#severe hip dysplasia

[therapyfordogshipdysplasia]

Lifestyle Changes to Support Dogs with Hip Dysplasia

Canine hip dysplasia is a common orthopedic condition that affects the hip joints of dogs, leading to pain, discomfort, and reduced mobility. While there is no cure for hip dysplasia, certain lifestyle changes can significantly improve your dog's quality of life and manage the symptoms effectively. This article explores various lifestyle adjustments and therapies that can support dogs with hip dysplasia.

Understanding Canine Hip Dysplasia Canine hip dysplasia occurs when the hip joint doesn't develop properly, leading to instability and gradual deterioration of the joint. This condition is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors and is more common in certain breeds, including Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Labrador Retrievers.

Lifestyle Changes to Consider Weight Management: Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for dogs with hip dysplasia. Excess weight places additional stress on the joints, exacerbating pain and discomfort. Consult with your veterinarian to determine the appropriate diet and feeding regimen to help your dog achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Exercise Modification: Modify your dog's exercise routine to reduce impact on the hips. Low-impact exercises such as swimming and leash walking on soft surfaces (e.g., grass or carpet) are ideal. Avoid activities that involve jumping, rough play, or prolonged running.

Comfortable Living Environment: Create a comfortable living space for your dog by providing supportive bedding with extra cushioning to relieve pressure on the joints. Consider using ramps or steps to help your dog access higher surfaces like beds or sofas without having to jump.

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation: Physical therapy can be highly beneficial for dogs with hip dysplasia. Therapeutic exercises help strengthen the muscles around the hip joints, improve flexibility, and support overall joint stability. Consult a qualified veterinary therapist for a tailored rehabilitation program.

Pain Management: Manage your dog's pain with the guidance of your veterinarian. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), joint supplements (e.g., glucosamine and chondroitin), and alternative therapies such as acupuncture or laser therapy may be recommended to alleviate discomfort and improve mobility.

Nutritional Support: A balanced diet rich in essential nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, supports joint health and reduces inflammation. Consider incorporating joint health supplements into your dog's diet under veterinary supervision.

Regular Veterinary Check-ups: Schedule regular veterinary check-ups to monitor your dog's condition and adjust treatment plans as needed. Early intervention and proactive management can help slow the progression of hip dysplasia and minimize complications.

Supporting Your Dog's Well-being Emotional Support: Dogs with chronic conditions like hip dysplasia may experience frustration or anxiety due to limited mobility. Provide plenty of mental stimulation, interactive playtime, and positive reinforcement to enhance their emotional well-being.

Environmental Adaptations: Make necessary adaptations to your home environment to accommodate your dog's condition. This may include installing non-slip flooring, using assistive devices like harnesses or slings for support, and ensuring easy access to food, water, and rest areas.

Conclusion While canine hip dysplasia poses challenges for both dogs and their owners, proactive management and supportive care can significantly improve your dog's comfort and mobility. By implementing lifestyle changes such as weight management, appropriate exercise, physical therapy, and nutritional support, you can help alleviate pain, slow disease progression, and enhance your dog's overall quality of life.

Consult with your veterinarian and consider working with a veterinary therapist or rehabilitation specialist to develop a comprehensive care plan tailored to your dog's individual needs. With dedication and thoughtful management, dogs with hip dysplasia can continue to lead fulfilling lives as cherished companions.

Implementing these lifestyle changes not only supports your dog's physical health but also strengthens the bond between you and your canine companion, ensuring they receive the best possible care and attention throughout their journey with hip dysplasia.

[bionicdogs]

booker hip update since it’s relevant:

his hips suck. thanks to the librela his day to day pain is minimal to nonexistent but he’s a high energy, high drive dog. keeping him chill enough to not hurt himself is near impossible without heavy doses of sedatives, which i’m not willing to do to him. he has oral meds on standby for bad days. he doesn’t need them often, really just for camping trips. thankfully swimming doesn’t cause him any pain. we built our pool with an 18” sun shelf so the dogs wouldn’t have to jump in the water to swim and it definitely paid off. the dog is obsessed with swimming so i’m glad he can do that, at least.

his birthday is next week, he’s turning four. our local boutique dog shop brought back their dog birthday cakes so he’ll be getting one of those. i intend to go all out since i don’t know how many birthdays he’s going to get and each one could very well be his last.

[arborix]

went to see my mom today and she straightened my hair and it is INCREDIBLE I can run my fingers through it and not get a huge tangled knot! it's so smooth and flowy!!!

ALSO after a month post hip surgery she took a few steps without her cane, something she hasn't been able to do in like two years!! go my mom!!!

[cripplecharacters]

Facial Differences that You Should Consider Representing in Your Writing More

[large text: Facial Differences that You Should Consider Representing in Your Writing More]

As it has been said many times on this blog before, facial differences are a very wide spectrum - there’s thousands of conditions that cause it, and they’re often extremely different from each other! It’s an incredibly diverse category almost by definition. But…

In books, movies, and our inbox, it seems that a traumatic battle scar is the only facial difference that exists. I find this rather frustrating because I would like to see the real life diversity to be actually considered by writers when creating characters - and that’s exactly what this post is for. I hope that by making people just aware of the myriad of options they have, I can help a bit. 

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t write characters with scars, it’s to say that there’s more for you to consider. Just like not every physically disabled person has hip dysplasia and not every neurodivergent person has epilepsy, not every person with a facial difference has scars! 

Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive - no such list exists, it would be like “list of every disability ever”, it simply can’t be done. This is just a dozen random facial differences that I would like to see incorporated into characters more often!

Facial paralysis Exactly what the name implies. There are many types of facial paralysis - complete, partial, bilateral, unilateral, chronic, acute, and it can affect the whole face, or only part of it.  Sometimes it can cause problems with speech or dry eyes (mostly the latter), but it’s frequently just primarily a visual difference. A person with facial paralysis might be completely unable to make facial expressions at all if it’s severe, or have a lop-sided smile and inability to raise an eyebrow or control an eyelid like me. Causes include cranial nerve damage (especially the 7th nerve, which is called facial palsy), Bell’s palsy, Möbius syndrome, or multiple sclerosis! It can be congenital, like in my case, or acquired, like in most cases - mostly due to stroke. Here I would write something about the current media representation being good, bad, or what tropes to look out for but I don’t know a single character with it. So :-)

Anotia/microtia Microtia is a congenital facial difference that affects the outer ear(s) - as the name implies, they’re smaller than average; anotia means a complete lack of them. This usually will also result in being d/Deaf or hard of hearing in that ear, as the ear canal can be smaller or closed (depending on the “grade”). People with microtia who decide on using hearing aids will usually wear a bone-anchored hearing aid, which looks very differently from the “regular” HA; it’s worn with a headband. Microtia can be the only facial difference that a person has, but it can also be a part of Goldenhar syndrome, Treacher Collins syndrome (mentioned below!), or hemifacial microsomia.

Congenital Trochlear Nerve palsy I have a subtype of this, and because it happens to have the most boring name in existence I have never seen anyone talk about it, certainly not see a character with it. So! CNIV palsy (again, an incredibly catchy name) is a disorder of one of the very-easy-to-damage nerves that allow eyes to move. It causes constant double vision, severe strabismus, and progressive facial asymmetry. A person with CNIV palsy will have a 24/7 head tilt to the side and will have their chin tucked in, which causes said asymmetry - facial features on the side of the tilt will sag down, the eye will “sunk” in, and because it’s congenital, the jaw can grow to be misaligned (like mine!). Over time, it causes neck pain and kyphosis, so add chronic pain to that. Trochlear nerve palsy can be congenital, acquired, traumatic, and even extremely rarely genetic (that’s me! allegedly <1 in a million). However, most acquired cases are only temporary, and “fix themselves” with the passage of time. Again, I would love to write something about CNIV palsy representation, but I’m fairy confident it doesn’t exist : )

Sturge-Weber syndrome The most visible part of SWS - that you might be familiar with - are port wine stains! In this syndrome, they tend to be large and generally cover the forehead-eye area. Around 15% of people with any kind of port wine stain on their face have Sturge-Weber syndrome, and even more when it comes to larger ones. Most people with SWS will have epilepsy since childhood, and many will develop glaucoma (which causes blindness) if the PWS is around that eye. Hemiparesis (one-sided weakness) can also sometimes happen on the opposite side of the PWS. Here is a short article about media representation from a person with SWS!

Cystic Hygroma Also known as lymphangioma, it is a bump that mostly happens on a person’s lower face and/or neck. It’s almost always congenital and a result of a blockage in the lymphatic system (thus lymphangioma). Sometimes, if it affects the mouth or jaw, it may cause a speech disability where the person’s speech might not be fully understandable, or cause an airway obstruction; this generally means that the person has to have a trach tube in their neck to breathe. Here is a short article about living and growing up with cystic hygroma by Atholl Mills!

Congenital melanocytic nevus A complicated name for a specific kind of birthmark! Melanocytic means related to melanin, so it’s a black or brown birthmark that can show up on any part of the body and be of almost any size. Sometimes it can be hairy as well. While CMN doesn’t usually cause any problems, people who have it have a higher risk of skin cancer, epilepsy, and brain tumors. Here is a short article on representation - among other things - by a person with CMN!

Ptosis Ptosis is actually really common - I can almost guarantee that you have seen someone with it - but for some reason it never shows up in media, unless it’s to show that a character is under the influence or vaguely creepy. Ptosis is simply a drooped eyelid. It’s caused by damage to the third cranial nerve, which can be congenital, acquired, traumatic, etc. It’s very common in myasthenia gravis and CHARGE syndrome. In most cases ptosis is a visual thing, but it can sometimes cause problems - for me, it partially obstructs my vision and for some people who acquired it later in life that can cause pain (due to having to constantly lift the eyebrow). Ptosis is often misunderstood, and people tend to make bizarre assumptions about those of us who have it - even Wikipedia cites “looking sinister” as a symptom (not that I particularly trust Wikipedia as a source, but it shows the general public’s view quite well). In real life, we are normal people and all these “drunk/high/rude/evil” associations aren’t true at all.

Treacher Collins syndrome You have probably seen a person with TCS at some point, as it’s not that rare. This is a genetic, congenital disability that affects the development of the face. The bones of the jaw and cheeks are underdeveloped, eyes have a downturned shape, and microtia/anotia is often present as well. A lot of people with Treacher Collins are d/Deaf or hard of hearing. Sometimes, the small jaw might cause problems with breathing, which is why a lot of people with TCS will have a permanent tracheostomy tube in their neck. Similar to ptosis, eyes in TCS are often seen as “looking sad”, but that’s an incorrect assumption - that’s just how they look like. The main and only big representation of TCS in media is that one awful movie from a few years ago, that was literally just inspiration porn featuring an able-bodied actor based on a shitty book, made by an author with some sort of abled-person guilt. Very cool, don’t do that.

Crouzon syndrome Crouzon syndrome is a type of craniosynostosis; a congenital condition where a person’s skull fuses too early. There are other disabilities that can look somewhat similar, like Pfeiffer or Apert syndrome, but they are different!  CS will affect the person's skull - it will be taller than usual, eyes - they will be large and bulging, midface - it's often smaller than average and can look sunk in comparison to the jaw and forehead, and more! Sometimes people with Crouzon syndrome are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (very common with craniofacial differences), or experience long term effects of hydrocephalus, which happens fairly often. Here is a short article by Mikaela Moody about movie representation - and her piece on how it to be trans while having a facial difference, which I relate to a lot and wanted to share:-)

Phthisis bulbi Phthisis bulbi is something that I have mentioned on this blog before, as it logistically should be represented way more often in fiction than it currently is. It's also known as the “end-stage eye” which is a pretty metal name. This is an ocular difference that can result after trauma to the eye. It can also result from a million other things, but trauma is apparently the most common thing to happen to an eye in fiction, so. With phthisis bulbi, the eye shrinks, sinks, and everything inside becomes stiff; this is permanent, and the eye isn't functional anymore - it's blind and unable to move. The only treatment is to have the eye removed, especially if it causes pain. If you're writing a character who got a Hot Sexy Scar over their eye and still has that eye, they probably should have this (and yes, the “shrunk and sunk” part is mandatory, you can't just make the eye lighter and call it a day).

Frontonasal dysplasia Frontonasal dysplasia is a congenital facial difference that affects the structure of the face. While it's a spectrum with a lot of variety, most people with FND will have hypertelorism (eyes spread widely apart), a flat and broad nose, and a cleft going through the middle of the nose. Other facial clefts (not necessarily just cleft lip) are also common. Sometimes, someone with it can also have cranium bifidum (meaning a brain/meninges that protrude through the skull, similar to how spina bifida works), or intellectual disability related to the potential absence of corpus callosum. Rarely, limb differences can also be a part of it; absent tibia, extra toes, or clubfoot. Again, I’m unaware of any representation of FND outside of “scary birth deformity” on medical shows :--)

Parry–Romberg syndrome PRS is also known as progressive hemifacial atrophy, which is a much more descriptive name. It’s an acquired facial difference that people just get for unknown reasons, mostly before the age of 20 and usually between 5 and 15. Generally, PRS is considered to be slowly-progressing, but this can vary pretty widely between different people. As the name implies, it causes atrophy in the face, which affects everything from skin to fat and muscles to sometimes even bones. Some people will also experience skin darkening, alopecia (hair loss), or trigeminal neuralgia (very severe nerve pain) on the atrophied side. The difference between the two sides can be very pronounced, with a visible line between the halves showing up on the forehead. Again, no existing rep that I know of :-)

And as always, I recommend this short PDF that in my opinion any writer who wants to include a character with an FD has to read. Additionally, you can also check our #face difference tag, this primer on facial difference, or this piece on making sure you’re not contributing to disfiguremisia.

Also apologies for the amount of “idk what to say about already existing rep because it literally doesn’t exist afaik” but I hope it illustrates the problem :-)

Happy Face Equality Week!

mod Sasza

[normal-with-adhd-is-a-joke]

If you apply "adopt don't shop" to people looking for service dogs and get mad at people for getting SDs from breeders you're not an ally to people who need SDs.

Health is of the utmost importance when selecting a service dog. A dog with cancer, hip dysplasia, arthritis, or many of the other common genetic dog illnesses can't be ethically expected to work and would need to be retired. For a person who spent thousands of dollars and/or several years training their dog, this could be devastating. Contrary to popular belief, it is easier to predict the health of a well-bred dog vs the health of a dog with unknown genetic history. An ethical breeder will be able to test their dogs for genetic illnesses and not breed dogs that are likely to end up sick later in life. They can also test their puppies before they go to their new homes, ensuring that you get a dog that has as few genetic problems as possible that could lead to early retirement. You should still always have money set aside for if an accident or illness does happen, genes are only a small part of health, but good genes are a good start.

There's also the factor of personality traits. Most people who train service dogs get puppies to train. It is possible to train an adult dog to be a service dog, but it's not as easy because an adult pet dog will likely have developed some cute but service-dog-unacceptable behaviors like whining/begging for food, barking when excited, or jumping. When adopting a puppy from a shelter, their adult personality is almost completely up to chance. You can pick a puppy that seems calmer or more attentive or more gentle, but that could change as they grow. With a breeder, you can observe the parent dogs in action. Of course, every dog will have a unique personality, but two calm parents are likely to produce calm puppies, two obedient parents are likely to produce obedient puppies, etc.

Training a pet dog you already have is good. Adopting a dog of any age to train is good. Buying a puppy to train is good. None of these is morally better than the other and which one you choose depends entirely on personal needs.

[image ID: a banner that says "this post is about disability, don't derail" on the first line and "ableds don't speak including talking in tags" on the second line.]

[astrobiscuits]

Chiron: where is our physical (and mental) wound?

I'm currently reading a book about Chiron (did you know it's actually half asteroid, half comet? me neither), which inspired me to make this post. I'm in no way an expert in medical astrology, just a curious owl that wants to learn more about every branch of astrology out there (my Sag Venus loves it!!🤭)

DISCLAIMER!!! I'm not a doctor. If you've been feeling any symptoms described here, TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR, NOT WITH ME

Observation: Before we dive in, i'd like to mention that the position of Chiron in the houses is important. Not every house placement suggests having a poor physical condition. The most prominent Chiron placements when it comes to having a medical condition are: Chiron in 1st house (house of self, visible illnesses), Chiron in 5th house (illnesses since birth/early childhood), Chiron in 6th house (house of health, if Saturn is also sitting there it points to chronic illnesses), Chiron in 8th house (house of death, may point to severe diseases or poor reproductive health) and Chiron in 12th house (house of the unconscious, deals with mental illnesses)

Honorable mention to Chiron in 3rd house and Chiron in 9th house as they represent accidents while travelling. If Chiron is heavily afflicted in these houses (unless it's also conjuncting Jupiter), it may point to...let's just say you're gonna be in a hospital bed in a vegetative state, but remember, nothing has a 100% possibility of happening, you're just more susceptible to it happening. I suggest checking the position of Chiron in Solar Return charts for the possible timing of it happening (look for Chiron in 3rd house/Chiron in 9th house as it activates your natal Chiron)

Without further do, let's dive in⚕️

Chiron in Aries: frequent headaches, frequent nose bleeds, teeth problems (sensitive teeth, tooth decay), deafness, skull fractures, cerebral anemia, brain tumours, hemophilia, epilepsy, BPD

Chiron in Taurus: frequent colds, frequent voice loss, thyroid problems (goiter, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidis, etc.), tonsilitis, OCD

Chiron in Gemini: lung problems (asthma, tuberculosis, pneumonia, etc.), speech problems (stuttering, cluttering, mutism), alzheimer's disease, ADHD, OCD

Chiron in Cancer: frequent stomach pain, prone to lactose intolerance, (for girls) breast lumps, breast cysts, breast infections, nipple discharge, depression, anxiety

Chiron in Leo: prone to insolation, frequent heart palpitations, chest pain, hypertension, hypotension, arteriosclerosis, scoliosis, kyphosis

Chiron in Virgo: frequent bloating, prone to gluten intolerance, chronic allergies, diabetes, rabies, autism, ADHD, OCD

Chiron in Libra: prone to acne, frequent lower back pain, disc herniation, spondylolisthesis, chronic kidney disease, kidney stones

Chiron in Scorpio: frequent pain down there, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV/AIDS, depression

Chiron in Sagittarius: frequent pain in the hips, prone to hips dislocation, cirrhosis, sciatica

Chiron in Capricorn: prone to knees dislocation, osteoarthritis, bone problems (osteopenia, osteoporosis), gout, depression

Chiron in Aquarius: electrical injuries, shin splints, osteofibrous dysplasia, ankle sprain, ankle fractures, poor blood circulation, schizophrenia

Chiron in Pisces: prone to break toes, athlete's foot, bunions, addison's disease, hormonal deregulation, aphantasia, psychosis, schizophrenia, anxiety

Yes, i'm aware of the fact that it's a generational planet and it moves very slowly through signs

BONUS: It's important to take into consideration all planets that conjunct, square or opposite Chiron (regardless if they're personal or generational) + the Ascendant for additional info about our illnesses

Ex. Let's take me as an example. My Chiron is in my 10th house in Capricorn squaring Saturn in 4th house (so double Capricorn energy) and Aries Ascendant. Guess what? I've got TMJ (basically a jaw disorder affecting the joints) and i've got it from my fam -_- (Saturn rules tradition i love my fam)

I also believe that having a heavy afflicted Chiron in general makes someone prone to having a medical condition, even if it's not in the houses mentioned previously (like in my case). However, these people are more focused on the main meaning of the house, not their health problems. They tend to ignore their health problems or they just don't care

I hope you enjoyed my post and found it insightful :)

What's your wound? Lmk in the comments your placements and your illnesses

Kisses xoxo

[talkethtothehandeth]

As much as I agree that people who have EDS shouldn’t talk over people who have worse disabilities than us, and as firmly as I believe that disabled people should let other disabled people speak about their struggles without comparing it to EDS, I need you to know that having EDS, especially my type— the one you find more often than other types, is not just “being bendy”.

I was diagnosed with EDS when I was a baby. I was very lucky, and was able to receive treatment (whether good or bad) quicker than others. However, EDS caused my hip dysplasia, it caused the condition that affected my mobility to the point where I needed three corrective hip surgeries; it was the cause of my bone not forming, I needed a bone donor to aid in correction. I have three long scars on my bikini line where Dr Caroll (from Shriner’s in Utah) cut into me in order to give me a better chance of having less limited mobility.

EDS isn’t just me being able to play bendy straw with my hands, it isn’t just me having to deal with “fake dislocations, it’s subluxations so it’s not that bad”. It caused my scoliosis, it caused my arthritis from my joints going out of place so often. I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis as a child, but as I got older, my arthritis spread to more places. I have burning nerve pain that makes me want to die, I have partial paralysis whenever my body decides to attack me spontaneously, I have dystonia, I have hearing loss, allergic reactions, and pain in every joint in my entire body. From head to toe, all of my joints, all of my muscles.

EDS is something that has severely impacted and negatively effected my entire body. It took everything from me, it took my already limited mobility, it took my peace, it took my mental health, it took my most beloved hobby ever— riding horses. I cannot sit to play piano, use my hands for my guitar, sit in a chair for more than 30 minutes without my back muscles screaming.

I took 14 pills every single day with multiple prescriptions because of what EDS has caused. I am undiagnosed with something that nearly killed me last year, everyone was preparing for me to die, and it has been dismissed by anxiety or an eating disorder, it is caused by my disease. EDS will affect me for the rest of my life.

EDS isn’t “just” being hyper mobile. This isn’t just a small disease that people go through, it is life altering and life compromising and life threatening from all of the comorbidities that come along with it; it is debilitating, it is isolating, it is pain that cannot be treated with even IV morphine, it is a constant, unrelenting acid rain condition just as many other physical disabilities.

People who have EDS shouldn’t try to play the Sick Olympics, we shouldn’t go to someone’s page and say “I’M JUST AS SICK AND DISABLED AS YOU ARE”. We should take the time to listen to people who have it worse, because so often they get ignored by abled people, they don’t need other disabled people to say that their conditions aren’t worse just because we have it bad. So many people are definitely more disabled than I am, and that absolutely does not erase my struggles.

Every physical disability affects the body in different ways, and every physical disability isn’t necessarily comparable to others. My degenerative arthritis isn’t the same as someone’s ankylosing spondylitis. My joints are fucked and my mobility has been significantly decreased as my disease has progressed. I am not going to compare my knees that will need to be replaced to someone whose spine is literally fusing together. Even though it’s a form of arthritis, it isn’t the same as mine and it isn’t my place to pretend it is.

But someone saying “it’s just hyper mobility” is perpetuating a harmful narrative, because people already don’t believe us, our stuff doesn’t show in labs and it only shows during further and extensive testing that many doctors don’t want to pursue because we’re “faking” or “being over dramatic”, because it isn’t “that bad”, it’s just bendy joints, it’s not debilitating./s It isn’t just being bendy, it is so much more and doesn’t need to be dismissed solely because it isn’t the same or as severe as someone else’s condition. Even if someone does have it worse, it doesn’t mean that EDS isn’t bad, and just because someone has EDS, it doesn’t mean it’s always comparable and needs to be shouted to the world on people’s posts about a completely different situation.

[welcomingdisaster]

an abridged list of items of archeological significance recovered by divers in Beleriand

read on ao3

1: Partial skeleton, clear draconian origin. Remarkably well preserved; though centuries old, fragments of the skull, two vertebrae, and a rib had sunk to the bottom of the ocean and been preserved in pelagic red clay. Though not enough bone remains to reproduce the shape of the head with any degree of certainty, we can now confirm the size of the head would have been at a minimum 4.6 meters wide and 5.8 meters long. One particularly well preserved tooth was measured at 48.5 cm in length.

See addendum A for detailed sketches of the recovered skeleton. 

2: Arrowhead, found near the eye socket of the aforementioned draconian skull. Flint. Simple design and choice of material indicates a probable human origin. 

3-16: Swords. Hard iron, highly degraded due marine corrosion. These are made in a one handed style, curved as sabres; no decoration survives. 

17-23: Swords. Steel, somewhat degraded due to marine corrosion. These are made in a two-handed style, and are much larger than the previous set. 18 and 22 retain decorative elements on the pommels and cross guards. Cross-hatching on 18 may have once depicted a star or flower. The pommel of 22 is set with a red gem. 

24: Sword. Unknown material (footnote 1), which shows no sign of degradation. Researchers onsite initially assessed it as having no archeological significance due to its appearance; it was, however, found buried underneath three meters of marine sediment, embedded in copper helmet and skull (25). The site had been undisturbed for longe enough for significant vegetation to have grown over it; we are forced to conclude 24 could not have been placed there recently. Still, the age of the weapon remains unknown and hotly debated among field researchers. 

This is a two-handed great-sword measuring 2.1 meters in length and weighing 4 kg. It is heavily ornamented. The pommel is decorated with an amber set in gold, surrounded by concentric golden circles and protruding rays; it appears to depict a rising sun. The blade itself is engraved, depicting eagles in flight. It remains extraordinarily sharp. 

25: Partial skeleton; skull, spinal column, pelvis. The weight of the skull and distinctive jaw shape indicate orcish origin. The skull was found still encased in a copper helmet, highly degraded due to marine corrosion. Cause of death is plainly trauma to the top of the skull, which, along with the helmet, had been pierced by the great-sword (24) described above. 

26: Full skeleton. Elven origin. Most probably female and roughly 185 cm in height. Based on placement and position of the body (footnote 2) it appears to have been laid to rest before any battle had taken place on the site. Cause of death appears to be blunt force trauma to the chest, with several ribs broken in at an angle that would have pierced the lungs. The body was buried wearing jewelry (4 sets of silver earrings, silver lip ring, copper circlet, two silver rings worn on the fingers, copper ankle-bracelets) and with a great-sword laid across the chest. 

27: Full canine skeleton. Size and shape indicate a medium herding dog, perhaps somewhat resembling a collie. Osteoarthritis and severe hip dysplasia observed on the skeleton indicate the specimen had likely been of advanced age at time of death; otherwise no cause of death could be determined. Placement of the bones indicates that the body has been tightly wrapped in a now-degraded piece of fabric (such as a towel or blanket) when buried. A silver flower charm, which may have once been attached to a leather or rope collar, was found by the neck. 

Notably, it appears to have been buried with the elven remains described above (26). Placement of the body indicates that the graves were not dug simultaneously; it is our opinion that another party returned to bury 27 alongside 26. 

28-29: Two full skeletons. Orcish origin. One (28) is most probably male, roughly 174 cm in height. Cause of death appears to be blunt force trauma to the head. The second (29) is roughly 171 cm in height; bone structure and degradation makes sex impossible to determine with any degree of certainty. Though the bones of this skeleton show no damage, an elven knife (30) was found inside the ribcage. It is our opinion that it is likely the body had died as a result of the injuries inflicted by the blade, and that the blade, buried inside the body, likely had gone unnoticed by the party responsible for burial.

Placement of the bones indicates a shared burial; the two skeletons had been laid side-by-side, with their hands placed on top of each other. 

30: Obsidian knife, 12 cm in length and 4 cm in width. Found resting inside the ribcage of an orcish skeleton (29). It is engraved with writing in Sindarin. Only one word, believed to be “aurë” (S. day ) is still legible. 

31: Bone fragment: partial right radius with attached carpal fragments. The bone is damaged on both ends. On the medial end, bone has been severed four inches above the wrist, likely while the body had still been living: splinter patterns indicate a relatively crude, blunt weapon, implying the amputation had relied largely on brute force.  On the lateral end, adjacent to the remaining carpal fragments, the bone appears to have been drilled into. The drilling indicates a highly precise, surgical procedure; the drilling site would have been very near vital blood vessels, and a high level of skill would have been necessary to avoid killing the subject. When the bone fragment was found, a thin rod of unknown metal had been driven through the hole, attached to an eight-link chain; the bone had broken during extraction attempts and detached from the rod. Neither the rod nor the chain could be removed from rock formations on the ocean floor by divers. 

The bone is unusually large (radial length estimated at minimum 38cm, though exact measurement impossible due to degradation of bone). Size and elongated shape indicate a probable elven origin, though further testing may be needed to confirm. Age and damage of the sample have made attempts at DNA extraction unviable. (footnote 3)

32: Chiseled stone toy. The toy depicts a humanoid figure consisting of two spheres stacked atop each other. A smiling face with upturned lips and large eyes is carved into the top circle; indentations as feet have been made on the bottom. Two prongs protrude from the head; these may be meant to represent ears, horns, or hair. 

This figure has proved particularly hard to categorize. The protruding ears may indicate an elven origin. The relative crudeness of the features of the face suggests orcish make. The style of the carving, meanwhile, is reminiscent of artifacts recovered from contemporary human settlements. 

(1) Field tests inconclusive; currently awaiting results of off-site testing.  

(2) Found supine with arms crossed over chest. 

(3) That any bone should remain intact for years (let alone centuries) in such an environment is highly unusual. Further study of this phenomenon is necessary; at present we can only hypothesize the cause to be some form of hyper-preservation common in elven remains, or perhaps an effect of the unknown black metal.   

[puppsworld]

omg hi i saw you said you wanted to be asked about ghoul hc's and I love your ideas so I have questions >:3

i hope its ok that im asking about something related to like . whats admittedly my guilty pleasure headcanon bc it lets me project onto the ghouls sobs but . i know chronically ill zeph + occasionally rain and phantom is a common hc, but is that something you have ideas for ? bc I've seen some neat ideas about how chronic illnesses manifest for ghouls vs humans, so I was curious :3

GRABS YOU. GRABS YOU. I HAVE A *LIST* OF GHOUL MEDICAL THINGS HOLD ON

ok so, here is ^^ my list of ghouls and some of the medical stuff i hc them with: (big list,,, ish. so imma put it under tha cut ^^)

Omega: - Hip Dysplasia (Uses a Cane) Delta: - Ménière’s disease: a balance disorder. It’s caused by an abnormality in part of the inner ear called the labyrinth. Fluid buildup here can cause a severe spinning feeling (vertigo) and affect the hearing. (Due to balance problems he requires crutches) - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Extreme fatigue that can't be explained by an underlying medical condition. - Acquired Immune Deficiency: Immune system weakened due to elemental transition Aether: - Rheumatoid arthritis Phantom: - Hypermobile EDS (hEDS) - Stomach / Digestive issues caused by his hEDS Aurora: - Hypermobile EDS (hEDS) - Heartburn caused by her hEDS Zephyr: - Idiopathic Scoliosis - Sciatica - Chronic Pain - Fatigue Dewdrop: - Acquired Immune Deficiency: Immune system weakened due to elemental transition

:)

[major-knighton]

Tonight, I was browsing through @gallusrostromegalus' Family Lore tag having a great time, when I got a phone call to announce the birth of my baby cousin, my first ever female cousin (I have six of those), and it reminded me that I, too, have a Weird Family Story that some people might be entertained by. So, this is the story of

How my birth solved a 7 decades old mystery

First, the setting of our story's first part. Rural Picardy, France, 1940s. War has just stopped, the Germans and Americans alike have left, but things are still A Mess. Lots of buildings and crops destroyed by bombings, everyone is poor and traumatized and lots of people have just disappeared. Still, life goes on.

My great grandmother, who in my mind will always be my beloved Mémé, is a young woman of 18 or so, works in a broom-making factory and lives in a tiny village at the foot of an old castle. She is also pregnant.

But wait, that's not a problem, a strapping young man of 20 wants to marry her, he's also a factory worker, and more importantly he's a delightful man and wonderful cook. Mémé is a sensible girl, she's very charmed and soon wedding bells are a-clanging.

Here's the catch : the baby she's pregnant with is not her husband's. This is not public information in the slightest, so the couple can live their life without scandal, but it's a sort of hushed up semi-secret within the family. Who is the actual father of the baby? Nobody knows. Maybe Mémé does, it's even likely because everyone in the village knows each other, but if she does, she doesn't tell. Doesn't talk about it, and those in the know know better than to ask.

I sincerely hope it was a sort of one-night-stand and not something more sordid, but that's something we'll never know.

Anywho. Mémé and Pépé have a very happy marriage, and go on to have another child, and they raise the half-siblings as full siblings, never treating the eldest any different. Pépé loves his daughter even if she's not his blood, and she returns it fiercely. As far as my Grandma is concerned, Pépé was her true father, the one who mattered.

Skip forward in time. My Grandma has four daughters, who of course know Pépé as their grandfather without question even after learning The Secret after adulthood. Blood is thicker than water but not as thick as the blackberry jam that Pépé made while you played in the pond during the summer holidays. The youngest of Grandma's four daughters is about to give birth to her first child, and Mémé and Pépé are delighted to welcome a fifth great-grandchild.

Traditionally, a birth is a moment of joy and happiness. I'm sure mine was too, but it was also rather chaotic, as my first action was to karate-kick my mother in the stomach to herald my imminent arrival, therefore making her spill her recently eaten pasta on my dad's shoes. My triumphant entry into this world did not stop there, as my poor beleaguered mother was told, right after delivering a baby of nearly 4kg, that this massive chunk of flesh and screams had Something Wrong With It. Not the best thing to hear after giving birth.

The Something Wrong, as it turned out, was a specific type of hip dysplasia. That means that my hips were not properly finished forming around my femurs to lock my legs to the rest of my body. A slightly too enthusiastic pediatrician demonstrated this by pulling on one of my pudgy little baby legs to show that it would go as far as the stretching of my muscles and skin would allow. My mom, lifelong rugby player nicknamed McGuyver by her friends and toughest person I know, proceeded to burst into tears.

Other than being a sure way to traumatize young mothers, hip dysplasia is not an irreversible problem. Several weeks of wearing solid diapers that were a bit more like a plaster cast than an article of clothing, my bones were set with nothing more than a slight crookedness that would result in mild scoliosis. I learned to walk and sit straight perfectly well, and all was well.

Except.

The pediatrician with very little tact remarked, in passing, how this specific variation of hip dysplasia is particularly common in Brittany, but not so much in our region. Bizarre, thought my mother, we have no Breton relatives or ancestry. But some weeks later, while she was watching baby me wiggle around making a lot of noise, she remembered that in the family village, there had been a family of Bretons.

To be fair, seeing as we had no contact with that family, and I was only told about all this after Pépé and Mémé's passing, we'll never have absolute utter certainty that Unkown Breton Man is the biological source of our very extensive family. But it seems hella likely.

I don't mind the uncertainty very much. I know who my great grandfather was : a very funny old man who kept pigeons, cooked like magic and flipped the table after losing at Scrabble to amuse his many grandchildren and great grandchildren, DNA or no DNA. I keep a picture of him, black and white, marching on strike with a cigarette in his mouth and a béret on his head. My eldest cousin is named after Pépé's father. He's the real family.

But knowing the history of dysplasia in the family is useful. Tonight, Pépé's first great great grandchild is born. Without dysplasia, but the doctors knew to look for signs of it in advance. So, I'm glad to welcome this little one. I'll sit her in my lap in a few years, and tell her how her great great grandparents loved each other deeply from 20 to 90.

[babydxhl]

BODY MEME: List 5 random/unique things about your muses body.

had several surgeries as a kid, as well as intense dental work, growth hormone therapy and physiotherapy, to deal with various complications stemming from systemic hypoplasia, including crowded teeth, hip dysplasia, genu varum. still has some very faint surgery scars in places

limited mobility in her left shoulder from a stray bullet that went through — scarring there as well. the wound healed badly, roughly, resulting in a smooth divet of scar tissue she tries to keep covered

she can rattle off all of her measurements from memory without thinking about it, not just her height and weight, but very specific ones: her handspan, scapular height, foot width, sitting height, forearm depth, etc, from being measured so many times as a kid

chronic pain from early onset arthritis, exacerbated by how many times she's broken fingers, toes, dislocated joints etc

anaemic. deficient in several vitamins. immunocompromised. at higher risk of heart conditions, kidney conditions, the list goes on and on and on and on. her medical file is like six inches thick

tagged by : @halfdent <3 ilyyyy

tagging : I am so absolutely the last person to do this I feel like so anyone who wants to steal pls do and tag me <3

[geee-three]

wouw... hello hi... 👋👋👋

info under the cut // my discord is @geee_three // squid time 🦑

i'm izza/flick, i primarially use they/her and kit/kits, though i'm ok with almost any pronouns (i'll let you know if i don't like them!!)

i'm 14, i am in the process of getting a diagnosis for autism, i most likely have adhd + severe social anxiety, and i have mild hip dysplasia.

i have a special interest in splatoon and dnd. right now, i'm hyperfixating on project sekai and genshin impact. i'm insane about pokemon but idk which one it is atp

i'm really sorry if i don't keep promises, i struggle to remember stuff a lot of the time and/or find motivation to do things, especially if i feel people are waiting for it. which is really fucking helpful in my daily life.

my ask box is open to everyone to ask questions and my dms and discord are also open to everyone, but if you're not a moot i might not reply immideatly.

tags: [link] // dni: [link] // pronounce: [link] // discord: @geee_three

thank you for reading! remember to drink water and have the best day you can :]

userbox credits: [link] [link] // [link] [link] // [link] [link] // [link] [link] // [link] [link].

[fjordfolk]

dogbook post: here's my horrific story about having to put down my 7mo sheltie due to severe hip dysplasia & then getting a new one from untested parents and the same breeder after they said it was freakishly unusual to see hip issues in the breed, and now my new dog has HD E also

comments: how dare you mention the pedigree names of your dogs. this is harassment.

[agent-oo-z]

HAPPY WORLD AFRICAN PAINTED DOG DAY!!!!!!

For those who don’t know me, I’m autistic and my main/biggest/central special interest is African painted dogs! So today(August 26th) I’m gonna make a little informational post about my favorite creature on our planet.

Unless otherwise specified, all pictures/videos are my own!

GENERAL CONTENT WARNING:

This post contains images of carcass feedings. This means there will be photos of animal carcasses in various stages of being consumed. If seeing this type of thing will upset you, do not click on the read more!

To start off(and to make sure anyone who accidentally clicked the read more has a chance to leave before the carcass feedings) here’s my collection of African painted dog plushes!

First up is the group photo, then the individual photos. The name of each plush will be listed above the corresponding individual photo.

Cantillë(which is a very rough translation of four toes based on I think DND 5e elvish) is the only plush NOT named after a painted dog who lives/has lived at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.

Jesse!

Tilly!

Cheza!

Cholula!

Teddy(AKA Theodore Roosevelt)!

Livingstone!

Nigel!

Nigel in particular is super interesting. The real life Nigel only has three legs! He was born with severe hip dysplasia and actually had to undergo an amputation surgery when he was younger as the impacted leg was causing health issues. But his pack mates treat him extremely well and actively look out for his well-being!

This isn’t just because they live in human care either. African painted dogs are one of the few species of predatory mammals that intentionally care for sick, injured, elderly, and/or disabled pack members rather than chasing them away or letting them die off. There are even examples of three legged painted dogs in the wild remaining pack leaders after their injuries!

Painted dogs are also one of the most successful mammalian land predators out there, with their advanced communication and pack hunting techniques leading to an average 80% success rate. Compare that to another African predator, the lion, which has about a 30% success rate!

Painted dogs are often characterized as vicious and cruel because they begin to consume their prey as soon as possible, which can mean the prey animal is still alive. One possible reason for this behavior is that painted dogs often have their prey stolen by other carnivores(lions, hyenas, etc).

African painted dogs also participate in social regurgitation! This means that pack members will regurgitate food to share with each other as a form of bonding.

They are the only extant(opposite of extinct) member of the genus Lycaon!

Painted dogs are crepuscular, meaning they’re most active at dawn and dusk.

[richincolor]

[The six images above are the covers of the books that are featured in the post and are described below after each of the titles.]

Disability Pride Month

For Disability Pride Month we gathered a few titles that we have enjoyed and/or hope to read in the near future. If you know of others that shouldn't be missed, please let us know. 

The Secret Summer Promise by Keah Brown Levine Querido [Cover is painted and shows three young people sitting near water with a bright sun up above. They're wearing shorts and have long dark hair.]

THE BSE (Best Summer Ever) LIST!

1. Blueberries 2. Art show in ShoeHorn 3. Lizzo concert 4. Thrift shop pop-up 5. Skinny Dipping at the lake house 6. Amusement Park Day! 7. Drew Barrymarathon 8. Paintball day

Oh, and ….

9. Fall out of love with Hailee

Andrea Williams has got this. The Best Summer Ever. Two summers ago, she spent all her time in bed, recovering from the latest surgery for her cerebral palsy. She’s waited too long for adventure and thrills to enter her life. Together with her crew of ride-or-die friends, and the best parents anyone could ask for (just don’t tell them that), she’s going to live it up.

There’s just one thing that could ruin it: Her best friend, Hailee, finding out Andrea’s true feelings. So Andrea WILL fall out of love with Hailee – even if it means dating the cute boy George who keeps showing up everywhere with a smile.

Do we want Andrea to succeed? No! Does she? We’re not telling!

Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester Clarion Books [Cover has a young woman swimming in water. She is wearing a bikini and there are scars visible on her back.]

In this gorgeously written and authentic novel, Verónica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out her first real boyfriend and how to feel safe in her own body.

Verónica has had many surgeries to manage her disability. The best form of rehabilitation is swimming, so she spends hours in the pool, but not just to strengthen her body.

Her Florida town is home to Mermaid Cove, a kitschy underwater attraction where professional mermaids perform in giant tanks . . . and Verónica wants to audition. But her conservative Peruvian parents would never go for it. And they definitely would never let her be with Alex, her cute new neighbor.

She decides it’s time to seize control of her life, but her plans come crashing down when she learns her parents have been hiding the truth from her—the truth about her own body.

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes Balzer + Bray [Cover shows four brightly dressed young people in a narrow passageway or hallway. They are leaning in towards each other to pose together for the picture.]

Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers, despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen.

Luis’s attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn’t say no, she definitely didn’t say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she’s sure, to Luis’s ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won’t say no.

Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she’ll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done.

Disability Visibility Adapted for Young People edited by Alice Wong Delacorte Press [Our review] [The cover has several geometric shapes and bright colors on it along with the title.]

The seventeen eye-opening essays in Disability Visibility , all written by disabled people, offer keen insight into the complex and rich disability experience, examining life's ableism and inequality, its challenges and losses, and celebrating its wisdom, passion, and joy.

The accounts in this collection ask readers to think about disabled people not as individuals who need to be “fixed,” but as members of a community with its own history, culture, and movements. They offer diverse perspectives that speak to past, present, and future generations. It is essential reading for all.

Something More by Jackie Khalileh Tundra [The cover shows three students in uniform near a school sign. One is standing in front and the other two people are sitting on top of the sign.]

Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to make a fresh start and keep her diagnosis a secret, Jessie creates a list of goals that range from acquiring two distinct eyebrows to getting a magical first kiss and landing a spot in the school play. Within the halls of Holy Trinity High, she finds a world where things are no longer black and white and quickly learns that living in color is much more fun. But Jessie gets more than she bargained for when two very different boys steal her heart, forcing her to go off-script.

Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp Farrar, Straus and Giroux [This cover features two people hugging with their eyes closed on the cover. One has long hair and the other has very closely cut hair on one side with longer hair on the top. The one with short hair has a cane in one hand.]

This anthology explores disability in fictional tales told from the viewpoint of disabled characters, written by disabled creators. With stories in various genres about first loves, friendship, war, travel, and more, Unbroken will offer today's teen readers a glimpse into the lives of disabled people in the past, present, and future.

The contributing authors are awardwinners, bestsellers, and newcomers including Kody Keplinger, Kristine Wyllys, Francisco X. Stork, William Alexander, Corinne Duyvis, Marieke Nijkamp, Dhonielle Clayton, Heidi Heilig, Katherine Locke, Karuna Riazi, Kayla Whaley, Keah Brown, and Fox Benwell. Each author identifies as disabled along a physical, mental, or neurodiverse axis―and their characters reflect this diversity.

[bevydev]

(Warning for readmore: pet death)

My dear sweet angel Michelle has left us today. She suffered from severe hip dysplasia which is bone misalignment in the hips that apparently is very common with her breed. She was getting old and her hip problem became so painful for her that she couldn't walk and she stopped eating and drinking.

We took her to the vet Thursday and they gave her some medicine that seemed to treat the problem well enough that she started walking again. But early this morning, she began whining and couldn't move anymore, so I had to carry her to the living room myself to lay her down on some towels. She was silent at first, only occasionally whimpering, then she began groaning and howling out in pain after some time.

She began hyperventilating and convulsing until she stopped moving altogether. I have no vehicle to take her to the animal hospital and had to wait this out trying to calm her down while waiting on who could take her there. But she didn't make it, her organs failed, and I have to carry the guilt that she spent her last moments writhing in pain. I just wished that I could've made her dying moments more peaceful for her or decided on giving her end of life care instead when we first took her to the vet.

But there's nothing else I can do now, her story is already done, her soul is at peace, and I can only hold her again in my memories. She was a Rhodesian Ridgeback, 12 1/2 years old and the absolute sweetest, gentlest girl you could have ever asked for. It hasn't even been a year since our Blue, my Border Collie passed away back in September, but I'd like to think that at least somehow they've found each other again.

So here's some pictures of her, and I'll keep reblogs open so anyone who wants to see this post can see how much of a good girl and was. She always did love getting a lot of attention 😌.