understand where I've been and why i've either dropped things completely, snipped and snaped at people, or hyperfocused on one or two things. It's all i've been able to do. And I want to thank all of you for getting to the end of this, and for supporting me as much as you all do. I'll get back into the swing of things here, it just may take me a bit.

Thank you again, and please, i do hope you have a good night. I'll queue this a few times over the next few days.

#{Out of Luck} OOC #rant thingy #Life Update...kinda important #long post

6 notes · View notes

russilton · 2 months

Note

Sometimes with the vaccine stuff you just can’t convince some people to get vaccinated, my moms best friend is anti-vax (corrupted by facebook) and my mom has tried to convince her to get vaccinated so many times and she just refuses. I don’t blame jenson for his wife being unvaccinated(as long as he is) sometimes the people you love are idiots and there’s nothing you can do.

I’m aware how easily fear mongering and internal bigotry can twist even the most well meaning people into ones we don’t recognise, my own mother has made more than a few genuinely shitty comments about vaccines and chemicals being a possible cause for my autism since I got diagnosed, because it absolves her internal guilt about it. But it’s also been on me to shut that shit down each time. Not every situation will be that simple, I know.

It’s not always a yes or no solution, sometimes you can work on and convince someone over a period of time. Sometimes you may be in a housing situation where arguing puts you at risk and it’s completely understandable to avoid it then. But vaccines aren’t a simple thing to muse over like the right age to talk to kids about death or how much screen time they should get. Not getting vaccinated kills people.

It could kill you, because vaccines aren’t developed for just any illnesses, they’re developed for the ones that have the potential to kill. But you also risk hundreds of thousands of disabled people around you who need herd immunity to be able to integrate into regular society. You owe it to them to not flex on these issues.

Disabled people tend to befriend other disabled people, and while not as severely as others, I was immunocompromised enough to receive vaccines at the same time as most 70-60 year olds during COVID. I have friends who would be at severe risk if they got covid, of death or further debilitating illness. We had to spend the height of covid shut away inside worried that a trip to the store could kill us, I still worry about potential catching it again while many people got their last shot over a year ago and moved on.

But there are thousands of adults and even more pressingly, children who deserve to be able to go out in public and enjoy the world with a general hope they will be safe with herd immunity. Kids with cancer or auto immune diseases that have to miss out on social development because some adults take a look at the incredibly low risk of vaccines, and decide that it’s simply too much for them to bother, when they take bigger risks with cars, or in the case of Jensons wife, cosmetic procedures, because they view the benefits as more valuable. “But I can’t get around without my car it’s worth the risk” disabled children can’t get around without you being vaccinated

Jensons wife isn’t just his friend he hangs with, he’s raising children with her. He’s the one that has to have these hard discussions. And maybe he has, maybe he’s convinced her to get all their kids vaccinated and she’s the only hold out. I did my due fact checking diligence before I posted the other ask and he did seem to be quite vocally supportive of vaccines in 2021 because “he wanted to go back to normal” and that is commendable of him. I do not know the nuances of their homelife situation, and that’s why I still cautiously support him distantly while scrutinising his opinions fairly heavily. He is a person of influence, there are people who look to him for how they form their own opinions and standards. I don’t know you but it’s likely your mom’s opinion on her friend isn’t being seen by thousands.

These kinds of disagreements show who a person is. I would be horrified if my partner thought this way (she doesnt) and i certainly wouldnt want to have kids with someone willing to put other children at risk like that. my partner and I disagree on things like if the five second rule is true (it is) and if big bird is a puppet (this argument genuinely ended in tears), but we agree firmly on bigger issues and I wouldn’t change that. Some people get very comfortable with having friends who do shitty things because “not my monkeys not my circus” but if those monkeys are climbing into the stands and punching kids, you should probably step in and talk to your friends or at least make it clear you don’t support them. This is how we can affect change on a small scale.

This is a lot of mixed metaphors for 8 am I’ve had a very long week, but you get my point. It might not always be something you completely divorce a friend (or wife) over, but it’s also not something to throw your hands up and be apathetic about, that’s an energy I hold the people I support to because I want us to live in a world where we care about these kinds of things.

#asks #anonymous #tw: vaccine debate

1 note · View note

rebeccathenaturalist · 2 years

Text

Why Are So Many of My Foraging Classes Online?

Fall semester has started, which means a whole new round of classes. While I don’t get as much consistency in who’s attending compared to someone teaching credit courses where an entire cohort may take multiple classes from the same instructor, I still get to enjoy both the fun of meeting new students, and also seeing some familiar faces from folks who decided to take another class from me. It’s also a time for fielding a variety of questions leading up to various classes; some of them are unique, but I can usually count on a roundup of the usual queries like whether students will need any materials, if online classes will be recorded, and whether the term “remote” on a foraging class equals “foraging classes online” or “foraging classes in remote areas.” (I didn’t choose the term; it’s one that some of the community colleges and other venues I work with prefer.)

I always clarify that remote classes are, in fact, online. It may seem a little counterintuitive to be holding a class on looking for edible mushrooms and plants virtually. But there are a few good reasons for it.

First, while I was teaching pre-pandemic, I and many other educators ramped up our Zoom classes when people went into lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic in late winter of 2020. That coincided with a surge in interest in foraging classes at the same time. Some folks were now sitting with a bunch of time on their hands where they didn’t have to work, and thought about things they wanted to learn about but had never had the time for. Others were concerned about the food shortages at grocery stores, worried that the pandemic would exacerbate issues with supply lines, and wanted to look for alternative ways to acquire food. So I put together the online mushroom hunting and PNW foraging classes I’ve taught since then.

And they’ve been continually popular ever since then. The one silver lining of the pandemic was that it increased the infrastructure for online classes, making them more appealing and accessible to people, as well as easier for instructors to use. I’d never even used Zoom prior to that point, and while it’s been a bit of a learning curve since then I’ve mostly gotten the hang of it.

But I also like online classes because they’re accessible. I can offer a variety of one-time classes through numerous venues, often with regional information customized into each class, and people can choose from multiple dates and times. Moreover, not everyone is physically able to go out into off-trail land looking for mushrooms or plants for several hours, but they still may be interested enough in foraging in less rugged places at their own pace and want a concise introduction to what they need to know to get started. And some folks who are immunocompromised aren’t comfortable going to in-person classes, whether inside or outside, so online classes are a safe alternative.

Time is also a consideration; it’s a lot easier for people to set aside a couple of hours to listen to a Zoom class on a weekday evening or Saturday morning, than to commit to traveling to a place, spending X number of hours out in the field, and then traveling back home. I’ve even had attendees multitask during classes with household chores, making art, etc.–as long as they can pay attention to their satisfaction, I’m fine with it. It’s also not uncommon for someone to be unable to attend the live class, but to watch the recording instead and email me questions afterward.

And, of course, there’s the fact that I live three hours away from Portland and about the same distance away from the Olympia-Tacoma-Seattle area, where a lot of my classes are based. I wouldn’t be able to teach nearly as much if I did everything in person. At this point I offer the better part of 100 individual class sessions a year, hosted by venues from Oregon to Connecticut, and having most of my nature and foraging classes online means I can reasonably reach a lot more people who wouldn’t have access to my in-person classes.

Is it the same as going out in the field and foraging? Of course not. I can give people detailed information on identifying new-to-them species, and tips for safe and effective foraging, and some photos of beginner-friendly plants and mushrooms. But that’s not equivalent to going out to a place, exploring it on foot, and seeing different species in the context of their habitats, handling them and doing live identification right there in the field.

Sometimes I’m able to offer a workaround; every spring, summer, and fall through Portland Community College, for example, I offer a Nature ID Field Day open to anyone who has taken any of my online identification classes (foraging, mushrooms, birding, etc.) It’s a chance for participants to make use of the identification skills and tools we discussed online, and try them out in person. While we don’t only focus on foraging, we usually find some things along the way that happen to be edible. Plus it’s a good excuse to spend a few hours outside with other nature nerds!

And I do other in-person events now and then for various venues,like nature walks and indoor classes. Plus I’m trying to get the immense amount of paperwork pulled together to legally be able to offer independent guided tours in 2023, which will provide even more opportunities to work with people in person in the field.

But I will always have some natural history and foraging classes online, because I think it’s an incredibly important format for reasons I’ve already described. It’s not for everyone; some folks will always prefer in-person events, and that’s completely understandable! From the feedback I’ve gotten, though, demand for online classes isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and I’m glad I can make them available to so many people.

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

#foraging #nature #classes #foraging classes #mushrooms #wild foods #outdoors #accessibility #long post #insects #bugs #hiking #outdoor education #wildlife #online classes #mushroom hunting #mushroom foraging #nature nerds

18 notes · View notes

sassypotatoe1 · 1 year

Text

As a high iq autistic who's special interest is knowing everything ever all the time, the amount of things people are just so confidently wrong about is staggering, but I can't really say anything because it's not really stuff that's harmful to be wrong about and quite frankly some of them are hilarious in their wrongness.

Some of the not as funny examples but the only ones I can remember off the top of my head rn include:

A woman told me that picking at my nails and tearing off the tips when they chip to make them smooth is going to make them grow slower because it makes microscopic tears into the nail bed that have to heal first. Nails grow like hair, from inside le finger, and they push dead proteins out, which is bound together by beta keratin, and that makes the nail. It doesn't grow from the tip, that's just the excess dead skin cells being pushed out.

The man who once told me that he thinks that the ice on the poles build up, become very heavy over time, and then the weight makes the earth flip on its side, changing the equator into the poles, where ice again builds up, becomes heavy and eventually flips the planet. He believes that this is how the dinosaurs were killed. Nevermind the fact that poles can't just shift to the equator, that's not how magnetic fields work, otherwise uranus would be spinning on the same general axis as everything else. Also nevermind the fact that the amount of mass required to do something as cataclysmic as flip a planet is like, don't cite me on this I'm very likely underestimating, 1000% of the amount of water we have on the planet total.

The man who confidently told me that herd immunity is when herds ostracise sick members to let them die off and create a healthier gene pool. Sir that's just survival of the fittest, and very very few animal groups actually do that. Herd immunity is.. Totally different. It's when enough people have been immunized against an illnesses to decrease spread of the illness so much that those who are immunocompromised or could not for some or other reason get immunized don't get sick. This one is actually harmful misinformation so I did attempt to correct him but I wanted to include it because it's just so confidently so wrong.

So anyway people being confidently extremely wrong entertains me because I have to laugh about it or else I'll become morbidly depressed so please share your HARMLESS (because I don't want to be depressed about harmful misinformation) confidently way off the mark stories I need to read something when work is slow.

2 notes · View notes

phoenixonwheels · 2 years

Text

Quick turnaround

Mailakei isn’t afraid of no pandemic. She is afraid of vaccines though. Oh and also fuck the immunocompromised - they can just die already because she will not be wearing a mask.

You’re worried about the global pandemic currently killing millions of people? You want people to wear masks so as not to kill their neighbors with a deadly pathogen? Well fuck keeping actual people alive - Mailakei is going to spend her time “worrying” about a pile of conspiracy theories and dog whistles.

You’re right bitch - we are not the same.

Mailakei “cares” about a pile of cells but fuck the actual babies - you know the real, live ones - who are too young to get vaccinated. And fuck the elderly and the immunocompromised too while you’re at it.

I see we’ve reached the prayers stage.

Whoops, there it is. Bye Mailakei! At least her husband will miss his “ladybug” right? She was a strong woman! She cannot be replaced! She will not be forgotten! Right? … Right?

That’s four weeks to the day from when Mailakei died. Somebody keeps a calendar.

And Kenneth has her fully replaced in a record 9 weeks. Speedy work!

Great news for you antivaxxers - when you inevitably kick it your spouse will not be sad forever. In fact the whole sad phase may last as little as a month! No worries Mailakei I’m sure she’s just as good of a cook as you were.

[ID: Facebook posts by Mailakei LaVergne: Jul 30, 2020: “I’m sorry for the language, but this guy is a jacka**! I’m not wearing a dang shield and goggles and I sure as heck am not getting the flu vaccine!!! When I get the vaccine it is always worse than when I get the actual flu virus! So Fauci and anyone else who doesn’t like what I am saying can cram it in your cram hole LaFluer!!” Aug 20, 2020: “You’re worried about me not wearing a mask. I’m worried about the global elite and their fetish for children. We are not the same.” Aug 11, 2021: “For a country who killed an entire generation in the womb but tells adults to wear masks to ‘save lives’, Your words are a joke and an embarrassment.” “All. Day. Long!!” Sep 4, 2021: “Ok. So last week COVID hit my family. Knocked me down hard but three days later with my precious wife’s nursing my son and I were back on our feet and fever free! Then my wife went down. She has been unable to get back up as of yet. She was just admitted to Baptist in Beaumont with extremely low oxygen and BP! If that isn’t bad enough these hospitals for some unconscionable reason won’t let me be with her! I’m sitting in the parking lot because they won’t let me stay in even the waiting room. Please pray for my ladybug!” Photo of a woman with strawberry blonde hair lying in a hospital bed wearing an oxygen mask. “Mailakei Ann LaVergne, 44, of Orange, passed away on September 30, 2021, in Port Arthur.”Kenneth LaVergne, Oct 28, 2021: “Used husband for sale! High mileage but everything still works! Currently in the shop trying to get some body work done but the engine is still good! REAL CHEAP!! Test drives available. Inquire in the comments!! 😂” Nov 30, 2021: “If you have lost your rig or another removed one, just know, I’d you are still breathing, GOD has a new chapter for you. GOD has a new mission and a new journey for you! My new chapter is just beginning! My heart is beating again! Been a great few weeks. Forward we go! Photos of a man with a grey beard hugging a woman with dark brown hair in a living room. “Orange County marriage licenses issued 12.6-12.10.21. The following couples were reported to have obtained marriage licenses in the office of Brandy Robertson, Orange County Clerk, during the week of December 6 – December 10, 2021: Kenneth Lavergne and Juanita Gonzalez-Oyervides”]

#eugenics #antivaxxer #antimasker #dying to own the libs #fucked around and found out #fafo #karma is a bitch #covid 19 #coronavirus

98 notes · View notes

acrispyapple · 3 years

Text

i don't really do a lot of personal posts, so i hope i won't have to do this again soon. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

i post here for myself and to have fun, not to have to defend myself or please everyone. i'm seriously so over that. ✿

i make fun of routes / scenes / attire (i take dressing up my avatar seriously haha), and sometimes cg poses that don't make sense. i give my reaction to things. i don't dislike any of the suitors / love interests. the most you'd see is me making fun of mc and her decisions. before anyone goes rabid and says anything to counter, look back and read through my posts again. (*´艸`*)

if my comments upset you, then don't follow my blog. i feel like i should be free to have my harmless fun, as those who don't want to see it are free to avoid / block me. you don't have to read everything you see. ( ･᷄ㅂ･᷅ )

if you're offended regarding a route you've seen me post about, don't worry! i post scenes from every route (including my faves) and i've made jokes and comments about them as well. it's a running thing i do, and it's not some form of bias towards certain characters. i can make jokes, but that doesn't mean i don't have anything good to say about them either. i say stuff depending on what i'm looking at. i have never said anything hateful towards a character. tho i have tiers of how much i like them, i've always made it clear that no one is disliked. in fact, i've made it clear why i don't ever want to do that in a few of my many posts here. (´･_･`)

not liking a route (or attire lol) isn't the same as not liking a character. story vs character. people are free to not like stories based on their preference. given that i'm a bit older and more jaded than some, my views might be different regarding relationships and scenarios. experience! also, i've been playing all these games for years-- it's either i see the same old stuff or i notice the quality going down. i feel like i'm free to be this way on my blog (where i mostly keep to myself). ♪

if i make fun of a cg pose, it's more of how it isn't apt or sometimes applicable to the situation-- and again, that doesn't mean i hate the character. i thought that was easy enough to understand, but i find myself having to clarify it still. :;(∩´﹏`∩);:

i understand translations and localizations. i have openly defended cybird in the past when people complained about the en version not being the literal translation. but i'm free to dislike bits and pieces in that localization that i find tacky as well. so if i make a comment about it, that doesn't mean i'm criticizing the whole localization or that i don't know what it means. (-_-)ゞ゛

anyway, i'm hardly as active as before, and i can't even have enough energy to post what i want to post-- but don't worry, i have the same things i want to say about other routes. i just haven't organized things. so please, complain elsewhere. i don't need that. i leave my anon asks open, but don't abuse it. i don't want to entertain most of the complaints anymore. life is hard enough for everyone at the moment, so give me a break. focus on something else. don't like what you see? move on (unless it's something illegal like theft, then feel free to do something about it). ♡

i don't have the liberty and free time to fight on the internet, nor do i want to. being immunocompromised while working at a hospital is already too draining for me. #my late twenties feels like seventy (c" ತ,_ತ)

anyway, enjoy the recent spamless days! the usual spam will be back soon. (°▽°)☆

#personal #this is regarding my cybird stuff

89 notes · View notes

rebel666 · 4 years

Text

Confessions of a Joann Employee

UPDATE: If you want to send more confessions and/or report what’s happening at your Joann anonymously, there’s EmployeeJoann on Twitter that is responding to messages. They are constantly sharing and updating more as it becomes available to them!

A confession from a Joann employee that is in one of the Covid-19 effected areas and has so much to say about it:

-We are staying open until told by the state otherwise. Even though they declared a State of Emergency and all non-essential businesses must be shut down by 5pm on Saturday 3/21, our company is refusing to. Because Joann themselves is trying to deem Joann as an "essential" store. They even put it all over their website that we are here for the people making masks and small businesses who need fabric to continue. They quote that we are here for the customers and that we as United States Americans have a responsibility to fill this need. They aren’t looking at curbside only as an option, they aren’t looking at offering more benefits for shopping online, they want us open and people in stores. They are sending us emails with pieces of paper (unofficial, not state made) to print out and put in our cars to say we are on the way to work at an "essential retailer." Anything to make it so we can remain open.

-This sucks for employees and here’s why: The way Joann is set up is if we get sick, if we have to leave to take care of someone who is sick, if we want to self-quarantine (because of our health or the health of our loved ones), we either quit or ask to be put on Leave of Absence and cannot return without medical clearance. If we come into contact with someone who has Covid-19 (even if they came into the store), they request we stay home while the rest of us have to work even if we were standing right next to them. As long as we don’t display symptoms, we are expected to show up or we can request LoA. LoA does not pay us. The only way we as employees will be taken care of is if the store closes AND if we have two weeks of schedules set up. I was hoping the company was on the path to this when they had us cancel all the classes until May and then limited hours but all that went out the window today. Right now Joann is doing everything to prevent us from closing and in turn take care of their employees. Every single time I bring up our well-being, I get reminded that we need to think about the customer first.

-Our store is step up to have daily conference calls to talk about the current status and to express any concerns we have. I brought up the status about my county (our major has declared everyone be shut down as of 5pm tomorrow or the police will be involved) and that I am deeply concerned for us and they told me that we have a responsibility as a leader to keep everyone calm and to keep working through this. ***When I asked what if everyone in my store requests a Leave of Absence because we are all very much concerned about our health, they said, "We will replace you with team members from other stores. There are service industry people and travel workers looking for jobs and we will fill your positions with people who will work it."*** They straight up told me that we are replaceable/expendable because they value their "customers/money." It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been with the company. It all means nothing to them.

-They are sending out emails about what Joann is doing as a whole for Covid-19. Saying we are cleaning every hour and whatnot. What they fail to mention is we are a fabric store with no means of washing fabric. I see people on a daily basis cough into, wipe their snot on, kids place in their mouth, and all sorts of other nasty things into these bolts of fabric (seriously, wash the fabric you buy from Joann before doing anything). We have the basic cleaning supplies to wash floors and wipe counters with but that’s pretty much it. They are telling us as employees to bring in our own supplies if we can. An employee brought in gloves long ago just so we can use them to clean the bathrooms. Today I provided face masks for my fellow coworkers. Our store may look clean but we know its dirty little secrets.

-We are supposed to follow the whole 10 people rule but they do nothing to stop or limit people at the door and won’t do anything to enforce it. All while wanting us to cut hours to which is barely 2 people running the whole store for smaller Joann locations. It’s not safe for us to be on a bare-bones crew especially if they want us to remain an essential store.

-Joann before this was a great place to work. At least for my store. I love my store, I love the people I work with. Other stores I have heard horror stories from but mine was one of the good ones. I see them being bombarded on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to close. Not just by employees and families of employees but by concerned customers. And this pleases me because they need to take this seriously. What they do in the next 3 days will speak volumes on how much they listen to and care about us. This is a serious issue and we as employees are suffering.

As they report more, I will continue to add to this.

UPDATE 3/21: They emailed and made copies of this for employees to carry with them in their cars:

Now the CEO of Joann is also a piece of work. All you have to do is google his name and you’ll see the Walgreen’s lawsuit, his DUIs (yes, plural), and his impact on Joann since joining - which includes increasing prices because of the tariffs. One employee confirms that when tariff thing went into effect, the entire store was repriced. Some markups were a few cents but some were a few dollars. Since then the prices continue to fluctuate.

There is also a petition going on Change.org asking for Joann to Close Their Stores And Pay Employees

If you get a chance, read some of the comments people are putting in support of this:

I no longer feel safe in my workplace. The greed is sickening.

My employees deserve to be treated like people and make a livable wage and have benefits! Our health over their profit!

Staff at my local store have been asked to bring in their own gloves for cleaning. Hand sanitizer expired in 2012. Employees are reporting little to know cleaning supplies in a store that targets the elderly as a primary demographic. The material used in the masks is not medical grade. This company is shamelessly profiteering from the pandemic.

As a former employee and manager I know the company does not follow any real cleaning guidelines. They understaff their stores, overwork their employees and frown upon time off. Fabrics and crafts are not essential items at this time and since the majority of the clientele there are elderly i think they are creating more risk. Finally do something good for your employees and send gem home with pay

As a previous manager, I'm sad to say that this company does not value its workers. To see that they are putting their workers, and others who visit, at a continued risk is unbelievable and is extremely selfish. Now is the time to act and stop the spread of COVID-19 and to keep Joann's open does not help stop the spread in anyway shape or form.

Over the last two days, my local store decided to carry on with inventory. They brought in an inventory team from the area of our state with the vast majority of cases. It's one thing to not close and continue to expose the public to the risk, but decisions like these show that Jo-Anns has a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of its employees and customers. Even more telling is the fact that we know that you are seeing our pleas to do the right thing, but continue to ignore us on social media. There is only one reason that you are pushing to categorize Jo-Anns as an essential business, and that is greed. In fact, I had to spend my own money on gas to drive all over the city looking for more cleaning supplies after my manager ordered me to. Your employees do so much for you, and we are compensated very little. I have been at Jo-Anns long enough to know that you would never compensate us for our time off, but at least join the other non-essential business and shut down for the time being.

joann’s customer base is primarily elderly or otherwise at risk people, and many employees are also older or immunocompromised. employees are overwhelmed as we can’t keep up with the cleaning guidelines while also taking care of customers, not to mention we’re severely lacking in cleaning supplies in the first place. joann is encouraging people to come in for supplies to make face masks, yet these masks aren’t sterile since people touch and breathe on the fabric all day, and it’s then laid on the counter to be measured and cut. employees themselves aren’t even allowed to wear masks or gloves. joann cares more about profit than the safety of both their team members and customers.

There are so many comments I want to share. These are just a few. This is Joann. They care more about their image and their financial gains than the backbone of their stores. The people who put up with their ridiculous requests day in and day out are now at risk and putting others at risk. Places like Hot Topic closed down and took care of their employees, places like Joanns should too!

But also lets not forget, Hobby Lobby is also not taking Covid-19 seriously.

UPDATE 3/22: “We have signs saying we're cleaning more but found out Friday that we're out of supplies in the distribution center. They claim they will send them out once they receive any but I found out today from a truck driver the company that supplies everything for Joann (from inventory to store use items) is closed for 2 weeks... because of this they're telling us to use the bathroom cleaner as a substitute.”

From Joann Employee Confessions on Twitter:

Confession 17 - Our Joann was closed! We received a C&D from the Chief of Police! We were so ecstatic as employees when they came in and told us to cease all business operations! Not even curbside! BUT then we had to tell our District Manager... and everything changed.

Our DM told us to come back to work tomorrow because he was going to have Joann's lawyers work on it. My heart sank. Them being open was more important. So I went into work and it was so nice not being open to the public. We finally caught up on recovery and cleaning! All things we have neglected the past week because it's been too busy for us to keep up! All of us were in great spirits and it was the best day ever. Until our DM called... and he told us to section off all the "non-essential" parts of the store.

Fabric and sewing notions were deemed essential and we would be open to the public the next day. No curbside only. Nope. People were to come right back in and nothing about limitations. Nothing about cleaning our disgusting fabric. Just to section off half the store so the public could come in and buy all the fabric and sewing supplies they could want. And to add to that... they are doing a remnant promotion where all the spare pieces are free to the customer now! Another thing for our already spare crew to do when we don't have time!

I am honestly so shattered over how the Chief of Police who seemed so interested in our well-being backed out of this. We are exposed once again. 3 of us tonight took Leave of Absence papers tonight because we don't feel safe. This was the final nail in the coffin.

UPDATE - My coworker messaged me, “Got up at 10:00 to get ready for work. A text came in saying the store is closed and I don't have to come to work. Seems there was a conference call. It appears the state is involved and overrode the mayor!” But Joann is still fighting it. This is a day by day thing. They are telling us if we want hours we have to go to another store. If not, we have to put in our leave of absence.

More articles coming through right now:

These Retailers Refused To Close During The Pandemic, So An Illinois City Shut Them Down

Joann Fabrics' mask-making promotion raises questions

Gregory said the masks were being donated to Rush Oak Park Hospital in Oak Park and to Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva – but spokespeople for both those hospitals said it was not true.“Due to infection control measures, Northwestern Medicine cannot accept donations of handmade masks, gowns and other medical supplies,” according to an email from Kimberly Waterman, spokeswoman for Northwestern Medicine Delnor. “Only factory-made, hospital-quality supplies, including N95 masks, face shields, gloves, gowns, sanitizers and swabs can be donated.”

“There is no barrier,” White said. “Once [handmade cloth masks] get wet, I don’t think they’re that effective.” (I can confirm. A RN confirmed with me that cloth masks collect moisture which acts as a magnet for infections.)

#covid2019 #covidー19 #covid19 #joann #joannfabrics #employeescomefirst #confessions #confessionsofanemployee #capitalism should die #what is wrong with America #fabric store problems #burn down the corporations #rise up for what you believe in #stand strong #i will not shut up #hobbylobby #make the change #whistleblower

4K notes · View notes

medical-gal · 3 years

Text

Death by a thousand cuts

I have been thinking about writing this for months now. Even before I decided to quit the residency at my previous job.

COVID has been kicking our ass, true, but that was (is) true for most healthcare providers all around the world.

No, my struggle started a bit before that actually.

First some background, I have been working at one of the biggest most famous ID clinics in central Europe. The clinic is in a different country than I am originally from so there was a bit of cultural accommodating at the begging. But we were a big group of ID interns/residents/fellows and specialists.

I don't actually remember that much from my first year working there. And I couldn't figure out why, but then I read in some study that when u experience a high dose of stress and/or sleep deprivation for a long time, your brain kinda stopps being able to transcribe short term memory into a long term.

I was working 100hours/week, sometimes less, sometimes more. After a year and a half, when the last half I worked in the ID ER for five months, I always stayed after working 24 hours, sometimes over 36hours, and I would see and treat 70ish patients. Nobody from the older docs would help me out, nobody from other interns either bc usually they would have their own kind of hell to take care of.

The fact that basically, inexperienced doctors are taking care of patients never really phased my ex-boss. Her mantra was that if there was a problem that you cannot resolve, you can call her and she would advise you. Which most of the time was true, I must say that.

But we all have been young docs, barely out of our medical school garments, and sometimes as it happened, we could not recognize there IS a problem that maybe needs a more experienced opinion.

I am often confronted with this idea or more like a culture, of pretending that once you are an MD you don't need help and asking for it is a kind of weakness and that then you are forever on the list of WEAKLINGS.

And let me say this only once.

That's absolute bullshit.

Anyway, the first time I decided to quit I worked there for about a year and a half, I went for a long-expected holiday, I took three weeks off, had interviews and talked with my bf about my options.

Second thing...my man, bless his beard, would support me no matter what. He is almost 10 years older than me, so he has more work experience and I find it reassuring to discuss stuff like this with him bc I know he will not sugarcoat it. He said that I should dig my heels in and last at least one more year till the end of my "internship". As a "resident" who worked at this specific department, I wouldn't have a problem finding another job. We r basically the equivalent of a french legion of medical professionals (when u work in this specific department and everyone knows it, I will come back to that later).

So I took his advice. Thankfully as a part of our training, one of those parts is a year-long internship at the internal medicine department, which I did shortly after we had that conversation and guys, that was a revelation of how medicine and just...work and life can be experienced. There were enough docs for a floor, an attending who had the time to manage and advise us. I´ve grown that year as a doc so much. Other internships were mandatory so I could have become (equivalent of) a resident, and it was a general surgery, anesthesiology, radiology, microbiology etc. But I did them all and became a resident.

The moment I came back to our clinic, my boss would put me in our outpatient department. Which I have never worked on before. The head of the department has quit a few months before, and I had no idea what to do there, bc it's a very different type work. The only thing my boss told me when I spoke of my concerns were "you will learn".

Thankfully the previous head of the department was a good friend of mine and she would always answer my questions and requests. Suddenly I no longer had to deal with the hectic life of an ID floor or ER, no sepsis, meningitis, etc.

Most of my patients were the chronic type...Lyme, chlamydia, mycoplasma... let's say it literally drained the life out of me. But I managed. Also, I started to work for their outpatient office which takes care of patients with chronic hepatatis. That I enjoyed more.

I also started to dip my toes in vaccinology, either planned like for travel but I started to be more interested in preventive care in the immunocompromised and my own phantasmagoria was to make a palliative care team in our hospital. Bc, we had none. And then a wonderful thing happened, other docs, older experienced, great at their work, started to refer their patients to me specifically.

There were more examples of the utter a complete FUCK U(s) which were kindly provided either by the system or by the head of the department or the hospital.

Then covid hit and the shit hit the interstellar space.

I still can't make myself remember the first few months bc it actually causes me to go into a rage fit, and honestly, I am done with that kind of negativity.

I hold out for a year. Year of such shitty treatment from the chief and our hospital head. No thank you- s or you are doing a good job or we r all on the same ship.

No.

People will say that I quit bc of the money. And that's not true, tho it did irk me a bit. All the other ID specialists working at different hospitals would get covid bonuses every month. We got jack shit. Again, the best biggest most know ID clinic. We were the first and oftern the ONLY ones who would test for/diagnose/hospitalize/treat a patient who had covid FOR MONTHS in the beginning.

I mean, the medical community is small, the ID community even smaller so yes, we were able to compare and contrast the work at different ID departments in other hospitals bc our friends worked there. And all of them would go speechless when they would hear from us what we were living thru.

At one point at the beginning of the pandemic, ALL the ambulances would go thru our ER department and we were supposed to decide where the patient should go.

AN EXAMPLE

Ambulance with a woman who has known colon cancer, had a fever, stomach as a rock and is projectile vomiting. I was supposed to decide where she should go and the surgeon would be super pissed when I said that I don't think she has COVID but without PCR I can't be sure but I think there is a bigger pressing issue. I remember him saying:

"well if anyone else gets infected at our department and dies, it's on you."

fun.

There were other examples of seriously stressful episodes which I and my coworkers lived thru, for which we were not trained for, advised, or properly supervised. At a certain point, I started to take anxiolytics before and during my all-nighters bc I didn't know what I would do with all that stress which was so callously shat on me and my coworkers.

For a few months, I stopped working nights, only thru the mercy of my coworkers who saw how exhausted I was and would take my shifts.

Anyway, after only two months I had to start working nights bc I needed the money. The basic pay for docs was just not enough without the extra from night shifts. Talk about exploiting.

The moment however when I decided to QUIT, when I was DONE, when I actually heard my heart break, was the moment at the end of the previous year. They decided to start vaccinating in our tiny small vaccination centre. Let's say a "shit storm" brewing is the light version of events that ensued.

But basically, as I was trying to discuss with my boss that we are all exhausted, that this wave is not slowing down and that throwing more work at us, the docs and nurses and other staff, who are overworked, is not a good idea,

What she basically said to me is that who says things like that is lazy and that if she can handle it everyone must be also.

The thing is..most of us were at the bring. Some would handle it with casual and calous sex, drugs (legal or not), a bottle of wine before sleep. A coworker ended up with antipsychotics.

But u know,

we were all lazy apperently.

I realized there is no way out of this other than quitting. I could not continue being so tired and sad all the time. I took two weeks off, really thought about it. Had diarrhoea and nausea for a week as I realized I will have to quit :D

On a Monday I came back, handed in my notice. Basically what she told me and how she reacted made me realized how right the decision was.

I had to stay there for another three months bc that's the law, but my mood changed significantly.

I got another job in a smaller ID department, working with amazingly kind people, but that's another story.

But that was the only interview I actually looked for and did. I, however, did get several job offers from different types of medicine. From heads of different departments in my old hospital to smaller general medicine chain offices who are looking for ID specialists, to insurance companies.

Like I said, french legion.

Or Runway and your boss is Miranda Pristley. Once u survive that, u survive anything.

But at my old work they would keep hitting you with wave after wave of passive agressive comments about how if u quit, u wont be able to find anything as"prestigious" as this.

There were many other exmaples of a shitty and questionable situations which were treated as "normal" but there is not point on getting on that rage train.

Contrary as it might seem, I am greatful I got to live thru this, good and bad, bc now I know what I am and am not willing to sacrifice for a job. No matter how much I might love it.

#sorry this is long #but goddammit it needed to be said #suzy's adventures in id

44 notes · View notes

dbtskills · 4 years

Photo

[Image has the biohazard symbol on a yellow background with text that reads Staying Sane While Quarantined]

So, shit has hit the fan and pretty much wherever you are, COVID-19 is too. Grocery store shelves are empty and people are getting sent home from work by the droves. If you’ve been instructed to work from home, temporarily unemployed, or are under literal quarantine, these tips can help you maintain your mental health in these trying times.

1. Cope Ahead

If you haven’t been quarantined yet and have time to prepare for staying at home, cope ahead. Coping ahead is figuring out what vulnerabilities you might face and planning how you’re going to deal with them. Do you struggle with loneliness? Are you quarantined with someone you fight with? Do you often feel bored? Do you have eating issues? Ask yourself these types of questions. Each answer is a vulnerability that you need to address. Many of the following items will help you do so.

Note: if you have eating issues, make sure to stock your pantry with items you will actually eat, not aspirational foods. If you’re left at home with nothing you’re willing to eat you’re in big trouble. QUARANTINE IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO USE BEHAVIORS!

2. Have An Activity Arsenal

Make sure you have plenty of stuff to do. If you’re able to work from home, awesome, that’ll use some of your empty time. Gather all the usuals: books, movies, comics, tv shows. Dive deeper down on your watchlists/readlists. Have any hobbies? Go back to whatever you used to do before life got too busy. Go back to drawing, finish that sweater you were knitting. Or try something new! Learn to crochet! Do a puzzle! Some of this takes planning and resources but you can also download apps that let you color or try your hand at graphic design or zine-making.

Once you’ve determined the things you CAN do, put them all on a list and stick that bad boy on your fridge so you can go to it when you’re feeling bored.

Note: the library has great resources for digital media. You can find shows/movies to watch as well as things to read online. Utilize those library cards to the max- they’re not just for physical books!

3. Make A Schedule

Specifically a sleep schedule. Quarantine may seem like the perfect opportunity to sleep your life away but your mental health will suffer if you don’t regulate your sleeping. Get up and go to sleep at the same time each day. Pencil in a modest nap.

If you can, schedule other things. I know that’s asking a lot though. But if you’re someone who feeds off the structure of life or school, all this empty time may destabilize your mental health. If that’s you, try to schedule sleep time and watch time and read time and social time. It’ll help I swear.

4. Have Patience

You may be quarantined with a roommate or a family that you don’t always get along with. If so, have as much patience as you can with them. They’re just as stir-crazy as you are. Avoid them if you’re getting fed up. If you fight, there’s really nowhere to escape to. Use your conflict resolution and interpersonal skills to the max.

Be patient the situation too. It’s not ideal. In fact it fucking sucks. But it’s the best way to protect yourself and those around you. Like really, science is all in on this one. You may feel confident in your ability to survive the virus, but what about your 80-year-old grandma or your immunocompromised cousin? We gotta protect them too. So post up and radically accept this shit.

Also be patient with yourself. This may seem like a great time to get that thing you’ve always been wanting to do done. And it can be! But you don’t need to be productive all the time. You don’t need to produce anything to make this time “worthwhile.” You’re allowed to just be. It’s most important to take care of yourself. If you’re really struggling against productivity, consider it productive to fight capitalism by doing nothing!

5. Be “Social”

Just because you’re isolated doesn’t mean you can’t be social. Call your family. FaceTime your friends. Do it every damn day. I know it’s not the same but it’s the best we’ve got right now. Schedule social time into each day and stick to it. This is a perfect opportunity to reach out to the people you’ve been meaning to for the past few months but haven’t. Call your grandpa. Call that friend from college you’ve been catching up with. Call a friend that you’re worried about. Even if you’re not feeling very social, it could make or save someone else’s day.

6. Write Down One Reason You’re Glad You’re Alive Every Day

It’s scientifically proven that expressing gratitude regularly can help improve your mood. It may be hard to come up with a whole daily list of reasons to be grateful when you’re quarantined during a pandemic. So let’s start small. Keep a list and every day add one reason you’re glad you’re alive. Think of it like Rey scratching a hashmark onto her wall for every day she’s been on Jakku. But like in a more positive way. Each reason is a day you’ve been quarantined but you may find yourself wanting to keep up the habit once this is all over. Even if it’s hard at first, you’ll find that you actually can come up with a reason a day. The truth is that the reasons are limitless. Just think of all the doggos out there left to pet!

#covid-19 #quarantine #isolation #mental health #recovery #therapy #self help #coronavirus #mental illness #sanity #depression #anxiety #dbt skills #dbt #Dialectical behavior therapy #advice #tips #ours

2K notes · View notes