#followed by pharmacists looking at the prescription and being like ''why the hell has the doctor prescribed these???''

[thethingything]

I feel like both doctors and medication leaflets should actually tell you why they're giving certain instructions, because sometimes an instruction is given because it might help reduce side effects, sometimes it's given because it may help the medication work better, and sometimes it's given because if you don't follow that instruction it'll cause very serious problems and potentially kill you, and I feel like this is a very important distinction.

like, I want to know what happens if I miss a dose (because I have memory issues and need to evaluate that risk). I want to know what happens if I accidentally take a dose too soon. if it's a med that I can't take with food, what happens if I do take it too soon after eating? if it interacts with other meds, what do those interactions involve?

all of this stuff is important to know and yet I usually have to go digging through information online to try and figure any of it out, and half the time with stuff like missing doses, you still can't find anything other than "make sure you do not miss any doses" which isn't helpful

[letterfromtrenwith]

Prescription Passion - Ch.1

My cheesily titled but I hope not cheesily written Carolight hospital AU :D

Dr Dwight Enys, coming home from several years abroad, takes a job in the A&£ dept of St Neot's hospital in Truro, not intending to be completely knocked for six by meeting a certain lovely dermatologist - Dr Caroline Penvenen.

Posting the first ch. for Carolight Week. 

~

Maternity Ward

“How in the Hell – “ Dwight glared at the blue plastic sign above the double swing doors, as if staring at it hard enough might change it into something that made sense. While he’d admittedly only been working here a week, he couldn’t fathom how anybody found their way around this hospital. It was like a bloody labyrinth. Although that was all relative considering that the last hospital he’d worked in had essentially been three wooden huts stuck together. The St. Neot’s Infirmary was something else altogether.

Technically, his shift was over for today, but since the A&E dept. was currently running a little understaffed he was still on call until late that evening, before having 48 hours off. He had been planning on going home, since his flat wasn’t too far way to make getting back in an emergency unworkable, and he still had some serious unpacking to do. However, what he’d intended to be a quick trip to the HR department to swap his temporary staff card for a permanent one – hideous passport photo and all – had turned into a trip down the rabbit hole.

Blessedly, he knew someone in the maternity unit who would be able to give him directions. Verity Poldark was a senior midwife at St Neot’s, and had been the one to suggest Dwight apply for a job there. He’d met her when he was at medical school with her cousin, Ross, and she’d been a trainee at the university’s teaching hospital.

Verity was standing at the nurse’s station when he went in, looking harassed, her hair coming loose from its pins. It didn’t really look like the time to bother her – maybe he could ask someone else – but she managed a smile when she saw him.

“Hi, Dwight. What brings you here?”

“Being horribly lost, I’m afraid. I was going to ask if you could show me the way but I’ve obviously caught you at a busy time.” The whiteboard behind the desk showed that four o’clock in the afternoon on a Tuesday was apparently a popular time to be in labour.

“No, it’s – “ Before Verity could finish her sentence, the doors swung open again behind Dwight, and Verity looked behind him, breaking into a much wider smile of what seemed like relief.

“George! Thank God!” Dwight turned to find that George was a fair-haired man of about the same age as him.

“Somebody call for an anaesthetist?”

“GET ME THE FUCKING DRUGS!”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” George passed by Dwight without a second glance, heading into the room where the shout had emanated from. Verity made to follow him, but stopped.

“Are you doing anything at the minute, Dwight?”

“Er, no, not really.”

“Want to come and help deliver a very angry lady’s twins?” Dwight thought for a minute; about the pile of boxes he had to unpack and the papers from his aunt’s solicitor he still had to read.

“You know, I would.” 

~

Dwight suppressed a yawn as he signed off on yet another patient form – a 14 year old boy who’d suffered an asthma attack during a PE lesson; he would fine, but Dwight had strongly advised him that it probably wasn’t the best idea to leave his inhaler on his bedside table when he was going to be playing rugby.

This morning had been a complete whirlwind. Five minutes after he’d clocked on, four victims of a car accident had been rushed in, all of whom needed stabilising before surgery; and then an 89-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s who was incredibly distressed after a fall at her care home; two workmen who’d sustained mild burns after a piece of equipment had caught fire. On and on and on they’d come. Friday was often a busy day in A & E – no Saturday night, but it could get chaotic. Just before the 14 year old boy, Dwight had seen a time of death pronounced on an overdose case, so he wasn’t feeling his best.

His 48 hours off hadn’t given him much rest, in the end, although he had collapsed face down on his bed first thing on Wednesday morning after Mrs Teague’s 12 hour-labour, which had ended in the arrival of boy and girl twins, seemingly hale and hearty.

Unlike most of the British hospitals Dwight had worked in, St Neot’s actually had a pretty decent canteen, and he thought a ham salad baguette and packet of posh crisps would hit the spot.

“Dwight! Over here!” Verity waved at him from the corner, and he weaved his way between tables occupied by a mix of uniform clad nurses, doctors in scrubs and patients with dressing gowns over their hospital nighties – the odd one with a drip. He hoped none of them were skipping out on ‘nil by mouth’ orders.

“Hi, Verity. Hello.” Verity was sitting with George, the anaesthetist from Tuesday night, and another woman who’d also been at the delivery. In the chaos, Dwight had never got her name, but he’d gathered she was the on-call obstetrician. She was very pretty, with short, dark brown hair and soft features; her smile was wide and friendly, her eyes warm. Dwight could imagine her being a soothing presence for nervous mothers-to-be. Today, she’d swapped her scrubs for a smart sleeveless blouse, her glasses tucked into the neck.

“Didn’t get a chance to introduce you all properly the other night.” Verity smiled. “Dr Dwight Enys, this is Dr George Warleggan and Dr Elizabeth Warleggan.”

“I assume that’s not a coincidence?” Dwight sat, putting down his tray to exchange handshakes with the other two, who smiled at each other in a way which made their connection rather obvious.

“No. They’re our resident lovebirds.” Verity grinned and Elizabeth shook her head.

“Thank you for your help the other night, by the way.”

“How is Mrs Teague? And the babies?”

“Mmm,” Elizabeth took a pull on the straw of her drink. “All well. They were discharged yesterday – we kept the twins for observation since they both had low blood pressure, but they were right as rain after 24 hours or so.”

“Mrs Teague seemed very…overwhelmed by the experience.”

“Ha! I’ll say.” Verity shook her head. “It takes women lots of ways but, Ruth…”

“All that screaming…” Elizabeth sighed. “And for such a straightforward delivery, especially for twins. I blame TV, you know. People see all those histrionics and they think that’s how it should be.”

“Says the woman who gave me a black eye when she was giving birth!” George cried and Elizabeth gave a dramatic sigh, looking up in an exaggerated appeal to the heavens.

“That was an accident!” She looked at Dwight. “I reached out for his hand during a particularly hard contraction and he happened to be bending forward at the same time…”

“That’s her story!” Dwight laughed. This was obviously a well-worn argument, and he couldn’t help but smile at the obvious affection between the two of them.  He hadn’t got a proper look at George the other night – after administering the epidural he’d only needed to monitor Mrs Teague for a short while before the delivery team could take over, and then he’d been called away for a surgical procedure. Blue-eyed and fine-featured, he certainly made a handsome match with Elizabeth.

“So, how many children do you have?” Dwight asked.

“Two.” Elizabeth picked up her phone, scrolling through before handing it to him. The picture showed an adorable little boy of about three, with dark springy curls, peering curiously at a tiny light-haired baby. “Valentine, he’s nearly four now, and Ursula, she’s just turned one.”

“ – “ They obviously sensed his surprise at the unusual names, and Dwight was briefly afraid he’d offended them, but George smiled.  

“Valentine was born on Valentine’s day, and Ursula was Elizabeth’s great-aunt, she died just before the baby was born. Also, there’s surprisingly little that goes with ‘Warleggan’.”

They chatted more as they ate, Dwight telling them a little about his time with Medicines sans Frontieres – although nothing about why he’d joined the organisation in the first place; even Verity didn’t know the full details there, and he certainly wasn’t ready to talk about it with strangers, even ones as nice as these. He did explain that he’d come home to Cornwall to take care of his Aunt’s estate, and that Verity had persuaded him to join the staff at St Neot’s.

“She’s the best recruiter this place has got!” Elizabeth laughed. “She got her brother here, too. And Demelza!”

Dwight had known Francis for a while, too, although not as well as the other Poldarks – he’d gone to a different uni, and practiced in Scotland for a few years. He was now a consultant ophthalmologist at St.Neot’s – the only one, actually.

“Demelza?” He’d met an awful lot of people since arriving at the hospital a couple of weeks ago, but he couldn’t remember her. He was sure he’d remember someone with such an unusual name.

“One of the hospital pharmacists.” Verity explained. “I met her at a yoga class, and she told me she wanted a change from her old job…”

“I think Dr. Martin said we were short a few A & E nurses if you fancy taking that on?” Verity elbowed him and he laughed. Suddenly, there was a beeping noise, and all four of them rummaged in their pockets.

“It’s me. Emergency surgery. Nice to meet you, Dwight.” With a quick kiss for Elizabeth, George was gone, his wife smiling after him.

“Aww…” Verity cooed.

“Shut up.” Elizabeth said primly, fighting a grin.  

“No, I love it. You give this sad singleton hope for true love.” Verity sighed with exaggerated dreaminess, and Elizabeth snorted. After a moment, Dwight became aware of someone standing behind him, just as Elizabeth smiled widely.

“Caroline! Here, meet the new A & E registrar I told you about. Dwight, this is Dr Caroline Penvenen.” Dwight turned to greet the new arrival, and found himself completely lost for words.

[drarrygirl27]

INCIDENT AT WORK ON MONDAY

Ok... So maybe some of you are wondering where I have been lately so I am going to tell you. I had a quick and semi-painful fall while at work on late Monday afternoon. I thought nothing of it after inspecting myself in the bathroom immediately after I got back up. I saw no cuts, no bleeding, and nothing felt too terribly bad so being the ignorant stubborn as hell ass that I am, I just continued working and I didn't even think anything of it through out the whole time I was working.

Fast forward to when Doug and I got back to our apartment early Tuesday morning, I started feeling this aching feeling in my right arm, but it isn't like the I did too much while on the job kind of ache, it was way more painful than that, but felt kind of numbish at the same time. When I took my work smock and most of my clothes off to start relaxing before going to bed, Doug noticed a bruise on my right hip and swelling on the part of my chest close to my right arm.

He then asks me, "What happened to you Baby?"

At first I am really confused and am just like "Huh? What are you talking about D?" He asks me if I knew that I had a dark bruise on my right hip and he then told me that the part of my chest close to my right arm was swelled up pretty bad.

I was like, "What?!"

After I go check it out in the bathroom mirror, he asks me "How did you get so banged up?"

It was then that I remembered and so I told him, "Oh... Now I remember D. I fell at work last night."

He then scolded me a little by telling me that I really should have told Alex (He is acting as Custodial Lead until the actual Custodial Lead comes back.) because then I could have gone to the E.R. so they could check me out just to be safe. I told him that I just simply didn't think that it was this bad. At least, not at the beginning of it. I also tell him that for now on even if it doesn't hurt all that bad, I'll notify the Lead Custodian immediately when I get hurt. I just simply forgot this time was all and since nothing felt all that bad or looked too bad, I just didn't see why I should have said anything at all. However, I have learned my lesson on that now most definitely.

Doug nods at that and says, "Good girl."

For the rest of that time until we went to bed, Doug gets things for me just to be on the safe side because of how much my arm was hurting.

Fast Forward to him dropping me off at work. It was there that I started to really feel exactly what happened in my fall because it wasn't just the part of my chest close to my right arm that was hurting really bad. Now it was my right knee and my left wrist too. Anyway, I sit my stuff down so I can find and fill in an incident report. Alex and my fellow Custodial workers ask me what I am doing. I then explain it all to them including a reenactment on how I fell which they laughed at it because I added an Ahhhhhh!!! to it for emphasis and maybe a little bit of dramatization even though I barely got a sound out of me because of how damn quick I actually fell. They then tell me that I should call Gracie (Custodial Supervisor) about what happened so I follow the right protocol. Well... It turns out the right protocol was to go to the office to fill in the report with her so I can also have the right paperwork for the clinic and the pharmacy. I decided that since the real damage to my person didn't show up until hours after my fall that it would be best to just go ahead and get myself checked out just to be on the safe side of things.

After having some people look me over including the doctor and some x-rays done, it is discovered that thankfully I didn't break or fracture anything. I sustained a contusion on my right chest wall and my right knee and there was nothing wrong with my left wrist.

From what I have gathered on what happened to me while I was dust mopping 2nd Grade Hallway, I slipped on a puddle of water with my left foot and when I did that my left foot went forward while my right foot went backward and I landed on my right knee and my right arm mostly which is why they hurt the most. I put more of my force on my right when I fell on that hard ass floor than my left which is why my left wrist didn't hurt nearly as much as my other injured parts mentioned did.

Another kicker which was kind of funny, but not was the fact that I could get Worker's Comp for the doctor office visit because of the handy dandy form I was given by one of my Custodial Supervisors, but that I couldn't get it for my prescriptions because the doctor forgot to write down Worker's Comp on the paper when they sent it over to the pharmacy so I was given 2 choices, 1. Pay about $17 and some cents out of pocket or 2. Go back to the clinic to have them send in the same prescription, but with Worker's Comp written on it. I go out to the car and tell Doug what happened and he tells me to just go ahead and pay it since the money is in our account now because it is getting late and he didn't want to lose more time to work tonight and not to mention, we just don't have the gas for it either. After he said that I go in to pay for my prescriptions and the pharmacist apologizes about it, but to just make that I keep the receipt so I can get compensated from my work.

Another kicker following the other kicker, it isn't until Doug and I left the pharmacy while in the McDonald's drive thru that for some reason or other, they gave me both the prescription bottles, but one of them was completely empty. I tell Doug this and he says to just not worry about it and that we will just take care of it tomorrow morning on the way to dropping me off at work.

When I tell the older gentleman pharmacist the next morning about them forgetting to put in pills in one of my prescription bottles yesterday, he immediately feels bad about it, but he especially feels it when he sees what prescription was missed. He looked me dead in my eyes with shame and such, saying "Oh my Gosh! I am so sorry. Oh you poor thing." The pills that weren't filled were the muscle relaxers. I just tell him that it is ok. It just happens sometimes.

Of course, I'm not told anything about what I am supposed to actually do or anything of the sort until Tuesday morning itself which was when I was put on light duty which to my superiors apparently that means acting as a receptionist at their main office building. It is pretty interesting. The staff make it especially interesting, but it is also a bit boring because other than a 30 minute lunch & 2 15 minute breaks, nothing really happens there. The visitor flow isn't very much. There are spurts here and there, but mostly I was just sitting down in a chair doodling on some paper, putting a make shift ice pack (a storage gallon zip lock bag from the apartment that I just so happen to conviently use to hold some stuff in my lunch bag just in case something leaks or whatever.) on my right knee for the first 48 hours for 20 minutes after 3 hours of work throughout the 8 am-4:30 pm work shift, dozing, and struggling not to dose off.

Oh and by the way, I told my work place about what happened at the pharmacy. I talked to one of the claim adjusters as they are called and he told me that I will have that money that I paid to get my medications that day back as soon as possible in my pocket.

Ooo... Goodness this was a lot to write! Oh and another thing, I have a follow up at the clinic tomorrow at 9 am to see how things are coming along in my recovery. It still hurts quite a bit and I noticed a twinge of pain my right hip right after coming out of the pharmacy the first time I went in so we'll just have to see what the doctor tells me. Depending upon what she tells me will have my Custodial Supervisors deciding on whether or not I can go back to my campus to at least help with the cleaning a little bit.

Not going to lie, I kind of dread going back to cleaning. It is so fucking awful! I am hoping & praying that the school principal at the school I work at as a Custodian will give me a chance. I sent an email to her explaining who I am and that I applied for the Teacher's Aide position yesterday I believe. I think it was yesterday night to be more specific about it.

However, if I do go back to my campus next week then I'll have a chance to ask her about it face to face. I would much rather help teachers out with things and spend some time with the kids than to essentially clean up after them, other staff members, and and this is the part that pisses me off a lot, maintenance & construction people too. That part of it gets especially annoying. Oh and another good thing about the Teacher's Aide position is the fact that it pays a little more than a dollar than what I am getting paid now which is another reason why it would make such a big difference to Doug and I both.

Ok... I think that about covers everything that has happened since I last posted about something. I'm going to leave it here before it becomes an even longer novel. LOL! 😆

[aziraphaleandcrowley]

God I just want to vent somewhere. Lots of medical stuff, period and blood mentions, discussion about being in hospital yada yada you’ve been warned. You don’t need to read this I’m just fed up and want to dump this somewhere before I end up eventually crying about it or some shit.

Long term solution to lighten my periods. We agree that I’ll finish the 21 day course of tablets to lighten my period I’m currently on then start taking the pill. Whilst I try and collect the pill I try and get hold of these other tablets and still the pharmacy hasn’t received a prescription. I go back to reception where they again take my details and promise they’ll look into it. I have two days of meds left at this point which I’ve made extremely clear. The next day I try again and nothing has changed. The receptionist asks me to ring in the morning to get an appointment and I ask how I can do that as last time 2 hours waiting in the queue got me no where. She says she shouldn’t, but she take my details and says she’ll ring me in the morning to try and get me an appointment. In the morning she rings, there’s no appointments left. She says she’ll ring in the afternoon. She doesn’t. I go back to reception and explain again. I have one tablet left at this point. I get told the prescribing lady is there but as there is no record of this medication being prescribed and I’m at risk of blood clots, which is a side effect of the med, she can’t prescribe it without consulting a doctor. She sends an instant message to the doctor and I’m told I will be called back in the afternoon with an update. I’m not. I go back to reception in the evening and ask if there’s an update. There’s not. I’m told all I can do is ring in the morning. I can’t, as I’m working and I can’t sit on hold for hours whilst working in a shop. I go back to reception the next morning at 10am as soon as I’ve finished work. The doctors finally have received my hospital notes and reception allows me to put in an urgent medication request to which the earliest I would receive the medication is 5pm, meaning I’d miss two doses of the medication. The receptionist tells me to ask the pharmacist to see if she can prescribe a couple of meds to tide me over. The pharmacist tells me that she’s not allowed to, and she sends me back to reception to get me to tell the receptionist that she’s not allowed and that the receptionist should stop suggesting that to patients. I’m told to ring the pharmacy at 5pm to check that my prescription is there, and to ring the prescribing line if not. At 4pm I get a phone call to tell me that the medication won’t be prescribed, and if I want to dispute why that is I’ll need to yet again ring up in the morning to speak to a clinician. By tomorrow it’s too late as I’d have missed 3 does of the medication and am instead going to start taking the pill.

So basically I battled with the doctors to get an appointment in the first place and didn’t get one.

Was fobbed off by my urgent care doctor.

Was treated very well in hospital.

Have an amazing consultant.

Only got the pill cos I made an appointment weeks ago

And have pointlessly chased trying to get a medication for 10 days, involving an email, 3 phone calls, and 6 visits each to both the doctors and the pharmacy, just to not be prescribed the tablets I need to finish the course I was prescribed in hospital. In the paperwork for that medication it says that I should have a period-like bleed around 3 days after stopping the medication. I know the pill which I will start taking tonight will help lighten and potentially stop my period, but this still means that in three days I could be bleeding again, just 14 days after my last bleed, which I still haven’t completely recovered from - I’m still anemic and my resting heart rate is still 10bpm above normal, though decreasing everyday. Even though this period should be lighter, it’s still kinda a gut punch to have to bleed again so quickly.

I just really don’t want to end up back in hospital again :(

We still don’t know what caused my pulmonary embolism, though I’m going for a blood test next week to hopefully look into it, so we don’t know how long ill have to take blood thinners for. I didn’t ask for this, but it feels like a constant battle just for the most basic to things. If they won’t prescribe me this med then I’ll just have to deal with it, but why couldn’t this have been told to me a week ago, rather than today after I’ve already run out of meds. If my consultant could get my hospital notes the day or day after I was released from hospital then why couldn’t my doctors surgery? I’ve wasted so much time and effort chasing this medication for absolutely nothing, and I’m just really fed up that I could be dealing with these and related issues for many years to come :(

it just takes so much mental energy to deal with. I was feeling good again before my period from hell, I’d had a week off work where I’d got my life together, I’d contacting the course leader of the uni course I wanna do, my haemoglobin levels were basically back to normal so anaemia wasn’t making me feel tired, and now I feel physically fine again, not perfect, but fine, but mentally not fine. I can’t be bothered for the uni stuff, and I’m even thinking about the one single week I’d actually have to attend uni as part of a distance course as a what if I’m bleeding and end up in hospital in an unknown place already which is Fun, when this wouldn’t be til September/October at the earliest. Fanfic is kinda boring me slightly (the fics are GREAT, I’m just not in the right headspace to really appreciate them). I can’t be bothered to watch stuff. I’m tired cos I’m working early shifts at work and aren’t getting enough sleep cos of it. Just ugh. The only good thing is that work is flying by and I’m getting to do stuff I like doing rather than slogging through putting stock on shelves for hours on end.

Why is it always one step forward, 2 steps back? Feel better mentally and physically than I have in months, followed by worst period of my life leading to the worst physical health I’ve ever had. God.

Gonna stop now and try and do something semi fun/enjoyable/interesting rather than keep dwelling on this shit show. Wish me a light period, folks 🤣

[syraihe06-blog]

Counter Hit 1.6 Mapping

Counter Strike - Free Skins

If you want to play Counter-Strike well, then be sure to get linked with tools to help you get the technique had a need to become a champion. Zerg players have the hardest time versus Hydralisks. The best free CSGO skins way to beat a Hydralisk masser is to build a Roach, Hydralisk, and Infestor combine. Roaches have a shorter range than Hydralisks and can tank very well, so the Roaches will soak up damage while the Hydralisks do the task.

It is too bad that such a good show was canceled in its leading. Counterstrike possessed a good solid, and good history lines weekly. The show came CSGO gambling up on at a time when I was not able to watch it, so I had to record it. I regret that I did not save any of the recorded episodes.

there is absolutely no good that has come from this war... they have made things worse in most cases. for a typical person in Pakistan, america is the bully. envy of being a superpower is the very last thing on their brain. They could want to go to america to allow them to get out of the hell that is created here... but i could assure you there is not much envy going on here.

The counter-terrorist goal on bomb maps is to prevent the terrorists from planting the bomb at all costs. This can be done by eliminating CSGO skins all of the terrorists, defusing the planted bomb, or (in some instances) defending the bomb site until time operates out.

10 Great Websites To Follow About CSGO

Many people have had problems with this, and it is really so simple. A No-Scope shot is when you capture an opposition with a sniper rifle without using the scope. For all sniper rifles, the cross-hairs have been removed if you are not using the range, and the weapons are amazingly inaccurate. This is done intentionally to force free CSGO case opener visitors to use the scopes on sniper rifles. The condition with the scope is that it's difficult to make short-range photos, and your player goes very gradually while looking through it, which means you become an easy target.

Il s'agit de groupes de Démoviewers, personnes chargésera de visionner des data du jeu en tant que preuve, et de déterminer si le joueur en question triche ou non afin de fournir une liste de bannissement et sécuriser vos serveurs. C'est la méthode la plus sûr de détection, si le Staff sait comment s'y prendre.

#3 3: Avoid being the server as much as possible. That is quite crucial. The most important reason why is the fact that you'll not be able to use technique #1 1, which is the brightness part. There is simply no way to do it. Plus, if you are playing in an internet cafe, which is what most likely is the truth (because that is the easiest way to learn it with other folks; believe me), manage to survive give up just anytime that you want because you'll annoy other players. If you quit the game, other players will be disconnected to the game too. I'd not worry a whole lot on this certain approach, but I simply thought you have to know something about it.

Motrin and Advil are few Ibuprofens that are commonly available in the pharmacies. Coming in 200g pills, you may take for the most part four caps every four to eight time if pain is completely unbearable. Your dentist will likely prescribe you a total of 800g dosage in a period of twenty-four time. You must check the prescription contained in the medicine and speak to the pharmacist to ensure proper dosage. Surplus absorption of the medication will cause stomach upset. You may even want to get an antacid to ensure medication for tummy upset.

[forrealfr-blog]

Sick of Bills. Nationalize Healthcare

Sick of Bills

Another day in the dorms, video games with friends, subpar food from the dining commons, and then a severe allergic reaction that closed my throat which had me gasping for air. It was my freshman year of college and I had just returned from spring break in 2016. I woke up in my dorm room on a beautiful sunny Santa Barbara day feeling slightly feverish and itchy, but I just assumed that my spring allergies were beginning to start and thought nothing of it. Seven hours later my roommate came home after a long day of classes to myself broken out in hives and barely able to talk. I am not the type of person to call an ambulance for myself, but luckily for me my roommate was sensible enough to realize that what was happening to me was not normal and that I needed medical attention immediately. 

“Take one pill every four to six hours, with a full glass of water”. Those were the instructions written on the seemingly harmless bottle of antibiotics my doctor had prescribed to me. Sulfonamide tastes like metal, is best taken after a meal, and caused me to become hospitalized for five days. I spent at least half of my first college spring break smoking blunts at  my local park. Falling on hard concrete for hours straight, surrounded by fellow 18 year old boys who encouraged insanity, all while being too “cool” for a helmet should have been the most dangerous part of my week. Instead, I put myself in the most jeopardy that week when I forced the first dosage of the disgusting nickel sized pill down my throat. 

I took my first dose of Sulfonamide on Thursday night. Spent an uneventful Friday with my family.  Then hopped on a train Saturday morning, back to my crammed dormitory. I was eager to show my roommates my pulsated spider bite, I thought it was a purple badge of honor. 

My prescription never crossed my mind unless it was time to take it. I followed the medical instructions the pharmacist gave to me, but neglected the signs my body was giving to me. From the night I started my prescription to the night I was embarrassingly wheeled on a stretcher into an ambulance in front of all my friends, I grew increasingly sick. By the time I gave up the tough guy act and started to take my negative symptoms seriously, it was too late. 

Over the course of 48 hours I went from jokingly proclaiming to my friends that “I’m going to get superpowers and become the Black Spiderman'', to having an allergic reaction so severe that my skin was about as red as Spiderman’s suit. I know there was no way I could have predicted this outcome. StilI, I wish I took the situation more seriously. 

I have heard stories about hospital bills that cause crippling debt, but had never experienced the weight of an unexpectedly high medical bill firsthand. When I arrived at Goleta Cottage Hospital the doctors immediately started asking me questions such as “Do you have any known allergies?”, “What have you eaten in the past couple of days”, and inspected the hives that were spread across my whole body. As I laid in that hospital bed surrounded by concerned doctors, blinded by white hospital light, I was terrified. By this point I could barely breathe, the only thing I remember saying to them before I fell asleep was “I don’t know”. My thoughts raced, I might have said more but that is all I can remember. Everything was out of my control.

When I woke up, I immediately started to look around the room but I took a while to fully gather my thoughts. Whatever the doctors gave me put me in a haze so strong it felt like I was floating. I was still extremely itchy and my skin felt like it was burning, but at least I could finally breathe. In my altered state of mind I had no idea what time or day it was, all I processed was that I was in the hospital. As I sat and wondered “what the hell is going on?”, a doctor came in and explained that  I was having a severe allergic reaction. The biggest problem was that he had no idea what had caused it and looked to me for answers, but my response to his questions remained the same “I don’t know”. I must have been noticeably frustrated because he assured me that I would be ok and that he would figure it out. From that point things started to improve.

 I was sedated by the pills that nurses would occasionally bring, I had my phone and TV, and was brought a menu and told that I could order “As much food and dessert as you want”. I returned the countless calls I missed from my mom and told her “you can’t get rid of me that easily”. It was 2AM on a Tuesday morning, I had only been in the hospital for six hours. In the surprisingly comfortable hospital bed I slowly calmed down. I stopped worrying and rushed to social media to pump out a cliche tweet along the lines of “My haters tried to catch me slipping”. I had no idea that this is where I would spend the next five days, but if I had I likely would have celebrated the excuse to miss the first week of classes. 

I saw the hospital as a doctor’s note, they saw me as a dollar sign. I was ignorant of the consequences of being hospitalized until I received a 48,000 dollar bill in the mail. Every doctor and nurse that cared for me was brilliant. My doctor reached out to my primary care physician and was able to solve the mystery of what had almost killed me, Sulfonamide. I was charged 48,000 for taking prescribed medicine. As a low income student that can barely afford the cost of higher education, I felt just as helpless as I did when I was in the back of the 4,000 dollar ambulance ride. Bill in hand, assuming I would have to drop out I sat in my bed and cried for 30 minutes as an adult. As I reflect on this experience four years later, I find it hard to come to terms with the fact that the medicine that was intended to heal did more harm than good. At 18, I was given the stark reality of the profit driven nature of the American healthcare system. Luckily, my insurance lowered the cost of the bill to 6,400 dollars, but the initial trauma of thinking I ruined my financial future before it started has been done. In the midst of this pandemic, I constantly worry about people who might fall victim to an unjust hospital cost or avoid seeking medical attention due to the fear of cost. The impact of my hospital bills combined with the increased understanding of why communities like mine are marginalized shaped the outspoken socialist and black activist I am today. The disproportionate amount of Black Americans dying from COVID19 is the latest example of why activism is essential and must happen now!

[ciathyzareposts]

Shadow of the Comet – Development Hell

Written by limbeck

So, the last session finished with me recovering from last night’s events and Dr COBBLE prescribing me some pills to stop a heart attack. As I get off bed and put on my clothes, I have two goals for the day: get these pills from the pharmacy; and develop the plates from last night, again at the pharmacy. So, without much delay, I gather the prescription from the desk and head out. Oh, I also have a look at the parchment from the ritual, but I cannot read it. Maybe JUGG will be able to help later. Just to be on the safe side, I try to use it very near the desk, but it doesn’t work.

Maybe I won’t come across Miss PICOTT this time

At the pharmacy, I give the prescription to Mr MATHEWS, the pharmacist, who says it will take some time and goes to the back to prepare my medication. Before that, he pointed me to the door at the back, where his dark chamber is, so I can develop my plates. He also mentioned that I will need to mix the four chemicals to develop the plates.

So, I go to the back to collect the four chemicals. Only there are eight of them. Fortunately, I have a good chemistry education and have the internet at my disposal to find the solution. As you can imagine, neither was really helpful.

…develop those plates. Well, I definitely won’t work for them.

The scene in the screenshot played several times, because the chemicals I had in my possession did not really correspond to what instructions I could find online. I spent the better part of an hour reading everything I could about photographic film development and what chemicals are used. I am quite confident that I can pick up analog photography as a hobby again.

However, all this knowledge did not really help me much. My online research suggested that I need to use metol and / or hydroquinone first, then add something to raise the pH (benzene chlorate?) and finally sodium sulphite. This is the process for B&W photo development. I suppose I could add the ‘chromogenous’, whatever that is, in the end. Black and white works better with astrophotography, as there is not really much colour in space and requires less light on your plate / chip to produce an image. And it can be equally spectacular.

My first try failed, but I could try as many times as I wanted, fortunately. I was convinced that I had to use sodium sulphite at the end, so I tried various combinations, without success. Some more googling suggested that sometimes it helps to add a weak acid to control the development. I tried some combinations using the acids at my disposal (weak and strong). In vain.

In the end I resolved to brute force it. I was pretty sure that the Metol – Hydroquinone were correct, since I had tried several combinations with only one of them to zero success. After a few more tries, I found the correct combination. I will leave it here to spare others of this madness: metol – hydroquinone – benzene chlorate (which is actually sodium hyposulphite) – chromogenous (potassium metabisulphite).

I would disagree

Here, I must say that my first choice was very close to the solution, but honestly, I have no idea how I would have solved that puzzle if I did not have internet access. Maybe if I had an encyclopaedia at home, but again, I don’t think I would get the exact combination of chemicals, because some of these were not mentioned in any of the sources I found online. Maybe the art is forgotten, what can I say? On top of that though, the names of the chemicals were different in my inventory and when I used them, adding to the confusion. A hint in the game would have been much appreciated here.

But I digress. After I successfully develop the plates, I am treated to a cutscene in which I slowly go through the developed plates, only to look at a horrid image in the third one, a set of eyes formed by stars looking at me with malice.

Game over. Or not

I naturally faint and I am saved in the last moment by the pharmacist, for just $10. My life is so cheap. Unfortunately, the plate shattered when I dropped it, so I have no evidence to defend my sanity. I collect myself and go out.

Outside of the pharmacy I met some Mr COLDSTONE who warned me not to go to the forest, because “it doesn’t agree with some people”. I don’t know where I’ve seen him, but PARKER apparently knew him. Oh well.

I want to head to JUGG’s house, but I wander around town a bit first. At the tavern, I buy JED a beer and watch him complain to ZEKE, the bartender, about the quality of his beer. About time I say. Now JED owes me one. In the town square, I see miss PICOTT again, all alone, so I try some small talk. She seems concerned about my pallor but then goes on with her Bible reading.

Technically, I was up to voyeurism.

In order of increasing unfriendliness, I also meet:

Miss PICOTT’s niece, GLORIA, who is hiding from her aunt and pleads to me not to rat her out. Naturally, I promise her.

CURTIS HAMBLETON says that I made a mess and that ‘they’ know everything. Who are ‘they’ and what is ‘everything’? Fine mess indeed.

Outside of the dilapidated mansion, I meet the HAMBLETON boys, who suggest I leave and then go away.

I also notice a bug. When I entered the hardware store from the north, I could not move at all. All the other commands worked normally.

Anyway, I finally collect myself and head to JUGG’s place. Outside it I meet WILBUR. Was he at JUGG’s? The door was locked, so I don’t really know. Maybe he killed JUGG? There is nobody at the Archives, so the murder scenario seems very likely. Maybe I need to find WILBUR and have a chat. He didn’t respond to the Talk command when I confronted him in front of JUGG’s house.

Staring contest

I return in front of JUGG’s house and I exit to the right, following WILBUR’s path. Indeed, I can follow him as he enters MYER’s store, stops in front of the counter for a bit and then heads out. I try to follow, but he has already disappeared. Clearly I need to look at the store. I do, and find a key at the counter, which I quickly pocket. I suspect that this is the key to JUGG’s door, but why would WILBUR drop it here? Is MYER an accomplice? The plot thickens or I am becoming increasingly paranoid.

As predicted, the key opens JUGG’s front door, after an unnecessarily long cutscene of trying to turn the key in the lock. When inside, the first thing I notice is blood on the floor. I am a bit disappointed there is no mention of it when I Look around.

As I head to JUGG’s bedroom, I feel that I am being set up for a puzzle, because I find and pick up a statue of a baby (on the desk), a statue of a young man (in a cabinet) and a statue of an old man (inside one of the butterfly displays).

There is more blood in JUGG’s bedroom, but what is more important, I can now pick up a number of books from his shelf and bookcase. The books are called: Youth, Beyond Chaos, The Old Man and the Sea, The Invisible Man and the Mystery of the Pyramids.

This time the puzzle made sense. I put the statues in the place of the books most relevant to them: Baby for Youth, Young Man for Invisible Man and Old Man for Old Man and the Sea. Not that the game let me put them anywhere else. Once I replaced the other books in their places, I got the satisfaction of a secret passage being revealed.

Honestly, I thought I was trying to open the door hidden behind the curtain

Going through the passage takes me to JUGG’s secret library. The library is full of occult books, the likes of which I have probably not heard before, unless I was deep into the study of ancient and forgotten cults.

Oh! There is also a dying JUGG. I try to call for help, but he stops me, saying that he still has enough life in him to help me. I give him the parchment from the ritual and he translates it. It is the most common unpronounceable quote about Cthulhu.

Fortunately, there is a translation

He then goes on into a Cthulhu Mythos exposition about the GOOs who ruled Earth before man and the deluded cultists who try to bring them back. Apparently the Stars Are Right and the passing of the comet in 2 days the guardian of the portal that could bring these GOOs back will materialise in a stone circle. He throws in some names, Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, Yog Sothoth and Dagon. These should be the ones to worry us.

He also gives me some hints. I should read the NECRONOMICON, a book so horrible that drives people mad just by its words, so that I can find the formula to stop the guardian. I must read it here. On his desk there is also a note about someone who can help me. I must read it only in the safety of my room.

Finally, he speaks about the dead sorcerer NARACKAMOUS. This was the name that the Native American used.

This guy, in case you did not remember

After the exposition is over, I pick up the Necronomicon and the message. And I am stuck as I cannot do anything with them. Again. Apparently I need a key for the Necronomicon. I try to find some hints in the other books of the library, but nothing works with anything. Of course, I cannot read the message before I go to my room and I cannot leave JUGG’s place before reading the book.

Another 20-30 minutes and 2 rage-quits later, I find out that it was a pixel-hunting solution again. The key was under the carpet in the next room. In retrospect it makes sense, but again I must remember to press L with every step I take.

I mean, why wouldn’t I lift everything not nailed down. It’s an adventure game

I use the key on the Necronomicon and get some more knowledge. The book speaks about Yog Sothoth being the portal and the key and provides guidance on how I should stop him from coming to Earth. Then I try to get out and I burn to death, because I stupidly forgot to put the book back on the desk.

Before I go on, I must say something positive about the tools at my disposal, and that is the Notebook I carry. I have omitted it in previous posts, but it is very helpful for people like me who rarely take notes when playing. It keeps track of important goals or gives subtle warnings. For example, it warns me that, now that JUGG is dead, I will probably be the prime suspect for his death. More on that in a bit.

Having learned the secrets about how to stop Yog-Sothoth from returning, I now need to get back to my room and read the message from poor JUGG. Only one route seems to be open though. In the others, there are cultists waiting for me and the policeman takes me to JUGG’s home and arrests me for murder. I suppose I am summarily led to the chair or the noose or whatever they used these days. Maybe the plank.

After reloading, I head back to my room through the city square. Apparently safe, I read the message from JUGG. I cannot understand much, other than that I need to look at a map of the area and that the person that can help me lives “where the three colours float and 100 messages leave”. Both of these clues lead me to the post office, where I have previously seen the map and sacks of undelivered mail.

But first: the obligatory Miss PICOTT scolding

When I arrive at the post office, the map is not in its place. I ask the lady behind the counter, which is more helpful this time. She says that David UNDERHOUSE borrowed it. He lives above the post office and has a keen interest in Native American history.

She also gives me some of her personal views on the matter

I go upstairs and meet Mr UNDERHOUSE, who is confined on a wheelchair. Considering that the only way to his room is via the stairs, he is practically at the mercy of whomever brings him food. Nevertheless, he is well versed in local myths, the Natives’ culture and the Cthulhu Mythos.

Considering that his lookalike was a big racist, this is a big awkward

After a short discussion, he lets me look at the map and explains to me that the Stone Circle I point out is at an old Indian cemetary, which he was really keen to see before some locals broke his legs. I also learn that the NARACKAMOUS I met is supposed to have died 70 years ago, but it’s possible that he is still alive because he belonged to a branch of the Mic Mac tribe that worshipped He Who Howls in the Darkness, Nyarlathotep. But of course this is just a story. Right?

UNDERHOUSE gives me another task, and that is to bring him a diary from the Mayor’s safe. The combination has to do with the Bible and Evil. I would assume 666 but that would be too easy, right? Or I can ask the Bible expert in the town: Miss PICOTT.

I conveniently meet her outside, but I receive a royal scolding about getting into fights (to save WEBSTER) and spending time drinking alcohol in pubs (ZEKE’s watery beer barely qualifies as such). She is also unwilling to lend me her Bible to mend my delinquent ways.

I will stop this session here. Next time I will try to get into Miss PICOTT’s good books and stop Yog-Sothoth. I feel that the second task is easier than the first.

Session time: 2:30 Total time: 6:00

Sanity lost: 5 from looking at the plate / 3 from reading the Necronomicon Total sanity lost: 12 (there’s definitely something hiding in that corner. MORE LIGHT)

PS. Bonus death scene: If I tried to visit the lighthouse before I develop the plates, I see WILBUR passing through the fence and the two gorillas warn me not to come closer. If I do, I get shot.

Not the fastest draw west of Pecos

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no points will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. Please…try not to spoil any part of the game for me…unless I really obviously need the help…or I specifically request assistance. In this instance, I’ve not made any requests for assistance. Thanks!

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/shadow-of-the-comet-development-hell/