#but a cancer drug would need time to test how effective it is

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

Very interested in the whole the FL has fatal cancer thing in Queen of Tears because the doctor told her by herself, told the husband, and the FL has been having hallucinations and other symptoms. Doesn't seem like this is a fake disease. So can she live? Without it feeling like magic?

I've watched two other dramas where a lead has fatal cancer from the beginning, Doom at Your Service and Moon in the Day but both of those were fantasy. I guess they set up her giving money to research and I'll have to suspend my disbelief if that comes true (I am a medical researcher, all the money in the world cannot make research go *that* fast)

Anyway, such an interesting premise. Curious to see where it goes!

[fatliberation]

Did u have a post abt how ozempic doesnt work somewhere on here? Tryna find it rn.

I don't post a whole lot about o/zempic or w/egovy in depth because it's a (somewhat) triggering topic for me. my dad is a lobbyist for n/ovo n/ordisk and he has continued to try to get me to take his drug because I have a "disease" that needs to be "treated." we've gotten into countless fights over it. I'm not in a place where I have the emotional energy to post about it, but here are some podcasts on the subject I have listened to and trust:

but yes, in short: it doesn't work, not for weight loss at least. it's prescribed with a diet and exercise (when their marketing relies on the fact that diets don't work. funny.) it doesn't make fat people thin, but it does make you lose a small percentage of your body weight (about 5 percent) because it's an appetite supressant. supposedly you would have to be on the drug for the rest of your life to keep that 5% off, and it's only been tested for a few years so we really have no clue of the long-term effects, and capitalism loves dependance! the side effects are horrible and are often too unbearable for folks to continue the drug. complete loss of interest and joy in eating, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach pain, headache, dizziness, fatigue, even gallbladder and pancreas problems, gastroparesis, and blocked intestines. and there could be a risk of thyroid cancer.

[noparadiseinthis]

This is the first time I've posted here and it's also the first time I've written in English. Bear with me, Grammarly helps, but it doesn't work miracles.

How I feel when I see you right in front of me

Spencer Reid/fem!reader

Warnings: mention of previous drug addiction, mention of suicidal thoughts, mention of the reader's mother's cancer (sorry, it's for the plot), angst (I think)

Summary: Spencer has a new girlfriend. You're everything he could wish for. Unfortunately, you doesn't know about his previous "habit" and leaves something in plain sight. Is Spencer strong enough?

Words: 614

For Spencer, you're more than he deserves at any time in his life, but especially at times like this. Staring at the small tablet in front of him, Spencer knows he should have told you when things started to get serious, but he couldn't. He couldn't see the look in your eyes. He couldn't see the look in your eyes. He couldn't see the look of disappointment on your face when you found out you were seeing an addict - a former addict.

At least that would have avoided the situation. When you told him you'd buy your mother's medication and leave it at his house until you picked it up later, he didn't take much notice. He didn't think to ask what medicine she was taking. It seemed so obvious now. What else could a woman with cancer be prescribed?

Now Spencer looked at the morphine tablets as if they were his salvation or his worst enemy. Remembered all too well the feeling, the lethargy, the anxiety that itched under his skin when the effect wore off and he had to inject again. Morphine and Dilaudid weren't exactly the same thing, but they were close enough for her mind to flood with memories. For his skin to itch again. His arm was red and scratched, with perfect marks from the path his nails had traveled.

It's been so hard, Spence, you cried into his chest one night. Caring for a sick mother was enough to bring anyone down, he knew that more than anyone, which was why he resisted that tug on his flesh that led him to pick up a tablet. Just one, she won't notice. You didn't need him to become a burden in your life. You deserved someone better, someone worthy. Someone who didn't look at your mother's medicines as if they were a feast.

Getting sober was a long and arduous process, which he thought about interrupting several times. Now and then, when it got too hard, he thought about stopping something else too. His life. He never wanted to enter that spiral again. He couldn't throw it all away.

Spencer couldn't do many things, but it was still so easy. Reach out, take one of them, and put it in. Would such a small dose still have an effect after so long? Maybe he could try.

He grabbed his hair, forcing himself to think of you, of your proud smile every time he started telling you random facts about the least interesting subjects, but you listened anyway, with love in your eyes. A love he didn't deserve.

Sitting on the sofa, Spencer's hands drummed on his thighs. He didn't even blink anymore, staring at the morphine in front of him. The moment his fingers moved of their own accord, testing the texture of the table next to his enemy of the moment, the door to the living room opened.

"Spence, are you home? I've come for the medicine"

He had never felt so relieved to hear your voice, and immediately withdrew his hand, still horrified at the fact that he had almost reached her. Almost destroyed everything.

When you approached him, Spencer forced himself to form the most genuine smile he could manage, hugging you tightly.

"I love you," he whispered against your temple.

I love you and I'm not strong enough. Over his shoulder, Spencer was still looking at the pills. Wondering if he'd be able to hold back next time. Wondering what you'd say if you knew.

"I love you too," you said when you came out of his embrace, smiling fondly as you held your boyfriend's face in your hands.

That didn't help him.

[hedwigoprah]

This post is mostly for myself, but with a desire to be vulnerable.

It’s just about some family stuff and that not good news I got today. I’m mostly typing this up to consider how much I know and how much I’d be able to express to a professional should the need ever arise.

My mom has had cancer since, well, since before 2013. When she had to have gallbladder removed they found it in her ovaries and her uterus. They were both subsequently removed.

Unfortunately, while slow-growing, neuroendocrine tumors are rare and we’re only just now starting to gain some traction on research and treatment. It’s the same kind of cancer that took my uncle, though it’s supposedly not genetic (I question that).

While my mom has had cancer for a number years and has not had to confront cancer the same as others have, Neuroendocrine tumors have a lot of side effects that can impact quality of life.

This particular cancer has affected her liver. She’s in near constant pain, and it also affects certain bathroom urges (we try to laugh about it). It’s also known to affect the heart, though that’s not something we’ve dealt with yet.

For the last ten years she has gotten shots every month and six-month ct scans that help to check for any changes, although she is essentially, riddled with it. Her doctors have been very wonderful, even fighting for her case to be brought before a medical board for an experimental treatment back in 2022 that would help with the symptoms.

The news we got today was that the two spots on her liver that we knew about have gotten bigger, and there’s a new spot both there and on her mammary. There’s also fluid on her lungs, effecting her ability to breathe. They’ll remove some of it next week, and send it for testing. Being that it’s on her lungs and not in them, it’s likely cancerous. If it’s removed, it could come back.

I’ve watched my mom come alive recently with a new job, and she’s traveling on her own this year, she’s been writing and making friends, it’s been wonderful to see.

Today was hard. The news is never good, but rarely bad. We always hope for stable conditions, so it’s a tough day when it’s not. It’s always what’s next?

She may be eligible for another course of two of the experimental treatment to help lessen the symptoms, and her doctor wants to try an experimental drug that could help too.

She always goes to these appointments by herself, but thankfully I was able to keep her from spiraling emotionally, Costco is a good distraction.

I’m so thankful for the time that have had and get to have with my mom, she’s my best friend. And I know we are very fortunate in the circumstances we’ve been dealt.

There is no getting rid of it, and one day there will be nothing else to be done, or things will too be bad to slow down.

Bottom line and an echoed sentiment: cancer sucks, no matter what form it takes.

[chemoknowyourpoison]

Know Your Poison

Costs

This week I finished my fifth 1 litre bag of Obinutuzumab, a clear bag of fluid that hangs upside down on a drip stand. If all goes to plan by the end of my treatment I shall have had 8 bags, this is the drug that goes intravenously into your arm it is covered in a dark blue bag to remind us all of its poison. It costs around £1,600 per bag, a point noted in the patient notes. Venetoclax the other chemo drug cost around £300 for 7 tablets by the end of my course some 1,120 100mg tablets of the drug would have been consumed at a cost of £48,000. Another tablet prescribed to help with my immune system; 728 tablets cost around £4,200 all this adds up to around £65,000.

There are other drugs to add on such as steroids, kidney drugs etc. Then if you add consultants, Drs and nurses time as well equipment, syringes, wipes, cannulas, blood tests and so on. It all adds up to a pretty penny, and if you also consider I am not alone. There are thousands of me every day trudging up and down the corridors of the NHS consuming Millions if not Billions of pounds per year. Are we worth it? (careful, I would like to think we are). It does make you think however, how is all this cost afforded and are the politicians, leaders, stakeholders being honest with us, when they conduct their 3-minute soundbites on TV.

In truth the model needs to change but, to what? This is the great debate that needs to be had and very soon. I worry about my children and theirs, what will they have to contend with, Private Insurance? Can we trust the private enterprises, who will wish to make some money (a lot of money even). Can we trust Politicians to get it right and still make political capital, not to mention winning some votes? What would a third party look like? Or the current crop of NHS leaders running from one problem to another.  A time to pause, consider what it is we want from a rebuilt system, that remains free at the point of service but, is costed properly and made transparent. I am sure people would be happy to contribute more if they knew what they were paying for and not being led behind curtains of promise and a dream of a happy ending on someday, a long way away.

In some ways that £65,000 is a small part of the final bill, what does it provide. More days of life, (a wonderful thing if you are in danger of losing it, trust me you will realise it, if it should ever come to be your turn, remember one in two will suffer from some form of cancer. Then add this to all the other medical conditions.) It could provide more days of contribution back into the system, providing you can continue to work. Is it a larger sum, of what I have already contributed over all those years of work.

For some the cost buys many years, for others many months and for some, nothing as they are unable to make the journey. I would hate to say a waste of money, in any of those outcomes, for you cannot judge in this way. Then how should we judge it we might ask, after all its only money. It does not affect anyone until; they must go without something. Then what would they say if they were in my position. Perhaps a man with expensive tastes!!!

Next week we look at some of the funnier sides of drugs and their effects. Please support Devon Air Ambulance and ELF Charities through my funding page.

[jazlynriddle-legacy]

Welcome to your life - Pt 3:

It's My Own Design Ch 6:

Summary:

Ominis fought to control his expression, to keep his hands from trembling. Five years. Five years since he'd seen his parents, and this. This was the reason they'd given him the honour of their time? This was the reason they'd sought him out at Hogwarts?

The bitterness welling up within him was thick enough to gag on.

New year, new allies, new responsibilities, new avenues of revenue, and new aspects of their own Ancient Magic to explore. As the Keeper and their partners enter their last year at Hogwarts, it remains to be seen if the new school year will bring with it new problems or adversaries, but they are confident in the strength of their relationship with Sebastian and Ominis. The three of them would endure, no matter what befell them.

And if they were wrong?

What a joke, they would suffer no alternative.

Warnings: Sebastian x MC x Ominis! Drug Addiction! Spoilers! Slow-burn corruption! Dark content! Fucked up 1800s orphanages! MC has no love for Anne or Solomon! Dubious happy ending (it's happy for MC, Seb and Ominis at least).

You can also read on AO3! (chapter specific warnings below)

Notes:

Warnings: More human experimentation, more so-done-with-this Ominis, more puppy Sebastian and some top 10 anime betrayals type stuff.

Geez, my chapters keep getting longer and longer... I am so tired...

One of my cats needed surgery to remove what are either mammary tumours or just clogged duct glands, which means there's a chance she might have breast cancer, and I'm waiting for the lab test results, which is really stressing me out, she's only 6 years old and that's far too young, I am not prepared to lose her! ToT

Not to mention, my other 15 year old cat got anemia for some unknown reason which is also worrying... Plus all of these expensive vet trips means my wallet is crying, and thus I am exhausted. So, I'm going to take a break and skip the next upload, but don't worry, I'll be back in 4 weeks, sorry! (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )���

“I still don't think you should do this.” Ominis insisted with a frown, wringing his hands anxiously. “There isn't even any real reason to risk it!”

“It'll be alright, Ominis. We're here, aren't we?” Sebastian affectionately bumped his head against Ominis’ while rubbing a hand over his arm. “The pain energy Isidora extracted looks different, but that doesn't make this one dangerous.”

“That doesn't mean it's safe either.” Ominis countered sharply.

The Keeper sighed, setting the jar down on the picnic mat beside them and taking Ominis’ hand, threading their fingers together. “Ominis, I understand your concerns, but if I'm to understand how to relieve Anne's pain, I need to know for sure what I'm even extracting.”

“Then why do you have to test it? Why can't you just keep extracting until you get the same thing that Isidora got?” Ominis shook his head.

“Because I've been doing extractions for the last two weeks, and all we've gotten are three jars of this same new heavy liquid-like pain energy, rather than the smoky bubbly ones Isidora got.” The Keeper sighed. “We're at a bit of a roadblock here. I need to know what we even have, otherwise I can't be sure what else to try.”

“I just-” Ominis clenched his fingers tightly around theirs and took a shaky breath.

“I know.” The Keeper murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “It'll only be a small amount, less than a hit's worth. Even if it's different in a bad way, such a small amount surely wouldn't do much. Isidora’s extracted pain took many hits to have a lasting effect on me.”

“Plus, we have you, Ominis.” Sebastian smiled reassuringly, only for his words to have the opposite reaction, causing Ominis’ expression to cloud even further with fear.

“Whose healer capabilities we will not need.” The Keeper glared at Sebastian, who winced, realising he'd accidentally made it sound like it'd be Ominis’ fault if something went wrong, and he wasn't able to heal them. “But on the off chance that I do need to go to Saint Mungo's, you'll easily keep me alive. I have no doubts, so you shouldn't either. You being here in and of itself is a safety net.”

“That's right. Ominis, you were studying under Nurse Blainey for months and she's had nothing but praise for your progress.” Sebastian quickly followed. “Even if you don't trust yourself, you can trust us, and you should trust your teacher's judgments. Or are you saying that the woman who saved our beloved isn't a reliable healer?”

Ominis blinked at his unexpectedly shrewd approach and the Keeper smiled, there was that quick brain of Sebastian’s at work, he was clumsy, but he certainly could learn. Look at him, working around Ominis’ accountability anxiety with reason.

A soft huff left Ominis’ nose and he nodded with a smile. “I suppose I can't argue with that.”

“Good, because if you did, you'd be dimmer than me and that's a low bar.” Sebastian nodded firmly and the Keeper laughed at his confidence.

“Not sure you're quite that bad.” Ominis chuckled.

“Oh, I am fully aware of my status as the biggest idiot on the planet, but thanks anyway.” Sebastian grinned and placed a kiss on his cheek. “And even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

“I suppose idiots die hard too, so that's kind of a good thing.” Ominis shook his head with a sardonic smile.

“Well then, in that case, we have nothing to fear.” The Keeper grinned as he gave a surprised laugh, deciding that Ominis seemed sufficiently appeased thanks to Sebastian's quick damage control. They released the blond's hand and collected the jar once more, before standing to put some distance between themselves and the boys, just in case.

Taking a few steps away from the picnic mat that they'd just had tea on, in the courtyard under a tree, the Keeper trod carefully across the soft young clovers that were growing and slowly overtaking the grounds. With a quick twist, the jar's cover came off and they lowered the tip of their wand into it, extracting a small bulb from the viscous pain energy gathered at its base.

Anticipation coiled in their chest. The Keeper hadn't been lying about the necessity of identifying the stuff they'd been extracting, but they had, admittedly, been very excited to try it. Holding the small bulb, they paused for a moment. Wait, how do I consume this...

The previous pain energy had been smoky, so inhalation was obvious. This one on the other hand... Well, it was more like a liquid. Swallowing? Tipping their head back and opening their mouth, the Keeper lowered the bulb onto their tongue.

There was nothing like a taste to it nor did it actually feel like anything physical was in their mouth, instead it felt like the morning mist, half there, half not, and it stung slightly as it passed, like alcohol. Streaming down their throat and fizzing in their chest.

The moment the sting evaporated, and the sensation ceased, the Keeper felt a familiar pulse of sweet burning energy flowing and throbbing through their body. Well, at least that was a similar sensation. Though, their heart sure was beating faster, was it excitement?

They pointed their wand at a nearby rock, a little larger than a head. “Accio.”

The rock obediently followed their call, however... the Keeper frowned as it landed on the floor a step away, continuing to roll sluggishly towards them, before coming to a stop at their feet.

“Is everything alright?” Sebastian called out, likely having seen their frown.

“Yes, I feel perfectly fine, just... it's strange, my magic hasn't been enhanced.” The Keeper hastened to reply, wouldn't want Ominis to have a panic attack after all.

“Perhaps it enhanced something else?” Sebastian suggested, standing, and walking towards them with Ominis in tow, since there hadn't been an explosion or anything like that.

The Keeper frowned, somehow, they felt restless. Unlike Isidora’s pain energy that sharpened their focus and senses, this one made them feel something almost akin to a burning itch in their muscles. The urge to pace or kick, their heartbeat pounding in their ears. Something else, eh?

Looking down at the rock at their feet, the Keeper drew their foot back and gave it a light kick.

The rock immediately flew across the field, slamming into a nearby wall of curing bricks and sending the bricks flying.

The Keeper stared at the would-be wall for a second, then at their foot, before groaning, rubbing a hand over their face. “Goddammit, we just stacked that yesterday.”

“Well, at least we know what it enhances now.” Sebastian grinned as he and Ominis came to a stop beside them, adding after a moment. “Also, your eyes are still red.”

“They are?” The Keeper blinked and Sebastian nodded mutely, swallowing the thickness forming in his throat when they turned their burning crimson glow on him. “I wonder why...”

“How are you feeling?” Ominis asked tentatively, reaching a hand out towards them.

“I'm alright.” The Keeper reassured, taking his hand, and resting it upon their chest. “My heart rate seems to have gone up but that's about it.”

Yeah, I think mine has too. Sebastian thought dryly to himself, releasing a heavy breath now that those ruby orbs had slid off him. There was something about their eyes, when they were like that, that made him feel like how he imagined prey would, when sighted by a predator. Though, he wasn't sure fear was what he was feeling.

Moving the Keeper’s hand to his shoulder, Ominis pressed his ear against their chest instead. “Hm. I suppose it's still a reasonable rate, like you've been for a jog.”

“See? I'm alright, love.” The Keeper squeezed his shoulder lightly as he straightened, before they held up the jar. “And, I think I've figured out what this is.”

“Oh? Care to share?” Sebastian asked, struggling to focus on the subject at hand when their crimson gaze returned to him, resting his eyes on their flushed cheeks instead.

“Since it was my physical strength that has been enhanced, I think that this is physical pain, whereas what Isidora extracted was emotional pain.” The Keeper explained, taking Ominis’ hand, and pulling him back towards the picnic mat.

“Emotional pain...” Sebastian hummed as he followed. “Her father?”

“Correct.” The Keeper nodded, taking a seat upon the mat as the red bled from their eyes, fading back into their usual colour. “Isidora was obsessed with relieving her father’s grief, the pain of loss, emotional pain. So, I think we can assume that all of the energy she extracted was emotional pain, which seems to enhance magic.”

“It is true that emotional distress can increase the strength of one's cast, perhaps that's why emotional pain enhances magic.” Ominis hummed thoughtfully, settling down beside them. “I wonder if physical pain energy boosts regeneration as well, since heightened strength and adrenaline aren't the only effects of physical pain. Pain signals the body to increase recovery efforts in the damaged region as well.”

“I have noticed that Macnair’s injuries healed slower after pain was removed, so there is a decent chance of that as well.” The Keeper agreed with a satisfied smirk.

It was quite promising that such a small amount of energy, barely a quarter of a jar, could boost their physical strength so much. Though unfortunately, its duration seemed quite similar to emotional pain as well, since they could already feel it draining from their veins.

Their gaze drifted to Sebastian as he took a seat across from them, his expression rather sombre.

“So, because we put Macnair through physical pain, that's what we got out of him.” Sebastian nodded absently. A few moments of silence passed before he met the Keeper's gaze with narrowed eyes. “Which do you think Anne suffers?”

The Keeper hummed thoughtfully. “That's hard to say, I mean, her pain is caused by a curse, it could be physical since she doubles over like her body hurts, but it could be both because its origin is a magical curse...”

“In other words, we won't know till we try.” Sebastian's eyes were dark as they lowered to his clenched fists, and not in the way the Keeper liked.

“I still need further practice and trial before I can do an extraction without damaging the subject's aura.” They murmured, taking Sebastian's hands in their own, coaxing them to relax and open, rubbing their thumbs against the deep crescents his nails had left in those palms. Those calloused hands, large, and warm like his heart, were the perfect vessel with which to hold the Keeper’s entire world.

Raising his hand and pressing their lips to his wrist, the Keeper met his eyes with a steady gaze. “But I will master it and save her.”

For you.

How long have we been down here?

The flickering light of the cell lamp was almost hypnotic, and Selwyn imagined that he could see patterns forming in indistinct shapes on the floor. Dank and devoid of colour, even the school's mattress of peasantry cloth was more comfortable than the cot he was curled up upon, trying desperately to ignore the screams of his friend tearing away at his sanity.

He didn't know why their captors had only been torturing Macnair, but to his shame, a part of Selwyn was relieved that the Keeper had only ever chained him up and waved their wand over him, seemingly without doing anything, even after their escape attempt.

Speaking of which, Merlin, it was awful not being able to stand on his left leg. Not that there was anywhere in particular to go, but he kept forgetting and putting weight on the foot, only for his ankle to give way and send him careening to the floor.

The Keeper's behaviour had been impossible to understand, and he distantly considered the possibility that the mudblood might simply be insane. Though, it was hard to imagine the ice prince of Slytherin and that cocky bookworm just following along with the whims of a no-name nutjob.

Still, regardless of their three captors' dynamics, the more pressing question... was why Sallow had stopped by his cell to drop off a can attached to a string that led out through the bars.

Put this to your ear, we've got something funny for you to hear.

What the fuck was that supposed to mean? A part of Selwyn wanted to ignore the instruction, but another was curious. It had been far too long since he'd had anything to sate his boredom. He and Macnair would talk through the bars to each other, keeping each other sane, but it wasn't the same as going out or playing.

So, he cautiously picked up the can, placed it against his ear and listened with bated breath.

The silence made the sound of his heart, beating in his ears, feel all the more agitating, each passing second heightening his anxiety and anticipation.

Until finally...

“Does it hurt?”

“Y- yes...”

“Would you like it to stop?”

“P- please... please...”

“But you see, I need someone to experiment on. If it's not you... then I guess it'd have to be your best mate next door.”

The blood in Selwyn's veins felt like ice, his vision swam, and his head throbbed.

“I-”

“Would you like that? For us to torture Selwyn instead?”

His heart pounded in his chest and his grip on the can tightened, beginning to leave indents in the thin metal. He wouldn't, his best friend wouldn't do that, Macnair was all he had in this hell hole-

“...yes...”

“Yes what?”

“P- please... don't hurt me a- anymore...”

“Say it properly, what do you want us to do? Who do you want us to hurt?”

“...please... hur- hurt Oberon... not- not me...”

It hurt...

Those words cutting deep into his chest, were hurting him already.

Words that shouldn't exist. He wanted to unhear them, to erase the memory of his best friend, speaking his name while throwing him under the carriage.

Selwyn clenched his teeth, angry tears welling in his eyes and pouring down his cheeks as he lobbed the can at the wall. He curled up on the bed, his heart aching, chest tight with betrayal, his breath catching in his throat, shaking with sobs as the last comfort he'd had... stabbed him in the neck.

The sound of metal clattering loudly against brick walls, in the neighbouring cell, brought a shark-like grin to the Keeper's face. Macnair had done exactly what they’d wanted, though admittedly, they were a little disappointed in him for it.

“Told you he'd do it.” Sebastian snickered.

“I suppose I was overestimating him.” The Keeper shrugged, even their fellow street rats had some level of ‘honour amongst thieves’ and a semblance of loyalty, what a wanker. “Alright, let's head over while it's fresh.”

At their words, Macnair sagged in visible relief, causing the Keeper's irritation at him to spike, and they gave him a few condescending pats on the cheek with a derisive sneer. “Oh, don't worry, best mate of the year, your torture resumes tomorrow.”

His face paled and Sebastian barked a laugh at his surprised expression. “What, did you think we meant forever? Wow, you're even more disgusting than I’d thought.”

“Sure glad you're not my best friend.” The Keeper shot one last scathing glance at the chained boy before striding towards the door. “Come on, Sebastian.”

“See ya tomorrow.” Sebastian grinned as he followed them out before dropping the boy from his shackles.

“How's the new gate design coming along by the way?” The Keeper asked idly as Sebastian closed the door.

“I've done the calculations, and it should be pretty easy to swap out the swinging doors for sliding ones. Maintenance won't be too much of a problem either, since we can just vanish any dirt.” Sebastian frowned, turning to face them. “The only downside is that it'd take more effort to open and close those doors, since we'd still want them heavy for security...”

“Hm, maybe we can find a way to enchant them to move on their own when unlocked...” The Keeper nodded. “Perhaps we can tie them to the ley lines later.”

“Sure, we can just stick with the swinging doors for now.” Sebastian shrugged.

“Let's get started then.” The Keeper grinned, unlocking, and opening the door to Selwyn's cell. “Oh Selwyn, you poor thing...”

“That's got to hurt, being betrayed like that. You were always following that oaf around, even since first year.” Sebastian smirked. “Were the two of you childhood friends?”

Unsurprisingly, the lump of a boy remained silent, and Sebastian snickered, taking a few quick steps forward to grab him by the arm, only for Selwyn to swing a fist at him.

“Woah there.” Sebastian chuckled, leaning back to dodge the weak swing, and laughing when Selwyn’s momentum carried him off the edge of the bed and onto the floor. “I know you're upset, but you really should know better.”

The snivelling boy glared at him from the floor through tear filled eyes.

“You're lucky we don't want you in physical pain...” Sebastian grabbed him by the collar instead, dragging Selwyn, choking, to his feet. “Yet.”

The Keeper watched with interest as Sebastian chained Selwyn to the wall. What would they find this time?

Taking a step back, Sebastian waved a hand at Selwyn in offering and the Keeper gave him a grateful pat on the head as they approached, drawing their wand. With a deep breath, they began.

Selwyn's aura was saturated.

Absolutely saturated in pain.

The Keeper shifted their wand with excitement, examining the density of pain pulsing through his body’s aura. Unlike physical pain, which radiated outwards from the point of injury, emotional pain seemed to pulse from the heart, spreading its debilitating poison everywhere.

Curiously enough, there was absolutely no difference between physical pain and emotional pain, in the way it presented and affected the body. If anything, the energy in his brain was far more disrupted and erratic than it would be with physical pain, explaining his reckless aggression towards Sebastian.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

A saying that'd been making the rounds recently. Anyone who'd lived on the streets knew the ridiculousness of such a phrase, when words could easily mean the difference between life and death. When deals could be both made and broken, lives destroyed at the word of those with power, when identity and morals alike could be forged and lost with mere words.

Only the pretentious aristocrats spouted such nonsense, and it seemed, that the undeniable truth, was that words could cut deeper than a blade, especially when one had little else. Perhaps it wasn't so strange that it was the street rats who knew this well.

Having finished examining the state of his aura, the Keeper proceeded to extract his pain, twisting their wand as they withdrew, a method they'd found streamlined the energy to minimise tearing. They'd reached the point where they could draw about a fifth of a jar without damaging the subject's aura, but they still needed more practice.

They could probably use more subjects.

Opening their eyes, the Keeper examined the smoky and bubbly glob attached to their wand. Yup, that was the pain energy they'd been taking to boost their magic, the type that Isidora had obsessed over.

“So, it's confirmed then.” Sebastian murmured, offering them an empty jar to store it in.

“Yes...” The Keeper gazed at the energy curiously. “I wonder if there are other things I can extract, besides pain.”

“Now there's a thought. I do wonder what the effects of other emotions and sensations would be when taken.” Sebastian gave a thoughtful hum.

“Only one way to find out.” The Keeper grinned. “But we'll probably need a plan to create those.”

“Good point.” Sebastian nodded. “Though, I doubt it'll be easy to get positive feelings from these guys. What about-”

“No. I'm not doing an extraction on you.” The Keeper cut him off firmly. “I'm nowhere near confident enough that I can do so without causing any damage, and I will not risk either you or Ominis.”

Sebastian grumbled to himself for a moment. “I trust you.”

“And that's lovely, but still no.” The Keeper smiled wryly, ruffling his hair gently. “There can be as many test subjects as we need, but there is only one of you.”

Sebastian's freckles were stark against his flushed cheeks, and he flashed a sheepish grin. “Do you make a habit of picking up boys in dungeons?”

“Not really, but I'd make an exception for you.” The Keeper smirked, before turning their attention back to Selwyn, grabbing a fistful of his hair and lifting his head. “Legilimens.”

The inside of his mind was curiously quiet, compared to Macnair’s after an extraction. They supposed it made sense, emotions were more strongly tied to identity and perhaps extracting his hurt had- no, this numbness and lack of feeling was too vast to be a result of their extraction.

Perhaps, like physical pain, overexposure to emotional pain would cause the body to naturally numb the senses to reduce the damage dealt to one's psyche. It was a good thing they hadn't delayed their extraction then.

That did make them wonder about Isidora’s father, was his pain not also numbed after overexposure? Or was the pain of his loss impossible to numb? Had Isidora’s father simply been a walking corpse, reduced to nothing but pain, kept alive only by her persistence, forcing him to remain in the world of the living?

Then again, the mere idea of losing either Sebastian or Ominis was enough to cause pain within the Keeper, perhaps there were also differences in response to pain, from person to person. They barely knew anything about Selwyn, perhaps this was just how he dealt with pain, by going numb.

Perhaps they couldn't apply the same standards for emotional pain to everybody in the way they'd assumed with physical pain. Perhaps, not even physical pain was the same across all humans either?

It is not your pain to take.

Professor Rackham's words to Isidora abruptly came to mind. Was it possible that Isidora, in her determination to restore his original unbroken self, had begged her father to move on and let go of his grief. That her pleas for him to do something that was not possible, were constantly inflicting new wounds upon his heart?

The Keeper considered what Sebastian had said to them after the whole debacle with Anne, when they'd asked if he'd rather things return to the way they were.

Anne and I have become very different people. We've grown apart over the years, we couldn't go back even if we tried. And... I wouldn't want to have never become friends with you.

The remedy for pain lay in finding new things to live for, not in removing the source of pain forcefully.

The Keeper had experienced their own brush with managing pain and fear, when their addiction to emotional pain energy had become an unhealthy overreliance. They'd only managed to overcome it and gain control over it because of their desire to be free of that crutch. To stand on their own, and thanks to their partners’ support, they'd succeeded.

Isidora never came to this realisation, and with her escapism and denial, she'd harmed her father far more than anything with which fate had dealt him. The Keeper couldn’t imagine doing that to Sebastian or Ominis, to be so fixated and obsessed with a ‘past version’ of a person that they preferred, to the point of rejecting the actual person hurting before them in the present.

To only see the person they had been, rather than the person they are.

Sebastian, in spite of all of his flaws and shortcomings, had been able to grow, to learn to love again, to live again, even after losing Anne in the way that mattered most.

To approach his desire to cure her, not as a desire to return to the past, to undo what has been done, but instead to uphold his promise to her and move forward into the unknown future. To no longer seek a cure as a means of distracting himself from his loneliness and sorrow, his pain and despair, but instead with objectivity and resolve, as a task he'd set himself to.

They hadn’t been exaggerating when they'd said that there was only one of him, and more than ever, the Keeper was determined to help Sebastian, to save Anne so he could move on.

The healthy way, not the way Isidora had tried.

Goddamnit, they really needed more test subjects.

“Here's an idea.” The Keeper hummed, rolling their wand between their fingers as they paced before Macnair’s strung up and quivering form. “The Cruciatus curse is considered to be traumatic enough to cause mental harm as well as physical.”

“Must take a lot more than that to mentally harm you.” Sebastian grinned from where he was leaning against the wall, sounding rather proud of that.

“Come now, love. We both know you weren't putting your all into that one.” The Keeper chuckled.

“Did you want me to?” Sebastian's grin widened.

“Focus, darling.” The Keeper shook their head, before giving him a small smirk. “Maybe.”

His eyes went dark with heat at the confirmation and the Keeper rolled their eyes. Horny boy.

“But the point is.” The Keeper continued. “I wonder what would come from the Cruciatus curse.”

“Hm, well that's what he's for innit? Let's try it out.” Sebastian drew his wand. “Shall I?”

“Hang on. Accio gag.” The Keeper caught the woven rod with straps attached, that flew over to them from the bag on the floor nearby. Forcing Macnair’s jaw open despite his frenzied protests and fastening it to his face before waving a hand at him. “Alright, curse away.”

“Crucio!” Sebastian cast the spell, watching with a sharp grin as Macnair’s body instantly seized up, his eyes bulging and muffled screams squeezing past the gag while the Keeper began examining the boy's aura.

And it was fascinating. The moment the spell hit, his aura exploded with pain, it was everywhere and in such high quantities that they could barely believe their senses. Taking a deep breath, the Keeper began their extraction, only for the stream of smoke that they were pulling out, to become a raging river, and they cursed as an enormous gash ripped open across Macnair’s aura.

“Blast it!” The Keeper's eyes snapped open, what the fuck had happened? They had only caught a wisp of energy, why did his aura-

They stared at the mass hanging off their wand.

“Hey, are you alright?”

The Keeper barely heard Sebastian, too busy staring at the strange glob of energy they'd extracted.

It was... beautiful in a way, like red and black lava rolling endlessly from top to bottom, little bubbles floating and swirling around it, similar to the way Ancient magic would swirl about them when they stood upon the focus point of a Trace.

“Are you alright?” The Keeper jumped when Sebastian placed his hand on their shoulder, startling them out of their reverie.

“Yeah. I'm fine.” The Keeper shook their head, gesturing at Macnair. “Unfortunately, however, he isn't.”

“Did I hold the Cruciatus too long?” Sebastian frowned, scrutinising the boy's panting and limp form as he handed the Keeper an empty jar.

“No, you can't tell, but his aura is torn.” The Keeper grimaced as they shoved the energy they'd extracted into a jar, before returning their wand to scanning his aura. “He looks fine, but his ability to feel is pouring out of him like a faucet. In days or weeks, he'll be an empty husk.”

“Is there a way to repair it?” Sebastian frowned.

“Not that I know of. So far, I've been relying on natural recovery for minor tears, but this one is even bigger than the one Isidora left in her father, and she didn't even seem to notice that she'd torn it in the first place.” The Keeper paused, before scoffing. “Or she was simply insane enough to think that losing one's ability to even feel pain altogether, was a good thing.”

The Keeper eyed Macnair critically, watching the gushing energy pouring from his body like a disturbing misty spray of blood. Perhaps they'd might as well extract everything they could from him before he emptied entirely?

“I'll try to salvage what I can.” The Keeper closed their eyes and attempted to collect the energy bleeding from his body.

Unfortunately, the exact moment that the energy escaped his aura, and hit the air, it instantly evaporated into the atmosphere, rendering it impossible to collect.

Fine.

The Keeper tried instead to collect the energy as it bottlenecked at the gaping wound, but they were thwarted yet again, the flow of the energy being far too aggressive for them to grasp. It was like trying to row a boat upstream, against the current, with their Ancient magic simply getting dragged along by the cascade, out of his body to dissolve with his energy.

Each repeated attempt at fusing their ancient magic with any of the pain flowing out, simply drained their magic, and then said magic was promptly wasted. Aggravating, extremely aggravating. The Keeper was about to adjust their position to try catching anything they could from further up, when they felt a pair of hands take them by the shoulders.

“Okay, I'm going to do an Ominis and say that's enough. You're going to collapse.” Sebastian's arm wrapped around their waist, holding them against his chest to stabilise them, and only then did the Keeper realise that they were teetering like before.

“No, he's draining too quickly.” The Keeper shook their head. “If I miss this chance, I might not get another.”

“Ominis will kill me if I let you continue, and I feel like I'd be killing you by letting you continue.” Sebastian glared at them.

“Ugh, okay, how about you cast Crucio again? It might make the pain easier to draw.” The Keeper sighed.

“...are you just saying that so I'll let you continue?” Sebastian's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“I'm not. If it doesn't make it easier, I'll stop. Alright?” The Keeper smiled wryly. They were so used to Ominis’ fussing, that it was kind of sweet for Sebastian to be the one doing it for a change.

For several moments, his eyes searched theirs for any sign of deception, before Sebastian's jaw tightened, and his gaze sharpened.

“Deal.” Sebastian turned his glare on Macnair, looking quite pissed, as though it were somehow the boy's fault that the Keeper needed to exert themselves, continuing to support them with one arm around their waist, while he levelled his wand at Macnair with the other. “Crucio!”

The Keeper took a breath and dived back into Macnair’s aura, disregarding the high-pitched shrieks wheezing around his gag, as they attempted to weld their magic to as much of the pain as they could, before it escaped. Seeping into every crevice they could, before sucking all of it back towards themselves, pulling everything they could from his aura without any care for further damage.

“It's... it's working, it's easier to extract now.” The Keeper grimaced at the shakiness of their own voice and could feel Sebastian's arm tense against their body. “Just... a bit more and I’ll stop.”

Their vision was hazy when their eyes opened, depositing what they'd collected into the jar still hanging from their left hand, closing it, and simply letting it drop on the floor before casting Accio to call an empty jar to them from their bag, feeling the slight drain on their magic darken their vision further.

But they couldn't stop now, even with Sebastian's plainly concerned eyes upon them, the Keeper pressed on, they wouldn't get a second chance. Macnair was used up, so they had to make the most of him. They continued to extract, until they had two filled jars of that lava-like energy and Macnair’s throat was so raw from screaming that it no longer produced sound.

With each drain, the amount of pain being created by the Cruciatus curse seemed to become more... diluted, even in spite of the unforgivable. They did want to try and extract more, since this new energy type currently cost an entire test subject, but Isidora’s notes said she passed out during her first extraction, and they felt like they were pretty close to doing the same.

The Keeper sighed as they screwed the cover shut on the second jar. “I think that's... about as much as we'll get. It probably wouldn't... be very... effective to... to con...ti...”

The moment the Keeper's body went limp, Sebastian dropped his wand to catch them with both hands, releasing a soft grunt of effort.

And there they go. He sighed, gazing down at them as their head lolled back against his shoulder, brushing the sweat damp hair from their forehead with a mix of fondness and exasperation. Exactly as he'd expected, they really were pushing themselves to the limit for this. He glared at Macnair, sparing a moment to deliver a firm kick to his leg. Stupid weak purist with a fragile aura-

Naturally, at the impulsive movement, he found his balance to be at risk and grudgingly decided it was more important to keep his Keeper off the floor. Draping their arm over his shoulders and crouching, he hooked his arm under their knees and cradled them to his chest, before snatching his wand from where it'd fallen, and casting a feather-light charm on the Keeper's clothes.

It was tricky to grab the two jars off the floor, but he managed, setting them down in the Keeper's lap temporarily until he could carry them over to the bag and deposit the jars in it. Then came the cumbersome part, crouching again, he balanced his unconscious partner on his knee to sling the bag over his shoulder.

Honestly, as he stepped out of the cell and closed the door behind him, Sebastian was quite proud of himself for getting to that point, and it took him half the walk up the stairs before he realised that he'd forgotten to release Macnair from his restraints.

“Tynx.” Sebastian called out when he reached the second basement landing and the elf promptly appeared beside him.

“Master!” Sebastian had never seen the stoic elf quite so horrified, big eyes wide with fear, and he almost thought Tynx was in legitimate danger of passing out as well.

“They're alright, just unconscious from magic exhaustion.” Sebastian quickly rushed to reassure the elf. “I need you to clean up Macnair's cell and let him out of his chains.”

Tynx frowned at him for a moment, and Sebastian cocked an eyebrow, wondering if the elf was actually being suspicious of him or even considering the possibility that Sebastian had harmed his own lover, before Tynx gave a slow nod. “Yes... sir.”

The elf popped away and Sebastian sighed, well, he supposed it was a good thing that they had an elf that loyal, he probably shouldn't be too irritated about that.

No, the thing he should be irritated about, was his workaholic lover irresponsibly passing out and leaving the gargantuan, monumental, and terrifying job of explaining what happened...

To Ominis.

“Love, I'm fi-”

“You don't get to say that after Sebastian hauled your magically drained arse out of the Dungeons.” Ominis snapped, reaching out to shove the Keeper back down onto the bed, preventing them from sitting up.

“Up three flights of stairs.” Sebastian added, helpfully draping himself across the Keeper's stomach and propping his chin up on his elbows to avoid putting too much weight on them.

The Keeper rolled their eyes. “If you weren't intelligent enough to use a feather-light charm, I shall denounce you as my lover.”

“Of course I did.” Sebastian gasped in mock offence.

“Then what's the difference between carrying me up the stairs and going up on your own?” The Keeper raised an eyebrow.

“Being able to see the steps.” Sebastian replied easily.

There was a pause, before Ominis sighed. “Well, he's got a point, that's dangerous for you people relying on sight.”

The Keeper chuckled. “I'd love if your wand could teach ours how to see the way you do.”

“Why does that sound sexual to me?” Sebastian muttered, sounding genuinely bewildered.

“Get your head out of the gutter.” Ominis rolled up the parchment in his hand and bopped Sebastian on the head with it. “And go back to your homework.”

“Come on, there's still two weeks of holiday left!” Sebastian groaned, dropping his head and his full weight onto the Keeper's stomach.

“Oof- Seb, I love you, but you are not feather-light.” The Keeper shoved playfully at him, only getting a cheeky grin in response.

“The last time I let you procrastinate, you ended up embarrassing yourself, doing your homework in the great hall.” Ominis shook his head.

“Still got good grades though.” Sebastian countered and Ominis’ glare intensified. “Ugh, fine.”

He sighed, dragging himself off the Keeper, and the bed, with some grumbling, before seating himself at the table with his partially finished homework.

With Sebastian out of the way, the Keeper tried to sit up again, only for Ominis to push them down once more, and they groaned, holding his hand to their chest, and dragging him down along with them. “Come on, Ominis, I've been lying in bed for a day now. Any longer and I will surely begin to atrophy.”

Ominis braced himself on the bed, leaning over them with an expression that plainly said, ‘I'm a healer in training and you are spouting hippogriff shite’. “Right, muscle atrophy after lying down for a day.”

“Well, I probably wouldn't atrophy, if we were to do other things whilst lying on the bed.” The Keeper grinned when Ominis ears turned red, and Sebastian burst into laughter from the table.

“Smooth.” Sebastian grinned, before coughing when Ominis shot a glare in his general direction. “That is, don't mind me, I'll just be, er, doing my homework over- over here.”

“Come on darling, I'm feeling much better already.” The Keeper cooed, caressing Ominis’ cheek gently.

His eyes narrowed. “No. You are staying right here, lying down and resting.”

Dropping their head back on the bed, the Keeper gave a long-suffering sigh, releasing his hand and patting him on the arm. “Alright, alright. I give, you win.”

“Good.” Ominis straightened, brushing his hair back primly and the Keeper couldn’t help but smile as he returned to perching elegantly on the edge of the bed with his parchment.

He is so posh, holy shite. How were they fucking such a prim and posh guy? And loving it too. Crazy. If someone had told them three years ago, that they'd be shacking up with a prissy little lord that they willingly bent the knee to, the Keeper would've socked that person in the face, kneed them in the groin and thrown them out a window for such egregious and unfathomable insult.

But God they loved this guy, and his... wand, they hadn't been joking when they said they enjoyed blowing Ominis. It was just as pretty as he was. Then again, Seb's was great too. Hard to compare really, both were great in their own way. It wasn't like the Keeper ever paid much attention to any others’, they had been trying not to, in fact. Perhaps they were just biased because of who these particular magic wands were attached to.

Did I really just think of dicks as ‘magic wands’? The Keeper shook their head. See, this is what happens when I’m too tired to plan and have nothing to do. Certainly quite magical though, undeniably-

Wiggling to the side slightly and resting their head against Ominis’ lap, they asked curiously. “What've you got there darling?”

Smiling helplessly, as though he could tell that his lover was bored and was trying to make it his problem too, Ominis replied simply. “A letter from Poppy, now hush love, I'm reading.”

The Keeper glared at Sebastian when he snickered from across the room, it was probably his fault that Ominis was so apt at shutting bored people down with such finesse in the first place. Sighing, they began entertaining themselves by counting the beauty marks sprinkled along Ominis’ neck while he ran his fingers across the parchment, until he gave a concerned hum.

“What is it?” The Keeper asked, definitely not jumping on the chance to reinitiate conversation.

“Hm, Poppy has asked if she could visit to see the vivariums...” Ominis’ expression was plainly uncertain, and the Keeper frowned.

“We've only finished the ground floor and first floor of the castle. If she visits any time soon, it'll be fairly obvious that we're building all this from scratch.” They shook their head. “We’ll have to deny her request.”

“And exactly how should I go about that?” Ominis frowned, looking rather put out as he set down the letter. “I'd rather not give her the impression I'm rejecting her and cause offence, it was your idea to ask for her help.”

The Keeper sighed, and there came the panicked responsibility pushing, right on cue. Smiling wryly, they sat up, took Ominis’ hands where they were anxiously wringing, and reassured him gently. “You needn't fret so, Poppy is reasonable and if we ask her to respect our wishes, she won't hold it against us, and I would never simply drop such a task like this entirely on your shoulders. We can think of a response together.”

Ominis took a deep breath and returned the comforting squeeze of their hands around his, releasing the breath slowly. “You're right, I- I'm sorry.”

“It's quite alright, I understand that you've been enjoying your penpal friendship with Poppy and are afraid of losing it.” The Keeper smiled, pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

“Hey, at least you never have to worry about offending either of us. With all the violence you've dealt to us, we'd have left ages ago if such a thing were possible.” Sebastian casually contributed with a distracted shrug, staring at his parchment with a slightly confused frown.

The Keeper blinked at him for a moment. Well, was that blunt? Yes. Was that direct? Yes. Was that missing the point? Also, yes. But was he wrong? Actually... no.

“What Sebastian's trying to say is that you can always rely on us to have your back, no matter what you say or do.” The Keeper rephrased for him.

Across the room, Sebastian raised his head, and now it was his turn to blink. “Wow, that sounded much better than what I said.”

Ominis frowned, hesitating for a few moments before quietly asking. “...do you think I would?”

“Wouldn’t complain if you did, but we don’t expect you to.” The Keeper smiled.

“Yeah, you mother us enough already.” Sebastian's tone was dry, yet his affection was still plain despite that.

Ominis chuckled, blinking rapidly for a breath, and swallowing around the lump in his throat. “Alright... then, do either of you have an idea for how to turn her down gently? I’m quite at a loss.”

“Well, we don't have to turn her down fully, she just can't come over right now.” Sebastian's expression became thoughtful. “We'll most likely be done with the castle long before the end of the coming school year. So, we can just say that she’s welcome to visit then, at least it's a timeframe.”

“We can probably get away with saying that I don't want the half-finished project to be seen.” The Keeper nodded, before giving a casual shrug. “I don't exactly have a reputation for letting people see me practising or stuff like that. And I study with you two.”

“That's true...” Ominis hummed softly, his expression slightly guilty. “Are you sure you want to take responsibility for rejecting her? I mean, I did say earlier- but I don't want you to feel forced...”

“It's fine, Ominis. I don’t mind, she's probably used to it at this point.” The Keeper chuckled.

“You're not even lying per se, it's true that the vivariums will be done by the end of the school year, and they don’t even let people copy their homework.” Sebastian grinned. “See? We told no lies.”

Ominis’ distant stare became sharp with silent judgement, and Sebastian cleared his throat, sitting upright in his chair defensively. “What? Look, it's not like that time, alright? Not like Poppy's going to track us back to Dìon to see if we're lying and insert herself into-”

“And I think that you should start penning your letter in response before you begin to forget what we discussed!” The Keeper quipped brightly, patting Ominis on the shoulder while shooting Sebastian a glare that very clearly told him to shut up before he triggered Ominis further, which he wisely obeyed.

Begrudgingly, Ominis stood and went to find his self-writing quill while Sebastian returned to his homework to distract himself from that guilt inducing memory lane, his shoulders hunched with shame, and the Keeper flopped back onto the bed with a tired sigh. Well, at least they were more tired now, probably be a good idea to follow healer's orders and get more rest...

The sound of Ominis unexpectedly walking back into the room caught their attention and the Keeper raised their head to watch as Ominis set down a steaming teacup beside Sebastian.

“Here, some hot tea will help you relax and focus.” Ominis sighed, and the brunet's face practically lit up, his eyes suspiciously shiny.

“Thanks, Ominis.” He partially stood, just high enough to place a kiss on Ominis’ cheek, getting a gentle pat on the head in return as Sebastian sat back down to concentrate on his homework with a lighter atmosphere about him. While the blond wandered off to the other side of the room and drew the curtain for some privacy as he used his quill.

A soft and relieved smile spread across the Keeper's face. It was nice being reminded that they didn't always have to intervene, like a soldier on guard duty, that the two boys had their own form of communication that predated their inclusion.

That despite the differences between Ominis and Sebastian, their difficulties communicating with each other and their rocky past, they still insisted on being together. Their love, and determination to make each other happy, to lessen each other's hurt, was quite sweet. Like a cat and a dog trying to live together and groom each other in their own way. Their differences only made the miracle of their relationship all the more beautiful.

As the Keeper closed their eyes, they were filled with warmth and happiness at being a part of this beautiful thing. It made every effort worth it.

They made every effort worth it.

Notes:

Tynx: The master managed to carve a perfect rectangle into the bedrock of Dìon's hill without breaking a sweat. What in Merlin's name could they have done that was intensive enough to make them pass out from exertion??? (｡ŏ_ŏ) Maybe I should walk down, in case the whole dungeon is gone...

The way a person sees themselves and the way others see them are rarely the same. Relationships, I find, are a struggle to understand and recognise both. Which of course, can be hard, especially in the event that a person's view of themselves is, in fact, drastically different from the person everyone else sees them as.

Healthy romantic love seeks to love both the person you think your partner is, and the person your partner thinks they are, while disregarding the person you wish they were.

A person should never be placed on a pedestal nor should one's world rely upon another person forever remaining unchanging and immutable, because all people grow and change, due to interaction with the world and their experiences. All people change over time and we kinda have to always be prepared for that and be prepared to accept that.

Your idea of who another person is should not stagnate and become cast in stone, otherwise you will one day blink and realise that you don't know the person in front of you at all. It takes effort to remain up-to-date on a person's emotional and mental state.

Both Selwyn and Anne learnt this the hard way.

“I can fix him/her/them” is not something anyone should seriously think, when entering a relationship, the only person that can fix them is themselves. It's their own choice if they want to change and loving someone means being ready to love them forever even if they never “get better” or become the person you hope they will. All you can do is be ready to support them if they do want to change.

Humans are not built equal and the best relationship dynamic is when both/all parties are willing to pick up each other's slack and cover for each other's shortcomings, or hobble clumsily together through something both/all parties are bad at. Despite knowing that the specific distribution of slack-picking will not ever be logistically equal, a healthy relationship is one where the effort is equal and appreciated by each other.

Ominis may not be able to commit to decision-making, but his partners are willing to pick up that slack for him because they can see and appreciate that he does care and put in effort for them too, as shown through his grace when Sebastian shoots himself in the foot.

Due to all of this, compatibility with (or at the very least, understanding of) each other's love language is important for relationships as well. While incompatibility can be worked around with enough effort and dedication (which makes it more fun to write in fiction), in reality, it's more sustainable to be someone who makes your partner feel happy just by being yourself and doing things that don't require much effort, and vice versa.

And, to be clear, these all apply to both romantic and platonic relationships.

I do hope you guys don't mind me waxing pretentious poetry in these notes, I just have a lot of thoughts on relationships between human beans xD

Okay, I may, more accurately, be a little obsessed with it...

[gretakatharinaa]

pressure - about male mental health

When I was in sixth grade, the teacher handed out exams we took a week before. Obviously, everyone was nervous about their grade. The boy behind me, a good friend at the time, didn’t pass the test.

I turned around only to see him panicking. "It’s just one grade and it’s the beginning of the school year" I said, hoping he would worry less. 

"No, you don’t understand!" He answered, his voice seemingly shaking from panic "I won’t be able to finish school with grades like this!"

"We’re in sixth grade!" I said, surprised by his train of thoughts.

And then, he went on to say something my eleven year old self hadn’t thought yet once:

"No you don’t get it. If I get a bad grade now and I don’t get better, don’t finish school or i finish but with a bad average; I will get a bad job and won’t make enough money. One day I have to feed a whole family, like, four people or something. I can’t do that without money"

When I was in seventh grade, there was this boy in my class. We weren’t that close but did talk to each other from time to time. 

One day, I don’t remember why, he came to me crying about some problems he had at home. Nothing too serious but serious enough to make him feel bad.

I consoled him and after a while, he stopped crying. We hugged and he thanked me for being there for him. He paused and said: "Please don’t tell anyone I cried, it’s so embarrassing. The boys will make fun of me if they knew."

As a teenager, i used to visit my grandparents a few times a year. Their neighbors' kids would always come over to my grandparents farm because their dad was an alcoholic and sometimes hard to be around.

"Maybe your dad needs to go to therapy, maybe he needs to talk about stuff" I told them once, while we were feeding the chickens.

The older sister answered: "Our dad doesn’t want to talk about feelings."

Her younger sister bent down to pet a chicken and without even looking at us she chimed in "He never really talks about anything. He just drinks." and she said it like it's the most normal thing in the world.

Male mental health is something rarely talked about. It’s something people experience. The boy feeling the financial pressure of a family 20 years in advance, the boy being too scared to openly cry or the girls feeling abandoned by their dad.

In 2021, 75% of the suicides in Germany were committed by men. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of us as I’m sure you’ve all heard that suicide amongst men is extremely high - as opposed to suicide amongst women.

The question is, why is that?

For starters, men chose more lethal and violent means which decreases the amount of attempted self-killings. Most of the time and unfortunately, their methods are successful. 

Their communication style is also very different: Men may be less likely to openly express their emotions or seek help, leading to a lack of emotional support.

Further on, there is also this stigma around mental health: Societal expectations and traditional gender roles may discourage men from admitting vulnerability or seeking mental health support.

When it comes to substance abuse (alcohol included!), since there are higher rates among males, there is a great possibility of drugs contributing to an increased risk of suicidal behavior.

In some cases, the men that do seek help (or at least try) often get dismissed, misdiagnosed or go unnoticed by doctors or any professionals due to stereotypes.

It’s interesting, I myself know of girls or women who have gone to the doctor or gyno with problems and were dismissed as overreacting. A few years back, my doctor wouldn’t want to take me in for a breast cancer exam „because the later I know, the better“ ?! When I wanted to quit birth control, my doctor said and I QUOTE: „Ugh, do you know how many girls come crying to me about the side effects of birth control? I mean, are you even aware that you will get pregnant if you stop taking it? Are you ready for that?“

So trust me when I tell you I know what it’s like to not being taken seriously regarding your health. And many men suffer greatly. It’s already hard to work up the courage and be a man in this society that wants to change his mental state, let a lone then being dismissed as „just stressed“ or „not that serious, maybe work out more“.

After that, who would give therapy or and doctor another try? And who could blame men for pulling back on socializing.

Which brings me to my next point: Social isolation is something men are often more prone to, thus resulting in the bottling up of feelings and in some cases, severe drug abuse. 

It’s a deep dark rabbit hole.

So, what’s the solution? 

As usual, the answer isn’t easy or short.

I think, and this is just my personal opinion, we should start early on:

To avoid the mental load building up over the years, we need to start educating and re-educating about mental health and the expressions of emotions from an early age on.

At school, at home, everywhere. We need to praise kids for carrying out their emotions, not punish them. 

We need to force our male friends to talk about the things that bother them and keep a promise of confidentiality, creating a safe space. 

We also need better doctors, less stereotypes and of course more equality, but that’s a given.

We need to look left and right, to see if there is someone struggling with their words. 

We need to get rid of alcoholic dads and pressured boys.

i really hope to give my son the emotional freedom my male friends didn't have.

[vijaysethupati]

From Lab to Life: Transforming Medicine Through Research

Medical breakthroughs don't happen overnight. The treatments we rely on today—whether it's a pill for high blood pressure or a vaccine that protects against disease—have a story that begins long before they reach the pharmacy shelf. It’s a journey that starts in the lab and travels through rigorous studies before making a difference in people’s lives. This process, where science meets real-world application, highlights the power of clinical research in shaping modern medicine.

Every major medical advancement you can think of—from insulin therapy to cutting-edge cancer treatments—was once just an idea. Turning those ideas into practical treatments takes time, effort, and a deep commitment to scientific inquiry. Clinical research plays a pivotal role in this transformation. It acts as the bridge that connects early-stage discoveries in laboratories to safe, effective therapies used in hospitals and homes around the world.

The Journey from Discovery to Treatment

Here’s a simplified look at how research becomes real-world medicine:

Basic Laboratory Research: Scientists begin by studying biological processes and disease mechanisms in the lab. This stage often involves testing hypotheses using cells and animal models.

Preclinical Studies: Before any human testing begins, potential therapies are tested further to assess safety and biological activity.

Clinical Trials: This is where clinical research comes into full focus. Human volunteers take part in studies, often conducted in multiple phases, to evaluate a treatment's safety, dosage, and effectiveness.

Regulatory Review and Approval: After successful trials, the data is submitted to regulatory agencies for review. If approved, the treatment becomes available for medical use.

Post-Market Surveillance: Even after a treatment is on the market, research continues to ensure long-term safety and effectiveness.

Each stage depends heavily on collaboration among scientists, physicians, and, importantly, volunteer participants. Without clinical research, none of these steps would be possible.

Why Clinical Research Matters

Clinical research does more than just test new drugs. It’s a powerful tool for understanding how diseases affect different populations, refining current treatments, and even identifying entirely new ways of approaching healthcare.

Some of the key benefits include:

Improved Patient Outcomes: Clinical trials have led to the development of medications that have significantly extended life expectancy for people with chronic diseases like HIV, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Evidence-Based Medicine: Research provides the data needed to make informed decisions about patient care.

Access to New Therapies: For some patients, especially those with rare or difficult-to-treat conditions, clinical trials offer access to new treatments before they are widely available.

Economic and Social Impact: Investment in research contributes to job creation, healthcare savings, and public health improvements.

Challenges and the Road Ahead

Despite its importance, clinical research faces obstacles. Recruiting volunteers, navigating complex regulations, and securing funding can all slow down the process. However, new technologies, such as digital health platforms and data analytics, are helping to streamline trials and make participation more accessible.

Additionally, there's a growing push toward more inclusive research. Historically, certain populations have been underrepresented in clinical trials. Increasing diversity in study participation ensures treatments work for everyone, not just a limited group.

Final Thoughts

The phrase "From Lab to Life" captures more than just a scientific process—it embodies hope, progress, and the promise of better health for all. Clinical research is the engine driving that promise forward. As science continues to evolve, so too will the ways we diagnose, treat, and even prevent illness. The future of medicine isn’t just happening—it’s being built, one study at a time.

[techiexpert]

The Role of AI in Personalized Medicine

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the healthcare industry, and one of the most promising areas of its application is personalized medicine. Personalized medicine, also known as precision medicine, tailors medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient. This approach considers genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors to offer more accurate diagnoses and effective treatments. AI plays a critical role in this transformation by enabling the analysis of massive datasets, improving diagnostic accuracy, and guiding therapeutic decisions.

One of the primary contributions of AI in personalized medicine is its ability to analyze large volumes of complex data. The human genome consists of over three billion base pairs, and understanding how genetic variations influence disease is a monumental task. AI algorithms, particularly machine learning models, can process and interpret this genetic information much faster and more accurately than traditional methods. These tools help identify patterns and correlations that would be nearly impossible for human researchers to detect on their own.

AI also enhances diagnostic accuracy by integrating data from various sources, such as genetic tests, medical imaging, electronic health records, and wearable devices. For example, AI-powered systems can analyze medical images to detect early signs of diseases like cancer or cardiovascular conditions with higher precision than human clinicians. When combined with genetic data, these systems can provide a comprehensive picture of a patient’s health, leading to earlier and more accurate diagnoses.

Moreover, AI is instrumental in predicting individual responses to specific treatments. Every person reacts differently to medications due to genetic differences. AI models can analyze data from clinical trials and patient records to forecast how a particular drug will affect an individual. This capability not only improves treatment outcomes but also reduces the risk of adverse drug reactions. For instance, AI can help oncologists select the most effective chemotherapy regimen for a cancer patient based on their genetic makeup and tumor characteristics.

In addition to diagnostics and treatment, AI is also revolutionizing drug discovery and development. Traditional drug development is time-consuming and expensive, often taking more than a decade to bring a new drug to market. AI accelerates this process by identifying potential drug candidates, predicting their efficacy and safety, and optimizing clinical trial designs. This speed and efficiency are especially crucial in responding to emerging health threats and tailoring treatments for rare diseases.

Despite these advancements, integrating AI into personalized medicine comes with challenges. Concerns around data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the need for transparent decision-making processes must be addressed. Additionally, healthcare providers need appropriate training to interpret AI-driven insights and incorporate them into patient care effectively.

In conclusion, AI is a powerful catalyst for the evolution of personalized medicine. By enabling the analysis of vast and complex datasets, enhancing diagnostics, guiding treatment decisions, and accelerating drug development, AI is helping to make medicine more precise, predictive, and patient-centered. As technology continues to advance and ethical considerations are addressed, the integration of AI into healthcare will likely become even more impactful, ushering in a new era of truly personalized care.

[pcrtisuyog]

Why Clinical Research Matters: Bridging Science and Patient Care

When we think of medical breakthroughs — a new cancer treatment, a COVID-19 vaccine, or even a better pain reliever — it’s easy to imagine scientists in white lab coats working tirelessly in a lab. But what often gets overlooked is the journey from laboratory to life — the essential bridge between science and patient care. That bridge is clinical research.

Clinical Research: More than Just a Lab Coat

At its heart, clinical research is about people. It’s about hope. It’s about finding new ways to ease pain, extend life, and improve health. It’s also about the mother who volunteers in a study so future generations might have better treatment or the teenager participating in a vaccine trial to help their community.

Clinical research is not abstract. It touches lives in real ways every day.

Why Clinical Research Matters: Bridging Science and Patient Care

The phrase itself — Why Clinical Research Matters: Bridging Science and Patient Care — highlights the crucial role clinical trials play in translating scientific discoveries into real-world health solutions.

Here's why this connection is so vital:

1. Turning Discovery into Treatment

Every new drug, therapy, or medical device must pass through the clinical research process. It’s where hypotheses are tested, side effects monitored, and effectiveness measured — not in theory, but in practice, on real people.

Without clinical research, there would be no approved medications, no surgical innovations, and no personalised treatment plans.

2. Focusing on Patient-Centered Care

Clinical research places the patient at the centre of medical innovation. By involving real participants, it ensures that treatments are not only scientifically sound but also practical, tolerable, and effective in diverse populations.

It answers questions like:

Does this treatment work for older adults?

What are the risks for people with diabetes?

Will patients stick to this treatment long-term?

3. Ensuring Safety and Ethics

Modern clinical research is grounded in ethics. Participants are protected through informed consent, oversight by ethical review boards, and strict regulatory compliance. This safeguards human dignity while advancing medical knowledge.

4. Addressing Unmet Medical Needs

For many patients with rare diseases, clinical research is not just important — it’s the only hope. Rare conditions often lack treatments because they are not commercially viable without research support.

Clinical trials give these patients access to emerging therapies and help uncover new possibilities for care.

5. Driving Innovation and Progress

From AI-guided diagnostics to mRNA vaccines, the most cutting-edge innovations in healthcare rely on clinical research. It is the engine that fuels medical progress and ensures that today’s science becomes tomorrow’s standard of care.

Real Stories, Real Impact

Behind every clinical trial is a human story:

A cancer patient who joins a trial because standard treatment failed.

A carer who advocates for a loved one to access experimental therapy.

A healthy volunteer who gives time and trust to help future patients.

These individuals are not just subjects — they are partners in discovery.

Key Benefits of Clinical Research

Let’s break down why clinical research is so impactful:

✅ Improves patient outcomes by identifying better treatment options.

✅ Promotes evidence-based medicine, reducing guesswork in care.

✅ Expands access to new therapies, especially for underserved communities.

✅ Contributes to public health, such as through vaccine development.

✅ Fosters global collaboration, uniting scientists and physicians across borders.

How You Can Be Involved

You don’t have to be a scientist to contribute to clinical research. There are many ways to support this vital work:

Participate in a trial — particularly importantt for under-represented groups.

Spread awareness in your community about the importance of clinical trials.

Support organisations that fund and promote ethical research.

Choose care providers involved in evidence-based practices and ongoing studies.

Conclusion: A Human Endeavor

Why Clinical Research Matters: Bridging Science and Patient Care is more than a slogan. It’s a call to recognise the value of research not just as science, but as a deeply human endeavour. It connects the laboratory to the hospital room, the researcher to the patient, and the data to the healing.

As medicine advances, clinical research will remain the heart of progress — ensuring that discoveries don’t just exist on paper but live in the lives of those who need them most.

[feellovegetwell]

Sharing some of these images feels incredibly vulnerable for me but I hope that by opening up about everything I’ve been through, I can offer support and encouragement to anyone facing similar struggles. If you’re struggling right now, I want you to know that transformation is possible. It’s not easy, but you are stronger than you think, and I hope my story inspires even a glimmer of hope for you. ✨

The first two slides are from 2017, during my time living and DJing in Canada. On the surface, I looked happy, but underneath, my world was far from okay. Self medicating every night with drugs and alcohol, I used to cover my face in make-up to hide the constant acne and the black rings around my eyes. I was barely keeping my head above water and based on my very first symptoms—watery discharge, lower back pain in the morning—the cancer had already taken hold at this point. 

The image below was taken in 2019, and reveals me at my lowest point. It’s one of the last photos of me hungover. This image breaks my heart every time I see it—not only because I barely recognise this person, but because I see someone who was in desperate need of help, maybe even a miracle. I believe that miracle came in the form of my husband. He showed me a love worth fighting for, a love that inspired me to believe in something bigger than myself. Together, we committed to huge lifestyle changes.

In August 2019, we made the decision to go completely teetotal—no alcohol, no drugs, not even medications. Having relied on these things since my early teens, it was the hardest step I’ve ever taken, but also the most essential one in my healing. Without it, I truly don’t think I’d be here sharing this story today.

The slide below is of me and my husband now—Hi!

When I look at these, I know everything we've worked towards has been worth it.

In 2022, I was officially diagnosed with cancer. Processing the news was tough, but deep down, it wasn’t a shock. I had spent years making the choices that contributed to my body’s state of dis-ease. Cancer doesn’t happen overnight. Decades of trauma and pain had disconnected me from my inner voice. I buried hurt I couldn’t bear to face, numbing myself in every possible way—until it all finally caught up with me.

In 2012, I was diagnosed with HPV and experienced symptoms which I had treated. After the procedure, the nurses reassured me it was nothing to worry about, saying my immune system would clear the virus on its own. While that HPV strain may not have directly caused my cervical cancer, the damage was in how I misunderstood HPV as a whole. I wasn’t educated on the different strains—some asymptomatic and incredibly dangerous—and I assumed HPV wasn’t a serious concern. Looking back, I realise my misunderstanding of HPV mirrored so much of what I misunderstood about my own health—how deeply connected my mental, emotional, and physical well-being truly are.

Unaware of the risks, I didn’t practise safe sex, likely contracting other high-risk strains over time without realising. My irregular smear test in 2015 was dismissed as a lingering effect of the HPV in 2012, but by 2019, the clear smear test I received was undoubtedly wrong.

Having endured childhood trauma, many addictions, abusive relationships, and ongoing mental health struggles, my lifestyle looked fun and carefree on the outside. But it was nothing more than a mask, hiding deep pain and leaving my body incredibly imbalanced. Years of medications, sleepless nights, recurring infections, and poor gut health silently wreaked havoc on my system.

For the first time, in August 2019, I began prioritising healing and self-care. Yet even as I tried to rebuild my health, persistent signs of illness lingered: painful, irregular periods, unexplained fatigue, bloating, and bleeds after sex. Smear tests and scans came back clear, leaving me confused and doubting my instincts about my own body.

Over time, I’ve learnt how important it is to be proactive about our health, to educate ourselves, and to trust our gut feelings.

This was just the beginning of a journey I’m still navigating today.

If you’re struggling with addiction or other health challenges, I want you to know that healing is possible. Healing doesn’t happen in a straight line, and it can be really tough at times, but small steps forward can lead to meaningful change.

If my experiences resonate with you in any way, just know that you’re not alone. You have the strength to keep moving forward, even when it feels hard to.

If you’re due for a smear test, please don’t delay. Early detection can save lives. I’m hoping my story might be the reminder you need to prioritise your health. If you’ve ever felt dismissed by doctors or unsure about your symptoms, please keep advocating for yourself. And if you ever want to reach out, I’m here. Lolly x FLGW

[swatik1991]

Struggling with Ineffective Treatments? Your Genes Might Hold the Answer

Have you ever taken a medicine that didn’t work — or made you feel worse?  You’re not imagining it. The truth is, not all medications work the same for everyone. And the reason may be hidden in your genes.

💊 Why Don’t Treatments Work the Same for Everyone?

When doctors prescribe medication, they often start with what works for most people. But we all process drugs differently. Some people:

Metabolize certain drugs too quickly or too slowly

Are more prone to side effects

Need a higher or lower dose to be effective

Don’t respond to the treatment at all

This isn’t bad luck — it’s biology. Specifically, it’s your genetic makeup.

🧬 Enter: Pharmacogenomics

Pharmacogenomics is the science of how your genes affect your response to medications. A simple genetic test can identify variations in your DNA that influence how your body:

Absorbs

Processes

Breaks down

Eliminates medications

Knowing this information allows your doctor to personalize your treatment — choosing the right drug at the right dose from the start.

🔍 Real-Life Example

Anjali was dealing with anxiety for years. She had tried three different medications — with no relief and constant side effects. After a pharmacogenomic test at Greenarray, she learned that her body metabolized common antidepressants too slowly, causing side effects and reduced effectiveness.

Her doctor switched her to a medication better suited to her genetic profile — and it worked.

“It changed everything. I finally felt like myself again,” Anjali said.

🧪 What Can Pharmacogenomic Testing Help With?

This type of testing is especially helpful for medications used in

Mental health (antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers)

Cardiology (blood thinners, cholesterol medications)

Pain management (opioids, NSAIDs)

Cancer treatments

Infectious diseases (antivirals, antibiotics)

💚 Why Greenarray?

At Greenarray, we offer reliable, affordable, and personalized pharmacogenomic testing, supported by expert guidance. Our goal is to help you avoid the painful trial-and-error process and get it right the first time.

🌟 Take Back Control of Your Treatment

You don’t have to suffer through months (or years) of ineffective medication.  Your DNA holds the key to faster, safer, more effective treatment.

📞 Contact Greenarray to book your personalized medicine test today  🧬 Let your genes guide your therapy — because one size doesn’t fit all

Would you like a shorter version for social media or a visual explainer on pharmacogenomics? I can also create a patient education handout from this.

[nursingwriter]

Assessing the Abdomen The chief complaint of JR is that his “stomach hurts” and he is experiencing diarrhea, from which he has been unable to obtain any relief. His pain in his abdomen started 3 days earlier and he has taken no medication for it. The pain is midrange, though it was very high today when it began. He ate but experienced nausea afterwards. JR is 47, suffers from hypertension, diabetes and had an issue of gastrointestinal bleeding four years ago. He is on a number of medications to address his high blood pressure and diabetes. He has no known drug allergies, no history of colon cancer. His father and mother both had hypertension; his father has type 2 diabetes; his mother suffered from Gastroesophageal reflux disease and high fatty concentration in the blood (hyperlipidemia). JR occasionally imbibed alcohol. He is overweight at 248 lbs with a 5’10” height. He has a regular heart rate but soft, hyperactive bowel sounds and pain in his left lower quadrant. What History Should be Collected A history of how long he has been taking the medications he is currently on should be obtained. Metformin is one drug he is taking for his diabetes, but one of the side effects of this drug can be diarrhea, so if JR has only recently begun taking this drug, his body could be having an adverse reaction to it (Dujic et al., 2016). Whether diverticulitis runs in his family is a question that might also be asked, as this is the presumed diagnosis. However, some other information could be collected, such as the story behind his gastro-intestinal bleeding from 4 years ago. What caused the GI bleed is something that should be asked: was it caused by peptic ulcers, which are a common cause of GI bleed, or was it caused by enlarged veins in the esophagus that tore? If JR has a history of peptic ulcers, an ulcer could very easily be considered as a differential diagnosis in this case, since stomach ulcers can cause cramps and pain in the lower abdomen as well. Other questions should be asked about stress levels, as stress can inflame an ulcer and make the symptoms feel much worse over time (Mustafa et al., 2015). If the patient is experiencing a high level of stress at work or in his home life, an ulcer could be bleeding more and causing him to experience sharp pains in his stomach. A question about whether he experienced stress or anxiety today or the day before should be asked to help prepare a differential diagnosis. Likewise, since JR says he enjoys ethyl alcohol, there could be a link between his alcohol intake and his symptoms if indeed an ulcer is the cause of the pain. A question about when the last time he consumed alcohol was and how much was consumed going back over the past week at least to establish a possible connection between the alcohol and the symptoms. What Physical Exams and Diagnostic Tests Should be Conducted The patient should be tested for allergies to the medications he is taking for hypertension. Allergies to Lisinopril are rare, but the drug could cause abdominal pain (Rastogi et al., 2018). Amlodipine could also cause stomach pain. Metformin could be causing stomach pain along with Lisinopril and the other medications. A CT scan of the abdomen should be conducted to test for diverticulitis. Blood tests, urine tests and stool tests could all be conducted as well to complete the diagnosis of diverticulitis. A physical exam—endoscopy—should be conducted to examine the stomach and small intestine and look for ulcers. A biopsy may be ordered if ulcers are detected. A skin test could also be conducted in order to examine the effect of the drugs JR is taking on his body to see if there is indeed an allergic reaction. Differential Diagnosis w/ Possible Conditions I would not accept the diagnosis of diverticulitis without testing for ulcers first. The subjective and objective information only marginally supports this diagnosis, and the symptoms are so common of other factors that there needs to be more information obtained before JR is treated for diverticulitis. Three possible conditions that could explain his stomach pain are: 1) peptic ulcers (Mustafa et al., 2015), 2) an allergic reaction to metformin (Dujic et al., 2016), and 3) a reaction to Lisinopril (Rastogi et al., 2018). Of the three, the ulcer is the most likely to be the case, as the patient already has a history of GI bleeding, which is commonly caused by ulcers. An examination of the patient’s medical history more closely would show whether indeed his GI bleeding was caused by ulcers. His alcohol drinking would also not be good for ulcers and his stress, related to his hypertension would also be an aggravating factor. Since stress runs in his family, his environment is likely stressful for him and this is the diagnosis I would first check for to eliminate before moving on to test the others—though I believe they should also be tested as there could be more than one factor involved in this case. References Dujic, T., Causevic, A., Bego, T., Malenica, M., Velija?Asimi, Z., Pearson, E. R., & Semiz, S. (2016). Organic cation transporter 1 variants and gastrointestinal side effects of metformin in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Diabetic Medicine, 33(4), 511-514. https://www.paperdue.com/customer/paper/assessing-a-patient-with-stomach-pain-2170032#:~:text=Logout-,AssessingaPatientwithStomachPain,-Length3pages Mustafa, M., Menon, J., Muiandy, R. K., Fredie, R., Sein, M. M., & Fariz, A. (2015). Risk factors, diagnosis, and Management of Peptic ulcer disease. J Dent Med Sci, 14, 40-6. Rastogi, V., Singh, D., Mazza, J. J., Yang, D., Parajuli, D., & Yale, S. H. (2018). Flushing Disorders Associated with Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Part 2, Systemic Miscellaneous Conditions. Clinical Medicine & Research, cmr-2017. Read the full article

[phase1trials]

The Role of Phase 1 Trials in Medical Research and Innovation

Medical breakthroughs don’t happen overnight—each new drug, therapy, or treatment must pass through multiple stages of research and testing before it can be used to treat patients. The first critical step in this process is the Phase 1 clinical trial, which ensures that a potential treatment is safe for human use. While often overlooked, Phase 1 trials play a pivotal role in medical research and innovation, shaping the future of healthcare by identifying promising treatments and eliminating unsafe ones early in development.

What Are Phase 1 Trials?

Phase 1 trials are the first stage of human testing in drug development. Conducted after extensive preclinical studies (laboratory and animal testing), these trials typically involve 20 to 100 healthy volunteers or, in cases of serious diseases like cancer, patients who have exhausted other treatment options.

The primary goals of a Phase 1 trial include:

Evaluating safety by identifying potential side effects and adverse reactions.

Determining dosage by assessing the maximum tolerated dose (MTD).

Understanding drug behavior in the body, including absorption, metabolism, and elimination.

Unlike later-phase trials that focus on effectiveness, Phase 1 trials are designed to ensure that a drug is safe before it is tested on a larger population.

How Phase 1 Trials Drive Medical Innovation

1. Laying the Foundation for New Treatments

Every successful medication on the market today—including life-saving treatments for cancer, heart disease, and infectious diseases—once started as a Phase 1 trial. Without this crucial stage, many groundbreaking therapies would never advance to further testing or reach the patients who need them most.

2. Identifying Potentially Transformative Drugs Early

Phase 1 trials allow researchers to identify promising new drugs that could revolutionize treatment. If a drug demonstrates a strong safety profile and good pharmacokinetics (how the body processes it), it can move to Phase 2 trials, where its effectiveness is tested in larger patient groups.

3. Advancing Precision Medicine

With the rise of personalized medicine, Phase 1 trials are evolving to test targeted therapies designed for specific patient populations. This approach is particularly important in oncology, where drugs are developed based on genetic markers rather than a one-size-fits-all method. These trials help determine which treatments work best for individual patients, paving the way for more effective, customized care.

4. Encouraging Innovation in Drug Development

Medical research constantly seeks to develop safer, more effective, and less invasive treatments. Phase 1 trials play a key role in testing new drug delivery methods, such as:

Nanotechnology-based treatments that improve drug absorption.

Gene and cell therapies that could offer long-term or even permanent cures.

Immunotherapies that harness the body’s own immune system to fight diseases like cancer.

By testing these novel approaches, Phase 1 trials contribute directly to cutting-edge medical advancements.

5. Reducing Drug Development Costs and Risks

Developing a new drug is expensive—costing hundreds of millions to billions of dollars—and time-consuming, often taking over a decade. Phase 1 trials help pharmaceutical companies and research institutions identify potential failures early, preventing unnecessary investments in unsafe or ineffective drugs. By eliminating weak candidates early on, resources can be redirected toward more promising innovations.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

Despite their importance, Phase 1 trials come with challenges:

Limited participant numbers make it difficult to predict how a drug will behave in larger populations.

Potential safety risks exist since the drug is being tested in humans for the first time.

Ethical concerns must be addressed, ensuring that participants are fully informed of risks and receive proper medical oversight.

Regulatory agencies like the FDA (U.S.) and EMA (Europe) enforce strict ethical guidelines to protect participants, ensuring that trials are conducted responsibly.

Conclusion

Phase 1 trials are the foundation of medical research and innovation, allowing scientists to test new drugs safely before moving on to larger trials. Without them, life-saving treatments for countless diseases would never reach patients. As medical science advances, Phase 1 trials will continue to play a crucial role in shaping the future of healthcare, offering hope for better, safer, and more effective treatments worldwide.

[mukeshmourya016]

Understanding Drug Development and Clinfinite Solutions

Introduction:

When you are sick, you might take medicine to help you feel better. But do you know how medicine is made? The process of creating new medicine is called Drug Development. Scientists and doctors work together to test different medicines and find out which ones can help people get better. This process takes time and careful work. Drug Development is very important because it helps create new medicines that can treat diseases and make people healthy again. Clinfinite solutions are special tools that help researchers make Drug Development faster and more efficient. In this article, we will learn what Drug Development is, why it is important, and how Clinfinite solutions help make the process better.

What is Drug Development?

Drug Development is the process of discovering, testing, and creating new medicines. When doctors or scientists want to make a new medicine to treat a disease, they must go through many steps to make sure the medicine works and is safe. This process starts with finding a new idea for a medicine, usually by looking at how a disease works in the body. After that, researchers test the medicine in different ways to see if it can help treat the disease without causing harm.

What is the Importance of Drug Development?

Drug Development is very important because it helps create new medicines that can treat diseases and improve people’s health. Many diseases, like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, do not have cures. But through Drug Development, scientists can discover new treatments that can make people feel better and even save their lives.

The Role of Drug Development in Healthcare

The role of Drug Development in healthcare is to find new medicines that can treat diseases and make people feel better. When new medicines are developed, they can change how doctors treat patients and help improve health worldwide. Drug Development helps create treatments that can cure diseases or help manage them so people can live longer and healthier lives.

In healthcare, doctors use medicines to treat patients. These medicines can help with a variety of diseases, from minor illnesses like colds to more serious diseases like cancer. Without Drug Development, doctors would not have the tools they need to help their patients. Drug Development also plays a role in preventing diseases. Vaccines are a type of medicine that can prevent people from getting sick. Vaccines have helped reduce or eliminate diseases like polio and smallpox, and they are created through the Drug Development process.

How Clinfinite Solutions Help Drug Development

Clinfinite solutions are special tools that help make the process of Drug Development more efficient and easier. They help researchers, scientists, and doctors organize their work and track important information. With the help of Clinfinite solutions, the process of Drug Development can move faster, and researchers can make better decisions.

Finally, Clinfinite solutions help with analyzing the data. Once the clinical trials are completed, the data needs to be analyzed to determine if the medicine works and if it is safe. Clinfinite solutions provide tools to help researchers analyze this data quickly and accurately. This helps speed up the decision-making process and makes it easier to move on to the next phase of Drug Development.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Drug Development is an important process that helps create new medicines to treat diseases and improve health. It is a careful and detailed process that takes a lot of time, but it is necessary to ensure that medicines are safe and effective. Drug Development helps create treatments that can save lives, improve the quality of life, and even prevent diseases.

[briamichellewrites]

One of a kind. This was how Bria was remembered. The Biography channel aired a documentary about her life. They concentrated on her childhood, career, and private life. That included her drug habit. Mike, Jason, and the band were profiled in interviews. The general public was unaware of her addiction. She was a complicated person. That was the most appropriate way to describe her. Mike discussed the impact her fame had on her.

She desired to remain anonymous from the media and the paparazzi. She felt the happiest at home. She had the freedom to be herself without fear of judgment. Even when she appeared confident, she had moments when she struggled with herself. She never thought she was better than anyone else, and she could not understand why people made such a big deal about her.

The most difficult thing for her was her parents' deaths in a car accident. She was extremely close to them. Losing them was like losing control over her life. Her drug use worsened after that, and they feared she would die. She was using cocaine or heroin every few hours. They realized something was wrong when she started losing weight. She had bags under her eyes and symptoms similar to the flu.

Jason, her husband, was the one who confronted her addiction. They sat down. He removed her socks, revealing needle marks on her feet. She was injecting heroin into her feet so that no one would notice. Before she went to rehab, they put her through a detox program.

She was sober for two years before relapsing. Jason went through rehab and stayed sober. He fought for her and their marriage because he genuinely loved her. They never considered getting divorced. He had firsthand experience with addiction. Because he understood what she was going through, he was able to feel compassion for her.

Her addiction had no effect on her professional career. She would take some time off and go to rehabilitation. Her team threatened to abandon her after her last relapse. She burst out crying because she did not want to lose them. She spent six months in rehab before moving into a sober living house for a year. She then began to attend therapy appointments and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. She would attend meetings on a daily basis.

She stayed sober for the rest of her life. Because she was sober, she was able to advance her career more. She progressed from a singer-songwriter and model to an actress. Hollywood wanted to work with her because of her talent and professionalism. She loved it! Even though the days were extremely long, she was always cheerful and never complained.

It was an honour simply to be asked. She never thought she matched the other actors' abilities. They needed to convince her that she was. She performed in comedies, dramas, and whatever else they threw at her. They enjoyed seeing her on screen because they were extremely proud of her.

She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was just a toddler. She underwent two years of chemotherapy before going into remission. When she began to show signs of the disease relapsing, they suspected she had resumed drug use. She denied it. They refused to believe her because she had previously lied to them.

She finally persuaded Mike to accompany her to her doctor's appointment. The doctor evaluated her symptoms and administered tests. M4 Acute Myeloid Leukemia was her diagnosis. Her diagnosis was extremely difficult for them to process. She underwent intensive chemotherapy treatments using various drugs. It had an impact on her physical health. She lost her hair, but she kept her sense of humour. There were times when she reassured them more than they did her. She battled cancer with all of her strength until the end.

Instead of being admitted to hospice, she preferred to die at home. Jason employed two full-time nurses for her. They came in and assisted her with tasks such as using the restroom and basic hygiene. They also spent private time with her.

She went from walking to using a wheelchair due to her weakness. They took her to the Academy Awards to accept the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She thought it was hilarious when they brought the microphone down to her, saving her from having to stand up. That was the best night she would had in quite some time. She was overjoyed to get dressed up and leave the house.

She died two days later. They talked about how they received Mike's call. She was 40 years old. They had a private funeral with everyone she cared about. The band and their families, Muto and Donna, as well as Topher and Brad, came to show their respect. She could make fun of herself or walk into a room without knowing anyone. Then walk away, having made a new friend. She was selfless and never looked down on others.

"Bria inspired us.” Bradford stated, "When she fell, she got back up."

"She had natural talent. It did not matter what she did. She had to perform in front of an audience. We all knew she would be famous someday, and she was," Mike said.

Throughout the documentary, videos of her life and career were shown. They also displayed personal photos. The episode was 45 minutes long, including commercials. Jason invited everyone over to see it. After Bria's death, he remained in the house she helped design. It had been two years since she died, and he was not ready to start dating again. He and Mike founded Bria's Hope, a non-profit organization dedicated to her memory.

The organization contributed to the cost of mental health and addiction treatment for homeless people. She would have been proud of them for doing it. They held fundraising events and charity drives. After Chester lost his battle with addiction and mental illness, they focused on suicide prevention. Every month, the band and their families volunteered their time.

They were now sitting in her theatre room, waiting for the episode to begin. Jason provided pillows, blankets, snacks, and beverages. They all began to relax. It had been a long time since they had all been together. They needed to catch up after the show had ended. They both laughed and cried throughout the show. They did an excellent job of portraying Bria. They talked during commercial breaks but were silent when the show resumed.

Mike covered his face when they showed her singing Crash Into Me with Bradford on guitar. He was overcome with grief. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. Dave comforted him by wrapping his arm around his shoulders. A few minutes later, he stopped crying.

"This is what Brad and I do when we are not busy. We like to play Mountain Dew Pong. It is probably not the best thing to do with my ADHD, but fuck it. It is two in the afternoon, and we have no idea how long we will be here. So we need the energy.”

"She is winning," he said, laughing.

"How many cups have you had so far?" someone off camera asked.

"I think I had about two. I am slightly buzzed. My husband will wonder what the hell I did all day when I return home full of energy."

Jason gave a laugh. Brad recalled when they shot that. They were making a movie together and were both exhausted because they had to arrive on set at six a.m. She never complained despite the fact that the day had been extremely long. They wiped their tears away as the credits rolled. Dave asked Mike if he was okay. Yes, thanks.