#this medical life

[larjb3]

Hello wonderful followers and non-followers who are seeing this post because someone reblogged it!

I absolutely hate doing this, but when I learned that if I take medical leave from my job it will be unpaid, I started a GoFundMe. The reason behind this is because I was recently diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma. But what is Ewing Sarcoma, you may ask? Well, it's a rare type of cancer that affects bones and soft tissue, and typically affects children and adolescents (mean age of onset is 15-years-old). Needless to say, I am neither a child nor an adolescent. I am an adult, and have been an adult for several years now.

So what does that mean? Basically that this specific type of cancer was beyond super unexpected to my care team, and that I will need an aggressive form of chemotherapy to treat it.

Now, for those who know me, I have already had cancer and gone through chemotherapy in 2012, starting a month after I graduated high school. It was a different type of cancer, with a better success rate of remission. However, going through chemo then was absolutely terrible. I constantly felt terrible - both physically and emotionally. I noted the toll it was taking not only on me, but on those around me who cared for me.

Unfortunately, this time it's a more aggressive form of cancer, which means a more aggressive treatment regimen.

I'll be honest with you, I am absolutely scared. I'm scared about going through chemo (and possibly radiation) again. I'm scared about how this is going to affect my cats. I'm scared about how this is going to affect those around me who care for me and love me. I'm scared about probably losing my independence again. I'm scared about the probability of having to take unpaid medical leave. I'm scared about how I'm going to make it through this financially. I'm honestly scared that I won't survive.

So what am I asking of you?

I'm asking that you keep me in your wishes (and prayers, if you're religious). I'm asking for a potential donation to help me maintain financial stability throughout this coming year (but super not needed if you can't/don't want to). I'm asking you to reblog and share this post so it may reach more people. I'm asking you to take me seriously just this once, because I rarely ask others for help due to a need for hyper-independence (which I'm working on).

Essentially, what I'm asking from you is hope.

I know this diagnosis is affecting me, probably more than I do actually realize. I know I'm losing weight because the numbers keep going down and someone actually commented on it today; and I'm not intentionally losing weight. Would I like to in the long run? Sure. Do I want to lose weight due to the stress of having yet another diagnosis? Absolutely not. I'm always cold. I'm always on the verge of tears. It's constantly on my mind, even when I'm meeting with clients (I'm a therapist). I worry about how others are coping with this, and how I can help them potentially cope a little better. I'm so worried.

So, if you are able and willing, once again here is my GoFundMe link. The story of how I got to this point in my diagnosis is on there, and if you want more information you are more than welcome to reach out to me.

Even if you are unable to donate, I still want to thank you. Thank you for reading this post. Thank you for spending whatever time you did on this. Thank you for existing.

And because friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog told me to tag them in this post, they are being tagged and (hopefully) will see this.

#larjb3 #chemo #chemotherapy #this sucks #ewing sarcoma #ewings #ewings in adults #oncology #this medical life #medical #go fund me #i hate asking for help #but finances are going to be tight #which is stupid

[daisywords]

One of my biggest nitpicks in fiction concerns the feeding of babies. Mothers dying during/shortly after childbirth or the baby being separated form the mother shortly after birth is pretty common in fiction. It is/was also common enough in real life, which is why I think a lot of writers/readers don't think too hard about this. however. Historically, the only reason the vast majority of babies survived being separated from their mother was because there was at least one other woman around to breastfeed them. Before modern formula, yes, people did use other substitutes, but they were rarely, if ever, nutritionally sufficient.

Newborns can't eat adult food. They can't really survive on animal milk. If your story takes place in a world before/without formula, a baby separated from its mother is going to either be nursed by someone else, or starve.

It doesn't have to be a huge plot point, but idk at least don't explicitly describe the situation as excluding the possibility of a wetnurse. "The father or the great grandmother or the neighbor man or the older sibling took and raised the baby completely alone in a cave for a year." Nope. That baby is dead I'm sorry. "The baby was kidnapped shortly after birth by a wizard and hidden away in a secret tower" um quick question was the wizard lactating? "The mother refused to see or touch her child after birth so the baby was left to the care of the ailing grandfather" the grandfather who made the necessary arrangements with women in the neighborhood, right? right? OR THAT GREAT OFFENDER "A newborn baby was left on the doorstep and they brought it in and took care of it no issues" What Are You Going to Feed That Baby. Hello?

Like. It's not impossible, but arrangements are going to have to be made. There are some logistics.

#idk what to tag this #worldbuilding #writing fiction #historical fiction #fantasy #a real-life example: my dad (a pediatrician) was once entrusted with the care of a baby who was born with a rare condition #this was in a place without great hospital/medical access and anyway they were going to fly the baby over #and he specifically asked them to bring the mother and baby #they show up with baby and...the baby's uncle #and he was like. y'all. do you think I asked for the mom to come just for fun??? We don't have formula here. what is the baby going to eat?

[avarkriss]

listen. listen to me so carefully right now. (if you're in the eclipse path/planning on viewing). please don't stare directly at the sun tomorrow. i am begging you - do not stare at it. if you got eclipse glasses off of amazon/other, please put them on in your house and make sure you can't see anything; if you can still see like regular sun glasses, they are not safe for eclipse viewing, you will burn your retinas, and we cannot fix that. eclipse glasses should be iso/ce certified, and aas (american astronomical society) approved. please make smart choices and protect your eyes. please.

#psa from your friendly neighborhood eye care provider #the office is already fielding so many calls about this make good life choices #very important #eclipse #solar eclipse #eye health #not medical advice #just me screaming to please protect your eyes #ive seen exactly one case of solar retinopathy in my career so far please don't give me another one

[uncanny-tranny]

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is planning on changing their regulations for telehealth prescriptions of controlled substances. However, they have opened comments up for people to voice their opinions. You can submit a formal anonymous comment HERE. The comment period ends on March 31st, 2023.

This is an important issue for those who are prescribed controlled substances (e.g., testosterone or ADHD medication) through telehealth, which means it can and will impact trans people on testosterone and a ton of others if this goes through.

#trans #transgender #lgbt #lgbtq #ftm #nonbinary #this will affect other people like those with ADHD who are prescribed medication which is also a controlled substance #it astounds me that professionals aren't trusted by the DEA to be able to do their jobs #you all already know i hate the DEA so i'm biased personally #you can also browse comments left by many people #i've been perusing some comments and they are *not* happy ones. i guess i'm glad i'm not the only disgruntled USian #again - mfw the dea isn't a plotpoint of brba and it actually affects my life negatively 😔🤕🤬

[meirimerens]

youtube shorts is just tiktok without being on the app the amount of "i'm a [qualification] and [misinformation]" could make one turn their skin inside-out in protest. "i'm a board-certified OB-GYN & it's only been about the last hundred years that women have actually experienced menopause. We didn't live long enough to experience it" how can you be so incredibly wrong about something so integral to your practice. King of the Hittites Hattusilis III was told in 1250 BCE that his sister was too old to reproduce at age 50+. Aristotle wrote in the 4th century BCE that women stopped menstruating between ages 40 to 50, common menopause ages today still. i cannot begin to tell you how 4th century & 1250 BCE don't really count as "the last hundred years" unless that -s is doing a lot of heavy lifting. waiter waiter more misinformation laws.

#do they just be making anybody an ob-gyn these days. #what ''board'' is certifying this. your car's dashboard? #life expectancy for the past millennia was heavily skewed down because surviving infancy was Not Easy #but if you made it past that you could live to your 50s if not later. #we have multiple hypotheses about PREHISTORIC WOMEN'S menopause and how post-reproductive life in humans could have been an #integral part of the life of the tribe with help with child-rearing; gathering; hunting; medicine. like hello. #prehistoric menopausal women GET BEHIND ME [wolf growling] #neigh (blabbers) #sorry. i'm insane. gyno health and everything about periods & menopause is already so little understood & the wider medical body kinda #dgaf about if you keel out in pain from preventable menstrual diseases so if i catch anyone spreading misinformation. i'm going beastmode.

[inkskinned]

you have to go to work so you can pay for your doctor, who is not taking your insurance right now, and if you say i can't afford the doctor's you are told - get a better job. it is very sad that you are unwell, yes, but maybe you should have thought about that before not having a better job.

(where is the better job? who is giving out these better jobs? you are sick, you are hurting - how the hell are you supposed to be well enough for this better job?)

but you go to the doctor because you had the nerve to be hurt or sick or whatever else. and they tell you that it is because you have anxiety. you try your best. you are a self-advocate. you've done the reading (which sometimes pisses them off worse, honestly). you say it is actually adding to my anxiety, it is effecting my quality of life. so they say that you are fat. they say that all young people have this happen to them, isn't it a medical marvel! they say that you should eat more vegetables. they say that you probably just need to lose a little more weight, and that you are faking it for attention.

(what attention could this doctor possibly give? what validation? that's their fucking job, isn't it?)

there is always a hypochondriac, right. someone always tells you about a hypochondriac. or someone who is unnecessarily aggressive during the worst days of their life. or someone looking "for a quick fix". or some idiot who wasn't educated about how to properly care for themselves who just abandons their treatment. and again, the hypochondriac, the overly-cautious hysteric. these people don't deserve to be treated like humans (right), and since you might be one of these people, you also don't get treated like a human. because those people can really fuck with the system, you now have to pay for it. and besides. you're actually probably faking it.

(more often than not, you find a 2:1 ratio of these stories. for every "hypochondriac", there are 2 people who knew something was wrong, and yet nobody could fucking find it. the story often ends with pointless suffering. the story often ends with and now it's too late, and it's going to kill me.)

you are actually just making excuses. someone else got that procedure or that diagnosis and he's fine, you should be fine too. someone else said they watched a documentary about other inspirational people with your exact same condition, maybe you should be inspirational, too. you're just too morbid. your pain and your experience is probably just not statistically concerning. it is all self-reported anyway, and you're just being a baby.

(once, while sitting down in the middle of making coffee, you had the sudden, horrible thought - i could kill myself to make the pain stop. you had to call your best friend after that. had to pet your dog. had to cry about it in the shower. you won't, but that moment - god, fuck. the pain just goes on and on.)

you know someone who went in for routine surgery and said i still feel everything. they told her to just relax. it took her kicking and screaming before they figured out she wasn't lying - the anesthetic drip hadn't been working. you know someone who went in for severe migraines who was told drink water and lose weight. you know someone who was actively bleeding out and throwing up in the ER and was told you're just having a bad period.

in the ER there are always these little posters saying things like "don't wait! get checked today!" and you think about how often you do wait. how often the days spool out. you once waited a full week before seeing the doctor for what you thought was a sprained wrist. it had actually been broken - they had to rebreak it to set it.

but you go into the doctor. the problem you're having is immediate. the person behind the counter frowns and says we're not taking your insurance. you will be paying for this out-of-pocket.

they send you home with tylenol and a little health packet about weight loss or anxiety or attention deficit. on the front it has your birthday and diagnosis. you think about crying, and the words swim. it might as well say go fuck yourself. it might as well say you're a fucking idiot. it might as well say light your money on fire and lie down in it. and the entire fucking time - the problem persists.

it's okay. it's okay, it's just another thing, you think. it's just another thing i have to learn to live with.

#spilled ink #warm up #can you tell what i'm mad about today specifically #i will say that there are a LOT of things that go into this. like a lot. this is ungendered and unspecific for a reason #it isn't just sexism. it's also racism. and ableism. and honestly classism. #and before a healthcare professional reads this as a personal attack: i understand ur burnt out #we are ALSO burnt out. your situation is also dire. this is not an attack on you. #this is a commentary on the incredible amounts of bigotry that lie at the heart of capitalism #where people have to pay money out of pocket to be told to fuck off. #your job is important. so is our humanity. and if you cannot accept that people are fucking mad as hell #at the industry - you are probably not listening . #anyway at some point im gonna write a piece about sexism specifically in medical shit #but i don't want terfs clowning in it bc they can't understand nuance #> it is true that ppl w/a uterus are more likely to experience medical malpractice & dismissal globally #> it is also true that trans people experience an equally fucked up and bad time in the medical field #> great news! the medical industrial complex is an equal opportunity life ruiner :) #(if you find it necessary to go into a debate about biology while discussing medical malpractice #i want to warn you that you're misunderstanding the issue. because guess what. #cis MEN might experience this. particularly black men. particularly disabled men. #so YES having a uterus can lead to more trouble for you. but this happens a LOT. #instead of fighting those ALSO experiencing your pain.... try working WITH them. #which btw. is like. actual feminism.)

[irrealisms]

tired of medication positivity posts that assume everyone has a positive relationship with medication

here’s to people who don’t take medication that their doctors want them to take. here’s to people who get marked noncompliant. here’s to people who get sectioned or hospitalized bc they won’t take their meds. here’s to people who self-medicate w nonprescription drugs. here’s to the people in withdrawal. here’s to the people who would rather deal with their symptoms than medication side effects. here’s to the “treatment-resistant” people who have never found medication that helps at all. here’s to the people who are only on meds nonconsensually. here’s to people who refuse meds for “irrational” or “stupid” reasons. here’s to people for whom taking meds is a trauma trigger. here’s to people who are disabled from past medications. here’s to people who are constantly being pressured into taking meds they don’t want and having to defend their “no” over and over again

yes, lots of people need their meds. yes, meds can be important. but don’t forget us

fuck everyone who calls us anti-science or anti-recovery. who says we are hurting other ppl by talking about our choices. bodily autonomy includes the right to say NO. even to medical treatment.

#therapists dni #psychiatry tag #survivingpsych #fwiw I TAKE MULTIPLE LIFE SAVING MEDICATIONS #i am not trying to shame ppl who do! or deny that meds are important! #but like. as an unmedicated by choice schizo #it’s hard out here. with the medical trauma and so forth

[tsarjozinzbazin]

Can you do a tf2 character lineup? (Love how u draw medic and sniper <3)

guys help I still dont know how to draw most of them

#my art #soldier hates french people #tf2 scout #tf2 spy #tf2 medic #tf2 demoman #tf2 pyro #tf2 soldier #tf2 sniper #tf2 heavy #tf2 engineer #tf2 #team fortress 2 #I life for engineer and pyro friendship

[parisoonic]

'So, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you...' Some progress pics under the cut for fun.

Blockout / Shapework and a Little Rendering / Lighting Solidfication to Bring it Closer to Original Sketch / Details and Grade

#tf2 #tf2 fanart #tf2 medic #team fortress 2 #tf2 heavy #heavymedic #red oktoberfest #whoops i didn't take very good in progress pics but hopefully vaguely interesting to see #can studios pay me to draw trees again...i will happily draw trees for the rest of my life #you cant make me draw hands i wont i cant #where's that artist meme of hides the hands #i show where the hands should be but just dont draw them lmao

[fallenstarcat]

“well it’s good your tests came back normal!”

no. it’s not.

a normal test result doesn’t mean i don’t have symptoms anymore. it just means we’re no closer to an explanation.

i’m still struggling. my symptoms are still getting worse. we just don’t know why, also meaning they don’t take me seriously.

a normal test result is not a a happy thing when disabled.

#disability #disabled #disability struggles #disabled life #physically disabled #actually disabled #disability life #chronic illlness #chronically ill #chronic pain #chronic illness life #tw medical #chronic pain struggles #chronic pain life

[youngchronicpain]

It is okay to need pain medication to function with your chronic pain. It is okay. I promise. I know everywhere you turn pain medication is demonized. I know that it is scary to talk about. It is okay to be grateful that you have access to pain medication. Pain meds have greatly improved my quality of life and I wouldn't be able to live my life outside of my bed without them. And that's okay!!!

#of course i wish i didn't have to take meds to function #but I'm so grateful they exist and I have access to them! #I am able to live much fuller life #they are one of my pain management tools and they have made my life better #chronic pain #of course this is not everyone else's experience #and that is okay too #there is space for both sides of the conversation #I just feel like this side is very often left out #pain medication #meds tw

[nonasuch]

I think… I just met Jason Mendoza in real life.

me: well a thrift store just sells whatever they’re given, while in a vintage shop we hand-pick and curate everything

him: oh so like a DJ set versus just leaving Soundcloud on

me: sure!

#he almost bought a reversible satin varsity jacket with embroidered dragons #he also mentioned in passing that he decided not to go to medical school so he could focus on dance and DJing #vintage shop life

[olexxx]

#it took me 2 years to draw supports :skull: #team fortress 2 #tf2 #tf2 scout #tf2 soldier #tf2 pyro #tf2 demoman #tf2 heavy #tf2 engineer #tf2 medic #tf2 sniper #tf2 spy #my art #MEDIC LOOKS SO BAD IM CRYING #I CANT DRAW HIM FOR THE LIFE OF ME #hides in a cave

[thebibliosphere]

tw: content under a cut for talking about calorie counting (in a positive way), restrictive medical diets, and MCAS 'remission.'

So it's been 5 months since I last saw the GI doctor who took me seriously regarding my mast cell dysfunction, and not only have I gained a LOT of foods back into my diet under his care without experiencing idiopathic anaphylaxis, but I've also managed to eat 2000 calories almost every day for the last 5 months.

Prior to his care, since 2020, I had been mostly surviving on a liquid diet with the odd bit of solid carbs and protein when I could handle it.

Which was better than the 2 things I could digest safely prior to 2019, which were oatmeal and filtered tap water toward the end when I was dying. But even after I recovered from that, any time I went over 700 calories a day in solid food, I'd be writhing in pain.

I still have days when the pain hits, and all I can manage is liquids, but those days are so much less, and thanks to being able to eat more foods, I can at least liquidate more nutrients to make sure I'm getting what I need.

Things will never be 100% healed. That's not the nature of this kind of immune disease. But they're better. I'm better. I'm still so scared to say any of this is in remission because MCAS is wildly unpredictable. But I'm so much better than I was.

And I'm going to go happy-cry and eat a gluten-free cupcake about it.

#chronic health tag #MCAS #life with allergies #restrictive medical diet #mast cell activation syndrome #illness remission

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 292

“Oh I am blaming all of this on you T,” one of the beings in the summoning circle groans, burying their corpse-pale head in clawed hands as their white hair flickered. 

“Me? Excuse me, I wasn’t the one to accept the summoning!” another being protested, hood hiding most of their face save for molten-gold eyes and glittering runes or code on dark blue skin. “I was trying to figure out how to convince PK to change our schedule to include more sleeping, so don’t look at me, look at S!” 

“Well I didn’t accept it,” the only girl-sounding one scoffed, her crown of thorns seeming to writhe and bloom in her black hair for a moment. She crossed her arms, narrowing green eyes just a few shades darker than the white-haired one. “Maybe talk to whoever decided to summon us?” 

All of the sudden the cultists and heroes were being peered down at by a trio of… honestly whatever they were, because they didn’t seem to be the “Infinite King” the cult had been attempting to summon. Actually, they kind-of-maybe looked like kids… Which probably meant their parents or caretakers wouldn’t be too pleased. 

#DCxDP #DPxDC #Prompts #Halfa Trio #They all go by Phantom lol #Space Core Danny #Life Core Sam #Storm Core Tucker #They’re all technically princes/princesses of the Realms thx to Pariah thinking they’re adorable lil violent ankle biters #Who practically tried to gnaw him to death & are just lil ghostlings not even 10 years old yet #Clockwork technically adopted them first #They made a deal with PK that they visit daily & he puts Amity Park BACK #Even if everyone is now ecto-contaminated from being in the Realms for a solid several hours or so #Honestly they’re getting way more sleep than they would if just one of them were halfas because they can take turns on night duty #Though yes they all have their own Dan equivalent #And I have no clue what happened with the clones besides Dani but she’s now all of their baby sister #She’s with the Yetis gettin medical care hence why she didn’t also get summoned #Fright Knight is their main teacher & they're going to have to fight to not have him assigned as their bodyguard after this summoning bs

[dduane]

Status report: Taking day off to consult with specialist at regional hospital regarding various intertwined abdominal problems. Specialist consultant revealed as cool lady doctor with flouncy print dress & gold sneakers. Instantly impressed (by numerous characteristics that have nothing to do with dress sense). (Though yeah, the gold sneakers are unquestionably a plus.)

We take counsel and she declares her intention to convene numerous specialists to examine and discuss recent MRIs and other data. "Ah," I say, "the Council of Elrond." Response: immediate SNORT. 😄

I think I'm in good hands here.

#home life #ireland #medical care #socialized medicine