#and fragile healthcare systems

[sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog]

(I learned this from Hank.)

[favroitecrime]

TAKE ACTION NOW

[koqabear]

hiii this is for the 2k event, i wanted to ask if u write hybrid!au cause yeonjun dressing up as nick wilde has got me feeling a little delusional. if u don’t completely ignore this but if u do, can i request fox yj and maybe bunny reader?

[2K Masterlist]

"Yeonjun is adamant that you’re a pretty, porcelain doll. You’re more than ready to shatter that idea and show him that you’re stronger than he thinks."

fox hybrid! yeonjun x bunny hybrid! reader // wc: 1.9K // genre: hybrid au, pwp. this is just straight filth im sorry. MDNI.

warnings dom!yeonjun, sub!mc, somnophilia (consensual), oral (f rec.) pet names (bunny, good girl), degrading, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, degrading, kitchen sex, manhandling, dacryphilia, begging, scratching, possessiveness, unprotected sex, breeding kink, creampies, aftercare kinda, girl idk i literally just dissociated when i wrote this i forget how exhausting this all is!!

Notes: the healthcare system is fucked even in fanfiction, you can’t escape. 

Every decision you’ve made throughout your relationship with Yeonjun has led to where you are now:

Face down, ass up, tears in your eyes and words muddled through the drool that spills through your lips. 

You’ve told him countless times that you’re not fragile; that the sweet, docile image he has of bunny hybrids is nothing but a sham, and that you can take anything he offers with a confident stride— and though he simply laughed in endearment and shook his head at your claims, you insisted. You insisted throughout all the sugary sweet times he made love to you, during all the moments where you felt his hands hesitate to hold you, as though he was afraid that putting pressure on your body would be enough to make you shatter. 

The words were tiring to both his and your ears at some point: the petulant whines asking for more, your pathetic attempts to try and take control and change the pace entirely— Yeonjun’s sharp, narrowed eyes that flickered at you in warning was the harshest thing you received from him— but judging by the shivers that flowed down your spine like water, your fluffy tail twitching in attention, you knew that your body only craved for more and your brain wouldn’t settle down until you got your way.

You could say that he warned you. He really did, technically, sitting you down for a serious talk about something you two never really discussed in detail. You watched with wide, slightly confused eyes as he explained to you that his heat was approaching, and that you definitely shouldn’t be around for it— when you perked up to interrupt, he merely shook his head to shut you down and continue his explanation. 

“I usually take medication, but my insurance no longer covers my usual prescription.” he told you, his ginger ears twitching in annoyance from the mere memory, “I’m taking a leave from work for it, and… I want to spend this time alone.”

“It gets intense… I don’t want to hurt you.”

A bruised ego and terribly confrontational personality was truly a god awful combination. Though you suppose it helped you for the better, considering that after a good argument with your ever-so loving and doting boyfriend, he finally gave up. 

You can remember the sight so vividly; his ruffled hair, the fluffy tail that whipped from side to side as he finally slumped back against the couch, out of breath and exhausted— his ears pinned against his head in defeat the moment he took a good look at you, in all your still fired up and energetic glory. 

He knew it was a losing battle the moment you cocked a challenging brow at him, as though begging for him to continue.

The word okay has never sounded better from your boyfriend's mouth. 

••••

That all leads you back to today. It’s been— oh, you really can’t remember. A day? Maybe two? You don’t think it matters at this point, since the only thing that fills your mind now is the feeling of being full, stuffed, and warm. 

Yeonjun gave you a chance to back out the second he opened the door for you. He spoke to you calmly, softly, nervously, watching you hop around his living room and throw your overnight bag on his couch, overjoyed to be taking such a monumental step forward in your relationship. You dismissed every slow, anxious sway of his tail as you ate dinner together, listening intently as he told you about how he’s gotten with his previous partners. 

It was too much for many of them. He gets aggressive. He gets insanely needy, it goes on for hours, even throughout the night. 

You prayed that he didn’t notice the pathetic clench of your thighs and slight arousal as he told you about his details, nodding sweetly when he asked if you were okay with doing the things he mentioned. 

You established a safeword, coddled him the moment you noticed his temperature beginning to rise, and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead as you murmured your goodnights. 

About six hours passed when you first felt it; you’ve always been a light sleeper, so you were doomed the second your sensitive ears picked up on the sound of restless rustling behind you. You tried your best to ignore it, your drowsy mind eager to go back to sleep, but the white noise of sheets moving around was quickly accompanied by something else— breathy, desperate gasps.

“Bunny…” Yeonjun’s raspy whine was enough to have your ear twitching slightly; more rustling, and suddenly, a scorching heat hovers behind you. “Bunny, need… need you s’bad…”

His hands are heavy on your skin, almost scorching with the way he restlessly makes his way up your shirt, groping at your tits before they slide down your stomach, feeling you up all the way down before they stop at your thighs— without warning, he presses flat against you, a hand snaking beneath your body to wrap around your stomach and pull you flush into him. He was so hard, so needy that the very feeling of your soft ass pressing against him was enough to rip out a broken sob from him.

“Let me fuck you,” he murmured against the shell of your ear, words that slurred together showing that he was also half-awake, probably not too aware of his actions and the way he rutted into you helplessly, “C’mon bunny, lemme use you.” 

Your ass that pressed back into him and the sleepy whine that left you was enough for him.

You can only remember drifting in and out of consciousness that night; the sloppy, wet sounds of skin against skin and desperate grunts was nothing but white noise to you at that point— Yeonjun was glued to you for hours on end, fat cock thrusting harshly into your poor, abused cunt, filled with so much cum that it could only smear onto your inner thighs and his balls, leaving a mess you wouldn’t be able to clean anytime soon. 

When you woke up, you were on your back— your pussy was sore and a whine bubbled up uncontrollably from your throat, hips canting up and against Yeonjun’s face— your hands were shaky as you fisted the sheets, tears pricking your eyes as you listened to Yeonjun’s sweet nothings against your skin, leaving bites and kisses against your thighs as he promised you that he’d be quick, that he just needed to eat your sweet cunt— you’d get cleaned up nicely after. 

Yeonjun was a liar, of course— because none of his sweet promises included his burning desire to fuck you after you came, cleaning you up only to push his cock back in and fuck you right into the mattress; legs pressed against your stomach, wails leaving you as he plunged into you with abandon, frantic hands scratching down his back as you cried from the overstimulation— it only ended with him pressing deeply into you and emptying yet another load into your tired cunt. 

The semblance of normalcy that followed after didn’t last very long, either— yeah, getting carried to the shower and having him clean you up and scrub you down was nice, and sitting at the counter as you watched him make a quick breakfast was nice too, a heartwarming glimpse into a domestic future with him— but you were only able to get halfway through your meal before Yeonjun decided that he’d much rather bend you over the kitchen counter and have you there instead— moaning wantonly as he watched your trembling legs fail to keep up, buckling under his pace and forcing him to hold you up with his insane strength— and just when you thought he was getting tired, he simply flipped you on your back and laid you on the counter instead; he always did think you looked really pretty when you were totally fucked out, anyway. 

Maybe that’s when hours started blending together— he was sweet and caring when he needed to be, cleaning you up with a feather-like touch and kisses that warmed your heart— only to give you the whiplash of the century when his pupils dilated and the only thing he honed in on was you. 

You. You you you. 

His ears would press against his head and his tail would flicker dangerously, narrowed, focused eyes meeting your bleary ones with ease; you could only sit there and let him maneuver you however he liked, shivering and falling limp with each time he’d slide his cock into you, as though you finally felt complete. 

You looked so breathtaking to him— under him, over him, whatever position he suddenly found himself needing you in— teary eyes and swollen lips calling his name like a mantra, a prayer, a plea for him to use your body until he got his fill.

There was something so addicting about the way you trembled from the overstimulation, sobbing and writhing yet never saying your safe word. It had Yeonjun fascinated, the guilty part of his mind berating him for trying to see how far he could take things— yet, no matter what he did or what he said, you only seemed to beg for more, like you’d been waiting for this moment for ages.

“Take it, T-take it like a good toy,” Yeonjun hissed, fingers digging into your hips as his cock battered into you ruthlessly. You merely cried and moaned, cotton tail wiggling with every drag against your walls, the soft fur coated with dried cum, “said you could handle it, right? Stupid fucking bunny— nothing but a cumdump for me, hmm?”

Your squeals and chants of yes! Yes yes yes! only spur Yeonjun on even more— his body feels as though it’s on fire, bright hair sticking to his sweaty skin as he merely pushes himself further— you can practically feel his back hover over your own, able to tell that he’s close from his faltering pace and shaky breaths that fan across your skin. 

“Want me to breed you?” he asks, though there’s no need to ask anymore if the previous loads he’s dumped into you are any indication of your answer. Yet he still does, almost like instinct; it’s much more satisfying to hear you beg for it, anyway. 

And you do— your begging is so cute, how could he ever resist? Yeonjun’s nails might break your skin with how tightly he’s holding you, teeth digging into his pouty lip as he pumps himself into you, once, twice, then empties out everything he has to offer— your back arches and your hips move back to try and glue yourself to him, crying out his name in satisfaction as he fills you for the nth time of the night. 

The way you keen out, the sight of your ears that are pinned to your head along with your tail that shivers with satisfaction is like drugs to him; he’s hopelessly addicted to you, to all of you, from your stuffed cunt that continues to suck him in to your soft voice that whimpers out at every sensation you offer him.

Such a good girl, Yeonjun thinks to himself, butterfly kisses spanning along your sweaty skin, your barely conscious form curling into him for more, how did he get so lucky?

Even after he’s given you a moment to rest, laying down with you on top of him, you still cling onto him, sighing in content as you allow him to cockwarm you, already bracing yourself for the moment he feels himself needing you again. And as you both drift into a much needed nap, Yeonjun can only find himself thinking one thing. 

Thank god for you and your argumentative nature.

[doberbutts]

I remember reading a post that men are the oppressor class so why would they bother to dismantle systemic patriarchy when they actively benefit from its existence? And as I read it, I thought, Damn, so an entire half of the population can never conceivably help us, and the people who love men in their lives are doomed. It wasn't a helpful post. It basically felt, here's some actual material analysis on feminism and said, That trying to educate and make men be part of feminism is fundamentally a flawed effort, because again, they are the oppressor class, why should they care about uplifting the oppressed?

And it made me think about this very good pamphlet I read, explaining how the white worker remained complacent for so long because at least they weren't a Black slave. And that the author theorized the reason labor movements never truly created exceptional, radical change is because of internal racism (which I find true) and failure to uplift black people. And the author listed common outlooks/approaches to this problem, and one of them was: "We should ignore the white folks entirely and hold solidarity with only other POC, and the countries in the Global South. Who needs those wishy-washy white fragile leftists who don't care about what we think or want?" (roughly paraphrased.)

And the author said, This sounds like the most leftist and radical position, but it's totally flawed because it absolves us of our responsibility to dismantle white supremacy for the sake of our fellow marginalized people, and we are basically ignoring the problem. And that blew me away because this is a position so many activists have, to just ignore the white folks and focus entirely on our own movements. I wish I knew the name of the actual pamphlet, so I could quote entire passages at you.

But I feel this is the same for men. Obviously, we should prioritize and have women-led and women-focused feminism. But saying that men are an oppressor class so they can't reliably be counted upon in feminist activism--it's such a huge oversimplification. And mainly, I'm a Muslim, and I've been treated with plenty of misogyny from Muslim men. And also plenty of misogyny from Muslim women. And I love my male friends, I want men to be part of the movement, and I dunno. Thinking about communities, movements, and the various ways we fail each other and what it means to be truly intersectional keeps me up at night.

I don't know the pamphlet you're talking about but I've read and been taught similar. There's a reason much of my anti-racism is so feminist and most of my feminism is anti-racist. Many people coming at this problem from a truly intersectional angle have seen that there is no freedom to be had without joining hands across the community. Not picking and choosing our allies based off of identity but off of behavior.

As used in a previous example, a white abled moderately wealthy man saying "wow Healthcare sucks in this country, why does this system suck so bad" should be told "hey, this system sucks so bad because it's built off of sexism, racism, classism, and ableism. You want to improve the system? Fix those things and it will be much better in the long run" and not "shut up you're a man. Healthcare is always going to be better for you". The second response doesn't fix that Healthcare is still a problem even if you are at the "top" of the privilege ladder. If we want true change, we have to dismantle the entire system at it's core and build it up without the yuck, otherwise you're gunna get to the top and realize this place sucks too.

Something something if the crabs worked together to hold each other up, they could all get out of the bucket and be free.

[hetchiew]

Okay, it’s been 2 weeks since I posted this:

And I think I’m finally ready to address it! So here goes nothing!

I have been experiencing “unexplainable” symptoms and chronic pain since I was a young teenager (so around 7 years now). I have seen many specialists who will act concerned when they hear my symptoms, run general bloodwork on me, see that every appears normal in that sense, tell me I’m fine, refuse to look into anything further, and then send me on my merry way. I’ve also had doctors see that I have diagnosed mental illnesses & autism, and tell me it’s just anxiety without listening to me for more than 5 minutes. Either that or they’ll refer me to another specialist whom I have to wait up to a year to get an appointment with. And at this point I’ve given up. After years of this, I’m starting to believe what everyone has been telling me. Nothing is wrong with me, and my debilitating symptoms are normal. So what’s the point of going to a doctor to complain about nonexistent problems? I don’t even know why I tried in the first place.

All of this to say, please do not lecture me or fearmonger me about my symptoms. I’ve been desperately trying for literal YEARS to get this shit sorted out. It feels dismissive, distrusting, and manipulative when you go to my asks and tell me that I’m not doing enough for my health, all the while disguising it as worry. I have talked multiple times on here about my struggles with the healthcare system—I have cried out desperately for relief from this pain. And for you to basically tell me you don’t believe me? Don’t believe that I’m trying my best? Don’t believe that I’ve burnt myself out trying to deal with all this? It hurts. It really hurts.

So I’m setting a strict boundary: absolutely no unsolicited medical advice.

You can be worried, sure. But unless we’re mutuals/friends, I will not entertain a conversation about my health with you. I’m sorry if this comes off as rude, but I can’t deal with this shit any longer.

My asks are open again, but please be respectful and kind. I’ve been in a fragile place mentally recently.💖

-

TL;DR

Don’t lecture me about my poor health—I’m trying my best🥺😭

[batboybisexualism]

I hate my endo so much lmao she's out of the office today so not only did she never get back to the pharmacy yesterday but she wasn't even in today and I called a bunch of times and a bunch of people told me they'd pass the message on to her but there's nothing they can do besides putting a message in their system that she has to actually check herself to even receive?? also both her office and the pharmacy told me they were waiting on the other to confirm the scrip, like the stupidity of this entire system is so fucking infuriating and I probably can't get my t back until tuesday..........I want to die!!!!!

saw my endo and got my t prescription refilled two whole days ago and it's still not ready even though cvs said it would be ready by this afternoon, so I went over there to see if I could find out wtf was happening since I ran out of the stuff last night and they're still waiting on clarification from my doctor because she sent an order for an amount that doesn't exist apparently?? they said I still had a refill available and I could get that so I was like "yeah that's great I just need it today because I'm out" but apparently they didn't have the right dosage? meanwhile I'm at the drop-off counter literally looking at the correct thing right on the shelf behind them but that's not the right brand apparently so they had to call my doctor to confirm THAT, but my endo's office never fucking picks up the phone ever so they had to send a fax and now I can't get the old refill or the new dosage until tomorrow (probably!!! not even definitely tomorrow!!!) and she just put me on a higher dosage because my levels aren't where they need to be and my periods are back to being more painful and unpleasant and I'm literally on my period right now and I want to kill everyone in the fucking world I'm freaking out so bad 😩 straight up panicked so hard I almost got into a car accident lmao 😭

[greenhorizonblog]

Wow people really misunderstood my recent post about technology.

I obviously do not mean all technology is bad, and I even wrote in the tags of the original post that I would deem healthcare an exception. This really should go without saying but a lot of people here seem to love to take everything in the worst faith and interpretation possible.

If you take our current context into account and have followed the news these past few months/years you would have correctly deduced that I was talking about smart tech, like smart phones, smart appliances, smart watches, those weird meta goggles, AI and the fragility of the internet and digital systems in general as we saw a good example of in the recent crowdstrike outage.

If you argue that these things would not exist without the profit motive, then yeah I can agree with that but if you argue they would regardless then that combined with the production of this tech, which even if you produce them with well paid labour, still requires that you dig a massive hole in the ground and cause so much damage and pollution to the local ecosystem, which in most of the countries in question is already threatened and burdened.

Also I am anti capitalist! I know these things are driven by profit motive, which is bad. I am just of the belief that even in a world without profit motive, this smart tech would still have a lot of downsides and creates bad incentives, like filming other people without their consent for views or doing dangerous/hateful things. People still chase likes and engagement in bad ways even when they're not paid for it. It's a human instinct to want to be seen and admired in some way. There are many other forms of currency than money, that humans greatly value and seek.

I personally would love it if communication and entertainment tech went back to how it was in the early 2000's or even 80's in some cases tbh. Where you could actually physically own the the movies and games you bought ect. Phones didn't have cameras (or at least not very good ones). It's nice to see a growing number of people realising this and replacing their smart phone with a 'dumbphone'. And we could still have the internet, but have it be more robust and non profit driven (already swooning at the thought of an internet with zero ads aah)

Call me nostalgic but that's just what I hope for a post capitalist world's tech

[sparkles-and-trash]

🧵 health, ableism ++

Yesterday a doctor, a seasoned guy who’s worked 40+ years, told me the reason I’ve met so much resistance with the health system;

Here, the doctors see you as «a waste of reasources» after three spinal/back related related surgeries.

I was 19 when I reached their limit.

They deemed me a lost cause at 19, years old.

The reason I had those two extra surgeries after the first, big one?

The healthcare system trying to save money.

Today, everyone who gets a scoliosis surgery like mine gets titanium right away.

When I was 13, got made 7 cm taller, got two rods and 20 bolts drilled into my spine, it was just steel.

I had a violent reaction that turned to all of this getting infected and that worsened until I was 16, when they finally made the switch to titanium.

But by then it was too late, and the infection got worse as it returned, and at 19 I had to have it all removed, which is high risk and still scary.

My spine is so fragile and fucked up now.

This all turned into other issues, and since then I have been diagnosed with chronic migraines, lupus, pcos, and endometriosis.

The first one is the only one I’ve been offered any long lasting treatment for, and now it makes sense.

After a lot of fighting I am now getting surgery for my endo, but that took years of work.

And now I know why.

Lupus is a serious fucking condition.

They all are, but if one of them is gonna kill me anytime soon, chances are the lupus will do the job.

But the only treatment they’re willing to offer at this time is pain management.

Maybe, when, not if, when, I get worse they’ll try something else, but probably not.

Because I’m a lost cause, a moneypit, a person beyond the hope of rehabilitating enough to help society.

But I’m still a person.

I deserve a life, and I know I, even if a wreck, can do little things to make others happy.

Make a little bit of change.

A disabled friend once told me he’s so tired of having to be either a hero or a tragedy to able bodies people.

Because sometimes, we’re both. Or neither. And that’s okay.

We are so much more than ableism wants us to be.

I’m not even sure what I wanted to say with this, other than the fact that I know talking about these things are the only ways things change, that people open their eyes, and that we can grow together.

Thank you so, so much if you read all of this.

Thank you ♥️

[basielaziz]

**Urgent Humanitarian Appeal: Protect Gaza from a Catastrophic Epidemic Outbreak**

The Gaza Strip, already devastated by war and conflict, is on the brink of a new disaster. Thousands of displaced families are living in overcrowded shelters and makeshift camps with limited access to clean water, sanitation, and medical care. In these dire conditions, diseases like hepatitis, polio, and skin infections are beginning to spread rapidly, threatening the lives of the most vulnerable—children, the elderly, and those already weakened by malnutrition and trauma.

This is not just a health crisis waiting to happen; it is already unfolding. Without immediate intervention, Gaza could face an epidemic that would claim countless lives and overwhelm what remains of its fragile healthcare system.

**A Critical Mission to Prevent an Epidemic**

Dr. Aziz Kamel, a renowned health researcher in the field of infectious disease control, is racing against time. He is conducting a pivotal research study on the alarming rise of infectious diseases among Gaza’s displaced populations. His work is vital. He is gathering crucial data that will be submitted to international health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Doctors Without Borders, Action Against Hunger, and the International Medical Association. This research will be the foundation for international intervention, providing the medical community with the necessary insights to combat and contain the spread of these deadly diseases.

Dr. Kamel's findings will serve as a wake-up call to the world, urging global health leaders to take swift and decisive action. But this research—and the lives it aims to save—cannot wait. Immediate funding is needed to complete this study and provide life-saving aid to the people of Gaza.

**The Human Toll of Inaction**

The people of Gaza are not just numbers; they are human beings—parents who have already lost their homes, children who face a future defined by suffering, elderly who have seen too much tragedy. These people are not just victims of war; they are now at the mercy of diseases that can be prevented. The spread of hepatitis, polio, and skin diseases is not just a health issue; it is a humanitarian catastrophe.

Imagine being a parent in a crowded camp, watching your child fall ill, knowing there is no medicine, no clean water, no escape. Imagine the fear of seeing entire families wiped out by preventable diseases, all because the world did not act in time.

This is the reality facing Gaza today. And we cannot afford to wait.

**The Science Speaks Clearly: Time is Running Out**

Scientific data has shown that in crisis zones like Gaza, the spread of infectious diseases is swift and deadly. Overcrowded conditions, poor hygiene, and lack of medical infrastructure create the perfect storm for epidemics. Diseases like polio, which can cause lifelong paralysis, and hepatitis, which leads to liver failure, are particularly dangerous in such environments. Skin infections, while often overlooked, can become life-threatening in these unsanitary conditions.

Dr. Kamel’s research will provide real-time analysis of these disease patterns, enabling global health organizations to intervene with targeted medical and preventive measures. But without your help, this research may never reach the hands of those who can stop this disaster.

**How You Can Make a Difference**

Your donation will directly support Dr. Kamel’s life-saving research and fund emergency medical supplies, hygiene kits, and vaccination efforts. This is not just about stopping an outbreak; it is about giving hope and health back to a population that has suffered too much already.

Every moment we delay is a moment that brings Gaza closer to a full-scale epidemic. Every donation, every act of generosity, is a step toward saving lives. The people of Gaza need more than words; they need action. They need you.

**Act Now. Donate Today. Save Lives.**

[hug-your-face]

"If I'm Trump, I need you to not vote for Biden"

May 2024 Politico analysis: Polling of younger, Black, Hispanic voters in Philadelphia is currently favoring a Trump presidency by a hair:

“The goal for the Biden campaign is to try to keep that fragile coalition together. And it’s a much harder goal than it is for the Trump campaign, which is just to have people do nothing,” said Mustafa Rashed, a Philadelphia-based Democratic strategist. “If I’m Trump, I don’t need you to come out and vote for me, I need you to not go out and vote for that guy.”

If you WANT a second Trump administration, along with Project 2025's very real plan to give Trump supreme executive power, it's very easy for you: Simply DO NOT vote for Biden in November.

(And get some friends to not-vote for Biden too, while you're at it.)

It's really, really simple:

Vote 3rd party or don’t vote:

Trump presidency, again

Replace courts and justice system with dictator-style "justice"

(Which by the way pretty much eliminates any kind of free elections in the future)

Defund federal institutions that protect individual rights like the FCC (internet) and FTC (consumer rights)

Let's get dumber! No more Department of Education

More fossil fuels, more climate change faster!

Eliminate access to abortion

Normalize the use of the military against US citizens, and of course

Full support to Netanyahu to "finish the problem" and ensure Palestinians "burn forever in the eternal pit of hell."

Vote Biden and you get:

NOT all that stuff above. That's enough, right? Just avoiding all that is enough? No? Okay then how about:

Health care - including abortion access

Continued improvements in overall cost of living

Continued investment in green technologies and getting toward net-zero emissions

Continued reduction of the wage gap

More? Okay:

Support for Ukraine against Russia

Massive social spending for healthcare and against climate change like under the Inflation Reduction Act

Taxing the rich

Gun control

Improving infrastructure like roads, railways, the power grid, and internet access

Continued crackdowns on Big Tech and strengthening the FTC's antitrust powers

Increased pressure on Netanyahu and Israel

So, do you take the action or inaction that makes you, personally, feel better?

Or do you take the action that actually brings the greatest good to the greatest number of people - even if it makes you personally feel bad to do it?

[sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog]

Pretty funny that everybody on this entire web site is a fucking mammal.

[sunbentshadows]

you post about covid a lot lol

Hey anon.

Wasn't sure how to answer this. Yes, I do!

In March 2020 I got sick. We didn't know with what, and we'll never know. All I know is I had no fever but my lungs were fucked. Tests for Covid didn't exist then - I went to the ER about a week before lockdown, they sent me on my way. Back and forth with video visits, trying to get follow-up care. As long as I had no fever and my blood oxygen was normal, doctors could, would, do literally nothing. Only option was the ER again - which was also, of course, full of Covid patients, and at that point they wouldn't accept you if you weren't, frankly, actively dying.

It took me a year to breathe normally. A full year, using an inhaler every four hours. There were days I thought I'd never get better, and at least a few when I thought I wouldn't make it because my lungs were so sick. We didn't have vaccines at that point. We didn't have masks, actual masks available - N95 masks, respirators, for much of that first year.

I got off lightly. I'm still not sure if I prefer it were Covid or not - that I haven't had it and whatever else I had was that bad, or I have had it, and it was that bad. (Lungs are fragile like that - they don't recover well, they leave you susceptible to worse things and worse recoveries even years down the line.)

I never want to be that sick again. My health has been kind of fucked since. Maybe it's related, maybe it isn't. I'm waiting for a surgery right now actually - amidst the second-worst wave of Covid we've ever had. But I need the surgery, and I can't wait it out til cases drop. Imagine trying to heal from surgery with a disease that ravages your immune system. Imagine getting the disease that makes you cough with several abdominal incisions. Imagine it's because even doctors decided they didn't give a shit.

I should not have to make that choice. I'm fucking furious the world is like this. I want to scream at everyone who has decided this is over, at everyone who has decided our lives aren't even worth the inconvenience of wearing a fucking mask. I am astounded at the profound ignorance and selfishness of people I once considered intelligent and kind. I am aghast at the collective amnesia. This disease killed more people in four years than every war in the US's existence. It is still the third leading cause of death. And yet people find it odd to care about.

Yes, at some point, I hope and believe it will become less virulent. But it isn't yet. We're only just beginning to understand the ramifications of the disease on our biology, but everything we uncover is bad. Extremely bad.

There are a million essays here. They've been written. The failure of policy. The failure of healthcare. The failure of community. The failure of scientific communication. The failure of every single individual choice that every single person is actively making, right now -- it sounds like, including you -- all of which mean people get permanently sick. People fucking die. The collective decision to absolve yourself of your responsibility, to decide there is an acceptable percentage of the population to sacrifice for your convenience. The "individual choice" to not mask or vaccinate weighed against someone's fucking life.

So yeah. Yes. I guess I do post about Covid a lot, relative to some other folks. Because jesus fucking christ.

[multiplicity-positivity]

Here’s some positivity for systems with connective tissue and joint disorders!

Connective tissue and joint disorders can be quite disabling and a challenge to deal with. The systems who deal with these disorders deserve to have their voices and experiences heard and uplifted in our spaces! There is hope for systems with connective tissue/joint disorders out there, and this post aims to spread some positivity for y’all!

💗 Shoutout to systems with weak or fragile skin, who have to be very careful because their skin is too fragile to hold stitches or other medical procedures!

🎶 Shoutout to systems whose joint disorder has caused them to develop arthritis, chronic pain, or other painful conditions!

☁️ Shoutout to systems who must be overly cautious in order to avoid easily dislocating their shoulders, knees, elbows, and other joints!

💗 Shoutout to systems whose joint pain and instability causes them to be regularly exhausted or fatigued!

🎶 Shoutout to systems with connective tissue/joint disorders who have struggled to be taken seriously by their healthcare providers or had to wait a long time to receive a diagnosis!

☁️ Shoutout to systems whose connective tissue/joint disorders exacerbate symptoms of their other illnesses, or whose other illnesses make their connective tissue/joint disorders worse!

💗 Shoutout to systems whose disorders cause them to scar or bruise easily!

🎶 Shoutout to systems who are questioning if they have a connective tissue/joint disorder or who are doing the research necessary to self-diagnose!

☁️ Shoutout to systems who have to deal with frequent bruising or swelling due to their disorders!

💗 Shoutout to systems with connective tissue/joint disorders who use crutches, wheelchairs, canes, walkers, rollators, or other mobility aids to get around!

🎶 Shoutout to systems whose connective tissue/joint disorders leave them unable to work, attend school, or pursue the hobbies and passions they want to!

☁️ Shoutout to trauma-formed systems whose origins are directly related to their connective tissue/joint disorder, whether from medical trauma, trauma from common dislocations, or other complications that come with these disorders!

💗 Shoutout to systems with connective tissue/joint disorders who need accommodations in order to live their best, healthy lives!

Learning to live and thrive with chronic illness is not always easy, but we promise it’s a worthwhile effort! Whether you’re struggling to pinpoint your needs, are unable to afford access to care and accommodations, or are otherwise struggling with connective tissue/joint disorders, please know that there is hope for you!

Please make sure to take it slow, rest when you need to, and not push yourself too hard. Your physical health is important, and you deserve to go at your own pace in order to properly take care of yourself! We’re wishing you a future full of peace, joy, accommodations, and people around you who accept you as you are and are willing to help you when you need it. Remember we believe in you and we’re rooting for you in all that you do!!

(Image ID:) A pale orange userbox with a cluster of multicolored flowers for the userbox image. The border and text are both dark orange, and the text reads “all plurals can interact with this post!” (End ID.)

[meredoubt]

I'm extremely far left in just about all respects, and won't budge, but I gotta admit: having multiple people in my life who work in the declining medical/firefighting/EMT fields (in terms of support, and aging workers) does give me pause. Maybe it's because I'm rural, and can already see what a declining town looks like in terms of infrastructure. Idk man.

Public works and services (at least in my area) are not showing that "people will still want to work," on stuff that actually matters, like healthcare, education, emergency services, roads. Rural hospitals are being gutted, particularly maternity care. A vicious cycle, because declining birthrates means the hospitals don't cross the 50 kids per year threshold that justifies their existence, which shutters the programs, which means the healthcare gets worse in the area, which makes it less appealing to move there, which means lower birthrate, etc etc ad nauseum. Like, sure, some of that will be mitigated when capitalism falls or everyone is covered by UBI or whatever. Right. Like passionate doctors will live there or make the trek out to the boonies or whatever. But it still wouldn't be enough.

And I do care. I care because cities are not what I necessarily want the future to look like. We need to be realistic that "green cities" are utopian, and will barely qualify as cities. Most of the changes to make them green will gut a lot of the benefits of moving to higher population centers, and then it's just...less benefits, but with the addition of being crowded. There are pros-"it takes a village" i think these days makes more sense as "it takes a city," given the isolation in rural areas. Like that idea only really can take root in close quarters, and thats not rural or suburbs anymore.

To be clear, i don't want suburbs, either, with HOAs or whatever. But cities are not great, environmentally, either, even if letting many rural areas RETVRN TO NATVRE or whatever is I think good. But it's like...idk. Studying mortuary really has me thinking about how even the "greener" options of all our alternatives for everything aren't enough. Cities aren't enough, they've got pros sure, but massive cons. Anticiv shit isn't enough, but in societal ways, in the ways that encourage human adaptation/evolution. And that does matter. Not our numbers, but that we continue to evolve, in subtle ways. We've settled at a solid blueprint. But I'm always looking ahead towards climate change, and past that human extinction, and past that Sol's collapse, and I'm just. It's far ahead. But the way immortalists talk, they want to mitigate our bodies. That concerns me. Life, death, human consciousness. These things are all so fragile, so tied to our physicality, in such a delicate ecosystem.

I just worry. Foolish, long term worry, but I do.

None of it is enough.

I'm not one of those freaks who's like, concerned about demographics or overpopulation or whatever. But I do have some concerns about a worldwide aging population that requires care and support as a majority, regardless of whatever system we build. Capitalism obviously exacerbates the problem because it created it, with it's cancerous need for growth. But.

I don't know. It's collapsing empire, I'm aware, but some part of me looks at the talked about replacements or alternatives and finds all of it-all we've built, and our lofty ambitious pipedream blueprints-to be woefully wanting.

And you know. I don't like humanity, often. But I do love it, whatever it looks like, in 100 years or back 1000 or forward to whatever our descendents could look like, whatever could be after homo sapiens. Our potential.

Repair the world is on my mind, more than usual.

I just don't think any of what we're doing will be big enough.

Demand it be.

[ehh-is-the-name]

Time for hfjone society rant again

Now this has been brewing in my mind since early ii s2 eps, but this post specifically is directed more towards ONE.

Object prejudice is probably a thing, right? Object racism- ableism, whatever you wanna call it, I feel like it's gotta be real.

I could totally see someone being like "Well you can't do that, you're too fragile" or "Glass objects are always so sensitive" or even straight up having signs for specific objects to not be allowed places (and it's not for their safety).

Especially if ONE is a lot like Earth. I mean, they've got the Golden Gate Bridge, California, the US as a whole, and France- if they have different countries then they probably follow at least a similar history. And if they follow a similar history... Well, that'd mean object slavery was a thing, right??? We already know they've got capitalism, with Bryce stuck in a fast food place living unfulfilled, Liam being a telemarketer of all things, Charlotte having to deal with the healthcare system, and Oscar is literally in a homeless shelter. And we gotta be honest with ourselves, capitalism is the reason people bought slaves--it's cheap labour for more profit. So if capitalism exists to this degree, and countries too, and we know that the earth our main protags come from is supposed to be a reflection of our earth, then it's not completely outta line to think that there would be object prejudice.

But if object prejudice is a thing, what objects are being marginalised? Fragile objects? Limbless objects? Organic objects?? Damaged objects???? I like to think that all types of objects would've been around for long enough for systemic prejudices to not be a problem, but all of this does suggest there's something going on there. Then more questions are raised if all of this is lining up, like Was there an object holocaust? Object eugenics? Object 9/11???

What kind of objects were oppressed because of that? Would it be based more on language because every object could be found everywhere? Would a prejudice object just be like: "All objects from ____ are evil and they should not be allowed into my country!" But to know about objects from ____ they would have to hear them speak, or see their passport or something.

I think these questions are getting out of hand... But it feels sorta wrong to say nothing happened in NYC on September 11th, 2001 in the hfjone universe. It feels like erasure? Like I'm doing a disservice to those who would've been affected by object 9/11. Yeah, I'll take a step back, I'm probably thinking too hard about this one.

Maybe there are object sociologists who know what the fuck is going on 'cause I don't.

[ukrfeminism]

NHS maternity services are getting worse with two-thirds of units in England now deemed unsafe as staff and hospitals find themselves under “huge pressure”, a damning report has warned. 

Some 65 per cent of maternity services are now regarded as inadequate or require improvement for safety, up from 54 per cent last year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found. Of these, 15 per cent are inadequate.

When looking at overall ratings, one in 10 maternity units are now rated inadequate, while 39 per cent are under the rating requires improvement.

The worsening picture of maternity care in England follows major scandals in Shrewsbury and Nottingham uncovered by The Independent. 

The report says the “overarching picture” is “one of a service and staff under huge pressure”. Staff cover “is often fragile, with the rotas relying on every consultant being available”.

It added: “On top of this, consultants face additional pressure from, for example, having to cover registrar rotas and extra on-call shifts to meet the needs of their service.”

One patient told the CQC: “I couldn’t move and asked someone to help me feed my baby and was told ‘you can do it yourself’ … [The midwife] also told me that she was very busy and had other patients that took priority – when I still couldn’t move.”

The report further pointed to issues with governance and lack of oversight from NHS boards, as well as delays to care and lack of one-to-one attention during labour. The report also highlighted poor communication. 

The watchdog has said a similar picture has emerged for ambulance services, with 60 per cent deemed to be inadequate or requiring improvement on safety – double last year. 

Mental healthcare was also highlighted as an area of concern with 40 per cent rated inadequate or required improvement for safety. 

Inspectors pointed to a lack of beds, meaning people can be “cared for in inappropriate environments – often in emergency departments”.

“One acute trust told us that there had been 42 mental health patients waiting for over 36 hours in the emergency department in one month alone.” the report said. 

In its wide-ranging report, the CQC warned that healthcare risks becoming a two-tier system, with society divided into those who can pay for care and those who cannot.

It said: “Getting access to services remains a fundamental problem… Along the health and care journey, people are struggling to get the care they need when they need it.”

Factors such as long waits for hospital treatment, waits to see GPs and for referrals, combined with a lack of staff, “increase the risk of a two-tier system of healthcare, with people who can’t afford to pay having to wait longer for care and risking deteriorating health”.

During a press conference watchdog officials said: “More and more people are entering that long-wait category and it's becoming harder to prioritise and deprioritise people, when as I say we are, they are seeing a number of people who, who have effectively not been sustained on electric backlogs arriving into A&E with a serious condition.” 

Research by YouGov showed that eight in 10 of those who used private healthcare last year would previously have used the NHS, while another study found 56 per cent of people had tried to use the NHS before going private.

The CQC added: “People may also be forced to make difficult financial choices. We heard from someone who receives benefits who resorted to extracting their own tooth because they were unable to find an NHS dentist.

“They then had to pay £1,200 on a credit card for private treatment, doing without household essentials until the debt was paid.”

CQC chief executive Ian Trenholm said the ongoing strike action by NHS staff – who are unhappy with pay and conditions – has contributed to backlogs.

Sally Warren, director of policy at think tank The King’s Fund, said: “This comprehensive report reveals the sad reality that the quality of care that patients need and deserve is not being met in many parts of the NHS and social care.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: “We are delivering on three major recovery plans to improve access to urgent and emergency, primary and elective care, and have made progress to significantly reduce the longest waits for routine treatment, despite pressures including industrial action.

“There are record numbers of staff working in the NHS and our historic Long Term Workforce Plan will retain and recruit hundreds of thousands more staff alongside harnessing technology to reform the way we work and save staff time.”