#and now i'm in insurance hell trying to get it covered so i can go pick it up and start my boy journey more thoroughly

[sharkneto]

man i knew it was going too smoothly

[lirulua]

I hate money <3

So we're just in a perpetually tight spot, apparently and my mental health is shit and this is making this worse. And no we cannot get financial help from the government because my dads boss is a cunt and puts his tips as part of his pay check rather than tips so we make "too much" for assistance.

Anyway, we need help covering rent, getting food, my dad needs new glasses cause his broke and we need gas in the car. And I need some shorts for summer since I need to start walking for the sake of my health but we genuinely cannot stand the heat, it makes our depression worse we can't move, hell our bladder doesn't even work right when we get too hot. (We cannot afford to thrift right now either, but that is what we will be doing if this post actually works)

I'm trying to get some booths for craft fairs but they're either $300-$1,000 (I'm not exaggerating) or expect you to sign your soul over to them and almost all require you to have insurance which I also can't afford.

Our Ko-Fi is open for commissions. Currently, we have

Mushroom Boys - $20

Mushroom pops - $12

Mini Octopi - $5

Gummy Bear Plush - $10

Giant Heart Pillow - $200

Mystery Boxes - $25 $50 $100 $200 $500

Please if you can help, just please. If not Please spread it around. More stuff will be added once a week, next up are mini whales.

I don't know what to do man. This shit isn't worth it but my girlfriend is moving in in july which is the only thing keeping me going at this point.

[queenpiranhadon]

Could you possibly do a ninjago Cole x Baker reader

A/N: We're going to ignore how late this is LMAOOOO I'M SO SORRY ANONNNNN IT'S HERE NOW!!! Here's my masterlist!

Warning(s): Reader owns a bakery, reader's kinda clumsy- falls into a sack of flour, reader makes scones with flour (whichever type is left to imagine for my celiacs🤍), Cole accidentally wrecks the bakery, serpentine arc kinda? I don't watch Dragons Rising, cursing, reader is gn but is written with f!reader in mind, reader thinks of Cole like a puppy, Cole calls reader Master of Flour, reader hits unnamed serpentine in the head with a frying pan, Cole "asks" reader out on a date, mentions of nagas, not proofread!!

Pairing(s): Cole Brookstone x Baker!Reader

•─────•°•❀•°•──── ꜱᴜɴᴅᴀʏꜱ ────•°•☁︎•°•────•

It was your day off.  

So obviously, you’d spend it working.  

Your days off, Sundays in particular, were when you closed the bakery you owned for the day to restock your inventory of baked goods to sell. 

Most people would call you crazy, saying that you worked too much and that you shouldn’t work on your breaks.  

Thankfully, you weren’t most people. You loved to bake, especially from scratch (those who used mixes were not only lazy, but the results were always artificial to you). 

It was 6:47 AM, and you stretch out your arms, cracking your knuckles and get to work, spreading flour over workspace. 

Then, you take the same flour measuring it precisely before dumping it into the porcelain bowl you grabbed earlier. You walk over to the giant pantry storage unit you had in the back to grab the sugar and baking powder you needed, humming to yourself softly. 

Music flowed through your headphones, the tunes lifting your mood as the sun’s rays peek through the windows, a golden hour in the dawn of the morning.  

You grab your measuring cups, pouring the right amount of sugar into your bowl and then twisted open the top of the baking powder container.  

Yet the damn thing wouldn’t budge.  

“Come on...!” you groan the corners of your lips turning down. “You weren’t doing this last week!”  

You knew you sounded extremely stupid, talking to inanimate objects and trying to persuade them to cooperate with you – but you were alone, so it didn’t matter.  

“Stupid. Little. Piece. Of.” you grunt, smacking the lid against the edge of the countertop, but you didn’t anticipate the lid of actually pop off, the force you were exuding into the can made you bang your chin onto the countertop, and you fell backwards onto a sack of flour you hadn’t opened up yet.  

“Ah Shit!” you yelp, white powder billowing up around you from impact.  

You frown as the flour settles onto your form when you sit up– making you look like a humanoid snowman. 

Your body aches and you plop down, but you moment your head sinks into the grating fabric of the flour bag, a loud boom is heard throughout the cafe.  

You bolt right up, scrambling to your feet and sprinting out of the kitchen to find a big gaping hole in the place where the door of your precious bakery was supposed to be, along with 2/3s of the wall. 

“What the actual- AH!” you squeak, ducking down behind a table as a large chunk of drywall is sent sailing over in your direction.  

“Ah shoot sorry!” you hear a male voice call out from a little bit to your left.  

You wince as you see a man dressed in a black gi punches the tiled floor of your bakery, a large chunk of the earth from underneath shooting out of the floor.  

Your insurance sure as hell wouldn’t cover for this.  

You watch as the man tackles some weird serpent-like creature, almost like a naga, with humanoid hands, but had a head that resembled a snake.  

Your heart pounded as the man in black was thrown across the room, hitting one of the walls as the pictures hanging there fell, glass shards now litering the floor.  

You want to tear your hair out at this point, knowing that you’d probably be fifty by the time you could ever repair the damage- but in the grand scheme of things, that wasn’t your biggest concern.  

You needed to do something, and fast.  

Sprinting to your kitchen again, you size the possible weapons you had, choosing a wide frying pan that was evenly weighted in your hands. Quickly making your way back to the mysterious stranger that your door and then some, you see him wrestling with the snake-thing, attempting to trap it in a large boulder.  

Perfect. 

You creep on behind them, slowly and carefully, raising your frying pan. 

“TAKE THAT!” You yell, swinging the pan at full force as it contacted the serpent’s head, a loud clang resounded through the almost demolished building as the creature slumped forward, unconscious.  

The two of you stand there, in shock before the man before you lets out a low whistle.  

“Wow.” he says, removing the cloth that covered his face to reveal a head full of chin length black hair and honeyed amber eyes. 

Oh. 

Shit. 

You knew this face- you'd seen it on TV more than you’d like to admit. Cole Brookstone, one of the Masters of Spinjitsu, Master of the Earth. 

But, however, ninja or not, your store was still in shambles.  

You laugh wryly and raise an eyebrow. “Care to explain why my bakery is now a Borg Store after Black Friday?” 

The man snorts and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “Yeah...sorry about that. We’ve been trying to catch this guy for months now- stupid rat’s been trying to steal Pixal’s blueprints for some new mechs. Can’t believe all we needed was a frying pan.” 

You snort at that and wave your pan mockingly in his direction, and he feigns a look of terror on his face, stepping back and sighing dramatically. 

“Woe is me! Why is fate so cruel that I must die at the hands of the Master of Flour!” He cries in an ostentatious manner. 

It was then you realized, embarrassingly, that you still looked like a humanoid snowman. 

“Ah shit... sorry! I fell on top of a bag of flour when I was trying to make scones earlier before you...” you motion to the wreckage, not needed explanation. 

His eyes widen and his head droops in guilt. ‘Awww, like a puppy’ you think. 

“I really am sorry... maybe once I help you fix everything up, I can try one of those scones for myself?” he said, smiling slightly.  

Your heart warmed at this kindness, relieved that you wouldn’t be swallowing yourself in probably every job you could think of to repair the damage.  

“Is that a date?” you tease, thinking he’d playfully flirt back, but a boyish smile creeps across his face.  

“I mean, if you want it to be.” he says bashfully, looking down at the floor.  

You grin, grabbing his hand in your flour covered one.  

“I hope to see you soon then.” 

[cereusblue]

https://gofund.me/96bce824

Hi, all. So, I've had a day from hell and I'm too exhausted to re-explain on another platform. But here, I'll copy paste the story here. TLDR at the bottom. If you can't help, pass it on. Literally everything helps. Love you all.

Good day all, thank you for stopping your busy day to check my page.

Let me lay out the situation as best I can.

First off, some background for myself and my family. My fiancee and I only have(had) one functioning car between us when we took in a family member of his in an emergency CPS case. We are trying our hardest to take care of her and teach her how to be a person, but our schedules and only having one vehicle has made that a struggle. She has gotten a job just last week and is working hard to get on her feet. It's great and we are very proud of her! It's part time for the time being while she learns how to manage finances and how the world works.

However, since October things have started taking a turn for the worse. Between my fiancee and I, we both worked minimum wage and in October I bent over to put on a shoe and my back made a horrible crack noise. I went to the ER in immense pain and despite having insurance, I still got dumped with a hefty bill that to this day I am still trying to pay off. I have gone through physical therapy as requested by my doctor, since he didn't want to operate on someone of my age. However, it did nothing but agitate the problem. While I can now move around again, bending over and lifting anything past 15 pounds is strenuous. I'm in pain every single day and even sitting up is difficult most days. I can't stand up for long anymore before it becomes too much on my back. But things continue to happen, as they do. I was set to come back to see my surgeon this year but on Dec 29th in the last hour of the day, my job decided that an AI system could completely take over my job and laid me off. Getting unemployment as well as answers back from my previous work has been very difficult. My benefits were cut off with no chance to refill medications or see my surgeon. So, now my continued treatment to fix my back on top of my other health issues have all been put on pause. I've been working for almost two years now to get treatment and figure out what's wrong with my health, but I am now on a desperate search for a new job.

Which leads us to today. We are already strapped for money, and on a trip to an interview and my fiancee going to work, we got taken down a gravel road that looked deceptively fine. Driving across, the ice was far deeper than it appeared and it destroyed the grill, bumper, and wheel well (I believe that's what it's called) aka part of the frame that covers the front wheels broke and are hanging. That's not where it ends. So, I took the car to get it temporarily fixed so we could hopefully figure something out to get repairs done. The car got a temporary fix, and then I proceeded to take the car to pick up my fiancee from work. He and I began our drive back home, and as we were passing train tracks a doe jumped out into the road way too close to us. She only came into view as she appeared in the lights of the car, immediately getting bodied by the car. As you can see from the image, she destroyed the hood of the car and much more. I feel horrible for the poor thing and I hope she went quickly, noticing the fur and blood on the front bumper. We managed to get the car home, but the check engine light came on. This car is a Toyota prius. Anyone who knows anything about a prius knows they are basically tin cans. So, the worry is that the cooling system is busted now too. This will exponentially increase the amount we need to pay to repair the vehicle.

The worst part is, is that this is the only car we have to go to work and for me to go to interviews. I do have a car, but it's not in running condition right now. The poor thing is a 1999 and needs some parts replaced that we have not had the funds or availability to get a list of parts and have them replaced. The car also can't move anyway right now and would need towed. The prius is our only vehicle we have, and I don't have the funds to drop on fixing it. Insurance won't pay for it as far as we have been made aware by the body shop because of the type of insurance we have.

So, this is the current estimate we have to work with in regards to repairs. The entire front, hood, coolant system, and I know a few more pieces need replaced. The prius can run and be moved to a body shop at least, but paying for it will be a nightmare. If he can't get to work, we are in major trouble. My fiancee, his little sister, and I all rely on this car for work. While I'm still looking for work, I'm very limited because of my current physical state. We've spent a lot of money on my Healthcare already and every day are worried I'm going to reach for something and have my back crack again. While we are working on Medicaid, these things are proving a slow process. They also don't cover previous medical bills when I did have insurance. So, our only choice is to live off his income currently while I'm on a search for a new job every day. Our lives depend on this one car. Especially since we live out in the woods and work is 40 minutes away.

If you've read this far, I appreciate every single second of your time. Every single hand this gofundme goes through will be a huge help. If you can't help, that's okay, please don't stress your own financials if youre in a tough spot. If you can pass this along to anyone you can, that would be more than enough. Thank you again, and I wish you all better fortune this 2024.

For those who can't read the whole thing;

TLDR; Me and my family are already going through a lot of financial troubles with my health and being laid off, our only mode of transportation is severely damaged from an unmaintained roads massive pothole and hitting a deer in the same day. Three people rely on this one vehicle for all our jobs and interviews that are far from home. Donate if you can, if not, please share and thank you so very much.

Also including another picture here for you all to see. Thank you all again, I wish you better fortune this year.

[scientia-rex]

Hello, I appreciate your medical posts very much and having seen a post the other day where you said migraine was in your areas of special interest, I'd love to ask a related question. You talk about bodies and medicine and patient experience etc in a way that makes a lot of sense to me and I'd trust your take.

I have chronic migraine. I'm currently at 100% pain days, with varying severity. Very hard to pin down what is prodrome, the main event, and postdrome as it's all blurred into one. My migraine team want me to reduce painkiller usage (currently dihydrocodeine and paracetamol daily, and ibuprofen maybe every other day on top) due to rebound headache. I want to cut down because they're fucking expensive and I'm scared for my liver and kidneys. But I literally can't cope with life without them. I went off them for four months a few years ago and the pain was so severe and so debilitating I was the most suicidal I've been in my life. Without painkillers I can't get to the toilet unaided, rarely leave bed, even more rare to leave the house. It's hell. And that's not even considering the effects on everyone around me who has to pick up to care for me.

So what do I do? The way I see things, I need something to help the pain improve before I can use less painkillers, but the longer I go on trying to find something that works and not getting there, the more I think maybe I'm wrong in that. I know a bit about how codeine based painkillers can reduce your pain tolerance / pain baseline. I don't think it's an addiction issue because I've been at the same (over the counter) dosages for 4 years now. I just want to do all that I can to be better, but I also need to be alive to be better. I am stuck.

TL;DR - If you have any thoughts on the relationship between chronic migraine, painkiller use, preserving quality of life while finding a treatment, and increasing the chances of a treatment working, and where on earth the balance between all that lies, I'd really like to hear them.

Again, I absolutely appreciate if you can't answer this, don't want to etc. Giving advice online is notoriously tricky and all that. But a big thank you for your time in reading, and all your weight and exercise posts especially which make me feel so much better about my body. Wishing you all good things! 💖

I won't speak to your case directly, since I'm not your doctor, but here is my personal algorithm for escalating treatments for migraine (note that "abortives" in this case means something you take after a migraine starts to try to end it, while "prophylactic" means a daily treatment you take to reduce likelihood of developing a migraine):

-OTC combination of magnesium, feverfew, and butterbur, taken daily

-Triptans (insurance will usually demand patients fail at least 3 to cover a more expensive treatment)

-High-dose NSAIDs (as abortive treatment given risk of rebound headaches if used daily)

-Daily topiramate (insurance will always demand this is either failed or there's a clear contraindication)

-Daily calcium channel blockers

-Daily beta blockers (higher dose than used for anxiety or low-grade arrhythmias)

-Daily anti-epileptic medications (such as Lamictal)

-Monthly anti-CGRP monoclonal antibody injections (Aimovig or Ajovy; expensive so insurance will demand you've failed some or all of the previous meds)

-Abortive anti-CGRP orals (Nurtec or Ubrelvy)

-Abortive ergotamine, usually Migranal, a nasal spray (very expensive and must be repeated 15 minutes after initial dose regardless of whether symptoms are improving or not)

-Prophylactic Botox (I believe this is every 3 months, must be done in the office of a trained and licensed professional, usually but not always a Neurology provider)

-Sphenopalatine ganglion blocks (done by dripping lidocaine far back into the sinuses to reach the sphenopalatine ganglion, again in the office of a trained and licensed professional)

-Cephaly (transcranial magnetic stimulation at-home device), expensive so insurance hates covering it

Now, one of my newer tools, and my current personal favorite, is a greater occipital nerve block--easy and fast, low risk, and I've had about 90% success with my patients in aborting current headaches. Effects seem to last 3-4 weeks in most cases and since it's straight lidocaine (you don't have to include steroids, though you can) you can do it as often as needed. I generally do this in my office, but I did train one patient's spouse to do it at home given how frequent their headaches. The pharmacy lost their fucking mind about letting an outpatient have lidocaine. I don't know why.

I currently manage my pretty awful chronic migraines with a combination of monthly Aimovig, as-needed Excedrin (the combination of caffeine, Tylenol aka paracetamol, and aspirin is effective for many people but is a real risk for causing medication overuse headaches, the more official term for bounce-back), as-needed Ubrelvy (I can sleep after taking Ubrelvy but not Excedrin so it's a good option), and roughly monthly greater occipital nerve blocks (I teach my trainees to do it using myself as a subject). I wouldn't mind trying the Botox but it's a PITA to get in to see our only local Neurology provider and since my migraines are relatively well-controlled (probably 1-2 headache days a week right now) I don't think it's worth the effort.

I also really got a lot out of this lecture, so give it a try.

[lavendeerlesbian]

We get the bare minimum of people acknowledging we exist that's not pandering. Literally all most of us want is access to medical care and the right to live our lives without violent threats or harassment. Of course there are shitty trans people, there are shitty people in every group whether they're marginalized or not. No one should be harassed for just trying to live their lives, but every fucking day I have to have someone remind me that they think I should commit suicide and they think it's fucking hilarious. Some celebrities saying "trans rights" isn't helping my safety, medical care, or material existence.

"Bare minimum of people acknowleding we exist" and yet every major company acknowledges and accepts trans people (and if you disagree you can be fired), every job application now asks for your gender identity and acknowledges nonbinary identities, women's DV shelters are forced to accept transwomen or else risk facing defunding and being shut down despite the fact that most women there are traumatized and need space away from male people, males are legally allowed to go into women's restrooms and sports and prisons where they assault and rape female inmates and staff, and y'all are also allowed to undergo "gender affirming care" despite the fact that it violates the hippocratic oath and is not safe. Hell, many insurances will even cover the cost of transition so either you're lying or you're misinformed. Literal children having some restrictions being placed on transition doesn't count, as children aren't allowed to make many other life altering decisions and you don't complain about those (no smoking, no drinking, no tattoos, etc.). And I haven't even gotten into how the trans movement is inherently homophobic as y'all are trying to redefine homosexuality as "same gender attraction" and call any actual homosexual person a "transphobic bigot and genital fetishist" in much the same fashion as homophobic conversion therapists. Literally the guy who came up with the concept of gender identity, John Money, was a pedophile who did sexual experiments on twin boys which eventually caused both of them to commit suicide. Look it up. Also look up Alan Turing and the Aversion Project.

It's not just "some assholes", your entire movement is built on trampling on the rights of women and LGB people.

I'm sure you genuinely see yourself as a victim because you have been told BY OTHER TRANS PEOPLE that trans people will commit suicide if they don't get affirming care instead of just better mental health resources. You know what LGB activists told gay children? "It gets better", not "Affirm gay kids or they'll kill themselves". Like. Doesn't that rub you the wrong way at all? Why are your activists encouraging children to kill themselves?

Acknowledging reality is not oppression, either. Even radfems acknowledge that you exist and that you identify as trans, but the reality is men cannot become women and vice versa. Also, radical feminism the ideology has nothing to do with suicide baiting people, so if radfems have actually told you to kill yourself on the basis of you being trans (doubt) then I want to see receipts.

[joeybaboo20]

Random Quotes from An Incorrect Quotes Generator (ft The 7 + Will & Nico)

Leo: I'm naturally funny because my life is a joke.

Jason: What if the person who named Walkie Talkies named everything? Jason: Pregnancy tests are Maybe Babies. Piper: Socks are Feetie Heaties. Percy: Defibrillators are Heartie Starties. Will: Nightmares are Dreamy Screamies. Leo: Stamps are Lickie Stickies. Frank: I hate you guys so much.

Nico: You spent all our money on THIS?? Will, putting tiny raincoats on ducklings: They live outside. They need this.

Piper: Can we talk about that mass email you sent? Percy: Why? It was important. Piper: All it says is, "I'm back on my shit". Jason, shrugging: The people need to know.

Nico: We’re getting married, bitches! Will: And we're about to make it everybody else's problem.

the squad is at a dinner party but someone has been murdered Leo: You’re acting pretty carefree for someone who’s life’s at stake. Who’s to say you aren’t the killer? Will: It’s a murder, not a tax audit. I’ll be fine. Piper: What about Annabeth? Nobody ever suspects Annabeth! Annabeth: Well what about Hazel? They have a gun! Hazel: Leo has a knife. Leo: Yeah, for fun, not for murder! stabs Piper in the arm

Nico: WHOEVER CAUSED THIS MESS IS GOING TO- Hazel: It was me… Nico: …Is going to be forgiven because everyone deserves a second chance.

OR

Will: WHOEVER CAUSED THIS MESS IS GOING TO- Nico: It was me… Will: …Is going to be forgiven because everyone deserves a second chance.

Percy: My head hurts. Annabeth: That’s your brain trying to comprehend its own stupidity.

Nico: Get in, loser, we’re committing vehicular manslaughter!

Nico: When you work at lush and a customer comes in and bites the soap because they think it’s cheese… this happens way more frequently than you think. Will: If you stopped literally presenting soap as deli food this wouldn't happen. Nico: Who goes into a bath store and thinks something covered in glitter is cheese? Annabeth: Who goes to the store and just takes a bite from the cheese?

Will: I'm gonna need a human skull but you can't ask why. Nico: Only if you also don't ask why. Nico: pulls four pristine human skulls out of their bag Will: … Will, grabbing a skull: This one will do.

Percy: Don't break someone's heart, they only have one. Nico: Break one of their bones instead, they have 206 of them.

OR

Piper: Don't break someone's heart, they only have one. Will: Break one of their bones instead, they have 206 of them.

Hazel: What’s up with Will? They’ve been laying on the floor for like….an hour now? Leo: They're just a little overwhelmed. Hazel: Why? Leo: Nico smiled at them.

Hazel: I can’t tell if you’re a genius or just incredibly arrogant. Leo: Well, on a good day, I’m both.

Percy: So are you gonna explain how the hell you crashed my car? Nico: Well we were driving and there was a deer in the road, so I said "Will, deer!" Percy: …And what did Will do? Nico: …They said "Yes, Honey?"

Piper: Nico… How do I begin to explain Nico? Frank: Nico is flawless. Percy: I hear their hair's insured for $10,000. Jason: I hear they do car commercials… in Japan. Leo: One time they punched me in the face… it was awesome.

OR

Percy: Annabeth… How do I begin to explain Annabeth? Frank: Annabeth is flawless. Piper: I hear their hair's insured for $10,000. Nico: I hear they do car commercials… in Japan. Will: One time they punched me in the face… it was awesome.

Nico: Oh, so when crows remember people who wronged them and hold grudges, its “intelligent” and “really cool”. Nico: But when I do it, I’m “petty” and “need to let it go”.

Nico: Annabeth, you're my best friend. Annabeth: Best friend? BEST friend?! Bitch, I'm your only friend. Annabeth: I'M THE ONLY ONE CAPABLE OF TOLERATING YOUR DUMB ASS!

Jason: Nico is a little bitch. Hazel: Why? Jason: Number one, they're little. Number two, they're a bitch.

Leo: God has let me live another day and I'm going to make it everyone's problem.

Leo: I think it’s time I get my life in order. Percy, narrating: But they did not get their life in order. In fact, they got drunk last night and fought a raccoon.

OR

Percy: I think it’s time I get my life in order. Leo, narrating: But they did not get their life in order. In fact, they got drunk last night and fought a raccoon.

Leo: New year, same me. Because I'm perfect.

Annabeth, holding a gun: If the conspiracies about life being a simulation are true WHOEVERS CONTROLLING MY SIM I JUST WANNA TALK.

Percy: Piper and I are so close we even share a toothbrush. Piper: We what?

Leo: Frank, I screwed up, big time. Frank: Leo, given your daily life experiences, you’re gonna have to be more specific.

Will, jumping out of Nico's closet: BOO! Nico: Will: Nico: Will: makes a sad face Nico: Ahh! Oh my god! You scared me!

Percy: I just wanted to say that over the years, I have come to regard you as… people I met.

Percy: Are you busy? Nico: Yes. Percy: Cool, listen to this…

Will: I want a trip down memory lane. Hazel: proceeds to grab every warrior cats book they have and sets them in Will's lap Hazel: I heard you needed these? Will: YES! ALL OF THEM!

Will: If I were a drink, I'd be Cherry Vanilla Coke. If you were a drink, what would you be? Nico: Bleach. Percy: Sewage. Will: …Please calm down, edgelords.

Leo: I think I should be allowed on ghost hunter tv shows. Hazel: I think that would be dangerous for the ghosts.

Percy, in a horrible German accent: Bill Nye is on break, I'm Bill Nein. Leo: Can I go to the bathroom? Percy, in the same horrible German accent: Nein!

[jcbbby]

"i’ll come running whenever you need me. "

This sentence with Jamie

I'm sorry, this feels incredibly rushed... But I hope it still makes you smile! :) Thank you for the prompt! <3

Warnings: None!

(send me a sentence or line of dialogue and I’ll write a little something Jamie/Henry/001/Kit Marlowe-related with it)

-

This week had been awful. You got home from work, tossing your keys and bag haphazardly on to the table by the door, going directly to the kitchen for a glass of wine. Just something to soothe the frayed nerves. At least you were going to FaceTime with Jamie tonight. He was away in Europe filming a new movie, while you stayed home in LA. It had been about 2 weeks now, out of 6 he would be gone, and you wanted nothing more than to just cuddle up with him.

After slipping into some comfy clothes, a pair of shorts and one of Jamie's shirts, you poured another glass of wine and got comfy on the couch, eagerly awaiting the sound of your phone ringing. Finally, his icon popped up as your phone rang and you smiled wide as you hit the green checkmark, pulling up Jamie's live video.

"Hello my love!" He waved on your tiny screen.

"Hi baby! How are you doing?" You smiled back.

"I'm good, yeah. Just had a shower and relaxing with some tea. How about you?"

You held up your glass of wine, pouting. Jamie laughed.

"Oh, no. Tough day again too?" He asked matching your downturned lips.

"Probably the worst of the week, honestly. Someone side swiped my car. The whole side is dented and the paint taken off. They didn't even leave a note or anything. I mean, insurance will cover it...but still, are you kidding me?" You rolled your eyes, taking a sip of your glass.

"Oh, god...I'm sorry, darling. You've really had a shocker of a week, huh?"

You nodded. "Messed up that big project at work, spilled coffee all over my new white shirt, broke my favorite necklace you gave me, Stephanie is mad at me for who knows what, now my car...a week from hell."

"Well, at least the week is over now. You made it through, love." He smiled.

You inhaled and exhaled smiling back. "Yeah...I wish you were here though. You always make everything better. I miss you."

"I miss you too, darling. I'm sorry I'm not there." He frowned.

"No, no it's okay. You're working, being the best actor in the world and all." You giggled.

He chuckled. "Oh, don't try to flatter me...you know my ego is big enough."

Talking to Jamie made you feel a lot better. Or maybe it was the wine. Or both. But you went to bed that night feeling a little better at least.

The next morning, you decided you would be active, as it was a lovely day. A leisurely bike ride sounded good...until it wasn't.

"Hi baby, what's up? Jamie said picking up the phone, sounding cheery.

You sniffled. "I'm in the ER."

"What?! What happened, are you okay?" He exclaimed.

"I'm okay, I just...I went for a bike ride this morning." You sniffled again. "And I don't know what happened, I must have hit a patch of something and I fell off. I think I broke my arm."

"Oh...my love...you poor thing. Ugh..." You didn't see, as you were having a regular phone call, so Jamie wouldn't see your puffy, red eyes from crying, but he ran his hand over his face. "Well, keep me updated, okay? I can come home if you need me to-"

"No, no." You shook your head. "No, you're working. I'll be okay. I just wanted to let you know- oh, the doctor's here. I'll call you back. I love you."

"I love you too, darling." The two of you hung up.

After a series of x-rays, it was determined you had indeed broken your arm, in two places. You were put into a sling for the next week, before you could get into the orthopedic specialist to be fitted for a full cast. You texted Jamie, slowly, with your non-dominant hand, to let him know the deal. He offered again to come home, but you wouldn't dream of making him do that, filming has only just started anyway.

After a couple days at home, the limitations that your injury imposed became incredibly frustrating. Since it was your dominant hand, even simple tasks were a struggle. You called Jamie this morning, just needing to talk.

"I just want to wash my hair!" You whimpered on the phone to Jamie. "I can't even put it up in a ponytail. I feel so gross, I just want to wash my hair." You wiped a tear.

"Baby...I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. I love you so much." Jamie comforted you as you vented and cried before he had to leave to get back to set.

You spent the rest of the day sulking on the couch watching trash TV. Eventually, at some point you fell asleep watching the dull, plot-lacking reality shows. You awoke several hours later, hearing your door open and then close. You shot up, eyes fixed toward the sound of footsteps coming closer. Your hear pounded, mentally preparing yourself to be met with an intruder since you weren't expecting anyone. Your fear quickly flipped to surprise when you saw Jamie's face come around the corner. He stopped and immediately smiled when his eyes met yours. You blinked, wondering if you were maybe just dreaming.

"Jamie? But how did...when did...w-what are you doing here?"

"I'll come running whenever you need me. Even if we're across oceans." He smiled. "I was already on my way here when you called earlier, I was on a layover in New York.. When I said I had to get back to set, I was boarding my flight."

Your mouth hung open for a moment. "I don't deserve you, you angel man. I really don't." You shook your head, laughing lightly, eyes welling.

"So, would you like some help washing your hair, beautiful?" He smiled.

You nodded, allowing him to help you up as you both made your way to the bathroom. You turned to him as he reached to get the water running in the tub.

"I love you, thank you for always being there for me." You hugged him with your good arm.

"I always will be." He smiled, placing a kiss to your temple.

[vizthedatum]

I know I can knock out all my work tasks today. Intellectually, I KNOW. I am getting stronger every day.

But I just put in a request to get disability services from my employer again.

I need to cover my bases.

I hate that anything programming or statistical (essentially my whole job) causes trauma freezes.

I hate that my ex/spouse's lawyer (and my ex/spouse) lied to my lawyer about how we were both responsible for our own health insurance.

I feel like this needs to be reiterated: my able-bodied, autistic, queer spouse kicked out (and threatened, abused, yelled at, made life hell-ish) their disabled, autistic, chronically ill, queer partner (me) out of the home that I paid for (rent, utilities, apt insurance, health insurance, food, etc.) (yes, they contributed money to those things but I did most of the emotional and financial labor of it all). They promised to put me on their health insurance but didn't. They cheated me out of so much. They put me in complete disarray not just for that period of time but for months and months and months. I bet they were hoping I'd just kill myself. They thought I was, you know. That's why they were going to take my medication away but their mom told them not to.

As I told my therapist and psychiatrist several times, I would have absolutely killed myself (if they didn't kill me first somehow) if I didn't leave. I would have done it while telling them I loved them so much. That's how bad the narcissistic abuse was.

I know I've been grieving in all sorts of ways. And I do believe that they need help. They absolutely do. I wish the best for them, and I truly don't want them to die.

But they made my life miserable, and I am trying my best to get my own sense of justice and peace the best way I know how.

I could have (and my friends think I should have) done worse. (aka press charges)

I wasn't even going to file the PFA. I wasn't even going to do anything. I was just going to do what I've always done and start over.

They left me in shambles while they and their ex and their friends all think I'm the "real abuser" and laugh at me. Their lawyer thinks I'm being vindictive and punitive.

They're laughing at a chronically disabled (I pee blood when I'm stressed y'all... amongst other things), autistic, trans person of color who grew up as an immigrant and poor (sometimes middle-class) child in the country who suffered horrific childhood and other partner abuse. My ex/spouse knew all of that. They knew I'd been raped and assaulted and abused.

Do you realize that? Do you know how fucked up that is?

They're laughing while my ex/spouse makes ~150k/yr and has the LUXURY of not going to doctor/dentist/therapy/whatever appointments because they're way more abled than I am....

They wouldn't even be making that much if I didn't emotionally and financially support us while they quit their job to do extra training and education to get that job.

I guess I'm just good enough to be used and tossed away.

They're laughing while my ex/spouse hires a more expensive lawyer just to bully me into not getting enough spousal support and other asset costs, while I'm financially trying to rebuild.

And I am trying my best to live my life now. I grieve and cry every single day. You don't see it in my social media pictures, but I do. My heart and brain are full of love, life, and curiosity... but I am still grieving hardcore. And I will be for a very long time.

Most narcissistic abuse survivors grieve for... years.

[aspd-culture]

The lack of caring about myself that comes with ASPD and overall aversion to responsibility and hard/long term tasks and effort makes me really indifferent/averse towards getting some form of treatment and bettering myself

I know that’s probably bad but I just do not care enough, even though I know my symptoms are actively ruining my life and cause me to be suicidal.

I don’t know how to explain that to drs without it being an eye roll or coming across as “lazy”

I don’t know how other pwASPD find the motivation in them to do all that (I don’t mean that in a negative tone but just genuinely can’t wrap my head around how).

This is totally valid, but you deserve help and you are worth the effort of getting it.

I always try to look at any appointments like this in one step at a time, so rather than think of therapy as a large process, I see it as just the upcoming session. It helps to remember if it isn't helping, you can try to get another therapist.

Another major thing might be making your brand of "getting help" something fun. Talk therapy is not the only kind that exists. There are many, many different more "obscure" kinds of therapy and chances are that if you can get talk therapy covered by your insurance, you can probably get a different type of therapy covered too because many are billed under a single psychotherapy code.

There are literally too many types to list but a favorite I've seen is various therapies involving animals for people who like animals (including dog, equine, cat, even farm animals like goats and chickens), chess therapy for those who like puzzles (common in ASPD), play therapy for those who find themselves most at ease doing "childish" things, music and art therapy (listen to me you do NOT have to be "good" you just have to be engaged with it), and so many more. There is a very low chance of there being no type of therapy that you would actually look forward to going to, even if it's "ugh I gotta go heal myself BUT I get to play board games and barbies for an hour and no one can judge me".

I have heard of probably hundreds or thousands of reasons to go to get help, and depending on if you have insurance/how good it is, you can think of it as a way to stick it to your employer or whatever massive corporation does your insurance.

If you get help purely out of spite against all the elitists who say pwASPD aren't capable of choosing to get help, then that is great and I'm proud of you. I really mean that.

And if you just can't right now, don't force it, but don't write off the possibility, at least. Even if the only thing you can manage to do is reframe your self-talk from "I can't be bothered to get help" to "I can't be bothered to get help yet", that's still such a good step towards one day being able to.

Hell, even just reading how other pwASPD on tumblr cope is a step that can really help you, so if professional help is just not something you can or will do, maybe that would be easier?

I believe in you. You can do hard things, and you deserve to look out for #1 (you). You deserve to feel better, and one day, I really, really hope you get to that point. For now, meet yourself where you're at.

[never-forget-viva-la-pluto]

We can throw grenades at the people crushing machine. We can band together and try to get away from it. We can run face first at it and jam it till it breaks. We can jam it with our clothes. We can fuck up the factory. Giving up doesn't help anyone.

We can cause revolution. Maybe you can't because you're a liberal but at least us leftists can.

In reference to this post: https://www.tumblr.com/never-forget-viva-la-pluto/733556484079796224/some-idiot-on-these-posts-lesser-of-two-evils-is

So listen up,

You can't blow up the machine without hurting the common folk you are meant to be fighting for.

The suggestions you made all result in numerous people dying.

1)Throw grenades at the united states capitalism system.

Okay, let's do it. Throw a grenade. Can you get access to grenades? Do you think your little group of friends with a bunch of grenades would be able to get your little grenades anywhere close to a millionaire lawmaker in congress or the white house or corrupt police stations or billionaire villas etc? You wouldn't even get close enough to make a difference. You and all your little buddies just get charged with attempted murder and you go to jail for life, having helped 0 people in the end, fixed nothing.

How do I know? Because if it were that easy, we would have done it by now. YOU would have done it by now.

2)Band together and try to get away from it.

Who gets to leave? Not all of us can leave. I currently can't walk because I have a painful disability, but I'm lucky, my pain will only last a few more days and I can go then, so as long as I'm there when the...train arrives? What? What's the plan for that? Who will drive that train to get you there? They will have to work the whole time you are evacuating everyone who can leave. Where are we going that is free from capitalism,huh? Fucking space!?! Can you get there? I can't.

And how should we band together and leave? Will you give all your money to that needy family so they can start over somewhere else? What of you then? Will you stay in this human right hell hole with no money at all for that family to be free. But they have friends and relatives they don't want to leave. Will you pay for them too? Oh wait! YOU CANT, because you too are living in this hell.

You can't leave or you WOULD HAVE ALREADY!

3) Run head first into the people eating machine and jam it.

Our system is a people crushing machine. It is so good at crushing people, it would take a VERY large number of people dying to get the USA to bail on capitalism and fix this shit(especially bc a large number of people dying is beneficial for the economy and thus rich assholes making laws that kill people are able to better fill their pockets).

There is no parent in this country that works 60 hrs a week so their child doesn't starve that would NOT take this deal for a chance to save their child's life.

Some have, because life insurance scams are usually a desperate act and a very real thing, but you only have to wait a few years. https://www.valuepenguin.com/life-insurance-suicide#covered

What you are suggesting we do to fix the problem is being attempted as we speak, but the machine just gets better at tricking people that jumping into the machine is a good idea.

4) We can jam it with our clothes/earthly possessions.

I mean...we can but "I can only afford food and shelter this month and Christmas is coming up and my son has a disability that makes it so he can't eat most foods so I wanted to get him something other than rice and kimchi, potatoes and lettuce. Like a gluten free roll. They are so much more expensive. Reg bread is 2 dollars, gluten free bread is 7 dollars and is smaller."- My mother circa 2018

If we thought that sacrificing our possessions to the almighty machine would keep us from dying, we WOULD HAVE DONE IT ALREADY! There are people who have sold everything they own to afford medication as simple as insulin! But once you have done that you are homeless and they have to sleep closer to the people crushing machine than anyone else!

5)We can blow up the factory.

Okay, I don't know what you thought the factory was in terms of the metaphor I used, but the factory is the United States, ya know the place where I assume we both reside.

Should we blow it up? The whole thing? Like, both of us? And everyone we know who lives in this country? Their pets too? All the plants and animals that live in this factory don't matter? Peoples kids are in this factory right?

This one is one that people have tried a few times and people don't generally suggest this one bc they are usually killed, or charged with domestic terrorism, and those people are the ones that stormed the capital and tried to kill Gretchen Whitmar. Ya know?... white supremacists.

You say giving up doesn't help anyone, and you are right.

I've not given up, I'm voting so Gretchen Whitmar's work doesn't get undone the second she leaves. I am buying from local business and boycotting poor ethics as much as I can(again, not a ton of food options for me and I can only afford so much). I am at as many protests that I can be(again, I can't walk right now bc disability). I vote for whomever I think won't actively try to kill me and others like me so I will be alive to help others and send that money to the people who need it more than I do. I help out in my community, I cuss out the racist animal control guy, and I don't tell the cops shit when they come to my door asking about my neighbors.

I haven't given up, but if you think risking countless lives by blowing up the states and starting over is the answer, then you certainly have.

There isn't going to be a damned revolution, because if it made things better we would have done it already!!!

We have a two party system, and that system isn't going to end any time soon, so do what you can to HELP EACH OTHER!

It helps save people's lives to vote blue. It helps to save people's lives to look away when you see someone stealing food. It helps to click those buttons and understand that it's never going to be as simple as a waiting until the perfect candidate. Biden sucks, but the alternative is worse. We have this discussion every election, if the topic wasn't the Gaza it would be something else. In 2020 it was victims of police brutality during BLM protests. Using victims of a genocide or white supremacy as your reason to burn everything down or blow everything up is wrong.

If we had another option, I assure you, the desperate people of the United States would have done it already. The COMPASSIONATE people of the United states would have done it already. It is a fact that someone is going to win that election, and if you don't vote, it will be a republican and they want the machine to be faster at killing people. For now we play the extremely, perhaps perpetual, long game and we protest its wrongdoings.

And we don't give up.

[trans-stew]

starting to realize I'm going to have to work on climbing the government worker ladder if I ever want to be able to afford top surgery or minor ffs things.

I wonder how hard it is to get in on federal work with no specialty work experience.... I mean 2 or 3 years of struggle as I'm at rn, pay off my car, then try for a fed job.

my goal is the better pay and mandated pay raises and job security. plus maybe I'd be able to bully their insurance into covering trans stuff? my current job is like... they don't know I'm trans. the insurance doesn't know I'm trans. and it's literally illegal for my insurance to cover trans stuff because Florida is a trans hell zone legally, but federal insurance should maybe be able to cover it?

only thing I can think of otherwise is going public sector and trying to get into a tech support role somewhere but their industry is kinda imploding right now and I've got no experience so 🤷‍♀️

[neon-green-reagent]

You don't have to read this. I'm just having a rough time. A health and money rough time, which is such a double whammy, and I just had to get it out.

It feels like this was entirely out of nowhere, but I guess it wasn't. I've had hip pain for a while now. It's on and off. Like it would get aggravated, then heal, then aggravated again. I finally got an answer about that. I have old age problems. In my spine mostly. One of those things most Tumblr users truly won't understand and will go pale over as they sit comfortably in their 20s and 30s.

And like okay. Fine. My spine's melting slowly over time. That happens to lots of people. My age is usually when it starts. But also it suddenly hurts a lot. In the last two weeks, it got way worse all at once. I bent over, something wrenched, and since then I've been kinda fucked. The MRI showed that whole spine melting thing, which is supposed to be gradual, but also a bulging disc, and that's probably what I did right there. I slipped something out of place.

So the problem is... All this test taking happened because I had some blood tests that made it look like I had an autoimmune disease. So I went to the specialist you see for that: a rheumatologist. She ruled out basically everything, and when my MRI came back, she said welp! That's not my field! And waved goodbye and offered me nothing beyond that.

I went to a spine specialist, and they offered options. All of which were vaguely scary. Take a pill everyday. Get a shot in your back. Get physical therapy. So I said can I get some physical therapy? And they said yes. That's happening in about two and a half weeks. The problem is, since I made this decision, the back pain has flared to a new level.

Now when I get done with a day of work, no matter how low impact it was, I'm in pain. Two ibuprofen? What are you, NINE? No, we need at least four at a time. My already terrible GI tract is really hating this, by the way. Last night, for the first time, the pain woke me. I couldn't get comfortable. I couldn't lie in any position that didn't hurt. I was EXHAUSTED and couldn't sleep because the pain was too much.

So now I've stayed home from work, icing my back, taking four ibuprofen at a time, getting emails from my supervisor, still in pain, looking at a future with possible surgery in it and wondering you know... What happens if I can't walk? What happens if the pain won't stop and I can't sleep? How will I afford these procedures and specialists?

Because wanna know the other thing that happened? My car died. I had to replace it in a rather emergency fashion. So that was pretty much all the money I had saved up and a new car payment hanging over my head. My health insurance is... not the worst but far from the best. That MRI was covered by most of it, but I still have to pay a portion. So I may not be able to get the care I need at this point.

I'm feeling really overwhelmed and alone. Everyone in my immediate family has passed away. Everyone in my extended family is not interested in helping me out and are hyper religious to boot and do NOT know certain things about me. Keeping them at a distance is for the best. Everyone around me is getting their ass thoroughly kicked by inflation. There's not a lot of hope here. I'm trying very hard not to look at this pain as "this is my life now", where I can't sit for more than 15 minutes at a time and can barely sleep. But, hell, it might be.

The hopeful part... I'm trying to get my general doctor to fill out some paperwork that will make work easier on a lot of levels until I can figure out what I'm doing. So, you know, when I call in my supervisor can't email me and make me feel like shit, that sort of thing. And the physical therapy I'll be getting truly is the most highly recommended first course of action when dealing with something like this. But I sort of wish that specialist hadn't brushed me off after I just received a pretty scary test result. Because now I feel ignored and alone. And I really wish my car had made it a few more months, because now I'm broke, too.

TLDR: I'm broke, my back hurts, and it all sucks.

[horce-divorce]

Top Surgery June 2023 Recovery Fund & Countdown!!!!

⭐ ☀️ 🌻 ✨

🗡️ 33 DAYS REMAIN 🗡️

. email | ko-fi | photos | insta .

*im going to try to keep this post updated; see below for a shorter one you can reblog!*

insurance will cover my procedure, but I have to travel for surgery as well as for my follow up/postop appts, I have existing health conditions that require extra care/supplies, and I need button up shirts etc, and all that along with my usual living expenses in the meantime!!

my disability application is 90% processed and I am anticipating a denial any day now. i may choose not to appeal it, but until that happens, I cant look for a job anyway; basically what I have available to me is art sales, a bit of freelancing, and begging for donations. this post is about that :)

.・。.・゜✭・. Ways You Can Help!!!! .・✫・゜・。.

Buy something from my Ko-Fi Shop! I currently have 5 pairs of needle minders available as well as slots for customs! I may also list some stitch markers and earrings soon! I also occasionally sell the beloved Fuck Off keychains via Glitter & Gleam Co. I'm working on a Pride flag series for June, so stay tuned & do feel free to drop a flag request you'd like to see!!! :) I may also be open to making customs of the FO keychains just bc they are fun.

Buy me a coffee or leave a tip just bc you like me! Ko-Fi also gives me this option, so if you're sympathetic to my cause but you don't need OOAK trinkets and craft supplies, feel free to donate! (Venmo and Paypal are also idleseas!)

Hire me for transcription/captioning! I've got 8 years of experience doing every subject from medical to legal to corporate to podcasts to video captions & subs, and I type verbatim at 130wpm. $1.50 per audio min, usually 24hr or less turnaround. Shoot me an email if interested!

Hire me as a photographer! This one's a long shot, but if you're in Michigan and you need an LGBT-friendly photographer for any reason, I'm your huckleberry! I'm on the west coast, but Im willing to travel a bit within reason, since, it's Michigan. (Seriously, you name it, I'm down: events, drag shows, live music/album art, pets/animals, senior pics, engagement/wedding, products, boudoir, real estate- I've even done remembrance/stillborn photos and retouching.)

Buy photo prints or other junk from Redbubble! Working on this one! Note to self!

Buy me something off my Amazon WL! I am considering sharing this but seeing as I live in a very small, remote, rural town and have a very distinct deadname so maybe pm me about this if we're mutuals? feedback welcome if you have another idea or reassurance abt this lol

Follow my photo blog or Insta accounts! If you can't send any money, hey, I get it. in this economy? yikes. the good news is, I also benefit vastly from moral support! I post a lot of my landscape photos right here on tumblr at @idleseas (not to toot my own horn or anything but. im good) rattiebastard @ IG is my personal insta where I post my art & creations, sales, life updates, and goofy stuff like memes. idle_seas @ IG is my photo account, mostly nature photography and info about the Great Lakes.

Boost my current donation or sales post! Currently it's this one! Reblogs are free and always greatly appreciated :) I LOOK like an account with a lot of followers but trust me, in reality, my blog is just super old.

Good old fashioned kind messages of support also do wonders! anon is currently (ON), so remember Thumper's golden rule: if you can't say something nice, then shut the hell up and don't make me regret this! :)

[dragynkeep]

Im under 26, meaning im still on my moms health insurance plan cause broke college student. So tell me why I've been BEGGING this women since I was 15 to change our health insurance so i can see a dentist, and now that i have a cavity thats getting worse she's blaming me for it and saying its my fault for eating junk food and stuff. Which btw i only eat "a lot" cause a good majority are salty and i have an auto immune disorder that makes me crave a lot of salt that she also refuses to let me get help for.

god that sounds awful for you, i'm so sorry love :((

i admittedly don't know a lot about how the health system works in the us, beyond it being meme'd to hell & back as being dogshit, but is there any options for treatment you can pay in installments?

in the uk, we have dental hospitals because dental isn't covered under the nhs except for extreme cases, so if you need treatment you can essentially be a guinea pig for a dental student or go with a payment plan. i don't know if there's anything like that in the us but it's worth a shot to try & find! i wish you luck 💞

[geminidark]

Okay, so I don't usually make my own posts.

And I don't know that this will help anyone, but I made a list of things people in the U.S. might want to know. Now, credit for this goes to others, I only put it together and added some of the more... extreme precautions. I also wrote this specifically for my family and friends, but... Hell, everyone could use at least a part of it. I'm going to start with crediting the creator of the first list: https://bsky.app/profile/necrotelicom.bsky.social/post/3laby5fjugw2x

Secondly, I'm going to list this post as "commercial content," purely because I'm linking to suggested items. This list varies in severity from "everyone should do this" to "do this if you are in extreme fear for your life" or "you think you may one day need to flee somewhere." Not in any particular order. But without further delay, here we go...

General rules:

They're going to be looking at us in a spotlight regardless, don't give them a reason to look twice.

No joking threats, no serious threats, nothing they can throw a law at you for.

Be careful who you get your news from, try to stay to smaller sources if you can, they're less likely to be bought. Doesn't mean they can't be or aren't, so get multiple sources. Stay local if you can for immediate necessary information.

Keep your phone charged as much as possible.

Help those you can.

====

First, take care of yourself. This info is ripped from a tumblr post, so if you recognize it, good.

U.S. Suicide Hotline: call or text 988 (available 24 hours)

U.S. Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860 (when you call, you’ll speak to a trans/nonbinary peer operator. full anonymity and confidentiality)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) – provides 24/7 confidential support and referrals for individuals and families facing mental health and substance use disorders, including panic attacks and anxiety.

LGBT National Help Center: (888) 843-4564

Trevor Project: Call (866) 488-7386, text START to 678-678, or chat online.

====

General steps to take, and these were credited above if you read that thread on bluesky:

Renew passport and ID, ASAP

Get a copy of birth certificate

Get your vaccine records

Get any and all vaccines possible, including Tdap, MMR if you haven't had an adult booster, shingles if you're older, pneumococcal if you have underlying conditions, and Hep A & B if you haven't had them yet.

Get vaccines for common things, like typhoid and cholera. This may not be covered by insurance.

www.passporthealthusa.com is a helpful site.

Save the yellow booklet with vaccination records near your birth cert and passport

If desired, get a anti-fertility process, hysterectomy, or vasectomy now, before they get banned.

Get cancer screenings if you have a family history. Dermatologist for documentation of abnormalities for skin cancer

If you have a family history of other screenable things, get them checked now

PREP FOR LOSS OF POWER, see below for "buy these" items. Especially in a blue state where relief will be held back this means food, drinkable water, medication. Do what you can.

Draw up an estate plan including a will, advance directive, and powers of attorney, ESPECIALLY if in a same-sex relationship. Do the paperwork so your partner is your legal proxy. If possible, get it done by a lawyer for more security. If you don't have a partner or family to do it, consider asking a friend you highly trust to be your proxy.

If you're married or want to be in a same-sex, expect a pre v Windsor and pre v Hodges era to return. They won't recognize it, you'll have to be in a complex legal structure to protect yourself as much as possible. Check with elder queer folks for advice and to see what used to be done to get around it. Look for in-community lawyers that specialize in it.

If you have money to spare, search for gofundmes for passports, birth certificates, vaccine costs, name changes, etc. that you can help. Find an org that does vital records assistance, usually they fight homelessness, and give to them. Same for voter assistance orgs.

If you have no money but do have time, volunteer for orgs that do those things above. Play to your strengths, doing work you're good at is better for your time than doing work you're middling at. If you can, find an org that you can help by using what you're best at.

Check: "https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fnchs%2Fw2w.htm" for vital records info. A good place to start, apparently.

====

IF you have the funds to put towards your survival in a disaster: (Note, you don't have to get these exact ones, these are various options I personally think are helpful/necessary, but any brand would work, and cheaper is better than nothing. Some of these items overlap, as well.) The sooner you get them, the less likely they'll be hit by the tariffs the next president wants to put on everything. Hopefully these won't be necessary, use your discretion to decide if you do or not.

====

If you need glasses, get another pair just in case. Not necessarily required right now, but still smart in general.

====

Buy a backpack, two, three, over the shoulder bags as well. Anything you can carry that will hold food and tools. Put at least one together ahead of time for an emergency "get out now" situation. I recommend one of every survival tool you may have and a few days, or better yet, a week of food and water if you can. Get medkits, put two in each bag. Rubbing alcohol for sanitizing tools is smart too.

====

Flashlights, handcrank chargers. Some have solar panels too. Some are also weather radios. Choose as you think you might need. Also look into emergency radios for further ideas. Get some regular flashlights and a bunch of batteries. The below are multi-purpose and look pretty good for their jobs.

https://www.amazon.com/FosPower-Emergency-Portable-Household-Flashlight/dp/B07FKYHTWP $~30

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-45800mAh-Charging-Flashlights-Carabiner/dp/B0BGX8Y62Y $~40

https://www.amazon.com/Eton-ARCCR100R_SNG-Crank-Powered-Clip-Flashlight/dp/B003BYROUQ $~10

https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Radio%EF%BC%8C4000mAh-Solar-Portable-Flashlight-Lamp%EF%BC%8CCell/dp/B083TLZN7G $~30

https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Version-RunningSnail-Emergency-Flashlight/dp/B01MFCFKG5 $~16

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Phone charging cords, backup cords for anything, wall outlet adapters, etc. are a good idea to have hanging around. Rechargeable flashlights and rechargeable batteries are both good ideas as well. Waterproof if possible. You never know when you'll need a knife, but a multitool is helpful too. Lighters and/or matches, especially those that are waterproof, are a good idea. Get a knife with a glass-breaker if you can. Don't get a knife with the thought of using it on someone, these are for survival, nothing else. Emergency noise makers, like whistles, are a wise idea too. If you have to get really out of town, get some rope if you can. Can never have too much rope, as long as it's tied properly for carrying. The last two tools in the list here are good mixes of things. Pepper-spray is a good idea to have as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Stormproof-Waterproof-Weatherproof-Submersible-Watertight/dp/B08XJZ9LRN $~10

https://www.amazon.com/UCO-Stormproof-Waterproof-Matches-Strikers/dp/B004P5XOTA $~8

https://www.amazon.com/95-Serrated-Blade-Pocket-Knife/dp/B0B5H6XXNH $~10

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Classic-Pocket-Knife/dp/B00004YVB2 $~25

https://www.amazon.com/Multitool-Multitools-Professional-Multi-tool-PERWIN/dp/B09YLPWXTX $~25

https://www.amazon.com/Multitool-Portable-Locking-Spring-Action-Survival/dp/B07Z1T3S8B $~14

https://www.amazon.com/WORKPRO-Stainless-Multitool-Multipurpose-Activities/dp/B0C88XTTC1 $~25

https://www.amazon.com/Multitool%EF%BC%8CProfessional-%EF%BC%8CMultitool-Screwdriver-Replaceable-Multitools/dp/B0C5CNKR3K $~10

https://www.amazon.com/DPNAO-Multitool-Screwdriver-Multifunctional-Adjustable/dp/B07KTVG5PS $~30

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LIGHTERS, if you need a fire outside or in your own home, assuming you have no power. Like I said at the top, these are rather extreme ideas, but hopefully you won't need these.

https://www.amazon.com/Laffizz-Waterproof-Rechargeable-Flashlight-Activities/dp/B0CGLTTFML $~15

https://www.amazon.com/HUMWE-Waterproof-Lighters-Survival-Multipurpose/dp/B0C2ZRFQ76 Just a cover for reglars, $~9

https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Lighter%EF%BC%8CUSB-Charge%EF%BC%8CRechargeable%EF%BC%8CArc%EF%BC%8CPlasma-Candles%EF%BC%8CFireworks%EF%BC%8CGrill%EF%BC%8CCook-Obsidian/dp/B08GLRLH25 $~8

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Camping gear, just in case:

https://www.amazon.com/Odoland-Cookware-Carabiner-Stainless-Backpacking/dp/B01MS07XPL $~35

https://www.amazon.com/Orienteering-Compass-Backpacking-Navigation-Professional/dp/B07CK8B3R3 $~10

https://www.amazon.com/Flashlight-LHKNL-Ultra-Light-Rechargeable-Waterproof/dp/B08D66HCXW $~20

https://www.amazon.com/12PCS-Aluminum-Carabiner-Clip-Multipurpose/dp/B08T6LC7SK $~8

https://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-8408-Backpackers-Trowel/dp/B000BS05Z6 $~4

https://www.amazon.com/Solar-Power-Charger-Flashlight-Splashproof/dp/B07FDXDB3W $~27

https://www.amazon.com/ReferenceReady-WildCards-Outdoor-Knots-Carabiner/dp/B07VVT97RB $~8

https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Adventure-Camp-Stainless-Steel/dp/B005188T90 $~25

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Water safety straws are wise even if you stay home, given RFK's idiocy. Water filtration and purification are gonna be important in a serious emergency like a hurricane or tornado.

https://www.amazon.com/LifeStraw-Personal-Camping-Emergency-Preparedness/dp/B006QF3TW4 $~18

https://www.amazon.com/Waterdrop-Portable-Filtration-Emergency-Backpacking/dp/B086QNLBB4 $~40

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Final Thoughts:

We can't fix everything, but we can fight like hell to keep them from killing us as easily as they'd like. Do what you can, as you can. Help those you can afford to, and don't beat yourself too hard if you can't help as much as you want. Burdens shared are burdens cut into fractions, and every little bit helps.

Stay safe.