#disautonomia

[disabled-bug]

Reminder at all, someone with a disability/chronic illness might be capable of completely different levels of activity from day to day. You can’t hold yourself or others to the best version of the physical self every single day. That goes for able bodied people too! Energy levels fluctuate, and for people with a disability/chronic illness that difference will be even more extreme.

Be patient. Be gentle with yourself and others.

Just because the other day you did a workout, went grocery shopping, and/or washed your hair, it doesn’t mean you’re less valuable today while you’re stuck in bed.

Be kind to yourself.

[fuckingpiratee]

all i did was exist and my body was like ‘i think the fuck not’

[creative-caramel-coffee]

Parkers, Pots & Periods 

Summary: Reader is Peter’s sister and is going on a field trip to stark industries, the catch? She’s on her period and has POTS… things go badly and Wanda and Nat step in to take care of you. 

Words: 2324

TW: Periods, Pain, nausea (no puking), POTS, Cramps, Bullying, fainting, name calling, Flash (that’s its own warning), Flashes “nicknames” for peter, field trip trope. 

A/n Hi guys I’m alive! Sorry for disappearing (kinda). My life is chaos incarnate. I accidently got stabbed in the thigh yesterday.  But I stuck an avengers Band-Aid on it and I was fine :D

Somehow the universe decided to screw your over three times today. The first, you had POTS, whilst not a new condition it did make the next two things worse. Second you had a trip to stark towers which meant a lot of standing on a tour and being around your class and knowing the avengers would be lurking nearby. And third, the real icing on the cake … you were on your period as if you had blood to lose as someone with POTS and a low blood volume to start with. 

So that was how you were doing today as you arrived at school. Sure, you had graduated about three years ago but there had been talks that someone had found out Peter’s identity and was planning something, which was how you ended up undercover to be a glorified bodyguard for peter… well a glorified babysitter with homework.  You had been chosen by the team as you were the second youngest next to Peter and as a lesser-known member of the team who was young, you could pass as a high school student without raising suspicions. ‘Yay me.’ You thought sarcastically. Leaving high school was amazing and having to go back to babysit your little brother… not so much. 

You skipped training this morning as you were already feeling quite awful due to your period and your POTS which was always made worse when it was shark week. 

As you arrived at school with Peter, happy dropped you both at the block around the corner and you shouldered your old school backpack and sighed. 

“Let’s get this over with.” You grumbled and peter nodded. Neither of you feeling particularly excited to go on a trip through your own house with classmates who hated you. 

Peter was just as unhappy; flash had been giving him shit all week for his internship and wanted desperately to prove the Parker boy a liar today. When you had found out about the bullying you almost intervened before Peter had a talk with you. He reminded you of what uncle ben had said to you both before he died, and your eyes glossed over as you made the decision to respect his wishes and promise to your late uncle. 

As your shoes slapped the pavement with exaggerated steps and dragging movements, a grin itched your face when Ned began waving to you from across the quad. MJ looked up and gave a single half handed wave cross salute before going back to her sketchbook, her legs kicked up on the picnic table. 

You liked MJ and Ned. They had welcomed you to their group and they knew that you had already graduated but agreed to stay quiet if it meant keeping peter safe. They both knew you and your brothers’ real identities. As the second spider that protected the city aside from your brother and Natasha you had decided to keep your identity quiet until Peter graduated, knowing he would have just as many issues with the press if you were unmasked before he graduated compared to him being unmasked. 

You threw your backpack down and threw your head into your arms, letting out an exaggerated groan. 

“You feelin’ alright bonehead?” MJ said looking up from her sketch. 

You simply grunted before turning your head, still resting on your arms to look at her through a furrowed brow. 

“Shark week.” Was all you said, and MJ nodded before turning to her bag and digging around before fishing out a chocolate bar she threw at your head. Your spider sense kicked in and your hand flew up and caught it. 

“Thanks MJ.” You grunted. 

“Anytime Parker.” She said going back to her sketchbook. You leaned over to glance at the page and snorted. MJ simply suppressed a grin and kept working on the detailed drawing of Flash trapped in a display case at stark towers with a placard that read “Bullied Peter Stark, glass tapping encouraged.” With a drawing of Tony leaning on the display case eating a banana with Nat handing out tomatoes to the rest of the team to throw at flash. Leave it to MJ to make this trip better. 

You thought maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. But curse your Parker luck because that was the moment flash began to storm over. MJ quickly shut her sketchbook as flash stood over Peter.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t penis Parker. I wasn’t expecting you to show up today. With your big lie going public today I thought you would be too much of a wuss to show up. Prepare to be publicly humiliated Parker. Today is the day your life is torn to shreds.” He said.

“Like the lie about you having a brain flash ‘cuz I think everyone knows that’s fake.” MJ said flicking a few pencil shavings at him. She glared at him, and he glared back before huffing. 

“Whatever idiots. I’ll see you on the bus. Parker don’t forget I would hate for you to miss your public execution.” He spat and headed off to wherever it was Flash lurked between tormenting Peter.

“Petey…” you began. 

“No y/n I’m handling it.” He said shutting you down. 

“Alright. Alright. I’ll leave it alone.” You said while silently wishing a piano to miraculously fall on flash. You desperately wanted to help but you also wanted to respect Peter’s decision especially as you knew his reason was fuelled by a very personal experience that had changed both of you tremendously. 

As the last class before the field trip ended you felt like death warmed over. Your head hurt and your period was only making your POTS worse. As you stood from your chair, you had to hold onto the table as your vision went fuzzy for a second. When your sight cleared Peter shot you a pointed look which you shrugged off and headed for the bus. 

If there was one thing you didn’t miss from high school it was field trips, twenty sweaty teenagers in a bus for who knows how long, most likely with no air conditioning which would only contribute to you feeling worse.  None of that was appealing to you in the slightest. 

As you all filed onto the bus you groaned when you sat down, putting your head in your hands, and taking deep breaths. The cramps had been getting worse all day and they were toeing the line of unbearable. 

MJ sat next to you and kept a close eye on your movements or lack thereof. 

As the bus lurched with the traffic you suppressed any of the wounded animal noises that were trying to escape you.

After what seemed like a torturously long bus trip you felt the bus slow to a stop. Looking outside the logo of stark towers was the first thing your eyes fixed on. 

As everyone filed off the bus you swayed slightly trying to fight off the dizzy lightheaded mess along with the cramping. Life really wasn’t being kind to you. 

With a hand resting around your stomach, you watched Peter sidestep flashes foot and walk inside. 

The building was cool when you entered which made you feel a tiny bit better but still largely awful. 

As the tour guide passed out the lanyards you and Peter hung around in the back. 

“I bet puny Parker won’t even have a lanyard, he’s too poor to be let in.” Flash said nearby and your fist tightened at your side in an attempt to stay there. 

When all the passes were handed out Flash was the first to point out you and Peter didn’t have one. 

“Hey! The Parker’s are missing their badges. We’ll have to leave them behind. Sorry no poor people allowed.” He said with a big grin and Peter looked like a deer in headlights as everyone turned to face the two of you. You just shrugged. 

“Friday?” The tour guide asked. “Has there been a mistake?”

“Ms Parker and Mister Parker do not require badges as they have tier 10 clearance, access is granted to all floors, labs and rooms.” A voice said from the ceiling startling a few people.

“That’s Friday.” The tour guide explained “she’s tony starks AI and she runs the tower.”

“I don’t know how you hacked the system, but you will pay Parker’s.” Flash said sticking a finger in Peter’s face. 

“Whatever flash, you’re just mad that you have level 1 clearance and can’t go in the toilets without permission.”  MJ said as flash stormed off after the group. 

As the tour progressed you were feeling worse and worse, all this walking was making the cramps worse, and all the standing was aggregating your POTS. Your vision had been spotty for a while now and your legs hurt. Your midsection was cramping something awful, and you saw no end in sight. 

As the group was shown to the museum floor you did your best to stay rooted to your body as your head felt like it was floating away. 

“Y/n/n you should really go home. If you sneak off upstairs, I’ll cover for you.” Peter said and MJ nodded. 

“I know your white girl, but you’re not meant to be that white… ever.” MJ said and you shot her a small glare with did nothing to deter her. 

“Can’t I have to stay with Peter.” You said swallowing down the nausea you had begun to feel. 

“I can look out for myself.” He said in a soft tone. But you shook your head which was a terrible idea as you swayed, having to lean on the wall the stay upright. 

“Right, that’s enough….” Peter begun but your hearing was fading as Peter seemed to keep talking. 

As your hearing and vision began to drift away Peter began softly alerting Friday to the situation, as he requested Wanda of Natasha to come and get you.

As he saw a flash of red hair down the hall, his spider sense flared, and he was just in time to catch you as your body finally gave up and went slack. 

Natasha seemed to arrive almost at the same time you passed out into Peter’s arms. 

The group had moved on and it seemed they were none to wiser to the avenger’s presence. 

Peter looked panicked for a second as he held you up. 

“I’ve got her Pete.” Natasha said as she picked you up effortlessly into a bridal carry.  “Go catch up with your group Wanda and I will look after her. Don’t worry.” 

“Alright. Text me updates.” He said and Natasha nodded dutifully before carrying you to the elevator.

When she arrived back on your floor that you shared with the two redheads, you shifted in her arms, letting out a small whimper. 

Natasha walked over to the door to her room, opening it to see Wanda already having everything set up for a movie day. 

“Oh my god is she ok? I know Peter said it was bad but … is she out?” Wanda said coming over and fussing. 

“She passed out as I got there. She must be feeling terrible.” Nat said as she set you down on the bed gently. Wanda came and sat next to you as Nat changed into some comfy clothes and took to your other side. 

Wanda’s hands carding through your hair was the first thing you registered when you came to.

“Nat, I think she’s coming around.” Wanda said softly. 

You let out a small, wounded noise as you tucked your knees to your chest in an attempt to stave off the relentless cramps. 

“Shhh y/n/n it’s ok. Natty and I have you baby. You’re alright.” Wanda said softly.

You whimpered again and shifted to clutch your midsection.

“Cramps?” Wanda asked knowingly still playing with your hair.

“Mmm.” You said softly. 

Before you knew it a hot pack was being slid onto your stomach and your muscles went lax as Wanda pulled you into her lap.

You opened an eye and saw her smiling down at you. 

“Hello sweet girl. How are you feeling.” She said gently.

“Bad.” You hummed.

“Chocolate?” Natasha said as she offered you an already unwrapped chocolate bar. Not bothering to use your hands you began eating it while Nat still held it. Making her smile softly in amusement as she fed you the chocolate. 

“Oh my god, I left Peter!” You said scrambling to sit up but Wanda kept you pinned. 

“It’s alright baby. Fridays watching him and you’re in no condition to be doing anything other than cuddling and watching movies with us. Ok?” Wanda said. She could see the gears turning behind your eyes and gently turned your chin to look at her. 

“Okay sweet girl?” She said again. 

“Okay.” You said softly. 

“Excellent. Now you pick the first movie.” Wanda said as Natasha returned with popcorn despite you not having seen her leave. 

As the day went on you began to feel better. Between the salty popcorn Wanda was feeding you and the blue electrolyte drinks that were stocked in Natasha’s mini fridge you began to feel less terrible. 

The girls had everything you needed, from a warm heat pack to chocolate to cuddles. You eventually drifted off feeling warm and only slightly in pain. Knowing you were safe with them. 

@barbarasstar @charlie56 @vlynes @lovelyy-moonlight

[consider-your-potatoes-mashed]

fuck I hate having POTS all I’ve been doing for the last half hour is lay down. Why the fuck is my heart racing and pounding???????

[lordhavemercyyyyy]

gentle reminder to myself to never go do a lot of walking on uneven ground in a forest in order to help set up a halloween hayride

(i nearly tripped on massive rocks multiple times and now can't put pressure on my right knee)

(sorry @d-adpool for not resting like you said to. yes im ambrose mun.)

[dayque]

WHAT IF Ty acquired dysautonomia by soul-binding with Livvy's? And their failures are symptoms of the syndrome aggravated by necromacy!? Fainting, kidney failure, gastric disorders, mental disorders, hypersomnia, chronic pain

[gracethyomen]

Any other potsies or disautonomia girlies on this app? having a rough day symptom wise and wondering if anyone can relate

[tlendeth]

temperature disregulation is such a fun symptom, like wdym it's 17°C (62F) outside still?! I'm sitting here wrapped in a blanket with multiple handwarmers freezing my arse off to the point I cant feel my toes and also all my bones feel cold. You know when you've been outside too long and you just feel cold inside as well? yeah, like that, I have icecube bones currently

And the best part? coming out if winter this is a temp. I'd potentially be fighting overheating already °^°

[witchlykitty]

[disabled-bug]

Going Out: A POTS Survival Guide (summer-friendly)

-handheld fans, battery operated or chargeable, fit easily into bags and can help cool you down

-bring electrolytes/a drink when you go out

-vitassium fastchews are amazing if you’re dizzy & need hydration, sodium, increase your blood pressure, ect.

-have salty snacks in your bag

-ginger chews or ginger Dramamine are great for nausea, and so are a product called “sea bands” (whatever works for you), it can also be reassuring to have a “sick bag” with you, just in case

-while by no means a necessity, it can be nice to have some kind of makeup remover or moist towelette on hand if you experience hot flashes or getting clammy…also recommend having chapstick for if you get a dry mouth

Hope this helps somebody!

[fuckingpiratee]

personally PLEASE don’t call me a ‘potsie’ it sounds like a slur

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

i really feel you on the heat exhaustion in the summer and losing weight, i have it too. in my case i cannot regulate my internal body temperature due to medical issues so i'm always a human furnace and it makes summer awful to endure. i'll end up drinking a lot of flavoured water, eating yogurts and sandwiches with varied fillings etc and never anything hot. not even coffee, it's all iced coffee until like mid-october.

that being said, from one human furnace to another, do you have any tips to stay cool, especially for someone with no ac? i tend to drink ice water and have the "damp flannel in the freezer for 15 minutes on the neck" thing as well as cold showers, but do you suggest anything else?

Oh god the summer is tough for those of us who don't have AC and have medical conditions. You have said some good stuff here, but I can provide some tips of my own

Sugary drinks. Everyone is terrified of soda in this day and age, but I find it's actually a useful tool with chronic illness - and one of the main reasons I haven't lost more weight. Drinking low calorie or 0 calorie vitamin water is good, but sometimes it's good to drink liquids with higher calorie content in them. You get hydration and you can make up for calories that you miss during meals if you have to skip meals due to heat induced nausea. Liquid is always easier to ingest past nausea. And this goes for soda, juice, and even ice cold smoothies.

Ice. Ice, ice, ice. This may seem super basic, but I have to press it home. Buy one or two silicone ice trays on Amazon and always keep them full in your freezer, or invest in an electrical ice maker (this would be something to put on your Christmas list and ask for as a gift - the one my mom got for me and my sister was $160 on sale, so you can look out for sales too) - but having ice cubes in drinks makes a huge difference. Even putting ice cubes on your skin makes a huge difference when your body doesn't regulate heat normally.

Double walled tumblers. This is paired with ice. I know the Stanley trend seems stupid, and I don't even like Stanleys - I fucking hate the concept of paying $200 for a water bottle. The ones I use are $5 or $10 from Walmart - but make sure the one you buy is double walled and marked as insulated. This is proven effective to make cold drinks last for longer. So when you are exhausted from the heat, you don't have to keep getting up to refresh your drink and put more ice cubes. And it helps your drink stay cold from start to finish, helping your body temperature stay even a little bit lower.

Cold showers or baths. Again, this is kind of basic (and something said, but I am making a general list) - just be careful because if your medical condition means that you can't regulate body temperature, then exposing yourself to water that is too cold could make you sicker. The water should be tepid - room temperature, or slightly cool. And don't stay in for too long. Set a timer and listen to your body.

Putting cold items - cold cloths, ice packs, etc. - on target areas. There are target areas where coldness on your skin is more effective: the back of your neck, the top of your head, and your spine. This targets your central nervous system and helps you get cooler faster.

Air circulation. Again, this one might seem obvious, but I thought I would say it. Being a hot stuffy room is bad, so opening up windows and using fans to circulate air - even if it's warm air - is better than sitting in a room that is basically working as an oven toward your body. Also keep in mind that air needs a path to flow - if you open a window in your bedroom, open your bedroom door and a window in another room to help the air flow. You might be surprised what a difference this makes. Also, even if it's hot outside, it will likely be hotter inside your house if there is no air flow in your house.

Pet cooling pads. They sell relatively cheap cooling pads for dogs and cats (we got one for my cat at the dollar store) and sometimes I randomly sit on it even though it's for my cat. I recommend getting one of these to sit on or keep inside your pillow case to make sleeping easier.

I keep thinking of many other basic things: light clothing/minimal clothing, lack of activity, eating cold food (like popsicles), stick your head in the freezer...

Watch the movie Frozen and pretend that you are in the icy Arendelle summer?

[consider-your-potatoes-mashed]

I hate disautonomia gahhhhhy heart rate was legitimately over 120 going up to almost 170 for at least an hour and a half when all I was doing was relaxing on my couch. Now I’m in bed and laying down and my heart still be racing and pounding around 115. I hate this nonsense. I feel physically like I’m about to have a panic attack from the feeling in my chest even though I don’t feel that mentally at all

[fainting-fat-cat]

Disability awareness art by Brittany Ojeda.

Official gravity tester.

Drop it like it's POTs.

Hello darkness my old friend, I stood up too fast again.

Medical rod w/snake

Not to brag but I'm what doctor's call moderate to severe.

Ableism is not punk.

What doesn't kill you requires a co-pay.

[chubby-femme-boi]

I'm at my witts end. I don't know what to do.

I can't get a job. I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user with POTS (and a host of other things). Everywhere I apply can legally discriminate against me.

What do I do? Where do I go? I'm thousands of dollars in debt, ruined credit, etc etc. I dropped out of college for a semester in hopes I could focus on working and get back on my feet but it feels like a pipe dream to ever go back.

I'm lost. Even places that help you find a job tell me I'm screwed. I'm not disabled enough to get benefits but I'm not able-bodied enough to work.