#heart attack symptoms in men

[fanciedfacts]

Why do we sadness in our heart region?

[mishkakagehishka]

I feel like the idea that sleep studies being done on women is a recent thing might not be true bc i so distinctly remember my mother telling me to not calculate how much i sleep based on the "8h rule" bc women need 9h at least. But i still wonder if the prevalence of the "7-8h of sleep" rule could be a reason for why so many women (who require 9-10h, an extra hour during menstruation) have chronic fatigue. Like how much is actual chronic issue and how much is medical misogyny. Likewise for the fact that women tend to have heart attacks more frequently, given it's known that sleep deprivation can make one more susceptible to heart issues.

[wolfvirago]

-- the kobayashi curse

The symptoms of the curse are all the same. Weakness, phlegm build up, weak heart and possible heart palpitations. It's hard to tell if the curse itself is truly that... a curse... or if it's just genetic heart disease passed on from mother to child (mostly daughters).

The curse has existed since the day Inu Kobayashi, the Sun Wolf, sealed the Dark One into a demon mask and passed the heirloom down the clan line. In a sense, the mask radiates a sort of nuclear-like radiation that slowly degrades the life force of those who inherit it.

At some point, a Kobayashi heiress dropped the mask in their escape from the Sun Village, letting it land and fester deep in the core of the Lost Woods. The power would then form evil yokai, which of course led to the necessity of a guardian to slay the yokai while keeping mortals out of the realm.

The holy blade passed down Robin's particular family line is the sole barrier between the curse's effects and the user.

Had Miyuki Kobayashi kept on using the blade and slaying yokai, she would have lived many years more. It was her decision to raise her children and halt her quest that led to her sickness and ultimate demise.

The Sun Wolf ritual almost always leads to a slow fermentation of the curse's return after an attempt of expelling it with holy magic. Mortal humans cannot withstand the power in daily use- hence it's ceremony occurring only at spring solstice.

Only the true heir of the Sun Wolf name can endure the power and seal the Dark One away forever.

[anakinsafterlife]

I've looked this up before and basically every website is saying "no research, we really don't know yet, etc.". Good to know that there's some practical field experience out there, though.

Signs of a heart attack are different for each gender yet we only really teach the male warning signs. Make sure you’re aware of both and spread it to as many other women as possible!

[cancerinfoblog]

Causes of psoriatic arthritis: Triggers and risk factors

Intro text we refine our methods of responsive web design, we’ve increasingly focused on measure and its relationship to how people read. A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost unorthographic life One day however a small…

[surinderbhalla]

From Clues to Cures Early Signs of Stroke and Prevention Strategies!

Stroke is a devastating medical condition that can wreak havoc on individuals and their loved ones. However, guess what? Amid this darkness, there is a ray of hope! The early recognition of stroke symptoms can mean the difference between life and death. It can turn the tide and increase the chances of a full recovery. So, buckle up and get ready to dive into the fascinating world of stroke…

[ns-imagines]

Nikto никто

Nikto Character Introduction

If you find yourself drooling over possessive and obsessive!Ghost or König lemme introduce you to Nikto…

SFW [ all cannon information ]

Word Count: TBA its a lot

Warnings: Disorder mention; Torture mention; dissociative disorder mentioned;

A/N: Lemme talk to you for a moment…

My new masked crush. Heart and coochie go brrrrrrrrrrrrr

Post has not been checked for grammar corrections / Not requested :D

Cannon Information:

Nikto (Neeek-toe) is a Operator in Spetsnaz for the Allegiance faction which is within the KorTac Organization. Basically hes a contractor for the contractors. Its cannon that he has facial scarring which is why he wears a mask. Not a turn off for me ah ha ha

So he isn’t necessarily a good guy like the 141 guys (even though now they’re considered war criminals I suppose) but he’s also not a bad guy. In summary, man does what he gets hired to do.

Anyways, after going AWOL in October 2022 from the Russian contracting military group he resurfaced in June 2023 (also the introduction of his character in the game). He resurfaced being the leader of a military group which was overtaking the Dutch city of Vondel.

On the Official Wiki he is only given two paragraphs of biography. You can read it here -> https://callofduty.fandom.com/wiki/Nikto

Also mentioned on the page [ for the COD Mobile universe ] is that theres cannon beef between Ghost and Nikto!! Yes, you heard me right. So on the wiki it is mentioned that Nikto was working for a guy named Templar. Whom is betrayed and killed by Ghost. Then when Ghost went after everyone else in the helicopter he shot Nikto. It was thought that Nikto died from the shot but he didnt….

Nikto reappears when he takes a group of people hostage and records a video explaining that the world has failed them and has left people like (Nikto) to beg and then fight over the scraps. Price (yes Price) tries to convince Nikto to let the hostages go and to basically chill out but Nikto wins by blowing up the building. With the hostages inside.

Okay maybe he has beef with all of 141… and is kinda a bad guy I can change him

SO then time passes and Nikto reappears again seeking a gun deal with a dude named Gunzo. Gunzo asks Nikto “why a man wanted on every continent, doesnt have guns” this pisses Nikto off. Nikto replies with “i dont need guns” then proceeds to buy the guns from Gunzo. Then Nikto gasses the fuck out of Gunzo and his men with Nova Gas. Nikto explains to Gunzo that the world is failing blah blah. He then goes on to brag about how he doesnt need a gas mask to breath like everyone else because hes that edgy and then he just executes Gunzo. We can fix him

Nikto disappears again only to reappear flying a F-85B Bullshark and leading a military riot. He then orders a attack on Prices convoy (video below) and basically down their helicopter. In the video below you can see small arms fire, an RPG, and then a finishing shot. Which was shot by Nikto’s aircraft. Okay maybe he is bad, we can fix him ?

Which you can watch here -> https://youtu.be/dDaCTCu82t0

In game bio from MW, CODM, and MW2

It is referenced in his bio MW and CODM that he has acute dissociative disorder. Which according to WebMD

“Dissociative disorders involve problems with memory, identity, emotion, perception, behavior and sense of self. Dissociative symptoms can potentially disrupt every area of mental functioning. Dissociation is a disconnection between a person’s thoughts, memories, feelings, actions or sense of who he or she is.”

Which is explained to be from when he was tortured by Mr. Z. That event is also where he got his facial scarring from. Although he is Russian; in current MW2 timeline his nationality and language is [ REDACTED ]. I was looking around on the internet for why and Reddit believes its due to current world current events/tension. Rewording to: we can accept and love him. I dont think we can fix him.

I don’t expect this post to get a lot of attention but for those who like it my requests are fully open ❤️

i will definitely be posting more Nikto content and what I think Nikto looks like and how he acts.

Thank you for reading! -Kiv

[macgyvermedical]

The Difference Between Heart Attack, Heart Failure, and Cardiac Arrest

I think fiction has done us a huge disservice when they conflate the above, but even my nursing students were kind of on the edge of not understanding this, so we're gonna talk about it here.

Heart Attack: A blockage in the coronary arteries

A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, is when one of the arteries that supplies the actual muscle of the heart gets blocked by a blood clot. When this happens, the muscle the artery was supplying starts to die. The more muscle impacted, or the longer the heart attack goes untreated, the worse the outcome for the patient.

Symptoms of this are different between men and women:

Treatment for a heart attack usually involves inserting a small tube into the wrist or groin, snaking it up to the blocked artery, and stenting open the blockage, thus returning blood flow to the heart muscle.

Heart Failure: A problem with the heart's ability to pump

Heart failure occurs when the heart is not beating hart enough or well enough to adequately get blood out to the body. This can occur for several reasons. It can be because of damage from a heart attack, because a valve in the heart isn't working right, from poorly functioning electrical system, or from long term exposure to untreated high blood pressure.

The symptoms of heart failure come both from blood collecting "in front" of the heart waiting to get pumped (swelling, shortness of breath, weight gain), and not enough blood getting pumped out to the body (dizziness, fatigue).

Heart failure is treated with medications that make the heart beat more normally and get rid of excess fluid to take workload off the heart. It can also be treated with surgery if the problem is with a valve, or with a pacemaker if the heart is beating too slowly.

Cardiac Arrest: A problem with the heart's electrical system

The heart beats in a synchronized way because it is made of muscle cells that are responsive to electricity. Special cells called pacemaker cells generate small electrical currents, which wash over the heart. When the cells are stimulated with that current, they contract, creating a beat.

Cardiac arrest occurs when that normally organized current becomes disorganized, and lots of cells, not just the pacemaker cells, start making their own currents. This can happen because of a lack of oxygen, too much or too little of particular electrolytes like potassium, an electrical shock, or damage to the muscle from a heart attack.

See below for a comparison between the normal electrical activity of the heart (top) and the disorganized rhythm of ventricular fibrillation:

When the electrical rhythm is disorganized, the heart isn't beating, just quivering, and no blood gets out to the body. This is treated with CPR to keep some blood flowing to vital organs, medications that can stabilize the heart's electrical system, and defibrillation. Defibrillation works by stopping the heart with an overwhelming amount of electricity and letting it restart (hopefully) in a normal rhythm.

If someone has no electrical activity in their heart (known as asystole), defibrillation won't work, but sometimes medication will.

[pillarsalt]

hi! i was wondering your opinions on how hrt affects the body? i hold a lot of radfem beliefs but i am trans (taking testosterone). would being a woman to you have to be completely about chromosomes? for example, trans men years on T do not have the same genetic makeup as cis women. same with trans women on E, their genetic makeup would be very different to cis men, and would more correlate to cis women. does this factor in who you consider female/male or having experience as women?

Hi there, thanks for reaching out.

Firstly, I think you may be a bit confused. Taking exogenous hormones does not affect your genetic makeup. Your dna will stay the same unless you're exposed to something extreme like radiation - this is a good thing because dna mutation is bad for you and causes cancer! Your genetic sex is immutable, a person with XY chromosomes cannot have their dna altered to have XX chromosomes instead.

Hormones will affect the expression of your genes, for example turning on facial hair production in women who are taking testosterone. This is why those patterns of facial hair, even in women, differ from person to person. The genes for it were already there, but hormone replacement therapy uses the endocrine system to change what signals get sent to your genes to tell them what features to express.

Beyond chemically induced genetic expression, there are particular physical features in males that do not occur in males, and vice versa. This is a feature of the /ancient/ evolution of sexual reproduction. Despite the variety of metaphysical beliefs about identity and personhood, the truth is that humans evolved to reproduce between two sexes, and human beings cannot change sex. Every cell of your body has your sex encoded within it. This affects us physically in many ways. I and most feminists believe that this fact should be irrelevant to any person's ability to pursue their passion, be themselves, and love who they love. Even so, recognition of biological sex is something important. This is really critical in a medical context. For example: men who receive a blood transfusion from a pregnant or recently pregnant woman have an increased risk of death by transfusion-related lung injury. Another example: tracheostomy tubes differ in size depending on sex due to dimorphism in average tracheal diameter. A women who is reported as a male risks considerable injury by having a male sized tracheostomy tube forced into her windpipe. A considerable amount of medications differ in dose effectiveness and side effects based on biological sex. Something as straightforward as a heart attack has different symptoms depending on if the patient is female or male. Denial of biological sex is dangerous, and as it stands, medical science has not advanced enough to change the biological sex of an individual. If you are born male, you will stay male for your entire life. You say that a transwoman who has taken estrogen is more genetically similar to a woman, I'm sorry but that simply isn't true. A male person will always be more genetically similar to other males than to a female person.

Determination of sex is very simple, it's about the easiest genetic test to do. They have kits for high school classrooms to try out ffs. We need to leave the "meaningful sex change is possible through medical intervention" thing in the past, all we accomplish with that is giving people false hope and an unattainable goal to fixate on. Sex is real and immutable, I wish it didn't matter, but it does.

And why it matters is, maleness and femaleness have become inseparable from certain stereotypes and assigned qualities by societies in human history. Overwhelmingly, the male people subjugate the female people. Since men, male humans, discovered womens' ability to give birth could be taken advantage of, it was capitalized upon. And this is the foundation of patriarchal society. Religions were founded to justify this as the will of god. To deny that women have historically been persecuted due to their sex is, well, misogynistic. There is no "woman feeling" that makes us targets for child marriages, FGM, trafficking/prostitution, and other horrors from the minute we're born and even before. No, it's the sex we were born with that makes the world think it can decide our fate. In fact, the way that people treat male children differently from female children is so different so early, that we are genuinely unable to study human behaviour unaffected by gendered expectations. This is what feminists are talking about when they discuss "socialization". There is not a single man on the planet who knows exactly what it's like to see the world from a woman's eyes, no matter how feminine that man is. Womanhood isn't something you can achieve or acquire through effort: you were either born a woman or you weren't, just like you were either born with detached earlobes or not. It's so simple.

All that to get to my final point: Yes, I believe the definition of womanhood comes down to biology, because anything beyond that is a meaningless stereotype. Women can do anything, be anyone, look any way they want, go through any experience they do. The one thing they have in common is that they are female adult human beings. There is not way to fail at being a woman or do it wrong, you just are. Womanhood is the experience of having been a female person in this world, and nothing else. There are certain things only female human beings need, like abortion and female contraceptive rights, access to spaces where we can be safe from our subjugators (male human beings), and the ability to define ourselves and fight for our collective rights.

(At this point you may object and point out that male people who identify as trans women are also subject to violence and scorn from men: unfortunately that is often the case, but this does not make male people who identify as women, well, female. We need solutions for them that do not involve requiring women to sacrifice our comfort and safety for the sake of a particular subset of men, because of the inherent risks involved and the fact that women do not owe men anything even when those men have it bad.)

One last thing: my opinion is that prescribing exogenous cross-sex hormones is unethical (so are all elective cosmetic medical procedures but that's a post for a different day). I understand the distress that gender dysphoria inflicts on people, however the ill effects of hrt are too numerous to condone. The huge increase in risk of stroke with estrogen, heart disease and uterine atrophy with testosterone, and the way that trans medicine studies are notorious for losing followup with patients after a year or less... it's short sighted and frankly, financially motivated. The amount of trans patients who are prescribed hormones without access to an endocrinologist, it's honestly infuriating. People deserve the best care possible, not lab rat bullshit where they cut you loose when it's not working out. I won't judge anyone for what they do to themselves to cope with distress, but I want everyone, especially girls, to be aware of the lifetime effects medical decisions may have, and that you also can find happiness within yourself without hurting your body.

Thanks again for your question, be well ✌️

[bejeweledblondie]

König Headcannons

A/N: just like Ghost’s headcannon’s I’m taking inspiration from my experiences living on a military base

Warnings: NSFW

König x F! Reader

• König initially first met you while you were volunteering with the United Nations & Doctors Without Borders

• you were administering vaccines to children in the Middle East, & providing medical services to the underprivileged communities

• he was awe of your empathy & kindness towards these children, you treated them like they were your own & took your job super seriously

• KorTac was providing security for the community from potential terrorist attacks, as taking any western countries citizen for ransom seemed enticing

• After a surprise attack on the camp that was set up, he immediately brought you to safety & held you as you sobbed into chest out of fear for your life & all those innocent civilians that caught in the gunfire

• “shhh, schatz it’ll be okay” he whispered to you

• he finally asked you out after months of waiting for the right time

• you were giving him his flu shot when he asked you out

• your first date was in his off post apartment, he had cooked you homemade Austrian food

• his cooking is divine, he always chef’s it up in the kitchen

• you guys moved in only a few months into dating (which seems early but in the military world you’re slacking)

• he proposed with his Oma’s ring

• he also asked your parents over FaceTime for your hand in marriage, they were reluctant but he was very persuasive

• you’d probably wind up working at the hospital on post, & the soldiers that come in 100% know you’ll take care of them

• during Christmas leave both of your families meet in Vienna for Christmas time, I mean cmon Vienna is gorgeous at Christmas

• you two announce your pregnancy at Christmas dinner

• his Oma jumped up & ran over to hug you

• this man’s genes are freakin strong

• you definitely get pregnant with twins

• König is deployed when you find out & you tell him over FaceTime

• he cried pure tears of joy & his whole team celebrated

• due to the fact he’s like a giant he produces large babies

• you’d have to get a c-section for the birth because of it, & König makes it in the last second.

• he still had his hood on & was in his tactical gear scaring the entire nursing staff

• imagine their surprise when he just asks where his wife is

• you have a girl & a boy

• they’d definitely be named after his grandparents

• he sings lullaby’s in Austrian to them to introduce them to his home country’s culture

• he hates leaving for deployments now that they’re born & he definitely became more ruthless on the battlefield due to it

• he 100% would bring the babies to work whenever it was a mandatory fun day or a super relaxed day at work

• these hardened military men would be all over your babies & arguing as to who gets to hold them next

• they’re very well protected & König made sure of that

• he’s a family man at heart & he will do anything to protect them

✨NSFW ✨

• you weren’t very experienced when you met König & when you first saw his cock you were in absolute disbelief a man could be that hung

• you let your intrusive thoughts win & asked if he’d fit inside of you

•it took a lot of foreplay for him to fully fit snug in you

• he definitely would say the most absolutely filthy things in Austrian to you even if you understood them or not

• massive size & breeding kink

• he just loves how small your hands are compared to his cock you need both of them to jerk him off

• when he found out you were pregnant he was elated that his efforts worked out

• loved to see your body change & baby bump grow

• also loved how horny you were as a pregnancy symptom ( it killed him that you’d have to deal with that alone while he was deployed)

• like most military men he too has a collection of your nudes & plenty of videos of him fucking you

• he loves your hips & how wide they are to him it digs deep into the primal instinct of carrying his babies

• König is just as stealthy in bed as he is in on the battlefield

[daryldixonfanfiction]

What you fight for! Pt.11 - Pure intentions (*18+)

Masterlist

Summary: Discovering she's unexpectedly pregnant, Julia struggles with breaking the news to Daryl...

Warnings: *18+, SMUT!, age gap, mutual pining, morning cuddles, fluff, comfort-sex, unprotected p in v, fingering, aftercare, scary situation, creepy men, protective!Daryl, unexpected pregnancy, pregnancy symptoms, aversion to blood, mention of abortion, fear of abandonment, anxiety, panic attack, dissociation, angst.

wc. 5k

Flinching awake, Julia found herself in Daryl's arms.

His breath blows against the nap of her neck, like the tide, a steady rhythm. He was holding her tightly against him, and she didn't miss his one hand cupping her breast underneath her shirt. It was adorable. Daryl Dixon, completely out seeking comfort in his sleep like a baby. It was unusual to be the first one awake, but she was glad she was, cherishing the innocent moment of his softness.

Careful to not wake him, she turned so she was facing him. And it was a sight to see. His face was laxed with sleep, the harsh lines were not as prominent making him look much younger. And she felt curious, not knowing his age, remembering she had told him hers. It had not thrown him off so he could not be that much older, right? Honestly she didn't think age matters that much and neither did she care if he was. At most she thought him to be a decade older and she didn't see anything wrong with that.

Julia smiled, before pressing her lips to his cheek in a silent thank you. A thank you for him still being here and not regretting her. His confession echoed in her mind just as clearly as he had said it,

“I never regretted you and that's the truth. You hear'n me.”

and she felt so happy, her heart pounding freely in her chest, feeling that part of her that had been hurting melting away with the sunrise glowing on there faces.

Julia didn't know if it was love or what, but how she feels in his presence must be something close to that. And it had been there, slowly growing inside her heart sins that morning. And she had recognized those feelings for him, something significantly deeper, more profound than one would feel for a friend. Staring up at his sleeping face she knew she wanted more than a friendship, that what she truly wanted was what she had longed for…

Love.

Daryl pulled her closer, still in his sleep wanting her flush against him. His face was so close, their foreheads almost touched, and she washed him there closely, tracing the pads of her fingertips along his strong features. And, oh…how she adored him, finding him innocent in his state of sleep. Brushing his bed head out of his face she couldn't help but to feel the attractiveness there, he was a very handsome man. But no. He was far more. She found him beautiful in a way she didn't know a man could be.

She washed him snuggled into her chest, clearly searching for comfort in his sleep, and she wondered what he was dreaming about, if it was a good or a bad dream, but he looked peaceful, so she assumed it must be a pleasant one. Caressing his stubbled cheek she wanted the moment to never end, that they could stay like this forever. But as it got lighter nature called and she thought she could hold it just a bit longer, but it got to the point it felt painful. Carefully unwrapping his heavy arms from her waist she doesn't get far before he pulls her back.

“Were you going?” his deep voice questions.

"Bathroom.”

Daryl sighs with closed eyes, clearly against the idea of letting go, “Can’ it wait, let's sleep some more.”

“I got to go, Daryl.”

With a heavy sigh he opened his eyes, and she washed him back, smiling sweetly up at him.

“What?” Daryl questions.

“Nothing,” Julia smiled.

“What?”

“You slept like a baby, it was adorebulle.”

“Shut up,” embarrassment evident on his face, making Julia stifle a laugh.

Julia grabs her pack to tack with and it’s when she gets up to stand it feels like her body isn't keeping up. With her hands on her knees, slightly bowed over waiting for her vision to return and the lightheadedness to go away, Daryl moves closer,

“You good?”

“Uh, yeah. Think I just got up too fast,” Julia reassured, feeling herself coming back.

A warm hand grabbed her chin, tilting it upwards, “You're pale,” Daryl stated.

And Julia could feel she was but this was nothing new, she had been anemic her whole life so she didn't make a big deal out of it and her answer seemed to ease his worry as he released her chin, beginning to busy himself.

Julia didn't waste any time, heading straight for the bathroom. All the aisles were looted but a small area was left untouched. Female products were almost stocked to the brim with brands upon brands of pads, tampons and hair products. And she didn't think much of it until her eyes landed on the middle shelf. There was almost an audible click in her brain. She felt her mind racing and her body shaking as she stood there before the brands of pregnancy tests.

There was this intense feeling of realization washing over her. That even though she had always been irregular her entire life never had it been this late. No she can’t be - shouldn't she be throwing up if she was, she didn't know. And she certainly didn't understand why there were so many different tests, why couldn't there be just one? It was all too overwhelming and she was starting to jump to conclusions. But she couldn't stand the thought of not knowing in case she was. And she probably wasn't, right?

It almost felt like she couldn't think anymore and in her panic state and her need to pee she snagged a Clearblue week indicator test and a First Response test and locked herself in the bathroom near the back of the store.

Julia sat herself on the toilet with her pants down with the two brands of tests in each hand. She wasn't familiar with brands or which one was best. Did it matter they had expired by a year - she hoped not. Her being an anxious person she felt indecisive in which to pick so she decided to try all of the tests, which all together was six tests. Finishing up she pleased them all face down, letting them develop on top of the toilet lid.

The wait was tormenting and it read she had to wait for 3 minutes. She couldn't stay still for that long, she had to do something in her wait so she did her morning routine, changing undergarments, brushing teeth and fixing her hair. The feeling of doing something normal in a situation like this made her calm somewhat even though she was still shaking.

Taking a deep breath she looked herself in the mirror and she really was pale like Daryl had pointed out, but now it was more likely because she was scared more than anything. With a shaky hand she went for it, flipping the First Response tests over, and to her shock there was an unmistakable strong red line on all three of them, and she just stared as if the lines would disappear if she did so long enough. Then she looked at the Clearblue ones, and to her devastation it said,

Pregnant

3+

Oh, god.

Reading the package over and over again she confirmed she was 6 weeks pregnant and she have had no idea, having completely ignored all the signs.

Julia almost collapsed backwards into the sink as her mind made sense of it. But it wasn't translating - it wasn't even computing as a fact. But the positive tests were there, clear as day, staring right back at her…And it was very real.

Julia covered her mouth, eyes watering as she stared back at herself in the mirror as the world-shattering news sunk in. It feels almost like being given the news that someone was dead...That feeling of reality slipping away like it didn't exist. Her chest expanded suddenly, inhaling a deep breath to keep her from blacking out right then and there - and she looked down at herself, her eyes resting on her stomach. She took her jacket off and in her shirt she backed up so she could see her abdomen in the mirror, turning sideways and smoothed down the fabric there. It was way too early but she was already beginning to show. She could see the little curve there, feeling like it was staring right back at her - and all this time she had mistaken it as bloating. But what about the period of pain she had been feeling and her tender breast? Was it supposed to hurt? Was it normal to feel like this - and she wished she had all the answers, but she didn't, of course she didn't.

It was alive in there. A small thing that was a part of herself and a part of the man she had slept with and woken up to - no… it was a part of Daryl.

Julia felt tears in her eyes. Stupid - stupid - stupid, how could she have been such an idiot? They hadn't - they hadn't been safe at all. Not even a little bit. And why hadn't they been safe? Well...none of it had been planned - it had just…happened. Both desperately seeking comfort in one another without the thought of consequence. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind in either of the moments they had spent together - because she had craved it so badly. But then again, had Daryl not thought about it, or had he just not cared?

Julia felt like she might fall over again - the thought of Daryl...of him knowing - of it actually happening…Oh, god. She felt sick to her stomach of just thinking about it. They had barely begun a journey of knowing each other, but there was a connection there between them that had begun to come to the surface that felt far deeper than just sleeping with one another.

Her hands moved underneath the fabric of her shirt to press down her stomach, and she shut her eyes, and it felt… different, it was definitely something growing inside of her.

Several tears fell just at the feeling and the notion there was a very real baby in there, and when she opened them again she had to sit down on the floor before she would fall over. She was completely devastated, having thought things would be okay and happy, but of course something would destroy…she didn't want it to end.

She didn't know if she could stand yet, it almost felt like she actually would throw up on the floor. And she wondered if that was a sign of morning sickness or because of the anxiety?

She got on her berings slowly, vision tilting just slightly as she held herself up with one hand against the wall. Knowing if she took any longer Daryl would come knocking. So she calmed herself as much as she could, drying her tears and putting on her jacket and pack back on, discarding the evidence in the trash bin before heading out.

Walking back to the same aisle, feeling like she deserves some sort of control over the situation. Because she just wanted to feel like she had a choice and she knew she had to make one before it was too late. She wasn't sure of what to take for an abortion, if any of the over the counter pills worked and she felt like a shameful person as she grabbed an emergency contraceptive. Standing there and just staring at the box in her hand she was still making that choice in her head - and she just didn't know what to do. Did it make her a bad person if she took it? Was it irresponsible? Immoral?

On the back of the package it read, DO NOT USE: If you're already pregnant (because it will not work).

And of course it wouldn't. It wasn't an abortion pill after all, it was to prevent pregnancy after conception. If she wanted an abortion she would have to find a pharmacy, and how was she gonna explain that to Daryl? How was she gonna explain she was already 6 weeks p-

Voices of men entered the store. Julia watched the group of men begin to go through the shelves, looking for food probably and they didn't seem to know they were there. And speaking of, where was Daryl?

Julia continued to hide, staying silent as she carefully begun to move backwards, away from the intruders that loudly chatted amongst themselves and she didn't really listen to anything they said until,

“Thought you said there would be a girl here?” One of the men complained.

“No, I said I saw a girl and a man heading this way.” the other man clarified.

“You claim her?”

“Boys remember the rules. There is no such thing as claiming, only free game,” another man said and all the men started laughing.

Her stomach sank, the feeling of horror had her frozen in place. These were bad people, very bad people and if they were to find her, she imagined very horrifying things would happen.

There was movement behind her and before she could make a sound, large hands clasped over her mouth. She fought against it, tried to scream for Daryl, but she was left defenseless against the strong body. The only sounds that could be heard were the men talking and moving around the store, and her panicked breaths against the hands silencing her. Then one hand moved away and she was being turned around, faced with the man she was silently screaming for… The father of her unborn child.

Daryl.

Thank God.

Julia stopped fighting against him, looking up at him with fearful eyes. The thought she was carrying his child in a world of the walking dead was terrifying for many reasons. She could tell he was scared too, though his fear stemmed from adrenaline and survival to get them out of there, because… he didn't know.

He motioned for her to stay silent with a finger against his lips, Julia nodded and his hand released. She could see him thinking of a plan, because how could they escape unnoticed, and there were many, 8 if she counted wright, all armed. But then she remembered the window in the bathroom, they were close enough to make it without being seen.

Julia pointed towards the bathroom behind the aisle of feminine products and drew a window in the air with her hands. Daryl seemed to understand what she was referring to and he nodded, leading the way to the bathroom.

With the door closed behind them, Daryl opened the small tinted window, then motioned for her to make it true. Glancing towards the trash bin before stepping on top of the toilet lid Julia hoists herself up and out. Daryl passed his bag and crossbow before following, careful to not to make a sound he closed the window shut, to not reveal their escape.

“Go, go, go,” Daryl ordered, and they rushed into the forest away from the band of men.

Hands in her pockets she could feel how the heavy weight of anxiety loomed.

The more she thought about it, which she had done all day, finding out she was pregnant felt like either choice she was left to mourn something, it already felt like she was. She didn't even know if she was ready to take care of another life even though she had always wanted to be a mother, be married and have a family of her own. But the world was far different then when she had those innocent dreams.

Daryl turned to face her, and his pause almost made her trip over her own feet. He was staring down at her, his gaze making her feel naked, like he could tell what was wrong. With that same expression when he had told her she looked pale he said,

“I don’t like that color on your face.”

And of course her face was still pale, probebully paler for him to comment about it, but she was feeling unwell for reasons she could not tell him yet.

“I’m fine, let's keep going,” she lied.

“We're setting camp here,” Daryl declared, not even bothering to call her out and began to skin the squirrels he'd been hunting along the way.

And of course Daryl didn't buy it, she was the worst of liers there was. Their close encounter this morning had scared her deeply and jumpy all around, which she also knew he had picked up on. He seemed to notice things most people didn't, but she was relieved he didn't push for the truth.

Concentrating on tending the fire as Daryl gutted the animals Julia could not watch on like she usually did. Feeling like the sight of blood or just the notion of it made her sick. It was ironic that it was first after finding out she was pregnant she began feeling symptoms.

Only when eating did the sickness stop. She had been starving all day, the feeling of having warm food in her stomach felt so, so good.

“Slow down girl, no one's gonna take it from ya,” Daryl said from across the fire.

“This is slow.” Julia said, food stuffed in her mouth and she didn't care for manners, she was starving.

Throwing the bones into the fire it didn't take long for that heavy feeling to return, and she just wished for it to leave her alone. Hugging her pack feeling terribly overwhelmed by the events of the day she hadn't noticed Daryl watching her. He moved from across the fire, kneeling on one knee in front of where she was sitting on the cold ground, and as if he was speaking to an injured animal he said,

“Julia. Hey, look at me.”

Slowly her teary eyes looked into his. His look was one of concern, and deeply so. She knew he couldn't fully understand the visual display of emotions nor the reason behind the fear she felt - he probably thought it was a response from their close encounter with the men in the store, which was parsley true. He reached out, wiping a tear away from her cheek and said,

“Let’s go to bed, okay?”

Julia nodded weekly “Okay.”

The fire was soon to burn out, the last ambers drifting off into the night. Huddling up against one another, having zipped their sleeping bags together Julia laid turned from him, letting tears fall along her nose down into the bedding. The smallest of sniffles escaped her. Daryl moved closer, pulling her into his arms, his body warm and comforting against her. Looking up at him as she stared into his blues, taking in his lovely features. He looked so soft in moments like these, she had almost forgotten what was underneath that rugged exterior and what he was capable of. His watercolor eyes looked almost like a creature that would never harm anyone, especially when he was looking at her, with all his kindness and worry.

“Way you cryin’?” He asked, gently drying the wetness away.

He was such a sweet man.. So, why was she so scared of telling him? She didn't know - she didn't know anything anymore. Her world had turned upside down, her bubble had finally burst, and she was just too overwhelmed to think straight and, and…

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” she managed to tell true the tears that just kept on coming.

She was un ugly crier, probably making him feel put off by her distraught state. But he was not put off, more so determined than anything to find the reason behind the tears, and she didn't feel ready to tell him yet.

“Why don’t you know?” he questioned further.

But the tears worked against her, not allowing her to speak.

“Yah scared?” he tried, continuing to wipe her face.

And maybe it was evident that she was, because faces said so much, gave so much away. Especially hers.

“You don’t gotta be scared no more, they're not gonna find us,” his deep voice was so very gentle.

But she could not shake the feeling, and it was as if all the terrifying experience with men tore into her like a sharp pain shooting through her chest. Shaky hands reached out, holding onto the fabrike off his chest like a lifeline, the fer poured out before she new it,

“No! They are gonna find us! And - and, they'll kill you and then they are gonna rape me!”

Only after her words came to life did she realize she admitted to a fear so deep within herself she shocked herself. She felt him stiffen to her words, his heart beating louder as he held her as if he was gonna lose her.

“No, no,” his deep voice rumbled from his chest. “Nothing like that’s gonna happen. No one's gonna hurt ya and nobodys’ gonna kill me.”

“You don't know that. Didn't you hear what they said? They said I was ‘free game and-”

Daryl moved on top of her, caging her in and his eyes looked intense making her worry she had upset him somehow. Tears spilled from the corner of her eyes down to her ears as she stared up at him. With a more serious tone he said almost darkly,

“No. Yah ain't.”

It felt like she couldn't breathe. It sounded like a confession. He didn't outright say it. But why else would he so straightforwardly denie the idea, as if the thought angered him.

Oh.

Did he already see her as is? That would explain the protectiveness, the anger and the gentleness in his touch. Her mouth trembled and the softness in his eyes returned. He searched her face before leaning down and enveloping her in a kiss. The kiss so soft she could feel the pure intentions behind it. It calmed her to the point her tears stopped falling.

Daryl pulled away, resting his forehead against hers, Julia closed her eyes as well. The feeling of his warm breath against her face was pleasant against the cold air as he said almost pleadingly,

"Please stop crying. Just tell me what to do.”

Julia couldn't help herself as her arms wrapped around his neck, and it felt like she could not word what she needed. He let her hold him close in response to her desperate need of comfort. She opened her mouth as if to tell him about the baby. But she just couldn't get the words to leave her. She was so scared. But she needed him now more than ever. His protection, his touch, his voice, him underneath her skin, but even that wouldn't be near enough.

She felt him lean into her ear, “Tell me,” he begged.

She unwrapped herself from the embrace, her hands resting on either side of his face. Gazing up at him she felt shy to say what she wanted. He was staring right back at her, as if reading her, making her feel like an open book underneath his gaze. But what she also felt was his desire hardening against her thigh. His eyes had darkened with lust, filled with that same desire they had shared last night.

He seemed to understand what she was asking for. That same pulse began to beat between her legs and she spread them apart, welcoming him. It seemed to have heightened his own desire as his lower body moved against hers and he did it so very carefully, gauging if she would stop him. But she wouldn't. This is what she wanted. All of him inside of her.

With her hands still on his face she kissed him. His tongue entered her mouth and before she knew it he had taken control, their tongues dancing and it felt like he always was in a desperate need for more. His hips rocked against her front and the feeling of his hard length had her walls squeezing around nothing. Wetness pooled like a poodle, staining her jeans and she wondered if he could feel it. His hand traveled down, cupping her mound she gasped into his mouth. She could feel him undo her jeans, assisting she lifted her bottom and with one swift motion they were pulled down and all the way off, tossing them out without breaking the kiss.

Daryl had her panting as he pulled away for the need of oxygen. She washed on as he pulled his jacket and shirt off, leaving himself in a sleeveless button down, reminding her how strong and broad he was. Just as fast his lips returned to hers and she melted into his mouth, his hand cupped her and she just wanted him inside already. It felt like he was teasing her and probably enjoying her desperate state, feeling the wetness over her undergarment. Painfully slow his hand went underneath the fabrike, thicke fingers going along her folds almost curiously at how wet she was. Just with his fingers down there it felt so good she had to pull away from the kiss and when he dipped his fingers inside of her, going for a spot she had no idea existed inside of her, had her within seconds away from climax.

She could feel him washing her, that intense feeling building and belding before it- His hand clasped over her mouth before the moan escaped her. Julia swore he had her seeing stars, feeling almost lightheaded as she came down. A kiss was pressed to her forehead and she gazed up at him only wanting more.

The unmistakable sound of him undoing his pants has her stomach flutter in anticipation, her legs spreading even wider as he moves closer to lube himself with the wetness. Just as he aliens himself, feeling his head pressed against her entrance he paused, whispering,

“You gotta be quiet, okay.”

Julia nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck and before she could ready herself her promise went out the window. His hand clasped over her mouth once more, his other hand cradling her head. Entering her all the way she could feel how her walls adjust to the intrusion. It was a tight fit but she liked the feeling of him stretching her out.

Daryl pulled almost all the way out before he pushed himself inside, beginning a steady pace. Every rock of his hips had her making sounds into his hand, making him remind her to keep quiet. But how could she stay silent when he was making her feel so good.

Daryl buried his face into her shoulder, heavy breaths of pleasure leaving him. Her legs wrapped around him, sending him deeper. His breath became more laborde as she did so and she could feel him holding himself back, not allowing his own sounds of pleasure coming to life.

The hand covering her mouth was exchanged into sloppy kisses. The pace slowed for just a moment letting her breath for a moment before his hand returned and the pace of his hips as well. Pressure built in her stomach as he went faster, his breaths turning into grunts. But he kept them low and controlled. Daryl was locked in. Eyes closed, chasing after his climax. His hair had become dampened with sweat and in her pleasure she takes in his rugged, wetherd face, his masculine beauty exudes from him. Before she knew it she was on the edge of her second climax, her face turning hot, the intense feeling building up before it would explode like a supernova. The feeling was so intense she couldn't make a sound, legs shaking intensely as she went true it, feeling the wave all true her lower body, down to her feet. It was overwhelming in a pleasurable way, having her almost feeling drunk as she came down. Opening her eyes only to be met by his piercing blue ones as he continued to move inside of her. He seemed to like washing her as much as he liked to kiss her and it felt so good to be wanted.

She could see him fighting it, as if to prolong his chase. But she could see the shift behind his eyes, the primal instinct to finish burning inside of him. As if he couldn't take it anymore he thrusts his hips harder, the pace overstimulating, bringing tears to her eyes. Their flesh collided inside the sleeping bag and she worried the noises would alert nearby walkers.

With an animalistic grunt he pulled out, finishing on her thigh. Their panting breaths filled the night as he stopped himself from completely collapsing on top of her. He reached clumsily for something in his back pocket and cleaned his mess off her thigh, the aftercare sweet she couldn't help but smile.

Puting the rag away he pressed the softest kiss she had ever received from him, closing her eyes she melted into it, completely worked out and ready for bed. With an arm he pulled her into his chest, his chin resting on top of her head and this was where she felt the safest she had ever felt in her entire life. In the arms of the man she trusted her life with, that also was the man that had made her pregnant and had no idea because she had failed to tell him.

It was nice, the unintentional comfort he provided, holding her as if her world hadn't just turned upside down and their shared journey wouldn't come to an end. Because she knew when he found out everything would change and she had a feeling it would break her heart.

And that was when she decided to not tell him. That for the sake of the future, for her selfish desires for love she would simply not tell him. Under no circumstances was he to find out until they found the doctors and finished what she was set out to do. And Julia hoped he would not hate her for it, that he would find it within himself to understand.

With her ear against his beating heart and his steady breath she drifted away from the harsh reality she would be woken to. But for now she would be with the man she just began to know and love.

Pt.12 Masterlist

[im-not-an-object-ok]

For three months this year, I bled nearly every day. My doctor doesn’t know why. Google doesn’t know why. The condition is simply called “postmenopausal bleeding,” and medicine’s best guess as to the cause is that the postmenopausal hormone-replacement therapy I started last November suddenly made my endometrium, the lining of the uterus, “unstable.” All scientific knowledge added up to “If it’s still happening in six months, get back in touch.” (I’m still bleeding intermittently, and I don’t know why.) This is the kind of massive medical shrug that anyone with female anatomy has probably encountered.

Despite major advances for women over the past 100 years—the invention of the contraceptive pill, greater access to safe abortions—much of female biology is still woefully underserved by science. There are reasons for this, most notably the historical exclusion of women from medical and pharmaceutical trials, partly because our awkward hormone cycles were thought to skew results. There’s also the fact that some scientists still project findings from research on men onto women, seeming not to realize that women aren’t just small men: Women are different down to the cellular level, meaning that many of our immune responses, experiences of pain, and symptoms (including, for instance, those that accompany a heart attack) may be different from men’s. Are you having a nasty, unexpected side effect from your medication? That could be because most drugs were developed with male bodies in mind. A 2020 review of 86 common medications, including antidepressants, cardiovascular drugs, and painkillers, found that women were likely routinely overmedicated and suffered adverse reactions nearly twice as often as men.

The lagging science is particularly apparent when it comes to periods and female hormones more generally—the subject of the anthropologist Kate Clancy’s new book, Period, a scientific and cultural history that purports to tell the “real story of menstruation.” Clancy’s book makes clear that a lack of data is to blame for many of the ills that women and girls face concerning their reproductive health, like doctors’ failure to diagnose painful conditions such as endometriosis.

My severe endometriosis was discovered only when I was 41, accidentally. For decades, I had been given prescription-strength painkillers, and my doctor never seemed to wonder whether the amount of pain I was in was abnormal. When I published an essay about my menopausal depression in 2018, a deluge of women wrote to tell me that when they were going through something similar, their doctors had told them they were imagining their brain fog or panic attacks, or had put them on antidepressants that didn’t work because many depression drugs are inadequate to treat the symptoms of fluctuating estrogen.

[skatingbi]

Yo we out here with some more Ace lives AU but i'll make them little bullet points so I dont have to write a whole essay. Enjoy my little headcanons!

Warning: Theres. So many. Im not sorry tho lmao

Ace joins the strawhats after the time skip, nobody really minds and theyre happy to spend time with luffy's older brother. He quickly becomes best friends with Nami. I just feel it in my soul that they would gossip together.

Both Ace and Luffy suffer from awful PTSD symptoms after Marineford. With Luffy, his crew eventually learn how to help him. With Ace, though, he only has Luffy to lean on for support until the crew get aquanted with him.

Actually, to add onto that bc im a sucker for acesan, Sanji is the first after Luffy to reach out during one of his bad days when even really small triggers can make Ace spiral into a panic attack.

More acesan sorry lmao. Ace is usually either out on the figure head of the sunny looking at the ocean when Luffy isnt occupying that spot, in the gallery when Sanji is working, or just out on the deck laying on the grass. He especially likes being around sanji in the gallery.

Pre timeskip Ace is extremely different than this AU's Ace because yes he's silly and carries an air of confidence with him still, but he's never shirtless around others anymore. For a long while, Ace doesnt leave the ship or pick fights. His confidence is a facade for a long time.

Depression hits ace like a truck in this AU and its only eased with the help of Luffy and Sanji. Chopper also helps the best he can with what he's got. Ace is grateful for this, and eventually his old self starts to emerge more and more. Luffy is there with him the entire time.

Ace has insomnia, but so does Sanji and Zoro. He'll hang out with them during late night hours either on watch with zoro sharing stories or with Sanji talking to him while he's doing prep work or inventory. He'll probably also fend off luffy when his little brother tries to break into the locked fridge lmao

But more funny headcanons!! Im getting depressing here sorry!! Ace will mess around with Luffy and entertain him before meal times by play fighting. Their asses will be duking it out on the deck and Chopper will be all concerned and Zoro and Nami will be like "Siblings." Like thats the most obvious answer in the world.

Tbh, the crew members with any type of sibling or sibling bond will get it. Luffy will deadass try to steal Ace's food and Ace will smack his hand lightly with haki and Luffy will dramatically exclaim how mean his big brother is.

"Ace is so mean! I'll starve to death!" "Yeah, sure, you little menace"

Ace regaining strength over his devil fruit powers by making little shapes out of fire for chopper, luffy, and usopp. Franky and brook join the group to give ace prompts. It becomes a nightly occurance at this point.

The first time he decides to go shirtless in front of the crew, they realize his old tattoo is replaced by scar tissue that covers nearly his entire back. Nobody says anything, but I think Franky and Nami would be really understanding. Also luffy. Luffy would be like "We match! Ace has a cool scar like I do!" and it reassures him but also breaks his heart simultaneously.

Ace eating nearly as much as luffy and Sanji being like "Are you sure youre not blood related? Because youre both gonna run my kitchen dry"

Ace not really having a defined role in the crew and them not really minding it. Ace floats around basically. It kind of fits him more that way since he knows a bit of everything. He'll look at maps with nami to chart a course to the next island, He'll fight alongside zoro and sanji, he'll tell usopp about different ways to use combustion and heat in weapons or ammo, etc.

Ace and nami using the power of their good looks to scam people lmao and ace being able to swindle men and women. Nami is impressed and also jealous.

Luffy growing his hair out so him and Ace match, but luffy apparently has curlier hair than Ace so its just a fluffy mess until usopp caves and teaches them how to actually take care of their hair (luffy does not absorb a single thing and ace now has to help luffy with his hair when it gets as long as his)

Ace noticing one day how zoro looks at luffy and being like "yikes...you got it bad, man" and zoro just being like "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP-" but ace is fucking cackling and now zoro cant be too mad about that. He's still embaressed as fuck about it though.

Expanding on that actually: Ace actually being supportive because he knows how loyal zoro is. He isnt worried. Plus, Luffy is extremely strong and it takes a lot to actually hurt him. So he's like "dude you gotta just tell him straight up he is dense as hell"

Ace the ultimate wingman for zoro. Not luffy, though. That's what Nami is there for. Him an nami are definitely working together and placing bets on when and who asks who out with robin, usopp, sanji, and franky. I wont say what they chose for their bet but robin definitely wins.

BUT luffy, nami, zoro, robin, usopp and franky place bets on Ace and Sanji. Ace is never subtle. He flirts openly and is proud of it. Sanji is very subtle with ace, though. The crew immediately see past his bullshit of trying to be straight. Its painful to watch. Poor sanji is trying so hard to remain closeted but the closet is literally glass. I wont say who betted what as per my last bullet point, but surprisingly zoro won. Everyone (nami) is outraged by this incident. Luffy is here for a good time.

The crew playing card games except they learn sometimes ace cannot handle flammable objects because he will burn them accidentally. Competitive card games are now banned if ace is playing.

Ace is also banned from using his devil fruit powers while sparring on the deck. The poor grass on there has been burned so many times. Nami has kicked his ass over it.

Ace and zoro get really competitive. Not like zoro and sanji, but they'll spar without weapons and at least one of them will leave with a busted lip or eyebrow and a lecture from chopper. Theyre chill though they just forget to hold back on their punches. Ace one time used haki and had to help franky fix the deck afterwards.

[girltalkcollectives]

👩‍⚕️ Medical Gaslighting: When "It's All in Your Head" Isn't Just in Your Head

Let's talk about something that's been making my blood boil lately: the way women are treated in doctors' offices. You know that feeling when you KNOW something's wrong with your body, but the doctor dismisses it as "just anxiety" or "probably stress"? Yeah, we need to discuss this.

The Numbers That Make Me Angry

Here's what research shows:

Women wait 16 minutes longer than men in emergency rooms

Women are 7 times more likely to be misdiagnosed during a heart attack

Women wait an average of 4 years longer for autoimmune disease diagnoses

Women are prescribed less pain medication for the same conditions

Women's pain is more likely to be labeled as "emotional" or "psychosomatic"

The Common Dismissals We Hear

Sound familiar?

"It's just anxiety"

"Try losing weight"

"It's all in your head"

"This is normal for women"

"Maybe you're just stressed"

"Have you tried yoga?"

"It's probably just hormones"

The Real Impact

This dismissal leads to:

Delayed diagnoses

Worsening conditions

Mental health strain

Lost trust in healthcare

Financial burden from seeking multiple opinions

Chronic conditions going untreated

Women doubting their own bodies

My Personal Experience

[Sharing because we need to normalize these conversations]

I spent years being told my debilitating period cramps were "just part of being a woman" and that I should "take some ibuprofen and use a heating pad." I was missing school, dealing with intense mood swings, struggling with unpredictable cycles, and experiencing cramps so bad I'd be crying. But every doctor just said I had a "low pain tolerance."

Turns out I had a hormonal imbalance that could have been diagnosed and treated years earlier if someone had just listened and run some basic tests. A simple blood test revealed my hormones were completely out of whack - something that could have been treated way sooner. Instead, I suffered through years of unnecessary pain because "bad periods are normal." Spoiler alert: pain that makes you miss school and ball your eyes out for the length of your cycle isn't normal, and we need to stop pretending it is.

What We're Actually Dealing With

Common scenarios:

Being prescribed antidepressants for physical symptoms

Having pain dismissed as "normal period cramps"

Being told to lose weight before receiving actual treatment

Having symptoms blamed on stress before running tests

Being labeled as "dramatic" for advocating for ourselves

Getting different treatment when bringing a male advocate

The Historical Context

This isn't new:

"Hysteria" was once a common diagnosis for women

Medical research historically excluded women

Many medications were only tested on men

Women's pain has been historically undermined

Medical textbooks were written based on male bodies

How to Advocate for Yourself

Practical steps:

Document Everything

Keep symptom diaries

Track dates and times

Record impact on daily life

Take photos if applicable

Save medical records

2. Prepare for Appointments

Write down all symptoms

Bring supporting documentation

List all questions

Bring an advocate if possible

Record appointments (with permission)

3. Use Strong Language

"I need this documented in my chart"

"What else could this be?"

"What tests can we run?"

"I need you to explain why you're dismissing this"

"I want a second opinion"

The Power of Community

We can support each other by:

Sharing recommendations for good doctors

Validating each other's experiences

Sharing resources and research

Supporting each other at appointments

Speaking up about medical gaslighting

Red Flags to Watch For

Be wary when a doctor:

Dismisses symptoms without examination

Blames everything on weight/stress/anxiety

Refuses to run tests

Interrupts or talks over you

Makes you feel crazy for your concerns

Dismisses your pain

Ignores your medical history

What Good Healthcare Looks Like

You deserve a doctor who:

Listens without interrupting

Takes your concerns seriously

Runs appropriate tests

Explains their reasoning

Treats you as an expert of your body

Works with you as a partner

Admits when they don't know something

Moving Forward

We need to:

Share our stories

Support each other

Demand better care

Report discrimination

Write reviews warning others

Celebrate good doctors

Keep fighting for change

To Every Woman Fighting This Battle

Remember:

You know your body best

Your pain is real

You deserve to be heard

Don't stop advocating

It's okay to switch doctors

You're not "too sensitive"

Your health matters

[1percentcharge]

if heart attack =/= cardiac arrest and women’s heart attack symptoms are more subtle than men’s then like. What even happens when women have heart attacks? Is it just “ooohh I don’t feel so good” *falls over* *dies*

[spacetimeconundrum]

Fuck it. I accidentally wrote fix-it spec fic.

I Think We Were In Love, Once [Buck/Tommy, 1.9k, T] Read it on AO3

aka Giving Oliver the goddamn slow burn he asked for: 

After Tommy walks out of his apartment, and his life, leaving him confused and heartbroken in his kitchen, Buck is just miserable. In fact, he’s more broken up about this breakup than he was for any of his other partners. 

At first, he tries to throw himself into his family, helping with Jee while Maddie deals with early pregnancy symptoms and doctor’s appointments, trying to be supportive of Eddie’s search for self-acceptance or enlightenment or whatever it is he’s doing to try to convince Chris to come home, his job, and his hobbies. He’s taken up baking with a fervor not seen in Los Angeles since the height of the early months of the pandemic, when millions of white-collar workers stuck at home with their remote jobs and under-utilized kitchens decided to become sourdough specialists on the side.

He also throws himself into the online dating scene again, and has a lot of sex, with men and women and a few nonbinary folks. Because fuck it, apparently he’s not experienced enough to know what he wants; he might as well see what else is out there. 

He’s not happy though. He saw a future with Tommy and he can’t with any of these people.

He gets off the apps after he has a condom break and nearly has a panic attack in the middle of a 24 hour pharmacy. They get her some Plan B, and they both get STI testing done (all good there, thankfully), and he sweats it for a few weeks until he gets a text confirmation that he’s not about to become a father (again).

When he hears that Tommy has a new boyfriend through the LAFD’s gossip channels, he throws himself into hobbies even harder. He’s starting to get the hang of pastry dough.

Tommy and his new guy break up? Buck doesn’t care. It definitely doesn’t make him want to call him. (Liar.)

-

Three months and seventeen days after receiving a text that reads, “I’m sorry. I’ll understand if you hate me right now, but I’d like to hope that someday we might be friends again,” that he leaves on read, they run into each other on a scene. 

It’s a pretty involved fire, not exactly much time to stop and chat in the heat of the moment, even if he wanted to. Later, as they’re wrapping up on scene, stowing their hoses, Tommy comes up to him, an expression on his soot-covered face like he wants to say something, but Buck doesn’t want to hear it right now.

“Firefighter Kinard,” he says with a curt nod and keeps walking. Tommy doesn’t try to follow him.

Buck goes out the night after his shift and hooks up with a stranger and then hates himself a little afterwards.

-

And then the 118 get the call to respond to the scene of a downed LAFD helicopter. 

High winds caused a tree branch to fly into the tail rotor of the bird, sending it spiraling into an uncontrolled descent. The pilot was able to wrestle with the controls enough to prevent a total catastrophe, but it’s pretty bad. 

Buck’s heart was already in his throat when he heard the call and it sinks when he sees with his own eyes who the pilot is.

They get Tommy out, but he’s badly injured, several broken bones and significant burns. Buck is distraught, but holds it together until they get him to the hospital.

He collapses outside the glass doors, Bobby has to pick him back up and reassure him that Tommy’s a fighter, he’s seen people survive far worse. (They’ve both seen people die from less.)

Bobby lets him clock out from his shift early. Buck sits in the waiting room until he’s out of surgery at least. 

It’s touch and go for a bit, but Tommy survives. But it’s going to be a long recovery and it’s uncertain if Tommy will be able to return to full duty ever again, he learns when visits him in the hospital. 

He’s not the only visitor. Tommy’s coworkers care, but they all have busy lives and families at home to take care of, so they keep their visits short. 

He doesn’t have anyone to stay with him during his recovery, no family who can help (or would come if he asked).

Buck doesn’t know what masochistic impulse comes over him that makes him say it, but he offers to stay with Tommy, at his house, for a while. He still has to work, but if he’s there at least part of the time, Tommy won’t need a nurse to visit as often, and Tommy has a spare bedroom that he can sleep in. He doesn’t mind sharing with the piles of new flooring stacked in the corner.

Tommy tries to argue with him, but Buck knows he doesn’t have any better option. It’s Buck, or a few weeks in a long term care facility until he’s safe to be released to at-home nursing.

“I think we were in love, once. Let me do this for you, as a friend,” he says. 

Tommy relents and Buck drives him home from the hospital a few days later when he’s discharged.

-

It’s hard. Tommy, like Buck, is a terrible patient, stubborn, impatient, always pushing himself too hard. Snappy and sarcastic when he’s in pain.

They have a shouted argument over how to correctly apply fresh gauze pads one night, and Buck finally leaves him to do it himself while he goes for a run.

Tommy’s been calling him Buck this whole time, but he apologizes when Buck gets back an hour later and calls him Evan.

Things get easier after that. Not the recovery, that still sucks, but Buck and Tommy are better together. They talk more. And share personal things about themselves that got glossed over in the glow of their relationship when everything was new and they spent more time flirting and having sex than having serious discussions.

Tommy’s recovery eventually progresses enough that he doesn’t really need Buck there anymore, he can always get an Uber or a Lyft if he needs to get to his doctor’s appointments or physical therapy, otherwise he’s mobile enough and has regained enough fine and gross motor skills to fend for himself at home, but neither of them talk about Buck moving back out of Tommy’s guestroom. 

It’s still unclear if he’ll be able to return to firefighting, but there’s more hope that he could return to flying at least, so if he has to work as a private pilot instead, that’s an option he’s working towards. 

Things come to a head finally when Buck gets an email from his landlord. His lease is up for renewal soon. He hasn’t been back to the loft in weeks.

He doesn’t say anything to Tommy at first, he’s not sure how he feels. He really should go back to his apartment, right?

He brings it up over dinner. Announces that he’s going back to the loft. 

“You don’t really need me anymore, Tommy,” he says. 

Tommy doesn’t argue. (Buck wants him to. He wants him to beg him to stay.)

Buck packs up his belongings. A lot more of his stuff has migrated over to Tommy’s place than he thought. It’s all over the house. 

“It’s okay, Evan, if you forget anything, you know where I live,” Tommy tells him.

Buck goes back to the loft. It feels sterile and empty, even though it’s actually a little musty inside at first, because it was shut up for so long.

He goes to work, feeling a little numb. It’s a long shift. He drives ten minutes the wrong way home afterwards because he’s gotten used to living with Tommy.

-

He’s halfway through cooking himself a meal for one, when there’s a knock at the door. 

“Hey, Evan,” Tommy says when he opens it.

“Tommy? What are you doing here? You’re not cleared to drive again yet.”

“I know. I took an Uber. Can I come in?” he asks.

“Sure, yeah. I was just making dinner.” Buck steps aside to let him in.

Tommy walks in slowly, like he’s nervous, Buck offers him a chair, a beer, for old time’s sake.

“Still not allowed to drink with the meds, you know that. But I’ll take the chair.” He chuckles awkwardly and sits down at Buck’s table with a groan.

Buck leans against his kitchen island, arms crossed. He still doesn’t know why Tommy’s here.

There’s a long pause where neither of them speaks. Finally, “You were wrong,” Tommy says.

“I was what?” Buck bristles.

Tommy shakes his head. “Sorry, sorry. I’m doing a terrible job of this. I meant…you were wrong when you said I didn’t need you anymore.”

Buck drops his arms and just stares at him, silently.

“I never should have let you walk out that door without telling you that.”

“Tommy…” he tries to interject.

“I never should have let you go in the first place. And I know, I know that’s all my fault. I let my own insecurities and fears get in the way of listening to what you were telling me. That you wanted me too. That you meant it.”

Buck wipes his face because he’s tearing up now, but he’s got something to say too.

“You weren’t… entirely wrong,” he admits, slowly, choosing his words carefully. “I shouldn’t have asked you to move in then. It was too soon. We needed to get to know each other better before we were ready for that. But you really hurt me, breaking things off the way you did.”

Tommy nods, looking miserable. “I know.”

“I wasn’t a teenager with his first boyfriend, Tommy. Or–or a guy fresh out of the closet after years of hiding who he really is. And I’m not saying this to judge you for your past or even make comparisons. I’m lucky that I got to come out the way I did, with friends and family who immediately accepted me for who I am, I know that. I’m just a guy who figured out that he’s bisexual a little later in life. But I have had relationships before, a lot of them, actually. And I know myself and I know what I want.”

He takes a deep breath. “And I wanted you.”

Tommy’s eyes are wide and wet, looking up at him warily. “Could—do you still want me?”

Buck comes around the table to be closer to Tommy, who struggles a little to stand up, but he manages it without Buck’s help and stands facing him, hope and fear shining in his eyes.

“Promise me that if you get scared again, we’ll talk about it, instead of deciding for the both of us what I’m ready for,” Buck says.

Tommy nods. “I promise. I don’t ever want to lose you again, Evan.”

Buck leans in to kiss him, but stops himself just before he closes the distance entirely, palms resting on Tommy’s heaving chest. 

“I’m not moving in with you…yet. My lease ends in two months, I’m not going to renew it, but I don’t want to just jump in without a plan this time. So for the next two months, we’re just going to date. And then we’ll see where we are. If we’re not ready, I’ll find another place. One with better guest parking at least. Okay?”

“That’s fair,” Tommy agrees. His eyes haven’t left Buck’s mouth.

And then Buck kisses him like he means it.

—

The 118 helps them move Buck’s stuff to Tommy’s–their house when his lease ends. They don’t end up keeping his couch.