#some of it has been low electrolytes

[tundra-tiger]

So I was today years old when I learned that Seasonal Affective Disorder can come in summer flavor, instead of just winter flavor? It's just less common. So when I spent years saying "oh I don't have SADs, I actually get really clear-headed and comfortable and function well in cold weather, every time winter hits my appetite comes back, my energy stops scattering, I can sleep well and be awake and active longer--"

Turns out that was just. Summer SADs

[moonstruckme]

Hi lovely I’m not sure if you are taking requests right now but if you are can I request EMT!Marauders with a reader who has POTS (basically they’re always dehydrated, low blood pressure, and can faint if they don’t drink lots of water and electrolytes) and is lazy about drinking so much liquids everyday until she’s dizzy with a bad headache and the boys have to constantly ask her has she drank her Gatorade and water. Hope that makes sense😅 Totally understand if you don’t write it. Love your work! <3

Thank you for requesting lovely!

cw: reader has POTS, dehydration, the pressures of capitalism

emt!marauders x fem!reader ♡ 382 words

When your phone rings, it takes a couple of tries to get your shaky fingers to accept the call. 

“Hello?” 

“Hi, dovey.” Remus sounds tired. This strikes you as appropriate, ten hours into a twelve-hour shift. 

Sympathy bends your voice. “Hi, honey. How’s it going?” 

“Not terribly. Long day, though.” 

You can hear someone jostling their way closer to the phone, and then Sirius shouts, “It is terrible! We miss you!” 

You smile, cupping the phone close to your face when a woman sitting near you glances over.

“Yes, that too, of course,” Remus says. “Anyway, we just called to ask how you are.” 

“How I am?” 

“Mhm. James had a feeling” —in the background, you can hear James insist, “My sixth sense is never wrong, Rem”— “and we wanted to check in on you. Where are you right now?” 

You keep your voice cautiously low. “I’m at a coffee shop. Just getting some things done.” 

“And how much water have you had?” 

You sigh. You want to be indignant about this, but you’re suddenly aware of a dull ache at your temples. “I’ve been drinking water,” you hedge. 

Your boyfriend hums skeptically. “How much, dove?” 

“Rem, I’m at a coffee shop.” You cast a furtive glance at the baristas. “I don’t want to whip out my own water bottle when I’ve already finished the drink I paid for.” 

“Fainting is going to draw a lot more attention than drinking your own water,” he points out. When you hesitate, his tone gentles. “You could always order a water from the counter if that makes you feel better. You just need to drink more, sweetheart. You’re already feeling a bit dizzy, yeah?” 

You catch yourself pouting even though none of your boys are there to see. “A little.” 

“I can hear it in your voice,” he says. A new sound starts up in the background of the call, loud and wailing, but Remus’ voice doesn’t change. “Drink something, now. Two bottles at least.” 

“Okay,” you relent. “Wait, is that the siren? Are you guys on a call?”

Sirius steals the phone again. “If you don’t start downing some fluids, this siren is coming for you. Got that?” 

You roll your eyes so hard it’s a wonder they don’t hear it. “Yeah. Got it.” 

[ms-demeanor]

Okay THANK YOU for saying “your body craves what it needs” is bs because that felt like bs this whole time.

Like you don’t need more sugar if you crave sweets that is NOT what that means. Sugar is a food that people crave because it tastes good/sugar I think is an addictive food??

Idk it just felt like people making excuses when they’re supposed to be trying to eat a little healthier (healthier, not low cal, not low fat or keto or whatever. Diets are bs but craving sweets does not mean sugar is healthy thing for your body rn)

People crave sugar because it tastes good, which is not a bad thing, and there is an evolutionary reason that sugar and fat taste good to us. Carbs are your body's favorite thing because it is SUPER easy for your body to break them down into useful molecules.

I'm not a fan of the idea that any foods are addictive and I'm skeptical of models that suggest "refined food addiction" is a thing with a measurable, real-world impact; there's a lot of debate in that area of nutrition science and to me it kind of seems like the tools people use to track food addiction aren't really examining the addictiveness of specific foods, but are decent screening tools for people who have compulsive behaviors around food (for instance, one group of people who the Yale Food Addiction Scale has repeatedly been demonstrated to be REALLY good at identifying is people with anorexia).

But your body needs sugar all the time, whether that's in the form of complex carbohydrates that get broken down into simple sugars by your body, or simple sugars that you stir into your tea that then gets sent to your cells as energy. If your diet doesn't have enough sugar in it, your body has a processes to turn non-sugars into sugar so that it can use the sugar (gluconeogenesis!). Sugar is unambiguously good for you in the way that fat is unambiguously good for you. You need sugar to survive and it's not a bad thing if you want to have a cookie or a soda or some candy, and again - your craving probably isn't telling you that you're deficient in a specific micro or macronutrient, but I still think that you should listen to your craving.

Like, I don't know how much you know about psychotherapy but the attitude that a lot of diet-focused discussion takes toward cravings reminds me of cognitive behavioral therapy. "When you crave chocolate, no you don't! Don't think about the chocolate, you actually probably need starch or sugar or something, let's redirect that into having a banana, or some frozen berries, or some spinach. Point away from the unhealthy craving and into the healthy replacement, or, better yet, ignore the craving. Mind over matter. You choose how you act."

(I actually think "X craving means that I want Y food so I shall replace it with Z, which is similar" "craving salt means that I am dehydrated and need electrolytes so instead of potato chips I'll have some soup" is how this goes most of the time. I think this is a diet culture thing, not a food positivity thing.)

And you know what I think that's a garbage way to look at both food and emotions.

When I'm craving ice cream it's not because I've been mostly vegetarian for a week and am low on dietary cholesterol (AN IMPORTANT NUTRIENT. Don't be scared of consuming some cholesterol), I'm craving ice cream because sugar and fat taste good. So instead of trying to pretend that I'm getting "what I need" from a piece of salmon the size of a deck of cards with no salt and some lemon squeezed on top, I'm going to scoop out a moderate portion of ice cream and eat it while focusing on how much I enjoy it. And I'm going to do that instead of sitting down with a pint and a spoon while I'm stressed at work and eating something that tastes good to distract from the fact that work is stressful. (And sometimes it's fine to sit down with a pint and a spoon but I will say that's generally best not to do while you're in the middle of something stressful)

And if you want to relate that back to therapy I see this as more of the DBT approach. I've accepted that I want ice cream so I'm going to eat it in an intentional way and enjoy it instead of eating so much that I don't want dinner, or that it makes me feel sick, or that I eat it without noticing it because I'm using it as a distraction instead of a snack.

I'm not trying to shut down the negative emotion or shun the "bad" food, I'm accepting that I have that emotion and I'm working this neutral food into my day so that I'll feel good tomorrow and won't get heartburn overnight.

So I see that you're trying to be kind of anti diet culture here, but I don't think people need excuses to eat sugar, and I actually think that making excuses to eat it is significantly less healthy than just eating the sugar (which, again, is unambiguously healthy to eat as part of a varied, filling, nutritious diet). It seems like you may have internalized some ideas about sugar that are not great even if you are trying to separate from diet culture.

Nobody is ever going to eat a diet so healthy and nutritionally complete that they don't want candy or cake or cookies sometimes. Food is not only fuel, it is entertainment and culture and comfort and distraction and celebration and a million other things, but it is not bad. I don't think there's a single universally bad food out there, or any food that never belongs as part of someone's diet (unless it's something you're allergic to - I don't care if you're craving peanuts, do not eat peanuts if you have a peanut allergy).

So it's okay to make sugar, you don't need to make excuses. It's okay to eat sugar if you're craving sugar, even if that's not what your body "needs". But also sometimes a craving is your body saying "I'm hungry and this sounds good, please feed me" even if you're not a finely-tuned spectrometer that's craving blueberries pie because you actually need antioxidants from the blueberries (you're not a finely tuned spectrometer, you don't need the antioxidants from the blueberries, it's perfectly fine to just eat a slice of pie).

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Rabid Logan is my new favorite logan

"Butterbean, please?" Wade begged.

"Fuck off," you groan, curling on the sofa and holding a pillow closer to your head. "It's just a migraine. I'm fine-"

"Totally fine, yeah." Wade frowned and mimed strangling you for a second. It had been 2 days. Yesterday you were having trouble with your vision and puking. Today you were hiding from the sun like a fucking vampire. And he had to go. He had work to do.

But in his head all he could see was your tiny 7-year-old self crying from the pain that no one else was taking seriously. But at least- at least Trigger was taking it seriously. Laying curled behind your legs with his head on your hip, he looked up at Wade like he wanted to know what to do.

"Fine," Wade said, "You won't go to the hospital? I'm gonna get you a baby sitter."

"I don't need-" But when you try to sit up and the movement makes your vision blur, you can't protest. All you can do is groan.

"Sure, shut up," Wade said pulling out his phone and taking a deep breath as he went through his contacts.

Vanessa- working Peter- pushover and working Al- just no. No. Love her but no Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. And Colossus would just fall through your fucking floor IF he could fit through the door way.

"Damn it," he hissed, dialing the last number he had. The last person he'd willingly hand you over to.

"What?" Logan growled.

"Hey, Peanut," Wade said, kicking a wastebasket closer to you as you lean over the couch to puke again. "Need a favor."

"No."

"Listen," Wade said, "I gotta go. Now. And my sweet angel baby sister has a migraine from hell and refuses to go to the hospital to get checked out. So I need somebody who can babysit and force her to go if the meds don't do what they're supposed to in... oh, 12 hours?"

Over the phone he can hear boots hit the floor and he exhales slowly. "Fine," Logan said.

"Thanks, Peanut. Hands to yourself. I gotta go. Duty calls." He hung up the phone and stroked your hair, moving the pillow just enough to kiss your cheek. "I gotta go, sweetie. Logan will be here pretty quick."

"I'm fine-"

"Totally fine," he agreed. "You just look like you're dying and threw up water for dramatic effect." He tutted and tucked the blanket around you before stopping to pet Trigger and slip out the door.

_________________

Logan slipped into the apartment and regarded the dog, who was watching him. The growls were low warning growls. His mistress was ill, but he wasn't. And he could smell vomit that was mostly bile and water. Old clothes and sweat. He shook his head.

This didn't look or feel like your apartment. Too dark and quiet. No warmth. And seeing you so still and clutching a pillow to your head made him wince. "Hey, kid," he said softly, walking slowly towards you. "You alseep?"

"No," you answer, your voice muffled. "Beer's in the fridge if-"

"Thanks," he answered. "You thirsty? Need food?"

"My head's not really happy with moving."

Logan moved the trash can and knelt next to the sofa, "Cold water on an empty stomach is a bad idea," he said. "Got anything else?"

"Lo, you don't have to do this," you murmur. "I'll be okay. It happens. Just not this long."

"What else have I got to do?" Logan said shrugging. "I'm 200 years old and I know a few things. Pretty sure we can get you through it."

"There's some electrolyte drink mixes in the cupboard above the coffee pot," you answer, breaking off with a groan when your head throbs.

Logan nods and squeezes your shoulder gently, "I'll figure it out, as long as you don't mind me going through your kitchen."

"Help yourself," you answer. "If you find jerky in the fridge don't eat it. It's Trigger's and he holds grudges."

[theambitiouswoman]

Water 101 💦

The quality of drinking water can vary based on several factors, it's source, treatment, and the presence of contaminants.

Best Waters to Drink:

Spring Water: Sourced from a natural spring and is typically free from harmful additives and contaminants. It also contains beneficial minerals.

Purified Water: This is water that has been filtered to remove any contaminants. Methods like reverse osmosis, distillation, and carbon filtering can be used.

Filtered Tap Water: Using a good quality water filter can remove many of the contaminants found in regular tap water.

Bottled Water: While many people prefer bottled water for its taste and convenience, it's essential to choose brands known for their quality and sustainable sourcing.

Mineral Water: This is water that contains at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids (TDS), which are minerals and trace elements. It can be beneficial for health due to the minerals it contains.

Worst Waters to Drink:

Unfiltered Tap Water: In some areas, tap water can contain contaminants like lead, chlorine, fluoride, and other harmful substances.

Distilled Water: While it's free from contaminants, distilled water lacks essential minerals. Drinking it exclusively can lead to mineral deficiencies.

Standing Water: Water from ponds, lakes, or puddles can be contaminated with bacteria, parasites, and viruses.

Water from Plastic Bottles Left in the Sun: The heat can cause chemicals from the plastic to leach into the water.

Untrusted Bottled Water: Some brands may not adhere to stringent purification standards, leading to potential contamination.

Quite a few brands actually combine their water bottles with non pure/non filtered water. However, there are several brands that are recognized for their commitment to providing pure water.

Fiji Water: Sourced from an underground aquifer in the remote Yaqara Valley of Viti Levu in Fiji, this water is naturally filtered and contains minerals like silica, magnesium, and calcium.

Acqua Panna: Sourced from a spring in Tuscany, Italy. The water takes a 14-year journey through the underground rock formations to reach the surface, which naturally filters and purifies it. It has a balanced mineral composition and a naturally alkaline pH.

Evian: Originating from the French Alps, Evian water is naturally filtered through rock and sand before being bottled. It's known for its balanced mineral content.

SmartWater: This brand uses a process called vapor distillation to purify its water. After distillation, it adds back a blend of electrolytes for taste.

Voss: Sourced from an underground aquifer in southern Norway, Voss water is protected from pollutants and is naturally low in minerals.

Penta: This brand claims to use a 13-step purification process, resulting in ultra-purified water.

Icelandic Glacial: Originating from the Ölfus Spring in Iceland, this water is naturally filtered through layers of volcanic rock, resulting in a low mineral content.

Essentia: This brand uses a proprietary process to purify its water, and then infuses it with electrolytes for taste. It's known for its high pH, which is alkaline.

Pure Life (Nestlé): Sourced from carefully selected springs, this water undergoes a multi-step purification process and is enhanced with minerals for taste.

Make sure that any water you drink, whether from a bottle or tap, is stored and handled properly to prevent contamination.

[gingerjolover]

Electrolytes - Julien Baker x fem!reader

Synopsis: after a separate night out, julien just wants to spend time with her gf <3

G's notes: since i've been such a tease, i am finally delivering...sorry if it sucks lol

also shoutout to @boywithpinkcarnation and @whore4munagenius <3

WC: somewhere around 2k

Warnings: RPF, reader is afab, actual smut i swear, swearing ig, no fundamental physical descriptors except hair that can be tucked behind the ear?

RPF smut under the cut, if you don't like it please dni!

minors, stay away! 🙅‍♀️

It feels like since buying a house and moving in with your girlfriend, you see her less. Yes, she priortizes you and makes time, but an album release, subsequent EP, three legs of a tour, and numerous press events later, a night when you’re both in the same city doing your own thing still stings. Julien has had some studio dinner planned for months now, meeting with the higher ups of her label in downtown Nashville. Normally she’d bring you, but your best friend’s birthday dinner happened to fall on the same night. 

When you get home, Julien’s car is already in the driveway. Walking in, eyes immediately drawn to the living room couch where Julien’s sitting, manspreading like her life depends on it, wrinkling the slacks you spent 20 minutes steaming. Her laptop is on her left thigh, typing away. Her head shoots up when she hears you close the door, eyes shining in recognition. “Hi baby,” you say softly, tucking your hair behind you ear, toeing off your shoes as your dogs come to greet you. She whistles for the dogs, opening the back door to let them out before bed. 

She puts her laptop down and walks over to you, kissing you deeply as she pushes her hands into your hair, her lips tasting of wine and tobacco, her breath hot on your face "I missed you, baby.”

“Mhm,” you moan into the kiss, her hands are cold in your hair, lips warm against your own. “Missed you,” you mumble against her lips, your hands wrapping around her torso bringing her closer to you. 

Her arms wrap around you as she kisses you deeper, her tongue exploring your mouth and her teeth pressing gently against your lower lip. She groans a little as she runs her hands up your back and leans into you further, breaking the kiss to breathe before burying herself back into your mouth once more.

Julien releases your lips, letting you take a breath, kissing up and down your neck, her hands settled at your hips. “You look so good,” she moans, hand running down your torso, sliding down your thighs before settling onto your ass. You wrap your arms around her neck, your chests flush. “How was the dinner?” you ask her, knowing she wasn’t super stoked to leave earlier. 

She groans as she continues kissing along your neck, her lips making their way down to the top of your shirt, burying her face into your chest, your hand in her hair.  "It was... alright. Bunch of guys trying to seem important." she mumbles, hands sliding up underneath your shirt. "Y'know, trying to get me to do things I don't necessarily want to do." she finishes lifting your shirt over your head, groaning when she sees the bralette adorning your body. 

You giggle, finding it endearing that she can complain while stripping you down.You connect your lips again, moaning against her mouth as your hands tug at her dress shirt. “But your team helped right? They stood up for you?” you mumble against her lips, gasping when her hands move to the button of your jeans.

She takes your bottom lip between her teeth, biting gently and making you shiver, She makes a low growl noise in her throat, looking you head to toe, admiring your jeans on your body before she takes them off.  "Yeah, they did. But it's the same bullshit, it's like..." she gestures with her hand, making a shrugging motion "I don't know. I don't really want to be there right now. I wanna be with you"

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled against her mouth, your hands in her hair. “I’ve just been seeing the dinner on the calendar for like a month and I didn’t want to jump your bones without at least asking about it,” you giggle, moaning as her lips suck on your neck. She kisses your nose innocently, starting to kiss down your chest and stomach, appreciating every inch of skin, She unbuttons your jeans, kneeling down and sliding them off. She kisses the top of your underwear, looking up at you with a teasing look, her big brown eyes darkening. 

She stands up again, kissing you firmly, her thigh going between your legs, her hands on your lower back.

She starts to pull away slightly "Stop being so cute. You're driving me nuts" she whispers seductively, her voice low and sultry, her movements slow, appreciating the time with you. Her hands grab your hips, pressing her bent knee further up between your legs, your hips moving gently “Oh god,” you whimper softly. 

“Not God, just me,” she teases, making herself laugh. “How was dinner?” she whispers against your neck and behind your ear, her lips and her breath brushing against your skin. 

“It was– um, it was– it was good,” you stammer out, Julien’s hands moving your hips back and forth the best she can in this position. 

“You’re gonna ruin my pants sweet thing,” Julien says, almost giddy, your wetness leaking onto her slacks.

“Jay, please,” you moan, hips stuttering, your head plopping onto her shoulder.

Her teeth make one last soft bite of your earlobe as she moves slightly away, licking her lips as she looks at you "Please what, baby?" a teasing whisper leaves her mouth with a sly smile on her face as she raises an eyebrow and tilts her head to the side.

You look at her, eyes full of submission and desperation. Julien presses her thumb to your lip, watching you take the tip in your mouth, she groans, kissing your nose softly.

She nods and chuckles a little, her eyes full of lust as she looks down at you, her voice low and powerful "I want you upstairs. On the bed. Naked." she pushes you towards the stairs, her hand tapping your ass. 

She gives you a few minutes, wanting to make you sweat with anticipation. She takes her time letting the dogs in, making them sit for treats before filling up their bowls with dinner. 

Julien walks up the stairs slowly, dress shirt unbuttoned, belt unbuckled. She walks into the room, closing the behind her and sees you lying on the bed, her face becomes almost animalistic at the sight. She chuckles softly and starts walking over slowly, her lips curled and her eyes, darkened with dominance, locked on you "Good girl.”

Your back arches, body preening at the praise. Julien grabs your ankles, pulling your body closer to the edge of the bed. 

She moves closer, her lips pressing against yours as her hands wrap around your legs, her fingers dig slightly into your soft flesh. "Such a good girl, laying on the bed for me. Being so still." she whispers as her lips slide out from yours, her tongue gliding down your neck as she moves to your collarbone

“Jules… please,” you whine softly, your girlfriend kissing down your torso. 

Her tongue glides lower until her mouth connects with your nipple, looking up at you with hooded eyes, her eyes lock with your own. "Please, what, sugar?" she whispers voice thick, letting your nipple go with a pop.

“I need you,” you whimper, legs widening for her. 

Her mouth moves to your other nipple, giving it the same treatment, her teeth scraping the skin as she pulls away. "Tell me, baby." she all but growls, kissing up your neck and biting your earlobe "Tell me where you need me."

You grab one of Julien’s hands, lowering it to your center, thighs clenching around her, you lean up and kiss her softly “Here, please,” you whine softly. 

Her eyes widen a little bit, your forwardness surprising her. She’s heavy breathing, letting out a soft huff before she presses her thumb against your clit, moving in figure-8 motions, "Princess, you’re so fucking wet."

You moan loudly, Julien’s teasing grin looking down on you, power eminating off of her as she stands fully clothed above you. Her nonchalance makes you preen, her eyes darting all over you body as she absentmindedly plays with your clit.

“Please,” you beg softly, Julien can’t help but fall to her knees at the foot of the bed, your skin prickling as she all but worships you. She hooks her arms around your legs, Julien pulling you closer to her, kissing up your legs. 

She lets out a low grumble, her hair falls over her eyes and she looks back up at you "Look at me, baby." she whispers "What do you want?" she's breathing heavily as her lips graze against your thighs.

Your hand goes to her hair, pushing it back so you can see her eyes. “Need your mouth,” you pant. 

"Need my mouth where, baby?" she asks teasingly, her tongue runs along your inner thigh. 

She does this everytime, asking you questions on purpose and then making it impossible to respond. She flattens her tongue, licking a single stripe up your pussy before attaching her mouth to your clit. 

“Ahh, babe, oh my god Julien,” you moan, your hand in Julien’s hair. 

Her arms cage in your legs, tongue pushing into you, nose rubbing against your clit. She’s lapping you up like she’s dying of thirst. Your hips buck against her arms, hand pressing your lower abdomen down, keeping you still. 

“J-Julien–oh fuck,” you squeal out, legs trying to clench around her. 

She pulls away slightly and looks up at you with a puffy lips, her chin wet, eyes bright and teasing. She rests her head on your thigh "What? Didn't hear you, baby." she bites your thigh gently, her teeth digging in "Say it again."

“Fuck, Don’t t-tease, Julien,” you pout back, closing your legs a little, trapping her head between them. 

She looks between your legs, biting her lip and looking at you "What was that, baby? All I heard was whining." she moves a bit between your legs, kissing everywhere but where you want her, "Is my baby gonna behave?"

“I was being good,” you say sassily, grunting when she takes your knees and spreads them, her arms holding your hips down harshly, face hovering over your center again. 

She looks up at you, her eyes are wide and full of lust. You see her grin as she begins to lick her lips "Is that right? You were being good?"

“Mhm,” you mumble, cut off by a gasp, Julien’s tongue moving quickly again. This time she lets go of your hips, you can feel her smile, her moans sending a vibration through you. “Grind on my tongue baby…that’s it, that’s my girl,” she mumbles against you, hands holding your chest. 

Your grip tightens in Julien’s hair, throwing your own head back and arching your back, moving your hips against her mouth desperately. “Please– I’m—” you stutter out.

“Cum for me, c’mon pretty girl,” her tone stern but sweet, two fingers are pushed into you, curling quickly.

Your back arches, hands gripping the sheets, Julien’s quick to remove her fingers, pulling your hips to her mouth, holding you tightly against her as you cum. She works you through your orgasm, mouth still sucking your clit before she’s licking up everything, not wanting to waste a drop. 

“Good?” she asks smugly, sucking her fingers clean and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She kisses your thighs, watching you pant and catch your breath, chest heaving. All you can do is stare at her, the crooked smile on her face, almost innocent, like she didn’t just make you ruin the sheets. Your hand moves to her hair, patting her head. 

“You did good, I’m proud of you,” she mumbles, moving to lay next to you. The scene quite funny, your fully dressed partner lying next to you. “Your outside clothes…” you grimace, tugging at her collar. She leans down, kissing you, licking her way into your mouth. You moan, able to taste yourself on her tongue. 

“I have to change the sheets anyway… and probably get rid of my pants,” she teases, finger tracing your face. 

“I can get the stain out,” you try to reassure, before she’s shaking her head, both of you looking at her thigh. 

“Don’t worry about it,” she chuckles, pulling you into her. 

“Now,” she says brushing your hair back, kissing you softly. “You need to hydrate, gotta get you some electrolytes.”

You look at her confused, head tilted to the side. 

“Did you think we were done here? Baby, I’m going to fuck you… so hard,” Julien says, pushing her lips onto your neck and tickling your sides. 

[macgyvermedical]

Possibly(?) easy question if you're inclined: Beyond saline, are there some common IV nutrients/supplements a person might be likely to be given if they've been in a physically stressful situation for a while (where they haven't been able to take good care of themself/have lost some weight) and have now reached medical care but are going to need to be going into surgery in the near future?

We don't typically give nutrients IV. If a person can't use their mouth to eat we typically give them an NG tube into their stomach so we can give tube feed. If they can't use their whole digestive system, we might give TPN (total parenteral nutrition) via IV but TPN is somewhat dangerous and very expensive, so we'll exhaust a lot of options prior to this method.

What we might do is if the person has very low protein in their blood, we can give protein in the form of human albumin. It is important to have protein in the blood to both maintain blood pressure and to be able to use certain medications. Human albumin is a blood product, meaning it is derived from donated blood.

We may also give an IV solution called lactated ringers. This is kind of like an IV sports drink, and it replaces many lost electrolytes. If there are any particular electrolytes (like potassium or magnesium) that need replaced, those may also be given, either orally or in IV form.

[scretladyspider]

please don’t scroll; I really need your help to reach my gofundme goal of $3500 and not become homeless.

Im Elle, a queer, ace, disabled person with ADHD, depression, and two cats. In November, I lost my job without warning. I have no savings as the job already had me living to the last dollar of every paycheck. I was denied unemployment and food stamps. I cannot work away from home, a physical job, or something with strict hours due to some yet-to-be-diagnosed illness.

this is my story — what’s going on & how I got here. (Smaller text used because it’s a lot of information/a long post.)

In early 2018, I was doing regular walk/runs. In 2019, I stopped being able to run, so I went on walks. Running took hours, then days, to recover from. My body couldn’t produce energy to do it consistently, so, walks. In 2020, I kept going on walks and tried to do aerobics. I was not able to keep doing aerobics. My body took hours upon hours to recover, where before it hadn’t, I was alone for almost all of 2020, and never developed COVID symptoms; it was what happened with running all over again. In 2021, it started to take more time to recover from walks. Then I started to need to take a nap immediately after I clocked out from work— and it was a work from home job. In 2022, I began to go from my sitting desk job straight to my bed most days, laying down exhausted right after work, even sleeping through lunch to get some rest.

On New Year's Eve 2023, I spent 30 minutes cleaning, including vacuuming my living room. I had to rest the rest of the day.

In the last five years, I've gone from running to being exhausted for hours by taking my garbage to the curb.

Imagine you were someone who enjoyed recreational exercise. Now imagine doing 1/100th of that and feeling sick for days. Thats me.

There are other symptoms also. More vulnerability to infection and more trouble fighting infection. Shooting, sharp muscle pains in large muscles such as the thigh or forearm, like a pinched nerve, that come and go at random. Pulse rate that skyrockets upon standing, to go back to normal soon after. Stomach inflammation. Inflammation without major swelling. Headaches. Complete inability to tolerate heat, leading to excruciating migraines that only go away with things like cold showers, electrolytes, and hours of rest in the dark with ice. Muscles that literally don't feel like they're getting oxygen. Random rashes. Face flushing. Being much more easily out of breath, yawning over and over, like I can't get air correctly. Weight gain, no matter what I eat or don't eat.

And just being so, so tired.

In summer of 2018, something… stopped working in my body. I felt sick all the time. I had a low, unexplainable fever nearly every day. Shooting nerve pain would wake me up at night. The doctor said I had a cold. But months went by and I didn’t get better. When my blood work and thyroid hormone level was normal, I was referred to a rheumatologist.

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia after he made me wait 45 minutes, came in and asked “are you tired?", poked me hard, said I was tender, and left without running tests. This sort of “uhm the standard blood work came back normal, have you tried exercising more? I know you’re here because your body can’t recover from it but have you tried more of that? Also going to sleep at night?” has been the response over and over and over for five years. It got to the point where I even started to wonder if I was somehow making it up. I see a psych nurse. She thinks there's more than just depression, ADHD, and other things - though we both agree that managing those is vital too. She used to be a cardiologist, so this is reassuring. But when I have tried to see other doctors, it goes differently. Most of the time they see I have ADHD, a long history of depression, and hypermobile joints, and say that explains everything. I can't count how many times I've been told "well, you have depression” when the labs, if they even agreed to run them, came back normal. My standard blood work sometimes comes back with anemia, but I take an iron supplement. No improvement had come of it. I’ve had my thyroid hormone levels tested over and over, but never the antibodies. No imaging or referrals have happened, outside of one to a second rheumatologist. He ran no tests either; he just saw my joints are hypermobile and I was “sure taking a lot of mental health medications” (two at the time), and… that was that.

I had given up on actually even getting help until my SIL recommended a doctor she knew. For the first time in five years, when the standard blood work and TSH tests were normal, she told me we would keep looking. I actually cried with relief at that. It’s amazing to be believed after all this time.

Because of …. All of this, I'm trying to figure out how to either work for myself or find a work from home job that has flexible hours I can choose. I literally wouldn't be able to work a retail gig where I have to stand for eight hours, or even a 9-5 where I have to be there for those exact hours, because my body cannot do that right now. I want to get better but it's a long way off. First I need to know what's even wrong. I'm praying for a diagnosis soon. And treatment. At the least, management.

I have heard of EDS and I have been evaluated. I apparently don’t meet enough criteria, hence the diagnosis of JHS instead. It’s in the same family. I have also heard of POTS. I am pursuing testing. Same with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, MCAS, fibromyalgia… yeah. The thing is nothing outside of the standard blood count and thyroid hormone level test, no other lab tests have been done. There are so many things this could be that have never been checked. Lyme disease, for example, is extremely common where I live (it’s actually just extremely common worldwide) and matches much of my experience, but 1) in the USA the initial Lyme test relies on a strain of bacteria cultured in the 80s 2) there are over 100 strains of Lyme disease in the USA 3) in spite of decades of research there are doctors who don’t believe chronic Lyme exists 4) no doctor has ever checked and I only recently learned anything about it so I never asked. But… there are a lot of things to check that I’ve never had checked is my point. Fingers crossed someone can help me get there.

I do not have a partner who can try to support me through this, and my family already supports me however they can. My severance (which was low as I found out I was being paid much less than the rest of the team later) paid only my January rent.

Since my ability to work is severely limited right now, and I've been denied unemployment and food stamps, and I would need a diagnosis and to be awarded disability benefits in court (which can take YEARS that I don’t have), I have nothing in savings because of years of underpaying jobs the cost of living and being disabled and going through prior periods of unemployment due to this and other factors, I am left in a tough spot without help. Without this help, this gofundme... I have nothing.

So... here I am. A queer nonbinary disabled neurodivergent writer, trying my best, living with some undiagnosed illness that's severely impacted my ability to function, who got fired without real reasons (in America they can just do that to you without even telling you why), asking for your help to pay my February rent and January bills so I don’t repeat the trauma of being homeless. Or for you to reblog this.

Thank you for reading all of this.

It’s been on my chest for a long time. Even if it wasn’t for the gofundme, it feels good to talk about and be honest about my health. It reminds me you’re not supposed to feel like this all the time when I tell other people and they tell me I should get help and deserve answers. It’s reassuring to see competent doctors who finally believe me. I hope we figure it out.

no donation is too small— they add up. If just 100 people gave $35, the goal would be met. Sharing is also giving— it means someone who can help is more likely to see it.

You can also help via my venmo — secretladyspider

CashApp — secretladyspider

or find PayPal in my tip jar in my linktree

Goal is $3500 or over. Funds needed ASAP. If it goes over, that’ll help with February.

Thank you for anything and everything.

[verdemoun]

reading through your old posts and in literally a few words you mentioned hosea dealing with sean having food poisoning and i need more context please if i may 🙏🙏🙏

certainly

Sean has really bad food anxiety. The worst in the gang by a long shot, keeping in mind MOST if not all of them have some issues with food as a result of just living in the 19th century.

Sean can blame his food anxiety on a long line of specific traumas. Darragh was born at the tail end of the Great Famine, with childhood memories of visiting the unmarked graves of his siblings who died and watching his parents constantly stress about food for decades after the Famine had technically ended. It was not an intergenerational trauma he was able to protect Sean from, with Sean very young when he realized Darragh would go without eating the second supplies seemed to be getting low, which in turn made Sean not want to admit when he was hungry to avoid opening what little they had.

After Darragh's murder, Sean went to reform school - where being denied meals was a regular form of discipline for children not 'reforming'. Due to being, well, Sean Macguire, the entirely of his time spent in reform school was somewhere between hungry and actively feeling like he was dying of starvation.

If that wasn't enough, the Ike Skelding boys were hardly interested in giving their captive bounty food, and therefore energy, to escape. Despite knowing better than to gorge himself, Sean still suffered through days of refeeding syndrome once he was rescued.

Sean's food anxiety manifests as hoarding, and has since reform school. And in typical gang fashion, it wasn't something they noticed in canon era. Holding onto food that looked questionable at best was just common practice. Even in modern era, they dismiss it as typical Sean when his room becomes a pigsty.

Until the day Sean decided to eat the second half of a chicken sandwich that had been on his bedside table for four days.

There wasn't enough towels in the house for the amount of vomit. Hosea was having to force feed Sean electrolyte popsicles whenever he was conscious. Sean repeatedly asked to be shot again instead of living through the hell of gastro.

It was the last straw in the gang finally acknowledging Sean had a problem and having to put steps in place to address his food hoarding.

[stillaclownlol]

Lgbtqia+ hcs because I don't know if I'm gonna make it till June lmao (or, if I'm gonna live after it since I'm planning on wearing my flags In public 🤡)

Tw for csa mentions (because why don't I keep projecting huh)

Ashlyn Banner

-She/Her but in a "never thought about pronouns her entire life" kinda way. Doesn't mind they/them. She likes dressing masc/feeling masc, but doesn't really like being "perceived" as masc. Like...masc on her own time lmao. (I'm projecting so hard rn). "Gender neutral" kinda- like agender- but like in a "I don't care about my gender at all I just am more used to the gender they assigned me at birth"

-Demi rose 🌹 I'm also projecting here. Takes her a while to come into her feelings, but maybe that's the "never had friends ever" coming through.

Aiden Clark

-he/him but like he won't care if you use smth else for him lol. Cis gnc kinda guy eyyyyy (better in heels than ashlyn)

-unlabeled and that's how he likes it, nobody's business who he likes kissing lol. I feel like he's kissed a guy before just to try it. On the aro-allo spectrum ngl.

Ben Clark

-He/Him, is fine with They/Them. Honestly likes getting called She/Her too but she's been pretty shy about mentioning it :") Taylor likes doing her makeup if they're having a "femme-day". Settled on genderfluid/genderflux after a while.

-Greyromantic Caedsexual (Ace). Shane was part of a group of slightly older kids, and when he was getting bullied Shane and some other kids sexually assaulted him multiple times...technically was a queer assault since Ben was seen as a sissy because his personality and hobbies were "feminine", and this was to goad him into having a physical reaction :/

Taylor Hernández

(Ngl I'm so annoyed there's not more colors but whatever)

-She/Her and They/Them, identified as cis for a long time since it was what they knew, but once she learned more about it she experimented with her gender a lot more, they identified as non-binary for a while before moving to paragirl.

-Pan to aro/ace pipeline because I'm projecting :) she didn't really handle it well at the beginning, but Ben, Ash and Aiden are all also a-spec so she had a lot of support ^_^ They felt "invalid" because of the csa they went through when they were younger and they thought it was more like a trauma response than their actual sexuality. After talking with Ben about it tho she understood that even if they were related that didn't make her any less valid.

Tyler Hernández

-He/Him cis guy I'm sorry/lh

-was kinda annoying about queer people because actually being raised as a Catholic Mexican boy makes you kinda weird (IM SORRY THIS IS JUST FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE) BUT he gets better I promise

-Bisexual boyfailure and took him crushing on Logan to accept it 🤡

Logan Fields

-He/Him and a bit of a stickler about it because he gets misgendered rather frequently (less as he got older but still), doesn't mind getting called gendered terms tho (Taylor calls him "sis", and he calls himself an "Astrology girl")

-intersex, found out when he was 15ish since his puberty had been delayed, and he's really insecure about it...🙃 he was assigned male at birth so he wouldn't say he's trans, but his experiences overlap a fair bit. Takes testorone and medication because he has low electrolytes. I could write a whole essay here but I have to go soon 😭

-Gay :> He realized pretty quickly but he's intensely scared of people finding out, has only told his grandparents. They took it very well ^_^ His grandpa has some gay friends so sometimes Logan goes to the senior center to talk with them about stuff :)

[fernandopiastri28]

quand c'est? - part 2~ ln4 x op81

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7

Lando tucks his knees up to his chest, resting his head on them. Breathe Lando, he repeats, trying to calm himself down. It’s difficult to hear himself breathing right now- not because it’s faint, but because it hurts to. Every single sound seems to be amplified a hundred times and accompanied with a faint ringing.  A metallic taste fills his mouth as his head is tipped down, similar to the iron taste of blood. He spits into his hand, cringing at the impulsiveness, then checks the colour. It’s clear, so he isn’t bleeding, but the taste doesn’t go away.

warnings: major illness, cancer, sickness, major angst wc: 2025

Lando wakes up with a worse headache than when he’d gone to sleep. It had been an awful night, moving in and out of consciousness, only comforted by the buzz of Oscar’s snores and breaths during his peaceful sleep.

His heart is pounding in his chest because he’s so fucking stressed, he shouldn’t feel this bad, he never has before. It’s especially bad on the day of an infamously physically taxing race. Singapore is notably difficult on the body, it had definitely been so yesterday. The weather app says it's only going to get worse, and Lando is sure he’ll be praying for rain by the end of it.

Instead of getting up and beginning to get ready for the day, Lando curls up next to his personal pillow of Oscar and tries to shut up his mind. It usually works, shoving his head between the space where Oscar’s elbow presses into his own narrow waist. He tucks his head there, likes the slight squeeze that his unconscious boyfriend gives him, it’s a numbing pressure, and it’s so good.

Normally. It's normally so good.

Yet now, it’s still not enough- he just wants to vomit. 

“Lan,” Oscar voice is low and gravelly from sleep, “Stop wiggling, I want to sleep,”

Lando shifts away, deciding to just be away from Oscar instead of staying still. His head feels like it weighs triple its usual weight, imagines that this is what their usual G-Force in the car feels like for someone with an ordinary sized neck.

He lugs himself to the bathroom, sliding down against the shut door. He stares at the toilet bowl, then out at the small window. It’s not even bright enough to be calling it morning yet, it looks to be about 5am- and that’s generous. 

It takes everything in him to not try and vomit again. At this point, he’s pretty sure he wouldn’t have anything in his system anyways. He’d barely eaten at dinner and lunch consisted of two pieces of chicken before he’d given up and just drank water and electrolytes for the rest of the time.

Lando tucks his knees up to his chest, resting his head on them. Breathe Lando, he repeats, trying to calm himself down. It’s difficult to hear himself breathing right now- not because it’s faint, but because it hurts to. Every single sound seems to be amplified a hundred times and accompanied with a faint ringing. 

A metallic taste fills his mouth as his head is tipped down, similar to the iron taste of blood. He spits into his hand, cringing at the impulsiveness, then checks the colour. It’s clear, so he isn’t bleeding, but the taste doesn’t go away.

He does miss it though when the taste is replaced with that of bile, bubbling from his throat up to across his tongue. He lurches forward, searching for the toilet in the dark bathroom. He heaves and heaves, trying to empty out the last bit of whatever is in his stomach.

On the bright side, the weight reduction was gonna help him out a lot during the race.

His fingers splay out across the toilet bowl, gripping onto it like his life depends on it. He’s had a fair few nights feeling similar to this- a few too many shots mixed with a lack of food in his system has resulted in some gnarly hangovers. This however, is worse than anything he’s ever felt.

It’s like his soul is being sucked out of him, like every single one of his bones is turning to mush and his muscles are snapping. Oscar’s name comes out of his mouth in wailing sobs, begging him to be in here, begging for him to tell him he’ll be okay. He sees bits of yesterday's breakfast splatter across the toilet bowl and he cries harder. 

“Oscar,” He sobs as he leans his head back, hoping his voice isn’t as cracked as he feels it in. His throat feels like it’s been ripped to shreds and the idea of being able to say a word doesn’t feel possible. “Oscar!” 

A pair of feet pad closer to the door, quicker and more panicked than the night before. Lando recognises Oscar’s exact walking pattern- it’s just something you pick up on when you spend so much time admiring someone like he had.

Oscar doesn’t say a word, just sinks to his knees and wraps an arm around Lando’s waist, his chest to the brit’s back. “Breathe,” He reminds, watching Lando’s face turn red from the dim illumination of a lamp in the bedroom. Lando has his lips in a tight line, trying to not let anything out, “And just let it out, babe, I’m right here,”

Lando’s head falls forward, somehow letting more out of him. He’s sure he must be empty by this point. The pressure in his head seems to decrease a bit, and his stomach doesn’t hurt as bad. “I’m here,” Oscar’s lips feel like ice on his cheek, a few peppered kisses around the area. “I’ll take care of you, Lans,”

Oscar reaches up to flush the toilet and Lando’s eyes fixate as the contents of his stomach swirl around in front of him. He’s empty, he’s done. His head falls back onto Oscar’s shoulder, his mouth hanging open slightly. He has half a mind to close it when he realises just how close Oscar’s face is to his own, and he can most definitely smell the vomit- that’s just cruel.

“Let’s get you into the shower,” Lando doesn’t resist it, just allows for his lax body to be carried into the glass box. Oscar keeps him somewhat upright with his right arm, his left arm getting himself naked. He stops once he has successfully one handedly pushed down his boxers before sucking his cheeks in. “Can I just- can you lean against the counter while I take my shirt off?” He asks after much consideration.

He’s thinking that hard because he doesn’t think Lando can take it. 

“Yeah,” He shakes his head weakly, letting his eyes shut for a moment as his palms hold himself up on the sink. It’s only for a few seconds, but it’s enough that he thinks his knees might give out and his legs will snap if he has to stay up any longer.

Oscar’s shirtless in a flash, his arms going back around Lando to hold him up. It’s good that it’s Lando and not Oscar who can barely stand up because despite being younger- Oscar is bigger, taller, and definitely stronger. He doesn’t struggle holding Lando’s weight with just one arm. 

The water is intentionally colder than usual. Usually, they spend the mornings showered in boiling hot showers, a choice from Oscar who despises any body of water colder than 26 degrees. He knows that the hot water isn’t going to help Lando today, who’s essentially drowning in his own sweat and feels hot to the touch everywhere. 

He pumps some luxury hotel body soap into his hand and tries his best to lather it before giving up and cleaning Lando off with the not yet bubbled liquid. “How are you feeling about the race today? D’you think you should just sit it out today?” As much as sitting in the car in the boiling night heat of Singapore sounds like absolute hell to Lando right now, missing out on the race seems even worse.

“No,” His voice is definite, he’s not going to be convinced not to drive today. He’s good at Singapore, so maybe if it was a track he was infamously bad at (Vegas, for example), but he’d gotten a podium there a year before- a Carlando one at that. He’s still chasing that high, maybe getting another Carlando 1-2, but with him on the top step.

“Are you sure?” Oscar’s hands ghost over Lando’s crotch, like he’s unsure what to do with it. For a guy who’s spent a fair amount of time with his hand around it, he’s so cautious. He’s been cautious with each bit of him though- careful like he’s scared to hurt Lando with a single wrong move. It’s like he’s made of glass, just waiting to be broken. 

Maybe there is a slight shadow of doubt in Lando’s mind. He’s not even starting from a good position. At best, he’s gonna score in the low points and watch Oscar get a podium. Then he’ll be forced into celebrations and be out partying for hours longer than he thinks his body can endure tonight. He’d love to celebrate Oscar, it’s one of his favourite activities in the world- but he just can’t do that tonight.

 “I’m sure,” He lies, “I’ll be fine,” Lie number 2, “Y’dun need to worry ‘bout me,” 3rd and final lie. His words are lazy and half slurred, but Oscar knows what he’s saying regardless. It’s hard not to worry- Lando’s always been someone who pushes himself too far and get hurt, even long before they’d become friends he knew that. Yet, he’s also a quick recoverer, and he’ll probably be over whatever this is in a couple of days.

Even with his weight on Oscar, his legs are struggling to stay planted on the floor, or more so, remain straight so he can stand, “I need to sit,” He mumbles, his eyes closing as he says it. His energy is crashing, quick and hard. 

“Alright, okay, no worries,” It sounds like it does worry Oscar, who scrambles to lower Lando to the floor. He squats down in front of Lando and Lando gets an eyeful of Oscar’s.. Package. Usually, he’d be all over that, but he’s not- and that’s a telltale sign that something is seriously wrong. “Can you just keep your eyes open for me, Lans?” He asks, his hands softly separating Lando’s wet curls.

He nods, doing the exact opposite. His eyelids go heavy and it feels like a chore to even attempt to reopen them. “Yeah,” He mumbles, his fingers draped over Oscar’s shoulder, “Yeah, yeah, I’m looking at you,” He can feel his eyelids are still covering over his eyes and he shouldn’t be able to see, but his mind is clearly creating and providing some pretty realistic images because he can see Oscar.

But Oscar doesn’t say anything, so he must actually have his eyes open, he just can’t tell.

Oscar sighs, not an annoyed one, but more one that means he’s been holding in a whole lot of tension and panic over this whole ordeal. Maybe in his mind, Lando is being an overdramatic baby about all of this just to get some attention. It doesn’t sound like something Oscar would think, but Lando prays it isn’t. He does feel like hell. 

“Did you tell Jon yesterday that you weren’t feeling well?” Oscar’s fingers scrunch some of Lando’s hair up, the damp curls falling over his forehead when he pulls away. Lando shakes his head, letting out a wheezing cough. “Why not?”

“I couldn't”

“Or you didn’t want to? You knew you wouldn’t be allowed to race if you felt this awful,” Oscar is disappointed, there’s no sugar coating that. 

“No, Oscar, I- I- I just,” His chest is heaving. He hates when Oscar is mad or disappointed in him. It’s worse than when it’s from Zack or Andrea after a bad fuck up in a race, it’s worse than from Jon when he fucks up his diet, it’s worse than his own mind when he keeps fucking everything up.  

“Lando, calm down,” Oscar’s tone has returned to soft again, “I’m sorry, please just calm down. It’s okay, you’ve told me now,” 

“I’m fine,” He insists, “I didn’t think it was worth telling Jon- I’m literally fine,”

Oscar scoffs, “Fucking hardly,” 

“I’ll be fine,” He corrects, blinking some soap out of his eyes and looking up at Oscar only slightly. His eyes looking up any higher genuinely hurts him. His brain throbs when he looks too high or too low.

“You will be,” Oscar turns off the shower and helps him up, wrapping him up in a thick towel. “You will,”

[clatterbane]

Maybe not too surprisingly, I do also have some suspicions that the wonky electrolyte levels may have been screwing with my blood pressure too in some less-expected ways.

Haven't even wanted to say anything about that, though--especially now that I've got that difficult new endo as the one primarily handling it.

Nope, I'll just be over here keeping my own counsel, and doing the opposite of the usual advice by loading up even more on the salt. And other electrolytes that the freaking meds can deplete, of course.

At least nobody has even tried to push the low-sodium diet advice at me--who keeps already showing low blood levels of the stuff whenever it's tested.

[samwpmarleau]

fic: so it goes

whumptober day 4: hallucinations masterlist: tumblr, ao3 “I’m gonna kill him.” The declaration is more growl than speech. “I’m gonna fucking kill him.” (tag to 5x14 so you know. warnings for that.)

Everything hurts. Every bone in her body, every muscle, and her head feels like it’s going to explode. Fitz had been correct about the shortage of painkillers, if not about anything else. There’s nothing in the Lighthouse except some old ibuprofen, which does little to help either her headache or the throbbing in her neck.

She hasn’t slept for two days, not since the … surgery. She hasn’t been able to. Every time she closes her eyes, she sees The Doctor, then Fitz, then Fitz who decides The Doctor had the right idea.

She sees Jemma crying and Deke horrified, and the robots programmed to hold everyone at gunpoint. She hears the clatter of medical instruments and that brogue that once had been soothing. She feels screws slowly piercing her skin, a scalpel slicing her open, tweezers pulling, pulling, pulling, pulling. She feels her powers return, which gives her both a sense of normalcy (oh how she’s missed them) and utter terror (Earth, quaked apart). She manages to do what Fitz asked, put the gravitonium in the ball to close up the Fear Dimension, and she has an hourlong nosebleed from the concentration and pain.

Jemma offers to suture her. She refuses. She does it herself, or tries to. It’s not very pretty, but it’s functional. The Lighthouse has those, at least, medical supplies. Not just the bandages, but the instruments as well. Of course, Fitz wouldn’t have been dissuaded by a lack. He’d have used his pocket knife, scissors, a goddamn safety pin if he had to. All in the name of necessity.

If he’d just talked to her, explained —

Daisy swallows around a lump in her throat as what feels like never-ending tears well in her eyes. She’s sick and tired of crying, but she can’t help it. She’s exhausted and she hurts.

Jemma had wanted her to stay in the medical bay for longer, something Daisy had summarily rejected. The last thing she wanted was to be poked and prodded more, especially without anything to dull the sensations. She’d accepted a Gatorade for the electrolytes, then had drawn the line and retreated to her room.

She’s been in the dark since, even the low-wattage Lighthouse bulbs too bright. No meals either, she can’t imagine actually eating anything. Mack and Yo-Yo had attempted to visit; them, too, she’d turned away. She’s not in the mood to be felt sorry for, and she’s definitely not in the mood to have Fitz’s actions softened or explained. Granted, she doesn’t know that they would, but there’s the chance. A high chance in Mack’s case, given how close he and Fitz are. Were, she hopes yet cannot count on. Jemma’s out of the question, of course.

Thus here she’s lain, alone and aching and cold beneath the covers unable to find a comfortable position no matter what way she arranges herself.

She’s at her wits’ end. So, she tries the only other thing she can think of. While it’s not something she wants to resort to — surely it’s not mentally healthy — it’s worked before and she’s desperate. She also can’t say she hasn’t missed him, mirage or no.

She closes her eyes and lets her mind drift.

—

Someone raps on her door, urgent and immune to her requests then shouts to go away. She thinks at first that finally they’ve retreated, except then she shoots up in bed, startled, as the lock is broken and the door swings inward. Of all the people she expected, Robbie Reyes was not one of them, yet he stands, backlit from the hallway.

Her shock is such that she can’t manage to tell him to leave, something he takes as encouragement. He shuts the door behind him. The metal sizzles as he casually welds it to the frame, what with having ruined the lock.

Daisy’s voice is hoarse. “What are you doing here? I thought you were off killing your way through space.”

“I was. Then I sensed that something was wrong with you, the Rider jumped us here, and a very confused Agent Davis filled me in.”

“You sensed something was wrong? From another dimension?” she frowns. “How?”

The heavy chain Robbie wields with such precision releases a deafening clang as he unravels it and sets it on her cluttered table. He takes the liberty of pulling over a chair to her bedside. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”

“No, what I mean is — you sensed me? Or the Fear Dimension?”

“What the hell is a Fear Dimension?”

“It’s … a long story.” Which leaves the other option, the one she doesn’t understand. “So, me, then.”

“That surprises you?”

“Uh, yeah, that surprises me. The Rider’s got to have better things to do than check up on me.”

“He does,” Robbie acknowledges, “but I don’t. Someone I care about is in trouble, I’m not gonna let that slide. Since I don’t have many of those and I’ve been doing what he wants, he made an exception.”

“And I’m one of those not-many?”

“Yeah, Daisy. You are.” His hand twitches as though to reach towards her, but ultimately it stays where it is. Though she can’t see his eyes very well in the feeble light that peeks through the crack beneath the door, she can feel their intensity. “Didn’t you know that?”

“You strolled through a portal with an evil book of magic, forgive me if I wasn’t holding my breath for you to come back anytime soon. Let alone for such a dumb reason.”

Robbie’s tone is quieter than usual. “A dumb reason?”

Daisy shakes her head. It’s too much. “You’re wasting your time. I bet there are plenty more scores for you to settle.”

Whatever had stopped Robbie before doesn’t now as he leans forward to touch her. His fingers are light, barely a whisper as he brushes them along her neck. Her shifting must have exposed the gauzed-over incision enough for him to notice. “I’m not wasting my time. What happened?”

Daisy shies away from him even though the wound has already started to scab, even though she knows he would never hurt her. Really, she should’ve let Jemma dress it when it was still fresh, avoid or minimize what is bound to scar, but she’d been rather pissed at the time, unable to look at even an extension of Fitz. She’s still rather pissed.

“It’s nothing. A scratch.”

“Doesn’t look like a scratch.” Noting her discomfort, he drapes her hair back over the wound, concealing it to the world, and traces her jawline instead. She shivers, and not from being cold. “Daisy, tell me.”

She doesn’t want to. She doesn’t want to relive again what she already does every minute of every hour since it happened. But he’s earnest, and he’d crossed literal dimensions to get here —

And he’s the one person who’d met her before anyone else. Jemma, Yo-Yo, Mack, they’d all met her and Fitz at the same time, if not earlier. They love him dearly. They’re conflicted.

Not Robbie.

Robbie who had to be threatened to work with S.H.I.E.L.D., yet had bought bandages for her in the middle of a blackout. Who managed to send her a sign while trapped between two planes of existence. Who trusted her wholly with his brother, the thing most precious to him. Who had traveled here through an interdimensional portal from hell because somehow, he could sense her suffering.

No, Robbie would not go to the mat for Fitz — but he would for her.

Surrendering, she recounts everything. The future, Kasius, the Fear Dimension … the surgery. All of it. Robbie absorbs her words with little reaction, which with every passing word drives more and more apprehension into her heart. Had she been wrong in her assessment? If she can’t count on him, nor those she considered her friends, her family, who can she count on? Only herself. And if she’s the only one who has a problem with any of this, maybe she’s the one in the wrong. Maybe Fitz, The Doctor, the hybrid, was right and she’s overreacting —

Daisy startles at Robbie’s voice, as much by the suddenness as the response itself.

“I’m gonna kill him.” The declaration is more growl than speech. “I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

Daisy expects to see amber irises, the Rider’s bloodthirst poking through. She finds none. Robbie’s own dark brown is all that’s there; the bloodthirst is his. It’s unnerving and comforting all at once. More than that, it’s gratifying to a degree she hadn’t expected.

Something in her chest loosens. The fact that he’s ready and willing and able to murder someone for hurting her — someone he knows … She’d have been okay with perfunctory empathy, a pat on the shoulder. Not that she would ever ask Robbie to kill anyone, but the gesture, that she will take as-is.

She squeezes his tensed arm to keep him from marching down to the cells right this instant and turning Fitz into a pile of ashes. “No. No, don’t, just — stay with me. Please.”

He obeys with reluctance, and at her gentle tugging gets up from the chair to settle beside her on the bed. Satisfied that he won’t move, she slides down to lay her head on his lap. She burrows into the supernatural warmth that seeps into her bones. Which serves only to make her emotions float even nearer to the surface, for allowing Robbie to access his powers means that perhaps even Ghost Rider, an uncompromising demon whose moral scales permit brutality, is on her side. Even he has determined Fitz’s methods to be extortionate.

The sobs come at that realization, thick, heavy sobs that dampen Robbie’s jeans and smudge what’s left of her mascara. She holds onto him like a lifeline. Because that’s what he is, her only lifeline in an ocean of loneliness and pain. He eases off his jacket and covers her with it, enveloping her in his scent. She doesn’t know when that smoke-and-leather had become familiar, let alone calming, but somewhere along the line it had.

Robbie pulls her yet tighter to him, slowly soldering her broken pieces back together, and lets her cry until at long last she falls into welcome sleep.

—

He isn’t there when she wakes up. No warmth, no jacket. Her pieces are still scattered. She tries to sink back into the gilded dream that had seemed so real, desperately wanting to feel Robbie’s solace for a moment more. One moment, that’s all she asks.

It’s to no avail. He’s gone. He never was here to begin with. He’s in a hell of his own far away from hers, unreachable.

The tears come again. This time, there’s no one to dry them.

[therealnoot]

Potato?

Oh Potatoes! I love Potatoes for many reasons. They’re great and healthy for you. They’re rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants.

When Scurvy was a really big issue potatoes were literally life savers at the time as well! They have done wondrous things for peoples health and saved many many lives. They also contain potassium and contain a specific electrolyte that helps your heart muscles and nervous system function!. They have fiber rich skin and are very low in calories as well!

But there’s also the downside on potatoes. There’s some research suggesting that eating too much potatoes raises the risk of diabetes and hypertension which has over time been raised as well from being genetically modified and used in mostly used to make greasy foods like fries. Please take this with a grain of salt. These are of course studies and research and it never hurts to be a bit skeptical even with science!

Did you know that some food guides have started to exclude potatoes from the vegetable group due to how often it’s associated with high-fat diets?(Fast food/Junk food)

Potatoes are generally fantastic and easy to use for just about everything. The saying or insult of “ couch potato “ is pretty silly imo. When people tell you that you don’t want to be a potato or anything along that line they are completely ignoring the fact at how versatile a potato actually is. They are used to make all kinds of foods whether as sides, compliments to the main dish (or the main dish themselves) or eaten as a snack. From baked potatoes to chips to even Vodka! They are able to be used in so many ways and I think people really miss the bus here. I think being called a potato should be a good thing in positive context. Being versatile and able to do or make so many things by being yourself is amazing honestly.

Here’s a small list of things potatoes are used to make or made into

Hash browns, chips, fries, tater tots, potato salad, potato bread, potato pie, potato soup, potato noodles, hasselbacked, boiled, broiled, mashed, smashed, baked, braised, roasted, fried, and smoked

And here’s a small list of different kinds of potatoes

Russet, Jewel Yam, Japanese sweet, Hannah sweet, Austrian crescent, Blue, Red norland, Russian banana, La ratte, purple majesty, French fingerling, Red gold, Red bliss, Yukon gold, Red thumb, Creamers, orange sweets, and yams.

It should be important to note that I am taking classes for Culinary and food. I am learning a lot about food and enjoy food! I suppose this is incredibly lucky timing because I am just finishing up learning about fruits and vegetables. A lot of this also comes from research and I am by no means a professional. Please take all that I say with a grain of salt. I also encourage anyone who reads this to PLEASE do their own research as well!!

[obfuscated-abstract]

Title: Oral and intravenous hydration in the treatment of orthostatic hypotension and postural tachycardia syndrome

Date: January 2022 Published in: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical Publicly available: Yes

Citation: Snapper, H., & Cheshire, W. P. (2022). Oral and intravenous hydration in the treatment of orthostatic hypotension and postural tachycardia syndrome. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical, 238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2022.102951

Abbreviations:

ACTH: adrenocorticotropic hormone

CVC: central venous catheter

GI: gastrointestinal

IV: intravenous

NOH: neurogenic orthostatic hypotension

NTS: nucleus tractus solitarii

OI: orthostatic intolerance

ORS: oral rehydration solution

PAC: port-a-cath

PICC: peripherally inserted central catheter

POTS: postural tachycardia syndrome

TC: tunneled catheter

VVS: vasovagal syncope

WHO: World Health Organization

Article Summary

Abstract

Introduction

Approximately 60% of an adult human's body weight is water with 7%-8% is included in the blood volume.

Hydration is not only maintained by sufficient water intake but also the administration of sodium as sodium has a major effect on the body's use of water and can be depleted through diarrhoea, vomiting, polyuria, or excessive sweating.

Patients with autonomic nervous system disorders -- including neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), vasovagal syncope (VVS), and other disorders of orthostatic intolerance (OI) -- are often responsive to hydration

Symptoms can include lightheadedness, syncope, near syncope, brain fog, palpitations, chest pain, and dyspnoea which can have a major impact on daily function and quality of life

This review is intended to evaluate the different hydration modalities available and address some of the surrounding controversy

Pathophysiology

Orthostatic disorders have diverse pathophysiologies but they share the problem of ineffective blood circulation (especially to the brain) when upright.

Pressure receptors in the aortic arch and carotid arteries are connected to the nervous system by nerves fibres in the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves which are in turn connected to the NTS and medulla oblongata in the brain stem.

On standing, the drop in arterial blood pressure causes the part of the medulla to signal to increase blood pressure by peripheral vasoconstriction and increased heart rate.

In NOH, there is a problem with either the signal betweeen the pressure receptors and the NTS or between the brain and the peripheral blood vessels which causes a decrease in blood pressure upon standing (see full text for specific features and causes).

In POTS, the heart rate increases upon standing but blood pressure does not change. Blood volume is often (but not always) reduced in POTS patients and is exaggerated by blood pooling. this causes the body to react by increasing the heart rate and keeping it high until lying down or increasing blood volume (see full text for specific features and causes). Correction of low blood volume is the most obvious treatment but other mechanisms may be relevant.

VVS is characterised by episodic OI due to a suddent change in the autonomic nervous system that causes a drop in blood pressure. This can be a symptom of a form of chronic OI (including POTS)

Hydration

Patients with orthostatic disorders must maintain hydration (orally, intravenously, or by some combination) to maximise blood volume.

Water alone is usually not enough to acheive adequate hydration as sodium and other electrolytes are necessary for fluid to remain in the intravascular space.

Oral hydration is typically more convenient but many patients have concurrent GI issues or other difficulties in acheiving adequate oral hydration. IV hydration is generally successful but poses logistical challenges and potential risks

Oral hydration: the standard treatment for diarrhoea is WHO oral rehydration solution (ORS) which has similarly been applied to orthostatic disorders

The osmopressor response: An exception to the principle that water without salt does not accomplish hydration is bolus water-drinking which, in patients with impaired baroreflex function induces a pressor response by activating the sympathetic nervous system. In healthy patients, bolus water-drinking has been shown to delay or prevent VVS and reduce the heart rate increase in POTS patients. This is a result of hypo-osmolality rather than intravascular volume expansion.

Oral hydration for NOH: Patients with NOH have a low sympathetic state. Salt supplementation for NOH has not been tested in randomised clinical trials but strung consensus-based guidelines have consistently recommended oral salt supplementation. Salt recommendations should be adjusted based on comorbidities and individual patients. It has not been researched whether salt supplementation should be adjusted for NOH patients with supine hypertension (about 50% of NOH patients).

Oral hydration for OI: Oral hydration with water and electrolytes is recommended to manage OI, including POTS, VVS and other forms of OI. Patients are encouraged to consume electrolyte peverages to keep fluids in the intravascular space to compensate for hypovolemia and orthostatic pooling. The amount recommended is higher than that for NOH. Various studies have tested the effects of hydration and salt intake.

Challenges of oral hydration: Oral hydration appears to be the ideal therapy to help improve orthostatic symptoms in NOH or POTS due to its simplicity and availability; however there are barriers to oral hydration in some patients. Approximately 69% of POTS patients have chronic, moderate to severe GI disorders (including concomitant gastroparesis, irritable bowel syndrome, recurrent vomiting, etc.) that may limit their ability to ingest fluids and salt. A small number have fastric or jejunal feeding tubs but still struggle with absorption. Patients with NOH may have issues with oral ingestion related to gastroparesis, other GI disorders, or lack of thirst. The ability to adequately hydrate these patients can be very limited. Older patients may also present with additional limitations.

Intravenous hydration

Many patients struggle to get adequate hydration orally. IV hydration with normal saline or lactated Ringer's solution is the easiest way to acutely increase intravascular volume.

In the case of orthostatic hypotension, the cause may be unclear. If there is a history of poor fluid intake, vomiting, diahrroea, or polyuria, and if the heart rate increases by more than 0.5 beats/min per mmHg of systolic blood pressure fall when standing, then IV fluids should be considered as long as there is no sign of congestive heart failure. Orthostatic blood pressure should then be reassessed.

No studies show benefit to ongoing IV hydration in the case of NOH

The goal of IV saline in POTS and other forms of OI is to correct hypovolaemia and bridge from incapacitation and deconditioning to the ability to engage in exercise and recovery. Table 1 outlines studies that support this.

Several studies of the use of IV fluids in POTS are summarised

When deciding which patients with chronic OI might benefit from IV saline infusions, it is of interest to know if postural tachycardia is a relevant criterion. Further studies are summarised.

Summary: Four noncontrolled observational studies agree in demonstrating improvement of orthostatic symtpoms in POTS and followup assessments also show significant improvement. Two noncontrolled observational studies of VVS showed IV saline averted presyncopal or syncopal episodes on a subsequent tilt-table test. These studies did not assess repeated infusions but one found that subsequent oral salt supplementation (with or without fludrocortisone) was associated with symptomatic improvement.

The question remains whether longterm salt supplementation or periodic intravenous saline infusions produces lasting improvement.

Comparison of oral versus intravenous hydration

Only one study directly compared IV and oral hydration with similar results (details in full text)

Complications of IV hydration

it may be difficult for patients to tracel to an IV infusion centre for periodic infusions and arranging home visits is expensive and complex.

For long-term vascular access, patients have the option of receiving a surgically implanted indwelling central venous catheter (PICC line, PAC, or TC); however, these are associated with serious risks for infection, sepsis, thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or death. Exact numbers are detailed in the full text.

Improving volume status without salt

Additional treatments include compressive stockings, abdominal binders, and counterpressure manoeuvres which reduce venous pooling. Elevating the head of the bed at night will reduce nocturnal sodium diuresis (loss of sodium) in patients with supine hypertension.

A number of off-label pharmacologic strategies are also available for low blood volume.

Fludrocortisone increases renal absorption of sodium and water with some activity in the GI tract as well. It can cause hypokalemia (potassium deficiency). It's sodium-retaining effect is transient and the level of evidence for treating orthostatic hypotension is weak. See full text for more pros and cons related to fludrocortisone.

The other medication available to increase volume is desmopressin, a synthetic analogue of vassopressin. It works in the kidneys to reabsorb free water and is primarily indicated for enuresis (urinary incontinence). It can be beneficial to patients whose symptoms improve with vasoconstriction. A major adverse effect is hyponatremia (sodium deficiency) which can cause seizures and be life threatening. It also stimulates the release of von Willebrand factor which can result in thrombosis.

Vasopressor interventions such as midodrine, droxipa, and pyridostigmine are frequently used to treat NOH and POTS and have been reviewed in other studies.

Guidelines for IV hydration

The current evidence is not sufficient for strong recommendations regarding IV hydration in orthostatic disorders but a set og proposed guidelines for the management of difficult cases is presented in Table 2.

Before considering IV hydrations, a healthcare professional should establish an accurate diagnosis through a thorough history and examination. If the clinical diagnosis is unclear, autonomic testing can be helpful. Symptoms alone are not sufficient to diagnose autonomic disorders.

The most compelling context for an ongoing course of IV hydration is the patient who has severe and incapacitating symptoms of OI (consistently postural with objective and sustained evidence of orthostatic tachycardia) and is unable to attain adequate intravascular volume by oral hydration.

Evidence is less clear for cases of chronic OI without tachycardia or for chronic fatigue. Ideally IV hydration should based on objective markers of disease. If OI is severe and incapacitating, oral hydration is inadequate, and pharmacologic interventions are unsuccessful, the argument for IV hydration approaches the strength of that in the case of POTS.

For VVS, the vast majority of patients recover fully and are encouraged to use oral intake if fatigue persists. In the rare case of frequent syncope and the potential for injury, there are no clinical studies around the merit of IV hydration. Acute IV hydration was shown to delay syncope in two studies however it is unclear how well the conditions reflect real life.

There is no evidence to support ongoing IV hydration for NOH, however a single challenge of IV hydration may be used to assess whether an acute case of OH is neurogenic or caused by dehydration.

Before placing an IV access port, the patient should trial outpatient peripheral IV hydration. If the patient shows significant qualitative improvement in orthostatic symptoms, continued therapy can be considered with the expectation that IV hydration is intended to be a bridge to other therapy and not indefinite. It is crucial to explain the risks (Table 3) to the patient before proceeding.

Patients with IV ports should be carefully instructed on techniques and precautions to minimise infection risk as well as how to recognise symptoms associated with central venous thrombosis. Patients undergoing prologed IV hydration should have their electrolytes and blood pressure monitored regularly

Length of therapy depends on the patient's response to treatment but is not meant to be a long-term therapy.

Future directions

IV saline is a basic clinical response to patients with hypovolemia (which may include some patients with orthostatic disorders) but future therapies may emerge as research progresses -- despite their commonality, orthostatic disorders are not well understood.

Further and more precise studies into intravenous salt-loading, comorbidities, and subgroups should be done.

Tilt-table testing should be standardised for the assessment of OI and other diagnostic techniques should be studied.

Outcome assessments should include objective measures and patients receiving long-term IV saline infusions should be monitored for hypertension.

Conclusion

[goodnessandgrief]

When I’m feeling depressed, it can be nearly impossible to take care of myself, and that includes eating. Here’s a list of some foods that require little to no effort (aka: can be eaten right out of the package or just need to be microwaved), mainly for my personal reference, but also so others can find easier alternatives when they’re struggling.

Water bottles or canned water - stay hydrated!!

vegetables - green beans, peas, corn, black/kidney/pinto beans, chickpeas (all canned or microwaveable frozen bags) - I’ve also tried Harvest Snaps, which are baked snap peas & they’re v good

Fruit - grapes, raisins (or any other dried fruit like apricots/dates), mandarin oranges, apples, applesauce cups, bananas, pears, peaches, etc. (most fruits require no prep anyway, but especially if they’re canned - you can also buy frozen bags)

Canned soup or chicken, beef, or veggie broth

Pasta (ramen, spaghetti, mac and cheese, chow mein) or instant rice are my go-tos. You can buy these in individual cups or bulk packs.

Any microwaveable food - frozen/tv dinners, burritos, toaster strudels (they make an egg bacon & cheese version too!), mini pizzas, breakfast sandwiches… there’s a lot you could do here :)

Dairy - Yogurt, cheese sticks, (or just straight up eat cheese slices, there are no rules here), cottage cheese, almond/oat/soy milk, powdered milk (if you want something shelf-stable)

Grains & carbs - cereal, crackers, chips, popcorn, toast or bagels (I’ve eaten plain bread before tbh and it kinda slaps), Oatmeal (these packets are dinosaur themed & have little sugar eggs!! - https://www.quakeroats.com/products/hot-cereals/instant-oatmeal/dinosaur-eggs)

Nuts - peanuts, peanut butter, almonds, cashews, walnuts, trail mix, etc.

Meat - deli turkey, trail bologna, spam, jerky, frozen chicken strips or nuggets, Morningstar vegetarian corn dogs, canned tuna

Eggs

Fast food or take-out is also a good option if you don’t feel like making anything yourself.

A little tip - most foods you would take on a camping or hiking trip are great! for some, all you need to do is add water & heat it up. they are usually on the expensive side, though!! here’s some I’ve found that are decent:

https://mountainhouse.com/

Things to keep on hand for particularly bad days:

⁠Boost/ensure/Soylent - liquid meals for when the idea of chewing or mixing anything is too much.

⁠disposable cutlery/bowls/utensils so you don’t have more dishes to worry about.

Multivitamins

Liquid IV, Gatorade, or some other form of electrolytes. It’s too easy to get dehydrated!

If you do have a little energy to cook or make something, here’s some ideas:

If you have a blender: frozen spinach + frozen banana + shelf stable almond milk + peanut butter makes a great smoothie.

frozen fruit + frozen spinach/kale for smoothies

Adding whey protein makes it more filling.

⁠dried pasta + jarred pasta sauce (Rao’s is low sugar and awesome, but pricey) + frozen meatballs

Boil tortellini on hand. Its as easy as boiling water. You can eat it plain, add a spoonful of pesto, sprinkle with a little olive oil or butter and some garlic salt, or pour it back in the pan after draining and add a little pasta sauce

⁠frozen fried rice + frozen stir fry veggies

⁠favorite frozen protein and veggies for sheet pan meals

⁠canned refried beans with a tortilla and some cheese to microwave, can add extra toppings too

⁠oatmeal + pb + dried fruit of choice

⁠rice cakes + pb + jam (or substitute bread if you have it)

Rotisserie chicken in a salad, soup, sandwich or wrap

Frozen salmon with some veggies

air fryer foods - chicken nuggets, tenders, fries, etc. You can also toss different vegetables (baby carrots, Brussels sprouts, etc.) in a little olive oil and throw them in there

chicken broth & frozen dumplings - you can dress it up a little with some miso, soy sauce or other seasonings. You could also add some frozen vegetables.

snack type food - a combination of canned Garbanzo beans and black olives. The olives are salty enough that you can get low sodium beans and it will still taste good.

A lot of these ideas I stole from the good people of Reddit (particularly r/depressionmeals)!Here’s the post I referenced if you’d like to look further into it: